You can see the plumbing in this shot. The plumbers were in and out in about 2 days. The next step is to put up in the HVAC and get an inspection. After that, we can put in the insulation in the floors.

Here's a picture from the street -- you can see they added lumber to the cement!

downstairs

More framing downstairs... it's a crazy quilt of lumber! They've closed in the outside walls and started putting the I-beams across the floor.

The view from the top of the hill. We also got the preliminary landscape plan completed. It looks like the pool will need to be dug in the next couple of weeks -- before the driveway retaining wall is done! 

Another view of the framing. In this one you can see where the stairs will lead from upstairs to the office and media room. The back wall will be framed late this week or early next week. Some of the I beams will be put in place before that -- they're taking up a ton of room in the driveway, which is where all the wood is being unloaded. But wow! it looks like a house (at least a little bit!). 

This is the framing around the downstairs (the media room). The kitchen will be on top of the framing to the left -- underneath that is just the crawl space.

Framing is started!

I got home from my trip to Hong Kong, Singapore and China and ran over to the house. They have started framing it up! They should get the I beams down in the next week or so to complete the floor and then they can start framing the upstairs.

Now that the garage floor is done, I can take a picture to show you what the view off the upstairs balcony will be. Isn't this nice?

The lumber got delivered today. Framing should start this week. 

The garage floor!!!!!!!!

Foundation is done!

The foundation is complete, there's a garage floor that I walked all over this afternoon.

I have a bunch of new pictures to post (hopefully this afternoon), but I wanted to put some other stuff up, too.

First of all, I spent quite a bit of time picking out plumbing fixtures. Here's what I learned:

1. I have very specific (and expensive) taste.
2. It's possible to spend WAAAAY too much money on plumbing fixtures.
3. Toilets come in a price range of $85 to $1000, with price points of $20 or so. Dave, the salesman couldn't tell me what the real differences were when I asked what they do besides flush! But there are different shapes of toilets and 1 piece vs. 2 piece. And the hole size in the bottom can vary a little. Weird.
4. There are a lot of different colors of white. Too many, in fact.

I picked out some cool stuff though (oh, and James gets credit for the kitchen stuff -- it was all his idea and it's going to be really neat!):

Kitchen sink: Blanco Blancomagnum 33" x 22"
http://www.faucet.com/decor/product.pl?mid=1817&fh=Stainless%20Steel&P&source=ggl

Island sink: Blanco Supreme
http://www.faucet.com/decor/product.pl?mid=1857&fh=Stainless%20Steel&P&source=ggl

Kitchen faucet, main sink: KWC Domo
http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=5209

Kitchen faucet, island sink: KWC Domo
http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=5202

Bathroom faucets: Price Pfister Marielle in oil rubbed bronze
http://www.faucet.com/decor/product.pl?mid=8578&fh=Oil%20Rubbed%20Bronze

Tub in master bedroom: Jason Emily soaking tub
http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=129445&cm_ven=NexTag&cm_cat=Bath%2FKitchen&cm_pla=Datafeed&cm_ite=Bath%2FKitchen%20Product

You don't really want to see the toilets, do you? :)