I left you hanging a few weeks ago after I shared the ceiling tear-out progress at the Underdog. At that time, Handy Hubby had ripped out the ceiling over the kitchen half of the great room that will eventually be vaulted. Here’s the living room/kitchen now after removing the rest of the ceiling.
I know. It still doesn’t look like much but I have a good feeling about what the future vaulted ceiling is going to do for the space. Can you see it? Imagine the ceiling joists gone. Yeah, those wide, flat boards at the original ceiling height that are running parallel to the floor…those, gone. {Along with the vertical supports in the middle of the room.} Look beyond them to the rafters…the skinnier boards running along the roof structure. The future ceiling will live just below those rafters. Now, can you see it? Raising the ceiling is going to give this modest, multifunctional space more breathing room and an airier feel.
But the big question is, how exactly do we plan to vault the ceiling? Handy Hubby spoke with several contractors and even a lumber yard discussing the dimensions of the room and roof and our desire to open up the ceiling. Originally, the thought was that we could just add some collar ties one-third of the way down the rafters – which HH started to DIY himself.
But after more extensive research {because HH is a mechanical engineer after all}, it looks like we’ll need to have a steel support beam put in place that runs along the peak of the vaulted ceiling. We’ll still frame in the beam with some collar ties to disguise it and also to run duct work and electrical through the peak. So the vaulted ceiling will look more like this…
{notice the flat peak…not the aesthetics}
…and less like this…
{once again this picture is for demonstrating a vaulted peak…not aesthetics}
Of course, we’d prefer to have a ‘sharp’ peak versus a flat one but we really need space to hide duct work and to place recessed lighting {since we’re having a hard time finding can lights for slanted ceilings that don’t have a lot of wiggle room between them and the rafters}. Even though we were assured by multiple contractors that collar ties alone would be structurally sound, we’re going the better-safe-than-sorry route and adding in a steel beam for extra support. We will be hiring out for the beam since it’s beyond the scope and manpower of our DIY skills. Once the beam is in place, we can start installing the new ceiling. The jury is still out on what the ceiling material will be. We love the look of a painted plank ceiling but due to cost we may end up with budget-friendly drywall instead. I’ll let you know what happens!
I was sitting in the sunroom with Layne this morning enjoying a cup of coffee, looking out at the peaceful backyard and conjuring up ideas for today’s blog post when I realized that I should share how we keep our lawn green. Last year, we made the decision to go the organic route after visiting a local organic garden and learning more about organic landscaping. We’re lucky enough to live just 10 minutes from Marvin’s Organic Gardens, voted Cincinnati’s Best 2011 Green-Oriented Business. {You may recall this is where we dropped off our live Christmas tree back in the winter to be ground into mulch.} After learning that fertilizer is good for your lawn but potentially bad for your water supply, we bought our first bag of organic fertilizer and haven’t looked back.
Marvin’s supplied us with a little cheat sheet that tells us which fertilizer to apply when. In the summer we apply the 8-3-3 fertilizer once or twice. One bag costs $35 and provides 2 applications. True to organic form, the fertilizer contains soluble {quicker releasing} and insoluble {slower releasing} nitrogen to help avoid over-fertilization which can lead to harmful run off.
The slower releasing nitrogen also helps our yard to remain healthy during drought periods. In general, this fertilizer helps our yard grow green and strong, independent of weekly treatments and watering…meaning less money and less waste. Good for us and good for the environment. As you can imagine, the manure, blood meal and kelp ingredients lend a certain natural odor to the fertilizer. Let’s just say it doesn’t smell like roses. Once applied, the fertilizer is so dispersed that it’s not like our yard stinks…it’s just when you open up and pour that bag into the spreader that you have to hold your breath.
I happened to snap a shot of the fertilizer just before the spreader was empty the other day while I was fertilizing the yard.
It looks like fish food to me. We haven’t had our soil tested or anything since we started using the organic fertilizer about a year ago, but I do think it’s helping our yard to become more resilient, healthier and less reliant on treatments. While many of our neighbors’ yards were struck by a widespread fungal disease {causing large bare, brown spots} last year during late summer/early fall, our yard continued to remain green and vibrant. No diseased areas – even with fungal diseases in both neighbors’ yards immediately adjacent to our yard on either side. Our one neighbor told us, “I don’t know what you’re doing to your yard, but keep doing it. It looks great.” Both neighbors are relying on twice weekly professional chemical treatments to try and rid their yards of disease this summer. I don’t know what it’s costing them but I’m pretty sure it’s more expensive than $35. Plus, the guy that comes out to spray their lawns always wears long pants, boots and full-arm rubber gloves so the stuff he’s spraying can’t be good. I’d love to tell them about Marvin’s without seeming too pushy but I haven’t found a way to do it yet.
