tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66238122472376179922024-03-05T13:10:08.640-08:00theunintendedarchitectthe unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-43075869666214938162017-05-25T19:00:00.000-07:002017-05-26T10:17:43.969-07:00Nobody Got Hurt: A Reflection on Book Design & Self-publishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEzek8F3JtfNVEeIwFT1o0ibUK0Tw_5MXIDqoVBelc2uqH1F2PKHbdQudliUrkgJd4pTqgRFfSbYCcB2crEQJib5fOxLwfi2tvuzaNXmsCV7DXm-bqsntsGkPlrH1WPkxJnMeQuqF5IQr/s1600/Nobody+Got+Hurt+book+mock-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEzek8F3JtfNVEeIwFT1o0ibUK0Tw_5MXIDqoVBelc2uqH1F2PKHbdQudliUrkgJd4pTqgRFfSbYCcB2crEQJib5fOxLwfi2tvuzaNXmsCV7DXm-bqsntsGkPlrH1WPkxJnMeQuqF5IQr/s320/Nobody+Got+Hurt+book+mock-up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It started out with a simple phone call. During my initial client meeting, I had many questions but the main one was,<br />
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"How many pages do you anticipate the finished book to be?"<br />
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When the response was,<br />
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"I really have no idea."<br />
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I thought that's a pretty open-ended answer but, ok, I can work with that. We both agreed that we would work from the estimate that it would end up being a 300 page book. In the end, it turned out to be just under 200 pages so at least we didn't guess terribly under!<br />
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I laid out some basics to get started but, to be sure, I had no delusions that this would be a simple project. I kept thinking that this would turn out to take more time than either of us expected--many months of work to be exact.<br />
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My client was looking to compile all the material written as a biography by her late husband whom she loved dearly. Her husband was a well-known dentist who practiced in the local community for over three decades. However, though he was well-known, my client felt that he had led such an interesting life outside of dentistry and that those life stories should be shared. She encouraged him to write the book and together they both researched and gathered information for it. So, it was a very personal project for her to which I saw as an opportunity to not only help her achieve this goal but provide some additional closure.<br />
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My estimation of my time involved in the initial page layout and design drafts resulting from the giant black binder was at least close enough to be useful. However, this did not account for all of re-typing involved for both the hand-written and missing digital copy content for inclusion. In fact, only a very small amount of digital content (less than twenty pages worth) was actually provided to me that didn't need re-typing. Since the author is no longer living, locating the original digital files proved to be unsuccessful.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uG4V6Sq1DrauEa3BPz_2US6em3W14GbARQFtmnxpYitXWwqNKrdRKCpk7ZryGmigVkcCwEPhMTRRalpu4LQHLU39KgLPrf8mIiUk6f8XiGjJYPSdjNYAwjE_e5PcxU4Wjq2A1iFmMxPi/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uG4V6Sq1DrauEa3BPz_2US6em3W14GbARQFtmnxpYitXWwqNKrdRKCpk7ZryGmigVkcCwEPhMTRRalpu4LQHLU39KgLPrf8mIiUk6f8XiGjJYPSdjNYAwjE_e5PcxU4Wjq2A1iFmMxPi/s320/IMG_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original typed and hand-written manuscripts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So, the first major step of the project was to re-type 90% of what was given to me. Glad my typing skills were in good shape! In addition to digitizing the copy, numerous versions and drafts of stories, sections and chapters existed in similar forms. These needed to be sifted, read, and re-read to ensure the entirety and clarity of the content was included and left fully intact. Together, my client and I compared, re-ordered and re-arranged all of the writings to get it just right. This happened over several months but, after much patience, it was all sifted through and we felt like things were really taking shape!<br />
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Along with all the writing material, there were numerous old photographs, articles and documents that supported the stories and held significance for the author to include. They also needed digitized. From old family portraits to newspaper articles, I carefully scanned and re-touched them all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcPUsYBvOgrz80RRSFzyNIXBkFL8R8fxXzOTLAOwDdVJFgtdskLehSt0cQk6LO2m27hYWzph49of3FopTyG8O3Rca-cYU3rch8uNWfeGmDaIuumf7xQdgb4PGxl771eXCKRzHFAVOIUJ_/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcPUsYBvOgrz80RRSFzyNIXBkFL8R8fxXzOTLAOwDdVJFgtdskLehSt0cQk6LO2m27hYWzph49of3FopTyG8O3Rca-cYU3rch8uNWfeGmDaIuumf7xQdgb4PGxl771eXCKRzHFAVOIUJ_/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author's family portraits and photographs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZhQ-sVGd8RKta2VQDFQ7o9hjOKPv9EEdYnKjVEY3bvAojiipj6us2lMYBioFA73aEhf-8STaDG4FVrDVay5tHRyiJL8Fkl5J9cSmvy_JG4dqdeZTPIkumHwmzHRVjFIUXj7Z63w0TcFl/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZhQ-sVGd8RKta2VQDFQ7o9hjOKPv9EEdYnKjVEY3bvAojiipj6us2lMYBioFA73aEhf-8STaDG4FVrDVay5tHRyiJL8Fkl5J9cSmvy_JG4dqdeZTPIkumHwmzHRVjFIUXj7Z63w0TcFl/s320/IMG_0029.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby photo of author (ca. 1932)</td></tr>
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From there, they needed placed with accompanying captions into the pages to coincide with the appropriate chapters, stories and writings. Once all of the images were placed and in order, the book was really looking more complete!<br />
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After reading the writings over and over, I really started to get a feel for the author's life--his values and his adventures. I particularly enjoyed reading the letters written by himself and his siblings when stationed overseas and elsewhere during World War II. What real, amazing and sad experiences.<br />
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I also enjoyed the quotes tied to each chapter and interjected into different portions of stories. A few of my favorites being:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest.</i>” <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">― </span><span style="font-family: "lato" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Dorothy Canfield Fisher</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>At the punch-bowl's brink, let the thirsty think what they say in Japan: first the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man.</i>”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery</i>.” –Jean-jacques Rousseau</blockquote>
I never knew the author prior to his passing a couple years ago but after reading through the raw, personal and honest writing of this rough-and-tumble cowboy turned dentist I got good insight into who he was.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6-9fGsUnbAKw4DWAd1-bqGVs0_2aNML5tFhIn2dakBnbBK76XlX1qtOook1Yz_Tq1JnskLu1m1H73gMNDQSvjcQUx4DIAJ_1ni8AT4KkMGGwCaUniebHHJeXkMwupTQIEIXJT1A77TDv/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6-9fGsUnbAKw4DWAd1-bqGVs0_2aNML5tFhIn2dakBnbBK76XlX1qtOook1Yz_Tq1JnskLu1m1H73gMNDQSvjcQUx4DIAJ_1ni8AT4KkMGGwCaUniebHHJeXkMwupTQIEIXJT1A77TDv/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial front, spine and back cover design proof</td></tr>
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This immersion in the stories allowed me to design the overall page layout from cover to cover to really fit the tone and intent of the book. My client also had a particular photo of the author that she wanted to include on the cover in some form. When I presented the first design draft of the cover, my client said it brought her to tears to see it. Whew! (as well as an honor to hear)<br />
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At the same time as the cover proof, a first draft proof of all of the inside pages was ready.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9DWZ-FMEuKNNKWDVekipp_ap2WjqKbV8UkiiMw1nbGf4w2-BpvBDNbovRxm00V0_cOu9IrID0oZ_PDsuGMs2mdgvAfjrqjFdECc0997ZtV4301JeLO8ORQ-8nj2zCyAOxjOQB5TbxNqn/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9DWZ-FMEuKNNKWDVekipp_ap2WjqKbV8UkiiMw1nbGf4w2-BpvBDNbovRxm00V0_cOu9IrID0oZ_PDsuGMs2mdgvAfjrqjFdECc0997ZtV4301JeLO8ORQ-8nj2zCyAOxjOQB5TbxNqn/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof of inside pages</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once we got to this point, it was round after round of more editing and revising. Back and forth I went to my client's home to discuss changes and edits. Thankfully, it wasn't a very far drive so I got familiar with the view!<br />
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When we were finally both satisfied with all the changes, it was time to publish and print. So, now what was once a box of unorganized photos and papers was a finished book!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs0itKwDUN-iF8_T_SXx7LBXVOWJZK7Nb5XOsd8ZW3nRqi1lcQcD7i8wBVXpnoc6WRNugTZeekQsuGBNgl9s5EzT9Jl33Itdg-HWM_Kz2YsMqb5s2oMF-nd0xC3S7e5eHHaIx1wacmfLT/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs0itKwDUN-iF8_T_SXx7LBXVOWJZK7Nb5XOsd8ZW3nRqi1lcQcD7i8wBVXpnoc6WRNugTZeekQsuGBNgl9s5EzT9Jl33Itdg-HWM_Kz2YsMqb5s2oMF-nd0xC3S7e5eHHaIx1wacmfLT/s320/IMG_0032.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original book content and materials</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97Svessv8tR_oV8jeLQu-It1Gngclxb9S7JDljBcR_4LyWxqb43x2rsAm0uKlxtV74F1On2-CBAsOFTXtdC3ISpdJuwQswmtqSph6LIwEsaxwqgh_JhB3vEipL-QRNEbbqE39JJ9vL7LN/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97Svessv8tR_oV8jeLQu-It1Gngclxb9S7JDljBcR_4LyWxqb43x2rsAm0uKlxtV74F1On2-CBAsOFTXtdC3ISpdJuwQswmtqSph6LIwEsaxwqgh_JhB3vEipL-QRNEbbqE39JJ9vL7LN/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished, printed copies</td></tr>
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<br />
Something my client kept saying to me throughout the process was that many people have stories about their lives and experiences that only a very few ever hear or sometimes others don't even know about. And once that person is gone, so are the stories.<br />
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Very few people take the time to write them down. She felt strongly that it is beneficial to do that. Judging from the response to her distribution of copies, she is right. A few months after delivering the books she called to let me know what a fantastic response she received from those that received one. She even thought she might need to order more.<br />
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Thanking me again, she shared what a success it had been. She said it really surprised her since she really didn't know what to expect. In her words, "I had no idea it was going to go over this big."<br />
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While the thanks for helping design and publish this book is certainly gratifying, it is really the willingness and effort of the author to write and share his life story with others and the dedication of his wife to complete the publishing process that readers are connecting with.<br />
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So, in case you are wondering what it takes to successfully self-publish a book, I think that though there are many different aspects and lots of time involved, I think the best way to describe it would be patience, tenacity and a whole lot of heart. While I didn't author any portion of this book, I am happy to have played a part in the process.<br />
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And throughout that process, I am also happy to say "nobody got hurt."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GOYgrKmmPSnll7cT1xR7wAtVWTzO6jF08wFiD81ibAhoCDu9CahpBbcclmagAb4IOMivOYYv-jsESvCizo6ftlH0E7ENL-pHsvXaY9u-bknGKeFuRwHsIeYho-CAN8Y-KnYrnBv3d8mx/s1600/back+cover+mock-up+with+enlarged+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GOYgrKmmPSnll7cT1xR7wAtVWTzO6jF08wFiD81ibAhoCDu9CahpBbcclmagAb4IOMivOYYv-jsESvCizo6ftlH0E7ENL-pHsvXaY9u-bknGKeFuRwHsIeYho-CAN8Y-KnYrnBv3d8mx/s320/back+cover+mock-up+with+enlarged+text.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-25519294523667682922016-10-30T10:06:00.001-07:002016-10-30T10:06:17.186-07:00Foam Board...yeah!?Foam board...hmmm...not exactly an exciting topic let alone blog title. However, what IS exciting is that I am far removed from the process that occurred around this same time 6 years ago. Fall was in full swing and the phrase "winter is coming" that surrounds the now popular Game of Thrones home of House Stark, "Winterfell" would be an appropriate one as my husband and I feverishly worked to finish several home exterior jobs before the snow fell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1NZsAqQTJSB_5KxUiPqACrgkqSQCRIhy8X-sNXDu0CVxNF9ZBgrj9Vwq9_THJoLmVsfguVhdUWuBVcdAnazFkE4QUgbnoa_SiicILUIcCOKMCwYe_GvjNWM00l8KgSt3SQ9RWTJJ-V5A/s1600/foamboard+117+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1NZsAqQTJSB_5KxUiPqACrgkqSQCRIhy8X-sNXDu0CVxNF9ZBgrj9Vwq9_THJoLmVsfguVhdUWuBVcdAnazFkE4QUgbnoa_SiicILUIcCOKMCwYe_GvjNWM00l8KgSt3SQ9RWTJJ-V5A/s320/foamboard+117+015.jpg" width="320" /></a>To say it was a difficult job is not entirely accurate as the actual process of adding foam board insulation to the exterior of our house was not exactly hard. However, the fact that together with my husband, we covered every exterior face of our house completely by ourselves after our typical 8-hour regular work day did not make it a fast or easy job. Combined with the fact that we needed to tear off the current, original old siding and repair a few places beforehand also complicated the matter. So, as our usual reconstruction process unfolded, several deconstruction steps had to be completed first, allowing us to get to the actual job we were intending to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVhd0tYC9oPCxevcheV-_psVjb17slkI-cSuDvjS4T2vUXKZvGCBsk2lpiezXtRay0K0wkxlaUNwMbvjcJsx4yLv8DfHkGVxkjwQ7ncq2yrioEL8VnbWdQmEPibplA6T3ywm9XikBv_Xg/s1600/foamboard+117+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVhd0tYC9oPCxevcheV-_psVjb17slkI-cSuDvjS4T2vUXKZvGCBsk2lpiezXtRay0K0wkxlaUNwMbvjcJsx4yLv8DfHkGVxkjwQ7ncq2yrioEL8VnbWdQmEPibplA6T3ywm9XikBv_Xg/s320/foamboard+117+013.jpg" width="320" /></a>Little by little, each day we removed the old siding and repaired the base beneath so that we had a "clean" and structurally sound foundation to attach the foam board to.<br />
