Friday, March 30, 2012

April 15 might just be our very first Open House

So! Mark your calendars.  (File your taxes, then come see how great the house turned out!)

  ...we should be ready to fling open the doors of 2 Locust Ave and welcome you in to see the finished product Sunday, April 15! I don't think I am allowed to be there- but I am sure I'll be nearby. (like in a tree with binoculars or something)

 If you want to see it sooner, or would prefer a private showing to the Open House, email me or call Jody.

(also: check out the lilacs! they usually don't bloom until May, but I think they're going to peak well before that this year. even the roses are just starting to bud- what a crazy spring! I like to think everything at 2 Locust is just putting its best foot forward so we can sell quickly and painlessly now that the work is done...but I suppose it might have something to do with the weather LOL)

Sunday, March 18, 2012

whoops! forgot to add the granite breakfast bar shots :)


New stuff!!


the trim is painted! looks so fresh and fabulous. (little things make a giant difference sometimes!) still need to do the porch floor- but the outside is starting to look as great as the inside.





the lilacs are beginning to bud!!




here's the mantle- all re-finished and back in its rightful place :) 
the granite is in! so are the appliances



the fridge!
 back outside to admire the trim (and new roof!) pls ignore the car in the driveway lol

downstairs bathroom sink and toilet 

more in the kitchen


 new sink

upstairs railing is back 
 upstairs bath, two sinks

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Oh my.

So... Mike tells me that we need to meet to pick out lighting fixtures and that the granite is coming this week for the counter tops  and the floors need one more coat, etc. All routine stuff. Then, he hits me with "if everything goes well, we're going to finish up by the end of next week."

I am so
so
so......

well. speechless, evidently.

This whole process has been nothing short of life altering. From the fire, to the apartment, to the renovation, to the the decision to sell 2 Locust, to buying the house in NH.  It's like all the troubles, opportunities, everything  from the fire onward have been like little trees and then today Mike said "hey, we're leaving this forest in 2 weeks, so pack your stuff up."

 seeing the forest through the trees and all (see what I did there?)

 

My very first thought upon hearing this "two weeks" news was "no, no. not yet. no way, man. I didn't get my hanging flower baskets yet this year."


But I suppose I knew this day was coming.
Bittersweet is the only word that comes close to describing this giant lump in my throat. Don't get me wrong:  I am really excited about our new home (and life) in New Hampshire. But, man!! I am going to miss 2 Locust like crazy. All this time spent "renovating" - she was still totally ours. I mean, at any moment, I could have said "paint that wall black" and Mike would have done it.

For some reason, the knowledge that 1.  the decisions have all been made and 2. those  decisions are the very last ones I'll be allowed to make about 2 Locust (unless the new owners are SUPER laid back and invite me to direct all their future renovations going forward) is very poignant.

He's done. It's done. Now we sell.

Oh. selling.
I knew deep down that no one would buy 2 Locust while renovations were in process. (From a legal standpoint, it would have been a nightmare to allocate risk and responsibility appropriately through a sales contract and unlikely a bank would even finance the purchase before the house was done, and thus worth the presumed mortgaged amount). I knew she would be ours at least until the renovations were complete (and I treasured that little tidbit of knowledge. seriously: any time I got sad about the sale, I'd think "don't be silly, Amy, they're not even done fixing her yet").


 cue the "Misty Water Colored Memories" music, right?

Nah. I am not going to dwell on the sad part.... I have way too much to do before we are ready for open houses and "finished" showings.  it's like getting her ready for the prom ;)
So, cue the music montage you'd expect from a fabulous 80's movie as the main character gets made over.

time to get busy.

For one thing, I definitely have to get some hanging baskets.






Thursday, March 8, 2012

New Pics and Views.

Wow. It's really the only word that comes to mind! I won't gush profusely- I will just tell ya what you're looking at.....


This is the first of the two parlors. We don't have a lot of prior shots of this room because the appliances have been wrapped up and stored there, so it was hard to see the actual room. Isn't it lovely?!



Another view of the same room. The windows look out onto Locust Ave.
This is a familiar shot from the upstairs hall looking towards the two back bedrooms. (The upstairs bathroom is to the left, the master bedroom and 4th bedroom are to the right.)

Here's a close up of the "split" between the two back bedrooms. One has a window that overlooks the back yard and the other bedroom's window faces Pawling Ave.

Upstairs landing view (mike is still working on the railings)

Here's a view from the stairs to the master bedroom. I took it mostly to show the floors - there will be a railing there soon.

Back downstairs- this is the front parlor again, looking back at the foyer, second parlor and archway to the hallway that leads to the kitchen and formal dining room. The floorplan is great downstairs- I love how the rooms are clearly divided- but still "flow" into one another with great big entryways.

Ah!! the kitchen. Here's the valance over the breakfast bar which faces the big window overlooking the back yard. It's funny that I used to stand in the window and drink my coffee every morning. I loved looking out at the seasons (and the dogs running in the back yard) Now, it's actually the perfect place to sit and get comfy for morning coffee....and the window is framed like a picture. Sheesh! why didn't we do this before?!

To the left of the window/breakfast bar is the fridge. This is the house the fridge will live in. It's got those two great little cabinets over it and the fabulous encasing cabinetry that makes the fridge look like it was made just for the kitchen.

Here's the door to the bathroom/laundry room off the kitchen. It was SUCH a good idea to use this kind of pocket door to save space for the cooler things in the kitchen. (Mary and/or Mike is a genius)

This blinding shot (sorry!) is to show you how the window fits into the brilliant scheme of the valance and breakfast bar to the right of the fridge.

here is how is all connects at the ceiling together in a seamless blend

more kitchen- less blinding, but kind of bad lighting. Again- just giving the highlights of what's to come.  (I think that's the oven all wrapped up in the middle of the room)

Saturday, March 3, 2012

sneak peek! (shhh- don't tell Mike)

We just opened the front door a little and took these pics. We can't walk on the floors yet- but HOW GREAT DO THEY LOOK!?! :)