tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40104388503456710732024-02-19T22:59:30.991-08:00Kellye & Aaron's PlaceKellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-25425188366855000302016-09-10T04:47:00.000-07:002016-09-10T04:52:35.292-07:00Quick Bedroom Makeover<br />
With all the construction going on at our house, it was nice to get
away for a day and help my mom update her bedroom. I don't have any
before pictures, but basically she and my dad had simply never gotten
around to painting their bedroom. He was the one who decorated the rest
of the house, so she was feeling a little overwhelmed by taking on the
responsibility of making those decisions.<br />
<br />
<br />
I think a lot of
people, regardless of their situation, feel overwhelmed about making
these decisions. Knowing that I've renovated a couple houses, people
will ask me questions about how they should update a room. I think you
have to consider what the function of the room will be, and find some
sort of inspiration to guide you as a design starting point. My mom had
already found a <a data-mce-href="http://www.target.com/p/-/A-17319746" href="http://www.target.com/p/-/A-17319746">bedding set at Target</a>, so we based everything around that.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://100tacks.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/20160903_133207.jpg?w=168" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="20160903_133207" border="0" class=" size-medium wp-image-1133 alignleft" height="300" src="https://100tacks.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/20160903_133207.jpg?w=168" width="168" /></a>Once
you determine your design starting point, it's pretty easy to find
similar items at stores, or even around your house. Using items you
already have is free, and it's fun to hunt around for things that match
your inspiration. It might be a picture frame or candle from another
room. It could even something like a book or plate that happens to have
the same colors in it.<br />
<br />
Choosing
a paint color can be another intimidating part of the process. She
wanted her walls to be the color of the coral accents. I felt that, like
in the bedspread, her walls should be closer to the color of the
background. The white in the design would be picked up by her trim and
ceilings. Her accents throughout the room could be coral, the same way
the color is used throughout the bedding set. <br />
Of course,
there are a hundred different tones of beige at the hardware store.<br />
<br />
Another important consideration is that the lighting in the store likely
be different than the lighting in your house. The lighting at the store
is bluish white, where the lighting in your home is more likely to be
warmer and more yellow. A paint chip that looks grey-ish and washed out
in the store will look warmer and richer in your house.<br />
<br />
If your
inspiration item is small enough, take it into the store with you.
You'll see both items in the same lighting, and be able to make a better
decision. You may also be tempted to hold the paint chip flat, parallel
to the floor, to look at it. You will never be seeing your paint like
this (unless you are painting the floor). Hold it up perpendicular to
the floor, like it will be on your walls. The light will hit it in a
different way, generally making it seem a little darker. <br />
<br />
She
wanted me to just pick a color for her, but I shared these tips and
encouraged her to pick a color for herself. She was a little surprised
how different the color was as we painted it on, and felt like it had a
tinge of purple that she didn't notice in the store. I should probably
mention that my mom is an art teacher. So, even for someone very
knowledgeable about color, painting a room was still intimidating. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZQKmKcyR-Q4ofqcmglQaUh8umIaWoUSm3oICvl7efB6IWqvwX7_9FFZ0_0FHy1eeRuj4SytFHl93XWGE2Pngjts2bVPzfxfKbUHcL2CU_8i__vorzB8J5142irAvOuJmJ01MwIAo7Czl/s1600/20160903_182608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZQKmKcyR-Q4ofqcmglQaUh8umIaWoUSm3oICvl7efB6IWqvwX7_9FFZ0_0FHy1eeRuj4SytFHl93XWGE2Pngjts2bVPzfxfKbUHcL2CU_8i__vorzB8J5142irAvOuJmJ01MwIAo7Czl/s400/20160903_182608.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Painting
can feel like a gargantuan task, but in my opinion preparing to paint
is more work than anything else. We had to take down all the pictures,
blinds, and curtains, and do a little patchwork over one of her doors.
She has quality, solid wood furniture (not like <a data-mce-href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99175034/" href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99175034/">what we have</a>),
which we had to push to the center of the room. She thought we would
have to leave everything away from the walls until it completely dried,
but baseboards usually keep furniture from actually touching the walls
anyways.<br />
<br />
With
the painting done, we got out all the new stuff! The room feels calm
and relaxing, exactly what she was going for. It's amazing how fresh and
new the room feels. Having done a lot of the work and decisions
herself, I think she feels more accomplished and capable as a result.
She's still looking for something to go over her bed.<br />
<br />
<img alt="20160903_184211" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1136" height="320" src="https://100tacks.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/20160903_184211.jpg?w=575" width="179" /> <br />
<br data-mce-bogus="1" />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-3786368037931831172016-08-27T09:35:00.003-07:002016-09-02T19:24:20.165-07:001950s Kitchen Renovation: Phase One<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4-Up0ULKNqbvo6L4NaUoRlrlvfYwQfbxjZNTD7sFbWvIn3lVdUvKemBiDlK4e8oZxZhWyzqskJ9TYTyiAHMR0V5hZHuHWF_IJgf_s4zzWg0tY1t42ZPWykWAlYkSBmXuEGgr76Fq5C5s/s1600/20160822_082635.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4-Up0ULKNqbvo6L4NaUoRlrlvfYwQfbxjZNTD7sFbWvIn3lVdUvKemBiDlK4e8oZxZhWyzqskJ9TYTyiAHMR0V5hZHuHWF_IJgf_s4zzWg0tY1t42ZPWykWAlYkSBmXuEGgr76Fq5C5s/s320/20160822_082635.jpg" width="308" /></a>The <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2016/08/the-basement-flood.html">Basement Flood</a>
caused our fridge to defrost, which curled our linoleum tile flooring.
At this point I made the executive decision to renovate our kitchen
(though I would later learn that the tiles dry flat and re-adhere
themselves like magic).<br />
<br />
Our plan was to remove
the bathroom at the back of the kitchen, push out the wall and turn it
into a butler's pantry with a sink and our microwave. Then, we will add
a dishwasher, standard range, and some extra cabinets. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
To get started, we picked GE Artistry Series Appliances to respect the time period of the house. We're going with
unfinished cabinets from Home Depot (which are always in stock at the
store), and using a <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2012/04/kitchen-cabinets-part-1.html">rustoleum kit</a> again to finish them once they are hung. We found a <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd/VT-Dimensions-Wilsonart-10-ft-Kalahari-Topaz-Matte-Straight-Laminate-Kitchen-Countertop/50240971">crazy cheap laminate</a> that we are going to use until we want to invest in something more permanent. Finally, we rented a dumpster from <a href="http://www.greenwaydumpsters.com/">Greenway Dumpsters</a>,
a local company that offers smaller-sized roll-off dumpsters. </div>
<br />
Just before we started tearing down the bathroom wall, we had a change of heart and decided to hire a contractor. Because we could not take time off work to dedicate to the project, we were worried our timeline would stretch beyond our comfort zone. Unlike an office or spare bedroom, this wasn't something we could put off mid-project. We wanted to ensure it was done well, and were confident that we would have 100% return on anything we spent on our 60 year old kitchen.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWzbXZvuc0tMs7CqAljcNeIeehx-pMmn1xHFsDpw2165BjO2ZwmvMejTUTt9nZt4JGs2FwRnogn94wYjoW6GoCxeJChKXoHs7xrA8f3ruBnc7Lc7Yq5gajRNoBAu_KXcd93qcScHD6zvs/s1600/20160822_111918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWzbXZvuc0tMs7CqAljcNeIeehx-pMmn1xHFsDpw2165BjO2ZwmvMejTUTt9nZt4JGs2FwRnogn94wYjoW6GoCxeJChKXoHs7xrA8f3ruBnc7Lc7Yq5gajRNoBAu_KXcd93qcScHD6zvs/s320/20160822_111918.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqFCbIDX1M8J6gluDAQvqr7Vs7_hasQ-rr-VoUnum3qgeerjx161QfP5NVIy5C-y1lz2pPzoXM90htFhTB_TvHNufrVZDYHqGFTn3PABGYjMvaauKVhMoFjzvCZtD4De9U69D6aD0T5je/s1600/20160823_085406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqFCbIDX1M8J6gluDAQvqr7Vs7_hasQ-rr-VoUnum3qgeerjx161QfP5NVIy5C-y1lz2pPzoXM90htFhTB_TvHNufrVZDYHqGFTn3PABGYjMvaauKVhMoFjzvCZtD4De9U69D6aD0T5je/s320/20160823_085406.jpg" width="180" /></a>The contractors found two surprises: Our walls were a drywall / plaster hybrid, and there was a cast iron vent stack running through the wall we wanted to remove. We decided to leave the wall where it was, and just update our plans on the fly. Matching the drywall to the plaster hybrid took a lot of extra coats of compound, which pushed the contractors from finishing on Thursday to the next Tuesday. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWzbXZvuc0tMs7CqAljcNeIeehx-pMmn1xHFsDpw2165BjO2ZwmvMejTUTt9nZt4JGs2FwRnogn94wYjoW6GoCxeJChKXoHs7xrA8f3ruBnc7Lc7Yq5gajRNoBAu_KXcd93qcScHD6zvs/s1600/20160822_111918.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhjh_d69FWLPeAuEImGIV-jHk57rlT_hGr2-8eXtrpiOstv19zVBVBRONA0u9CRBaWuiY9P-WXVkCKVZildYh6Iboksk4HKarYqaSkVNRy1rly8xkSk-D9XIj6lysoYePkEil7suwKLPY/s1600/20160822_121255.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23kVqaE4fmnVH-yP4RG1k6Tz1nEjSsQZ3GSq7G5xjxgnwT7SbILmKW9Gor_To9RqWE8dxbVGoJiU0U3dk65yFfBz27MgCWAaMqILOeWk6-L1FluYwrCtR9l8BB1Ck6G3ObHtRQXozA3Bh/s1600/20160902_145426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23kVqaE4fmnVH-yP4RG1k6Tz1nEjSsQZ3GSq7G5xjxgnwT7SbILmKW9Gor_To9RqWE8dxbVGoJiU0U3dk65yFfBz27MgCWAaMqILOeWk6-L1FluYwrCtR9l8BB1Ck6G3ObHtRQXozA3Bh/s320/20160902_145426.jpg" width="180" /></a><b> </b><br />