So, that’s how we keep our grass green in a green way. I’ve also used Marvin’s fertilizer to fertilize the plants in our mulch beds too. I just sprinkle a little fertilizer on the mulch around the base of each plant annually to help them grow oh-so-lush.
Have you ever used organic treatments for your yard or plants? I’d love to start my own compost and use it to fertilize. Any tips?
You may remember that I enrolled in the Sheffield Interior Design School months ago. The program is targeted towards people who want to learn about interior design but have other obligations {work, family, finances, etc} that keep them from enrolling full-time at a typical college or university. Students are given 3 years to complete the course at their own pace. Good thing. Because so far, my pace has been similar to that of a turtle. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Well, I intentionally took a few months off because I learned that part of my work as a Sheffield student is to design a room using the concepts learned through my studies. While the school intends for students to do this on paper, I thought it would be fun to try it in real life as well. And now that I have plenty of rooms to make over {thank you old, decrepit Underdog}, it’s back to the books for me!
I plan on giving each room of the Underdog a makeover, but I’d like to share the long, drawn-out, in depth process of transforming one particular room from start to finish here on House*Tweaking. Even better, I’d like you to tell me which room you want to see receive the design student makeover. This will be the room that I work on {on paper and in real life although maybe not simultaneously} for my design student project. I’ll share all my thoughts, plans, designs and rookie drawings throughout the process. I’ll probably even change my mind a few times. Maybe seeing a room come to life from the first to final steps will inspire you, take the intimidation sting out of decorating, or just show you how bat @#$! crazy my mind can be at times. Sound good? Okay, let’s put it to a vote.
I’ve narrowed down the playing field to three Underdog rooms that meet the requirements for my school project.
LIVING ROOM – You immediately enter into the living room upon entrance from the front door. The room will be open to the kitchen. Activities that will take place in this room are: watching TV, relaxing, playing, casual entertaining and reading. Pros: the room has an original fireplace as its focal point and a large picture window that provides tons of natural light. Cons: the room is small-ish for all the activities that will take place in it and needs new flooring. I’ll need to figure out ways to add disguised toy/game storage, seat an optimal number of people comfortably, stylishly add in a TV and all its components, carve out a spot for guests to hang coats and bags, and arrange furniture to highlight the fireplace without impeding traffic flow.
DINING ROOM/MUDROOM/LAUNDRY ROOM – You immediately enter into this space upon entrance from the garage. The room is just off the kitchen/living room and has sliders that open up to the backyard. It also contains a closet will house the washer, dryer and radon mitigation system. Activities that will take place in this room are: dining {although everyday dining will most likely take place at the kitchen island}, taking off shoes/coats, hanging up everyday bags, emptying pockets, laundering, coloring and crafting with the kids, sewing, and passing through to the backyard. Pros: the room receives natural light from the patio sliders and is connected to the outdoors. Cons: once again, the room is small-ish for all duties that will be required of it, it needs new flooring and it has no existing focal point. I’ll need to add dining furniture that will double as a sewing/crafting table. Somehow, I’ve got to incorporate the laundry closet into the rest of the room without hiding it behind cumbersome doors. A part of the room will be designated to mudroom duties: shoe putting on/taking off, hanging up backpacks/purses, storing outerwear and dropping keys. This room needs to provide storage for my sewing supplies {including a sewing machine}, kids craft materials and, ideally, even household staples {like toilet paper}. And it needs to hold all of that stuff out of plain sight so that when the room is being used as extra dining space, it doesn’t feel like you’re dining in the laundry room/mudroom/craft room. Whew. That’s a lot to ask of one room. Aesthetically, the room needs a focal point…other than the window A/C unit…and a new ceiling fixture.
MASTER BEDROOM – This room is at the end of a long, narrow hallway. Activities that will take place in this room are: sleeping, reading and dressing. Pros: the room has two nice-sized windows in it {although one has a cracked pane}, is a decent size itself and has an adequate en suite bathroom. Cons: closet space is limited, the room has no architectural focal point or overhead fixtures, and the room needs new flooring. In addition to a bed, we’ll need furniture to make up for a teeny closet. I’d like to sneak in a dressing area if possible. We’ll also need bedside lighting for nighttime reading. More than anything, this room needs to feel like a safe haven at the end of every busy day.
