Shingles and Pantries (NOT, shingles and PanTIES)

We're in the home stretch of Housebuilding. Did I mention that it'll be done a week from Friday? Because that's in TEN DAYS.

The shingles on the exterior are almost finished going up. I really like the way the "Blue Spruce" has seemed to come out a grey color. Apparently we didn't quite realize that the roof was grey as well... But I think it'll look fine.We're hoping for a run of good weather so they can paint the exterior the Jonquil color of yellow.

Remember when I said we'd had a run of good weather. I think this is Jinx slapping me, with a good run of shit-astic weather. I've gone for one bike ride in October. ONE. Usually I get in three a week!

They're starting to install light fixtures. Once we finish ordering them. We stood in Lowes, Home Depot and the local place last night trying to find what we wanted, but alas, they have to be ordered.

They painted at the end of last week while I was in Great Falls (best damn city on the Missouri River!). We went back and forth on paint colors, and finally ended up with "Whale Bone" (enter boner jokes >>>here<<<).

The paint looks tan-ish in the photos, but it's really more of a grey. I really, REALLY like it!

They also finished trimming out the windows and installed the mantel. We're going to do subway tile in front of the mantel on the floor (note: all the floors have paper on them while they spray paint), but are planning to go to Butte this weekend to see if we can find some sweet beadboard in architectural salvage to use for the backsplash in the kitchen, as well as around the island.

But best of all is that they're installing cabinets this week! The granite guy will be at the house this afternoon to measure, and I think they'll start installing countertops (with undermoutned sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms) on Thursday or Friday.

All of the cabinets were staged in the garage when I got home on Saturday. Like all of the trim, all of the cabinets in the house are white.

The tall cabinet in the photo to the left is what we're calling Dusty's Mormon Pantry. DJ likes to store food to the extent that would make any LDS member proud. Except that he's living with his fiance before marriage. And that wouldn't work for the LDS church.

Anyway, they're installing the kitchen cabinets right now! It's starting to come together. And I LOVE the kitchen layout. Note the Mormon pantry to the left of this photo; I asked them to make it 18" deep instead of 24", just so that it didn't stick out quite as much and chop up the room in a funny way. I think it's working out nicely.

Note also that the kitchen island is totally unfinished. I think it was an oversight of the builers, but we'll use beadboard to trim out around it so that the island looks more like a piece of furniature.

Lastly, the floors are all papered so they don't cratch them too much, but here's what the dark floors look like with the white cabinets. I think I'm going to like this very, very much.

And two weeks from today, I won't have to scrape my car when it snows overnight. Sweeeeeet.

October madness

Oh, hi, I have a blog?


Sorry for being absent for the last 11 days (eek!). I did the Mullan Road presentation to the Montana Historical Society on Saturday. I’m relieved to say it went well, but also embarrassed to admit that it took a lot of last minute scrambling to make the presentation halfway decent. And I’m glad no one asked for a bibliography, because while I know where all of the images came from… I um, didn’t ask the Washington Historical Society if I could borrow them. I will! I will!

But overall the Montana History Conference was good. It was awesome to get to meet some fun people, and commiserate about how difficult this job can be sometimes. And yeah, they’re doing some awesome projects in Billings; it kind of makes Bozeman look backwater..

I sprinted back from Fort Benton on Saturday afternoon in order to get home in time to make it to Mandi and Jason’s wedding reception, which was super fun. We made it there in time to miss the cake, but did drink and dance a bit, before making an appearance downtown at the Cannery. Always fun to see old friends. Yet, still, I’m still super snarky about weddings. It took me about 30 minutes (and two glasses of wine) to quit being standoffish and join in the fun. What’s my deal?

In other news, the contractor blew my mind this morning when he told me we’d probably be able to move into the house at the END OF NEXT WEEK. DUDE. That’s like 10 days. Like, we haven’t even ordered the light fixtures (which are supposed to go in on Wednesday)… like, holy mother of god 10 DAYS. WOHOOO!

Of course, we’ll probably end up moving in on Halloween, which happens to coincide with the Preservation Board’s hosting of a lecture and cemetery tour. Awesome. Nothing like being massively overbooked.

