Happy Summer!

I know I'm being a sub par houseblogger this summer. I have to admit we've been distracted this year.

After last year, I vowed this would be "the summer of fun," and we are keeping to that promise. Not that house projects are not fun- because they most certainly can be. And sometimes, you need a break.

Here we are at the Silver Lake Dunes in Michigan. We rented 400cc ATVs for a few hours and acted like bad-asses. No, I have never done this before, but it was a blast.

We were in Ludington visiting Steve's family for a week. Here's a shot of Lost Lake, where we spent a quiet afternoon.

It's important to let a dog really be a dog sometimes if you know what I mean.

I promise we'll be back posting about some projects. I need to post the awnings, which are now up and look great. And the pantry is on the horizon.

But in the meantime, everyone make sure and take a little time to swing in that porch swing, have a glass of lemonade, and get a little sunburn on your nose.

Old House Chores

For those of us living in older homes without cooling systems, this time of year brings the dreaded task of installing the window unit air conditioners. It's not one of my most favorite tasks and I don't really like having windows obstructed by them. Plus, they don't blend well with old house decor really. But then again, maybe they do in a way...

Adding to the awkwardness of the task is the fact that we have new (not better!) vinyl windows that are not as sturdy as wood windows. For example, we don't really want to drill holes in the vinyl. Nor do we want the weight of a larger a/c resting on mere vinyl.

We've also found that the companies that sell air conditioners do not really address these issues. It's pretty much up to the homeowner to figure it out. And perhaps that's why you see huge units hanging precariously overhead propped up by a few bricks or boards.

After grappling with this issue for the past few years, we have finally found a solution that is less unsightly and also very secure, which is an issue living on the first floor.

This is one of those mundane tasks that we old house people face. It's one of those things I would think of no interest, but then a commenter asked to see our system and yet again, I realize that these are the types of solutions worth sharing.

First: Steve glued up boards to make the proper thickness, 1/4" above the vinyl window frame. This piece will be on the inside window sill supporting the a/c.

Note: Air conditioners should lean outward so that any condensation drips outside and not on your inside sill.

Here are the boards for each window glued up and ready to be cut to size with the table saw.

Next we removed the window stops.

Here you see the stained ledge in place after being cut to size without the window stop.

And with the trimmed windows stops and firmly in place. As Steve said, "This ain't goin' nowhere!"

The larger air conditioner is screwed into the board making it very secure and stable. We will probably add angle irons for further security.

The a/c unit does not touch the vinyl.

As you can see it's a pretty clean look. I just dislike looking at 2x4s on my window sill or books piled up or whatever.

This is a solution we can live with and best of all, it's permanent. All we have to is pop the a/c in or out as the seasons pass. Like us, the support ledge is there to stay.

Happy Summer!

These things take time

As you well know, a project done right takes way longer than the latter. If we just slapped some paint on our front door and called it a day, we'd have been done weeks ago. Instead, we are doing a "This Old House" quality repair and it's taking a bit longer.

At left you can see the trim has been primed and painted with two coats of Sherwin Williams oil-based Bunglehouse Blue. We reserve the option to add a third coat. On Saturday I scraped all the excess paint off the glass and cleaned the windows. I like the new color.



Also, on Saturday I tackled repairing the buckling veneer on the front door. I used a razor knife and cut out the failing and rotting areas and then using contact cement, glued 2-3 layers of oak veneer into place. Here you see everything clamped up to dry. I also sanded the door and filled any holes or dings with wood filler.

We decided to get a new unlacquered solid brass kickplate, which is going to run us about $82.00. This proving my theory that projects we undertake always go overbudget because we always seem to find a way to add something else. But it will look really nice, last virtually forever, and fit the door better.

I know I could go searching for the right one on ebay or salvage, but we have too many other projects to get going on so we are paying for convenience this time.

What did Steve do while I was working on the front door? Install a 18000 BTU air conditioner in our tenants apartment. He made a custom ledge out of oak stained to match the trimwork that raises the a/c above the vinyl window frame. It is a thing of beauty. No a/c eyesores in our building.

