Progress.

We're making some more progress on our living room.

We're picking out brick for the fireplace,

purchasing a few more items to decorate the space,

& potentially making an end table or plant holder out of this lovely stump from

our backyard!  

Ernie (our mud/tape guy) was here a week ago.

He's cheap & does a great job & he really appreciates the business.

Just the kind of family guy you want to support.

Call me if you need him! 

Luke & I learned the hard way that mudding and taping is an awful job.

We did it when we finished our 1st home in Le Mars

& it took way too much time, too dirty, & didn't look 'professional'.

So, find a good mudder/taper man & hire them!

This was just a big step to getting the room done.

Because it's the last 'dirty' stage before we can clean up the new room

AND our entire house! 

When Ernie was done it was turned back over to Luke & I to paint

& finish the rest of the room on our own!

Here's Luke re-painting colors to make the new room look like it's always been there.

He's got an audience too!

(p.s. like our baby gates we rigged up) 

The sad part is that we went to re-look at tile at The Tile Shop (a wonderful tile place)

to make sure the tile we already purchased was exactly what we wanted.

Well believe it or not, we found a different tile that we fell in love with.

Here's the bad part...

that particular tile is backordered until the end of May! (insert scream!!!)

So that means we cannot finish our base boards, wood detail on the walls,

& fireplace brick.  

Basically everything to finish the room!

We're at least able to get our basement back in order

since the ceiling had to be removed for new heating & gas lines to the living room.

And now Luke is working on the window trim.

Slow, but sure.

It will get done.

Then...we need to reside the whole house!

One step at a time.