tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212550402024-03-07T17:04:30.048-05:00Ancestral PileWriting and Renovating in BaltimoreJamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.comBlogger456125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-52909837959328971602015-10-05T15:15:00.000-04:002015-10-05T15:17:42.472-04:00Goodbye, Ancestral HomeHi. The last time I posted here, we were in the middle of a kitchen renovation and I was (finally!) pregnant.<br />
<br />
Both of those things turned out pretty well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwceNlizkstma0HNLvAAueI6SdGYA98D78LsrkcUUk4n9v6NFDP8EzCgYAgaSeHSoF5GyypcBKbXfM8aelXsIgYNwQJnWT3p4iYf8KULlhOt5DDuCpxMAM5SYV67tBdedqir-GDQ/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwceNlizkstma0HNLvAAueI6SdGYA98D78LsrkcUUk4n9v6NFDP8EzCgYAgaSeHSoF5GyypcBKbXfM8aelXsIgYNwQJnWT3p4iYf8KULlhOt5DDuCpxMAM5SYV67tBdedqir-GDQ/s400/IMG_3390.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxaXQm-a3oBx_dWvxyC5aSyVsH8coH7yxeGDAQP8BUwpBJfGT_Xx7ESFAKwJ1DoMg4XN9AuNjh_pwEqvwmsUdpz1aL05vAWyDC4pz1DFQA_WBLFy-x0V1TRdClJ7kfmoAsFErMQ/s1600/IMG_3374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxaXQm-a3oBx_dWvxyC5aSyVsH8coH7yxeGDAQP8BUwpBJfGT_Xx7ESFAKwJ1DoMg4XN9AuNjh_pwEqvwmsUdpz1aL05vAWyDC4pz1DFQA_WBLFy-x0V1TRdClJ7kfmoAsFErMQ/s400/IMG_3374.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The kitchen was the last of the truly huge projects we wanted to do, and we got it done in time to host Thanksgiving. A few months later, we had twins, and everything pretty much ground to a halt.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We always knew that this wasn't going to be the house we stayed in forever; we had come to a decision that, with three bedrooms, we'd have to move out of this house when we had our second child, so that we could give each child their own room and still have space for guests, since we have family and friends who visit from all over. Then we had two children at once, and our timeline changed.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All this is to say that it is time. We will be settling on our new house next week; it's a lot more move-in ready than this one was, but there are still projects to do. And yes, there is another kitchen renovation in my future. I hope, if you're a long-time reader seeing this pop up in your blog feed after years of absence, that you'll consider heading over to where I've consolidated my online presence: <a href="http://www.jamailabrinkley.com/" target="_blank">my website</a>. The blog there features my writing about all the topics which used to be on several blogs all over the internet: cooking, renovating, parenting, writing, and more. You can also find me on <a href="https://twitter.com/jamaila" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/jamaila/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This blog will remain up as an archive - heaven knows there are still people reading that caulk tutorial! I'm happy to say that we are not selling the Pile; we have found a renter who will be moving in shortly after we move out, so we will continue to own this house so that it stays in the family.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm looking forward to a new house, but I'm really proud of everything we've accomplished here. Not many people do a gut-job renovation themselves, while living in the house. It was a long, hard job, but this house has been a wonderful place to live for nearly ten years. I hope you'll head over to the new <a href="http://www.jamailabrinkley.com/" target="_blank">website</a> to see the new projects we're taking on.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks for reading.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB-HeAF7EjrwAyFOYDIzEUuXbL3EVMmMHLZ1HwwxKqdRM9yoy0H7_d7pWjBtnffiuj-kFrsAZvX1Gym9PzPu2-cO9i8evSzjdiWFMouE91baszAnBrNKyJ_9bpjLPA37RjMXe_Q/s1600/house+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB-HeAF7EjrwAyFOYDIzEUuXbL3EVMmMHLZ1HwwxKqdRM9yoy0H7_d7pWjBtnffiuj-kFrsAZvX1Gym9PzPu2-cO9i8evSzjdiWFMouE91baszAnBrNKyJ_9bpjLPA37RjMXe_Q/s400/house+before+and+after.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: January 21, 2006. Right: October 5, 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-66147201828699327952013-08-28T10:08:00.000-04:002013-08-28T10:09:05.642-04:00death of a kitchen: two weekendsThe story of the last couple of weekends, directly from Instagram.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5h85Jl1sKynzANBdwEb15N0wjWgfwlriC-wLffBOdZgNYXPdta9aehTHW2Xw1SAJxS7v088e5u4LuxWZSs3YzCFHAdGvQOWcsbDwWTGnSzwVNQ13ZbUVctFnitQehcavxaRagw/s1600/6045d88e014911e3a66122000a9f0a06_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5h85Jl1sKynzANBdwEb15N0wjWgfwlriC-wLffBOdZgNYXPdta9aehTHW2Xw1SAJxS7v088e5u4LuxWZSs3YzCFHAdGvQOWcsbDwWTGnSzwVNQ13ZbUVctFnitQehcavxaRagw/s320/6045d88e014911e3a66122000a9f0a06_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-DgmNCl0QmtVRul8ckS4Ymml0Kd9FZe-01yc7HnCq9na2fwSwFnb3jKx6xanYdW4mR2toMYsrLCFhE2JYaYy4BhDECE8iwrwKUzgPokJAnM3xIjqZtufbTHw54U7wWR5kza_Hg/s1600/8e7a8710028711e3b56022000a9f1354_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-DgmNCl0QmtVRul8ckS4Ymml0Kd9FZe-01yc7HnCq9na2fwSwFnb3jKx6xanYdW4mR2toMYsrLCFhE2JYaYy4BhDECE8iwrwKUzgPokJAnM3xIjqZtufbTHw54U7wWR5kza_Hg/s320/8e7a8710028711e3b56022000a9f1354_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDHNK17DKW7inHBS8LbemzqSsQhHtsaddoN0QwYaN2o8SmnDEuMVl9zbXApc8TDhJ5PTJfhWl5coaTW7U09g_lRfohMbij6MC6bxWz7vSEJOJkVVttrRcw7qDSwVnyTktQuPqng/s1600/11e98050081511e3af4222000aa8012b_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDHNK17DKW7inHBS8LbemzqSsQhHtsaddoN0QwYaN2o8SmnDEuMVl9zbXApc8TDhJ5PTJfhWl5coaTW7U09g_lRfohMbij6MC6bxWz7vSEJOJkVVttrRcw7qDSwVnyTktQuPqng/s320/11e98050081511e3af4222000aa8012b_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6-pwl0-dDpEQRCAxz2hxzEjY97EnoILrSrfaXKG1MNTpf9ldV5KP0DRCuyyqNNmhHr3BuM1vmM0p5P1lqKvBAvgWB7n-OFqmj_57KNY0X2ujyf5YzJrx6J5Zj4_s_MRI1t7_lQ/s1600/a2f626580daa11e3b61a22000ae80d92_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6-pwl0-dDpEQRCAxz2hxzEjY97EnoILrSrfaXKG1MNTpf9ldV5KP0DRCuyyqNNmhHr3BuM1vmM0p5P1lqKvBAvgWB7n-OFqmj_57KNY0X2ujyf5YzJrx6J5Zj4_s_MRI1t7_lQ/s320/a2f626580daa11e3b61a22000ae80d92_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRDxAUFtRGTlLqY-fxhhTdtD5uCSmn55TyadjVVWlFz4S2Q0hyphenhyphen1Ze_-e-ltC0vm_cIFHPg2yL-ZSQfo2pm6JlHwmJ3_nnHNR14x8_2ACYt_b0PcfqXF_NfXpKrlqVfJNK9zLuwQ/s1600/734c0f5e0dd611e3877022000a9f1278_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRDxAUFtRGTlLqY-fxhhTdtD5uCSmn55TyadjVVWlFz4S2Q0hyphenhyphen1Ze_-e-ltC0vm_cIFHPg2yL-ZSQfo2pm6JlHwmJ3_nnHNR14x8_2ACYt_b0PcfqXF_NfXpKrlqVfJNK9zLuwQ/s320/734c0f5e0dd611e3877022000a9f1278_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So now we have a completed subfloor. Next up: Labor Day weekend and a lot of framing and plumbing. <br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-10925841166805313372013-08-06T16:08:00.001-04:002013-08-06T16:08:42.061-04:00soon.The kitchen renovation is going to start very soon.<br />
