Return to two working bathrooms

The plumbers came today to correct the leaky shutoff valve and replaced it. They also noted that the larger problem is that the toliet base has some wiggle to it. The floor in the bathroom is not level, as there is a rise in the concrete slab in the Norwest corner of the bathroom. Therefore, the toliet doesn't sit flat on the floor, and gives a little when you ascend the throne. The plumbers suggested that they lift the stool and reset it, replacing the wax ring and adding shims. And since the slight thrill of feeling like I might fall everytime I sat is gone, I agreed.

And my dad will be happy to know that, per our home inspector's suggestion, the plumbers also installed the drop tube on our water heater (though it may actually be called a t/p joint. Still haven't figured that out yet.)

Ruminations

1.) I'm thinking of painting our office-slash-computer room, shown below (viewed from the living room), green.


One of these greens. Something that would match the pear in the argon or the olive in the oxygen.
Or, a shade lighter than the green shown in the Greg Stones print, below.



I'm letting the idea marinade for awhile because this sounds like one I might regret in six months.

2. J and I would really like to improve the smaller bathroom. The floor is our least favorite part of the the bathroom because it is a color of yellow that defies accurate description. Thus, the floor is very good place to start.

We were browing the Super Menards last weekend, and saw self-adhesive laminate tiles. We calculated that it would take about $50 of tile to cover the bathroom, plus the cost of leveling compound. We're picked out a couple of samples, see below. I think I like the colors in the one on the left better, but I wish it were lighter like the one on the right.


Then, we realized that if were going to install new tile and have to yank the trim anyway, that we might as well sand the trim and repaint it. No problem, I have all that stuff, just need to buy some trim nails ($10, if that.)

Then, we realized that we would probably have to take out and remount the toliet to install the tiles. And since the toliet is white and doesn't match the rest of the bathroom and I'd like a low-flow to save water, we might as well buy a new toliet too ($160+, in "bone" color to match the shower and the sink).


But, if we're replacing the toliet, well, heck, we may as well replace the cabinet under the sink. We can keep the sink since it's of decent and durable material and remount it on a new cabinet and plus install a new faucet. (And this is where I quit estimating the costs.)


But, if were doing all that, we should get a new medicine cabinet that matches the cabinet. Plus we'd like a bigger one, because solving the storage problems in the bathroom would be a major victory.


And of course, if we buy a new medicine cabinet, we'd need new lighting to replace the only source of artificial light in the room. We'd like to replace the fan on the ceiling with a light/fan combo, and then put in nifty curio lights near the medicine cabinet.


As you can see, the $50 "let's replace the floors" project has become a near-complete remodel. I can't decide if we're better off with the above plan, or gutting the whole thing and starting from scratch.

Blue paint and a birdfeeder.

In honor of Groundhog Day.

Here's the new paint in the "big" bathroom. We painted the cabinet white, too. I still have touch-up work to do at the ceiling and a few spots where the tape tore the paint.

I think I like the color, but I wish there was less of it. Maybe crown molding at the ceiling? Or wainscoting on the bottom half of the walls?

And thanks to Ben and Missy for the birdfeeder. Emma likes it too, because it brings the tasty-looking birdies closer to her spot in front of the French doors.

Well, I'll be darned.

It DOES snow here. I was starting to wonder.

View outside my office this morning.

Paint and a Leak

Our current project is painting the bathrooms. After priming the "Lettuce Alone" bathroom in November, we took a break for the holidays and travel, but it's time to finish up the project.

The main bathroom is now "Roadster Blue," a deep sky blue color, chosen to match the color of the sky in our photos of Rocky Mountain National Park. The paint feels like a drastic change, and I'm still getting used to it, but I think I'm going to like it once the touch-ups are done. We also painted the trim, the door, and the cabinets (plus new hardware). Painting the trim made a big difference. Using my best observation and deduction skills, I think the trim history is as follows: 1.) bathroom carpet installed, and carpet is glued to trim; 2.) carpet is removed, possibly in a water-related event, which requires removal of the trim; 3.) laminate flooring is installed, and old trim is recycled. Whoever reinstalled the trim did not fill nailholes or paint, so the trim really needed a facelift.

