Getting close

I sure hope we're close to finishing. There is still lots of trim work to be done.


But the tile is done, and it looks great.



I must note here that I am 99% sure this is NOT the tile I picked out. We were debating on two tiles which had a slight vaiation in tone. With the marble for the vanity in mind, I selected one, and looking at this tile I think we got the other installed. I am tempted to go over to the tile place just to take a look, but I'm not disappointed now, so probably best I just not even worry about it. But I know for next time to write down the tile I want and take a sample to compare when the tile arrives at the house. Lesson learned. I actually hope I never do this again! Or Charlie ever does a remodel again!

Home Stretch

Putting in final touches before the tile men arrive on Monday. Filling the tub last night revealed a tiny drip in the drain, so that will be redone tonight. But I think the end is in sight and Charlie will soon have a lot more free time to soak in the new tub.

The progress continues

I know you've all been wondering about that master bath project...the one that was started when we bought the house. The one that was going to be finished before Freddie's arrival. The one that didn't get finished before Freddie came but was definitely going to be done before Jazzfest.

Well, Jazzfest has come and gone and the bathroom still ain't done. But the last few weeks have brought the most obvious progress yet and we may actually be in the home stretch.

We've got sheetrocked walls!

Toilet will go here.

And the walls have been painted.

The shower stall awaits tiling.

The tile guys have been called and we are to set a date for tile installation within a few weeks.

Corner tub just fits here. It was the one and only tub that fit!

Lee came over this past weekend and helped Charlie set the tub. He's got to finish the drain and a few small details to have it ready to be tiled.

Because every post needs a picture of Bug.

No completion date given to me but if I'd have to guess I'd say right after the 4th of July. Perhaps we'll do my birthday toast on the new commode.

Master Bath Progress

Charlie is still plugging away at that bathroom.

He took a few photos so the progress would be noted. Unfortunately I can't give too many details or explanations, but know that he is progressing!

Hot and cold water for the tub and the drain....


The tub will go in this corner...


And the vanity will go here...


He's run the cold and hot water and all of the drain lines. The next challenge is building the tub surround.

The tile has been ordered and guys are in the wings waiting to install.

The tub has been ordered.

The shower door has been selected and will be ordered after tile is in place so dimensions are accurate.

He's looking for someone to do the drywall.

My tasks include finding mirrors, towel bars, and robe hooks.

I am not sure if we are still on track for a end of April completion date, but I am hopeful!

Progress continues

Charlie has been unable to sleep for the past few nights. One night he had a bit of a panic attack about not being able to bang around with III and this new mama sleeping a weird schedule, and the past two nights he has been up anticipating the day, going through plans in his mind, and just generally being excited about the project. Excitement is good...this is what keeps progress going.

Admiring his work.

Charlie was able to get Lee over here this weekend to help him out wiring the bathroom, rerouting circuits, and to be a watchful eye so he didn't do anything to electrocute himself! Thank you, Lee!

He is quite tickled by the lighted switch in the hall to the bathroom.

They worked ALL day yesterday in the attic and under the house pulling wire.

Lights above the sinks and the tub. I scrapped my designs on
having a mini chandelier type light above the garden tub
and went with the cheaper can lighting.

And today Lee came by for a few hours to help with light installation from the attic. Charlie's still pounding up there, getting in some outlets and another light/heater combo.

There's a light in the shower stall and above the toilet.

He's pretty pleased with himself and what they've accomplished. It's been pretty tricky for him to figure out how to work around previously standard building dimensions from 100 years ago....like having a 14 inch space to work with and a 16 inch light needing to go in that space. Ah, the challenges of working on an old house without gutting and starting from scratch.

I think he still has a few more afternoons to put in before the wiring is completed. I don't know what's next...more plumbing? Tub framing? Shower pan?

There will be updates and we'll see how close this gets to his end of April deadline.

Progress can happen

Despite the beer flowing downstairs (more on that later), there has been lots of nailing, banging, and humming of large saws happening around the house.


He tore out closed up the back "staircase" which was from the days when the place was a duplex, and has been organizing some storage for us. Despite grand plans of concerting the space for other uses, it'll most likely remain like this until the house has new owners.


The lathe board is coming down to make way for electrical. Word is we'll have some wiring in two weeks when he can line up Lee to help out.


He's also framed out the shower stall.


This is progress, folks. I know it doesn't look like much, but "get 'er done" has been the mantra around here lately. I'm happy to see things happening and decisions are being made about fixtures, layout, and tiling.

After some eyebrow raising and squinty eyed looks, he has finally conceded that the completion date is now before Jazzfest, rather than FCS's due date. I'm holding him to this one.

"I just knew it."

Our back steps have been needing some attention for some time. The boards that made up the landing were rotting and each day I gave thanks to not fall through. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was pretty bad.

Wouldn't you know that midweek, Charlie stepped on the wrong board and it crumbled to the point of needing to be replaced ASAP. I could have written this the moment that happened because I knew how it would all play out. But silly me tried to think that in an effort to keep the momentum going on the bathroom project (the project that after three years of putzing and planning is finally getting some real attention), he'd just replace that one board for the time being.

