So I thought the knob fiasco was over. Not! We got an email today that our pull choice was on backorder until almost September. September? Really?
We deciced to call them and pray that they had the same pulls in stock with a different metal choice, so we asked for the brushed nickel instead of the polished. We were in luck. We really didn;t want to wait for them--we need a way to open drawers in the kitchen now--not in September! We want them on site when the carpenter comes to install the cabinets. They need to drill the holes and install the hardware because if we do it we will likely mess up the cabinets because we would do it wrong. What do we know about installing cabinet hardware? Uh, nothing. We're not taking any chances on these cabinets. We also didn't want to go through the hassle of choosing something different.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Knobgate 2011: Resolved!
So we finally decided on and ordered our knobs & pulls from House of Antique Hardware after much ado. Like any good married couple, we compromised. Jeff picked out the knobs he liked, and I picked out the pulls. And we're both happy--especially since I googled a coupon that saved ud 30% on our order.
Here are the knobs:
And the pulls:
We think these choices will suit our historic home and complement the white cabinetry very well.
Here are the knobs:
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| Photo from houseofantiquehardware.com Medium Fluted Glass Cabinet Knob |
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| Photo from houseofantiquehardware.com Hexagonal Crystal Drawer Pull |
DIY Flower Pots
I needed to transplant my 4 African Violets that I've managed to keep alive and thriving for 2 years now, but I've had the hardest time finding simple white ceramic planters that would fit our decor.
I started out with 2 violets that my friend Sandra gave me when her life got too hectic to take care of them. One had two babies so then I had 4--and with 3 living in one pot I had to find planters fast. I finally found these at Shoprite after searching all the garden centers and even online:
I liked that the drainage plate was built in, so I thought they were perfect. I wanted to give them a little pizazz, however, so I went to Michael's craft store to pick up some little crystals so that I could put a meaningful word on each pot. I decided on "Live," "Laugh," "Love," and "Dream." Not very original I know, but they are simple--and they are words to live by that mean a lot to me. I really like how they turned out:
With Mom's help I transplanted them. I needed her expertise because the 3 plants potted together had severe root entanglement which I have no experience with. The violets look happy now:
I started out with 2 violets that my friend Sandra gave me when her life got too hectic to take care of them. One had two babies so then I had 4--and with 3 living in one pot I had to find planters fast. I finally found these at Shoprite after searching all the garden centers and even online:
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| Before |
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Non-House Related Rant
I'm a peaceful person. But that went straight out the window today when I encountered a jerk in the Shop Rite parking lot.
It was about 90 degrees today and I was in the car for a long time sweating and waiting for Jeff to come back out of the store because my disc was bothering me badly. I saw a dog in a nearby car. The poor thing was panting heavily and pacing in the vehicle. He had been there since before I was, but I hadn't noticed him until he barked. Even though a window was cracked the dog had to be in serious distress. Idiots are STILL doing this to dogs? You would think people would know by now that a dog can die in mere minutes inside an overn-like car. This upset me so badly.
I quickly went in the store so I could get Jeff's cell to call the police. I couldn't find him! By the time I found him and got to the car to get the tag number the jerk returned. I could not bite my tongue. I knew I had no time to get the police to intervene and I just let him have it. It's very unlike me to unleash on someone. I'm very shy and reserved. But the rage I felt for this dog being put through this encouraged me to speak up. I said some not so nice words as I questioned why someone would leave a dog in a roasting hot car. No regrets. I only hope the jerk will think next time.
It was about 90 degrees today and I was in the car for a long time sweating and waiting for Jeff to come back out of the store because my disc was bothering me badly. I saw a dog in a nearby car. The poor thing was panting heavily and pacing in the vehicle. He had been there since before I was, but I hadn't noticed him until he barked. Even though a window was cracked the dog had to be in serious distress. Idiots are STILL doing this to dogs? You would think people would know by now that a dog can die in mere minutes inside an overn-like car. This upset me so badly.
I quickly went in the store so I could get Jeff's cell to call the police. I couldn't find him! By the time I found him and got to the car to get the tag number the jerk returned. I could not bite my tongue. I knew I had no time to get the police to intervene and I just let him have it. It's very unlike me to unleash on someone. I'm very shy and reserved. But the rage I felt for this dog being put through this encouraged me to speak up. I said some not so nice words as I questioned why someone would leave a dog in a roasting hot car. No regrets. I only hope the jerk will think next time.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Our Time Isn't Valuable to Anyone But Us
Ok just a general complaint: people like electricians, designers, plumbers etc. seem to have a real problem keeping to their word. Maybe I'm naive, but when a person tells you that they will have a quote/information for you by X date, then you should be able to count on that. Gone are the days when you can take people at their word I suppose.
