No Big Deal

So today I was planning to go and make cards at my friend Nancy's house.  Some Mondays we do that.   And before heading out the door I thought, "I really should paint that baseboard today."

And I really should get the foam roller and frame and tray from Helina before I do that.  Then I would have to get in the car and drive over there and come home and put on my paint clothes and then it would get so late by the time I would make it to Nancy's.....

See where this is going?

Instead...paint clothes on.  Brush.  Can open.  Painted a 120' of trim.  No big deal.   

And then I went to Nancy's for coffee and butter tarts and made 5 cards.  

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

Getting Paid

And yesterday I painted to my heart's content.   So many millions of things that SHOULD be done, and this one thing probably wouldn't.    But it's what I really wanted to do.   And so....I did.

And today, I'm paying for it.  After a busy week and day of painting.... Serious system crash.

Still....it feels awesome.
Sometimes I just walk into the garage to look.

Here it is freshly primed on the outside. (Primer always looks like crap.)   And one coat of paint inside.   (I was able to put two coats on the inside, and two coats on the outside.  It really should have one more coat on the outside. )

The last time you saw it, it looked like this.
<  Way over on the left, the wooden cabinet. 

From 70's Shag To Serious Swag

There were tufts of this magnificence stuck in staples at the bottom of the wall, after we pulled up the old hunter green carpet.    So this one...is for posterity.  

And this is our new area rug.   Shaggy.   What you can't see is how soft it feels on bare feet. Ahhh.

 We have new appliances!  They arrived Wednesday when I was in the middle of a three day meeting marathon.  We are not ready for a magazine spread yet.






But we are ready to host our small group on Sunday night.  Come on down!

This reminds me of sock yarn.
Which reminds me of my Mom.
I miss her a lot.  
I love things that remind me to remember. 

Whole Grains

Ahhhh...so nice....
The floor is finished and we can go walk about on it. 

And I put the curtain rods back up. 

And Ray has reclaimed his garage.   

We used to have four different kinds of flooring.   Carpet in the hall.  Carpet in the living room, vinyl in the kitchen and parquet in the dining room.  And now....just one kind.  Love it.

Looks like wood.

Only easier.   

Ray's favorite, favorite, favorite part is having the dining room table back!  The chairs were already and waiting.

What you can't see is the brand spanking new felt pads on the bottom of each chair-leg.   New flooring, right? So dramatic. 

As for me, the couch is back in the living room. I plopped on it for old times sake.  Much more comfortable without the tarp on it.  And quieter too.

Oh good, I see my keys.   I'm going to be needing them tomorrow morning.

Almost A Floor

Installing the subfloor is a very involved process.  There's more to it than just throwing down some underlay.   I highly recommend having the pros do it. 
For us, the pros are from Hamstra Carpet One.  They are more than mere tradesmen.  I would call them craftsmen, who take great pride in a job well done and give meticulous attention to detail.

This resonates with me. 

What you can't see is actually the cavernous sound of emptiness when you walk and talk upstairs.  
You can't see that the carpet in the bedroom is lifted up to screw down the floor in there.

The sound of silence.  No creaks and squeaks.


What you can't hear the sound of adhesive being spread, as the vinyl is being rolled out right now!!

What you can't see is the spreadsheet I have open in another tab that I should be finishing up.  Just have to do it in this order today :)

And one little dog is reclaiming her space,  feeling right at home.  

Moving Right Along

Some people like to post the photos at the end of their renovation.  I thought it would be fun to post as we go along so that you can experience the actual pace. 

So many things have happened this week!

Once the first coat of paint was finished, the ceiling was textured.  Painting with Helina was so much fun!  We just talk and laugh about everything.

And then the pot lights went in.   

It looks awesome, thanks to the very friendly, accommodating folks at Systems Electric!

Our dog loves it when Jeff comes over :)

And I painted the ceiling that couldn't receive a texture treatment.

After 3 years of sitting at the bottom of the stairs in a very large box, the new light fixture went up.  I loved it 3 years ago when I saw it and it was on sale!

And then everything was cleared away for the floor to come in.   That was an adventure all on its own.    The garage is really full now. 

What I miss the most is having a soft place to sit upstairs and ponder.  To read.  To have a coffee.    

We eat outside on the deck and found it really lends itself to lingering long together.  And laughing.   

I really like laughing.

Back to Killarney

Posting the 'before' is probably my favorite part!
My good friend Helina came over and we painted everything yesterday.

Goodbye 'Old-Pal Yellow'.

Hello  'Killarney'!!

I know...the  ceiling looks round, but it really isn't.   My lens is drawing in as much of the scene as it possibly can.

Goodbye 'Pony-Tan'. 

Hello 'Taiga' !!


My youngest commented that it looks modern...he was prepared that it would look like an old lady's house.

I think I'm flattered.....

Stoked

No photo.
Just stoked.

Today I washed the walls down and swept the ceiling.  

Tomorrow I get to prime it.
And prime the walls.
AND...put the first coat of paint on the walls!

I have to get up early because I was supposed to prime the ceiling this evening.

Had coffee with friends instead.

And chocolate mousse cake.   

PS  And yes....I was impressed by the "revolutionary formula".   And Tim, our drywall taper, mudder, sander....such a nice guy!  The house was so clean, I could hardly tell sanding had taken place.  Awesome job!

Dust to Dust

Well....this is where we left off last time.  

And tomorrow's the big day.   We have drywall.  We have mud.  And tomorrow there will be sanding...and we will have dust.


That's okay, it's already dusty.    Elisabeth already said I didn't have to dust since it would be no use.    I often listen to her domestic wisdom.

The mud reminds me of a friend's beautiful abstract paintings.      

I'm keen to see if the "Revolutionary Formula" lives up to its claim.    I have high expectations.  

Bigger

We added a piece onto the wall....and found out that there was a bit of a sag in the ceiling.

It's all straightened out now, and everyone is happy :)

What you can't see is that we received some support in the basement too!   No more more bounce in the floor.

And as Martha would say: "It's a good thing!"

The Perfect Shoe...and Stuff....

Some of you will recognize these pink monstrosities.  I wore at least one several years ago....time flies.   And now...they are the perfect footwear that takes you from outside, through the reno zone, to the edge of the carpet, and beyond.

Evening wear should be so versatile.

And this little pretty landed beside me on the railing when I was reading for a bit outside. 

Cooking in the Zone

Making supper doesn't feel like that much more of a chore than any other day.  I rather enjoy cooking so it is usually the desire for something tasty that drives the "elaborate-ness" of meal.

Love my rice cooker...and sausage and peppers!  Yummo and easy....even with components currently resting in several different places.   Just like camping :)

We got some drywall today!   And the last of the pot lights are in....let there be light :)