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That is where I kind of felt like the "fun" part began because at least we could cover up all the grunginess with something that would add much value in warmth and, to some degree, an improved exterior aesthetic. At least now it looked like we were actually trying to make this old house look like things were improving rather than just making new mess out of the original mess we started with. Plus, it also kind of made our house look like a gingerbread house. That sounded more charming in my mind than what it really was. This was helpful since our house remained in this current state all winter before we were able to finish the job of adding siding that following spring.<br />
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The installation took A LOT of foam board and A LOT of spray foam insulation cans--you know that stuff that you spray our of a can and it expands over time to triple its size. It's tough sometimes because in your mind it takes less than you would think but often when you try and gauge you overcompensate, afraid that if you don't put enough in initially it won't expand to completely fill the crevice which is the whole point, and then it expands and spills way over the original space, often makes a big mess and generally wastes a lot of the product.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupNSs27JAbdTQS3Wsq-gKYhtJWyxbBQsxXy73uAntsFtCJy0KeA9nvvtGaxMO4IaJebzrnyeUk5BBkBVfOQjRpDtTILQ52_gAbZgIY-or48Wvf1UXM-3zlX_-dZG42frewpz3F5OWbeq5/s1600/foamboard+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupNSs27JAbdTQS3Wsq-gKYhtJWyxbBQsxXy73uAntsFtCJy0KeA9nvvtGaxMO4IaJebzrnyeUk5BBkBVfOQjRpDtTILQ52_gAbZgIY-or48Wvf1UXM-3zlX_-dZG42frewpz3F5OWbeq5/s320/foamboard+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC7wk2FygCaADBXsRnVHtOSg70sRElKGrI-jP8PzJpfXUBGu5A9zITAsoOdZwryYFMQG2zAMh2zH3pikWOZElFQ3vCYgpSAbEo00BrMVOUvv1ticIuYVUoBAzZs_Cu9ksQ0YKKxmOsJPq/s1600/foamboard+117+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJC7wk2FygCaADBXsRnVHtOSg70sRElKGrI-jP8PzJpfXUBGu5A9zITAsoOdZwryYFMQG2zAMh2zH3pikWOZElFQ3vCYgpSAbEo00BrMVOUvv1ticIuYVUoBAzZs_Cu9ksQ0YKKxmOsJPq/s320/foamboard+117+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyways, it took a lot of weeknight evenings to get everything covered and since it was late October, it started getting dark earlier and earlier until we were almost beginning work when it was completely dark. I remember going to our local home improvement store and purchasing a couple construction-type work lights just so we could keep working during the week after our regular jobs--ugghhh!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC9RcqrF49GpxxmJ-OhCtsTGU80ymhRUUyy8ZMBnJgWiVbcbC1_fu9BcRtdnipLdx0RtFERzsUS2IiUAdsP1fQUg5sEj1GS8nx3B0YiWnL_mAfDppEkWYJ69jwmOXeEnF-qQA-t3dbrXW/s1600/foamboard+11-9+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyC9RcqrF49GpxxmJ-OhCtsTGU80ymhRUUyy8ZMBnJgWiVbcbC1_fu9BcRtdnipLdx0RtFERzsUS2IiUAdsP1fQUg5sEj1GS8nx3B0YiWnL_mAfDppEkWYJ69jwmOXeEnF-qQA-t3dbrXW/s320/foamboard+11-9+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHn9rAQwh94oKFKl1Crb00jqmtrrb01rYpiEBWUEheJpXY6-tpasAVpKlCg__-a-pDRprkNXUUJ8oTJPD-pGxFl6nq5Y0BE3HuXZn1esKxvxehLJ-DctgiQEUQ80LA2w-gaJ-NHov8dAi/s1600/foamboard+117+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHn9rAQwh94oKFKl1Crb00jqmtrrb01rYpiEBWUEheJpXY6-tpasAVpKlCg__-a-pDRprkNXUUJ8oTJPD-pGxFl6nq5Y0BE3HuXZn1esKxvxehLJ-DctgiQEUQ80LA2w-gaJ-NHov8dAi/s320/foamboard+117+019.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJqhJmbsKVhdpjPZYTpjmcF1uonGPex08S7TDocevqaKv-Y1VZDXYTta6QHVfTD6S4M5hmZUvUWrr_8XFopqvztMnRc5iI8MAzMXdLhUIV-VxvFoqHXkCQloihqv8mdyvwzVGX0Roq-NK/s1600/foamboard+117+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJqhJmbsKVhdpjPZYTpjmcF1uonGPex08S7TDocevqaKv-Y1VZDXYTta6QHVfTD6S4M5hmZUvUWrr_8XFopqvztMnRc5iI8MAzMXdLhUIV-VxvFoqHXkCQloihqv8mdyvwzVGX0Roq-NK/s320/foamboard+117+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, we did get it all done over the course of a couple weeks and while I was not thrilled with the amount of time and effort it took to get everything done, I can say that during the dead of winter that followed, I was thankful that we had such a lovely protective barrier between me and the chilling cold and howling wind outside.<br />
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I can also honestly say that I occasionally still think of what is behind our siding (mostly during the winter) and can appreciate, probably a bit more than most, the many aspects to a home that are hidden out of sight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8mM4FSRjkn3KmhOpNyUq5RnRz-r4LL94VH5qMLJnDpbx8_4oU9qV-t0cF7IkE_BL19bf3vyJcOxeBdE3e-zY5dcH-Xf5NSic8-COaQCRvpe_NtgVMCyfWzMEa_HUaZz3QXhq2wx4qjry/s1600/foamboard+117+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8mM4FSRjkn3KmhOpNyUq5RnRz-r4LL94VH5qMLJnDpbx8_4oU9qV-t0cF7IkE_BL19bf3vyJcOxeBdE3e-zY5dcH-Xf5NSic8-COaQCRvpe_NtgVMCyfWzMEa_HUaZz3QXhq2wx4qjry/s320/foamboard+117+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM_Pg5eeBJsRXg8FqiSDy9bp0BHtHwST2H7UEUAXHE6gw0e991gjkhYxT6nnJkVaj8p888EIV_HKIcs7U8fitVTfj31czvFsG_aBf5v2wiTExkFLVz1EoHLkkcpQ-703Brmf8-kMqAVgY/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM_Pg5eeBJsRXg8FqiSDy9bp0BHtHwST2H7UEUAXHE6gw0e991gjkhYxT6nnJkVaj8p888EIV_HKIcs7U8fitVTfj31czvFsG_aBf5v2wiTExkFLVz1EoHLkkcpQ-703Brmf8-kMqAVgY/s320/IMG_1037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also think that while I can appreciate these aspects because of this experience, I believe that you, too, can appreciate aspects to your home that are not in plain view. Maybe it's not foam board insulation but maybe it's just the fact that there are reasons your home can function in the ways that matter to you--warm showers, baking in your oven, reading a book with your kids before bedtime. These things happen due to hidden aspects such as plumbing and wiring so that you can enjoy them.</div>
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So, to end this thought, I know that come this January, I will thoroughly enjoy a warm cup of coffee inside my cozy living room while watching the blizzard unfold outside.</div>
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-52919199932528399992016-06-25T14:08:00.001-07:002016-06-25T16:48:18.046-07:00Walls of WarmthWow, it's steamy out today so in honor of the sweat equity that I am still finding myself working on, today's post recounts what I was doing at just about this same time eight years ago. I'll say it again. Eight. Years. Ago. I can't believe it's been that long. I'm soooooo thankful we're way past that stage in our home reconstruction process.<br />
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In July eight years ago, we were actually getting to a really exciting place on the house. Installing insulation! Insulation isn't exactly fun to purchase but the significance of that step precluded a more exciting process--drywall! Ha! I'll save that tale for another time.<br />
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We were finally ready to cover up all the wiring, plumbing and structural beams in the walls--in hopes to never again see what that looked like post-plaster and lathe removal. Our house was getting closer to looking like something you would want to live in.<br />
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The walls were starting to take shape and as you can see all the windows were open and we had a large circular fan blowing because it was July in Nebraska and that means heat and humidity. (you can also spy a magnetic dart board hanging from the drywall jack--sometimes you just need a fun break to pass the time until it's time to quit for the day!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXVNHoNNN1eAGjmOzNz89VX672hujn__thCSl1ADXy2ezJHo4U9OUWIaVg8-tunCOtfiy-jYaSGRDrV6NBfjKuXLmvBOU712prx4FSSa5_LGYXNB6yjFxK1UNvs7nmLf3YVKVOndSKjZB/s1600/IMG_2576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXVNHoNNN1eAGjmOzNz89VX672hujn__thCSl1ADXy2ezJHo4U9OUWIaVg8-tunCOtfiy-jYaSGRDrV6NBfjKuXLmvBOU712prx4FSSa5_LGYXNB6yjFxK1UNvs7nmLf3YVKVOndSKjZB/s400/IMG_2576.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And what do I get to wear?</div>
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A lovely and insulating layer of long sleeves, jeans, hat and gloves. Oh and a respirator to keep from inhaling fiberglass.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N5MNpgiHP6yeosJU28xRl952ix56D5fOHnWAK-0G3t8r-8l1JDGgUsz1TH7u3EW3YZzgj_HoYNfimj4JhaDA_SKrNpUrvL3zvKguA5B9MFlRfdbrVyWauhX2cLq_AbI596MQbLVfq6u_/s1600/IMG_2584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N5MNpgiHP6yeosJU28xRl952ix56D5fOHnWAK-0G3t8r-8l1JDGgUsz1TH7u3EW3YZzgj_HoYNfimj4JhaDA_SKrNpUrvL3zvKguA5B9MFlRfdbrVyWauhX2cLq_AbI596MQbLVfq6u_/s320/IMG_2584.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Although the job was hot and sweaty, it really wasn't too difficult. I spent days working my way around each room and each wall cavity stapling batts of insulation from floor to ceiling. By the time I was done, you couldn't see much else other than wall after wall of craft paper with the John Mansville logo on it.</div>
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Despite the scorching July weather I could still envision cozy winter nights at home thanks to the hefty layer of warmth I was helping add to our home. A bit of security and a solution that would reap benefits down the road no matter the temperature outside. And with below freezing temps really only a few months away, I can still appreciate what this job does continue to provide and also protect us from the outside world.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOB20-LEC1Y8aht0ERLf8SW_-6WZ79nYdzlRCjTUHFhzw57Z3miZBtADQ5-5WpW3PO5LNHpyXmBdiA77FNM_JtM_8xALZesxg7BdfxRPTggfUb6p_tjme3GHcw7mVqtWXbF4x3af4A5iB/s1600/IMG_2382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOB20-LEC1Y8aht0ERLf8SW_-6WZ79nYdzlRCjTUHFhzw57Z3miZBtADQ5-5WpW3PO5LNHpyXmBdiA77FNM_JtM_8xALZesxg7BdfxRPTggfUb6p_tjme3GHcw7mVqtWXbF4x3af4A5iB/s400/IMG_2382.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So the next time you are looking at your own walls, remember that there is a lot going on behind them and hopefully plenty of the stuff that keeps you warm!</div>
the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-39233473713400316032016-06-10T19:37:00.000-07:002016-06-10T19:37:37.292-07:00"THE" House Project"THE" House Project began in February 2007. I refer to it as "THE" House Project because that is what the folder on my computer is named that holds all of the photos taken related to this ongoing project. It got named "THE" House Project because just prior to that, a completely different house was originally being considered as our house project and so a folder was named "Yellow House" to contain the initial photos of that house. Here is a shot of the exterior at the time:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QOrqYVkGG3mk_HDkOSl7VjwodvHiBC_nPXi1tMqYvqT5j50ZMSy5Zys05Y8zX_-m15yF1rKo30XICQBqkxYRemD4VHwVbom1aJTojthDc_Itbv-hj433M1AlZCOHdSheIE9Fich1GgS8/s1600/yellowhouse+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QOrqYVkGG3mk_HDkOSl7VjwodvHiBC_nPXi1tMqYvqT5j50ZMSy5Zys05Y8zX_-m15yF1rKo30XICQBqkxYRemD4VHwVbom1aJTojthDc_Itbv-hj433M1AlZCOHdSheIE9Fich1GgS8/s320/yellowhouse+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thankfully this house was not purchased and did not become "THE" House as two stories and many more rooms and surely many more problems to deal with would've inevitably arose and I just can't imagine we would get to the conclusion of that project in the same two-and-a-half year time frame it took to complete our one-story bungalow. Therefore, a folder to contain photos of our current abode came to be "THE" one to keep adding to.<br />
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Recently it has been brought to my attention that there are folks out there who do not know the stories behind our house and what it took to get it where it is today and those stories are worth telling. Here is a before and after view of "THE" house:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih82GwiELweuoHktPG31QwQ49X7M7nZxEMFEoZNAN-Hqixe8ZlENNHoiHnoiCTO9FQp0uRVzRTo1rhaCYMMjJDubaeHka5lSAQdDVEnEM6fKrUnS-mE57-i6yDDdIJ7Sr0p_c1YrJ-5Af6/s1600/house+front+transformation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih82GwiELweuoHktPG31QwQ49X7M7nZxEMFEoZNAN-Hqixe8ZlENNHoiHnoiCTO9FQp0uRVzRTo1rhaCYMMjJDubaeHka5lSAQdDVEnEM6fKrUnS-mE57-i6yDDdIJ7Sr0p_c1YrJ-5Af6/s640/house+front+transformation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are few shots of the inside transformations:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b6bJ41qJzM0jfxLoaGPQqQHjXXjgQtcd7YIYoZjycHzbMLfgDDfmh63Mo_RkhSKJYL0XVnzj8kp5TK0mnQUrHnikWc2tEQs5c5rvcZ37v2MUx8d077nP3oslo0TXBAjCYOS-XZEbYfSD/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b6bJ41qJzM0jfxLoaGPQqQHjXXjgQtcd7YIYoZjycHzbMLfgDDfmh63Mo_RkhSKJYL0XVnzj8kp5TK0mnQUrHnikWc2tEQs5c5rvcZ37v2MUx8d077nP3oslo0TXBAjCYOS-XZEbYfSD/s640/kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoy8mkObBPo3Ra7_6GW5cQNL3MGn6AVVjp5FVj6UaGd8Z6Zh57mlC4Fgo0K1raLaF6Oq6VJxXAhSu6NH28h7jdE7yK0NITh93tXo7KAc4DnyIfhnA66qdFB40dKxzE5jty-SNpmLFEDhRr/s1600/bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoy8mkObBPo3Ra7_6GW5cQNL3MGn6AVVjp5FVj6UaGd8Z6Zh57mlC4Fgo0K1raLaF6Oq6VJxXAhSu6NH28h7jdE7yK0NITh93tXo7KAc4DnyIfhnA66qdFB40dKxzE5jty-SNpmLFEDhRr/s400/bathroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YVmj16hdtWuOeXH0McV6Lr7eHmsbiS3Frjqo4yAX8RKfPqz4BhbhFhfpbYl1XRwGpL2kSmE2e0ua117VA8I0-1QGkeB_NQZ7tdZjjip0Y0LBa3JCmhV2ysQ45KpwRpcF7v7ejoGqNu7h/s1600/mudroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YVmj16hdtWuOeXH0McV6Lr7eHmsbiS3Frjqo4yAX8RKfPqz4BhbhFhfpbYl1XRwGpL2kSmE2e0ua117VA8I0-1QGkeB_NQZ7tdZjjip0Y0LBa3JCmhV2ysQ45KpwRpcF7v7ejoGqNu7h/s640/mudroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I show these because not only do they show dramatic comparisons but it puts some perspective on how far we have come from our original beginnings. However, what before and after shots fail to show and as HGTV, DIY Network and countless other TV networks and reality shows certainly fail miserably to illustrate are the true realities of tackling projects like this without the help of big budgets, work crews, contractors and numerous other tradesmen.<br />
