Better After Feature!

   YAY!!!! I was featured on Better After by Lindsey for my amazing bathroom re-do! Guess it was worth the pain after all...

   You can see it here and share in my excitement below with a comment... if you want ;)

End of home reno...forever

   Carpet is DONE! My house still looks like we left the windows open during a tornado, though. The best part was when Apollo walked on it for the first time he didn't know what it was and walked with all 20 claws out at full attention. He got caught with every step like he had Velcro on his feet. Hilarious!

Here are the "before" pictures.

It was just old and dingy. The previous owner had a huge lab and several cats and apparently never vacuumed.

   It was installed Friday, so I entered my foyer at 6 pm to find that the carpet didn't think we did a very good job emptying the living room.

Even Turk was horrified! Couch cushion son top of the cat food station. Freaking narsty.

This was our handiwork, making use of the new bathroom. Crap from the spare bedroom closet.

Our plea to not let the cats out mid-install.

Drumroll...for the new darker carpet!

My house is still a mess. But I took the time to decorate for Halloween, of course. It's October, after all.

And I found this in the spare bath sink, along with my "dead prom queen" dress from Halloween years ago.

   Things are almost back to normal! Except for that cat...

  

Carpet non-prep

   I am being SUCH a slacker. I am fully aware that I have to have EVERY knick knack and decor items removed from walls, shelves...basically any surface I have crap on, needs to be cleared off. I've done 5% of that at this time. I have tonight and tomorrow night to work on it as they will be gracing us with their presence 9 am Friday morning.

   In related news, the areas of the spare room I started to clean out a bit, a bigger mess has erupted, courtesy of Turk. We used purple feathers rather than flower petals at our wedding for my flower girl to drop. I have a ton left over because I grossly overestimated how many feathers would fit in her tiny basket. I came around the corner last night to this:

It looks like a purple bird got mauled in my guest room.

   90% of the items on the floor came off that shelf. By the cats. The other 10% was from the contractor who came over last night to "patch up" the holes he made in our dining room ceiling. He didn't get very far when he realized he "forgot something" and apparently bounced. He wasn't there when I got home at 7.

   I hope to God he doesn't think the hole he fixed there is done...because it looks like hell. But don't worry he'll back. Again. Tonight. So I can't comfortably walk around in sweats like a slob. Aaron says he's almost done and to get over it. That's super easy to say when you aren't the one who has to make small talk with this clown when all you want to do is lay on the couch with no bra and eat Oreos. Aaron gets home late, so it's a moot point for him.

   What I have started to pack has naturally been undone by cats as well. I don't know why I thought it brilliant to put an open box on the fireplace.

Luckily the "good stuff" wasn't in there when Apollo leaped in.

                              I will be at home this evening. Dealing with this nonsense. Think of me...

Totally regretting the "let's make our condo nicer!" idea.



It's finally happened

   As a recap for anyone who missed my last 92 posts (literally), we've been waiting on an absentee contractor to squeeze us into his busy personal life. Well tonight, on our established "date night" of the week...the bathroom...is....DONE. Actually Aaron still has to put something on the floor but he let me "have it" for now. Let me punish your senses now with a full set of pictures from the "before".

This bathroom was beyond outdated, falling apart and haggard.

Please note: my pedicure is still blue from my wedding. In June. That's how long ago we began.

Enter: Thursday September 22nd. The day of reckoning.

Oh...whoops. How'd that slip in there?

Amazing and thrilling, to all.

And don't forget that carpet is about to be redone too...

*breathing sigh of relief*

So my friends, how did we do?? ;) I just need to switch out the knobs on the recycled vanity and voila!

Lucky to be paying a contractor

   I will cut right to the chase as I know you are all wondering about the bathroom. I know I was. After this weekend Aaron guessed that I'd come home Sunday from my day trip to NY that much of the room would be done. It would at least have come together enough for me to gauge if it looked good or not. I rode home on the train excitedly after a sunny (and very hot and humid) tour of the financial district. Delightful lunch and delicious gelato, catching up with my friend Erica. Who could ask for more?

   I should also remind you all that my FAVORITE landmark in NY is Lady Liberty. The Statue of, that is. It was very bad visibility because of the heat over the water, but there she be...

   It was great to get to the city and it was even greater that I wasn't home for the reno project because I am not a major fan of our "contractor". Day one- an hour and 45 minutes late. Shows up with a clipboard, pokes around in the bathroom with Aaron for 15 minutes while I was working on the wedding page of blog. Minding my own business at the computer in the dining area and I suddenly hear what sounds like a saw or drill digging through the wall VERY close to me. I look around, I can very clearly hear Aaron and the guy upstairs talking about how there had been a hole in the bathtub etc. I look up and to my horror, this comes through the ceiling above the dining room table where I'm sitting.

