In a completely unsurprising development, I’ve gone a bit manic. There’s just a lot going on these days – I’ve been traveling a lot for work, I’m transitioning to a new job, I’m trying to get myself coordinated for Thanksgiving, and oh yeah...there’s this little house project. Anyway, I am someone who thrives on order, control, having a plan, having a check list, and having everything in its place. Well that has all been turned on its head with this house renovation…my limited time and even more limited skills mean I have very little control personally over the home renovation projects. Things happen when they happen, and really, that’s okay…it just makes my stomach churn a bit, and my mind race, and my body refuse to fall asleep. Back to my manic tendencies…last night in a fit of trying to force a sense of control, I thought, ‘why not pack up my kitchen and get ready to move everything over to the new house?’ Then I thought, ‘well, with these boxes packed, I might as well move them down to the car so I can get that over with and not have to think about it tonight.’ So that explains why last night I extricated myself from my warm, comfortable bed (where I just couldn’t seem to fall asleep), threw on a sweatshirt and sneakers, and started loading up my car with boxes…boxes that can’t be unpacked, boxes of things like spices and wooden spoons and bread pans that are really of no use to anyone, but boxes that nonetheless are now in my car and will soon be in my new home.
See…I’m in control.
And…I have a kitchen that is nearly complete. (Man, "nearly complete’" has taken on a completely different meaning with this project…it’s all relative, I guess). The tile looks great (thanks David!), I’m loving the color of the kitchen and I can not wait to see the cabinets fully installed with doors and everything (hint, hint). (And not for nothing, once that happens, you know my spices are finding their home!)
And a giant shout-out to my painting superhero, Kirk. He came in like a whirlwind and got the job done. Talk about taking control… Both the living room and family room are painted and looking fine (again, another assessment that is completely relative).
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Less than 5 Weeks Until Thanksgiving
More videos are coming, though for the most part, they will likely look like more of the same. Much of the work done this past weekend was electrical and plumbing in nature...not really the types of stuff that make for compelling video footage. But, we're slowly inching our way to a finished kitchen. John has put together all of the cabinets, David is replacing much of the sheetrock in the kitchen, and next-door-neighbor Louis re-wired the area. We've got a little more sheetrocking to go, and then we can paint, hang cabinetry, order the countertop and get moving on tiling the floor. Oh yeah...as I write this, we're also getting delivered our refridgerator and dishwasher. The stove we brought home ourselves yesterday. So good news for our Thanksgiving guests...what's supposed to be hot will be hot, and what's supposed to be cold will be cold.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The Eagle Has Landed
66 boxes of Ikea kitchen cabinetry, hardware, etc. arrived today at the house. I'm so excited to see it, but I'll have to be patient. I've been working long hours, going in early and staying late to get ready for the big GALA on Saturday night. Then, it's off to Milwaukee next Monday. Hmmm...maybe when I get back from my trip....dare I say it???...I'll have a kitchen AND a shower!!!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Unexpected Treasures
Thanks, John, for videos that really only we homeowners could love…well, us, and apparently, Amy.
A few comments on the comments:
Yes, the yellow paint in both the kitchen and bathroom is hideous. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t fully do it justice…not only is the color ugly, the texture is hideous…it peels off in big ol’ chunks. Evidence suggests that a previous owner liked to decorate with sunflower-patterns, and tried to match the wall color exactly.
I’ve yet to find a beach…but there have been countless other unexpected treasures. My favorite: a half-full package of Q-tips…no need to be too jealous; they were generic-brand.
I hate my voice of these videos.
What I don’t hate AT ALL are my new kitchen cabinets. After three hours at Ikea on Monday, preceded by countless hours on my computer at home using their kitchen design software, the kitchen has been ordered. And now, I wait. Meanwhile, I hope John is watching the instructional DVD to prepare himself for the installation process. I’m sure with an 11-minute DVD and two instructional wall posters to hang nearby for easy reference, constructing and installing a full set of kitchen cabinets from 88 flat boxes will be a piece of cake…right? Mmmm…cake.
Ooh yes, also new to report…I’ve officially starting moving some of my stuff to the new place. Well, okay, it’s just one table, but that’s one less thing I have to move on the actual moving day.
Plus, it means more room in the truck for Grandma’s china.
A few comments on the comments:
Yes, the yellow paint in both the kitchen and bathroom is hideous. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t fully do it justice…not only is the color ugly, the texture is hideous…it peels off in big ol’ chunks. Evidence suggests that a previous owner liked to decorate with sunflower-patterns, and tried to match the wall color exactly.
I’ve yet to find a beach…but there have been countless other unexpected treasures. My favorite: a half-full package of Q-tips…no need to be too jealous; they were generic-brand.
I hate my voice of these videos.
