Christmas Eve!

Seriously, i can't believe it's Christmas, already! Layla has been eagerly awaiting the big guy's arrival...hoping beyond hope that he brings her a pink puppy....and chocolate. (Luckily, he's got both covered!) She helped get Santa's milk & cookies and the Reindeer's apples. She also wanted to write Santa a "thank you" note (such a sweet girl)!

(Santa made his mark this year...leaving his magical footprints all over my new carpet!!)

Something About Marley

M, woke up with a little bed-head. Good thing we didn't have any big plans, that day...it wouldn't go down.

The Riddle Home

Well, as most of you know, on December 1, we finally closed on our house!! The last 10 days have been filled with unpacking, unpacking, and more unpacking. We've gotten a lot done, but there's a lot left that will be done over time. Thanks to our family and friends for your help and guidance throughout this process...and a special THANK YOU to Craftsman Builders: Dan, Heather, Barbi, and the rest of Team C!! This was a wonderfully fun experience and the end result is beyond what we had hoped for. You made The Riddle Project a Riddle Home and we are truly grateful!

The Riddle Project: Nothin' Beats A Full House!

We had crews busting out of the 2x4's today!! Plumber, electrician, tile, carpet, and stone guys were out in full force!! 9 days left...it's final push time!!

(pre-finished concrete counters)

(faucets in girls bath)

(carpet in layla's room)

(a functioning toilet...hoo-ra!!)

(fireplace tile)

(kitchen backsplash and appliances)

(kitchen faucet and crushed granite sink)

(stone work almost done!)

The Riddle Project: It's The Little Things...

....like cabinet hardware, shelving, railings, and bannisters! Team Craftsman puts as much thought into those minute details as they do the big ones. It's appreciated far more than i could ever express with words!!

(cabinet hardware installed throughout house!)

(bannister and railing to basement)

(upper bathroom cabinets and sinks installed--master bath)

(girls bath)

(shot of the garage doors and the beginning of the stone work)

The Riddle Project: Lights, Cabinets...Action!!

10/31-11/9: The final trim work has begun. The Trim Twins (Trevor and the quiet one) have been hard at work the past couple of weeks!! Baseboards, window/door casings, cabinets, fireplace mantle, concrete counter frame supports, and closets!! The two of them are amazingly efficient and their quality of work is AMAZING!! Rich--the electric guy--has also been busy putting all the lights/fans up and finishing up outlets and light switch plates!

(master closet organizer going in)

(laundry/mud room lockers getting trimmed out. concrete counter supports going in.)

(it's the walk-in-pantry....)

(.....but it looks like a tall cabinet!!)

(fireplace mantle. will be stained the same color as the kitchen cabinets)

(kitchen cabinets get trimmed out!!)

(lights in the master. tall cabinet still needs to be placed on top of center cabinet.)

(fan in master)

(the steal of the century---my refurbished foyer light!!)

The Riddle Project: Tile, Wood, and Siding. Oh My!

All the tile and wood floors are in, and siding is up on 3 sides of the house. The cabinets and trim are going up, as i write this! More pics to come this weekend! Tentative move-in date: December 1st, thanks to Team Craftsman's hard work and speedy build!!

(girls bath)

(master shower)

(wood floors in kitchen)

(back side of house...no the propane tank isn't staying!)

Halloween at Busy Barns!

We made our annual trip to Busy Barns this past Saturday, and as usual, we weren't disappointed. I swear, though, it's always 20 degrees cooler there, than at our house!!! Oh well, we braved the chill and the girls had a great time feeding the animals, picking pumpkins, and going down the giant slides!!

Happy Halloween!!

The Riddle Project: Paint!

Texture and the first coat of paint went up this past Thursday!

(looking toward hallway, basement steps, and laundry/mudroom)

(kitchen)

(in hallway, looking back toward kitchen)

(basement rec room)