Kats Whimsy

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived in the Northwest. The air has turned crisp and the leaves are beginning to change. Foggy mornings and cool nights. A sure sign that Halloween is right around the corner.

Hubs and I visited a local farm last week on my day off. The smell of homemade Carmel Apples, hot cider and fudge filled the air. We watched small children search for their perfect pumpkin....the one three times their size. I laughed to see mom try and convince them that a five pound pumpkin is so much better than a 50 pounder. Most of the time they were unsuccessful. More comedy watching mom try to hoist the giant pumpkin into a wheelbarrow.

We found The Great Pumpkin!
Giant Spiders guarding the pumpkin patch.

872 pounds of pumpkin.....pie anyone?

I had to visit The Pumpkin House.

The front porch has been made ready for Trick r Treaters.

Bugs the bunny has decided Mr. Pumpkin head has a very comfy lap.

Treasures found at Spooner Farm bring a touch of fall to my Dinning Room.

A special shout out to my BIL Mike in Australia. The Spooner Farm Tour is for you. I remember how much you loved (ROFL) your visit there. What did you say to me about Halloween....I think you called it all very strange and odd. HAPPY HALLOWEEN M!
Sis have you brought Halloween to Australia yet? You could be the first with a Jack-O-Lantern!
Do you need me to mail you a pumpkin to carve?

Happy Halloween!

Leaving the Kitchen for a bit

2009-09-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

My sons room was in desperate need of a paint job. Years ago I faux painted his walls and gave him a Harry Potter themed room. We love HP in this house. Now Jacob is not big on change of any kind. He never has been. Old is good. I very carefully approached the subject of painting his room. I was very surprised when he consented immediately and informed me he would like gray. I asked him if he was sure and found out that the only reason he had not requested a change was because he did not want to hurt my feelings. lol!

I immediately ran out to buy some primer and pick up some paint color chips.

He chose a Sherwin Williams color called versatile gray. I was a bit concerned it might be depressing. I agreed because he has lived with Harry Potter just to make me happy. How could I possibly say no. I just thank my lucky stars he didn't ask for black.

I painted the backs of his book cases to match the walls. The ceiling has been painted Atrium white. The trim has been primed and ready for a coat of white too. The color is very sophisticated and restful on the eyes. Unlike his sisters high school choice of orange and hot pink.

Hubs has built a headboard for Jake and they plan to stain it this week. This was a great way to use up leftovers from the kitchen remodel. Here's a look at the headboard. I will post some in progress shots and directions soon.

We have grout.

2009-09-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Close up of mosaic above stove.
I'm very pleased with the back splash.

The microwave cabinet is almost done. It is time to move on to the lighting.

The kitchen has tile!

2009-08-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tools need for tiling

Adhesive. The premixed adhesive was fantastic. Usually we mix up our own but decided to try out this product from Lowe's. The consistency was perfect and this container was enough to do our entire kitchen with a bit left over. Be sure to put the lid back on with a mallet between uses or it will dry out.

A straight edge and pencil for drawing lines on the tiles to be cut.

A putty knife and trowel for applying adhesive to the wall or individual tiles. Clean with water between uses.

A small level to keep your rows and edges straight.

Different sized nails and some shims which we prefer to fabricated spacers.
A wet stone for softening cut edges on tiles

A tile saw which is shown below. If you do not own a tile saw most home improvement stores have them available to rent. On our first tile project we marked the cuts and had them cut at the store.

The tile we chose for our back splash was a travertine stone in a 2X4 brick. The tile came on mesh sheets. We applied the adhesive directly to our walls for most of this installation. We did have to butter individual pieces to fill in the pattern. Ive posted an example of this below. You can see that we pulled a tile off the mesh sheet. This tile needs to be cut to go around the cabinet trim. We used this same technique in many places through out the lay out.

Hubs used his pencil and straight edge to mark where to cut on the tile.

Because our stone is tumbled we used a wet stone to get rid of the sharp edge. We could recreate the ragged edge to match the other stones.

Here you can see the tile fits nicely around the cabinet trim. Good job Len!

In tight places we put the adhesive on the wall with a putty knife and used the trowel to spread it out a bit.

Push, twist and straighten.

We used some trim pieces to trim out the edges of tile and to frame in the mosaic over the stove.

The mosaic was created by us to fit the space we had. Graph paper, needlepoint mesh and hot glue were used. We laid out the pattern on graph paper. To make installation as simple as possible we made our own sheets of mosaic. The center of our design was separated into three pieces. We laid out the tiles upside down and applied hot glue to the back side. We quickly set the needlepoint mesh on top of the hot glue and pushed the mesh into the tiles. We marked the center metal medallions location on the wall with a pencil. After applying the three sections we fit in the triangles and border pieces.

The kitchen is completely tiled. Grouting will commence soon followed by sealing.

Back splash decision made

2009-08-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Long days at the deli are cutting into my reno time! This week with the heat wave work was busy! No one wanted to cook....including me! Sis the temp reached 113 degrees in my backyard and stayed over 100 for days! Today's temp is below normal at 68 degrees. I'm chilly but loving it. Chicken, sandwiches and salads were the top picks. People are very picky about their sandwiches...one guy did not want his meat and cheese to touch each other. LOL!

After months and months of discussions on back splash choices....I won. Actually I think we both won. I fell in love with this stone brick tile and hubs loved it too. Lowe's had the best price on this stone. The local marble and granite place wanted 37.00 a square foot and Lowe's $10.00! Today we got to install some of it. I love it when something looks exactly like you pictured it in your mind! Its just what I wanted. Maybe Len will finish the other side of the window while I'm at work tomorrow??? A girl can dream! I'm still playing with my idea for over the stove but progress is being made. One day this kitchen may actually be finished!

Back in the kitchen again!

2009-07-21T01:27:00.000-07:00

Baby steps to share. Last Thanksgiving I primed and painted the Sheetrock to give the kitchen a finished look. Hubs and I finally got the walls textured to match the rest of the house and repainted. Masking everything off took three rolls of blue tape!

My new window sill arrived. I'm very happy with my lucky find. A remnant of Uba Tuba to match my counter top for $15 and $100 to get it cut to fit and round the edge. You get a wee peek at the back splash stone here. Wall color is showing true under the sill.

Finally Happy Birthday Laurel! I love you! Tell M that I received his letter and spread the word. We are all very relieved to hear he is feeling better. Mom is working on a cloche hat for you and says to tell you that Birthday Greetings are in the mail. Hope you have a wonderful day! I promise to email soon....I do....look in my eyes....

Kitchen update time

2009-05-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hubs and I spent our day off together in the kitchen. First there was a side trip to the hardware store and Starbucks of course. We purchased some wainscoting, fluted trim molding and screen molding.
The wainscoting is used to trim out the top and bottom edges of our upper cabinets. The fluted molding is used to hide the seams where upper cabinets join together. The screen molding is used to trim out the where the upper cabinets meet the wall and to sandwich the fluted molding.
Here is a picture of the back side of the wainscoting. Its L shaped.

Here you can see the fluted molding to hide vertical seam sandwiched between the screen molding and all of it tucked behind the wainscoting.

This is a view of the back side...which will be up against the cabinet faces. You can see the L shape of the wainscot and the screen molding tucked inside the L.

Here is how it looks on the cabinet.

I have a few days off later this week and you can see I have plenty of sanding priming and painting waiting for me. Soon I will be able to order the cabinet doors!

The fridge wall is almost finished! Hubs installed brick molding at the bottom of all base cabinets. This hides a raw edge and gives the cabinets a uniform look. You can see he finished the baseboard and side trim too. Lots of priming and painting for me! Next weekend we hope to get the last upper cabinet built. It will hold the microwave and hang above where the microwave is now sitting on the counter. Some trim at the top and we will be done here.

On the left of the stove he had to cut the larger baseboard to fit under the cabinet and transition to the smaller baseboard on the kick plate. It looks terrific. He really impressed me by coping the brick molding on the cabinet right into the baseboard. Once caulked and painted it will look seamless. Great job Honey!

A few things still left on my list.

Trim out the window.

Buy and hang cabinet doors.

Choose a back splash....this has been hard. Hubs and I have totally different ideas on this. No worries...its going to be MY choice. I'm just not quite ready to commit yet.

Then I have to firm up the plans for the island.

I'm loving all the space! My old kitchen had 5 usable cabinets. My new kitchen has 14! I have gone from having 5 drawers to 11!!!!

Hello! Do you remember me?

2009-05-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Last week while sipping my skinny vanilla latte outside by the pond, I had a visitor. A spectacular Blue Heron sat down next to the waterfall about three feet away from me. I quickly ran inside for the camera and managed to get this picture. Next time I have coffee outside I'm taking the camera with me!

Spring has finally arrived and my garden is waking up. The roses are putting out buds and the lavender is about to bloom. The mountain of bark in the driveway is finally gone.

Whats new...

I lost a filling in my tooth and am scheduled for a root canal and crown....soooo looking forward to that....NOT!

Len has an interview with the City of Seattle Vehicle Maintenance Department. The commute would be long and its a swing shift but the benefits and salary would make up for that. Fingers crossed.

The fridge wall of the kitchen is coming along. Hubs drilled the holes for the knobs last night and today I'm touching up the paint. We still need to build a cab for the microwave but its looking pretty good so far. I'm sure we would be further along if we took fewer field trips but they help keep us sane.

Sis...for you last weekends field trip. Sunny in Seattle.
A trip to Alki for fish and chips at Spuds and a walk on the beach.

A visit to the arboretum. Lots of kayaks on this sunny day. Followed by ice cream at Huskies in West Seattle.

There! You are now up to date on all the really important stuff. lol!

Moving Mountains

2009-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

We ordered ten yards of extra fine black bark for the gardens last weekend. It arrived Monday.

Looking at that mountain in the driveway made me think of the many mountains we've moved. We have been working on this yard for years. I don't know if it will ever be finished...my fault not hubs. I assumed incorrectly that since I was buying farmland the soil would be rich and fertile.

ROFL! All Ive got to say on that subject is that rhubarb must be a sturdy crop. The soil here is clay that's been builder enriched with pea gravel and sand. The builder was more worried about his equipment getting stuck in the muck than my future gardens. We don't let small children or dogs on the lawn during the wet months....think quicksand.

The first year we bought dirt. Lots of dirt! We spread three dump trucks of dirt around and planted grass. The first time I bought dirt I couldn't believe how expensive it was...it was dirt after all. Who pays good money for dirt? Shows how little I knew at the time. Since then I have ripped out lots of grass and bought an additional 150 yards of 9 way garden mix....that's fancy dirt people! Yes! Not all dirt is created equal and of course as you move up the ladder to the good stuff the price also climbs.

