Frostine, Frostine, the Tile Queen

Just a little before, after, and during to share this morning.

I interrupted my marathon kitchen painting last week to step outside and enjoy some unseasonable blossoms in the back yard.

We're kind of used to our Japanese magnolia blooming whenever in the world she pleases. She has shown up in January before.

I can't remember the azaleas ever joining her, though.

 That was then...

This is now.

As you can see, what passes for winter here in south Georgia arrived this past weekend. It frosted the bloom  off the rose.

And the azalea and magnolia too.  

Do you want to know what I was doing in those frosty temperatures? 

I was outside dressed like the unibomber cutting tiles with a wet saw. 

Yes indeed, as soon as the temperatures even remotely allowed it, we had to jump on our tiling project. We didn't really have a choice.  The man of the house is only home on the weekend, and the lady of the house can't be trusted around power tools.  We worked in tandem.

He measured;
 I cut. 

He mixed mortar and laid the tile; 

I narrated and handed him spacers.

We're using 18 inch square tiles so it's supposed to go a little faster.

So far, we've put down 43 full tiles
and 
36 cut tiles. 

Aside from an area around the hot water heater which made me cry,

 I cut every single one of them, too. .

Pretty good, if I do say so myself. 

All told, that's almost 80 pieces of tile. By our calculations, we are just over a fourth of the way finished with the laying.  And then, there is grouting, of course. And sealing.

Can someone please remind me why I thought it was a good idea
 to paint the cabinets in the middle of it all?