House Updates?

Remember when I used to post about things other than my kiddo? Yeah, kind of a time suck they are, but I've managed a few updates in the 9 months he's been alive. Not quite the pace I'm used to, but maybe we'll have crossed everything off our list by the time we move again. Maybe...

The guest bedroom started like this.

And then looked like this for 3 weeks as I painted the ceiling, trim and finally the walls. I finished just in time for my parents to visit! I was a little hesitant about the dark blue, but I love it now. Only one room and a hallway left to paint. Glenn's next det is in November. We'll see if I have the strength to start another paint job. Especially one that can't be closed off when I come in the house.

Blue Room

Glenn has been gone for the last 10 days and guess what that means? More painting! I'm finally feeling like I can accomplish more than 1. Go to work and 2. Keep tiny human alive on my list each day. Although, I'm not gonna lie, I feel pretty accomplished when I can do that and occasionally clean and cook a dinner!

I might be crazy, but I'm giving myself until mid-October to complete this since that's when our next visitors arrive!

The painting continues! So far I've only completed the ceiling and trim! I haven't even gotten to the walls...

Enjoying the New View

Glenn installed a new storm door on the back door yesterday and I love it! Just in time for the 70 degree weather that is suppose to start tomorrow. The new door can be all glass or half glass and half screen.

I can't wait to have a breeze through the back door as well as all of the extra light that comes through. I think Stella is enjoying the sun and the view!

We went with a more expensive Anderson door after several people expressed how much easier it was to install. It took Glenn about 3 hours, but there was minimal to no swearing so that is a success in my book! Worth the extra money for the ease of installation!

One year!

December 8th marked the one-year anniversary of living in our house! Wow, this year has flown by! We've accomplished a lot of projects in the first year, but we still have a growing list. We know this home is not going to be our forever home, but it is going to hold so many memories as our first home together.

Here are the biggest projects we've accomplished so far:
- Installed blinds on most of the windows and privacy paint on the front door
- Installed a master closet
- Added a poured concrete patio in the back yard
- Painted the interior of the house (80% complete, still the guest room and living room to complete)
- Add a utility sink in the basement (Thanks, Mom & Dad!)
- Build a workbench in the basement
- Installed new lighting in the kitchen, dining room and bedroom.

Here are a list of projects we still hope to accomplish in the next year:
- Add a gas insert to the fireplace (gas company is suppose to install the line in the next couple weeks!)
- Change out the vanity in the master bath for a double vanity
- Paint the guest room and living room
- Install more cabinetry in the kitchen (including a wine fridge, microwave and slide out garbage can)
- Switch out the over-the-stove microwave for a vent hood

I'm sure the list is going to get much longer, but hopefully most of the improvements we make will add value to our home. There are a couple houses down the street that have sold pretty quickly so we are hoping when the day comes to move, we will have luck as well.

Last one!

I'm almost done pinning the last stripe! Yes, I started this project in March, but I'm almost done. I'm just happy I finished long before we plan on moving again.

Bending over while sitting on the floor is getting more and more difficult so I'm glad this part is over. Just a few hours of sewing and this project will be done.

Only a hundred more on the list to finish before January...

Installing a Pendant Light

When we bought our house there was only a flourescent light and one can light in the kitchen. The area over the peninsula was always kind of dark. Glenn HATED the flourescent light so much so that he would work in the dark before he would turn in on. I never understood it, must be all the time he spent on a windowless boat. Who knows?

We've been trying to get on some of the DIY projects around the house since we know we have a massive Time Suck coming our way in January (I say that in the most loving way). So I ordered a pendant light online from ShadesofLight.com (love their stuff!).

Step one was running wire to the pendant. We have an access panel in our closet upstairs for the air handler. Glenn dressed in his coveralls and shimmied his way back there. I think those 33 lost pounds (go Glenn!) were super helpful on this particular Sunday. We were able to run power from the overhead flourescent light and then had to run another line of wire down to the switch.

We switched out the single switch for a double switch, but ran in to a few problems running the wire down the wall to the switch plate.

We ended up cutting a hole in the ceiling in the basement stairwell and running the wire down the wall and then in to the back of the wall behind the switch. Not the best option, but with lath and plaster walls, I didn't want to just start cutting holes. They will never look the same since the plaster is textured.

Once the wire was run, we cut a hole in the ceiling for the new pendant light junction box and pulled the wires through. We wired up the new light and thought we were on the home stretch! 

 We wired up the switch and light, flipped the breaker and flipped the switches! One switch: no light. The other switch: both lights at 50%....hmm...

Glenn sat here for quite some time.  