Incidentally, our tenants seem to be working out pretty well. On Saturday one of them told me how much she loves the apartment and how her friends are all jealous. They are quite sweet and considerate so far.

Time for Rejuvenation

And I'm not talking about light fixtures this time! This Memorial Weekend was just a little different from last year. If anyone recalls, last year we spent Memorial Weekend removing all the trim from the 2nd floor. Such began the story of the wood pile...

Steve and I went to Galena, which is a nice historic small town in Jo Davies County in Illinois. It's about a three hour drive from Chicago. Unlike most of Illinois, it's quite hilly and has lovely countryside.

We went canoeing, horseback riding, had massages, went antiquing and had some nice dinners out.

Of course, we had to check out the local architecture. Here is me in front of the oldest home in Galena. In Chicago, we have virtually no buildings this old because of the fire. Most of the homes were on the smaller size, but very charming nonetheless.



I really really love old ironwork.
Here you see the native and wild phlox, which was flowering everywhere and smelled beautiful. I wish I had taken photos of some of the gardens because there are some really great flower gardeners in Galena.

Unlike last year, we weren't working on the house, but I can assure you, we aren't going anywhere in that regard.

I'll be posting soon on the Front Door Re-Painting and the awnings.

Also, I keep noticing that the solid oak stairs to the basement have only one or two layers of paint on them. It is tempting me to relieve them of this brown paint. You know what they say about us strippers don't you? It's really hard to stop once you start on that road.

As the grass grows...

The lawn is coming along nicely. I mowed it for the first time this season today as we had to give the grass a chance to take.

Its funny because Mojo insists on walking along the "path" where the conduit was buried last year. I think he likes the feel of baby grass under his delicate feet.

I've been remiss on blogging I know. I was in Las Vegas for a trade show for a week and that was fun. Las Vegas is such the opposite of everything I deal with in my every day life, I actually find it refreshing-funny.

I got some "me" time and saw a show, had a nice dinner, and went shopping, which I rarely do. I bought myself a pair of those $150 Seven jeans and it felt good!

I have been mainly working on my gardening. Here's a shot of the front parkway, which I plan to completely take over with plants eventually.

Steve's Mom planted our little pine tree a few yeas ago and we look forward to the day when it's 10' tall. We give it an inordinate amount of TLC, but there is something so cool about planting a little tree like that and having it grow into a big tree.

I'm sure you have experienced where you go back somewhere and see a tree that you remember and it's become a giant.

Plus, we love love love pine trees. Mark my words,we will be planting more evergreens before this season is over!


While we are on the subject of plants I adore, take a look at the utter perfection of this one- a lily of the valley. The fragrance, the perfect bell shape of the flower, the beautiful green foliage the toughness of this plant cannot be beat in my opinion. It does need to be controlled though as it can be invasive.


I saved mine from a teardown site in my neighborhood. They now line the fence along the sidewalk where they can't take over my yard, but soften the sidewalk.

Steve is going to put the 2nd coat of paint on the front door trim today. We still haven't worked on the door itself. I am holding off on photos for now. More on that soon...

A Thorough Scraping

It's all about the prep work and we are not rushing our front door paint job this time. The better you prep, the longer the job will last. Also, the longer the job will take to complete. It's kind of a double-edged sword.

Saturday morning, Steve and I got to work scraping the loose paint off the front door trim We then filled any holes with wood epoxy and then sanded it all with 80 grit. Then we primed it with Sherwin Williams oil based primer. Stinky stuff oil paint. Then we prayed for no rain.

I like when Steve and I work side by side. Saturday morning I had the thought, "the couple that scrapes together stays together," and then I thought wryly, it's time for an intervention. Steve said our prep job was going to be "This Old House" quality. Uh-oh.

This morning when we reviewed our work, we decided that more sanding and filling was in order. Why not do it right?

I have to go out of town for a trade show in Las Vegas this week, so it will be up to Steve to keep this project going till I get back next Sunday.

Front Door Redux

Before our awning is installed, we'll be repainting the front door a more period appropriate color. Our home was built in 1910 and has some arts and crafts elements, so we are sticking with that color palate.

