tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78651371954444032412024-03-15T23:15:34.228-05:00The Box HouseTwo Flats...Twice the Renovation FunUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger398125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-12445691362426215132011-09-27T21:32:00.000-05:002011-09-27T22:51:47.390-05:00Phase 1 of the Bathroom Restoration -- Done!Ted's dad was over recently to help with the finishing touches on the bathroom restoration. We are not doing anything with the old cast iron tub at this time, except to clean it. We may, in the future, convert it to a walk in shower as Mom gets older, or we may just add more support bars, we're not sure yet. Whatever we do, that will be phase 2.
This is the bathroom cabinet that was under sixUnknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-598267178920869042011-09-27T20:43:00.000-05:002011-09-27T20:46:03.586-05:00The Guest Room -- Done! (Sorta)This was my least-favorite room of the house. It is the guest room off the kitchen, which back in the day may have been the maid's room. Even apartment-dwelling families in Chicago and Evanston sometimes had maids, so I've been told, and the bedroom by the kitchen was often set aside for them.
When we moved in, the trim was all painted blue. Baby blue. The walls were three different shades of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-27936902763757024022011-09-27T20:30:00.003-05:002011-09-27T20:30:58.443-05:00The Porch -- Done!Now that phase 1 of the bathroom restoration is done, we were able to reclaim the back porch, which had been sort of a staging area for the project, the place where we stored the new sink and toilet for the last year until we were able to replace the old cloth wire and replumb the lines in the bathroom.
But, it's done. There's room for a desk out here now, and a few comfy chairs. It's turned Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-26080765568255605322011-09-23T00:33:00.000-05:002011-09-27T20:13:41.035-05:00Looking to Purchase a VW Vanagon / WestfaliaWe've decided to get a VW camper van! Like we need another restoration project, right? But now that the ol' brick garage has nearly been cleared of the previous owners' possessions, we have the room to store and work on one.
We started the vehicle search today. Unfortunately, this one that Ted is sitting in has been sold. So if you have a water-cooled camper from 1985 and up--more or lessUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-83109868321906181792011-09-20T20:42:00.001-05:002011-09-20T20:43:27.842-05:00Bathroom PreviewIt has been a sad year for blogging, but now that the busy summer is winding down to a close, I should have more time to update you all on some of our projects. Here's a sneak peek at what we've done to the bathroom:
I'll be posting more pictures of the transformation shortly, but was so excited to have a working toilet and a door that closes (actually, a door, period) that I couldn't wait.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-49502028919687733942011-07-01T01:39:00.000-05:002011-09-24T01:51:43.485-05:00
I think I found the color combination I want to use for the portico. Columns in that creamy color, with trim in the dusky red and blue.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-83158849729887785882011-06-05T00:42:00.003-05:002011-06-05T00:53:05.750-05:00Where The Quilts??It's been brought to my attention that I haven't posted anything since September, last year, about my quilting. Sorry. I've been wrapped up in a special quilting project. I don't have but a few pictures of what I'm working on but here's a teaser. I hope to have pictures soon of the completed top. The quilt has a Native American theme. It's machine applique and pieced. I've been having such a Lady Quilterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700270284986104696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-39158296979153497042011-02-19T04:18:00.002-06:002011-02-19T17:09:13.120-06:00Deck Repair Fail at the Ol' Rental UnitI've been sitting on these pictures for a while, because frankly, I've been a little embarrassed about the whole thing. But a few months have passed, so I can laugh about it now. Kinda.
It started with the previous tenants. They were good guys, this was just one of those things. Ashes from their grill spilled onto the deck, burning a hole in it. (This is why the city of Chicago forbids such Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-83217074713280072342011-02-19T03:52:00.001-06:002011-02-19T03:53:46.350-06:00Electrical Fire Hazard -- The Unexpected Discovery of Old WireThe electrical breaker boxes for our house were updated in 1973, according to a receipt we found in the basement. Conduit to power extra outlets / light bulbs was strung along the basement ceiling at the same time. While the boxes were professionally installed, it looks like the previous owners added the conduit themselves. (It looks like a hack job and wasn't on the receipt.)
We're consideringUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-37544740785664365962011-02-19T03:37:00.000-06:002011-02-19T03:37:06.412-06:00Basement DeclutteringI never thought I'd see the day, but Ted has decided he can finally part with all of his physics and astronomy homework from college. (He was a double major.) I've helped him move those big, heavy boxes of paper three times in the last nine years.
Hello, extra storage space!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-43672561257243812002011-01-01T20:48:00.001-06:002011-01-01T20:48:44.228-06:00Rabbit, rabbit!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-71652554927456666512010-12-21T17:25:00.000-06:002010-12-21T17:25:23.204-06:00
I think I'm going to have to take the camera away from Ted...
