More Pix

Well, a quick update. I made my headboard for my bed from the teak coffee table. I was quite proud of myself putting it up all by my lonesome. I think women with power drills are dangerous. I still need to go and get some stain to tint the base of my bed frame to match the headboard but it still looks fabulous. I'm going to pick it up today and most likely do that as a project tomorrow.

I've posted some pictures of my back splash but the camera just doesn't do it justice. I've also added some new pictures to show more progress.

IT PASSED

Well, it's been quite the week. Last Sunday Josh came and started my tiled back splash in the the kitchen. I of course ended up helping. I was delegated the task of cutting the wee bits of tile to fill in the little spots and of course my favorite pastime...ughhh...grouting. By the way, I am now a professional at caulking (Another big deal with the building dept!). I am still working on the computer area tile but the kitchen backsplash is finished! My goal really was to get my final inspection passed. Long story short it passed yesterday but not, of course, without trial. This is the third time I've tried to pass my final and like they say, third time's the charm. Some of the stuff they made me do was pretty trivial. I do believe that sometimes they are just justifying their jobs. Example Fail: because I didn't have my house numbers attached to my house (they were totally visible in my front garden)....Come On!!! First inspector said nothing about this but the second did.
When I finish my computer area tile I will post pictures of the whole thing. It is fabulous really and quite cost effective. Installation was free and the tile was about a $100.

Of course I'm still Craigslisting...I'm addicted. My newest find....a 5' solid teak coffee table. Price....FREE! Now, I knew I couldn't use this as a coffee table because it was just too long for the style of my sectional but...I knew I could either re-sell it on CL or take it apart and use the solid tabletop as a headboard for my bed. I googled the table and found the exact same one for $295. I opted to take it apart and make a headboard since that would make me most happy. I took the legs off and leaned it against the head of my bed...WOW! Looks great. Now I just need to figure out how to mount it. A trivial detail I know I can overcome!

My Atomic Ranch Magazine came yesterday and to my surprise someone from Maple Ridge wrote in about not being able to find a MCM home in the lower mainland...or if they did find one it needs too much repair or is in the wrong place. They said when they retire they are going to build one. I can't tell you how blessed I felt that I snagged this house. I feel like contacting them. Come to think of it I think I'll try. I feel some kind of strange connection to people interested in these homes. I think in 2012 I'll make my way to Palm Springs for Mid Century Week. Ahhh, Palm Springs.....Grand daddy of all MCM locations. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin...martinis by the pool.

Today is my last day of work for the Christmas holidays. Two glorious weeks of freedom. My shopping is almost done and I'm going to enjoy my second MCM Christmas in my FINISHED MCM abode.

The kitchen backsplash and Christmas things

Well, tomorrow is finally the day. The day my kitchen becomes complete. My contractor is coming over in the morning to start my tiled backsplash. I can't wait to see the result. I will then be able to get my final inspection called in.

My house has been decorated for Christmas with the white Christmas tree I retrieved off of Craigslist in the summer. It looks absolutely stunning. It really goes with the whole mid century modern look of the house. I think my goal now is to gradually source out vintage ornaments . I went through all my old Christmas decorations and most don't even go with my house anymore. I have decided that this weekend I will put them up on Craigslist and see if someone else would like them. Since Heather moved out on December 4th I did let her go through them to see what she would like to take with her. She took a small bag. I spent about an hour and a half hanging ornaments in every window of my living and dining room which looks lovely.
The pictures are forthcoming....

This really is the fun part

My little bit of time off from work was just the ticket. I got to putter around the house at a leisurely pace and get those little things done from my reno I just didn't have time to do. I finally put the last shelf up in my closet and organized it perfectly. My spice rack is now completely done and up on the inside of my cupboard. (I really think some IKEA should be in every home) It's the best spice rack ever, even though I think it's a bit pricey, its sure saves on space!
Surprise!.....I spent a whole lotta time on Craigslist searching for deals. I found a bed frame (which I have been looking for for months) that is low profile. My dream was to have a teak mid century bedframe with a headboard and attached side tables but it would have been way to cramped in my bedroom. I opted for a bedframe that makes my bed look like it's floating off the floor. I snagged it off Craigslist and I've attached the picture. I definitely think it was the right choice for my room. I'm leaving the large Challignac Ceramic and Velvet framed art above my bed as a headboard (another great find on Craigslist). I also sourced another white shag rug of Craigslist for $25 for my bedroom. I now feel my bedroom is complete.
Another great find was a 1960's blonde headboard for my daughter's room for a measly $5. I couldn't pass it up even though what I really wanted was a teak or walnut one. For $5 I can still have it and if I want keep looking on CL for an alternative. When she moves out in December I will be decorating her room as a guest room.

My hand rail has been lifted on my glass stair railing to pass code, although I haven't called for final inspection as yet. I'm waiting until my contractor comes back to install my kitchen backsplash tile the second week of December and then I'll call. I figure that since my stair railing was supposed to be totally finished by June 1st and it's taken the railing company until mid November to get it done (and right) I'll take my sweet time getting my final inspection and he'll just have to wait for the final balance I owe him for the railing.

I put my Christmas lights up on the weekend, all white. I chickened out on putting them up on the top eave. I got vertigo when I tried to do it up top. I still need to pick up some more lights for my Maple tree and it should be good.

Well that's about it for now.

OK, it wasn't and isn't officially over

The railing is still an issue. Tried to get my final inspection on my house and unfortunately it failed. The reason?....the railing is too low. Unbelievable! After talking to Ron from Craftwell he said he knew it was too low but thought it would pass. News to me...thanks for telling me. He now has to make new brackets to raise the railing. They are still not ready. It's now November and still it's not completely finished. I haven't paid him and he won't get a dime until it passes. He has lost so much money on this project. The good news is it looks pretty awesome. There are a few things I'm not thrilled about but all in all its pretty cool. At least it's up and no one can fall off the top ledge.
I ordered my kitchen backsplash tile last week. I wanted penny tile but in Canada it's really hard to find. I settled on white tiny hex tile which almost looks like penny tile and the great news is it's relitively inexpensive. My contractor still owes me his time to install so there will be no charge for that. I'm hoping the tile arrives near the end of this week. I'd like it done before December if possible.
I'm off on holiday this week from work so I'll get some of the little things done I haven't had time for like organizing better and little things like putting up my spice rack on my inside cupboard.
Fall is definitely here. I mowed my lawn for the last time last week and it looked great until a little bit of wind came up and blowed all the leaves from the neighbors trees into my yard. I'm going to wait until they all drop and then do the raking.
I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I'm looking for white string lights to put on my white Christmas tree I found on Craigslist in the summer. It's going to look fabulous!!!
;)

October...1 year anniversary

It is now officially over....well, the railing that is. I will post pictures soon. It was completed last week and I recieved the papers from the engineer yesterday at dinner time. I can now call for final inspection. Never did I think I would have to wait this long for my final. My railing was supposed to be completed by June 1st. This company, Craftwell Construction, has been a nightmare. I will be phoning the city to get my final this week. The railing company wanted pictures of the railing which I will not be giving them. Why should I?

I spent last weekend powerwashing my front and back patios so I could coat them before winter. I did get the back garage area exposed agregate coated with glaze but the back patio I just didn't have time before the weather changed. My front walkway also got coated which looks great.

I finally had my real estate agent come in on Friday to look at my house after the reno. She hasn't seen it since I first moved it. Lets just say she was absolutely flabbergasted at the final result. I was pleased to hear that she thought I'd get all the money I sank into the house plus a lot more if I put it on the market. She also said it was the biggest transformation she had ever seen a house go through. She thought I should contact a magazine. I just may do that. Atomic Ranch Magazine are you reading this? That comment in itself made my night!

October 4th was my one year anniverary living in my house and I'm so glad I bought it! It's a pleasure to come home from work, walk through the door and heave a heavy sigh of contentment... :)

It's never over, is it?

Ok, enough is enough. My railing is still not finished. Oh yes the glass is in but the glass has been cut wrong, so it's not really done yet. The glass wasn't just cut wrong once...but twice...
Just yesterday the installer sent me an email asking if he had left my customer file at my house last week. The answer...and emphatic NO!. I'm guessing the glass has come back and he was checking the measurements and wa-la...no file. What an idiot! I have never been so exasberated with someone. EVER!

On to more possitive things... My painter finished my house. It looks fabulous. I love my turquoise door. In trying to save some money I painted my mailbox to match the door instead of paying loads of money for a new one. It will do just fine for now. I have new house numbers but won't put them up until the garage is finished as the door will have to be re-framed larger.

I'll be back soon when I have an update.

The Dream continues

Well as I write…my bloody steel railing posts are being installed. I need to cross my fingers here because I’m hoping that I’m happy with them (this time). This was supposed to be finished at the beginning of June and here it is almost September. After the posts are installed the glass will be ordered and I hear that it will be another three working days after that for the glass to come in. So, I’m thinking that means I should have my glass by next summer. I would be shocked if I received the glass by Thursday. Not just shocked but dumb-founded.
Speaking of stairs I finally found shelving that would work beneath my stairs. I purchased a glass store shelving system that can be built to fit under the angle of my stairs. I bought this off Craigslist of course I might add, for less than half the price it would have cost me to buy new. The unfortunate part is I dropped one of the glass panes and gouged my flooring. I’ll ignore that and say that I love the way the shelving looks under the stairs. I painted the wall behind a lovely turquoise color that will also be the color of my front door. And the light beneath the panes of glass lights up all my mid century treasures perching on the shelves. I have also lined up someone to make a nice cushion which will sit atop the built in cupboard shelving I purchased from Ikea. I still need to pick out the fabric for this.

The exterior of the house is supposed to be painted on Sept. 7th (weather permitting). I’m using a medium grey with darker grey accent and white trim under the eaves and on the beams. I don’t think I’ll accent the windows with more white and will just use the existing window for the white off-set. I will also do the brick and chimney the darker grey. I can’t wait to see how the front door looks dressed in turquoise.

