*THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.*

Over at the Underdog we’re trying to get it livable so we can move in. But one of my favorite parts of home decor is adding personal touches. Monograms, photographs and and custom artwork can all work together to make a house feel more like a home. And that’s what this giveaway is all about!

Amanda over at Our Humble A{Bowed}D started off making art prints for her own house…a 1960′s rancher that she and her handyman of a hubby have slowly tweaked into a bona fide home with the help of their two lil’ boys. {Sound familiar?} She now offers several original prints in her Etsy shop.

All pieces are customizable so photos, initials, names and colors can be personalized to match your household and decor.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Hint: Valentine’s Day gift.

Wanna know how you can get your mitts on some personalized artwork? Great! Here are all the details:

• PRIZE:  $50 credit to Our Humble A{Bowe}D Etsy shop
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. or Canadian shipping address {no P.O. boxes please} to enter. One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “LET’S GET PERSONAL!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, February 2nd at 9:00 p.m. EST. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, February 3rd.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Tell me something personal that makes you, well, YOU! Do you have a rare talent? Do you have a unique physical characteristic? Any irrational phobias? I’ll go first. 1 – As a toddler, I walked with my feet turned outward – almost backward – and had to wear a cast on each of my legs down to my toes to correct the problem. The treatment didn’t fully cure me but it came to my advantage later during ten years of ballet training…my feet still turned out more than normal and I had learned to walk on my toes very well because of the casts. 2 – I have a random patch of freckles on the left side of my chin just below my lower lip. Growing up, my grandma always mistook the patch for dirt and would try to scrub it off to no avail. 3 – I’m afraid of birds. The smaller they are the more scared I am. It’s totally the beak that freaks me out.

Check out Amanda’s lovely home over on her blog and “Like” her on Facebook!

images: Amanda at Our Humble A{Bowe}D

First of all, thanks guys. Your words are encouraging. Your stories are inspiring. Couldn’t do it without you! I’m accepting the fact that a few things have to come before blogging right now – no matter how much I’d like it to be nearer the top of my priority list. Instead, I’m jotting down a bunch of ideas for future posts {a recurring ‘Ask Handy Hubby’ post?} and coming up with post ideas that could easily be cranked out in a short amount of time {weekly ‘Steals and Deals’?}. Like always, a challenge is inspiring ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

But today I have a quick flooring update. HH finished up the bedrooms last weekend! As tedious as this flooring install has been, we both like the floor more and more each time we see it so it’s definitely worth it. The flooring is dirty, the wintry Ohio day makes our yet-to-be electrified Underdog feel dreary, and no baseboards or register covers are installed but hopefully you get the idea. {We have electric turned on in the garage for project usage but have yet to turn on electric to the interior until all switches are installed and outlets are properly covered and safe for kiddos.}

{HH and Everett taking a break to play Toss the Painter’s Tape Ball – we have to get creative with playtime at the Underdog!}

The only hardwood left to install is on the kitchen side of the great room. HH did a bunch of research and decided it’d be best to install our base cabinets and island in the kitchen first then install the flooring around it. Apparently, issues can arise when securing base cabinets to a floating wood floor so we’ll be installing the floor around the base cabinets to avoid expansion/contraction problems. Hardwood will run under the refrigerator, dishwasher and gas stove/oven. At first thought, we were banking on finishing the master bathroom before the kitchen but we’ve decided to install all the lower kitchen cabinets and island first so we can officially complete the flooring. Then we’ll move onto the bathroom. In fact, HH has already started assembling the island cabinets!

Can you tell we’re trying to prioritize what things need to be completed in order for us to move in? I’ve said all I need is one bathroom, a refrigerator and a microwave. HH says we need a full kitchen. We’ll see what happens.

I’m so happy that the engineered hardwood extends into all of our closets {except for the mechanical room}. It definitely makes our small living space feel more cohesive.

This is the view from the kid/guest bathroom looking into the hallway…

There’s a small linen closet off to the left. Back down the hallway…

The nursery…

I mentioned before that I plan to use fabric panels instead of doors on all the bedroom closets. I love that the hardwood extends into the bedroom closets so when the fabric ‘doors’ are pulled open the closet will feel like a part of the room.

