Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Finished Wallspace

What do you get when you combine Shepherd's Pie, a comfy futon and an aunt who knows how to wield a fine art brush (besides one pissed off doggie in a cage?) A BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED UPSTAIRS, THAT'S WHAT! Thanks to my mom's sister, Linda Sue (alternately known as Aunt Linda, Aunt Suzie, and The Queen of the Dolls), our upstairs boudoir is AMAZING. I mean really really lovely. She painted it so well. Using my fine art brushes from Jen's Non-Digital Art Period of 2003 (love to see that scene make a comeback after the house is done), Aunt Suzie turned my sloppy cut-ins on the Pebble Beach accent wall into this:

She really did a lovely job. THANK YOU SO MUCH AUNT SUZIE!




Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Reclaimed Vanity



As our new dormer bathroom as nearing completion, we started looking for cabinetry. Although our width was a standard 6 feet wide, we only planned for one sink and it would need to be not centered but right-justified. We quickly found prices for just cabinetry escalating to the $500-800 stratosphere, and that was without a countertop or sink!

So we started scouring demolition sales, ebay, and Craigslist, and lo and behold, a nice marble-topped maple cabinet came up that was 54", but had the sink in place right where we needed it. It had been ripped out of somebody's Lincoln Park townhouse and needed some repair in teh back, but Jen fell in love with the fossilized trilobites and the price couldn't be beat: $200.

Jen's dad came up and worked some cabinet wizardry to get it into shape again, and helped prepare it for our unusual plumbing configurations upstairs. A little bit of glue, extra reinforcement, and a few saw cuts later, we had it in place. It definitely gives an upscale feel to our new bath.

All we need now is a faucet and it will be complete!

Monday, March 19, 2007

let the sun shine in ...

So much light! :)

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Ode to Sconces (& Mark)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
Your 20 watt bulbs can reach, and then some.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost contractor-I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,I shall but love thee better with every lightbulb change.
I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
(Apologies to Elizabeth Barret Browning )
And to Mark, for making it happen, bringing the magic, using quarters in a way punishable by law ... many, many beers.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

can i have some cheese to go with this whine? plus meet the new lewis & clark ...

oooooohhhhhh, I'm depressed. After THREE reschedulings on our part, we (okay, mostly Jason) worked really really hard and slept very very little to have the upstairs pretty much ready for carpet this morning. We painted, patched, brushed and swept, nailed, secured, laughed and wept and dammit we were READY.

They're not coming.

WAAAAAAHHHH!

They said something about being shorthanded, yet I can't help but feel it is payback for our postponements. Originally this was scheduled exactly thirty days beforehand (Feb 14). But we've just been so damned BUSY. And of course, there was a lot more than we realized to do! Isn't that always the case? argledybargle. #@?! See why I need the cheese?

*****************************************************************


In other news, Merlin and Cosmo have been rechristened Lewis & Clark, after a breakout expedition last evening that took them 'round the Humphrey House neighborhood. Yep, you got it folks, Cosmo/Clark is officially a bad influence. For years Merlin has looked through screen windows at the world outside, occassionally pawing but never daring an actual escape. So I felt little to no trepidation last night opening the basement level window in our makeshift bedroom to allow some fresh air in, knowing the screen was locked firmly in place. The cats jumped up to the sill and sniffed at the air, and I left them there. Two hours later, when I came into the room to check on them, they were nowhere to be found, and the screen was laying on the ground outside. I went outside and called them, and Cosmo came out of hiding almost right away, trying to sneak back into the window behind me - but Jason caught him. Merlin was more elusive. After about fifteen minutes I'd made two trips up and down the alley, and found two teenagers making out and a pretty white kitty, but no Merlin. I had just finished my first trip down the street when I saw Merlin coming out of the brush next door, heading for the still open window and looking like a kid sneaking in after breaking curfew.

Damn cats. But you'd all be proud - I reigned the panic in pretty well, if I do say so myself. The power of pinking thositively is not to be underestimated ... but still, damn cats.

Which brings us to a whole new dilemma ... what to do about the windows upstairs with their measly screens now that Cosmo has gotten wise?

Thursday, March 08, 2007

do-over time

I'll admit it: I was a BIG Woolie fan. For years, I've raved about it as a great faux finishing tool. We used it in our living room in our condo with great success ...



We loved it. So when we were finishing off the upstairs in Humphrey House, and Jason was feeling our bedroom was too white, we decided to accent one wall using our beloved Woolie.

EWW GRODY!!!! What happened? This looks like green moss covering our walls. Oh, I was so disappointed that I threw the whole Woolie shebang in the garbage. And now we have to repaint!!!! DOWN WITH THE WOOLIE. At least when you're as tired as us ...


Wednesday, March 07, 2007

My walls are singing ...


The walls are alive
with the color of swiss coffee (ahhhhh)
with brights they have brung
from a thousand beers ......
so pretty!!!!!! it's lovely! it's ...
SWISS COFFEE!