tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77008368279685760682024-03-13T16:44:50.957-04:00The Hateful HovelKyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-42331105955406802802012-12-16T12:33:00.001-05:002012-12-16T12:33:36.105-05:00Kitchen Update - Week 5Week five was not a fun week - we tore up the old floor. It was really frustrating because it was hard, physical work, but the room actually looked worse when were finished. Plus it was really dirty and dusty and sticky and unpleasant.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-001_zps5350b230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-001_zps5350b230.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We used spackle knives to scrape up as much floor as we could.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-002_zps555954b5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-002_zps555954b5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a huge mess.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-003_zpsed9fedf9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-003_zpsed9fedf9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a tin can lid used to patch a hole - now that's recycling!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-004_zpsfa818e42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-004_zpsfa818e42.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum pulled a whole lot of dirt out of our duct work...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-005_zps8da11d35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week5-005_zps8da11d35.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...as well as this air freshener!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-23640639009741471272012-10-17T16:00:00.000-04:002012-10-17T16:00:02.469-04:00Kitchen Update - Week 4Week four was mostly about finishing up the last of the painting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-002_zpsc31239b0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-002_zpsc31239b0.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum paints the windows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-004_zps2008acc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-004_zps2008acc7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I paint over the very last of the terrible pink paint!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Originally I had planned to paint the cabinets, but I was concerned it would be too much beige. So we decided to leave them unpainted and tried to shine them up a bit. Aunt Candy brought over some stuff called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OTXTA8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002OTXTA8&linkCode=as2&tag=theha0f1-20">Liquid Gold</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theha0f1-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002OTXTA8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
that worked wonders.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-003_zpsa0bf87fd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-003_zpsa0bf87fd.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I also started tearing up the floor. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it would be very easy to save this floor. And I've got other plans for when we do the Big Kitchen Redo, so we've decided it would be easier to just put down linoleum tiles for now. This awful stuff has to come up first, though.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-001_zps449bfe4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week4-001_zps449bfe4a.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
So that's all I've got for now. These first four weeks all took place in September. We haven't been able to do anything yet in October due to very busy schedules, but hopefully we'll be able to get back to work this weekend. From here on out, it's all pretty complicated stuff (at least in my book). Here are the things we still need to do:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>paint basement door with chalkboard paint</li>
<li>put down linoleum tiles</li>
<li>build custom cabinet/table out of reclaimed parts from the <a href="http://centrepark.homestead.com/Artbank.html">Centre Park Artifacts Bank </a></li>
<li>replace the countertop </li>
<li>put up baseboards, chair rail, and crown moulding</li>
<li>make curtains</li>
<li>turn weird closet alcove into a pantry</li>
</ul>
My goal is to have all this finished by November 18th - think we can make it?Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-39568201055206291772012-10-16T04:00:00.000-04:002012-10-16T04:00:01.932-04:00Kitchen Update - Week 3Week three started with more patching. Do not underestimate the number of gaping holes we had in our walls.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-001_zps911da2fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-001_zps911da2fb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum knocks out the crumbling bits of wall so she can patch it with some drywall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't know if you can tell or not, but the walls in the kitchen are heavily textured. Since many of the holes had to be completely replaced with drywall, we bought some spray-on texture stuff to try and make everything look at least somewhat uniform. The one we used was called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009XCID0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009XCID0&linkCode=as2&tag=theha0f1-20">Homax Wall Texture Spray</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theha0f1-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0009XCID0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and it was pretty amazing. It looks a little weird going on, but when it is painted you can hardly tell the difference between the original wall and the replacement drywall. I'd definitely recommend it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-002_zpse4a594e9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-002_zpse4a594e9.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kylie helps to make the drywall match the plaster walls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-003_zps04f137a2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-003_zps04f137a2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-004_zpsacebfaac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-004_zpsacebfaac.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Except for new countertop, the back part of the kitchen is finished.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-006_zpse0cc0d97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-006_zpse0cc0d97.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
