House Update, Weekends, Engagements and Babies

To catch you up. Last weekend we took out the ceiling in the hallway (both of them) and it went from looking like this...

To this...which you can hardly see because, well, Nate was taking them for his health. But almost the entire ceiling was taken out of the hallway...and the plaster one above it that was dying. 

See below? See that rotten hole in a wood floor? (taken from the hallway, looking up towards the upstairs bath) Those were the hardwoods in the bath, covered by subfloor, and tile. And that is cardboard covering the hole from above, because it is still a war zone up there. 

Speaking of up there. 

Next topic. 

This past weekend we went to the lake with some amazing friends and hiked up waterfalls, sat by bonfires, and caught up. It was heavenly up there. And if Ashley ever posts the pictures she took of the weekend (or Walt) then I will put them up. 

Nate's little sister, Janelle, got engaged this weekend to one stud of a man and we are so thrilled for them. I can't find any pictures of the gorgeous ring that Louis picked out but when I do I can put that up too. 

What I do have a picture of is the newest addition to the McElveen clan. We can't wait to meet him! Due on Christmas day!

Sometimes we need a little escape...

Thanks, Lonny.  Enjoy.

What's outside your window?

Well, it is probably not as entertaining as what is outside mine. Ahh, dumpster living.

It has almost been one month since we closed on our house...only three weeks, though, since we actually owned it and this is what we have done/uncovered...

 Three bedrooms gutted of irreparable plaster, moulding salvaged...mostly, nails almost all removed, and most of clean-up complete. Light is at the end of the tunnel. I am trying to just have tunnel vision and not look around the rest of the house.

 Treasure #1
The Charlotte Sunday Observer from January 13, 1943 with headlines of Stalingrad and Tripoli! We are going to frame part of it and keep it upstairs. I LOVE stuff like this.

Treasure #2

Death and decay found behind the sheetrock ceiling in the hallway. Yay! That's what happens, kids, when you don't mop up the floor after a shower.

We found this treasure when our amazing plaster/drywall crew was patching the plaster cracks downstairs...which now looks like this.

I'm not trying to scare you because Halloween is just around the corner, this is real life. Really, we are living like this. Our bed floating in the center of the room, furniture draped and pulled to the center. 

 Out TV gets moved back to its spot every night, well, because we have to watch Season 7 of Grey's Anatomy. Can't believe I am saying this, but it might be better than Friends. My mom is probably thinking that we shouldn't be watching trashy TV like that...aren't you mom?? :)

After work, its right back to the grind. Our goal is to be rid of the dumpster by TUESDAY! You heard it. Y'all have a wonderful weekend!

On the topic of kitchens (well, eating)

You must try the Cajun Chicken Pasta from the Pioneer Woman. Seriously, I think I may just cook recipes from her blog for the rest of our lives. Two for two. We loved this one even more than the Chicken Tortilla Soup (if that is even possible). I ate it for something like 4 meals in a row (not for breakfast, that meal is pretty predictable...whole wheat Eggo waffles. Every day. Good for you? Probably not, but there is only about 1/8 of a teaspoon of syrup on it and I hate thinking for the first 30 minutes of my day).

Sidetracked, again. Give it a go. It is even better the 2nd and 3rd day.

Photo by Pioneer Woman

Oh, to cook without black dust

I know, I know. Updates are a'comin, just let me get home and take some pictures. I have been up to my eyeballs in my project for school and I am just now surfacing. Until I get home from work, humor me and let me put up some dreamy kitchens...

  Not a kitchen, but all the same, still inspirational.

Forgot to Pin-it

Some images that I just realized I forgot to pin while surfing...I'm going to post 'em and pin 'em. Dork.

It's 3 PM Monday

and the nights of manual labor combined with a cold have me cooped up in bed. As much as I wish this could be a proper sick day (hot tea, movies, cuddled up in blankets) it isn't. There are as many as 5 men under our house banging away to re-duct the whole house...all notions of napping are not going to happen. Max is freaked out and Reacher is just pissed. I probably should have let him go to daycare even though I was coming home.

This is what Nate and I have been up to:

 To my never-ending delight (probably to the delight of every architecture major out there) behind that plaster, lath and spray insulation was...cardboard. My house was built with cardboard.

Five words: Der-ek Zoo-lan-der. 

Eh?

Don't worry. Unlike the last time we did demolition, we are not only wearing work-appropriate footwear, but masks, gloves, and protective eye-wear.

Right before I came home I stopped by the Charlotte March of Dimes Show House (Luxe and Aida are doing the master suite! (I don't think I have ever told y'all where I work...I work with Aida Interiors and Luxe Home Couture, there ya go)) and it's looking fabulous, if you are in the area October 7-9 and 14-16 then come by!