Renovation progress report - week 8

Okay, I'm regretting the decision to number the weeks of renovations. Because it gives me a bit of anxiety. But, it's also kinda good, right? Keeps us on track.

Right?

What to tell you about week 8? We are making progress...

On becoming a plumber
As you may remember, Ryan and his dad ran all new copper pipes for plumbing throughout the house. However, the cast iron was cracked and cast iron is no longer code. So, because Ryan hadn't worked with this before, so we thought we'd go with a plumber.

We got a quote and running a new drain to the upstairs bath to get it up to code was going to be $3,300.

That was about a zero more than we were expecting. =)

So, Ryan lamented the fact that he is in the wrong field. (He now thinks he should be a plumber.) Then, he got prices for the materials from the hardware store.

$300.

Wow! That was all it took for my thrifty and handy husband. He started reading plumbing info on the web like it was the most interesting material in the world. Then he met with the plumbing inspector this week with his plans and diagrams to make sure everything he would do would be up-to-code. The inspector was very nice and Ryan's plan was green-lighted. So far, he's gotten the old cast iron pipe out of the wall (which the plumber told him would be the worst part - it took Ryan 3 hours).

A Woodward PSA: Ryan knows plumbing and isn't just winging it. While this is a new project for him, he's done lots of other projects. If you are going to try something like this, make sure you know what you are doing before you get started. And make sure to meet with someone who knows even more than you.


On getting forced air
The decision has been made to get forced heat and air conditioning. We received 4 or 5 quotes from local companies for both forced air and a new boiler. When it came down to price, forced air just wasn't all that much more expensive. And, since the plan is to only live in the house for 2-3 years max, it just makes sense to go with a furnace and air conditioner for resale.

And, it doesn't hurt that I was really lamenting the loss of air conditioning upstairs.

We settled on a 92% efficient unit. We went with it because is efficient enough to earn the rebates from the energy company and to help us save some money on energy costs. But, it's also less expensive. A more efficient unit would not be practical since we aren't planning to stay in this house forever. We wouldn't have recouped our cost.

The company we decided to go with will be starting the installation of the units and the ductwork in late October. Ryan will be doing some of the pre-work first - pulling the boiler, piping and radiators out, etc. This saved us some money. And saving money is the name of the game.

Which reminds me... all the radiators are for sale on Craigslist. I hope someone needs them.

On building a garage
We've been approved to build our new garage. Wahoo! That's been quite a process, but everyone was kind and we were able to get everything worked out.

(Let's just say that our yard doesn't have a backyard, only a side yard, which made the zoning difficult. Code says the garage can only take up 30% of the backyard. But there isn't a backyard... And, it has to be 5 feet from the side yard. But really our side yard is our back yard. Are you confused yet? You see how this could get sticky?)

On having windows that close
Oh yeah. And, we also dropped a chunk of change on replacement windows this week. It will be nice to have windows that actually close. And open. And close. It may be nice come, you know, WINTER! The little luxuries, you know?

And, while we're at it, it may also be nice to remove the 1x6s from the top and bottom of the window. You know, the ones that were used to hold the wrong size storm windows in place. Which brainiac came up with that idea?

I imagine the conversation to go something like this:
"Dolores - Let's just buy these storm windows. They are way too short, but they are half the price! We just need to swing through the lumber yard on our way out. You won't even know they are the wrong size when I get through with them!"

We installed windows ourselves in our current home. Here's Ryan and his dad cheesin' it up the first time around.

(Circa 2007)

But, someone told us that sometimes you can get windows installed for less than it would cost to buy them as a consumer. (Sounds fishy, but who are we to judge?) So we had windows quoted, for the heck of it.

HA!

HA!

HA!

Let's just say we don't have a cool $5K lying around to pay for window installation. Ryan also thinks he should install windows for a living. He will be a window-installing plumber.

I told him to stick with his day job. And to get back to work on that plumbing.

(Just kidding. None of that actually happened.)

We ended up buying the windows from a local store and we will install them on our own. (I use "we" very loosely.) After getting quotes from all the hardware stores, we were able to save nearly $1,000 by buying our Anderson windows there. That was great news!

The more things we learn to do ourselves, the harder it becomes to pay anyone else to do the work. It takes time, sure. But, its totally worth the money saved and the pride earned.


Lots of kettles burning over here. What do you think?

Nothing major has changed on the house list.

