I Love When an Idea Works!

I love when repurposing an item around the house saves money AND lets you pay homage to the previous home owner.

That's exactly what I was able to do with the piece of wood that once held a metal bar in the master bathroom. The bar was used to help the previous owner stand up after a visit to the royal throne.

Although that may not be an ideal way to remember the man who built the current Rearick Family Estate, the previous owner was supposed to be a pretty crotchety old guy, so maybe it IS quite fitting.

Anyway, I knew that the piece of wood should get a second life. Inspiration hit, and I thought what a cool hat rack it would make for the foyer.

So after some wood filling and sanding, I was ready to use my Annie Sloan chalk paint once again. I wanted a ''found this at a flea market'' kind of shabby chic, so I dry brushed (using very little paint) parts of it Paris grey, while painting the middle white. I then scuffed it up some with sand paper to give it that patina-ed look.

Mr. Hubby then attached it to the wall after drilling in the hooks.

I'm pretty proud of the results. I still have to touch up a little damage from the drill, but other than that, it's good to go.

So the next time you find something at your house that's old or not useful anymore, think if you can use it in another way. You just might surprise yourself.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and creative Thanksgiving!!!

Before

After

This and That

I've had a pretty busy week -- but unfortunately, not with house projects.

I have the opportunity to stage a home that a friend is trying to sell. I've always had a dream of starting a home staging business, so I jumped at the chance to work gratis so I can start building my portfolio. But with great enthusiasm often comes great naivete, and that's exactly what happened to me.

I thought furniture stores would jump all over themselves to trade furniture on a short-term basis in exchange for free advertising, but it turns out, not so much. They give a 10-20% designer discount (oh, how I love being called a ''designer''), but nothing more.

So I now have quite a dilemma. Do I throw caution to the wind and fork out money for a few pieces of furniture that I could use on later staging jobs? Or do I see reality for what it is -- everyone loves the idea of staging, but no one wants to pay for it -- and accept the fact that getting other staging jobs would be a tough, if not impossible, task?

I'm hoping to come to some decision over the weekend on that conundrum.

I also had my second substitute teaching gig yesterday. I spent the morning with first graders and the afternoon with kindergartners. Every time I spend extended time with those kiddos, I earn more and more respect for teachers. Kids are crazy, I tell you -- especially the kindergarten youngsters, who are being taught the basics of listening and raising hands and not flooding bathrooms with toilet water.

But I digress ...

On the home front, I'm still trying to work room by room -- right now, I'm still on the foyer. This weekend, I hope to touch up the baseboards and apply a dragonfly stamp to add a little pattern to the walls.

I also plan to repurpose a piece of wood that we (OK, Mr. Hubby) removed from the master bath. It was previously holding up a metal bar by the toilet (remember, a very old guy was living here previously). My goal is to turn it into a coat/hat rack for one of the foyer walls.

Wishing you much success with your weekend projects, too!

Here's the wood from the bathroom. Can't you just see it as a hat rack??

Just Call Me Poly-Anna

I haven't been goofing off the past few days, as you might have thought due to my lack of posts. I've actually been working like a dog applying coat after coat of polyurethane on the foyer floor, post Miss Annie Sloan chalk paint.

I now have four coats protecting (I hope) the floor like LevelHead Canine protects a well-earned bone. And so far, no scratches or scrapes. Fingers crossed that the floor stays like this for the next 30 years, until we're so senile we won't even remember how to get to the foyer.

I'm now in search of an area rug to further protect the main walking path. I thought I had found a major bargain at Big Lots for $20. But when I got it home and unrolled, it looked more like one of those industrial rugs you see as you walk into a discount store, like maybe Big Lots -- the very store where I bought the rug (an obscure Seinfeld reference for truly devoted fans).

After touching up the baseboards that I splattered with grey paint (yes, I used tape; I don't know how the paint got there), I want to put some kind of stencil or stamp on the walls to give them a little pizazz.

Oh, the work never ends for a would-be HGTV Design Star...

Before and After pics for your viewing pleasure:

All Hail, Annie Sloan!

In my last post, I was having some issues with The Great Chalk Paint Experiment. I didn't like the color, and the paint wasn't really adhering to the slate floor in the entryway.

I decided to prime it well (as well as my impatient self could handle), and then it was off to the boutique that sells the Annie Sloan chalk paint for advice and a new hue.


My ready for prime-time floor ..

The owner was oh-so-informative and eventually helped me choose a new color: Paris Grey. I knew it was meant to be because the walls are Parisian Mist. It'll be like visiting the Eiffel Tower when you come to our house!

My plan was to mix the original color with the new and come up with a creamy grey or a greyish cream. But after some experimentation, Mr. Hubby and I agreed that Paris Grey full-throttle was the way to go. The other permutations looked a little pukey.

Paris Grey is on the large tile; the other two are a 1:1 ratio with the Cream paint; then a 2:1 Cream to PG.

With roller in hand, I spent the next five hours painting ... and painting ... and painting. The grout lines are what got me. At first I was painting the tiles first and filling in the grout. But then I'd have to go back and repaint the tiles to make sure I didn't get too many nasty lines.

About halfway through (yes, sometimes my little pea brain takes a while to catch on), I switched it up and painted the grout first -- much quicker.

After it dried, I could see all the spots I missed or where the paint didn't soak in, so a second coat was on the docket for Saturday. Great plan, but when I got started, I couldn't really tell where I had been vs. where I needed to go. So I ended up just touching up the light spots and hoping for the best.

Yesterday, we moved the area rug back in so I could see exactly which parts of the floor are going to show. A few touch ups later, it was time to remove the tape to see what havoc I had wreaked on the baseboards. Some of them have lovely streaks of Paris Grey paint on them, so touching those up will have to be added to the to-do list.