Now that the Mullan Road is behind me (ha! A transportation joke!), I’m starting to work on Wedding stuff. Well… make that starting to make lists about working on wedding stuff. We’ll see how much I get done!

Cohesiveness Concerns

Remember earlier when I mentioned that we’d had an incredible run of good weather? HAHAHHAHAHHAHA whoooo haaaa… that was a good one! Especially since we’re currently expecting a low of 1 degree on Friday night. Now that snot-freezing temperature is not unusual in Bozeman, but it is more expected in say, February instead of OCTOBER. Especially early October.

So progress at the house has come in spurts. I already showed you the driving strips they poured on Monday (? Monday, right?), and Tuesday they poured the front steps and then today they poured the front sidewalk. And now all of that cement is bundled up tight under insulated blue tarps.

{Sorry about the Blackberry phone photos- camera batteries were dead.}

They started shingling up the chimney and on the side of the house. Hopefully we'll get some less shit-astic weather next week and they can paint the exterior. I told them to trim out the columns, to which all of the construction-dudes moaned. Sorry dudesters, this is not a "rustic" house.

Interior work this week is installing the interior doors and trimming out the windows. They’ll caulk them, and then early next week paint the interior. Trim will be white, and we’re not certain about an interior paint color yet. Still. Grarhg.

Window trim.

I did have to pull the trigger on the stain for the hardwood floors by myself this week. DJ was in Salt Lake for a poop conference class Tuesday through late tonight, so when the builder said we needed to choose a flooring stain, well, I was on my own! Not totally, I guess. We’d already agreed on darker circle-sawn floors. So it was a matter of how dark is too dark, you know?

I ran over there this afternoon, and found that the floors had been stained! Wohoo! And they look good next to the tile. And then I started having moments of self doubt… oh god, what if DJ doesn’t like the floors? Are they too “rustic” for this “farmhouse”? Oh dear, will the white cabinets and black granite countertops come together with this? We made all of these decisions without really having a full out materials palette and now I’m scared that it’ll look like the 70’s, all dark wood and dark countertops a little disjointed.

Oh! Ok... not bad, right? Not too dark? Some good texture?

This little splotch is in the sun. I liiiikkkeeeee this. Mmmmm. So warm looking!

Well, nothing to do now but wait and see. The cabinets should arrive next Thursday, and hopefully when I get back from Fort Benton they’re in! And then come the under-mounted sinks, countertops, and electrical. And landscaping. And the garage door. Painting should happen earlier in the week. So, really, we might close by say, October 30? Maybe?

{remind me to come back to this post on November 15 when we’re still stuck in apartment}

Listing the Guests

.{the first of what will probably be many wedding-related posts}

I sent out the group email yesterday to people on our invitee list for el weddingo. You know the kind, the precursory “hey save the date- I’ll send you more info in a bit!” type of email. I’m sure friends and family members were as annoyed to receive it as I am annoyed with myself for sending it. But I feel like in a day and age where calendar items start appearing for the next year, too much advance notice is impossible, right?


In my head, the guest list for our wedding is pretty small (Unlike that of my cousin who married this summer- 650 people!). Probably about 200, with really only about 130 coming since it’s kind of a destination wedding. I know, how do I come up with these numbers? Regardless, in Courtney-land, I’d prefer to not have anyone we’re not really close to at our wedding. I want it to be intimate and filled with people who will be supportive of our relationship for the duration. Don’t know your birthday? Out. Don’t know your significant other’s first and last name? He’s out, but I hope you will come! Don’t have your phone number in my phone? Sorry, want to come to our housewarming party next September?

One of the interesting things about the mass email was to see the responses I got. There were a handful of expected “wouldn’t miss it for the worlds”, and more than I care to admit “delivery failures” where the person has changed email addresses. I also received a few “I’m totally there!”’s from people who, well, people I’d put on the guest spreadsheet as “probably won’t come”.

