Sure, the first half of 2012 was busy, but the second half was worth it just for these two photos…

July:
We installed our beautiful new stained glass window in our renovated and restored living room with the help of McElf  and our families!  We stared at the window for a few days, then busted our booties to get ready for our Final Inspection by the city of Philadelphia.  And we passed!

August:
We started the month with a revamped website at a new address, www.madisonsquarehome.com. Then we wrapped up some outstanding tasks in the powder room, living room and back porch gate, and started designing our dining room project.

September:
We went on a much needed and long vacation with Rob’s parents to Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Russia. It was an amazing trip. We didn’t get much done on the house that month, except some deck flower-gazing.

October:
We enjoyed the unseasonally warm weather on our deck grilling, visited the new coffee shop and pocket park in our neighborhood, volunteered for the neighborhood run, handed out some Halloween candy and then got back into some housework with a lot of exterior painting, and Halloween mantel decorating, since we got a new mirror!  We also did some exterior gutter work and tree trimming in preparation for Sandy.

November:
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house!   There was lots to do in order to get everything ready, including installing the kitchen downdraft vent, hanging curtains and a radiator cover, moving the dining room table to the first floor, painting, installing a light fixture, cleaning and painting the basement (trust me, it was essential), and installing a basement window!

December:
December brought more mild weather, so we wrapped up our back step project with poly, repaired the deck door, and had a few spare minutes to decorate our front door.  Back inside in the basement, we started installing the dust collection system, built a new wall to enlcose the future basement shop area.  Oh, and we got a kitten: Maddy!

So that concludes our 2012 Year in Review… we’re 3+ years in and still going.  (May that be an inspiration, or a warning.)

Now it’s time to get to work on our 2013 goals: The Basement Shop & the Dining Room!

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Part I: https://madisonsquarehome.com/2013/01/07/2012-half-a-year-in-review/