Keeping the flooring in the bedrooms consistent with the hallway makes for a continuous view across the hall. I have a thing for room-to-room views. The view from the nursery looking into the master…

The boys’ bedroom…{HH was finishing up the last row when I took this picture}

The master bedroom…

View from the master bathroom…

View into the master bathroom…

And some more room-to-room views to show how keeping the flooring consistent throughout helps with the flow of the small house. Looking into the boys’ bedroom from the master…

Looking into the nursery from the master…

Back down the hall towards the great room…

Finally, a few close-ups…

Someone asked why we chose the handscraped hardwood. Personally, we like the wide plank, beveled edge and slightly textured surface. We like the look and we like that it’ll patina well from all the dings and dents that our family is sure to give it over the years. A smoother, shinier surface would show every mark. Although we have a ‘no shoe’ policy in our house, I’m not going to be a stickler about any scratches or dings that occur. Those are just signs of life.

I grew up in a home with some solid hardwood floors and nearly 20 years later my dad has yet to have them refinished. I think the wear and tear gives them character. Imperfect perfection if you ask me.

That’s the latest and greatest at the Underdog. Once all the flooring is installed I’ll write up a post on how we DIY’d it.

HH gets back from a business trip to Las Vegas today. The boys want to have a ‘welcome home’ party for him. Cake and balloons are a must. HH will be home for the weekend working on putting together more of the base cabinets in the kitchen. I have to work at the pharmacy Saturday but hope to lend HH a hand on Sunday. Maybe I’ll have some preliminary kitchen cabinet shots to share with you next week!

Happy weekend!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

FYI – All images in this post were designed by James Radin, the famous ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ set designer. Other than the title, this post has nothing to do with the designer or movie. Carry on.

{love the upper glass-front cabinets and symmetry in this kitchen}

I have a feeling I’ll regret starting this post at 10:44 p.m. But that seems to be the only time I have to blog nowadays – late at night. Most of the time I choose precious sleep over typing since my body is getting more fatigued as my due date inches closer.

I’m a few hours away from working full-time at my day job as a pharmacist {loathe the job, love the coworkers}. Ever since our first was born nearly seven years ago, I’ve always worked part-time. However, in recent weeks my hours have increased due to volume. It’s draining me physically {standing for 10-12 hours at a time with maybe one bathroom break and one fifteen minute break to shove something to eat down my throat} and mentally {it’s sucking all inspiration out of me on my days off}. On top of my day job, we’re renovating {duh!}, preparing for a baby {oops!}, and trying to keep our two boys’ lives as ‘normal’ as possible. Handy Hubby is traveling more than ever for work and it’s throwing our reno/moving schedule all off.

This news isn’t meant to bring on a pity party. I’m grateful I have a job and thankful that HH was promoted even if it requires him to be away from us. Instead, this is more of an explanation as to why I’m not posting as much as I normally do. Unfortunately, House*Tweaking is taking a back seat to life.

{love the recessed TV, striped chairs and tongue and groove ceiling}

It irks me because this is what I really want to do. Write, design, answer emails about decorating conundrums, etc. You know the saying, ‘There’s no time like the present.” Well, I do believe that. In fact, I have a few non-H*T projects in the works that are design-related and I’m super excited to share them with you when they come to fruition.

But for now, I’m in this transition period where I feel I’m doing a little bit everything and not doing any of it as well as I could. And that irks me too because I have high expectations for myself and my work. I’d much rather be focusing on one or two things at a time and giving them my full attention than be pulled in so many different directions that no one/nothing is getting the best of me. It kills me to not be able to answer every single email that comes my way and to not be able to help every single person who asks for design advice. I want to say ‘yes!’ because I love seeing the potential in any space and bringing it to life. I love improving things.

{love the grasscloth on the walls paired with white, teal and green}

So, I’m asking that you be patient with me. I’m on the cusp of a big change. A big change for me anyways. A change that I’ve been working towards and yearning for for a long time while waiting for the correct timing. But until that time comes, I have to suck it up and fulfill my duties at my day job and put my family and my health above H*T. Something’s gotta give.