We installed the cabinets from the pantry to the stove, and installed the sink and countertop. We messed up the countertop a bit on the install, but we intend to replace it with some kind of solid surface in the future. When the plumber came back to install the vent under the sink, we decided to pay him to finish connecting the drains and installing the appliances. This was work we could have done ourselves, but it had been 12 days without a kitchen, and our one bathroom sink was backed up. With so much work ahead of us, we decided it was better to get this knocked out before the weekend.<br />
<br />
We only have about 1/4 of the kitchen done, but that includes the range, sink, and dishwasher. We're taking a short break to catch up on other housework before starting Phase 2 <br />
<br />
<br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-29805600950544574822016-08-27T09:35:00.002-07:002016-08-27T09:58:36.134-07:00The Basement Flood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiVOrDdVknFSqTzajRyCARJs3ETqH3bZHxDajBz_G84rzU-4ElKL1JbpjeUFMrRUUBo5hCEPVPPGyK574EyywU5ulsgvM1oqg6gO6E89rykUp1VsHatJ96lCZiHt42q_R9dQFVtoBwFFg/s1600/flood-across-europe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiVOrDdVknFSqTzajRyCARJs3ETqH3bZHxDajBz_G84rzU-4ElKL1JbpjeUFMrRUUBo5hCEPVPPGyK574EyywU5ulsgvM1oqg6gO6E89rykUp1VsHatJ96lCZiHt42q_R9dQFVtoBwFFg/s320/flood-across-europe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I take pictures of everything, but there are no pictures of the Basement Flood of June 2016. We actually had two floods back to back - a small flood that was manageable, and a larger flood that was anxiety inducing. Both of these happened just days before our vacation, which we had been planning for over a year.<br />
<br />
The first flood was due to clogged gutters and an open window well during a rainstorm. The window well quickly filled with water, which leaked in through the window. This has happened from time to time, but one of our pumps was not working properly, so a fair amount of water entered the basement. We were able to move things out of the way and get the water pushed out to the other pump. We also replaced the faulty pump.<br />
<br />
Then, we had another major storm, which knocked out our power. Foolishly, we did not get battery backups for our pumps after the first flood, so the basement flooded again. We hauled out furniture and got everything up off the floor as the water continued to rise. All in all in was only a few inches, but a few inches across 1600 sq ft of basement is a lot of water.<br />
<br />
We tried to call Servepro, but there is nothing they can do while the power is out. We bought extension cords and a small generator so that we could run the pumps. That generator leaked oil, so 12 hours later we bought a bigger generator that could run both pumps at once.<br />
<br />
When we left for our trip the power was still out, but we had a family friend stop by every few hours to start the generator. The power was out for a total of 53 hours. Nothing important was damaged, but between the new pump, the generator, and other miscellaneous expenses, this flood costs us a fair amount of money. <br />
<br />
This is the status of our basement post flood:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiujKnGwIHP73Mfs7h15uhZ020eWRRD9PFpjpCqT_N71gNt_rig5C98TK5RqMz7Gu6vf41BxULmZbGGpuNDZTBhyphenhypheni6gCywU3JH67bBfAQ9n5qEbcNpPMx3cSPCTZ1BYKte8GV8DQov6En6/s1600/20160827_125438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiujKnGwIHP73Mfs7h15uhZ020eWRRD9PFpjpCqT_N71gNt_rig5C98TK5RqMz7Gu6vf41BxULmZbGGpuNDZTBhyphenhypheni6gCywU3JH67bBfAQ9n5qEbcNpPMx3cSPCTZ1BYKte8GV8DQov6En6/s400/20160827_125438.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It's easy to take passive conveniences like power for granted. This flood made us realize that there is no point in investing not one dollar into our basement until we get a subpanel and backup generator installed.Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-8682667413439945222016-08-27T09:12:00.000-07:002016-08-27T09:12:43.678-07:00Sharpening the (metaphorical) Axe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheim_T0u25jPuuiAMX5Iz3xyrOk9v0aL6efhtPu6n40LiAqBcaMg12ScffEZ4WQpyj03y9MMQcRGEVaV8h3Rd5dNjIqea9yedOJRjTGCpKD_2rvsw1F8I5D7Os0oo-iifni5zfMxlQreVn/s1600/Quotefancy-30474-3840x2160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheim_T0u25jPuuiAMX5Iz3xyrOk9v0aL6efhtPu6n40LiAqBcaMg12ScffEZ4WQpyj03y9MMQcRGEVaV8h3Rd5dNjIqea9yedOJRjTGCpKD_2rvsw1F8I5D7Os0oo-iifni5zfMxlQreVn/s640/Quotefancy-30474-3840x2160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
A year ago, we imagined that we would have many of our renovations done by now. Instead, we have done next to nothing.<br />
<br />
There were certainly other life projects and events during this time: We started living that <a href="http://www.thugkitchen.com/">Thug Kitchen</a> life, Aaron got a new job and lost 60 lbs, and we've helped friends and family with their minor renovations needs. We've also started a tabletop gaming group called <a href="http://www.varianthex.com/">Variant Hex</a> with some friends of ours. We learned about <a href="http://tidyingup.com/books/the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up-hc">the life-changing magic of tidying up</a>, and as a result better identified what we want our house to be.<br />
<br />
We feel discouraged by how little progress we have made, but we're
trying to refocus on what we have gained in this time as we push forward
with renovations. We've been "sharpening the axe" throughout this time,
and should be able to execute more efficiently.<br />
<br />
We are currently in the middle of our kitchen renovation. This is our
first big project, and we've already had a few surprises. Because we
took time out to sharpen the axe, we have been better able to tackle problems
that arise and adapt to what needs to be done. Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-17298477896275310402015-08-06T15:12:00.004-07:002015-08-07T05:00:43.510-07:00Geometric Art Desk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Because fully intend to turn our new office into a master closet and bath
one day, we just needed a simple desk for our temporary office. We considered a few different desk options on a trip to Ikea, but ultimately decided a cheap, makeshift desk would be the best idea. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We wanted a desk in a very specific size, so we used a pressboard
countertop meant for a garage work bench. We could have used MDF for a
very similar price... and maybe we should have. The MDF would have soaked up more paint, but the finished surface would have been smoother than the pressboard. But, the workbench top
didn't require any extra cutting, and we were feeling lazy. The legs
were sold individually, bringing the cost of the basic desk to about
$40.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQUukY2Z5GLmnLpWW6uUAbtZCY6qp9uuV4mSLh836zISokyzLoudGAM4VLu753FU5bg-20iAcp2lf8xvx-PfBUYWCRjGAdMKhp8MbLWSx6NsyzCaQxkYb-mFrNqxeezpaMrFc6YaOCq2j/s1600/2015-07-27+07.40.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Then things got a bit crazy. The plain workbench top looked too much like... well, a workbench top. I decided to paint it. I
first made a basic design on graph paper, which I used as tracing paper
to create a design for the desk.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU_CjavPvwCk5hSjRwTLsnw8LxG2htxBNBVWQyCwGtAsciPjhpQwRHXrHmsLDuFX-EKXt2s8xiwam1x3dev1cCBeCHoU9Yi0kaJGPudPiSny1KIDMUdulwFp2yiaEFt1pxY7njRXbB7jU/s1600/2015-07-25+22.02.13-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzU_CjavPvwCk5hSjRwTLsnw8LxG2htxBNBVWQyCwGtAsciPjhpQwRHXrHmsLDuFX-EKXt2s8xiwam1x3dev1cCBeCHoU9Yi0kaJGPudPiSny1KIDMUdulwFp2yiaEFt1pxY7njRXbB7jU/s200/2015-07-25+22.02.13-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I sketched out a few shape ideas that
could be created from it. Aaron liked the triangles and diamonds the
most, saying that he wanted the triangles on his side pointing to the
squares on my side. I drew a box to scale with the table top, and
created a design by tracing over my custom template above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5rjLGKT79lAH1XmqZJt0oCvmLdWL4dg5mpblT8DC1eQ4FJjmgxkJbb8Ilh8P6zVqLgroJcMZ3wKqfrFzhoBjUR4KMY91vz-9vurnz8KSzamz_JjQ5hBccPdW2k4aLpcbJ_VjGB8foY3w/s1600/2015-07-25+22.01.44.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5rjLGKT79lAH1XmqZJt0oCvmLdWL4dg5mpblT8DC1eQ4FJjmgxkJbb8Ilh8P6zVqLgroJcMZ3wKqfrFzhoBjUR4KMY91vz-9vurnz8KSzamz_JjQ5hBccPdW2k4aLpcbJ_VjGB8foY3w/s320/2015-07-25+22.01.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Geometric
designs are a great way for anyone, despite artistic ability, to make
something awesome. It all boils down to straight lines and tracing. I
initially tried to spray paint the desktop, but this would have taken
too much paint and time. I used two coats of a flat, very light gray
paint and primer in one instead.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhl5AIBXLdXzAxmY8Lp3iaPxx3OMjUlJgYqIL6Cd-oQbcqMkOYV7TWc9-JjWG3ZTSxp0jh5-tf3okzAOfuZbdeVooNMO5HxTqAOkpsa9CoeawJG2fRUoIWKFBL41VYfsr40A2LAnC8qDF/s1600/2015-07-26+18.30.14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhl5AIBXLdXzAxmY8Lp3iaPxx3OMjUlJgYqIL6Cd-oQbcqMkOYV7TWc9-JjWG3ZTSxp0jh5-tf3okzAOfuZbdeVooNMO5HxTqAOkpsa9CoeawJG2fRUoIWKFBL41VYfsr40A2LAnC8qDF/s200/2015-07-26+18.30.14.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I wanted to use thing masking tape for the design, eventually ordering <a href="http://amzn.com/B0079NPE6G">.125" tape from Amazon</a>.
