Beginning to End

I have had a few requests to post more pics of the before, during, and now the after of the house remodel we did.   I'll do a massive photo dump of what was the longest 30 day period in history.  I found out that what I thought would take a day to do, it takes a crew of several 3 days or more.......moving fast is not a mode for them.......

Our home is 66 years old.  We're the second owners.  Original owners did some wacky things to this house.  It was a post World War II home and building supplies were still in short supply, but they managed to stay true to building standards.  It's lath and plaster which is harder than rock I'm finding out, but also softer than sand when you try to drive a nail in the wall and instead of a hole you get a crater!!..........Back then painting was not I guess the thing to do.  Every friggin' wall and ceiling was covered with wallpaper. The old paste and paper kind.  Then painted over, and repapered, then painted.  Back and forth for 30 years they did this.  They covered up a built in china cabinet.......when I found this out my thoughts were WTF why!!!!  Our home and the two next to us, all have the same blueprint inside.  They still had their china cabinets and they also had their original fireplace.....we had this ugly, huge white rock of a monster as ours........I liked it at first, but living with it, having to scrub the rock to keep it clean, was not a fun task, nor an easy one.  It still is a real wood burning fireplace..........

I finally convinced the hubs that I was serious when I told him I was packing my suitcase and moving out because I could not stand the house any longer.........he gave in.  It's funny when knowing that I won't be around to fix dinner can wisen the guy up............Just kidding......but I was that close to loosing my mind......His philosophy is "if momma's happy, he's happy"......

Home Improvement Check List:

China Cabinet

Fireplace

Crown Molding

laminate floor

updated lighting

Build in Microwave

replace interior doors

carpet

paint

and a few surprises along the way...............

Nothing major.  Just superficial things that can make a house a home.   This gives this old house some restored character.  It's still an old house, always will be an old house, but it's a house that I will probably live out my remaining years in (or maybe not).  My human has raised 3 boys, fostered a couple of dozen pets,  and she's watched countless snow flakes fall from the living room window, and watched lightening shoot across the sky............This was never her dream home, but she's made it warm and inviting as it was before.  You can still come in, kick your shoes off, and sit a spell.  Put your feet up and relax.  She made sure that there isn't anything in her house that cannot be washed if it gets dirty, or wiped up if spilt...........................

Here's the before, during, and after..................

Yes, those are windows that have been closed up.  I WILL OPEN
THEM UP once again, but I will have to be a widow to do it.  Opening
them up now, creates a larger problem on the outside that the hubs
is not willing, nor will he ever while he is alive, let me
do.  (Yes, we knew they were there.  Our neighbors have them!!!)

There is a method to my madness.  The contractor made
sure that when the time comes to open up the space and
let the windows be free, it can be done without
a lot of headache!!!.....Have I said how much
I love the contractor I used!!!

My original intention was to put a large screen TV on the mantel itself.  It's a
deep 12 inch mantel.  Mounting it the wall was a
better choice and I'm glad that I did......

Behind this wall is the china cabinet 

Yep, there she is!!!

All done........my pride and joy!!!! This
fills my heart full of happiness.

These are the original kitchen cabinets.  I had them
resurfaced 20 years ago.  A coat of fresh white
paint on the inside makes them all pretty again. 

The kitchen ceiling is now tin.  When you replace an ugly
ceiling fixture, you're left with having to replace the ceiling.
Tin was my answer.  I love it.....

My old microwave sat on my counter.  Counter space that
is precious to me.  Finally got a micowave built in. Of course I had to
give up my old olive green, 1970's double oven stove for it.  Darn!!

The new, updated, double oven gas stove.

New oak stair treads and risers

Crown molding was added and I said bye bye to
my yellow walls........

Original hardwood floors are underneath, but once the old
carpeting was pulled up, it's not worth refinishing in the living room.
At some point in time (like when I am a widow) I will have
the dining room refinished.   I like the warmth of carpet in the
living room.  I have hardwood in my spare bedroom which I
use for my office/craft room and love it.  I'll rip out our bedroom
carpet at that time too.....I've got to give him something
he likes and he likes carpeting.  Think this is called
compromising...........