This doesn’t mean I’m quitting H*T or anything like that. I could never do that! But my ideal goal of 4-6 weekly posts isn’t realistic at the moment. I have a vision of where I’d like to take H*T if I had the time. I have so many ideas! I sort of feel like a caterpillar in a cocoon growing wings and preparing to start a different kind of life. I’m excited and extremely scared at the same time.

Stick with me. H*T’s not going anywhere.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a total meltdown while folding laundry in the middle of the living room floor a few weeks ago. Poor HH. One minute I’m sitting there cross-legged folding away and the next I’ve got tears streaming down my face because I let the gravity of our situation get to me. I’m an ugly crier. My face gets all contorted and red. My nose snots up. My eyes swell shut. But things could be much worse.

We’re so lucky that we’re healthy, that our boys are healthy…and loud!…and rambunctious! We’re lucky that we’ll soon get to see another lil’ guy or gal grow and change right before our very own eyes. We’re lucky that we have a ton of friends who are graciously giving us baby stuff since we got rid of ours thinking we were done-zo with kiddos. We’re lucky that a very thoughtful H*T reader selflessly donated her fashionable maternity wardrobe to me just as I was outgrowing my non-maternity pants. {That really did happen!} We’re lucky that we have a safe haven away from our renovation. We’re lucky that we’re getting to renovate an old house into our own home. We’re lucky that the only pressure on us to get into our Underdog is the pressure we put on ourselves. We’re lucky that we have jobs that need us. We’re lucky that somehow this entire experience {selling by owner, downsizing, renovating, unexpectedly expecting #3, moving to another city, meeting more demands at work, etc.} has made us closer.

We’re downright lucky.

What about you? Got anything that you feel especially lucky about? Any big changes coming your way that you’re crazy excited-scared for? Have you had to put something you love on the back burner for a while and let it stew until the timing was right? Had any laundry folding breakdowns lately? C’mon, I can’t be the only one.

images: all James Radin

Handy Hubby gave me the weekend off from renovating to meet some deadlines and rest. I’ve been down with a minor cold and trying to take it easy since discovering my iron levels are low. I seriously thought I was just getting old and weary, so I was kind of happy to find out I’m anemic. I’m on the mend…taking an iron supplement and eating burgers. ;)

Today I took the boys to the library while HH was working over at the Underdog. Here’s what I came home with…

I went into the library with the goal of finding a book on natural childbirth but came out with these instead. I think it’s official. I’m nesting.

Nope. We don’t have a name picked out for baby #3 yet. Heck, we don’t even know where {apartment or Underdog?} we’ll be living in 2.5 months! But I’m preparing for both…baby and small space living.

What about you? What are you reading nowadays?

image: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Okay, I’m doing it. I’m answering the ‘How do you stay fit while pregnant?‘ question. As an added *bonus* {i.e. comedic relief} I’m including real life photos…of me…7 months pregnant…working out…in our blah apartment…with my three-year-old assistant. I’m embarrassed already.

First up, my supplies. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t include a pricey gym membership, a hot personal trainer, fancy exercise machines or a nanny to watch the kids.

1 – Two supportive pillows to prop my head higher than my heart for certain exercises.

2 – A pair of Embark 5-lb weights I bought at Target.

3 – The Perfect Pregnancy Workout {TPPW} Volume 1: Sculpting video I bought on Amazon.

4 – A step stool borrowed from my kids’ bathroom.

5 – A chair – not shown.

In all, my supplies cost me less than $30 {free weights + video} about 4 months ago. That’s right. What I’m about to show you is what I’ve been doing three times per week since the end of my first trimester. Before then, I was working out at a local gym ~2 times per week, mostly strength training and a little cardio. But with baby #3 on the way unexpectedly, a renovation in the works, and, hopefully, a career change in my future, I figured now was as good a time as any to cut my gym membership from the budget and find a more affordable way to exercise.

I work out in our ~980 sq ft apartment. No home gym here.

I play the video on my laptop in the middle of the living room floor. I prefer to workout in the morning after I get Layne off to school and it’s just me and Everett. But sometimes, I will wake up early on a Saturday or Sunday to squeeze in a session. It just depends what’s going on that week.