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I have to point out not in arrogance but in truth that between me, my husband, and some generous help from friends and family, we did not hire a single person to do any work (aside from brazing the refrigerant lines of our AC system) to accomplish the results above. And don't assume that the friends and family were any of the tradesmen mentioned above. While some had construction skills and knowledge, the extent in which they could help was still often limited. So when we say "we" gutted and renovated our 100-year-old home, it is completely true. No contractors. No electricians. No plumbers, HVAC specialists, drywallers, painters, architects, drafters/designers, framers,--you name it, we didn't hire it done. We did it. Ourselves.<br />
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Now the point was not to do it ourselves for the sake of pride. While it certainly did result in some satisfaction, it was done primarily out of financial advantage. From the house purchase price to labor fees and supply costs, we saved a ton of money. What we traded in dollars we made up for in time and effort. Two-and-a-half years of time and effort to be exact. From the time we started to the day we moved in, during the days in between, we worked hard and often. Sounds like craziness to many--and they are probably right. But now that we are on the other side of it, we can certainly say that the results are worth it.<br />
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What the before and after photos also don't show is the financial foundation that keeps us free from any sort of home mortgage. Does that seem worth it? I have my doubts that it does for some but it was the right decision for us. And I am thankful for it. Is it an mansion? No. Does it need to be? No. It is so often just enough for us--no more, no less--? Absolutely.<br />
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So, as this journey continues for us in renovating and living in our home, may we remember how far we have come and what that means for our future no matter what "THE" projects is.<br />
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<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-25841538107594801682015-10-30T19:46:00.003-07:002015-10-30T19:46:42.145-07:00Organizational "Nesting"Ok, so as everyone says that the urge to "nest" often comes towards the end of the nine months of baby-carrying and that it often involves cleaning such as mopping, dusting or other tasks of that nature. Well, I don't really like to clean in that way no matter the reason but organizing on the other hand does offer some sort of satisfaction or I at least have the desire to start. So, off I went to gather the needed supplies (mostly "trash") to create these two organizational items for our house.<br />
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The first being a much more useful way to organize our ongoing collection of plastic grocery bags. The old system for storage was basically to unload the groceries or other items and then literally just stuff the bags under the sink into no container whatsoever until almost the entire left side space underneath our sink was filled with plastic bags from top to bottom/front to back.<br />
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To our credit, it was certainly easy to put them there in half a second. The problem, however, became when you wanted just one bag and you almost always ended up pulling two or more out at a time since they were so cluttered together in such an unorganized way.<br />
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So, remembering that my husband had just finished chowing through a giant box of Honey Nut Cheerios I headed to the recycle bin to retrieve it.<br />
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I then proceeded to cut the top flaps off so it had an unobstructed opening. Then I took a roll of white duct tape and covered the entire outside of box with it. The thought was to use the box as the container for the bags and I could just stuff them in. However, as you might expect, the cardboard of a cereal box is not exactly the stiffest material so once you start stuffing it with something as simple as plastic grocery bags, the box starts to look like it might burst.<br />
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So, to provide extra support, I scrounged up 6 paint stir sticks and cut them to the width of the box. Then I hot glued 3 of them equally spaced across the width of each side of the box and then wrapped additional tape over/around them to ensure they stayed put.<br />
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The final step was to attach the box to the inside right door of our kitchen sink so that it was much easier to access and fit nicely in the inset space on the door and just inside the under-sink area. I attached the box using 6, 3M Command Strips and the final result looks like this:<br />
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This whole project took about an hour and now we actually have more space under our sink! Plus, it takes the hassle out of finding and getting our grocery bags together when we need them. Total cost for the project: about $4 for the roll of tape (in which I didn't use even half the roll) and about $3 for the box of cereal.<br />
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The second project took quite a bit longer.<br />
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This project idea I had seen something similar on Pinterest that you could buy but I had no intention of buying something like this. My goal was to make something that would help organize the extra hangers that seem to pile up in our closet and since we have limited space on our actual closet racks, I don't want to have that valuable space on the rack taken up with empty hangers so I usually tossed them into a large, plastic under bed container that I had.<br />
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This project, too, involved gathering some "trash" supplies. I actually retrieved a heavy-duty, cardboard box from the office I work in as well as some spray glue. That along with a roll of package tape, leftover fabric scraps, a utility knife, cutting board, ruler and a pencil. I had all the supplies I needed.<br />
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I started by dismantling the box so that the top and bottom flaps were not connected to each other. I then measured and folded the sides to form a triangle. This involved some cutting and taping of edges, bottom flaps and piecing-in additional areas on the bottom to create a flat, even surface on the inside and outside bottom of the box. The assemble triangle looked like this:<br />
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I used the hangers as a template for the size so that the box would be big enough for the largest of the hangers but small enough to keep them all organized and from overlapping and getting caught on each other as was the case with my current container.</div>
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Once I had this part done, I made a separate triangle piece of cardboard to place in the bottom of the container so that I could cover it separately with fabric and then place it in the bottom. This would prove to be much easier than trying to cover the bottom directly with fabric.</div>
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My next step was to cover the sides with a pretty floral fabric scrap left over from another project. I used the spray glue and adhered the fabric to the inside and outside of the box--being careful to overlap onto the bottom on both the inside and outside of the box. I worked one side at a time--spraying the glue and apply the fabric around each side. I used one piece of fabric to go all the way around the entire box. I folded the final edges under itself and glued it down so that it would not be in danger of fraying. I also put additional package tape on all the edges inside and out to further ensure the fabric stays in place and doesn't unravel.</div>
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I then covered the separate inside triangle cardboard piece with a scrap of black fabric--gluing and taping the fabric as needed. Once that was finished, I slid that piece snugly into the bottom of the new fabric-lined container.</div>
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At this point it was basically finished and I tested it out by placing my hangers inside--a perfect fit!</div>
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The new container fits much more neatly in our closet and takes up much less space on the floor than the old container, plus it is much easier to use as the hangers no longer get tangled up with each other.</div>
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So, success for the day was had by fulfilling a few organizational "nesting" urges and creating some more efficient items for our house. Now, time to wait for the next urge--and of course, the new, little addition to the home.</div>
the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-38675582959713360612015-03-15T20:57:00.000-07:002015-03-15T21:09:18.133-07:00A Bike Trainer: Taking you places you've never beenI had never rode a bike on a trainer let alone owned one before. Those are something for "serious" riders. 4 hour "training" rides indoors? Now that's just insane. But I had ran that on a treadmill before so I guess touché. I can't say I hadn't considered getting one before but in addition to the question of the seriousness of my winter biking needs, several issues always came to mind:<br />
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<li><i>It takes up space. </i>Yes, it is additional fitness equipment that frankly our small, 2-bedroom home doesn't accommodate very easily.</li>
<li><i>It will wear out my bike!</i> I mean I love my bike, even if it is what 'real' bikers would call an entry-level road bike, and the thought of it wearing out before its time is a sad one to say the least.</li>
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However, winter rolled in and come early January, my husband declared that he wanted to get a bike trainer to help him really focus on getting fit. I applauded his enthusiasm and decisiveness so I suggested it be a belated Christmas present to ourselves for the good of our health.<br />
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Off he went to research and select the right bike trainer for our needs and our budget. After reading many reviews and specs of a variety of models, he settled on the <i>CycleTEK Momentum1 Indoor Cycling Trainer.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cycletek.com/pages/cycletek-momentum1-indoor-stationary-fluid-bike-trainer" target="_blank"><img alt="CycleTEK M1 Indoor Fluid Bike Trainer" src="http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0172/0052/products/reflection_large.jpg?v=1359476281" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cycletek.com/pages/cycletek-momentum1-indoor-stationary-fluid-bike-trainer" target="_blank">The CycleTEK Momentum1 high performance indoor cycling trainer uses unrivaled technology for a smooth, quiet, high performance,indoor cycling experience. </a></td></tr>
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Now this trainer offers several features that I won't go into detail on (<a href="http://cycletek.com/products/cycletek-m1-indoor-cycling-trainer" target="_blank">you can read more on their website</a>) but one particular feature is how quiet it is. No one wants to listen to a lovely fan, tire or similar 'road' noise continually drone on for the entire duration of their workout so this to me was a very obvious and important factor. And quiet this one is. I won't say there is virtually no noise but when your cat can curl up and take a nap right next to your bike while you ride--I'd say that's a pretty good indicator.<br />
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The cost of the trainer plus the front wheel riser block and a home-made floor mat (<a href="https://www.menards.com/main/flooring/area-rugs-mats-runners/rolled-runners-accessories/multy-home-concord-utility-runner-36-wide/p-1725492-c-12565.htm" target="_blank">$17 worth of utility rug runner from our local home improvement store</a>) was over a $100 less than most similar models plus accessories.<br />
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So, armed with my Pandora app, a small wireless speaker and a book, off I went to spin along an imaginary road every other night after work. I've gone through several books and well over 200 miles in the last 3 months and I have enjoyed learning how to create variation in my workouts enough to keep things interesting.</div>
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Sometimes this involves intervals of hard and easy paces--pedaling in and out of the saddle--and other times a bit of zoning-out while continuing to spin since you don't need to pay attention the same as you would on actual streets and roads.</div>
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There is something freeing and relaxing about that. And as I've only scratched the surface of the multitude of articles, training tips and plans available, I feel this equipment is yet to become dull and boring as some have claimed.</div>
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I suppose it's all in how you approach it but for me this has been a great fit and worthy investment. Now as the weather turns warmer and I transition to the outdoors, I think I will be well suited for upcoming rides and my body will be thanking me for it.</div>
the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-23455880140884421252015-01-06T21:06:00.001-08:002015-01-06T21:06:25.637-08:002015 Wrapped in Warmth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8xJCOhyphenhyphenAY4HhCQ9Uf6EdM0iWJ-LASQPRw_kHI4hrw3iR49p79vFPTjFnEBMvAQyVETceXrHbYKuF1ZmywUOhm0KGhe9HEDakpyQZbyhR26OVpPaYMzHUBnbliq-eB1oEUrwiyXjCSTOW/s1600/Winter-badge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8xJCOhyphenhyphenAY4HhCQ9Uf6EdM0iWJ-LASQPRw_kHI4hrw3iR49p79vFPTjFnEBMvAQyVETceXrHbYKuF1ZmywUOhm0KGhe9HEDakpyQZbyhR26OVpPaYMzHUBnbliq-eB1oEUrwiyXjCSTOW/s1600/Winter-badge.png" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