Well, that about covers the update…be back soon.

Mid Century state of mind

I've been Craigslisting again....I think I have a new addiction.
looking for deals is my new pastime and some of the deals have been amazing. I picked up a mid century sideboard for $75 and switched it for the G-plan sideboard which I've now placed in my kitchen with my mid-century coffee pots lining the top. It's a little large for the kitchen but I really like the unit and since I only paid $30 for it, it's a conversation piece. I've picked up quite a few cool things on CL and I can't see why everyone wouldn't buy this way. I've furnished my house for less than $500. I"m still on the lookout for a mid-century mirror and some kind of unique shelving that will fit under my stairs.
.....speaking of stairs.....my railing is STILL not in yet. They are supposed to come today and fix the mars that they did when they tried to install my posts. They better show up. Apparently now they are having trouble getting the engineer to tweak the design. This has now been going on since the end of May and this company is horrid. Stay away from Craftwell....they don't craft well and they don't know how to communicate with their customers. I will be surprised if my railing gets done before winter. Yes, that's how high my hopes are.
My ensuite tap finally came and both were installed on Friday. Jay the plumber came and installed them which made me happy. The vessel sinks had a tendency to be slow draining so he drilled the holes bigger in the drain and now it works great! I finally finished my grouting and sealing last weekend and could use my shower for the first time. It's awesome and I don't even like showers. The frameless glass it beautiful!
It's getting close to having the painter come and paint my house for me but now I'm wondering if I should just get the garage done before that. I'm going to think about it on my trip and make a decision before I get home on Friday. The house was supposed to be painted at the beginning of September.
Well, that's about all for now.

Well, here it is July 5th and the reno is still not quite complete. It feels done but there is a bit of tweaking to do. Some of my handles aren’t on my cabinets yet. My mirror and glass for my ensuite bath won’t be going in until the end of this week. My ensuite lights still need to be installed (waiting for the mirror). I haven’t got my tile yet for my kitchen backsplash yet. My stair railing still is not installed and quite honestly I don’t want to talk about it. I had it out with the railing company owner today and I’ll leave it at that.

I had my final garage sale this past weekend. I made a bit of money (believe me, I need it after this reno). I still want my garage revamped and the exterior of my house painted and my master bedroom balcony re-done with a topless glass railing but I’m guessing the railing will have to wait until next year as the moola is getting dangerously low. For my exterior paint I’ve now decided to deck out the house with a turquoise door. I think a grey exterior with white beams and a white eave outlined in a darker grey trim will be just what the mid century doctor ordered. My minds eye tells me it will look fabulous with the turquoise door.

I am very happy with the house! It looks like the photos from my coveted Atomic Ranch Magazine. When I look back at the reno pictures I honestly don’t know how I lived like that. I am proud to say “I did it”. So far the results are what I had envisioned right from day 1.

Things I am happy about most:

I have running water
I can cook on a stove
I don’t have to clean up a mess everyday after work
The bottom of my feet aren’t rough anymore
I don’t have to worry about my cats
And
I can now relax and have people over

I will add more photos when I can. I’m gaining more and more time as the days progress.

Is it over though?

Okay, I haven't been writing in my blog. I should have been but unfortunately you need time for that. Lately the house, or should I say the trades have been...lacking. I would like to know where common sense seems to go with regard to doing things in other peoples homes. What's that saying?
You wouldn't do that in your own house so don't do it here.
I have had nothing but disappointing days lately. Small floods. Three plumbers 40 minutes to hook up the water to my fridge. A leak in my baseboard which damaged my flooring. More flooding of my kitchen from my master bath. More damage to my floors and stairs from the railing installer. Uneven tile installation. Crooked installation of pea traps. Lights installed incorrectly. A shower door that leaks. Unfortunately the list goes on.
It all started out so well. Who knew it would end up being a nightmare. I feel like a Mom scolding her flock...haven't I already brought up my kids? At first I felt bad that I was complaining about what was going on in my house but no more. I am a certified Reno Bitch now. R.B. are my new initials which will now be embroidered on my towels and pillow cases. I may even have a t-shirt made.
Even though these things are happening I do love the way the house looks. It is truly almost at the finish line. The railing should (better) be finished by tomorrow along with the quartz counter top and my master bathroom shower glass. Because the counter tops will be installed it means the plumbers (and I say the word "plumbers" lightly) will be able to install my kitchen and master bath sinks.

I would love to take some pictures of the almost finished product but look high and low, I can't seem to find my battery charger for the battery to my camera. I did see it the other day but can't remember where. The day I get organized around here is the day I will relax.

On a good note, here are some positive things:
Craigslist has been a great avenue. I bought two 6' X 3' mirrors for $20 each and refinished them for $7.00 each. This will save me hundreds of dollars. My quote for custom mirrors for my house was initially $795. which I got down to $700. I've decided to use the mirrors I've bought, buy mirrors from IKEA for the main bath and phone around for a custom mirror for my bathroom.
I also bought a very cool dresser off C.L. for my bedroom for $50 and one for my daughter's bedroom for $45. These dressers are from the 1950's or early 60's and go with the house beautifully. I also picked up a large mid century teak framed picture in mint condition for $25. and when I was looking at a mid century antique store I saw the same artist's picture (a lot smaller) for $195. Mine is much nicer and would be worth a lot more. It looks great in my bedroom but I still haven't decided where to put it. I splurged on a mid century tea cart that folds in half for my master bathroom. It works wonderfully to store things on that I use in my bath tub. I just pull it over to the tub to use. It houses my magazines, crossword, soaps etc. One of the most exciting finds on C.L. was a replica sputnik light fixture for $35. I had purchased the exact same one for my stairwell for over $300. So now I have two. One over the stairs and one in my bedroom.

I now have my new flat screen T.V. set up. I gave away my old Sony which had served me well for more than 20 years. Getting the old Sony out of the house myself is a story in itself. Damn those old T.V.'s are heavy. I pulled it down off the stand onto a quilt and dragged it out the front door. It sat there for a day and a half until someone finally snatched it.
My washer and dryer have been set up for a few weeks now. What a God send! It's upstairs in the hall closet. I love having it by the bedrooms. It's so convenient. I was worried it would make too much noise but it doesn't. Not at all. Putting them upstairs is a decision I'm really glad I made.

Well, as abreviated blogs go that's all folks...or at least all I care to write. I'll be back.

Yours truly,
Reno-Bitch

It's getting close

Again, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to blog about the house. It’s been a whirlwind.

I’ve had very busy weekends trying to gather everything needed for the reno. My kitchen and master bath tile arrived at Rona. I went out to pick it up. Being naïve I didn’t realize how much tile it really was. First my kitchen tile was packed into the car…pretty loaded down. The store manager came out to look and didn’t think we could get more in. I put all the seats down and they piled it into the front and middle of the car. They all watched me drive away. I’m sure they thought the tires were going to pop. Let’s just say the car didn’t have much oomph. Wouldn’t you know it there was road construction on a main intersection and I had to detour up a major hill. I floored it and it probably only went 30km. Every bump I went over I winced. I was glad to make it home in one piece. It was a long drive. All the way home I was thinking I’d have to unload the tile myself. As luck would have it my daughter’s boyfriend arrived at the house a few minutes after I got home and we unloaded it together.

I’ve been busy on Craigslist trying to find some deals on bar stools and patio furniture. I got the patio furniture (took two trips with a van) but I’ve had a hard time snagging bar stools. Not that they are not in supply but I think everyone and their dog are looking for bar stools. I’ve seen some pretty awesome ones (retro) but either the people don’t get back to me, someone else gets them first or they are the wrong height. I did pick up a terrific deal yesterday. I found the atomic sputnik light fixture I had already purchased for my stairwell (I paid $300 for it a few months back)…the light on Craigslist was $35. I ended up getting that deal. I will put it in my bedroom. All I’ll have to do is replace one bulb.

My main bath tile is now finished. Wow, it looks incredible! The only thing is I think the bathtub is cursed. It’s been replaced once and the plumbers broke the bottom of the second tub. The repair person said the tub would not look 100% because of where the piece was broken off. I was angry. He said it would cost a lot to take the bathtub out and replace it which I quickly told him was not my worry although it would probably take another two to three weeks for another bathtub to come in. The plumber would have to incur the cost of it. He said I should just put molding around the bottom of the tub to hide it. That made me even angrier. I called my contractor and he said he would take care of it on Monday. I’ll leave it in his hands.

The laminate is now completely finished downstairs and by tomorrow all the laminate will be finished upstairs. It looks wonderful. Josh will be tiling my master bath today, mostly the shower area. The house is coming together and should be completely finished by the end of the month. Then the fun begins, decorating.

Kitchen install

I have to put a plug in here for Creekside Construction. Best decision I made going forward with my reno. Josh and Jordan have been a breeze to work with. Why do I sing their praises? My kitchen and bathrooms! They’re almost finished. Josh retro-fitted some of the cabinets and they look awesome. I had purchased two refrigerator cabinets from IKEA to make a floating vanity in my bathroom. Unfortunately they are 24” wide which is not standard for a bathroom vanity and they looked a bit awkward. Josh is cutting them down today so they fit just perfectly and will be the size of a proper vanity. I’m leaving most of the blue plastic on the kitchen upper cabinets to protect them and I’ll wait till most of the work is done in the kitchen then take it off.

I received a call yesterday that the main bathroom tile has arrived and it ready to be picked up. Now I’m just waiting for my kitchen and my master bath tile to arrive at Rona. I’m crossing my fingers it’s in today as that’s when I was told it would be in. I’m going to think good thoughts.

I have decided to switch my daughter’s door out for a glass door. I had bought glass doors from Home Depot before the reno began but I didn’t think the size of doors I had got would fit where Heather’s door would go so I found one that looked exactly the same but that was solid. Now that it’s up I just don’t like the fact that it’s not glass like the rest of them. It should be ready shortly.