Then he had a beer. And sat some more. We made a few phone calls to my dad and brothers.

Then a figurative light came on!

Incorrect:

Several more incorrect tries followed.

Correct:

Yeah, I don't know the difference either. Something about the switch being after the power or the order of the switch, light and power source. I forget already, but I love my new light!

Nursery Ideas

We've started gathering a few things for the nursery already. I'm so excited to get started, but I've never had a room that I could just start from scratch so it is a little intimadating! We've always had a piece of art or furniture that we were working in to the room.

We purchased a dresser on Craigslist a few weeks ago. It has sat in the soon-to-be-baby's room since we bought it and I haven't looked at it much. I still need to give it a good scrub.

I also purchased a rug this week and I can't wait for it to arrive!

And somewhat unrelated, I also purchased this little guy for our little guy's newborn photo shoot. Eek! I can't wait to put it on him!

So you can see a general color scheme that I am going with. I am gather inspiration from these three designs. I plan on keeping the blue curtains that are hanging in the guest room now and adding some bright and colorful artwork. Perhaps some vintage travel posters. Perhaps fun monster type characters or a colorful world map.

Cute Little Monster

Indiana Jones

First Little Mate

I am thinking the walls will be a medium/dark gray color similar to the First Little Mate board. We might put a little nautical twist on it...I guess I'll have to wait and see what I find!

We have a book case in the room now that will remain, but I think it will be getting a face lift. More on that another time. I also plan on getting an IKEA arm charm and making it in to a rocker a la this hack. We need to buy some sort of ottoman/poof/stool as well.

Oh and I forgot to mention that our super sweet friends gave us a crib (& mattress & car seat last weekend!). It is a white spindle style crib that is going to look very sweet in the room. I can't wait!

Any ideas or suggestions for art work?

Monster Tomato

I think my tomato plant is going to attack me in the night.

Paint Schmaint.

 I thought about leaving it like this for awhile...

my house has been a disaster for the last week. Glenn is gone on an FCLP/CQ det again for about 10 days so I decided I should probably go ahead and finish the painting job that I started in May. Ok, I need a little encouragement from Glenn, but it needed to be finished. If I don't do it now, before January, it really isn't going to happen!

I started with the ceiling. I swear, there is probably 800 sq ft of it. My arms were exhausted. I edged the ceiling last Saturday and rolled the entire thing on Sunday (it took me ~6 hrs to roll). I spent a little bit of time each night this past week and edged the walls and then spent another 6 hours or so this Saturday and rolled the walls. Finally today I cleaned up and put the room back together! I'm so happy to have that project finished. Only 3 more rooms to go and I will have painted the entire house.

I saved myself sometime and didn't paint the trim in this room. Mostly because I knew it would involve a lot of scraping and not something that is probably good for me or the baby. I did have to repair one section of the wall where the plaster wasn't adhering very well.

 

I came prepared for that mess.

I'm so glad to have this project finished. And the house put back together before Glenn got home. I'll post a few after pictures soon. I have the curtains done on three windows too so you will be able to see those too! Only 3 more to go!

So many projects

I've got a million projects in the works and it's killing me cause I love the feeling of completing a project and checking it off my list. Here's a little of what I've got in the works.

And yes. Those are still the curtains. Almost done with 3 windows. Half way!

Work Bench Basement

While my girlfriends were in town the other weekend, Glenn was busy in the basement. What? You don't want to go in every store at the outlet mall? I don't understand.

While we were busy shopping, Glenn was busy building. We had gone to H Dizzle earlier in the week with a U-haul trailer to pick up the majority of the building supplies. Maining the 16' 2x4s and the 4'x8' sheets (3) of plywood and pegboard (2). Side note, did you know that the Prius can fit 8' 2x4s with the hatch closed? We returned 6 2x4s sans trailer without a problem!

Glenn designed and built the work bench as an L-shape that goes from the utility sink to the door to the backyard. It is 6 feet by 13 feet! And since we only have a few outlets in the basement, he built the beer fridge right in. Seems appropriate.

Glenn has become quite the builder since we've been back which is good, cause I've always got a project up my sleeve for him to work on. Although, I think he enjoyed this project so much because he didn't have to deal with my "input". :) We are loving all the extra storage space in the basement and it's even better having it organized! Or at least getting organized.

What was I thinking?

Why do I start these projects while Glenn is gone? Well... I know the answer to that, but when I envisioned beautiful striped curtain panels for my living room and dining, I didn't know how painful this would be. I am currently almost done seeing the first panel of the first window!

Only 11 more to go!

Kitchen is painted!

