Irulan, I don't think I saw the kitchen pics from last summer. It looks great! I hope you're enjoying the results.

So. I'm the first to admit to issues with procrastination. But this is not all my fault, really. I was literally about to call the contractor last April to say, I'm sending you the deposit, let's schedule the work. I was finally going to re-do the living room, hallway and bedroom -- fixing all the cracks in the walls, replacing woodwork and painting. Then the condo association notified us they were going to start the long, noisy, concrete-dust filled process of replacing our balconies. They literally gave us one business day to clear everything off the balcony before they brought in the jackhammers. There was no way I could handle having most of my home being worked on inside while the balconies were being destroyed and rebuilt was going on outside. Not to mention the balcony door, aka the window that brings most of the natural light into the living room, was covered with plywood.

When that finally ended, and after I had cleaned up the concrete dust and made the condo maintenance people come back to fix the things that the balcony replacement people messed up, my job was affected by some contract and funding issues that had me concerned that I might be laid off. I didn't want to spend the money on home renovations until they were resolved and I was sure of a steady paycheck. Unfortunately the situation lingered for a long time, through the fall (which otherwise would have been a perfect time to get the painting done) and into January and early February.

Now the issues at work are finally resolved. I emailed the contractor, explained the situation and asked him to update his estimate. I just signed the contract with him and mailed it off with the deposit. There are still a small few details to work out, but it looks like the work will finally begin in 2-3 weeks. Finally!!

In the meantime, I've begun planning the bathroom renovation. This week I'm testing paint colors, and hoping to get to the tile store this weekend.

I so hope the painting project goes well. This will be a huge change, and a huge step forward in making my home look good.