The living room now has a soft green and the kitchen has a yellow hue, the same paint that was used in the bathroom. All the painting was done by Ebru. I hate painting, lol.

The laminate floor adds a nice touch and compliments our furniture. We couldn’t be happier with the work that was provided by Granite Expo. There is no way I could have done this work on my own. 4 contractors completed the work in a day in a half.

Observations - Without carpeting we notice that all the sounds in the remodeled areas are louder. There is nothing to absorb the sound. Also, it’s a little harder on your feet since there is nothing cushioning our steps. However, it is fun watching our dogs slide across the floor during their play time.

Their nails do not have any effect on the floor as far as scratches. However, we do hear their every footstep.

Wish we had done this sooner.

I forgot how it was being his age. They sure don’t make kids like they used too. Here are the pictures and you can judge for yourself. Diego has a break for high school. Hopefully he’ll be ready for the world. If not, we’ll be there to support him. Way to go Diego! Congrats!

The rest of the pictures can be found here.

It’s also the reason why I’m not online as much as night cause I’m busy working on these projects. It’s been fun and now we finally have something to show for our hard work.

Here are some pictures of our upgraded kitchen and bath here.

The counters are granite, the cabinets have been refinished (chemical refinished), and all hardware replaced with new (faucet, pipes, vanity lights, etc.).

It hasn’t gone all that smoothly especially in regards to the electrical and plumbing. Most of it was guess work, research on the net, and talking to Home Depot folks. Just crossing my fingers that it last.

Stay tuned for our next project . . .

On June 4, 2008 bloggers from all across the globe will blog for peace. We will speak with one voice. One subject. One day.

Read the background at Mimi Writes.

I have so many pictures I don’t where to begin. I’ll start with this and the rest you can see in our Photo Gallery - Turkey Vacation 2008.

We spent most of our time in Istanbul, but we did take a side trip to Izmir. From there we visited Ephesus, Kusadasi, and the last known house of the Virgin Mary.

We really got to relax by hitting the beach, getting a massage, and even a Turkish bath. Now that was an experience!

Istanbul has so much culture and history it’s just unbelievable. Castles and mosques side by side with street vendors, apartments, and cafes.

Some of the most memorable parts of the vacation were unexpected, such as the 4:30AM prayer that was chanted over the city’s loud speakers, the city traffic, and just the overwhelming number of people in Istanbul. There are people everywhere. You can find almost anything from any street vendor.

Special thanks to Ebru and Bahadir for being the tour guides. They know the language and the area so it was a safe and pleasant trip overall.

We’ll now we’re back home to our peace in quiet in our own home and it feels great! I’m sure I’ll need a vacation from my vacation. As soon as I get settled, I’ll make my rounds.