Carpet is done.  The cabinet was once my entertainment center.
I had the glass put in the doors and now is used for
the rest of my glassware, china, serving dishes, linens, etc...

Panoramic view....I'm scaling back again of knick knacks.  Looking through my own
camera lens. I see what shouldn't be there.  I'll pack it up, and pull it out when
I'm looking to change it up some.

My kitchen is small.  I have two more projects for
this kitchen.  I'm replacing the tile counter and sink.  I'm
still looking for the counter top.  Not sure if I want granite or what.  

Frig gets replaced when it dies......hopefully soon......

I love pillows, lots of them....quilts, and afghans

I love country.......I'm not modern or contemporary.  I'm just an old school gal, who loves the look of well worn pieces.  I'm still into roosters.......so you will see roosters everywhere.  I still have empty, naked walls.  Pictures are being scaled back.... I have clean, fresh walls that some of my photos now hang from, but I'm not sure what others I want to hang.  Right now I'm busy repainting picture frames and from there I'll make my decision what gets hung, what gets put away.  For sure, my main man, John Wayne,will be back in my office!!!!  Sounds corny I know, but these pictures are awesome of the Duke, the man himself.  And, it's my office and he can hang out there with me.............

I can sit back, relax and drink a glass of wine, watch the shenanigans of The  Bachelor, and know that I'm pretty
sure this wine was made just for me.  I am the Mad Housewife............

I'm all done with the remodel and just in time.  Me, the human host, and the hubs are heading to Las Vegas this weekend.  Fast cars, loud engines, crashes spell Nascar.........Looking forward to snapping a few dozen pictures................

Thanks for coming along on my remodeling journey.  I'm done.........now its time for  the fun of looking through a camera lens again.   I've missed my trusty companion.  

Twitter @CotySimon

Instagram/Howunique310

Finished..Done...

I'm done....finished.  What better way to celebrate Valentines Day than by receiving the new sectional for my living room.  This is the icing on my cupcake........I'll add the sprinkles to it  as the days and weeks go by. Sprinkles are the finishing touches.

An old, wooden toy box makes a perfect ottoman/coffee table until I find
what I want

I purged memories and mementos when I packed up the house prior to the remodel.  Thought I did a good job in sorting out what to keep and what to donate or throw away.  I didn't.  Purge number two is underway.  Just like clothes, if you haven't worn it in 6 months, get rid of it.

I swore to myself (I do that anyway quite often) that when I die, I do not want my children to go through what I did when we moved my mother to my sisters after my dad passed away,  My parents were victims of the depression era and my Mom took it beyond the serious level.  She became obsessed with saving, reusing, recycling everything even when the times were much better for my parents.

We didn't have a lot of money growing up.  I could see then why Mom saved and reused things.  What I couldn't see was why she saved every single butter container, the little green ties, the ones wrapped with paper around wire, that held the plastic bags of bread closed.  She saved the plastic bags, too.  She saved magazines.  But only the Church or religious kind. Go figure...During the depression magazines were then used for cleaning certain areas of ones body.....Since I was also alive, running around, and causing general grief to my parents during the ColdWar stage of the 60's, I'm glad that I didn't have to experience having to use a magazine.  She just knew they would come in handy in our bomb shelter that she begged my father to build.  He never did.........She saved newspapers..she would go through the obituaries and find people that might have a family tie.  She was big into family history..........with that said, clearing out her house was a chore.  I knew then that I did not want my kids to go through the "why did she save this, and what the hell" phase of clearing out my belongings.  I'm sure I will not be immune to their comments, but I'm hoping it will be "I'm so glad she saved this.  I wondered what happened to it".............