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While 2015 may be filled with hope and promise--right now it is filled with plenty of wind, ice, snow and frigid winter temperatures. So, with that thought in mind, I thought it would be fitting to complete a couple of quilts for cuddling up during those chilling nights of howling winter winds and abundant snow. Never mind that I had started these two t-shirt quilts over a year ago. Never mind that I had promised myself that I needed to finish these before I started on another custom crafting project.<br />
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It was cold outside and I wanted those blankets completed dang it! So I dug out all the needles, thread and the sewing machine to get started. Of course, once I had everything laid out and ready to sew, I realized I did not have the right needles or thread. So, one trip to Hobby Lobby (before the frigid winter storm hit) later and I completed my preparatory plans.<br />
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Two afternoons later, I am happy to say that I succeeded in finishing both quilts. The result: one quilt representing my collegiate years and one quilt reflecting fun family vacations and memories that span from kindergarten to high school.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPjhOb0HW3cCttCimeYM_W-ROvQUwBKR4Y9KiPQUPj6W80NmPDc6cxmdWt7Lu0Q3bH65ax2GFo5w10XbYqEBAsGNio76GWQhJfU_vqaOBwbyWg_eY05csjek15sYx2g7y8XwboOVqcfzH/s1600/t-shirt-quilt-wsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPjhOb0HW3cCttCimeYM_W-ROvQUwBKR4Y9KiPQUPj6W80NmPDc6cxmdWt7Lu0Q3bH65ax2GFo5w10XbYqEBAsGNio76GWQhJfU_vqaOBwbyWg_eY05csjek15sYx2g7y8XwboOVqcfzH/s1600/t-shirt-quilt-wsc.jpg" height="235" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b>My Collegiate Quilt:</b> From team shirts to shirt "trophies" (shirts were often given to event champions instead of medals), this one would have definitely been appropriate for the many cold weather meets I can remember (i.e. the Concordia University Polar Dog Invite).</td></tr>
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Now, I do not quilt in the same sense as traditional quilting. I don't know if I have the patience for that so I do the next best thing--I sew giant squares together and connect them to a blanket. This produces much faster results and avoids the pain-staking process of intricate patterns, batting and miles and miles of stitching. This method ensures a warm and cozy quilt in only an afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDx-AxXQqt8DE8ZlLiya874ByjUUQCHrvTDPwX-DA7dakvyzQndwEzNBAI2JVcs4xlrc5C7DaByfEZVi63KKt5xBMvH507VoRDhzWB0Pl0DDykEyhmEeuv5oG5UkhHI9Hsr9G-634zWM8/s1600/t-shirt-quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDx-AxXQqt8DE8ZlLiya874ByjUUQCHrvTDPwX-DA7dakvyzQndwEzNBAI2JVcs4xlrc5C7DaByfEZVi63KKt5xBMvH507VoRDhzWB0Pl0DDykEyhmEeuv5oG5UkhHI9Hsr9G-634zWM8/s1600/t-shirt-quilt.jpg" height="235" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b>My "Vacation" Quilt: </b>This one takes me way back to my early years--camp, summer vacations and even my very first swim team championship meet. Who doesn't remember those "I survived..." souvenir shirts?</td></tr>
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As I stitched each square, I recalled a lot of special times and special people. It brought a smile to my face and I guess you could say warmth to my heart. So, as I enjoyed the season premiere of Downtown Abbey, I was able to wrap myself in something that makes me look forward to yet another year of good times and great memories.<br />
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<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-88524845342018125992014-10-06T19:07:00.001-07:002014-10-06T19:42:19.259-07:00Cycling 'round NorfolkIt has begun...my dive into the nerdy world of mapping out local cycling routes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKTdgJjc-wV9lWbKuew5bM1iVkLUMTpp1RP3zNflmi_fiXMDeycUllz7Wdi7Fr1mvxRse5DmDlQo6fzQL_vZKbWA7ju4Z3NymUNOrcNOiDAMSPTmbc6oP7eK4DI2L4NqNBrxR3CPtONgS/s1600/Norfolk+Bike+Routes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Norfolk cycling map" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKTdgJjc-wV9lWbKuew5bM1iVkLUMTpp1RP3zNflmi_fiXMDeycUllz7Wdi7Fr1mvxRse5DmDlQo6fzQL_vZKbWA7ju4Z3NymUNOrcNOiDAMSPTmbc6oP7eK4DI2L4NqNBrxR3CPtONgS/s1600/Norfolk+Bike+Routes.png" height="400" title="Norfolk cycling map" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/792ced_ee2a7e95442e49d296b262d1c02b1cb8.pdf" target="_blank">Click to download Norfolk cycling map</a></span></h3>
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For anyone who hesitates to ride on anything other than established trails, I say you are missing out on so much glorious terrain! Beautiful open roads with no semis, cars or pedestrians in sight--urban dwellers would love to have such a thing.<br />
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This map is for anyone--not just the nerdy. I've made a goal for myself to make detailed and accurate maps available to anyone so that they can know where all these lovely paved tributaries exist. I want to help share the road and encourage other riders to get out there and take advantage. I have often been asked where I ride and when I try and explain it even to native locals, they seem perplexed as to what roads I am referring to.<br />
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The red lines indicate paved roads suitable for road bikes as well as others (road surfaces are subject to changes without notice). They allow a number of combinations to make your journey as short or as long as reasonably needed while simultaneously offering up scenic rural Nebraska beauty especially when the sky is blue and the sun is shining!<br />
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This map has no start or end points. I leave that to you to decide where you go and how you get there. This map simply provides some "officially" recommended roads around the city so you don't have to go unknowingly explore it all yourself...but by all means please do!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwXbTxzfPcUsWEWo1fnNjcduYjkzsFXw-UMInLeZYIG70FarDChA4EWOaAqjUjOxlBwuOsx6JfXMPZEia0_ff0c4yZixkT6_MM3UX-kDuY1kpN8cwGTKpLOB-6bTSeo3pEtX0rRdH1vFn/s1600/blogpost10-bikeroutes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwXbTxzfPcUsWEWo1fnNjcduYjkzsFXw-UMInLeZYIG70FarDChA4EWOaAqjUjOxlBwuOsx6JfXMPZEia0_ff0c4yZixkT6_MM3UX-kDuY1kpN8cwGTKpLOB-6bTSeo3pEtX0rRdH1vFn/s1600/blogpost10-bikeroutes.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a>Stay tuned as I continue to add more to the map such as mileage and hopefully GPS equivalents for even more user-friendly options. Enjoy!<br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-rh-skmePKUQ%2FVDNJYFx6tVI%2FAAAAAAAAAO4%2F7ERxOVqWD_g%2Fs1600%2FNorfolk%252BBike%252BRoutes.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKTdgJjc-wV9lWbKuew5bM1iVkLUMTpp1RP3zNflmi_fiXMDeycUllz7Wdi7Fr1mvxRse5DmDlQo6fzQL_vZKbWA7ju4Z3NymUNOrcNOiDAMSPTmbc6oP7eK4DI2L4NqNBrxR3CPtONgS/s1600/Norfolk+Bike+Routes.png" -->the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-31647963054646539272014-04-05T11:35:00.000-07:002014-04-05T11:35:44.987-07:00How to Make a Quick and Easy Card DisplayThis was a project that was inspired by my mother-in-law. Her previous house had wooden louvered doors throughout the home. One in particular was a closet door in the den near the kitchen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliAWsokHvD8wsjJEPMTgljTF4DC5VkxaaDQQrIVKURIxj27rvHgtngWh6UNF5Dmv4-LNa3tlFOle0BRV6yBE5otIBbW_mTbrRUmAPwYwOFW2H3ZBhVuf97O7fcDhj-UecH9l9qGNwKmi9/s1600/closetdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliAWsokHvD8wsjJEPMTgljTF4DC5VkxaaDQQrIVKURIxj27rvHgtngWh6UNF5Dmv4-LNa3tlFOle0BRV6yBE5otIBbW_mTbrRUmAPwYwOFW2H3ZBhVuf97O7fcDhj-UecH9l9qGNwKmi9/s1600/closetdoor.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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This door became the place, especially during the Christmas season, where she hung all sorts of cards. The cards hung by slipping them in between each louver. When she moved into her new home, she commented, "I don't have anywhere I can hang my cards!"<br />
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Now it happened that her birthday and a scheduled visit was coming up, and since she lives so far away and I had the chance to easily give her a gift in person, I decided that a hand-crafted birthday gift was the way to go. So, I went to work on a cute and functional item that I hoped would give her a new place to display her cards.<br />
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To get started, I purchased an unfinished, pine bi-fold louvered door from a local home improvement store. The door was on clearance so I paid less than $30. I went ahead and had a guy in the lumber yard cut the door in half so I could fit it easily in my car.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One side of the door after being cut in half.</td></tr>
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I removed the hinges, filled the holes with wood filler and then lightly hand-sanded the entire surface using 180 grit sandpaper.<div>
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Once I finished sanding, I wiped them down with a dry cloth and then got to painting. Spray paint was definitely the way to go since you cannot beat how easy it is to use. The red paint required primer, however, the teal paint was a handy paint plus primer in one (awesome!). I painted both sides of each section so that the color coverage would not be an issue when hanging on the wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bGgJSDDBvJLwMI2jJkKOGDa-gRKtoJjLSwNFpCMg7BeU3a4p7tfAauVTVdTo1UFZ4yLidZhXeaNBj4ayhowp0WQHBRJTHCYOx1EET8z4ShGmJE-S_bQqUQqrOCdB-JaXw4rVTh_1GaGt/s1600/shutters-paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bGgJSDDBvJLwMI2jJkKOGDa-gRKtoJjLSwNFpCMg7BeU3a4p7tfAauVTVdTo1UFZ4yLidZhXeaNBj4ayhowp0WQHBRJTHCYOx1EET8z4ShGmJE-S_bQqUQqrOCdB-JaXw4rVTh_1GaGt/s1600/shutters-paint.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once they were completely dry for 24 hours I deemed them good to go. I then added 3 hooks to the bottom of one of the longer sections that I was making specifically for my mother-in-law. I thought she could hang keys and such from them. I then attached picture hanging hooks to the back for easy hanging on the wall. I made sure to place the wall hanging hooks so that the louvers pointed up since that would make the cards hang easier.<br />
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Once this step was finished, I placed some cards and they were ready to hang!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are two that I made for my own.</td></tr>
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I (as well as my mother-in-law) think they turned out great! We look forward to changing the cards up with the seasons!<br />
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the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-24714531362970539692013-10-31T18:19:00.003-07:002013-10-31T18:21:04.435-07:00Homemade Halloween at the HouseSo even though we have less then half-dozen trick or treaters every year, that's no reason not to enjoy the start to the holiday season with Halloween decorations! This year I crafted my way early and had some fun making a few holiday accents for our house. Take a look and see how easy they are. Maybe they will inspire you to make something fun, too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFsbLdEpgqg8HHGEClrQqchp5_lFxgkSZs7RIbWF71jrW3iqPdAI3PL-1NRaaLYSECiJcowIeZc2i4nIMS9pUEW-2uy6L7WQegwYe8ZKCg7LK25uRHfpe7u55_12tmD76o3O9i3iDpNq4/s1600/blogpost9-pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFsbLdEpgqg8HHGEClrQqchp5_lFxgkSZs7RIbWF71jrW3iqPdAI3PL-1NRaaLYSECiJcowIeZc2i4nIMS9pUEW-2uy6L7WQegwYe8ZKCg7LK25uRHfpe7u55_12tmD76o3O9i3iDpNq4/s400/blogpost9-pumpkins.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So easy! 18 extra-large canning jar lids tied together in the center with twine, an old stick hot glued in the center for the stem and bits of wire curled into fun spirals. Spray painting orange optional : )</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inexpensive to make: $4 golden straw wreath from Hobby Lobby spray painted white, 1 1/2 rolls black ribbon wrapped and pinned at the ends, 1 scrap green ribbon for the bow and 2 plastic spiders for $1 at the Dollar store tied on with fishing line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJMIckS5Hx4pHBXR5Ww12l7rsVyB1ncuP6au7Pcsjd-AM9hckzvdWmD_wF7wTeiRlFN6FETtqt0tAvtaPPwyYX0HtSerKi4Ez5kH5ZhLbccH-HDNpdOx7ldI60-vvcy9kKcLywbT_-Bfe/s1600/blogpost9-blackwreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJMIckS5Hx4pHBXR5Ww12l7rsVyB1ncuP6au7Pcsjd-AM9hckzvdWmD_wF7wTeiRlFN6FETtqt0tAvtaPPwyYX0HtSerKi4Ez5kH5ZhLbccH-HDNpdOx7ldI60-vvcy9kKcLywbT_-Bfe/s640/blogpost9-blackwreath.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is also easy to make: brown stick wreath from Hobby Lobby spray painted black + assortment of black plastic creepy, crawly critters and a few selections off of a bouquet of artificial black roses hot glued or tied on by fishing line.</td></tr>
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And to top it off, our furry and usually interactive Halloween decoration of the year keeps us company long past October 31st.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_pu_KW3U8IzhPqI2jWyHn7zLZVuIehTKRgvi9I9G_U65K8TQ0opPukAz3xZAajJt4-2sXGkKkiqjQ4XNsAW0ZBAiM-JVzjIxMVmcg5lOcxSu6ZCW_5puUa4UMfn7FfcxryhIAUjbqHtI/s1600/blogpost9-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_pu_KW3U8IzhPqI2jWyHn7zLZVuIehTKRgvi9I9G_U65K8TQ0opPukAz3xZAajJt4-2sXGkKkiqjQ4XNsAW0ZBAiM-JVzjIxMVmcg5lOcxSu6ZCW_5puUa4UMfn7FfcxryhIAUjbqHtI/s400/blogpost9-cat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Happy Halloween!</span></b></h2>
