Mud Pits

It's been a slow week because of the rain but they've managed somehow to dig trenches for the underground utilities. It looks like muddy work! I'm thinking our new neighbors can't wait for this to be over and done with.

A Couple of Fun Deliveries

The fireplace insert is installed and the framing has started. There will be two built ins on either side and of course later a mantle etc... but it's really exciting to see it start to take shape! Pocket doors have arrived and are waiting to be installed as well. We're pretty excited about the pocket doors because they will preserve a lot of functional space in a not so huge house. Our builder was really great about making changes like this and the cost was minimal.  We also have all the bathtubs in place. This one is the master bath and I love it! It's smaller with no jets so it'll be a lot easier to clean and a lot less expensive to fill. Plus, I love the pretty oval shape, especially when it's against a lot of rectangle and square tiles. It'll soften things up a little.

HVAC and Wires Everywhere!

The girls came with us to check on the house and enjoyed hanging out in their  own rooms! Right now they're sharing a room in the rental and more than ever appreciate the thought of having a little space... even if it's space with no walls, floors or ceilings. haha! It's pretty cool to see all of the HVAC being installed. The amount of work and skill that have already gone into the house is so amazing!!!

Plumbing, Electrical and More!

 We met today with our builder's designer to finalize the interior selections. It's a relief to be near the end of the decision making process! I've put way too much thought and time into picking out just the right everything in every room, staying within budget, of course. It's fun finally see it all coming together! The brick is looking much better and we learned that it takes weeks for the mortar to cure. So that explains that! The orange-y pink wall of brick will eventually look tumbled, aged, warm and lovely. Yeah!!

It's almost time for the side porch to get filled in.

The attic is one of my favorite rooms.  I can't wait to fill it with junk.

Our first outdoor spigot

Dining

The entry and stairs

Our first meal in the house was a shared pork burrito from the food truck out front. Delicioso!!!

Bathroom #2 has a tub!

Dream Lighting

We just had our electrical walk through and will be choosing light fixtures soon. Our budget isn't huge and the supplier we're required to use isn't cheap, so I think we'll be installing a few light bulbs rather than fixtures for the short term anyway! Here are more than a few stunners that I'd love to find reasonably priced replicas of~

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Bricks

Sticks and stones may break my bones but these bricks might really put me in the nut house! Oh the indecision! Is it too bland??? Does the grout look weird??? Please tell me it's not Pepto Pink??? First world problems, I know, but I just hope I didn't make a hideous mistake.... an expensive, permanent, hideous mistake. I told Scott I would seriously get out there with charcoal sponge paint the day we close if there's not enough variation in the color. He told me to calm the heck down. It should be fine right?... breathe...breathe...

Kind of looks like this right? Hmmm... maybe.

Tamko Shadow Grey

We have a few windows and are seeing our roof selection for the first time! It was so hard to choose the exterior colors and finishes because there's no changing or hiding once they're up! We decided on Tamko Shadow Grey architectural shingles because it's a standard color (no upgrade fee and great quality) AND the original color I chose was put on the house next door about a month prior...so, Shadow Grey it is! I actually love it and can't wait to see the other pieces of the puzzle come together!!! Incidentally, the house next door chose my exterior siding color and trim as well. With thousands of colors to choose from, it was kind of unbelievable, but whatever.

Exterior Selections: Tamko Shadow Grey shingles, BM White Dove fiber cement siding, BM Black shutters, and a tumbled brick with light mortar

The Skeleton

As the framing goes up, we can see the shape of the house and finally walk through our floor plan. It's pretty exciting, especially because we combined several different plans and fingers crossed, it's as efficient and well laid out as we hoped!!! Sketches don't necessarily translate well to 3D but so far, so good. Other than a couple of door swing changes, the only hiccup has been the framing of the master shower. It wasn't a huge issue and was fixed immediately because our builder is fabulous!
We have a sub floor!!!

We have a second floor!!!

A door!!!

Our first real glimpse of the exterior shape.

The garage looks better than I thought it would. Phew! It's a two car with two small storage areas. So plenty of room for vehicles and a few extras, but not so big it drives me crazy.

A Solid Foundation

The foundation went in pretty quickly and we're excited to finally see a footprint! Our crawlspace is a good size and will be conditioned. I don't really know what that means, but hopefully it will help with the heating and cooling of the house. Tennessee can be pretty brutal!