My Garden Retreat

My Garden Retreat
photo Gridley Graves for Country Living

House Updates

Happy Friday!
I hope everyone had a wonderful week and possibly has plans for a fabulous weekend!
Now that I am finished at Horton's...
My time and energies are once again concentrated on the house renovation!
This week I worked on the floors and installed the cottage planking in the kitchen and dining room.
Here we are on Monday Morning...Not much has gone on while I was working at Horton's.



I did manage to get the drywall joints mudded  though...


By Wednesday afternoon. I had almost completed the cottage planking in the kitchen...(Waiting on hubby to install the chair rail so that I can finish the upper planks that will be behind the refrigerator.)


I still have a little bit more to go in the dining room but went to work on the floors!


And as of about an hour ago...I had completed the sanding!
I rented the drum sander yesterday (Thurs.) and finished up today!

I wanted to show you how they look before the brown paper goes over them.


In some places you can still see the outlines of the rugs that once were there. They hadn't stained the floors in those areas and so it is a bit noticeable...but my new rugs will cover!




I must tell you...I  told a lie to the guy at the equipment rental place. He said" I couldn't  handle the machine. It was Powerful and had quite a pull"  He then said That my husband would need to operate it.
After he loaded it...
I told him that was the plan. I lied. My hubby didn't even know I had rented the equipment until he got home from work!

I had finished the entire kitchen and dining room before he even knew what I had been doing!
Then, only for a few minute did he even handle the sander.
The only thing about being female that sometimes irks me is that men don't think you can handle tools!
I have just as many power tools as my husband and use them a lot more than he does!
But I will let the poor guy think that only men can handle the equipment! This time!

I will spend the weekend priming and painting the ceilings and  newly installed planking.
Then...
The real fun will begin.
While my hubby removes THE VERY LAST OF LATHE IN OUR RENOVATION PROJECT and installs drywall...


I am going to wallpaper the Library and paint the Murphy bed.
By Wednesday or Friday...we will begin installing...

OUR NEW KITCHEN CABINETS!
I just might hyperventilate!
We don't have them all yet...mainly the island and back wall components.
The pantry and wall oven unit are not completed yet and neither is the base for my farmhouse sink.
They had to wait until my sink was here before they could build the base.

So much to do but just wanted to share the progress!


Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs from here...

27 comments

  1. I am loving it all! The floors and the kitchen walls are gorgeous...you did an awesome job with those power tools. :)
    I'm so excited to see next week. I want a little cottage so I'm gathering all my ideas from you.
    Where did you get those beautiful pendants light????

    Have a great and productive weekend!
    Sarah xo

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  2. Loving the floors so far and the space feels great......congrats to you. I feel your pain, but it will be worth it in the end, you will get everything you want and love every minute you spend there making great memories with your loved ones. Cannot wait to see it progress!

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  3. I laughed when i read your comment about handling the sanding machine. I can relate to your determination and tenacity.
    If you listened carefully over the noise of the machine, you might have heard the old song 'I am woman hear me roar'.

    It will all be beautiful when it is finished.

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  4. You go girl... Looking forward to more as it happens... Love what you and hubby are doing...

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  5. I know it will be beautiful when it is done and I look forward to seeing the progress!

    Carolyn

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  6. Soooooo exciting! and Look at your gorgeous floors!
    plus, you don't have time to explain to the guy how you can use power tools, you're too busy using them and gettin stuff done!

    Cindy

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  7. "I am woman, I am strong!" Why can't men just admit women are super capable. You did a fantastic job on the sanding. Your home will be so much more to you after all your labor of love you have put into it. Wonderful weekend dear...

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  8. Donna it's wonderful....
    just wonderful
    but I would go back and set the old geezer straight.
    xx
    z

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  9. Yay Donna, it's looking great, cannot wait!!! I know you must be heaving a sigh of relief that the show is over, everything looked fantastic!! xoxo

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  10. Was it the same guy who muttered out loud at the open house he couldn't believe one person had done all the displays? LOL! Don't men know a woman can do in one step what it takes a man four...and never...never...never tell a woman she can't. Those are fighting words! Next time you go to rent tools...show up riding a front end loader. That'll teach him!
    It's looking wonderful and I'm so excited for you.
    BTW...the open house was beautiful. Take a bow girly...you outdid even yourself.
    Debbie
    P.S. Loved the belts holding the frames...brilliant and one I'm gonna be stealing in the future.

