tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54113274448515645162024-03-08T12:31:25.230-08:00A little house that needs a lot workDomesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-42258999001813876552012-02-19T15:09:00.000-08:002012-02-19T15:51:26.718-08:00The Kitchen is completed!I, again, must apologize for my lack of updates. Going to school and working full time makes for a pretty hectic schedule. The basement has been refinished and our last major interior project was just completed... The kitchen. Quentin Jack hammered the tile floor. We did all of the demo and prep. Our kitchen was out of commission for about 6 weeks. We had someone install the cabinets and tile. We didn't want any imperfections. Well, it turned out pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself. <br /><br />Here are some before photos. We had just pulled removed the tiled floors.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=030.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/030.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=031-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/031-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And here is the after. Considering I am posting these online you would think that I would have cleaned the kitchen first... Nope.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=071.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/071.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=070.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/070.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=068.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/068.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=067.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/067.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=069-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/069-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />What do you think?! We went for black travertine flooring. I like the hexagon look. I think this tile is classic and timeless. I didn't want something that was going to feel outdated in a few years because it was too trendy. We tried to stay true to the craftsman style of the house. I hate when the integrity of a house is compromised. I feel like the kitchen now matches how nice the rest of the house looks. It was a long 6 weeks! We are so happy we don't have to live in dust anymore!<br /><br />The last project we have to do is the upstairs bath. Of course there are other projects we'll be doing. We are thinking about doing a tin roof in the near future. I'll try to do some updates this summer on the blog. The best thing about all of this is that we stayed on schedule. We always set goals for every project and met them. I can't believe we've already been in this house 4 years! Time flies.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-74375119748881837542010-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:002010-12-30T12:38:44.703-08:00Long OverdueWell, it's been almost a year since I've posted something on the house. This isn't because we've stopped working on the house. We have been working plenty on the house! I have just been so busy that I haven't had time to blog. Then I thought about how muvh enjoyment I used to get from blogging on the house that I thought it's time to start this thing up again. Hopefully I still have a reader or two out there.<br /><br />So our main focus at the current moment is the half bath. We are turning this huge closet off of the kitchen into a 1/2 bath. This summer we had a licensed plummer come out to run the piping. Lucky for us, he was out of a job and we got him for the low low price of $25 per hour. So he ran all new piping so that all we need to do is add the bathroom fixtures. He noticed that our main drain going into the basement floor was loose as well, so he rented a jackhammer and fixed/ secured the pipe under there as well. All of this work for the low low cost of $625. That's including materials! After all of the bad contractors, we finally found an honest one. I feel like we're the ones who made out this time. His work is flawless. <br /><br />Now all we need to do is finish framing the bathroom and sheet rock, before we get our fixtures of course. For Christmas I received this awesome rug from my mom. <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=mms_picture-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/mms_picture-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />I absolutely love it! I picked up this little rug for the front door. <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=mms_picture.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/mms_picture.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <br />Sorry these photos were taken with my camera phone. I think I'm going to do black silk curtains in the living room to pull the black out of the rug near the door and tie the whole thing together. <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=mms_picture-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/mms_picture-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />That should add the drama I want in the room. Anyhow- that's it for now. I'm going to try to be more on top of my poor neglected blog.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-10413470862679394422010-03-25T19:56:00.000-07:002010-03-25T20:10:15.891-07:00The big revealI know, I know... It's been a really long time since I've posted anything on here. I am happy to announce that we got the floors refinished, the lights installed and new furniture in our living room. It's been a long haul, but here it is.<br /><br />Firt we had the floors refinished by Arnes floor sanding (the same guy who did oiur upstairs floors. He did an amazing job! There were really deep scratches and plenty of marks. He did the best he could and I'm really impressed with the results.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2819.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2819.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2818.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2818.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2817.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2817.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2816.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2816.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2815.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2815.