Ive paid good money for cow poop, chicken poop, rocks...lots of rocks and dirt. All deposited on the driveway. At this point I'm thinking my yard has had more money sprinkled on it than my house has received. The one thing I have never done is bark until now. Its much lighter than rock and less smelly than manure. It does stick to everything...like your skin and clothing. It wont top my ten dirtiest jobs list. Working the chute of a cement truck still holds the number one spot on that list. I'm NEVER doing that again. Do you know how hard it is to get cement out of your hair? I digress here....

The bark mountain is about half gone now. Ive done my part now the boys can haul the rest to the back. Yes I admit it...I did the front yard. Closer to the driveway right? I'm hoping that they can get it all moved before the rain returns.

One of those days!

2009-04-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

I literally don't know if I'm coming or going this week. My shifts have been alternating mornings and evenings. I got home Easter evening washed my uniform for today and climbed into bed with my book. The next thing I know my hubs is gently pushing my shoulder telling me to get up for work. I get out of bed brush my teeth and put my hair up in its regulation pony tail. I dress in my uniform and pack my apron pockets with ID badge, box cutter, pen...etc. I'm thinking to myself....boy its been a long week. I feel like I just laid my head down and its time to start a new day. Good thing I have a day off soon....sure hope no one calls me to cover a shift. I start the coffee and head back to put on my makeup. Make up is on...I slip on my glasses and go in to wake up hubs who is dropping me off on his way to work. Hubs is sleeping deeply I glance down at the alarm clock and it reads....12:01???? What??? Leonard...why did you wake me up for work at midnight??? Hubs sits up and says....I didn't....I told you to turn off the light and go to sleep! Harrumph! I was sleeping! Back to the bathroom I go to wash my face,remove the pony tail and put back on the PJ's. I turned off my bedside lamp and fell asleep instantly. I must say that I felt much more rested on the second start to the day.

On my walk home I kept watching this big black cloud. I just made it inside the house when the heavens let loose with hail, followed by snow flurries. I have a few things Id like to say to Old Man Winter.....like ENOUGH ALREADY!

Spring has arrived.

2009-04-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

March came in like a Lion and left like a Lion. I didn't see a lamb anywhere. April Fools day arrived with snow again. Overnight we went from 33 degrees to 66 and then on to 71! Today is also looking to be a glorious day! Spring showers are expected starting tomorrow and will most likely continue for the month of April....but May will come....I'm sure of it! I managed to get some weeding done and have much left to do. I thought I would share the magic a little warm sun can make. This is the same garden I shared in a previous post with the snow and rain.

The cabinet next to the fridge now has a countertop waiting to be grouted. The cabinet painting continues.

From The Land Down Under!

2009-03-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

My sister Laurel sent me a note with pictures of her latest project. My sis has a way of creating art out of anything and everything. Her latest creation a plant stand for her strawberry bowl.
Thrifty,creative and beautiful! Here are Laurels pictures and note!

I got some two by fours from my neighbours bathroom renovation, and I had a bunch of branches from our tree cutting down adventure...so once again, I decided to recycle and get some use out of free stuff..
no nails in this, I used liquid nails only...love that stuff...I really do :)
I had to saw the two by fours by and..which was horrid...and certainly not an exact science! but close enough for gov't work. I just made a frame for the top of the stand, then the last two pcs were used for legs...liquid nailed it together, then I covered it all with the tree branches. four and a half days, while being harassed by the wattle bird that eats in our yard..he followed me around, squawking at me (not a pretty sound). very demanding bird, who likes me to talk to him ...and strangely curious...never saw that in a small bird before.
as you can see from the back of the stand, I still have some filling in to do..probably today..you can see the two by four..nature doesn't do perfectly straight. :)
anyway, this is my liquid nails masterpiece :) rofl...fun to do, functional, and it took my mind off my cold...good thing it was warm out.

Bravo sis...leftovers never looked so good!

March Madness

2009-03-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post. Not much has changed in the kitchen. I'm still painting cabinets. I will share some more pictures soon.
The weather has been wild! It feels like winter will never end. I'm so ready for spring. This past week we had snow,a wind storm and it rained cats and dogs!

Look at those weeds! I want to work in my garden but its to darn cold!

There is a bright spot in all this gloom...Leonard is working again. Today was the start of his second week on the new job. He is very busy and after 4 plus months at home a wee bit out of shape. lol! I'm sure he will get back in the swing of things soon. Ive decided to keep my job. So far it seems to be working out well. I'm close enough to walk....although Id really enjoy some nicer weather for that walk. My household is in transition and we are all trying to get into a routine.

Tomorrow I have a day off and my list of things to do is very long.

I have been reading your blogs and will stop by tomorrow to leave some comments....its on my list!

Fridge wall update

2009-03-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

The magnetic primer that I was so excited about did not live up to my expectations. If you wanted to let your child play with alphabet magnets this product would be wonderful or if you wanted to display a collection of magnets. However if like me you wanted to hang a calender or a magnetic clip holding life's clutter....forget it! I did find something that works great. My local hardware store carries pre-cut steel sheets in many sizes. I purchased three 22 gauge sheets at a cost of $5 each. We used 3M 77 Super spray adhesive to attach it to the inside panels of the pantry. Hubby spray painted them with Hammerite in silver to prevent discoloration. My fridge may not be beautiful but at least its clutter free! Here is a sneak peak at the inside of one door.

We have also made some progress on the fridge wall. Hubs boxed in the fridge and installed the base cabinet. The plywood base for the granite tiles has also been installed. We are waiting for delivery of an outside corner and one edge stone. In the pictures below we are attaching the bead board panels. Painting is currently underway.

I took advantage of a sale at the store I work for and my employee discount. Saving half off the regular price of some baskets. For now these will be used to fill the gap between the fridge and the open cabinet over it. When we eventually buy a new fridge the baskets will be moved to the cabinet above the fridge. They fit perfectly!

This is where the baskets are now.

Here is where the baskets will eventually end up.

My mission this week is to get everything painted and trimmed out.

The answer to fridge clutter?

2009-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking this could be a great idea or a big mistake....
Magnetic primer on the inside of my pantry doors. A way to keep the fridge clutter free? Lowe's had one can left on the shelf.
Eeeewwwww! Sludge! It says to stir until the color is solid. This can of primer is very heavy and the bottom half is filled with a thick tar like substance. I stirred and stirred.

Finally it looked like this...black ink!

Here is a peek at the lower pantry door with two coats. Two light coats would hold a small magnet barely. I have now applied six coats and will try it out again tomorrow morning. Once I have enough coats of the primer I can paint over it with a latex paint or chalkboard paint. No decision made on that yet. Feel free to voice your opinion. The polls are open for votes.

The Fridge Wall

2009-02-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Phase two of the kitchen remodel has begun....the fridge wall. I have not shared this ugly side of my kitchen. Because it is UGLY. In the beginning we had a very small kitchen with the fridge next to the stove. In the picture above you can see the ugly fridge that Id love to replace. Unfortunately I'm on a budget so this fridge stays as long as it lives. Lets hope it lives awhile longer! I must say its very strange to look at this old picture now. Things look a bit different around here. Okay enough staling! We moved the fridge away from the stove so that the stove could be centered on that wall. Leaving space for two cabinets on either side of it.

The fridge was moved here...You can see a bit of it over on the left. Do you see it? Yes! This is where it has been for ten months while we worked on the rest of the kitchen.

Up until this week....this is how it looked. The Sheetrock that you see on the right is where we walled up the door to the old pantry. First thing on the list was the layout. Once that was done we needed to move some electrical wiring.

Hubby was able to pull up the wires to the new boxes without destroying all the sheet rock. No mess....making me very happy!
Then it was off to Lowe's to purchase a pantry unit and a 36 inch base cabinet.
My fridge is counter depth and will one day be replaced with a larger french door counter depth fridge. The pantry unit is 24 inches deep. In order to achieve a built in look and level the cabinet on a wall that was not straight we attached 2x4s vertically along the studs. The 2x4s were leveled with shims and the pantry was attached to the 2x4s with screws. The pantry doors swing the wrong way but that's an easy fix. The fridge door also swings the wrong way and needs to be fixed too. Its on the list!

As you can see from the picture below the pantry is receiving the TREATMENT. Saving money means elbow grease. Ive removed the doors, sanded, filled the grain with wood putty, sanded again and now I'm ready to prime.

The 36 inch base unit is barely visible to the left in this picture. The boxing in of the fridge will continue on a day that's not raining cats and dogs!

A Deli Story

2009-02-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

My new job is never dull. Most of the time the customers are lovely people but about once a week there's an interesting character who surprises me. You just cant tell from looking at a person how they are going to act. This past week was very busy in the deli. We had a special on baked, glazed and fried chicken. Do you have any idea how much chicken people eat? I didn't have a clue until I got this job. I think Ive purchased chicken from the deli once in three years.
I have people who are in every other day to pick up chicken and that's when its not on sale.
So this week you could buy an 8 piece chicken for $4.99 any style you liked or mix them up. This was a savings of $2.50 off the regular price. Fresh chicken would arrive in the hot case and sell out in 20 minutes or less and I'm talking piles of chicken here. The poor cook just couldn't fry or bake it fast enough. Customers would swamp the hot case to buy the chicken and if we sold out they would stop back after they finished grocery shopping to see if more was ready. I had folks standing for ten minutes waiting so they would be first in line for the next batch. Which brings me to my story. A very well dressed attractive petite woman in her 60s was standing behind a gentleman who I sold the last 8 pieces of chicken to. When he moved away from the case with his purchase she yelled at him....YOU TOOK THE LAST OF THE CHICKEN! DO YOU KNOW THE KIND OF DAY IVE HAD? I CANT BELIEVE YOU TOOK THE LAST OF THAT CHICKEN WHEN I WANTED SOME. The gentleman was already walking away as she started her tirade and did not turn around. So she turned to me and said...I'm so tired and I just wanted some chicken. I cant believe you don't have anymore chicken. I also cant believe that man took the last of it. I apologized for her bad day and explained that more chicken was frying and would be ready in about 15 minutes. This did not improve the woman's disposition at all! She heaved a heavy sigh and closed her eyes and leaned against the hot case like she was about to faint. She says she just needs to get home shes is hungry and tired. She just wants her husband! There was one breast left and she decided to buy that and off she went. About twenty minutes later I look up and shes back! Someone else is waiting on her and she is buying 8 pieces of chicken that she didn't want to wait for. She seems fine now. I guess she vented and felt better. Personally I would have been to embarrassed to come back after that tantrum. LOL!