Now that you know a little bit more about each room, tell me which one you’d like to watch get tweaked to life, in detail.
I showed you how I sealed my granite countertops recently. Surprisingly, many people commented asking about the care of the kitchen island’s butcher block countertop. So, today while I was giving the island its routine rub down, I documented it all for you to see. Before we get started, please know that there are many different recommendations on the care of wood countertops. This is just how I take care of mine if you’re curious. It works well for me. You should do whatever is most comfortable for you.
Okay, so our kitchen island is topped with IKEA’s NUMERÄR oak countertop. It is not sealed with polyurethane or any other permanent sealer. I simply used the method I’m about to show you 2-3 times per week for the first month after installation to get a good moisture/stain barrier in place. Since then, I just re-oil the butcher block when needed. Which is usually every 1-3 months depending on its usage and the humidity in the house. Typically, I can go longer between oilings in the summer when the wood doesn’t dry out as easily. Here are the only products I use:
A – A clean, damp rag.
B – A fine sanding block. Fine as in not so coarse. Not as in NKOTB fine. You could easily substitute the block with fine sandpaper.
C – Mineral oil. Home improvement stores sell versions specifically marketed towards wood countertops but I buy my mineral oil in the laxative aisle of the grocery store. It’s a lot cheaper, works great and is safe. Plus, we eat directly off the countertop to keep our family regular, if you know what I mean. Just kidding. Not really.
D – Oiling rags. These are just old rags that I’ve dedicated to the sole purpose of oiling the butcher block. I don’t wash them for fear of messing up my washer {they get very saturated!} but instead keep them in a plastic Ziploc bag under the sink just for this purpose. No, they don’t stink. Mineral oil has no odor.
To routinely oil the countertops I…
1 – Wipe all dirt, dust, crumbs and stickiness from the butcher block with my damp rag. I let it air dry for a few minutes.
2 - Drizzle some mineral oil on the butcher block. I don’t measure it but if I had to guess I’d say I use about 1/3 cup.
3 – Rub oil into the countertop with my oiling rag, following the wood grain. Don’t forget the vertical edges!
4 – Let the oil penetrate and soak in for 24-48 hours. I try to remind my kids that the island is greasy to keep them from getting into it, but they sometimes forget. No biggie. The oil won’t hurt them. If I’m impatient, I’ll wipe away excess oil with a dry cloth but I really like to let it sit for a day or two to really soak in. The wood drinks it up and loves it. I’m always amazed by how revitalized it looks after each oiling. Like new!
With two little kids in the house, the wood countertop frequently gets stained. I’ve had juice, markers, crayons and wet colored tissue paper stains so far but they are easily removed. Let me demonstrate. A la Billy Mays style. Minus the alleged cocaine use.
Say I find a Sharpie mark. {For demonstrative purposes, yes, I made a mark with a Sharpie onto the countertop. That’s how much I love you guys.}
I take my handy dandy, fine sanding block and sand away the mark.
I’m left with a slightly lighter area where the mark once was.
Nothing my trusty mineral oil can’t handle.
Cue the ‘APPLAUSE’, ‘CHEESY SMILING’ and ‘DISBELIEF HEAD SHAKING’ cards. The once marked, now slightly lighter area will continue to fade away as time and more routine oiling go on.
Sound like too much maintenance for you? Then don’t get butcher block countertops. Like the idea of saving money with inexpensive butcher block even if it means a little more elbow grease? Then I’ll see you in the laxative aisle. Happy weekend!
Remember what the Underdog’s garage looked like a month ago? {For all the details on the numbered items, click here.}
Well, a month later, the garage itself doesn’t look any different but its contents have changed. The stuff that was in the attic is gone along with the original carpet and padding. Here’s what’s goin’ on in the garage now…
1 – The electric box now has power. Yippee! Handy Hubby and a family friend upgraded and moved the original screw-in fuse box {from the laundry closet to the garage}.
{original fuse box}
{upgraded and relocated breaker box}
HH also buried the overhead service line and ran a new service line to the location of a future heat pump. That’s a hint at what #3 is.
{freshly buried overhead service line and new line to future heat pump}
We had my Dad and Grandpa out to see the Underdog recently {they’re house men} and were surprised to learn that our heat pump will one day be living in a bed of rhubarb. That is, if I can’t successfully transplant it elsewhere.
