Tree-trimming...

So we got a quote for getting our huge maple tree in the backyard trimmed last Wednesday when it was beautiful out. They were going to come back on Thursday and do their magic. However, it proceeded to rain everyday until this Tuesday. We were in no hurry and the job's done now and we are happy that no large limbs will fall on the garage. Here's a few pics of the job...

 

The simple pleasures...

Let me introduce you to our new toilet seat, expertly-installed by Chris. 

You ask, Is it squishy? Not at all. Does this seat make a whooshy sound when you sit? Nope. Does it stay warm so long that it's awkward? Not really. Then it must not be an old lady toilet seat, you say. Bingo. New toilet seat made of wood, $17 at Lowes. A more pleasant, less awkward overall restroom experience, Pricele$$. I realize discussing toilet seats on the blog may be a bit weird but those of you who've visited our home sweet work-in-progress know what I'm talking about.

Living/Dining Room...a work in progress

Here are some much anticipated pictures of the newly-painted living/dining room. We are going to be getting a new couch soon, so don't let the blue plaid scare you! Curtain trials start tomorrow. 

Looking out the picture window on to the porch. That empty space is where my dining table will be once I get around to sanding the top. 

This is the dining room bay window area. The flash actually makes the paint look more pink-ish/yellow-ish. It's more of a warm khaki. 

 

This is looking into the kitchen with the door to the main floor bedroom (which feels empty without an armoire and couch) to the left. Note the very nicely installed (by Chris) switch plates which match the color of all the door knobs. Yeah, Lowes. 

Another shot looking into main floor bedroom. 

 

Really? Really Tootsie Roll Industries? Really?

Happy Halloween! We had our first trick-or-treaters tonight...they were so cute! I bought way too much candy (note to Dad, we have a year-supply of Smarties...come and visit) but I didn't want to run out! A certain bumble bee that lives next door was by far the cutest...he got 3 pieces of candy (then the next neighbor yelled at him for taking 2 pieces...obviously, now he knows who the cool neighbor is). All of the other kids got 1 piece...that was until I found out that Tootsie Roll Industries had screwed up the Tootsie Pop. 

They added a new flavor. Are you kidding me? BANANA?? Who on earth thought that was a good idea? That is all sorts of wrong. The Tootsie Pop bouquets my dad used to buy had Chocolate (brown), Orange (orange), Cherry (red), Raspberry (magenta) and Grape (blue). Absolutely, positively NO YELLOW BANANA. Why mess with a good thing? What did I do? I started giving all the kids 1 piece of candy + a banana-flavored Tootsie Pop. Unfortunately, I did not realize this travesty until late in the game. There are still 5 defiling my candy bowl.

Slowly but surely...

Chris and I started putting furniture back in the living/dining room last night...sorry, no pics yet...and we are loving the new look. Well, almost. I ate dinner in the "new" room for the first time since Labor Day weekend...on the couch (because the dining table is still in the garage) and in the dark (because we have no curtains and lots of windows). But it beat eating dinner in bed...sure did. We are in the decision-making phase of the curtain search and surprisingly a caramel/orange color is currently the front runner. But we need to see it at all times of day...which requires being home as well as hanging the bargain curtain rods. Ahh....baby steps. Maybe this is why the room has taken two months.....hmmmm. We did accomplish getting our huge maple in the backyard trimmed up this week...which was quite the feat seeing as the weather was uncooperative for the first 4 days the trimmers attempted to come out. Check back for room pics soon!!

Lessons Learned Today

As I spent most of the day working on the living/dining room, removing old twice-painted window treatment hardware from the trim and diff-ing off the last missed spots of wallpaper backing, I learned some vital lessons:

1. Tool belts are PRICELESS. After climibing up and down the stepladder 50 times to get the utility knife, then the screwdriver, then the chisel, then the hammer...I ventured to the basement in search of my tool belt. Ahhhh...so much better. I may not have burned as many calories but my legs aren't going to hate me in the morning either. 

2. Chisels WILL DRAW BLOOD if you get your hand in it's way. Lesson learned the hard way. Things like this always happen on the last part of what you are doing. I had already chipped, chiseled, hammered loose and unscrewed 11 pieces of window treatment hardware and on the last piece my chisel and hand *kissed.* The gouge in my palm reinforced my reasoning for buying a first-aid kit on one of my many trips to Menards. Moral of the story...don't stick your chisel in your hand and ALWAYS keep a first-aid kit on hand. I now also have a large bottle of Hibiclens, strong antiseptic and skin cleanser, to ward off nasty infections. My nurse momma would be so proud!