We're going to paint the basement door with chalkboard paint so we have a handy place to jot down notes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-007_zpsdfbe1919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-007_zpsdfbe1919.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Kylie accidentally discovered that there was door moulding behind that weird makeshift closet, so we tore the whole thing down. I wish all of the trim had remained unpainted - it's so beautiful!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-008_zps0372beea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week3-008_zps0372beea.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
That's all for week three - check back tomorrow for week four.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-48811277053894039972012-10-15T16:05:00.000-04:002012-10-15T16:05:00.455-04:00Kitchen Update - Week 2When we <a href="http://hatefulhovel.blogspot.com/2012/10/kitchen-update-week-1.html">left off last time</a>, we had taken down the cabinets, paneling, and miscellaneous wood pieces and were ready to start getting serious! We started by patching the holes in the main part of the kitchen so that
the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006MXS10/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0006MXS10&linkCode=as2&tag=theha0f1-20">spackling paste</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theha0f1-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0006MXS10" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
would have plenty of time to dry. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-001_zpsa945fef2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-001_zpsa945fef2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Meanwhile, I finished tearing down the wallpaper in the back area and primed the dark brown trim.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-003_zps7e768a0d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-003_zps7e768a0d.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Kylie got bored, so she and Uncle Don tore up the carpet on the stairs. Unfortunately, the stairs are not in such great shape and are going to have to be pretty heavily repaired.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-002_zps5b00c2bf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-002_zps5b00c2bf.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Then we gave the back area its first coat of paint. It looks better already!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-004_zps82f8f5f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-004_zps82f8f5f1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-005_zps13a5cb7c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-005_zps13a5cb7c.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum is camouflaged! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This should give you a feel for just how uneven our strange little house is: it looks like the stove is crooked, but it isn't - it's totally level. The wall itself is off-kilter! It's like living in a fun house.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-006_zps59ebc4b0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-006_zps59ebc4b0.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The whole house has been thrown into complete chaos.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-005_zpsf43c528a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-005_zpsf43c528a.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
We decided to move all the wall cabinets to the back of the kitchen so that we can put shelves up over the stove instead. My dad had to help with this part - and he wore the perfect shirt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-008_zpsadc149aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week2-008_zpsadc149aa.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Stay tuned tomorrow for week three!Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-8564414046828669812012-10-14T15:44:00.000-04:002012-10-14T16:06:00.015-04:00Kitchen Update - Week 1Hey guys, it's been a while! There's been a lot going on in my kitchen lately, so let's jump right it. First off, remember back in March when the <a href="http://hatefulhovel.blogspot.com/2012/03/kitchen-door-installed.html">new door was installed</a>? I never mentioned it again, but my uncle did come and put drywall up around it so we didn't have to stare into the depths of the house every time we went into the kitchen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/door-drywall_zpsbbaf6b0a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/door-drywall_zpsbbaf6b0a.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
After that, we pretty much left things alone in there until September. We have big plans to completely gut and renovate the kitchen, but that's going to take a lot of time and money. For now, though, we're going to paint and move things around and just sort of update it. Nothing too drastic, just enough to make things a little less... frightening out there. Here's a video we made last year when we were trying to win a new kitchen (which obviously didn't work) so you can see the starting point.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FPcfQ0To05I" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-004_zpsea12b1f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