Adding some pictures here. It shows the kitchen unfinished but by the time I get home today the cabinets should be done.

The Reno God's have spoken

It was an eventful weekend. I am now going to put something new on my resume. Apparently I am capable of putting many IKEA kitchen cabinets together. I figure if something happens to my job I can be an IKEA cabinet assembler. I spent all of Saturday (from morning until night) putting my cabinets together. It really didn’t take a rocket scientist. I thought I would get a head start so that my family wouldn’t have to help for too long on Sunday. By Sunday morning I had all the base cabinets done and all but one upper cabinet done, oh, and the pantry cupboards needed assembly.
Everyone came around noon to help me. I needed muscles to help move the cabinets from the living room to the kitchen. One by one the cabinets exchanged rooms. We ordered pizza around 2pm and everyone was gone by about 3:30 or 4pm. I spent the rest of my day cleaning up, making sure I went through my IKEA list again to assure myself nothing was missing (miraculously, nothing was) and then put together my vanity cabinets. Josh is installing my base cabinets today and tomorrow the uppers go in. I did find a few things that need some attention after I rearranged the kitchen. The pot light over the fridge had to be moved because it was in the way of the fridge cabinet by one inch and the pantry drop down wall is a little lower than it should be but we will just make the cabinet shorter to the ground by a couple of inches. It’s all fixable things.

The door bell I ordered a little while back arrived on Friday but of course no one was here to accept it. They should be dropping it off today. I hope it looks great sitting inside my door knob back plate!

My windows were installed in my door on Friday morning. They look absolutely amazing, even if the door isn’t painted yet. There was unfortunately a glitch with them. When Josh took them out of the box three of the frames were split. He installed them anyway and we are waiting for the replacements. He said it’s an easy fix and would only take a couple of minutes to replace them.

The painting of the walls and my fireplace will definitely be done today and that will be the end of covering my furniture with plastic. I know that keeping furniture covered in plastic is a 50’s thing plastic but I am not that kind of 50’s nut.

Well the good luck seems to be back on track now. I’m a happy girl. Ah, the ups and down’s of renos.

Okay, I’m back here again, more for sanity than anything. I figure if I write this down I’ll hopefully feel better.
It just keeps getter better. I’m being facetious I know but I gotta do the old sarcasm thing or I’ll lose it. I decided to head out to Rona Abbotsford yesterday partly for work and partly just to see what tile choices they had. It’s a big store and not as busy as the Burnaby store so it’s the better choice.
I actually found some tile I like for my bathroom and my kitchen. I decided to order it. Good thing here is that whatever you don’t use you can bring back by the piece. The sales guy told me it would be in next Thursday. I’m crossing my fingers that it will be because lately things just have not gone according to plan. I’m trying to be positive because I am of the belief that everything happens for a reason but I am also human so naturally I go through the ups and downs that all humans do.

I headed back to the office did some work and got a phone call from the flooring store I bought my laminate from back in January. I was originally told my laminate would be in to pick up late next week but she informed me they made a mistake and it wouldn’t be in until the end of May. I swear I almost lost it!!! I now had to find new flooring. I had matched everything to the laminate I had originally chosen. The paint, the tile…everything! I decided to go back there today on my lunch. I spent a good chunk of time pulling samples off the wall and placing them beside the paint chip and the tile I had just purchased to get the right fit. I ended up having to get a darker floor but I think it will look very good. They ended up giving me free delivery which was a bonus.

Heather and I tried to check all the IKEA boxes last night to make sure they were all there but we could not for the life of us figure out the IKEA check list. Yes, we could find the item number and match it but what we could not figure out was how many of each there were. It just didn’t make sense. We thought we had it understood but then we would come across some that said there was one and we had two. Totally confusing. We gave up. I’m hoping everything is there because I only had 48 hours from pick up to do this and that time frame is now kaput.

The painter was supposed to finish today but because his helper didn’t come along he probably won’t get it done. This puts us another day behind. I let him know that Josh would be there tomorrow as he was working on my door and other bits and pieces. Also, my laminate is being delivered tomorrow so he will have to load that into the house.

I had the pleasure of taking a bath in my house for the first time last night. It wasn’t as hot as I like but hey, it was nice just to have one at home. Josh is going to get the plumber to fix it so it’s warmer which will be appreciated.

Okay, I’m done writing. Do I feel better? Hmmm, a little I guess. My head just seems to keep spinning with all I need to do before Monday. Oh and those IKEA cabinets...I have to put all those cabinets together by Monday...OH MY!

If I was tired yesterday I am even more tired today with the added bonus of being frustrated. I think this is starting to get to me. Or maybe I just feel that way because my job is also not going the way I’d like. Everything seems to be out of control right now.

The second coat of paint went on the ceiling (latex this time) and it didn’t work. There was bleeding coming through from the original cedar. The painter called Cloverdale Paint and he now has to seal it again with the stinky oil based paint one more time. Here we go…I thought I only had to tolerate one night of stench and now I had to do it all over again. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he could have done it first thing in the morning but he couldn’t do it until the latex dried so the oil base application didn’t start until 3:30pm. I had to leave all the doors and windows open and to make matters worse it was cold and rainy.

I was supposed to have hot water to have a bath yesterday. The hot water tank went in and the plumber said there was hot water. Guess what? Nope. It didn’t work. Here I thought I would sweep up drywall dirt off the floor because I could have a bath right after. Oh I swept…I just didn’t get to bathe. So I was grimy and had to sleep with all the windows open plus have the stench of oil based paint wafting through the air.

Josh and I went and picked up the IKEA kitchen cabinets yesterday afternoon. I was going to come back to the office but didn’t feel well so I didn’t. Josh took most of the cabinets to his office in Abbotsford and brought them back to my house this morning to unload. I was nervous yesterday as it began to rain on the way back and I didn’t want the boxes to get wet and the cabinets damaged. I still have a car load of boxes in my car. I have to go through every box tonight to make sure they are all there. IKEA requires you do this within 48 hours or they assume you have everything you paid for and will not refund you if you don’t check within that time frame.

Josh said he fixed my hot water this morning. I’m skeptical. I tend to be lately. It’s just how everything has been going. It seems the universe is just off kilter. I called about my laminate flooring yesterday and apparently it won’t be ready until mid to the end of next week. If we could have had it delivered this week the laminate could have gone down next week but now it will be a week delayed. I’ll have to set my IKEA cabinets up on sheets on the floor. I can’t see how I will have the time to order my tile this weekend as I still haven’t finalized my decision with regard to the kitchen/entrance and powder room. I need more time. Time I just don't have. My mood is at an all time low. I need a way out of this slump.

Paint

This girl is tired. I needed the weekend to relax and that didn't really happen. The prep work began on the ceiling yesterday. Gord the painter and his helper came around nine to begin. I did my spin class and returned to find them prepping. I quickly got my sample boards, laundry etc. together and headed for the laundry mat and deli lunch counter (aka: My Mom's house). I chucked my laundry in, made a sandwich chatted and then proceeded to catch a few winks on the couch.

Later in the day I headed out with Megan to a familiar destination...IKEA to pick up my powder room vanity. Lucky me, I rangled myself the last sink but to get myself the vanity was a major amount of climbing, crawling, tugging and pushing. The boxes were jammed tight. Meg crawled into the warehouse shelving to push the box out towards me as I was on my belly with my legs dangling out of the Godmorgon section trying to pull it out. I'm sure the onlookers where chuckling and taking pictures with their camera phones.
Success! We had quite the cart load of IKEA treasures and I doubted we would get them into my Dodge Calibur. Meg asurred me we would. I had my vanity, sink and another light fixture and Meg had bought an office chair, desk/shelf unit and a 7 foot piece of shelving from the "as is" section. Almost a grand later we headed for the car. Megan was right...even surprising herself, we got it all in. I couldn't see out the windows but we did it!
I dropped her at her house and we unloaded her stuff onto the lawn and I headed home to see what the painters were doing.
WOW!!! The ceiling was now white and Lordy, it stunk like hell in the house. They had to use oil based paint for the first coat on the ceiling. It looks fabulous and bright and I felt like it was the last of the way the old girl looked.
I fed my cats outside hopped back in the car with the gang and headed for my Son's house for a chili feast. I was dreading coming home that night and having to sleep in my house. I ended up getting home at 9:30pm. The stench was a bit better than it was when the painters had first finished but it was still pretty bad. My bedroom had the best venitlation because I had my balcony door open plus two open windows. I slept on and off all night and got up just before 4am. I made it....barely.
It's coming together. The second coat is going on the ceiling today but latex this time so it should be a lot more tolerable.

I'm off to pick up my IKEA kitchen cabinets today with Josh. I can't believe I am at this point in the reno. It's been a blur. We will store the cabinets at Josh's place until the floor goes in then bring them back to my house and I'll have a "Family put the IKEA cabinets together" party. Pizza of course will be on the menu...along with a healthy dose of Coke and Rootbeer to wash it all down.

I can't believe it's almost a year since I first saw my beloved Mid Century beauty with a for sale sign plunked on the lawn....Mother's Day 2009. Who wudda thought a year later I would be spending Mother's day in my almost completely renovated dream house....

Reno Gods be kind

Okay, it seems the Reno-God’s have it in for me. Yesterday the painter was supposed to start but I noticed on Friday when I got home from work that Josh and Jordan had not prepped the ceiling, which I was told previously they would do. I called to find out what the scoop was and was told that the painter could do it. Upon thinking about it I didn’t understand how he could start painting if he had to prep and fill holes. Wouldn’t that mean the filler would have to dry??? How could he paint? Also it was my understanding that my doors would also be installed on Friday, which most were. We had also agreed that my doors would not be placed outside and low and behold my pocket door was left out for the rain to destroy. I struggled to bring it inside and let Josh know the door had delaminated and buckled. I hope it is fixable. Josh has told me he will replace it if necessary. I knew he would because he's an upstanding guy but it’s just the time factor.
Saturday was supposed to be my tile shopping day. It ended up that the painter, who was supposed to be here at noon, showed up at 2pm. There went most of my day. While I waited for him I decided to sweep the ceiling to get rid of dirt and cobwebs so it would save some time. When he arrived he saw the extent of the work that needed to be done and said he could not paint. Surprise! NOT! After a few calls to Josh and after discussions with the painter we decided the painter would bring a helper today and the prepping would begin. He said he could probably get one coat of paint on the ceiling late in the afternoon. He will arrive at 9am this morning.

