Robin Loves Terry

 

Terry deserves props where props are due... This horrible gaping hole in the wall was necessary for installation of heat ductwork and cold air returns.

 

Fast forward... and Terry worked his magic. he repaired the wall where the heat duct ran, and finished off the cold air return with a pretty grate. This was all in Sandy's room, and thank goodness, she will have no complaints.

 

Here we are, on our way home from Menard's in Chesterfield Township. Pouring down rain...

 

And, here's my new Butcher Block countertop hanging out of the trunk by a couple of feet. I was hanging on to it for dear life.

Wow, we do have some adventures (we really need a truck).

Thank you to Sandy for finding this great deal, a lot closer to home (it was only $140 for an eight foot block) and thank you to a very special sales girl at Menard's who went above and beyond the call of duty. She actually helped put it in the car !!!

 

Tonight, after everyone else was tucked into bed, I went down to my workshop and did a little more work on my mosaic project.

 

I am sifting through all of my tile remnants for this project. I am determined to finish this one without buying more tile (it's so expensive).

 

While I was down in the dungeon, I walked past my "Sad Clown". He looked so sad.

Terry and I got him for free, a few years ago, at a garage sale. The guy was closing up shop, and he just wanted to be rid of him. When we showed the slightest interest, he said, "take it, you can have it". We laughed, and took him home, and he has been our special little conversation piece ever since. Every person who enters our home exclaims how ugly and disturbing he is, but Terry and I feel a special bond with him. He was relegated to the basement (because everyone is so creeped out by him), and recently lost his giant frame, because Sandy needed it for a bulletin board project; but I think that he is going to find a happy new home in our new house. In our private upstairs bedroom where no one can make fun of him. 

 

I love my sad clown, and the painting too.

 

 

 

 

So Much To Do

 

 

 

 

 

My latest challenge is to fill the hole left from this radiator, in the bathroom. You cannot drywall it, they do not make these exact tiles anymore, so... 

 

Off to my workshop to make a custom mosaic masterpiece, that will fit into the black tile frame that is already there. I'm going with a leaf motif, and will be using up lots of odds & ends tiles that I have laying around.

 

 

We have been busy with other things, of course. The kitchen counters are ready for a new top, too bad we can't find one we like to fit our budget. I really want a butcher block top, but they are very expensive. I did hear that IKEA has them, so we might be making a trip out to Canton, ugh...

 

Finally hung Sandy's curtains, after lots of starts and stops, faulty curtain rods, broken end caps, and rods too big for the curtain pockets... we finally got it right.

Sometimes it seems that the things that should be the easiest, turn out to be the most challenging.

 

We've also been busy filling more holes left from radiators (seems never ending), preparing the second floor for carpet (coming next Friday), and painting more ceilings.

 

This weekend is going to be all about painting the upstairs, two rooms, and a large hallway space. I do not want to be painting once the carpet is in. Also, drilling new holes for modern doorknobs on all of the doors upstairs, fixing a leaky window, and planing attic access doors to open over carpet.

 

Carry on.........

 

 

Memorial Day Fun

 

Today, we started tearing out the old Formica counter and backsplash. It did not want to leave peacefully, but wouldn't you know, tucked away behind that tightly sealed back piece were some sixty year old gems... 

 

A pamphlet from a window company, an old dental appt. card from 1975, a postcard from Mexico (dated 1957), and an old handwritten recipe for Pineapplesauce Cake.

I am going to make this cake, and when I do, I will report back on one of Mrs. Schoenherr's favorite recipes...

(It must be Mrs. Schoenherr's, because she was the lady of the house for all those years)

 

 

After the fun in the kitchen, Terry went upstairs to continue his project of filling the holes in the walls where radiators used to be.

 

And I finished painting what will be Sandy's room. It turned out nice. All we need now is to hang her drapes, and install some shoe molding along the base to finish off the room.

 

When we returned home, Terry was determined to grill chicken... even in the pouring rain.

 

Happy Memorial Day !!!