<br />
Last night, we moved the dining room table into the office to serve as a holding area for kitchen stuff (and to get it out of the way). The dining room is now empty, and all of the kitchen appliances will be moving in there soon. We'll keep the fridge and the microwave plugged in, but everything else will be dark - no stove, no laundry, no dishwasher.<br />
<br />
Yesterday we went to Costco and stocked up on paper plates and cups, plus all sorts of frozen pre-made foods we'll be able to microwave for dinner. That and the Wegmans prepared food section will see us through the next couple of months, I suspect.<br />
<br />
Tonight, we'll start packing away the nonessentials - champagne flutes, salad spinners, etc. We'll continue the packing slowly through the rest of this week, keeping everything functional as long as we can. We may even rip out some of the floor before we lose the stove and dishwasher; we'll get as much done with a functional kitchen as we can.<br />
<br />
The plan, as it stands right now:<br />
<ul>
<li>Demo everything</li>
<li>New joists and subfloor</li>
<li>Frame in powder room and coat closet </li>
<li>Reroute HVAC vents as necessary</li>
<li>Reroute plumbing</li>
<li>Electrical - the entire kitchen will be rewired (by an electrician, specifically) from the main box instead of the creepy old auxiliary one it's running off of now</li>
<li>Drywall</li>
<li>Paint</li>
<li>Concrete board and tile entire floor in both kitchen and powder room</li>
<li>Install fixtures in powder room, finally get to pee downstairs again</li>
<li>Cabinets - must be ordered by the 25th in order to take advantage of a sale, but they will live in the garage til we're ready for them</li>
<li>Countertops and sink</li>
<li>Re-install appliances</li>
<li>Finishing details like switchplates and maybe a backsplash and knobs and things</li>
<li>Eat real food again</li>
</ul>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-7858426145328750412013-07-07T11:20:00.000-04:002013-07-07T11:22:03.174-04:00skilled laborDon took the week off this week to demolish and rebuild the floor in the unused half of the kitchen. We ripped out the bathroom and closets over there a while ago, so it was ready for the floors to be ripped up and rebuilt. Just as he did in the rest of the house, he either <a href="http://ancestralpile.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-level-your-old-floors.html">sistered joists</a> or laid new ones to create a level base for a new subfloor.<br />
<br />
The mudroom created a bit more of a problem - it was, inexplicably, built upon some kind of concrete slab. So when he ripped out the floor, expecting to find more crawlspace, he found instead... concrete. <i>Really hard</i> concrete. It took him all day yesterday just to drill holes in it to secure a low frame for the new subfloor.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruxuvCMz-AedC8CHhtBwjgUt0p6uzIecZj3KL1sLoPlk8gWQNAIC1X2B5suGubuOeKmveeTrMqhKhcgKdpe34cbnwzkfHo1XYFsubHXu87vMjokgR0qlUBHnm0AV5b1dIsNgunw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruxuvCMz-AedC8CHhtBwjgUt0p6uzIecZj3KL1sLoPlk8gWQNAIC1X2B5suGubuOeKmveeTrMqhKhcgKdpe34cbnwzkfHo1XYFsubHXu87vMjokgR0qlUBHnm0AV5b1dIsNgunw/s1600/photo.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
Today, all that's left of the project is one section of subfloor and then to run the plumbing for the washer and dryer back out to the mudroom - it got cut back during demolition as it was all over the place. We'd planned to run it beneath the floor - but now we know why it was above the floor to begin with, as there is <i>no way</i> to get anything through that concrete. So we'll run it neatly on the floor along the wall and built a small soffit around it, which will in turn be covered by some sort of bench or shoe rack.<br />
<br />
The last step, of course, is to get the washer and dryer out of the dining room and back in place so I can do all of the laundry that's built up this week... <br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-60123407265509268262013-07-06T18:07:00.002-04:002013-07-06T18:07:34.129-04:00kitchen pinterestSince it's become clear that we will be at least doing SOME of the kitchen renovation this year - we uncovered some pipes during demolition of the unused half of the kitchen, and they'll have to be re-covered before the first hard freeze! - I've taken the opportunity to make myself a <a href="http://pinterest.com/jamaila/kitchen-ideas/">'kitchen ideas' board</a> on Pinterest, so I can make note of things that I'm thinking about doing in there.<br />
<br />
We have a basic idea of what we're doing - we know the cabinets we'll be using, and we have at least a vague idea of what will go where. There are still a few decisions to be made, layout-wise - like, will we put a separate freezer in the hall closet, or just make it all pantry space? (For the record, I want the freezer - I HATE the idea of having to go to the basement for the spare freezer, and thus if we put one there it'll never get used. Pointless.) And we can't really pull together an exact plan until the room is empty - who knows what's behind that drywall? There's no way to plan to the inch until every inch is exposed.<br />
<br />