This kitchen is such a mess that we needed to do quite a bit of work before we could even start painting. First we took everything out of the cabinets and took all the curtains down from the windows. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-001_zps0c88db33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-001_zps0c88db33.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kylie doesn't want to breathe in any 112 year old dust.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then we removed what remained of the paneling and plywood. We had to take down the stove hood and cabinets to achieve this - what a mess!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-002_zps4561f55b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-002_zps4561f55b.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kylie pries off some plywood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-003_zps242ebc9e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-003_zps242ebc9e.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum sweeps away some spider webs that were hiding under the paneling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-004_zpsea12b1f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/week1-004_zpsea12b1f3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad and Uncle Don pry off the remainder of the plywood after taking down the cabinets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That was enough for one week. We decided to hold off on any actual painting until week two, which you can see tomorrow!Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-63123941459617288392012-04-01T14:23:00.000-04:002012-04-16T22:31:28.361-04:00New Floor in the Front Room!Guess what? The floor in the front room (soon to be Chris's office) are finished too! Are you ready for some more before and after? Before:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020872.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020873.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020874.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020876.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020892.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020893.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020894.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020895.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Much better! The next step will be tearing down that terrible wallpaper so that Chris can paint his new office a bright, cheerful grey! I'm not joking, grey is the color he has chosen for his new room. Ah well, to each his own.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-46198260590530683552012-03-28T18:16:00.000-04:002012-04-16T22:19:59.819-04:00New Floors In My Office!After a brief side project in the kitchen (aka our new door), it's back to the new upstairs floor. My office is next on the list. Here are some before shots.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020854.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020855.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I definitely needed a new floor in there, am I right? Well, Uncle Don was over yesterday to work his magic! Here's my new floor!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020863.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020864.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/P1020865.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Pretty amazing, right? I can't believe what a difference a new floor can make! I can't wait to start moving furniture around and hanging some art. I've got big plans to make better use of my workspace and some decorative ideas as well. But that will have to wait until the floor in Chris's office is finished, because all the stuff we've been shifting from room to room will have to be moved back in here for a time. It's a bit of a hassle, but it will be so worth it in the end.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-89401709304913234172012-03-02T22:54:00.000-05:002012-03-04T22:55:15.749-05:00Kitchen Door Installed! Here's what was happening when I came home from work this evening:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn5DQwwIAaw/T1Q3B9cXWWI/AAAAAAAAAVg/GvA-Ol4ZdQs/s1600/6+-+door+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn5DQwwIAaw/T1Q3B9cXWWI/AAAAAAAAAVg/GvA-Ol4ZdQs/s320/6+-+door+in+progress.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New kitchen door being installed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHVWGj0FHqo/T1Q3Br75MxI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NKsHMDpAVpc/s1600/10+-+top+damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
And here's what was waiting for me when I returned home from dinner:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qF7tvGcLCmQ/T1Q3CQYdtsI/AAAAAAAAAVo/__MY0AA9j6E/s1600/7+-+installed+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qF7tvGcLCmQ/T1Q3CQYdtsI/AAAAAAAAAVo/__MY0AA9j6E/s320/7+-+installed+door.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The door is installed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here's a close-up of the knob and the dead bolt. They still look like they are not the same color in this picture, but they really are - I promise!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IRyO0swfYI/T1Q3Clai-bI/AAAAAAAAAVw/4cDCmhbYwiQ/s1600/8+-+door+knob+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IRyO0swfYI/T1Q3Clai-bI/AAAAAAAAAVw/4cDCmhbYwiQ/s320/8+-+door+knob+detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schlage antique brass door fixtures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And here's the scary results of cutting a bigger door hole in the wall:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAyZ0c-Y7_4/T1Q3C3PJIfI/AAAAAAAAAV4/B92LLXdi66Q/s1600/9+-+side+damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAyZ0c-Y7_4/T1Q3C3PJIfI/AAAAAAAAAV4/B92LLXdi66Q/s320/9+-+side+damage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lathe and plaster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHVWGj0FHqo/T1Q3Br75MxI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NKsHMDpAVpc/s1600/10+-+top+damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eHVWGj0FHqo/T1Q3Br75MxI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NKsHMDpAVpc/s320/10+-+top+damage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and new supports.