Slow and Steady Progress

My mom has been visiting from Canada so I've been sneaking in an hour here or there to work on the manor.  After the weekend with my friend Tracy, who did most of the electrical for me, I managed to install a few more lights and replaced the simple bedroom light with a three armed chandelier.

Electrical wires soldered to tape wire and labelled . . .

Let There be Light

I had a wonderful weekend with my dear friend Tracy who came up to install lights in the manor.  She is a true light master!  I learned a lot and feel confident enough to move forward installing the rest of the lights and the chandeliers when they arrive.

We only encountered a few hiccups which were easily resolved.  I am in awe of how detailed Tracy does her wiring . . . look at this.  Braided wires!  How pretty is that?

Tracy hard at work . . .

Window Woes

So I completed the bay windows only to discover that I painted them wrong!  After looking longingly at my inspiration picture, I realized I didn't paint the exterior window sashes in the right color.  Only the inner exterior trim.  Whaaaaa . . . .  I gently pried the windows apart and repainted them in the gold they should have been painted in the first place.  Satisfied that I got it right, I set about gluing and reinserting them.  Then I discovered another faux paus!  I painted the interior sashes cream instead of staining them!  Sigh . . . I feel defeated.  My only recourse now is to paint them as close to the stain color as I can.  As a sometime perfectionist, this irks me, but I'll have to live with it.  Needless to say, I was much more careful with the remaining windows.

I'm loving this little breakfast room addition!

Yesterday, I sanded, painted and stained the double bedroom window, the third floor hall window and the two dining room windows.  They turned out well, but I noticed this morning that one of the dining room windows is crooked.  EEEgads!!  I tried to pry it off, but I glued it on so well it isn't budging and rather than create a real mess, I decided to leave well enough alone.  This window will be covered by the screened porch, so I'm hoping it won't detract from the overall appearance of the manor.

However, if I loose sleep over it tonight, it might be coming off anyway . . .  Question:  Why is it that when you dry fit everything fits perfectly, and then when you glue it things turn out wonky?  Enquiring minds want to know!

I also cut out the opening for a single French door from the bedroom to the deck over the breakfast room.  I had originally ordered a full glass door, but then I thought "why'd I do that?" when clearly it should be a single French door!  Ah well, all's well that end's well.

I centered the door over the breakfast room's bay windows.  I had to pull out hubby's big saw to cut through the plywood and then finished the little bits with my utility knife.

Then I found a piece of scrap wood to fill in the space left by the original window opening.  And voila!  An opening for a French door (to be installed upon arrival).

I'm working on the ceilings now getting ready for lighting this weekend when my friend arrives to help me out.  I'm not only looking forward to lighting the manor, but spending time with my friend whom I haven't seen in several years.  It will be fun catching up!