It's Been a Hard Day's Night...

We took tonight off - from working on the bathroom at my parents' house, from going anywhere. We just needed some down time...and it feels so good to just relax with my sweetie on the couch with a nice glass of wine and TIVO.

In case you're wondering where I've been the last few weeks, I now have some preliminary pictures of the work in progress. Mind you, these were taken with a camera phone and the walls are only half done here (they are 3/4 done in reality and we're going over to finish the install tomorrow - grout will have to wait until later).

As you can see here, we installed an new cultured marble vanity top with a built-in sink and added a tile backsplash. That's the pattern Di figured out and cut! It replaces a 60's era putty-colored laminate countertop and mint green sink.

Better, huh. Oh, yeah the outlet, towel ring, faucet and lighting are all new too.


The next shot is looking at the wall that will have the shower fixtures, when we finish the tile. It, in fact is the only wall that doesn't currently have tile to the ceiling...because of the cut outs for the fixtures.

It really is starting to look like a room again and my parents are extremely grateful and blessed at the results. I don't think they had any idea what we were planning we started, but they trusted us to take care of the details and we're doing our best to keep that trust.

Anyway, that's what has been occupying most of our time recently, and will continue to do so until we are finished. Thanks for your encouragement, and patience with us.

Time Flies...

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it had been since I've posted a blog entry! Time really does seem to fly, even when you're just busy and not necessarily having fun. ;-) And we have been very busy. As my lovely bride mentions in her last post, we have helped with a wedding and reception (where my friend Sam and I grilled over 60 steaks), become all too familiar with our local hospital (visiting my Mom on her trips there), and the BEAST.

No, I'm not referring to the Anti-Christ...just the bathroom remodel at my parents' house. Have you ever volunteered for something because it was the right thing to do and seemed like it be relatively easy? Then you get into the project and you realize how big it really is? After all these years of working on my own house, you would think that I would have a clue, but once again my optimism about how a project will go got the better of my memory and experience. After weeks of demo, prep and more prep, and finding (and waiting weeks for) new fixtures, and learning more about plumbing code than I ever wanted to know, we actually put some tile on the wall yesterday. YES!

Okay, it was just the back splash/accent row around the counter and sink, but it was TILE and it was a beautiful pattern designed by my wife. She's got the art/design/math skills to pull something like that off. While I love the design, and was thinking of something similar, I am particularly bad at the math and measuring. Not Di. She designed, measured and cut the tiles, while I prepped the walls with backer board. She did an awesome job. We installed the back splash last night and everything fit perfectly. It's really beautiful and I am so proud of her.

When it's all done, I'll post pictures. My goal is to finish before next weekend, so I am taking a minimum of two days off this week, probably four. :) Because when you are closing in the finish line, time just flies!