 

Memorial Day / Day Off From Project House

 

Worked on the front yard at mom's yesterday. Trimmed all of the shrubs and laid down some mulch.

 

Today we went out to brother Bob's house, out in the boonies... Once you leave the city, this is all you see, for miles and miles. Okay, you also see cows and tractors. 

 

Bob sure looks happy to see us!

 

This is the home that Bob built with his own two hands. I still can't believe he did that!!!

How could I not turn to him with my "New House Project" ???

He's been there, done that.

 

My nephew Ryan and his Fiancé Kim. They will be getting married in September, in the front yard of this beautiful home. Should be a great party. 

 

It was a great day. Eating, drinking, and being merry.

Thanks to Bob & Peg !!!

 

Tomorrow, back to work at Project New House...

Happy Weekend !!!

 

I love Calla Lilies.

 

The trunk of my car is full of Red mulch. Going to mom's tomorrow to trim up the landscape in her front yard and lay down some fresh mulch. After that, I will probably be over at the project house putting a second coat of paint on the kitchen cabinets, and making my way upstairs to start some work that has suddenly become a priority.

 

The upstairs has moved up on the priority list because I have carpet coming next week, so we need to fill the holes in the walls left from the radiators, paint the ceilings, and the stairwell.

 

Side note: Thanks to Motor City Carpet in Warren for a really good deal, and good service.

 

On Sunday, we are taking a day trip out to Fowlerville for a bar-b-cue at my brother's house. I think we've earned a day off...

 

and... his wife tells me he has some great tile remnants for me (he always has some boxes of mixed tiles, laying around, that I use for my mosaic tile projects).

 

Happy Weekend !!!

 

A Great Partner

He's so cute. He's sitting in the middle of a living room full of junk, pulling nails out of molding that we want to reuse. He does all of the things that I take for granted. I've been focused on the kitchen cabinet makeover, while he goes from room to room, quietly doing the shitty little jobs. Love him.

Inspection... Passed !!!

 

The Center Line city inspector showed up at nine o'clock sharp, took a quick look around, and said, "looks like you're doing a fine job here, welcome to the neighborhood".

 

Wow, what a big difference from the awful inspectors in the city of Warren. After our experiences with them, five years ago for our current home, we were scared to death about what might happen during inspection, but the city of Center Line is obviously more hospitable to people who genuinely want to rehab a house in their community. He could tell that we are working hard on this house, and did not nitpick or make ridiculous demands in order to pass inspection.

 

Perhaps the giant city of Warren should take a lesson, from a smaller community, in how to treat people who want to help make their city a better place.

 

Another note... there have been neighbors coming out of the woodwork, since the weather has brightened up, with well wishes and welcomes to the neighborhood. Quite a difference from where we live now, where everyone stays locked up in their houses.

 

I can't wait to complete this move, but alas, we still have work to do to get the house ready for move-in. We also have plenty of work to do on the current house in order to get it ready for selling.

 

Hence, the header picture on my post. Tonight, we took a break from project house, and went to get a few things for mom, and went to catch one of our kid's baseball game (they won), and did some yard work at the house where we sleep. Terry did some mowing, and weeding, and edging, and I planted some flower pots. We talked about painting the wood trim, and getting an old truck towed out of the yard, and maybe trying to plant a few vegetables in the garden, and then we watched the last two innings of Tiger baseball, and talked some more about how we are going to do everything we are going to do in the next two months. This is our routine. We talk about this crap until we exhaust each other with details, and then we say "I love you", and then we sleep.

 

Carry on...

So Much to Do...

 

The bathroom is looking good, but behind the façade lies a running toilet, leaky pipe under the sink, lights which are not properly installed, a heat grate screwed in with giant industrial screws, and a new mirror that is going to need some special finishing touches.

 

There was an old medicine cabinet here, and the base tiles were already damaged from it, so I cut away some more tile and put in a large mirror. Now, I have to figure out how to finish off the edges.

 

We will be spending a lot more time in this tiny troublesome bathroom...