So after writing this post, it's off to the hardware store for some polyurethane. Our experience hasn't been the best with these shellac-type products -- they always seem to change the color of the paint -- but I'm hoping for the best.

My plan is to put about four coats on (advice from other blogs). Then we'll move everything back into the room.

The absolute hardest part of this whole project has been keeping the dog out of the area. She's been quarantined during actual painting times (she thinks it's major punishment) and cut off from part of the house (she'd have to pass through the foyer on her way) while it's drying. She is SO ready for this particular project to be over.

If I do a good job getting a first coat of poly down, I may treat myself and go to the fabric store in search of pillow material that has the green from the walls and the grey from the floor. There's nothing like a pillow to cure any interior design problem that ails ya (my thought for the day).

The photo doesn't look that great; to see the real thing, you'll have to visit ...

If At First You Don't Succeed ...

I assume that many inventors and scientists, the great minds of our past and present, had many goofs before they shouted "Eureka!" in the bathtub.

That's where I am right now: The Great Chalk Paint Experiment hasn't gone according to plan, but I'm not giving up yet, especially because I've painted about one-fifth of the foyer floor, so there's no going back now.

But I have learned a lot from my mistakes of today. First, I need to do more prep. I did wash the floors pretty thoroughly (for me, anyway) with trisodium phosphate (TSP), the heavy duty cleaner trusted by most painting professionals (I hope).

Then I did some taping around the baseboards. But I didn't prime the floors, so the paint didn't want to adhere very well. Plus, I didn't have a great roller or quality nylon brush (recommended by the chalk paint creator herself, Annie Sloan) or a brush small enough to do a good job on the grout.

Also, I don't think I like the color; it's a little more yellow than cream. So I may pick up another hue and maybe even mix them (insert inventor creepy laugh here).

So it's back to the drawing board tomorrow. It'll start with a trip to the hardware store, and then the insanity will begin again -- Part Deux ...

The foyer floor, as I'm waiting for it to dry after cleaning; then the partially painted floor without priming.

Where Are We??

Whenever acquaintances ask me how the house is going, I'm never quite sure what to say.

I guess it depends on what their expectations are. If they're thinking we still may not have a working kitchen, then, wow, we are kicking butt! If they're assuming the entire house should be done by now, well, then they're going to be sorely disappointed.

The living area -- including the all-inclusive kitchen, dining and living rooms -- is pretty much done except for cosmetic changes: backsplash, more pictures, that sort of thing. But some of the other rooms on the first floor haven't even been touched. Others are in mid-project status with no forward progress predicted in the near future.

So where does that leave us? I'm not sure. As far as I know, there's no phone app that tells us how far we should be on the reno by now. If there is, please Facebook me.

Part of the problem is that we've definitely plateaued -- once the house became ''livable'', progress kind of came to a screeching halt. I'm hoping I can get more things done now that I'm home full days; but unless I hire out some of the bigger jobs, I have to wait for Mr. Hubby anyway.

I guess I'm in a contemplative mood today. But it's hard not to be when you look around, and there are entire rooms crying out for attention, but not getting nearly enough, if any at all.

So in the meantime, I thought I'd try to post some pictures of the living area, so that you can see that we have made some progress in these past seven months.

The shower door in LevelHead Jr.'s bathroom is supposed to be installed today, but the guy should have arrived by now, so who knows if that will actually happen.

And tomorrow, unless something unforeseen happens, I'm going to clean the slate tile in the foyer like it's never been cleaned before so I can begin the Great Chalk Paint Experiment.

So I guess there is SOME progress ...

Before and Afters:

 

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Big Plans

Got my first substitute teaching gig today -- Whohoo!! I grabbed it from the SubFinder website before anyone had a chance to take it away from me!

On the home front, I want to start tackling one room at a time -- as much as I can. This doing a little here and a little there is leaving me feeling disorganized and unproductive.

First room on the docket? The foyer. I'm about 80% done with the painting -- still need to touch up the areas that had the most joint compound and are refusing to accept the paint. But once I get that complete, it's on to the floor.

The entryway has slate tile -- dark, dark slate tiles. Yes, I know, they're expensive. But they're so totally not my taste, but with only a limited reno budget at this point, I don't want to replace them. What's the next best thing?? Paint them!

I know that the big problem with painted floors is adhesion. But I've also been hearing a lot about a certain kind of paint that was designed by this woman in England: Annie Sloan. It's called chalk paint, a very matte paint that she created to be used on a lot of surfaces without the need for sanding, priming -- basically, any of the boring prep work that takes all the fun out of creative painting.

So my peanut brain started wondering if anyone has used chalk paint on slate tile. And thanks to the oh-so-reliable internet, I found several blogs where woman used Annie Sloan paint with great results -- some even in their foyers.

Lucky for me, there's a boutique in our small town that carries AS paint, and thanks to my friend Ellen who agreed to be dragged along, I purchased a can in a cream color.

So this is my next project. The hard part is finding the right time to paint. The bloggers recommend not walking on it for two days. The electricians are coming tomorrow and the shower door installers on Monday. Hmmm, gonna have to think on that one ...

Hope everyone is enjoying a safe and happy Halloween! Our town's trick-or-treating has been postponed until tomorrow, so the fun and candy will be extended 24 hours!

The slate floor as is. Can you say dark (and dirty)?

 

The hopefully ultimate in paint applications: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!!

Third Time's A Charm ...

As we move along in this house renovation, I am more and more amazed at my total lack of experience in the world of DYI (see, I even spelled it wrong). Never has it been so blatantly obvious than over the past few days when I've attempted to hang pictures by myself.

