Remodeling news!

Hard to believe, but true! I'm finishing up a remodeling project at home. I woke up a few weeks ago and realized that, this summer we'll have been in this house for NINE YEARS! How did that happen??? And there are 11 rooms, plus a small mud room and a basement/cellar. In nine years, I've only managed a handful of unfinished projects. Not one single thing is complete.

The evidence: Ellen's room got the walls painted. The dining room has ONE wall painted (in my defense, I decided I didn't like the color. . . . . . so I stopped . . . . . . . . and forgot to restart in a better color, LOL) - heck it still has tape up on that wall even! The foyer is the closest to really done. It just needs new flooring to qualify as "complete". But at least it HAS flooring - the downstairs bathroom got a big remodeling - that's where I learned to plumb after all. Pretty new cabinetry, new light fixtures a washer & dryer and I had to re-plumb it all because I relocated everything in the room to a better layout. But it stalled out at about 90% done - with plywood for flooring and no trim at the baseboards or door. Gee, that was several years ago, and now it needs a new coat of paint on the ceiling and maybe the walls - so it's down to about 80% done. That's just sad. The quilting room got some paint on the walls, but the base of the wall (about one foot) didn't get it's coordinating color finished, and the ceiling is not finished (really sad, you can look up and see old yucky color on about a quarter of it, and fresh pretty white on the rest - sigh) The trim never got done either. I'd say that room is about 75%

SO! In an effort to change this, I set about remodeling the upstairs bathroom (yeah, don't finish one you started, start something else . . . . .that makes sense!)

Over the last week Ellen & I have installed new fixtures for the tub/shower and after nine years we have a working shower in there! She only got sprayed in the face once when a valve didn't seat properly in its' base - and even she agreed it was pretty funny! We ripped out the old carpet and the linoleum that was under it. Max helped haul off the toilet and vanity to the dump. And I took the light fixture down.

We're keeping the (ugly) wall board 'cause we can't really afford to replace it - and besides, that gives me something to remodel in 10 more years!

Max helped me put down new linoleum. We cut it all in one piece - no seams, so hopefully no opportunities for leaks and damage to the floor. And we installed the new toilet last night too. Our old one was stained blue from somebody using the wrong chemical to clean it a couple of years ago (no one ever fessed up, but it sure was a mess.) I couldn't bear the thought of a beautiful new bathroom, and a scuzzy, never-come-clean-toilet (ladies will understand) it just ruined the whole vision.

Tonight I will install the new vanity and maybe the new light fixture. I still have to paint all the trim, but I'm going to do that slowly over the next couple of weeks - being careful not to get any paint on any new stuff of course - and then put down quarter round trim around the whole floor to hide the edges of the linoleum. A new shower curtain and I can pronounce one room in the house absolutely completely remodeled!! Whoo Hoo!! I can go in, shut the door, look around and pretend my house is beautiful, LOL.

Actually, it has been a fun process too. I knew I could do plumbing, from all the re-piping that was required in the downstairs bathroom. But to find out that laying flooring was possible is pretty cool. Granted, this is a cool linoleum- it's glueless and held down by pressure. Easy peasy. We just had to be super careful of corners as we were getting it into place and I made the trim cuts - it wanted to tear easily at those corners. In the end there was only one tear - and in the worst possible place of course: right where the tub and wall meet (at the faucet end of the tub, where water always spills over to the floor, GRRR!) But I'm hopeful the quarter round will cover it, and we're going with a fiberglass quarter round, not wood, so that may help cut down on any water damage too.

Picked up a really cool tip from a customer in Menard's as I was getting the flooring too. He said to take a strip of the plastic corner trim that is used to protect corners of drywall from knicks and dings (you know, like in a doorway, where the drywall meets up at a 90 degree angle.) Cut it to fit the length of floor beside the tub. Run a bead of clear silicone along the seam where the tub meets the linoleum/floor. Then turn that trim upside down - so it nestles against the floor and tub (where they meet at a 90 degree angle) and press so the silicone and trim make a good seal. That will help keep moisture out of there and maybe make the flooring last longer. Will try to get pix as we do this, since it's hard to explain with words.