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Then we finished th ekitchen lighting. The repair and sanding is almost complete in the kitchen...<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture014.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture016.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />And finally... Here is the amazing new furniture. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture012.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture012.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture013.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture013.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> I got a new signed print and a mirror above the fireplace. It's finally starting to feel like a home. I LOVE it! To go with the theme of the house I am going for a transitional vibe. I think this firnture fits it well.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />It just wouldn't be the same without the fireplace or furniture. I am going for Charcoal drapery and rugs with turquoise accents. Let me know if you have any greta places for nice drapes that are inexpensive. I'm sure I'll be stuck with Pottery Barn. What do you think of the progress???Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-34355939625404944752010-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:002010-02-16T16:53:47.504-08:0020 hours later...<a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2810.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2810.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Whew! That was a lot of work. I finshed this over a week ago and am just updating my blog now. Life has gotten so busy. This is the almost finushed product. I am going to be just doing some grout on the inside of the fireplace. Glass scratches, so I don't think I'll be putting any inside. I guess I'm happy with it overall. We ended up using the squares and went for a smoke blue-green color. Someone asked me if I used back splash tiles the other day. I tried to give it a more zippered look rather than just throwing up square sheets of tile but I don't know how well it work. I feel like it's really lacking the drama I wanted it to have. Oh well, it's still an improvement. Here are some more photos up close.<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2811.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2811.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2812.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2812.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2813.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2813.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Now- for more exciting news. The floors on the main level are being refinished and polyed as I type. My promise to myself was to get these floors done this winter after I completed refinishing all of the woodwork on the first floor- which I did! Even more exciting, I purchased a gorgeous modular sectional to replace my hideous red couches. It's getting delivered this Friday and I'm so psyched. Here is a photo of the couch on the floor. It'll be in more of an L-shaped design at our place:<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2786.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2786.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Last but not least, Quentin installed all of the lighting in the kitchen, and I painted it. What a difference the lighting makes. It really makes the kitchen flow more with the rest of the house. The lighting is soft and halogen vs. ugly flourescent lighting with a HUGE framed oak home made fixture. Here is a photo of the old light:<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2779.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2779.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />I'll post photos of the new lights once we are back in the house! Here are some photos of the fireplace before we touched it. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=Picture049.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/Picture049.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=LR-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/LR-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />What a difference- right?Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-53685904999694895002010-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:06:46.562-08:00Did I say tiling was fun???Well, I lied. Over the weekend, I began putting smoke gray blue glass tile going vertically on the face of the fireplace.... Ugh. I worked at it for 7 hours pretty much non stop on Friday and about 3 hours yesterday and I'm still not finished. This space is only 12 feet! The tiles come in a square foot sheet. I didn't want to just put the tile up there without cutting the sheet, because I thought it would look boring. I cut the sheets into strips and did a vertical pattern that alternates. It almost gives it a zippered look. Well, non of my spacers fit between the sheets (I got 2 different kinds) so I've pretty much had to eyeball everything, which has made this job more difficult than it needed to be. <br /><br />Anyway, I am hoping to be finished with this project once and for all next weekend. I'll post some pics then.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-3957488863654258912010-01-26T13:35:00.000-08:002010-01-26T13:47:15.853-08:00Almost finished... but I just found another sanding project.Well, I am almost done reassembling the baseboards and staining/ polying. The wood work on the first floor looks AMAZING! What a difference. I almost can't remember just how awful the old woodwork used to look. You would think I'm beginning to like sanding woodwork with this new project I've taken on. In fact, here is a glimpse of how dull and boring the old woodwork looked.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2772.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2772.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />That is a floor grate made out of wood up against the baseboard in the dining room (which I've already refinished). BIG Difference. This is the new project I've taken on. I have pulled one of these apart already and plan on sanding it down this weekend. The floors on the first floor are sort of the last to do for us when it comes to woodwork. We plan on tackling those within the next month. Oy! 3 days of homelessness.<br /><br />Here is a peak at how some of the other woodwork turned out:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2771.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2771.