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A handmade life

This is the lovely Lisa Leonard necklace we received at The Creative Connection.

For some reason, this gift really touched my heart. I'm not always a sentimental person, but this makes me a little sentimental. 

"Create a handmade life"

The focus for me is on the "create."

Sometimes I wonder if my life was meant to be more creative. Less pantyhose, more paint-splattered jeans. Less 8-5, more when the mood strikes. Just more "me." I should sew more, craft more, paint more, write more, read more....

But, the truth is, life is only what I create it to be. And, I'm where I'm at in life for a reason. Ryan and I are both blessed with jobs - good jobs. We're able to rehab old houses on the side. I can afford to dabble in whatever craft strikes my mood that day.

Sometimes, I think those of us who have corporate-type jobs feel that what we do isn't creative. But, what if it was? That's how I'm going to try to begin challenging myself and I encourage you to do the same. How can I think outside the norm (even when I'm inside the norm)? It's time to really focus on creating my own handmade life. Even if my handmade life isn't exactly, well, handmade?

I think Ryan and I have made a really great start on this. Now, I'm realizing it's time to focus on this even more.

I'm the only one who can create my own handmade life. And, it's not going to look like yours. That's the beauty of it, I think.

What about you?

Thank you, Lisa, for this lovely gift. I hope you know how much I've thought about it's meaning since bringing it home.

End note: I had to send my camera in to be repaired. It wasn't focusing. So, I had a hard time getting a good shot of this necklace. But, this is the best I could get it with my point and click and a lamp. Forgive me. ;)

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Clean that closet!

I'm coming clean. This is how my guest bedroom had looked for... awhile now. *Gulp*

I pulled out the tubs of fall/winter clothes before Jenny and I headed to Minneapolis, and never got around to putting anything away since then. The closet was also in sorry shape.

Martha will be ashamed. So will my momma. (Hi, mom.) They both taught me better than this.

But, the piled guest room is no longer full of piles. A few hours and lots of folding and hanging later, it was clean and pretty again.

I actually really enjoy cleaning the closet, but I have to have the time and energy. And, while it's nothing fancy and I spent $0, I always love seeing other people's closets so here's my closet after cleaning.

Work jackets, dresses and skirts

Jeans, sweaters and sweatshirts

Pants, shirts, blouses, (16,243) cardigans,  and puffy vests.

Believe it or not, I have pared down substantially in the clothing department since getting married. I worked retail for many years and thought that meant I needed new clothes all the time. Now, I try to keep only what I wear and love.

My tips and notes for a closet cleaning:

• My method for cleaning is to take everything out of the closet and drawers, pile by type of clothing and then put it all away. This takes more time but yields the most organized result. I prefer my clothing organized by type, instead of by color. This is typically how I dress in the morning - I know I'm going to wear a dress or a suit, not purple or black. So consider the way you make a clothing decision and go from there.
• Purge regularly. If you only do this every few years (or less), it will be a bigger job. I try to do it at least twice a year, in the spring and fall. I usually end up with a tub of stuff every time to donate.
• Try everything on. (I used to try literally everything on. Now, I'm honest with myself and only try on items that I know I haven't worn in the past few months.) If it doesn't fit/doesn't look good/isn't in style, get rid of it. Don't even consider otherwise. I don't keep anything that doesn't fit anymore. I don't tell myself that if I lose that 10/20/30 pounds, I will be able to wear it. If I lose that, I'll want to go shopping anyways.
• Allow yourself to keep things that you think you might wear, but only one time. If I do this and then, come the next closet cleaning, know I've not worn it, it goes to charity. I have a variety of v-neck 3/4 sleeve tops that would be great for layering under blouses and jackets and I have the same style in 6 colors for this reason. (I have a tendency to buy multiples of the same items.) I told myself I would start wearing them in the spring, and I know I've never worn them. They are a little too form-fitting for me. This time around, there are a few suits that I've rarely worn but still like and still fit. I'll give myself a chance with those. Some things are cute, but just not me. Why take up space? I'm just honest with myself about it.
• I allow myself to keep sentimental items, but only within reason. I keep only a few of my favorite sorority t-shirts, high school tennis sweats and other stuff. I don't keep everything and try to stay practical. I'm likely to keep a sweatshirt from my first job at Farm and Fleet because it's darn comfortable and perfect for around the house. But, the pants with sorority letters on the behind that never really fit right ... goodbye.
• I really like the slimline hangers and am really happy I invested in them. They look neat and really grab the clothing so things don't fall on the floor. They also fit more items in a smaller space. When cleaning closets, I toss all other icky hangers from stores/dry cleaners/etc.