Sure, I've banged a nail in a wall before to get something to hang mid-air (well, let's be honest; it would take several nail holes before the placement was just right). But in this house, we decided to use drywall anchors to make sure the gypsum didn't come crashing down around us, opening up the house more than we had intended.

So off I went to the living room with needed materials in my handy toolbelt (I don't actually have one, but I think I may add that to my Christmas wish list -- how cute would that be to add to my oh-so-chic overalls; I'm sure I'd be a star on Contractor Fashion Police).

I attacked the first picture hanging with gusto. I was ready to start making these bare walls look like someone actually cared about them. So began my battle with the drywall anchors. For the uninitiated, drywall anchors are like little caves that you pound into the wall, giving the screw more support than just banging it directly into the drywall without the help of a stud.

So let me tell you why and how it look me three tries to actually hang something myself.

Picture #1 -- it would have worked perfectly if I had known the difference between a drywall and screwdriver bit. The hole I drilled with the screwdriver bit was so large, I was able to push in the anchor with just my finger, which meant the screw just kept circling around and around like a shiny carousel. Mr. Hubby couldn't stop laughing when I asked him what I had done wrong. He wanted to know if I had been wearing my glasses when I grabbed the drill bit. Well, yes I had, but it doesn't matter when you don't know the difference anyway. 1st Piece of Advice: Know your drill bits or prepare to be the butt of many a tool-challenged joke.

Picture #2 -- so this time I knew which bit to use, thank you very much, but the hole I drilled into the wall was at an angle (who knew?), so I wasn't able to get the screw in correctly. This mistake didn't generate nearly as many laughs as the bit debacle when I had to ask for help, so I knew my DIY skills were improving ... slowly. 2nd Piece of Advice: You've got to be straight (that's not in any way intended to be a declaration regarding sexual preference).

Picture #3 -- I was able to hang this one all by myself! But I did have to drill two holes because I didn't like the placement of the first one. But all in all, it was a huge success, and I now have the knowledge to start hanging things all over the house, whether the walls need it or not. 3rd Piece of Advice: We don't need no stinkin' men!

Hope you have a GIRL POWER day!!!

Picture #1 -- the saga begins.

Picture #2 -- actually, a mirror.

Picture #3 -- perfection!

We're Gettin' There!

Today was all about getting something, ANYTHING, done!

So after taking LevelHead, Jr. to school, if was off to the Y for strength training, then a zip over to Lowe's for another quart of Parisian Mist paint, the foyer color.

I got most of it painted, except for two areas around the doorways -- that would have happened if my body hadn't decided it would rather throw up than paint. I don't know if it's my neurological issues or if all the mucus from my cold was waging combat with my equilibrium, but I had to finally put the roller aside and sit for a few minutes to re-set my balance.

Two hours later, and I'm pretty much back to normal (whatever that is), so tomorrow I'll finish up the last part and look for glaring missed spots. The paint doesn't seem to like adhering to the joint compound, so those areas are looking a little pale. Look at it this way, the joint compound is like 15th century England, and the paint is obviously French with a name like Parisian Mist. They just can't get along and seem to be doing battle on the wall. So far, England is winning (sorry, my LevelHead French friend!).

While I bought the paint, I also picked up two light fixtures, one for the master bedroom and one for a little area that doesn't really seem to need a light but currently has a stained glass house fixture (please see below), so it's getting changed whether it needs illumination or not.

I also ordered a teensy more expensive light fixture for the foyer from this great website: Shades of Light. Check it out if you're in need of some cool illuminators.

So tomorrow it's all about finishing up the foyer painting and shower door shopping for LevelHead, Jr,'s bathroom.

Here's the glass bird house light or whatever it's supposed to be. Let the bidding start at $5.

There's an Elephant in the Room!

But we're talking about this elephant all the time!

It's our new giant entertainment center, built by none other than the oh-so-humble Mr. Honest. He had originally scheduled us for early December since he had a cabinet job to do first for another couple. But unfortunately for them, their not-so-great handyman installed warped hardwood floors throughout the kitchen, which all have to be ripped out and replaced.

More sympathetic, I could not be. I only hope that their handyman is turned into a gnat in his next life for such shoddy work. But our world is full of yin and yang: their delay has become our windfall -- more than a month early!

It's a beauty, too. I found the design on Houzz (we've discussed my obsession with that website before, haven't we)? All I had to do is show the picture to Mr. Honest, and he was all over it like irate homeowners on an incompetent floor installer.

And the great part is that we were able to have this piece custom-made because Mr. H constructed our kitchen cabinets at such a discount. In fact, the cabinets plus the entertainment center still cost us less than just the cabinet estimate from Lowe's. So my advice to any of you gentle readers considering a kitchen reno: get a quote from a customer builder before you automatically go with the big box store. You might just be surprised.

On another note, I've decided the foyer needs another coat of paint. Ugh. It's not even the work that bothers me; it's the inability to mark it off my to-do list. I've also been painting trim in the master bedroom, but it's not all that thrilling, so I'll spare you the stroke-by-stroke details.

Today I have a cold that I'm pretending not to have. But I am taking it fairly easy. So in lieu of major painting, I'm going to fix my outside ghost decorations that were either vandalized by marauding teenagers or mischievous deer (my bet is on the deer).

So without further adieu, here's our elephantine entertainment center. I still need to get the door pulls.

Either the floor is really slanted, or the photographer was drunk.

Here We Go (Yet) Again ...

First on my new & improved reno list was painting the foyer. Many eons ago, I posted that a suitable paint color couldn't be found. I wanted a pale green color and after many sample cans plus mutations from said sample cans, I decided to go back to the original.

So off I went to Lowe's where I: how well do you know me ... Mr. Hubby could finish this sentence even if he didn't live with me ... it's so predictable ... picked YET ANOTHER color: Parisian Mist.