On the trip to Lowe's I found him with a cart stacked with multiple boards and I got the news that he'd be replacing the entire platform of the landing. Here we go.

I could have counted down the seconds before he came to me after the projects started to let me know he was headed back to Lowe's because he'd be rebuilding the entire back landing. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I know him. There was just no other way for him.

So mid morning we have nothing outside the back door.


And he keeps up the smiling and teasing because he knows I knew it.



And by nightfall he's almost done.


And now we have a brand new landing, and I have been doing a little jig on it each time I step outside. It's the happy jig, because today he's back to working on the bathroom.

All Business

Charlie was glad to see me go this weekend. He figured he could get lots of his projects done without my adding to his list of things to do for a few days. He told me he was going back to his trademark meal eating while standing over the kitchen sink to save time.

Quite a bit happened around here while I was gone, including some of my requested chores (mopping and picture hanging). Evidently there was also a beer drinking, lazy afternoon thing happening too.

He patched some concrete in the back yard so now hopefully that wheelbarrow will no longer be on display in the yard.


He didn't get C loves E carved in , but he's awfully pleased with his job.

New Look In Progress

With some of my days off I have been working on the guest room. I didn't get a photo of the room before I started disassembling it, but here's the before....


A fine yellow, perfect for my favorite French bistro, but not really for a bedroom. Although, I hear yellow is a good color for a guest room because it makes people anxious, and guests won't want to stay long! Not at all what we want. And the room is just pretty much a mix of hand me downs and boring items...old chair, sewing table night stand, plain white bedspread, nothing hanging on the wall.

It's a good room to redo. I picked "wool skein" which was on strip of paint chips with colors named "relaxed khaki" and "universal khaki" so I thought this would just look like a really pale khaki.


Grey is a more accurate description, but better than the yellow. I'm getting rid of the chair that was in there and I've got a duvet that I bought on rock bottom clearance many months ago that will outfit the bed. I need a few pillows and a bed skirt, but will try to wait to see those on sale before heading out to purchase. I hate having things unfinished, but in the interest of being thrifty, I'll wait.

Curtains that came with the house weren't able to be salvaged, so we're measuring for wooden blinds. I've got a coupon for 15% off, so we'll order those tomorrow.

Now if I need to figure out how to tile or plaster those mantles. That was last year's project that never did happen. Maybe this is the summer for it to happen.

And then there was light

I've been pestering my Daddy to install a can light above the kitchen sink, since he's the only person I know, short of hiring an electrician, who knew enough to wire me a light.

Well, Daddy, you're off the hook. Charlie now knows enough to fulfill all of my lighting desires.

After splitting the day under the house and on a ladder...


He was finally able to give me some lighting!

In the kitchen...


And outside the back door...

He's quite pleased with himself. Wiring the man space has jump started lots of other home improvement projects around here.


I hope the momentum holds strong. Love home improvement!

It's Electric!

Charlie's been humming "Electric Boogie" (The Electric Slide) all week, and I think I've also noticed a little boogie, woogie, woogie step in his walk. And tonight he's doing the full on "slide."

It's finally electric.


Lee came over about 8:00 this morning and they were working by 8:30. Everything went according to plan, and Charlie's plan, plan, plan paid off, as there was only one trip to Lowe's mid-project. So by 3:00 they were done and off to Lee's house to work on a plumbing project.


He's quite excited and I wondered if he'd even sleep tonight, but he let me know that now he'll sleep better. The excitement of problem solving and planning is what used to keep him up late, lying in bed, troubleshooting each and every detail.


So now his man space can be used for some work...hopefully work on the master bath. I'm also hoping his new confidence in electrical work means I have some recessed lighting in the kitchen in my future.

A woman's touch

In the yard sits his man space, the shed. I wanted to grown a vine on it, like what grows on our porch, but he nixed that idea claiming it would ruin the wood.

So last year I tried some hyacinth bean vine with pots and trellis that didn't do so well.


But after a trip to Banting's and a load of flowers...


We now have window boxes!

I like that I can see them from the kitchen window. I can't wait for the plants to mature a little and fill in.

I went with purples, blues, pinks, and whites...

• Two kinds of purple salvia
• Lamb's ear
• White purslane
• Variegated potato vine
• Pink Johnny jump ups (vinca)
• Blue columbine
• White African daisies with purple centers
• And some tiny white flowering trailing plant

He kids that he wants some shades so I can't see in the windows. He's going to be mighty surprised when some lace curtains pop up in the man space.

I concur

"My Bench in the Fortress of Solitude"

We need electricity in the shed.

I need electricity at my bench! I discovered this today as I was out working on a project and had to work by the light of a lamp on an extension cord....that kept flipping the circuit at the house.

Lee wired his shed, so we've got to keep up with the Jonses you know. But once we've got power back there, the Fortress of Solitude may not be so secluded for dear Charlie any more... I like working at my bench!