We’re still working to nail down lighting, switch plate and outlet placements. Originally, we wanted to light the kitchen/living room area with lots of can lights but the future vaulted ceiling is posing a problem. We’re having trouble finding can lights that will fit in the narrow space between the new ceiling and roof. The new plan is to place can lights only along the recessed, flat section at the apex of the vaulted ceiling {the two slanted ceilings won’t meet each other at a sharp point to allow for a structural support, ductwork, and lighting} and have pendants above the island and sink. We hope to add under/overhead cabinet lights as task lighting.
2 – Handy Hubby has a new-ish nose. Last Wednesday, HH had surgery to correct a severely deviated septum. He took Thursday and Friday off of work ‘to heal’ but was truly thinking he’d use that time to work on the Underdog. Well, shame on us. Septoplasty is nothing to sneeze at. HH was pretty much in bed until Friday and took pain pills until Sunday. Thanks to everyone who left him words of encouragement on the blog last week. I know he felt better hearing from people who had gone through the same thing. His splints were removed yesterday and he happily started breathing through his nose and tasting food again. Still, doctor’s orders are to avoid exercise and heavy lifting. That means projects at the Underdog are on hold until HH is fully recovered. It’s slow going over here. Nothing like life getting in the way of a good reno!
3 – Before Handy Hubby went under the knife, he scored this heat pump on Craigslist. The Underdog has no central air and we’ve had a few people come out to give us quotes on adding A/C. The quotes were coming in at right around the $3,000 mark. After talking to a co-worker {HH is an engineer and works with other engineers who know a lot about house stuff so he likes to bounce ideas off them}, HH decided that a DIY installation of a heat pump would work just as well and cost $1,000′s less than having central air installed by a professional. He says it doesn’t sound all that difficult. I’ll believe it when I see it! I keep telling him he doesn’t have to DIY everything but he insists on cutting costs wherever possible.
The heat pump cost us $500 off Craigslist. From what I understand {after asking HH a bunch of annoying questions}, the biggest difference between a heat pump versus a central A/C unit is that the heat pump can actually move heat into AND out of the house…essentially acting as A/C and heat in one unit. We plan on keeping the existing furnace for backup during the winters. While I’m thinking of it, do any of you heat/cool your home with a heat pump?
4 – This is our IKEA kitchen-in-a-box minus the dishwasher and hood. I can’t believe it all fits into this small pile of boxes. We haven’t sorted through everything yet. We have 90 days from the date of purchase to make returns/changes.
{IKEA kitchen in boxes}
{disregard the old microwave and camping grill on the floor to the left of the fridge}
The dishwasher and hood were the two items that weren’t available from the warehouse to ship, so we picked them up at our local IKEA store ourselves and for now they’re living quietly in our current basement. The few other miscellaneous items {a couple of drawer fronts in various sizes} that weren’t available at the warehouse or our local store finally got restocked last week, so I quickly picked them up before they sold ‘em all. {They are included in the kitchen pile above.} Apparently, the black-brown RAMSJÖ base cabinets with drawers are all the rage!
5 – The boys have their own workshop in the garage to keep them occupied. Thanks to Black & Decker, Layne and Everett have something safe to play with at the Underdog. Although the real stuff will always be tempting.
So that’s where things stand with the Underdog so far. Progress is slow and probably will be over the next few weeks while Handy Hubby continues to heal and travels overseas for his real job. I’ll be sharing some pictures of the entire ceiling in the kitchen/living room removed a little later on. I can already tell that vaulting the ceiling is going to make such a difference in the small space!
A few of you have asked about our reno timeline. I’m sorry to disappoint, but we really don’t have that much of a timeline in mind. Ideally, I’d like for our current home to sell and for the Underdog to be livable by September so Layne can start the school year at his new school. However, realistically, I can totally see that not happening. Even though we’ve had a lot of traffic through our home, many potential buyers who are interested in our home are in a situation where they need their current homes to sell first before they can make an offer on our home. For their sake and ours, I’m hoping things start to pick up. It’s definitely not easy living in a ready-to-show house with two kids day in and day out. Luckily, the weather is nice enough that we’re able to spend a lot of time outside. And I do wake up nearly every morning wondering, “Will today be the day?” It’s not healthy, so I’m trying very hard to focus my attention elsewhere. Like on Pinterest. Now, that’s healthy stuff right there.