Best wishes and Prayers for Australia

2009-02-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

As many of you probably know by now my sister, Laurel lives in Australia and checks in on this blog regularly. Australia has experienced 12 years of drought and still has 12 fires burning out of control. The last email I received from my sis said that whole towns have burned and over 650 homes. The number of lives lost is still unknown. A State of Emergency has been declared. I'm saying a prayer for Australia tonight. Stay safe sis! Here are some of the pictures Laurel sent to me.

A Chick has left the nest

2009-02-01T23:08:00.000-08:00

The first day feels like yesterday. It was love at first sight for Papa & I!
First giggles
First portrait
First Hawaiian Sunset Bubbles!

First Car Washing
Becoming a big sister!
First Day of School
Testing the water
Trying hard to be serious!
First Bike Ride
Now a new adventure begins....a place of her own. I love you Amy Poo!

Break ~Time is over!

2009-01-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

Its time to get back to work on our kitchen. Hubs and I had quite a few discussions on trim. Our ceiling is not level.....imagine that! Now if he (the hubs) had raised the ceiling like I originally wanted this wouldn't be a problem. To be fair... if we had done that my budget would be blown and Id still be living without a dishwasher. So I kept my mouth shut! I'm happy to report that a solution was found that we both agreed on. Hubby has been busy priming and painting while I'm at work. There's a role reversal going on at my house. I get to hear him go on about how many coats its takes for white paint to be solid. This of course isn't news to me who has done ALL the sanding, caulking, wood putty, primer and paint up to now.

The picture below shows the trim at the base of the hood meeting the cabinet next to it. The base of our cabinets received the same treatment as the stove hood.

We took the same trim that was used at the cabinet base flipped it and used it at the top of the cabinets. It still needs some caulk and another coat of paint but I'm very pleased.

Tomorrow I intend to get to that caulking. Today we took a step backward before we could move forward. At the start of the day I had a place for my dishes. No this isn't a recent picture! Really my Christmas decor is all put away. It is!!! The cabinet to the right in this photo is where we spent our day.

Yes it had to come down so that we could add another box to it.

The smaller box to the left is the new addition. The total cost for this these two cabinets was $55. I still have some research to do on the doors and glass. I have a feeling they will cost me more.

Back on the wall again. Yes it was HEAVY! I'm glad Jacob was home to help hold it in place while hubs attached it. As you can see I haven't loaded all the dishes back into it. More paint is needed first. Back splash discussions began tonight. We want tile but may go with bead board to keep the expense down. I love the smaller subway tiles but haven't priced them yet. We want a solid granite sill for the window. So I may have to choose the sill over tile for now.

Trebuchet

2009-01-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

One last project for the amusement of my sons physics teacher. Building a Trebuchet that will toss a water balloon 150 feet for an A. We've had some past experience with this task. We helped my daughter build one five years ago. Her design was four times as big as Jake's but his actually tossed the balloon further. He and his team didn't quite make the 150 foot mark but they did score a B plus! Not the best weather for building outside....30 degrees. Congratulations guys! You did good!

Pictures of Jake trying it out. He had twenty pounds of brick in the bucket and ended up hooking an additional fifty pounds on the sides of the bucket.

The promised sunshine never arrived. We have had a week of fog and freezing temps. The trees here look frosted and some of my plants don't look well. At least my dryer is working again but there's about four inches of water under my house. The venting system needs to be reworked! A job that will involve changing the plumbing in the laundry room. Its always something! The weatherman is throwing around that S word again.

The holidays are over and the decorations have been packed away for another year. That means its back to work on the kitchen. The cabinets on the stove wall are now trimmed out. I will be painting again this weekend! Leonard built another upper cabinet last week. He caught a horrid cold and its been sitting on the floor ever since. lol! I'm hoping he feels well enough this weekend to get it hung.

I just passed the two month mark on the new job! It amazes me how quickly time passes. I like the new job and enjoy the customer interaction. Never a dull moment and Ive met some interesting characters. The side benefits of a paycheck, improved strength, 35 pound weight loss and improved sleep aren't to shabby either.

Im ready for some sun!

2009-01-14T22:33:00.000-08:00

Winters arrival could not be missed in Washington this year. First came the snow and then came the rain. The following pictures are from the Seattle PIs website.
Sumner Washington. Hwy 410 had to be closed due to flooding.

Puyallup Washington near the Fred Meyer....they say this SUV made it through the water but from this picture it doesn't look possible.
Rescue Workers evacuating Orting Residents
Log Jam on the Puyallup River in Fife Snoqualmie Falls

White Pass
Blewett Pass

The weather report for the next five days calls for sun! I think we've earned it. I'm posting a link to more photos. Sis you might like to have a look.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/popupV2.asp?SubID=4470&page=1&gtitle=Flooding%20in%20Western%20Washington%20(1/8/09)&pubdate=1/08/09

We need to check under our house today. The venting system for the dryer is under my house. The dryer stopped drying which means my venting system must be wet. Len and I are going spelunking today. You know how much I love that...not! There is probably a lake down there.

I see another project in our near future.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T23:22:00.000-08:00

Bugs the bunny playing in the snow. The snow has finally melted. We had a bit more but it was just a dusting. The Auto Body shops are enjoying the aftermath. Plenty of business for them.

Christmas and the New Year have come and gone in the blink of an eye it seems. I must say this job thing really cuts into my free time! The part-time job has been full time for the last couple weeks. The most popular dinner in my town for New Years Eve was French Dips....what did you have? I sliced through about five chubs of Angus Roast Beef that night. lol! I'm enjoying the customer interaction and the fast pace of this job. My feet are feeling much better since I gave up on the Doc Martens. Those shoes were to heavy for the constant running I do. My old tennis shoes with some extra arch support and the non slip covers are working just fine. I no longer feel like someones been hammering on my feet when I get off work. A very good thing! The pounds are still falling off! I started the New Year 27 pounds lighter. No New Years Resolution to exercise more....I'm getting plenty these days.

My hubby spent some of today helping his brother Joe finish the crown molding on his cabinets.Joe has done a wonderful job on his kitchen and we have had fun helping. Hubby was kind enough to take pictures since I was at the JOB. The new dishwasher, fridge and microwave look terrific. That microwave is huge! The new light fixtures are so much better than the old. He is still waiting on hardware for the cabinets.

http://katswhimsy.blogspot.com/2008/12/another-kitchen-renovation-almost.html

You can scroll down to see more of Joe's Kitchen remodel pictures of click the above link.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Tomorrow I have a much needed day off. Morning coffee and blog land. I plan to visit all my favorites. I'm looking forward to see what you've been up to.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Its the eve before Christmas Eve! I work Christmas Eve and the day after so here are the last of the Christmas Decor Pictures and some snow for my sis who isn't enjoying her summer temps. Dinner last night in the Dinning Room.

The Dickens Village that Jacob unpacked. I think he did a pretty good job setting it up under the Family Room Tree.

The unfinished kitchen got some garland and lights. There is always next year....it better be finished by then!

For many of you this snow may look like nothing. For us this is a very big deal. We seldom get snow that sticks and to have days and days of snow is very unusual. Sis....how about I forward my Puget Sound Energy bill to you? Its darn cold here.

From my home to yours MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Another kitchen renovation almost finished!

2008-12-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

We may not be working on our kitchen right now but we have been working on my brother in laws kitchen. Here are some pictures to show the progress. Today we installed some of the crown molding on the upper cabinets. I of course forgot to take pictures. Oh well...there are a few things left here so I will snap pictures next time. The first picture shows the old kitchen getting torn out. Tired old cabinets that no longer worked.

New Solid Red Oak Hardwood flooring was installed and polyd. The wood was left natural to provide some contrast with the new cabinets.

New Maple all wood cabinets....no press board here in a cognac finish. Nickle plated light fixtures have been added. A new pocket door was installed hiding the laundry room. Butterfly Green Granite slabs purchased at an auction house for $600! New stainless steel Kohler Sink, GE Stainless fridge and microwave. BIL works for GE and his employee discount came in handy here. The SS Dishwasher hasn't arrived yet. Nickle hardware has been ordered and should arrive next week. He purchased a new rug this evening and I cant wait to see what he chose.

BIL is color blind so Ive been helping with his color choices. lol!

P.S. Sis it is still snowing. Mom says the neighborhood kids are sledding on the hill....just like we did. Its been snowing for 5 days!

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

How well I remember the Christmas Trees of my childhood. The tree at our house was unlike those at my friends houses. Their trees were full of glass and tinsel....how they sparkled! The tree my mother created was totally void of tinsel and glass. Almost every item that hung on that tree was handmade by her. Most were made with spools after the thread was used, old costume jewelry, scraps of fabric left from the clothing she made us, yarn scraps left from the sweaters and socks she knitted for us. As an adult I know that she must have spent hours creating these ornaments. I can still see them in my mind as if it were yesterday....knitted snowmen and humpty dumpties, Spools wrapped in velvet with sequins sewn on the outside and beads strung through the center to hang them, yellow stuffed ducks, red cardinals and the stuffed animals forming a carousel around the base of the tree. I have one of the paisley ponies still. Yes he sits near the top of our Family Room Tree. He is after all very old! I remember the dime store bells that she would drape on the tree before we were allowed to hang anything. Those same bells hang on my living room tree these many years later. How sweet those memories are. Yes the ornaments live on. My mom divided the survivors among her three children many years ago. I wish they had all survived but we loved some of them to death. They have traveled far and wide with us and although they have faded some since their creation for us they still shine brighter than any tinsel ever could.

Moms famous spools adorn my sisters wire tree in Australia. She sent me this wonderful photo.

My sis just sent this picture so I had to add it here. I dont have some of these. Its wonderful to see them again Laurel. Thank you for the picture.

Here is the snowman knitted from our Christmas Sweater leftovers. Hey sis you remember those red and white sweaters?

My moms version of the Christmas ball.
My brother loved the Humpty Dumpty ornies. I don't think many survived. I have one and sis I'm keeping him. lol!

One day I will divide these up between my children. They know the stories behind each one and have made new memories to add to mine. They have been a part of their Christmas Trees just as they were part of mine. Thank you mom!

Baby its cold outside!

