Slowly But Surely!

Well, reading my last post I was struck how much time has passed in which I *should* have gotten a house!

It didn't happen...or I guess more accurately, hasn't happened yet.

The appraiser messed up the appraisal. Completely and totally screwed it up, then the lender didn't notice (we have doubts that he even looked at it, although he kept it on his desk a few days...) and finally the lawyer noticed when she did the title search.

BUT, all that mess is in the past, and we have a closing date! Feb. 26! I'm SO excited! I am SO ready to move!!! I've had everything packed up for weeks, and it is very difficult to live around boxes...I'm not actually living out of boxes, because I didn't pack things I use frequently yet, but still we have boxes piled on top of everything.

One other thing...a mixed blessing...the ferret died. He was old for a ferret (7 next Tuesday) and we knew he was going to go eventually. One day he went up to his hammock on the top level of his cage (4 levels, and the past year or so he's slept in a box on the bottom level and not attempted the top two levels at all) and he curled up in his hammock and died. I thought that was sweet. He came with the hammock (he was given to us) so I wondered if there was some remembering youth and the beginnings of his life as he went. I checked on him just as he was getting in the hammock, and I picked him out of the cage and held him a bit, and petted him and took him around to kiss everyone, so I think he died peacefully. Honestly, it's a bit of a relief, not having to find a place for a huge cage! ; P

I've decided against having a chalkboard wall in the kitchen....in favour of a pantry! It suddenly hit me that the kitchen is large enough to have room for my DH to build a pantry in! SO, I've gone on to convincing him I NEED a pantry, and he agrees...MUCH more than he ever thought I needed a chalkboard wall. lol

Oldest daughter saw a vintage vanity at a salvage store and said she'd like to have one...and Monday someone gave us one!

(Much like this one, only not painted, and lion drawer pulls....and I think the legs might be a bit shorter...)

I can't wait! I'm so excited about it! Hopefully we'll have it ready to move into by the first of March....woo-hoo! ; )

And it's been a while....

I've been meaning to post, but we've been SO busy *doing* the house-stuff it's been hard to write about it! : )

Unless something Totally unexpected and unforeseen happens we should be able to close on the house by the end of January! I'm so excited!

I keep coming up with new ideas and thoughts and plans....it's going to be SO much FUN having a house of my own to work on! ; )

I'm thinking a brown....chocolate...for the hall, browns and greens for almost every room, really.

The kitchen a creamy background with darker...coffee....over it, and I'm thinking knockdown or skip trowel texture (and the technique ). I haven't fully decided about that yet, though. The walls either are or might be in sad shape and require covering....two are covered with icky old paneling...so we have no idea what's back there. On the uncovered wall, though, there is a rough place where the removal of old wallpaper border broke the plaster. I'm thinking texturing might be the only nice option...who knows, though! : )

I also want a blackboard/magnetic wall in the kitchen. DH is arguing against it...he thinks it might be *too much* but I really want one. The wall leading to the hall is a short wall, maybe 8 feet to the doorway, and I want it like a blackboard with creme/coffee checkered border. Well...I can see it in *my* head.... ; )

The bathroom already has nice tan tiles, so I'm going with browns and greens there, too. A ferny green...I picked some and dried them and they're now waiting in a book for frames. : ) I'm thinking a chives green for the kitchen...it's brighter than the ferns, and I need to separate my chives anyway. ; ) I'll have some pots of herbs....that's what I'm thinking for the kitchen, browns, green and herbs....and maybe DH will make shelves for the herbs in the windows. The kitchen has two long south-facing windows that I think will be perfect for herbs. ; )

The living room I haven't been able to decide about yet. DH went and got a couch I think is lovely....but....it's not really what I wanted in *my* house. It has....flowers..... I was SO wanting a flowing theme throughout the house, and the other rooms seem to be flowing with me, but then I get to the living room and come to a screeching halt. It has......flowers.... I haven't envisioned flowers anywhere in the house...well, besides Anna's room, and she's 12. ; )

I'll live, I guess. ; )

Outdoor Bread Oven

We'd love to have an outdoor bread oven at our new place.....

we'd *really* love to have this one....

but considering our masonry skills we'll probably end up with something more like this. ; )as long as it works, I don't care what it looks like! I've wanted to be able to bake bread for the longest time EVER!

Places on the internet to read about ovens and bread.....

(Awesome photos on this first one!)
http://breadhunter-breadforall.blogspot.com/2008_05_04_archive.html

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/forum

http://www.grit.com/Tools/Backyard-Bread-Oven.aspx

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000jAl

http://www.heatkit.com/html/bakeoven.htm (Haven't looked at the links yet, but awesome photos!)

http://www.traditionaloven.com/

I'll come back later and make the links prettier. : )