Oh my goodness!

The inside is almost done! The outside door needs paint, the little deck needs a railing, and there are a few exterior details to finish. The floor gets a second coat of paint tomorrow, and once that has cured we can move the tub and STUFF in. Giddy. That is what I am!

More paint pictures...

I'm not sure if this looks any different, but it IS. The wall that the windows are on and the end walls are completely painted, as is the ceiling. Tomorrow the wonderful painter will be back, and paint the wall that joins the house, both doors and... drum-roll, please, the FLOOR! We are in the home stretch and my delight knows no bounds!

Big changes..!

Today some big changes happened. There has been a rhythm to this project, flurries of activity separated by days of nothing. The painter was here. The ceiling has been sanded and painted. It looks fresh and clean and lovely. And where there were electrical wires poking out of the paneling, there are now nice, neat outlets, and switch plates. All the new trim wood has been primed as well. I was very excited to see that my funky cabinet had been moved in, anchored securely to the wall, and... TWELVE electrical outlets are neatly tucked inside. This is a true delight... all my electrically powered hand tools will be cozily tucked in there with outlets to spare. Bliss! There are also outlets every 12 feet all around the room. A gracious plenty. There is a separate outlet for my dryer, which is very exciting. It was a warm day today, but when I stepped out into my new almost studio there was the most lovely breeze blowing in through my new windows. I am going to love this space.

Carpentry FINISHED..!

And the carpentry is finished inside! Tomorrow, the painter arrives. Next week the exterior finish work will happen. Words cannot express my happiness!

Something borrowed...

When I first got the idea to create my fantasy grooming space on my porch, it occurred to me that I would need a counter or desk area for writing receipts, keeping records and a cash box. It would need to have a small footprint, because I was working with limited space. My mind went skipping happily along, thinking of possibilities. It landed on a desk I fell in love with when I was in my early 20's. It once belonged to a distant relative by way of my brother in law. An old school masters desk, it had been tucked in an upstairs bedroom of an ancient farmhouse in Boxford, Massachusetts. My mother, an antique dealer, had bought it from Winifred Parkhurst. I loved the thing, it appealed to me in a very Little House on the Prairie kind of way. My oldest sister also saw the appeal and either my mother gave it to her or she bought it. I could see it on my porch. It would be perfect. I called my poor sister right up. I explained my plan, and she agreed to let me borrow it. Last weekend my daughter brought it to Maine, and today I gave it a good scrubbing with Murphy's Oil soap. I let it dry in the hot June sun, then tenderly rubbed Lemon Oil all over it. A soft cloth and some buffing made the old wood glow with a fresh luster. It will be perfect, and I am grateful to my generous sister Donna for sharing her treasure to help my dream along.

More pink stuff...

Brian is here today, working on trim, stuffing insulation into every crevice, and jamming to show tunes. I love it!

Trim work...

Today, trimming the windows, more window sills, more insulation, more paneling!

Unexpected delights...

All day long at work I wonder what is happening with studio construction. I smile a little smile to myself and ponder the possibilities. This morning I left the two carpenters each a loaf of still warm home made bread with a little note thanking them for their good work. When I got home today I got the dogs that go to work settled in and greeted the dog that stays at home. Cookies all around. Then I stepped out onto the porch to see what had happened while I was away. The first thing I noticed was that half of the room now boasts beautiful, amazing, elegant window sills. The clean, new, fresh simplicity of them made me weak in the knees. I can picture them decorated with clusters of antique bottles holding fresh flowers, and sweet, seasonal items of beauty. And then there was this... which I imagine was a BIG PROJECT. Ever since we moved here the threshold to the front door has been rotten. By that I mean, spongy, scary, how-in-the-world-can-I-fix-this rotten. So I was tickled pink to see clean, thick, sturdy new wood where the old frightening stuff used to be.

Big stuff..!

Today I was awake, showered and dressed early, because BIG things were slated to happen. The first big thing occurred early, the windows were delivered at 7:30 AM. Casey and Chris were there at the same time, and within moments furious activity had begun. I had to force myself to go to work. I so wanted to stay right here and watch things develop. But alas... off I went. Coming home was exciting! The windows are IN. They are beautiful, and work so nicely... all screened and new and fresh looking. They also got lots of insulation in, and more center bead paneling up. And if that were not enough excitement.... My grooming table and bathtub were delivered. OH MY GOSH, I feel like a kid at Christmas.