But this time I didn't bother with the sample, I got the real deal. No more fooling around. I decided THIS WAS IT, for better or worse.

Onto the wall Parisian Mist went. It's very pale, but very pretty. Mr. Hubby originally told me that he would paint pinstripes in white, which would look tres cool. But now he says that the green might be too pale to show the contrasting stripes. I don't agree, so I may need to do a sample to show him that they would still look fabulous -- light or dark.  

I only got a quart, thinking that would certainly be enough for the teensy area. But these walls soak in paint somethin' fierce. so a second coat is needed, I think. See, I've had optic neuritis twice, which really makes my ability to see pale colors super-funky. So I'm not really sure I got the walls covered well.

But I'm making progress, and that's the important part. Below are pictures mid-project. I'll post more when I get the second coat applied.

I'm Back, Baby!!

It's been so long since I've posted, I feel like I'm starting a new blog. And I'm sure any previously loyal reader is long gone.

So we'll just pretend this is the first day of my new blog. Let me give you some recent background: I was having a hard time balancing work and reno since my job hours were smack-dab in the middle of the day. I wasn't getting anything done pre- and post-work. After much soul-searching and boring Mr. Hubby with yet more of my  ''oh, what should I do'' monologues, I decided to quit my job and concentrate on just the house renovation, with the hopes of becoming a substitute teacher a day or two per week, leaving me full days to work on house projects.

The substitute teacher gig isn't becoming a reality as of yet. The school district coordinator was oh-so-friendly until I submitted my on-line application. Then she clammed up like a senator at an ethics hearing. She either has a problem with my full legal name or someone gave me a bad reference.

Major bummer. I think I did a good job at the school, but the fact that I left so soon after the start of the academic year may have marked me as 'flaky' and 'unstable' (although I worked most of last year in the same job). Who knows.

So this week I've been in the house with oodles of projects to start. But there's been this little part of me that fears spending too much time alone and slowly being driven mad by the Ghost of Renovation Past. So I made a point to plan social outings that would force me into the world. I got out a lot, meeting people at lunch places and Starbucks, running errands, doing a little volunteering -- so much so that I haven't had much time to work on the house ... ironic, isn't it.

So starting next week, it's all about getting things done AT HOME. I may start seeing visions and succumb to the dark side of anti-social behavior, but at least I'll have some painted rooms to show for it.

I hope you'll join me for Level Headed Part II. I've started making a list of everything I want to get done. It's pretty overwhelming, but I should have the time since I'll be home a lot -- if I can just drown out those voices with the radio ...

Mad Scientist Musings ..

OK in my last blog, I talked about getting the foyer walls primed and ready for paint. Well, I completed the prep and was all ready to slap on some muted green paint, but then a big problem arose: namely, the ''muted green paint''.

Why so hard to find, MGP? I want a fairly pastel hue with maybe a touch of grey to make it just the tiniest bit sage. Is this too much to ask? Apparently so. Thus far, I've picked up dozens of paint sample cards and actually purchased two cans: one a sample so light that Mr. Hubby had a hard time even finding where I had tested it -- and the second an actual quart (I was just convinced that it would be the right color, plus I wanted to move this project forward toot-quick).

But alas, the second color looked like a candy apple jolly rancher projectile vomited on the wall. So off to a different paint store? Not a chance for this penny-saving optimist. I thought I could just CREATE the color I wanted by mixing paints until the elusive "muted green'' color would be attained.

So I went into the garage and began mixing the candy apple explosion with white ceiling paint (I don't want any sheen to the wall; better to cover up the imperfections, my dear). First, it was a 2:1 ratio (two jolly ranchers to one ceiling). There wasn't much of a discernible difference.

Not one to give up so easily, I next tried a 1:1 batch -- better, but nothing to paint home about.

My third experiment was a 2:1 reverse ratio: two ceilings to one JR. This time, I got a variation on the original vomit hue, only this time the jolly ranchers ate their own poo before throwing up. The color is this weird brownish green, not fit for a baby's diaper, much less an entryway wall.

So I'm back to square one. I'm going to try a new paint store that I'm sure will have colors never even imagined by the first two stores.

If anyone has a nice, soft green paint color they've used with success, please Facebook or email me the cutesy name. PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!!

The mad scientist color wheel (start at the bottom and moving clockwise): pukey brown-green 2:1 reverse ratio; two 1:1 ratio swatches, still a little intense for such a small space; the full-throttle candy apple color with the ''TOO MUCH!" factor; and the oh-so-pale original with two coats (don't feel bad if you can't see it; only LevelHead, Jr. with her youthful eyes can).

Decision Made

Oh, gentle readers, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am for not posting in eons. As I've previously whined, I just cannot make enough time during the week to actually accomplish a task that's blog-worthy.

But after much consideration, I have decided to leave my part-time job at the school system, including its mid-day hours that seem to paralyze me into a total lack of house renovation productivity. My last day will be October 11th.

However, I know myself well enough to realize that I need outside social contact to maintain my elusive sanity. So I am in the process of applying for a substitute teaching position. In a perfect world, I will work a day or two per week in my present school and have three days to get projects done around the house.

And the amazing part is that if I work two days, I'll make more money than I currently do. It's a win-win, as those business types like to say. My only fear is that I'm miffing off the school by leaving my regular job and that they'll never call me to sub. Only time will tell.

I have tons of projects that will keep me busy around the house, at least to the point that all my solitude makes the voices in my head grow too loud.

On a more homey note, I did have time over the weekend to prime the entryway -- or foyer, for you true HGTV addicts. It's hard to tell just how much wallpaper removal damage is going to show, so we're going to paint and then do the remaining skim coat touch-ups to make it presentable to you and the rest of the world.