It's clear that whoever was selling this tape was merely buying regular
sized tape and cutting it into thinner rolls on some sort of saw... but whatever. I couldn't find anything thinner than .5" in stores near me. I marked the edges of the table with little lines every inch,
then connected the lines according to my design. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyju_5pjRUy4yBbLqv7bsOVcBXtCvq0-RKybVwrGrAwo3Bb-kblG94aWYIBkScKagduMi1KapCrc_hBVqjG_orJXGCbSd-IMdavEj5Uslr7cqNly34kzum3OC1T9EII5O7-_ZM5st_f97/s1600/2015-07-27+08.09.32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyju_5pjRUy4yBbLqv7bsOVcBXtCvq0-RKybVwrGrAwo3Bb-kblG94aWYIBkScKagduMi1KapCrc_hBVqjG_orJXGCbSd-IMdavEj5Uslr7cqNly34kzum3OC1T9EII5O7-_ZM5st_f97/s200/2015-07-27+08.09.32.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iA4d_9KrS53yNjNUr9mRkLwovePmfbJNeDhO0OyTZpGb0QtcPkV4H9MVFpHhlFThHH6O0LIR_3t4_INbGEagBHrNQBWdphtmslaW3L1Vc7cyv671Asv8V_xeo-LDEvud9hE3_P0z6ifv/s1600/2015-07-27+18.40.36.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iA4d_9KrS53yNjNUr9mRkLwovePmfbJNeDhO0OyTZpGb0QtcPkV4H9MVFpHhlFThHH6O0LIR_3t4_INbGEagBHrNQBWdphtmslaW3L1Vc7cyv671Asv8V_xeo-LDEvud9hE3_P0z6ifv/s200/2015-07-27+18.40.36.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ2EqR0WMF1cvVWzHOvrpsxTGuuv7aN6RF5JjsiyHBsZQIiKJXA1o-jt5YUSmQA8i4drV9rIxytZgjA1VfWZSe58mHDsEqmPQAecQ9eb799taZfc02DGODtJK6L8hwOsNyz3IJ7jcCJNv/s1600/2015-07-27+19.37.33.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ2EqR0WMF1cvVWzHOvrpsxTGuuv7aN6RF5JjsiyHBsZQIiKJXA1o-jt5YUSmQA8i4drV9rIxytZgjA1VfWZSe58mHDsEqmPQAecQ9eb799taZfc02DGODtJK6L8hwOsNyz3IJ7jcCJNv/s200/2015-07-27+19.37.33.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyju_5pjRUy4yBbLqv7bsOVcBXtCvq0-RKybVwrGrAwo3Bb-kblG94aWYIBkScKagduMi1KapCrc_hBVqjG_orJXGCbSd-IMdavEj5Uslr7cqNly34kzum3OC1T9EII5O7-_ZM5st_f97/s1600/2015-07-27+08.09.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Obviously, this resulted in a lot of wasted tape, but it was the easiest way to recreate the design. Unfortunately, once I was on the squares side, I realized I had made a sight error in
laying out the tape. The boxes were slowly going askew as I continued. I adjusted the design on the fly to make the
mistake less apparent, so that side differs from the original design.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa0-FKYDYPSp9fQWgWMIOzjDEdRT9Gb7tbDPMUCc9daxpvssEAY216_76onar8TQNqJRZ0iVopGyR2BuuG7j75fWFGYXzgVrJ8V-deYnuyoVjGBmM60qNDZ7VDtv9Tcljuj8p-ujfaCX7/s1600/2015-07-27+22.49.45.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa0-FKYDYPSp9fQWgWMIOzjDEdRT9Gb7tbDPMUCc9daxpvssEAY216_76onar8TQNqJRZ0iVopGyR2BuuG7j75fWFGYXzgVrJ8V-deYnuyoVjGBmM60qNDZ7VDtv9Tcljuj8p-ujfaCX7/s200/2015-07-27+22.49.45.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I used cheap acrylic craft paint from <a href="http://www.michaels.com/americana-acrylic-paint-2-oz/M10132000.html?dwvar_M10132000_color=Lamp%20Black#start=2">Michaels</a>
to fill the shapes. I sort of randomly picked the colors, going for
whatever felt about right. There's a mix of flat, satin, and metallic
colors. I was able to get 13 bottles for $9 dollars, and still have a
ton left. I intend to use the extra paint later to make wall art in the same colors as the desk. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQUukY2Z5GLmnLpWW6uUAbtZCY6qp9uuV4mSLh836zISokyzLoudGAM4VLu753FU5bg-20iAcp2lf8xvx-PfBUYWCRjGAdMKhp8MbLWSx6NsyzCaQxkYb-mFrNqxeezpaMrFc6YaOCq2j/s1600/2015-07-27+07.40.10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQUukY2Z5GLmnLpWW6uUAbtZCY6qp9uuV4mSLh836zISokyzLoudGAM4VLu753FU5bg-20iAcp2lf8xvx-PfBUYWCRjGAdMKhp8MbLWSx6NsyzCaQxkYb-mFrNqxeezpaMrFc6YaOCq2j/s320/2015-07-27+07.40.10.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I thought foam brushes would be the best way to paint
this, but just a regular paint brush would have worked fine. The foam
brushes came in assorted packs of 9 for $5 at <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Linzer-1-in-2-in-and-3-in-Foam-Paint-Brush-Set-9-Pack-A-8509/100128205">Home Depot</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsGtjBDif3Wwu9KwC9B53XO5lhe_Zavzu4CUliKVav5tftD_25y3kOC6P4b7HsbwBzcjeGrnIQ9OfXFJtDdVq2F-CTmt1OZ6emCYOjTgQOg26QwhGrVCVRiGD1n_UXKhhyyPRbLGyx1Vt/s1600/2015-07-28+20.10.44.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsGtjBDif3Wwu9KwC9B53XO5lhe_Zavzu4CUliKVav5tftD_25y3kOC6P4b7HsbwBzcjeGrnIQ9OfXFJtDdVq2F-CTmt1OZ6emCYOjTgQOg26QwhGrVCVRiGD1n_UXKhhyyPRbLGyx1Vt/s200/2015-07-28+20.10.44.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In
addition to just sort of guessing what colors to use, I just sort of
guessed where to use them. I started at the triangles end and painted
toward the squares, trying not to rely on one color too much or using
the same color right next to itself. I used the flat and satin colors
the most, and used the metallics sparingly. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW-o5ItHlPSn_prGxabG64PKiWnjT1XpQV2-_pLm6lhGqZqHAxWGyiKiHOTZG8VmYrWpcV-TSucoOOSxh04jMXJ4JsLWp5QGS6T6_ZQHamu0MK7axLtj7VNkhMAA44Def_m-gjrqt2Su4/s1600/2015-07-30+07.49.28.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW-o5ItHlPSn_prGxabG64PKiWnjT1XpQV2-_pLm6lhGqZqHAxWGyiKiHOTZG8VmYrWpcV-TSucoOOSxh04jMXJ4JsLWp5QGS6T6_ZQHamu0MK7axLtj7VNkhMAA44Def_m-gjrqt2Su4/s400/2015-07-30+07.49.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One
of the most rewarding parts about this whole project was pulling off
the tape once the design was complete. This was also terrifying, as I
still needed to cover it with a top coat. I used <a href="https://www.menards.com/main/p-2746569.htm">triple thick polyurethane</a>. Some type of epoxy might have been better, but I didn't want to deal with the mess or stress. I prefer to use epoxy on <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2012/11/enviro-tec-lite.html">things with edges</a>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Because
the surface of the desk is slightly textured, I was unable to sand
between coats. The polyurethane was self leveling, so the brushstrokes could not
be seen once it dried. We're very happy with how it turned out, and are
now impatiently waiting for the polyurethane to fully cure so we can start
using it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevkPNVubE2YH86A5Kcm460TuRrnYowyA4D8pXO8yvAiA-O_34p55gyxSQPUIaqqgRvBFrZSzGuBWFF33dFlAvsd-Tjz1Wr4XfRV8bUwaxovHKYRI-Rkafa8Xpd1cWVgjzPn-hd-5KCeXa/s1600/2015-08-05+18.00.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevkPNVubE2YH86A5Kcm460TuRrnYowyA4D8pXO8yvAiA-O_34p55gyxSQPUIaqqgRvBFrZSzGuBWFF33dFlAvsd-Tjz1Wr4XfRV8bUwaxovHKYRI-Rkafa8Xpd1cWVgjzPn-hd-5KCeXa/s400/2015-08-05+18.00.20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-16372692064407639842015-08-06T14:41:00.002-07:002015-08-06T15:26:58.179-07:00Renovating Poker Chairs<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
Aaron
found a couple chairs at Goodwill that he thought we could refinish and
resell. I thought we'd be able to use them for our new desk, but it
turns out they are a bit short. The original fabric was billiards themed
and rather faded. </div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPjkn7KZSiC1bAO1ogrREcU75DUuQ7iHB66OzjuLhsLGuE5Hkl45_uu51o8oUkPuB7NsjuItAqjXPBs2a0l6zt_xhyDcDtIdVK3rI6FZl4HEn0pe_BUxtxqIiIGqUBHCkEe-eUb9Qz18T/s1600/2015-08-03+19.20.43.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPjkn7KZSiC1bAO1ogrREcU75DUuQ7iHB66OzjuLhsLGuE5Hkl45_uu51o8oUkPuB7NsjuItAqjXPBs2a0l6zt_xhyDcDtIdVK3rI6FZl4HEn0pe_BUxtxqIiIGqUBHCkEe-eUb9Qz18T/s320/2015-08-03+19.20.43.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
</div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
Removing
the chair cushions wasn't too hard, aside from digging out the wood
plugs. Once the chairs were disassembled, we lightly sanded the frames
with stain and poly in one. I hadn't used this product before, and I'm
not sure that I like it. Even though staining and sealing separately
takes more time and effort, I think it's easier to control that this
product. At first, I tried to use too much at once - I expected the
consistency to be in between stain and poly, but it was nearly as watery
as regular stain. </div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
This
was also my first fabric recovering job. It was like wrapping an
awkward gift with staples. I don't think it's that great, but Aaron things
I'm being overly critical. Because of how the chairs were constructed, I
was advised to just cover the existing fabric instead of removing it.
