Good morning!

First countertop secured! First thing on them...

Counter Tops (Part 1: measure twice and don't cut too much off)

Th counter top on the hutch had a few cuts to get around the chimney and the arch: 

 

Luckily they were cut in the basement and not the kitchen.

I wish that I could describe to you how much debate there was over putting a chamfer on the corners. Most of it involving trying to figure out how much of the time we were going to walk into it and brush up against it. (which I began to think was kind of silly)

So 3 of the four sections are cut, I put the good stuff we used on the island on the edges that had to be cut.  First coat went on last night, 2nd went on over coffee at 5:15 this morning. I am a bit excited about having a kitchen sink in the next week (I'll never want to leave home without it)

Dishwasher Ready for the Sink!

A few Fridays ago I was at the bar with some co-workers.  One co-worker told me that I should be doing all of my own plumbing and hiring an electrician. I told him that I can't even get a toilet to not leak without help.  So he said, 'I'll come and help' or something to the like.  Well it wasn't just bar talk, Neil came over and got the dishwasher ready to hook up to the sink.

Now we just need a sink. (It should arrive today!)

Chalk Board Wall

On one side of the pantry I decided to make a chalk board, notice type wall.  I heard about magnetic primer so decided to give it a whirl. (that is the black paint) 

To create the chalk board paint I combined 2tbsp of non-sanded grout per ~1 cup of paint. I mixed it in a yogurt container.  The yogurt container either wasn't air tight or the non sanded grout thickened the paint as I waited a few hours between coats.

I sanded it with 120 grit between coats 2 and 3. After the 3rd coat the magnet still stuck to it! (I was pleasently surprised about that...)

Once it is was dry, (and I purchased some chalk) I covered the wall with chalk and rubbed it in with a rag, per the instructions I had :

Then it was ready for use.

I erased this and wrote out a schedule for the bathroom remodel...

Closet (part 1)

The closet in my room is narrow and deep.  I have a lot of clothes.  Considering that I have been trying to downsize it is still kind of ridiculous...

So I had an idea (dangerous I know) to make an organizer that pulls out.  I made myself a drawing, in CAD to determine the amount of PVC I need. So this is what I was starting with on Saturday morning: 

I built the base first and then started from the back.  Here it is partly together:

Once completely together, I looked at the caster and switched to sliders.  It was flexing in the center and 3.75inches shorter than expected:

so 1. I need more sliders, and 2. I need to make it four inches taller. once I have that worked out I will glue it together and paint it.  But for now I think that if I can get more sliders on it I can use it.  

Weekend 26

When I wrote out the list on Friday I knew I was being ambitious, and when I saw it on Saturday I might have even laughed a bit.  

Jenny came over Friday to get the cabinet doors on.  Dad came down Saturday and we installed the hood over the range:

Ate Ruebens at McBob's and had quite the adventure at Menards buying a composting barrel.  The employee that said he would help us left me waiting for like 20 minutes while he presumable went and checked the scores (silly March Madness). We put that together, but I forgot to take a picture…

Primed the chalk board wall with magnetic primer, worked on my closet organizer (check back later for details) and made the house better.  The tagalong got a mirror (and the fan cover put on):

 My room got some much needed functional wall décor:

I had seen this months ago where you use a curtain rod to display scarves.  I told dad that I will need more scarves to fill it. 

Tagalong Door (step 1)

Last week, Bryna met me at the restore and we found a wide 6-panel door for the tagalong bathroom. Unfortunately one side was painted.

Step one- remove the paint.

1. try sanding

2. use paint stripper and a scrapper

3. use paint stripper and a wire brush

4. wipe with mineral spirits

5. sand and use steel wool

6. more sanding

7. realize that a little bit more paint stripper in key areas would help

8. wire brush it

9. wipe with mineral spirits

10. sand 

I still have more sanding to do, hopefully I will get to that this weekend but I think I have a long list of things I want to get done... things that sound more fun that sanding the nooks of a 6 panel door.

Doingmypart.com

Last night was my night off this week, I am actually taking two nights off because I am volunteering tonight as well but technically last night I put things away in my pantry. But now to the point:

Josh (the founder of doingmypart.com) came and spoke at the WGirls meeting.  Doingmypart.com uses micro donations to fund community projects.  In his words, ‘people that needed the money yesterday’.  The current project is to help rebuild a house in Milwaukee that burned down. The house belonged to two veterans and they lost their son in the blaze. You can read more here:

http://doingmypart.com/dmp/part-miguels-family/

As this project is for a house I wanted to share the site.  I hope that you will consider donating.

Unpacking

Ok, really last night I just moved things out of the built in and into the kitchen.

Drawer fronts, pull out storage and a pile of cardboard

Not looking to shabby

Transition Strips by Bryna

The tile floor ended up 1 1/4 inches higher than the wood floor. We knew this was going to happen, it was not a surprise.  

Bryna went to her favorite hardware store to see if they had a prefabricated one, but the prefabricated ones only went to 3/4”. So she bought a 2x4 and made it in the work shop. 

Last night it was ready to anchor. 

Not the best light for these pictures...

There is also one by the stairs, but this was prefabricated, so it is less exciting.  But still looks great!

now we just need a little bit of grout to fill it in.  I am thinking about putting the same tile in the full bathroom so we are waiting on the grout.

Wholy schamolies!

The cabinets arrived late Saturday.

Dad and I started assembly bright and early.  Lisa came and helped. 

We started to run out of places to put them. 

Then John came and helped by hanging the uppers.

At it was St Patty's day I wanted to make a special dinner, so in the construction zone I made beer bread.

Bryna made it over too and started attaching base cabinets.

Lookin' GOOD!

A Picture of the Floor

I realized that I never put a picture of the floor completed on:

This weekend:

The cabinets should arrive 

Papa Robertson is picking up the counter tops today (thanks to Papa Nielsen!) 

We should be able to finish up the transition strips for the tile floor

Bryna and I spent the better part of the last two evenings getting the paint off of a door for the tagalong bathroom that we picked up at the Restore. 

Chimney (Part 2)

The cinder block chimney has caused quite the dilemma . I finally found finish coat stucco last week (80lbs bag how lovely). So it was time to make that happen.

I cleaned the cinder block with a wire brush and applied the scratch coat.

It was pretty fun to put on, and the chimney looks better now that it is just one color.

Then I made lines in the scratch coat with a stick (I don't have a plasterers rake), and let it cure for 2 days.

Misting the stucco as it cures is also part of the process. Then I mixed up the finish coat. I had big dreams of applying a particular texture, but it dried way faster than I was able to apply.  John and Bryna encouraged me to leave it as a more basic stucco texture, so that I what I got!

Its pretty sweet! My last misting will be tonight, and then it is officially 'done' (for now).

Light Fixtures

My father and cousin Kurt spent part of Saturday hanging up real light fixtures. So far I think the choices look really good!

The Tagalong Bathroom

I am not sure what the lines are in the after picture...

The kitchenette

the new lights are kind of hot

 

Above the sink

and they work!

I do not have a fixture for above the triangle yet.

Girls Night!

Perhaps not a typical girls night in, but Bryna made Friday night grouting a whole lot more fun. Once the grout was in (see picture below) we scrubbed it until 11.

Les had promised that if we cleaned in 3 or 4 times we wouldn't be left with a haze. On the last cleaning we dried it with a rag, this really seemed to help.