And here are the pix:

The new (smaller!) vanity that allows the door to open all the way.  If I close my eyes I can still hear the sound of the door banging into the old vanity, LOL

New (smaller also) toilet.  The lighting is bad for the next several pix, it was night and the lightbulbs cast an orange/yellow color.  But it's really white.

Really love the shower curtain from Bed Bath & Beyond.  It has a nice Folk Art look with the flowers, but adds white to the room.  The blue is not an exact match to the wall board, but pretty close.

This is looking into the closet (crazy old house!  There's a window in there too, LOL)

LOVE the new faucet!  Those white knobs are a favorite, I have the same style downstairs in the kitchen.

New faucets in here are pretty boring, but THEY WORK which is better than the old ones!

And the light fixture.  Would have preferred it to point down (collects less bugs on a summer night - no screens in windows upstairs) but the vintage medicine cabinet from the old house would have been in the way.  There's a little damage on the wall board where the old vanity was caulked, but hope to sand and maybe touch it up with paint so it's not so noticable. 

December already, sheesh!

Gosh, as I toodle along day to day, I just can't believe that it's almost the end of the year! Just not sure where all the time went.

Quilt guild was this week and that was fun. I showed two quilts during show and tell. One simple patchwork with an allover design, and mom's quilt with feathers. Both were well received. Yesterday I finished Carolyn's bowtie quilt. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Initially I wasn't sure about my design choice, but she doesn't want heavy quilting, so I went with the Continuous Curves. Once it was off the frame, and I walked away for a bit, it's okay. I also finished the lime, hot pink and black quilt for Darla this week. I'll call them both for pickup appointments - it would be nice if they could both come tomorrow (nice for $$ Christmas money, for me that is, LOL!)

The next one to go on the frame is a small wall hanging and the customer doesn't want heavy quilting. She doesn't really like this quilt, so my goal with the quilting is to make her love the quilt (no pressure, ha!) I have a custom (very large) quilt up after that -- and she would like it to be done for Christmas. I really like the colors and pattern of it, so I'm looking forward to starting it, and expect it to fly along since I'll be enjoying it. I'll hate having to give it up when it's done though.

The house is staying tidy - woo hoo. I've only let the dishes slide a couple of nights in the last four weeks, pretty darn good for me! Laundry is staring to pile up a little, so I'll focus on that this weekend.

Ellen is babysitting tonight, and has pep band tomorrow. I hope Marci & I can still make it to Mass around taking and picking up El. Marci pointed out last night that we'd missed a Holy Day of Obligation the day before - Feast of the Immaculate Conception - ACK!! Just when I think I'm on top of it . . . . . . . . WHAM! So I really don't want to have to miss this weekend.

So that's what's up and where I'm headed ;0)

Staying busy and strangely productive!

Shockingly, the house has stayed tidy for a WHOLE WEEK! Woo Hoo!! And, I've continued to make slow steady progress on Mt. Washmore, otherwise known as the laundry, LOL. There have been 2 bags sent to Goodwill already, and another is pretty close. The kids are supposed to be putting their clothes away and bringing me things that no longer fit, or won't be worn. Since I'm not getting anything from them, I must conclude that the pretty folded clothing piles I'm sending them to their rooms with are not getting put away! Might have to do a random inspection on each of them tonight to get that laundry moving into drawers and closets where it belongs!

Tim had a Dr. appt. and he'll be continuing on 2 Rx's for his blood pressure for 3 months and then they'll reevaluate. Dr. K said that most people take 3 blood pressure meds, so this isn't unusual. If only the Arthritus could be fixed with pills! He's still working on the truck in the barn that got an engine swapped into it. Probably more stuff too, but it's barn stuff, so I'm not paying really close attention! When I have to plate and insure it, then it will be on my radar, LOL.

