[jgsearls]

Liz..here's a link to my Kitchen Renovation set on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5800927...7594118052371/

I'm loving the backsplash tile but unless I use my ... ahem ... feminine wiles to convince DH to just torpedo the budget they're going to have to wait a bit Of course, I could get him all excited about Glasskote and then tell him it's $70/sf installed and .. oh look! The tile from Susan Jablon Mosaics is only $14/sf!

The tiles are the Subway Beach Glass in etched celery from Susan Jablon Mosaics. They are a subway tile but 1/2 the size of a regular subway tile - just 1" x 3" She has gorgeous colors..just gorgeous. I also love the light sage color. At this point, I've spent a small fortune on tile samples ... hee.

I'm hoping that by the beginning of next week, we'll have the start of cabinet installation. I can't wait. I cannot imagine going for months and months without a kitchen - I don't know how you all do it.

[Liz H]

Thanks, Jenn! I enjoyed looking through the photos. Your son is adorable. I thought that was what "feather the floor" meant, but wasn't sure.

The tile and countertop are beautiful. I certainly think that plenty of sighing after the Glasskote should make him ready to jump on the Susan Jablon. I need to order some samples from Susan Jablon, too.

[kirsty]

Love love love that tile! And the colors. I mean, I was adoring theglass tile already, but subway + beach glass + green... be. still. my. heart... We're still in the early planning stages, but I'm bookmarking that site.

Love the floors, putting in an early request for a photo of what it looks like after the stain/poly--pleeeeese! We have old oak floorsin half of what will be the new kitchen (the currently-dining-room half) and I would love to try and feather in new ones, but am worried about the transition, andlooking forward to seeing how it goes for you!

[jgsearls]

I have to say that I love Susan Jablon. I emailed her to ask about the difference between two of the green colors I'm considering. I told her that my husband would divorce me if I ordered one more sample of backsplash tile LOL. She offered to send me a sample free of charge. How great is that?

So, I'm perusing through the As-Is room at my Ikea and notice a Billy bookshelf...painted in green?!! HUH? WHAT? $47.60 later and it was in my van ready to take its place in my kitchen to hold my cookbooks! Whoooohoooo!!! I mean really? What are the odds? I was thinking of getting a Billy bookcase and then painting it green but voila! The stars were all aligned for me that day LOL.

This week is finishing up the lighting - we've asked Tony to move over some of the pendant fixtures because they look like they're too far over. The last pendant will be hanging right at the edge of the countertop and that's not the look I'm going for. Also, he's going to cut a hole in the wall for the door and remove the windows that are there currently. Then the sheet rocker will be here to sheet rock the ceiling and patch everything up. Then we'll be priming and painting next weekend, I think. And then --- cabinet installation -- whoopee!

[GardenOfDarwin]

Sounds great Jen! Don't you just love it when exactly what you need is exactly where you need it? It's fate, that's for sure.

What's your filming date? And if I design and send you an IKEAFANS T-shirt (free of charge of course...we Susans are just that nice), would you wear it for the show?

Susan

[jgsearls]

Susan! You are too funny. I would be totally game for wearing the t-shirt but the producers are nitpickers to the n-th degree. When we shot the scene with all of us in my parent's guest bathroom trying to get ready for the day, the site producer turned around and over every single thing with a logo on it. They wouldn't let DH wear a golf shirt with a small graphic on it. I am trying to think of ways that I can squeeze stuff in though without it being too obvious and queer. I was able to sport my sister's handmade bags but that was only because they didn't have any obvious logos on them.

The follow-up episode is being filmed July 22nd. The producer just emailed me to tell me that she was "only" going to be filming the bedrooms, the living room, the dining room, the family room, the backyard and the kitchen for the follow-up show. Really? Is that all? 'Cause that's the whole house. I had emailed asking her if there were rooms she wanted to focus on so that I could concentrate my energies on those rooms! HA! And then she asked what we did on the weekend for fun and relaxation- I emailed back that we've spent every night and weekend prepping for a certain reality real estate show and we haven't had a whole lot of fun and relaxation since we've moved in

[GardenOfDarwin]

Oh. Ok, well...you can just mention how helpful the site was every other word, and then they won't possibly be able to edit it out. And, don't mention those other sites you've been to. Ever. Again.

Funny about the 'rest and relaxation'. We have a big crab feast every summer, and spend weeks getting ready for it. People always ask us how we've spent our summer, and we look around: "Well....". It's fun, though, and always well worth it.

We don't have TV, so we'll have to get someone to record the show for us and stick it on a DVD so we can watch it here at home!

Susan

[jenswrens]

When will the show air? And um... what show is it? I somehow missed that.

I have TIVO - DVR. I could record it and put it on a DVD for you Susan. But I'd have to know when and what....

[jgsearls]

Jenswrens..c'mon! Keep up would ya!

I blundered into the Ikea Fans websitewhen I was panicking over the renovation of our kitchen in time for a taping of House Hunters. Our realtor here in CT suckered, I mean, asked us to be on the show. So back in April, we filmed the first part of the episode that showed us "house hunting." They were originally going to come back 7 weeks later to follow-up. After I laughed long and hard, I told them no way. So, they pushed it back until July 22nd.

So they'll be back on July 22nd to film the "after" portion of the show. The part where we wow and dazzle everyone with the work that we've done on the house:?. And then it'll air sometime in the fall, I think. I'll know better after they've filmed the episode. Frankly, it's turned from something that will be kind of fun to a complete albatross around my neck. I can't even watch the show anymore. I also made the mistake of going to TelevisionWithoutPity.com's website and looking at the House Hunters forum People are sooooooo mean about the homeowners. And they are going to HATE me:?

[jgsearls]

We have a door! And an opening for a door! And some preliminary framing for the former window! (Click on the photo to take you to the Flickr photoset). It's just standing in place right now and it's backwards but we have a door!