I did in fact get to do a bit of tile shopping yesterday. I went to a different tile store right by my house. I didn’t even know it was there. My daughter Megan told me about it. I spent an hour and a half there pulling tile choices and matching with the paint and my cabinet fronts. I decided on about four choices and took them home to see them in the light. Well, folks I think my decision has been made for my master bathroom and my kitchen and entrance hall. I am very excited about the choices but that excitement is gunna cost me (what’s new?). I worked out the amounts and I’ll order some stuff this coming week. Apparently it only takes a few days to get them in. The only decision I have to finish making now is the powder room by the entrance door. My gut tells me I should keep the floor the same as the entrance so it’s consistent.

This morning I browsed the Internet for a doorbell that would fit inside my chrome door- knob back plate that I cannot use on my door. I found one! It will fit perfectly inside the round hole of the knob area. I ordered it! At least I’ll get to use the back plate on the outside of my house even though it’s not going to be my front door. I also ordered my Spektr lights from Rejuvenation of which I’dposted a picture previously. I’ve ordered the brushed aluminum. That set me back some change but you’re only on this earth for a short time so treat yourself…right? They will look spek-tacular!

Today I’m off to IKEA to purchase my powder room vanity. I’m expecting hot water to arrive in my home this week…it better arrive this week. I’m hopeful it will arrive this week….(can you tell I’m desperate?) I WANT MY HOT WATER! Taking dishes to wash at work or in a big pot by boiling water in the kettle and washing them as I squat on the floor is getting tedious. I’d also like to bathe at home instead of the gym.

Even though I hate the show (way over decorated...note the ridiculous themed bedrooms)…I’m waiting for Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Edition to show up at my doorstep and do my house in a week while they send me to Disney World. Oh Ty, where are you?

Dear 1950's door...you will not be complete :(

Huge disappointment yesterday. I made my way home at 10am to be there for my door arrival and as they were loading them off the truck I noticed how close the drilled hole was to the edge. I had a sinking feeling in my gut. I didn’t think my door knob back plate would fit. I told the guys there may be a problem. I went and got the back plate and yes I was right it didn’t fit. They told me it was a standard door knob hole and that they don’t make hardware that would be so far away from the edge of the door. One of the guys who delivered the doors said that Home Depot would special order it but that would mean I’d have to buy a whole new door. I’ve decided the knob back plate will have to be used somewhere else. Possibly as a back plate to my door bell. I was really bummed out as I was really looking forward to using it. My door will still look great but I was really looking forward to using the original back plate. I guess you gotta roll with the punches and come up with new ideas. On a positive note, the doors and closets look absolutely fabulous! This is truly going to be a house of glass.
I met with the painter after work today. I picked some colors for my house (a warm grey and a darker grey for the brick fireplace) I want to use a hot color under the stairs but may wait to choose that. He is going to actually start with the ceiling tomorrow afternoon. He didn’t want us to install the doors yet which was a disappointment to me. He wants to move them outside while he paints. I called Josh to let him know but he does not like that idea and I have to agree. I want my doors in today. I guess the painter is just thinking about the amount of work it would be to cover the doors while he sprays. I’ll find out the verdict this morning. The painter had arrived before I got home and had looked around the outside of the house. He told me it wouldn’t cost much to do the outside of the house. Maybe $1,500. Two words…. YOU'RE HIRED!

I haven’t taken any pictures for a while. My camera battery died and wouldn’t you know it in this upheaval I can’t find my re-charger. I’ll have to buy some batteries today. I did take some a while ago when the drywall first went up but can’t download them into the computer. I want to take some shots before the ceiling goes white.

I am expecting a call from IKEA today or tomorrow regarding my load of kitchen cabinets which are due Saturday. Josh and I will pick them up together hopefully Monday. We are just going to bring them back here and I’ll start putting them together after the painter finishes which I am assuming will be the middle of next week. Once the painting is done the wall cabinets can go up which will leave some space and it also means I can store things in them rather than in boxes.

I’m off to the tile store at lunch today to make some final decisions on tile. If I order the grey concrete tile it will take a few weeks to arrive (I think) The marble for the powder room would be next day. I made another attempt at finding penny tile yesterday only to get the run around. I found the supplier but they would not let me buy direct. They gave me the phone number to Carpet One and said they could order it in for me. I called them but I had to explain to the store what penny tile is. They said they would call me back….no call. I will call again today. I just want to know what they are going to soak me for to see if it’s worth it for me to head down to the States to get it.

Okay people I am now ready for this reno to be done. My credit card has been maxed out once. My bank balance is shrinking quickly…my job/house juggling is getting shaky. There’s no rest or relaxation at the end of the day. I have no clothes to wear. No time to do nails or hair. I look like a rag-a-muffin. I’ve gained weight from eating poorly….and….I can’t find my bloody battery re-charger or anything else for that matter!

Would I do it all again?...you betcha....in a heartbeat!

Drywall drywall everywhere theres drywall...

Okay, I’m still not in my tub yet…now I’m being told it will be next week.
I have returned from my trip from Ontario. I was living in luxury with a bed with no dust, actual inside running water with a sink and a tub and hot running water!
I’m now back in the pleasure of my own home with drywall dust, three electrical outlets, one toilet no inside running water, frozen dinners, two semi-homeless cats…and I feel like finishing it off with a partridge in a pear tree.
The drywall has been beaded, mudded and sanded once. It should all be done by tomorrow and then it will be leaps and bounds to the end….oh, please end be near.

More decisions are taking place. One word…Tile. I have been to the tile store I’m sure at least 10 times. The guy in the store knows me by name and doesn’t bother to charge me for taking tile samples home anymore. I’ve surfed the web more times than I can count, to find bathrooms I like and to study the tile choices. I seem to gravitate to large tiles for my ensuite. I did find a grey marble tile I am quite fond of and even fonder of the cost of it. I’m using it for my powder room downstairs. I have changed my mind about the flooring in the kitchen. I’ve switched to grey tile that looks a lot like concrete. I’m still on the search for penny tile for the kitchen backsplash. It’s prevalent in the U.S. of A but seems to be in sparse supply here on the West Coast. When I do find it it’s a horrendous price or only in stainless steel. Come on tile stores, get with the program! My favorite place to browse for penny tile is Modwalls.com. Love it! Home Depot in the states sells it as well but only as a web order and they don’t ship to Canada.
I am going to do my best this weekend to track some down come hell or high water!

I have been cursed by one of my bathtubs. The one in the main bath was delivered damaged a few weeks ago and had to be re-ordered. The new one arrived Monday but when the plumbers where installing it they broke it near the bottom of the tub. They are going to get someone to come in to repair it and if I’m not happy with it they will replace it. Most likely it will be fine. I’m not going to get all anal about it unless I can really see it. Oh tub Gods please make it right.

The rest of my faucets are being sent out today and all of my doors and closets are being delivered this morning. Josh and Jordan (there Jordan, I used your name…happy now?) will install all the doors and closets tomorrow. I have to pick out trim work tomorrow morning as well. Josh knows I don’t like scrolly crap, so his samples will be as plain as possible.
The painter starts on Monday with the trim work. I still have to pick my colors for the walls. I’ve decided to paint my post and beam ceiling a semi gloss white. If the ceiling was higher I would probably do something different but with an 8’ ceiling and beams every 4’ and 12” in depth it really drops the ceiling. Everything I’ve read says to paint it a shiny white to bring up the ceilings and reflect light and so reflect light I will. I also like the look of it. Men seem to cringe at the thought of painting wood but I don’t care…it’s getting painted! Get over it!!

Quotes...or...the big lie

Well, the drywall began yesterday. I came home at lunch to get my IKEA paperwork so I could pick up some of my IKEA cabinets and went upstairs to check out the dry walling. They had two bedrooms finished. I don’t know how people can work with that stuff day in and day out. They must constantly feel like the surface of a blackboard with all that chalky dust.
When I got home from work at the end of the day almost the whole upstairs was finished. There’s just a bit of drywall left to do in my master bathroom. I am sure they will be finished the whole house by the end of today because it is so open concept downstairs there isn’t much surface area.
The drywall dust just from them cutting was everywhere. I tried to sweep up gently as best I could because I didn’t want the cats tracking through it and getting too much on the bed.
Speaking of the cats…. If you are ever renovating and you have cats let me just warn you they use any sawdust or dirt to do their duty in. I thought I caught a whiff of kitty wee when I got home from work. I checked around the house this morning and low and behold one corner had a bit of sawdust in it and my cat used it as a litter box. It’s nothing a little vinegar won’t fix and hopefully it won’t happen again. Note to self: be sure to bring the cat box inside.