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2764.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2764.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Quentin also framed out the stairwell ceiling so that it matches the rest of the woodwork. We sort of assumed that it looked like this at some point before the gorgeous tiled ceilings we installed. Whether it's original or not, it's going to look amazing when it's stained and polyed.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2765.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2765.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2766.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2766.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />This Friday we finish the tiling on the fireplace!!! Can't wait to have that complete!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-12270654732106669512010-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:002010-01-18T13:45:16.494-08:00We did it!One final weekend of dust from sanding! We have completed all of the woodwork on the first floor. This has been bugging me since we bought the house 2 years ago. It's the messiest project, not to mention the dust makes us sick, but we're all done! We just have reassemble the baseboards and stain them as well as the doorway.<br /><br />Here is the stain and first coat of poly on the last of the windows:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2761.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2761.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2762.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2762.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2763.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2763.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />As you can see we still have some work left to do. The last dusty project is to refinish the floors. Hopefully they will be done within the next month or two.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-87427133614051703392009-12-07T14:31:00.000-08:002009-12-07T14:52:42.603-08:00Finally... Some Window Shades that Didn't Cost an Arm and a LegWe are trying to get all of the loose ends rapped up with unfinished projects before our neighborhood progressive dinner on Saturday. So far we have completed the stain and poly on the front door and the front windows. What a difference! I can't wait until all of the wood has been refinished on the 1st floor. Once that is complete we will be refinishing the hardwood floors ourselves. I figure since it's just a sanding we should be able to do it. The upstairs needed so many repairs that it just wasn't worth our time and effort. Especially now that the dogs are becoming more and more potty trained with little to no accidents- It's just time.<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2746.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2746.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />Don't they look great!?!?<br /><br />We are also waiting on a shipment of the glass tile we want for the fireplace, it's almost there!<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2747.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2747.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2749.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2749.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2748.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2748.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />Here are the new roman shades. Forget the $150 that I spent on the dining room shades. These were only $17.00 at Lowes. I think they don't look bad at all. They were the best quality roman shades I found at any of the retailers. Although the dining room shades do look pretty sweet:<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2750.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2750.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><br />Roscoe and Tito have been getting crated during the day which has been a huge help with marking. Check out Roscoe in his jail cell.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2745.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2745.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-30585193432396317642009-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:002009-11-23T13:30:45.457-08:00We're Just Getting Way Too Good at this...This weekend Quentin finished the wood on the fireplace. I began staining last night. Look at how great it looks.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2723.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2723.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2724.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2724.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><br />It almost looks like it was made for our home. This is such a differance from the boring brick that used to be on the fireplace. Of course this is just the first coat of stain so I am so excited to see the end result. We are hoping to finish the glass on the fireplace by sometime in the next 2 weeks before our holiday progressive dinner with the rest of our block. We have pretty much the best neighbors EVER! We'll see if we can afford the $400 it's going to cost for glass tile. Ugh! I swear the further you get along in your house projects, the more expensive the project. At the same time, the fireplace is now a focal point vs. an eye sore. <br /><br />I also began sanding the front windows so we can finally get some new blinds and the front door. I'm so sick of dust from sanding. I will be happy to finish so we can stick with our schedule of getting our floors refinished this winter. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2722.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2722.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />Tito and his little cousin Lola:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2721.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2721.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br />Just click on the thumbnails to enlarge. I think I finally figured this photo thing out.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-20711392473836635772009-11-17T08:05:00.000-08:002009-11-17T08:22:20.430-08:00Finally... A Weekend to OurselvesWe have been working and painting every single weekend for the last 3 months at our friends family home. We really could use the extra income and we are so lucky to have had the opportunity. We actually are beginning more work on their home in 3 weeks, so we are trying to get the fireplace finished before Christmas.