Staring

I can't help staring at this awesome kitchen dreamed up by Alice Lane Interiors.

Image from Alice Lane Home; Check out more here

We are not quite ready to start on our kitchen, but this image has me wondering if I should think of having a more modern look with some sleek cabinets and open shelving.

You know what open shelving means ... new dishes!

picking grout color

Do you guys know how to pick grout colors? Is there a design science to picking the perfect color?

I took to photobucket and "pulled" the color of the tiles into some fake grout lines.

dark gray - medium gray - beige - chocolate brown

What would you choose?

Last night prior to making this little picture, I would have picked the dark gray. Now seeing it with the tile, I'm leaning toward a different color. Help!

Tile Tetris

Yesterday we got most of the glass tile up in the bath tub area. We worked until we used up all of the thin-set that we mixed and until the brink of major crankiness.

The Dude is worried that the tile looks "busy." I told him not to shower while drunk and he should be fine (btw, he picked out the tile).

Next step for the tile: cut the smaller tiles and finish the one wall, clean out any mortar between the tile and pick out a grout color.

I'm hoping this dude bathroom will be done soon and before Hans and Emilie's bathroom is complete.

(sorry for the poor quality of pictures...it is quite gloomy here today)

Visitor 2

Sadie is visiting us right now while her family hikes in Acadia National Park. Since Pilot and Sadie are not best of friends, she comes with me to work (yay for working for a dog friendly company). Going to work is much fun for Sadie, since she gets SO much attention from my co-workers.

Dog sitting is definitely an adventure. One time we watched a dog that lived just a few blocks away. He managed to sneak out our front door and ran back to his house.

Do you have any wacky dog sitting stories to share?

Visitor 1

Daisy and The Pilot

Daisy visited us for a few days at the end of July. This was one of the only times they weren't rolling around wrestling and up to no good.

Game on

We are making (slow) progress on the upstairs bathroom. But the game is changing with a challenge from my bro, Hans, and his girlfriend, Emilie. They have also been remodeling their ONLY bathroom since February.

You can check out their progress here. We are basically tied for what is left to do but they have ACTUAL TILE ON THE WALLS. We don't.

Hans and Em's tiled bath tub surround. I'm jeals.

Our wager: The first couple to finish their bathroom wins with the other couple having to help them on their next big project.

This week, the dude (bless his heart) finished spackle/sanding and priming the walls. Our next step is to install the electric heated floors. Eeek, wish us luck!

Right now the room looks like a Design Star white box challenge:

Oh my! The drywall dust!!

Sorry I don't have more interesting pictures. Just some smooth drywall.

Summer Dreamin'

It's been super duper hot here which means we had to halt on the bathroom remodel. Our upstairs only has one a/c register which is not enought to cool the entire space ... and that whole heat rises thing wasn't helping things. But not to worry! We are starting to work on things again because the temp is finally in the low to mid 90s.

Right now I'm dreamin' of some summer non-bathroomrenovation things:

What are you dreaming about?