"Hi, I'm Ian." "Hi, Ian."

Well, it's official...we have a contractor...and even better - a start date! Jeff and I are feeling a big sense of accomplishment. While the construction itself will be a huge job, the ground work that goes into making it all happen is an entirely different job. We have had so many people through this house for bids, walking them through every single detail of what we need, want, how to make it happen, where to vent, how to level, how to, when to, etc...in order to create the home we are dreaming of for our family. The clock is ticking as Gloria is becoming quite the little pelvic thruster these days (no joke)...I imagine it's only a matter of weeks before she's on the go and into everything. Let's get this show on the road!

Enter Ian Campbell, general contractor extraordinaire.

We now have a firm commitment to move forward on this project with Ian at the helm. Ian is a carpenter by trade...and along with his right hand man Louise, they will together conquer the majority of the work (demolition, framing, drywall, tile, trim, wood floors). They will sub out the plumbing, HVAC and electric and will also use a separate cabinet maker for all of our kitchen cabinetry and other miscellaneous built-in's.

Here's Rosemary congratulating Ian on getting the job.


And about that start date - it's just 26 days away! Tuesday, February 15th (you can't tear your house apart on your baby's 1st Valentine's Day, right?). We have a lot of preparation to do before then. If you remember from previous posts, having us do a bit of the leg work in terms of ordering materials we need will ultimately save Ian labor and us money. So on our list of things to start purchasing are appliances (need the specs for the cabinet maker), plumbing fixtures (toilet, sink, powder room faucet, kitchen faucet, kitchen sink) and tile (if there's a long lead time, we don't want it holding the project up). I also want to get going on purchasing the light fixtures since I've found on average those can be around 4-6 weeks.

So...lots to do! And in the meantime this morning, we had Centerpoint Energy out for an energy audit (to see where all the heat is escaping from so we can properly insulate our attic), have Aero Blinds & Drapery coming this afternoon for a second bid on our upstairs window treatments, Pottery Barn is delivering the Armoire and Duvet today and Jeff closes down the store tonight at 9pm. Did I mention the architect is meeting with Jeff and his dad next week to start designing the store remodel? Ultimately, this is all an effort to free up our summer and be able to enjoy beautiful Minnesota without a construction project going on. Until next time - here's a quick snap shot of the two little ladies all of this work is ultimately for. They are SO worth it!