Trim Diagrams

Before we went out to buy all the fir we needed for our dining and staircase, Steve decided it would be easiest to diagram the space. So what he did was just photograph the space, blow it up and then print it up in black and white.
Next he drew out all the trim we needed to add back in. Finally, he took measurements and wrote them in.
Although this step took an hour and then some, it was well worth the time. It made it relatively easy for me to figure out exactly how much and what types of wood to purchase.
Steve hopes to get started on cutting the trim today and then I plan to mask up and start staining.
I'm in the third trimester now so the clock is surely ticking.

A Little Privacy Please

A few years ago we decided we wanted a little privacy in our living room and dining room so I went about on a lengthy expedition for the "perfect" shears.  I ended up finding some awesome ones at Restoration Hardware-they were super long shear silk panels that I was able to cut apart to make into 6 smaller panels for our dining room and living room panels.

Well, here is what is left of them.  The ones in the dining room were tossed long ago as they started disintegrating in our fingers when we touched them.  I guess I'm no refined gal as I had no idea that silk disintegrated when exposed to the sun.  I brought them back to Restoration Hardware as they hadn't lasted more than a couple years and they were pricey-I think I spent around $80 on sale for 2 panels.  They have an awesome return policy as they couldn't find them in the system but still found a way to give me a $30 store credit.

Anyways, I have been searching for fabric to make new shears for I think over a year now.  I found some decent panels at Target that I once again cut apart and sewed into shears, however I got them up and it was a no go.  They were not quite shear enough (we still like to be able to see outside a bit) and I did a terrible job sewing them so they were not even at all.

Anyways, when on a fabric hunt with my sister-in-law for her twin boys a few weeks ago, I came across some awesome shear fabric at Mill End Fabric Store on Hwy 99.  For only about $30, I was able to get enough fabric for the 2 sets of windows and quite a bit of extra. 

This time, I decided that I wasn't going to mess around with ruining curtains, so I emailed my awesome aunt , who is a wonderful seamstress, and she agreed to make new panels if I mailed her the fabric and a diagram. 

We got them in the mail yesterday and when I showed them to Ben, he replied "wow, mom there are no holes in them".  I guess u should know your curtains are really bad when your not even 3 year old comments on their demise. Anyways, they are just perfectly bungalow and off-white for me, the right amount of shear, texture and pattern.  And they are straight thanks to my aunt!  Another bonus, totally washable as they are a cotton poly blend.  I washed the fabric before mailing it just in case it shrunk.

And new curtains just in time for the baby shower next week!

Feng Shui

For those of you who have kids, you will understand what I am about to say. 
1. Ben slept in until almost 8am on Sunday morning!  Yes! 
2. Steve's bro and bro's wife, Amber, took Ben to the zoo when he woke up from his nap on Sunday until after dinner and we got soooooo soooo sooo much done.  I forgot what doing house projects without a baby/toddler was like.  You, like, actually get something done.  Amazing!

Anyways, on to the Feng Shui. 

While I was busy outside on Sunday afternoon (more on that later this week), Steve was busy trying to prep the kitchen/dining room wall for the built-ins new house.  Anywho, at 6 when Ben, his uncle and auntie returned, Steve's bro was nice enough to help Steve place the built-in in its new hole.
  

Some of the prep work that went into it all.

What our house might look like if it were an open floor plan.  Fun, but so not historically accurate bungalow.

Moving it in.

And the aftermath.  So sad.  Darn that old brittle wood.  The top split a bit in one corner, as did the side bottom area and a piece totally broke off at the very bottom.  Luckily, this appears to be nothing that a little wood glue can't fix.  However, totally devastating at the same time. 

So, anyone know anything about Feng Shui?  I am clueless, care to let me know if this works?

Happy Turkey Day

While we are not hosting thanksgiving this year, I am hoping to help my brother and sister-in-law decorate their table for the big chow down and thanks.  We have a lot to be thankful for and feel so blessed.  I may also add some pretty pieces of paper and nice pens to have people write their thanks on the paper and then they can put them in a nice basket or jar so that we can read them before we eat.

I found some gorgeous and simple and quick ideas for table decorations online that would also be cost free and just use things that you already have around the house. 

