So much to do, so little time before Norway

The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic around here. With Greg getting ready to go on tour again for 6 weeks, we are trying to get as much done as possible. It seems like there is always something going on over here these days. The exterior painting has finally started after finally choosing colors. Jay Brown has primed everything inside and it's all ready for me, my mom and my sister to paint in a couple weeks. The hardwood floors are completely in too and look AMAZING- even unsanded. Greg built all the window trim and just started making the trim for the doorways. Our shower is almost tiled and I am slowly working on tiling the bathrooms.
whew.

George and Jude stopped in on their way from NJ to Charlotte. They were here for 2 days and were SO helpful with the hardwoods and getting us started with tiling. We were really sad to see them go.

Greg's pretty window trim.

John and Greg work on casing the doors.

Greg even managed to squeeze in some Chatham County Line practicing on the porch. Clark and Carolyn were here all week helping out and had a private show.

Brick by Brick

My parents came into town this past weekend and brought us all the flooring fresh from the kiln. Once that was unloaded, my dad got busy laying the old brick for our hearth. Most of these bricks are handmade, over 150 years old and came from the old Sherill house in my hometown of Cornelius, NC. Some also came from an old store that was torn down in Derita, NC. Lorraine's sister, Kate, brought us the old star bricks which were found in a salvage yard in NJ. Our mantle is made from 2 granite window sills that were in the Thompson orphanage (the same building our slate roof came from).
We are so thankful for Dad's beautiful work and can't wait to sit around the woodstove next winter and enjoy it.

Even Ferlin got to leave her mark.

Today is a great day

To celebrate President Obama's Inauguration, we played some pong and had fun in the snow- which lasted 12 hours and left about 6 inches! I was pretty much glued to the tv today, but tore myself away to paint a little. We are soooo close to finishing all the priming inside.

New Year, New Home

Cheers and Happy New Years to all! It has been frigid cold outside, but that hasn't stopped us from moving forward. Greg and our neighbor John finished siding the house (with the help of John's son Branson). The heat was turned on inside and the drywall is finished. The poplar that we cut last year has been kiln dried and milled for our interior trim. Greg's dad Clark delivered it to us in his dump truck this week and it is beautiful. We have started priming the interior too.

We celebrated Greg's 40th birthday last Saturday. It was our first real get together at the new house and we had 20 people over for dinner. It felt so much like a real house- despite all the sheet rock dust and the port-a-john.

don't worry boys, the ping-pong table is well protected

More December news...

Insulation is in and the dry wall has started! Greg and his dad also put in Ferlin's door too (note the matching trim) and she is loving both it and her freedom already.
Greg and our neighbor John are siding the house now too.
Won't be long before we start painting inside and out.

Up on the Roof Top...

Production halted for a bit, but once Greg was back from his mini-tour with CCL overseas, he worked on finishing the slate roof and putting in the stove pipe. We also had our friend Christian Nonino install the standing seam metal roof over the front and back porch. Tomorrow, Greg and his dad start the exterior siding. We also start on the inside of the house this week. Insulation begins tomorrow and then then the dry wall. It's coming along...

Working on the house on this beautiful BLUE North Carolina day!

We started putting the slate up this week. Although I was not actually up there on the roof, I can at least say that my hands have touched every piece of slate going on it. Clark and I washed close to a thousand pieces this week and we are still not done. Greg, his dad and brother Joe got the whole thing started and it is looking pretty amazing.

Greg and our neighbor Fran worked into the night to finish the front dormer.

Lunch time on the porch on this beautiful 80 degree day.

Jay Brown and Shepard Lane doing some painting.

Putting in the wood stove pipe.

I caught Greg moonwalking across when he finished.