2008-12-11T22:23:00.001-08:00

Do you like peeking in windows? I know you do! As a child I remember visits to downtown Seattle at Christmas time. Breakfast with the cast of the Nutcracker Ballet and visiting the large department stores. They had the most beautiful toy displays in the old days. BVG....Before Video Games. lol! The part I loved best were the windows! Pressing my face up next to the glass to peer at the magical world inside. Often times wishing I could climb in to that world. Those were the days!
My hubby and I took a walk down Main Street a couple nights ago. I remembered to bring the camera! Small town store windows aren't quite as glam as the big city ones but they do have a charm all their own.

I mentioned the chance for snow in my last post. Well we got snow along with an Arctic blast. Cold air coming down from Canada and baby its cold outside! The wind chill....gusting to 65mph. Good weather to stay inside....at least that's what a smart person would do. Not me! I arrived home from work and the Christmas Lights with the snow called to me. So I bundled up and headed out to snap a couple pictures. Its hard to take pictures when you are fighting to stay on your feet. The wind was trying to carry me away. So I snapped three quick shots and said good enough! Brrrrrr! A peek in my LR window as you approach the front door.
This is where I almost rolled down the street! The front of the house.
This one was snapped as I dashed for the door. To chilly to linger any longer. So these pitiful pictures will have to do. Sorry Sis...ya know I love ya! Maybe it will be warmer tomorrow but don't hold your breath.

The day after Thanksgiving is the annual Bridge Lighting and Firework Display. This photo was NOT snapped by me. One horse open carriage rides across the bridge are free to all. Bring an apple for the horse and dress warmly!

Merry Christmas!

I have not forgotten those Dinning Room pictures. I have a day off tomorrow and promise to post them.

Let it snow

2008-12-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

The weatherman announced tonight a chance for snow this weekend! I'm ready. It rarely snows and when it does it doesn't stick around long. Most likely it will just be a few flurries and lightly cover everything with a crisp clean blanket of white. I would sit here in front of the fire and watch it fall if I wasn't working all weekend. As promised I snapped a few pictures of Living Room decked for Christmas.

The bird was a birthday gift from my husband, the H was sent to me by my friend Lisa and the wee plaque you see has been with me since my 12th birthday. I guess that would be just about forever. It reads "We may complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

My Living Room Christmas Tree has strands of bells from my childhood along with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, peacocks, a leprechaun topped off with a fairy sitting at the top. The family room tree is more traditional. This one is all about me.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year! I thought that this year I might feel a bit glum about the economy and the future. Much to my surprise I'm enjoying Christmas even more. Yes I'm spending less...much less. Although there are plenty of gifts for the children under the tree. I found some great bargains on the things they wanted. Friends and extended family have all decided not to exchange gifts which means no headaches on what to buy. Because I'm working away from home now there isn't time to bake 1500 cookies or let my mantle decor drive me insane for weeks. I feel less stressed and more thankful. The cozy twinkle of Christmas lights combined with the rambunctious antics of my family fill my heart with joy.

One of our Christmas Traditions shown here. I thought we would skip the mechanical Christmas song playing Santa. My son decided it was worth a trip to the sheds attic in pouring rain to bring him down. He has celebrated every Christmas with this Santa and said he needed him to be in the house with us. lol! He also spotted the Dickens Village and brought that down too. He set it up under the tree in the family room. Pictures of that soon.
A wee peek at the LR tree. My hubby spotted these peacocks last year before Christmas. I told him they were very pretty but at $24 each the store could keep them. I made a trip with my MIL to the same store in January where I found two peacocks marked down to $4 each! I will attempt to get a better photo later. The tail is encrusted with sparkly stones.

I didn't drag out my two huge containers filled with Santa's...last count was over 100. I'm not counting anymore! Seriously I don't want to know. This Santa was a gift as many of them are and I adore him. He has a bundle of wrapped gifts exquisitely detailed with tiny ribbons, a nutcracker, ice skates and a bundle of Christmas ornaments cradled in his arm.

Simple and so sweet. Mama swan with baby swan sit in the center of my Dinning Room table. Do you see the heart?

My trees are up, my shopping is finished, my gifts are almost wrapped... its beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Better yet...it feels like Christmas. I may even go so far as to say that this may be the best Christmas yet. It is now time to prepare for my evening workout (JOB) but tomorrow I have a day off! Yes my feet are very thankful. Tomorrow I will share more photos....hopefully of a whole room or two.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dusk on the front porch

2008-12-06T00:21:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful crisp clear day but the weather is changing. We watched the clouds stack up over Mt. Rainier this evening. I snapped a couple quick photos to share before it got dark. I never get tired of this view.

Tomorrow I hope to finish decking the halls around here. I decided not to drag everything out. My son did drag down a few more items that he felt were important. lol! Thats the trouble with establishing traditions....you cant stop doing them once you start.

Happy Thanksgiving a bit late!

2008-11-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

Ive been trying to catch up on my favorite blogs. Tomorrow I will try to leave some comments.

This has been a busy month. The new job is a work out! I have never had such a physical job and my feet are killing me. Today was spent shoe shopping. Not one of my favorite things to do but necessary. I have hard to fit feet and my Rock ports didn't provide enough support. I found a pair of Dr. Martens that felt good in the store lets hope they still feel good after 8 hours on my feet. I have a new appreciation for all the folks who work retail....especially after experiencing my first BLACK FRIDAY!

The Dinning Room did get finished in time for Thanksgiving Dinner. I promise to take some pictures soon. Christmas decorating is currently underway. We've also been helping BIL with his kitchen remodel. I will share some pictures of that project too. This is our third kitchen remodel. We are taking a break from ours until after the holidays. My hubby is still looking for work and getting well acquainted with our home PC. I never thought I would see the day where he surfed the web. The man has discovered UTUBE!!! Who knew?

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with those you love! I hope to get my groove back soon and find time to be a better blogger.

Kats Adventures in Job Hunting

2008-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

It has been ten days since my last posting but I have a really good excuse. Yes I do!
I have been on a mission. A mission to find a job. I have taken the last year off and enjoyed every minute of it. However the time had come to get back to work. The slow down in the economy was felt by my household this week. My sweet hubby was laid off.
Now I don't know about you but for me it had been quite awhile since I applied for a job.... and my how times have changed. Very few employers hand out paper applications. They all have web sites and you fill out your application online. Sounds easy right? Yes it was fairly simple once I figured out how to navigate through the web sites, find the job listings if there were any to be had, completed the application process, the resume and personality test. LOL!
For the last few days I have been prowling around to see what I could find. My experience as a bookkeeper seemed to be very much in demand. Now to decide what I wanted from a job and where I wanted to work. Hmmmmm....my first thought was a recession proof business would be great. I might have to start at the bottom but that's fine with me. No place to go but up...right?!
Was I willing to step out of my comfort zone....numbers? Yes I could do that. Benefits would be most excellent and of course a decent starting wage. Close to home would also be a big plus.
My first thought was Fred Meyer a Kroger Store and the only grocery store in town. It is within walking distance from my house and I shop there all the time. So I checked and low and behold they had a job posting for part-time deli clerk. Interesting...okay how hard can that be. So I applied. The next day I was called in for my first interview with Human Resources. At the end of that interview ( which was one and half hours long!) I was given an appointment for another interview the next day. Which happens to bring us to today. I met with the Grocery Manager today for two hours. I GOT THE JOB and the possibility of moving up in 6 months. He felt that I wouldn't be hanging around the deli long. The job will most likely be full time and he started my pay at the top of the new hire scale. Its more than I made working my last job! The benefits (I had none on my last job) almost made me swoon. Another first was the drug test. You stick a swab in your mouth for five minutes.
So step one of my mission is complete. Find a job....check!
I have to wait three to four business days for the drug test and background check....no worries!
In the meantime I will go take the Food handlers class so I can get my license tomorrow morning.
I have no doubt that this is going to be a huge adjustment. 8 hours a day on my feet after sitting at a desk for ten years. I'm thinking that this could be the best diet I ever tried. I have lots to learn which is a tad nerve wracking but also quite exciting. A new adventure begins!

Catalog Shopping 1943

2008-11-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Rita subscribes to a magazine called Reminisce. She sends them to my mom when shes done with them. My mom passed one on to me. Opening the magazine was like stepping back in time. Its full of sweet stories, charming pictures and funny old advertisements. I thought it might be fun to share the catalog shopping page with you. I don't have a scanner so Ive typed the text for each picture. This is before my time and I had to laugh at some of the wording. I hope you get a giggle too.

Wish your table looked like this?
This gleaming Granitone dinnerware with its fine-grained,dazzling white beauty offers
dependable serviceability and table flattery for any meal. A Sears exclusive. Almost as fine as True China. Service for six people in this handsome "Mount Vernon" pattern for only $6.79. Serving dishes extra. You can buy the entire table setting by mail.

Happy hours ahead....in your kitchen.
For there's a brand new look about these
wood containers. Trimly styled with a built
in appearance never before achieved. Each
piece is built sturdily...just like furniture...to
last for years. A lighthearted color scheme...
snowy white enamel with Red Hibiscus flower
design, gay red knobs. Corners are lock-jointed.
Cheery Colorful Kitchen Containers

Canister $1.29, Flour Bin $2.19, Bread Box $2.89,Vegetable Bin $3.98. 12qt. Step-on Can $3.79

Marbleized Linoleum Patented built-in felt lining saves you money, time in laying. Less than 9 1/2 cents a square foot 6ft. wide to 55cents a square foot 6ft. wide.

Here we have the Good Beater @23cents Economy quality, Easy action, side driver...fast and easy to use. 8-wing beater does job in a jiffy. Metal plated body. 11 1/2 inches long. Enameled red,wood grip. OR....the Quality Beater @49 cents with Ball bearing action and a rust resistant frame. Center drive effortless egg beater, 8 blade action beats one egg at a time or a dozen equally well. Plated steal wings and guard. Length 12 inches. Maple wood grip and handle. Choose this quality beater for longer service.

My house is still in transition. A nice way to say Chaos. lol! Im slowly getting everything out of the Living Room and back where it belongs. I will be back with my morning coffee to catch up on my reading.

Its getting spooky at Kats house!

2008-10-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

My son and I have had a blast decorating the still unfinished front porch. Maybe next summer I will get to those railings. Pumpkins will be carved on Wedensday. Happy Halloween!

Tips for applying Polyurethane to hardwood floors

2008-10-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

At this point in the process you may be tempted to rush. You are probably tired of the constant mess and stench. Laying unfinished hardwood floors is not hard. Remember how much money you are saving. Hang in there! All this time and attention to detail will pay off.

Now that the stain has dried its time to finish this job. I will be completely honest and say this last step will test your patience to the limit and beyond. You will be wondering if its worth all this effort...believe me it is!