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<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-23874677993079925972013-09-01T15:52:00.000-07:002013-09-01T16:06:11.809-07:00How to Pour Our DrivewayThis is more of a brief overview than a how-to that gives some visual ideas of how this process unfolded for my husband and I.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Step 1: Dig</b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmANdvce_4PtKxvZowFiIT5WB6wyqT1m6CmfWUPD08lY3hUhkFTpHv1z5Yk8gwbtD5PU2tL_ZzTel1eFXVX891SWyEuuNf5EVUqzAscAm5-nQo2kqJ8MTlU6Cm8vQPCZ9clTHuRcs13La/s1600/9-3-13+-+Digging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmANdvce_4PtKxvZowFiIT5WB6wyqT1m6CmfWUPD08lY3hUhkFTpHv1z5Yk8gwbtD5PU2tL_ZzTel1eFXVX891SWyEuuNf5EVUqzAscAm5-nQo2kqJ8MTlU6Cm8vQPCZ9clTHuRcs13La/s640/9-3-13+-+Digging.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First, make sure you have access to a skid-steer. If you have to make repairs to it while you work, know that it is always better to break the machine than to break your back. Our driveway began by getting rid of tons of river rock and dirt that lay in the path of a future 7" thick by 11' x 81' concrete driveway. The digging step also involved creating a huge pile of dirt and rock in our backyard. This required moving the dirt again by dumping it into a rented dump trailer and driving a few miles south of town to dump it at the quarry of a local sand and gravel company.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvAjCa9imhn5vA1FgI28PFYDpnwobeG7LakLUiUlBAHrQ57Zi4oD1R9WFk5LL1jhwQZ8DxSPEhiSLJjGeKwfYldT60x1s76bwnCdFizsfKId2yhFZM0T2Q1Lq3SMklqA8cqApsE_xddcz/s1600/9-3-13+-+Dumping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvAjCa9imhn5vA1FgI28PFYDpnwobeG7LakLUiUlBAHrQ57Zi4oD1R9WFk5LL1jhwQZ8DxSPEhiSLJjGeKwfYldT60x1s76bwnCdFizsfKId2yhFZM0T2Q1Lq3SMklqA8cqApsE_xddcz/s640/9-3-13+-+Dumping.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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6 loads and 10 hours of dumping, driving, shoveling and fixing the skid-steer later, one tired husband and one relieved wife were happy to see the dirt gone. To say I am proud of his efforts--learning to drive and pull such heavy loads with a trailer, fixing a number of hydraulic hoses on the skid-steer, tediously transferring the dirt from the pile to the trailer without over-turning the machine--is an understatement.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Step 2: Apply Surewall to Foundation</b></h3>
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This step was a day's worth of work and a job that needed to be done. Once we were able to remove the old cement coating that was supposedly helping keep the house foundation together we applied a product we call "Surewall". It is like concrete in that you mix it with water and it dries to a hard surface. The point is to give added support to our 100 year-old foundation bricks.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtsE_cZOgAEIQ_LbTrZbd4k4jPiLU6C5sNBTCzzNRbhTjksQwz7rc4v9sJPTJV5F4FQICq-A0iqrQbwvTrO2x6KUKJ0fdpuVMUl-taItinQ9nch5Thyphenhyphenmbc_shJy7vaatDxD9kKx6rwoLX/s1600/2013-07-03+17.22.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtsE_cZOgAEIQ_LbTrZbd4k4jPiLU6C5sNBTCzzNRbhTjksQwz7rc4v9sJPTJV5F4FQICq-A0iqrQbwvTrO2x6KUKJ0fdpuVMUl-taItinQ9nch5Thyphenhyphenmbc_shJy7vaatDxD9kKx6rwoLX/s400/2013-07-03+17.22.56.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"Beach Hat Construction" CEO inspects the area.</b></td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Step 3: Place Sand</b></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Again, another great time to have a skid-steer. The sand we needed had to get piled in our backyard, moved around the south side of our house and then dumped and spread evenly all along the north side of our house. </span></span>A friend drove by and saw us working in our new "beach" and wondered when "Beach Hat Construction" was going to get this project finished. We encouraged him to come join the party. Funny thing is that he never stopped by...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdSYsSguOhxeNv6kB53Av71inQMYaiJSH5lETC0wQvnJ0BdeQ3mrO6bpeGjpXDJLzYB1YUvS1c3Xj_B7JAVrDC7xr_sjk9VzwjdeAAYrDvkugoiIWG35KNfCSCNO-zU316kGi89Q376D-/s1600/20130713_200358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdSYsSguOhxeNv6kB53Av71inQMYaiJSH5lETC0wQvnJ0BdeQ3mrO6bpeGjpXDJLzYB1YUvS1c3Xj_B7JAVrDC7xr_sjk9VzwjdeAAYrDvkugoiIWG35KNfCSCNO-zU316kGi89Q376D-/s400/20130713_200358.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Step 4: Install Forms and Rebar</b></h3>
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This step took more brains than brawn, and I will have to say I claimed the "dumb end" of the tape measure quite frequently. A lot of calculating and recalculating was needed before we got the angle of the forms level and sloped just right to allow water to run off in the directions we needed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjewT3FW5nUvXwq69H4HxtlAOLnoH7nUoC5R4AlhVB-fX0En3XcOP3yA7y0RmVN-EMeAs8VY-47jmPL3mLlYzSVtR9qlpQXSp_dHS4SQweFDT9d3RFj1eITvPoXDfduvuVDveyFEWJw7t2/s1600/9-3-13+-+Forms+and+rebar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjewT3FW5nUvXwq69H4HxtlAOLnoH7nUoC5R4AlhVB-fX0En3XcOP3yA7y0RmVN-EMeAs8VY-47jmPL3mLlYzSVtR9qlpQXSp_dHS4SQweFDT9d3RFj1eITvPoXDfduvuVDveyFEWJw7t2/s640/9-3-13+-+Forms+and+rebar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 5: Pour (and Pump) Concrete</b></h3>
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This is when the anticipation, excitement and nervousness set in. The night before the big day, we both felt a sort of impending doom that would either make or break us. You don't want to mess this up, otherwise, you have 21 cubic yards of very heavy, solid material to deal with.</div>
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Given the location of our driveway, the best solution to get the concrete in the right place was to hire a concrete pumper. This meant that the concrete got pumped from the truck through a long hose. This also meant that the person managing the hose had to use every ounce of strength they had to hang on to the handle-less hose as hundreds of pounds of concrete shot out the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6H7rixKptZbLXHzl24_uCZ6I7w_ZHEP1AOd3gS-Bez_jlxRugPqVhdiXQZebpsNBnfQGlfaSzbuy2RaGBJA9V50QK9ECnjJBuNC1MRWWqIw3G5YKEyEchAjzvVLp_kYoALCHGvf90hl5W/s1600/117_3681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6H7rixKptZbLXHzl24_uCZ6I7w_ZHEP1AOd3gS-Bez_jlxRugPqVhdiXQZebpsNBnfQGlfaSzbuy2RaGBJA9V50QK9ECnjJBuNC1MRWWqIw3G5YKEyEchAjzvVLp_kYoALCHGvf90hl5W/s400/117_3681.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, we had a new device at our disposal--an electric power screed attachment for our screed board. This made pulling that board over the concrete so much easier. We vibrated the board from the west to the east end of the driveway smoothing out the concrete as we moved. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjBOMYSNAiG73iYzjB3_9VTOnwNi_7hhcYiaA4zXR0asb6yba2R75aZJ3pi4UkRioJZG2soS-GEdGlJon-aT40vEmBDpuX6QDsAYtH5yUOxcmGOQO-34B2cNqkmBcNQmyeNpZuD2KsyRT/s1600/9-3-13+-+Screed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjBOMYSNAiG73iYzjB3_9VTOnwNi_7hhcYiaA4zXR0asb6yba2R75aZJ3pi4UkRioJZG2soS-GEdGlJon-aT40vEmBDpuX6QDsAYtH5yUOxcmGOQO-34B2cNqkmBcNQmyeNpZuD2KsyRT/s640/9-3-13+-+Screed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Step 6: Finish Work</b></h3>
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Once we were done with pumping and pouring all the concrete, it was time for bull floating, edging, brooming and other finish work. It was fairly manageable to complete except for the area between our house and our neighbor's to the north. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4ITOhelyennuEOClHeKvE1VNSfAWIgf1sByn_duO0ako1D-ZoNXrUtUXF5AO7f7XrB4dAt8brwICAsX6KMyoSwpOTQER6G3AbcJud4UZyuItnrKomZxkaDjtsDayX8uQXsL3RQIMnoWO/s1600/117_3731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4ITOhelyennuEOClHeKvE1VNSfAWIgf1sByn_duO0ako1D-ZoNXrUtUXF5AO7f7XrB4dAt8brwICAsX6KMyoSwpOTQER6G3AbcJud4UZyuItnrKomZxkaDjtsDayX8uQXsL3RQIMnoWO/s400/117_3731.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Thanks to our neighbor's foreman efforts, we knew exactly where to go and what to do.</b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMb8DslkMGAUVOhrWDMz-FOEMkhhSap81rehc28ttvWVx1wT79hsC_phJiS4dn77yvC8nYTtDdfbNkZh-PakvLagYVhxwfJ5APd9LbyQsezW0t2IIF6jkUgYogQGKV1_GFKbLtMpONF33/s1600/9-3-13+-+Finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMb8DslkMGAUVOhrWDMz-FOEMkhhSap81rehc28ttvWVx1wT79hsC_phJiS4dn77yvC8nYTtDdfbNkZh-PakvLagYVhxwfJ5APd9LbyQsezW0t2IIF6jkUgYogQGKV1_GFKbLtMpONF33/s640/9-3-13+-+Finish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>In Conclusion</b></h3>
We started at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and <a href="http://theunintendedarchitect.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-labor-day-of-concrete.html">finished</a> the entire project around noon. The afternoon ended with a well-deserved lunch and <a href="http://theunintendedarchitect.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-labor-day-of-concrete.html">everyone</a> heading their separate ways--myself, husband and in-laws to a 2-day, 150 mile cycling excursion in Iowa and my parents back to their home. Here's to a convenient (and typical) way to park and store our vehicles!</div>
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the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-75583838810262507762013-08-31T10:28:00.003-07:002013-09-01T15:53:59.985-07:00A "Labor" day of concreteIt's Labor Day weekend. The unofficial end to the summer and while that can create some melancholy, I am reminded of the episode of The Simpsons where Bart Simpson breaks his leg and Homer warns him of the reality of adulthood in the summer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrr70XKflz0W5s6mjo20RgOctk4HTb-qY2gWsQjrDqVvuoQskAytu2722gkny8hx-W3L1z0Om6dH8bgkIF44pmVNSRCslpQN8_R-0K0gDyF8SOeDKbH4R_X39ki0kuoVEdjI6OXBHhysi/s1600/bartofdarkness7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrr70XKflz0W5s6mjo20RgOctk4HTb-qY2gWsQjrDqVvuoQskAytu2722gkny8hx-W3L1z0Om6dH8bgkIF44pmVNSRCslpQN8_R-0K0gDyF8SOeDKbH4R_X39ki0kuoVEdjI6OXBHhysi/s320/bartofdarkness7.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bart:</b> "Aw, I'm going to miss the whole summer."<br />
<b>Homer: "</b>Don't worry boy. When you get a job like me you'll miss every summer."</td></tr>
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Oh yeah, that isn't exactly comforting. Well, to be fair I am actually looking forward to fall--cooler weather, football season (even though I'm not a fan of any team), Halloween and the closer promise of snow and crackling fires.<br />
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The end of the summer causes me to reflect on some of the highlights and accomplishments over the last few months. One in particular being the completion of our front/north driveway to our house. Let me give a visual illustration to the transformation:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSDtgSb8C1K8nz4dMhCh7kFxRZgBleupCpdYPEYtq06tYyy_4qs26tVuPd6M1-mqXcQYn0LXTwuCAAsTVWRlXxPNXKyHAMr2LBsmJxVNAdIT1UQNKlt20a6ZtuXgmnYBaR9P7vxAJDT1g/s1600/2013-05-18+18.29.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSDtgSb8C1K8nz4dMhCh7kFxRZgBleupCpdYPEYtq06tYyy_4qs26tVuPd6M1-mqXcQYn0LXTwuCAAsTVWRlXxPNXKyHAMr2LBsmJxVNAdIT1UQNKlt20a6ZtuXgmnYBaR9P7vxAJDT1g/s400/2013-05-18+18.29.46.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Before</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr7WY8HNITWgWLB7ywrhb5cd4PeqxF3b2qOxiwAs9ubpXlhRJZ9ocCLwaTzj_RCbCDpoY__Dalcu5IlschlBLuROAFirDDukIPhb_jrtOWlJ9g8U395oMgPCDrlz6zwOs67sT4daUsu3o/s1600/20130831_120946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr7WY8HNITWgWLB7ywrhb5cd4PeqxF3b2qOxiwAs9ubpXlhRJZ9ocCLwaTzj_RCbCDpoY__Dalcu5IlschlBLuROAFirDDukIPhb_jrtOWlJ9g8U395oMgPCDrlz6zwOs67sT4daUsu3o/s400/20130831_120946.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>After</b></td></tr>
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The start of the project began in early May and concluded in late July. A series of weekends and weeknights kept us busy, with some other fun summer outings scheduled in between.</div>
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What began as a husband and wife beautifying and improving the functionality of their home, ended in a group effort involving both sets of parents and one willing neighbor. <a href="http://theunintendedarchitect.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-pour-our-driveway.html">A deeper look inside</a> this project involves more than the average do-it-yourselfer perspective. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFljSO0J2AIGNtCeu7jsoqX44Hhpg3XEF8eOlKzpnE6gcPW22DTLzePUnueT5LqRWyv1Idl_QjFVUsiAq_x3CNj0Z28sXi-UuPGSNZYoIQrI0gPDEwWEx2udfQN9fsPKPXOQZtxTBflfr/s1600/full+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFljSO0J2AIGNtCeu7jsoqX44Hhpg3XEF8eOlKzpnE6gcPW22DTLzePUnueT5LqRWyv1Idl_QjFVUsiAq_x3CNj0Z28sXi-UuPGSNZYoIQrI0gPDEwWEx2udfQN9fsPKPXOQZtxTBflfr/s400/full+group.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The paving team we dubbed "Rico" construction.</b></td></tr>
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This back-breaking amount of work--after which we all left that day feeling very tired (but certainly satisfied) is what being a little out-of-the-ordinary will get you.</div>
the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-67806612270584265242013-06-10T19:33:00.000-07:002013-06-10T19:33:54.134-07:00Runner's TchotchkesIt's definitely running season around here. Not that we have thousands of people running here and there but you can catch at least one or two of them every day while "running" (i.e. driving) around town. Plus, as I am on the event committee for our town's only <a href="http://www.laughandahalfmarathon.com/" target="_blank">half-marathon race</a> that culminates this Saturday (finally!), I am keenly aware of those people trucking down a street in pursuit of a finish line somewhere even if it's just returning back to their house or other point of origin.<br />
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I made the following running inspired items trying to find a classy or at least unique way to display the tokens that every runner who registered for some sort of race is bound to have and not know exactly what to do with other than throw away or stow in a box or drawer.</div>
