by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 31, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
The main floor walls have been stacked. We were wondering if there were enough block to finish the job, but the crew made it through the top row. It's quite fitting, I think, that the fourth (and final!) cement pour occurred in a downpour. Today we woke up to snow...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 28, 2010 | for Home, for Money
After Sam finished his PhD, we moved to Florida where he was set to be a professor of ocean engineering. After years of school we were excited…and flat broke. Our first place was a 3-bedroom townhouse. Not luxurious, but clearly a step-up from our college apartment...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 26, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
In our last home all our sinks (with the exception of the laundry room) were either integrated or undermount. In the new house, there won't be any exceptions. Undermount sinks don't have nasty lips that trap gunk and debris. When you have food and liquid on the...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 25, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Custom building is a nightmare. We've been through that. Building a tract home that a crew has built over and over will still have mistakes and miscommunication. But building a custom home is just asking for trouble because the general contractor and subcontractors...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 24, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
The construction has been going very smoothly. The first wall section had cut panels that exposed the areas inside at corners. Before each pour, these areas had to be covered with plywood that was wired onto the panel to hold the cement inside. Subsequent sections...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 23, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
This morning the window and door bucks were installed on the main floor. It seems like a minor thing, but you'd be surprise at how much this detail defines the rooms. With this single addition, you can more readily see the layout as well as the outlook. Standing in a...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 22, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Note: The cabinet drawings have been updated. The kitchen has been modified and the master bath vanity drawing is now complete. 5/5/10 Just a quick heads up to all you carpenters and cabinet makers! We are going to be getting bids on all the cabinets and built-ins in...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 20, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Building is a nightmare. At least that's what I hear. Whenever someone learns we are building a custom home, the response is pretty predictable. Generally it's something like: I hope you don't get divorced! I've heard that's more stressful than a death in the family....
by Janiel Miller | Mar 18, 2010 | for Spirit
The thing is, though, they will. And what are you going to do when you get poked in the patootie? I can tell you what I do: I scream and yell, and chuck a colossal conniption. I tell God what He needs to do to remedy my situation. Then I sit and wait for Him to...
by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 17, 2010 | for Fun, for Home
There's no accounting for taste. A few months ago we saw one of those longish commercials, kind of like a mini-infomercial. It was advertising a silicone baking set that made a cake that looked like an enormous cupcake. Dumbest thing I ever saw. Who would ever buy...