So I've been stinking at this blogging thing, but I spent all 7 of the last 10 days working on the kitchen. I had to revise my plan because, well my arms couldn't handle it. After rolling the kitchen ceiling I decided to stop with ceilings and move on to the walls and trim in the kitchen. It was already a mess anyway. So now we have a nice jagged paint line between the kitchen and the dining room, but that will be fixed in phase 2. I'm guessing when Glenn comes home, that will be sooner than later!

This was my schedule last week:
Monday- edge the ceiling
Tuesday- paint the ceiling
Wednesday- scrape/prep the trim
Thursday- paint the trim (4 doors and a window plus baseboards)
Saturday- edge the walls and paint the trim again
Sunday- roll the walls
Monday- touch ups an clean up

For me, phase 2 is several weeks away!

Here is the best part though- the pics. I painted it a color called Ventana by Pratt and lambert, but I had HD color match it in Behr paint.

Did I mention that the old baseboards were BLACK under all the old paint?
Our house is a little piecemeal with old and new baseboards depending on where walls were removed and added. Who paints baseboards black? I wish I had a few before pictures from before the remodel.

It begins...

The painting project that I've been avoiding since we moved in begins tomorrow... The downstairs ceiling. We're talking over 1000 sq ft of ceiling, 9 feet in the air. Arms forgive me now. First up is the ceiling, the the trim and lastly, the walls.

I'm starting in the kitchen and working my way towards the living room. I figure it's best if I don't destroy the entire downstairs at once, but Glenn will be gone so I can live with it.

The sooner I start, the sooner I'll be done, right? Wow, this is gonna suck.

Our porch

If our patio wasn't evidence enough, we love spending time outdoors. When we are in town, we love sitting on our porch in the morning and enjoying a cup of coffee.

Our front door faces northish so it's shaded in the morning which is perfect for catching up on my emails and for Stella to watch the passerby.

Patio Improvement

I love sitting out on our patio on our new furniture. Love it. It doesn't hurt that the temperature has been great and the hubby lives to grill.

What I didn't like was the view. This view.

Since we don't have a garage, this is where the lawnmower lives.

But now, he lives on the other side. We put up some lattice and planted some herbs, tomatoes and squash. I'm most excited for he clematis that I planted though.

Growing up, both of my family's houses had purple clematis growing on the fence or the deck. I'm so excited that our house has it too! Climate permitting, I hope to plant it at all of our homes. I can't wait til it's bigger and covering the lattice.

Meet Dr. Rubbel. That's actually the name of the variety. No need to rename this guy.

Now the view is much better. U hope the plants do well. Besides a few more pots, I don't plan on doing too much more planting this year. I don't have a green thumb like my mom. Her garden is beautiful! I'm just hoping to not kill what we've got so far. Happy spring!

Patio!

Over a month ago, Glenn and I had a patio installed in our backyard. I know! I'm sorry loyal blog readers, I kept you in the dark. Mostly because the process took an entire week, so it took me awhile to take all the picutres, but I still haven't taken the final picture. We picked up new patio furniture from Craigslist last night so hopefully that will be coming soon. A $1000 teak Home Depot set for $350. Success.

We decided on a stamped concrete patio because 1) faster and cheaper to have installed than pavers and 2) it looks nicer than just plain concrete. First, I laid the hose out on the ground in the pattern that I like and the company came out and spray painted the design.

Next, they had to dig out part of the yard to make sure the water flowed in the right direction. We ran in to a few mysteries in the yard, like this pipe that Glenn had to cut out. I'm pretty sure we have an old oil tank burried in our yard. Yikes, I don't want to think about having to take that out. Next, they put up a border to hold the concrete.

                                    

We left a space next to the stairs so that I could plant some flowers and we plan on putting up a lattice to cover up the space under the stairs. Probably a flowering vine so that it eventually gets covered up. The patio goes along the entire back of the house from this point on. Since we have a door to access the basement, we wanted the patio to be located here. The guys building the patio had hopes of using their heavy machinery to dig out the ground, but they didn't have any luck. Even with the fence panels down, the center post wouldn't come out and their machines wouldn't fit.

The first step, which I don't have any pictures of, is to pour the colored concrete. We chose a reddish-orange to match the brick on the house. Next, they put a grey powder on top and used a rubber stamp to press the design it. We chose an ashlar brick pattern. It looks a little like slate too which we have on the front walkway. Next they let it set overnight and then come back and power wash it so that they grey only remains in the 'grout lines' and indents.

The grey powder unfortunately, is pretty messy, so I still have a few finger prints to wash off the back of the house!

The last step after power washing is to seal the color and cement. It really brings out the colors of the cement.

We can't wait to use it all summer!