Once a month, I like to share an inspiring paint color with you. Well, really, I’d like to repaint my walls once a month just because there are so many great paint colors out there to try…but that’s not realistic now, is it? So, instead, I’ll stick with sanity and simply talk about the colors of my painted rainbow here. This month I’m all about Benjamin Moore’s Newburg Green HC-158.
I’m normally drawn to light and airy backdrops, so this color is definitely off the beaten path for me. But I still think it’s great. Newburg Green is a rich, deep teal that works well in different color schemes. It’s moody but can be used like a neutral. Without sufficient lighting and light furnishings, fabrics and/or accessories, it can steer towards dark and cave-like real quick. Be warned! Done right, it can take a plain Jane room to va-va-va-voom.
Take these guest house living quarters for example. Paired with lots of white and cream, textured seagrass, rustic reclaimed wood, black gloss accents and a pop of orange, the feeling is cozy and fresh. Notice all the natural light.
This L.A. guest room takes Newburg Green on a whole different spin. With even more natural light {thanks to the region’s warm and sunny climate}, the hue comes across as blue-er and teal-er and doesn’t require as much white to brighten it up. Instead, warm woods, hot pinks, deep plums, fresh chartreuse and shiny accents make for an inviting little jewel box of a room. Take note of all the textures used to soften the feel of the colorful room. There’s velvet, chenille and shaggy wool fabrics dressing the bed. The tufting on the curvy side chair helps to soften things up too.
I’m not the first in blog land to take a liking to Newburg Green. Apartment Therapy named this bedroom one of its Room for Color winners last November. The owner used white bedding, woven ottomans, industrial lighting and burgundy accents in the masculine space.
Tamara over at Get It Girl Style used Newburg Green in her open living space to envelope the dining area. Again, there are many lighter elements {tile flooring, dining chairs, trim, place settings} to counteract the rich walls. A few pops of green and a woven veneer pendant work well against the moody backdrop.
I think Newburg Green would look splendid paired with denim, white and pops of orange in a modern nursery for a boy or even in an older boy’s room. Throw in a few dark pieces like an espresso changing table or nightstand along with a rubbed bronze floor lamp to add sophistication.
Switch up the orange accents for pea green ones and the combo becomes a little beachy. Still use it in a boy’s room or wander out to a young family room with it. Fun!
Get all Nate Berkus like with a masculine color scheme of deep teal, warm white, gloss black and a camel tone. Tone. Not toe. I could see this palette going over well in an office, study or den. Classic and timeless. Just don’t forget good lighting!
How about throwing Newburg Green in with white, linen and doses of raspberry? Bring in the raspberry with fresh flowers, artwork, pillows and printed fabrics. This color combo could take a girl from crib to dorm just by mixing up the accessories. Very fresh.
And no pictures of this one except in my head. What if in an all white kitchen you painted an island in a glossy Newburg Green finish? It’d be a happy surprise for sure. Can you imagine white walls and cabinetry, mocha floors, stainless steel appliances and a shiny teal island in the center of it all? Possibly topped with a chunky wood top? Mmmmm. I’d also like to note that Newburg Green is a good option for builder, cookie cutter homes. With the light cream carpet and white trim and white doors that seem to come standard in most of these homes, a rich teal could really cozy up an otherwise blah room. Do you have any ideas for using a deep, moody teal somewhere in the home?
It seems the Underdog’s attic and its contents were left untouched when the house was turned over to us. Who would’ve touched them if they didn’t have to? As I mentioned way back when, the laundry dryer vents into the attic {not to the outside like it’s supposed to} so the attic and everything in it was covered in a thick layer of dryer lent. Ick. In order to make room for electrical upgrades and to vault the ceiling in the kitchen/living room, we had to empty the attic. Well, more like Handy Hubby had to empty the attic and I got to sort through all the stuff. As much as I was hoping to come across a stash of cash or a treasure chest of gold coins or even a rare antique worth thousands, it didn’t happen. What I did find was mainly a slew of Christmas decor – the majority of which was either broken or hideous or both. Seriously, how many Christmas ornaments does one household need?! I’m still trying to figure out where all the decorations went when they were on display. There’s just not that much room in the Underdog! Anyhow, all the shattered ornaments and broken-beyond-repair string lights made finding the most irrelevant unbroken items seem like worthy treasures. I even decided to keep a few of them. Wanna see?
First up is this faux leather suitcase. It’s pretty beat up but still in working condition and I actually adore the patina. It looks well traveled, no?