Polyurethane comes water-based and oil based. Ive used both. My recommendation is oil based.
My first experience laying wood floors was in my Living Room. After living with the smell of staining the floor (in November) we were tired of the stench. Water-based poly was attractive to us for a couple reasons. 1. NO STINK 2. EASY CLEAN UP. Now the reason I'm NOT recommending it is that we had issues with the poly not sticking in a few areas. Random small pea sized spots. We contacted the company who made the product and were told that the flooring was probably contaminated. We re-sanded those areas and tried again. The water poly still wouldn't stick. I don't need that kind of frustration after all the effort involved and neither do you!
This time around we decided to use oil based. The finish is night and day from the water based.
The wood floors gleam and the poly has a nice smooth even finish. Yes it stinks until its dry but the end results are worth it.

The following tips are my personal recommendations based on my experience. I follow directions by professionals but if they don't work for me....I have no problem finding my own way to make something work.

My number 1 tip is LINT, DUST and HAIR are the enemy when you poly. Ladies...hair nets,pony tails or a big clip is necessary. We shed hair without noticing it all the time but when you poly...you will wonder why you aren't bald.

My Number 2 tips is Forget the lambswool pad thingy bobber....refer to number 1! I cannot figure out how anyone makes this work although I have heard success stories. My attempt resulted in me on my hands and knees trying to pick wool lint fibers out of the poly. Thank goodness one swipe was enough for me to see it wasn't working.

Tip Number 3. MICROFIBER CLOTH to drag around with you. Wipe down each section before you apply poly. Wipe wipe wipe! If you have questions see tip number 1.

Tip Number 4. USE A BRUSH AND WEAR GLOVES...yes it will take a bit longer but it also gives you more control. You are working close to the floor and if something flies into your poly you can remove it.

Tip Number 5. THIN COATS...you might be thinking you can slather this stuff on in one coat and be done! DON'T!!! Applying multiple thin coats will cure quicker and look better. You want those floors to gleam when you're done.

Tip Number 6 LIGHTLY SAND BEFORE YOUR LAST COAT. I do three coats of poly. You can avoid sanding between coats 1 and 2 if your second coat is applied within 8 hours. That second coat goes on pretty quickly. Keep it thin.
Tip number 7....DO THE LAST COAT OF POLY IN STAGES....refer back to number 1 tip as to why. The second coat of poly is completely dry and no longer tacky anywhere. (If the floor is still tacky...WAIT! The floor must be completely dry before you can tackle this last step.) It took me a week to get the final coat of poly on the floor in my Family Room and Kitchen. I did a three to four foot section the width of the room each day. I used 220 grit sandpaper and a sanding block on my hands and knees. I would sand, clean up the dust and then apply poly. I used blue tape on the wall to remind myself where I had been. I hear you groaning....yes I do! I groaned and moaned and my blisters had blisters.

The reward was this
P.S. The Dinning Room now has two coats of poly. That means very soon I will be on my hands and knees again with step 7. I decided since I cant decorate for fall inside...Im gonna decorate my unfinished front porch. Cobwebs, spiders, pumpkins and lights.....ohhhh myyyyyy!

I've been tagged...

2008-10-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

By my dear friend Ceci!

http://knitting-rosemaler.blogspot.com/

Ceci is a very well traveled and lets me tag along from my armchair. I have had the opportunity to meet Ceci and her husband in person. She has numerous talents! I first met Ceci on a decorating board. She has a wonderful technique for creating faux panels on a flat surface. They actually look three dimensional when finished. She is a rosemaler, knitter,gardener and cross country skier....do you get the idea that there's nothing this woman cant do? Yep....that's Ceci! To top it all off she is very active in her community, she gives tours of Glensheen Estate and decorates it for Christmas and throws fabulous dinner parties! I'm tired already and I'm just typing all the stuff she actually does! This November Ceci is visiting again and I will get to meet her sister Kathy!

http://eagink.blogspot.com/

Kathy, I will be by to visit your blog and add you to my list.

So....

I have to list 6 Quirky Things about ME!

1. My nickname is Caffeine. Yes I like my coffee fully loaded. In the form of a triple shot latte.

2. I double check everything. Actually I use to triple check everything so Ive improved. This includes door locks, candles,windows, the stove, every item in my purse. When I park my car the double check thing starts all over again with keys,lights and locks..you get the idea.

3. I talk with my hands. I'm working on this too. Ive found that if I stick my hands in pockets it helps. I saw myself on a video tape once and was mortified. I looked like I was trying to fly with all that arm motion. My lovely daughter says to tell you I don't try to fly anymore but when I'm about to make a point,observation or conclusion I clap my hands and rub my palms together.

4. I carry my car keys in my hand in parking lots with the keys between my fingers. My lovely daughter pointed this one out to me too. I'm armed and dangerous!

5. I like my Starbucks cup set up a certain way. I have heat sensitive hands so I must have a sleeve...always! The design on the sleeve must match up with the design on the cup and my drinking hole must have a straw lined up with the design.

Oh boy.....do I have issues or what? Okay the last quirky thing I'm going to list is the strangest of all.

6. I have what my family calls my bad feelings. It usually involves a family member and a car. Examples....I told my BIL he shouldn't take his car on a road trip that he should ride with his friend instead. My BIL thought I was crazy. He ran his car into a phone pole on that trip. He walked away...the car didn't. I was driving home on a twisty dark road one night when I started feeling ill...sweating and sick to my stomach. I knew this feeling. There was a ravine on my side of the road with very little shoulder. I pulled my car over in the biggest spot I could find right before a hairpin turn. As soon as I was off the road a huge truck came around that corner with no headlights on my side of the road. Thank goodness this doesn't happen often. The last time was about 6 years ago.

Now that Ive bared most of my quirky behaviors...I must tag 6 more people. Since Lisa at Rox & Things has already nabbed a bunch of old friends. I will grab a few new friends to play along.

I'm going to tag

Linda @http://coconutsandlimes.blogspot.com/

Her blog takes me on a mini vacation every time I visit.

Artie @http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/

One of my very first comments was from Artie. His blog is a treat!

Martha @http://myriverviewcottage.blogspot.com/

because she makes me laugh!

Susan @http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Whose RMS postings have made me drool and whose blog Ive just recently discovered!

Diane @http://fourpawsco.blogspot.com/

because she could use a distraction from the paint chips.

http://amongsttheoaks.blogspot.com/

This blog was brought to my attention by Martha! I spent hours wondering throughout this beautiful home.

here are the rules again:
Link to me in your blog
List 6 quirky things about yourself OR
List 6 things you collect
Link to 6 more blogs and pass on the tag.
And remember playing is always optional. And you can change the rules if you want to.

Tips for sanding and staining wood floors

2008-10-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Ive learned a few things about installing hardwood flooring. I thought it might be nice to share so you can avoid learning the hard way like me.
Tip number 1. Sanding
The Home Depot rents sanders! This may not be news to you but it sure was to me. Id been going to my local rent a center. Home Depot was less than half the cost for a better sander and the supplies. Believe me you want a bag on that sander. Huge difference! HUGE!! Empty the bag often. Go over the whole floor and vacuum up the dust before going over it again. The sawdust makes the floor slippery and you may mistake it for being smooth when its not. Now I have been told that all I needed was 80 grit paper and a 150 grit screen. Let me tell you that you want that 220 grit screen too. For the Dinning Room we used three 80 grit squares. Be sure to wipe up all the dust before sanding with the screens. They will get clogged up quickly with sawdust if you don't. We used one 150 grit screen and one 220 grit screen. That 220 makes all the difference. You could do a sock slide on the floor without getting splinters.
Tip number 2 staining...
vacuum up as much dust as you can and then use a damp cloth to wipe up the rest. It may take a few rags to get this job done. Once you have the floor dust free you can begin staining. I work from one end to the other going with the wood grain. I do a three foot deep section the total length of the room. Wait the time recommended on stain label. Then wipe the area with a lint free cotton rag blending as you wipe. The rag will soak up any unabsorbed stain. Ventilation is important! The smell is horrible. Take breaks...go outside and breath while you are waiting to wipe. Use a good brush made for oil based stains. Don't cheap out!! You don't want to be picking bristles out of your stain.

When you finally finish the last section of floor let it dry completely. I'm at that stage right now.

The smell is terrible but it will fade once it dries. I will check the floor tomorrow to see if I need another coat of stain. This stain is from Minwax and the color is Golden Pecan.

Coming soon....Poly!

This ones for Four Paws and Co.

2008-10-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my mess Diane. Ive really enjoyed this color and maybe its just what you're looking for. Soft Camel by Waverly. I hope this helps you. This color has warm undertones but still has a light feel to it. You can pick up the chip at Lowe's. These are pretty accurate pictures on my monitor of the color.
This first picture shows the color in shadow.

Moving to the other side of the room where the light shines from that window with a southern exposure.

Happy Splotching!

Progress Report Time

2008-10-13T21:14:00.001-07:00

The table and chairs before....
Table Top after 8 coats of Minwax Antique Walnut Polyshades.

Table and chairs after. Also a wee peek at the kitchen so far.

Hardwood floors are down in the Dinning Room. Next weekend we will be sanding. Finally!

Showing its age and looking good.

2008-10-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

Ive been keeping myself busy this week with another little project. I have a farm table and four chairs that sit in my kitchen. Since I plan to eventually build an island I thought I would donate it. However my daughter wants it for her apartment. She doesn't have plans to move out anytime soon ( I guess that means I'm storing it for her). I bought this set when she was two years old. She is now 21! Where did the time go? Skeery. My baby turned 17 this week! I remember being 17 and 21 like it was last week....obviously I'm in denial. It seems like yesterday I had a wee lass with a braid past her butt running around the house and a sturdy lad with a constant smile. Now before I go down the I'm older than dirt road...here's this weeks project.

There is no way I could make this look brand spanking new again so I decided to play up the distressed areas of the chair. I rubbed ebony stain into the nicks, dings and scratches. Horrible right?! Yes I was thinking this may not work out.
On to step two. Minwax Polyshades in Antique Walnut. I thought I bought the Royal Walnut but somehow I ended up with Antique. If Id bought the darker one I would have saved some steps. One coat and here's what I ended up with. Still a bit rough looking.

At this point I'm thinking this experiment isn't working out to well. No harm in another coat right? Third coat of polyshades and a stop at the store for more steel wool! By golly I think this may work out after all.

This set was white when it was purchased. I painted it BM pear years ago. Now its black. Leftovers from the buffet makeover. I love using up leftover paint! So here is the chair in all its distressed glory. It was fun to finish a project in a week!