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  11. Donna!
    Everything is coming together so beautifully! I love watching your creative process! You are so motivating and inspiring!
    ~Lynne
    [w/L]

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  12. I'm confused...I thought you'd already redone your kitchen with the cute little red stove. Is this a different house? Anything you do is beautiful.

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  13. Oh...and your comment on tools? I have discovered that man stuff is easier than woman stuff. Man stuff is just bigger and without the small details. And women are so much better at the details that when we do man stuff...we do a better job. I've learned this the hard way.

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  14. I am so glad you did not let that man talk you out of doing the work yourself. Those floors look awesome and you should be proud. Great work you and your husband are doing on the house.

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  15. You go girl! Work that equipment. The floors look great. We know all about hard work and DIY. We built our house and did all the finishing work ourselves sixteen years ago. You should have videoed yourself working that sander and then take it and show that guy. That will make him stop making comments to women like that.

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  16. Wow you do so many thing well! I have never tried sanding floors, afraid the big drum sander would get away from me and make a circular mark in the floor. I am totally amazed at your determination and abilities from doing the backbone stuff, like mudding walls and the pretty stuff that you do for your Etsy shop and HOrtons. Have a nice Thanksgiving Donna!

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  17. So much work going on here...not only can we handle power tools, if we waited for our husbands to do it, it might not get done..:) I am enjoying following this progress.

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  18. You go girl! I have tons of tools myself and I love them. Would rather have tools than diamonds! Hahahaha!
    tot

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  19. Things are really coming along. I love the floor!! We girls know how to handle and use tools! I bought a big tool box for myself and filled it with tools and I even learned how to use a torch! Way to go Donna!!

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  20. I agree ...you go girl!! I can use a lot of hubby's tools ,but I must admit I did not use the sander that we rented. :) Your house will be lovely when done!
    Blessings~

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  21. LOVE the floor! And the exposed wood wall makes me long for a macro lens camera and an invite to your place! :-)

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  22. Fabulous ! You have a nice blank canvas to work on . My husband always gets a bit funny if I get "his" power tools out ....hehe it's a man thing ! but if I waited for him to do what I wanted I'd be waiting a long time! have a nice week !
    Gail x

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  23. Woohoo Donna!!! I am gonna show my hubby this!!! He has a thing for floors like these, and unfortunately we inherited ceramic tiles from the previous owners!!! And way to go with using the power tools! I've been using the tools lately while the hubs is at work! Yay us! lol You are a rockstar though - look at all that work that you have done! And here I was complaining about a little ole wall having to come down and go back up! lol You are truly an inspiration!!!


    Hugs,
    Jessie

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  24. Absolutely wonderful!!!! Love the floors, the walls, heck loving all the progress! Yeah, deal with the "oh your husband will have to do it" all the time...I've set a few straight on the matter and was asked if they could rent me to teach their wives LOL So although we don't think much about it, apparently there are a lot of women who cannot do the tools.

    Looking forward to your next post. Oh yeah, btw I didn't notice the previous rug shadows....and once you get your things in there, you won't notice them either :)

    Hugs,

    "Her" and Romeo

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  25. Hey Sweetie
    Looking fabulous... I love love love the floors!
    Ha, that guy doesn't know how close he came to meeting his maker... I get the tools for Christmas, Keith gets the cookware!
    Can't wait to see it all - it should be farther along by the time I get there, I am so excited!
    Have a blessed Thanksgiving
    RE

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  26. Men! What do they know? I love tools...and I can handle them all myself. I think I love tools more than my husband. I actually get really excited to go to Home Depot to check them out.

    You have had and enormous job in renos and I feel for you..it is a labour of love that I know all too well....it's looking great.

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  27. Oh dang that came out wrong.....I love my husband more than tools....I just love tools too.....hahhaaa

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Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave me a comment!
I love reading them~they truly make my day!
~Donna Reyné