It's hot, so why not paint!

It has been nothing but stifling hot for the past week and a bit... and its hard to be outside enjoying the sun when it is in fact this hot, but I thought, what better way to celebrate the heat than by painting my front door and garage door (which gets shade on it about 75% of the day)!

I had 'paint the front door' on my to-do list since last year... as it was full of scuff marks from PC and his hockey bag, and me and my winter boots kicking the door with my hands full of either A. children, or B. shopping bags! Either way, it needed to be done.

I started out just going to freshen up the white on the front door, but while at my local RONA, the sales girl said, white front doors are not meant to be used! She said its a job that has to be done every year (touching up the paint), so then I got thinking a darker front door would mean less overall maintenance... so I picked a few paint swatches, came home, primed the front door white, and then that evening returned and got a big can of Bistro brown!

Turns out... to paint outside, you need it to be above 10 degrees at night for the paint to set properly... so really this is the only time of year to do it.  And since we are busy most of August, I thought why not get it done and over with now while I have the time NOW!

So without further ado... here are the fruits of my labour (and PC's too - who I might add was reluctant about the idea of it, but did help me with the garage door... and has come to love it just as much as I do)!

BEFORE

AFTER

Once I got this little jobby done, I then decided to do the door inside the garage and then freshen up the white on the backs of the doors too. Its been a few full days of painting doors, but I am pleased with the results. And its has just inspired me to paint all the doors in the house, and touch up the scuff marks in the trim around the house (after vacation).

I didn't think this heat was bothering me at all, but now I can see it may have created a painting monster!

Home Project #307: Kitchen Countertops and Backsplash!

This post is long over due, but thought its still worth posting because everyone loves a little makeover reveal!

We've been in our house for 5 years now and when we bought the place, one of the MAJOR drawbacks from me was the nasty dark green countertop... I hated it. But PC reassured me that changing the countertop was a simple/cheap thing and once we moved in we could just choose what we wanted - pop it off, and voila - we'd have the perfect kitchen.

What a theory... 5 years later we just got around to the revamp on the kitchen countertop... plus the backsplash! It took me a while to actually figure out what I wanted. I knew I wanted ANYTHING but dark nasty green, but I didn't realize the options were endless as to what the replacement would be. In the end, we chose to replace laminate with laminate but to get a corian edging to prevent chipping, etc. Since we don't plan to be in this house long term, the investment Granite didn't seem to have as many rewards as a cheaper reface to get me through another couple of years. The countertop, with the choice of blacksplash had me excited for the reno, and once the countertop was installed, PC stepped up to the plate to do the backsplash.

It turned out exactly how I wanted, and better! It has given our kitchen such a face lift... I even blurted out 'I think I could get another 5-8 years out of this house now' - however, that was BEFORE I knew The Sequel would be born in 2010.

Either way... I love the update and wanted to share PC's handy work.

BEFORE THE BACKSPLASH

PC APPLYING THE GROUT

GROUT ON AND WAITING TO BE SEALED

THE FINAL PRODUCT: I LOVE IT!

Dreaming of a back yard oasis!

We have been in our house for 4 years... and in that 4 years, we haven't done a whole lot to our back yard, except put up a shed for extra storage. Our backyard is a fairly decent size, and when we bought this place it had a nice large deck that I was really excited about. The first year in the house we received our patio set as a wedding gift, and we loved it, but by the fall of the next year, as you may recall, the wind blew our table off the deck and smashed the glass top to pieces. Since then the deck sort of lost its appeal, as it seemed like more of a hazard in our back yard, than an asset.

For the last few years I have had many ideas rolling around in my head about how I want our back yard to function, but I am having a hard time deciding whether just to make do with our outdoor situation for a few more years, or to sink a few thousand dollars into it for the time being, knowing that in 5 years time I don't want to be in this house.

Sometimes I wonder if my time line is realistic... 5 years isn't that far off, so maybe in my head I should say 7 years... just to give myself a buffer, so if that's the case than for the next 7 years I would really like to have a back yard we can enjoy.

I would really like someone to come in to our back yard with a vision that matches the vision in my head (anyone know a psychic that does back yard makeovers!)... and tell me the magic number to make it happen. I want to know what 3 or 4K looks like in a backyard. Is it everything I am dreaming of, or is it a piddly cement pad with some nice lawn furniture on it? Perhaps I will need to this backyard design in stages... to make it affordable.

