first floor bath tile...installed and sealed, ready for grout and fixtures!

basement is finished...well, its ready for paint, trim and carpet!

kitchen floor grout. the color is called raven

1st floor bath..

after shovelling our way out of the apartment, and shovelling ourselves into the house...we got the radiant floor mat in and wired up:


and installed the full slate tiles...the rest will need to be cut

we put the tiles on a diagonal because they were a perfect fit!

we also grouted about 1/2 of the kitchen floor tile before we left for the day (sorry, no pix yet...i will show you when its finished!)

scott is finishing up the mudding and doing some light sanding...the walls will be ready for paint soon! next time, we will sub out the plaster work---its just not worth our time!

the plumber stopped by today, we now have a working toilet and shower in the 2nd floor bath.

we just grouted the one wall of the tub surround, so that he could get this done...we will come back soon and grout the rest of the tile.

the plumber removed the toilet in the 1st floor bath so that we can install the floor. we got the cement board down before we had to leave because of the snowstorm...it will have to wait until tomorrow! we are also going to install a radiant floor mat in this bath.


we also sealed the slate floor in the kitchen--it darkens the slate and really brings out its color. we used a sealer with a matte finish but the tile is a bit irridescent so it has a bit of a natural sheen.

after sealer..............................before sealer:



we applied 2 coats of sealer- tomorrow we will grout. we selected a charcoal-grey grout. then, we will need to apply another coat of sealer and it will be finished!

nawlins

we havent had any posts because we were in new orleans...but we are back!
here are some photos from our trip.

mike, pam and hunter (our generous hosts) and scott...as we enjoyed our crawfish dinner


this guy was practically a lobster!


french quarter facades:









the muddy mississippi:


it was a beautiful day...this sky is real, no filter or photoshop here:




lafitte's - a tradition, we have to have a drink at lafitte's every time we visit:



a new tradition...a short drive from new orleans, but well worth it...

the thinnest crispiest catfish around...yummy!



pimp daddy in an izod pullover:


we cant come to the french quarter and not have beignet and cafe au lait at cafe du monde:



can you believe how much sugar they put on those things?




homemade bananas foster...they are on fire!

if you havent noticed...its all about the food!

okay now...back to work!

granite, slate + marble

the 'tan-brown' granite countertops were installed today
and i also installed the slate backsplash tile:

"before" pix:

before:

before:

the marble for the 2nd floor vanity:

our new toy...i mean tool: a tile saw!

we really needed to get a tile saw to cut the slate tiles. the ceramic and porcelain tiles were easily scored and snapped, but slate is layered and spalls easily-- so the saw was essential.


the slate really brings warmth to the white kitchen



we also installed the new microwave...

the granite countertop will be installed on monday!

another lowe's clearance find...

we had a cheap-o $250 over the range microwave in our budget.
this one was originally $400- we got it for $300. it has the words "professional series" on it...that will surely impress buyers (well worth the $50 budget overrun!)

we were excited when we saw 2 whirlpool duet washing machines in "appliance row" (that is what we call the aisle where the marked down appliances are located). when we asked about them we were told that they might go back into the stock...oooo we were so close!

i wish i remembered my camera today because the slate floor in the kitchen looks fab-u-lous!

oh, and we tested the radiant floor heat in bath2....nnnnnnice!

so i had a fortune cookie today...it read, "you will be successful someday" ha! i guess i have something to look forward to...someday!

we picked up a vanity at home depot today...it came with a granite top, undermount sink and a mirror...all for $200 (marked down from $300)



it was so inexpensive, that we bought it just for the cabinet...we already picked out a marble countertop that matches the tile, so we will just sell the granite top on craigslist, use the mirror somewhere else, but re-use the sink.



here is the progress in the first floor bath...the little slate tiles are in place;



i couldnt finish today because the blade on our tile cutter broke! so one more day should do it.