Soooo…the glass railing….
As you have probably guessed from reading my blog I am not a patient individual and customer service and communication are a big thing for me. The company I was going to order the glass railing from didn’t get back to me about my question regarding installation so I had another company come out. Their quote came over my budget at $5,300. I told them I was quoted $3,600. from another company and that they fabricated their own metal. He said the best he could do was $4,300. The style of the glass railing was a lot different (no posts) but I actually liked the $3,600 better. I told him I’d let him know in a few days. He also quoted me for the glass in the bathrooms which I haven’t had quoted before so I’m not sure what the cost on that should be yet.
Turns out the company that quoted me $3,600. finally got back to me about installation and so I placed my order. I called the latter company that quoted $4,300 to let him know I’d decided to go with another source. Long story short, he called me later that day and told me he could do it for $3,400. instead of $4,300. I asked why he could suddenly give me a good price now and why he couldn’t before and he gave me a song and dance about getting the glass cheaper because he had just purchased a large quantity. I told him it was too late and that I’d already placed my order. He told me to call them back and tell them I changed my mind as it’s a woman’s prerogative to do that….. Ah, sales people, ya gotta love em! I guess glass sales are a lot like used cars and insurance. I'm not going with him!!
The next set of rip-off artists…painters! If you are renovating and have the time to paint…do it yourself. I’ve tried everything from telling them I’d buy the paint to telling them I’d do some of the filling to I’d do some of the painting work and they still found a way to rip me off. I’m tired of getting quotes. I’ve had 5 quotes. This includes asking people I know if they know someone. If I had the time I would paint the whole thing myself but I would have to take time off of work and I would be set back probably more than a couple of weeks. If this reno was taking place during my job’s off season I probably would have considered painting myself. Unfortunately my job is just starting to get very busy and I can’t afford the time off.

My house is beginning to look like a real house now...and the bonus? I've been told that by the end of next week I may be able to soak in my new tub!

A day of ups and downs

D day approaches. D is for Dust…drywall dust that is. I found out yesterday that the drywaller starts next Wednesday. I must head out of town a few days later on Saturday to Ontario and Heather will have to hold down the fort. The sanding was supposed to start on Monday but I won’t be back until Tuesday afternoon so I’ve asked Josh to have them start that on Wednesday instead. I don’t want Heather to have to endure that on her own. I told her to stay at her Grand Mother’s for a couple of days till the dust settles.

Glitch number two for the house happened yesterday. The insulation was being installed. I made my way home at lunch to see the progress and everything looked very pink. Nothing out of the ordinary happened then but when I got home from work at the end of the day and went upstairs I was aghast. The installer had used some kind of black caulking, plastic and staples between my windows. These areas were supposed to be left alone of any drywall or trim work as I wanted a clean look for this house. Josh and I had gone over this a few days ago when we had a discussion about trim work. I called Josh to let him know. He told me he would fix it. All I know is I’m not paying for the time it takes to fix it. I tried to take some of it down but the black goop was getting all over my hands and I had no way of getting it off. The unfortunate thing is the guy got it on my window frames and the beautiful caulking job around my windows. I’m grateful he hadn’t started downstairs yet but this better be fixable.

The night before last I had the glass railing rep come to my house for the second time to show me some brushed aluminum posts I wanted between the glass for the stair railing. We went over the details and he said he had thought it would be approximately $3,000. for this industrial look I wanted so badly but he would have to get back to me with the real quote. I was hopeful it would stay at $3,000. But what did my eyes behold the next morning but the quote in my email box of $4,300. What a disappointment. I wrote him back telling him it was way over my budget and were there any other options for me. He called me back at the end of the day and told me he could give it to me for $3,600. As long as they could use pictures of it on their website and maybe bring a potential customer to come and look at the railing upon completion. I was fine with that. I forgot to ask if the price included installation so I am awaiting a response for that and if it’s a yes then I will go for it.

Another slight disappointment yesterday, I received my quote back from the company that does IKEA cabinet installation. Let me just set this up by saying my kitchen is not large and I don’t have that many cabinets. The quote came in at $2,250.00. Way over what I was thinking it would cost. I am now going to put together an above fridge cabinet I already have from IKEA this weekend to see how hard it is. I think what I am going to do is end up putting the cabinets together myself (hopefully with help from family) and have Josh install them. I talked to him about it yesterday and he is fine with that. I went online to look up how difficult it is to install an IKEA kitchen and apparently it is pretty well idiot proof. Is it blonde proof though, that’s the real question? I’m preparing myself for the 120 boxes that will be arriving soon. Everything comes separately packaged. One cabinet is approximately 6 - 9 boxes. The kitchen will arrive the third week of April.

I have to contact the laminate flooring guys today as Josh wants to use his own wood nosing for the stairs. He’s not happy with the two samples I have shown him from the store. I want to cancel the nosing order. Hopefully I can. Josh will supply me with his own version which he uses all the time. He said it will hold up a lot better. I will trust his judgment.

Well, I can’t say how glad I am that this is Friday because I am short a weekend next weekend to do stuff hunting for the house as I’ll be in Ontario. I will have to work overtime this weekend to get all I need to get accomplished done.
I’m a lot warmer this morning because the insulation has kept the cool air where it’s supposed to be…that’s nice, except my gut twists every time I think of my window frame area being mauled. Luckily it was only upstairs.

I actually wish I could do this house reno stuff as a living. I would love to flip houses. I love the frenzy, the research the decorating and getting deals (or what I perceive as being deals) for the house. I really love meeting all the people I’ve met so far to do with the reno. I am in my element!, even when some things go wrong. I knew the reno wouldn't be perfect but my contractor sure tries hard for everything to go smoothly and I really appreciate that!

I still have water on the brain

I survived Easter weekend. It was actually quite nice.
I spent Thursday evening sweeping the house of sawdust and wood chips (I sound like Cinderella) and the cable and telephone wires were just being installed when I got home from work. There’s one more thing to check off the list.
Is it just me? Because I think the installation of cable and telephone jacks etc is highway robbery! Josh assured me he had put that in his original quote…(huge sigh of relief).

I was happy to have my water back on for the weekend but little was I prepared for Good Friday morning…I took it easy that morn. Not something I normally get to do. I very leisurely started my day with coffee and computer surfing and a little HGTV (alternating with sitting in front of the gas fireplace to get warm) I finally decided to get ready for the day. Heated up some water in my kettle and did the few dishes I had. Oh come on! The water would not drain from the sink. I had already heard from Josh about a half hour earlier. He was asking if I had gotten the stair nosing sample. I assured him it was on my list of things to do this weekend and it would be in his possession on Monday.
I proceeded to call Josh back about the water clogging. I just needed to know how to fix it. He tried to tell me how to release pressure from the valve behind the toilet. Nothing. Finally he instructed me to loosen it completely. I hung up and rifled through the tool bag under the stairs and found a wrench. I did my best to loosen it. I’m not a strapping young lad so it obviously wasn’t going to budge! I made an executive decision and got the hammer and whacked the crap out of it until it moved. I know, not the best solution but I didn’t want to be without running water for a long weekend and I wasn’t about to ask Josh to come out to my house to fix it for Easter. The whacking worked, the water drained. The frantic girl was happy.
I spent my day collecting light fixtures. First stop Vancouver lighting. I wanted to get my outdoor lights for the front of my house. Check.
Second off to IKEA (now my second home) to pick up the ceiling fixtures I had wanted. Check.
I stopped at my Mom’s on the way home. It’s my sanctuary for now and lets not forget my laundr-o-mat. What would we do without our Moms? I was starving when I got there and ended up snacking myself out of dinner. She warned me but I didn’t listen. Oh well. I enjoyed my day and fell asleep on the couch watching t.v.

I found out the next day that Vancouver lighting had sold me the wrong lights and I’d have to take them back. I ended up going to Richmond on Saturday and found green mosaic tile to go with my 50’s green sinks. The tile was only $9.99 for a 12X12 sheet. Not bad. I also bought my under mount kitchen sink from the same place for an awesome deal. I’ll be picking it up on Wednesday.

I’m struggling with my vanity lighting for my master bath. I found fixtures I like but they are way over my price range. I have a problem dropping 6 C notes for one fixture. I casually saw someone do this on Saturday. They were carrying around a Chihuahua and were wearing designer jeans and some fancy dancy shoes. A three light vanity light…nothing special..$600. just like they were buying chewing gum. They didn’t even bat an eye. I walked out of the store empty handed.

I got my outdoor lighting replaced and held it up to the house to see what it looked like. Awesome, but unfortunately the back plate doesn’t cover the outlet. I will let Josh know. He always has solutions for my issues (don’t even think it!).

It’s now Tuesday. My stairs are being re-built and should be done by the time I get home. I dropped in at at noon to talk to the guys and see the progress. It looks great like always. Drywall will apparently happen next week…and by the way the electrical passed inspection this morning. The bathtubs are supposed to be arriving tomorrow and will be installed. Unfortunately I still have no hot water so there will be no long soothing baths in the very near future. It will happen one day…and I can’t wait!

No Easter Egg hunt at my house this year!

What day are we on for the reno? Beats me! I thought I’d keep track of the days but it just hasn’t worked out that way.
I came home from work Monday (I think it was Monday…it’s turning into a blur now) to find I had no water and no toilet once again. It would have been nice to have had a heads up (again, no pun intended) but unfortunately the plumbers didn’t tell my contractor so in our briefing at the end of the day it never came up. I was sweeping up and needed to wash up but then found the tap taped shut to the handle. I had minimal water in the fridge so I called over the fence to my neighbor and asked if he could fill up the Britta jug for me. Thank goodness for neighbors. I knew the next morning I’d be heading to the gym to get ready for the day. Not my favorite thing to do.

I had to head to IKEA again to change my cabinet order because we didn’t think one cabinet would fit and Josh said he thought we would be able to use the fridge cabinet after all. When I looked at my original order I actually found a mistake with my bathroom vanity cabinets which I had ordered with my kitchen. It’s all fixed now so it’s all good and she even gave me the 15% off the new cabinets I ordered even though the sale is over. I took part of the order home with me. Holy lead! Those boxes are awkward and heavy!

I’ve had enough of the waking up in the middle of the night and getting up scenario. I did sleep last night until 4:30am….hey, it’s better than 3am. My head is so full of things to order for the house. The biggest dilemma I have right now?, my stair railing. I want to get a few more quotes and the system I actually like the best is from the Seattle area. You send them the measurements and they make it for you. Apparently it’s easy to install yourself. There are a few railings I like, one being the glass and the other the cable railing system. I’ve heard is hard to get an inspector to pass the cable because kids can climb them so I’m sticking with the glass.

