Clear House/ Clear Head

A few weeks ago a nice contractor came by and gave us some good tips on what to do when you are a first time "reno-er". He said the first thing you need to do is clear the junk out in order to gain perspective on what you WANT to get done vs. what you NEED to get done. So this is what we did. We tore down and piled materials and this past Saturday, with kudos to our friend Tom, we unloaded 4 industrial sized bins at the dump! Sounds like fun, its not but it had to be done and I can say that it really clears your head!

So at long last we are now at the stage of putting instead oftearning out and it feels great.....other than having to make a thousand decisions on kitchen designs, paint colous, ceiling.....etc. Speaking of celings, did you know that the white stucco ceilings are out of date? Apparently painted ceilings are all the rage....so guess what we are doing? We have the lucky job of standing on a ladder and scrapping off the bumps, then wiping off the stucco. SO NOT A FUN JOB! It took husband 45 mins to scrape and 3 hours to wipe off the stucco. My turn is next as we have 2 more rooms to do!

*On Monday we got a second window estimate and we decided we're going to get rid of the bay window in the kitchen and replace it with a regular window, pluswe're adding a second window in the dining room area so we can overlook the backyard while we're eating. With the price of windows hopefully the view will enhance the taste of the food.

Must run but I will leave you with a question, what are your thoughts on concrete countertops?

Home wrreckerr!

After pummeling the kitchen cupboards and taking up the laminate we got to the fun part this week--that pesky laminate that was tucked underneath a couple layers of flooring.

Dad was here over the weekend, so, like any loving son, I put him to work.

As I peeled away the layers, I cursed those homeowners before us that were too lazy to take up the old laminate, including this beautiful yellow-flaked design (circa 1960's I'm guessing)

Pretty!

I spent the better part of an hour with sledge and chisel in a feeble and unsatisfying attempt to peel away the final laminate layer. After hacking off about one square foot I called a Home Hardware and asked how they do it. A nice guy named Jeremy (sp) told me they use a machine called an "Eddy" (presumably short for "Fast Eddy) to get tough flooring up. Note to self: call Westminster rentals ...

We moved the messy and massive heap o wood scraps into the dining room so I could begin chipping away the tile from the living room (who the *#^! lays tile in the living room)? I made a lot of headway this a.m. and got the tile up throughout the LR and into the hallway so things are looking good.

Meanwhile wifey's been busy checking out kitch designs and quotes. We've got 4 quotes and we've got it narrowed down to 3. If I told you who the finalists were I'd have to kill you.

On Saturday, I've got a friend coming over with a large bin and we're going to load all of this crap and haul it to the dump. Then I can rent Eddy and tackle that floor.

I'd love to keep writing but alas, I've got a tub filled with post-dinner dishes that beckons. Tra-la-la.

The Money Pit

Now that we have moved in and settled into our basement "suite" I feel as though everywhere I turn, something is breaking, leaking or creaking. I feel like Shelley Long in the movie, The Money Pit. The more we tear down, the more problems seem to arise. Is this where we are headed? I sure hope not! As Scott and I just passed our 1 Year Anniversary. I hope our movie ending is not like Shelly Long and Tom Hank's ending.

To date, since we have moved in, we have had to replace our washer and dryer (they are quite lovely and I actually look forward to laundry day), fix the pool, have been told to replace all of windows and door, which came with a $14,000 quote, and I'm pretty sure our house is infested with bugs and spiders! Our darling fixer-upper-has turned into 1 BIG problem. And if 1 more person says the word potential I am going to scream. Potential is great when you don't own it, trust me! Oh well, this potential is ours and we will have to learn to love it....or list it. Have you seen that show?

From the Husband's prespective, I agree these "surprises" and higher-than-we'd-imagined quotes" for the work we need doing have been worrisome and more unsettling than anticipated. It's easy to let it weigh you down especially when our dream of moving upstairs by Christmas has rapidly begun to slip away. Now we're looking ahead to 2011. Cheers!
I'm trying hard to keep a positive perspective in spite of the obstacles in our path and I'm hoping that we'll be able to do some of the work ourselves, be patient, do what we can afford, and just trust that in the words of a well-known red neck name Larry, we'll be able to "git 'er done."

On a more happy note, check out the pictures our pretty new washer and dryer!

What better way to celebrate an anniversary?