We have selected Sherwin Williams Bunglehouse Blue for the front door. The awning is a True Brown with a white key pattern trim. Our awnings will be shaped like this though, not rounded as in the previous link. We have delayed the awning for 2 weeks so we can thoroughly prep the door, repair some minor wood rot, and prime and paint it.

We have learned from experience that it pays to buy the best paint you can afford. Take our living room for example. We were not trying to be frugal. We just bought the paint brand they had at our local hardware store. Our living room is a deep red color and it took several coats to get full coverage. We ended up going back to buy additional paint, which cost more money anyway.

Another tip when painting is not to buy cheap rollers. We learned that painting the living room as well. We ended up with little pieces of fuzz all over the walls. Quite disheartening at the time. I never notice the flaws now, but our painting skills have much improved since that room was done about 5 years ago. My advice, buy the best rollers you can afford unless you like bits of fuzz everywhere.

Just some little lessons we've learned along the way.

Serenity Now!

I have vowed this year that I will relax in my backyard. I will not work all summer every weekend on wood. I will invite some people over to enjoy the somewhat nice backyard. In the city, many don't have a backyard and so those that do should share sometimes.

We need to repair the concrete (see photo) to make this space more usable and that will happen within a month I'd say. In the meantime, I am going about my plantings and am awaiting the grass seed to take.

I've gone with yellow this year in the pots and some texture: ferns, vine, white marigolds for their hardiness, and one yellow flower whose name escapes me.

In front, I planted some forget me nots, Prince William phlox in a beautiful purple, some coleus for color in the shade and some rosemary. The garden has been somewhat delayed this year because of late frost, but things seem to be growing well now. I think some bulbs decided to wait until next year, but that's the way it goes. If it was the same every year, it would be dull I suspect.

Who doesn't love a mourning dove in the morning? I saw a titmouse too this morning.

What is a Dutchman?

A dutchman is the perfect solution for repairing old wood and mistakes (we all make those right?) A few years ago, we were installing our swinging door and Steve mortised out the wood to fit these special hinges. Unfortunately, due to fatigue, he mortised one of them upside down. doh.

At that point, we decided we did not want to wait any longer for our swinging door, so we installed the door with the hinges surface mounted temporarily (for 2 years) and not mortised in.

Last weekend, Steve mortised the correct placement and today we were able to install the door catch as the door has a spring swinging mechanism and will stay closed unless propped open.

In these photos,you can see the Dutchmen with the hinges now correctly mortised in. We will of course, be staining them to match.



Here's the hardware from Crown City that hooks the door open. Pardon the dust. Solid brass and about $50.00. I used to gasp when Steve would tell me he spent $18 on a brass door stop, but now I don't bat an eyelash. Solid brass costs but is lasts.


It's nice to tie up loose ends. Last summer, we had no time for anything like this.

Coming up on the horizon for us work-wise:
Awnings to be installed
Concrete patio repair
Repainting front door
Pantry Shelving

Win some lose some

As I've mentioned here, I've been off houseblogs the past month so I could help out with our local Aldermanic election. Unfortunately, my candidate lost, but we made a really great effort. Considering the fact that we had much less money, and resources, we lost by only 247 votes.

On election day, I was up at 4:30am and at the campaign office at 5am. I got to the precinct at 6am and didn't get home till almost midnight. Much of the day was spent outside in front of the polling place and trying to get out the vote. It was fun, but very draining.

This weekend, Steve and I got back to some house projects. I worked on some major lawn repair and Steve was taking care of some inside jobs. He installed the last of the shoe molding in our kitchen and fabricated and installed missing thresholds from our bedroom and dining room. Then, he started on patching our old booboo with the swinging door, so we can finally finish that project. We purchased special hardware that will hold the door open and have not been able to install it because of the mistake. Instead, we've had a box of bricks holding the door open.

It's so nice when these little tasks get crossed off the list. That is the plan for this summer- lots of smaller jobs. We have plenty of those!

