TRAGEDY STRIKES

Is there anything in the world worse than the phrase "SOLD OUT"? Actually, there is, and it is sold out's bitchier sister known as "DISCONTINUED". I hate her. I hate her. Why must this happen every time??

I have the insanely useful quality of becoming helplessly fixated on random items I catch a glimpse of, and then I spend countless hours trying to maybe track down a breadcrumb about the manufacturer or style name. Then, per usual, as soon as I might be able to locate the item, I learn it is sold out or has been discontinued. 

Take, for instance, this recent tragedy:

via Terracotta Design Build Co. 

Lovely enough kitchen, right? And how about those light fixtures. Of course I became obsessed and knew I would not be happy unless they were hanging from my newly hoisted ceilings. Everything about this situation was perfect. They were showcased in a square kitchen (my layout) with every feature I love: carrera marble subway tiles, mixed metals, brass, amazing natural light, the list goes on. 

I knew I needed something that wouldn't completely cut off the line of sight, the brass was on point, the price was amazing ($198!!!), and they were actually long enough for the 12' ceilings at 57"!). As a side note, do you know how difficult it is to find brass glass globe pendant fixtures with rods (not just chain extensions) to go above and island for 12' ceilings that don't cost as much as a mortgage payment? Well, if you don't, now you do. The struggle is real. 

Annnnd insert scary music here. Not only did I spend about 60 hours and two months of my life attempting to track this specific item down, I became so fixated that literally nothing else would suffice. 

Well, spoiler alert for anyone else recently taken with these beauties... They are SOLD OUT and DISCONTINUED. The horror. I am not even too embarrassed to say that I may have a new pen pal at the original manufacturer. We went back and forth several times, and sadly, there is nothing they can do to help me. I guess I thought they would just have a few remnants lying around waiting for me to discover and request them two years after production ceased. Total tragedy. 

via Top Home Shops

Everyone pour out one for the Gabby Morgan pendant tonight. I know I will. 

More on lights later this week. It will never be the same, but a replacement has been chosen. I know everyone is on the edge of their seat. 

I will never forget you, Gabby Morgan pendant. One love. 

Raise the Roof

A few weeks ago, to Jack's overwhelming delight, we found out we had dropped ceilings in the back guest bedroom and the kitchen. I do not understand why people ever did this. Were the savings in heating/cooling ever really worth losing 3.5 feet of ceiling space? Definitely not. Also to add some fun to the mix, all of the light fixtures I picked out were definitely not made for 12' ceilings. Major freak out ensued. 

Apparently, according to our contractor, the ceilings were really easy to tear out and there were no animals, pots of gold, or leprechauns hiding in the insulation. Drats.

What was really cool though was the remnants, if you can even call it that, of old wallpaper left behind in the back bedroom. 

At this point, it basically looks like hieroglyphics, but I cannot imagine how old it is. It was past the point of any restoring, as the original plaster behind it had some pretty significant water damage, but it was pretty cool to find nonetheless. I could make out a vague coat of arms and a few other details, but other than that, not much. Great image quality, I know. 

Here are a few full shots of the two dropped ceilings before & after removal so you can tell some of the difference in height. 

Kitchen before:

Kitchen after:

Bedroom before:

Bedroom after:

Raise the roof. The roof is on fire. The roof is on fleek. All jokes aside though, I don't even know what that means. Fleek is not a word. 

Walls come tumbling, crumbling down

In the spirit of 🇺🇸Memorial Day🇺🇸, and since nothing is more American than John Mellencamp, I thought it only appropriate to share some pics of the tumbling and crumbling wall in the kitchen. 

Drumroll please..

Bam. 

As a reminder, this was the situation last week. 

Inside the wall on the kitchen side. 

Back from the hallway side again. 

And now, shit got real. The wall came tumbling, tumbling, crumbling, crumbling down. And it was literally crumbling because it was full of plaster. Did you know that stuff gets everywhere? I mean in my eyes, ears, nose, between my toes everywhere. 

The Berlin Wall of the kitchen has been destroyed. It is like a-whole-nother city in there. 

Fun fact: our bedroom is directly across from this new gaping hole. Fun fact #2: we are still living here. Fun fact #3: we probably look like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown when we walk around because there is so much dirt and dust. That's not really a "fun" fact. That's more of a sad fact. Fun fact #4: we are still living here. 

Thank you to all those that have served our country! Hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day! 

Demo Day 1

Demo is the craziest thing in the world. I don't know how the house didn't fall down. When I left to go to work, I was wondering if the contractors would even have time to get the sink and appliances out. Little did I know, I was dealing with a drone of worker bees. 

I was also thinking, what if I pushed the reno date back a bit... Who is ever really ready to live in a permanent construction zone. Good thing I didn't change my mind, because I came home to this. 

Honestly, how did the house not fall down? And yes, we are still living here. And will be. The. Whole. Time. And no, we are not on acid. 

Demolition Derby

I'm back!!! (You're welcome, mom.) Operation Renovation started yesterday in the kitchen. It is a sad, sad day in the Taylor household bidding farewell to our beloved Laura Ashley wallpaper and blue laminate counter tops of which we have grown so fond. How does one even begin to say goodbye!

Still learning how to take a selfie.

 And will probably never be capable of taking a panoramic. 

I imagine this is what the inside of a coffin looks like.

Which is appropriate, since the kitchen is now dead. AHHH!

Stay tuned for updates to be posted at random intervals. Thanks for the memories, Laura!