Our deck needs some work regardless of whether we sink money into any other part of the backyard or not. It's a PVC deck, but was built poorly under the direction of the previous owners. It needs some attention... especially by the time E becomes independently mobile.

In addition to the deck, I would also like to put up a PVC fence that would give us some privacy... for our rear neighbours, but again, if we aren't going to be here in 5 to 7 years time, I would rather put the money into a nice fence at our final resting spot, and just build a suitable, but not dream-worthy, wooden fence for a third of the cost.

Oh what to do... ? Since this summer is unique, I doubt we will do anything, as we will be at the cottage for a good chunk of it - but by next year... I want to make some changes... which means I have less than 12 months to get my plan onto paper, cost analysis completed, and the peeps lined up to do the work. I think before I even get that far, I need to get my better half on board... as sometimes that can be half the battle!

I think I will need to give in on something PC has been dreaming about, if I am going to get full cooperation on his part. Perhaps I should plan a trip to Vegas with a 'P.S. PC' note attached ... you got your Vegas trip... now I get my backyard oasis!

Finally... a basement update!

Well... you've been patiently awaiting this update, I know. I got email upon email, asking for a visual of the basement. You've left enough hints and comments that I am starting to feel bad... so let's get started!

I believe we left off somewhere around here....

We were still living in a lot of drywall dust, but the idea of a finished basement wasn't too far off.

Drywall was being mudded... and I was patiently awaiting for the okay to paint the place. So... without further ado.... here is how the paint turned out, before the carpet:

Then, the following week we got the carpet put down.... it felt so great on the feet, and it was nice not to have to put shoes on to go down to the basement anymore. My bare feet were loving the new addition.

Slowly we started moving down the furniture from our living room upstairs. We are still awaiting to put in the doors, the trim, and the ceiling, but its starting to feel more homey with each little addition. I will have to get my decorating cap on soon, and add the final touches, but for now this is where we are at...

PC has really done an amazing job on everything -- given that he's put 90% of his free time into this project since May 24 -- many hours on his own, down there sweating and cursing to himself, I can't possibly say enough about his efforts! Thanks PC!

I haven't had time to take photos of our new upstairs furniture, but hope to get those done soon! I hope this update will satisfy you for a while -- but I will try to be more vigilant in my picture posting in the future!

Basement Update #3

So... here they are, pics of the basement, long overdue, but nonetheless will bring you up to speed.

I believe the last update showed pics of the framing stage. It's been a while since I've had time to take the pics of the basement, and I was hoping to get some up of the 'drywall in progress' stage, but PC finished it this weekend and before we could clean up the guy who is doing the taping and mudding was on our doorstep ready to work yesterday morning at 8 am.

In a day, he taped and did his first coat of the mudding. Last night PC cleaned up the scraps of drywall, I swept up and vacuumed as best I could, as our only labourer will back everyday for the rest of the week to finish up the walls.

I am hoping to make our final carpet selection this weekend, and paint the following weekend.

That's the update for now... take a look at all of PC's hard work with the drywall. He has worked tirelessly on the walls, mostly by himself, with the exception of some much need assistance from his Dad in the bathroom and with parts of the ceiling (Thanks Dad C) - THANKS PC!

Stairs

Main TV Room

(left) Laundry/Hockey Room & Bathroom (right)

Shower


(left) shower & office/bedroom (right)


closet in the office/bedroom

doorway to office/bedroom & main tv room

Pressure is on....

I have been meaning to update more regularly on the status of the basement project... but the truth is, PC hasn't had much time to devote to it lately, and even I've been too busy to take the most recent pictures of it.

However... I've basically put PC on a 6 week deadline ... as I've ordered new furniture for the upstairs... which means the current furniture we have needs to a find a new home, which will be the finished basement!

Now... I know most of you men are thinking, what an evil bitch I am for doing something so devious to PC, but the truth is he okayed the purchase... given that it was a slicker of a DEAL! And... we've both agreed that the basement doesn't need to be finished right down to the trim on the baseboards - but we need to at least see wall paint and carpet before the couch upstairs can move downstairs.

