Creepy Crawley Critters, and Checkerboard Tile~

Well, I've been meaning to update this thing for those of you who have been wondering about the progress of my house. Plus, I just sort of want to be able to record the changes for myself!

I haven't moved in yet. I have pieces of my life living there, but not actually me. It should be about another week for all of the projects to be finished enough for me to move in. Of course, there will be other projects for me to do once I get moved in, but the things I can't do, I have to wait on!

For starters, I told you to check in about creepy spiders. However, I didn't anticipate what was going to be living in my house. CAVE CRICKETS! Ahhh! I have found about five or six or a million (who's counting). Some dead, some alive, and some about half way dead or alive (that depends on if you are a glass half empty or full kind of gal). Anyway, at first glance they look to be about 2 inches long and the way they crawl and their legs make them look like spiders. But then they start HOPPING, and once you get close you realize they are actually in fact crickets. So I went to the old faithful friend, Google; and searched for what these critters are and the picture proved to me that they are "Cave Crickets". Ew. I hate bugs.


So onto the house...I have my kitchen tile completed! I am in LOVE with it. Before I even started thinking about buying a house I had always dreamed of having checkerboard tile throughout! I first had wanted black and white but once I got to thinking about how the style of the rest of my house and taste was really more in the brown family, I changed my mind. Plus, I feel like it's more neutral. So I went to Lowe's and picked out a Sahara Beige Tile, and Balantina Brown (both in 12x12 size) and I tried to find a neutral grout to compliment the two colors.

So then, the tile project begins for the kitchen. The kitchen had blue carpet all the way to the dining area side. The room where the dining area is had been added on to the house later, so the floors were not completely even. Luke (my Mr fix it, tile, everything guy) did a fabulous job and sanding down the floors and making it work. We added a border where the two rooms separate to help with settling. But the border matches perfect and I love it! After what seemed like forever to get the tile in the kitchen done, it's finally finished! I also had Luke build a closet around the washer & dryer, and around my water heater which was fully exposed in the dining/kitchen area. It helped SO much just by hiding it. Here are a few pictures before, during and after.



Blue carpet. Kitchen before, Don't mind my dad!



What was under the carpet...

 

Different view, BTW Look at that fabulous cabinet!



See, the washer and dryer needed to be hidden!



Closet going up to hide washer/dryer!




The Transformation has begun!



Water Heater needed to be hidden too! It took away from that cabinet!




Border! See how perfect they match?! You would think they were made for each other!



The color seems to be a little off in the picture. My paint is Valspar La Fonda Tile Red, but its defintely not red. The closet has new white doors! The tile turned out better than I had hoped!

I still have projects that I want to do of course... I plan on painting my cabinets a very white and putting up a white black splash. I plan on eventually getting new counter tops, appliances and light fixtures but that will have to wait a white. I did buy some oil rubbed bronze wall plates and light switches with new cabinet pulls and knobs. I will update you on that soon!

It's mine all because of me.

This is all new to me, so bear with me...

I moved "home" to the quiet town of Vanceburg, located in a big spacious northeastern Kentucky county. Vanceburg sits along the Ohio river, and if you are driving through on the "AA" highway you wont be able to see the town. Most people miss it when they blink. If you don't get the point, it's a small town in a big county (area wise). Anyway, I grew up in Vanceburg, graduated from LCHS and went to college in Morehead, KY at MSU. After I gradutated from MSU, I moved to Crestview Hills, KY, then I moved to Lexington, KY. I was in Lexington for a full 4 years when a job opened up at home, and sort of "fell in my lap". I was needing change after a heartbreak, and numerous jobs that I just hadn't been satisfied with. I was tired of living alone, and paying high rent. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Lexington, that's where the majority of my friends live and heck let's face it...a lot of the cute guys are there too. However, I wasn't meeting new people and I felt like I was a number. I describe urban life as fun, and exciting but it eventually get's old and you start getting the bird at every wrong turn you make on the road. It's not like that here in Vanceburg. People wave at you, even if they aren't sure who you are. It's really nice to be able to walk out of the courthouse and people say "hey Sarah, welcome back". I NEVER thought of myself moving back home. When I graduated highschool (and college) I thought for sure I'd be married by now, with 1 or 2 kids, and living in a house that would be in a historical neighborhood of Lexington. Well, keep dreamin' Sarah. I'm 28, single, and have 2 cats. BUT, the REAL reason I started this blog is I can finally say I have a HOUSE! Yes, I'm now a homeowner. For some, this probably isn't that big of a deal. But I am patting myself on the back. I didn't have the help of my parents OR a man to buy it. It's mine all because of me. Of course, I was blessed with the most special two people for parents. They help me A LOT. But most of all, they are so supportive and are also my little kick in the ass when I need it. This little home that I bought is only 942 square feet. It is barely bigger than my last apartment. But I got such a great deal that my mortgage is actually lower than my car payment. SERIOUSLY. It has a really sweet porch, I can see the river slightly and I get the view of two beautiful historical houses(so that part of my dream came a little true, right?). I am in the process of trying to make the house mine. It was built in the 1930's, and went through the 1937 flood where ALL of Vanceburg was severely under water. Hopefully, THAT doesn't happen again. I am so excited about this process. The previous owner was Margie. A mother of 4 girls, all raised in this 942 square foot house. One daughter, Barb was born in the front bedroom which happens to be the bedroom I am choosing to call mine. Barb and her husband Howard (who happens to be one of my dad's best friends) are the one's who sold this house to me. The walls are so full of life and love. Now, my adventure begins. Keep checking in for before and after pictures, ideas, troubles, my experiences, neighbor stories, creepy spiders, and whatever else comes my way.