Making an entrance

We've been slowly working on our curb appeal for a few years. Little by little... giving our entry a makeover, restoring the french doors to the 2nd floor, and adding a decorative railing, landscaping the yard, etc...

We're down to the last bit of work we have planned for the facade of the building and that is adding awnings. We ordered our awnings yesterday from Chesterfield Awnings. They had been out a year earlier to quote the job ad now we are finally ready. The awning will be installed in about 6 weeks. We are putting a small one over the patio doors and a large one over the entrance.

I am excited to see this last change come to fruition. Other than that, my main "curb appeal" goal for this year is to add some more evergreen foliage to the front yard.

We also took a trip to Home Depot today and are ordering a new door for our garage. The door had to be special ordered so it will be here in about 3 weeks. It's nice because it will only need to be shimmed and we can eliminate the framing around the door that is currently there and kind of oddly done.

I'm glad that we are gettng going on some projects but nothing can compare to last year though. Looking back now, I realize how intense and exciting it was. I can actually kind of see how people can get hooked on renovation because one really feels like you are accomplishing something of significance. I have to adjust because we can't afford to keep that pace of spending money or working. I do miss it though sometimes. Such is the life of a renovator.

Our yard needs some TLC

Last year was a pretty rough one for the backyard. Between the roof tear off, pretty much constant workers traipsing across the lawn, Steve and I refinishing woodwork on it, and digging a trench for the electrical wire, it really took a beating.

I have never liked our yard in the winter because almost everything in it is dead. We need more evergreens and hopefully by fall we can add some.

We are planning to add a row of a variety of upright evergreens on the right side of the yard along the fence that you can't really see in this photo.

I am happy that the picea orientalis pine tree has recovered somewhat from the drought in 2005. The lawn is SAD though.



Probably the first project we are going to tackle this Spring, is replacing our falling apart door to the garage. The frame needs to be rebuilt and we want to get a door with a small window so we can see if the garage is open.


In this photo from July 2005, you can see the fence where we will plant the row of evergreens. You can also see that the yard looked a bit better then before the construction chaos.

It all comes down to paint fumes

So, somewhat recently I upgraded to the new blogger and merged all my blogs together. No more compartmentalization. No more hiding my houseblog from the neighbors. No more keeping my community blog out of my houseblog. It's all mixed together now and the result?

Yesterday, I was commenting about the local election here on one of our community blogs.
and one of my neighbors and fellow bloggers who happens to disagree with my choice in candidates directed the following comment at me:

"Maybe you should wear a mask next time you're around paint fumes. "

It takes a thick skin to deal with neighborhood politics in Rogers Park. But at least I can be flattered they read my houseblog right? The hazards of blogging about your house projects... who'd have thought?

This morning when I read it, I was a little hurt, but now I think it's funny. And the person did apologize too, which was good of them.

It really is about the house

Oh, I talk real big and say other things are important, but I always come back to the house. In fairness, we aren't quite done yet. There are still some small jobs that really need to be done, such as replacing the rotting wood entry door to the garage and all those little odds and ends.

So, tonight Steve and I made a list of what is on the agenda for 2007 (and beyond). There's more than this long term, but this list is somewhat realistic for 2007. I'm sure we won't get to all of it, but we will certainly put a good dent in it. Every year can't be a gut rehab year after all.

If we accomplish half of this, I would be very happy.

To Do List for 1st Floor 2007

Entry:
Install shoe molding

Kitchen:

Finish installing shoe molding
Kitchen caulking
Build Pantry shelving and install pot rack

Miscellaneous:

Fix single popped screw in mud room inset all nails in trimwork
Adjust hinges on swinging door so we can prop open with $50 hardware we purchased over a year ago...
Put in thresholds for bedroom & dining room
Restore/fix 2 stained glass windows
Add storm windows on all 4 stained glass windows
Refinish floors throughout
Refinish bathtub
Add electrical outlets and light to closet in Bedroom
Purchase & refinish salvage replacement doors for missing doors to den and front mud room
Strip Basement stair door and refinish
Strip trim in bedroom
Install ceiling fan in living room
re-paint radiator covers
Asbestos abatement in basement

Yard & Outdoors:

Install new awnings
Reframe and replace Garage entry door
Paint front door
Replace basement windows
Install back yard side door Gate
Install dog run gate
Garage door wood framing- paint
New front door

Front yard:
Jackhammer sidewalk in front (side)
Eliminate bed right along side of house and lay patio area.
Plant evergreen trees and shrubs for interest in front yard

Backyard:
Fence on north side- new posts and stockade fence
New back porch deck?
Plant evergreen trees and shrubs in backyard for privacy
Add some source of shade

Just some things to keep us busy this year. Stay tuned.