The table top needs one more coat of polyshades tomorrow. The top was really bleached out from years of scrubbing. I will share a picture of the whole set soon...promise!

Cash not welcome.

2008-10-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

My wood finally arrived! Lumber Liquidators did not phone us as promised. No surprise there. I'm just glad we called them. This is a very small warehouse in the industrial part of a nearby town. You go in the front door to order what you want and then drive around back to pick it up.
When we were there two weeks ago we went in the front door paid for the bundle, drove around back and were told they were out. Now the funny part of this is the guy who rang us up was also the guy who came to the back to tell us they were out. Since we paid cash and they don't do refunds it was quite a production to change the sale to a back order. I ended up leaving with 6 pieces of paper. Voiding the original cash sale and pre-paying for one bundle.
So tonight with our six pieces of paper in hand we head to LL to pick up the bundle. We go in the front door and its the same man. He doesn't remember Len calling 20 minutes ago. He looks at the paperwork and says you paid cash? The bundles are evidently smaller this time. So we have overpaid. Finally he decides that corporate has to send us a check for just over $4 and we will get it in thirty days. He says this like he expects us to argue. Heck $4 isn't gonna break me. Then he proceeds to print out a stack of paper with contracts which we have to sign. For $4!! I actually felt a bit sorry for the poor guy. Ridiculous!
I now have three more pieces of paper from LL to go with my original 6. All for one bundle of flooring. When I purchased the original large order I wrote a check for just under 1200.00. No request for ID and I received two pieces of paper. My receipt and the contract.
My advice is to use your credit card or your checkbook when purchasing from LL. They don't know what to do with real money.

A couple small projects

2008-09-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of updates on the kitchen. My lovely plaque purchased from Webster's Fine Stationers.
Thank you Lori and Scott! I love it!
http://webstersfs.blogspot.com/

I needed an inexpensive and practical storage solution for the open shelves on the stove wall. Trying to keep it simple. The jars were purchased at Walmart as were the stickers. This is still a work in progress.

We need to finish trimming out the upper cabinets on the stove wall. Its also time to start thinking about back splash options.

All 3 Lumber Liquidators in my area are out of my wood. I need one more bundle and its on a truck somewhere in Virginia. Its due to arrive here in two weeks. Thanksgiving is how many weeks away? Shall I panic??? Not yet....I'm optimistic!

Thrifty Buffet Makeover

2008-09-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

This is the first piece of expensive furniture I ever bought. This is the base it also has a hutch with leaded glass doors. I loved it then but not so much 20 years later. While window shopping my stack of Ballard Catalogs inspiration struck. I lifted off the upper hutch section.(still debating what to do with that.) With a little sanding, oil based primer, black paint and new hardware I might just fall in love all over again. I purchased a pint of black leather paint...poured a bit of it into some oil based primer I had around the house. Gave it a light sanding and started priming. It was an interesting shade of blue gray. lol! Two coats of Black Paint and some new hammered iron hardware. Total bill for makeover $25.

I fell in love all over again!

The latest update on wood flooring is we ran out! 13 rows to go. We will be heading to Lumber Liquidators in the morning for one more bundle.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2008-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

When I'm stressed or worried I bake. I bake when I'm not worried or stressed too. I'm blaming CNN and Alice at Simply Decorated for this baking session.
Alice the cake was a big hit at my house. I had to threaten death to anyone who touched it before I could get this picture for you. As soon as I caught this image with my camera...half of the cake vanished! The other half will probably end up in lunch boxes tomorrow. Yummmmmmm! I used powdered sugar as you can see. They were not patient enough to wait for glaze....heck it was still warm when they began hovering around it like vultures. I think it had something to do with the heavenly smell wafting through the house.
If you want to spoil your family or relieve some stress visit Alice for the recipe. Bare with me while I try to post a link. My fingers are crossed that this works. If not Simply Decorated is on my blog list.
http://simplydecorated.blogspot.com/

22 rows down and 48 more to go. Kitchen cab painting continues.

The nails finally arrived!

2008-09-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

18 rows down only 52 more to go. We stopped last night because this next section is a bit tricky.

If you look to the right you can see tile. The tiled area is not as tall as the wood. Its not a huge discrepancy. However, if you re a foot shuffler you could get a stubbed toe. I did not like the threshold pieces available. I thought they drew to much attention to where the two floors join up. They also created a speed bump look and I certainly don't want anyone tripping. After much debate we came up with a solution. We have routed one of the planks so that it has a rounded edge. We will lay this along side of the tile and feed the rest of the rows into it. My fingers are crossed that this plan works.

For those of you asking whats with the blue tape....its marking the joist that are hidden by the tar paper. This helps us get the floor nailed down securely.

My hood needs one more coat of paint but its looking pretty good.

Gobsmacked!

2008-09-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

I love this word. Gob-smacked...flabbergasted,astounded,shocked. From gob 'mouth' + smacked 'clapping hand over in surprise'utterly astounded!

Morning coffee and blog land...it doesn't get much better. I head off to my friend Pats Back porch. Her new dinning room furniture has arrived and I'm anxious to see. If you haven't yet visited Pat....GO THERE!

I'm so happy for Pat and a tad envious too. The dinning room is gorgeous. Scrolling down gobbling up the pictures, I see an award. No surprise Pats blog is sooo worthy. Then back to the top of the page to read. Yes I look at the pictures first...I admit it.

This is where it happens .....I am gobsmacked! Pat has given my wee blog an award.

Gobsmacked! Thank you Pat.

Now the hard part. I must pass the award on to five of my favorite blogs. Its hard to choose because I visit so many. I'm also a bit behind in adding to my list. Come pick up your award and pass it on to five blogs you love.

1. Color outside the lines
2. Coastal Nest
3. Paintergals Cottage.
4.Simply Decorated.
5. The Center of Myself

My links didn't work in this post. Most likely due to operator error. However the links in my blog list work great. This was so much fun. I could hand out awards all day long!

My Backyard Cartoon

2008-09-18T22:46:00.000-07:00

I spent a bit of time playing with the cartoon feature on my camera program. So much fun! I thought I would share some of them with you. Ice tea is being served on the patio. Help yourself. The weeds are keeping me busy.
The deck that hubby built and I maintain. He spent a month of weekends building it and Ive been maintaining it for 14 years! The french doors lead into the Family Room and Kitchen .

We never did get around to replacing that deck railing this summer. The wood is still sitting in the garage. That's the shed that Leonard built and where I learned to keep an eye on his bottom line.

I did manage to thin out the patio garden a bit since this picture. The patio is a DIY project from a few years ago. I laid most of those pavers myself! The waterfall and pond were purchased at Costco for $100. You can see a bit of it over to the right in this photo. One of these days we will get around to building one out of stone. The copper arbor was built by hubby. He had so much fun with that copper pipe, wire and torch.

Gertrude Jekyll Rose and lavender. I have 17 rose bushes planted along the patio with 5 English Munstead Lavender plants, 4 French Lavender plus lots of other stuff. The scent out here is intoxicating! My favorite place to be.

Pass under the Copper Arbor and follow the curve and you end up here. The flowering Thundercloud Plum makes a nice shady spot. There is more garden to see but we will save that for another time. Sit down awhile or better yet grab those gloves and help me weed.

The mouse in my house

2008-09-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

It started out like any other day. Teeth brushing and lunch box packing.
Kissing hubby goodbye. Rushing the kids out the door.
At last.... its quiet in the house.
Latte first and off to my desk.
Its the end of the month and payroll is due. My fingers tap tapping. A few hours pass.

Wait...whats that?? A strange noise.
A rustle...no its more scratching....no its a rustle scratching noise.
I creep down the hall but I cant hear it anymore.
I check outside...just the lawn service next door.
That evening with homework, dinner and laundry...my noise was forgotten.
Until 1am...I hear it again. That strange scratching rustling sound.
Its dark and its late. I'm not going to investigate.

I tell of the strange rustling scratching sounds.
More often in the middle of the night but sometimes during the day.
I think we have MICE I say.
The children laugh and roll their eyes....moms loosing it they say.
harrumph....I'm sure we have mice or a giant mouse somewhere in this house!

Its been a couple weeks and I'm not sleeping well.
Another Monday rolls around.
Its Starbucks time for hubby and I.
I hear hubby yell...What the H***? Kathleen....
what I ask?
Ive found your noise! Come back here he says.
I peek down the hall to see where he is.
He is in our daughters room and motions me to come close.
Look in the closet he says.
I see something. Stuffed way in the back. A little black furry something nestled down in.
Hubby is laughing ...what is it I ask?
Its a BABY BUNNY RABBIT he says.
We have a No Pet Rule!
She is so cute. Look how sweet.
Silky soft and sleepy eyed.

Introducing Bug....breaker of the NO PET RULE!

P.S. Rhoda this is my special bunny...wanna trade?

Hood Dressing

2008-09-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

We had planned to work on the Dinning Room floor today but we are out of nails. Unfortunately we can no longer buy the nails at Home Depot so we had to purchase them online. Hopefully they will arrive soon.
Well....it was strong but ugly in the beginning.

A touch of bead board...better but not quite there yet.

Primed and painted waiting for some trim.

okay...now I see improvement.

Getting better

Yes today you are almost beautiful.

Wood Flooring Phase 2

2008-09-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Last year I decided to pull up the Rose Carpet that was in the Dinning Room and paint the plywood dark brown. lol! Ive been teased unmercifully by my family. To be perfectly honest...I like the painted plywood lots better than the pink carpet. I knew that wood floors were happening this year. I just prepped a bit early.

This is where we stopped with the wood floors in June and started putting the kitchen back together. Now that the kitchen is functional its time to continue the wood into the Dinning Room. That hallway looks really narrow in this picture. Its actually 34 inches wide.

I'm thankful that this room is only 12'x11'. It shouldn't take us to long to get the floor down, stained and polyd.

In between my furniture arranging...Ive been working to make the end of this cabinet pretty.

Its amazing what a bit of bead board, baseboard and trim can do! Tomorrow I will finish trimming it out and it will be ready for shoe molding.