This was probably wise, but I had to scrub them down well before starting. </div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp1o2hr9rvU8-1WXNpOjSYfRKGnJ-0p0rREua2uVbZpc40P3HS4qHQCOLDnMjvUeniYxqU7RrcZaa1Jr_AHhrRaR_3tbEH8GgWhQL0eY18GatXbsmalSWaSh8bGm5nfKWP6C3hA_z9TaZ/s1600/2015-08-05+17.53.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp1o2hr9rvU8-1WXNpOjSYfRKGnJ-0p0rREua2uVbZpc40P3HS4qHQCOLDnMjvUeniYxqU7RrcZaa1Jr_AHhrRaR_3tbEH8GgWhQL0eY18GatXbsmalSWaSh8bGm5nfKWP6C3hA_z9TaZ/s320/2015-08-05+17.53.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">
The
original fabric was heavier, so getting the staples in at some of the
corners was tough. I bought three yards of fabric, but used less than two. I think the finished product looks fine, but I think I'd prefer regular desk chairs.<br />
</div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-83384705719950877262015-08-06T14:39:00.002-07:002015-08-07T05:01:58.420-07:00Now Hanging<div>
Cleaning up the rest of the house meant consolidating some of our
excess junk into the basement. There's plenty of space down there, but
I'm cautious of storing more than we need. Until we find the time to
sort through this stuff, we've stacked it on either side of the stairs.
This space is completely unused otherwise, but it was still a bit
unsightly for the time being.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciHz8dY483SeyThScj4bWxxIMebRFDIQqfq_M6WOH0Jf3_-iUJxI8mITwrxJp7WGzZKAgfaOZodpIZlwCiuO-BslAc1Xb7A48iv1sVN5rKtmF3wcyXvof_AE8_WKmjdub6ACShT_fIzsc/s1600/2015-08-06+22.08.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciHz8dY483SeyThScj4bWxxIMebRFDIQqfq_M6WOH0Jf3_-iUJxI8mITwrxJp7WGzZKAgfaOZodpIZlwCiuO-BslAc1Xb7A48iv1sVN5rKtmF3wcyXvof_AE8_WKmjdub6ACShT_fIzsc/s200/2015-08-06+22.08.16.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNay4brqB3113EJm0XiDQDGRzaeB-G8ifjeCWME-Kqp210yqSW7K-thkfaqdUu7AEAfVKUXS9cLYU1os756jSmxf6hQnJWE_26fCQM_sM_103VK7g5NhaDMRceBXMuXy5sYDN7wce0ZXl/s1600/2015-08-06+22.08.53.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNay4brqB3113EJm0XiDQDGRzaeB-G8ifjeCWME-Kqp210yqSW7K-thkfaqdUu7AEAfVKUXS9cLYU1os756jSmxf6hQnJWE_26fCQM_sM_103VK7g5NhaDMRceBXMuXy5sYDN7wce0ZXl/s200/2015-08-06+22.08.53.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
While cleaning I found a couple gigantic posters from when I worked at a movie theater in
college. I hung them on either side for the staircase, in front of the piles of stuff we brought down from upstairs. The posters are actually taller
than the basement is deep, but for now they are sufficiently hiding our
random, unsorted junk.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8j-NyojVUVpcJHkwvFo4P2vTs0_lWRB2h0IsScR_j_sErjVWvdY5TplDGFPSjaTajum-a4qMaNagocdWVF2yHKqswg66JtH_j5hU0AKkRdLn0Vl_6lOCzlU_Cllmfs7dDnvHRWaFA-oH/s1600/2015-08-06+22.09.47.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8j-NyojVUVpcJHkwvFo4P2vTs0_lWRB2h0IsScR_j_sErjVWvdY5TplDGFPSjaTajum-a4qMaNagocdWVF2yHKqswg66JtH_j5hU0AKkRdLn0Vl_6lOCzlU_Cllmfs7dDnvHRWaFA-oH/s320/2015-08-06+22.09.47.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdxtf_LTwRuDEGqDVlURLE6i9jdC2R2MW1VxfdZdn1bQZfMn78vUHqixZkWv9C8_l2-HLn10uYvhyphenhyphenITqv_exYmmNgEmfUW8BspVUN1R1c9sLx2qxOMEaiCGq1_4FEDFDCT1pynGkTOeiX/s1600/2015-08-06+22.09.35.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjdxtf_LTwRuDEGqDVlURLE6i9jdC2R2MW1VxfdZdn1bQZfMn78vUHqixZkWv9C8_l2-HLn10uYvhyphenhyphenITqv_exYmmNgEmfUW8BspVUN1R1c9sLx2qxOMEaiCGq1_4FEDFDCT1pynGkTOeiX/s320/2015-08-06+22.09.35.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
</div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-52306684807965799902015-08-06T14:38:00.002-07:002015-08-06T19:43:39.303-07:00Makeshift OfficeFor the last year, our fourth bedroom was more like a public storage unit for stuff that we
didn't want to deal with. While we were both on staycation, we bought
some metal frame shelves and boxes from home depot to get it all tucked
away in the basement.<br />
<br />
Getting everything sorted and moved out of the room was a bit tedious, but didn't take too long. Now that we have the room back to a blank slate, we are
turning it into a temporary office. The temporary part hinges on us actually turning the room into a master bathroom and closet, which if I'm being honest, may never happen. Maybe that's why I'm <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2015/08/geometric-art-desk.html">overdoing it a bit</a> for a makeshift office.<br />
<br />
We're going to have a long desk for both of us to work on, a couple bookshelves, and probably a large recliner. I'm thinking the recliner will actually be a secret birthday gift for Aaron next week. I know it doesn't seem secret if I'm posting it to this blog, but I doubt he'll read this before then... Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-63841431490030489992015-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:002015-08-06T19:43:06.053-07:00Guest Room Clean-Up<div>
Our guest room and fourth bedroom were mostly holding a bunch of
random things that had no home. My sister and brother-in-law's visit
gave us the motivation to get ourselves together and get things cleaned
up. </div>
<div>
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</div>
<div>
I changed the direction
of the bed, moved the media bookshelf, brought in a chair from
downstairs, and unrolled a rug that use to be under our dining room
table. </div>
<div>
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</div>
<div>
The things in this room don't really match right now... but, our guests enjoyed it all the same (and so did Roxas).<br />
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Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-53860769494017623742015-08-06T14:35:00.000-07:002015-08-07T05:05:48.833-07:00One Small StepBecause we live in our home while we renovate, everything tends to get a
bit scattered as we take on projects. Every few months, we take a break
to deep clean the house and get everything tidy again. Cleaning out the
pantry was an easy place to start, and helped get us mentally ready for
our new goal of being vegan <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-vegetarianism">flexitarians</a>, (which for us means eating about 80% vegan).<br />
<br />
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I still intend to strip the paint off of this pantry and the
bookcase in the living room and refinish them one day... but for now
it's serving as motivation to tackle bigger organization chores.Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-4677738542689040292015-08-06T14:34:00.000-07:002015-08-07T05:07:15.063-07:00Installing Basement Drains<div>
We've had lots of small, necessary, mostly boring projects so far.
Our first major step towards getting our basement finished was getting
the drains installed in the floor, along with a big new well and grinder
pump. We needed a total of four drains - one for the kitchen, one for
the sink in the bathroom, one for the toilet, and one for the shower. </div>
<div>
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<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
One
of the difficulties in getting the plan right was the number of
obstacles in the way. We had to account for the pump and the connection to
the sewer (located in the center of the bottom wall), the four windows on that side of the basement, one of the
poles holding up the house, and the electrical panel (located on the right wall). We also wanted to create a plan that made it possible to build a master suite in the future if we decide to rent out the home in the future as two apartments.We had many
versions of the layout before finally coming up with a workable plan.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Though we do a lot of our renovation work ourselves, this was certainly a job we did not want to tackle. This work was too integral to the basement's function,and to hard to remedy if incorrect. We took this opportunity to finally join <a href="http://www.angieslist.com/">Angie's List</a>, and hired <a href="http://www.olisconstruction.com/">Olis Construction</a> to do the work. We picked them because
they were fine with just doing one piece of what will be a much larger
project, allowing us to decide what to tackle next and when. Other
contractors wanted us to do the entirety of the plumbing at once. Additionally, Mark Olis was polite, fast, and reasonably priced.</div>
<div>
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
On
day one, Olis and his assistant arrived in an unassuming pickup truck
and got to work breaking up concrete. Lots and lots of concrete. The
well they put in was 3 feet deep, so they also had
to dig out for that. The ditches they cut out were much neater and narrower than I imagined. The jackhammer was exactly as loud as I imagined. </div>
<div>
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<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
On the second day they laid the drains. </div>
<div>
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<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
On
the third day, they were covering up the ditches. with concrete That
was it!<br />
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Naturally, this was dusty work and left a bit of a mess. We
decided this was as good a time as any to get things cleaned up and
organized around home, and save up for the next big project.<br />
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</div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-62477913375553711872015-08-06T14:29:00.002-07:002015-08-06T18:06:21.021-07:00Osage Trees<div>
I mentioned I hated yardwork, right? I'm quite ready for the winter and the
frosty hibernation it brings to all of nature. Unfortunately, between
then and now is fall, and a driveway full of Osage Orange fruit, known as hedgeapples.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
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What
are those? The fruit of the tree of the devil, in my opinion. Some people <a href="http://hedgeapple.com/">love them</a>, but I'm unimpressed. The wood from these trees is very strong, making for good fences and
bows. I've heard from one of our neighbors that the ones lining the west side of our lot are
protected, and cannot be cut down. In the spring, all the buds fall off
and make a mess of our driveway. I used the blower to clear them off
every day, a task that Aaron thought to be futile. In the fall, these
trees litter the ground with endless hedgeapples. The squirrels go crazy for them, and will
carry many of the early ones off the driveway. They are mostly inedible for humans, but they are known to
ward off spiders and other insects if you place them in your window and
near doors. </div>
<br />
These are the bane of
my existence from September to November. When they hit the
ground, they usually remain intact, but when they split open they are a
slimy mess. If we don't get them off the
driveway, we end up with mounds of goo everywhere. Last year I had an afternoon ritual of removing them from our driveway
every day when I got home from work. I kept count of how many I cleared
until I got to 200. By then it was just depressing. <br />
<div>
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
One
last fun fact about these trees is that when they are first growing,
they have thorns like you wouldn't believe, making clearing out of <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2015/08/clearing-side-lot.html">hundreds of square feet of honeysuckle</a> all the more horrible. </div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-89486142058345746472015-08-06T14:27:00.000-07:002015-08-06T19:49:47.694-07:00Clearing the Side LotI'm not sure exactly what came over me, but I took up the ambitious goal
of cleaning out our side lot in late March. I think I just wanted to
get ahead of the spring.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ4Xag9uEehM_lcML0G42SDHF2MYEXJlpo-M3pH_aLDW5yf4v2Y7vuS6Mlh_BDaFu1zJr5DHVVYhZ3vMt9m-U2N60KIvIzvimC479VCwJqwZpEZsyAoVKcF8SGKsByRWyxdIkLadvxh9r/s1600/2015-03-19+16.58.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ4Xag9uEehM_lcML0G42SDHF2MYEXJlpo-M3pH_aLDW5yf4v2Y7vuS6Mlh_BDaFu1zJr5DHVVYhZ3vMt9m-U2N60KIvIzvimC479VCwJqwZpEZsyAoVKcF8SGKsByRWyxdIkLadvxh9r/s320/2015-03-19+16.58.20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We call it the side lot, but it's really just
the extension of our driveway past where it turns toward our garage.
