Houston, we have a problem!

It's this little thing called life, it keeps getting in the way of our remodel!  Posting seems to have taken a backseat to the following:  big event at my work, spending more time with the little Lawrence's, STILL cleaning out our old house (will it ever be finished and rented?) Chip's birthday, an unscheduled trip to CT for last minute passports, spending time with family and friends and of course, drinking wine :-)

On Christmas morning Chip surprised us with a trip to the Bahamas and then up to FL to visit Mickey, the Sullivans and Papa for a few days.  It's going to be a whirlwind and our first official trip out of the country with the girls.  Let me preface the next sentence by saying that Chip and I are fairly intelligent people.  So the fact that neither one of us thought twice about the fact that the girls were going to need their passports blows my mind.  To be honest we probably would have showed up at the airport without the docs had it not been for Chip's fraternity brother who we are traveling with.  He called over the weekend and asked if the girls had their passports.  I was at work when Chip called Saturday morning with the news and I immediately went into a full blown anxiety attack that I couldn't shake for the rest of the day.  Of course it didn't help that practically everyone at work told me there was no way I was going to get passports in time for our trip.  Once home my night consisted of reading every single word on the government travel website.  Thankfully it is possible with a bit of driving and some extra dough!  Our choices were NYC, Boston, St. Albans, VT or Norwalk, CT.  We nixed NYC and Boston immediately, for obvious reasons - mainly parking.  Norwalk was closer so 4:45AM this morning with a bagful of snacks, new software downloaded on to their Fisher Price computers and Madeline playing on the car DVD Chip left for CT.  Three hour drive there, 15 minutes at the passport office, 3 hour drive back to Saratoga - crisis diverted!    Seriously though - how in the hell do we all juggle this stuff. 

Since we are leaving within the next few weeks I definitely don't anticipate doing much renovating (or blogging) except keeping it clean and tidy and doing laundry (when in the hell will the laundry ever slow down???)  We have managed to get a few things done - Chip started the guest 1/2 bath downstairs.  I did my research on Pinterest and this pic was my inspiration.  Plus, since the walls were in such horrible shape we decided on wallpaper- why not just cover them up, right??!  Our generous neighbor gave us a few rolls he had left from his dining room renov and it couldn't be more perfect.  We love it!  (thanks Teele!!!)   Here are some pics of Chloe's reorg and the beginning of the guest bath.

Complete disaray

left side of the disarayment

some organization

next up...window treatments (besides the blinds)

in need of:  window treatments and wall art/accessories but still looks 100% better!!!

Original 1/2 bath downstairs

hard-working man!

bad lighting but you're getting it right?

Just Take One Step at a Time

Renovating Regent St. is overwhelming (if you haven't already noticed!)  Not only have we taken on a complete gut job in the main house but we're on the clock to get the apartment finished by this weekend when our renter moves in and STILL packing up Featherfoil (can't I pay someone to finish that up??)  All of this and we are still trying to squeeze in time for the everyday household chores; laundry, putting clothes away (my achilles heel), dust, grocery shop, vaccuum...you see where I'm going!  Oh, and did I mention we have Irish Twins who demand (and righfully so,) our full attention?  You just have to involve them and make a game of even the smallest of mundane projects.  For instance, I started a game with the girls called, Find My Match.  A matching socks game where I am always the winner :-)  Bonus, they love it!!

Somedays I don't know where to start so I began to think...if i put something down in writing it then becomes real and I'm forced to own up to it.  Truth be told I don't even know where to start; where do I begin the organizing, putting up pictures, decorating every room, finish painting, UGH!  Then I heard my mom's voice in my head, "just take one step at a time," or in my renovating world, take one room at a time.  So that's the plan and I'm starting tonight.  Maddie's room is getting tackled first.  It's the smallest room in the house (besides the bathroom's of course) so I'm hoping and praying it's the least overwhelming.  I'm a HUGE proponent of lists (I <3 lists - checking things off is so theraputic!)  Below is my my list of things I want to accomplish in Maddie's room.  Not in any particular order because I'll obviously go for the easiest first!

1)  Organize Closet
  a)  purchase and install closet door
  b)  finish molding around closet door
  c)  install shelving/drawers

2)  Finish painting
  a)  bedroom door
  b)  window moldings

3)  Organize/purge/merge dresser drawers

4)  Decorate top of dresser

5)  purchase bedside table

6)  create (albeit very small) play area

WOW - I already feel better

“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!”

