Closer and Closer

Being away from a project that is near and dear to you is tough, but it does have its upsides.  Every time I check my email and I get one that's slow to load I have my fingers crossed that it's from our contractor, Brian Shelton, with pictures attached.  And today I got lucky.  I was rewarded with a great leap of progress.

I guess the counter top guys that called me feeling lost on the 16 miles of dirt road managed to find the place.  The counter tops are installed and look great, if a bit dusty.  The backdoor trim looks terrific, as does the trim at the junction of the knotty pine ceiling and walls.  And those cute little shelves at the end of the overhead cabinets are already being put to good use.

The heart of the house.

The laminate floors look great and should stay looking great for a long time to come, no matter how many dogs and grandkids tear through the cabin.  Look at those gorgeous baseboards!  And the beams are even more handsome now that they've been oiled.   

Future home of the wood burning stove

We have windows galore -- we insisted.  Maybe not the best thing from a design perspective, but we are raving amateur naturalists and are in love with the outdoors and the beautiful views -- of the red rocks out the back as much as the sweeping views across the valley.

As engaged as we've been with this project both from being there and from afar, the end is kind of sneaking up on us.  A few more weeks and it will be done, the last of the bills will be paid, and when the phone rings at 6:45 AM it most likely won't be our contractor.  The guest room here in Tucson is piled with things I want to take up when we go in less than [can it be???!!!] four weeks for our first stay in the cabin.  As I said to my husband this morning, we'll never trump this for a Christmas present to ourselves.