But we know, in a general sense, where the sink and stove and refrigerator will go, etc. So I've been thinking about finishes, and organization, and that sort of thing. Hence, Pinterest. Feel free to <a href="http://pinterest.com/jamaila/kitchen-ideas/">take a look</a> over there if you're interested in the things I'm thinking about, kitchen-wise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cache-ak1.pinimg.com/736x/86/90/06/86900624932c240d5b5fe4c3068cf71e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://media-cache-ak1.pinimg.com/736x/86/90/06/86900624932c240d5b5fe4c3068cf71e.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/kitchen-details.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>via 'for love of a house'</i></span></a></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-50814304472606305132013-06-28T12:00:00.000-04:002013-06-28T12:00:03.795-04:00master bathroom updateThis before-and-after is even more dramatic than the guest bathroom's, because when we moved in, our master bathroom wasn't even a bathroom. It was a closet. Inside of another closet. With a sink in it.<br />
<br />
See?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gZQv-sZLiVk74mGkrPoULlXcdyt7RjFkXTji5CGluLIED07gjGN027DqC5gGriAlrIEdRQbTKuGKysBUqSqfFng3MtdUUnesboO-YGluN_pEkuU5V_snI67rLEYoQLVYhX9UkQ/s640/68365692_3793ab8b93_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gZQv-sZLiVk74mGkrPoULlXcdyt7RjFkXTji5CGluLIED07gjGN027DqC5gGriAlrIEdRQbTKuGKysBUqSqfFng3MtdUUnesboO-YGluN_pEkuU5V_snI67rLEYoQLVYhX9UkQ/s400/68365692_3793ab8b93_o.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Very strange. We gutted it, and found room for a full five-piece master bathroom; the air-bubbler tub went under the eave of the roof, and the gigantic hallway landing got a little smaller as we took space for a walk-in shower. The tub setting was very dramatic, as I recall.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaplbD04Ks_txppb_gConEaw8enrENiwI2IWDPYTU7ip31WI2GWTR-LZ2V9ujeVNXY8yoqw3Dfbyu1rYBV2PZ5lkcza3O2g6Dx-GtTqM69BRg_RXPe3Z4KEBTt8RmDM65vJQ7vfA/s1600/4055764036_ed1ce6d87c_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaplbD04Ks_txppb_gConEaw8enrENiwI2IWDPYTU7ip31WI2GWTR-LZ2V9ujeVNXY8yoqw3Dfbyu1rYBV2PZ5lkcza3O2g6Dx-GtTqM69BRg_RXPe3Z4KEBTt8RmDM65vJQ7vfA/s400/4055764036_ed1ce6d87c_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Nowadays, it looks like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jm04FmwJlrUxwe1BXUfeFXhIFR_V3r8l6RyhBCp_4farNT0ras7Q8xFWGDWyCzitp0ci0oaSW_deGqgiEA3U5zR5tPnk4LSwzYnPFGlJqPXu4hBxAnyKynvXlONf9p66d_e0Ew/s1600/DSCN2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Jm04FmwJlrUxwe1BXUfeFXhIFR_V3r8l6RyhBCp_4farNT0ras7Q8xFWGDWyCzitp0ci0oaSW_deGqgiEA3U5zR5tPnk4LSwzYnPFGlJqPXu4hBxAnyKynvXlONf9p66d_e0Ew/s640/DSCN2900.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This photo, incidentally, was taken from the same angle as the very first one of the 'summer kitchen' above. Quite a difference, no?<br />
<br />
(And yes, in the interest of transparency, I didn't really bother to clean up or stage the bathroom. This is what it looks like all the time, toothpaste, vitamins, and all.)<br />
<br />
As for that shower:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHOx22jvAx4P-ApjnU9iLfn6MMZFJjSYLJr0eF_wvvdLZ6eVmO55nO0_NRiVHGx6hRoA_JR0zkGHa860l9tFPMoNLaIl4TAsLTUiOLKBuoNpGw2Jq0kQtgVnIjQFZxT8qPTn9Fw/s1600/DSCN2902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHOx22jvAx4P-ApjnU9iLfn6MMZFJjSYLJr0eF_wvvdLZ6eVmO55nO0_NRiVHGx6hRoA_JR0zkGHa860l9tFPMoNLaIl4TAsLTUiOLKBuoNpGw2Jq0kQtgVnIjQFZxT8qPTn9Fw/s640/DSCN2902.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Still to do: I'd like to put a towel ring in between the mirrors so that a hand towel can hang there instead of on the vanity. I'd also like to hang some art on the empty wall above the light switches. Also we need a new toothbrush holder, but that's probably on a slightly different decorative scale, not so much 'decor' as 'stop our toothbrushes from falling over'.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-1908156123204249892013-06-27T16:19:00.000-04:002013-06-27T16:45:00.435-04:00an update! an update!Oh, hi. It's, uh, been a while.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ancestralpile.blogspot.com/2011/03/choosing-tile.html">Over two years</a>, apparently. Sorry about that.<br />
<br />
I've had some requests to post updates about the house and what sort of shape it's in, and now seems like a good time, as we're about to embark on our final big project - wrangling the kitchen into a reasonable facsimile of a normal kitchen instead of Frankenstein's kitchen. I'll post about that later, but I thought the first thing I would do is give a little house tour with updates.<br />
<br />
The last thing pretty much anybody heard from me construction-wise here was when we were in the midst of completing the bathrooms. Let's start with the guest bathroom. You can get a refresher of where we were mid-tile installation <a href="http://ancestralpile.blogspot.com/2011/03/two-days.html">here</a> - but I'm going to go with a little more dramatic before and after.<br />
<br />
Anybody remember when the upstairs bathroom looked like this?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaei941sgT7fyjHB8OeixEGwmoYhW1hyphenhyphenYXxQMzGyZMVhZGzghV0gqoGHlUTERWSbbpj_hHoXmkY6iyb6R6QceoM51mZ7jTxPghiyaFUuZJsAcSoh08toIImcwms1W5KRH0K-iHig/s640/68367737_cd22ee85fd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaei941sgT7fyjHB8OeixEGwmoYhW1hyphenhyphenYXxQMzGyZMVhZGzghV0gqoGHlUTERWSbbpj_hHoXmkY6iyb6R6QceoM51mZ7jTxPghiyaFUuZJsAcSoh08toIImcwms1W5KRH0K-iHig/s400/68367737_cd22ee85fd_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
That's a photo from our home inspection, six years ago. The toilet was perched diagonally in a corner under the eave of the roof; a window and a radiator took up all of the usable wall space and the sink was in a little alcove behind the tub and under the eave, so you had to crouch to look into it.<br />
<br />