It comes complete with a Delta Airlines luggage tag {which looks to be anything but recent} and locking key. Apparently, the leather lookalike exterior is Tolex which was most commonly used as material for guitar cases and boat upholstery in the 1940′s, 1950′s and 1960′s. Layne has already claimed this ‘new’ suitcase as his own. I can see it being used as hidden storage for either toys or out of season clothing in his bedroom.
Luckily, so as not to cause a brotherly fight, I found this plaid suitcase for Everett. It’s more petite than the Tolex luggage. The luggage I.D. tag still has the name and address info of the previous owner…the Underdog’s previous homeowner. I haven’t found the need to remove it yet. I may just slide Everett’s info right over top and keep it with the bag.
I also came across a little bag for myself. I wonder what its use was back in its heyday.
Laptop bag? Nah. Probably not. But I think it makes a great preppy one. Slightly Ralph Lauren-esque, don’t you think?
I found multiple sets of these vintage Nestle glass coffee mugs. They’re from the ’70′s and not too rare as I found multiple listings for them on Ebay, Etsy, etc.
They have a global scene etched onto them that I immediately fell for.
I only kept 4 mugs, a creamer dish and a sugar bowl since we’re going to have limited cabinet space in our next kitchen. There was also a small matching coffeepot that I didn’t think I’d use. It seemed a tad redundant to pour coffee from my regular coffeepot into another coffeepot and then into a mug. I don’t need any extra dirty dishes, thank you. The boys have already enjoyed using the glasses as their pretend coffee mugs. I pour chocolate soy milk into the mugs and Layne and Everett mimic coffee convo and the gestures that go along with it. It’s pretty darn cute.
I was curious about this 1956 Lowe Brothers Paint ad program that I found. It’s not my intention to keep it forever…just long enough to research it and take some pictures of it for the blog. The booklet contains all kinds of information on how to market and advertise a Lowe Brothers Paint store franchise.
Very cool. Especially considering Handy Hubby and I have done our fair share of painting walls, furniture, cabinets, etc. I wonder if the previous homeowner owned a franchise or offered painting services? She was a painter/artist after all. According to the Paul Laurence Library at Wright State University,
“The Lowe Brothers Company was founded in September of 1872 by brothers Henry C. and Houston Lowe. It began as a small store on E. Third Street, between Jefferson and St. Clair streets in Dayton, Ohio. The Lowe Brothers began by selling paint produced by others. However, in 1882 the Lowe Brothers Paint Company opened and the Lowe Brothers incorporated their business in September of 1893. The Company reached national notoriety before being sold in the later twentieth century.” - Amber McPherson
The ad program is on the cheesy side. Definitely in cahoots with the general 1950′s mentality. Check out one of the suggested radio ads…
“The quarterback is fading – looking for a receiver – there’s the pass. Right into his arms…forty yards! What a beauty! Another breath-taking beauty is Lowe Brothers Mello-Gloss, famous semi-gloss enamel for walls and woodwork…”
Nice segue, huh? Check out this beauty…
The last attic item that made it into my keep pile was this framed canvas art. It’s a painting {I’m guessing not original} by John Ford Clymer who created it for the June 23rd, 1956 Saturday Evening Post cover.
After a little research, I discovered it’s either titled ‘Painting the Garage’ or ‘Helping Dad Paint.’ Here’s a view of it on the original cover…
I have no idea if the canvas I found is worth anything. I should probably ask Handy Hubby’s sister. She’s an art museum curator. Even if it’s not worth a penny, I still like it. I think it’d look cute hanging in one the boys’ bedrooms since it shows a young boy helping his dad paint. I may try to stain the frame or just leave it as is. It will be exactly 55 years ago this Thursday that the image was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
So even though I didn’t find a secret cash stash, I had fun looking at all of the attic contents and making up stories about how the pieces fit into the previous homeowner’s life. Do you remember me telling you that the previous owner was a female artist? In my mind, she was a well traveled, coffee drinking artist who also owned a local paint store franchise and had an affair with a talented male painter. At the end of their short romance, her lover gave her a copy of one of his paintings to remember him by always. She couldn’t bear the pain of looking at it every day so she stowed it away in her attic.
See that? See how my mind takes the teeniest bit of info and runs with it? Craziness. In all reality, I’m probably waaaaaaay off. Have you ever found something interesting in your home left by the previous owner?
images: 1-18 ) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 19) my mags
Father’s Day is just around the corner! Today I’m sharing a few things that Handy Hubby already has and loves AND a few things I think he’d like to have and love. The best part? They’re $60 or less.