The To Do List

2008-09-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Do you make lists? I do. Its a compulsion. When I start a project I make a rough list of the plan. I number everything and lay it all out. I try to keep it very simple. Often I have to change the order of things on the list. When you are doing a project some things affect other things. I try to keep the list down to ten things at a time. While I like having a list I don't want to see twenty pages of things I need to do. I like my To Do List in phases....Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 15....it doesn't seem as overwhelming that way. Nothing makes me feel more satisfied, prepared or organized as a good To Do List.
Unfortunately....other people add to my list. I just hate that. It means my list is incomplete and that I forgot important steps! lol....frustrating! The list that started off so tidy and straightforward often takes on a life of its own. It starts off so simple. Ten things I need to get done. I always underestimate the amount of time its going to take. It seems that each item on my list needs an additional ten steps to get to the point where I can finally check it off! My ten items turn into something like this. Not quite this tidy because I never allow enough room between number 1 and number 2 etc. So I end up with notes written in the margins and finally rewrite the whole darn thing. It never fails that once I get it all tidied up I have to add to it again.

1. REPLACE WINDOW
A. shopping list
1. new window
2. siding
3. house paint
4. nails
5. caulk
6. interior trim
7. shims
8. insulation
B. remove old siding
C. remove old window
D. install new window
E. install new siding
F. caulk
G. paint new siding

finally number 1 gets to be checked off! Maybe Id feel better if I got to check off each item under number 1. Somehow that feels like cheating. Maybe I need a ten step program to stop making list. That's not gonna happen. I like my list....it makes me crazy but it also keeps me focused.
I'm venting here because phase one of the kitchen remodel is almost complete. We wont move on to phase two until after we lay the hardwood in the dinning room. Which will begin next weekend. Which reminds me I need to do a list for that room. With my luck hubby wont hang that last cabinet that is number 10 on the phase ones list. That means I go to a new page without getting to check off the first page. Serious business having an unchecked item on a list for a phase and moving on to a new list!!!
If you stuck with me this far you must be thinking I have issues and you would probably be right. I'm sure my sis is laughing her head off.

A post for Maggie

2008-09-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

Maggie...Im so sorry I didnt respond sooner. I was looking at older post and saw this.

"Maggie" said...
We too are in the process of putting in hardwood floors as I speak! We even discussed swapping out our counters for granite and I stumbled across your blog. Do you still love the granite tiles and is the grouting hard to keep clean?
August 31, 2008 7:58 PM
"Maggie" said...
I left a message earlier and forgot to ask, did you lay anything over the plywood when you lifted the linoleum? We removed the linoleum and underlayment however it was glued to the plywood. When removing it, some of the top layers of plywood came up with it and I am a bit worried that we need to cover it with a thin hard board. Did you? Thanks, Maggie
September 1, 2008 4:20 PM

I'm loving the Benissimo System granite tiles we bought. I posted a link on the Today was all about the granite post. We used a very black grout and sealed it. Clean up is easy.

We stapled tar paper to the plywood and then nailed down the solid red oak. If your plywood is splintered a bit it wont cause a problem. However if you have severely damaged plywood you may want to replace those pieces before you lay the wood floor. I'm not sure if you are laying unfinished hardwood or pre finished. Ours was unfinished. The application may be different for a pre finished floor.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Now Id best go make sure there aren't any other new comments on those older postings.

We have water!

2008-09-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Id like to thank my Leonard who spent 6 agonizing hours plumbing. Nothing about that job was easy. Everything had to be modified from the wall out. We had copper fittings, plastic pipes, a saw, glue, all sorts of gaskets and a torch out before it was finished. Multiple trips to the hardware store where we finally bought one of everything. lol...not quite but it sure seemed like it. I ended up returning $11.82 worth of parts that were not needed. The plumbing looked great but hubby's head was a mess! Tight quarters and he kept hitting his head. Poor baby! In the end nothing leaked...a first around here. We usually finish and have to fix leaks not this time. The first time I hit that power button on the new Dishwasher sure felt good. No more washing dishes by hand for this girl! Thank you to my sis for the beautiful faucet. Even mom was impressed!

This weekend we will add bead board to the end cabinet, finish trimming out the hood, hang a couple more doors and begin laying baseboard. Would you like to see the big picture so far?

Yes sis I hear you....

Okay its not the whole kitchen but there is nothing to see on the left yet. We wont be working there until the wood floor is finished in the dinning room. I also have one more upper cabinet to hang on this side of the window.
Yes that's a zucchini on my counter. Its that time of year where orphaned zucchini get left on my porch.

We were just going for a walk

2008-09-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Downtown Sumner is hosting the annual wine walk tonight. Have I told you small towns love celebrations? I did? Okay I thought so. Today is the last day of Summer Vacation. It was also the last day of Lens vacation. We decided to take a walk downtown. The shops have special pricing during wine walk but we were just going to walk off the huge breakfast we ate at Dixies. They serve enough food on one plate to feed two people.
Main Street was all a twitter. The shopkeepers were very busy posting sale prices and rearranging stores to accommodate wine service and people. There is a lovely art gallery here called Art and Home Design. I have been stopping in for years to visit a limited addition print by James Christenson called The Oath. So this morning I decided to show Len the art that has delighted me for years. Every time I look at it I find something new. I had to visit it because no way on this earth I could steal $700 from my grocery budget to purchase it. I think the family might notice if they didn't get to eat for a couple months. We entered the shop and I walked back to where the print has hung for at least the last five years. It was gone!! I felt like Id lost something and it wasn't even mine. The owner asked if she could help me and I asked about the print. She explained that they had to remove the temporary wall for wine fest and the art was moved to the back. She thought they still had it but wasn't sure. My palms were sweating. I was hoping it hadn't been purchased. I wouldn't be able to visit it anymore. She came out with several large butcher paper wrapped frame shapes and said it might be one of these. The first two were not my print only one chance left. She opened the paper and there it was... my print! She smiled at my obvious delight and with twinkling eyes said for you today I have a special price.( The special price was still more than I would dream of spending but less than half what the actual price was.)
My sweet husband who I had completely forgotten about during my panic said...I'll take it. Whaaaaa?? I asked him if he loved it...he said he liked it but it was obvious I loved it. Now this art sits in my house awaiting the day things are back together around here. I can visit it as often as I like.

Play time is over!

2008-08-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun and feel well rested after our vacation. My sis lives in Australia and wants to see pictures. So for Laurel we have lots of pictures.

We visited Coeur d' Alene and Sandpoint Idaho. There were some lovely homes along Lake Coeur d' Alene. They each had private lake frontage on the opposite side of the street. Sandpoint is home to Lighthouse Salad Dressing ( this info is for my sis in who misses American Salad Dressing) Here's a picture of a one house and their lake property.

Then it was on to Silverwood Theme Park. A day filled with roller coasters, bumper boat rides and a trip on a Steam Engine Train.

The roller coaster is called After Shock. As soon as you are compressed by the restraints the cars back straight up leaving you facing the ground legs loose and swinging in the breeze. Then reaching a speed of 65 mph you twist and turn upside down around corners and around a loop to come to a complete stop facing straight up. At which point you realize you get to do the whole thing again backwards. Terrifying! We did this one first and then headed for a wooden roller coaster called Tremor. It looked deceptively tame. It too was terrifying and I have the picture to prove it.

This coaster felt like your face was being pulled off the back of your head. Impossible to close your mouth. We do love roller coasters but even I said Uncle after coaster 3!

From here we traveled to Spokane. Wheat fields, Orchards and vineyards galore. After looking at them for hours the last thing I wanted was a picture of them. lol! Spokane was lovely. They have a great park along the Spokane River and Falls. Built for the Expo of 1974. We took a gondola ride over the falls and walked for miles in the park. It would have taken days to see all of it. Here are a few highlights.

The clock tower chimes the hours and plays a pretty tune. Beautiful bridges allow you to go back and forth across the river in many places.

This giant wagon was to cute. We had to slide down the handle to exit.

From Spokane we traveled to Walla Walla. A cute college town close to the Three Rivers Winery we wanted to visit.

Three Rivers Winery had NW Lodge Architecture. Beautiful!

We returned home and decided to visit NW TREK. This is a wild life preserve located 45 minutes from our home. Len and Jake had never been. We walked for miles viewing wildlife and then took a tram to see more.

I was fascinated by this ancient tree. There was a time line posted along the rings of the tree.

Laurel if you click on the picture it will become bigger. You may be able to see some of the other dates and events on the rings.

WOW! This is a long post. We have made some major progress in the kitchen since arriving home. I will share that soon.

Running away from home

2008-08-21T23:45:00.001-07:00

After almost 5 months of home renovation we have decided to run away from home. Its time to take a break and have some fun. A road trip is just what we need. So this weekend we will head over the mountains into Eastern Washington. Chinook pass should be beautiful. A trip to Silverwood for roller coasters galore, vineyards, hiking, horseback riding, quaint shops (I might even find something to bring home)I think I will skip the bungee jumping but the balloon ride sounds fun.

We will return in a week. I'm sure that the mess will be here waiting. Until then....this blog is on an intermission.

Another weekend flew by

2008-08-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

....did you see it?

My Jacob had a friend over for the day. Unlimited Video Games and your best bud to play with. What more could a 16 year old want? Not much ...... just pepperoni pizza and cola. Tomorrow we have back to school registration. Translation parents bring your checkbook and prepare to pay up. Jake and I are both thinking Summer went by to fast.

I sold my car this weekend. Yes sis you heard me. It was time. My car was a 1967 Chevy Malibu. Ive owned this car for 12 years. Its always been dependable and fun. If anyone has owned an old classic you know they require occasional TLC which means treating rust and repainting. It was time to sell or spend $$$. I put it up for sale on Sunday and it sold today. Even with all the TLC ($$$) I put into the car it was a great investment. I more than doubled my money over 12 years. The gentleman who bought my car has big plans and I have a feeling she will be receiving plenty of TLC. He also said he was gonna have to give his wife a new kitchen to smooth things over. ROFL!!!

Speaking of kitchens.

I now have a ventilation fan in a soon to be great hood. I also have a stack of trim to fix up the soon to be great but currently ugly and strong hood.

Len built an open shelving unit to match my cabinets yesterday. I had a little issue with the cabs I had planned to use on either side of the hood. It was decided with the help of my decorating friends that open shelving would be a great solution. A trip to the hardware store for $20 worth of pine in the morning and four hours later...

This morning it received a couple coats of primer and tomorrow it will get some paint!

Just when you think things cant get much better, they do. The UPS man showed up at my door with a package. I was very excited to see that package. My exuberance might have frightened the UPS man. I could have kissed him. The long awaited deck plate for my faucet has arrived. You know what this means? Do you??? Plumbing! My days of washing dishes by hand are numbered now. Believe me....I'm counting them.