What I don’t hate AT ALL are my new kitchen cabinets. After three hours at Ikea on Monday, preceded by countless hours on my computer at home using their kitchen design software, the kitchen has been ordered. And now, I wait. Meanwhile, I hope John is watching the instructional DVD to prepare himself for the installation process. I’m sure with an 11-minute DVD and two instructional wall posters to hang nearby for easy reference, constructing and installing a full set of kitchen cabinets from 88 flat boxes will be a piece of cake…right? Mmmm…cake.
Ooh yes, also new to report…I’ve officially starting moving some of my stuff to the new place. Well, okay, it’s just one table, but that’s one less thing I have to move on the actual moving day.
Plus, it means more room in the truck for Grandma’s china.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Long Overdue Update
Okay, exceedingly clever twin sister (and your ambiguously last-initialed friend Matt), here's a brief recount to tide you over until photos are available. First, some noteworthy details:
1. The house is officially ours. The deed is filed, we have keys, we check the mail, and we've even gotten the first electric bill.
2. The house is also officially a mess. We spent the first weekend of home ownership cleaning it up, taking out carpets, filling a dumpster with garbage left behind by the somewhat notorious previous owners (at least that's what we gather from talking to the neighbors), and completely gutting the kitchen. By the end of that weekend, it actually looked halfway not disgusting. A week later, it's back to being a hub of chaos. There's now a bathtub in one bedroom, a stove in the entryway, paint splatters all over the floors, and still (despite regular and frequent sweeping), lots of dead bugs. But, hey, they're dead.
3. Projects currently underway include the bathroom renovation (thanks to Cousin Bill). John installed the toilet himself (and the flush is completely not even close to being as intimidating as I would have liked, but I suppose less water usage makes the environment happy). He also decided to go out on his own and buy a vanity. It's a perfectly attractive looking thing, but it's huge in our little bathroom. Let's put it this way, no one who needs a wheelchair or a walker or who needs to bathe a child will ever be buying this house. The kitchen is gutted and I'm off to Ikea tonight to order our new cabinets. The deck has been temporarily renovated to expose a little more driveway (previously the oversized deck made driving into the garage a near impossible feat). I know, I know, you're thinking why didn't anyone scoop up this gem sooner??? We have a brand new hot water heater, and freshly primed walls.
4. John finally got a chance last night to sit on his deck with a bottle of wine and a cigar, which made him very happy. I, meanwhile, was priming walls.
5. I have lots of calluses on my hands; John probably has a bit of a hangover.
6. Now we are trying to tap into our inner architects to figure out how to make a completely non-sensical layout flow in a logical way. At this point, I can't even give a straight answer when someone asks how many bedrooms it has. We honestly don't know. It's just straight up funky.
7. The plan is to be in by Thanksgiving, and hopefully to have photos up at least by then...
1. The house is officially ours. The deed is filed, we have keys, we check the mail, and we've even gotten the first electric bill.
2. The house is also officially a mess. We spent the first weekend of home ownership cleaning it up, taking out carpets, filling a dumpster with garbage left behind by the somewhat notorious previous owners (at least that's what we gather from talking to the neighbors), and completely gutting the kitchen. By the end of that weekend, it actually looked halfway not disgusting. A week later, it's back to being a hub of chaos. There's now a bathtub in one bedroom, a stove in the entryway, paint splatters all over the floors, and still (despite regular and frequent sweeping), lots of dead bugs. But, hey, they're dead.
3. Projects currently underway include the bathroom renovation (thanks to Cousin Bill). John installed the toilet himself (and the flush is completely not even close to being as intimidating as I would have liked, but I suppose less water usage makes the environment happy). He also decided to go out on his own and buy a vanity. It's a perfectly attractive looking thing, but it's huge in our little bathroom. Let's put it this way, no one who needs a wheelchair or a walker or who needs to bathe a child will ever be buying this house. The kitchen is gutted and I'm off to Ikea tonight to order our new cabinets. The deck has been temporarily renovated to expose a little more driveway (previously the oversized deck made driving into the garage a near impossible feat). I know, I know, you're thinking why didn't anyone scoop up this gem sooner??? We have a brand new hot water heater, and freshly primed walls.
4. John finally got a chance last night to sit on his deck with a bottle of wine and a cigar, which made him very happy. I, meanwhile, was priming walls.
5. I have lots of calluses on my hands; John probably has a bit of a hangover.
6. Now we are trying to tap into our inner architects to figure out how to make a completely non-sensical layout flow in a logical way. At this point, I can't even give a straight answer when someone asks how many bedrooms it has. We honestly don't know. It's just straight up funky.
7. The plan is to be in by Thanksgiving, and hopefully to have photos up at least by then...
Saturday, October 6, 2007
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