It's probably about 30 feet wide, and as long as our back yard. I cut
down everything i could reach back there, aside from the giant <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2015/08/osage-trees.html">Osage trees</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE8W3DVRM4NFeWCwjgf0lRLi_K49yUTNCNMijaKfKtUNbHsknyNtN86eQN9BCMOoZdyuaXdq5LsApCJmRKLVJduxz9NKSNGzK28LKIufW8rr9TrrLAMgDaCFotOk7SxgMUxeyfhpCyjwO/s1600/2015-03-19+16.58.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOE8W3DVRM4NFeWCwjgf0lRLi_K49yUTNCNMijaKfKtUNbHsknyNtN86eQN9BCMOoZdyuaXdq5LsApCJmRKLVJduxz9NKSNGzK28LKIufW8rr9TrrLAMgDaCFotOk7SxgMUxeyfhpCyjwO/s320/2015-03-19+16.58.39.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
It took three evenings of work to get it done. It was WAY MORE
than we expected, and still haven't found a good way to haul it all off.
My current plan is to wait till late fall, cut down everything that has
grown back, and then rent a U-Haul to take it to the dump.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AitVej74NlNKROH2_3CDnaGRsUYP9GqenjfljcOvnN0Cjr6UCrBp1PZngAeveGKfCE6wolCiuE3puSJ-5cMGkIxSvUyqD1JFF4idh1ZoteEBwnereDDRveluWmARx0-5Dmyw_bJOldGP/s1600/2015-03-19+17.00.01-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AitVej74NlNKROH2_3CDnaGRsUYP9GqenjfljcOvnN0Cjr6UCrBp1PZngAeveGKfCE6wolCiuE3puSJ-5cMGkIxSvUyqD1JFF4idh1ZoteEBwnereDDRveluWmARx0-5Dmyw_bJOldGP/s320/2015-03-19+17.00.01-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Disappointingly, every type of weed took advantage of this newly cleared
space and grew like the Amazon forest of Indiana. The picture below is from early spring, when they sprung up seemingly overnight. These weeds grew taller than
the shed before we got around to knocking them down. It's enough to make you want to pave the whole thing.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-li3MKEThdLrpjWr765MZZ-uLfzGkB-HTNzJAb5j-gxxrssNkfXqs9v2E2tifDy1Kfo_P34foTl8w0yFhfYmMhwosqi2sZWMywP29s8ZRHIgC42i9ih_yVTe2HWHR1ouT7CF2116pnIF/s1600/2015-05-27+15.45.08-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-li3MKEThdLrpjWr765MZZ-uLfzGkB-HTNzJAb5j-gxxrssNkfXqs9v2E2tifDy1Kfo_P34foTl8w0yFhfYmMhwosqi2sZWMywP29s8ZRHIgC42i9ih_yVTe2HWHR1ouT7CF2116pnIF/s320/2015-05-27+15.45.08-1.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-14325519414579386602015-08-06T14:25:00.001-07:002015-08-07T05:15:58.175-07:00Pirates!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__osLdqcrbyhjzexKmIKZQ9vcZqerYMy4Crn3rgtXSR0UwuvdimZLowWZnz-BNkkSnTZ5jWY28TlqC7EcJdXLJEiNK3xP9_Drav4Ed-GzhSFd2hI4vsa5QcrJEuIq1V4_TNZ7quD86qhG/s1600/2015-03-29+17.50.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__osLdqcrbyhjzexKmIKZQ9vcZqerYMy4Crn3rgtXSR0UwuvdimZLowWZnz-BNkkSnTZ5jWY28TlqC7EcJdXLJEiNK3xP9_Drav4Ed-GzhSFd2hI4vsa5QcrJEuIq1V4_TNZ7quD86qhG/s200/2015-03-29+17.50.28.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
A few months back, we hosted a party for Aaron's cousins. Having a theme
was by no means necessary, but we chose Pirates all the same. The flag and statue are from Assassin's Creed IV, and I just happened to see a gift set of Captain Morgan that came with cannonball cups. We made a
pirate Spotify list (turns out there are a lot of pirate songs out
there) found a bunch of rum drink recipes, and decorated the mantle.
That was in march... and I've since added a pirate book and a bottle of rum to the mantle. I'm not sure what it says about who I am as a person that this still delights me greatly. Even better, Aaron has said nothing about taking it down, which is either a sign of his love or his indifference. I recently realized that whenever delivery people come to our
door, their first glimpse in into the house reveals a gigantic black pirate flag...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIbYdZzaE1dlyMFlF6D1n1m4z70W9jpSLaBzJ_oXKCKW83r8vUhW4gHlilRWm2WrAxsvXVLpSvmSHfYYOCpFlF-AEryMAF70eLkR9e01A99-rO-00mcSloFYrUxQUQnrbab9nF1wjWPWk/s1600/2015-07-17+11.32.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIbYdZzaE1dlyMFlF6D1n1m4z70W9jpSLaBzJ_oXKCKW83r8vUhW4gHlilRWm2WrAxsvXVLpSvmSHfYYOCpFlF-AEryMAF70eLkR9e01A99-rO-00mcSloFYrUxQUQnrbab9nF1wjWPWk/s320/2015-07-17+11.32.18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-67868727939662115452015-08-05T17:52:00.001-07:002015-08-06T18:18:25.896-07:00The Meridian Kessler Home Tour<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4VOL-lwCL51bLTff9EcBbQje6IIo8KvVGypWNo-E_hLTtD9dRrmKSr9LJvIK-2AnOzoxWtctLIfx2M5AHJ7riSxwSIpIQPWf-ZoBa0BfDVanC_nkJMpnTitxGsWGF_k_8Y-VYho1mCss/s1600/home+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4VOL-lwCL51bLTff9EcBbQje6IIo8KvVGypWNo-E_hLTtD9dRrmKSr9LJvIK-2AnOzoxWtctLIfx2M5AHJ7riSxwSIpIQPWf-ZoBa0BfDVanC_nkJMpnTitxGsWGF_k_8Y-VYho1mCss/s200/home+tour.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Home tours are an interesting concept - you pay a small fee to walk though a collection of other people's homes. It's like House Hunters with the pressure to actually buy a house. The Meridian Kessler Home Tour is
features homes in the historic district of the same name. Most of the
homes have been
renovated and modernized over the years, making each one distinct. Honestly, it's worth a visit to Indy just to go on this tour. </div>
<div>
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoYqhrSz-qzOYZ3Ug36x09B-3mp_6sTrIeJInF8V9CzKkC5B-A2W2Ssqal7pV86rYUBW1FResDyTJwHl30MK-ZKam0ky9opOokdKoqoge4m8awbTogwpLNELYfB2751FvjwS9deORP2ej/s1600/mk.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoYqhrSz-qzOYZ3Ug36x09B-3mp_6sTrIeJInF8V9CzKkC5B-A2W2Ssqal7pV86rYUBW1FResDyTJwHl30MK-ZKam0ky9opOokdKoqoge4m8awbTogwpLNELYfB2751FvjwS9deORP2ej/s200/mk.png" width="200" /></a>This
year was a bit offbeat, with one of the homes being completely empty and mostly gutted (they intend
to feature on the tour again when the home is complete) and another
that was a music school, artists residence, and private residence in one. </div>
<div>
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<div>
They
won't let you take pictures, which is a bit strange considering
hundreds of people will be walking through these homes. Because we have major
renovations planned for our own home, it was helpful to see how other
people dealt with renovation challenges. We could see some other
finished basements and observe how they managed low ceiling heights,
duct work, and other tricky situations. </div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-33669581709193337842015-08-05T17:41:00.001-07:002015-08-06T18:20:21.702-07:00Granny's PorchI wasn't quite sure what to get my grandmother for her birthday when I had the good and possibly a bit ambitious idea to put down new
flooring in her screened-in back porch. She had been complaining about her floor for some time, which was just peeling paint on concrete.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqxhN50cN7P31-831NLdCyidFR7NFQYoSL8uPQP0VtguAEFWrmXoKFoNJRpcL9B05PgaFqT0UMCEK_U2JmFl6aEuOz1-o4rwPi1vvvOUEEndLdWaY6S4rLPX612dCdwuWNIIunIQn8DZP/s1600/2015-04-17+18.55.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqxhN50cN7P31-831NLdCyidFR7NFQYoSL8uPQP0VtguAEFWrmXoKFoNJRpcL9B05PgaFqT0UMCEK_U2JmFl6aEuOz1-o4rwPi1vvvOUEEndLdWaY6S4rLPX612dCdwuWNIIunIQn8DZP/s320/2015-04-17+18.55.50.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
I used vinyl plank
flooring, which I love for many reasons: It's relatively cheap, it's a floating floor that can be installed over many surfaces, and it installs quickly. We surprised her with the
flooring one Friday evening after work, and were finished laying it by
sundown. Once the new floors were in, it was clear that it could use a
new coat of paint as well. I fully intended to paint the ceiling too,
but she's LOVING it all the same, so I figured I'd leave well enough
alone for now and go back to working on my own house.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkXWoQJA8K-Fd-KJXEL1x19jDPyTVn5lS8-lI2nTMxfijyGu-_T-uJEg9ola0hv4wLv9zkvymdXzWt4-ar8eDIeHJWAWd7XPucddrkXua8H37RYLwlbsJKqUipbmVFEwxCAzjtp0Bli9d/s1600/2015-04-18+14.52.42.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkXWoQJA8K-Fd-KJXEL1x19jDPyTVn5lS8-lI2nTMxfijyGu-_T-uJEg9ola0hv4wLv9zkvymdXzWt4-ar8eDIeHJWAWd7XPucddrkXua8H37RYLwlbsJKqUipbmVFEwxCAzjtp0Bli9d/s320/2015-04-18+14.52.42.jpg" width="179" /></a> </div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-3867765073581021812015-08-05T17:32:00.001-07:002015-08-06T18:33:46.728-07:00The Indianapolis Home Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90s1Xa06qqeMxq8iB4Ced75gXI0DurSd01H7y5AyeYBD-sF85A6H-EgiEEIn-vZp00GGAgIlMxC1oSJJXzjLkCHxFLh2HrB0YOtkGcADuBbw3UKHojXDhTDk7qpeLnmZUQUoLMiTS_3x9/s1600/IHS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90s1Xa06qqeMxq8iB4Ced75gXI0DurSd01H7y5AyeYBD-sF85A6H-EgiEEIn-vZp00GGAgIlMxC1oSJJXzjLkCHxFLh2HrB0YOtkGcADuBbw3UKHojXDhTDk7qpeLnmZUQUoLMiTS_3x9/s1600/IHS.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.indianapolishomeshow.com/IHS/EventsHome.aspx">The Indianapolis Home Show</a> was definitely better this year than last