I had to find a sub for my fitness class for tonight because my fridge delivery was today. They could only give me a time frame of between 12pm – 6:30pm, so I couldn’t take the chance they would be there earlier than later. Apparently no one was going to be home so I thought I’d have to leave work at noon to be there for the day. Ends up I cancelled for nothing. The fridge came at 12:30pm. I was there and so was the electrician. Speaking of Electrician, the inspection will be next Tuesday, the insulation Wednesday and the drywall Thursday and the drywall dust soon after…ugh. Not that I’m complaining. Progress is good.
The plumbing inspection was today and passed with flying colors and as an Easter present I now have my toilet and cold water hooked up. That’s better that chocolate. I’m living the good life now!

Survival on a toilet, makeshift sink and cold water

This reno thing...it's not so bad. A little tense but all in all it's going well. I knew seeing my bank balance would make the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention but I'm doing my best to keep on budget. Okay, I have to admit....I've blown it in a couple of areas.
There are so many decisions. I knew there would be but I wasn't expecting to make so many decisions so quickly. Luckily I've done a lot of planning. Did I say a lot? I mean constant. I spend every morning on the computer looking for the perfect item at the perfect price for my perfect home. I need a personal masseuse to ease the tension in my neck from all the worry I'm putting myself through. I haven't been writing on my blog because I've been so busy finding, picking and ordering "things" for this mid century jewel.

I'm quite smug about a few of my decisions. I've decided to use two IKEA fridge cabinets butt together to make a floating vanity for my ensuite bath. I was truly battling using my original idea, which was taking my dining room credenza and turning it into the bath vanity. Why the struggle? The style... and it would only allow one sink. It's a beautiful piece but really doesn't fit into the "mid century modern" design I'm so eager to achieve. While scouring IKEA hackers website I saw the fridge cabinet idea turned vanity. I didn't like how they had decorated it but it was a fantastic idea and cost effective at that. Yes, it would be more costly than using the dining credenza I already had but I knew that I would regret it if I didn't go for it. Now I can have two sinks...always better for resale in a master bathroom (always think of resale...always).
I'm using the fridge cabinets idea for another project as well. I'm leaving the under portion of my stairs open and I will be making a seating bench to fit under with two fridge cabinets. I found this idea on the internet as well, although not for under the stairs. The cabinets will sit on small pieces of wood (unseen plywood pieces perhaps) just enough to be off the floor so the doors can open to store things inside. I will then make a long pad with nice material to be the cushion on the top of the cabinets. Wa-la, storage and a seating area to sit and put your shoes on. I'm going to ask the electrician this morning if he will put lighting on the wall below the bench so the light will shine up behind it.
The meeting went well with Lorie from the bath store. I ended up splurging a bit here and got two soaker tubs but I was a good girl and selected vessel sinks for my ensuite that were mid range in price. The ones I liked were upwards of a grand each...cough, cough. I spent a sufficient $200 each and achieved the same look. They are on back order until April 22nd, which I'm sure will be fine. My bathtubs should be in next week. Keeping on the bathroom subject, I was thrilled to find some bathroom vanity lights for the main bathroom at a decent price. I found them at Canadian Tire of all places. I was there yesterday on a work mission and spotted them. I really like them because the glass looks like linen. I have tried to purchase all my lighting from Rona because I have over a grand to spend there from Airmiles. I have found some cool wall sconces for my upstairs hall but I just wasn't keen on the vanity lighting selection. I have pinned down some lights for my ensuite but I don't know if they will be powerful enough. They are from Rejuvenation Hardware and they are Atomic style which are awesome and just my cuppa tea. The kicker?...they are more than I would like to spend (what's new) and I will have to pay shipping because they are from the U.S. This company also make reproduction 50's drawer pulls I want for my linen and washer and dryer closet doors. I tried to steal some real 1950's ones from someone. (You know who you are)...but it just didn't happen :).

I have a lot of recessed lighting going into my home. I do love recessed lighting but the real reason I have so much of it is from bulkheads that have had to be built in to hide plumbing pipes. I knew it was going to happen in the kitchen because of my ensuite bath above but now it will be in all the bathrooms as well to hide the ugly wall fans that have to go in. It is going to look cool though, but it's also going to be more ca-ching.
All the framing is done upstairs and most of it is done on the main floor. The electrician will be here today to finish the downstairs wiring so I'm trying to be prepared to make decisions on where the lights will be...most of it is recessed lighting. My vacuum rough-in was finished yesterday and my cable and phone has been ordered to be put in.

On the weekend I went with my oldest daughter to Rona to exchange some wall sconces that I decided were not right. I spotted a Sears Home Center on the way and decided to pop in to see if they had lots of appliances on the floor. Well, indeed they did. In particular I was looking for an Electrolux side by side refrigerator because the french door version was way over my budget. I have changed my mind about the Fisher and Paykel fridge and stove and started veering towards Electrolux. I absolutely fell in love with the Electrolux stove because the warming drawer turns into an oven if you want it to be...think homemade pizza.
Lucky me, I found an Electrolux side by side fridge floor model marked down almost a grand.
It had a couple of scratches on the side but what did I care, my fridge was going to be built in so it would never be seen. I bought the stove and fridge and ended up getting a Kenmore dishwasher.
On a separate note, I also picked up my chromed backplate for my door knob. It looks terriffic with the chrome door knob! I can't wait to see the whole door put together.

Well, that's enough for now...I have to save this entry and post it later with some updated pictures...and more importantly....I need to scour the internet for more deals and ideas before "the men" arrive.

A little chilly last night but I did have a good rest. I had my coffee this morning and tried to get organized for the day. I decided to take the day off today because I know I have to get some things done for the reno. I met with Josh and the plumbers today. I pleaded for the toilet but alas I’ll have it tomorrow. We decided where the 1950’s sinks will be placed and I gave them the measurements for the cabinets for my ensuite. I had some questions about my kitchen because my day included going to IKEA to order the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I needed to know the measurements of the bulk head above my kitchen cabinets and we needed to re-measure the kitchen because the powder room wall needed to be moved slightly. All was good and the kitchen could stay the way I planned.

Heather and I hoofed it to the gym to get cleaned up and ready for the day and we were off. First stop the door store. I got prices and forms to fill out for the door and closet sizes. Josh and I will do that tomorrow morning. Then it was off to IKEA to finalize the kitchen and place the order. We were there for quite a while. I ended up getting almost $800.00 back in IKEA gift cards which will pay for my under stair cabinetry and my shelving units plus more. After that it was off to take my doorknob back plate in to be chromed. It will be ready Friday.

Megan invited us to use her kitchen tonight for dinner so I picked up some fixin’s for fajitas, guacamole and salsa. It was great to use a real kitchen. I ended up bringing over some of my dishes from the morning to wash up as well.

It’s going to be a hectic morning tomorrow. I have a meeting with a girl from a bathroom store to order my tubs and maybe some sinks for my ensuite. The only trouble is I left her address at the office. Hopefully the plumber will be here tomorrow morning. He was the one who gave me her phone number so I can get the info from him. My head is having trouble holding all the info it needs to right now.

HELP!

Squatting...in more ways than one

Everything seems to be going so quickly. It’s surprising really. Here it is 1 week and 1 day since the reno began and my upstairs is totally framed in and most of the main floor as well. Interestingly enough I’ve been out of town for the last two days and feel like I’ve missed out on the action. It’s funny but I’d rather live in my house the way it is right now as apposed to be being in a nice hotel.
As I sat in the Calgary airport yesterday afternoon, I received a call from Josh. He proceeded to tell me that everything was going well. So well in fact he had lined the plumber and electrician to be here for today. I was told I’d have no water or bathtub or any sink. Not that I cared…I wasn’t there but my poor daughter Heather was. I had to break the news to her. She was fine with it.
Josh called me again this afternoon, at the Edmonton airport, and informed me I had no insulation and no plumbing/water and would have no computer/t.v. He would though, have one plug in by the t.v. and would make sure my fridge worked.
As I made my way home from the airport I have to admit I sped…not just a little but like I was in the Indy 500. I was trying to get home before the light diminished into darkness to see the progress in the house. Heather decided to stay at her boyfriends (good call). Unfortunately I didn’t make it home before nightfall and stumbled through the front door into darkness. It was nice to be greeted by my cats, who by now I’ve come to realize can live through a disheveled household. I dragged my suitcase upstairs, felt my way around my so called room and pulled all the boxes (my clothes etc.) that had been placed there for the day off the bed. I got into my Jammies, grabbed my quilt and made my way to the main living area. I was happy to discover Josh had hooked my computer up to the one plug by the fireplace that now looks like a baby octopus. I guess it was one or the other…computer or T.V. I’m happy with the computer. I have music and the Internet. I used the light from the computer screen to find the remote for the fireplace and turned it up full blast. It’s not really that cold in here but nothing wrong with being toasty, is there? That fireplace is amazing!

I had remembered I had used a metal cage utility light before I had left to go out of town…now if I could only find it. I turned the computer screen around to cast some light into the far reaches of the other part of the room. Aha, there it was. Josh had hung it up in the kitchen and had plugged it into an extension cord. I turned it on and wa-la I had some light.

Okay this next part may be a little too much information but you can cover your eyes if you don’t want to read it…
I new I had to find something to use as a port-a-potty. I decided to look for some ideas in my garage. First thing I spotted I knew was a good idea. My small plastic garbage container was sitting by the washing machine. It had a garbage bag lining it. I decided it would be a perfect solution and since kitty litter was good enough for my cats why not a human. I would put some litter in the bottom of the bag and quite simply have my overnight facilities. I wasn’t really keen on the idea of going outside in my back bushes…especially in the middle of the night. This was definitely the answer. I really don’t want to use my neighbor’s bathroom in the middle of the night. With my luck they would think it was a break and enter and beat me with a baseball bat.
On a very positive note, I just found a new pound of coffee after rummaging through some boxes. I thought I was out. I will be able to have my java tomorrow morning without leaving my house! I gotta have my coffee first thing when I wake up. Life is good. Life is very good!

