Weekend Update and WWL 5/31/11

Today is what my mom and I regularly refer to as a "Monday/Tuesday." The Tuesday after a long weekend that feels like a Monday, but generally is even worse than a regular Monday.

SO I wish you a HAPPY Monday/Tuesday and I hope you enjoyed your long Memorial day weekend! We were really productive this weekend!

The biggest step forward though was in the kitchen. When we first moved in we removed the sink cabinet in the kitchen to install a new sink, garbage disposal, and plumbing. Knowing that we were going to renovate the kitchen at some point we didn't put the cabinet back. So for a very long time our kitchen sink area has looked like this:



This weekend though, with the aid of the fabulous new table saw, Micheal knocked out the necessary pieces to put everything back together!!

Be still my heart!!

The original doors for this cabinet were water damaged, I tried to save them but could never get one totally smooth. So we snagged these guys for FREE off craigslist this weekend and will use our handy dandy router to cut them down to size.



I also whipped up a few new throw pillows for the couch - super easy "how to" coming tomorrow!



What we learned (recently):

1. According to the 10+ mosquito bites I got in about a 20 minute period and the 90+ degree heat, summer is OFFICIALLY here!
   
2. Always always check your extension ladder to make sure it's locked before you climb it.
   
3. New screen doors cost about 40 bucks...
   
4. While HGTV is motivating...we actually get a lot more done when we turn it OFF! :)
   
5. One of our outdoor spigots is leaking inside (awesome).
   
6. Wendy's can run out of Frosties...(there should be a law against this)
   
7. When discussing dinner plans with a friend and her husband, if you ask if she is "adventurous" you should specify that you mean in regards to food choices. ;)
   
8. Weed-whacking is an acquired skill.

Hey Hey Hey....Goodbye....

After our unsuccessful attempt to pull the evil holly trees with the trunk, Micheal decided it was time to get serious and called out a few landscaping companies to get quotes to get rid of those buggers.

Turns out that not only are they aggressive, annoying and prickly, they're also diseased. Awesome. It's a long drawn out story, but a quick breakdown is:

Tree disease --> sticky leaves --> attracts small bugs --> which attract spiders --> which attract flies and hornets.

YUCK!

He also said that they're way to close to the house and we needed to move anything that we planned on replacing it with out further into the yard. We got about 5 quotes ranging from $300 to $1000 but since we're no longer trying to plant a tree in the exact same spot we decided to take on the job ourselves.



So we plugged in every man's favorite tool [reciprocating saw] and cut down the tops of the trees, leaving the truck to use as leverage for pulling out.





SHAZAAM!!



I'm so so so happy they're gone!! My brain is already buzzing with ideas for landscaping, lighting, a wood porch, plants, power-washing... Just more to add to the ever-growing list!

(Gratuitous husband plug to follow, if you're easily nauseated by spouse to spouse messages, stop reading here...)

A big thanks to the hubs for braving the trees and getting rid of them for me - as soon as he chopped into them they started fighting back, bugs were everywhere, it was super gross. I stood back and took pictures at a safe distance....you rock babe!

How To: Tile Floor Part 1, Removing Old Floor

Tired of your floor but don't want to shell out the big bucks to have someone lay it for you? If you watch HGTV enough you know that laying tile is definitely something you can DIY, you just have to be brave! So I'll give you a nice step-by-step tutorial to help you get up the courage. :)

First thing's first, what to do with your old floor? You have a few options:
1. Tile over the existing floor
2. Take out all tile down to the original subfloor
3. Find a compromise between options 1 and 2

We went for option 3. Option 1 is obviously the easiest, HOWEVER, the issue with option 1 is that with each layer placed your floor gets taller and you end up having to put a "watch your step" sign between the kitchen and the dining room.


Our first step was to remove the 12x12 tile flooring. To do this we needed:

• Mason's Chisel
  
• Mini Sledge Hammer
  
• Elbow Grease

Take the mason's chisel and place it at a 45 degree angle at the edge of the tile. Use the sledge hammer to pound the chisel until it goes under the tile a little bit. Do this along the edge of the tile, side, middle, side.