I realize there is a big gap between emailing that you’re coming in October, and actually showing up in July. DJ and I have talked about how you have both ends of the spectrum; some people you expect to be there won’t, and you’ll be blown away by people coming who you didn’t expect to come. We get that. But I also still have in my head that this will be a small affair…

On some level, both DJ and I are uncomfortable calling so much attention to ourselves. While neither of us is a wallflower, there seems to be something so… selfish? Diva-ish? Egocentric? about asking up to 200 people to celebrate YOU. And to ask some of them to do it more than once in a bridal shower or bachelor/ette party. So being surrounded by so many people who are in Harrison, Idaho with the sole focus on us is a little overwhelming.

But in the day of Facebook, email, text messaging, and all other forms of instant communication plus accessible travel, where do you draw the line? How do you differentiate between this friend and that, this cousin’s “flavor of the week” girlfriend and that friend’s boyfriend of six months? Where is the right line?

Anyone have any good ideas? I'm all ears! Does Emily Post now cover this?

Ten {awesome things} on Tuesday!

I have so much to blog about right now! Every single one of these ten on Tuesdays could be {and will be, eventually} their own blog post…


1. Here’s the latest photo of the house:

Why yes, yes that is snow.
They were finishing up the garage siding today, and starting to put up the shingles tomorrow.

2. They poured the cement for the front steps and walkway, as well as the driving strips today. I added a 2009 penny to the front steps for fun!

I was suprised that I actually had a 2009 penny!

3. The tile turned out well! DJ did such a good job directing the project, and I’d like to think I was a good helper bee. Turns out I’m pretty good at spreading thin-set to set backer-board and tile on!

And mom thought I wasn't doing anything productive while watching Bob Villa all those years.


Little did she know I was learning a crucial skill.

Spread, then scrape.

Spread, then scrape.

The thinset goes down, then the backerboard, which has to be screwed in every 6". Pain. In. The. Ass. Literally, my backside is sore.

DJ became a master tile cutter.

Sometimes you have to clip it out to fit around the toilet.

We laid out every single piece before thin-setting it down.

No, really, all of them.

Then we spread more thin-set, and placed the tiles.

And this my friends, is the final product.

4. They were supposed to landscape tomorrow, but the snow and crappy weather means that’ll be held off until the middle of next week, at the earliest. Here’s what I’m thinking for landscaping right now. Just the basic beds, although I have all sorts of opinions about what plants to put in. Mom even gave me a bunch of iris bulbs from the lake to put in this fall! And I’ll get to plant others too…

I know! I'm out of control on this. Where do I sign up for the garden club at?

5. The hardwood floors are in! Circle sawn lumber, which will be sanded down to the point where you can see the circle sawn, but not feel any of the texture. It’ll be stained a darker color on Thursday.

They left a bit of an area for a hearth unfinished. We'll go with subway tiles here too, hopefully.

Circle sawn!

6. We have a wedding date and location! Harrison, Idaho on July 10, 2010.
7. Cocktail hour on my parents lawn at 5pm

8. Ceremony on my parents waterfront at 6:30pm (ish)
9. Reception at the Landing Restaurant at 7pm (ish)
10. We also have a photographer; my talented friend Anne Sherwood has agreed to shoot our wedding! Wohoo! www.annesherwood.com

I've been over at the house weekend day today "helping" DJ tile. Well, maybe not so much help. On Saturday first I had brunch with Katie and Shawna, then I brought Katie over to see the house, then I went to get coffee (and stopped at ACE hardware to check out mixers, Macy's to return a pair of jeans and look at registering for wedding stuff, and then Jo-Anne fabrics to look for idea about making my own curtains), and then I actually did really important stuff... Like plug in and unplug the tile saw. And get water. And stand around. And go get lunch. Clearly I'm contributing a lot here : )

While I've been standing around I started really thinking about curtains. As I've said before, this house has a lot of windows, which is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I'm already thinking about how to cover them. And how the window coverings will probably be our chance to insert some color into the decor.

DJ and I pretty much have the same sense of style. I laughed when I moved in with him and realized that our stuff was the same neutral colors like tans and greens and creams. But this spring I'd look around the house and feel like things were pretty bland. Not in a bad way, but the condo lacked oomph. No pops of color or unexpected texture.