I tried to make up a little schedule yesterday morning, but PC would have nothing to do with that, citing 'make a schedule all you want, but you are only going to make yourself upset because I won't be sticking to it' - so out the door went my clever plan to keep him on track with a giant checklist on the fridge. The project has even been set back a little further as PC came home from reffing late Friday night with a knee injury, which means he is to keep off of it, and off skates too.

So.... while I would normally be ecstatic that he isn't reffing, giving him more time to work on the basement, this basically means he can't do either: ref or hard labour; however, as we speak PC and his Dad are downstairs making a lot of noise, which means something is happening- this is a good start to the non-schedule he's following, even if he is laid up a bit!

All in all... I am super excited to have the furniture coming in 6 weeks, I thought that it wouldn't be until after Christmas before I got around to furniture shopping, but last week I decided to browse a few places, and when I only really saw one set I liked at over 7 stores, the sales lady informed me of an upcoming sale, and without further ado I jumped at the chance. The fact that the set I wanted had to be ordered and would take a while to arrive was right up my alley - and now it has me thinking of the gazillion other things I want to do to my house in the next little while!

The good news for all my family and friends is that this year I have an actual Christmas list a mile long of things I want need, so I shouldn't be that 'hard to buy for' person on your list this year!

All this to say... stay tuned, I will hopefully soon get around to getting some of the 'work in progress' pictures posted - and you will be able to share in the excitement as PC gets on the final road to completing the projo!

Overheard at Home Depot.

So... as you know we are in the midst of finishing our basement, and this seems to require various trips to Rona, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, etc. PC has been tasked with the majority of these trips because, to be honest, I don't know the difference between 2/16ths and 5/8ths... nor do I care. I also don't care if we use screws or nails, 2x4s or 2x6s... yida yida yada!

However, we are starting to get into the choices that matter to me... faucets, paint, carpet colour... and so I've started making lunch hour and evening trips to the stores listed above.

Last evening while roaming the aisles of Home Depot looking at faucets, paint samples, and vanities, I noticed various couples at odds over choices. I found it hilarious at points, mostly because I could see myself and PC (had he been with me) having the same sort of discussion. A woman always knows what she wants... we have a vision, a well-layed out idea that makes sense. On the other hand a man can only see the amount of work involved in every woman's idea, and can only tell you exactly want they don't want (which is usually the woman's original idea)!

Overhead in the ceramic tile section....

Perky wife saying:
"I envision a mosaic look with lots of slate."

While the husband, raising his eyebrows, replies:
"No you don't, not if I am doing the work."

As I ventured into the kitchen counter top section, I dropped in on this conversation...

Husband said:
"Honey, look at this one... it's nice"

His not so impressed bride glances at him, and replies:
"It's not Granite... keep looking."

H: "It looks like Granite."
W: "It's not."

And while making my way into the vanity section....

Husband starts:
"I said the only thing I wanted was a double sink, and I don't see double sink vanities here... we are waisting our time."

Wife:
"Well they have really nice single sink vanities here... look at that one, maybe they don't make double ones anymore?"

Husband:
"They make them."

Wife:
"Well... single sinks look better, a double sink is so the eighties."

Husband:
"I am getting a double sink."

Wife:
"ya you are, in the basement!"
___________________________________________________

You can't help but laugh, or at least I can't. PC and I would have had those exact conversations, in fact, I know the next trip we take to Home Depot will be much the same. PC is all about getting a deal (surprise surprise), and I am all about the final presentation to the public.

I can imagine our first showing of the basement, if I get my way...

Me: Here's the bathroom.
Guests: Oh WOW, I love your faucet and the tile.

Me: Thanks, it took a while to pick them out, but I am really happy with the choices.
Guests: Great job, good picks, lovely... looks fantastic!

Now... if PC gets his way and gets all of the deals, this is what I imagine our guests will think...

PC: And here's the bathroom.
Guests: Oh.

PC: See the faucets, ten bucks.
Guests: Really?

PC: This tile, we got at the scrap yard, for FREE!
Guests jumping back off the tile: Nice.