I would still love to pare down the clothing even more. But, I'm trying to be practical and not get rid of things that I really wear. (Duh!)

This BIG tub was full of clothes at the end of the exercise. (I threw an old slipcover in there, too. You can ignore the piles of clean clothes around it. It's a figment of your imagination. We always put our clothes right away at the Woodwards.)

Ahhh... so much better.

So, what are your tips for organizing closets?

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My very first "bought-it-myself" lamp

I have this strange quirk - while I love lamps and see their value, I hardly have any in our home.

Can you believe I only had 2 in the entire house? One in the living room (a housewarming gift from my in-laws)...

and a pretty Tiffany-style desk lamp in the office (a gift-hand-me-down from Ryan's aunt).

Some people (and lots of bloggers) have double that in one room!

THE SHAME!

I blame it on a variety of factors -
1. Indecision. I often see pretty lamps at stores and online. But, I can never decide what lamp I like best? Where should it go? Should I get one or two? Will it match the room? And with that, I move on.
2. Cost. Lamps are expensive. And, I have a hard time shelling out the dough for something that I'm living (contentedly) without.
3. Breakability. If something is too fragile, it breaks at the Woodwards. It's like Newton's Law. We can't keep nice things. Some of this has to do with our own carelessness. Most of it, however, is due to the fact that our pugs think all end tables (and sometimes kitchen islands, dining room tables and patio tables) are, in fact, just another chair for them to lounge on. (We should really have our own dog training show.) So, table top lamps just never seemed practical for us.
4. Priorities. The truth is, there are so many other things that occupy my mind, lamps fall to the bottom of the list.

But, now I've brought home my very first "bought-it-myself" lamp, and I love it. Hello, gorgeous.

It's pretty and great for this area. The cost was reasonable*. It doesn't risk getting knocked off a table. I'm in love.

The magic happened on the IKEA journey with Jenny. (Check out her finds here.) Where typically I am indecisive and cost-conscious, I just went with it and grabbed it with little thought. (Although, if I'm being honest, I may have checked it out during the past 3 trips to IKEA.)

And, I had no clue how much it cost before it rung up. It ended up being about the most expensive lamp at the store. I think my face showed my surprise. I thought everything in IKEA was dirt cheap. Ryan says I have a gift to find the most expensive thing in a discount store. I call it good taste.

And don't go telling me that $60 for a lamp is still a great deal, that'd I'd spend more anywhere else... yadayadayada. I know that. But, remember, I would have never bought a lamp anywhere else. So it's a null point. But, I know the price was still fair.

And I really like the style in the living room. I loved this style lamp elsewhere but never bit the bullet. My original plan was to purchase a black version, but I really like the chrome. And, this chair has become my newest blogging and reading spot, so it's useful for light. (I don't think the blog has met our new-to-us chair before now. It may be the most comfortable chair in the world.)

Now, I'm thinking I may become a lamp collector, since I did such a good job this time. I'm not going to venture too far into the lamp world though, how about the tabletop version in red for guest room bedside lamps?

Do you love lamps? How many do YOU have in your house?

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Renovation progress report - week 7

While renovating, sometimes your life feels like a bad melodrama. duh-duh-dummmmmm....

Twice the money - check
Quadruple the time - check
Way too much drama - checkadee check check

So let's just say that everything is costing more, taking more time and causing more headaches (*cough, cough, I'm talking to you, city that we live in*). But, time marches on and the renovations continue. Because I've been galavanting for the past week in Minneapolis, none of these contributions are mine. Ryan gets full credit for everything, of course.

Completed kitchen
First, the kitchen. A small wall came out and was rebuilt (you can see the new 2x4 in front of the basement door). Most of the plumbing has been run. I'm considering leaving it as is, putting a table in there and calling it a day.

Back door love
I love our new back door. It's the same one as we have in our current home. Something about a good solid door makes me feel safe and happy. Wait 'til you see what color I'm going to paint that... I think you may love it.

Closet-capades
Ryan and I will be sharing a closet in the new house. Currently, we have separate closets, so that will be... different. One necessity of sharing closet space was having more space.