A Home of his Own

Every man needs a fortress a solitude. I learned that from my daddy a long time ago. And Charlie is no exception. When we were looking for a house, one of his stipulations was there had to be a man space or room enough to build a man space. Luckily, we found a house with the perfect spot in the yard.


He's been working on his space for some time and is quite pleased with his workshop. He's installed some salvaged lab cabinets and added a counter top, and is getting everything set up.


I wish I could explain all of the intricate nuances of the design, but some of the finer things in life are simply lost on me. But, I'm sure it's all of superior design, because believe me, if you know my husband, he doesn't leave out any details. He's thought of it all.

Next phase will be moving into the drawers and cabinets and adding pegboard wall to wall and ceiling to floor for organization. Hopefully electricity is not far behind. And after that, I may never see the man again.

Maybe it wasn't such a hairbrain scheme after all

Yesterday it sure looked like one.

The automatic gate is broken. We haven't parked in our driveway since April. When looking for a new house, we only considered homes with driveways, and now it has been unusable for several months.

The gate opener just hasn't been working. The model we have is no longer being manufactured, and wasn't the best product. We thought we'd get a better model, but the wire connections were different, and the wire is simply laid in the soil under the cemented driveway. Doesn't make sense to bust up and patch our pressed concrete drive, so the only other option was tunneling underneath in order to lay the new wires.



A "professional" explained it as an easy "10 minute" job, something Charlie could do himself. Really no need to pay a professional. He then explained the technique, just as Charlie had read online.

It's taken the better part of two days of work, but it's done. Yesterday he requested my talking him out of future "hairbrain schemes" but today I am sure that thought is long gone with the conduit under the concrete ready for wire.

The next phase will set us back $1000 for parts, at least. I wonder how long until we're parking in the driveway again.

Spring Break Project

The pieces are foiled and I hope to be soldering next week! The finished product will be transoms for upstairs.

The Next Project

I am debating about whether to paint the bathroom "jardin" like the bedroom, but I will start with the trim while I decide. I had originally wanted the guest room to be the same color, but now I am thinking something paler.

But, while that gets into action, I am going to also start work to get the mantles upstairs looking a little better. They currently all look like this...



While the mantles downstairs look like this...



I considered seeking out a local artist who makes tiles to get something similar to what's on the downstairs mantles, but decided that it probably way too expensive. I found some tile at Lowe's that seems reasonably priced and looks just traditional enough.

Hope to make it over there this week and order a case of tiles to get this project rolling.

Bedroom Jardin

I chickened out on a deep blue green color and opted for a much lighter shade when I was in Sherwin Williams. The color, jardin, reminded me of the green I had painted in the sunroom on Jena, but with a bit more blue.

Jardin's translation..."Garden"

I am not sure who gets paid to name these colors, but I could have thought of a few that would be better, like, for instance If Pepto Were Green, or Baskin Robbin's Mint, or even Scrubs would be more accurate.



But, jardin it is and jardin it wil be.



I am just about done, and the color is growing on me. I keep reminding myself that we hope a child will one day call this room his own, and then the color will seem more appropriate for the room.

Painting Project

Ok, so long over a month (almost two months) ago, I started painting the front bedroom, and gave myself a two week time frame.

Well, I finally got back to working on it this weekend. I am proud to report that the trim is done, and above the picture molding got its first coat.

The house has been painted with the wall color up to the ceiling. I've decided to paint above the picture molding the same color as the ceiling to try to make the ceilings look even higher (no, 12 feet isn't enough!).

This is the first look at it.





I'll have to wait to finish the room to decide if I was successful in creating "the look."

Hoping to make it to Sherwin Williams this week, and do the walls this weekend!

Today, We (He) Dug a Trench

Note: He wants to be very clear about something: "(He)" really, really means "he" and NOT "we".

After an all day rain on Saturday, Sunday morning we went outside to dig the trench that would be the first step in the workshop getting electricity as well as the first step in my being able to plan my garden (we couldn't have all of my hard work dug up mid-spring!).

I had to choose...save the fig tree or save the pink jasmine on the fence. The line has to go from the house straight back to the shed. To save the fig tree, the digging would have to go right along the fence and the jasmine destroyed. To save the jasmine, we'd have to dig through the roots of the fig tree. Decisions.

I opted for the fig tree since we could easily get more jasmine, and I am not so sure I really wanted the jasmine because it was taking over the yard. It was about to bloom so I was a bit bummed about cutting it all back away from the fence, but I'll live.

Needless to say, what started as a "we" project ended up as a "he" project. I am not quite strong enough to dig out the banana trees, break up concrete, etc. And, one of the shovel handles broke, SO with only one shovel, the job was all his! He did give me the chore of cutting away the jasmine, bagging up trash, and "supervising" (wink, wink).

We (he) are about half done and with the rain this week, looks like things will be on hold. So I'll be using my time to plan the garden and figure out what I'm going to plant to hide that fence!