Max had a good week working on his room. It's about 60% there I'd say. The toughest parts are done - under the bed (YIKES!) and under the desk. He actually did a couple of loads of laundry too, though I'm not sure they got folded and/or put away -- but it's a start. He's coming to the end of the first semester at Ivy Tech, and says that grades are good - B's in both classes. I find myself holding my breath, played this game before you know? And in college, I don't get a username and password to check up on him, so I have to wait till report cards to see . . . . . . and hold my breath hoping I'm not being lied to (again.) You know, I read the blogs of some moms in my circle and their darn kids are just so stinking amazing and awesome, I must admit to some jealousy. One just got an early admission into college, another is on track to recevie a scholarship for athletics, full-ride probably, somebody else is doing a great Senior project that the community is thrilled about . . . . *sigh* can I be THAT mom for a day?? Max will "get it" someday, but somedays it seems like a long wait.

I've actually had a productive week quilting too. Finished the quilting on mom's quilt yesterday and we shopped for binding fabric in North Vernon. I got the binding pieced last night, along with binding for my lap throw. Both of those and the current QoV got trimmed, and the lap throw got the binding attatched. Tonight I'll attatch mom's and the QoV's that's been waiting for binding for months! Met with a customer yesterday afternoon and she brought two quilts for simple pantographs. I didn't even talk her out of that and into more complicated work! Sometimes, a simple -- read: FAST -- job is better than a more expensive but complicated job that enevitably gets stalled along the way!! Done and paid is much better. So I'll do her two quick ones, then move on to the little bowtie quilt. I finally know what I want to do on it - the border was stumping me, LOL. The bowtie customer also has a snowball quilt with me and I need to come up with ideas for it next. She is a quilt guild customer so it would be nice to have them done before next guild meeting so she can get them bound and show them at show and tell! I could use the free publicity ;0)

Now it's time to get to work on the newsletter at my real job, more blogging later ;0)

Let's catch up

Um, yeah. . . . . it's been awhile. But really, no one is reading so, it's not like the end of the world or anything, LOL.

Actually things are good right now. Max is finishing his two classes at the community college. Won't be taking any next semester because he has to ramp up working and saving up for a car. He's driving Tim's winter truck, and um, winter is coming and Tim needs the truck to get to work . . . .you see the delima, ;0)

Ellen is right now babysitting for the second week at Bethel in the nursery. She's very nervous, but excited to have a job. Unfortunately, she's considered a staff member, so that means there will be witholding on her weekly $25, bummer. Welcome to the real world missy. She's doing ok in school, keeping B's and some A's mostly. Some of her friends drive her crazy with their drama, and she never has homework because she does it all at school, or so she says. Not sure if we talked about this since I've not blogged in ages, but she had a mild heat stroke at a band practice and a couple more heat related incidents at other practicies and a contest. The result is the Dr. benched her from marching this year and next year as well. This is serious stuff :0(

Marci is LOVING Jr. High. And she seriously LOVE LOVE LOVES PE class, how weird is that? She has discovered that she is strong and fast and can keep up with the 8th graders in the class running and stuff - wow! Her grades are good, but she does have a lot of homework. She has some drama around her with girlfriends and boys and stuff - but that is normal for her - she's our little social butterfly afterall.

Tim had his second spinal injection of cortazone on Friday, so we'll wait to see if it helps with his arm. He is working on getting a truck up and running - Marci has her eye on it for when she starts driving, LOL. I'm still working at Bethel and quilting. The house is tidy right now - actually clean, not just tidy -- woo hoo!! Working on getting the laundry caught up, and I really think I will get there this time. Although, my short sleeve shirts drawer is stuffed and I still have the dark laundry to get through so I'll have to go through and get rid of some. Probably will encounter the same problem in the long sleeve drawer too.