Another necessity is that it have light. Right now, Ryan gets ready in the dark. I'd like to tell you I wouldn't mind if he turned on the light at that Godforsaken time that early morning hour, but that would be a lie.

Because I'm going to let you in on a secret - I am a beast in the morning. (And, arguably anytime.) I think Ryan tried to turn on the overhead light once. That was shut down. Quickly.

Then, he tried installing a light IN the closet. However, that meant the light went directly in my eyes. Did I mention I'm not a morning person?

So, now he gets dressed in pitch black. Sometimes he shows up to work with his pants on inside out. I'm in the running for wife of the year.

Where was I?

Oh yeah...

Ryan's installed 3 lights which will allow him to shut the door and get dressed in the closet.

And, then he'll come out of the closet.

Okay. That was lame. And, probably not funny. You can start sending the hate mail directly to our new house.

But, I'm thrilled about the size of the new closet. A hanging bar will go the entire length of the space and there will be shelves on the other walls. Nothing fancy, but perfect for us.

Ryan will soon have the insulation and drywall installed and I'll paint. Yippee! Wife of the Year, here I come.

Green grass grows
Because the yard is currently covered in creeping Charlie, the only place with real grass is where Ryan planted it. And it's growing like mad.

6-year-old neighbor kid: The grass is growing.

Ryan: Yeah...

Kid: I didn't think it would.

Ryan: Thanks for the vote of confidence.

So long, garage

Here is all that remains of the red garage. The same guy who took the fence and the cabinets took down the entire garage, piece by piece.

Took him over a week. But, at least it will get used again. If we had taken it down, it would have taken a few hours and been filling up a dump.

Case in point.

(Circa 2007)

So, now we're attempting to get all the necessary permits to build our new garage. We're almost there, I think. Then, we'll Ryan and my dad will have to tear up all the old blacktop and concrete and pour a new slab. Ryan and I are crossing our fingers for an Oct. 1 start-date.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

CHRISTMAS!

These were in the eaves of the garage and were found when it came down... Ryan couldn't believe I was going to keep them. But, you bet your bippie that these are going in the yard come December. (Okay, technically, they are sitting in the yard now.)

Deja vu
 A old door being used as a saw table.

(Circa this week)

(Circa 2007)

Everything comes full circle, doesn't it?


What do you think?


(Updated checklist here.)

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Simply pretty

I was planning to do the next weekly renovation progress report today. But, my camera cord is MIA, and what good is a progress report without pictures?

So, here's something pretty to look at.

(Name is Grace)

I love it all. If I had this room in my house, I would never leave. The lighting, the beadboard inset bookshelves, the built-ins....

And I'm considering refinishing and staining our doors (a little darker than this) and then painting the rest of the other trim white.

Thoughts?

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We (heart) IKEA

In addition to all the wonderful times at The Creative Connection Event, a highlight was at the end of the trip - Jenny's first visit to IKEA. So that's what I'm ending my recap with. It was exciting for me, so I can only imagine how it must be to see it for the first time. I'd like to equate it to the first time a child sees an FAO Schwartz. Magical.

And, to add to the excitement, we ended up meeting up with a group of fabulous lady bloggers.

Cindy at The Flipping Couple

Allison at Allison and Jared

Allison at O My Family

Suzanne at Bebehblog

I read Cindy and Allison's blogs and knew they were from the Twin Cities. I just emailed them to see if they wanted to plan a meetup. They agreed, and we had a lovely time at IKEA and with dinner and drinks at Crave (Mall of America). What a wonderful experience to meet new friends and have a lively discussion (plus the bonus of wine and sushi).

Jenny made out at IKEA (I'm sure she'll blog more about that) and I also came home with some lovelies. The next morning, we packed the car to the top and cruised out of Minneapolis.

Between our shopping, our sewing machines and our luggage, we were packed to the brim. You can spot a few of our purchases here, including the light base.

So fun. Can't wait to share more.

Do you remember your first time (to IKEA)?

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Let there be (schoolhouse) lights

I couldn't it everything about the trip to Minneapolis into my post yesterday, so I'm splitting up our experience into a few posts. See Jenny's overview here.

Here we are. In Minneapolis.

While in town for The Creative Connection Event, I scored big-time in the lighting department. Jenny and I decided to take a morning off for shopping, and stopped into Guilded Salvage Antiques.

You remember how I was considering a chrome schoolhouse fixture for the bathroom? Well, this type of fixture was in abundance here. (Guilded Salvage specializes in lighting and locks, with lots of other pretties along the way.)

