Looks as Good as New (that’s b/c it is)!

We’re getting closer kids! I can almost mentally see my furniture in this house.

Last week we got new wood floors in the bar and dining rooms. After having processed wood in our loft, it is so refreshing to have real, beautiful, wood floors. Check ‘em out!

Here is a before shot of the space and the condition of the floors...

Here are some during… After... To-date...
Gorgeous, no?!

Heeeeelllllllllllooooo Granite!

Say hello to our new granite counter tops!
*Also note the recessed lighting in the kitchen - yeah that's new too - complements of my hubby & Dad who cut the holes and installed the cans themselves (big kuddos)! It has specks of green and blue which gives the granite so much depth. They are super fabulous in person, so I recommend stopping by to take a peek.
Some places have different names for granite, so some call it “blue eyes,” others call it “Labrador Antique.” Here’s a close up of the colors:

Weekend Project

So this weekend’s main project/goal was to pour the cement for the bar top. Yes, we decided to take this on ourselves. And yes, we’re insane.

It was an adventure and I didn’t foresee the splatters of cement all over the wall and wood of the bar coming, but we handled it. Here’s the bar cement pour process step by step (in photos):

Ta Da!!!

An Architectural Find

In my search to replace one of our window sashes – an old, odd-sized, New Orleans window sash mind you – I was introduced to one of the most amazing architectural supply/restoration/antiques warehouses - The Bank.
It’s where old New Orleans houses go to die and become organ donors. The Bank is one of the most incredible restoration store houses I’ve ever seen. They salvage and fix the most beautiful aspects of New Orleans architecture, style and culture. I think the photos explain this place better than I can in words:
I was in awe...

In the home stretch (no pun intended…well…maybe)

So we’ve turned a corner with the house renovation and are now in the home stretch. I’d say we could be in by the Dec 13th week….probably…hopefully. I’m aiming for before Christmas.

The beginning of this week marked the installation process of our two sets of French doors into the back wall of the house that will open out into the backyard. Now keep in mind, there wasn’t a preexisting doorway these doors would be placed into. We basically had to cut a huge hole in the wall.

So here’s what is looked like before:

Here’s what it looked like during: And here’s what it looks like to-date:

NOLA Happenings – Oak Street Po-Boy Festival

Yesterday was the annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival – one of those wonderful, random festivals that New Orleans throws…just ‘cause. And the beauty of this year’s was that I could actually attend! I was so tickled that I was finally in town to experience this culinary feat. It’s always on a Sunday so in the past I either wasn’t in town or was driving back to Birmingham.

So yesterday, we had actually just driven back in town so we weren’t able to go until around 4:30 p.m., which is pretty late by local standards, so a lot of vendors had run out of their most notable delicacies.

My little sis's fav sausage!

This festival had more than 30 vendors, an artist village (check out: Heather Elizabeth Designs) and three music stages with a great line-up of local favs (including one of my favs, the Honey Island Swamp Band). Despite the overcast weather, there was a great crowd of happy, full-bellied people and all the local businesses were all open and welcoming the festive faces.

The Street Car stage featuring Papa Grows Funk to close the fest.

Lines at the po-boy tents were down the block and you could spend at least 45 minutes waiting for one of your favorite vendors. They had everything from “Root beer glazed ham & cheese“ from Mahoney’s Po-boys on Magazine St. to a “Confit pork cheek po-boy with dirty rice aioli and southern-style cole slaw” from Emeril’s Delmonico to your traditional “fried shrimp” po-boy (Jacques-Imo’s had a killer one).

Line at the Jacques-Imo's tent.

It was a tough decision, but I chose a “crawfish sausage” po-boy from Vaucresson Sausage Company = yum! Can’t wait until next year…maybe I’ll be able to squeeze both lunch & dinner into the fest (and perhaps a snack in between).

Extra! Extra!

As my job search continues, I have been doing some odd jobs here & there. Between project managing for Panorama PR, handling marketing for my Dad's law firm and being a contractor for our house - job hunting hasn't probably been given the attention it needs.

Don't get me wrong, I am constantly applying for positions online and emailing my resume to any email address I can get my hands on, but the aggressive, full-court-press hasn't quite been applied.

So earlier this week I was asked to be an extra in the filming of either the 2nd or 3rd episode for Season 2 of Treme (an HBO series about post-Katrina New Orleans).

It was very exciting to see the actors in person and the prospect of maybe appearing in one of the shots after they edit it within an inch of itself. And while I don't have any photos to share (we weren't allowed to take pictures, and once I could have snuck one, my phone died) I can tell you what scenes we shot.

Tip's Dowtown

Look for me in a hot-pink, leopard-print tank top in the 2nd row of the Tipatina's concert with Bonerama featuring Antoine Batiste as the guest trombone player.

Batiste on da 'bone'

Also, see if you can spot me in an electric-blue, sweater dress in a night scene in Jackson Square where Sonny is watching a young brass group perform. (*Hint - I walk right past Sonny while he's leaning against the Cabildo).

Sonny - my least favorite character

Raise the Roof!

Since I've focused on the interior of the house so much recently, how about an update on the exterior?

We got a new roof... And new gutters:

And some new weather boards and paint:

Nothing fancy or glamorous, but all stuff that needs to be done to this poor neglected house.

Drinks on the house!

In honor of it being Friday afternoon, I thought we’d take a peek at how the built-in, wet bar is coming along. The carpenter, or should I say magician, just whipped together this little number today in the room next to our kitchen:


It will have a stained, cement counter top...

And will be complete with a faucet, sink and ice maker!
Happy hour any one?

Hammer? Check! Boxing Gloves? What?!?

So last Saturday, my plumber and my tile-man had it out.

Right there.

In my new marble bathroom.

I have never seen grown men argue like that - with their faces about 6 inches apart and their voices raised to a notch right below the “screaming your head off” level.

It basically came down to my tile-man being impatient and moving the shower plumbing that my plumber had constructed even though I told him to wait and that the plumber would be there to handle it first thing Saturday morning.

So when I show up Saturday, my plumber was fuming. And you have to understand, this is a very soft-spoken, patient guy. But that morning he had lost both of those qualities and was ready to rip the tile-man’s head off. He then proceeded to tell him exactly what he thought of him and his work.

And if it’s one thing I’ve learned, you don’t touch or talk about (unless your praising it) these guys’ work (or their tools). And…that you’ve got to manage the all the different egos involved….oh the drama in construction – who knew?!?

So here was the shower before the tile-man touched the plumbing:

And here’s where it is today:

Gorgeous, no?

Now, as long as we don't have anymore knock-down, drag-out fights, we should be able to move in next month! Can't wait to see the finished product!