I know I know, I make a lot of jokes. PC is pretty good on getting deals on stuff that is actually nice, but every so often, I have to fight to get my point across that I don't necessarily want something because it's a good deal, or because it's free. I want what I want because it looks nice, and I think it will make the room look even better. I also like to think that I know the boundaries in what is a ridiculous price to pay for something that may be nice, but not practical or even remotely affordable.

I guess home renovations require an undisclosed amount of compromise... and slowly PC and I are learning that...

S L O W L Y....!

Ready for a patio party!

You may recall the mishap we had with our patio table last fall (if not click here). All winter PC and I have been discussing what we could do to replace the table top we lost, and while several options were brought up, including buying a whole a new patio set, we opted for a do-it yourself project to revive our once lovely wedding gift.

The thought of putting new glass on the top did not sit well with me. I fully suspect that another crazy wind/rain storm would blow through our backyard at anytime, leaving us with a second round of shattered glass, and once again, nothing but a lovely table frame.

After much thought, we decided we would create our own table top, complete with ceramic tiles. This was a sure way to avoid the glass issue, and the weight of the ceramic would also give the table some defence in a wind storm.

So... the first semi-nice weekend in May, PC and I headed down to the local Timbermart, and picked out some stellar tiles that were on clearance. A friend of PC's happily cut them with his special saw, and provide us with some heavy duty glue. PC laid the glue, and placed the tiles accordingly. We were off to a great start.

8 weeks later.... (after dropping numerous hints that I wanted the table finished a month ago), we went to Home Depot, and picked up the grout and necessary grouting supplies. After 8 weeks of waiting, it took all of an hour to do the grouting, and clean up, and it turned out fabulous (in my humble opinion). PC did a bang up job (while I, of course, wore the white hat, and gave encouragement through the entire process!).

After a long, yet easy process, the table cost of all of $36 dollars:

Plywood: $14

15 ceramic tiles: $7.00

Glue: FREE

Grout & supplies: $15.00

It's not the original glass by any means, but for a do-it yourself project, I think it really looks great.

Take a peek for yourself....

STEP ONE: Make sure the plywood fits the frame

STEP TWO: Lay the tiles, ensuring they are evenly spaced

STEP THREE: Let them dry for 8 weeks, then grout!

STEP FOUR: Place on the patio, and enjoy the view through a dirty bedroom window!

Work in progress....

The basement project has been underway since the long weekend in May.... and if PC didn't have a day job, or a passion for golf, and I didn't have him doing other things around the house half the time.... we might be finished it by now, BUT .... he has put two solid long weekends into it, mostly working alone, and considering we had nothing down there before.... it's coming along nicely. The framing is almost complete, and now we are onto doorways, plumbing, and the electrical.

I thought I would share a few pics, of what has happened since May.... we are getting there, slowly but surely. At least with some of the walls in place, you can picture what it will look like: a laundry/storage room, a bathroom, an office, and a family room. It's all there, if you look really hard - you can visualize the end result - or at least I can, and since I'm the one breathing down PC's neck all the time, this is a good thing!

More updates to come as progress continues...

Note: Shout out to faithful reader Miss Erin Boyd... who celebrates the big 2-7 today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYDER!

Home Project #492: Finishing the basement

So... its on.

PC and I have started the heated arguments discussions about refinishing our basement. At times, its been unpleasant, but I think we are starting to arrive at some common ground... finally.

Pretty much since we bought the house, this has been a topic of discussion. Mostly, it was me discussing it, while PC would stare passionately at whatever hockey/baseball/football game was on the television, but lately the conversation has become more engaging on both sides, such to the fact that my so-called dreams are now being scaled back to realistic plans.

The one thing I loved about the house when we bought it was the fact that the basement was unfinished - a blank slate - free to do whatever. we. wanted. - however, PC and I have different visions of what 'whatever' encompasses.

PC is of the opinion that the basement project, although it will be a lot of work, is pretty straight forward. Slap up some walls, do the electrical, plumbing, flooring, ceiling, sanding, painting... and VOILA, we are ready to move. in. the. furniture.

I, however, have my own dream for the basement. One that includes a kick-ass laundry room, built-in wall shelving units, a wine cellar, luxurious home office, state of the art theatre system, maybe a wet bar... everything this side of Hollywood, except the sign itself.