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's pretty scary to see the inside of your house. You'd think I'd be used to it after the bathroom, but no. It never gets less creepy to know that a bunch of rickety boards and crumbling plaster are the the only things keeping your house standing. But it's okay, Uncle Don is coming back over the weekend to frame up the door and cover the gaping holes. More pictures soon.<br /><br />Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-50883774609759547942012-03-01T22:42:00.000-05:002012-03-04T22:55:54.476-05:00Kitchen Door HardwareTonight Chris and I picked out a knob and dead bolt for the new back door that is set to be installed tomorrow. We decided on the <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_31194-352-F51+V+FLA+609_4294766369+4294965793+5003698__?productId=3242666&Ntt=door+knob&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_25%2B50_4294766369%2B4294965793%2B5003698__s%3FNtt%3Ddoor%2Bknob&facetInfo=Schlage%7C$25%20-%20$50">Flair Antique Brass Residential Keyed Entry Door Lever</a> and <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_28439-352-B360+V+609_4294937086+4294965793+5003698__?productId=3242588&Ntt=dead+bolt&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_25%2B50_4294937086%2B4294965793%2B5003698__s%3FNtt%3Ddead%2Bbolt&facetInfo=Schlage%7C$25%20-%20$50">Antique Brass Residential Single-Cylinder Deadbolt</a>, both by Schlage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mroNb6EDDDA/T1Q14G69jvI/AAAAAAAAAVI/2pzAHf4BU8A/s1600/knob.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mroNb6EDDDA/T1Q14G69jvI/AAAAAAAAAVI/2pzAHf4BU8A/s1600/knob.png" /></a></div>
I know they don't look like they are the same color in this picture, but they are in person.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-82021731390607936222012-02-28T18:58:00.000-05:002012-03-04T21:09:31.463-05:00Door frame photosHere, have a few photos of the removal of the top of the door frame from over the weekend:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W16L-g9sMMc/T1QfEC0mMHI/AAAAAAAAAUo/zyR8N9FLa7k/s1600/2+-+top+of+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W16L-g9sMMc/T1QfEC0mMHI/AAAAAAAAAUo/zyR8N9FLa7k/s320/2+-+top+of+door.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the door is gone.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_CyYICFNEw/T1QfGCVAnWI/AAAAAAAAAUw/wTCCUHbgBYQ/s1600/3+-+door+frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_CyYICFNEw/T1QfGCVAnWI/AAAAAAAAAUw/wTCCUHbgBYQ/s320/3+-+door+frame.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the frame and the corner moulding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kIEc09kkM_g/T1QfHNLAA3I/AAAAAAAAAU4/IcAHWZ_haS4/s1600/4+-+red+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kIEc09kkM_g/T1QfHNLAA3I/AAAAAAAAAU4/IcAHWZ_haS4/s320/4+-+red+paint.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might recognize this terrible red paint from the murder wall.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MPQvCgjgSkM/T1QfHfhPFfI/AAAAAAAAAVA/hKC7eJcU0sM/s1600/5+-+paint+layers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MPQvCgjgSkM/T1QfHfhPFfI/AAAAAAAAAVA/hKC7eJcU0sM/s320/5+-+paint+layers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many layers of paint over the last 100 years...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-12502158815824505232012-02-27T20:37:00.000-05:002012-03-04T20:47:07.942-05:00New Door Incoming!As you may or may not know, our refrigerator is old and gross. It's kind of
moldy, the freezer light is out, there are exposed wires inside where
someone ripped out the ice maker before we moved in, and things on the top
shelf of the fridge have a tendency to be frozen while things in the freezer
are sometimes not quite as cold as you'd like them. In short, we need a new
fridge. So we went looking at fridges while we were off from work after the
wedding, and we fell in love with this beautiful <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+25.8+Cu.+Ft.+French+Door+Refrigerator+with+Thru-the-Door+Ice+and+Water+-+Stainless-Steel/9510004.p?id=1218116794406&skuId=9510004">Samsung refrigerator</a>.
Unfortunately, both are too large to fit through our tiny Victorian
doorways. But instead of doing the reasonable thing and buying a smaller
fridge, we've decided to go ahead and just widen the doorway. Ridiculous, I
know.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIRurrR2OAI/T1QZSvO9KsI/AAAAAAAAAUg/NHazaoGHUBg/s1600/new_door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIRurrR2OAI/T1QZSvO9KsI/AAAAAAAAAUg/NHazaoGHUBg/s320/new_door.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new back door.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The door has been purchased and is sitting in the backyard. All that's left
is to remove the old door, widen the doorway, and install it. Amazing,
right? Uncle Don came over on Saturday to take down some of the door frame,
just to get an idea of what is waiting for him behind our walls. Not a
whole lot, from the looks of it. I was hoping maybe there'd be wads of cash
back there, but no such luck. Heck, we don't even have insulation back
there. No wonder it's so cold in here all the time!<br />
<br />
We're keeping the trim to use on the doorway we'll probably make during the
Big Kitchen Redo (which probably won't be happening for several years) since
it won't fit around the new door. Check out all of the awful layers of
paint on these things! I really don't know what the past owners of this
house were thinking when they painted their kitchen in all those horrible
