Part 3: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

The final installment of the Biggest Project of our lives...

The grouting- Ryan went after it like a champ. As he fought through the lower back pain, he perfectly grouted both areas of tile.

The vent is back in and the door is back on. Some unexpected encounters were how exactly to tile around the vent, and oops, the door needs to be sanded down, so it will open all the way. Again, Ryan to the rescue. He figured out an easy way to tile around that still looks good, and he sanded the bottom of the door, so it'd open without dragging. Guess we didn't measure the height too good.

Despite the above mentioned issues, the final product is wonderful. I'm so proud of him for doing this all by himself. The project was so successful that I can't wait until he tackles the bathrooms! Thanks for following our first major DIY project!

Part 2: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

And we begin with Ryan taking part of the baseboards off. A regular handy-man. Not one was broken! So far, so good...

This little tool was a great purchase. It's a rotary tool (I think) that you can put different blades on and make awkward cuts. It came in handy so we could fit the tile under the dryer vent and door jams.

Now, the backer board is down and all screwed in. By this point Ryan has been working on this for about 6 hours. I lost track between cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, and watching TV. I know, it's been a rough project.

Instead of making it easy, and laying the tile out side-by-side, I wanted this look. Thanks Dear!

With the design agreed upon, Ryan set out to get it done. I appreciated the slow going, because I knew he was taking his time and making sure it was right. I know, it's not my project, it's his.

And here comes the fun part- the wet saw! I'm slightly (ok, really) jealous that I am not the "contractor" on this project, because I don't get to use the tile cutter. Ryan seems to be happy with the way it cuts, so again, money well spent.

I'm already thinking about a project I can do so I can use it.

I'm sure all you professional DIYers already see something we did wrong... yep, we didn't take the door off. I hope this is the worst mistake we make. But as you can see...

... the door is off now. Day 2 has begun slow, but he's taking a couple more measurements and cutting the last few pieces of tile to fit under the door jams and around the vent. We will have to wait until the mortar is dry to grout, but I hope to have the final pictures up tomorrow.

PART 1: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

Ryan and I have been talking about doing this project since, well... since we bought the house in January '09. (Drum Roll) And Friday night we bit the bullet and made a trip to Lowe's to get what we needed. We are tiling the garage entry and laundry room! By we I mean Ryan, I'm pregnant remember. Here are a couple before pics of the areas, and the builder grade linoleum that someone thought was a good idea.

I know what some of you are thinking... you two are doing this project all by yourselves? Yikes right. Don't worry friends, if it doesn't go well, we won't continue on to the other places we want to tile. We'll consult a professional.

From watching HGTV, you are supposed to set a budget before starting... uh, I knew we forgot something. Oh well, right. This project has turned into our Valentine's gift to each other. Weird right? Well, let me explain. It's a gift for me, because I wanted the linoleum gone. I win! It's a gift for Ryan, because we agreed to get all the manly tools needed for this (and other projects down the road). Plus, I've been 'trying' to let this be his project and not adding my 2 cents when it's not asked for. Probably not doing as good of a job as I think I am. :)

I'm doing this post in stages, because I've taken lots of photos. It's like Ryan's first day of kindergarten all over again. Come on, this is a big project. I have to document it. Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3... I hope I can keep it to that.

Final touches... I think

Thought I'd share some of the updates we recently made to Emarie's room. Ryan talked me into the curtains I really wanted, but didn't want to pay the Pottery Barn price... I'm glad I gave in. The little three knob coat hanger, I got with my mom in Gruene, TX several years ago. It's nice to find something to use you already have. The duck outfit is one of my favs, thanks Laura and Keath. We are both really happy with the room. Hope she is too.