Updates . . .

Well, it's been quite a while since my last post - -

But sometimes LIFE has this tendency to get in the way.

Sorry 'bout that.

ANYWAY - - time for a couple of updates.

We met with GC #5, Brian, this past week. And he, like the others before him, came across as very good.

This does NOT help our decision-making process any! *sigh*

So now we have met with all 5 GC's, and gotten a callback from one of them for clarification on a couple of things on the drawings. So at least we know people are working on bids to submit to us!

Hubby Steve and I have been looking around at brick colors and trim for the outside of the house. In fact, we took a day trip to Southern Illinois this past weekend, and noted what we did and did not like about the houses we saw.

We are also looking at different types of flooring. I'm leaning more and more towards a tile kitchen floor (ceramic), and have seen a couple of patterns/colors that will go well with the Tuscan theme planned for that room.

But there is not much we can actually DO until we get in some bids and make a decision on a contractor.

But once we do, it will all start happening faster than we can keep up with, I'm sure.

So guess I shouldn't complain about it being QUIET at the moment, should I? Because soon I will be wishing for a few of those "quiet moments"!!

More later . . . stay tuned . . .

Numbers 3, 4, and 5

Well, so far THIS week we have met with General Contractors (G.C. from now on) number 3 (Dave), number 4 (Bob), and have received a call from number 5 (Brian). Five out of five - - pretty impressive!

Number 3, Dave, had been recommended to us by Rob, our architect. He, like the others before him, was pretty darned impressive. Same with number 4, Bob. AND - - from what I have heard about Brian, his work is excellent.

So far not a "clinker" in the bunch. You are NOT making it easy for us to make a decision here, fellas!

Once we meet with Brian next Monday evening, it will be time to wait for the bids to start coming in before we can seriously start the decision-making process.

In the meantime, it's time to start in with the business of looking at flooring (hardwood, tile, carpeting, and so on) and getting pricing on windows and doors. I'm also going to start looking over a set of floor plans and start deciding on room colors and type of faux finish I want in each (color wash, sponging, ragging, etc.). That will keep us busy, and then some.

GOOD NEWS!! My artist friend, Jessica, has agreed to help me paint the kitchen!

I had been trying to figure out exactly how I wanted my kitchen to be designed, but was not satisfied with anything I had seen so far. I didn't know what I wanted, but knew it was out there somewhere - - I just had to FIND it!

Well - - last weekend, it happened - - in fact, it fell right in my lap.

In her old shop, Jessica had painted a mural on the walls of an old stone wall, very Italian in style. When my friends and I were there last Saturday, Betty happened to mention that it would look good painted in a kitchen, to make it look very Tuscan. Suddenly something inside my head went, "DING!!!". A Tuscan kitchen!!

I didn't say anything to her at the time, but I talked it over with hubby Steve when I got back home. He loved the idea! Then we started talking about having glass doors in the cupboards, and following through with the Tuscan theme by having grapevines etched on them. I also found very pretty, delicate grapevine swags for the tops of the windows in one of many mail order catalogs that find their way into our mailbox daily.

The more we thought about it, the more we liked it.

So - - Tuesday I made a call to Jessica and broached the idea with her about "commissioning" her next summer to paint the murals. She thought it was a great idea! So now the next time I see her, we need to talk about colors and such, and get it all planned out. It will be VERY unique!

Thanks for stopping by - - Stay tuned . . . . .

Contractors

Well - - of the five contractors hubby Steve called, four of them returned the calls, and appointments have been set up. Not bad!

We met with the first one, Mark, Saturday morning at 9:00. I was leaving to head to Peoria with some friends at 9:30, but this gave me a chance to meet him and form my own opinion of him. Once I left, he and Steve had an opportunity to go out and check the lot, and finish talking about the drawings.

Sunday at 9:00 we met with Jack at his shop. We took him a copy of the drawings and spent quite a bit of time going over them and discussing things.

Two down, two to go - - we meet with them this coming week, one Tuesday evening, and one on Wednesday.

If the other two are as good as the first two we have met with, we are going to have a serious problem choosing - - but that's a good problem to have!

Stay tuned . . .

BLUEPRINTS - - We Got BLUEPRINTS!!

At last - - some progress to report!

Hubby Steve picked up the sets of drawings he ordered yesterday from Decatur Blueprint. We now have 7 sets of drawings for when we start talking to builders.

So this evening he's been running around the house with the tape measure - - terrorizing me and the cats with it, taking measurements from the drawing and comparing them to the space we have in our present house. Every time he winds up that tape, Callie, who is on my lap, digs in for all she's worth. My leg is going to leak like a sieve before he's through . . . *sigh*

Now comes the "fun" part - - calling general contractors.

Hubby Steve started that process this afternoon. He's already called 3 or 4 and left messages. One called back within about 5 minutes! We have a meeting set up with him for next week. Hopefully the others will call by the end of this week and we can start scheduling time to meet with them also.

The race is on . . .

More later - - stay tuned . . . :-)

Progress!!

Guess what arrived via email today?

Yup - - the house plans from Rob!

He sent it in two formats - - in PDF for us to print out and show around, and in PLT, for the blueprints.

So this afternoon hubby Steve emailed the PLT files to Decatur Blueprint, and he picks up the sets of prints tomorrow afternoon after work. He is getting 7 sets done for now, so we have enough to work with

Next step - - contacting and talking to General Contractors.

Hubby Steve - - my ROCK through all this - - has finally admitted that he is scared s***less also - - guess it took actually getting the files to push him over that line . . .

So now we are BOTH that way - - excited and scared all at the same time.

Wish us luck - - I'll keep y'all posted!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting . . .

I wanna see the house plans!

I wanna get the blueprints done!

*sigh*

I know, I know - - patience . . . . .

(which if you know me, you know that is one of my weak points!)

More soon, I hope . . .

A Little More Progress

Hubby Steve talked to Rob again last night. They went over the drawings Rob had emailed us and made some minor revisions. Rob will be making the revisions this week, then sending us the files.

The next step is for us to go to Illinois Blueprint and have the blueprints made.

Then it's time to start talking to contractors.

Slow but sure, we are moving ahead. It's exciting!

But I'm STILL scared half to death! What a BIG undertaking . . .

I'll keep you all posted - - stay tuned!