{step ups on the stool}

Oh, and I workout barefoot. It’s my personal preference. I just feel more grounded, balanced without socks and shoes on.

I love TPPW. I read reviews on a bunch of prenatal exercise videos on Amazon and this one appealed to me most. I was looking for a workout to maintain muscle tone, stamina and strength during my pregnancy. I want to be strong for labor and delivery this time around.

{pulls and extensions using free weights and a chair for balance}

You see, my last labor {nearly 4 years ago with Everett} was insane. 48 minutes from first contraction to baby’s arrival. That might sound nice but let me tell you it wasn’t. It was 15 hours worth of labor and pain crammed into a very intense, very scary 48 minutes. We barely made it to a hospital and I was completely not in control of the pain, my body or the situation. Not to mention that serious complications – for mother or baby – can arise due to such a short labor. We were quite lucky. Everett and I made it through without any complications. My doctor says it’s likely I will experience precipitous labor and delivery again, so I want to be as strong as possible to endure another natural, non-medicated childbirth.

{extensions with free weights}

TPPW is about 45 minutes long including the warm up and cool down sessions. The pregnant instructor is a former Cirque du Soleil acrobat who comes across as kind and calm – not in your face. The workout is not easy but it’s not impossible either. Because my body is changing so much, so rapidly, each workout gets a little more difficult for me. But in a good way. There are different options {beginner, intermediate, advanced} for certain exercises depending on your level of athleticism. I’ve yet to master the advanced versions of shoulder dips and side crunches. Oh, the side crunches. I think they’re my least favorite thing on the entire video.

So, where is Everett during all of this? Here’s my lovely assistant now…

{reverse lunges using the chair for balance}

Notice Everett is still in his pj’s. I get about 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted workout time before Everett wants in on the action. I don’t mind though. I think it’s important for kids to see their parents being active. Plus, I end up laughing and smiling a lot more during my workout than I would otherwise. Yes, every once in a while I do have to pause the video to get Everett a snack or something but he’s usually pretty good at waiting until I’m done. Like I said, no nanny.

{propped up on pillows for small ab movements}

I love it when he gets right down with me and mimics my movements.

{warm up stretching}

He always lets me know when I don’t do a movement exactly like the woman on the video. By far, my favorite exercises are the shoulder dips. I swear I’m gonna conquer the advanced version of the shoulder dips before this baby is born. It’s a personal goal.

{shoulder dips}

One more thing I’d like to mention. Kegels. I think they’re important and this video makes you do ‘em. And so, yes, there are moments when you are staring the instructor in the face as she practices her Kegels and you practice yours. At first, it’s slightly uncomfortable {assuming you’ve never stared a complete stranger in the face whilst knowingly doing Kegels simultaneously} then it’s comical for a while. Eventually, it becomes just another part of the workout but sometimes I do find myself thinking, ‘Doesn’t she find it odd that lots of people are watching her while she contracts and relaxes her vaginal muscles?’ But 6 seconds later I’m thinking, ‘Her lip gloss looks nice.’ That’s how my pregnancy brain works nowadays. I’m easily distracted.

{Hello. These are our muscles and the faces we make when we flex them. Welcome to the gun show.}

Anyhow, doing this workout three times weekly does make me feel stronger and give me some confidence going into what I’m assuming will be another intense, non-medicated childbirth experience. I wish I would have found it 7 years ago when I was prego with our first child. I did prenatal water aerobics 2 times per week throughout my first pregnancy which I liked but, honestly, it was a little too easy for me. During my second pregnancy I skipped working out all together. During that pregnancy we were selling our house in Illinois by owner and moving {sound familiar??} across state lines. I thought things were too hectic to worry about exercising. Whew. Little did I know…

Now, I have two kids, a blog, a house under renovation + an apartment, am working more hours at my real job than I ever have since having kids {more on that later} and was told by my OB just today that I’m anemic {so that’s why I’ve been so freakishly exhausted the past few weeks!} BUT…I’m making prenatal exercise a priority. Because it’s important to me. I always feel better after I complete a workout. And, surprisingly, I end up getting more stuff done on the days I work out. It’s funny how putting aside one hour for working out can produce hours of productivity later. No joke.

