OK! OK! House, stop taunting me!!

I am back to work with renewed vigor and motivation...I have decided to finish up house projects before attempting to go back to school. So much to do - good thing I love it! Projects I hope to finish in the near future (I like to keep it vague) - tile the kitchen (seriously, it is time!), finish the kitchen floor (loving the black and white so far!), install a new water softener (day one was just getting it from Menards to the car to the garage to the basement - who needs CrossFit training when you can inch an incredibly heavy box down a steep flight of stairs?) More to follow - I have a collection of pictures I am excited to share!

New Idea for the Kitchen...

After watching the Super Bowl and particularly the ads, I think I've decided to go with a blue theme instead of red. I believe this new approach remodeling will save me loads of time and effort.

Might Have a Renovated Kitchen by 2017

First off, have to say another big thanks to the Boles family for my awesome kitchen clock. I am very excited to put it up. Here it is!!

I have been working on the tiny glass tile backsplash for two evenings now and have about 2 feet done. Wow. I think I have found a quicker way to work through trial and error, but really, 2 feet in 2 days? I'm having fun. Guess that counts for something :)  I guess I'm not moving that slowly. I did also get the drawer and cabinet door pulls on...now that's progress.

Evening One

Evening Two

Had a great birthday at home working. I took a trip to Menards in the middle of the day and had a fun experience. I tried to return a kitchen faucet that I purchased online. I was prepared to be told that I would have to mail it back but figured I'd give it a shot. As I was standing at the counter talking to the returns girl, I mentioned that I had gotten this particular faucet for a great price ($49 and was regularly $199!!!). After several attempts to work something out on the register, we finally decided that I needed the email confirmation (for additional information) and not just the packing slip. I said I understood and decided to leave the faucet there until I was done shopping. As I walked away from the counter I was stopped by a woman that had been standing there at the return desk next to me. She asked if she could buy the faucet from me for that sale price. I said of course. So...after a couple of minutes she gave me some cash and walked out with my faucet. A good deal for everybody. She was so happy with her find that all 3 or 4 times she saw me in the store after that she told me again how happy she was with that deal!

The Kitchen is Progressing

Before - in case you were wondering 

I am slowly getting things done in the kitchen. The list is long but I'm still going. I have really been making an effort to reuse/repurpose where I can. I am painting the cabinets (which all needed to be primed first) and doing the same to the countertop. This is the before and after of the cabinets. Keep in mind that this is not an "after" shot of anything else. The ceiling is hideous, the walls need to be painted something less sunny and the floor, well, the floor is beyond words. I would need to return to the seventies to find something adequate I think.

On my way to "after"

I decided to take the doors off of the top cabinets and make more of a shelf-like area there for fun things. We'll see how this works out - seems like sort of a strange space to me now but maybe it will get better as time goes on and I complete more of the work in here. My grand plan is to paint the walls a light grey, make the countertops black and for the backsplash, use this great red glass tile I found. I am experimenting with painting the countertops a glossy black. I love the look so far...this is my test run. I figure if it looks horrible, I'll just paint it another color or buy new countertops. I have a new sink and faucet ready to go but am having a hard time planning the entire remodel. I like having a working sink.

Countertop test run

Lastly, thanks to Steph, I have even more motivation to finish. She bought me the coolest retro kitchen clock to go with my design. It has a red ring around the outside that will go perfectly with my backsplash and I am planning to use the grey color in it as a wall color. Thanks so much sister!! More pictures to come!

The Red Room

David Hockney's Photo Montage - love this work

My Red Room in the style of David Hockney

Well, this is it. My red room. I have loved it since the moment I finished it. I fell in love with this rug first and then decided to make a room for it. This is where I do most of my creative work. I recently read a study about the color red and creativity. It is not supposed to be a color that promotes creativity - just the opposite. I don't find this to be the case personally, so I will leave it. It makes me feel alive. Had to include this art work by David Hockney, I have always loved these pieces. He takes hundreds of pics and makes something amazing. I took maybe 5 or 6 to make this - sort of sad representation but hopefully you get the idea of what the room looks like. These are small spaces here but they are mine. :)

You can do it - we can help...should be "We can do it - you can try"

So it is sort of fitting that this post follow my dream bathroom photo (and the other bathroom design on the right). I have so many wonderful plans for this house!
Tonight after work (more accurately, from 5:00 until 10:00) I worked on putting in a new tub faucet and shower. I decided yesterday (after the electrician was here for 3 hours working on what seemed a simple project and doing a fair amount of advice giving and chatting) that I would not have the plumber come out just yet. I mean, why pay another person an outrageous hourly wage on something I may be able to do myself...I know why now. Five hours of cuts, bruises and trips to Home Depot and Menards (two separate Menards locations) left me with nothing more than a good size hole in my surround tile and a wiggly new faucet. It doesn't leak, but really. So you may ask, "Why so many home improvement stores? Don't they all have the same equipment and supplies?" Great questions! Yes, they do as a matter of fact. I just decided that I would look like a real amateur if I kept showing up to the same location (to talk to the same plumbing expert)- so I spread the love and my almighty dollar around town. Besides, there are only so many times I can discuss couplings, "male attachments" and nipples (yes, all official plumbing terms) with the same person. A big shout out to Chuck at the Onalaska Home Depot for using none of those words with me and amazingly still getting the point across! Too bad I didn't start there. Chuck was very sweet and consoled me when I showed up whining, "I need big time help".

I learned a lot tonight. I now feel very skilled at cutting brass pipe in small spaces and working with easy-to-install compression fixtures. Initially, seeing the brass pipe throughout the wall behind my tub I imagined I'd have to use one of those torches and lots of solder. I also imagined burning my house down only to be left with the tub surround with that gaping hole in it and a bunch of cobbled pipe connections. I then imagined the impression that would give my neighbors (how embarrassed I'd be by the site of that bathtub sitting alone in the burned rubble) - you can see why I would not opt for fire if I had any choice. I learned that it really is a good idea to measure twice - cut once. It is not a good idea to eye-ball it and whack away with a dull hacksaw. I didn't do this by the way (my hacksaw is new with a shiny new blade - I whacked away with that). I learned that gently knocking on tile with a hammer isn't the best way to create a nice clean hole just the size you want. I learned that pulling on brass pipe fixtures and wishing really hard will not make the pipe longer. If you cut it too short, water will come out where you don't want it to - case closed. Ah, so many great lessons tonight. Now you may ask, "When will you be calling the plumber?" Again, terrific question and a really good idea. I think I'm going to sleep on it.

The help is beginning to roll in...

How exciting! I've already received ideas for my upcoming bathroom remodel from the peanut gallery family. I want to thank Dad for this Tiki Room bathroom design. This will certainly fit in with my eclectic style. Thanks for the input Dad!! I am now more excited than ever. 
Note to self: in addition to the standard plumbing items from Home Depot, pick up large amounts of cement and foliage.

Bathroom idea all the way from Central America

And to think I might have wanted this...silly