<br /><br />So far we are almost finished framing it in. I think it looks Sooooo much better. Image it with glass tile and stained. It will add so much more drama to the living room! Here is our progress so far.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2714.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2714.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2715.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2715.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /><br />And I just couldn't resist posting a photo of my little super model- Roscoe<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view¤t=DSCN2711.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2711.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-55966202900155358072009-10-14T08:36:00.000-07:002009-10-14T09:09:09.818-07:00Some great before and aftersWe had our first snow in MN this week. I know, it's a little early for that. I thought it would be a great time to take some outdoor photos of the house since the first photos I have of the exterior of the house is when we first purchased it.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=fronthouse.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_fronthouse.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=backhouse.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_backhouse.jpg" /></a><br /><br />You're probably asking yourself, why change something that is already so gorgeous? Ha!<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2705.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2705.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2704.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2704.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Here is the fireplace <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2701.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2701.jpg" /></a>While we wait for money to finish it:<br /><br />The best part of all... I finally figured out how to post photos that you can click on the links to take a better look (that's why they seem so small). FINALLY!<br />Tito and Roscoe napping together:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2703.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/th_DSCN2703.jpg" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-49534273065875830022009-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:002009-10-05T09:38:14.172-07:00My First Tiling Project!So many things happening over the last week. We finally got a new full view glass door for the entrance to the front porch. I love it! It's just very open and really flows with all of the windows that are on the porch.<br /><br />While Quentin was installing the door I found a new project to start. I bought a new screen and tools for our fireplace, since fire season is beginning already. Well our fireplace is just a bit outdated. I started my project by chipping out all of the old ugly tile that was there.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2679.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2679.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2680.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2680.jpg" /></a><br />This tile was put in without spacers so in some areas the grout lines were HUGE and it others they weren't, so that whoever installed it wouldn't have to cut any tiles. Yeah.<br /><br />So I went to the tile shop and found this awesome amythest glass tile. Since glass tile scratches I didn't think it was the best idea to have it as a base. Instead I chose granite with amethyst flecks in it. I think it'll look awesome from the relection with the fire.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2681.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2681.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2682.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2682.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2684.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2684.jpg" /></a><br />The grout is a really dark gray. The new tile looks so much better with the screen but now I'm disturbed by the upper part of the fireplace. I want glamour, I want this fireplace to be notice when people walk through the door! So Quentin and I are framing it out with more oak to set the tone and that Amethyst colored glass I loved so much will be going above. Oh yeah, and we will be painting our living room a light gray because it matchess too closely to the wall. Here is a photo of the 1st coat of thin set over the brick. Why did I even waste my time painting it???<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2685.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2685.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-59583515332539519812009-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:002009-09-24T11:12:26.304-07:00My 100th Post!!!I've officially made it to 100 posts! Who knew I could actually keep up with this? (Not that I've been doing the best job lately)<br /><br /><br /><br />So we found the garage door of my dreams. I really wanted to have windows on the top of the door. Our garage is so boring and just doesn't feel like it's part of the house. So for $283 extra, we can add just a little more detail to make our garage more part of the house. Quentin isn't too keen on spending the extra money but I am going to veto that because this is the only time we are going to be replacing the door so I think we should do it right. Just think of the return, right?<br /><br /><br /><br />Well we ended up going with a door from AA garage doors, that first in the phone book really works well. We got the same garage door as we would have gotten from Home Depot except it was $200 less. I was out sick with a cold so Quentin made the executive decisions. While I like this garage door alright, I would have preferred square windows and longer panels below them. This is the door that was installed yesterday:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2676.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2676.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />I really wanted to incorporate the garage into the house, since the garage is detached. Unfortunately the windows on the garage and the panels just don't really flow as well as I would like them to<a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2678.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2678.