So that's where I am. I'm a little uneasy because this will be the first time I haven't worked regularly, except in time of sickness and surgery recovery. But we bought this house so we could renovate it and get that market value moving in a positive direction. And unless we want to be on the 50-year plan, something's got to change.

I hope you will give me a second chance to become the best blogger I can be -- with regular posts and everything!!

A fashion idea that I hope will soon become a craze: wear socks while you paint; then take them off before moving to a different room. No more painted footprints! (Photo courtesy of LevelHead, Jr.)

Organization Nation!!

I'm sure I've lost all loyal readers by this time with my total lack of posts, but please know it's me, not you. I would love nothing more than to try and bring a smile to your cyber faces with witticisms or at least your expressions of ''I'm so glad I wasn't stupid enough to buy that house."

But, alas, my weekdays since school started have not been a study in efficiency, as I've previously whined. But I'm not one to give up that easily, so today I'm going to start accomplishing a few tasks in the afternoons -- which, yes, means giving up my previous quiet time. I'm going to write down at least two things I want to get done by the time I pick up LevelHead, Jr. from school. For those of you who secretly think Martha Stewart is kind of a slob, this may not seem so impressive, but for me, it's a step in the right direction.

I will continue with this schedule while I'm deciding if I should quit my job. Maybe I'll find that I can get just enough accomplished each day so that I don't feel like such a slug. Or I may come to the conclusion that I can earn more in house equity than I could ever earn with my pitiful school salary.

We did have some time to work this weekend. My dad had his 81st birthday party on Saturday, which involved some driving and took away from task time (Happy Birthday, LevelHead Dad!), but I was able to get a few things done: I finished scraping the paint from the windows in LHJ's room, and I skim-coated the foyer walls in preparation for paint.

Applying the drywall compound is the easy part; the difficulty comes when sanding it off. It's an amazing workout for the arms, plus it creates more dust than a hoarder's coffee table

Mr. Hubby helped prepare the room by hanging up plastic sheeting in a feeble attempt to keep the dust from escaping the entryway. Then, as with most tasks I take on myself, he was called in to rescue me -- this time with the sanding. It's hard, hard work, people. I was huffing and puffing after just part of one wall, and I wasn't even getting it all off. So The Hubster to the rescue -- his anatomical guns were put to good use as he took over and got the job done.

There was only one sliver of wall that I completely missed with the joint compound. So that's one of the two items on my to-do list today: skim coat that final part of the wall and see if there are any other parts that need a second coat.

I also plan to search high and low for family photos that have been missing since the move. I have no idea where they are -- probably in the bottom of a box covered with my sexy lingerie (Mr. Hubby will laugh hysterically when he reads that).

So my day is set. I hope to post more often this week with exciting updates (aren't you thrilled?).

Here's to an efficient day, gentle reader,  full of utter organization for both of us!

Paint Shavings on a Window Sill -- photographic art.

 

 

Me, mid-huff-and-puff

 

This house has cost us so much money, Mr. Hubby can't even afford a Colts jersey

 with a current player.

Whine of the Day

 Sorry I've been absent from my own blog for so long. For someone who is organizationally challenged, juggling work, a daughter, husband and a very needy house pretty much overwhelms me to the point of accomplishing nothing.

A lot of you know that I'm only working at LevelHead Jr'.'s school for three hours per day, but that time is right in the middle: 10:30-1:30. How can I possibly be expected to get anything done before my school time? I'm not one who switches gears easily. I have a hard time painting for two hours and then switching my overalls for a skirt and instantly becoming Teacher's Aide Extraordinaire. It just ain't gonna happen.

Then after work, due to my neurological issues, I usually have to have a little down time after I eat so I'm not completely exhausted by the time I walk to pick up LHJ.

So that's why I haven't been posting much: I just haven't been doing much when it comes to house improvement. Now, if you'd like to hear me go into great detail about setting a doctor's appointment for LJH's rash or how I used up a lot of leftovers in last night's dinner, I'm your gal. But I somehow doubt readers want to hear about the great deal I got on paper towels on double coupon day at the grocery store.

That's my dilemma right now. What to do? What do to? The amount of money I make is so infinitesimal it probably costs the school corporation more in administrative costs to electronically deposit my check than I actually earn.

So should I quit my job and just concentrate on the house right now? If I do, will I slowly become a hermit who never leaves the comfort of her four unpainted walls and orders paint and groceries on-line?

Well, it's time once again to begin the metamorphosis from blogger to educator. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm going to start teaching the kids about miter cuts and drywall compound. Then I'll come home and educate the baseboards about telling the difference between writing "b"s and ''d''s.

And that's wrong -- on so many LevelHeads ...

Labor Day, Literally

One of the downsides of renovating a house is that you always think you should be working on a project. When you get four days off for a holiday weekend, instead of looking forward to cookouts and inappropriate drinking, you start contemplating all the tasks you'd like to complete by weekend's end.

You've previously complained so much about all the crap you have to get done that no one dares interrupt your forward movement with a party invitation (at least that's the way we're interpreting no invitations). And since you have so many projects uncompleted or not even started, you don't have the self-esteem to invite anyone over.

So that's where we found ourselves last Friday. So I decided to attack a project I've been wanting to get started forever: removing the wallpaper from the foyer. Based on our experience in the master bedroom, I was expecting to be done steaming all the paper from the walls within a couple of hours.

Ha! How long is it going to take me to learn that nothing is easy in this house?? First, I learned that no two wallpapers are alike. They're more like snowflakes -- really ugly, adhesive-backed, sticky snowflakes -- but each an individual.

The wall coverings in the dining room, laundry, bedroom and foyer have been VERY different. So using a removal technique from a previous room is like using last night's meatloaf recipe to make tonight's cheesecake.