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<b>Bib Number Coasters</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbh33WOYGAutAdf0hbxRofAw4U5jjogQCAcAcqd1RUNDcFf0HXL7_2hzlFTdL6gY0TbNX_L709efMbH0453wFIwK3_xarxUTuZeGzEwfHQc4n_U5TZvOct-az87mP7VOqJ9IGgUtAgLwE/s1600/2013-06-09+17.10.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbh33WOYGAutAdf0hbxRofAw4U5jjogQCAcAcqd1RUNDcFf0HXL7_2hzlFTdL6gY0TbNX_L709efMbH0453wFIwK3_xarxUTuZeGzEwfHQc4n_U5TZvOct-az87mP7VOqJ9IGgUtAgLwE/s320/2013-06-09+17.10.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_AxudolIylm4nWPIzl08h3uQrFQNdBWTr5yzb6rQuKLmMVuRSyH7YHylI1CvtUXbEDLLuJxxC-uFCSb7fMjKxukQmlvHK4QKBQcarlwesPS3mzy0c7RyR3GT6p3DNHTI_gOI-uWrr1vv/s1600/2013-06-09+17.07.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_AxudolIylm4nWPIzl08h3uQrFQNdBWTr5yzb6rQuKLmMVuRSyH7YHylI1CvtUXbEDLLuJxxC-uFCSb7fMjKxukQmlvHK4QKBQcarlwesPS3mzy0c7RyR3GT6p3DNHTI_gOI-uWrr1vv/s320/2013-06-09+17.07.38.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak6hFrCK64AyqQLyW_0nvt80GXKWCpHlTs3FqiFSZdOAC2KDpM3Y7YyUuxMFwo-bO51TMeMfmr_RUplNOBrzf8l8mxpo4nhP2MzgV8CB8Y0YvhJl3wrYHz1AcXgPj9zY2NoLTeAQbTIpa/s1600/2013-06-09+17.11.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhak6hFrCK64AyqQLyW_0nvt80GXKWCpHlTs3FqiFSZdOAC2KDpM3Y7YyUuxMFwo-bO51TMeMfmr_RUplNOBrzf8l8mxpo4nhP2MzgV8CB8Y0YvhJl3wrYHz1AcXgPj9zY2NoLTeAQbTIpa/s320/2013-06-09+17.11.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>How They Are Made</b></div>
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This simple project in which I found one of my more generic bib numbers, probably from some high school or college track or cross country race or a smaller road race, and used <a href="http://www.shop.com/Mod_Podge_Hard_Coat_All_In_One_Decoupage_Sealer_Glue_Finish_(8_fl_oz_)-812024464-829591806-p+.xhtml?sourceid=298&gclid=CMjP2MqS2LcCFQfl7AodNDoAYg" target="_blank">Mod Podge Hard Coat</a> to adhere it to basic glass tiles from a local home improvement store is an elegant solution to display this badge of honor.</div>
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I went to <a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a> and picked out some fun scrapbook paper sheets and then cut my bib number with an exacto knife. I then traced the tiles onto the scrapbook paper so I had four squares that surrounds the bib on each tile. I then trace the bib piece onto the scrapbook paper to get the shape right and then cut our the portion where the bib would fill. I used a foam craft brush to apply the Mod Podge to the back of the bib and the scrapbook paper then placed it onto each tile. I let it dry as per the bottle's instructions and then put two layers of Mod Podge over the top of the whole tile to let dry and create the hard coaster surface.</div>
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I then got a roll of cork with a self-adhesive back and cut out squares to place on the backside. I think the coasters work perfectly for drinks and other items while giving me a fun way to display an old bib. I liked how this one turned out so much, I think I'll do another!</div>
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<b>Race Bib and Medal Display Plaque</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuWbhYc4eW-VLBwXAYgi6iLT_4evGgs1rKcUb0NZa4KbTV-VSXm8OttPwdBz6VBcI52LFLRUZJ7I5bvfXbANt0Rf248EdngqHfy7hE_ywRYG0Z5iihvAP4lDRJ_zLo43MJs4aGrXBkAvq/s1600/2013-02-11+20.50.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuWbhYc4eW-VLBwXAYgi6iLT_4evGgs1rKcUb0NZa4KbTV-VSXm8OttPwdBz6VBcI52LFLRUZJ7I5bvfXbANt0Rf248EdngqHfy7hE_ywRYG0Z5iihvAP4lDRJ_zLo43MJs4aGrXBkAvq/s400/2013-02-11+20.50.43.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I saw this idea on Pinterest and had to see if I could duplicate it with a few revisions compared to the designs I saw. I made it for my husband for Christmas as a motivator as long winters in Nebraska and then the following spring can sometimes make it quite difficult to keep up a running routine. It is hung right next to our closet so he walks by it every day.</div>
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I bought a pre-routed piece of wood from Walmart to start as I didn't feel like messing with trying to route one myself although that would have been a little cheaper. I then just spray-painted it black and stenciled the text at the top. I used a silver sharpie and it worked perfectly!</div>
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I then got some hooks and pre-drilled the holes and placed them on the face and the bottom of the plaque for the medals to hang. I think I may need to add 2 more hooks--one on each end, to complete the look and allow for more room to hang but I wanted to see how three would look. I was a little unsure what distance to place the hooks for the bibs since not all bibs have standard sizes or even where the holes are placed. Since I didn't want to put more holes in the bib and ruin any other graphics on it, I thought why not use the same safety pins you use to pin it to your shirt? This has seemed to work great and adds a little more interest and nostalgia to the piece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcDBdYpLFmBcSqFg2ENHi5JU1EzBVPAUYBXF-WIENUhClqWcbWilA5C_9Nn25IEAICyA3EwarFWkgFQ-ei9Ik0JfimKAToh0TsltvpAXFQPPlJ3yJGFwAAC8VjaYoJidNUsniN2oRySUL/s1600/2013-06-09+19.05.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcDBdYpLFmBcSqFg2ENHi5JU1EzBVPAUYBXF-WIENUhClqWcbWilA5C_9Nn25IEAICyA3EwarFWkgFQ-ei9Ik0JfimKAToh0TsltvpAXFQPPlJ3yJGFwAAC8VjaYoJidNUsniN2oRySUL/s400/2013-06-09+19.05.43.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I think my husband will be able to fit quite a few bibs on there until he runs out of room. Now medals on the other hand, 3 hooks will not be enough! That's a good thing though. I can always make another wall hanging....or start using them as cat toys!</div>
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the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-39547456222539955282013-06-09T16:04:00.000-07:002013-06-09T16:16:00.543-07:00Peaceful PatioAfter last summer, I could not wait until we could sit outside with a drink in one hand and my feet up enjoying some sort of delicious grilled meal and enjoy a little world of my own. You see last summer/fall my husband and I spent most of it racing to finish literally a ton of concrete that became our back driveway, sidewalk and back patio. More on that in a future posting.<br />
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That season is over now but the following summer (right now to be exact) is the perfect time for us to get out and finally enjoy that new patio area. And what would a calming backyard get-away be without the bubbling sounds of water to listen to and pass the time.<br />
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So I stopped by our local home improvement store to see what kind of fountains they had and not to my surprise--not a lot. And the ones that they did have were either way too expensive for what I was looking for, too large for our space, or involved some sort of fake broken looking pot, a water wheel, gnomes and driftwood, or some other chintzy looking motif.<br />
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So on to the internet I went to see what could be found. Of course, "the answer box" presented me with a load of ideas on how to make your own. So make my own I did since the cost was considerably cheaper plus I could make it look more like what I wanted.<br />
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Most of the DIY examples involved using a flower pot so I went looking for one that wouldn't look quite so much like I put a fountain directly in a flower pot.<br />
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<b>Here is the finished product:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLmkWIlAXv1aH_tHcRnUfWkxez-QO3C7ptvQSVE8cmuyUEliWu5GZU7IxkiYR1jEP6nnjnGKbgC46XvOEW_Fe5POsX68kZEZ-mohZE2m6aPQdQDECEajxZF5vr_6wecwxK7xFLrAsgLR_/s1600/2013-06-09+16.49.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY patio fountain" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLmkWIlAXv1aH_tHcRnUfWkxez-QO3C7ptvQSVE8cmuyUEliWu5GZU7IxkiYR1jEP6nnjnGKbgC46XvOEW_Fe5POsX68kZEZ-mohZE2m6aPQdQDECEajxZF5vr_6wecwxK7xFLrAsgLR_/s400/2013-06-09+16.49.18.jpg" title="DIY patio fountain" width="300" /></a></div>
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I still need to make some adjustments as the sealer I used on the inside of the pot does not seem to be working as well as I hoped. Since the base is an un-glazed clay pot, if not sealed properly, not only will water continue to seep through but over time it can eventually deteriorate the pot itself. No worries though since I have an option of using another type of brush-able sealer later. In efforts to get this put together for this past week's family visit I went with what I had on-hand.</div>
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I used a <a href="http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/gardening/ponds-fountains/140-gph-fountain-pump/p-1753948-c-10121.htm" target="_blank">140 GPH pump</a> with about a foot of 1/2" tubing to connect to the fountain spout. The platform on top is actually a ceiling fan diffuser that I spray-painted with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-210849-Hammered-Finish-12-Ounce/dp/B000C0175U" target="_blank">Rustoleum Hammered Metal</a> spray paint. It worked perfectly since there is plenty of venting for the water to filter into the pot plus the fountain spout rests perfectly in the center once removing the center section of the diffuser with tin snips. I also cut a small section out of one of the tiers to allow enough room to squeeze the plug end of the fountain connected to the pump through. Again, it worked perfectly!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWVn9-CZxPaAcbxOMn7BUtvK0eOPyKKT2OpgJzq_AzJS8AEb4kdL86i6qvVJStvsCDNpRiYOgS39KxdBg8P1tuuwt0-M9kpoSHJPWYu-rAQfWQkviJQRxk9-mNCEntAB9v5Vv4k2vIc9f/s1600/418xES4mo8L._SY300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWVn9-CZxPaAcbxOMn7BUtvK0eOPyKKT2OpgJzq_AzJS8AEb4kdL86i6qvVJStvsCDNpRiYOgS39KxdBg8P1tuuwt0-M9kpoSHJPWYu-rAQfWQkviJQRxk9-mNCEntAB9v5Vv4k2vIc9f/s1600/418xES4mo8L._SY300_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ceiling fan diffuser before</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrZeBiJ41U4VSGWtapfgQaPHxSPjCwGHK869QaYU-7MN7srhgYQefq0Xh6yqyRMmWjHgiIBvjKQ0WOgmLxA-FnJ7n0RatkZBasValy3cZ1-i0bqpYGHeQ7wh_SAe2HomchP3SJPIFYPNJ/s1600/2013-06-09+16.49.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DIY patio fountain" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrZeBiJ41U4VSGWtapfgQaPHxSPjCwGHK869QaYU-7MN7srhgYQefq0Xh6yqyRMmWjHgiIBvjKQ0WOgmLxA-FnJ7n0RatkZBasValy3cZ1-i0bqpYGHeQ7wh_SAe2HomchP3SJPIFYPNJ/s400/2013-06-09+16.49.32.jpg" title="DIY patio fountain" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Finished ceiling fan diffuser used as top platform</b></td></tr>
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The pot I used as the base I got on clearance for $15 and then sealed the drain hole on the bottom with epoxy. The rocks I got for free over Memorial weekend when visiting my family. They live near a lake that has these type of stones along the top of some water breakers near one of the marinas/camp areas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREYbgBdeVwWbFWb8YGA_4seFal5wwrUk5xNCZdPBltakadfYSEg1kjuhcHxS0qn_QkP0ECWzTSO0lAAKp7zTstqQN4Y_IHYsC7eUttrrZQY4pod0k1HaMhbswMXCUBQC-bod3kFwRd5y6/s1600/2013-06-09+16.49.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY patio fountain" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREYbgBdeVwWbFWb8YGA_4seFal5wwrUk5xNCZdPBltakadfYSEg1kjuhcHxS0qn_QkP0ECWzTSO0lAAKp7zTstqQN4Y_IHYsC7eUttrrZQY4pod0k1HaMhbswMXCUBQC-bod3kFwRd5y6/s400/2013-06-09+16.49.43.jpg" title="DIY patio fountain" width="400" /></a></div>
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I bought a round paver stone to use just as a little platform, elevating the whole fountain slightly and giving it a little more presence.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqS8D3MHiTMbmELcU_0x7Nt3F-jftZYE4AlU3jE92uZxb7ofluBplL89MtRgiDPA2ZZqJDYa_0oTqQkbxOx2FqQ43z5f0wfftqmQZydOXoM1Q5p2-nS6mVyTL06du6IXYqTkV62FGq12_9/s1600/2013-06-09+16.49.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqS8D3MHiTMbmELcU_0x7Nt3F-jftZYE4AlU3jE92uZxb7ofluBplL89MtRgiDPA2ZZqJDYa_0oTqQkbxOx2FqQ43z5f0wfftqmQZydOXoM1Q5p2-nS6mVyTL06du6IXYqTkV62FGq12_9/s400/2013-06-09+16.49.09.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I was happy to find a pot that coordinated well with the rest of our outdoor decor even matching a large square metal flower pot I already had. My husband said that without the rocks and fountain on top it looked more like an ash-tray. I kind of agreed but I think it looks much better now that it is finished.<br />
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The whole project cost around $60--it is hard to find much of anything of this size at that price range off-the-shelf. The labor was fairly minimal (except for an error in mixing the epoxy in which that step had to be repeated) and compared to any other fountain I had seen in person or online, I liked the look of this one much better. I like that it is a more modern take on the DIY flower pot fountain examples I found and it gives our outdoor space a relaxing and calming sound to enjoy dinner, evenings with neighbors, games with friends and family or just a few minutes sitting outside and enjoying the weather.<br />
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-66679375666997557772013-04-30T20:34:00.000-07:002013-04-30T20:34:10.022-07:00Rain, rain--go awayTap. Tap. Tap. SPLAT!<br />
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That's the sound of simple rain drops hitting our ginormous 32"x72" windows.<br />
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So often the rain sounds more like hail and the hail sounds more like...well...destruction.<br />
