a-l-m-o-s-t there...

Remember how neat and tidy everything was when we got back from IKEA on Friday? How we figured it was safe to fill the closet with our clothes, and the office under-the-window-bookshelves with books?

HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!

Oooops. Turns out that we had to undo both of those projects today, because the guys hadn't yet urethaned those bookshelves...or the closet floor. Sigh. No worries, though.

So, for those of you who haven't been here, this is the current bedroom. This picture is being taken from DIRECTLY, as in, one step in, from the front door. This used to be an enclosed porch, see... and we like sleeping here better than in the only other feasible place, which is the batcave. Yep, the space is j-u-s-t wide enough for a queen size bed. After removing the books from the shelves so that Steve could get to work with urethane, I got this area ready for a transformation. (Hence the mattress up on its side.) Cue the vacuum cleaner.

We figured, better to heave this thing up the stairs before the railing or the bookshelves go in. I explained I couldn't possibly help - not only do I lack the 3D skill to avoid dinging every scrap of woodwork available, but I tend to collapse into giggles when moving anything heavier than grocery bags. Just ask my sister. She's the same way.

Ta-Dah!!! From left, John, Jonathan, and Steve.

Here I am midway through dumping the contents of the closet onto the bedframe. That's my wedding dress. Happy Sigh. I believe it still has Miss Lizzie's footprints on it, too.

Um, yeah, this is what the office looks like now.

On the bright side, many lovely things happened today:

The upstairs closet got urethaned, including...

..this very lovely little transition piece.

Also, the downstairs closet - which had been filled with Stuff - is now clean as a pin, and its floor is also freshly sanded/urethaned.

Jonathan prowled around with a paintbrush in hand.

AND, we are happy to report, Brad concluded his fist-fight with the supplier, and came to stain the concrete floor of the bump out. I mean sun space.

Our goal is to achieve a dark, wet-concrete look. I will then magically, out of nowhere, acquire a green thumb and induce something pretty to grow here. I keep imagining a small ficus, but likely that would be too large. And every ficus I've ever known has been a temperamental leaf dropper. I'll think of something. Hints appreciated.

But best of all...Tyler the countertop guy showed up!

Ta-Dah!

Here are some closeups.

The right hand side.

The left hand side.

There are also two little shelves for the alcove in the tub/shower. Alan the tile guy gets to install those.