Taking Wing

It's been so hectic lately, I haven't had a chance to post about our travel plans. We are already on our way, winging toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel for almost a week and a half, followed by a few short days touring Jordan. We have a layover in Rome, but sadly it will be at the airport only. It seems a cry shame to be traveling through such a beautiful city and not be able to take advantage of it, but we didn't want to be greedy or overextend ourselves. So we will be content with a small (and secure) portion of the Middle East!

Fall

Jeff captured this image of the migrating geese from our backyard. We hear and see fly-overs several times a day now, so it definitely feels like autumn.

Hoarding

I'm starting to feel like a little squirrel storing up for winter. We hope, optimistically, to begin our bathroom addition in October or November. It may not happen then, but I've already started buying up fixtures and scoping out deals in preparation. It's all at super great prices, so I can always resell items for at least what I paid if the project falls through or I change my mind. And we are blessed with the large shop building, so storage isn't a problem.

I've already bought...

two undermount sinks from discontinued store displays (had to go to two different Lowes to get them!):

two (almost new) matching Delta sink faucets from eBay:

three windows from Craigslist:

a combo bath fan/light on clearance at Home Depot:

two furniture style vanities on close-out at our JCPenney Outlet store:

and the pièce de résistance, an antique 1920's clawfoot tub from the flea market:

I still need a shower faucet set, the toilet, my tile for the custom shower, a small chandelier for over the clawfoot tub, and flooring; but that's not bad for a head start!

(Not) Butterfly Bush

Jeff argues that Lantana should be called Butterfly Bush, not Butterfly Bush (Buddleia, actually). I can see his point. Every afternoon, we enjoy a swarm of butterflies around the walkway and front porch, all congregating on the New Gold Lantana. I have yet to see a butterfly on the nearby Buddleia, so perhaps Jeff is on to something!

Whipper Snapper

I love mowing the lawn! This is a very recent discovery, happily coinciding with the very recent acquisition of a little riding mower.

Our neighbor loaned us an older Snapper riding mower that he doesn't use anymore. I was a bit intimidated at first by the 30" spinning blades, the throttle settings, the gear shift, the hand and foot pedals for engaging the blades, the lack of brakes, etc. It's quite a bit more involved than just priming the push mower and pulling the cord. But Jeff patiently walked me through it and now I'm a mowing maniac.

The mower has had its share of wear and tear, and it gave us a few problem at first. But Jeff persevered and has replaced the belt, fixed the bearings on the wheel, and repaired the front axle when it came apart mid-mow! The mower is sort of hinged in the middle, and every time I go over a big hump or bump or slope, it undulates like a horse maneuvering his forehand and hindquarters. Even more reminiscent of horseback riding is the fact that the seat foam and vinyl are worn completely through on the left side, making the driver's hips sit a bit crooked; so whenever the terrain is uneven, I pitch to the left and feel as though my saddle is slipping!

But there is something relaxing about having a (relatively) easy physical task that precludes any multitasking and frees the mind. And the satisfaction of seeing neat, trim rows of shorn grass is quite pleasant, too!

Kitchen Debut

It's not quite finished. It may never be; that's how DIY goes. But the kitchen finally has a backsplash and undercabinet lights (thought they aren't wired to the switch yet). So why should the lack of a few cabinet doors hold up the big reveal? I love the convenience of the open shelves, so I'm in no hurry to buy and paint and hang new Shaker style doors. That is the plan, though, so it may happen eventually. In the meantime, perhaps some pretty containers and baskets will mask my cabinet clutter.

I must give plenty of credit to Jeff. This is our third house to renovate/restore, and it wouldn't be possible without my amazing husband. While I have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home wife and pursue my old house passion, Jeff is a busy professor building his career and trying to earn tenure at the university. So the fact that he uses his weekends and semester breaks to do a lot of the heavy lifting makes him deserving of an A+ in my book! He gives me plenty of leeway to dream and design and only occasionally pricks my bubble with a practical reality or two. Plus, he always lovingly checks my hands when he gets home to make sure I haven't lost a digit to the miter saw or jigsaw or whatever power tool I'm using that day!

Before purchase (the previous resident left it trashed):

After:

Breakfast bar:

Seedbox windowseat:

Sink view before and after:

Range view before and after:

Dishwasher view before and after:

Fridge view before and after:

Floor (after stripping three layers of vinyl tile and lino; and after sanding and Waterlox); and yes, the color does seem to match DaVinci!

In case anyone is interested, here are the details:

- Cabinets: original frames, painted BM Vellum with ADVANCE paint (new doors to be purchased later); two extra base cabinets added from salvage store

- Counters: Formica Basalt Slate

- Backsplash: beadboard panels from Home Depot painted BM Linen White

- Sink: Ikea Domsjo double basin sink

- Faucet: Kraus 1602 Pre-Rinse Commercial faucet

- Pulls: Belwith Studio pulls (discontinued Venetian Bronze finish from eBay, spray painted in Rustoleum Carbon Mist)

- Island: clearance JCPenney foyer table, topped with butcherblock remnant

- Lighting: 4 light chandelier from Overstock; undercabinet waterproof LED strip lights (SMD5050) from HitLights

- Paint: BM Bennington Gray walls, BM Linen White trim and ceiling

- Floors: original quartersawn heart pine floors; sanded and finished with four coats of Original Waterlox

- Windowseat: original 1920's seed box found in the attic and restored

- Breakfast bar: Ikea EKBY desk (added brackets and painted everything BM Vellum), with JCPenney clearance saddle stools

- Total budget: $2500

The appliances are all slightly older models I bought used on Craigslist. There is a Thermador 30" dual fuel range (and matching venthood, not yet installed); SubZero 700 series fridge; and a set of Kitchenaid dishdrawers.

Barely Hanging On

Does anyone know why frogs would be attracted to our old single pane windows? I've never seen this before in previous homes, but this is the third frog in about as many days to suction himself to the outside of our wavy glass windows in the late evening.

It looks like the little guy is inside the house,

but that's just a reflection of the dining room. 

Our only guess is that the lights on inside the house are inviting to insects and the little amphibians are helping themselves to an easy dinner. But we can't substantiate our theory as we've never seen them eat anything. In fact, they barely move. They're just parked there for the night and gone in the morning. It's very curious!

Fall Flowers

I'm on for church flowers in September, a very busy month. But since I'm at Home Depot more than Hobby Lobby, I picked up some inexpensive mums and an outdoor planter in their garden center, and took some clippings from our landscape beds. The nice thing about living arrangements is I can keep them going or deconstruct them and use the components again!