year. I actually ended up going twice: once on the weekend with friends when it was super crowded, and once on a weekday with Aaron when it was almost empty.<br />
<br />
I felt that a lot of the smaller, less relevant booths were
grouped together in an auxiliary pavilion, making the main pavilion
more interesting. We saw
some cool ideas, nice products, and the feature home was lovely. The master bedroom was especially impressive.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qVYvDTNrLy4N9f5QJ1W9ntJAIHdYUkDWgRdpwKzcf2IPyt479z6sTCX2JIjtdH2dFlXn11Z7IUrUtSgKE2t3xHSX7xr0f9nw52nVKlbt80FjW67Vi9-On8cyKe0rMNl_6LYqw3BsPCyN/s1600/2015-01-29+18.08.27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qVYvDTNrLy4N9f5QJ1W9ntJAIHdYUkDWgRdpwKzcf2IPyt479z6sTCX2JIjtdH2dFlXn11Z7IUrUtSgKE2t3xHSX7xr0f9nw52nVKlbt80FjW67Vi9-On8cyKe0rMNl_6LYqw3BsPCyN/s320/2015-01-29+18.08.27.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The feature home also made a shallow platform in their media room, which we might consider making in our basement game room<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABJDockU87NWqQA0kzzrQ8zKdPy2-tZLmzM1w7aNqKwE_gQ_qq-xgl34zWCl12_phnXsGlrXcjJdmw_1S7f-CjpHHmarvXKq7qRxB8ihKiea2V_lyKw0Dpdb4fjlrbzD-QjNDyTAW8sR4/s1600/2015-01-29+18.01.01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABJDockU87NWqQA0kzzrQ8zKdPy2-tZLmzM1w7aNqKwE_gQ_qq-xgl34zWCl12_phnXsGlrXcjJdmw_1S7f-CjpHHmarvXKq7qRxB8ihKiea2V_lyKw0Dpdb4fjlrbzD-QjNDyTAW8sR4/s320/2015-01-29+18.01.01.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
One company featured lighted tiles in a weave pattern.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4LJd9102yKmRneuWAc8VxLfjRHqTT0JOCn7lGgMY5ze8p-y-kGGTzmvUP42cZIp2ScUEkqZapXS9Bxk_5VLwfaWUQ5ZUaKvyeApw54_dBbM06KH8E9TDqQPbZa7NW7IkTX4vhmUTWnDQ/s1600/2015-01-29+18.47.14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4LJd9102yKmRneuWAc8VxLfjRHqTT0JOCn7lGgMY5ze8p-y-kGGTzmvUP42cZIp2ScUEkqZapXS9Bxk_5VLwfaWUQ5ZUaKvyeApw54_dBbM06KH8E9TDqQPbZa7NW7IkTX4vhmUTWnDQ/s320/2015-01-29+18.47.14.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Another company constructed a massive outdoor room using a covered, angled pergola.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkj1BJ_Fx93iJygsmxCkt1lnodyCgNSgig9ZgapS6OPJItG7csftGillwv35ukCNamACXOBwzz1B3Wb6z2kj13ZyzQMxjbj7Ee7IGZU1Actz62rtAx4AQ2iiNw74as7rCOZOdSbLSb5yH/s1600/2015-01-29+19.00.57.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkj1BJ_Fx93iJygsmxCkt1lnodyCgNSgig9ZgapS6OPJItG7csftGillwv35ukCNamACXOBwzz1B3Wb6z2kj13ZyzQMxjbj7Ee7IGZU1Actz62rtAx4AQ2iiNw74as7rCOZOdSbLSb5yH/s320/2015-01-29+19.00.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of
my favorite features was an above ground pool with a patio and landscaping build up along the edge. The pool felt <u></u>integrated into
the landscape even though it was above ground. I'm sure that this was
more motivated by the constraints of the home show, but I thought it was
a great idea for a pool all the same.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K7nLLgPRmcCJKbVqW2phGsutZiHdkIX7iK6trPkbQ5qeSVJjUWNOtj2Dxp2T1ZYW0HmxoJXC9yBvS1ICGy2nVK2GQF1oWI9lTYzYUNBcgQi6osl2qZczlqg60hpozzGNPLYx2jHtgmW_/s1600/2015-01-29+18.03.58.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8K7nLLgPRmcCJKbVqW2phGsutZiHdkIX7iK6trPkbQ5qeSVJjUWNOtj2Dxp2T1ZYW0HmxoJXC9yBvS1ICGy2nVK2GQF1oWI9lTYzYUNBcgQi6osl2qZczlqg60hpozzGNPLYx2jHtgmW_/s320/2015-01-29+18.03.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-31870673933020301682015-08-05T17:28:00.003-07:002015-08-07T05:13:27.011-07:00City Sewer ConnectionOur neighborhood was still on septic tanks when we moved in, but had a
deadline to convert to the city sewer by early 2015. Luckily, the seller
agreed to pay for this connection (which costs a few thousand dollars). It's a
little strange that homeowners are required to pay for the connection
that will result in them paying the monthly sewer fee as well... but
that's the cost of living in the city.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39eB4mRfJCe9fwV5EmG-V0wtjHtzDKfu5f9-xRInMy02mvMO7smFQ2EorV4HFALdoWO8X5dJBdJRUj6HcNrIrPkQlsk70jucxPYAw2DM4OZht3fqDYg-FrIgL3gE7MKf8LQWEBcLDx4kO/s1600/2014-11-29+15.14.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39eB4mRfJCe9fwV5EmG-V0wtjHtzDKfu5f9-xRInMy02mvMO7smFQ2EorV4HFALdoWO8X5dJBdJRUj6HcNrIrPkQlsk70jucxPYAw2DM4OZht3fqDYg-FrIgL3gE7MKf8LQWEBcLDx4kO/s200/2014-11-29+15.14.20.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmeWFuOWh7oUocZ9G240uuY1tMK87KByR6K8LX513K2IzBd6bE_tDA8ApyihRYEsA9RDLyg0UYN1zheM-xKlmwarjgHsQP18SD6A_cvnDWwf1__jYz_WI3fXzkbuKzZsDolXNm-s1Eh5q/s1600/2014-11-29+15.14.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmeWFuOWh7oUocZ9G240uuY1tMK87KByR6K8LX513K2IzBd6bE_tDA8ApyihRYEsA9RDLyg0UYN1zheM-xKlmwarjgHsQP18SD6A_cvnDWwf1__jYz_WI3fXzkbuKzZsDolXNm-s1Eh5q/s200/2014-11-29+15.14.28.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf1xFI5COnsR2e7N9zQeDmIkohVvm7z-TDSIe8xwUN6M0RWYnBZetilnL7sUcqXEgIuDON9aykPB3Xv6UKjkFyiLNBvQSJZMVmG9-3mApLrJkkyzspCUl4dyH-kYvZ_hYGSn_GJAY6TdW/s1600/2014-11-29+15.14.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf1xFI5COnsR2e7N9zQeDmIkohVvm7z-TDSIe8xwUN6M0RWYnBZetilnL7sUcqXEgIuDON9aykPB3Xv6UKjkFyiLNBvQSJZMVmG9-3mApLrJkkyzspCUl4dyH-kYvZ_hYGSn_GJAY6TdW/s200/2014-11-29+15.14.56.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4q91kxjb7zfAs0Us4T-mg1DklrVvNXTo-HdLSDJg6CoeoSQfv8D7oL1LwCyxCZEbckQfx0Lr6c84Jk0zhHdy4j5Tk0dX0vbpOaLYa3E0kuaxe1pkugLA_zf7pG_D404JEy11SINIjc6q/s1600/2014-11-29+15.14.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4q91kxjb7zfAs0Us4T-mg1DklrVvNXTo-HdLSDJg6CoeoSQfv8D7oL1LwCyxCZEbckQfx0Lr6c84Jk0zhHdy4j5Tk0dX0vbpOaLYa3E0kuaxe1pkugLA_zf7pG_D404JEy11SINIjc6q/s200/2014-11-29+15.14.58.jpg" width="112" /></a><br />
The company that we had do this
work for us was abhorrent. They took forever to come out, didn't say so
much as hello before digging up our yard, and left a gigantic pile of of
dirt in our driveway for no stated reason.<br />
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<br /></div>
That said, they didn't have to run a pipe through the middle
of our basement, didn't need to move our deck and they were done with
the work in a couple days. We haven't had any issues, so they seemed to do a fine enough job. They didn't return to regrade or re-seed the lawn. They happened to dig up a small bolder, which, out of indifference, we haven't moved from where they placed it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNf-TKUekZE-MP_miLMKn3jdlxR-oKupMymPb098cTR9Q_UJXNXPfuqasJmjrQQIC4Ysdvd5iNE9lHAYI4T-cYm-be5LwR80CmsYtKpjKnfYVsu48P5SauzFNQTqr7MpKuVRE2nVSWo9j/s1600/2014-12-02+17.17.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNf-TKUekZE-MP_miLMKn3jdlxR-oKupMymPb098cTR9Q_UJXNXPfuqasJmjrQQIC4Ysdvd5iNE9lHAYI4T-cYm-be5LwR80CmsYtKpjKnfYVsu48P5SauzFNQTqr7MpKuVRE2nVSWo9j/s200/2014-12-02+17.17.17.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-42148787202888552332015-08-05T17:16:00.003-07:002015-08-06T19:04:59.453-07:00Painting with a Paint Sprayer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp3YoGDL2lCNngDyKFl9UyxIvIs5JSWHKXczj0UGJxxUpXzKZvopTRRP_usegatb58EDtUHVOJLYrN0w2G7bR1th02_PY2KNNVREEkKLQvI7kukkUR8ykHJ8MpDYJOfEvkACxoOZQuuMK/s1600/sprayer.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWp3YoGDL2lCNngDyKFl9UyxIvIs5JSWHKXczj0UGJxxUpXzKZvopTRRP_usegatb58EDtUHVOJLYrN0w2G7bR1th02_PY2KNNVREEkKLQvI7kukkUR8ykHJ8MpDYJOfEvkACxoOZQuuMK/s200/sprayer.PNG" width="200" /></a>With a big new empty basement to paint, we decided to <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Graco-Project-Painter-Plus-257025/204159335">buy a paint sprayer</a> to get the job done. We'd been thinking of doing so for a while, and thought it would make the job of painting the basement faster and easier. <br />
<br />
First, let me say that using a paint sprayer is extremely fun. Its like a giant paint marker that instantly transforms everything around you. Its like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF-Q36loVrg">being deBlob</a>. And, it is lightning fast. I painted all the walls in the basement in about a half an hour.<br />
<br />