Obviously, we gutted the place. For a while it looked like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVMzb8boNLo04V6VzKwLQBh24bz2hkXS3R_EdHCJmt3vaYgigHjCDIfxQCpNtZXHMpYEzV2G6Ac3IJLetlLNZiPmhFi8gbHrXIwdPe9hEBuS6gi7RlqXwvYZccIkaql1EmnI3mA/s1600/3966635346_55ee1e06ce_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVMzb8boNLo04V6VzKwLQBh24bz2hkXS3R_EdHCJmt3vaYgigHjCDIfxQCpNtZXHMpYEzV2G6Ac3IJLetlLNZiPmhFi8gbHrXIwdPe9hEBuS6gi7RlqXwvYZccIkaql1EmnI3mA/s400/3966635346_55ee1e06ce_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Now, it looks like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJhkH_4Ezl2uzktna9TRdcVBIXcV2ut6IcvPd58-c7ju6mnNH2z_68kF1_Pd_I3QtbJin050Jzcs4WvnmnD5L5I5R3ocFqOod1HMZs0k7K2BmBYxCQjqHlSfZhpODro0Ml4QBFA/s1600/DSCN2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJhkH_4Ezl2uzktna9TRdcVBIXcV2ut6IcvPd58-c7ju6mnNH2z_68kF1_Pd_I3QtbJin050Jzcs4WvnmnD5L5I5R3ocFqOod1HMZs0k7K2BmBYxCQjqHlSfZhpODro0Ml4QBFA/s640/DSCN2895.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
And behind the tub, in that little alcove? Storage. A little cabinet I found on sale and painted white, to store guest supplies. We thought about building shelves into the alcove but this worked out very well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdenv3Mi6pFgznV5pYq8C_18axL7uUqcquBF0hmbtGDksJROVT-y4J4fW-MpyiXnVCjPBmXBmRDq030f-2AjZvyavyAfUlF-KQNSexZBjivxPe812oPGKBvNas42ZiV3yTlcyJw/s1600/DSCN2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdenv3Mi6pFgznV5pYq8C_18axL7uUqcquBF0hmbtGDksJROVT-y4J4fW-MpyiXnVCjPBmXBmRDq030f-2AjZvyavyAfUlF-KQNSexZBjivxPe812oPGKBvNas42ZiV3yTlcyJw/s640/DSCN2897.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm still missing some sort of nice artwork to hang in the empty wall space over the toilet, but overall it's done. This bathroom currently gets a lot of use, because it's right at the top of the stairs and we've ripped out the sole downstairs bathroom. Once we have a downstairs bathroom again, this will once again be solely the realm of our occasional guests and a room for the cat to drink out of the toilet when she thinks nobody is looking.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-34507473286315340372011-03-29T14:44:00.004-04:002011-03-29T14:57:17.448-04:00choosing tileWe're in the process of choosing tile for the master bath. We thought we knew what we wanted, but then realized that we were a little overambitious. The thing with choosing finishes is that, assuming you know you will eventually sell the house, you have to make sure that the things you pick are 'sellable'. While yes, this does mean that you probably shouldn't go with the lime green permanent tile or the bright blue carpet in the bathroom (our first house had this - bizarre), what a lot of people don't realize is that you should also think about your neighborhood.<br /><br />Specifically, you should make sure that you don't overimprove your house for the area it's in, particularly if you want to recoup your costs. In some cases, it's fine to go big, especially if you know you're going to stay in the house for a while and will enjoy it - get the french door fridge, spring for the soaking tub. But for certain things, you have to think about the 'comps' - the nearby houses that will affect your eventual selling price.<br /><br />Comps are a huge factor in house pricing - it's unfair, but that's the way it is. So if there isn't a single house in your neighborhood priced above $200K, good luck selling yours for $400K - it's not going to happen, no matter what luxuries you've stocked it with. It's just not that kind of neighborhood.<br /><br />If our house were located about twenty minutes south, in Columbia or Ellicott City, it would be worth at least twice what it's worth here, and I'd have no compunctions about putting in luxe finishes and getting my money back. But it isn't. It's in a quiet neighborhood of old houses, most of which either haven't been updated or have been updated only to 'rental grade'. Our crowning glory is our huge property sizes and commuter-friendly location around here - not marble bathrooms.<br /><br />So the travertine we wanted is out, and we're going with porcelain instead. It's exponentially cheaper, but we've found several options that mimic the look of stone without being tacky. And we're springing for one upgrade - we're putting river rock down as the floor of the walk-in shower. Just a few square feet isn't a huge splurge, it's an elegant touch, and it comes in neutral colors that won't alarm buyers. Now we just have to make a final decision on the tile that will go with it, and call our tiler!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-65860787896789968332011-03-24T14:46:00.004-04:002011-03-24T14:48:25.224-04:00paint swatchesNow that the tile is up in the guest bathroom, I'm a little dubious about the color we had picked out - we picked it before we picked the tile and now I'm not sure it isn't a little too purple. So I picked up a bunch of paint swatches at Home Depot yesterday and we'll re-pick a color this weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsG2h2POJq2U6K6-wshUDmalX_-1_1EG08DLn5R-L5u-AIi3p8UDG6XXOV6x-3RUaFsu7O1rERQPhNORCO_Abn5jRypMga65PbV-oBjAQYMrjrtnlXzOF754PzCIX3k01BKgYBw/s1600/P1016261.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsG2h2POJq2U6K6-wshUDmalX_-1_1EG08DLn5R-L5u-AIi3p8UDG6XXOV6x-3RUaFsu7O1rERQPhNORCO_Abn5jRypMga65PbV-oBjAQYMrjrtnlXzOF754PzCIX3k01BKgYBw/s400/P1016261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587720099104124130" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-61600326064210277482011-03-23T09:29:00.005-04:002011-03-23T09:39:23.238-04:00new tableOur new dining room table is finally here! It was delivered this morning and it is awesome. We finally have a table big enough to look like it belongs in our huge dining room! We decided to put one of the leaves in for 'everyday' use - given that we have at least eight people over nearly every weekend, it seems practical and fills the room nicely. There's still another leaf, too, so it can get <span style="font-style: italic;">even bigger</span>. Be still, my heart.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Emkwiq-q8AMg-97Jy0sKbU1YzOKDRainOFIf9OjBm4K5zkrYYxKQxQuBUKD1xSC94-Ps_EFhjGx4WRj8q8FLJIuOpZEm9LYXH2Q1S_PG37TObHpNNbJJAPajRJ6P1QoxxKLX4g/s1600/table.