So here’s my question for you. I think I’ve got the physical strength under my belt for labor and delivery but I’d like to add some visualization techniques to my coping-with-drug-free-childbirth bag. I practiced HypBirth during my other two pregnancies but wasn’t able to utilize any of the methods during my precipitous labor. Things just progressed waaaaay too quickly for me to even get in the HypBirth mindset. Any suggestions for childbirth visualization techniques that could be implemented during a precipitous labor? I’d love to hear ‘em.

I guess if all else fails, Everett could always be my labor coach. Ha!

FYI – I was not compensated in any way to mention the products above. I’m just sharing what works for me! Please seek approval from your doctor before trying any form of prenatal exercise.

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I mentioned a while back that I was on the hunt for a comfy yet stylish pair of everyday casual sneakers. My requirements? Nothing expensive. Nothing too loud. Nothing with a thick, bulky rubber sole. Nothing white. Nothing uncomfortable. Nothing orthopedic. Was that really too much to ask?

Many of you wanted to know if/when I found those elusive sneakers. Well, I found ‘em!

I actually started drooling over these Asics a few months back when school started. But I wasn’t in need of new sneakers then. Typically, I buy one pair of tennies annually only after my current pair is worn out and beyond the help of our washing machine. For the past several years, I’ve relied on Zappos.com for affordable, unique sneakers. The selection is great, shipping is free and they have a 365-day return policy. And let’s face it. I don’t have time to be driving all around town in search of shoes.

I’ve had my Onitsuka Tigers for over a month now, so I think it’s safe to say that I’m in love with them. I have average-to-narrow feet with high arches and these Asics fit me to a T. They were comfy right out of the box. Aren’t you impressed that I can still see my feet at seven months pregnant? Hehe.

The army green fabric is neutral enough to wear with just about anything – plus hide dirt! – and the pop of orange keeps things interesting. Wouldn’t that color combo be great for a boys’ room? Hmmm…

I wear these bad boys everywhere: grocery shopping, work {I stand for 10-12 hours at a time}, shuffling kids to and from school, etc. My old tennies have become my DIY shoes. I wear them to work on the Underdog. The only con I can come up with for the Tigers is that the soles are similar to volleyball shoes – as in they squeak on smooth flooring. But that’s just proof that they’re super grippy which is actually a pro for me right now since my center of gravity is off kilter.

How ’bout you? Found any great shoes out there recently? Do you have a favorite brand of sneakers? Ever tried buying from Zappos? Apparently, some hackers got into Zappos files recently so be sure to reset your account password! I changed mine last night.

FYI – I was not compensated in any way to mention any of the companies or products above. I just love sharing good finds!

images:  1) collage by Dana Miller using Zappos images  2-4) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

A few months ago I shared my plan for the master bathroom. I really like the aesthetic of a simple floating sink area in the bathroom. This is my favorite modern rustic bathroom by far…

I had this grand idea {for Handy Hubby} to DIY a wooden vanity top similar to the one above. But over the past few weeks, HH has hinted around to me that he’d prefer a bathroom vanity with a little more closed storage. He’s a smart guy. He’s knows better than to tell a pregger entering her third trimester that he outright doesn’t like her ideas. Other hubbies with prego wives should take notice.

A first I shrugged off his suggestion. I had an image of my dream bathroom in mind and nobody was going to touch it. Then I started thinking logistically and took a mental inventory of the bathroom toiletries in our apartment bathroom. While we don’t keep a ton of toiletries hidden under the sink and in drawers, it’s probably more than a small shelf or medicine cabinet could hold. Reality set in. My dream floating bathroom sink wasn’t practical.

Or was it?

On a recent browsing trip to IKEA, I passed by the bathroom section on my way to the lighting area. I decided to take a quick peek at the sink I planned on using in the master bathroom.

And whatd’ya know? One display had my sink installed on top of a floating vanity with drawers.

The GODMORGON sink cabinet is available in a width less than 24″ which should be petite enough to fit in our tiny master bathroom. {HH says it’ll fit; I still need to measure to make sure.} It can be mounted to the wall for a floating effect {yippee!} or placed on legs sold separately. It includes two drawers to hide toiletries. The high gloss gray option is just screaming to be placed alongside the grayish penny floor tile and shimmery white shower tile surround that I’ve already chosen for the bathroom. And at $149 we won’t go broke.

