Insulation and Drywall

In the last two weeks, the house has really started to take shape.  On the outside, the siding is going up. Inside, insulation, and dry wall have been hung; cabinetry is starting to go in this week as well.

By the time we got up to the house to check out the insulation, it was dark out.  We were not able to see much.   

 When we came back out later that weekend, they were busy hanging the drywall.  We did not want to get in their way, so we took a few pictures then went on our merry way.

The siding has started to go up on the sides and back of the house.   I am really happy with our siding choice.   When you are in the design meeting, you have several siding samples to pick from, the sample is really a card sized chip showing the color.  We have seen a few other houses with this color, but I was having a hard time visualizing it on our house for some reason.

Now that drywall is up and cabinets are going in, it is starting to feel like a house more than something under construction.  It was fun looking at our cabinet selection, and seeing the rooms closed in.  

I hope you all had a happy Hanukkah, I wish you a Merry Christmas.  I am sure I will write again before the new year.

Anticipation

I  am not very good at waiting.  Everyone keeps telling me now that the framing has finished, the rest will go fast.  Well, I am not sure if it's the growing excitement of the upcoming holidays, or if it's just that I am growing increasingly weary of our little mouse house.   Maybe, its a combination of the two.  I was in a particularly bad mood last night.  Why you ask?  Well, because I went to watch a Christmas special on TV, but it just didn't feel right without the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.  Yes, I made my felt Christmas tree and Activity Advent Calendar, and that does give our mouse house a festive feel.  It's just not the same.  I miss the smell, I miss the ambient lighting, I miss the glitter of the lights off glass ornaments.  But its not just the Christmas tree that I am missing, is it?  No, it's not just the lack of Christmas tree.   My annual baking spree is affected too.  I am limited in counter space, limited in storage space and limited by my appliances.   I miss my kitchen aid mixer!  (Insert tiny violin here). There are several other holiday traditions, that I have had to put on hold for another year.   I am tired of putting everything on hold.  I am impatient!

So, while I was hoping that the holiday season would keep me merry and bright while I wait for the house, I think instead, it has made me a bit of a grump, not quite a Scrooge or a Grinch.  I still love the Christmas season.  It just doesn't feel the quite right. 

If I can just find the patience to get through the next week, I know I will feel differently.   I start my vacation, and the Christmas tour to visit with all the Grandparents. 

Pre Drywall Meeting

This week we had our pre drywall meeting.  We met with the project manager and walked through the house, pointing out electrical, plumbing etc.

As promised here are some of the inside pictures!

The Garage

Morning room

What will eventually be the kitchen.

Family room

Office

Master Bedroom

Awesome bathtub....I can't wait!

Attic

Well that's it!!  The framing is complete, now we just wait for inspections, insulation then drywall!!

We are getting close, I am soooo excited I can't stand it!

Activity Advent Calendar

I decided to make an activity advent calendar, to help celebrate the holiday season as well as to help keep us busy during this last full month while we wait for the house to be finished.

I bought some holiday themed paper from AC Moore and small business card sized cut outs.

I folded, then taped/glued the paper into 25 different envelopes and labeled each envelope 1 - 25.

Next, I made a list of 25 holiday activities, then printed them out.  I cut out each activity and glued it onto business card cut outs.

I stuffed the envelopes with the activities.  Week day activities were a little less labor intensive, such as write Santa a letter, or, read a Christmas book.

Using a roll of magnetic tape, I cut out strips and hung the envelopes on the back of our door.

Grow

Check back in the spring.

Home

This Blog was created out of a need to to keep friends and family updated with the progress of our house building adventures. The Build Label will hold all of the house selling and building related posts.  Eventually the Grow Label will hold any posts relating to my attempts at a garden.  The Love Label is where I will be posting cooking and crafts. 

Christmas Tree

Due to very limited space in the apartment, we decided against having a Christmas Tree.   One day, while wasting spending time on Pinterest. I came across several felt tree posts.  Brilliant!  Not only is this Christmas tree toddler friendly, it is also dog friendly.

 

The Tree itself, is cut out from 1 yard of felt off the bolt. The ornaments, gifts, and snowflakes are cut from the squares of felt.   I used Beacon Felt Glue to glue the pieces together. 

All Framed Up

It's been a busy few weeks, so I am behind with my updates, but the framing is complete!  

Starting with the oldest first!   

I enjoyed watching the workers wrap the house, then cut the holes for the windows and adding the window flashing.

The next visit, the house was complete wrapped, and some of the windows are in.  

The most recent visit, the front porch roof has been framed, the houses wrapped, windows in, and the stairs inside were built.  

Inside pictures next time!  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Framing is coming along

Thankfully Hubs and I voted earlier in the day, not just because the lines were long after work, but because it's getting dark so early now that daylight savings time has ended.  We raced up to the site directly after work.

We didn't have much time out on the site, and the workers were still there.

The framing is coming along and the house is really starting to take shape.

The front of the house

The back of the house.

Framing the 2nd floor

I was thrilled to discover that the builders were able to start the framing of the 2nd floor, despite the 3 days of rain from Hurricane Sandy.

Framing 1st floor

We were pleasantly surprised to find the framing had begun!

Foundation week 2

Foundation is done!

Footers and Foundations

The following week we saw the Footers being poured.

Then the foundation getting built.

Clearing the Land

After meeting with the construction manger about where the house would sit on the property, and how much land to clear, we returned to the home site to see the land cleared.

Here the land has been cleared, but the trees have not been cleared.

The next visit the land and trees had been cleared.

Occupying our time

Once September hit, and the pool was closed, we knew we needed to plan a lot of  family outings on the weekends to get us out of our mouse house.

The first weekend in September, we took a day trip to Northern Neck, the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.

Exploring the town.

Looking out over the water.

Pretty boats.

Another weekend we went off to explore Maymont, a park with wildlife exhibits and a petting zoo.

Goats!

Koi Pond

Baby L demands to walk by himself.

The last weekend of September was the State Fair! 

This was my first time at the Virginia State Fair, I didn't know what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised by the whole event.  There was so much to see and do!

They had all sorts of animals, cows, llamas, bears, kangaroos, goats and more!

An entire agriculturaal area.

All sorts of rides, from camel rides to carnival rides.