We got the fireplace grouted and finished this week.

He's not exactly Mr Clean lol

John had installed the glass doors, so we had to cover the opening so we wouldn’t mess them up. The grouting went well.  I had started it on Wednesday, and when John came home from work around 3, he helped with the clean up.

Grouted and ready to seal again

We’re certainly pleased with the way it came out. Now, the only task to be done is to install the log lighter and cement the hole where it enters the fire box.

When Willow was here last weekend, we had planned to do the last pebble dash wall, but it was just too windy, so we did a creative project instead.

Willow's candles

We had picked and dried wildflowers when she was here last, so we decorated candles with them.

Another candle

They turned out pretty well for our first try. We also tried making some candles, but we had a problem, so we’ll re-melt and do that another day. It was fun!

We have a whole pile of tile scraps and we’ve been trying to figure out what we can do with them, too.

More creative "fodder"

I have a couple of ideas, but it might be awhile before we can work on those!

John got the tub tile sealed and we grouted around the tub.

Sealing around the tub

He also sealed the shower ceiling tiles and one shower wall. When the other walls are sealed, we’ll be ready to grout the whole shower and the bathroom floor. That is a real “biggie” because then we can install the shower spa unit and set the toilet and two pedestal sinks. We’re ready now to set the tub, but I’m afraid he’s gonna need someone with a lot more upper body strength than me to help him with that. We’ll have to drill through the tiles for the faucet openings after the tub is set, then the electrician will hook up the pump and the heater.

We ordered replicas if the old tin ceiling tiles last week, and they arrived on Thursday.

Priming ceiling tiles

I got them out in the back yard today and started spraying them on the back side with auto primer.  They have to be sealed against moisture because they’ll be in our bathroom and will be subjected to moisture, so we don’t want them to rust. They’ll be installed on the ceiling over the tub and the one over the toilet. I plan to paint them to look like aged copper. Should look very nice.

It really feels good to be getting so many of these projects done now. Move-in day is getting closer! We work every minute we can, and we’re getting tired, but soon we’ll be able to relax and kick back in our new space.

The Jeep

Maybe we should be like the kitty and take a “power nap” now and then. She has already taken up with our latest addition, the Jeep. Yay!  No more hiking up this long driveway for 2 months in the winter!

We both work full time jobs, so the going has been slow, but we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now………….priceless!