Starting to feel like we're in our home and not someone elses.

This past weekend was by far the most fulfilling trip regarding progress on the house. I had no idea what a difference removing old wallpaper could make in the 'feel' of a place. In retrospect, it's obvious. A southern facing room with huge windows is probably going to become breathtaking once the heavy curtains and navy blue wallpaper are removed. I guess I just didn't realize to what extent. The woodwork never struck me as special until yesterday. Now that it's sanded to it's core and has 3 coats of new oil base paint, it's true beauty has come out. I feel like I've liberated this aspect of the house. It's more simple now. It's cleaner. Visually and literally.

The kitchen has the furthest to go, but should be the greatest transformation. With 3 simple things: paint, new butcher block counters, and new appliances; I'm expecting a renaissance. The floor sander came over (on Father's Day) to look at the job and really appreciated the old character of the existing wide pine and was looking forward to maintaining all that is worth maintaining.

Few of the decisions of the prior owners were good ones. Very few. Among them, the paint color in the front/ formal bedroom. We matched the old colors and re-painted. I would have never picked the colors..... and love them. Very dramatic. The walls a faded, chalky, pale green with slate gray, matte crown mouldings. Additionally, the stair treads were painted between second and third floor. Sort of a burgundy/ merlot color. Somehow it works well. We're redoing this also.

I have some designing to do. Minor, but design. The old wormwood paneling room, also called the fireplace room, also called the future TV room, needs to have a mantel designed. The room is getting sheetrocked for now, with 1x6 v-groove, vertical paneling down the road. This will go up two-thirds the distance up the wall with some fancy-pants detailing the top. Again; phase 2. So for now,....... I am thinking a wood surround, classic mantel, with perhaps 2 sections of raised paneling dividing the space left b/n the mantel & the ceiling.

Mowed the lawn, did some minor weeding, and picked up 2 el cheapo lawn chairs from CVS which we already got our money out of. Made time to shoot some hoops at the cottage with my new Father's Day present my wife bought me. The day somehow didn't rain on us. Rained the whole way from Boston to CT, and back again, but barely a drop at the house. The winds were another story.

Misty took her first ever dip into the Mystic River and could not have been happier.

Need to decide on the exterior painting soon. The exterior sills are raw wood and in dire need of attention. Marceo the painter is delaying his return trip to Brazil until "House is finish", or I run out of money; whichever comes first.

More later.