colors. I think our donations to the paint layers will be a lot more
pleasant.<br />
<br />
So that's all I've got for you so far. Chris and I have to pick out
hardware for the new door, which I'm sure will be a lot of fun. I think the
plan is to install the door on Friday, so I guess we'd better get shopping!<br />
<br />Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-41482527317237147832012-01-02T15:02:00.000-05:002012-01-02T21:56:32.343-05:00New year, new projects<div>Okay, so, the plan for yesterday had originally been to paint the kitchen. I was doubtful about this plan, since there is still some paneling that needs to be taken down and some giant holes in the walls that need to be patched. But who am I to question the helpful locusts? During the week, my aunt and uncle came over to start painting the new bedroom so that we could move out bedroom furniture in and continue the floor installation in the rest of the rooms. They got the entire room painted with the base color and one wall faux finished. All that remained was to faux finish the rest of the walls and we'd be good to go.<br />
<br />
Since the bedroom painting was already well underway, we decided to just go ahead and finish that instead. So my mum, my dad, my aunt, and I finished the remainder of the faux finishing while my uncle painted the murder wall with Killz (more on that later). When he was finished with that, he came upstairs and helped us move all the bedroom furniture in to our brand new bedroom!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/paintedwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/paintedwall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plastic bag faux finish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It is so amazing! It's almost like we moved into a new house. Obviously there's still a lot more to do in there: new curtains, new bedspread, new decor pieces - you know, all the fun stuff. But even now it just looks so awesome, it felt like we were sleeping at a hotel. <br />
<br />
Let me take a minute here to talk about the faux finish. If you have looked through my bedroom inspiration board, you have probably seen this picture:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/inspiration.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/5990?page=7</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I decided these blue and green Moroccan walls were the walls I wanted. We used this plastic bag technique:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ojDwOdmMJtE" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
which I think worked out really well. Obviously, we used blues and greens instead of browns, but the process was the same. I think our knockoff walls look really close to the inspiration picture.<br />
<br />
Now, on to the kitchen. Some of you may already be aquainted with our murder wall, but for those of you who aren't - let me introduce you:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGC7sw_WvEE/TTezM7NK5NI/AAAAAAAAAOI/7VtL31gcKOw/s1600/SDC10101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RGC7sw_WvEE/TTezM7NK5NI/AAAAAAAAAOI/7VtL31gcKOw/s320/SDC10101.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in front of the murder wall!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Scary, right? We had originally hoped to strip the wood of the wainscoting and stain it, but it quickly became apparent that it would not be possible. This happened months, maybe even years, ago and we've just been living with it ever since. But no more! The murder wall has now been covered up (to some extent):<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/murderwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/murderwall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more murder wall!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's far from finished, but even this little change has made our kitchen a less terrifying place. Now it can be easily painted over when we do get around to starting the kitchen. <br />
<br />
But that's not all - there was another small addition to our kitchen:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/table.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our newly extended kitchen table!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since I hosted New Year's Day dinner, we needed more space to seat everyone - so my parents brought over the leaves for our kitchen table! Hooray for more makeshift counter space! Again, it's not a huge change, but it makes a very big visual difference in the room. Chris and I are both really excited to be able to have a centerpiece and still have room to eat. Unfortunately, the leaves make it even more obvious how much our table desperately needs to be refinished:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/refinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/kitchen/refinish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regular table vs shiny, unused leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When my parents had this table, the leaves usually sat in the basement unless there were a lot of people coming over. So they saw a lot less use and as such retained a lot more of their youthful glow. Ah well, someday. But refinishing the table is not high on my priority list, so for now we will just have to deal with it.<br />
<br />So yeah, I feel like we got a lot accomplished yesterday. It was a great way to ring in the new year. Stay tuned for floor updates, bedroom updates, and an explanation of my plans for the kitchen.</div>Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-59389923935064737402012-01-01T22:12:00.001-05:002012-01-02T14:20:10.140-05:00Ringing in the new year......with some home improvements! I am too tired to update fully right now, but here's a sneak preview of what we (me, Mum, Dad, Aunt Candy, and Uncle Don) got accomplished today:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/globe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/globe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Check back tomorrow for the full update!<br />
