Little Porch

The little screened porch on the side of the house is probably my favorite space in the place in the summer and fall. Like tonight. It's been balmy and stormy and just to hot, but tonight it is absolutely delightful. Candlelight and bug free - I don't want the night to end. Maxfield Parrish skies, watching nothing imparticular go by is the best feeling ever. Our bush in front of the porch secludes us from at least half of the porch so it almost feels like a secret fort feel from kidom. Happiness is being on the porch listening to a little music.

FRONT STEPS

So Gilly ripped out our steps and we found some bricks that matched the house brick fairly nicely. Unfortunately we didn't talk to Gilly about what color mortar he was going to use and he chose red. It wasn't working for us. Gilly, being the good guy he is found a fix. He did an additional acid wash to the bricks so they don't look so pink and he got a brown paint to paint the mortar. We have to let the mortar has to cure for 28 days before we can paint it, but once we do that, we'll be happy campers.

After

Before

Bathroom Before and After

HURRY UP! SLOW DOWN!

The bathroom is almost done - and thank goodness. Do I really need to write any more about this little bathroom. For those purist, know that we didn't get rid of the sink - the original sink. I couldn't bare to part with it. We are keeping it for the basement when we add a bathroom down there. So there!

Under several layers of paint we found what we think is the original color of the bathroom - it's a green color. We are painting the plaster portion upper 1/2 the same green color. I can't wait! The tub reglazer ran out of materials and had to reschedule otherwise we'd be done this week. Nope - no such luck. He is coming this Friday so over the weekend we'll be without a shower - but it should be the last time we are without a shower - hopefully forever in this house.

We're still going through the motions of looking to make an offer on the other property. I'm not really in any hurry and think that if it is meant to be it will happen very easily. We wanted to have the crumbling bricks in the front stoop rebuilt and the bathroom completed before we'd put a FOR SALE sign in the yard. Ugh, just the idea seems a little off. Part of me thinks I'm off my rocker to even consider it.

The deal is we want a place in Chicago again. It's been interesting being back in town here because I'm not attached to it. I'm not involved in the community and most of our friends are in Chicago. Nothing is really keeping us here aside from the house and my parents. I have to change - get involved - be part of this little town. We'll see what happens next.

Temptation

Our 1926 Bungalow is very special. I'm having a great time with it. The bathroom is nearly done, the landscaping is beginning to happen, the kitchen - it's going to be awhile before anything happens there. I'll have 'dish pan hands' for awhile more although I really don't mind. We're makng this our own little piece of heaven.

When we came to the conclusion that renovating the attic would just be too much expense to have one more bedroom and bath, especially with the fact that we felt that the exterior would be ruined with the type of dormer it would require to make it how we'd want it on the inside completely destroying the integrity of the outside, we were okay with that.

Although we would like to have one more bedroom and bath, it seemed that it wasn't going to happen. We began plotting to do a bathroom in the basement and refinish that a bit more to get us the extra space we want.

So, Sarah says go check out this house. Not even considering anything we did. It's a Tudor with another bedroom and a half bath on the main froor. It's got the original 1920's bathroom fixtures, beautiful tile in the upstairs bathroom, a fireplace in the master, a kitchen custom renovated and another bedroom. It's on two lots, gorgeous landscape, a quiet street, corner lot, two car garage......

There is nothing to be done to this place. It's a show place. I see myself entertaining in this house. It's gorgeous! It's for sale by owner. It's a temptation.

Many things would have to align for it to make sense to go for this house including giving up our sweet little bungalow. Our house is on a busy street, the houses neighboring are pretty close, the landscaping needs lots of TLC and there is that space issue.

Win or lose the other house, I'm happy, but I think if I don't try at all, I'd be disappointed that I didn't go for it.

The saga will continue.