Basically, it’s the perfect compromise between my desire for a floating vanity and HH’s need for bathroom storage. We both win. For good measure, I rounded up a bunch of images of floating IKEA vanities.

I’m also digging the fact that the floating drawers cover up the plumbing to the sink. My dream vanity would have left the plumbing exposed. Not that I would have minded but the vanity will be directly visible from the master bedroom.

That’ll be the view from our bed someday. The vanity will be centered right through the doorway in the bathroom.

Since the vanity has a much sleeker, slicker feel than I had originally planned for, I’d like to tone it down a bit with some rustic touches. Perhaps a mirror with a wooden frame, a woven stool/basket/trash can, natural wood shelving above the toilet or a natural fiber rug? As you can see, the mood board I started with in the beginning is getting tweaked. But that’s exactly why I make mood boards. They give me an overall aesthetic to strive for. They’re not meant to be followed to a T. When one of the elements changes {here, the vanity} I have a good idea of how that effects the rest of the room {in this case it takes away that natural feel I like} and can make changes accordingly {like switching the mirror for one that has more rustic qualities}.

So, it looks like I’ll be making a quick trip to IKEA this weekend to pick up a bathroom sink and vanity…as long as everything measures up okay. At least it will be a nice break from installing those darn floors. Those darn floors that I love more and more with each passing day.

images:  1) Polyvore collage by Dana Miller  2) Rate My Space  3-10) IKEA 11) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

…Oh, the flooring. This is the post where you’re probably expecting some great ‘after’ shots of our new engineered hardwoods. Sorry to disappoint, but we’re nowhere near done with the flooring install. This is real life people. So, I’m not going to sugar coat anything. Not even for the sake of keeping a chipper attitude on a blog.

First, let’s start with the underlayment and flooring we’re using. We purchased both the underlayment and engineered hardwood flooring from Build Direct. Everything arrived on time and undamaged. We’re actually quite happy with that part of the whole flooring thing.

The underlayment is 3 in 1 Sound Choice Acoustical Underlayment. As the name suggests, it provides acoustical insulation along with a moisture barrier. Both of these characteristics are necessary for our Underdog as we’re installing the flooring in a room with vaulted ceilings {echoes, hello…hello…hello} and onto a concrete slab. It has a lifetime warranty and is made from recycled materials. We paid $0.49/sq ft for the underlayment.

The engineered hardwood flooring is Jasper Handscraped Birch in Texas Brown. It’s recommended for residential use above or below grade and has a 25-year warranty. It can be glued, floated, nailed and/or stapled during installation. We chose it for its ability to be placed on a concrete slab, its aesthetic {5″ width, handscraped, color and grain} and the price. We scored it for $2.04/ sq ft.

Once the underlayment and flooring were delivered, we stored them both in the Underdog’s garage – against the manufacturer’s suggestion and our better judgment – but we really had no other choice as the Underdog’s interior was a disaster zone. If you ever choose to purchase hardwoods, you shouldn’t store the flooring in a garage or basement due to high levels of moisture that can cause the wood to warp. We did keep the stack of boxes up off the floor with a skid and brought the flooring inside the house to acclimate once the house was in working order…about a week before we started installing the floors.

Handy Hubby laid the underlayment which was a piece of cake. Basically, you just cut it to size and tape all seams. The big thing here to remember is that your subfloor {in our case, the concrete slab} is clean, dry and free of debris. We scraped, vacuumed and mopped the slab in preparation for the underlayment.

Once the underlayment was down, it reminded me of turf and I couldn’t wait to cover it up. It’s like a giant green screen on the floor and it messes with your eyes and brain after a while. All the paint we had just put on the walls and ceilings started looking quirky but it was just because of the very green underlayment.

The next step was where stuff got a little hairy. You may have previously read that HH is an engineer. So he likes things {particularly measurements} to be exact. Which is all well and good – except when things aren’t exact.

