the longest project aka the back stairs.

We are making progress on the back entrance stairs.  Slow and steady wins the race.  It has taken considerable planning on Mike's part to size the stairs, build a mould, pour the concrete base and now lay the bricks.  Rainy weather has impaired his progress on more than one occasion.

For nearly two years we used a "gangplank" entrance so even the concrete base seems fancy.  But we all await the finished brick stairs which complete the house projects.  We are excited that we are able to purchase a few more paver bricks from the city of Oakland.  Keep up the great work, Sweetie!

the painters are back.

It felt like old times to have Chad and Bev of Two Guys Painting back in the house this week for some touch up work.  Besides a few random re-touches, we put the finish coat on the mud room porch floor - and  a second coat on the basement stairs.  They will be so much easier to keep clean with this beautiful oil-based gloss porch paint.  I am ecstatic with happiness.  Really.

One of my "mistakes" with our house project was my previous choice of porch paint on the two exterior porches and the two balcony floors.  I erred on the side of not wanting it too glossy - and got a finish that is just too hard to keep clean.  I learned that a semi-gloss finish holds the dust and is stained by fall leaves.  Next spring the balconies and porches are getting a coat of what I now consider the perfect porch paint:
Benjamin Moore Alkyd Porch & Floor Enamel

Bring on the oil-based glossy porch paint.  It translates to easier-to-keep-clean.

glorious fall.

What a glorious season October brings with it... It is fun to put the pumpkins out. It is also fun that we are working on what we call the "finishing touches" on the house. Besides the painting and back steps projects, we are laboring to clear the basement playroom which became a temporary store room for everything-yet-unpacked. Translated: Big Yucky Job.

November is looking exciting as we hope to finish the decorating touches. Moving in exhausted me physically and creatively, but I think I am finally ready to tackle the finishing touches to make this grand place our home. And help is on the way! Shelli Holechek and Kathy Gerkin from the Omaha Pottery Barn Store are coming up in early November with "Complimentary Design Services" and "Decorating Advice". I have always seen that the stores offer this but never taken advantage of it. Now is the time.

We are motivated because
1.) Pottery Barn is starting a new blog (which will launch in the next few weeks) and they have promised to feature our home on it, and
2.) We will be on the Oakland Women's Club Holiday Tour of Homes on December 2nd.

I had better head down and finish unpacking our final boxes. Happy Fall!