<br />Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-14837354713532790952011-12-16T22:04:00.000-05:002012-01-01T22:06:54.145-05:00New bedroom?After careful consideration, Chris and I have decided to move the bedroom into the art room. There are several reasons for this change:<br />
<br />
1) It is a bigger room. This means we will be able to get a bigger bed, which would not be possible in our current room.<br />
<br />
2) We very rarely make any art in the art room. It's basically just a big storage closet right now, and that's a silly waste of space.<br />
<br />
3) The reason we didn't use it as our bedroom in the first place was the squeaky floor - which isn't an issue anymore!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/living%20room/chrisdesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/living%20room/chrisdesk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's so terrible!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've also decided that the front room (our current bedroom) will be Chris's office. This way he can move his giant eyesore of a desk out of the living room and give us more space downstairs. So I get a less cluttered living room, and he gets a room all to himself. It's a win-win situation for everyone!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/bedroom/fabric.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is really difficult to get a good picture of this fabric - I promise it's even more amazing in person!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So let's talk about the new bedroom. Our theme is sort of difficult to describe. Ever since my aunt Pam gave me this fabric a few years back, I have wanted to create my bedroom around it. But we also want to keep with the Explorer aspect of steampunk, especially since it will be right next to our map-centric bathroom. So I figured that the easiest way to go about this would be to focus on the Victorian-era British occupation of India. Rather specific, I know. But I can picture it so very clearly in my head. I want dark wood, colorful walls, lots of sheer draperies, and tons of throw pillows. I've started a <a href="http://pinterest.com/empresskyrav/bedroom-inspiration/">Pinterest inspiration board</a>, so have a look at that to get a better feel for what I mean.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-10560265246431213732011-12-04T20:53:00.000-05:002012-01-01T22:06:40.456-05:00New Floors - part 2The flooring installation has begun! It was a bit of a hassle because we had to move everything out of the art room and try to make room for it in the other rooms, but it was totally worth it! Check out the pictures below:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much clutter - do you think I am a hoarder?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like this room has been through a lot of color changes.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of an old vintage Bon Ton advertisement.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This squeaky board was created when the kitchen light was installed.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Don put down padding first to make the old floor less noisy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next came the actual floor boards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks pretty amazing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest can't be installed until we pull up the carpet in my office.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/new%20upstairs%20floor/011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgaine and Mako aren't sure how they feel about the new floor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-86827945403633836162011-11-20T20:16:00.000-05:002012-01-01T20:54:54.214-05:00New FloorsHi guys! I know this blog has been quiet for a while, but it's been pretty slow around here lately - at least home improvement-wise. But now all of that is about to change - we're getting new floors upstairs. You may remember that the <a href="http://hatefulhovel.blogspot.com/2011/01/surprise-hardwood-floor.html">carpet in the art room</a> was torn up after the bathroom was finished, and that it looked rather terrible. Well, Chris and I went around about it for a while, but we've decided to go ahead and buy some laminate flooring rather than refinish the stuff that's already there. There are just too many messed up areas that would have to be repaired - and who even knows what is under the rest of the carpet up there? It will be easier to get something new and uniform to cover up any possible surprises we might find. The installation process is set to begin in a week or two - so check back soon for more updates!Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-89859963764667577732011-07-13T22:06:00.002-04:002011-07-13T22:06:57.195-04:00Decorating With MapsHooray! The Hateful Hovel bathroom was featured in a Squidoo lens about <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/decorating-with-maps">decorating with maps</a>!Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-10900618192453514112011-06-26T23:20:00.000-04:002011-06-26T23:20:24.450-04:00Amazing!Today my aunt, uncle, mum, dad, and Kylie came over to help with the front garden. Aunt Candy had a bunch of flowers she wanted to give me, which turned into finishing the front garden. Some plants were moved, mulch was put down, some pavers from the back yard were brought out front to use as makeshift stepping stones, and some flowers were planted along side of the house. Oh, and I got a new rocker for the porch as well. I honestly can't even believe this is my house. It looks so homey - it's exactly what I was hoping it would be!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w126.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw126.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp99%2Fempresskyrav%2FUnruly+Yard+2011%2F04e0f612.