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Emkwiq-q8AMg-97Jy0sKbU1YzOKDRainOFIf9OjBm4K5zkrYYxKQxQuBUKD1xSC94-Ps_EFhjGx4WRj8q8FLJIuOpZEm9LYXH2Q1S_PG37TObHpNNbJJAPajRJ6P1QoxxKLX4g/s400/table.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587267409244985570" border="0" /></a><br />The top is hand-scraped wood, and has been roughed up artistically so that nobody will notice when we mess it up (a very necessary feature of furniture around here, let me tell you). By far the coolest part, though, is that the entire table is ringed by a sturdy steel band - it looks very solid and practical and industrial while still being beautiful. We love it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlVfvuzFxXVt4CYwjNeQPrt3akgxCEsS8wazwx1zj_9uOetSzFecSwP_TNcQ4-tXoVsrsfnuvKdpxAdIljA5hY6G2qize-rYG_z9fyF53l6VCuRBwoYuxQK63kR6CFTesRZbSfw/s1600/tablecloseup.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlVfvuzFxXVt4CYwjNeQPrt3akgxCEsS8wazwx1zj_9uOetSzFecSwP_TNcQ4-tXoVsrsfnuvKdpxAdIljA5hY6G2qize-rYG_z9fyF53l6VCuRBwoYuxQK63kR6CFTesRZbSfw/s400/tablecloseup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587267412972068258" border="0" /></a><br />Now on to arguing about chairs and getting rid of our old dining room furniture...<br /><br />Note: the table is from local furniture institution <a href="http://www.shofers.com/">Shofers</a>, and I'm happy to recommend them - super smooth, from showroom to delivery. And they're <a href="http://twitter.com/shofers">on Twitter</a>!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-85516167331945122262011-03-14T16:15:00.004-04:002011-03-14T16:18:29.418-04:00two daysSaturday morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAygj23GuOaVXxmdIjIqZ2b1zN3u0cjR9H7aWyg2QnpIe6ku90jI6uGQzEZN7Kpns662iN07X5YIJdoqigKiLApEDlEANkX6xC2F5wH8FIsdhKy5ZsgxGVxSYFsqm6UKHSaLgLQ/s1600/rough.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAygj23GuOaVXxmdIjIqZ2b1zN3u0cjR9H7aWyg2QnpIe6ku90jI6uGQzEZN7Kpns662iN07X5YIJdoqigKiLApEDlEANkX6xC2F5wH8FIsdhKy5ZsgxGVxSYFsqm6UKHSaLgLQ/s400/rough.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584032058552780018" border="0" /></a><br />Sunday night:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL7SlgLB4Nyin7widjTZtY8KYdAWhBWUspVCk9v1MheJOtdhWTvs4mxT-MZhOxSSgGnNf0-POj2h2jKjDYi_gss2CY4ywjHJCD_nb7Tu0bhqeHxe_mpA7bAlLciwyYDNAIVxtyA/s1600/tile.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL7SlgLB4Nyin7widjTZtY8KYdAWhBWUspVCk9v1MheJOtdhWTvs4mxT-MZhOxSSgGnNf0-POj2h2jKjDYi_gss2CY4ywjHJCD_nb7Tu0bhqeHxe_mpA7bAlLciwyYDNAIVxtyA/s400/tile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584032056273333074" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-60002046135076511982011-03-07T18:15:00.003-05:002011-03-07T18:20:19.963-05:00true romanceWhile I was selling <a href="http://anapurna.etsy.com">jewelry</a> at a convention the weekend after Valentine's Day, Don <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mrjamaila">twittered</a> that he had arranged a 'present' for me that would 'take a while' to get here. I was mystified as to what it was until a few days later he finally came clean: he had arranged to get the guest bathroom tiled!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWO97Z33rPIYXX3xBerwwKGXUIN4omn41zifgH97hObjiWwJx2WhxAmNlCohfgHoWQT-TseAb8lVVaptgE_lYvgo6QNgzzzA6-ewpjedoXzn9h0Kjm38evkfHCs2ikGl6pE8mjw/s1600/P1016201.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWO97Z33rPIYXX3xBerwwKGXUIN4omn41zifgH97hObjiWwJx2WhxAmNlCohfgHoWQT-TseAb8lVVaptgE_lYvgo6QNgzzzA6-ewpjedoXzn9h0Kjm38evkfHCs2ikGl6pE8mjw/s400/P1016201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581480930274342930" border="0" /></a><br />I feel like I'm on HGTV, being surprised by my husband with work getting done on the house! The tiler is coming this weekend (he was supposed to be here last weekend, but had to cancel - let's not mention The Curse). Tile is, as you can see, ready and waiting for him. I'm so excited!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-14149872244086624972011-02-17T13:52:00.005-05:002011-02-17T14:01:49.089-05:00new furniture and not much elseWe have wasted our hiatus, I'm afraid. The bathrooms aren't done, the window trim is stalled, the house is messy. Nothing doing. We enjoyed ourselves, though. The holidays were, as always, wonderful. We've been enjoying some hobbies - we are developing some games, I've been working on jewelry, and Don is into charcuterie these days (we made our own bratwurst a couple of weeks ago!). Plus, we're both working, and Don is again taking three graduate classes this semester so that he will get his Masters degree sooner. So it's not like life isn't full. But no, there has been no significant house improvement in the two months (!) since I last showed my internet face here.<br /><br />We did buy some new furniture, though! Our new dining room table is being built and won't be here for another month or two, but we finally found something to go in the window nook of the living room - it was delivered this morning.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rFNB1xiNynRX7ZXKkqddNVR2iAE0Pei26PoQ_VvTLSm81unUtLJJfNK6pjFr-jyUO_Nbj-_5fhisdi0su9nujjv5WOZbzjn0hvFSRAbk-FI-buU83llNp3majKwzrjCy2SnSoA/s1600/newfurniture.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rFNB1xiNynRX7ZXKkqddNVR2iAE0Pei26PoQ_VvTLSm81unUtLJJfNK6pjFr-jyUO_Nbj-_5fhisdi0su9nujjv5WOZbzjn0hvFSRAbk-FI-buU83llNp3majKwzrjCy2SnSoA/s400/newfurniture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574734716695297554" border="0" /></a><br />It's a long, low media unit that is sturdy enough to sit on (yes, we tested it in the store). So it will provide both seating and storage in the living room. Eventually, we're thinking about doing some fancy audio-visual wiring and moving all of our components into this unit, invisibly routed to the wall-mounted TV. But that's a ways off.<br /><br />You may also notice our new(ish) rug, which I don't think I posted about here. It's lovely and soft and was a great deal even though all I intended to buy that day was a new ladle. This is why it is never a good idea to take Don shopping.