We didn't have a lot of time, and I think I could have spent more time browsing.

I eventually settled on two brass (soon to be black) semi-flush fixtures for the stairway and hallway and a chrome semi-flush fixture for the bathroom. They were wired by the store's proprietor, who was quite a character. (He spent a good amount of time trying to convince me to keep our boilers.)

You can see part of one of the light fixtures above. More to see when we get them installed.

If you are ever in Minneapolis, Guilded Salvage is a must-see. The displays are clean and attractive, which is unique in a store of this kind. You don't see boxes of junk here. It's a joy to browse.

Do you have a must-visit local store in your neck of the woods?

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Hello, Minneapolis! (The Creative Connection Event Top 6)

In a series of random events, I planned to trek to Minneapolis last Wednesday for The Creative Connection Event, a conference for women with crafty tendencies (this is paraphrased by moi). 

It began when I won a day-pass in March. It sounded pretty awesome but I wasn't so thrilled about going solo, so I emailed my friend Jenny at Anything Pretty to beg ask her to join me. (This was totally my husband's idea, who said, "Why don't you email one of your blog friends?" I think he was actually just afraid he would get roped into going.)

Now, it's relatively strange to just email a person you only know through your blog. I mean, we had never met in person. Either of us could have been a 40-year-old man, for all we knew. (I'm fairly certain this was what my coworkers were thinking.) 

We had never spoken on the phone (at this point). And, she actually said yes. So, we made plans, and before we knew it, it was time to go. We met halfway and drove up to Minneapolis together. Then, we spent the next 3 days together, shared a hotel room and had the most wonderful time. (That whole scenario could have gone horribly wrong, so it's lucky for both of us.)

It was a whirlwind of activity for three days. And I cannot even count the times that Jenny and I looked at each other and laughed, as if to say, "Can you believe that just happened?"

There were so many wonderful aspects of The Creative Connection, but here's the recap of my top six experiences. (I'm only covering the actual event here.)

The meals were top-notch. Not only was the food itself delicious, but the decor was lovely. Every lunch or dinner was different, with new table decorations, vignettes and meals. 

The first lunch was with the Pioneer Woman and she chose the dish. It was a delicious chicken pasta with nuts and herbs, served cold. I've been looking for the recipe on her site, so if you know the name, let me know. Dessert was a (divine) red velvet cake.

Dinner with Amy Butler and Mary Jane Butters was also delicious and the tables were covered in Amy Butler's fabric, which looked lovely. Our final lunch was a simple sandwich picnic lunch, with mason jar pitchers and burlap runners. Everything was just so - food, decor and service.

At the keynote luncheon with The Pioneer Woman, we were able to snag a really great seat at the front table. I was approximately 10 feet from the lady herself, and found her to be so sweet in person, both when we heard her speak and field questions and when we took photos with her and got books signed. I liked her before (my chicken fiasco aside), but now I'm really loving her.

And as an aside, I want her boots.

This is very materialistic, so I debated not even talking about it. But, goodness gracious, the swag. Every time we turned around, we were receiving something lovely. At lunch, a cute notepad. At dinner, we received this oh-so-cute bag jam-packed with swag - paints, scrapbook papers, a Lisa Leonard necklace, water bottle, magazines, handmade soap, food, candy.... we were amazed. The next day, we brought home a cute tea towel apron. 

We adored Camille Roskelley. She taught a quilting class one afternoon and it was one of the highlights of my trip. She was lovely, her fabrics were lovely and we got some great quilting practice. She's obviously so talented and beautiful, but she's also so down-to-earth and friendly.

I asked her to sign my book telling me I was the favorite in my class (and she obliged). I'm taking that as though she adores me as well. ;) 

Here's our class photo.

Which leads me to 

We took the quilting class with Camille and a wool felt ornaments class. I was able to get the top of a table topper pieced in the quilting class. The ornaments class was taught by Betz White. We made three ornaments, including the rosettes above. I now feel much better equipped to tackle the closet-full of wool sweaters that I felted in January. (I was a little overzealous.)

And finally, the most important part - 

I was able to make such a great new friend in Jenny, and we also had the opportunity to meet lots of other wonderful women. (Top right: Cindy at Skip to my Lou, Bottom left: Heather Bailey, Top left and bottom right: Friends in our classes, including Shelly at Honey Lamb and I).

What an experience!

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