So after we retiled the fireplace with the beautiful green onyx, I set my sights on a new backsplash for the kitchen.

Tumbled travertine. Very nice tile, but not in my color palette.

I searched the usual suspects (Home Despot & Lowes) to no avail. I wanted to do subway tile, but all that could be found was white.  I made a special order from Lowes and got a shipment of very pretty tile that really brightened up the kitchen.

But first…demolition.

Boomba, my excellent tile guy to the rescue.

The job only took him a few hours and WOW, vive la difference!

Very “splashy”

My goofy brother-in-law said that when you get old you start to really like bright colors and shiny things.

I must be 95. 🙂

Now that the backsplash is done, my next project will be the kitchen floor.  Stay tuned.  Meanwhile the painters have officially finished.  The last part of the job was stripping the brown paint off the front and back porches and applying a burgundy semi-transparent stain.  After that was dry, I was finally able to put a few things on the porch that make the little house look a bit more “lived in.”

Back porch at sunset.

Front porch. I’ve ordered a small swing, but these rockers look inviting for now.

We’ve had to push our target date to February 17th for our first paying guest, but we’ve had some friends and family stay over a few times to work out the kinks.  I’ve slumbered here a handful of nights and tried out the bed, tub, shower, etc.  I’m still looking for a few guinea pigs who are savvy in this sort of real estate endeavor to volunteer to spend a night in our Pink House and leave me a detailed list of what they like, and more importantly, what they don’t.  We’re new to the VRBO world and could use all the help we can get.  Volunteers?