Lorenzo stayed until Monday this time around...he didn't want to leave until all the hardwood flooring was finished. It is done, and it looks fantastic. Here is our bedroom...

Here's how it looked when we bought the cottage...

The bed looks much better against the slanted wall...

Here is the hallway...

Here's a before and after...

Notice the transition pieces - this looks so nice...

Here is the hallway looking in the other direction...

I haven't found a light fixture for the stairwell, yet. This ugly thing needs to go...

The boy's room...

Looking in the other direction...

Heading down the stairs...

No railings yet! We need to be careful....

I like that our staircase has this turn with the little landing - it reminds me of an old farmhouse...

Look at our beautiful stairs! Lorenzo couldn't find any proper bull-nosing at Home Hardware, so he just used strips of fir and made sure there was the necessary overhang...

What I am so impressed by, is the fact that Lorenzo chose to do this hard way instead of taking the easy way out. If he had laid the wood horizontally on the risers, he would have been finished on Sunday. But he chose to install it vertically which was incredibly time consuming; each riser required seven cuts. Visually, the difference is remarkable; it mimics the direction of the wall paneling...

I'm going to stain the fir stripping and then you won't even notice it...well done, eh? I am so proud of him.

What a change from before...

Lorenzo has done such a beautiful job - and the worst is officially over.  All the big jobs are done!
Today, I took advantage of the Ikea Kitchen Event and bought our cabinets. I was so worried that I wouldn't get them all in my vehicle, but it worked out in the end. Unfortunately, part of our counter-top was out-of-stock, so we have to go back next week. I did find a cute kitchen cart which will come in really handy as we're really limited for space...

Lorenzo & I planned to head over on Friday morning and install the kitchen together. We were really looking forward to it as we desperately need some time alone. But then my daughter said, "It sucks when you guys aren't here." Maynus Interruptus. Lorenzo is staying home, I'm going over by myself. 

I'm so tired right now, I can hardly type...anyway. You know what I love? Braided rugs! And are they ever expensive. The ONLY place I've been able to find any is Sears - and only on their website. I have braided rugs in my house and they are fantastic; incredibly durable and they never pill or unravel. I like these ones...

I check Craigslist on a regular basis for braided rugs to no avail. Couldn't find anything at Homesense or Home Depot. The ones above are a bit pricey, but Sears has these ones which are a bit cheaper - not surprisingly, they're not quite as charming...

However, these are strong enough to use indoors and out, and they can withstand being hosed off when they get dirty. What I love about braided rugs, is they never bunch up. Also, with hardwood flooring you can't lay down rugs that have latex backing - it can ruin your floors. And latex never washes up properly anyway - I don't buy any rugs that have latex. Eventually, it cracks and flakes and you're left with a mess. A well-made braided rug will last your whole life - you'll be able to pass it down to your kids. But they probably won't want them..!

It's a drag that I'm going to Mayne Island alone. Lorenzo & I were going to hitch our little trailer to the truck and bring over some of the furniture. We were going to work together all day and then have a nice dinner at the Springwater. And I wanted to set up our bedroom and bathroom - I have no room in the truck for anything else right now. I don't trust myself driving the trailer over - too nerve wracking. If I have to go in reverse for any reason I'm afraid I'll jack-knife it. 


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Have you ever been reading a book that is so enjoyable you don't want to keep reading? Because you don't want it to end? I mentioned awhile back about an author I discovered named Elizabeth Jenkins. I made it my mission to track down her out-of-print books and I am just enthralled with her writing. I'm currently reading "Robert and Helen" and it's as good as anything I've ever read by E.M. Forster, Somerset Maugham, or Jane Austen. Just brilliant...shocking that her books have been allowed to moulder into obscurity. This book arrived in the mail from Australia. The pages are yellowed and the print is ridiculously small, but I'm enjoying it more than anything I've read in years...

Is anyone watching "Downton Abbey" on PBS? I've read so many great reviews of this mini-series that I borrowed Season One from the library. I'll watch it on Mayne Island - I love all that upstairs-downstairs English drama. Apparently, if you liked "Gosford Park" you'll like this...

Ciao for now...