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-3194618124610856942010-11-12T09:27:00.004-05:002010-11-12T09:37:32.927-05:00hiatusAs you may have guessed, nothing much is happening around here, house-wise. Don is in the final throes of a semester of taking three graduate courses at once (he's nuts), which leaves little time for renovation when combined with his recent promotion to team lead at work. <br /><br />We had hoped to get the banister finished by Thanksgiving - it is, in fact, dismantled and parts strewn all over the guest room. But it is clearly not to be. Happily, we realized that since we <a href="http://ancestralpile.blogspot.com/2010/09/pocket-doors-redux.html">hung the office doors</a>, we finally have a space for overnight guests. And just in time, too. Both of my parents will be visiting (separately) around Thanksgiving, and finally they'll be able to stay with us, which makes a visit much more, shall we say, economically feasible. We'll set up the trusty aerobed in the office, shut the doors, and show them where the towels are kept. <br /><br />In the meantime, we're taking a bit of a hiatus from working on the house. The pressure to have things done before the holidays has been lifted, giving us a chance to actually enjoy the holidays - we're finally going to have a Christmas tree this year! We're going to relax, enjoy our friends and family (and maybe the <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/">new Warcraft expansion</a>) and pick back up in 2011. Don will be taking three classes again - ouch - but we have some relatively practical plans and we think we'll be able to get the last few glaring omissions in the house finished (bathrooms, anyone?).<br /><br />So, you won't see me much in this space until January. I hope all of my readers have a great holiday season, and please - take some time out to enjoy your home!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-82765803113751973612010-09-13T07:47:00.000-04:002010-09-13T07:47:00.247-04:00worldly goodsI finally brought the rest of my books back from Washington. For the first time in ten years, all my books are in the same place! Looking forward to shelving the last of them as soon as the office is put back together from window trim work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUamBulbHuvMOP2vkZCLnr_xXZUx-gTZCZjm9Z5pgGA_xfR1IP53UGhaVRJysXUORihen_qe1GxSOvLXNC8qf4FhyUP1pH4l2RJcjOLNRMnfkqCk3BCEvFQmQPcq4mM6x1CQaUg/s1600/P1015452.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUamBulbHuvMOP2vkZCLnr_xXZUx-gTZCZjm9Z5pgGA_xfR1IP53UGhaVRJysXUORihen_qe1GxSOvLXNC8qf4FhyUP1pH4l2RJcjOLNRMnfkqCk3BCEvFQmQPcq4mM6x1CQaUg/s400/P1015452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511261238511075506" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-31376078281510245772010-09-10T08:32:00.001-04:002010-09-10T09:50:03.941-04:00pocket doors reduxWe've been working on these doors for months. They still aren't done. But, in a fit of realism, we decided that we needed to shift our priorities a bit. Finishing the antique doors we're retrofitting into pocket doors from the dining room into the office isn't the most urgent thing on our plate. Right now it's far more important that we get the stairwell banister refinished and rehung, so that the people who come to our house are safe and so that we can have overnight guests. So we elected to get the doors out of our work space (i.e. the guest room) and store them out of the way until we can get back to them to finally sand and paint them.<br /><br />And where better to store them than in the 'pockets' they are intended for?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n2mv92nbTrKiG9D-F5mTKVlM0FC-W1QHf_3baUMRf5x59nDeWsy5HLA0GdCzqymBs7Z0OSNE7nMxahUZUOApIfmyIk_VJ5w6_FjEP0k37OGT7Oa8HUK-4qWeQ8boAr0Y0jFFtw/s1600/P1015453.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n2mv92nbTrKiG9D-F5mTKVlM0FC-W1QHf_3baUMRf5x59nDeWsy5HLA0GdCzqymBs7Z0OSNE7nMxahUZUOApIfmyIk_VJ5w6_FjEP0k37OGT7Oa8HUK-4qWeQ8boAr0Y0jFFtw/s400/P1015453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511257429724030770" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, we hung the doors! Aren't they fantastic? They're really old, and really heavy, but we got hardware rated for doors even heavier, so it all works incredibly smoothly. Just imagine that the glass is clean and they're painted white!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx-O7n27l_PUs9xeTElbLLDKutM8t8Cx7_QlOvEtRDns2T6_cTmWej7Z9er3qCn8nly6yRdNUNgYj5css13RjfnIytI-qH4LK4_j86CJResdLgOwHHh9HuJIjI-reSpoMxyP2KQ/s1600/P1015456.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx-O7n27l_PUs9xeTElbLLDKutM8t8Cx7_QlOvEtRDns2T6_cTmWej7Z9er3qCn8nly6yRdNUNgYj5css13RjfnIytI-qH4LK4_j86CJResdLgOwHHh9HuJIjI-reSpoMxyP2KQ/s400/P1015456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511257435346593154" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-44592471151835192452010-09-08T08:28:00.001-04:002010-09-08T08:28:00.470-04:00personal triumphI've stopped biting my fingernails. It's kind of a big deal. I've been biting them pretty much my entire life, to the degree that the nail tip was generally over half an inch below the tip of my finger. Now they look like this.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TUosTVXY406H8DuYowsC-J1KYJ14OcWlACbXvaeTqSNKVWjWKfo3G6nZKRxuAIfV11IM6GLK63E-eQQ_L34q1O4cWnsQ7c-UdGv4ynq3rgfmyA9dN04gOUR-kZmFWfdurgxdaA/s1600/P1015439.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TUosTVXY406H8DuYowsC-J1KYJ14OcWlACbXvaeTqSNKVWjWKfo3G6nZKRxuAIfV11IM6GLK63E-eQQ_L34q1O4cWnsQ7c-UdGv4ynq3rgfmyA9dN04gOUR-kZmFWfdurgxdaA/s400/P1015439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511256191060024226" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-30787513344510933762010-09-06T08:12:00.001-04:002010-09-06T08:12:00.176-04:00finishing touchesLittle bits and pieces of the house are starting to really look finished, like normal people live here who don't rip down walls and have dumpsters in the driveway for months on end.