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />But then again, I just have to tell myself, It's just a garage. It's way better than the solid POS that was there before. It may not be exactly what I wanted but it's cute and adds charachter to the garage. Even if it does look a little suburban. Ha!<br /><br />Other than that, Quentin has a majority of the gutters almost finished. They look great. The house just looks amazing from the exterior now. We are looking into updating the kitchen this winter as well as installing a 1/2 bath on the 1st floor. I can wait for the mess, I can't wait for a new kitchen!!!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-51650802777989065362009-09-08T13:13:00.000-07:002009-09-08T14:00:00.142-07:00My poor neglected blogThis summer has been soooo busy. I feel like last summer we had a lot of weekends at the cabin and were so busy socially. This year we have just been so busy working around our house and other people's houses. We just finished painting our friends condo for him, that took approximately 8 days of labor. We not only painted the walls- we also painted the cemement ceilings which were difficult due to piping andvents. Oy!<br /><br />We are currently working on paint touch ups on our house. I have also begun spray paint, brush painting and sealing some of the unopenable accent windows with storms. Its really looking great. The windows are so clean! I love it.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2671.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2671.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2675.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2675.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2674.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2674.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><br />Quentin has began to replace our awful gutters himself. They aren't too expensive- just a little time consuming. Our old gutters were bent, rusted and leaky. The down spouts are missing from the pictures from the painting. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2667.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2667.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2668.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2668.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2669.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2669.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />We should hopefully have the new ones up this weekend depending on our time. I'll post some photos.<br /><br />We were hoping to get an Anderson Windows full view glass door for our front porch. Hopefully we'll be able to get one within the next couple of weeks. Our garage door just broke however and we are going to have to replace that pretty soon here. The frustrating thing is when you have to replace something rather than want. Good thing we are taking some side painting jobs for extra cash for the house. Another $1,200 gone.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-36072358086407795552009-09-02T08:17:00.001-07:002009-09-02T09:58:16.222-07:00So BusyLast weekend I decided that the front entrance of the house was looking a little drab. The fascia (I bet that's spelled wrong) is covered with white aluminum. The aluminum has probably been on the house for about 30 years, so if that gives you any idea of what it looked like. Most of the trim was streaky, or darker in some areas more than others. The dirt had pretty much just settled in. I decided it would be much easier to spray paint it than replace it. I went out and bought some flat white spray paint and got the enttire porch area painted.<br /><br />I don't think we will paint under the eves or anything; just the areas that really need it. I also decided it was time to put up some new address numbers on the house and a mail box. In the picture below you can see how good of an accent the balck is with the colors. Once we get out black anderson glass door to the porch it's really going to look sharp... Oh yeah- and our lights. It never ends.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2665.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2665.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-15540741604076296112009-08-19T08:42:00.001-07:002009-08-19T08:48:32.033-07:00We are almost finished painting!Last week we took almost the entire week off to paint the house. We got elastameric paint, Convex, from Sherwin Williams and saved 50% through my work. It was still $500, but way cheaper than $1,000. The special paint is made specifically for Stucco so that it can stretch and breathe. I personally think the new color looks AMAZING! <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2664.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2664.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2663.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2663.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2662.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2662.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />Our accents, light fixtures, new screen doors, etc, will be black. Our fence is going to get stained an ebony color once the wood has dried next spring! Can't wait. Alot of our really expensive projects are coming to an end. There is still alot to do but I feel so much less overwhelmed. The outside finally matches the inside. We are no longer the ugly white house on the corner. We are offically the cute Taupe house on the corner!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-84269720357982522782009-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:002009-08-10T12:44:57.002-07:00So Far So Good.So far I painted the base/ cinderblock part of the house and half of the chimney. I am a little frustrated because I asked specifically for flat, paint/ primer exterior paint and the woman gave me so paint with a sheen. Now if this was the case for the main stucco I would be furious. Since this area gets dirty I figured the light gloss might be nice because it will be easier to clean off. I chose a dark gray and the main color will be a grayish taupe. The chimney and trim are going to be white. If you check out the photo below you will notice where I stopped paint. Look at how bad it was! <br /><br />We were going to get some stucco paint @ $50 per gallon. I found a paint called Convex- elastameric. They retail for $45.00 but with my work discount they come out to be $22.49. SWEET right? I was little concerned since we are going to need about 20 gallons. This keeps the paint so much more affordable without going cheap and getting paint that is going to need alot of maintenance. It's my birthday tomorrow, I have the rest of the week off and I plan on painting all week. I can't wait!!! A new paint color on the house is the perfect gift to myself!