It's not just about the house

It may sound like heresy to say this on a hosueblog, but really it's not. I've talked about this before. As we all know, any home is a part of a bigger picture, a neighborhood.

I learned a hard lesson when the beautiful single family home next door to us was leveled for condos. Speak up. If you speak up as a community, often you can stop these types of things from happening. I've seen it play out this way first hand.

The next month or so will probably be a little slow on my houseblog as I head on over to my community blog and campaign for a candidate that I believe can make our neighborhood a better place to live. If you head over there to check out what's going on, I'll warn you Rogers Park politics can get pretty scrappy.

The election on February 27th resulted in a run off between my candidate and the incumbent by a mere 54 votes! This right here shows how much every vote does count especially at the community level.

Lately, we've been living in our home more than working in our home as we usually are. It's nice. After all, we are all doing this hard work so at some point we can kick back and enjoy it right? I always say when I'm working that there is a lounge chair waiting for me at the end of this. Like there will ever be an end. I know better now.

To dream the impossible dream...

This week was one of those weeks I was feeling at odds with things. I'm sure it's partially due to the void of not working on the house. I'm kind of addicted to accomplishing something and the house fulfills that quite nicely. If I'm not getting that fix, I get kind of restless.

The impossible dream, I refer to in the post title, is of course the idea of organizing our basement. Steve and I spent about 4 hours down there going through screws, nails, and tools in the hopes that when we need it, we can find that one screw we are looking for.

I know it's impossible dream, but we have to try. What would the world be without a little Don Quixote spirit. There's a reason why that story is a classic. It's funny, and it can be related to many things from everyday life in my opinion. It's about hope and whether we are aware of it or not, we are all living on hope on some level.

Okay, now that's enough of the introspective stuff, let's get down to what we actually did!

Ever since the BIG project finished up last Fall, we've had a pile of paint cans to go through. You see, we have a "system" for organizing them.

With Steve and I, we are pretty much as organized as our schedules will allow. The busier things get, the harder it is to be organized. Last summer got a little crazy and things got a bit messy.

We write down all the formulas with the room each paint color belongs to. We also mark the cans with a sharpie with what room they belong to. We combine any cans that can be combined.


I also went through the shelves and organized what was there. Luckily all the paint fit on the shelves. We like when that happens.



Then we tackled the (ejem) organization of our various nails and screws and other miscellany.



We have quite a few trays like what you see here with various boxes or little brown bags. We went through all of this. and separated out in categories like: brass screws, black screws, small, med. & large wood screws, etc... Where we needed to, we broke things down more or less. Glazing points, for example, have their own little drawer.

Bonus: We found the extra nail set we'd been looking for!

I even went through our electrical supplies. We still have to go through plumbing supplies.


And the result? This shining beacon of organizational nirvana. Now we just need to get a few more of these and we'll be in good shape.



And while we were doing all this, we were listening to The Drive on our favorite work site boom box. I usually listen to either XRT or NPR, but somehow the station got changed.

The day this thing goes will be a sad day indeed. I have such fond memories of it, that I'll probably have to bury it in the backyard and maybe even mark it with a little stepping stone or something. But let's just hope that day never comes.

Last summer, we realized that the boom box was older than our contractor and found that pretty funny. Funny how such a junky thing can be so treasured. Do you have any ratty old objects that you are attached to like this?

Off to the Wood Shop!

This is the week Steve is going back to the wood shop. His first project is fabricating bed rails for a headboard and footboard set that my Mom purchased last year.