The smaller bathroom is "Oatlands Subtle Taupe," a latte or mocha color. Since the flooring, cabinet, sink, shower, and toliet are all from different eras and don't match, I tried to pick a color that would tie everything together. The paint essentially matches everything except the flooring, and the color unfortunately makes it look even more yellow. Ugh.

Non sequitur alert: Darnit. The Cyclones just lost a close one.

So. the bathrooms are still in need of an overhaul, but new paint helps.

The leak in the title is a leak in the small bathroom. I'd noticed a couple of weeks ago that there was water dripping from the toliet shut-off valve. It was a slow leak and hadn't worried about it much yet. Regular mopping did the trick and Emma the Cat really liked her new source of water.
Sometime last night the slow leak became a significant leak. I realized what happened when I stepped into the closet this morning, which is right behind the bathroom, and the carpet was soaked.

The valve is attached by solder to the inlet, so I can't (easily) remove it to figure what isn't sealing, and the packing nut won't budge. That, and the fact that Jason and I can't agree which valve is the main shut off valve for the water to the house, and when we tested (anticipating an emergency) both valves, neither valve turned off the water to the house. Yup, we're in over our heads on this one. Oh well, it's probably time to make friends with a plumber.

A new year, a new attitude towards the fireplace

Yesterday we gave the fireplace a second chance, and after a good burn, the woodsmoke smell is gone. Dunno whether we finally burned away whatever it was the smelled or if the big H that is currently floating on top of our house had something to do with it, but the fireplace has redeemed itself.

We didn't spend the entire weekend lounging in front of the non-smelly fireplace, however. The Christmas tree was stripped bare, ornaments stowed, and hauled away. I installed a broom/swiffer hanging thingy in our kitchen closet yesterday. Best $7.52 we've spent so far on the house. J bought a shephard's hook and installed our new birdfeeder next to the patio. And I installed two-thirds of the outdoor solar lights that we received.

I'll have no photos for several weeks. I left my camera in my mom's car and I can't retrieve it right now. D'oh.

Christmas Decorating 3. Thank you Patti and Jon!

Look what arrived at our house today:
I love these sorts of things. Patti has a wonderful hand at this. I like it so much that it's going to stay on the dining room table until, oh, spring, at least.

And Owen, of course, loved the circles.

Christmas Decorating. 2. Tree and Lamppost

And here is what I did with the lamppost in our front yard. Not much, but I think it helps.

The Christening of the Fireplace

After having the fireplace and chimney inspected a few weeks ago, we had our first burn last weekend. My dad, visiting with my mom in honor of Owen's birthday, was there to help us through the process.
It worked well, and Dad managed to mostly burn through two big pieces of petrified wood that were left by the previous owners. However, using the fireplace makes the whole house smoky-smelling, for, like, days. And since I associate the smell of smoke with morning sickness and smog chamber experiments at a previous university, we have a problem (well, I have a problem). I hope that there is some leak-fixit that can be done to the chimney. Another item on our long list of projects.

But it was quite cozy, as you can see from my view, sitting in the rocking chair next the fireplace.

Christmas Decorating. 1. The Fire Place Mantel

I snipped evergreen limbs from the yard, threw them on the mantel, added candles and some fake plastic fruit. I can't tell if it looks like cozy ensemble or a mess, but it's festive.

I also had placed our stockings on the mantel, via heavy iron stocking holders. There were there long enough for O to show me that he is just tall enough to grab the stocking, but not long enough for the logical conclusion to stocking grabbing to occur (that is, pulling down the stocking, carrying the cast iron holder with it, and crashing onto his head).

I'm perplexed with how to accessorize this part of our living room. The fireplace looks unbalanced to me. Starting at the top, the ceiling comes to a point on the right side of the center line of the fireplace. And then the left side of the fireplace is bricked, but the right side is sheetrock. And then there's the hearth; it extends on the right, but not on the left. Plus, I have a scale problem with many of the accessories I have, as in, they were purchased for decorating small apartments of our grad school years.

So, when I try to accessorize this area in a traditional way, it just looks weird and even more unbalanced. I need to embrace the asymmetry, but I'm out of ideas.

