Vacuum Needed

Okay, I've needed a new vacuum since... well, since forever! When we got married, I moved in with my husband and used the vacuum he had since... since god knows when. Anyway, don't get me wrong, it's a good vacuum, Hoover brand and everything. It's just *SO HEAVY*!!! It wasn't such a big deal in our condo but now it is! Specially as my son gets older and makes more of a mess each day. Doing the stairs is such a pain, I just make my husband do it. And since we carpetted the basement, I suppose I should be vacuuming down there too huh? (lol, well, I haven't)..

So I've been in the market for a new one forever now... I had two suggested to me.. The Dyson Ball and the Oreck.

In the end, I think I'm going with Oreck because:
1. It's so lightweight!! 8 or 9 pounds! That is my main selling point!
2. It's a lot more affordable..
3. They use them in hotels so they must be effective.

Anyone out there with an Oreck care to vouch for it??? Or, God forbid, hate theirs?? Please speak soon because I plan on buying one in the next few weeks. I'm thinking of getting the Classic since the only difference between it and the better models are: the length of the warranty, the handle, and the PRICE!

ALL MOVED IN...

We moved in Thursday!! It was so exciting.. We're about 95% unpacked, thanks to the unending efforts of my mom... I have some pictures but the quality isn't that great.

The Kitchen :-)
Pantry and Butler Pantry/Kitchen Desk

Nook

Family Room :-)

Foyer, Front Door, Hardwood, Stairs

Living Room.. Still needs work

Dining Room

Again

The Office isn't unpacked yet.

Master Bedroom

Again

Walk-in Closet

Master Bathroom

Shower

Green (Baby's) Room

I forgot to take pictures of the other bathrooms and the basement. Next time!

2 more weeks!!!!

EEK!! Only two more weeks 'til we get our temporary certificate of occupancy (temporary bc we won't be doing the driveway, ground work, walkway, etc until the spring). We have a potential renter for our condo so we might be moving in as soon as three weeks!! Crazy stuff!
Not many pictures today, I only took pix of things that changed, here they are.

The Kitchen, almost final product!

Close up of the kitchen backsplash. What do you think??

Under-cabinet lighting. Here's where the appliance garage is gonna go.

Close up of the nook light

Terrible picture, I know, but here's the dishwasher

Double wall oven. Stickers are on it still, it's all stainless steel.

My cooktop in stainless steel! Another terrible picture.. but LOVE those knobs ;)

The dining room came out great. Gotta give my husband props on the paint color he chose. With the crown moulding, the wainscott, and the light fixture, it looks great I think!

The lot in the falltime... The driveway asphalt won't be done until the spring. It will be gravel in the meantime.

The retaining wall near the partial walk-out basement

Flooring - to hardwood or not to hardwood, that is the question

Deciding on flooring has been difficult, to say the least. Let me explain...

So my dream kitchen has been like this: dark, rich hardwood floors, stain-less steel appliances, dark granite countertops, dark wood (maybe cherry maybe maple or mahogany) cabinets. This has been my dream, and now that I'm building our "dream house," well it only made sense.
But my husband and everyone else have been trying to convince me otherwise. Just about the hardwood. It's hard to maintain. It chips and dents, especially with kids (we only have one now, but who knows?) It gets ruined by water.

I thought long and hard, and I think they've convinced me. We are still going to do hardwood floors in the foyer and hallway, but I think I'm going to go with a dark (to hide dirt) ceramic tile in the kitchen (take a look at the picture, isn't that beautiful? and it's not hardwood!). What do you think? Do you have hardwood, is it hard to maintain??

Yesterday we also considered the possiblity of hardwood in the den, dining and living rooms, but specially the den. Take a look at our main floor plan to see why we are considering this.

I still want the stain-less steel and the dark cabinets. Not sure which color of granite I want though! I've been taking a look mostly at this website for granite countertops, but also this one. It's really hard to decide without seeing in person, I think we will go looking at some model houses or something to make a better decision.

July 17th, ETA: Okay, back to square one! I want hardwood floors in the kitchen again! I am just concerned that I will constantly be worried about it, what with kids, spills, water, etc... I am so confused now! I know that my dream is hardwood, but ... I found these two kitchen flooring that I like.