Wired for Guests!

Kudos to my Dad, who spent an entire Saturday getting this doorbell wired. Y'all are welcome to come by and ringy-ding ding.

Mud Room

Sure looks a lot different from when we first started working on it. To the right (where I've piled a bunch of tools) is a nifty frame that C built to house the wall mounted convection oven, another swell craigslist find.

Kitchen Paint

I am sooooo in love with this color. It's going to look swell with the beech cabinets and wood 'butcher's block' counter tops.

Dining Room Paint (in progress)

This is a paint job in progress, not because it involves a lot of detail work but because EVERY DANG TOOL is in this room for some reason. It's the center of the house, conveniently located near the front door and stairway to the upper floor, so perhaps this is why...but I really dislike the prep work that goes along with painting. I have become quite good at 'cutting in' simply because I am too lazy to put masking tape up everywhere (which never really works all that great anyway). Consequently, I am also too lazy to move some tools not currently in use to another part of the house. So, I paint until I can't get around something and then call it a day.

Hey, at least I can admit that I have some flaws.

Living Room Paint Job

The living room faces north, and although it has several windows, two of them look out onto the porch. The result is a rather dark room. Yellow is the perfect color solution. It so warm and happy now!

Dentil Molding

I need to get a smaller paint brush for this detail work. Click here for more info on dentil molding.

New Siding for the Cabin

Took the crew of four most of the day to get this far. Looks great, huh?! Next step: paint!

Work! Work! Work!

Mr D's already working at 6:30 am on this lovely Saturday, prepping for the new siding.

Cedar Shakes

They'll be left unpainted.

Front Entrance

While C worked on priming the body of the house (on a ladder, with a few gallons of paint on his back in the power sprayer), I labored on the ground level taking care of trim and other details. With the priming FINALLY completed- which this photo clearly doesn't illustrate- we're hoping to get the whole sucker painted it's chosen colors this weekend. Lofty goal indeed. We like to aim high.

Upper Bedroom Paint Job

I have to confess that I found this peachy paint in the basement. I loved it so much that I had to use it (no, not because I'm an incorrigible cheapskate, silly!!!). I just might have to move into this bedroom.

Ahhhhh, relaxation!

Sunday was gorgeous, so we took a hike to Afton and had a nice picnic in a grassy meadow.
Happy Anniversary!

Rain Outside, Paint Inside

125 year old paint

After all the aluminum siding was removed, we get to see the house's original color scheme.

Thanks, craigslist!

The wrap-around front porch has been begging for a porch swing. I have been stalking craigslist all summer for a swing, so it was destiny that brought everyone together. Got this baby for $40 bucks.

Masonry

C is learning so many kick ass skills on this project!

This is a portion of a brick retaining wall that he built, which will eventually become part of the stoop for the back entrance.

Cedar Siding

Same conundrum with the back entrance: We had to tear off a lot of aluminum siding that would be impossible to match.

Bye Bye Nasty Siding!

Since rain has thwarted our plans to paint, we got C's dad and bro to tear off all of the aluminum siding under the porch. Since we closed off the duplex's second entry- replaced with round window- we've had a gaping hole in the siding. After considering how we would eventually cover up this hole, we decided to sheath the entire porch underside with cedar shakes rather than try to match the aluminum siding.

It was quite a discovery under that aluminum siding. The original clapboard siding had only one layer of paint- original, 125 years old. Pretty cool.

Laboring on Labor Day Weekend

Photo shot at 11:30am, Saturday 9/2...

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary. We should be on our annual canoe trip. We cancelled our trip because we KNEW that there was no way we'd be able to relax in the middle of nowhere knowing that this project would still be waiting for us when we returned to civilization. And now we are are shaking our fists at the sky, asking "Why must you conspire against us, Mother Nature?!" The plan was to prime the house for painting. We even had several extra pairs of hands ready for work and generously donated by our families and friends. No dice. Rain poured steadily from the sky beginning at noon, lasting well into the evening.

Up On the Roof

Dang it, I hate when he goes up there! Still has one more ladder to climb. Hot asphalt roof shingles, steep pitch... he wasn't too thrilled either. There was a leaky vent pipe that needed immediate attention, so this task couldn't be put off any longer.