3. Remember thermostats CONTROL THE HEAT. Funny story. So....some of the remaining wallpaper backing was behind the thermostat. In order to avoid getting Dif on the thermostat, I put a plastic bag around it. Now, you are all probably thinking "What was I thinking?" right? Yeah, I asked myself the same thing. After putting it in a plastic bag, I sprayed the Dif and let it set for 15-20 min...scraped off the backing...washed the area...and left it to dry...which is when things got heated. Literally. I was sweating up a storm and thinking I must be really working hard sanding, etc. I was next to the radiator and realized it was really hot. But it was a nice warm day out....*Insert AH HA MOMENT here.* I raced over to the thermostat which read 72+ degrees...I quickly removed the bag and got it placed back up on the wall. After opening all the windows and pulling the self-storing screens back down/pushing the storms up, I decided it was the perfect time to quick mow the lawn (also, my neighbor had just finished with his and I borrow his mower) and enjoy the reasonable outdoor temperature. In the end, it took about 2 hours of open windows to bring the house temperature back to a semi-comfortable level. Moral of this story...don't MESS with the thermostat unless you want to get burned. 

The Jackpot

As I was trying to navigate the narrow aisles at JoAnn Fabrics on Sunday, I hit the jackpot. Curtain rods. 40% off. Now, I had spent probably 10 hours searching the web for curtain rods and bay window treatment ideas in the past week. I was so sick of looking at them...until I saw the *sale* sign and the style of rods I had really liked online. 

Since it was the first day of the sale, they had a lot of options so I got all 5 rods in the correct lengths, 6 sets of double brackets and a cute Thanksgiving pillow for the porch for $120. Even though I forgot my coupon at home (of course), the cashier had even added the 20% off entire order for me. I looked over my receipt as I walked out and noticed the *total saved* at the bottom of the receipt...$126.00. The Dutch in me was SO PROUD.

Inspiration for $16.99

After 2 hours of couch-shopping, Chris and I decided we'd had it and went back to our original plan to get the white/cream couch (with washable slipcovers) from Ikea...which left me with the task of finding some piece to pull the room together. I needed something to inspire me and consolidate all the ideas I had floating around in my head. 

I finally found my inspiration...in a pillow...for $16.99. It was love at first sight on the Marshall's shelf. *Note* It is much easier to pick out a wall color when you've got something to pull from. This afternoon, I tried putting the sample of "Antique Fresco" up on the wall and hated it. TOO yellow. However, it took me only 15 minutes to pick out a different color and order it from my neighbor. Hmm, 15 minutes of time as opposed to 1 month or so? Yes, having inspiration is EASIER and LESS STRESSFUL. 

Ahh, general home maintenance.....

It's a really good thing that Chris is not afraid of heights...because our roof apparently is as steep as it looks. Imagine that. 

Current task: Tuckpoint cracks in concrete/brick chimney before it gets too cold (we got lucky that it "warmed" up this weekend). 

Chris climbed up on the roof, tool belt on and ready to caulk some cracks...and discovered that you have to puncture the concrete caulk tube instead of pump. Dilemma...Chris on top of roof, Keri on ground (I'm a great ladder stabilizer). Solution...screwdriver. Dilemma #2...Keri apparently has terrible screwdriver-throwing aim. When Chris said "just aim high", my "high" wasn't quite high enough...or really even close. Solution #2...Chris climbs down to poorly-tossed screwdriver, then back up to roof peak. 


Tada! After 2 trips to Menards in 2 hours (for yet more caulk and the forgotten spray paint for the chimney cap on the 1st trip), debating the safest way to mount the roof, stabilizing ladders, climbing around on the roof to fetch random screwdrivers, caulking cracks, inhaling spray paint as well as getting some on the chimney cap, we completed winterizing/repairing the chimney in time for winter (barely). *Note: cap not yet painted in this picture.

Story Time....

As I wondered via Facebook status tonight what kind of product my Type-A detail-oriented perfectionism and Chris' "lets-just-get-this-project-finished-NOW-even-if-not-perfect" mentality will create in the living/dining room, I figured opposites are supposed to attract, right? But are they supposed to complete house projects together?

My good friend Kathy, who brings me back to the real world when I need it, reminded me that it can be difficult to live with a perfectionist. If I didn't know she was speaking from experience, I'd think she was calling me difficult :). So being the excellent OT that she is, she wrote me my own *social story*. It starts like this...."Sometimes people do things differently, and that is okay."

Lions & Bumas & Bears, Oh My!

We were invited to the Bears v.s. Lions game this past weekend and had so much fun! It was the first NFL game for both of us....WOW. It was nice to take a break from house projects and hang out with friends, new and old.

Happy birthday to Chris, the Bears won. While the wife in me was happy for him, the Lions fan was frustrated. Yes, I am a Lions fan to the core and will be forever. No matter how many games they lose in a row or win. It's the way I was raised. At the game, I caught myself making some of the same gestures/sounds/faces according to the greatness and/or stupidness of a play that my dad still makes when watching the Lions. Oh yeah, and I was surrounded by Bears fans...which meant I was on the receiving end for some strange looks from those around me when I yelled "Would SOMEBODY please TACKLE that guy!?!?!" or "YESSSSSS!" when the Lions made a touchdown. Did I say that really loud or was it just that everybody else was quiet? My boys made me proud all throughout the first half. Then there was the second half that I'd rather forget. Somebody needs to learn how to stop the missile that is Johnny Knox. And someone needs to learn how to catch the ball...better.

