Jason's Crowning Weekend Achievement

I guess I DO have time for a quick blog post this week!  Jason has been busy this weekend finishing up the trim for our cabinetry.  

Hurray, all the crown molding is finished!  We've lived with it unfinished for almost 10 months, so it was about time we finished it!  Here is a before, in case you don't remember.

We hired someone who actually knows how to do this to put up the crown molding back in April, but we were one piece short so he couldn't finish.  Jason thought he ordered the extra piece a long time ago, but when we decided to finally tackle this project last weekend it was nowhere to be found, so this week he ordered the extra piece and it arrived on Friday.  To have the guy come back and set up his fancy tools would have cost $150, plus the labor, so Jason decided to try it himself.  Of course, we had to buy a new blade for his saw to make these kind of cuts.  Every project warrants a new tool purchase!   Since Jason could see how the guy did it, he was able to figure out how to do it himself.  He also finished trim pieces along the baseboards.  He was really nervous about doing this project, but he is super proud of himself and so am I!  

Since we lugged the air compressor upstairs, Jason also took the opportunity to repair some facing and door frame trim.  He is so productive! 

Here are the back splash tile choices I've collected.  I originally thought I'd like a glass mosaic tile that is so trendy right now, but it looked pretty busy with the countertop and it is also expensive.  We thought something more classic like a subway tile would look better.  We've decided on the dark brown one in the middle against the wall.  The kitchen is nearing completion!  We have this tile project, and we have this strange situation.  

I really wouldn't mind this pipe coming out of the wall at all if there wasn't a gaping hole behind it.  I'm wondering if we could just fill it in with joint compound a million times, but if that doesn't work we'll have a big gooey mess to paint over and no solution.  Mike suggested building a little shelf or something to hide it, and that might work well.

We're hoping to get these last projects finished up before the baby comes, because who knows when we'll have time to do them then?