Moving On
While Aunt Maggie was watching Jelly Bean for a couple of hours on Saturday, Kevin and I tore out the old carpet in the dining room. We knew that there would be some spots that needed repair, but we were unsure of the extent and what it looked like until we had the rug removed. It isn't as bad as we were preparing for. Lots of old paint and scratches, but no major gouges. Just what I would consider normal wear. Of course, there are three rectangles/squares in the floor where there were possible old register vents and a hole that might have been for the plumbing. Too exciting!!
Protecting Fall Outs
We have little kiddies who visit us and we want to keep them safe. So, we devised a way to be able to keep the screens on the porch while making them a little more child proof.
Check List...Checked
This weekend's activities:
- visit relatives
- move furniture to shampoo rugs in three rooms of the house
- visit grad school friends
- go to festival
- visit family
- shampoo rugs
- install range hood (father)
- mow lawn
(Thank goodness for those who love to care for Jellybean as we do all this stuff!)
- visit relatives
- move furniture to shampoo rugs in three rooms of the house
- visit grad school friends
- go to festival
- visit family
- shampoo rugs
- install range hood (father)
- mow lawn
(Thank goodness for those who love to care for Jellybean as we do all this stuff!)
A New "Project"
Our absence for the month of May can be explained by these two pictures:
Jelly Bean is beautiful and healthy. She brings joy to our lives everyday along with new wonders and excitement.
Jelly Bean is beautiful and healthy. She brings joy to our lives everyday along with new wonders and excitement.
Over Due
At the end of April, Kevin was busy resizing that screens that were here when we bought the house. The previous owner must have resided the house and not re-sized the screens because more than half of them where 1/4" or so too big. Kevin was able to salvage the old ones, trim some metal off, and remake them. I was in charge of re-screening. In total, we remade 8 screens in the house.
PS--If anyone needs screening material, we have a ton left over...
PS--If anyone needs screening material, we have a ton left over...
Death by Clipper
I don't know what it is, but I L O V E
I don't know what it is, but viney things, beware!
I (Heart) Reusing
A little while ago, I came across this post from Family Fun that gave directions on how to make a simple woven rug using a hula hoop. I gave it a try and quickly fell in love! They are cheap and easy to make. For roughly $21, 24 shirts from Goodwill, and probably 10 hours I made this rug. (It is approximately 2x4'.)
Trim Work, Tedious Trim Work
The back bedroom is down to finish work. Through Kevin's slight addiction to the router, he made almost all of the molding for the room. We decided that this time we'd prime the knots with an oil based knot sealer because ugly stains are showing up in the bathroom molding.
(We got smart this time and marked where the studs where. Not only did this help with nailing, but also finding the filled in holes when I came back through to paint!)
Kevin also has had some finagling to do around the chimney. He did a fantastic job figuring out how to hid the transition from dry wall to brick.
Kevin's precision measuring made it so that we had just enough wood to make all of the trim we needed, but a couple of pieces need some work. So, after buying a little bit more, we are ready to make the final pieces!
(We got smart this time and marked where the studs where. Not only did this help with nailing, but also finding the filled in holes when I came back through to paint!)
Kevin also has had some finagling to do around the chimney. He did a fantastic job figuring out how to hid the transition from dry wall to brick.
Kevin's precision measuring made it so that we had just enough wood to make all of the trim we needed, but a couple of pieces need some work. So, after buying a little bit more, we are ready to make the final pieces!
March 23
Sorry, it has been almost a whole month since I have posted anything. We have been busy, though--not all working on the house. We took a nice vacation, visited with dear friends, worked some on the house, and shoveled some snow...
No Curtains
I confess, we haven't gotten around to putting a curtain on our bathroom window since we moved in...but, the window is really high and way in a corner. Ok, with that being said, I have been hemming and hawing about whether to hang a curtain or to fashion some atypical window covering. It is really in an awkward location, shoved against one wall and above the toilet.
Today, I solved it! Contact paper. Check it out:
(Although you can't see it in this artsie photo, the stencil matches the stencil on the wall.)
Today, I solved it! Contact paper. Check it out:
(Although you can't see it in this artsie photo, the stencil matches the stencil on the wall.)
Before and After Binoculars
(Not quite the same as viewing the newly finished floor with your own 2 peepers, but for now, it will have to do.)
The Bread Man is Back!
Yes, you'll need a sponge to wipe off your keyboard.