It shouldn't take more than a week for someone to get back to you. In this economy I would think that people would be grateful for the business and treat their customers with respect. Rant over.
It shouldn't take more than a week for someone to get back to you. In this economy I would think that people would be grateful for the business and treat their customers with respect. Rant over.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Knobgate 2011
Ugh. Mama said there'd be days like this... The past week has been a blur of making plans, phone calls, waiting on quotes, and general panic about when will SOMETHING get done in the house. We knew this would be difficult. We just didn't know the extent.
With the chaos surrounding us right now it is surprising that something so seemingly innocuous and small is at the heart of a great debate in this marriage (dun Dun DUN *cue the foreboding music). What tiny little thing could this be? Kitchen cabinet knobs of course!
In an incident that shall from now on be referred to as Knobgate, Jeff and I locked horns while attempting to choose exactly the right knobs for the exact and perfect cabinetry we spent hours choosing--and the biggest hunk of our budget spent upon. Er...Gigantic, actually. See, I narrowed down our choices based on my sense of what would look really nice. It's a choice that will effect the aesthetics of our kitchen, so it requires thoughtful consideration. However, if I had known the trouble to befall me and my better half I might have simply ordered the knobs that I liked best rather than to open the can of worms that was unleashed into our lives.
Knobgate began when I brought up the choices on the computer and rather than looking at the style and material of the knobs Jeff was only interested in which was the cheapest. AUUUuuuuuuuuuggggh! He's such a guy. This started a nearly 2 hour and exhausting debate in which Jeff's voice went all hypernasal as it tends to become when he gets excited about something; excited in a negative way, mind you. Apparently the choices were the knobs that broke the camel's back because he was adamant that the knobs I liked best weren't worth the money. Jeff isn't a very strong camel. Ok. So then he went into all sorts of nerdy histrionics about budget this and budget that and there was a tornado of Looney Tune's Tazmanian Devil inaudible utterings as he unleashed all of his renovation frustrations at once. All of this over knobs!
So I comforted him and we discussed the projects at hand and finally narrowed our choices down (throwing out the very nice crystal knobs I chose) and decided to allow the deciding vote to go to our designer, and we are still waiting for an opinion. In the end I was swayed to his way of thinking. In the end, are the knobs really that important? Nah. I wish I wasn't so particular about things, but Jeff is the most important thing in the world to me and his feelings are paramount to me. His happiness is my priority. It's just kind of funny that we agreed on all the big stuff and then disagreed over little knobs;-)
We'll see what decision is made. Stay tuned!
With the chaos surrounding us right now it is surprising that something so seemingly innocuous and small is at the heart of a great debate in this marriage (dun Dun DUN *cue the foreboding music). What tiny little thing could this be? Kitchen cabinet knobs of course!
In an incident that shall from now on be referred to as Knobgate, Jeff and I locked horns while attempting to choose exactly the right knobs for the exact and perfect cabinetry we spent hours choosing--and the biggest hunk of our budget spent upon. Er...Gigantic, actually. See, I narrowed down our choices based on my sense of what would look really nice. It's a choice that will effect the aesthetics of our kitchen, so it requires thoughtful consideration. However, if I had known the trouble to befall me and my better half I might have simply ordered the knobs that I liked best rather than to open the can of worms that was unleashed into our lives.
Knobgate began when I brought up the choices on the computer and rather than looking at the style and material of the knobs Jeff was only interested in which was the cheapest. AUUUuuuuuuuuuggggh! He's such a guy. This started a nearly 2 hour and exhausting debate in which Jeff's voice went all hypernasal as it tends to become when he gets excited about something; excited in a negative way, mind you. Apparently the choices were the knobs that broke the camel's back because he was adamant that the knobs I liked best weren't worth the money. Jeff isn't a very strong camel. Ok. So then he went into all sorts of nerdy histrionics about budget this and budget that and there was a tornado of Looney Tune's Tazmanian Devil inaudible utterings as he unleashed all of his renovation frustrations at once. All of this over knobs!