Sarah's mom, dad, brother, his fiance and their little guy, Ty came to visit us for our "special day" on Monday.

As we were giving the two-bit tour of the house and the kitchen area, a couple of people took a detour to pick up a sledgehammer and chip off the remaining tile from the fireplace. Boys and their toys!

Following a celebratory lunch at a faraway location we were back at the homestead for a nice, fat chunk of cake (carrot) :) The rest of the day was spent hooking up and playing with (yes, playing) our new washer and dryer. Although it was an unplanned purchase, imagine the novelty of a washing machine that plays the theme from Beverly Hills Cop (think Axel F) theme at the conclusion of its cycle. I don't think we were ever more excited to do laundry.

Before, during and happily ever after?

We've finally downloaded our home reno pics for your perusing pleasure.
After moving everything over last Thursday, and spending the next few days moving stuff, losing stuff, finding stuff and cleaning up the downstairs, where we'll be living for the next couple of months. One thing we noticed was, we have many things with plugs but not enough plug-ins.

Today we finished knocking down the walls surrounding the fireplace, exposing all the brick. Check out how much our upstairs is opened up.

What's even more fun than taking a hammer and crowbar to your house? Try eating from plastic bowls and dishes and washing dishes in the bathtub, and cooking meals from a makeshift kitchen. It's what's new for us this fall ... *joy*

However, our dog, Stella, is loving the place. She's got all sorts of new areas to explore and she's constantly sniffing and snorting her way 'round the house.

Only two more sleeps .... I sound like a child before Christmas ...

In between the weekend visitors (Hi L, D and N) and the birthday party (J's) we've managed to get the bulk of our items removed from our condo and moved to our new pad. We're left with the sofa, love, TV, our bed, a dresser and a TV. That's about it.
Still, if this were a marathon - or perhaps a more appropriate statement - an Ironman triathlon, in terms of the big picture (entire kitchen reno, painting, flooring, windows, tiles, the pooool), and all the prep work that leads up to it,) we're about 10-to-15 per cent of the way to completion.
Wifey and I have pledged to make a schedule and stick to it. I think that so far, we should get a B+ or A- for our efforts.
We'll be meeting with a kitchen designer on Thursday to discuss a material and work estimate. Still feeling like we need to get at least one more estimate before we make any decision even though time is crucial at this time, especially if we want to move upstairs by November.

Did I mention we're setting up camp downstairs while the upstairs is being done? Sounds like fun?! It's an adventure in renovating.

Still need to grab the cable so that we can download the pics we've shot so far, otherwise, this entire project is left being kind of moot.

Aaaaanyway, I was on the phone "negotiating" with our friends at telus and shaw for the best deal on Internet and HD cable. If you've ever done this, you already know how much fun it is. I put on my best hard-nosed negotiator face and over two cups of coffee, I came away with a palmful of special offers but no free HD PVR. *sigh*

Things will begin to fall into place. Renovating a house is kind of like taking apart a puzzle, re-shaping some of the pieces and re-arranging them to create an eye-catching new look. Except it's a lot bigger. and it costs a lot more. and you have dozens of decisions that need to be made. and it's a kitchen and not a puzzle.

Speaking of, I have to decide which company will be awarded out contract for HD and Internet, later....

Flipping Out, Carter Can

If you've ever watched the HG show, "Flippin Out" you know what a freak Jeff Lewis is. A high strung interior designer with meticulous tastes and an exact eye who makes a whooole loooootta money. Tonight he was pitching to potential new clients, Brad Sherwood (Whose Line is it, Anyway)? and his wife and helping his straight brother choose wine for his upcoming wedding.
When I look at the grandiose renos he does, it almost sucks some of the wind out of what we're going to be doing.
Speaking of, we met with a kitchen renovator last night and he helped us hash out some ideas as to how we should approach the kitchen. That's the good news. However, we're also going to need to knock down a second wall. However, it will open up things so much more and I really think we'll like how it turns out.
I would love to show some pictures but I think wifey already stuffed the download cord? into a box and it's already at the house.
Got the pool liner ordered today and work is slated to begin on the pool deck this Monday. Who knows? we might be able to get a swim in before the temperature starts to drop excessively.
We took another couple of loads to the house today so I'm feeling like moving day shouldn't be too bad cuz we'll be about two-thirds of the way complete.
One day at time - I've decided - is my mantra...