I don't have photos of the bed right now, but I will post them eventually. The bed is made of walnut and Steve and my Mom made a field trip last summer to Wood World. They spent about an hour going through wood and selecting the appropriate boards for this project. It was not inexpensive, but she got the bed at a yard sale for a nominal sum and its a charming walnut piece with some painted decoration.

We have a long list of projects waiting in the wings. I am most excited to finish the built-in shelving for our pantry. And the plate rack. And the sideboard. And the dining room chairs. You see, we won't be running out of material for houseblogging anytime soon...

Anyone new to this blog can see some of Steve's finished work in the sidebar. Everything he knows, he taught himself from books or from instructors at the wood shop.

Feeling Blue?

We all have our vulnerabilities and weaknesses. One of mine is getting into a bit of a funk in the winter. It's nothing serious really, but it's kind of a bummer (haha).

Out of curiosity, I googled the origin of the phrase "feeling blue" to see where it came from. After all, one could think of blue as a soothing color and feeling blue could then mean something like feeling peaceful.

But, when I saw the origin of the phrase, it makes sense.

I found the following explanation on a navy terminology website.

"If you are sad and describe yourself as "feeling blue," you are using a phrase coined from a custom among many old deepwater sailing ships. If the ship lost the captain or any of the officers during its voyage, she would fly blue flags and have a blue band painted along her entire hull when returning to home port."

Losing a comrade at sea- yeah that's pretty much of a downer and a ship bearing a blue lag and coming into port sounds pretty ominous too. It fits.

I know I miss working outside in my garden or working on house projects, which really dies down this time of year. I also tend to turn inward and find fault in what I am or am not doing in my life. The good thing is I know I am doing this and so I don't take it so seriously, but it still eats at me a bit.

I've been getting a bit more involved with our local Aldermanic election too, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand I meet neighbors and learn more about the issues. On the other hand, I see the meanness in politics even at a local level and it saddens me.

Part of what Steve and I are trying to create with our home is a sanctuary to retreat to. The times Steve and I are working side by side on a project all day on a Saturday, these are some of the happiest times I feel. Just being in the moment and just us and our dogs and our building. Our little world I guess.

My Grandma's "2-flat"

As many of you know, over Christmas we visited my 93 year old Grandmother Tilly in England.

Grandma has lived in this "flat" since before I was born - a long time ago. When she and my Grandfather first bought it, it definitely qualified as a fixer-upper. There was no heat and she told me the kitchen had a dirt floor!


Grandma's flat is very homey. It's not a large home, but it has 3 bedrooms upstairs and a nice brick walled in yard.

We spent alot of time visiting in the living room and the kitchen while we were there. The above photo is my sister Kimberley, me, nephew Ciaran and my Mom.



Here's my Gran in the kitchen slicing apples for a sponge cake.

I hope when I'm 93, I am walking to the store to get my bread and newspaper and able to walk up a steep flight of stairs like my Gran does.

Just thought I'd share...

Winter surprise: a (short) bird story

I know many of us on houseblogs seem to like bird stories, I know I do. For that reason, I'm going to share my little tale.

A few weeks ago, we were experiencing record high temperatures for January. All the snow had melted and daffodils were popping out of the ground in confusion.

One morning I looked out front and saw of all things a robin! Now to me, a robin is a much better omen than a groundhog any day.

I don't know how many of you recall the scene in the film Blue Velvet in which Laura Dern talks about robins. I guess it made an impression, because it's kind of stayed with me all these years.

When I saw this robin, I said to him, "fella, you are definitely confused."

Weeks passed and now the temperatures here in Chicago are at record lows. This morning, it was 7 below zero and that doesn't even include the wind chill.



So on Sunday morning, when I saw this little guy hanging out in my neighbors yard by the holly bushes, I was concerned.


This is case in point why having birding books handy is a must for me. Steve and I looked up robins in our "Birds of Chicago" reference book and found out that some robins do actually winter here. But these aren't the same robins you see in the spring.


These robins are from the north- think Canada. This weather is balmy to them. I can sleep better now. I'm going to be keeping my bird watching eyes on him now too.