 

This is officially the beginning of my big kitchen project. I removed the door fronts from the upper cabinets, peeled away all of the old Contac paper from the shelves, and put the first coat of Bright White on, inside and out. 

 

Still need to paint the door fronts...

 

Finally found some replacement cushions for my chaise lounges... too bad my seat is taken.

 

Tomorrow morning, the city inspector comes at nine o'clock.

Hope for the best, expect the worst...

 

Baby, It's Cold Inside...

 

Sneaking up on Bob...

 

Ha ha, caught him!!!

 

I finished painting my recycled bookcase.

 

I finished the edges of the kitchen tile job.

 

And I started on the big kitchen cupboard makeover.

 

There's the new beast of an air conditioner. Fired it up at the end of the day, and it pumped cold air like a champ. Thanks to Bobby for his unwavering devotion to our project, his amazing work ethic, and his mad skills.

 

Bob will back tomorrow (with our favorite girl, Peggy), and we will go room by room, making sure that everything is ready for the city inspection on Tuesday morning.

 

Heigh ho, heigh ho...

Check Out my New Address Sign !

 

Finished painting Kevin's bedroom today, hung the curtains, and cleaned the hardwood floor. I call the color of paint, "Wendy's Chocolate Frosty".

 

Nick stopped by and helped dad with a couple of things that I had been eagerly awaiting.

 

They hung the new address sign and mailbox ( still want a new light, and a new door).

 

I know it looks good, because the neighbor across the street came running over to tell us so. She was very sweet, and filled us in on some history of the previous owners. She knew them very well, and still keeps in touch with the six girls who grew up here. She was excited to find out that we are actually going to live here (not just flip), and that we are actually going to bring this old house back to life.

 

I will be at project house all day tomorrow, so here's dinner for tomorrow. I find myself making dinners at 11:00 at night these days. This is a good one !!! Cheeseburger Pie... Bisquick makes the base, top with cooked ground beef, pickles, onions, tomatoes, cheese, ketchup, and mustard.

Easy and good.

 

Busy weekend ahead !!!

Floors & Flowers

 

Finished the floor today, and it looks great. So happy to be rid of that nasty old floor underneath. It's clean, and it looks good, and it's soft to walk on.

 

BUT... those tiles that require special cuts were a bitch !!!

 

Here's my recycled garage shelf turned into a bookcase. It's primed and ready for paint. I will paint it the same color as the walls, because I want it to disappear, and I want you to look at what's on the shelf, not the shelf...

 

Just a shot of the new floor, as it runs from the dining room, through to the kitchen.

 

Lily of the Valley, one of my favorites, coming up in the backyard.

 

And Lilacs, another favorite. This yard is coming up with lots of nice surprises.

 

Tomorrow, I'm going to help out mom in the morning, and then to the house in the afternoon. We still have a lot of little tasks to finish up in preparation for the city inspector. He is coming Tuesday of next week, so brother Bob is coming this weekend for crunch time.

 

Carry on...

Robin Gets Distracted...

 

I was going to drywall patch this 4' x 2' hole left in the Dining Room wall from the radiator, but I came up with a better idea...

Since I am looking for more storage and shelving in the house, I thought a shallow, mounted, bookcase would easily cover the hole, be functional, and look great  on this wall.

So, for the last couple of days, I have looked online for cheap, unfinished bookcases, in the size I need. Haha, not so fast. The prices left me reeling.

Today, Terry disappeared out in the garage for so long that I went looking for him, and as I stood in the doorway, I saw this...

 

Hanging on the wall, once used as a shelf; the perfect size and just exactly what I had been looking for. Terry was not happy, he said it's crappy, it's dirty, and it's not on our to-do list. Well, of course, he was taking it down as soon as he could find his screwdriver. I love him.

 

(See the ghost bubbles?)

There it is. It even has raised legs. It was coated with grimy garage gunk, but nothing a little Clorox bleach spray couldn't handle.

 

It covers the hole in the wall perfectly; a little wood putty, some primer and paint, and this is the most exciting recycled find ever !!!