Tuesday, September 13, 2011

House Pictures - Before and After

We had an Open House party for our friends this past weekend, so that was incentive to get the house in order and take some pictures of what we've been busy doing on the new house for the past five months.  Here are some before and after pictures!

Front of House Before
Front of House After - We removed all of the ivy from the brick and the
dead tree on the right.  We added a driveway gate, gutters, sprinkler system
in the front,  re-painted all of the wood a slightly different shade and did some
landscaping.
Den Before
Den After - we added wiring to hang TV above fireplace, surround sound,
the bookcases on both sides of the fireplace and bench storage for toys
under the right window
Kitchen and Breakfast Area Before 
Kitchen/Breakfast Area After - we stained the wood beam, did a little touch-up painting
and some minor cabinet tweaks
Study Before
Study After - we added a built-in desk on the right, bookcases
on the left, under cabinet lighting, extra cable/phone/electric plugs,
a glass top and shutters on the windows

Desk Area
Bookcases
Living Room Before
Living Room After - We did new curtains, recovered the flowered
club chairs and got two new wood chairs for a separate sitting area (oh - and
Ryan finally got to hang his first duck in the study, which is what Taylor
points out when she's giving a tour)
Living Room After
Living Room After - new couch pillows
Dining Room Before
Dining Room After - We added new curtains and some accessories
Upstairs Bath Before
Upstairs Bath After - The project that started it all....
We changed everything except for the
placement of the plumbing!
Shower after - we added the shower light, new tile and reglazed tub
Upstairs Vanity Before - original tile
Upstairs Vanity After - all new
Taylor's Room Before
Taylor's Room After - just a little paint, a chandelier and shutters
Taylor's Room After
Guest Room Before
Guest Room After - we painted my Grandmother's old bedroom furniture and
it's looks fantastic, I must say
Nursery Before
Nursery After - Work in progress
Nursery After
Master Bedroom Before
Master Bedroom After - we didn't have to do anything here. Whew!
Backyard Before

Backyard After - We removed five trees, did some landscaping and repaired
part of the fence
Garden Before
Garden After - We removed two palm trees and the elephant ears,
and added flagstone
Back Porch After - New paint
A final picture to make you hungry - party food

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Taylor's First Day of Preschool at First Steps

We made it on-time and it was a full success!  Yesterday, we spent preparing for the big day - gathering her "supplies" ready and getting in bed early.  We picked out a plant and painted a special pot for her to plant it in.  She also had to bring a framed family picture so she was very excited about that.  Today was a short day - only an hour and I stayed with her the entire time.  There were no tears and she wasn't afraid of anything.  She even made a few buddies; however, most of the time the kids were doing "work" by themselves.  Yes, it's called "work" not "toys" or "play".  There are eleven kids in her class and three teachers.  Her lead teacher is Ms. Veronica.  There is also a mix of older kids who were in the class last year and new kids.  Tomorrow we go for a little longer and I slip out of the room for 30 minutes.  Friday a little longer and I'm gone for an hour.  Next week, it's 8:15am - noon everyday.

Supplies for school
So excited about her "fower" and "pot" 
Hugs from Mommy
Goodbye, Daddy! 
"Working" hard at transferring beads from one bowl to another with a spoon
Putting sticks into tiny holes
Cleaning up her placemat after snack
School is over - time to play
I had to peel her away from the playground - it is a beautiful day