the floor guys started today.

we snuck back over the house after they had gone home for the day, even though the floors won't be done and ready for like 5 more days. but we just wanted a sneak peek, you know? and i mean, we move in a week! in one week! we will be living there, in our very own house! and not here, in a rented apartment!

anyway. wow. the floors? look amazing. like, i didn't even know they could look that good. i had this range in my head of what i thought they might look like once they sanded up all the paint and stains and crap that had been accumulating for the last 70 years. but even the best case scenario paled in comparison to what they actually look like.

so excited, you guys.

also, we got a sears card and financed all the appliances we were lacking:

a fridge

i've never had a fridge with ice and water in the door. and it has lights! in the door dispenser! they're blue and they make me feel fancy.

a gas range

i wanted a self-cleaning range, but andrew fell in love with the center burner on this one (which was only available with manual cleaning) because he thinks it means we'll suddenly make things with a griddle. so i made him a deal that i'd forego the self cleaning option if he cleaned it whenver it needed it. and if i get some pancakes out of the deal, that's just icing.

a combination microwave/vent hood for over the range

this is pretty crucial since we have so little counter space, it's almost a negative number. like if we had any less counter space, we'd owe some to somebody.

a portable dishwasher

not thrilled at the idea of having to connect it to the faucet every time we do dishes, but on the other hand, it gives us extra counter space. and i won't have to wash dishes by hand. so i'll take it.

a washing machine

i think this thing holds more laundry than any machine i've ever used before. it has no spindle in the middle, and a supercool see-through lid. i had no idea i was such a laundry geek until i saw this on the sales floor and went all spastic for the automatic detergent dispenser and the "quiet pak" sound insulation. plus it holds 24 towels at once. 24!!

and a gas dryer

two words, people: steam dryer. ohh yeahhh.

so we're set for appliances and shiny new things. which is a huge relief. of course, we're many thousands of dollars in debt, but compared to the cost of a home in california, it's just a drop in the bucket. so we'll survive. we will be eating ramen for a long while. but we'll survive. and we'll have a very nice microwave to heat it up in.

probably the most awesome part of the last week or so has been watching my husband discover that he is handy. when we talked about buying a house, i asked him if we should be looking at things with an eye towards making some repairs ourselves. he said no way, he wasn't even remotely handy. and the most he could contribute to any kind of repair or improvement was to pick up the phone and hire someone else to do it.

turns out? he was totally wrong. in the last 7 days he has:

• torn out an old bathroom sink.
• installed a new bathroom sink.
• taken out a light fixture and replaced it with a ceiling fan (this required working with wires. like the kind that could kill you if you were dumb or careless. he was neither, thank god.)
• installed a new faucet in the (new) bathroom sink.
• installed a new faucet in the kitchen sink.
• removed an old bathroom light fixture and installed a new one (again with the wires!).
• removed an old medicine cabinet and installed a new one.

he also painted the ceiling in two rooms, after which his arms could barely move and we decided to bite the bullet and call a professional to finish the house. the paint looks amazing now, which i do not think would have been the case if we'd tried to finish it ourselves. the lines are crisp and clean, and the coverage is smooth and even. we have a creamy pale yellow living room, hallway and kitchen, soft pale pale blue bedrooms, and a very light, muted sage green bathroom, all with white ceilings, white trim and moulding, and a white fireplace mantle in the living room. it is all so ridiculously fantastic to look at.

and now with the gorgeous golden brown original hardwood floors. i really cannot believe i get to live in that house. and that it's mine. holy cow.

oh, and the outside! is wonderful and beautiful and smells lovely and is so spacious and green. the lemon trees are divine and starting to bear fruit and i hired a gardener who is working with me on a plan to really pretty it up. so far we've planted spanish lavender near the entryway and we have plans to put some bright wildflowers along the front walkway, as well as some jasmine under the bedroom window and some flowering vines on the front porch. i'm going to ask about some wisteria somewhere, but we might not have the right setup for it. also in my plan will be lily-of-the-valley, california poppies, delphiniums, tulips, morning glory, hydrangea, snapdragon, gladiola, and if we can possible find a place for it, a magnolia tree. from a cutting of the one my dad's ashes are buried underneath. we shall see.

i'd also like to grow some herbs and tomatoes but i know a lot less about those, so it might not be for a while.

could this entry get any longer?

probably, but i'll stop blathering on now.

besides, i only intended to come here to tell you all how much i love my amazing and handy husband. guess i had more to say, huh?