Reno Day 3 and 4

Well, I survived the week. Here it is Saturday morning and I’m still here to write about it.
Not a lot happened on day 3. Okay that’s a lie…the permit is ready to be picked up. I didn’t know I could be so elated about paying over $300. for a piece of paper.
The tear down went swifter than Josh had planned (money saver #1) and so it was only a half day of work. The work included accidentally putting a crowbar through a kitchen window. Surprisingly, it was the only window in the house I hadn’t replaced with the new energy efficient ones. Reason was, back then the window guy couldn’t measure it properly because tile was installed on the ledge of the window and at that time I hadn’t picked a contractor yet. I just told him to leave it and I’d get him back to install the new version when the house was completed. So, it was time to call him. He came out and measured and it’s now on order. No biggie.
I decided to do some laundry tonight but what I didn’t count on was deciding to wash my concrete floor in the kitchen. As the washing machine went through the cycle of emptying of water it spurted onto my kitchen floor. With the dismantling of walls the pipe had been disturbed and had formed a leak. I had a small heart attack when I saw the lake on the floor. I quickly mopped it up with some rags but I knew the washing machine was going to fill up again with water to do the rinse cycle. I held the pipe with a rag while it did it’s second drain and withheld the water from spilling onto the floor once again. I chuckled to myself, threw all the rags outside when done and new Josh could fix the pipe in the morning. I’m still grateful I have a washing machine.
Day 4
The sub floor is now done upstairs or should I put it the way Josh did when I came home yesterday… “Cori, we have your dance floor finished”. It looked a whole lot better up there with a consistent floor. I joked that I thought to save money I should just stain it and not put flooring on top.
The framing is now done in the exercise room and most of Heather’s room and all the room walls have been laid out. Just looking at it I thought my bedroom looked a little small so I gabbed the tape measure and measured it out and it’s 12’.2 X 13’.3. I know that’s not huge but it’s a bit bigger than my last bedroom which was plenty for me, plus I’ll have a 3’ X 8’ closet and a large master bathroom.
I went to the door store yesterday morning and have decided on my exterior doors. I’m going with fiberglass flat finish doors. I’ll get two single pane window doors, one for the dining room out to the patio and one for my master bedroom out to my deck. Then I’ll get a plain flush fiberglass front door and have my retro window lights installed in it.
Josh measured my kitchen for me (my piece of mind) to make sure my IKEA kitchen and my appliances fit in. They do, although, I’m wavering on appliances again. I’ll go to the appliance store today or tomorrow to make a decision. I’m questioning the Fisher and Paykel appliance servicing in Canada.

When I got home from work yesterday my neighbors came over to see what all the hullabaloo was about. It was funny to see their reaction. These are the same neighbors who helped me take down the hideous playhouse that was in my backyard a few days after I moved in. I had let them know back then that I was going to gut the place. Obviously Brad the hubby hadn’t taken those words to heart. Brad’s exact words when he walked in today…. “You weren’t kidding about gutting were you?” I smiled. “Nope”.
In my mind it was always the plan. He just looked around the house and said… “I love post and beam construction.” As he said that I thought, so do I!! They had been in the house before and made a comment that this poor house needed some TLC. Brad asked if everything was sound, as in, were any surprises found. I told him not a one. Everything is solid as a rock except for the minimal rot by the bathtub. They asked how I was doing living through it and I said I was fine. I told Angela I would be without “facilities” for a few days possibly next week so she gave me a key to her house so I could use the bathroom. I really appreciated that.
I’m heading out of town on Monday for two days. It’s going to be hard to leave the reno. My mind is totally intertwined with the fundamentals of constructing this house. Heather will have to hold down the fort.
We are both doing great with regards to living through this (and my cats are even getting used to it). We both know it’s worth the end result and so far, with no help from negative statements from well meaning people who try to scare you (or warn you) with their “oh, just wait, it’ll get worse” comments. We are excited and are looking at this as a process. Yes, there will be times that will be uncomfortable but I can’t help it. I love the challenge of it. I get off on the flurry of decision making and discovering the stages of the progress.
Bring it on!!...Okay, that is, with regard to living through discomfort bring it on…not having to fork out more money. That I don’t want to bring on!!! (I’m nervously knocking on wood as I type that)

Reno Day 2

Reno day 2, my main floor is now gutted. Good thing I like the minimalist look because that is basically what I now have. Josh was good enough to set up a computer station for me downstairs by the T.V. so I can do research for finishing materials for the house.

The container we had ordered to put the materials from my house in was filled to the brim so we had to order another container (over budget #1) and it was delivered in the evening. My briefing with Josh went well. We have to switch the toilet with the shower in my ensuite to make things work better, which is no problem for me and I’m now in a bit of a rush to get the tubs I want for my bathrooms (a request from the plumber). I’ll be going this morning to the Kohler showroom to hopefully find the tubs I want. I do have my eye on the “Archer” model but want to lay in it first and give it the ol’ comfort test.
Apparently my subfloor will be going in upstairs tomorrow and the framing will begin. Now all I can think about is the dreaded “drywall stage”. I’ll have to pick up some tarps for that process…cough, cough. I’m guessing my hair will feel dusty constantly and I’m imagining I’ll be like Pig Pen from the Peanuts comic strip with a constant cloud of dust trailing behind me.

Reno day 1...top of the morning to ya...Happy St. Patrick's Day

I’m now into Reno Day 2 and day 1 went over without a major hitch but of course there is always something.
I had purchased a vintage pole light from a thrift store a few weeks back. It was a major find and I had been very excited about it. It had only cost me $5.00. Let’s just say my pole light is now in the bin. It got thrown out by accident. Poor Josh, he was so sorry. This morning I took precaution and put sticky notes on everything I wanted to keep….even if it was obvious. We all had a good laugh about that. You have to laugh during a reno, at least that’s what they say.
I came home at lunch yesterday and they had already ripped out most of the upstairs. Everything looked good. No rot and nothing out of the ordinary. My phone got disconnected by accident but will be hooked up again today and I was without my computer last night. All things I could live without.
I actually had a bath in my open concept upstairs. It was quite romantic with all the lights out and being in the open area with all the windows. I was really happy because even with all the windows you could not to see in. My yard is very private at the back and from the angle of the bath from the front of the house you couldn’t see a thing…all I could see from the tub was treetops.
I couldn’t have the heat on yesterday but my fireplace kept the house very toasty. Our weather forecast for tomorrow is 18 C so that makes it even easier.
My cats faired quite well. A little freaked out but not too bad.
I’m heading home again at lunch to see the progress. My downstairs is being ripped apart as I type this. All that will be left in my kitchen is my sink, stove and fridge.

Dinner tonight will be interesting…although, surprisingly…I haven’t been hungry. Stress will do that to a person….although it seems a trip to Charlies chocolate factory was in order yesterday after I had viewed my house gutted. Ah chocolate…a stress reliever!

And the walls come down

Did I sleep last night? Not too well I’m afraid. This is it. It’s finally arrived. The bin makes its way to my driveway and the walls are coming down.
My youngest daughter arrived home yesterday from Thailand and after hours of evening chat (which was a great distraction) I knew she and I needed to hit the hay. She hadn’t slept for 24 hours and I, well I knew I’d be up early.
Not much sleep happened. Two cats and an extra person in your bed plus the impending knowledge that your house would be shredded in the morning doesn’t leave much room for sleep. I dismantled her room a few weeks ago and all that remains in the center of it is a dresser with a sheet draped over it. My house is pretty empty. It looks like a summer cottage that is sleeping for the winter. Bare rooms with white sheets draped over big furniture pieces that don't fit in the garage are patiently waiting for the dust to fall. Kitchen counters free from clutter and empty cabinets are ready to be pulled from their supports.
In one hour Josh will arrive and we will go over what stays and what goes and I’ve decided I’ll be making my way home during lunch to see the progress and to see how Heather and the cats are fairing.

I’ve finalized my IKEA kitchen. I pretty much spent the whole weekend sitting in the kitchen dept. at IKEA, although I did take a break from it and go soaker tub shopping. The place I really wanted to go was closed. Imagine that. A large Kohler showroom closed on a Saturday. I don’t get it. I’ll have to make my way there during the week sometime. I’ve got my eye on a tub but I want to test it out first. Make sure it’s the right fit for me. Sounds like buying a car, doesn’t it?
I’m still not 100% sure about the kitchen. I’m on the fence whether to go with white shiny upper cabinets or matt finish. I’m going to take my daughter with me this weekend to make that decision. The kitchen has to be ordered before March 28th. I’ll wait till the last minute because obviously it’s not time to put the kitchen in. You have to understand that IKEA kitchens come in tons of boxes. I’m guessing there will be approximately 120 boxes in total. I’ll be hiring a company that specializes in assembling and installing IKEA kitchens. They can do the whole thing in one day, which apparently is well worth the money and sanity. I figure with this sale I will save about $778.00. in IKEA gift cards. I have my eye on some shelving units that I will purchase with that savings plus I’ll have left overs to purchase something else. The shelving will go in my dining room to separate the hall but still have light filtering through. The beauty of this shelving unit is you can get drawers and cupboards to close off some of the areas. I love the look of it.

I can’t believe I’m really doing this. It’s all come together…now all I need is that bloody permit and the construction can begin.

Choices

My nights seem to be getting shorter. I seem to wake up and suddenly think about tile choices, appliance choices, kitchen variations, carpet colors and of course the all important “budget”. Did I say budget? I’m just wondering if there is such a thing when it comes to renos.

This will be my last weekend of so called normalcy for the next couple of months. My daughter comes home from Thailand on Monday and on Tuesday the changes will be happening in my humble abode. A monstrous bin arrives in my driveway along with flailing crowbars, pounding sledgehammers and sweaty man muscles.