But not knowing this, I proceeded removing the paper the same way we had in the bedroom. The plan was to quickly steam the top paper; then I'd apply more heat to the adhesive below. But after trying this technique on one wall, I realized that the big chunks of drywall being ripped off the walls was due to too much moisture from all that steam.

Even though I changed my game plan for the remaining walls (I started pulling off the top layer with brute force and used the steam just for the adhesive), pieces of those walls still chipped off.

So a project that was supposed to cost me a couple of hours cost me the whole weekend and is spilling over into this week. When I went to add a thin layer of drywall compound to the walls (my favorite, skim coating), the parts where the drywall had been pulled off down to the cardboard were bubbling up like champagne at a wedding toast.

Luckily, after the compound dried, Mr. Hubby was able to use his muscle to sand those parts down. But even after those repairs, I have four walls that have to be skim coated. I'm going to try and do one each day. That way, MAYBE, we can paint this weekend -- IF the drywall compound saves our walls from looking like a pockmarked teenager who has never had the benefit of Proactive.

The good news is that we only have one more room of wallpaper on the main floor! The bad news is that I'm too scared to remove it ...

Have you ever seen what's behind the top layer of drywall??

Tiny bubbles in the wall ...

Just call me "Skim Coat" LevelHead ...

Where's My Present??

It's my birthday today. Remember when the anniversary of coming into this world was the most important day of the year? We were so excited to be another year older and one year closer to ... what exactly?

We had our meals prepared and presented to us three times a day; we didn't have to work, but rather got to spend the day learning about this world AND got to play outside. We didn't have to do laundry, pay bills or fight with our spouse. Is it really worth all that to be able to set our own sleeping hours? Heck, now we'd kill for someone to put us down for a nap every afternoon.

So here I am contemplating being another year older. After my cancer scare last year, of course I'm extremely grateful that I'm here at all. But one can't help but ponder about life goals and the legacy that will be left behind one day. I haven't cured any horrible diseases, invented any life-changing products or even had a major impact on my local community.

But I have the most wonderful husband and daughter, whose love lifts me up every day. And I try to give that love back as much as I can. I also try to be a good person when I'm out in the world -- doing the right thing and being honest and caring.

I make lots of mistakes, for sure, but my intentions are almost always pure (I may have wished ill will on a contractor or two during this reno, but not very often).

So today, I want to appreciate being on this earth for another year and taking time to smell those flowers that the neighborhood deer haven't decimated.

To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes: life isn't a dress rehearsal. Here's to hoping I'm just getting started in the second act of my play ...

Next post: how I may need to toss all this life-affirming crap and kill the dog for what she's doing to our new living room rug.

A Lethagic Litany

Had a fantabulous time roaming around HomeGoods this weekend in the big city -- I had this goofy smile on my face that must have appeared as complete insanity to my fellow shoppers.

But my excursion also made me face a Carrie Bradshaw-type revelation: how can I be so perky and energized while shopping but so easily distracted and tired when there are not-so-glamorous jobs to do at home? Like when I should be painting trim in our bedroom, I become obsessed with Facebook and cannot get my butt to move an inch off the couch.

There's only one plausible explanation: I'm lazy -- really, really lazy. I've always known that I had a tendency toward the comatose side of the energy spectrum. But when I was diagnosed with neurological problems several years ago, of which fatigue can be a symptom, I thought, "Aha, that's why I crave naps instead of exercise classes and the reason I'd much rather watch a cooking show on TV than get out the roasting pan myself.

But now I'm questioning that diagnosis -- not the medical one; rather, the excuse it gives me to sit on my bony underside way too much. If I can be so energetic doing something I like, then it's clearly not a question of feeling tired all the time. Instead, I'm self-diagnosing myself with Selective Fatigue.

Like right now, I should be emptying the dishwasher before work. But, no, I've convinced myself that this blog entry, including the ability to keep my arse right where it is, is way more important than household chores.

What can I do to change my sedentary ways when it comes to the mundane parts of renovation? I always think of that arthritis medicine commercial (I see a lot of ads during my TV marathons) that talks about a body in motion tending to stay in motion. That's so true. It's just that initial push to start the movement that I have a problem with.

Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. But who else is there to blame? I guess instead of sitting here, self-analyzing, which by the way doesn't involve actually doing anything, I should get over to that dishwasher.

I have a friend who says that she keeps herself going throughout the day because she knows once she sits down, it's all over. I need to adopt that attitude myself. I could also try Dr. Phil's "Fake It 'Til You Feel It" advice: in my case, if I get going as if I have energy with boring tasks, I eventually will.

So wish me luck today. I'm hoping to go to work, clean part of the house and lift weights, as well as making a renovation to-do list for the week. You know, that to-do list will allow me to keep sitting on this couch, so maybe I should start with that ...

Meet My New Baby!!

Many of you may not have known I was expecting, but Mr. Hubby and I proudly gave birth to the newest member of the LevelHeaded family last night. Boy or girl, you ask? No, it's a table! And if I do say so myself, it's about as cute as can be -- shabby chic with just enough imperfections to make it antique-y.

My gestation period was only the time it took to email with the Craig's List seller and the hours waiting to pick it up yesterday. And that pain is quickly dissipating as I admire my not-so-tiny newborn.

If you'll recall from my most recent post, the table purchased is actually a round dining table. I knew I wanted an oversized coffee table but didn't want to pay a supersized price, so I had this idea to cut off the legs of a bargain-priced piece.

And that's just what I found. Well, maybe the price wasn't as low as I was hoping; the seller just wouldn't budge. But $50 isn't too much for solid wood, is it? And who can actually put a price on a member of the family?

When we got home with our bundle, Mr. Hubby gave birth to his own bundle of energy and quickly got to work measuring the height of the existing table and cutting off legs.