1 – Grill Daddy Pro Grill Brush This grill brush uses the power of steam and stainless steel bristles to clean your man’s grill. {$20} Handy Hubby has had his for three years and still uses it after each grilling session. Don’t tell my dad but he’s getting one this Father’s Day.
2 – Woody’s Hair & Body Shampoo BarSkip the shampoo! This mild vegetable-based bar works just as well on hair as it does on the body. Don’t all Dad’s like quickies in the shower? {$12} Handy Hubby has used and loved a similar Aveda product that’s no longer available. Maybe he should give this one a try?
3 – Igloo Maxcold Hard Liner Cooler Big enough for 12 beverage cans but small enough for everyday use. The removable hard liner makes cleaning a cinch. {$18} Handy Hubby follows a strict gluten-free diet. This heavy duty cooler allows him to take several glass Pyrex dishes filled with gluten-free goodness to work for lunch. He packs a full entree lunch every day and never worries about breaking a glass container.
4 – Boyd Frame Frame up a pic of the family or kiddos in this reclaimed wood frame. Men like rustic. {$60} Handy Hubby doesn’t have this but I bet if I showed it to him he’d say, “I could make that!”
5 – Oil Tanned Leather Tool PouchComplete with eleven pockets, dual metal hammer hangers and a durable leather/suede construction, this tool belt is hard-working just like your handyman. {$48} Handy Hubby uses a tool belt instead of running back and forth for tools and supplies. Bonus: I think it’s sexy. Raerrr.
6 – Zappos.com E-Gift CertificateWhat handy Daddy has time to go out shopping for shoes? Not many that I know. Zappos makes it easy with free shipping both ways and a 365 day return policy. The selection and customer service can’t be beat. The e-gift certificate is delivered via email, available for use within 24 hours and has no hidden charges or fees. {starting at $10} Handy Hubby only buys his shoes from Zappos.com for the convenience, impeccable service and unique inventory.
7 – Stainless Steel SkewersKabobs, anyone? These commercial grade skewers hold food securely and are dishwasher safe. {$10} Handy Hubby uses these every summer and I reap the benefits. From marshmallows to fish and veggies, he’s torched it all.
There you have it. My Father’s Day gift round-up. I know I’m cutting it a little close but you can always order and give your babydaddy/daddy the receipt or a picture of the gift on the actual day if it doesn’t arrive in time. Handy Hubby and I have done that numerous times. Too impersonal? …The Zappos E-Gift Certificate would make it in time!
In other babydaddy related news, Handy Hubby had outpatient surgery Wednesday to correct a severely deviated nasal septum. I think we both underestimated the recovery. He’s out of commission. As in he has been sleeping ever since he came out of surgery and he’s in pain. Normally, I’m totally fine with blood and guts {I really enjoyed dissecting a human cadaver in college} but I got a little woozy when I helped him change his first dressing. There was a lot more blood and swelling than I had anticipated and he didn’t look like himself. I did get him to eat some rice, a half of a baked potato and a little bit of baked beef ribs even though he didn’t feel much like eating. I feel so bad for him. Of course, working on the Underdog is taking a backseat to resting, healing and taking it easy. Other than bringing him water, feeding him, giving him pills, changing his dressing, preoccupying the boys and patting his leg every once in a while there’s not much else I can do. So, if you wouldn’t mind, I know he’d appreciate any words of encouragement you’d like to leave in the comments section below. Thanks!
I live less than 15 minutes from our local IKEA. Most times, it’s convenient. Other times, I probably don’t need to be there spending money but, well, it’s just so darn close! Tonight was one of those convenient times. I think. The few items from our IKEA kitchen in the making that weren’t available at the time we purchased the rest of our kitchen were finally back in stock today. I called IKEA ahead of time to make sure they were in stock and had them hold them for me until close. After dinner, while Handy Hubby was busy working on the Underdog, the boys and I made an IKEA run. I remembered to grab my camera although I did have to turn around at the end of our street to come back and get it. At least I was still close to home when I remembered it. Anyhow, I thought I’d snap some pics of the cabinets we’ll be using in our future kitchen and go into a little more detail about how we ended up choosing mix-and-match lower and upper cabinets.
First up is this kitchen display. I’d already been eyeing inspiration photos of kitchens with contrasting cabinetry when Handy Hubby saw this display in real life and loved it. The decision to use the black-brown RAMSJÖ cabinets as our lower cabinets was an easy one.