Chris' mom recently told us that we should give his younger sister Kelly (Bears fan) and her boyfriend Matt (Packers fan...seriously???) tips on how to handle allegiances to different teams. We looked at eachother and laughed...yeah, we'd be no good lecturing on that subject. I still love the Lions and Chris still loves the Bears. I don't think that's going to ever change and we'll probably talk trash about the matchup for the rest of our lives. All I have to say is that if I have to carry our future kids for 9 months, they are going to be Lions fans.

Bye bye glue, Bye bye scraping you, Hello putty knife, I think I'm going to spackle

Chris and I said goodbye to the last of the glue last week and we have been spackling the walls to repair all the marks from scraping and general wear. In my up-close and personal interaction with the walls, I discovered that they are definitely more wavy than initially meets the eye. But, I dig it. The old lath and plaster walls are charming and add some character our abode. Next up is sanding the trim and walls, followed by a bath of TSP and Kilz....and, drum roll please.....PAINT.

PAINT? Do you know how many choices there are for paint colors? AHHH. Chris and I have been experiencing what I've termed *the paint wars* for the past month. He wants "color" and I want "neutral" ...and we are both stubborn firstborns of stubborn Friesan Dutch descent who think we are right. Makes for marital bliss...how many more rooms do we have to pick a color for? Yikes. Alas, we have finally decided on a warm colorish-neutral to try. Our neighbor, who happens to be a professional painter and general handyman, offered to get us the good stuff at cost and dropped off the test quart this evening. We'll see how it looks...after we finish the sanding, etc.

The space between.....

Ah, radiators. Source of warmth and comfort (now that the boiler has gotten down to business). Also, source of frustration and loathing when it comes to removing wallpaper and glue. Guess who's arms were small enough to fit between the radiators and the wall? Mine. Guess who's did not fit? Chris'. Spackle application was also fun times. I'd try to get the darn putty knife at the right angle... and then THUNK. Ouch. Radiator 47, Keri's forearms 0. Can't wait to paint the trim and walls in these spaces between. How'd they ever get the wallpaper behind there?

Push that button and poof....heat.

So I just spoke with Gordon, my heating/cooling hero, who literally just walked in his door from vacation. He was going to run down here before a birthday party he had to go to this evening but it ended up that after he told me what button to press to reset the boiler, of course, it worked right away! Cost of repair = FREE. Seriously, this is a business that understands customer service.

Just to be clear, Craig and I did try the same reset button yesterday 2-3 times. But that's the way things always go. Just like when you tell the mechanic the car noise you've been hearing for weeks and the car doesn't do it for them. I'm just glad it works now! Gordon's number is permanently programmed into my phone and I will most likely not be bothering with the warranty for heating repairs. Appliances? Yes. Water heater that's 15 years old and probably about to die? Yes.

Heating woes....

Ah, boilers. Our knowledge of these beasts is sketchy which posed a bit of a problem yesterday upon returning home from Michigan. We turned the gas to the boiler back on, lit the pilot, raised the thermostat and wait for it, wait for it....okay, stop waiting. Nothing happened. In theory, the burner is supposed to light up when the thermostat is set higher than current indoor temperature heating the water which then flows through the pipes and radiators thus heating the house. The sellers bought a home warranty for us which basically means if things break (plumbing, heating, appliances, etc) we pay a flat fee of $60 per visit to the professionals that the warranty company contracts with and they fix what is needed. If the cost of the repair is over $60 it saves us money to use the warranty.

I called the house warranty company and finally got in touch with the heating/cooling "professional" they contract with in the area. He was condescending given that I do not have a Y chromosome and would not be able to come out until Monday. He said he'd call me Monday morning to see what time. Really, we can't plan ahead? Oh yeah, and the temp is supposed to be low of 40 this weekend. Awesome. I know it is Friday afternoon at this point but seriously?

Being pro-active and a bit ticked off, I dig out the copy of the bill that the sellers gave us at closing to show work had been done...and found the name of their heating/cooling guy, Gordon. Left message with address, problem, etc. When I hadn't heard back from Gordon by Friday night, my father-in-law tried to trouble-shoot and help my figure out the system. (Oh yeah, Chris had to leave for work about 10 minutes after we figured out we had a problem, therefore, I was left in charge to *handle* the issue.) I read through the gas burner conversion manual (circa 1954) with no new ideas; however, now I know what parts are what. So, we decided to use a few borrowed space-heaters and dig out more blankets and long underwear for the night.

We survived Friday night (obviously, since I am writing this on Saturday) and awoke to a phone call from Gordon's wife saying they were sorry they didn't get back to us sooner but they were out of town yesterday (and still were). She said they'd be back in the early afternoon and would call me then to help us out. Get this, she said Gordon may be able to help me over the phone if it was because we weren't familiar with the system because he was very familiar with our boiler and has been doing all the maintenance on it for years. Years. Wonderful. This is what I love about small towns and small businesses. They get to know you (the previous owners and soon to be us) and they are friendly, providing good customer service. Too many people do not realize the importance of customer service. Even if you are cheaper, if you are condescending and don't even pretend to care I will take my money and business elsewhere even if I have to pay more.

I am currently waiting for Gordon's call, cleaning up the place so he doesn't think we trashed the place...since he has previous visits to compare it too. Hopefully, it will be something simple.