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0pt; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/?action=view&current=04e0f612.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0pt; float: left;" /></a></div>Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-443345491068318152011-05-31T22:30:00.001-04:002011-05-31T22:31:36.653-04:00A Tale of Two WeekendsHello all! Over the course of the last two weekends, I successfully dug up the front yard! All by myself (well, mostly)! With nothing but shovels and my hands! Amazing! Here is what my front yard looked like before:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/before02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/before02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The porch side of my front yard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/before01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/before01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flagpole side of my front yard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div>It looks like a pretty small front yard, and it is. But it sure didn't feel that way when I was tearing out all of that grass...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/digging03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So I dug up the flagpole side on the 21st, and I dug up the porch side on the 28th. And then I planted all the plants yesterday on the 30th before and after my family's Memorial Day picnic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/planted01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/planted01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/planted02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/Unruly%20Yard%202011/planted02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Doesn't look like much, does it? I am assured that they will fill out as the summer goes on, but I remain skeptical. The next course of action is to move those straggler plants from the middle of the yard into more acceptable positions. After that, I want to get some stepping stones so I can make a path down the center. Our mailman usually cuts through the yard and I want to make it as easy as possible for him. Aren't I thoughtful? Then mulch I guess, even though I've always hated mulch. I just feel like it will look unfinished without it, you know? I'd like to get a birdbath and maybe a few wrought iron garden accessories. I'm going for a scraggly English garden sort of look combined with the sort of garden you'd expect to see surrounding a witch's hut. Does that make any sense? I can see it perfectly in my mind... I'll try and post some inspiration photos.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-53949061141042993232011-05-17T19:43:00.003-04:002011-05-29T21:35:08.246-04:00Gardening UpdateI went to the greenhouse again on Saturday to buy flowers for the front yard. I bought a bunch of stuff that, including columbine and snap dragons, to name a few. Most of them are plants I don't really know anything about, I just liked the way they looked.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tg9rRRKmo9w/TeL0QIXbNiI/AAAAAAAAAQU/JUuXTkx8kcw/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tg9rRRKmo9w/TeL0QIXbNiI/AAAAAAAAAQU/JUuXTkx8kcw/s320/flowers.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br />
Unfortunately the weather channel tells me that it is supposed to rain basically forever (or at least until next weekend) so it will probably be a while until I actually plant them. Especially since I have to pull out all the grass first....<br />
<br />
Speaking of which, Chris and I finally dug out some space for the raspberry bushes. It didn't take nearly as long as I expected, mostly because we only dug out circles around them rather than digging out the entire section of the yard. I think this is a bad idea, since it will make mowing even more difficult for Chris. He says he will just use the weed whacker around them, but I remain skeptical.<br />
<br />
I also planted a bunch of marigolds around the perimeter of the vegetable garden in hopes of keeping the rabbits out. About half of my baby corns have been nibbled, but that's not even the biggest problem. Those pesky bunnies have been rolling around on my veggies! Most of my broccoli, radishes, and and beets have been flattened into the dirt! Those rabbits are jerks. But I had a lot of luck last year using marigolds as a form of natural rabbit repellent, so hopefully that will keep them out.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-64666012915645053632011-05-07T22:07:00.001-04:002011-05-10T22:19:17.822-04:00Back YardHello all! It's been a while, I know, but there haven't been any renovations going on lately. Because of this decorating drought, I thought it might be fun to feature some of the work we've been doing outside.<br />
<br />
As you may or may not know, we've had two Bagsters full of bathroom debris sitting in the yard since last October. Yeesh. I'm sure the neighbors are thrilled. But there is a reason they have been sitting for so long. You see, when they were originally used, we didn't bother to look at the included instructions which stated that the Bagsters have to be within 16 feet of the road. One of our Bagsters was much further than that. Also, they are not allowed to have anything sticking up over the top, which both of ours did. We didn't have organization in mind when filling them all those months ago.<br />
<br />
So my mum, sister, aunt, and uncle came over to help with the Bagster situation and also to help me expand my vegetable garden. I say that they helped me, but really they did all the work while I took pictures. What can I say? I'm just not built for physical labor. Here, check out our progress:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center; width: 480px;"><embed height="360" src="http://w126.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw126.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fp99%2Fempresskyrav%2F23b32b21.pbw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="transparent"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="border-width: 0pt; float: left;" /></a><a href="http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/empresskyrav/?action=view&current=23b32b21.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="border-width: 0pt; float: left;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