What's left is just what I wanted: a mega table that's not far from any of the couch or chair seats in the room.

There's only one teensy-weensy problem: the color. It's a funky turquoise, which I think is tres cool, but there's nothing else remotely like it in the rest of the room. So my next stop may be a flea market to see if I can find a few turquoise accents.

Plus, we're going to the big city this weekend for a party, and I may be able to weasel some shopping time out of the deal. The old me would have run to the Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel stores (which are still fun for looking), but I really want to go to a HomeGoods store to see what bargains I can snatch.

FYI, we're registered at several furniture stores around town if you want to buy us a baby gift ...


We are pleased to introduce LevelHead Table (but we're going to call it LHT) ...

I Have To Be Level -- It's My Name!

First, let me admit that I'm a little distracted right now. I'm in hot negotiation for a Craig's List coffee table for the living room. It's actually a dining table -- but we (OK, Mr. Hubby) can cut off the legs to a coffee table height. That way, it can be nice and big, just the way I want it.

My CL obsession has gotten so intense that I now look at catalogs and think, "how boring; anyone can just BUY a table'' -- how much more exciting to purchase it from an individual who may or may not want to kill you. Plus, you can get it at a great price and have an interesting story to tell (well, that is, if you survive the transaction -- if not, it's one heck of a funeral parlor tale for your loved ones).

But back to current projects: The Hubster has begun to hang a chair rail in the dining room. It's looking pretty sharp. Plus, he put up the first wall decoration in the new space. It's a mirror surrounded by driftwood that I bought from a catalog a few years ago. I know, how passé, but I did get it on clearance after drooling over it at full price for months.

But after hanging it, Mr. H and I were at odds. I said it was crooked (and how embarrassing for someone named LevelHead). Hubby said it was level; he claimed double-checking the mounting screws several times before drilling. Slowly, both of us started remembering the hanging of this mirror in the old house -- turns out the driftwood is not all the same length, so it appears to be off kilter when hung.

So now, how do we get it to appear level? Our first idea is to wrap tape around one of the screws so it sits just slightly higher on one side. We'll attempt this brainstorm tomorrow, if time allows. Mr. H is about to start teaching next week, so my live-in handyman is about to go all academic on me. But he can't leave me hanging on this one (haha -- this renovation humor kills!).

On another note, I put on two more coats of spray paint on the shower pan -- it's looking better and better. I think one additional coat should do it, although the toxicity of the application (man, it stinks to high heaven, which is awfully close to the ozone layer it's depleting) may be taking years away from our planet's life span.

Next, I'd like to pick out a color for the foyer. Mr. Hubby also had the idea of painting pinstripes of white in the space. Genius!! Either I or HGTV is wearing off on him, and I couldn't be prouder ...

The dining room chair rail looks great. But can I get an amen on the mirror not looking level?

The shower pan is almost ready for its close-up.

We're Singin' the Blues ...

Cyndi Lauper had a song back in the day about showing your true colors, and boy, could we relate as we began painting the kitchen.

We decided to use the same color as we did in the living room -- "Ice Rink Blue'' -- which looks great. But when we painted one of the kitchen walls yesterday, it came out an entirely different color -- this weird neon version of itself. Only when the sun went down did it return to its true blue.

I guess three big windows and a skylight are enough to transform a sweet color to the zombie realm.

What to do?

Mr. Hubby, sexy painter boy toy, and I put our heads together -- partly to blind ourselves from the neon sign that was our kitchen wall -- but also to come up with a solution, which we did: stripes. We thought that adding the darker color that we used in the dining room might bring down the intensity a few decibels.

And it did. Plus, it added some interest to the plain wall, which was an added bonus.

So we thought we had learned from our mistake and painted the other kitchen wall the darker color. But I'll be danged if the skylight didn't turn THAT wall into an even crazier color.

So we're going to paint it white -- pretty boring, especially with the white cabinets, but we'd rather have blah than AHHHHH!

Today I need to make my to-do list for the weekend, which will include finding a new spray paint for the shower pan I started last weekend ...

Here are the stripes. Where are the stars??

He's Got Mad Skills

While I was diffusing toxic spray paint fumes around the ozone this past weekend, Mr. Hubby was on a painting roll (that's renovation humor, people).

After buying only four paint samples (which isn't really too bad for me), I chose the colors: a pale gray/blue for the living room and a darker version for the dining area. The Hubster then got to work.

We decided that a separate primer would be worth the effort on the walls that formerly had wallpaper, and it was a good decision. The paint went on much more smoothly than it had in the master bedroom.

There's not too much more to say, other than that Mr. Hubby has a back-up career if his teaching gig doesn't work out. He's a fabulous painter, and he's even learning to put drop cloths down on the floor --  which avoided the speckled abstract art he created on the laundry room floor after painting the doors.

Soon I want to transform the dining room table, which I got free from my former next-door neighbor. I'm hoping to make it look like an antique with some strategic painting and sanding. More on that to come.

Here are some pictures of the dining and living rooms, before and after ''the blues.''

One Brain Cell Short of a Full Can

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post. Time flies when you're getting your girl back to school. I also returned to my part-time job at the school. So it's basically been a scholastic BTS celebration at the LevelHead house.

But we didn't let reno endeavors get pushed completely aside over the weekend. We were all about the paint. Mr. Hubby painted the living and dining rooms, which I'll post tomorrow, while I pushed the latex envelope a bit more.

When we bought the house in the spring, one of the first ideas I had was to change the color of the shower pan that was in LevelHead Jr.'s  bathroom. It was kind of a dingy tan color, which I of course wanted to make, you guessed it .... white. But how? So I did some research online, and as we all know, the internet never lies. So when numerous people said I could spray paint the shower bed, I jumped all over it, given my recent ''if it doesn't move, spray paint it'' attitude.