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Even though the moisture is good for our drought stricken part of the world, the rain and possibility of a lot of it along with frozen ice chunks being hurled from the sky is rarely a welcome sound at our house. Maybe it is because what turned out to be a 3+ month project to re-shingle our entire roof, started with one torrential downpour that could only inflame our continual battle against our arch nemesis: Mother Nature.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S5kipzAc4Uibwz1C4VXfKnXBoznPk4aP0hpXsVwP_iiI1cygKjeq739lBlUU71Khm1X_iSOwcgIhVPyUQRP3jYUqq8GyuBASc32Q_KbAwKmG6d2-J8I71goYsDmf3_QEeohFGumSJQ0a/s1600/west+shingles+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S5kipzAc4Uibwz1C4VXfKnXBoznPk4aP0hpXsVwP_iiI1cygKjeq739lBlUU71Khm1X_iSOwcgIhVPyUQRP3jYUqq8GyuBASc32Q_KbAwKmG6d2-J8I71goYsDmf3_QEeohFGumSJQ0a/s640/west+shingles+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temporary flashing and underlayment is a less than satisfying solution when mother nature makes a bold move working to undo our best efforts.</td></tr>
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Once the rain began to pour and as we sat under our partially exposed, half-finished south side of the roof where we had started, we could only look up at our ceiling and wonder what would happen next. A tornado? A hurricane? A freak monsoon coupled with a new ice age storm? We were so worked up that we had to bring in a ladder to get ourselves up into our attic space area just to see if any sign of a leak could be seen so we could know the full extent of needed damage repair.<br />
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However, either luck or mother nature (I'm sure my husband would never agree) was on our side and thankfully there were no leaks. Our temporary coverage held its own like the miracle it was and the storm that made us swear 3 days into our project came and went leaving us a good long stretch of dry weather to continue work.<br />
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And work we did. With plenty of patience, labor and supplies, we toiled away in evenings and on weekends to get the job completed in time for winter and to save our sanity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qTHHcGBcwgn51WUXZKMeEOpxzxocUXPxIQO26F38Pc27DWoyoZZzCZYx4pdtH0ipz8102f7DblY7xYYFx3pTFORkbqbPJt40XLdRqvtZjWX3L5hUSxbeyyU-a4e8igYbxJnwAB5uiBnA/s1600/blogpost8-roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qTHHcGBcwgn51WUXZKMeEOpxzxocUXPxIQO26F38Pc27DWoyoZZzCZYx4pdtH0ipz8102f7DblY7xYYFx3pTFORkbqbPJt40XLdRqvtZjWX3L5hUSxbeyyU-a4e8igYbxJnwAB5uiBnA/s640/blogpost8-roof.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stay tuned for more about this epic project involving asphalt shingles.the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-39812315852174173362013-04-21T18:07:00.001-07:002013-04-21T18:07:49.921-07:00This Old House Reader Remodel Contest II<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Old Addition + Reno = Stylish Storage.</b></div>
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TOH finally got our other contest submission posted online. We hope to keep our finished "mudroom" mud-free but either way it is stylish and highly functional and certainly crumbly-no-more.<br />
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<img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOkh9DDTDCYk9OYEUszShh1PSeclvwd17lNXY6Y3p_yINpPZsRSvjnjoLQig_VZQw3-rXBbG4cvIABesp-vj0He9TKs66ngliudKKmOdt-bDH2mpirVPsoHb8YvRnimjAHKiBJLZbegTK/s320/reader-remodel-2013-x.png" width="320" /></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/yourtoh/remodel-contest/gallery?entry_id=514691e4bc5e7437c9005841&image_id=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Read Our Contest Entry Here</span></a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiw_06coVGsL-wV6RUsX73v1xPzhzi7Ba-M4a5kbf2KYL11CnUlbgnpgWk5BTcED4eHXzEk4aP5jUG3uklpQR_khIpFORFPJ3aMMvgnfpdjO0l5ZgxIrdCcL3U_NBIE63IyQeh2rRVFSoc/s1600/blogpost7-TOHentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiw_06coVGsL-wV6RUsX73v1xPzhzi7Ba-M4a5kbf2KYL11CnUlbgnpgWk5BTcED4eHXzEk4aP5jUG3uklpQR_khIpFORFPJ3aMMvgnfpdjO0l5ZgxIrdCcL3U_NBIE63IyQeh2rRVFSoc/s400/blogpost7-TOHentry.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-273694393338659902013-04-07T15:25:00.002-07:002013-04-07T15:25:14.801-07:00Just before April showers.Since it is beginning to become what we hope is the rainy season, I took a moment to reminisce about this year's ski trip from a few months ago. Working on our house non-stop the first 2 1/2 years after we bought it has led us to treasure our "play" time and really enjoy every vacation we take now.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggec3f8pVqQplWSvk8kJDxWAb7fDmSBbPi2wJVsKn1jy1HgZvFqNc5Wi0WhM07neA0CRme22HdFfPhYOMq9PidOCPMHZwHCKg9XLqUehHxUHlceuJYHzS1vl1k0nKCbze-E55B8AK4XHu-/s1600/2013-01-12+11.39.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggec3f8pVqQplWSvk8kJDxWAb7fDmSBbPi2wJVsKn1jy1HgZvFqNc5Wi0WhM07neA0CRme22HdFfPhYOMq9PidOCPMHZwHCKg9XLqUehHxUHlceuJYHzS1vl1k0nKCbze-E55B8AK4XHu-/s640/2013-01-12+11.39.07.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the last runs of the day on Lower Hughes, Winter Park, CO.</td></tr>
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We generally stay at our family's duplex near the resort in which we have themed the entire interior as a cozy cabin for winter wonderland getaways. I helped add to this theme by creating modern, yet simple and inexpensive wall art in both bedrooms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF-Hv1Llz9coQUoE6yyyuXNK7CM5Vo4gRPVnex2omCfCvSN7o5-k5iXe-nwzQUSzRXSIJukgVyGukPC2i10iX3zsFNnELvG59qpoSpfqt1yGmhce3hWdmbX-suf2xo2ARNW7LPGxbCBQt/s1600/2013-01-11+19.40.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF-Hv1Llz9coQUoE6yyyuXNK7CM5Vo4gRPVnex2omCfCvSN7o5-k5iXe-nwzQUSzRXSIJukgVyGukPC2i10iX3zsFNnELvG59qpoSpfqt1yGmhce3hWdmbX-suf2xo2ARNW7LPGxbCBQt/s400/2013-01-11+19.40.43.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used 2 inch styrofoam as canvases--cutting them into 4 equal rectangles and then wrapping them with fabric. I made a pattern for the mountains on my computer and translated that to newspaper and then drew it on the actual fabric before cutting. I simply secured the main fabric pieces on the reverse side with straight pins and then used fabric glue to attach the snow pieces.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdLVEd3iBoI8Tr6rl_n49-u-CcQLSt7bO5qctplSbk6JkGoXBwAdLNyv0vZG6kgcf5cH-BaxoZTUaOCG30rLfbvYcxz_fyU7CVZ6-VaKQLjCakScIS1AeCrwjKcH2JlHSH2fw0M5laevZ/s1600/2013-01-11+19.39.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdLVEd3iBoI8Tr6rl_n49-u-CcQLSt7bO5qctplSbk6JkGoXBwAdLNyv0vZG6kgcf5cH-BaxoZTUaOCG30rLfbvYcxz_fyU7CVZ6-VaKQLjCakScIS1AeCrwjKcH2JlHSH2fw0M5laevZ/s400/2013-01-11+19.39.13.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The great part is other than being cheap and easy, since each piece is so light, you can hang them with just straight pins to avoid putting large holes in your walls. Here are few others that I have done after I realized how simple this project was--except for the lower-right hand design. That was tedious!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1V9RVy66fj66g691pnFdNJ6Frh-AFwnrYyWbi-vT2a0CSkHj10JNEEZQlPxKvs6ioL2I3jaiJdfzxkIdy-aM1XR7m62iB7oYO0cVBwkCpPSysmSlJlxrsVvHm4u_qneRvnmEBfrcAo7D1/s1600/blogpost6-wallartsamples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1V9RVy66fj66g691pnFdNJ6Frh-AFwnrYyWbi-vT2a0CSkHj10JNEEZQlPxKvs6ioL2I3jaiJdfzxkIdy-aM1XR7m62iB7oYO0cVBwkCpPSysmSlJlxrsVvHm4u_qneRvnmEBfrcAo7D1/s400/blogpost6-wallartsamples.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-33788042133079183672013-03-14T15:54:00.002-07:002013-03-14T15:54:33.841-07:00This Old House Reader Remodel Contest<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Functional, Spacious and Warm."</b></blockquote>
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That's the title TOH gave our submission for the bathroom "Reader Remodel" contest category. Now that description is certainly accurate but I would have added "Spectacular", "Stunning" and maybe "Winner" behind the title. Whatever comes of the winners remodeled spaces, you can bet we are thrilled to enjoy ours, cash prize or not.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y6xpjO8vniL5Znqax79AOd2x4xqjXgAc9gHRTb8aBFIu1mD0JAklO_laq6K8Grf07WtKntDHEiTVQa0a7Fb9Up2Bc9mLtOkPwPa-LmjDHIA-PMKWZkYL1gur9Nkq9QeO9x8KO3r6XxR_/s1600/reader-remodel-2013-x.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This Old House Reader Remodel Contest" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y6xpjO8vniL5Znqax79AOd2x4xqjXgAc9gHRTb8aBFIu1mD0JAklO_laq6K8Grf07WtKntDHEiTVQa0a7Fb9Up2Bc9mLtOkPwPa-LmjDHIA-PMKWZkYL1gur9Nkq9QeO9x8KO3r6XxR_/s320/reader-remodel-2013-x.png" title="2013 This Old House Reader Remodel Contest" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/yourtoh/remodel-contest/gallery?entry_id=513ba7a092a6c334b24d9603&image_id=1" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Read Our Contest Entry Here</a></h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgK6Gk-7Mn0YA0_VTzR1CTrpTar8tCtyOIjeeTKMoJEoAY0Q-_dEjbM20Rzp5mtMUgiho8YNMzhRnHl-iT7YIyJJPOeNUViGQpv3bEVetW4vD2lqwy22IEcIV2db2hdMo1ADoZTSUo4_k/s1600/blogpost5-TOHentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Contest Entry" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgK6Gk-7Mn0YA0_VTzR1CTrpTar8tCtyOIjeeTKMoJEoAY0Q-_dEjbM20Rzp5mtMUgiho8YNMzhRnHl-iT7YIyJJPOeNUViGQpv3bEVetW4vD2lqwy22IEcIV2db2hdMo1ADoZTSUo4_k/s400/blogpost5-TOHentry.jpg" title="2013 This Old House Reader Remodel Contest Entry" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
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Stay tuned...<br />
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-73443119585620718712013-03-03T13:13:00.002-08:002013-03-03T13:13:33.919-08:00Cleaning up the "character"<br />
Ok, so it's cold outside right now but it is oh so warm inside and not because there is a warm, toasty fire going on in the wood-burning stove. What I am referring to is another piece to the puzzle that helped complete our bathroom--the cast iron bath tub.<br />
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Now I'm not exactly one for keeping all the "character" of an old house because the word character to me now just means more work and more problems than generally something that is new.<br />
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But this fixture is one of those things that though it possesses character, it also holds a lot of function and beauty in addition to a lot of water. But in the beginning it was not so. And thanks to my then-fiancé, it became my project in-between times when he would work on tasks that I could not assist with.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YzYfvLdV-dnYOcjO65uPsowlFE8YhHdrADkMLjYRZoOgHRHzja_eMtBoAGHS1QHQIaWjLy7UPcHSZQw9NqQ4QK6YzRU7iEOeAM5TjhNuVOLoWWLOSVuJmSyXyI-JlsNzpNcbVWq00Z-c/s1600/IMG_1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YzYfvLdV-dnYOcjO65uPsowlFE8YhHdrADkMLjYRZoOgHRHzja_eMtBoAGHS1QHQIaWjLy7UPcHSZQw9NqQ4QK6YzRU7iEOeAM5TjhNuVOLoWWLOSVuJmSyXyI-JlsNzpNcbVWq00Z-c/s400/IMG_1121.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tub as it sat originally when the house was purchased.</td></tr>
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Now, once removed from the bathroom, a nice little custom dolly was built in order for it to be easily wheeled around the house as we moved from room to room in the demo and renovating process. And roam it did. The tub, along with our eager toilet kit purchase, rolled around and around to keep it from totally being in the way.<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuISmyAT_GlPcDUxhlZ_AvUzmEXF3QpwkMEJyJf_fa_wx0r1prVFYWq5wSCaup0vyDWoiF0ZBWDKRqC8hVBZeLUPurtQ1NrcGpI_AG7AfqL18pyz0Gch2YO2dCuiAIHyLUfLjz8ppw8dOg/s1600/blogpost4-tubbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuISmyAT_GlPcDUxhlZ_AvUzmEXF3QpwkMEJyJf_fa_wx0r1prVFYWq5wSCaup0vyDWoiF0ZBWDKRqC8hVBZeLUPurtQ1NrcGpI_AG7AfqL18pyz0Gch2YO2dCuiAIHyLUfLjz8ppw8dOg/s640/blogpost4-tubbefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first step in the refinishing process was to remove as much of what was on the surface of the inside of the tub to reveal a smoother surface for more prep-work that included sanding and filling in dimples and imperfections. Though at first glance it appeared in fairly good condition, one pass along the surface with your hand revealed a combination of pits, rust and waviness.<br />
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So I got to work on the inside with a small electric palm sander, hand sanding blocks and just simple squares of sandpaper. In addition to the tub, there was an old cast iron wash sink that was in the basement that we thought--why not finish that, too?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaCOKo3wbOCWpUaksBFxGSYbfRTaHpMEzy5ZsAAusrtTSAMvwaj_WZWNHdmuf_c6ZjWAOqJ7Fu3s277rjdKLHvYlSIgCvg0j8vFvnkmzHj2OXRbxdNkxK5darh4LZ61wf0DAIQnZZlSbk/s1600/blogpost4-sinkandtubbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaCOKo3wbOCWpUaksBFxGSYbfRTaHpMEzy5ZsAAusrtTSAMvwaj_WZWNHdmuf_c6ZjWAOqJ7Fu3s277rjdKLHvYlSIgCvg0j8vFvnkmzHj2OXRbxdNkxK5darh4LZ61wf0DAIQnZZlSbk/s640/blogpost4-sinkandtubbefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left) The wash sink with filling compound. Lots of damage and many pits yet to fill!.<br />(right) Work on the inside of the tub.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplYlyg_eEGaBlyP0QiKytIeImPP7sAs8QpP7hIKanj2ZmQZr_oZuQYOQjzaJFBkrpaEYIGQT9Z7efuKZfl88GfKIQDqil3HuJAxtstw2822d9BBCzKNn3LV_B5-09QV2Ihrlg2g5_fZJC/s1600/IMG_1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplYlyg_eEGaBlyP0QiKytIeImPP7sAs8QpP7hIKanj2ZmQZr_oZuQYOQjzaJFBkrpaEYIGQT9Z7efuKZfl88GfKIQDqil3HuJAxtstw2822d9BBCzKNn3LV_B5-09QV2Ihrlg2g5_fZJC/s400/IMG_1149.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old wash sink as it sat originally in the basement.</td></tr>
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So as time and other house projects dictated, I would assume the responsibility to labor on the two fixtures. This process as my husband can surely tell you was not my favorite thing to work on, if I even could identify a favorite! It was certainly the worst of all the evils in my mind at the time but in working on them, I guess I figured it was something I could do on my own and it seemed so often that was reason enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNLn78uR1yEnRiCx-08sxP_B4c_nDzkS4qdfSgV3sxnSJZNGWpLBkShkffHh9gZDz3CDxvA-D2kOp6EgFai69aOgC9i1TQJTyOuhYEeRMd7TrfwvHgSpkaxMxp9T29Zk9iG4TrZWvMxMm/s1600/plumbing+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNLn78uR1yEnRiCx-08sxP_B4c_nDzkS4qdfSgV3sxnSJZNGWpLBkShkffHh9gZDz3CDxvA-D2kOp6EgFai69aOgC9i1TQJTyOuhYEeRMd7TrfwvHgSpkaxMxp9T29Zk9iG4TrZWvMxMm/s400/plumbing+022.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work on the sink was a little more tolerable when warm enough to work outside.</td></tr>