So I comforted him and we discussed the projects at hand and finally narrowed our choices down (throwing out the very nice crystal knobs I chose) and decided to allow the deciding vote to go to our designer, and we are still waiting for an opinion. In the end I was swayed to his way of thinking. In the end, are the knobs really that important? Nah. I wish I wasn't so particular about things, but Jeff is the most important thing in the world to me and his feelings are paramount to me. His happiness is my priority. It's just kind of funny that we agreed on all the big stuff and then disagreed over little knobs;-)
We'll see what decision is made. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Discoveries at the House
When I finally went to bed at 6 a.m. Jeff was still half asleep. I started talking to him as I often do about the million things that race around in my brain that keep me from sleeping like a normal person. Must be terrible to be married to me! My head was full of ideas about the house and everything around it. My attentions had turned toward the landscaping as everyone I know is giving us plants and trees and wanting to know when we can plant them. Uh... we haven't even figured out the inside of this place yet. We are grateful for the gestures, however. Anyway I was thinking about my favorite trees and flowers and got stuck on the intoxicating scent and beauty of peony flowers. They're my favorite! I excitedly asked Jeff still in half-slumber, "Can we get some peonies? Please, please peonies!?" He was less than enthusiastic and muttered "I sleep."
We had to meet with our electrician today and what did I discover when we went over to the house this afternoon? PEONIES!
And lots of them! I was so happy to see them--yet unbloomed and petals tightly wound in a ball so sweet even the little ants can't resist. We also have a purple azalea that is in bloom.
Emerson wrote, "The Earth laughs in flowers." I think he was right:-)
So onto less pleasant things... the living room looks like a warehouse for boxes. Well, it kind of is actually. The cabinetry is taking up the space right now.
I was happy to discover that there are a lot of ornate hinges original to the house. I hope that we can get the paint off of them and keep them. You just don't see charming details like this anymore.
We had to meet with our electrician today and what did I discover when we went over to the house this afternoon? PEONIES!
So onto less pleasant things... the living room looks like a warehouse for boxes. Well, it kind of is actually. The cabinetry is taking up the space right now.
I'm glad it's here so I can catch a glimpse of something brand new amidst all of this chaos and dust.
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| Here's one of the cabinet doors that will be on the base lazy susan cabinet. I wonder who Susan was and why she was so lazy. I'm glad she was! Now I will have an easier time storing things. |
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| This is some of the filler detail work. I think it's so pretty! |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Plumbing
Today was a meeting with the plumber. He shut off the water valve for us and gave us some valuable information about moving some of the plumbing. We're glad to learn that our system can handle a whirlpool bathtub--something I miss very much from our old house:
I LOVED that tub and bathroom. The one in the new house is bigger, but I loved that the old one was new and finished. I loved the way Jeff & I decorated it with a nature-inspired theme. Not sure when I'll be finished the new one.
Ok, so I am feeling a little nostalgic about the old house right now. Living in limbo for over a year and a half can do that to you, especially when there is rubble and very little progress to see in the new house. Taking a long, hot soak and letting the bubbles soothe my burning back would be very welcome right now. Sigh...
I know that all the headaches we have now will be worth it in the end though. We want to move the location of the tub so that it becomes the focal point of the room. We want to center it below a window. In shopping for tubs I was surprised to see all the new features available now. Take chromotherapy for instance; you can soak in whatever color water you like now. I'll admit that when I first learned of this I thought it was kinda silly--cool nevertheless. Now I think I'd probably really enjoy it though. As an artist I am very influenced by color, and some colors do relax you or energize you. Talking Jeff into something so "silly" might take some time LOL.
That's a decision for another day though. I don't think that we'll be able to renovate the master bath right away, but the plumber can set it up so that we can do it later without much hassle. We were concerned that we'd have to tear up something we've renovated downstairs in the kitchen since the bathroom is directly above the kitchen and dining room.
Really missing our old bathroom. I can't wait to have a new tub!
I LOVED that tub and bathroom. The one in the new house is bigger, but I loved that the old one was new and finished. I loved the way Jeff & I decorated it with a nature-inspired theme. Not sure when I'll be finished the new one.
I know that all the headaches we have now will be worth it in the end though. We want to move the location of the tub so that it becomes the focal point of the room. We want to center it below a window. In shopping for tubs I was surprised to see all the new features available now. Take chromotherapy for instance; you can soak in whatever color water you like now. I'll admit that when I first learned of this I thought it was kinda silly--cool nevertheless. Now I think I'd probably really enjoy it though. As an artist I am very influenced by color, and some colors do relax you or energize you. Talking Jeff into something so "silly" might take some time LOL.