The brand on the shower pan is Swanstone; and the insignia says it's ''solid surface'', but what does that mean? So I asked Ms. Google yet another question, and she informed me it's basically pressed plastic.

Off I went to the hardware store and purchased Krylon's spray paint designed specifically to adhere to plastic. I then returned home and began protecting every non-shower pan surface I could. Newspaper was taped to the tiled shower walls; a sheet went on the floor. Towels went on top of the vanity. I've spray painted enough grass outside to know that the aerosol can go crazy, so I knew trying to spray paint inside was pretty ludicrous. But how else could I get the dang thing white?

So I sprayed and sprayed -- man, is that stuff ever toxic. I had my mask on with the windows open and the fan going, but I still killed off some brain cells in the process. All that and it didn't even adhere the way I was hoping. There are dingy spots still showing though the white. But I'm not giving up so fast (that may be the dead brain cells talking). Next, I'm going to look for an epoxy paint made for plastic. And if I can't find that, I'll give the painter-and-primer-in-one a try.

Now, I know what you're thinking. The first shower, and the paint is going to start running like kindergartners trying to get to recess. And that may be exactly what happens. But I've got to give it a try. Plus, I can buy one of those non-skid pads so at least LHJ's feet won't turn white with every shower. Now that's a mother's love.

Tomorrow I'll update you on Mr. Hubby's successful weekend painting ...

Before and after shots of the shower floor (although the ultimate ''after'' shot won't be taken until I'm satisfied with the result).

Out Damned Spot!

It's not often that I quote Shakespeare, but the words above, spoken so eloquently by Lady Macbeth as her murderous ways drove her to the brink of insanity, are pretty much how I feel about our stainless steel appliances.

I had heard people talk about the constant smudges that were nearly impossible to get rid of on their refrigerators, but did that stop me from wanting the very appliances that cause this madness? No way -- I wanted the real thing because it looks so sleek. Plus, I thought that my slovenly ways would make me pretty much oblivious to the constant cleaning and touching-up about which those neat-freak types spent their precious spare time worrying.

But I am here to proclaim that no one is immune to this perfectionist behavior once stainless steel enters their homes. I have become full-throttle OCD when it comes to keeping my stuff smudge-free. I'm constantly trying to remove LevelHead Jr.'s fingerprints post-snack hunting; or Mr. Hubby's foot marks as he slams the freezer door closed after scooping his nightly ice-cream; or my own apparently greasy elbow spots after heaving the door closed, hands full of fruits and veggies (OK, actually Diet Sunkist and cheese balls).

So how to get them clean. I turned to my dear friend Ms. Google for her thoughts. Several sites suggested a product I would have never previously thought of voluntarily rubbing on my steel of the stainless variety: olive oil. Sounds pretty wacky, I thought, but more than a few seemingly veritable people recommended the product. So I thought it was worth a try. Big mistake. I don't know if I put too much or too little on, but my dishwasher was left looking like an Exxon oil spill. I then tried removing the greasy film with Windex and vinegar, all to no avail.

Mr. Hubby came up with the solution. He remembered those Dawn commercials where water fowl is cleaned after oil slicks. So I took dishwashing liquid to my steel and just like water off a duck's back, it worked.

So now when my ss is looking spotty as a Dalmatian, I first wipe the appliances down with a Dawn solution. Then I dry them and treat remaining smudges with vinegar. Yes, I know it's a lot, especially for a lazy person -- but just like Lady M, I am driven mad by the spots. I doubt that dirty appliances were the muse for Shakespeare's play, but you never know. Maybe Willy had some stainless steel of his own ...

Blogger's confession: I took photos of my smudgy dishwasher before and after cleaning, but with my limited photography skills, I couldn't tell which was which. I'm hoping that's just in the pics, and not in real life.

We're Near the Finish Line!

My apologies for the long absence! After months of thinking of nothing but the house, we welcomed the chance to have some fun at my family reunion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

A great time was had by all, but now it's back to the task at hand (and foot and leg and arm -- you get the idea, lots of work): getting this house, especially the kitchen, ready for its photo debut. The rest of the house is going to take a few more years, make that decades, to become presentable, but the kitchen is about 90% finished!!!!

Yesterday, cabinet maker Mr. Honest and his son Kip came to install the butcher block island countertop, and it's a beauty! It's taking some time to get used to the sheer magnitude of it, but I think I'm going to love it. Mr. Hubby has already fallen hard for the maple addition to the family -- saying it's exactly what he wanted.

And I'm totally infatuated with the recycling bin that I designed (yes, it's bragging, but it's my first furniture design, and I'm just darn proud of the way Mr. Honest took my ideas and turned them into a cool and oh-so-handy addition to the cabinet family). It has a hinged top, so we can throw our empty wine bottles into the allotted glass bin; beer cans in the metal one and boxed wine into the cardboard container -- you get the idea.

Mr. Honest had the idea of making the lid out of butcher block, and it looks soooooo good. And he covered up the casters, so they're not visible, but we can move the unit around for more countertop space, like if we have a lot of dishes that need to be washed by hand (God forbid), I can move the cabinet over to provide more dish space by the sink.

Plus, Mr. H and Kip installed the door knobs and pulls. And although they created a sawdust tornado, the handles look crazy-good (IMHO, anyway).

So now it's time for paint, backsplash and a few odds and ends to get this kitchen finished and fabulous. So as you look at Mr. Hubby preparing dinner last night, know that it's not all complete -- but it's sure got me smiling ...

I don't think I've ever posted a pic of Mr. Honest and Kip, cabinet makers and so much more. 

Check out the recycling bin next to the island.

That island is huge!

Mr. Hubby admiring his nearly completed kitchen ...