Countertops are a wonderful thing

2008-08-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

My counter tops began shrinking in April. By the end of May they were all gone. The stove moved to the garage where luckily we have a 220 outlet. We had a utility sink hooked up to the kitchen plumbing for a few weeks but eventually that had to go too. Living without a kitchen makes you appreciate each little thing.

My kitchen was a U shape. In the picture below you can see the bar is gone along with the items it housed the dishwasher, lazy susan corner and a drawer unit. The drawer unit that was once at the end of the bar is standing to the left of the stove. With a cutting board on top of it. This is the last picture of my old counter tops. Soon that old drawer unit and cutting board would become very important. Four people sharing 18 inches of space isn't pretty. The fridge has been moved away from the stove here. If you look to the right you can see where the old kitchen use to end. I sure messed up the Sheetrock removing that tile back splash.

I tell you all of this so you will know how excited I was when my granite got grout! We grouted on Sunday. It was sealed yesterday! I'm over the moon happy. The only thing that would make me happier is plumbing!!! At least its starting to feel like I might actually pull this off! May I proudly present to you Kat's new counter top......

Here's another picture to show you the grout lines. It needs another wipe down today and then its ready to use! I love that outside corner tile.

Monday Morning Wake up Call

2008-08-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

My Monday began at a quarter to 7 this morning. I was awaken from a sound sleep by the answering machine. Mondays are our Sunday around here.

Hello???
Helllooooo!!!!
This is Ron and I just came from the drive thru.

Ron is obviously using a cell phone while driving. He also thinks that the machine is deaf. He is yelling loud enough to wake the dead....and me!

Is this McDonald's??
Helllllooooooooo????
Wheres my orange juice?

Yes Ron ...McDonald's doesn't want to talk to you. I'm sure all McDonald's have answering machines screening their calls.

Ive been charged for Orange Juice but I don't have Orange Juice.
Helloooooooo?????

Ron is obviously very upset. Okay fine who can sleep with Ron yelling about his OJ? Not me! I'm up! Heading for the phone. Which is plugged in on top of the dryer in the laundry room buried under dirty clothes. (I told you its ugly here!)

Are you people listening to me? I paid two dollars and thirteen cents for orange juice I don't have!

umhmmmmm Ron's coming in loud and clear. I'm not to sympathetic but then I'm not at my best before coffee. I'm in the laundry room but the handset isn't on the base. Thinking to myself...who last used the phone and where?? Oh wait my cobwebs are clearing....Jacob!! He wouldn't have hung it up noooo its probably in the laundry basket next to the phone.

Hellloooooooo???
This is Ron. I have a receipt for my orange juice but you didn't give it to me.

Ive found the phone...underneath the bath towel. I thought I was quite quick but Ron is very grumpy. Poor man needs his OJ!

I answer the phone...
Hello Ron.
Ron is stunned into silence.
Kat Ron?
Ron....Yes?
Kat... I'm sorry but you have the wrong number.
Ron....What do you mean I have the wrong number?
Kat....This is not McDonald's phone number
Ron...ohhh yes it is!
Kat...no this is a private residence.

In the background I hear many voices all laughing hysterically and giving Ron a hard time.

Kat...Ron?
Ron what?
I'm sorry about the OJ but you really should check your order before leaving the drive thru.
Ron....oh yeah thanks...click.

I checked the caller ID and Ron was evidently in a work vehicle...Sealants was the company name. My sweet hubby has decided that he will call Ron tomorrow at 5am to make sure Ron got his OJ.

Before and almost after Living Room

2008-08-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Work on the kitchen continues. In the meantime I thought it might be fun to share a few older projects. I wish I could figure out how to load more than five pictures at a time. I guess the living room will have to be enough for one post.
Here is my 1987 Living Room. Sage green walls, Pleasant Valley tab top panels, and lovely Rose carpet (I don't miss that one bit). This picture was taken as we were moving everything out of this room.

Oh My!! I'm a tad embarrassed to share this one. We all have to start somewhere. I cant blame this on anyone else. I did this all by myself. I fell for every fad the 80s had going. Including geese in the kitchen. This is the other side of the room. Directly across from the bay window. Shall we move on?? Quickly please.

There...isn't this better? We pulled up the ugly pink carpet and installed solid red oak hardwood. Sorry for the poor picture quality. There was lots of sawdust in the air on this day. As a matter of fact I was cleaning up sawdust for weeks! Notice the splotches?

The floors were stained Pecan and polyd. New bigger much bigger baseboard was installed along with some shoe molding. The wall color is Laura Ashley 3 mixed in Valspar. I wish I could show you the cute transition piece we used to continue the shoe molding around the raised hearth.

This is how the room looked at the end of phase one. We have since installed recessed lighting, Crown molding, new casing and plinth blocks around the entrance. Id love to share a more recent picture. Unfortunately my living room is housing three additional rooms worth of furniture. Its ugly around here. You don't want to see it. Not yet.

I love seeing before and after pictures. They are inspiring! Don't be afraid to try something new. I find that when my budget is tight the creative juices flow better. For those of you wondering how much this makeover cost. Here is the breakdown. No labor cost because we DIY everything around here.

Flooring from Lumber Liquidators......$700

Baseboard and shoe molding $80

Paint and supplies $50

Renting sander $80

Crown Molding $100

Recessed Lighting $100

Norman Rockwell Moments

2008-08-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

If you asked me at age 25 if I was a city girl or a country girl...my answer would have been most definitely a city girl. I worked in the heart of downtown Seattle and loved it. I thought one day I might live in Magnolia or Queen Ann maybe even Capitol Hill but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine Id live in the country. My husbands dream was a bit different than mine.

Guess what?? I live in the country.

Ive learned a couple things about small town life.

The first thing I learned was to slow down. You cant rush life in a small town. Every chore becomes a social event. For a city girl who wanted to grab a few items at the grocery and get home to kick off those high heels this was a big adjustment.

The second thing I learned is that small towns love celebrations. Every Season and every holiday. Spring brought the daffodil parade complete with the Queen and her court. Summer brings live music to the park and our local festival. Christmas is like stepping back in time with the town tree lighting, main street dripping in everygreens and twinkle lights, Santa visiting all the neighborhoods atop a fire engine. Okay Im going to stop now or this post could get very long. All these events enforce the strong sense of community found in a small town.

I often feel like I'm having a Norman Rockwell moment....just about everyday. Who knew that when my Len dragged me to that muddy rhubarb field and staked out his lot that it would all work out so well? Not me. I was thinking of that old Green Acres TV show...scared is what I was.

I guess I turned out to be a Country girl after all.

Pretty things

2008-07-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

My sister use to work for Ann Sacks/Kohler. She often spoke by phone with Rudge and Company in the UK. They loved her so much they wanted her to choose one of their faucets as a gift. She kindly passed this on to me. I of course was delighted and chose this weathered copper beauty! Now the plumbing may require a bit of tweaking and I need a plate to cover a couple holes. This lovely faucet has been stashed under my bed for a few years. I think its time she was allowed to shine!

This is my new old sink! Ive had this sink in off white for 22 years. I loved it when I first bought it and I love it still. All those years and nary a ding did it have. Remember I have children. When I say this sink can take a beating...I mean it! My hubby thought he would go ahead and get it out of the kitchen by himself. I wasn't home to stop him. lol! I could have told him it weighs over 125 pounds. He did manage to get it outside all by himself but he chipped the lip. Its all good! I wanted a white one to match my appliances anyway. Thank goodness they still make it.

My BIL is fascinated by our granite. He has requested that we wait until the weekend to begin laying it. He wants to help! I'm not about to turn down volunteers. Ive been without a dishwasher this long....I think I can make it another week. I wonder if he wants to help grout too?

Today was all about the granite!

2008-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Benissimo Granite Systems

Natural Verde

http://www.benissimosystems.com/default.aspx

Today we layed out the granite tiles and made all the necessary cuts. Only 12 cuts and the majority of those were around the sink area. I was hoping to get some of them down but hubby needed a break. lol! All work and no play.....

Snafus

2008-07-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Snafus happen. They always do... its just a matter of when and what. Every project we have done there has always been some unaccounted for expense or problem to solve. Sometimes they are a major pain and sometimes just little bump to get past. For the kitchen it was my not quite four year old Maytag dishwasher dying. My plan for a new refrigerator just went poof! This wasn't a hard decision to make as a dishwasher is a necessity in my book. A brand new BOSCH dishwasher has been sitting in my house for months. We are getting close to having working plumbing in the kitchen again. Bosch is finally out of the box and in my kitchen. I'm looking forward to the day it actually works.

The wall where the fridge and stove use to be was rewired. The stove will now be centered on this wall. The fridge is moving to another wall. SPACE!! That's what I'm talking about.

We purchased some in stock cabs from Lowe's to add to what I already had. The only cab that went to the dump was a broken down lazy susan. I'm all for being green but she was a broken down wreck. My wonderful husband rebuilt parts of a few cabs that were looking a bit worn after 22 years. Ive sanded, primed and painted and they look pretty good. Of course at this point any cabinet at all would look better than none.

The hardwood floors are now covering the Family Room and Kitchen. We will move on to the Dinning Room after we have a working although most likely incomplete kitchen. My goal is to have everything done by Turkey day. Thanksgiving is always at my house. Fingers crossed!

We have decided to use Benissimo Systems Granite tiles in Natural Verde. The tiles have a prefabricated bull nose edge, outside corners and inside corners. For a DIY project this system was heaven sent. Under $900 compared to many thousands for a slab. Not a hard choice.

No more spelunking for me!

2008-07-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

On April 14,2008 we bid farewell to our kitchen. My husband and I were about to begin our biggest ever DIY project. Having learned a few skills and accumulated tools in our previous adventures we felt well equipped to start this journey. I had been dreaming of this day for several years. I knew it would be a lot of work and inconvenient (seriously I didn't have a clue!) but I could see the new space in my mind....and I wanted it! Since I haven't yet perfected the art of growing money on trees budgeting was important. I'm a thrifty girl and figured I could reuse what I had ,add a bit more tweak it a bit and presto new kitchen. My goals were modest...I thought. All I wanted was to reclaim my linen closet for linens. To have dry goods and appliances in the kitchen. It didn't seem to much to ask for. A wee bit more space since everyone ends up in this room and none of us are shrinking (unfortunately). Tweaking the layout...doing the twist while loading the dishwasher should have been helping my waistline but wasn't. The refrigerator next to the stove was an accident waiting to happen and by the grace of God hadn't yet.

Here is my kitchens last day on this earth. Goodbye Brittney Blue Counter tops,

Goodbye vinyl floor, Goodbye cave dead end cabinets...I never liked spelunking anyway!