Josh will arrive very early Tuesday, before I go to work and we will talk about what stays for a while and all that goes. The bin will be here for a while and it shouldn’t be too hard to rip this puppy apart. There’s no drywall, which makes life simpler for Josh and for the fact that drywall has to stay separated in the bin (apparently drywall is not accepted by the dump). For some strange reason I’m not worried about finding “surprises” in this house. The only thing that has me baffled is the little hump in my bedroom floor. It’s not directly over the beam. Which I thought may be the beam crowning. I guess I’ll find out Tuesday when the carpet comes up what that’s all about (I hope it’s not a dead body). We are leaving the insulation in the walls until we get the actual permit from the city. Hopefully that will be a couple of days after the tear down. I’m pretty well living out of boxes now because I’ve had to pack everything up for this reno. It’s not too bad actually. I have had no problem cooking. Luckily my garage is right off the kitchen so it’s easy to access some of my food. (the garage is actually a room right now but will be a garage again after the major reno is done).

I had a major dilemma yesterday, laminate or Bamboo flooring. I’ve had a certain laminate picked out for months now and I haven’t been able to find any others I have liked more. When I was at my little flooring store I found they had floating bamboo flooring for $3.99 a sq ft. I liked it and very much contemplated using that instead of the laminate. I decided to stop into the store where the laminate I liked was and low and behold it was on sale. $2.09 including underlay/vapor barrier and all taxes in. The sale was happening until the following day. I would save $300.00 If I purchased it. There the dilemma began. I had to make a choice quickly. I asked for advice from people, visited the place with the bamboo to see if I could get an even better deal (nope). Went online to find info and reviews on bamboo flooring…that wasn’t great. I looked at the pros and the cons.
My pros for bamboo:
Looks great
Perceived better resale value

Cons:
Scratches easily
Will fade in the sunlight, like all hardwood
Shows foot print marks and marks from my cats paws
It costs more
More maintenance

Pros and cons of laminate

Pros for laminate:
Looks great
Doesn’t scratch, even taking a key and digging into it
Doesn’t show any foot prints or cat prints
Very low maintenance
Doesn’t fade in direct sun
Cost effective
Won’t show dirt as easily
I don’t have to worry about wrecking it and nagging people when they come over

Cons:
Doubtful, but may effect re-sale value of house
It’s not real

So, I chose the laminate and I figure I saved about $2,000 by going with it. I’ve purchased it and they are holding it until I need it. I can take back what I don’t use as long as it’s still in the box unopened. I also had them wave the return policy of 30 days from purchase date.

My Delta faucets have now been ordered. I will get all the sink faucet sets and toilet roll holders for free and will have to pay the employee purchase price for the tub and shower sets (this will be approx. 50% off retail) I figure I’ll save about $1,500.00 plus on all the fixtures. They are top of the line faucets and are beautiful!
I am heading to IKEA this weekend to finalize what I need for my kitchen cupboards. They have a kitchen event until May 28th so I’ll have to order before then. I’ll save 15% off my cabinets in IKEA gift cards, which will pay for my microwave/fan and part of my dishwasher. I have decided to purchase my microwave/fan and dishwasher from IKEA. The reason is I like the microwave and I can get a panel for the front of the dishwasher, which will make it look like the cupboard fronts I’ve picked for the kitchen. It will have a more streamlined look. Apparently the appliances at IKEA are made by Whirlpool. These are an okay brand of appliance and are easy to have serviced. I have also decided to go with a Fisher and Paykel gas stove and fridge from Trail appliances. Two reasons for this. I love the look and fit for the refrigerator and they are also top of the line appliances. It’s not a huge fridge, but the thing I love about it is it has a water dispenser in the door. It’s the smallest fridge I could find with that. I want a cabinet above the refrigerator and this fridge will fit that. The drawers on the inside are very solid and you can definitely tell the difference going from fridge brand to fridge brand in the store. I still have to try to swing a deal for those. I did find the fridge floor model for $500.00 off but it had a little dent in the bottom freezer door and it just wasn’t something I wanted to see every time I went to my fridge.

I have been to my little flooring store about three times and have chosen my tile for the kitchen, the upstairs main bathroom and some for my master suite. I think the most fun will be the main bath. I’ve chosen small hexagon white tile for the floor. White subway tile for the walls and tub area and glass multi green mosaic tile to tie in to the 1950’s green free standing sinks. There will be a boarder of it in the sink area and in the tub area.
The kitchen tile is 12” X 24” porcelain, which looks like cream travertine. It’s beautiful! And at $2.99 sf, very cost effective. I am still not sure what I’d like for my kitchen backsplash but most likely it will be mosaic of some type because that’s what I gravitate towards.

Well, that’s my update for now. It’s coming together. Now if I could only get rid of this knot in my stomach all would be good.

Magically delicious!

Absolutely fabulous news…. the drawings for the existing plan of my house were done yesterday and today Josh and I met at the City Planning Dept. to hopefully have them accepted without having to get an engineer.
I guess I do have some lucky charms up my sleeve, because the pencil pusher behind the desk ended up being a leprechaun and accepted the sets of plans without us having to get an engineer. But alas, now we have to wait to have the permit processed (I knew I should have offered him the pot ‘o gold! Damn!) Josh was told it could take a week (hopefully that’s all). I would like to get going on the demo because the sooner we get started; the sooner it will be done, and the sooner I can soak in my extra deep tub in my new master bath. Which I’m sure I’ll desperately need after going through this reno. Right now it’s Thrilling. We will see how thrilling I think it is when I'm cleaning dishes in my bathtub, living with my coat and shoes on 24/7 and assuring my poor cats that everything will be okay *there will be much appeasing with Temptations cat treats .
My oldest daughter expressed her delight that I’d be coming over to cook at her house a lot but then again, we will see how much she likes me cooking for her when I’m there night after night. Don’t worry Meg it won’t be every night. I’ve got some restaurant gift cards that I can use for a night out once in a while. Plus, there’s always Kraft dinner…Kevin, hear that? You’re Mom just might need a couple of those boxes you bought from Costco.

I was supposed to go to my little flooring store I had found this afternoon but never made it. It will have to be tomorrow on my lunch break. I'm on a mission to match my 1950’s green sink with some green mosaic tile in the store so I will not be panicked to find it at the last minute . I also want to look at the laminate again and possibly the bamboo flooring which is obviously more pricey. I think the laminate I chose on Saturday is just a little too dark. Just a shade lighter would be great.

So blog world, It’s pretty probable that my house will be very “open concept” by weeks end. I sure hope so. Just in time for my youngest daughter’s arrival back home from Thailand Monday. It will be the ultimate in comfortable living for the next few months. Can we do it?.... Yes, we….(gulp)…. can.

May the force be with me...

Okay, even though I am a bit frustrated right now, yesterday I did find some sweet light at the end of the rainbow. First, the main issue…..I had taken my house plans into the city on Friday and wouldn’t you know it they want the original plans of the house, (engineering purposes). I tried to explain there are no bearing walls, it's a post and beam, and so it makes no difference but the ape behind the counter didn’t care. Oh Maple Ridge, can you please hire some sane people at city level? I called Josh from City Hall and he told me to go back, give the plans to “The Ape” and he would call him to discuss it. I followed my instructions then drove back to work and waited for the call from Josh. Turns out no, in fact Monkey Butt wants the original way the house looks…(does it really matter? We could make up the drawings and no body would know) Makes no sense to me. In the end, luckily, I had already drawn up my house the way it is (roughly). Josh told me he would not charge me anything to redraw more house plans professionally (See, I picked the right guy) and to email my rough drawings to him and he would get them done this weekend. So, this will do nothing but set us back a few days. We did find out that the city can take up to 7 days to process the permit request….not good….but there you go. It’s Maple Ridge.

Okay…now for the sweet light at the end of the rainbow. I have to tell you, I was extremely elated about this.
I had set out to go to Jack’s used building supplies yesterday, which I did. I found nothing there….but, on my way home I decided to go to a flooring store I had found on Craigslist, don’t worry, I checked it out first. I have trust issues with regards to too good a deal. This store belongs to BBB, which is a good sign. I was expecting a hole in the wall…but when I pulled up and parked I knew I was going to be a happy girl. Here I had thought they only sold laminate and hardwood and at that, a limited supply. Boy, was I wrong! They had tile, laminate, engineered, hardwood, carpet, they even do Ceasarstone countertops…they had everything I needed and at very reasonable costs I might add. I felt like I was a kid in a candy store. When I walked in the sales person was helping someone else, so I took the opportunity to browse. First thing that caught my eye was the assorted tile that adorned the wall. Better yet, there was a price on everything (per square foot). These guys were organized. Right away I found some I wanted. The other customer left and the sales guy asked if he could help. I told him I had found him on Craigslist and also told him what I was doing with my house. I mentioned I was looking for either laminate or engineered hardwood, on sale. He took me to the laminate, (12mm only) which is all I’m interested in. It was beautiful and only $1.59 a foot. I had brought my house plans with me and I asked him to do a quote for me for everything. He copied my plans. I also asked him to do a quick quote of my kitchen counters with Ceasarstone while I waited. It ended up being around the same price as the quote I got from the place that had no name brand quartz counter top!!
I picked out the tile and Ceasarstone I liked and put it with the laminate I liked…Wow! Gorgeous! One of the fears I had was running around to different places to get my tile and flooring etc. This was a one stop shopping experience and would make my reno life a lot easier. I also found carpeting I really liked. It was a $1.00 sq foot cheaper than some product I had picked out from an outlet store. I told the guy I was most likely going to purchase everything from him. I got some samples, told him I’d be back Monday with my bathroom sink to match some green tiles to and was on my way. This place is just a hop, skip and a jump away from my place of work so it will be easy to go in on my lunch break….

It is close to St. Paddy’s day. Maybe that light at the end of the rainbow I had this weekend will turn out be a pot o’ gold and the plans I submit this coming week will be okayed without a hitch!.... That is, if there is a leprechaun at city hall.