Project Cleanup

We didn't intend to tackled so many projects at once, but they all heaped up into a stressful couple of weeks. But now that they're done, I'm so happy with them.

First, Brian discovered the sink and plumbing in our guest bath was corroded and starting to cause a leaking issue. We happened to mention this to a friend who is a contractor, and he hooked us up with a brand new FREE sink and faucet that was ordered for a client and arrived in the wrong color. We threw in a little paint for the vanity, a new light fixture, and some hardware, and we had a very cheap facelift for our bathroom.

**Darn it!! I really thought I had a before picture in the old archives, but I can't find one.**

Painting the vanity

Much better! And not leaking.

----

If you have visited our kitchen, you've likely participated in a debate about whether or not we should install a kitchen island. I have always been hesitant about the idea, because I didn't want to give up the wide open space of the kitchen. But as time has gone on, it's true that we don't have much counter space for such a large kitchen, and I like the idea of the kids being able to sit at the island and eat snacks or do homework while I'm cooking. So Brian found a good sale on what we needed, and I couldn't believe how quickly it was decided and done.

Before (2009) - big open space in the middle

More cabinets, more counter space, more seating.

So far, I love it. Certainly the kitchen is a little less spacious, but the functionality is priceless. (Also, we added a little countertop on the passthrough to the living room)

-----

Finally, the city is doing a sidewalk improvement project, and we had a portion of sidewalk that needed to be repaired in the driveway. Meanwhile, we looked into sealing the driveway, but multiple people told us it would be a waste of money because it was so crumbly that it wouldn't hold a seal and really needed to be replaced. One of our neighbors works for his family's patio and driveway business, and he was able to give us a really good deal on replacing the whole driveway. All of this work had to be completed this month in order to satisfy city requirements, so we had another big project going on in September.  (These pictures might be boring to most, but I know some family members really want to see what it looks like.)

The crumbling, before

Uneven walkway, ugly and broken light post

Another attempt to show crumbling

The whole project has been quite entertaining for the boys. It's not everyday that you have one of these in your yard.

Altogether the process took almost two weeks from the first demo to the final brick.

But now it looks pretty and perfect.

And I LOVE the new walkway (minus the light post).

Doesn't it make you want to pull in for a visit? :)

And you just HAVE to. (That's my thumbprint for the baby. We really debated how to acknowledge Baby Girl.)

-----

Oh, and just for kicks, it happens to be the best month to reseed the backyard, so Brian also spent last weekend sharing a rented slit seeder with 3 other neighbors. We are on the 10 year plan for having decent grass in the yard.

So now...we are taking a big ol' break from house projects (right, Brian?). We've got other things to prepare for this winter.