Another thing to think about this fall when considering decorating and window treatments is that the large windows in our bedroom and in the dining room, as well as the french doors in the kitchen, will be big squares seeping cold air all winter. Of course, the windows are double paned, energy efficient, etc, but they'll still let in cold air. So whatever goes on those windows needs to be able to insulate too

Big east facing dining room window and french doors.

Conversely, the large windows are in place where we have great views(master bedroom window, faces north towards the Bridgers) or get great light (kitchen french doors and dining room large window face east), so I don't want these insulated window treatments to totally block the view. But I do want them to offer some privacy.

Yeah, how's that for a request! Oh, let me add that from when we close on the house in early November and when we get our tax returns, we'll be BROKE, so I need these window treatments to be cheap too!

So! In terms of window treatments on windows with great views or light, here's what I'm thinking:

I've mentioned before that our kitchen will be very black and white. And it'll stay that way until after our wedding, when registry gifts come in (hopefully through the generosity of friends and family). We've both been drooling over the kitchen aid mixers at ACE hardware, where they come in practically every color of the rainbow. Appliances like this, which will sit on the counters, would be a good way to add color to the black and white kitchen. As much as I'd like to do something kinda kooky like yellow or turquoise, I'm not that adventurous. I think we'll go with a cherry red; for the mixer, teapot, rugs, hand towels, etc.

Pop! Red accents in the kitchen? We also have an awesome Northern Pacific Railroad poster that has a lot of red in it that I should get framed for the main floor of the house soon...

SO, while we won't add all of those things to our kitchen for nearly a year, I'll still think of them while thinking about curtains downstairs. Since its so open, it should at least coordinate.

I'm not certain that we'll do any sort of window treatment on the window above the sink. Maybe a decorative valance for color someday, but its not a priority. The doors are though, as well as the adjacent dining room window. I'll probably use the curtains as the way to carry the red from the kitchen through the main floor.

Ignore that handsome fellow cutting backerboard for the tile and focus on the small window in the kitchen. It'll probably go un-decorated for a while. Even once a window treatment goes on it, the treatment will probably be pretty minimal. Maybe a valance.

Oh the french doors, I'm not sure. Maybe some sort of bamboo shade? Let me know If you think of an answer for that.

Kitchen french doors covering? Maybe? I want something that'll insulate, but that will also let light through and not be a pain in the rear when we want to go in and out of the door...

BUT, here's what I'm thinking for the dining room: it has wood floors, and we'll want to do an area rug under the table and chairs. I would like to do a natural fiber rug here, but maybe have it edged in red.

Dining Room Rug inspiration.

And now for the window. Again, I want to let light in and be able to see out, while also reducing the heat loss in the winter. So I'm think of some sort of cafe curtain or sheer inset in the window. As much as I like the look of top and bottom rods, we'll also open the bottom of the window for ventilation. So probably just a panel of sheers. Then on the outside, and set on a rod with tie back hardware, I'd like to add (sew myself?) lined curtains that will hang from above the window to pool on the floor. And I've always liked the warm, amber color of whiskey in a glass... So what about a whiskey colored silky fabric with, wait for it.... A red pin stripe?

Big east-facing dining room window.

I can't seem to find a digital fabric swatch of what I want for curtains. I like the look of the ones above, but where those are green I want gold/ amber, and where those have the tan stripes I want red. I think these are going to be a January sewing project after a couple of trips to Jo-Anne Fabrics...

I have a not so small obsession with Restoration Hardware, whose online catalog I glance through frequently for ideas to rip off! Their drapery hardware includes these yummy glass ended ones! Who wants to bet I can find something similar, but cheaper somewhere...

I haven't decided which way to go for the downstairs front windows. I'm kind of leaning towards shutters in the living room; ones that could be open on the top, but closed for privacy on the bottom? I can't seem to find a photo of them...

Master bedroom: great view, faces north, HUGE window, current bedroom decorations are cream, tan and sage green. Need: insulation, light blocking (so DJ can sleep in), some color. But probably won't really have a problem with privacy. The back yard faces the school, and its a ways away. The only time someone could really are in there is at night when the lights are on. I think the solution here is to do either wood blinds in the window or a roman shade that can be pulled up from the bottom, or lowered from the top. Additionally, I'd outside mount the green curtains I sewed this spring for our master bedroom (see earlier blog post from June?). That'll require a new rod and pull back things.