So now the Bagsters are down at the alley, ready for pick-up, and the vegetable garden is expanded and ready for vegetables. More pictures to come.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-20451855717333258782011-01-21T18:17:00.000-05:002011-01-21T18:17:00.576-05:00Moss Bathmat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTjfndfSsdI/AAAAAAAAAOM/6YQjZBtGsDM/s1600/bathmat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTjfndfSsdI/AAAAAAAAAOM/6YQjZBtGsDM/s320/bathmat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
This <a href="http://veerle.duoh.com/modernhomedesign/article/moss_carpet_for_your_bathroom">moss bathmat</a> is just about the coolest thing I've ever seen. I wonder if there's actually a place where I can buy one...Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-70325394915387651932011-01-19T18:32:00.006-05:002011-01-19T23:10:45.061-05:00Floor PlanI just realized that I've never put up any sort of floor plan or walk through of our house. Here, let me remedy that oversight:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTM6YV5sKXI/AAAAAAAAAOA/tKp-OBet8zE/s1600/floor+plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTM6YV5sKXI/AAAAAAAAAOA/tKp-OBet8zE/s320/floor+plan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pretty cool, huh? I made it at<a href="http://www.floorplanner.com/"> floorplanner.com</a> - for free! Can you believe that? It's a free program, go check it out. There's a 3D option too, which is really amazing. You can walk through a 3D version of your house.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-43375464380252806752011-01-17T18:24:00.005-05:002011-01-17T18:24:00.881-05:00Surprise Hardwood FloorSo the other day, while Chris and I were at work, Aunt Candy and Uncle Don came over and took up the carpet in the playroom. It was pretty much ruined with stains from the bathroom project and also from my cat (she, for some reason, took offense to the carpet in that room and used it as her litter box). So I was pretty excited when they called me at work to let me know it was gone. I was even more excited to hear that there was, in fact, a hardwood floor underneath. I was not so excited to hear that it was in pretty bad shape.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I got home, this is the sight that awaited me:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFFbSriQI/AAAAAAAAANo/7sgG8wpVXQg/s1600/hardwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFFbSriQI/AAAAAAAAANo/7sgG8wpVXQg/s320/hardwood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You may be thinking "oh, that's not <i>so</i> bad," which is exactly the first thing I thought. But then I gave it a closer look and found:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFZsRKddI/AAAAAAAAANs/HiOAbh3Rv5I/s1600/floor01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFZsRKddI/AAAAAAAAANs/HiOAbh3Rv5I/s320/floor01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 1960s era newspaper clipping painted to the floor (there are a few of these).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFcDtSv1I/AAAAAAAAANw/TtcPj0AtAo4/s1600/floor05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFcDtSv1I/AAAAAAAAANw/TtcPj0AtAo4/s320/floor05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rickety middle section of the floor (so that's why there was a dip in the carpet).</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFd2ViebI/AAAAAAAAAN0/PZuYnTBljPw/s1600/floor02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFd2ViebI/AAAAAAAAAN0/PZuYnTBljPw/s320/floor02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This metal place covering a hole for an old heat vent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFe2ZrcpI/AAAAAAAAAN8/hwx-8sVyzIQ/s1600/floor04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFe2ZrcpI/AAAAAAAAAN8/hwx-8sVyzIQ/s320/floor04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This huge gouge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFeYxE1sI/AAAAAAAAAN4/5aGbP8znI9c/s1600/floor03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTIFeYxE1sI/AAAAAAAAAN4/5aGbP8znI9c/s320/floor03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This metal plate covering the hole for (what I assume was) the old chimney.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
All in all, it is a bit of a disaster. The plan is to put down a new floor with vinyl or flooring, but I am not so sure. Part of me, an unrealistically ambitious part of me, wants to try and refinish this floor. I don't even know how to refinish a floor, but it can't be that hard. Ha ha. What do you think?<br />
<br />
But I already love the difference not having carpet in there has made. It is taking every ounce of my restraint to not remove it from the rest of the rooms upstairs. I mean, if there are hardwood floors under the carpet in one room, it's probably like that in all the rooms, right?<br />
<br />
Also, if you are bored, go ahead and play Spot The Intrusive Cats with the pictures in this post. I'll give you a hint: there are cat parts in 50% of these photos.Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7700836827968576068.post-68043473697684295862010-12-15T15:16:00.001-05:002011-05-01T13:54:46.445-04:00Happy Holidays<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Holidays from the Hateful Hovel!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTICKJX_rJI/AAAAAAAAANk/eBuJSbYyOaQ/s1600/holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gGi2kOPk1QE/TTICKJX_rJI/AAAAAAAAANk/eBuJSbYyOaQ/s320/holiday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kyra V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13419688631474228815noreply@blogger.com0