Continue to do this until you can get the chisel fully under the tile and then use it to pry up the tile off of the thinset.

Depending on the adhesion it might come up as a whole tile (about 75% of ours did) or it might break like it did in the above picture. Under the thinset there was a layer of cement board that was screwed to the subfloor. Because it was fairly crumbly we used a pry bar and pried up each 3x5 piece of cement board leaving the screws to take out later.

This was a HUGE mess, but generally came up pretty easily.

Next was the 80s vinyl tile squares that had been glued to a thin layer of fiberboard that had been glued to the 70s vinyl (yes, that's a lot of glue.) We needed to pull the screws which was quite the undertaking because they were filled with thinset and concrete dust and many of them had been stripped.

We literally had to get down on our hands and knees and scrape out several of the screw heads so that they would catch the drill bit. Not a very glamorous or fun job but made the job much easier. After all the screws were removed we started popping up the vinyl squares to identify where the seams of the fiberboard were. Then used the wonderbar to pry up each section of board. I was initially prying willy-nilly and it was very difficult with lots of tearing fiberboard. Once I focused on whole pieces it was MUCH easier.

This left the 70s linoleum with lots of construction adhesive and cardboard residue. This was where we decided to stop because underneath the linoleum there was asbestos tile. The tile is not hazardous if left undisturbed, so undisturbed it shall be! To make the floor as level of a surface as possible we used the Dremel Multimax with the Rigid Scraper Tool to scrape up each piece of glue. Yuck.

Before

After

And that left us with a nice solid, flat surface to begin laying our floor on! This was a long enough post, so enough for Part 1. Part 2 is prepping the floor to lay tile!

Hedgehogs and History

I frequently search Ebay and Etsy for trinkets that I think Kari will like (tolerate). My personal style is probably a little more eclectic than hers so I have to dial back. She frequently gives me the "you are so odd" or "you can put that up in YOUR office" look when I see something I really like. When looking for items to decorate the house I am amazed by the discrepancy in prices. I hold the idea that something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay, but sometimes I wonder how a "price" is determined. I recently bought a unique nesting hedgehog set made of brass that was titled "Hedgehog Stacking Ashtrays."



I really love the aesthetic. Once it arrived I proceeded to display it on the beforementioned shelves in the bedroom. In a fit of boredom I thought I would see if there were variations in the design or similar sets. There are currently 2 sets of Hedgehog "stacking ashtrays" on Ebay for $249 and one for $298, and an incomplete set selling for $99. They were also labeled as being designed by Walter Bosse. So initially I thought I had stumbled on an amazing deal since I paid $13 for mine. The reality is that all these sets were copies of the original Walter Bosse designed bronze hedgehogs.



Unfortunately the set I bought is a copy as well, or more accurately, one of many variations copying Walter Bosse's original design. Either way I love the hedgehogs and they sit on our shelf defying the Moshe's attempts to knock them off.

The backstory to items like these are equally intriguing. The hedgehogs were designed by Walter Bosse, an Austrian designer known for his modern Vienna Bronze figurines. Interestingly he died impoverished as a result of other artists copying his work, he spent years in court trying to receive royalties for his designs, as a result of his efforts he is considered the founder of modern copyright law for designer goods and handicrafts. When he passed, he was buried without a gravestone. Years later a consortium of collectors had a gravestone designed using his infamous hedgehogs for inspiration.

Shelf Ideas

This was actually the title of an email Micheal sent me after reading the update on Monday. He's such a good husband! Some super cute etsy finds that would look great on the shelf! Both are a bit pricey for my taste but are great inspiration for some DIY projects maybe??


Source: Red Tile Studio


Sourche: MonkiVillage

We do have a new router that needs to be tested out - DIY letter press letters? Hmmm...

Pink Gloves

I'm such a sucker consumer - right by the checkout counter at Home Depot they have packs of brightly colored gardening gloves in Hot Pink, Purple and Green. So of course who went home with pink gloves?


This girl!

They turned out to be very handy as we decided to tackle a few outdoor projects that had been on our list for a while.

First order of business, pull some offensive bushes.