This remodel gave me a chance to conquer a project that was a long time coming.  With all the kids grown and out of the house, my grandpuppies with their dad now, the new dog, Bear the Shitzu, safe in the house of my middle son, it was time to "getter done".  I'm happier now, my hubby is definitely happier now that I am happier, and Charlie the Dog.....well lets just say that she's very happy that she doesn't have to spend her days locked up in a kennel while the workers were here.  Me, too!!!  It's not fun being shut in a room while people rip, tear, nail, pound, paint, your home.......would I do this all over again?   Yes.  Would I do it the same way?  Yes..........

What was supposed to be a 30 day remodel took over 3 months to complete.  Waiting for subcontractors to finish previous jobs, having a painter quit before he even took brush to wall, pushing back installation of appliances, carpet, because they weren't at that stage for them......soooooo many variables to a remodel process.

My kitchen had been done in stages over the last 20 years.  All that I wanted this time was new flooring, better lighting, paint, and a new ceiling.

Looooooooove the ceiling of my kitchen

The kitchen had new laminate flooring, the stairs and the landing also got the laminate treatment.  Love it.  Kitchen ceiling has tin panels.........new stove and microwave complete this part of the kitchen.  I will eventually replace my frig which is white with stainless steel, but not until it dies which I think will be soon now.......twenty years is a long time to have a frig!!!!  Part of my mother is in me "if it ain't broken, don't fix it"..............

The living room had a rock walled fireplace torn out and redone.  Tile, fireplace surround and mantel were built.  I showed my contractor a picture of the fireplace I wanted.  He built it........he's magic.  I had a china cabinet that had been buried for years behind drywall uncovered.  The fireplace and the china cabinet are my favorite things in this remodel.  Crown molding, paint, new carpet, completed this area.  The interior doors were all replaced, too. I'm done......finished.  Now the fun part of adding the finishing touches.

I have a passion for old things.   I love old furniture, quilts, textiles.  And, I love old glassware......Because my mother saved everything, I was able to swipe some of her pieces before my beloved sister snatched them.   I use them all the time.  There is something special about using something old.  What did it hold?  Who held it, washed it gently and then put it away until next time?  Was it used only for special occasions?  Or did it grace the table on a nightly basis.  I use every piece I own.  Oh, did I mentioned I love dishes too!!!  I have 4 sets of dishes that I use,......Two of which I inherited from my beautiful mother-in-law...Ivy pattern dishes that I use in the summer.  I have one of her two sets of china.  My sister in law has the other.  I have my dearly beloved grandmas china, which I shared with you in an earlier blog, and my everyday white dishes that go with everything!.....I guess I have a passion for things breakable just in case I ever get out of control and need to throw something at the hubby!!!!  I've been tempted on more than one occasion.........either from the kids or my hubby.......But bless their hearts, no dishes were harmed!!!

Just a sampling of what i have.  These are some of my fav's

I don't own crystal.  Just glass, simple glass that still sparkles in the light.
Cut glass, smooth glass, rippled glass....it all sparkles.  

 Now that I am done, I'm ready to venture outside the walls of this humble home and explore what I have been missing this winter.   I've missed my little buddy that hangs on my shoulder, who whispers to me to snap pictures.  To look with both of my eyes wide open.  See what I see, through the lens of my camera............................

Happy Valentines to you all.......including my oldest baby boy who despises Valentines for some odd reason.  Oh, well........I never said that I had perfect children.  Frankly, I'm glad that I don't............they certainly never had a perfect mamma.....




Twitter@CotySimon
Instagram/Howunique310

Grandma's Hands

A few short months ago, a small remodeling job got underway in the house I reside in.  No, my human didn't have any "remodeling" done on her, but the house she resides in did...........

***************************

Boxes are being unpacked.  The china cabinet that was uncovered  now houses the china that was her grandmothers.

Hidden in this wall...a treasure

I knew it was there!!! 

Only missing pieces were the doors

Walls sport a coat of White Sage.  New doors,
fresh coat of white paint.  The cabinet
is ready..............