Two-year old in the house

(Those are supposed to be circles, which is his very favorite thing in the whole world. They became blobs, unfortunately; poor icing technique on my part.)
But really, it would have been simpler to give him a can of chocolate frosting.

Be gone, "Lettuce Alone"

This week, J and I learned what people working an academic schedule do when classes are not in session and they think they have free time the night before Thanksgiving Day.

They paint.

The second bathroom, before:

The second bathroom, after:

This is just the primer. I think we'll paint this an off-white at some point. We're just glad to have the green "Lettuce Alone" paint color covered.

Entry foyer, in "Tea Stain", egg shell finish. We painted the hallway the same. It's a subtle, a taupe/grey color.The green door needs to go. Maybe two shades darker than the walls?

Lighting Dilemma

This is the lighting fixture on the ceiling in our entry foyer.What do you do when one half of the voting household thinks this is hideous and the other half loves it, because it is "antiquey looking"? Especially when that half who loves it is the one doing the electrical work?

Mutant Tree

This is the sweet gum tree in our front yard. It was the first tree to begin changing colors and will be the last to loose its leaves. Notice the right side of the tree? That side has been a nice maroon color for about a month now, with little leaf loss. The rest of the tree started changing to yellow a few days ago.

There are other sweet gums in the neighborhood, but they're either all yellow or all maroon. Strange.

The Master To-Do List*

Bedroom #1
paint done, 7/06
install ceiling fan done, 4/07
fix dead outlet

Bedroom #2
paint done, 7/06, first thing to go. It was dark brown. With inspirational quotes written in metallic paint. Hideous.
install ceiling fan done, 3/07

Bedroom #3
paint done, 7/06
install ceiling fan done, 06/07
fix dead outlet

Bathroom #1
paint done, 01/07 except trim and touchups
install new cabinet, sink, mirror, and light

Bathroom #2
paint done, 01/01 except trim
level floor, install new flooring, paint trim
install new cabinet, sink(?), mirror/light
install new exhaust fan

Entryway and Hallway
paint walls done, 11/06
paint trim and door
fix dead outlet and switch (hmm... coincidence?)
install light
new flooring (ceramic tiles?)
paint outside of door
paint overhead outside light (done)
new house numbers, chosen for size appropriateness

Living Room/Dining Room
remove or otherwise deal with wallpaper-covered paneling (done)
paint (done)
new flooring (hardwood floors vs. laminate?)
improve lighting situation in dining room
fix dead outlets (2: one dining room, one living room)
fix dead switch (dining room)
paint overhead outside light (done 7/2007)

Office
paint (done)
enclose pass through to kitchen with bookshelf
wall off and install French doors
new flooring (hardwood floors vs. laminate)
install ceiling fan?

Kitchen
remove wall paper done 7/2007)
paint done 7/2007)
change cabinet knobs
install under cabinet lighting
enclose pass through to office with mosaic tile idea

Laundry Room
paint walls, trim, and cabinets done, 3/07
change cabinet knobs, done, 3/07
install steel door to garage

Garage
Remove panelling
Install insulation and drywall
Improve shelving/storage/workbench areas and lighting
Replace garage door
Install outdoor lighting, flanking the garage door
Paint existing overhead outdoor light done 05/07
Install deck in attic
Fix dead light switch
Replace door to backyard

Frontyard
Remove two dead shrubs and replace with spiraea? (shrubs removed 8/2007, new shrubs planted 6/2008)
Build beds for shrubs South of front door, plant maple and barberry (done 10/2007)
Lampost: paint? replace? straighten?
Paint shutters
Plant something where the hostas fried near the dryer vent (done 7/2007)
Euthanize sweet gum tree and replace?

Backyard
Herb garden (done 7/2007)
De-rockify the roses and boxwoods (done 7/2007)
Create bed for shrubs South of patio (bed done 8/2007, shrub installation in progress)
Drainage?
Reseed grassless areas in lawn

*List items and prioritization subject to change to suit our whims.

Happy Halloween!

Christmas decoration ideas??

How would you decorate this lamppost for Christmas?