<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2661.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2661.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2660.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2660.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-11190197917677141512009-08-06T11:42:00.000-07:002009-08-06T12:03:08.609-07:00Finally!We paint the house!!! We will start painting the house next Tuesday. I picked a color with just a hint more of gray than the original color that I had used on our garage. I finally got the courage to walk up to my house of inspiration and knock. I told the lady that I am in love with her house color and I had to know what color it is. She was an interior designer and luckily for me we had the same color wheel. I am not in the mood to repaint my garage yet this summer but I'm sure you can barely even tell the difference. <br /><br />Instead of using a sprayer we will be rolling and back rolling. Unfortunately you can't use a sprayer because it's not actually paint. Oh well, now I don't have to do any dreadful taping and covering windows, trim, etc. This should be pretty easy. One gallon only covers 40 sqft. Gulp....<br /><br />Can't wait to post some photos!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-67781060401968037952009-07-27T10:17:00.000-07:002009-07-27T10:26:21.972-07:00So Frustrating!So the contractor for the stucco repair has completely screwed us. He is a nice enough guy but always promises and never follows through. He asked for the remainder of the money before the job was finished. Now I know that is a big no no to pay someone before the work is finished, but he said he would be finished that day. Before the work was done he packed up and left. I told him to come back and we went over the areas that were missed or I wasn't satisfied with. He agreed they didn't look good and said he'd be back the next day. It's now been two more weeks. Wow! He promises and then never comes. His friggen ladder is still in my yard too. I'm filing in conciliation court this Friday if it's not finished. What a HEADACHE! NEVER use Andy Holloway!<br /><br />On a lighter note- check out our completed fence!<br /><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2609.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2609.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2621.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2621.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2622.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2622.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2602.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2602.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2623.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2623.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><br />I l0ve the stainless steel post caps. Now we just need to find the right shad of taupe for the house. The garage color is not what we were looking for.<br /><br />The garden is looking great! I'm so happy I had somebody design the landscaping for me!<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2608.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2608.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2607.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2607.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2606.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2606.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2620.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2620.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-23753462608330061332009-07-15T09:02:00.001-07:002009-07-15T11:26:08.235-07:00Fence is Almost Finished!Last weekend we got quite a bit done. We pressure washed the garage, did some more finishing touches on the fence. We still need to cut down the posts and put some stainless steel caps on. It's going to look sharp. Then we're going to stain it a really dark ebony color. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2603.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2603.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2602.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2602.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />Oh yeah, our stucco was finally repaired too. He just has a few more touch ups that weren't up to our standards and then we can paint!<br /><br />On Sunday I decided to go to Home Depot and find a new color for the house. There is an inspiration house that I love in the Kenwood neighborhood so I tried to match the color as close to that house as possible. On Sunday I picked up 2 gallons of paint and painted the garage. The trim has yet to be painted white but it should give you an idea of what our house will look like when we are all done.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2604.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2604.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-61974752707142812722009-07-10T18:12:00.000-07:002009-07-10T18:20:16.220-07:00It's been awhile...Sorry for my lack of posts. The summer is seeming to fly by way too fast. We got the entire house pressure washed, the fence and gate up, just a few more finishing touches and it should be complete. We got a great price on the stucco repair on the house and put our deposit down 2 weeks ago and still no work has been done. He seems to be a bit unprofessional but does good work so I gave him a deadline to have everything complete by Monday or we'll go with someone else. Ahh... contractors. <br /><br />Other than that we just got back from AZ. We had an amazing vacation that involved laying by the pool and doing absolutely nothing for 4 days. It was refreshing. This weekend I will be powerwashing the garage driveway and sidewalk. Our goal is to have the house painted by the middle of August since I am going back to school on the 24th. I just planted the last of the plants in the landscaping for the season. It looks so good. It's hard to believe how far we've come. It doesn't even look anywhere close to the house we bought. Our appraisal came in $40,000 ahead of what we paid and we aren't even finished yet!