Growth Spurt

The backyard is coming together!

Some days I think we aren't making any progress, but when I look at the picture below, taken on New Year's Eve, I realize how far we've come.

We No Longer Live in a Fishbowl

Four years after we moved in, we FINALLY have curtains!

I wanted traditional bungalow curtains, which are made from Irish linen and are designed to stay inside the window casings, allowing the beautiful refinished douglas fir to be seen.

Alas, all of our windows were custom sizes. When I totaled up would it would cost, the sticker shock nearly knocked me over.

So I did what any enterprising chick with a DIY streak would do -- I took a sewing class.

It's taking a little longer than expected. Sigh. Most of my projects do. But we are still WAY ahead on the cost side. I'm so glad I decided to do it.

This Happened Today

Demolition started today on the first floor bathroom. Bye-bye too short sink and disgusting tile. Bye-bye.

Everything Old Is New Again

It's been two years since Rob pulled these out of the house being demolished at the end of the block.  Finally, they are living life as they should -- as a combination china and liquor cabinet.

Every Nook and Cranny

This picture was taken before we started doing any work on the house. It's in the part of the kitchen that used to be a porch, but was closed in by a previous owner.  If you look closely by the electric meter (yes, the electric meter was INSIDE when we first moved in), you can see some of the original siding.

To the left of where I am standing to take this photo is the main part of the kitchen.  The door you are looking at leads to the world's tiniest bathroom -- just big enough for a toilet.  

And that is one of the greatest mysteries of our house.  As you can see in this picture I took while we were replacing the windows a few years ago, the window casings in that bathroom match the original casings elsewhere.  So back in the day, did the inhabitants have to access this toilet from outside?!?!?

As part of the kitchen remodel, we ripped out the wall to the bathroom and built a breakfast nook.  Here it is in process.  The square in the bench is actually a drawer the runs length of the bench, but the front panel hasn't been put on it yet.  Since the original house was built without closets, I am determined to add as much storage as humanly possible.

Stock

I bought an entire cart of groceries at Trader Joe's and didn't even come close to filling the pantry.  Normally I only bring home the stuff that can fit in the little basket you carry around by hand because that was all I had room for on the gorilla shelves.

Not sure what I will do with all this space!

Devil Is in the Details

The window seat has been completed to match the wainscoting in the dining room.  Now we just have to get it stained.

The lids have special hinges that hold them in place so I can put things in it without getting my fingers slammed.

There is so much storage, I could put a body in here.  Hm...that could be useful some day!

A Seat to See From

Music room windows

This spot has been begging for a window seat since the day we moved in and it's finally getting one.

We found a cabinet maker to do our kitchen and decided to try him out on a smaller job.  He's been fantastic.  The outside of the seat is douglas fir, but the inside is melamine, so we'll be able to clean it easily if something we are storing spills.

I'll post more pictures later this week, but here's a teaser....the front of the window seat will match the dining room wainscoting. 

The basic frame of the seat

"Stick"-ing Around

Last December we planted a cottonwood tree in the back yard and it was literally just a stick in the mud.

It's filled out quite a bit in the past 10 months.  I have hopes we may even get some shade from this guy next summer.

It's Just the Cutest Little Cantaloupe EVER!

We have had a lot of volunteers in the garden, many of them melons.

The cantaloupes are SO tiny.  They're ripening on the vine to sweet perfection.  Can't wait to get some prosciutto to go with these.  Yum.

Here Comes the Sun

Rob planted a sunflower in a crack in the driveway.  It finally bloomed.

Getting Lucky!

Had lunch with a friend in Chinatown and picked up some new, lucky bamboo for the front porch.  We'd had bamboo for years and it died shortly after we moved in; the pots have been sitting empty on the steps, but no more!   And just in time for the new year.