The West Coast

Ya know, I thought it was going to be warmer!  Whooo, it was chilly.  Pt Reyes California, an hour or two north of San Francisco. Dressed in layers as instructed by those travel guides.  Rain coat tied on just incase.  But the sun stayed out.  Had a most remarkable conversation and walk on the beach.  I'd go back in a heartbeat!

DRIVE A BACKHOE!!! Oh my got that is so much fun! So they are digging for a French Drain around my house and breaking up concrete and making a new patio. Apparently this work is the talk of the neighborhood. I am told that people are stopping in their cars, a group stopped on the sidewalk to watch and chat, neighbors are leaning over their fences... "What is she doing? Is this a new driveway? What are you doing up there?" So my contractor tells me. Meanwhile, on a break from beating my old bathroom tile to death, I hop in the cab of the backhoe, (with permission and a quick lesson) and dig some dirt. It really is a good time. I'm happy!

Nearly done kitchen

Awaiting my countertops and a few light fixtures and we are going to call it a kitchen. Oh, need a garbage disposal and the faucet installed. What a transformation! We love this kitchen. Can't wait to actually use it.

Kitchen didnt stand a chance!

And pooof! The kitchen is gone.... OK, not poof, but the cabinets came down pretty much as easily as I had hoped. Again, Claire was pivotal to this process. I asked her if she wanted to "coax" the beadboard off the wall. She talked to it gently for a few seconds. No luck with that so she tried a hammer and wonder pry bar with much better results. This demolition is surprisingly fun and satisfying. I have the kitchen designers computer drawing stuck on the wall ..... just keeping my eyes on the prize.

Tear down a WALL!

"Tear down a wall" is on my blog list. Now, while demolishing a bathroom and kitchen isn't exactly what I had in mind, I'm gonna check this one off. See the photos and I think you may agree. The photo on the left is the "before". The one to the right is how it looks now. I found removing kitchen cabinets significantly easier and less painful than removing bathroom tile. I keep hitting my hand with a hammer trying to chip that tile off the wall. Dang!! Claire, could NOT have done this without you.

Soon to be dream house....

There she is. A 1925 English Tudor Revival. I closed last week. I have already worked with a number of new folks. Closing agent, 2 restoration architects, home inspector, kitchen designer, bathroom tile wizard. The architect of choice, Bob Baumbach, got out of his car and said, "Jan, you scored!". Lovely little house. I can't wait to move in. But first, I need to get the kitchen re-done. First drawn plan will be done for me to look at this week. Bathroom, hardwoods definitely need a re-do. I found some vintage light fixtures online to replace the updated ones the previous owners had installed. As luck would have it, I found the original living room light fixtures in a box in the garage so I cancelled the ones I had ordered. The chandelier looks a little dungeonesque for me, but I want to put the wall sconces up. Now that the snow has melted I can see what I actually bought. :-) It is a good solid little cottage by all accounts. We are getting to know each other now.

Dream House

I have been searching for a house that I love for 7 or 8 years. I'd look at home listings online a few times a year and have gone to see 13 houses over those years. I put "Find my dream home" on my birthday blog list last year. In the winter of 2010 I had put that search officially on hold. I wasn't finding what I wanted so I planned to give it a rest. After I learned that another important person in my life is following his dreams by moving to New York City I started to get how really important my home is to me. I do not have a dream of moving to a different city. That nudged me back into my home search. I expanded my search area, and got more clear on my 'must haves' and my deal breakers. Today a seller and I came to agree upon the right price and I have a house under contract. After living 17 years in a house that is 'fine' for us, but that I have never loved, I am moving. WHOA! I am excited and occasionally just a little overwhelmed. I did my homework and used the opinions and expertise of a few people I trust before I moved forward. The house inspection and closing are yet to happen, so I will reserve more details for later. I'll get back to you on the rest. It's a great house. And I am really happy.

UPDATE: inspection complete, now looking at getting the sellers to fix a few details before we close next month.