I also liked the idea of open shelving that was used in the display kitchen. We haven’t purchased any shelving yet but I could see some stainless steel shelves like those ending up in our kitchen. We did purchase the same hood as shown above. I haven’t made up my mind on the contrasting grout lines in the backsplash. They feel a little bathroom-ish and busy to me. But that’s just me. Anyway, this black and white kitchen got our wheels turning and we definitely wanted to use the dark base cabinets. Next, we headed off to find the white version of the RAMSJÖ cabinets to use on the walls. Easy enough, right?
The only problem was I didn’t like them. The picture doesn’t do it justice but the ‘white’ finish is more of a whitewash. The wood grain shows through the paint. From a distance, they almost had a pink or beige tint to them. It obviously wasn’t a bad paint job…that’s how they were supposed to look and they would look great in a kitchen with a cottage or country feel. They just weren’t what we were looking for. We quickly moved onto the white {actually listed as off-white} ÄDEL wall cabinets.
They were the right color and very similar in style to the RAMSJÖ but…but…but I didn’t like the seeded glass fronts. And I knew I reeeeeeally wanted glass-front cabinetry on the wall where the kitchen desk would go to bounce light around and keep things feeling open on top. {I wanted the uppers on the wall opposite the desk – where the fridge and microwave will go – to have solid fronts so the only area affected by the glass-front issue was the desk area.} The seeded glass just wasn’t doing it for me. I know it hides clutter better but I’m not a cluttery person to begin with and the effect felt {dare I say it?} cheap to me. Gulp.
I asked about the glass-fronts and the white ÄDEL glass-front cabinets only come with seeded glass inserts. So, onto the next white, glass-front wall cabinet candidate. The LIDINGÖ.
It was the right color and had the smooth glass fronts that I wanted. However, it was a different style than the RAMSJÖ which we had already decided on for our base cabinets. The frame of the door was slightly narrower and the added framing on top of the glass pane mimiced that of a window. I did like it though. For comparison, here’s a picture of the RAMSJÖ vs LIDINGÖ wall cabinets. Again, from the picture you can’t really tell a huge difference but I assure you, that RAMSJÖ one is beige-y.
I asked the IKEA kitchen designer on duty her feelings on mixing the two different styles in one kitchen and she actually liked the idea. And the more I thought about it, I did too. Maybe the mixed styles would give the kitchen a more custom look as opposed to being matchy-matchy? So, we selected the LIDINGÖ cabinets as our upper cabinetry. That’s how we ended up with two different styles of cabinetry in our future kitchen. Were you able to follow all that past tense mixed with present tense chaos?
As a bonus, I snapped this desk area within a kitchen display at IKEA while I was there, too. It’s a little smaller {and a different color} than the one we’ll be implementing in the Underdog’s kitchen but you get the idea.
I like how the handles on the upper cabinets run horizontally on the doors. I think that’s how we’re going to install ours as well. I’m also up for DIYing a chalkboard above the desk. I could just tape off a rectangle of wall and paint it with chalkboard paint then frame it up with some store bought trim. Now, there’s an idea.
After I played the unpopular role of crazy-lady-with-a-camera-and-two-Matrix-reenacting-kids, I paid for the remaining kitchen items that were missing from our original order. FYI: I still got the 20% off discount that we were awarded in April for purchasing at least three appliances along with our kitchen order. I just had to show the original purchase receipt from April along with our order number. IKEA gives you a folder to keep all your order related papers in, so I just brought the entire thing with me when I picked up the missing items. I had to pay in the kitchen design department then pick up my pieces from the special order desk in the warehouse. By the time me and the boys got down to the carryout desk, the items were already pulled and waiting for us.
That’s because I ran into this on the way down…
I tried very hard not to look at anything on my way from the kitchen department to the checkouts but my will power was not strong enough for this sale price. I’ve been coveting cowhide rugs for months now. I love them. I want one. Call me cruel. It won’t change my mind. At the previously listed price of $250, I couldn’t talk myself into buying one. But at $89, I couldn’t resist. So I grabbed one up after I contemplated getting two. I think it will look great layered on top of a jute rug in the Underdog’s living room someday. Some. Day.
UPDATE: Apparently, the $89 price tag on the cowhide rugs isn’t the case at every IKEA store. Please check with your local IKEA authorities before making a special trip!
DIY, inspiration