That said, they are cumbersome and extremely messy. You will get paint everywhere, especially if you are painting the ceiling like we were. I wore an outfit most closely resembling a beekeeper, and had such a thorough dusting of paint I was soon unable to see out of my goggles. Everything that happened to be in the basement at the time was covered in a thin dust of ceiling paint. the entire floor was covered as well. We thought that it didn't matter if we covered the floor or not, but this just made for more work when we went to sand it.Those lines on the floor in the picture below are from some tape that we pulled up after painting. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT4gDQa_0KllYYLWDLEugP2MTpmE2YXsISTjukABvwroRRPHORzeasPjWVDjVp-vudVfit_6zf7FS1uNZ3yVVghZ8TN6UKXPaU2Ov6TGGZH9nLX64EtU9jyfc4O4FiW5jsVt1XYAskl1k/s1600/20140616_220613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7ryaU70qZfS8E2NxI8drvfSYRsByi0HI3RpP2BkGQBUoXZE0CMzongChyQQeFukxQVD-gH9XCPs_6kk0PsjWcUFPkNkMnejc2t69IxvcYrySk0BU7k4YcsV6u814d_TW5eSnBq9xWe0T/s320/20140617_200455.jpg" width="180" /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT4gDQa_0KllYYLWDLEugP2MTpmE2YXsISTjukABvwroRRPHORzeasPjWVDjVp-vudVfit_6zf7FS1uNZ3yVVghZ8TN6UKXPaU2Ov6TGGZH9nLX64EtU9jyfc4O4FiW5jsVt1XYAskl1k/s320/20140616_220613.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
They are also annoying to clean. It's not that it's over complicated or necessarily difficult, but we've found that the process takes so long that it cuts into the time saved by using the sprayer in the first place. We probably should have gotten a much smaller paint sprayer, and just dealt with the frequent refilling. I'm sure the clean up would have been easier, and the process as a whole might have been a bit neater. <br />
<br />
<br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-76801859668632552102015-08-05T17:06:00.001-07:002015-08-05T17:06:19.836-07:00Basement FloorsThere is nothing Aaron wanted more than a pool table. In fact, we bought the pool table before we bought the house. As soon as we moved in, he wanted to get the floors ready so he could get his pool table delivered. (It was delivered by two guys in a pick up truck.... which is not what I expected.)<br />
<br />
The basement is beneath the entire house, but we intended to have different flooring on either side of the steps. This left 1000 square feet or so to be dealt with immediately. We considered vinyl flooring, tile before deciding to stain the concrete. Refinishing the existing concrete would be cheaper than any other floor treatment, and we did not need to know where every wall would eventually be. We bought a few different colors of stain, intending to create a mottled, mullticolored look.<br />
<br />
First, we needed to sand the floors with a diamond sander. Renting this tool is rather cheap, but it's a messy exhausting job. Aaron had the week off work to finish the floors, and I remember coming home to a dust storm in my basement so think i could barely see three feet past the stairs. For the record, if he had connected the sander to a shopvac, or watered the floor and sanded wet, this dust storm could have been avoided. At this time, he only had one thing on his mind, and that thing was a pool table.<br />
<br />
Oh, I should mention that we also painted the walls. I'll talk about that in a seperate post. In addition to nearly 60 years of grim, the floors were also coated in a fine paint mist from the paint sprayer. One the dust settled (litterally) and we cleaned up the floors, we tested the stains in an area we would later cover.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was the colors we picked, or maybe the it was all the work it took to get the floors clean. None of the stand colors looked right to us. It just looked like the floors were dirty again. We decided to forget about staining the floor and just seal the newly sanded concrete as is. <br />
<br />
<br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-28455075669751848582015-08-05T16:37:00.000-07:002015-08-06T18:50:26.221-07:00PrioritiesGetting adjusted in this house was a little more difficult, as the layout and size were so different from our previous houses. There is no dining room, all the rooms are smaller. On the other hand, there's a lot more space and a wide open basement.<br />
<br />
We wanted to put our living room couches in the basement, but the basement door was too narrow. Our dining table was too big for the kitchen, so we put int in the living room. There's only one light in the living room, so we tend to move our table to the middle of the room whenever we have a game night.<br />
<br />
Our bed and dresser exactly fit in the room we chose as our bedroom, with no space to spare. Our closet is much smaller than the last house, so we had to store extra clothes in other closets throughout the house.<br />
<span id="goog_1268497526"></span><span id="goog_1268497527"></span><br />
My next priority was getting the game room set up. I don't play games as much as I used too, not for lack of interest. There always something else to do, it seems. Regardless, I still wanted to get this room ready so I could get all my gaming stuff out of boxes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiT8UvU20EXX01t5pO04LvMZGprX3QuxiW2Di4kSrO33Fboe6u8v4G7ICkW0cBSbjeigIWkTUt9niCFfojVcTPz-OJJo-wrnulU-1mAwbH2ked-2Qbk_qjKxgrosIdOuDv8gzrIBp7Fjk/s1600/20140912_163247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYeD1nA_Z2W_Xj5vRdFDYKgDzUxMszyLa0fsTzD8BmpRTuACbtL49MliEO6sqYh2yDEZ6l4JHG8psGWPrfHhvn2svrus4WzsFdT_kI9OvkUfFcmYBNlAC5XlRqcDPun-4U6Euw_FAQ_7g/s200/20140912_163119.jpg" width="200" /><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiT8UvU20EXX01t5pO04LvMZGprX3QuxiW2Di4kSrO33Fboe6u8v4G7ICkW0cBSbjeigIWkTUt9niCFfojVcTPz-OJJo-wrnulU-1mAwbH2ked-2Qbk_qjKxgrosIdOuDv8gzrIBp7Fjk/s200/20140912_163247.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Aaron's next priority was getting a pool table into the basement. It was his childhood dream to own a pool table, and it wasn't until this third house that he had a place to put one. He was motivated to <a href="http://www.sixtwentynine.com/2015/08/basement-floors.html">refinish the cement floor</a> immediately so the pool table could be delivered. <br />
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We left a fair bit of furniture at the last house, including our futon. The buyers were coming from a small one bedroom apartment, and didn't really have anything to fill their new, comparatively large home. This left us with nothing for the guest room, though we don't really have guests very often.We bought a full size bed soon, but mostly left the rest of the room as storage. <br />
<br />
The fourth bedroom was storage for about a year - every random thing that we didn't know what to do with went into this room.<br />
<br />
We left boxes in the kitchen for quite a while. This was part laziness, and part strategy - we briefly thought about putting an island in the kitchen. After finding it annoying to walk around the boxes, we reasoned it would be just as annoying to walk around an island. <br />
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<br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-77249545934730832032015-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:002015-03-27T05:12:09.545-07:00The New Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1Mj1uYtZgfWrQRoV62F4oCc9bejy1qSOgHS2sUparyYLJ9qaZy8OUZ44cAp3WjWVoad3n9u3trOhE37Qhc-JNb7UHAZVuilECtiTuDa_GeTDExDxmbFRuQelmlA4jIrufTXvZMkuEVIH/s1600/3430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1Mj1uYtZgfWrQRoV62F4oCc9bejy1qSOgHS2sUparyYLJ9qaZy8OUZ44cAp3WjWVoad3n9u3trOhE37Qhc-JNb7UHAZVuilECtiTuDa_GeTDExDxmbFRuQelmlA4jIrufTXvZMkuEVIH/s1600/3430.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br>Our new house is a quaint 1-story brick ranch, nestled at the edge of a mature neighborhood,
backed up to a newer housing development with a golf course. The yard is about
.5 acres, which is much larger than any we've had so far. It was built in 1956
and has most of the original features, such as the appliances, linoleum
floor, and a built in pantry and bookshelf.<br><br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD2mAiRwi874mLdghnvFBOa4uj9eYw17DbMd8meRkqjp7ivkfOPWYfcakmOds-Cb8_GVaWkpNgQ8CicdKrW7vHpndAZ3CVVl_EeCGNFLJf2McpJanEY578hYZt27YIoAYcfCs-Sh2lB7M/s1600/2014-05-17+09.25.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVD2mAiRwi874mLdghnvFBOa4uj9eYw17DbMd8meRkqjp7ivkfOPWYfcakmOds-Cb8_GVaWkpNgQ8CicdKrW7vHpndAZ3CVVl_EeCGNFLJf2McpJanEY578hYZt27YIoAYcfCs-Sh2lB7M/s1600/2014-05-17+09.25.44.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br />And it has a
basement! We looked almost exclusively at homes with basements this time.
