Here's some pics after we've moved in an unpacked some. We're still patiently waiting for some things to be finished including the dinning area table we are having made from lumber milled off Micheal's folks place.

Below my Mom decorates my Christmas tree remarking on all the bird ornaments...and having trouble with the gorilla ornament (from the Houston Zoo)

The tree from outside

The Kitchen area furnished with antiques collected over the years (the giant seed cabinet came from Round Top and holds all the drawers any kitchen could want; the bar is an old general store bar from an Amish store in Indiana...the sink is from Brenham & the fridge is from Home Depot :)

This pantry door, as with most of our doors was a salvage from Michael's Grandparents old house.

Inside pantry (Micheal built the shelves, he's handy that way)

More shots from inside the pantry (we really love our pantry)

looking back down guest room hallway to main living area

Spare bath (yes, that's a tin shower, we had a theme ;)

Nearly completed nursery

I'm told the painting elves will be here tomorrow to complete the mural!

This will finish off to be a shared office, but until I can work at a desk and not have to work with my feet up because of pregnancy swelling it's that room....you know the one where you dump everything you don't know what to do with.

Looking from dinig area in main livinga rea into the Master bedroom (door to left goes to the utility room...which b/c of the rain we're finallly getting I can know call the mudroom!)

Master bedroom (aka my current office, note my office supplies)

Michael made this bed for us when we were first married and living in Gonzales. It's been in storage forever and I've soooo missed it....now I wish I could sleep in it but pregnancy reflux has me on the couch at night so I just work from bed these days :)

With help from the wonderful ladies at Meme's Quilt shop/lounge in Giddings I made the patchwork quilt on the bed.

Not yet finished, this is my 1/2 of the master bathroom and now that we know we're expecting 2 boys it's the only truly feminie domain in the house. Found the antique mantle and it'll get mounted soon hopefully. This is my space......so why do I envision rubber duckies, water guns and bubbles everywhere in my future???

Michael's 1/2 of the master bath (but he has to share the shower with me ;)

Both closets are accessed from the master bath so if one of us is getting up early you don't have to go back into the bedroom and wake the other (you can even leave through a back door in my closet that goes to the utility room)....this was important to Michael despit it being years since I was getting up hours before dawn to go birding for my thesis. Guess it made an impression :)

This closed steel door leads to a concrete room which is Michael's closet / and my tornado paranoia satisfying safe room / gun safe.

Man cave shower

My closet

Main living area (flat screen will be mounted on fireplace sometime soon I hope)

That's it except for the utility room, screened in porch and front porch.

Moving Day!

So it's been a long time since I last posted and that's mostly b/c there wasn't much to post over the summer but progress got rolling in September again and we got to move in, with the help of some AMAZING friends & family in October. Below are a few pics from that day. Not only did these wonderful people move us...they unpacked and set up about 75% of our home. Next post will be of finished house and a few pics with my parents since they have now moved to Texas!

Since we were only moving down the driveway a flatbed was all we needed!

This is Molly & Ellen the artists painting the mural in the nursery.

Julie and Stephen not only helped us move but they brought and cooked fantastic BBQ for everyone's lunch!

Micheal LOVES his new pantry

I can't say for sure that the dogs love their new elevated dog tub :)

Stay tuned! Next post will have finished photos!

In the "home" stretch...we hope

Latest updates from the house build which is hopefully on track for September 30th finish...hopefully.

This is an old sewing machine stand that Michael is going to put a 3"x3", 2" deep butcher block on and it will sit in the middle of the kitchen.

This church pew came out of the church Michael's family has been going to since they came over in the 1800s. It will get a coat of red paint and sit on the front porch.


This is my new clawfoot tube :)






This is my 1/2 of the master bath where the tub will sit.

This is the cool shower in Michael's 1/2 of the master bath which will eventually be a steam shower. Note, Micheal's 1/2 of the master bath is not red ;)

Spare room (Arlene's office)

Nursery (this picture washes out the blue it's painted). The left wall (you can't see it in this pic) will have a big mural painted by a good friend of a woodland forest animal scene.

This is the dog wash corner of the mudroom (not finished yet of course) but the raised tub will make dog bathing much easier on the back! Plus it will double as a really big utility sink. The stained Dutch door to the right goes into the main living area and will have a wood doggie door in the bottom.

Progress on Micheal's closet / safe room with the steel door being mounted.

Below is the master bedroom with it's first coat of paint. The doors we're using came from Michael's Grandfather's house on his Dad's side and Michael has put a ton of time into refinishing them so they look beautiful. 2 were outside doors so we've ordered etched frosted glass for them and they'll go on the Master bedroom and the pantry. The rest were solid and go on the other bedrooms, linen closet and spare bath.

Below you can see the nice trim and really cool wood ceiling in the main living area.

Here's one of the antique pieces we're having refinished for a kitchen island/bar. It's a general store bar from an Amish store in Indiana.

That's it!