<br /><br />Don's parents have been breathlessly awaiting the chance to give us The Plant, which has been residing in their dining room for several years. The Plant originally belonged to Don's older brother, who is in the Navy and away from home for long periods of time. After one such stint, he came home to see that The Plant had gotten rather dusty. Being a logical sort of fellow, he did what he did with most things that got dusty in his home: <span style="font-weight: bold;">he vacuumed it</span>. It didn't work out so well. Eventually he asked my mother-in-law if she could resuscitate it, and the somewhat worse for wear plant relocated to my in-laws' house.<br /><br />When Don and I moved in together, into a small apartment with a friend of ours, we took The Plant. Don liked it, it seemed decorative and homey, and it looked lovely in our living room. Then we got a cat. The cat was convinced that The Plant was eminently scratchable, and we came home eventually to discover that a large percentage of its leaves had been turned into fringe. The cat stayed - even though she also ate a bamboo plant down to the roots and had many other misadventures, some chronicled <a href="http://ancestralpile.blogspot.com/search/label/cat">right here in this blog</a> - and The Plant went back to my mother-in-law, to nurse its wounds. In the seven years since, the cat has become a little more sedate (not much), but more importantly, The Plant has grown at least a foot, putting even its bottom leaves out of reach of certain members of this household. So it has finally moved to its new home:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3NnTd2lIpjSJazGqlnOsOTYTrmbBk-1G3YMti3jHHrn62ifC4rwJ21PhiV2JV181HylsYCeGbkNyqW7VUwH6R8XW7PlU64ksZJiUlBDPq2tln0-TL-fA09Mo9b8nycRANcHatg/s1600/P1015444.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3NnTd2lIpjSJazGqlnOsOTYTrmbBk-1G3YMti3jHHrn62ifC4rwJ21PhiV2JV181HylsYCeGbkNyqW7VUwH6R8XW7PlU64ksZJiUlBDPq2tln0-TL-fA09Mo9b8nycRANcHatg/s400/P1015444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511252181789141234" border="0" /></a><br />Welcome home, Plant. Thanks for making our house feel a little more finished.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-39390617137508862212010-09-03T08:00:00.002-04:002010-09-03T11:46:07.148-04:00new furnitureIt's very strange to not feel guilty about walking into a furniture store or art gallery, knowing that there's no way you can buy anything because you haven't got any place to put it. We're still getting used to not walking straight past places full of beautiful things, somehow unable to shake the feeling that this whole 'finished house' thing is just temporary, and soon enough we'll be back to no walls, no floors, and certainly no furniture.<br /><br />Our most recent purchase is a set of living room accessory tables. We ordered the Madison set from <a href="http://www.costco.com/">Costco.com</a> (whose customer service, by the way, is excellent - I like the website as much as I like the warehouse store). They are assembled and in place - the sofa table and one end table in the appropriate places by the couch in the living room, and the other end table put to use as a phone-holding station tucked into a corner of the office. I'm very happy with them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnlWkzHTPsD6s8W2GsqvXj79EJ5K9eT5M656qgIT_OGKU9Jqc7zYg7cNMaVLg27Aw5h9SPZoxVAW8yhJIfCz1EbAoLBjPWyTaBtfEggR8JP8Lftn6tZIi40njEkByHzU7H-X7Cw/s1600/P1015450.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnlWkzHTPsD6s8W2GsqvXj79EJ5K9eT5M656qgIT_OGKU9Jqc7zYg7cNMaVLg27Aw5h9SPZoxVAW8yhJIfCz1EbAoLBjPWyTaBtfEggR8JP8Lftn6tZIi40njEkByHzU7H-X7Cw/s400/P1015450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511249051904546434" border="0" /></a><br />Worth noting: the dish on the table is a piece by <a href="http://www.charltonglassart.com/">Charlton Glassworks</a> in Washington, fused glass with a copper penguin inside. It was a gift to us years ago when you could only find Charlton's work at shows and galleries in Washington State - these days you can find it all over the country!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-9853168662840748212010-09-01T07:55:00.001-04:002010-09-01T07:55:00.459-04:00a new hobbyDon has picked up an awesome new hobby - he is turning into a serious breakfast chef.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlciSvRq1FkuI9SsP0fY9ZQ760hcCD7DKt1fFt_2uEYNcwNxUM6PmBw-xuo8l9IQc55v-ZL7yY6uR3RcnG_lNpZN-FOfW1BIOAKgaWl6XwNq4qrM_ioChoZTgR0_zeJ4ZvOpHqYA/s1600/P1015406.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlciSvRq1FkuI9SsP0fY9ZQ760hcCD7DKt1fFt_2uEYNcwNxUM6PmBw-xuo8l9IQc55v-ZL7yY6uR3RcnG_lNpZN-FOfW1BIOAKgaWl6XwNq4qrM_ioChoZTgR0_zeJ4ZvOpHqYA/s400/P1015406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511248094004959986" border="0" /></a>Every weekend morning lately I've been treated to something delicious. Pictured above is a tomato and goat cheese omelet (with herbs from our overgrown garden). Since then he's moved on to more complex things - this most recent weekend I got crepes with fresh strawberries and nutella.<br /><br />This is his best hobby yet.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-91568566618088420972010-08-30T12:47:00.004-04:002010-08-30T12:55:50.848-04:00welcome home indeedI went out to Washington for a week, to help my mom out while she had eye surgery. I thought that while I was gone, Don would eat fast food, go to <a href="http://www.orioles.com/">baseball games</a>, and play <a href="http://www.starcraft2.com/">Starcraft 2</a> (PS: Starcraft LAN party, our house, later this year. It's happening!).<br /><br />Instead, I came home to a total surprise: he had spent the entire week working on window trim, even going so far as to get his dad to come over on the weekend and help him. The result: every single downstairs window has trim!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cEAJHZYFm_MwivTLoKZ95R6Ldb9vI5KqssNjcwQTvxNUAEnEvliKvlQ3MazWajvlKxGe6-JIO-iTgCNjibcBoTTLZwUM6KbpgLwbOx9ZKw3WgZ99C-1eSXS5JjvHkIjkTKFsDQ/s1600/P1015432.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cEAJHZYFm_MwivTLoKZ95R6Ldb9vI5KqssNjcwQTvxNUAEnEvliKvlQ3MazWajvlKxGe6-JIO-iTgCNjibcBoTTLZwUM6KbpgLwbOx9ZKw3WgZ99C-1eSXS5JjvHkIjkTKFsDQ/s400/P1015432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511246732881655746" border="0" /></a><br />As it turns out, it's really hard to get pictures of window trim in daylight. At some point I'll remember to get out the camera at night and take some pictures.