Country Living has a number of quick pretty ideas

one of my favorite ideas, bring the outdoors in and pick leaves of all different fall colors...you could write people's names on them with a pretty gold pen

show your thanks with pictures of those you care about... I would tie the names around the tip of the pear with twine so that they would not go bad if we couldn't eat the pears in the next day or so

love the berries and the leaf with the name written on it

A great use of berries....so simple and pretty

Pumpkins

Such a pretty touch of soft green...would go so well with green kitchen tile :)

Napkins
you could use ribbon or scraps of fabric cut really thin

You could use these nuts for decor and then eat them during the holiday season...my mom always had out nuts and nutcrackers over the Christmas season while I was growing up...I deleted this link, oops!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wow! 2 years blogging

dining room before

dining room after (ignore mess)

front bedroom before

front bedroom after

living room before-inspection day

living room after

living room after

bathroom before & after

front of house on inspection day

front house afer

kitchen before

kitchen after

back bedroom before

Back bedroom after

Weird that I was just looking at all of the posts that I have put up and realized that it's been two years blogging and almost 4 1/2 in our house!  While sometimes I think that we move at a snail pace and get frustrated by just how much we have left to do, I do realize (by looking at pictures of what this place used to look like), that we really have come a long way.  A quick recap of some before and after pix; hehe, how did we see (or why did we take this one/how stupid were we...the list goes on) the potential in our home.  But we love it none-the-less and our house is stuck with us because we are going NO-WHERE

Stairs-layout ideas

Steve has been playing around with different stair layouts for several weeks now.  Several years ago he tried to tell me that there were no other options for our stair layout. Well, at Christmas time, Steve came around and started playing around with moving the upstairs case to the hallway (bottom right drawing and second drawing) (then the basement stairs would be moved to the back of the house by the back kitchen door where the current upstairs case is)--> while I love this idea, the stairs would have still not been to code based on the curving of the case and the slope.  They also would have only worked if an ~4/4' section would have been removed from the back bedroom which is currently our bedroom.  While this is not devastating, I do not like the idea of cutting into either of our already small bedrooms. 

 Anyways, we decided that this was not such a hot idea and moved on, trying to think of other ideas.  Our basement stairs currently come out at the back of our house, by our laundry room and workspace/utility room/pantry....I have never loved this idea, because, well, let's face it, I am a realist....my laundry room will never be spic n' span and look the way I want it to and I do not want to be stressed about cleaning the laundry or utility room every time we have have guests come over.  Enter current plan. 

a few drawing of what our roofline may look like after the addition (I promise, no just a few libations involved when Steve's bro came over and took over the drawing board)

 Here is our current plan.  We hope to move our existing dining room built-in buffet (one of the main reasons we fell in love with the house) to the opposite side of the kitchen entrance and make that area the staircase to upstairs.  We would basically be doin' a switcheroo with the dining room built-in and the basement/upstair-cases.  We would then properly go upstairs with a current code staircase that will be slightly grandeur as opposed to the current entrance that is narrow and steep and at the very back of the house by the dog door and back door (so not posh to go upstairs to the master suite after walking thru your kitchen)

current layout

current basement stairs behind door and dining room built-in buffet just to right, stairs to attic just behind/left microwave

existing stairs to attic/future master bedroom/less than romantic and inviting...may I add the the railing wobbles as well

Ben helping plan the new house layout...guess he really wants a playroom

Finished!!!! ...the buffet that is

We accomplished a major house milestone last weekend.  We are so proud to actually have a project completely done.  Well, except for maybe rubbing some furniture wax to the underside of the drawers to help them move a bit more smoothly.  We found that it was a little more difficult than expected to install the offset drawer pulls.  The knobs (they no longer sell in unlaquered brass-I found these in the seconds clearance dept. at Rejuvenation) were a cinch after finishing the pulls.  While I wish I could have found some antique pulls and knobs, I am quite happy with the results.  

Anyways, here are some pictures of the complete buffet:

Steps to install pulls:
1. Find center point of cabinet by finding where two diagonals of drawer  meet.

2. Make a template that aligns with center and top of drawer.

3. Lay pull on side to mark where holes in pulls line up with center point of pull and drawer.

4.  Lay template on wood, aligning two center points, and use hole punch to mark where to drill

5.  Pray you've marked it right and drill away

6. Screw  it all in and enjoy!

Staining this puppy-what a project!  6 coats after you account for pre-stain conditioner, 2 coats of stain and 3 coats of polyurethane...mid October 2010 on the front porch

love the storage that this piece provides, I was actually able to bring some serving pieces and baking dishes up from the basement and finally have my soup pot upstairs and in my kitchen!