Big window facing north in the master bedroom.
This Roman Shade can be pulled up from the bottom as shown, or let down from the top so you'd be able to see out the top half of the window while still getting privacy. And when it's pulled fully closed it's insulating. I wouldn't necessarily do the shade in brown.

The Master bedroom also has little 27" x27" windows for light and ventilation. While they're high enough to allow for privacy, there is still four of them in the master bedroom; two of which face east and will allow a lot of morning light in. While this is a good thing during the work week as it makes me get out of bed and get going, dude, sometimes I just wanna sleep in! And I think the best, cheapest way to prevent light intrusion while still letting air come through is to go the old fashioned roller shade route. We had them in the sleeping dorms at AOII and they worked perfectly. Blocked a lot of light, but still could move in and out to allow for air to pass through.

Old fashioned roller shades, which makes me think of AOII and elementary school for some reason!

So that covers the windows where I want to conserve heat. But what about the windows in the front of the house that face south and west? Isn't the inverse true in the summer? Won't I need curtains here that will block the sun to keep the heat out? Welp. Yep. Unfortunately, there are no less than five of these windows on the second floor that face south and west and are not shaded at all by the front porch or (what will be) our little trees. Again, in the bedrooms it's important that the shade or window covering be able to let light in, and air through the bottom since the windows pull up from the bottom. I'd like to go with the roman shade option again down here, like in the master bedroom. You'd be able to pull the top down to see the view, and pull the bottom up to get air through. Unfortunately, these are expensive and will likely be a post-wedding purchase.

Standing in the east bedroom looking through the bathroom towards the west front bedroom.

In the bathroom I'd like to do something similar, but more sheer. I love natural light in a bathroom, and it'll be tricky to figure out how to do nautral light as well as privacy. You know, a sheer covering at night + turned on lights ='s everyone can see your business!

So, that's what I'm thinking of for curtains. I'm actually kind of looking forward to sewing a lot of them myself. I have fun making something pretty that I can enjoy every day and will add something to our house.

Tile prep and muddy boots

October 1 huh?

Our run of good weather came to an end yesterday, when the warmest the day got was 41 degrees at 8am. Temperatures fell steadily after that. And I had to dig out my scraper in order to wipe snow off of my car after flakes drifted around all day. Then, oh then the worst of all was when I had to put my poor feet INTO SHOES. No more flip flops?

You can imagine the combination of an un-landscaped yard that hasn't seem moisture in a month and wet heavy snow. Soup. Like tailgating at MSU before they put gravel down. Muddy and boggy and generally not cool. So I took my galoshes over with me last night when I went to "help" DJ cut backer board for the house.

Hehehehe... yeah, I'd love to be a home improvement guru... but instead I think I'm more of a painter. I don't have the money for the trial and error that it'd take me to be a guru.

Nonetheless! Photos! Of our house! In the rain/ snow!

This photo is actually from Sunday. While I was at bridal showers, DJ spent his afternoon mocking out tile to get an idea of how it would go. Not bad, huh?

Down the hallway towards the powder room (left) and the stairs (ahead).

This was Wednesday night. Grey skies + early sunset meant DJ had to be done cutting up backer board to put down by about 7:15pm.

Here he is cutting it down. The splotches on the wall are the texturing. Also note the little cups of soup on the wall where the island will be built? Our first meal in our new house... cups of soup from the Roseaurs deli!

Outside, looking at the back of the house towards the east. The siding is mostly up, and they'll paint it the right color yellow once the weather dries out. See earlier posts for the "jonquil" color we're going for.

The pre-stained the shingles for the upper third of the house in a big pile on the backside of he house. Not a bad grey(gray? Spelling?), huh?

The pile of grey shingles.

Siding up the west wall of the house. The middle yellow color is ours. Not that the belly band and windo trim have all been painted white.

Um, yeah. I had to trek across the backyard mudpit to take those last photos. I got a little muddy in my galoshes.

The garage has become quite the staging ground!