  
   That is a screwdriver, through the ceiling. To my horror. It reminded me of a very specific scene from the episode of "Friends" where Joey building an entertainment unit for the living room and driving Chandler crazy with how long the project is taking and how awful it looks.

   Then they both came trotting down the stairs and were "shocked" that it lead to the dining room. I was less than pleased with this. And yes, to answer your question, the screw driver is most assuredly still in the ceiling now. Back to the story...I came home yesterday after my day exploring the streets of Manhattan and raced into the house with excitement. I couldn't wait to see my bathroom!! My pulse quickened as I turned the corner to our door...I burst through the door and saw more items in the foyer than I expected. OK, maybe they still got things done even though he was 45 minutes late Sunday. I don't know.

   Heading upstairs...to this...

  Hmm. So weird, because I was told the tub at the very least would be installed. But that large tub-shaped box looks like the tub. Clearly I've been getting fed lines. I flip on the bootleg light switch to see this.

   Nothing. They worked on the "plumbing and electric" which was "really messed up". They installed part of the ceiling. At this time, I make the decision that though I love antique homes, I cannot get involved with reno because I HATE IT.

   To the far end you'll see the recessed lighting that Aaron spilled the water on at Lowe's.  It works as does the fan Aaron installed himself. The contractor will be back tonight and tomorrow since next to nothing is done. I'm sure the electric takes time. However, I can't help but think that should have been expected given the quality of the rest of the "craftsmanship" in the 1980s built condo. Commence the hair pulling and sorrow drinking.

   Now I'll change topic (since I don't want to start sobbing at my desk so early in the work day) and that is Turk's obsession with our master bath. This cat is addicted to toilet. It's normal, of course. They are attracted to the sounds and the water and such. Apollo was when he was a wee kitten too. He fell in once when Aaron left the seat up (grrr) after that we made it a habit to close the lid. The toilet is the direct path to the sink. A wonderful place for kittens to sit, explore, sleep in, and dirty up with wet paw prints.

Look at that little toilet kitty!



  She really digs the toilet. She forever has her little face in the crack (no pun intended) to try and see in. Newsflash, cat: there is nothing in there you're going to want. I will now share with you the reason that when Turk fell into the toilet on Sunday morning after Aaron left the lid  up, his reaction was "Revenge!". Sounds harsh, I know. And it was...even after what happened in our bed Saturday night. (This is rated G, so don't gasp).

   As we're settling in for the night I realize little girl isn't in our room. That's odd for this time of night. I call for her...nothing. I hear Apollo but not Turk. I get back up and go down to the living room and there she is, just hanging out. I pick her up and she's purring away. She knows it's bed time. I plop her down in the bed (per the usual) and she is batting at our feet beneath the sheets. A moment or two passes and Aaron says "my back feels warm. And wet.." I put my hand on his lower back and it feels like sweat. It wasn't too hot so that didn't add up.

   I pull back our $100 wedding-gift-sheets and see spots everywhere. This is so weird...Turk is at the foot of the bed and there are little baby paw prints in moisture on the bed. What is going on here? Have you figured it out yet? The cat peed. On Aaron's back. And then tracked it all over the bed. I'd like to take this time to thank Bob's furniture for forcing us to buy the protective topper for our Bob-O-Pedic mattress that I didn't know had a rubber bottom thus stopping kitten waste from assaulting our new-ish mattress. Aaron was pretty upset. I was trying my damndest not to laugh. I picked her right up and brought her down to her litter and she went more. New rule: I'm not allowed to carry her up to bed now. "She'll find me when she's done her business" per Aaron.

   And that's why Aaron wasn't upset when she fell in the toilet. I can't help but wonder if he did it on purpose. It did backfire however. She couldn't have cared less. That's my girl :)

   If you enjoy my rantings, become a follower so I know I'm being read!! That's what will keep me going... and follow me on Twitter! @AutumnVanWeir or www.twitter.com/autumnvanweir.

Update: I forgot to add one little anecdote. I made fun of the waitress at lunch because she was wearing a see-thru-back shirt and I thought it was wildly innaprop. After taking a few steps out the door, I remembered what I was wearing.

That's me...in a see-thru-back shirt. Oops. What are the odds??

XO Autumn VanWeir