Chickens are all good. We hatched 4 little babies from our own eggs about a month ago and they are so cute. 3 Chocolate frizzles, and one black smooth feathered which I think is a girl. Not sure on the frizzles, but I suspect 2 roos at least. We did add 3 Silver Spangled Hamburgs this year and they are darling, so dainty! We are down on regular egg layers though. Actually, we need to add some brown egg layers this spring. I'd like to get them at point-of-lay so we'll have eggs right away. I think we only have one brown egg layer right now and she's our momma, so no eggs from her right now.

So that's my update, and I'm stickin' to it ;0)

Vent Ahead, proceed with caution!!

I came, I vented, I feel better.

I deleted :0)

However, there was one line worth saving - Going to town with my MIL & SIL is like taking Bevis and Butthead out into public!

time is zooming by!

Haven't posted in awhile. Been busy and sick and just not feelin' it, ya know?

Max graduated. THANK GOD! I really feel like they should have walked out into the audience and handed me the diploma, God knows I worked harder for it than he did! And after all the whining and belly aching about tidying the house and yard for his party, he declares, "I wish it was graduation day everyday!!" After he opens the cards and gets showered with cashooolaaah!

Marci headed off to summer band this morning for the first day. She has her plate FULL! She'll be learning to play percussion in the 6th grade band from 8- 9, then switch to tenor saxaphone with 6th grade band from 9 - 10, then pick up her clarinet for 7th grade band from 10 - 11, and she thought about doing 8th grade band from 11 - noon and playing bass clarinet!! Sheesh, my lips are worn out just thinking about it! She decided this year that she wants to be a music teacher when she grows up, so she is trying to learn a few new things this summer while she can.

Ellen starts marching on Monday evening. Just started taking her asthma meds YESTERDAY! So it should be an interesting first week, I expect several attacks until she gets her meds going steady. And for the record I told her to get going on this when I realized she wasn't taking them . . . . . back in the WINTER!!

Tim is working and me too. Quilting has remained steady. I have a baby quilt to put on the machine this weekend, then some freebie work for a few cousins. The guild has a UFO challenge going on this year and I totalled mine UFO's that I have (not counting a few that I knew I'd never get to this year, or might even put in the auction, just the ones that I know what needs done) and had 58! YIKES! That's a whole lotta quilting!! So far I've finished 8, and have a couple that are very close to done. I'm hoping to cut the number in half by year's end.

The house and yard are lovely right now thanks to the efforts to get ready for the party. I planted pretty annuals around the front of the house and a little on the side too. Three trips to the nursery, at least $150 spent, UGH. But I've been remembering to water morning and night, and it does look really nice. I still have some Zinnias and wild flowers (seeds) to plant around the chicken coop, and along the deck. Then I can sit back and enjoy the pretty!

The pool is up, but waiting on parts to run the pump. We need one stinkin lousy seal, GRRR. Hopefully it will be here Saturday, because we put the pool away kinda dirty, and with leaves and yuk. So when we filled it. . . . . . it didn't stay clear and blue :0( Putting gallons of bleach in each day to keep it from getting worse, and once the pump is going it should be fine. It's still cold and swimmable so that's all that matters really, LOL.

Chickens are doing so so. We put the meaties in the barn for their second night and Tim asked me the next morning - "How does that 4H auction work if you don't have any birds?" Turns out, a raccoon got them through the bars of the cage -- ALL of them, all that's left are bits and pieces scattered on the floor of the barn *sigh* Luckily, the 4H leader has spares, so I called and got 5 more. They weren't as big as Marci's had gotten in the 10 days we'd had them though - bummer. So we are keeping a light on them at night to encourage them to eat, eat, eat! Hopefully they'll catch up and be big by fair time.