I know, I know. In projects of this size, you have to be practical, and PC has delivered on his end of the bargain. He really doesn't want anything too exciting, and for once, this is a problem (yes, its true, you can never please a woman).

The number one motivating factor in getting the basement done is actually to provide PC with an office. He's been working from home in third world conditions for over a year now, and I worry about the long term effects of bad lighting, poor air quality, etc. However, he seems to be managing, but I would hate for this to go on forever.

So... now, with the proper funds in place, we are ready to make it happen. We have already signed up to have the historic 130-O couches picked up with next week's garbage... and we are starting to clear out the other shit into the garage to make way for the delivery of building materials. BUT, while PC just wants to start, I want to take the time to make some actual floor plans and figure out what things will be like before we put in the first nail. (This so makes me my father's daughter - Mr. I won't put the car in the drive until I know exactly where I am going on the map - it was so frustrating to me as a kid, but the point being, he never did get lost!).

We did visit our neighbours last night as they finished their basement not too long ago, and I really fell in love with their layout. It basically had everything we I want, and it was actually nice to visualize the end result, as opposed to just imagining where the walls would be, and what it would look like after all the hard labour ahead of us PC.

I am starting to see that perhaps I don't need everything I was originally dreaming of... so this is a good thing, but I am still gunning for the kick-ass laundry room!

To be continued....

The moment you've all been waiting for...

After a long weekend of hard work, we finally finished up the room last night about 10:30 pm. This morning I cleaned and dusted, and VOILA!

For your viewing pleasure... here are some photos!

THE FINAL REVEAL:

Another Bedroom Make-Over!

This weekend is painting weekend at the Coleman household. After months of deliberation over what colours to paint our first spare bedroom, I have finally chosen something I am really excited about, and we got underway last night with the bedroom make-over (actually it was I who got underway last night while PC reffed some hockey and then arrived home close to midnight to say, 'do you want to go to bed I'm tired'... but that's a whole other post)!!!

To give you the full trading spaces experience... I am posting a few before pictures of the room(rather dull if you ask me). We are half way through the painting phase (only the final coat left to do), so hopefully I will get the room back together tonight or tomorrow morning and have some photos of the final reveal up for your viewing pleasure!

Stay tuned!!!

SPARE BEDROOM BEFORE:

Mission accomplished, but West Nile looms

This weekend, I had one goal (actually, last weekend I had one goal, but it rained all weekend), so last weekend's goal turned into this weekend's goal, and I am happy to report this weekend's goal was accomplished.
I have been after myself & PC to get motivated to do our flower beds in the front of our house. After all, we practically live on Wysteria Lane, and the majority of our neighbours (the competive ones) have had their beds done for over 3 weeks.

Finally... we got a weekend of sunshine, but of course we were also busy doing other things throughout the entire weekend so it didn't leave a whole lot of time to devote to our (my) goal. However, I wasn't about to let the nice weekend go without some heavy duty digging and planting.

So... PC and I got down to business in the late late afternoon of a very busy day. Being the smart homeowners we are, we waited just until the sun was beaming on the front of the house, and then we began the intense labour session of expanding our flower beds. With the sun beaming right on us and PC sweating off a few pounds... it wasn't long until we both started getting tired and cranky (I don't know what it is about me, but I hate having dirty hands - it makes me irritable...very irritable, and might I add, a pleasure to work with). Once the sun went down, I expected the labour to go smoother but then out came the mosquitoes.

Yes...our flower beds look lovely, but we have probably been exposed to West Nile due to the fact the mosquitoes had a field day on my legs and arms during the last hour of our mission. PC claims he probably didn't get West Nile because he was too busy working ALL THE TIME (constantly moving), while I on the other hand probably do have the virus because my work ethic apparently isn't up to snuff with Mr. Coleman's standards! Geeeeeeeesh!

Whatever the case may be...West Nile or perfectly healthy, our flower beds (the perannials) are a done deal for this year. The only thing left to do is get our annual pots going, perhaps our my next mission for next weekend.

However, what I should be concentrating on now is tonight's mission, which is to continue scratching away at my bites and waiting for West Nile to take its full effect on me (perhaps it will be worth a few sicks off from FRENCH training- pray for me....please pray for me).