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-48288405747465642852009-06-24T08:41:00.000-07:002009-06-24T09:02:27.713-07:00Big Weekend Project!This weekend we will be pressure washing our house. Luckily my brother inlaw has a machine he is going to let us borrow. On Monday we are going to have a contractor begin stucco patching and repair. The stucco has come off near all of our down spouts on the gutters. They also took out 2 windows at some point, one of in the bathroom shower (thank god) the other in the kitchen above the stove. There isn't much wall space in the kitchen so I see the need for the window to be gone- however there isn't much light. It's really a toss up. They are going to come over and put the texture back up to make our house look good again. Then we will paint this fall. Here are the problem areas:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2563.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2563.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2567.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2567.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2568.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2568.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you can tell we need new gutters too. I doubt gutters will be a huge expense but I guess you never know. We are painting the house a medium taupe and all the trim will be white. I am so excited. Our curb appeal will sky rocket once this is complete.<br /><br />As promised, here is a close up of our required 40% open fence:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2564.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2564.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><br />And finally, we are going to have a BBQ on Saturday July 11th, friends, neighbors and fellow bloggers in Minneapolis are welcome. If you would like directions and time please email me at <a href="mailto:ssetzer@athomeapartments.com">ssetzer@athomeapartments.com</a> We'd love to meet you!Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-23884551282364755862009-06-15T10:31:00.000-07:002009-06-15T10:48:37.019-07:00The Fence Is Halfway There!I Finished sanding, staining and polying all of the woodwork on the fireplace, archway, window and DR baseboard. It looks amazing! Since I got all of this complete, I decided to paint the firsplace a charcoal/ flynt color. It looks really good. The couches don't really flow with it but we plan on replacing those this winter. Check out how nicely everything cam out:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2560.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2560.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2561.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2561.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />Since we were putting up the fence I decided to complete the landscape along the front side of it. It's so cute! I planted some red gnome dogwoods and echinaceas. The dogwoods should get pretty big. I bought the smallest ones available since everything else has taken off so much. I can't wait for them to grow- exciting. What do you think about the pattern of the fence?<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2558.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2558.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2559.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2559.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2557.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2557.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-45790104735952645922009-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:002009-06-08T11:34:46.161-07:00What was I thinking?Minneapolis has been rainy and cold the past few days. However, it really screwed up my staining last weekend. Let me rephrase that- I screwed up the staining last weekend. So I don't know if I posted about this yet, but I decided to sand the last unrefinished baseboard in the dining room, the archway leading into it, the fireplace and the window next to it. Yeah- quite a bit of work but I am definitely a pro at this point, not to toot my own horn or anything (toot).<br /><br />I stained all of the woodwork and it typically needs to dry about 6-8 hours in good drying condition and 24 hours in cold or damp weather. I had a few drinks with some friends last night, came home at 10:00pm and decided to put the first coat of poly on before bed. It's not horrible but in some places alot of the stain came off and it's streaky. Shit. Now I have to resand those areas. I am so bummed. No more working after drinking! Here are some before pictures of the sanded area. <br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2545.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2545.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2544.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2544.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br />I'll put up some after pictures once my mistake and the poly is complete.<br /><br />Check out how great our landscape is looking:<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2540.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2540.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2541.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2541.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br /><br />Since the weather was so bad this weekend Quentin installed a garbage disposal rather than working on the fence. However the majority of the fence is framed. We're getting there! We also have a new foster dog. His name is Simon and he is so cute. He follows me everywhere and always wants to sleep on me. He's sooo cute. Here is a photo of him with Tito and Roscoe when we we're having nice weather last week.<br /><a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/?action=view&current=DSCN2535.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d181/shaneboy6/DSCN2535.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a>Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411327444851564516.post-4423087951187410192009-05-26T12:56:00.000-07:002009-05-26T12:58:48.212-07:00The posts are complete!Hopefully this weekend we will begin building the fence panels. It looks so good. I can't wait to have a fenced yard to enjoy. Other than that we are still plugging away at patching up a few unfinished small items. The house is really coming together. I love it. I couldn't have found a better hobbie to put my time and energy into.Domesticatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057069562568277377noreply@blogger.com1