We decided we wanted the flooring to run the length of the house {parallel with the hall} as opposed to running from the front of the house to the back. HH wanted the boards to run perfectly down the hallway so we made a chalk line straight down the center of it into the great room. We used the chalk line to line up our first row of floor boards under the big picture window in the family room. To square things up, we used spacers along the wall. We were very promiscuous with our spacers along this first row. Everything was measuring up, so we set to work placing, cutting and gluing our tongue and groove engineered hardwoods. We used Roberts Tongue & Groove Adhesive #1406. It’s no VOC, non-toxic and non-flammable.

Now, when I say ‘gluing’ I don’t mean gluing the boards to the underlayment. We’re gluing each and every board’s tongue and groove to the adjacent board which will essentially create one floating floor in the end. Typically, tongue and groove flooring can be nailed down but with a concrete slab and no subfloor, that’s not an option for us. {We weren’t willing to put down a floating subfloor and lose height/mess with all the door openings.} Quick-click flooring would have been a great time-saving option for us but, when we were shopping around for flooring, prices for quick-click floors were at least $2 more per sq ft than the $2.04/sq ft we paid for the Jasper Texas Brown. That would have doubled the cost…although it probably would have knocked off our installation time by more than half. Next time we install hardwoods ourselves {which I don’t foresee happening for a long time}, we might think twice about paying more $$$ for a floor that can be installed in a timely manner. But for now, we’re on a tight budget and sticking with what we’ve got.

I wouldn’t say installing this flooring is difficult but it’s definitely time consuming. Gluing every last seam is tedious. And because we stored the flooring in the garage, some of the longest boards {the floor comes in random lengths} are warped. Boo. Totally our fault. The good news is they aren’t completely unusable. We’re finding that if we use them at the end of a row and cut them to fit, the cut is releasing the board so that it no longer bows. So all is not lost. Plus, not all of the longest boards seem to be affected…only the ones that were in boxes at the bottom of the stack in the garage.

After 6 hours of nothing but installation on that first day, HH and I didn’t even get half of the great room done. :( We knew then and there that we were in for a looooooong project. The next day, I worked at my real job while HH spent his last vacation day over at the Underdog working on the floor. I got a call from HH just a few hours in and he was distraught. He had busted out his trusty laser level and found that at the rate he was going, it was going to put that elusive center board down the hallway ‘off.’ Here, I’m thinking the hallway is going to be all crooked, diagonal. I asked him how ‘off’ it was. He said 1/4″. I thought he was maybe going to cry.

I immediately told HH that it might not be perfect and I would be okay with that. No big deal. I advised him to put his laser level away. All I could hear on the other end of the phone was heavy sighing. That’s when I all but forced him to take a day off. Up until that day, HH had spent 3 straight vacation weeks working on the Underdog. During that time he only took one day off…Christmas Day. He needed a break. He was sore. He was exhausted. And if you ask me, he was a little delirious – and rightfully so! Who wouldn’t be after all that hard labor and little rest?

HH’s response? “But I have to get us in here.” Meaning, he wanted to get his family into a true home instead of a temporary apartment. I could have cried myself. That’s all he wanted. I assured him I was fine with our temporary living arrangement. Even if it was turning out to be longer than what we had anticipated. Even if it meant bringing home a newborn to a teeny apartment.

No house is worth HH’s physical or mental well-being. So after some coercion, HH did it. He took a break. A much needed break. After 4 full months of putting in an extra 20-30 hours of labor per week {on top of his regular 40+ hour work week} at the Underdog, HH got out of there and traded sawdust for fresh air instead.

This is where I want to tell HH in front of a lot of people how much I love and appreciate him. Do you think that’s too sappy? Well, too bad because this man completely deserves it. He is working his a$$ off and not complaining one bit. He misses dinner with his family regularly to squeeze in a little project at the Underdog. He comes home exhausted yet manages to bathe and dress the kids for bedtime because I’m the one who’s complaining of being tired. Sometimes he misses the kids’ bedtime altogether to stay late and renovate then comes home and plans what he needs to DIY the next day. He’s nonstop. I don’t know how he does it. But I love him for it. He’s doing it for us, for our family and I feel very lucky that he picked me to be his wife. He’s amazing. ‘Nuf said.