Gotta love the chance to throw in a Dr. Seuss quote!  Well, we're not at exactly at 98-3/4% percent but baby, we've come along way (in the Kitchen that is.)  Just a quick update/post as I'm working on a doozy for a cross-promotional post with the Mamatoga blog.  I'm so excited that Jenny invited me to guest blog for her while she is out on blogaternity leave. 
It's been a very busy week at Regent St.  Monday morning was quite the shocker; house temperature read 54 as we left for work/school (it's really daycare but calling it school takes away some of the mommy guilt I have.)  Couple of phone calls later and Rotterdam Heating and Air Conditioning were on their way to assess the damage.  Thankfully, due to our own neglect/inexperience it was just a filter issue.  Problem fixed.
Next up on the Monday agenda - final kitchen cabinet install.  Home Depot had finished about 85% but still had some finishing work (moldings, shelving, etc.)  They did an amazing job from start to finish.  As I said in this post - I would highly recommend the team that we worked with.  Kristen Lombard from the Latham, NY Home Depot and installer Ed were top notch.
Finally Wednesday came - a big day for the kitchen renovation - installation of the granite.  As I have said before, we've been using plywood as our countertops so this day could not have come any quicker for us!  Hubby texted me around noon at work to tell me the installers were done and it took every fiber in my being not to bolt out of my chair and zoom up the Northway.  I must have told 30 people at work that the countertops were installed.  Honestly I think everyone at work is a little sick of hearing about my renovations - oh well.
Knowing that the countertops were going in on Wed we had invited my Mom and Chip's Mom and Step-Dad over for our first official dinner party.  We wanted to thank them for all their support and love during this process because honestly, we would have NEVER gotten to where we are without them.  Chip's stepdad was a very integral part of our renovations having refinished, stained and polyed all the downstairs moldings, front door and staircase.  The intricate and tedious job would have been on the back burner for a long time if it weren't for him.  He's almost finished but leaves for FL for a few months so when he returns he'll finish the staircase.  Hopefully by then we'll have another job for him to take on :-)
Below are a couple photos of the kitchen.  Mind you we still need to finish molding throughout and around the window but what a difference!

Prepping for our first official dinner party!

Sunday Family Dinners

We are an Italian/Irish family so it goes without saying that Sunday consists of shopping, cooking, drinking and eating.  Since Chip and I have two little ones, our house seems to have become the Sunday Family Dinner place to be.  I'm great with this except that since the move to Regent St. we have no stove or dishwasher.  You read that correctly - no stove/no dishwasher.  To add insult to injury we also don't have countertops or a working sink.  Hubby easily corrected the "no countertops" issue with some heavy duty plywood and with our granite/sink installation right around the corner (next Wednesday to be exact) I'm coping.  And by coping I mean we are using mostly plastic/paper products and washing dishes in the UPSTAIRS bathroom.  It's amazing how much you actually miss the convenience of running water in a kitchen.  Even to make coffee in the morning we have to drag ass up the stairs just to get water.  You don't know what you miss until it's not there anymore!

SFD proved to be quite the culinary challenge.  While shopping at Price Chopper Sunday morning I decided at the last minute to grab a Rotisserie Chicken.  They are a godsend for busy families and usually a staple on a random Tuesday after dance class at our house.  But for SFD??  My Grandma Cel would be rolling in her grave.  Hell no - SFD is home cooked (usually Italian) comfort food.  Think ooey gooey lasagna or delish Chicken Parm with homemade sauce (never called it gravy in this family.)  Time for some improvisation.  Sunday's menu at Regent St.;  Rotisserie Chicken, Not-so-Roasted Red Potatoes, leftover Vodka Rigatoni with sausage and a green salad.  Here's how we did it.  Not-so-Roasted Red Potatoes; Mom and I quartered the potatoes and put them in two separate bowls (all my big bowls are still at the old house - more on that in another post.)  Oddly I had some basil and garlic powder - the only spices in the new spice rack cabinet.  I say oddly because I did not have salt and pepper.  No olive oil so we used butter, covered with a damp papertowel and did the Microwave Rotation dance.  Edible.  That is all they were.  Vodka Rigatoni; We were "gifted" with some delicious Vodka Rigatoni from our friends the Haskell's  We had been there the night before for a birthday party and they knew of our Kitchen Situation and sent us home packed with food!  Love them!  Green Salad; pre-packaged greens and cut up some veggies on a paper plate.  Dinner is served! 

And that's how we rolled out our first SFD at Regent St.  Down and dirty baby, down and dirty!!