Braided Italian(a.k.a. Harry Potter's scar):
Rustic/Country Italian:
Ciabatta (and the handsome baker):
And he's not done yet, folks. He is in the process of converting grams to cups to make a Black Guinness Bread (found on tastespotting.com).
Braided Italian(a.k.a. Harry Potter's scar):
Rustic/Country Italian:
Ciabatta (and the handsome baker):
And he's not done yet, folks. He is in the process of converting grams to cups to make a Black Guinness Bread (found on tastespotting.com).
Stalagmite Icicle
We have had this slowly growing stalagmite icicle growing from the condensation from our furnace.
Well, we did until Thursday and Friday when the temperature reached 61--I'm not complaining. Although, right now it is 23, windy, and snowing.
Well, we did until Thursday and Friday when the temperature reached 61--I'm not complaining. Although, right now it is 23, windy, and snowing.
Sealing
Now that the floor is all sanded, we have put down one coat of sealer and two coats of Minwax Water-Based Polyurethane. The sealer had a very strong odor! Thankfully it was 60 degrees outside and we were able to draw some of the air outside through the window fan. It was absorbed/evaporated really quickly, so we had to work fast.
We chose to go with the water-based polyurethane because we 1) didn't want to risk any spontaneous combustion with the oil based and 2) weren't willing to live in a house that reeked of fumes. The water-based barely has any smell! We have to sand once more and put on one last coat. Then it is on to the molding and framing the doorway from the closet into the back room.
We chose to go with the water-based polyurethane because we 1) didn't want to risk any spontaneous combustion with the oil based and 2) weren't willing to live in a house that reeked of fumes. The water-based barely has any smell! We have to sand once more and put on one last coat. Then it is on to the molding and framing the doorway from the closet into the back room.
Ceiling to Floor
Well, we have made it down to the floor finally. We rented a four radial floor sander for four hours on Sunday. We started at 80 grit, which took off the layer of varnish/finish that on the floor. (I liked that part the best because I could actually see progress!) Next was 110 and then 170. It looks like the last person might have used a drum sander because there are spots along the floor that are lower than the rest in a methodical kind of way. We could have gone with a high grit to begin with, but both of us kind of like the character that (some) of the dents and scratches give the floor. Unfortunately, the big shoe mark watermark is here to stay. We don't really want to use the caustic liquid that is required to remove it and it will most likely be hidden underneath a small area rug. Convenient!
The next step is to finish the edges around the room. For the most part, we were able to get within a couple of inches of the wall. I felt like I was driving a bumper car when the sander bounced off the wall. (Thankfully the only damage done was a small corner of dry wall came off--easily hidden by molding-- and a few scuff marks that might be hidden or can at least be painted over.) This process is going to take a while longer (grrr...) and hurts the knees and back more. But, the floor will look great when it is done.
Perhaps this will be the impetus to tear up the rest of the rugs in the house (she says wishfully thinking...)!
The next step is to finish the edges around the room. For the most part, we were able to get within a couple of inches of the wall. I felt like I was driving a bumper car when the sander bounced off the wall. (Thankfully the only damage done was a small corner of dry wall came off--easily hidden by molding-- and a few scuff marks that might be hidden or can at least be painted over.) This process is going to take a while longer (grrr...) and hurts the knees and back more. But, the floor will look great when it is done.
Perhaps this will be the impetus to tear up the rest of the rugs in the house (she says wishfully thinking...)!
Filling in the Gaps
The wood floor had some large gaps at a couple of its edges. When the molding goes back on, it will most likely cover 99% of the wood that Kevin put in, but we wanted to be on the safe side. Also, we haven't quite figured out how we are going to finish off around the chimney, so Kevin tried to get it as close to the brick as possible. Not an easy feat!
Closet Re-Do
In the process of tearing up the rug in the back bedroom, we also decided to take the rug out of the closet that connects the back room to the hallway. It had been covered in part of the bathroom demolition and remodeling and not very well protected. It too was covered in dry wall and plaster dust. So, out it came. Of course, this meant that the molding that we made had to come off, which meant some pealed dry wall paper and a couple of dents small holes. I learned how to skim and repair!
Due to the lower ceiling in the back bedroom, Kevin also had to rethink the previously finished transition from the closet into the bedroom. He pulled off his new/old molding and built out the "corner". I finished that off.
When I painted the closet before, we used the left over glossy paint from the bathroom and I was unimpressed with how it went on. There were wrinkles and drips on the walls--it just looked messy. I have never had that happen before. So, I took the opportunity (knowing that we were going to have to repaint) and sanded down the blah of the last painting job. The new paint looks much better. Now to get a nicer looking light for the room...