That's a decision for another day though. I don't think that we'll be able to renovate the master bath right away, but the plumber can set it up so that we can do it later without much hassle. We were concerned that we'd have to tear up something we've renovated downstairs in the kitchen since the bathroom is directly above the kitchen and dining room.
Really missing our old bathroom. I can't wait to have a new tub!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
They Say It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better...
...And that it's darkest just before the dawn. I hope whoever "they" are that they are right. Lots of kitchen demolition over the weekend. We were lucky to be able to get some things done considering last week we had a major setback. Jeff was the passenger in a rear-end collision and was taken to the hospital with dizziness, and neck/soft tissue injuries. He is feeling much better now, and he was lucky--it could have been much worse. The cars took the brunt of it. One was totaled:-(
So I've been taking lots of "Before" shots on complete faith that there will--eventually--be lots of "After" shots to show our completed projects. I think I will be taking some "During" shots too to show the progress...er, regression. Below is the wall we're removing to open the house up.
This is the Before Demolition picture of the wall to be removed. This view is from the dining room.
38 trash bags were hauled away, and we're not done yet.
We've also taken meetings and finalizing window purchase and been taking care of the 1 1/2 acres of new Spring growth simultaneously. Very busy! One very nice thing is that one of our new neighbors stopped over with a dinner basket for us with a complete meal of pasta, salad, fresh fruit, and a beautiful chocolate cake. That really touched our hearts! It's a rare thing these days when total strangers will go out of their way to make you feel welcome that way. We lived at our townhome for over 6 years and barely got to know any of our hundreds of neighbors. That makes me a bit sad. I wish I wasn't as shy and reclusive as I am. I'm trying to work on that.
Anyway, next week it's meetings with the plumber, drywall expert, and electrician. Things are moving along. I also got a glimpse of our cabinetry which has been delivered (and taking up our entire living room). That is the impetus which drives the hard work now--it is absolutely gorgeous!
So I've been taking lots of "Before" shots on complete faith that there will--eventually--be lots of "After" shots to show our completed projects. I think I will be taking some "During" shots too to show the progress...er, regression. Below is the wall we're removing to open the house up.
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| This is the Before picture of the other side of the wall to be removed. View from the inside of the kitchen. |
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| The wall is coming down! |
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| Notice the green Excedrine Migraine bottle laying amidst the chaos. We all need it after dealing with this mess all day! Upper cabinets gone. We need a plumber's help to remove the base cabinets around the sink because of a water valve issue. |
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| Look at all of that dust. What a mess! I hope this will all be worth it. I can already see how much more open and airy the house will be. |
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| Jeff's a madman with TWO hammers LOL. Screaming will probably be a daily occurance until this work is done. |
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| Anyone need a fridge? This one works. Any takers? You haul! |
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| Anyone need a flat top stove? The new stove is going along the wall to the left. |
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| Dishwasher is up for grabs too! I am NOT liking the look of the kitchen in the middle of demo! This window will be doubled and turned into a picture window. |
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| The new stove will be where the window is. Right now it is in a warehouse somewhere just waiting to be delivered and finally used to create meals. |
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| Cleanup was h-e-double hockey sticks. Thankful for my sister Sheila for her assistance. |
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| Demo is kinda dangerous (said with my best Crocodile Hunter accent) |
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| Wherever you look there is a mess. |
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| Here's the "planter" in the back yard. We never realized that it was there to conceal a giant tree stump. Not really liking the look of this tractor wheel. I'd like it to be gone. Along with the conspicuously located stump. Sigh... |
We've also taken meetings and finalizing window purchase and been taking care of the 1 1/2 acres of new Spring growth simultaneously. Very busy! One very nice thing is that one of our new neighbors stopped over with a dinner basket for us with a complete meal of pasta, salad, fresh fruit, and a beautiful chocolate cake. That really touched our hearts! It's a rare thing these days when total strangers will go out of their way to make you feel welcome that way. We lived at our townhome for over 6 years and barely got to know any of our hundreds of neighbors. That makes me a bit sad. I wish I wasn't as shy and reclusive as I am. I'm trying to work on that.
Anyway, next week it's meetings with the plumber, drywall expert, and electrician. Things are moving along. I also got a glimpse of our cabinetry which has been delivered (and taking up our entire living room). That is the impetus which drives the hard work now--it is absolutely gorgeous!
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