Though we tried to get a couple newer homes, this one had a wide open, dry,
solid wall basement with two sump pumps. It's green and yellow, for unknown reasons.<br><br></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk-nAcHbT9qG895aBDwQc0cfexcBMEh2VTQa6HWa8bDr3MPs7Bm8knjKVDFQAB72HgkDwxaNS_iHxsWdBSoo8h22a2D_U29Rwhjv7rvYcIfY3Lm2K9sCdUtjvxSl_HqISdE7e2lgoIU7_/s1600/2014-05-17+09.30.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRk-nAcHbT9qG895aBDwQc0cfexcBMEh2VTQa6HWa8bDr3MPs7Bm8knjKVDFQAB72HgkDwxaNS_iHxsWdBSoo8h22a2D_U29Rwhjv7rvYcIfY3Lm2K9sCdUtjvxSl_HqISdE7e2lgoIU7_/s1600/2014-05-17+09.30.03.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-11238142909452517832013-09-20T14:48:00.000-07:002015-03-27T05:24:02.062-07:00New countertopsUnfortunately, our second house had blue countertops in the kitchen and imitation pink marble in the master bathroom.<br />
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We replaced both with the cheapest available laminate option from Home Depot.<br />
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We used a jig saw (which is probably not the right saw) to cut the holes for the kitchen and bathroom sinks.<br />
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We were able to use the scrap piece from the short side of the kitchen corner as the top for the bathroom. Because kitchen countertops are deeper than bathroom vanities (fun fact!) we cut a few inches off the back so it would fit on our existing vanity. Laminate countertops aren't exactly luxurious, but the are a perfectly acceptable option for a range of projects. Due to digital photography, the laminate images are better than ever, with less repetition. They are easy to cut and install, too.<br />
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Edges can be a bit tricky. Exposed edges must be finished by gluing on a strip of laminate, then filing it until flush with the countertop. You have to be careful not to damage the countertop as you file down the edge. It's not to difficult, but it took me a couple tries to feel competent. Luckily, the vanity top in the master bathroom sits between two walls. <br />
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Assembling corners isn't exactly a walk in the park. You have to buy a joining kit, which comes with special glue and hardware that tightens to pull the two pieces together. The actual assembly isn't as difficult as trying to find a decent place to do the work. I cobbled together an appropriate workstation using sawhorses and random bits of wood.<br />
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If you need to cut down the countertops to the correct size, a table saw is the best choice. ...I take that back. The best choice is getting the countertops cut professionally. Depending on how much you are ordering, it is completely worth the extra money for laser straight, perfectly measured cuts. Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-41479756262126900312013-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:002015-03-27T05:19:03.839-07:00Refinishing Troubles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yxJ8LkSBon6rvEAJwJnYF4j-QqsJg-FCyoqnvNaTcgxfWi3L7kLc-hy-oAwiq360zOJicP6J6lCRwjLhTQvFf2b88zFvqf2SwMOxlN2ypJQXG_6HmFs2bETQQ-OB7wnRyOak-Y4kIvY/s1600/2012-08-30_19-18-17_197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yxJ8LkSBon6rvEAJwJnYF4j-QqsJg-FCyoqnvNaTcgxfWi3L7kLc-hy-oAwiq360zOJicP6J6lCRwjLhTQvFf2b88zFvqf2SwMOxlN2ypJQXG_6HmFs2bETQQ-OB7wnRyOak-Y4kIvY/s320/2012-08-30_19-18-17_197.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />I had more trouble than I expected refinishing the cabinets in our second house. They all started the same wretched honey oak color, with the master bath and kitchen having the added bonus of weirdly colored countertops. I thought that I would try painting all the cabinets white this time, instead of dark brown like last time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kB6HHKOY41RNGXJ_sDLSYfXTz_Ql_hHgycwY6jBFstOVlfTRfZzrZCZj7NIujUK7fF8pHI8ei9REBv1swwrAMVNQSkcvqgynrFYCEF_IiUz-ErBpMbzQOXGuenTbt1V6Fb_4N7CswVo/s1600/2013-01-09+10.50.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kB6HHKOY41RNGXJ_sDLSYfXTz_Ql_hHgycwY6jBFstOVlfTRfZzrZCZj7NIujUK7fF8pHI8ei9REBv1swwrAMVNQSkcvqgynrFYCEF_IiUz-ErBpMbzQOXGuenTbt1V6Fb_4N7CswVo/s320/2013-01-09+10.50.10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It didn't look too bad, but it did look clearly painted. I'm not sure if it was the oak color vaguely showing through, or if that was just because it was white and not brown. Additionally, to get it to this solid of a white took three coats. This was the first cabinet I tried, and I couldn't imagine painting all the cabinets in the kitchen three times. I had already <a href="http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/" target="_blank">bought the kit</a> with white paint as well, and I had no way to buy the paint from the kit without buying a second kit. Therefore, I tried to find another suitable not-brown color.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNuYEdTVqyVkBmii6IYbYxFpft_T7hXmr4Ej7G8pcafksBFhjOvSForJFlsbsVboRl0M0nqD73dSZcIi55jtdVOKKfxmVu9xY_gl5L_7kxqUzad8tQQFQHO-VklIGvfEAjj8yMai4ZHY/s1600/2013-04-29+17.27.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNuYEdTVqyVkBmii6IYbYxFpft_T7hXmr4Ej7G8pcafksBFhjOvSForJFlsbsVboRl0M0nqD73dSZcIi55jtdVOKKfxmVu9xY_gl5L_7kxqUzad8tQQFQHO-VklIGvfEAjj8yMai4ZHY/s320/2013-04-29+17.27.15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I painted this cabinet with a $3 color sample (and even had some left over). I used the decorative glaze from the kit on top of the paint before applying the clear top coat. Though I like the color, I wasn't confident about using it in the kitchen. I bought a gallon of good, old, reliable brown for all the other cabinets. I thought of detailing the progress of refinishing the kitchen cabinets in a post, but <a href="http://kellyeandaaron.blogspot.com/2012/04/kitchen-cabinets-part-1.html" target="_blank">I've already done that</a>.Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4010438850345671073.post-8440576447275728532013-09-19T14:58:00.000-07:002015-03-25T19:56:21.481-07:00Quick and Easy Wall ArtIf you looked closely at the after pictures from the family room post, you may have noticed that some wall art appeared above our TV from one after picture to the next. The family room was the last to get anything on the walls. The furniture in this room kept moving, so anything that was placed on the walls ended up getting moved too or put somewhere else entirely. I had lots of ideas for some wall art I could make, but my ideas were going to take a lot of time and probably create a mess in our newly cleaned home. I decided to bite the bullet and make some quick and easy art.<br /><br />First, I picked up a 7 pack of cheap canvases on sale at Michaels. I think they are usually $20 and I got them for $11... If I find the receipt I'll check and see what I paid, but in any case it was not very much. Next, I used painter's tape to mask off simple designs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Txa40ip09jif79PUd3DxX1AiZhJlA76dLPrFIbQSLq9Oj6XsHacoFuzaao9E13A4V0ksZSAPgsus4lGvSsfnk9OT_WRMMQBq5yZ_RCKBxIZ4ogYzHJ5JIetjBuCrtf5KI0BzpPQDnXQ/s1600/2013-09-11+15.25.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Txa40ip09jif79PUd3DxX1AiZhJlA76dLPrFIbQSLq9Oj6XsHacoFuzaao9E13A4V0ksZSAPgsus4lGvSsfnk9OT_WRMMQBq5yZ_RCKBxIZ4ogYzHJ5JIetjBuCrtf5KI0BzpPQDnXQ/s320/2013-09-11+15.25.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />If you get stuck trying to make each canvas unique, mimic the shapes of different letters. One of my canvasses looks sort of like an A, another like a W, another like a series of "T"s, and so on. You could even make words with your canvases, if you are so inclined.<br /><br />After taping off all seven canvasses, I headed to the back yard with a can of spraypaint. I choose silver because there is a lot of silver in our kitchen and living room (in the appliances, , pillows, hardware, etc) and because I already had a can in the garage. I only used about half a can to do all seven canvasses. I pulled off the tape to reveal the designs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vQji-cbMMlazdYH9WHM5GzhGOmIL_NIjsCE3P442Im5-ngU3I6_oNhak4Hud4B0OlZHbypYBETn-F5of9446Esqe9CZwBrlyBvyc_7CW-n8xJd0n1jSKwa-Jlpq0gtrZ5U5F0g6HvBo/s1600/2013-09-11+17.35.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vQji-cbMMlazdYH9WHM5GzhGOmIL_NIjsCE3P442Im5-ngU3I6_oNhak4Hud4B0OlZHbypYBETn-F5of9446Esqe9CZwBrlyBvyc_7CW-n8xJd0n1jSKwa-Jlpq0gtrZ5U5F0g6HvBo/s320/2013-09-11+17.35.18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You can't tell in this picture, but I wasn't completely satisfied with how blurry some of the lines looked. I thought about just pretending like this was part of the plan, but everything else in the room has such clean lines. Had I been more thorough when applying the tape, I wouldn't have had this problem. I chose to paint all the lines with white craft paint by hand, which straightened up the edges. This was the longest step. In an hour or so I was finished and started to decide how to hang them.<br /><br />At first I thought I'd plan out a design on the floor, then transfer it to the wall. Then I realized I wasn't that patient. I just put six nails in the wall in random fashion around the TV, somewhat considering how big the canvases were and what direction they would hang. I shuffled them around on the wall until I landed on an order I liked. This picture is not the best, so I'll update it when I take a better one. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDlxX8QGnIZoAOL0GDrxhuZXAiSFOI2sUmvFBmH1TPskPEHkyfzQJL5CXNLmcuCu5WR5WyD0YbKk-oyuwhocw6dJvHUmxvvYQ2LXltPl7OiNEkNOlzRABfNn6gx_hS0ImnHOll7mtAMY/s1600/2013-09-11+19.36.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDlxX8QGnIZoAOL0GDrxhuZXAiSFOI2sUmvFBmH1TPskPEHkyfzQJL5CXNLmcuCu5WR5WyD0YbKk-oyuwhocw6dJvHUmxvvYQ2LXltPl7OiNEkNOlzRABfNn6gx_hS0ImnHOll7mtAMY/s320/2013-09-11+19.36.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Kellyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708170791664505746noreply@blogger.com