The 10 polish babies are 9 after losing one. It just got really weak and lethargic and I wasn't able to save it. That happened to one other a few days earlier and I brought it in and spoon fed yogurt & mackeral and it bounced back (now it has a name: Danika, like Dannon Yogurt, LOL). The roosters are figuring out that they are boys and fighting for top position, so a couple have been seperated. So far, they haven't figured out girls yet, so one gets to free range with the flock each day for now. Once the hormones hit, we'll be putting all of them in cages to protect the girls feathers from getting broken and mangled from mating.

That's all the news from my corner for now. Hope to post more and even some *gasp* pix soon!

Peace out and purring ;0)

Today we are NOT talking about being sick

even though we still are sick :0(

But, on to other things . . . . . . I haven't seen my son in 2 days. It's weird. He's gone to school when I get up, and I went to bed early Wednesday - like, right after I got home from work early! So he wasn't home from school yet. Then the next day he's gone to school before I get up, and there was a thing after school, then he had to work in the auditorium that evening for a concert. I heard his truck rumble in about 9:45pm or so. Then today, again, he's gone when I get up. Strange thing is, I have Bunco tonight, I'll leave about 6:15pm or so. . . .and if he's not home yet . . . .my goodness, I may not recognize him the next time I see him, LOL

The most exciting thing that happened since last we blogged - is the quilt show!! I got to be in the judging room and wow, it was a full two days of learning. The two quilt judges (one of whom looked JUST LIKE HER PICTURE IN THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE QUILTY MAGAZINES!!) poured over each quilt. First we read the quilt's name and entry number. Then we held it up so they could see a full-on view. Well, actually, backing up, the quilts in one catagory were all on a table, piled one on top of each other with the largest quilts on the bottom. Then they are folded in half, over each other. So the really first thing is two helpers stand on either side of the table and "open" them back out - kind of fanning them for the judges to see the whole group. Well, it's just impossible to explain without my hands or you having been there - but that's how it starts.

So then after we hold it up, we put it back on the talbe and the fun starts. The judges move in, as if drawn by magnets! They are touching and looking close and talking to each other the whole time. "Ooh, look at these little pieces" "Oh, did you see the points are cut off on the stars" "The quilting stitches look good, how bout on the back" "Oh this binding was handled exceptionally well" and on they go. Questions and answers, observations. Then they will make their "Comments" for the critique sheet. One judge is the "Speaker" for them for each table full of quilts. Then they swap for the next table. Some things they obsessed over surprised me, and some things they didn't look at much suprised me too. I had always heard that on your binding, you want lots of tiny invisible stitches, like 10 to 15 an inch! They never looked much at the stitches there. Just felt ALL the way around the binding to see that it was full and even, and they did look to see that the corners were mitered and perfect 90 degrees. There were only a couple that weren't full bindings, and on the first one the judge actually said she was shocked by it! They hardly ever run across it because most entering shows know it's a biggie they'll look for.

All in all it was tiring , but really fun too. And to hear what they said, and what they looked for, makes me encouraged about entering a quilt next year. Plus, I was a hard worker and volunteered for next year, so that means I can put my poker face on and watch them go over my quilt with their fine toothed combs!

On the other hobby front, the chickens, we have our 10 chicks for spring in a brooder in the living room. They are not quite 2 weeks old. One is quite curious and if he turns out to be a rooster he'll get the name "Curious George" for sure. He'll likely be the first to escape the brooder box by trying to fly over the sides! We also rehomed two of our bigger girls. One was a chick we swapped for last August and had started laying, the other was one of Carly's cast-offs we'd brougth back to good health and laying too. Friends needed more layers and we needed space to keep a couple of these chicks so it was a win-win all around. So a no-name girl and Matilda have gone to a nice family nearby.

Actual quilting hasn't been happening. The next customer quilt is loaded, and has been for at least a week, maybe more. But . . . . .just not started yet. Need to though. It will be custom work and good $$, so maybe my mojo will hit this weekend. So far, not sure if it's the weather or taking away one of the depression meds (or not being 100% healthy) but I could really truly stay in bed all day, every day. Come on warm spring weather and bright sunshine, where are ya?