There is a favorite song that plays in my head as I  unwrap the china of my grandmas.  The song is called Grandma's Hands".  Bill Withers wrote and sang it back in the 1970's...........when I picked up that first plate to put on the shelf, I could imagine my grandma's hands lovingly touching the intricate pattern around the edges before she placed it in it's home. Each piece I picked up, it was my Grandmas hands putting them away.   Her hands were delicate, worn from raising a dozen children with only 10 surviving to adulthood.   Her hands were worn from hard work as a school custodian helping to make ends meet and feed hungry mouths.  I'm sure these dishes were precious to her as it was the only nice thing she had.  They are more than precious to me.  She gave them to me as an early wedding gift knowing that she wouldn't be around when I got married.......and she wasn't.....

The china is old.  Some pieces have yellowed with time and the glaze has cracked.   Each piece was lovingly placed on a shelf that was meant to be the home for these dishes.  The doors will open from time to time and the plates put on the dining table.  The bowls will have a garden salad, or a yummy soup in them.  Maybe a sweet dessert will be served on the appetizer plates, or hot rolls placed on them.  It won't be a special dinner that these dishes will be used for.  It will be a "just because" dinner because my family is special and it doesn't take a special occasion to eat off of china.  If you've got it..........use it!!!  I know Grandma is pleased her dishes are being used.........

If you're not familiar with "Grandma's Hands", google the song.  I love all genres of music, well  most of them!!!  I find myself  going back in time to songs that spark memories that have been hidden away or in some cases, buried.......this song was one of them that reminded me when times were simpler and less hectic.





Twitter@CotySimon
Instagram/Howunique310

Blah, blah, blah...

It's twenty days into the new year and construction is still going on in the house............my human has kept her eyes on the prize and is now seeing a sparkle of light at the end of a very long and dusty tunnel.

January is a blah month.  Always has been for my human and probably always will be. Construction is still occupying her mind on a daily basis.  Delays, problems, illness, hasn't made the project go any faster.  Just slower.

Trying to embrace winter with clear eyes hasn't been easy.  Try emptying your mind and letting it go free of negative thoughts when you are bound and gagged by your house, staring at boxes that are full of your life waiting to be unpacked and put away.  Seeing construction projects 99% done, but still not quite finished........ so close, yet so far away.........blah, blah, blah............

Me, the inner child, gets restless.  Thanks to me, my human packed her bags, dragged the hubby along, and headed to Las Vegas for 2 days.  Warmth, lots of Vitamin D from the suns rays, and putting on a pair of sandals, was just what my human needed...............the trip was definitely short, but it was very, very sweet..............

You can only walk the streets of Las Vegas for so long.....taking the tram makes my tootsies happy..

It's the year of the Horse according to the Chinese New Year of 2014.  There is no place better than the atrium at the Bellagio to see the grandeur of large paper lanterns, strings of firecrackers shedding sparks of light....makes you feel  part of the celebration.  The magnificent horse, front and center giving you strength and power, and also giving me a full charge to head out on more road trips this year.  This place is magical.  You walk around with your mouth wide open in awe, your eyes as big around as saucers.  It's mind blowing the beauty of it all and this is just the ceiling you are looking at......

Until next time, goodbye Las Vegas.  Back to the real world.  Back to maybe having this remodel done soon?  Back to normal?  Never!!!!  I don't do "normal"...........

*****************

I was tempted to come out of 1 f Jef blog retirement.  The news of Emily Maynard getting engaged was great news.  I'm sure the kid himself paid his congratulations to Ms. Em the only way that it should have been.......privately.  Either way for 1 f Jef, he'd be damned if he said anything as the media would pick it apart.  He's damned for not saying anything and keeping to himself.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't.....go figure!!!  Staying quiet is okay in my book.  I wish her the best and all the happiness she deserves.  Now then, lets move on and let peace take over.................

Juan Pablo.........another fine example of damned if you do and damned if you don't except he's not familiar enough with the English language......he did grab a hold of just how easy it is to bury yourself in a grave of bad understanding of our language.  Nothing like putting feet encased in soccer cleats in your mouth.   Juan Pablo is not a bad guy, he made a mistake, although a huge one, he's paid the price, he's apologized......now everyone......lets move on..........

Twitter@CotySimon

Instragram/Howunique310