So after coming to the realization that this flooring install isn’t going to happen overnight {but if the Flooring Fairy wants to pay us visit we won’t turn her away!}, we’re taking it one day, one board at a time. “Patience is the key to joy.” That was HH’s fortune in his fortune cookie this past weekend. How fitting, right?

The *very dirrrrty* install looks like this currently…

HH has been randomly placing painter’s tape onto the flooring once glued to keep the seams nice and tight. We’re still holding out on painting the brick fireplace surround. Since removing primer and paint from brick is nearly impossible, we just want to be 100% positive it’s what we want before we take the irreversible painting plunge.

If you ask me, the hallway looks fabulous! Just don’t ask HH’s laser level. ;)

The best news? HH and I both love the way the floor is looking – minus the dirt and dust. Here’s a better shot of the wood tone and grain…

I can’t wait to give it a good cleaning. After we finish the bedrooms and other half of the great room, that is.

Thanks to all of you who have shared your own tongue and groove glue installs with me! It really helps to know that others have done it and found the results to be well worth their while. Such an inspiration!

FYI – I was not compensated in any way for mentioning all those products. Just sharing what we’re using!

images: 1&2) Build Direct  3-12) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Not a ton of time for posting today but here are two things of importance…

1) The underlayment is down. It will provide cushioning and a moisture barrier beneath the engineered hardwood flooring that we’re installing.

2) I practiced labor squats while learning to use a flooring saw. I think all the relaxin {google it} in my body was helpful in crouching around on the floor. Handy Hubby nicknamed me ‘the Spiderman of flooring.’

Knee pads are for wusses. Yeah, I’m talking to you HH.

Did I mention we’re laying non-quick click engineered hardwood flooring onto a concrete slab? That means we have to glue each and every single piece of flooring at the tongue and groove joints. It’s taking for.ev.er.

And we thought the painting saga was bad. Geesh.

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

FYI – The winner of the American Express gift card courtesy of Waste Management was announced here.

For now, painting at the Underdog has stopped. We still have to paint one hall closet {that is holding a bunch of supplies up off the floor}, any trim added after the flooring install, the interior doors, the front door, a claw foot tub’s exterior, the kid/guest bathroom and DIY wainscoting that we plan to add to the mudroom/dining room. So, technically, we’re not done but we’re making progress!

Wanna see it?

The great room which I’ve already shared…

The mudroom/dining room…

 {it looks a little khaki above but is really more of a sandy gray as seen below}

The hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms…There’s the one closet I was telling you about that’s not painted yet because it’s holding supplies.

The kid/guest bathroom just off the hall…It’s not painted yet because I’m torn between two colors but I think it will end up white. The foam board paint sample sitting on the floor is what the exterior of the claw foot tub will be painted. It’s Benjamin Moore’s Gravel Gray.

The nursery…We don’t know whether we’re having a boy or girl so the walls are neutral.

The boys’ bedroom…

The master suite…

And the view from the master looking towards the nursery…because I like looking from room to room…

Without furnishings and accessories it looks ‘meh’ and even after we move in it will take us a while to bring it to life. But it’s a neutral, clean slate. That’s not to say I won’t ever paint a focal wall or add some fun wallpaper…but if any of that happens it will all be in good time.

You may have noticed that we painted all the bedroom closets the same color as the room they’re within. That’s because we’re doing away with all the bedroom closet doors. They’re too cumbersome. Instead, I’ll be hanging fabric to act as ‘doors.’ It may sound crazy but I told HH that I’m most excited about organizing the closets when we move in. I like everything to have a place so it can be easily found and put away. It’s my way of staying sane with lil’ kiddos and all the stuff that comes with them.

After HH and I finished up the painting yesterday, we proceeded to clean up and get the house ready for the flooring install. We’re DIYing the flooring installation which will include engineered hardwood and tile. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a home with NO carpet!

Before I go, here’s one last candid painting pic…

That’s HH painting a closet. It sort of looks like he’s taking a little nap on a bucket in a closet. Oh, and the shirt cracks me up.

“You want the proof? You can’t handle the proof! A few good mathematicians.”

My sister {who graduated from Clemson with a master’s in math} gifted the t-shirt to HH. After all, he is an engineer.

FYI – For brands and names of the paint colors we used, click here.

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking