The Master Suite Refreshed

We are coming into the final stretch of the first phase of the home remodel/refresh. After Christmas, we started the master suite. We needed a new floor in the master bath before we could put in the hardwood, which led us to a new tub, a new shower and new paint.  It is always like that: you can't do one job without you do three others first.

It all starts with demolition.  The garden tub is gone, but we think it was repurposed by the contractor. Also, we had to take out the half wall by the shower, which means we lost the shower and had to rebuild.

Also, we had a toilet in our bedroom for a month.

Then the new wallboard and new construction came in.

To make a long (10-week) story short, the contractor got the tub and shower in and the tile set, and the toilet reinstalled. We finished painting the main room, and the floor guys came in and knocked it out in one day.

We got the new "slipper" tub in,

As well as the new shower, with European style glass enclosure.

Here's the tile floor we designed, large tiles, small tiles and an accent strip. Hard to tell in this pic, but it is all on a 45 degree angle.

The floor made us want a new vanity light,

which led to a matching mosaic garbage can,

 

and mosaic clock.

Of course, we needed a new light in the main room.

We then painted both closets, and added new hardware.

Finally we went to an oriental rug place (Adib's on Highland) and picked out a bunch of rugs to audition for the bedroom and the piano room when it is finished (a few more weeks).  Really, they sent us home with four rugs to lay in the space and look at.  We liked this one for the bedroom (a celtic knot design, with lots of gold and burgundy),

and this one for the piano room, which is mostly browns and golds.  We wish you could have been here to help us select: these are some high quality rugs that will likely be handed down to you. 

So the upstairs is making progress.  Still need to paint and floor the piano room, install a few new lights, paint the guest bathroom, paint the doors and jambs and figure out countertops in the kitchen and maybe the baths.

We are also designing the basement. All of this has been a bit nerve-wracking and expensive, but we are really building our retirement home, and we are not going into debt for it, so on we march.

Speaking of March, out our front door spring is happening.

And, apropos of nothing, here is one of our favorite pictures from Christmas.

Thanksgiving in Virginia--2014

Terisa arrived in Virginia about four days before Danny.  Danny arrive right on schedule.  I arrived about two days later.  Everyone was already home when I got there. 
Danny was a bit squirmy for pre-Church photos here, until he learned he didn't have to go.

Charlie was more squirmy in church.  He made one brilliant breakaway escape around the closed end of the pews, and was well into the choir seats before I recaptured him.

 Alice started on her two-month eye patch odyssey while we were there.  It didn't affect her driving that much.  And she had to pilot a heavy load of pre-Thanksgiving food shopping in a very crowded store.

Mornings and evenings we took Grace to the school bus stop and then escorted her home.  Shirtsleeve weather, though.

"I'm Batman."

Days of '47 royalty, taking an old-fangled selfie with a camera that you can't see yourself in.  Ha!

Princess Grace.

Princess Alice.  Every day.

"Whatever Gotham needs me to be."

Grandpa holding Danny for the first time, just before Danny "baptized" me by sprinkling.

We had some lovely fall weather to visit the park in.

With an extra adult in the house, there was time and guarding available to do some microscopy.  We looked at leaves (lots of little blocky cells) and fabric (lots of twisty fibers) and even mushrooms (sliminess).   

Alice got her turns, too.  Charlie did not interfere. Much.

Dwarfed by the umbrella, but he stayed dry clear down there.

The Princess holds the new Prince. 

Ditto.

Wrestling time was always enjoyed. Much less crying than I remember as a kid...

Chef Kit coaching the sous-chefs in pie-making.  Highly successful.

Storytime with Aunt Lynne?  Heaven!

Fur-bearing Addy prepares for the kids' Turkey Trot.

Everyone ran a bit before the T-day meal. Swishy skirts and all.

Charlie gets encouragement worthy of a marathon from Aunt Lynne, who ran a half marathon just the week before.

A lovely table was set for the big day.

Pride in creation. And Mo-vember stache.

 After dinner, the obligatory family football game was held. There was some obligatory crying, but none of the usual obligatory injuries, especially to the old folks.  We did find a hidden puddle or two on this field.

Grandma Terisa shares an apple brew with the next generation.  This was a favorite new taste for Miss Addy who went backed and begged for more until it was gone.

There were heroic attempts at family photos, though Charlie was unhappy--something about being an artist and simply unable to work under these abysmal conditions--on the one photo where my flash didn't reflect too much on glasses. 

Mr and Mrs Santa Claus, the early years.

After the turkey day, it was time to bring out the Christmas decorations.  And music.  I only saw the tree get pulled down once in two weeks, though there was the candy cane incident...

Hard to tell who is kept in and who is kept out here.

Little kids in bed, big kids eating snacks and playing dominoes.

Nice fireplace photo of the newly enlarged family.

Bedtime is for reading...

..and doing Grandpa's physical therapy exercises with him.

And a parting shot of the ever-patriotic Paul just before scout night.

It was a fun two weeks, very comfortably spent as part of the family, instead of being visitors. It was also very nice to get the entire Evan and Terisa family together for a day. Good food, good friends, good fun. Not sure when we'll be able to orchestrate another, but so glad that we like each other enough to try.