<br /><br />As of this writing, the two windows in the living room are completely finished except for a second coat of paint. The dining room bay window needs a final sanding and its two coats of paint, and the window in the office is missing one piece of trim, then needs to be puttied, sanded, and painted.<br /><br />We are well on our way to the next step, which is getting blinds - something anybody who has sat at our dining room table at four in the afternoon will deeply, deeply appreciate.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-74492081360529313892010-07-30T08:49:00.002-04:002010-07-30T08:49:00.679-04:00window trim<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYGYNKYz0ineDYUMPS34VSepS5zEbtvSArwv8C8eeiK0PUeSYnrEgphZm1JpbxrAdZEs65wA3DcD4oaybJSySl1A7-tqyVSmxTG_7hRLQqBryXg43L5IZV5H56y-Le9UPMlZzfw/s1600/039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYGYNKYz0ineDYUMPS34VSepS5zEbtvSArwv8C8eeiK0PUeSYnrEgphZm1JpbxrAdZEs65wA3DcD4oaybJSySl1A7-tqyVSmxTG_7hRLQqBryXg43L5IZV5H56y-Le9UPMlZzfw/s400/039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497175867213030402" border="0" /></a><br />Only one window has trim. But it's pretty! And I have high hopes that the rest of the windows might get trim, like, by the end of the summer maybe! Cross your fingers.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-11130606921046271282010-07-28T08:41:00.002-04:002010-07-28T08:41:00.820-04:00last of the appliancesOur dishwasher finally lingered its last a couple of weeks ago. It was the last appliance left in the kitchen from when we moved in - the last appliance to die. We have been replacing appliances as they die with the high end appliances that will eventually look snazzy in our new, updated kitchen. Right now, surrounded by ancient cabinets and filthy linoleum, the sparkling stainless steel looks a little out of place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrSZGVVI1Gd9zyacBzx0OXQyAja5r37SZ18aNsx3IJv5d-T91pTBNcHST0mtx_xO7L3s2fN9ObVDpH28tQiT-Td6dfDkgZdX6KS0-0OW4YWaSJQ_as7hkv-P2MVHCiUoAfgaWJQ/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrSZGVVI1Gd9zyacBzx0OXQyAja5r37SZ18aNsx3IJv5d-T91pTBNcHST0mtx_xO7L3s2fN9ObVDpH28tQiT-Td6dfDkgZdX6KS0-0OW4YWaSJQ_as7hkv-P2MVHCiUoAfgaWJQ/s400/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173745912388802" border="0" /></a><br />But appliances are one of the huge, huge costs of renovating a kitchen, and by replacing them ahead of time as they've died, at the approximate rate of one a year, we've managed to spread out that cost so that it won't actually impact the payment we'll have to make when we finally get around to renovating the kitchen. They'll get used in the old kitchen for now, and when the kitchen is gutted and replaced they'll be moved into their new places of honor, and we'll be spared an even bigger bill.<br /><br />The new dishwasher is a delight. We elected to go high-end but not super-super high-end -- we decided we didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars more just so that the buttons would be hidden, for instance. It's the same philosophy we went with on the other appliances, so everything matches nicely. And best of all, I only have to wash things once now, because it actually works, and we can have a conversation while it's running and actually hear each other, which is a new and different thing.<br /><br />As for the rest of the kitchen, we're tentatively planning on next year, but as usual it depends on finances. If anybody has a large chunk of money they want to give us, I'll totally cook you dinner in the new kitchen.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-70774739195971423182010-07-26T08:39:00.001-04:002010-07-26T08:39:00.818-04:00the garden has gotten a little out of hand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXouAkFcTv8NxfZzF3k99wwQgvUDjZ6gX9o38DcFgWTx3A0eHx8ZgROBWNi6Td7riknwCBtmN8ZdOt0k17SA-jL3V6YjtrMwxYz7iYX4c1rCgo5ZebceJu558FI5nMize9jiGug/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXouAkFcTv8NxfZzF3k99wwQgvUDjZ6gX9o38DcFgWTx3A0eHx8ZgROBWNi6Td7riknwCBtmN8ZdOt0k17SA-jL3V6YjtrMwxYz7iYX4c1rCgo5ZebceJu558FI5nMize9jiGug/s400/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497173280153300258" border="0" /></a><br />This cucumber weighs three and a quarter pounds.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21255040.post-15863200402420047622010-07-23T14:33:00.002-04:002010-07-23T14:38:54.205-04:00caught!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfLhhuQS9PbbeMHkst_M3yeqiow2hxhp9WE6A9gGFfDxgNM06hKZ9xD0gkDvHvnv9Th75Z-zD5wr-VsPeqqlPJisRUeqExT65F-YxWIXQuwHUB9Vp8waWekN6cv5WUomIShKt4g/s1600/040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfLhhuQS9PbbeMHkst_M3yeqiow2hxhp9WE6A9gGFfDxgNM06hKZ9xD0gkDvHvnv9Th75Z-zD5wr-VsPeqqlPJisRUeqExT65F-YxWIXQuwHUB9Vp8waWekN6cv5WUomIShKt4g/s400/040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497171901799309778" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry I haven't posted. We're in the dead of summer here - literally, as fifteen people have died this summer of heat-related causes in Baltimore - and it's hard to do anything but sit around appreciating the air conditioning. What little energy I have goes to work, as we are swamped and understaffed. Scheduling issues have meant that not a lot has gotten done on the house, anyway. But frankly, as long as the air conditioning keeps working, I don't really care.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
google_ad_client = "pub-2634781427988179";
google_ad_width = 468;
google_ad_height = 60;
google_ad_format = "468x60_as";
google_ad_type = "text";
google_ad_channel = "";
google_color_border = "336699";
google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";
google_color_link = "0000FF";
google_color_text = "000000";
google_color_url = "008000";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
</script></div>Jamailahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08015931745292652553noreply@blogger.com0