Y’all probably think I’m talking my husband. I am not. I am talking about that sweet SWEET drywall that’s going up behind him. When we first met, the sight of Mark or the sound of his voice would make me feel all warm and fuzzy…now, it’s fresh drywall and the promise of a new kitchen. Maybe we need couples therapy or maybe this is totally normal when the majority of your life is home renovating….

…let’s talk about wall sconces! As a person who wasn’t really interested in anything “home” until about 3 years ago, I can’t believe I spent a weekend researching wall sconces. I guess I’m a grownup. 🙂 We’re going to put one in the kitchen between these two windows…there will be a breakfast table and chairs underneath. We want an industrial looking one…here are a few options I saw on Pinterest… Mark said he could make…

The halfway point of any renovation project is like the red-headed stepchild…but guess what…I love gingers and if I had stepkids I would love them to pieces too. And so, I must love my derelict-looking kitchen. Everyone loves BEFORE and AFTER pictures. The before pictures show everyone how shabby your place was… The after pictures show how awesome you are and why people should want to come over. 🙂 But halfway pictures get no love….

Sometimes you just have to take a break. So we did. Mark and I went out this weekend and had a blast. We spent Saturday with family and then I took a nap. Sunday was dedicated to my mom, grandma, sister and aunts as we celebrated Mother’s Day and my sweetie pie niece’s 1st birthday! We did not pick up a hammer or a drill bit or saw. It was glorious. 🙂 **FOLLOW ILOVE2SWEAT! Just…

Just when we were dragging MAJOR you know what…a strong, cool breeze swept through our rowhouse and gave us the boost we needed. It also could’ve been the new coffee blend we got, but the breeze is a better story. 🙂 Mark and our beloved electrician ran the electrical lines for the kitchen…first drilling through the floor joists. Mark then pulled the wires up through the stud walls and funneled them through the electrical boxes….

No, stud walls aren’t especially beautiful, but I love them. Being a home renovator for more than two years now, stud walls showcase what the new shape of a room will be and hold the promise of what’s to come! Our kitchen feels ohsoclose to coming together even though we still have some heavy lifting to do. We used blue tape on the floor to map out our base cabinets. We spent probably an hour…

My husband, Mark, is the definition of a good man. He’s not full of bravado or a chest-pounding ego maniac who needs everyone to know how awesome he is. Because he’s not arrogant, I knew it was a REALLY BIG DEAL when he called me after his latest home renovation accomplishment and said, “Babe, I can do anything!!!” We had to cut the water and gas lines in our kitchen because we’re moving the stove…

No more messing around…it’s time for the final kitchen demolition. Mark sawed around the water lines so we could lift the sink base cabinet out. And I took a video so you know how strong we are. 🙂 [wpvideo GkoDkQWo] We obviously are going without a kitchen sink for a bit. Paper plates and plastic utensils for the win! Once we got all the cabinets out, we had to take down the bead board along…

Kitchens sell homes. Period. Mark and I know if we decide to stay in the rowhouse, rent the rowhouse or sell it…the kitchen could be the make or break room! These are the rules we’re following… #1 Keep with the “feel” of the house. Our home is a modern, industrial space with throwback touches to some of the original features. For instance, we kept all the original wood doors…just sanded and stained them. In the…

I finally understand why architects, designers and contractors send their clients big, FAT bills…because planning and designing takes FOREVER! Mark and I spent an entire day (10 hours!) planning our kitchen remodel and picking out cabinets, hardware, fixtures and countertops. And let me go on the record saying…THANK GOD my husband is a designer because without his skills, I don’t think we would have accomplished anything! We talked about a few different layouts then Mark…