Due to the lower ceiling in the back bedroom, Kevin also had to rethink the previously finished transition from the closet into the bedroom. He pulled off his new/old molding and built out the "corner". I finished that off.
When I painted the closet before, we used the left over glossy paint from the bathroom and I was unimpressed with how it went on. There were wrinkles and drips on the walls--it just looked messy. I have never had that happen before. So, I took the opportunity (knowing that we were going to have to repaint) and sanded down the blah of the last painting job. The new paint looks much better. Now to get a nicer looking light for the room...
The Bathroom is Completed!!
Before, March 2009
After, January 2011
This is behind the door.
The only thing that is still from the original bathroom is the toilet. The pedestal sink was from Craigslist. The cupboard door is wood from a high school teacher's fallen barn. The room looks amazing and couldn't have been completed without the help of friends and family. Thank you Dad, Jon, Jim, Mom, and Maggie.
After, January 2011
This is behind the door.
The only thing that is still from the original bathroom is the toilet. The pedestal sink was from Craigslist. The cupboard door is wood from a high school teacher's fallen barn. The room looks amazing and couldn't have been completed without the help of friends and family. Thank you Dad, Jon, Jim, Mom, and Maggie.
A Little Bit of Everything
This weekend we progressed with the "little bits." Kevin worked on the window casing and dry fit the window molding.
He also finished the door frame for the bathroom. I think it is safe to say that once the door frame is done being painted, the bathroom is finished! Anything else is "cosmetic." Yeah!!
We also painting the closet leading into the back bedroom.
He also finished the door frame for the bathroom. I think it is safe to say that once the door frame is done being painted, the bathroom is finished! Anything else is "cosmetic." Yeah!!
We also painting the closet leading into the back bedroom.
We Have Worms...
and that's a good thing :)
Kevin bought us a VermiHut Worm Bin for Christmas, something that I have wanted since reading Stewart's, The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. We are very excited to cut down on the food waste and have great fertilizer for our house plants and garden. So far, though, the 200 red wigglers are getting acclimated to their new home.
Kevin bought us a VermiHut Worm Bin for Christmas, something that I have wanted since reading Stewart's, The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms. We are very excited to cut down on the food waste and have great fertilizer for our house plants and garden. So far, though, the 200 red wigglers are getting acclimated to their new home.
Shoulda But Didn't
Ya, so I shoulda cleaned the brick before putting up the insulation. Before the drywall. Before painting. But... I didn't. So, that meant that I had to protect all of our hard work from the soot and debris that came splattering off the chimney as I cleaned. I won't say it is sparkling clean, but I won't worry about smudgy fingerprints or getting clothes dirty from brushing up against it.
Working on the Floors
We had the ambitious thought that we could tear up the rugs today in the back bedroom and start sanding. The tearing up part wasn't hard at all. Even fining a sander to rent wasn't so bad either. It is deciding how far to sand the floors down that has us slightly befuddled. There are surface stains that would probably come out with fine grit sand paper. But there are quite a few water stains and one random size 7 footprint that need to go away.
While we were tearing up the rug, we thought we might as well take it out in the closet too. This was an easy decision because as we were pulling and folding the rug, clouds of plaster dust and construction debris from at least two different projects were poofing up into the air! This meant, though, that we also had to pull off the floor molding and will have to move it down to accommodate for the lack of rug! Then I got the idea that the "old" paint doesn't match the new and there were marks in the wall from construction stuff...so now, we have to attack designing/figuring out the entryway into the back bedroom and paint/repaint the closet.
Here are the colors of the back bedroom. (These are pretty true to what is there--a moss green and "soft candlelight".)
I was having fun pulling up the padding. It just kind of pops off the staples...you know me, the simple things in life keep me amused.
While we were tearing up the rug, we thought we might as well take it out in the closet too. This was an easy decision because as we were pulling and folding the rug, clouds of plaster dust and construction debris from at least two different projects were poofing up into the air! This meant, though, that we also had to pull off the floor molding and will have to move it down to accommodate for the lack of rug! Then I got the idea that the "old" paint doesn't match the new and there were marks in the wall from construction stuff...so now, we have to attack designing/figuring out the entryway into the back bedroom and paint/repaint the closet.
Here are the colors of the back bedroom. (These are pretty true to what is there--a moss green and "soft candlelight".)
I was having fun pulling up the padding. It just kind of pops off the staples...you know me, the simple things in life keep me amused.
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