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<br />In this rare instance, these projects became a team effort outside of our house and ourselves. Once the inside and outside of the tub was finished to the best of my ability and with our tools, my parents graciously transported the tub to their farm where they sandblasted the outside to remove the remaining paint and continue the prep process before the final refinishing began.</div>
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Once this process was completed, the next step was to turn it over to a professional tub re-finisher Though we had considered trying our hand at this process (as we did with every project we came across) our final decision was to leave this to an expert and finally wash (no pun intended) ourselves of the responsibility.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So it was this past month that we completed final installation and years of having that empty space in our bathroom were no more.</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3Z9QD9dgbD69mleDbPilU36ZZmEudvjQ9gg3GxXOSIOtt3hsYgQyncJQQJppy9ZXCFGklpzm-REQdPMS2gJESOT_CW5UMaXKhy8HMLdYUOBMN5XLqpV44-6rH516T93BQD_5Pz1uDT3K/s1600/blogpost4-tubbeforeandafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3Z9QD9dgbD69mleDbPilU36ZZmEudvjQ9gg3GxXOSIOtt3hsYgQyncJQQJppy9ZXCFGklpzm-REQdPMS2gJESOT_CW5UMaXKhy8HMLdYUOBMN5XLqpV44-6rH516T93BQD_5Pz1uDT3K/s640/blogpost4-tubbeforeandafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left) Tub before refinishing and sandblasting. (right) Tub after installation.</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhTz9cPvNgFLgbNvYuyGUujl_Y0Q84XyoL6YBKrDOLNHocXwVnoFce5JKnOZtl4dOS7RfFUSWC1L5kIWsleTxlJwiEjfZrnjk-EjXS4-X0ESVy-B-IdeUzZCuoXCAG6ybrGIomuUCbE0L/s1600/blogpost4-tubafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhTz9cPvNgFLgbNvYuyGUujl_Y0Q84XyoL6YBKrDOLNHocXwVnoFce5JKnOZtl4dOS7RfFUSWC1L5kIWsleTxlJwiEjfZrnjk-EjXS4-X0ESVy-B-IdeUzZCuoXCAG6ybrGIomuUCbE0L/s640/blogpost4-tubafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Tub details after installation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPDWtv3972fMI9nN-0cKnO_tX9WGz86Jgyb7WwtyGO3LPrlTP5JFBrAPTLINGC_qMC3Gurgy5bFikokl8_1Q7RIX0etTO70xdOMiSgLWm1i6QD-vV6HZnnidOao2hamFpyktyV91A07d8/s1600/blogpost4-tubafterwithdate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPDWtv3972fMI9nN-0cKnO_tX9WGz86Jgyb7WwtyGO3LPrlTP5JFBrAPTLINGC_qMC3Gurgy5bFikokl8_1Q7RIX0etTO70xdOMiSgLWm1i6QD-vV6HZnnidOao2hamFpyktyV91A07d8/s640/blogpost4-tubafterwithdate.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left) Manufacturer date stamp on underside of tub: 11/20/1913<br />(left) Tub as it now sits in bathroom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What happened to the sink? Well, needless to say, that work so far has been in vain as I have tried not to bring up the subject too often for old wounds recalling hours of toil come to mind. We decided (after I had completed much of the prep-work process) that it was too large for our bathroom and the sink was not the best use of space. Our plans have not further entertained the idea of using it in our anticipated bathroom in the basement so for awhile longer, it will stay in my parents shed until a suitable plan can be determined. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Such is the fate of some of our ideas and time spent working on our house but I guess there was something to be learned from this whole process...just buy it new!<br /><br /></div>
</div>
the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-65538197202513725252013-02-16T07:42:00.000-08:002013-02-16T07:42:20.422-08:00OK! demoI got started on demolition of our house on a chilly February day right around this same time in 2007. The plan (for me at least) was to start in the bathroom. Why the bathroom?<br />
<br />
I guess it was the smallest of all the rooms so maybe it made sense to start with the smallest of all the demo projects first but I'm pretty sure our fallible logic was because a bathroom is so important when you are working in a construction zone with no running water and the sooner we got the bathroom finished the sooner it could be of use.<br />
<br />
I know that was the reason we bought all the pieces for installation of the toilet over a year before it actually was installed. From that point on, we had two heavy boxes that contained the parts and proceeded to move them from room to room and corner to corner as it always seemed to be constantly in the way. But in those days, so many ideas seemed so plausible and so we continued on in hopes that in just a few weeks, we would be ready for installation.<br />
<br />
But I digress, I was eager to start the demolition process in the bathroom.<br />
<br />
"What do I do first," I asked.<br />
<br />
My fiance handed me a hammer and a "wonder bar" and said, "Take this paneling down."<br />
<br />
"OK!"<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_XLjyMP8x6sLgy78F0FOb0XFgiuQ-aYyU8b2BVfxGBnoGKZZdR70yL4XsMgnWXQftlUT85mnEloDu-lhgNgqjdw56laEtWHNPcU3dLDFLOFCP2OLvmZf9Zclkj8u8aqRNt0RnwkjOfXO/s1600/blogpost3-bathdemo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_XLjyMP8x6sLgy78F0FOb0XFgiuQ-aYyU8b2BVfxGBnoGKZZdR70yL4XsMgnWXQftlUT85mnEloDu-lhgNgqjdw56laEtWHNPcU3dLDFLOFCP2OLvmZf9Zclkj8u8aqRNt0RnwkjOfXO/s640/blogpost3-bathdemo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bathroom untouched then after ROUND 1 demo.</td></tr>
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Then I asked, "Now what?"<br />
<br />
"Take down all the lath."<br />
<br />
"Ok!"<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CJAn8RyPdcI5DzOP9IKXs1jUtbI966unKONg6GzJlruFMKlQX5SbvWBxhMF8eV9oGzg_g_p9vhMcg0jyXE_PfOFjw3I_sX2uZy0sOIfcGqnqUqImsUHTJaSJPY3s2MhU5pAweM4wk4-9/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CJAn8RyPdcI5DzOP9IKXs1jUtbI966unKONg6GzJlruFMKlQX5SbvWBxhMF8eV9oGzg_g_p9vhMcg0jyXE_PfOFjw3I_sX2uZy0sOIfcGqnqUqImsUHTJaSJPY3s2MhU5pAweM4wk4-9/s400/IMG_1185.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
"What now?" I asked.<br />
<br />
"Take down all the plaster that was lying beneath all the lath."<br />
<br />
"Ok."<br />
<br />
"Now what?" I asked.<br />
<br />
"Remove all the debris and put it in the roll-off," he said.<br />
<br />
"ok."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53NH-dRq5fSbCI84VMGkpHRGjH0sI5bkpLiblyf5wp3AMNqhv-mVoD8gLhXeVhHQnZ2FZWrmTaIa9tjm4Q_CCPUwHmMcr2oZDWRme0_VVTrRTKvd7hvQANK9E0JInDrnVW9dF7k3yLEdY/s1600/43630010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53NH-dRq5fSbCI84VMGkpHRGjH0sI5bkpLiblyf5wp3AMNqhv-mVoD8gLhXeVhHQnZ2FZWrmTaIa9tjm4Q_CCPUwHmMcr2oZDWRme0_VVTrRTKvd7hvQANK9E0JInDrnVW9dF7k3yLEdY/s400/43630010.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I think you get the picture. As each step added to the next, my enthusiasm waned and I began to truly understand the enormity of this house project. But despite that fact, I think we both left that evening feeling satisfied with our progress.<br />
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That's the thing about demo work, it's dirty but it's quick and brainless. We would soon realize that those days of progress would be a welcome change from time-consuming, tedious complexities that would start to make our house something that could make it a livable dwelling and eventually a home.the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-23525759421949833932013-02-11T19:43:00.001-08:002013-02-11T19:43:43.764-08:00Where it began...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnJmURsY7Q1fE8SjJWuxNdkwB3tt4kk9GHsQI9E2fFBDIPF9bWFZ9hN3wwVu_oor4dS0RvMO2JADqGO6zEodrZmZn_2SipuSRTHVu6zTjh6Qglygw56Fy77Wi-TkrbLIJpqBRH7qPjwK0/s1600/3_20_06+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnJmURsY7Q1fE8SjJWuxNdkwB3tt4kk9GHsQI9E2fFBDIPF9bWFZ9hN3wwVu_oor4dS0RvMO2JADqGO6zEodrZmZn_2SipuSRTHVu6zTjh6Qglygw56Fy77Wi-TkrbLIJpqBRH7qPjwK0/s400/3_20_06+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Rotting wood, shaky windows, rusty pipes, weathered siding, random wires, dying trees, chipping paint..and two stories to contain it all. To say I am thankful that this did not become our house is an understatement. It was, however, the object of first infatuation for my husband-to-be during the home search. I use the word "search" in the sense that there was a choice between less than half a dozen properties labeled with some type of "potential".<br />
<br />
In the exact words of my now husband describing the available possibilities of a home that was listed under our designated price range, "they all sucked."<br />
<br />
As a result, his enthusiasm for this yellow house grew. It was obvious this property was surrounded by positive qualities at which any untrained eye could immediately recognize...or something like that. As the fascination with this property grew, it was clearer to me that taking on this project would be one of enormous proportions. Somehow, the house we did end up purchasing seemed so much more manageable. "There is only one floor to deal with," I was quick to point out.<br />
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The yellow house was a foreclosure and eventually went to auction in which a bank purchased and resold the property. From that point on, the property rose out of our desired price range and was removed from consideration.<br />
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Moving onto other possibilities, a conveniently located home came into the picture. I say conveniently because it was only blocks from where my then fiance worked. A trip over his lunch hour helped solidify its contention.<br />
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With his curiosities stirred, an actual scheduled visit with the listed realtor and invitation to our good friend to tag along, made it official. We ventured inside to check it all out together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left) Front exterior of the house. <br />(right) Our friend seems more interested in the listing information than the the details of the place.</td></tr>
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<br />
The floors were worn, the kitchen was bare save the very old style cabinetry and cast iron sink and there was no running water as far as we could tell throughout the main level. Some squeaks from underneath a couple stacks of wooden pallets in the basement revealed just the beginning of what would become one of many unwanted furry winged guests.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OMCOs-Dg2hGyn0sS0lkVaLSyWeXjtS5Hct_ZyHYcD4CAzvUwEcDd_GfCHFfNlxlH_3nH2GJB43D-3yX3tOZ_3-MWyrKGm0Qi98UzzNQStyEj7oKXbgpEnTNrjtbMlBHbURO72ZFdTPn_/s1600/IMG_1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OMCOs-Dg2hGyn0sS0lkVaLSyWeXjtS5Hct_ZyHYcD4CAzvUwEcDd_GfCHFfNlxlH_3nH2GJB43D-3yX3tOZ_3-MWyrKGm0Qi98UzzNQStyEj7oKXbgpEnTNrjtbMlBHbURO72ZFdTPn_/s320/IMG_1124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Are you handy?" said the realtor.</td></tr>
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<br />
Those famous words from the realtor have since been repeated in many forms and instances and now it's safe to say that it's true.<br />
<br />
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6623812247237617992.post-58533578617124098432013-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:002013-02-01T20:57:58.541-08:00Constructing a "new" canvas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Ahhh...the feel of a toasty, warm fire and the taste of soft, warm cookies remind me that once not so long ago, it was not so.<br />
<br />
I reflect back to the time when warmth was replaced with cold and darkness and at some times, frigid, frigid cold and darkness. When walls were made of plaster and lath and windows were made of wavy glass that one could only assume had some sort of purpose in keeping the weather out but failed to do so in any real satisfying way during the dark winter months in Nebraska.<br />
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Or in the case of our house, just hammer a nail on both sides of the highest edges of the opening and drape a tarp that can stretch from one end to the other--cutting off the outside world from light.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mAu5lV4dWHwlPzdvbN52ggFuYp5XMDtpZwBTwZy5B2yBPUJ40_tODnmNVvgbrud_s7guBvcdlCiNzql17Tiw35gMF2eOw-FHor5WlZ1YGHC6yNuseP7PVe8qc2X1KbR-Bo4n9652vS0h/s1600/blogpost1-plasterwalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mAu5lV4dWHwlPzdvbN52ggFuYp5XMDtpZwBTwZy5B2yBPUJ40_tODnmNVvgbrud_s7guBvcdlCiNzql17Tiw35gMF2eOw-FHor5WlZ1YGHC6yNuseP7PVe8qc2X1KbR-Bo4n9652vS0h/s640/blogpost1-plasterwalls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our dining and living room.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
In those early days, I felt some sort of curiosity mixed with plenty of obligation and anticipation for the completion of the next five, ten (and so on) milestones in our reconstruction process that always seemed to be elusive. There was no running water, no heat, no cool air conditioning, no lighting and just enough cords and wire run to power a few work lights.<br />
<br />
What there was plenty of work, things to do and learn, and a "fresh" canvas of sorts to start from. That canvas may have been filthy, unsightly and a pile of ruble to many--scaring most into disbelief that it was really worth the time and effort to even think about let alone actually tackle. But for some reason to my then fiance it was an opportunity to provide for myself and a future family in one of the best ways he thought he could.<br />
<br />
My trustworthiness and my desire to support his enthusiasm I guess won out as I agreed that somehow this was truly the path to pursue. I may not have selected this path on my own but I was an integral part of its realization nonetheless. I would not have predicted the end result or the lessons along the way of such a journey but we started to blaze this trail to learn what others may have warned as only personal experience can teach.<br />
<br />the unintended architecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10292793206992242754noreply@blogger.com2