See that random planter bed? One Japanese Holly, one azalea, about 100 irises, a few random day lilies, and some liriope. Micheal has been asking if he could clear it out for a while, since it has no symmetrical match on the other side of the yard and significantly impedes his mowing he has always disliked it.

A few quick pulls from the truck and the bushes were gone and we dug out the irises and day lilies because we were going to transplant them elsewhere.


Before giving him the green light I made him promise we would put down sod so I wouldn't have a big dirt pit. I'm still waiting... ;)

Using the truck to pull the azalea bush was a bit of overkill, but it was really practice to try and rid ourselves of the demonic holly trees by the front door. We dug out around them some, hooked up the chain, and cried when the smaller of the two scoffed at our attempt to uproot it.

Micheal set to dig it out more after that.


At about this point he was wondering aloud how much it would cost for a tree company to come pull them out, or maybe the cost of renting a bobcat for a day. Holly Trees - 1, Team S - 0.

We took the irises and lilies and planted them along our property line with some salvia and other flowers that we picked up at a local nursery along with the Japanese Maple I picked up last fall on clearance. We're trying to create some separation between our yard and the wild weeds and foliage in the woods next door.


We planted four patches of flowers and I'm going to continue to add until it's a solid row. I want to include spring, summer, and fall blooming plants so something is always in bloom!

Weekend (Life) Update and WWL 5.15.11

Ciao my dears - sorry about my absence, but I had to make an unexpected trip home on the 29th to visit with my grandmother before she passed.  She was a lovely woman and I was very lucky to be able to sit and have some much needed talks with her before she went to her heavenly home.

But now I'm BACK and super excited for June to get here.  Starting in June I'll only be working a few days a week so I'm looking forward to working on the many projects that are sitting around the house unfinished.

Exhibit A:

My super cool mid-century chair has turned into a cat bed because I’m halfway through making a new cover for the top cushion.  Piping sucks.

Exhibit B:

My grandparents gave me this amazing starburst clock!!  I’ve wanted one SO badly and this baby was free!  It needs new guts and I’m going to paint it, I already have it’s new home all picked out!

Exhibit C:

I just can’t figure out what I want to put on these shelves.  We’re slowly adding things, but I really want it to be set and done.  And the glaring holes in the middle of the shelves are a constant reminder that it’s NOT DONE!  I’m thinking of being trendy and doing an “S” for Struemph and another wedding photo.  Also need to get candles that will fit those little candle holders on the left and something to go in the blue vase.

This weekend we were busy in the yard – I’ll share some pics tomorrow!

What We’ve Learned Recently:

1. Cicadas live underground in their infancy stages and look disturbingly like mutant grub worms (which I already have an unhealthy fear of.)

2. Continental says that if you’re not in your seat 10 minutes before the scheduled take-off time you’re SOL.  No matter how hard you’re crying.

3. If you miss your connection when flying home to visit a dying relative a kind flight attendant might covertly offer you a Xanax.  (Man I must have looked bad….)

4. We’re going to ROME!!!!

5. The end of the movie “The Crazies” sucks.

6. Wear kneepads when installing tile, EVEN if your knees feel file while installing.  They will thank you the next day.

7. My mom and I are two peas in a super productive, type A, “I’ll do it myself” pod. :)

8. If you want cool plants (particularly shade plants) skip Home Depot and go to a real nursery.

9. Hostas are “like candy” to deer.  Damnit.

Dinner Party at Our House

Why? Because I will have a table big enough for everyone to sit at! (Okay, so there really isn't a party planned yet..but if I wanted to have one, I COULD!)


Indi is very excited about having people come over :)



Micheal already fixed some structural damage to the underside of the table; people seem to think that wood glue will fix anything! However there is some damage to the top of the table, and overall the finish is pretty poor.



Now we're ready to start bringing her back to her "mid century/danish modern glory!" Here's the plan:

1. Remove wild jungle fabric, fringe, old covered fabric and old foam - replace with new foam and recover with the fabric from these curtains I purchased on clearance (and with a coupon!) from BB&B.


2. Sand off old finish and repair any major points of damage.

3. Apply a dark stain and seal with polyurethane.

4. Eat, drink and be merry!