I had flopped down on the unmade bed in the spare room for a nap and at some point while I was sleeping all the critters had joined me, including the new guy, Sebastian Blue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-76085554803621749512010-12-02T01:15:00.000-06:002010-12-02T01:15:48.128-06:00Well, Hello There Pretty BoyLook who has decided to come out to play.
I guess Sebastian Blue has determined it's far more comfortable to sleep on the bed than under it.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-90291545877261134722010-12-01T00:12:00.000-06:002010-12-01T00:12:09.070-06:00Gift from My FatherMy dad died in 2004, a fact I still have trouble coming to terms with sometimes. I miss him so much, particularly around the holidays. We occasionally wonder what life would have been like if he had lived; we might not even be in the Box House, who knows. My parents' plan was to retire somewhere warmer. But things happen, and now it's sometimes hard to remember a time when the three of us--me, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-44006168265589578242010-11-29T21:22:00.000-06:002010-11-29T21:22:44.039-06:00The Very, Very Last Plant of 2010. I Mean It This Time.It's nearly December, and I'm still puttering in the garden. I went to Home Depot yesterday to get lawn bags, as the last leaf pickup is this week. I swear, that's all I intended to get. The garden center is filled with Christmas trees and holiday greenery, but in one sad little corner was a pile of shrubs at super markdown prices. And for two dollars, I picked up an Amethyst coral berry.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-13820185862144829172010-11-29T21:05:00.002-06:002010-11-29T22:59:25.358-06:00Introducing Sebastian Blue, Our New Maine CoonWe brought our new cat home on Saturday. He's a 16-month-old Maine Coon we've named Sebastian Blue. (And if anyone out there notices that our cats' names are now Bella and Sebastian, it was not inspired by indie Scottish band Belle and Sebastian, although we do like their music). He does remind me some of his brother, Seamus, but his face looks more feral. I hope to get a good picture of him thisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-7231325563515582632010-11-15T20:28:00.001-06:002010-11-15T20:31:38.372-06:00Early Start on the Spring Garden Plans, and Yes, We're Still Blooming in ChicagolandLest you think we're all Maine Coons, all the time around here, rest assured that we have been doing some work around the ol' Box House.
Last week we had some freakishly warm temperatures in Chicagoland and actually still have some things blooming--and green, yes, green! So I took on the challenge of extending the wraparound shrub border from the corner to our front walk. I had killed the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-71954715173801595362010-11-12T20:42:00.001-06:002010-11-13T17:45:29.316-06:00New Family Member Coming Soon to the Box HouseWe miss our Seamus, a lot. I miss his kitten kisses and his soft, almost subaudible purr. We've lost pets in the past, but this one is hitting me particularly hard. I think it's because he was so young, and it was so unexpected.
Usually, we wait a while before beginning the search for another cat. We ended up waiting almost a year to the day after we lost Pascal before bringing Seamus and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-9077562459268990182010-11-04T18:21:00.002-05:002010-11-04T18:49:42.960-05:00A Cat Tree I Wouldn't Be Embarrassed to Have in the Living RoomOn and off over the last few years, we have debated about getting a cat tree. The biggest problem with them is that they're so ugly, and most don't have perches big enough for Maine Coons. Now that Seamus is gone, I feel a little bad that I never got around to getting one. I just searched Google to see what stylish options might be out there, and came across this:
It's totally awesome, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-81945891599256348532010-11-02T17:21:00.007-05:002010-11-05T01:16:41.579-05:00Goodbye to Our Sweet Maine Coon SéamusI haven't felt much like writing, lately. A few weeks ago, we had to make the terrible decision to let Séamus go. It was less than two years ago that we brought him home. He was a sweet, affectionate kitten, a tiny little thing with blue-gray fur and golden eyes. He was also the first cat I ever "picked out," who didn't come to me by circumstance. Here he is with Ted in the car. Ted sat in the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-37102738550389653732010-10-08T17:27:00.000-05:002010-10-08T17:27:07.207-05:00Stripping Wood Doors, Part 42 -- Removing the Moulding Trim Around the WindowI've lost track of how long this project is really taking.
But, weeks after I started stripping the bathroom door, I finally got the rest of the whitish-yellow enamel out of the nooks and crannies. It was a brutal process, completed in the odd moment I found here and there. Here's the door, without its six coats of paint:
Next step is popping out the window glass so I can get the last bits Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-84188644884860184102010-09-23T14:28:00.003-05:002010-09-23T14:44:00.549-05:00Stripping Wood Doors, Part 3 -- Using Citristrip on the HardwareWe were busy this week doing a few repairs at the rental condo. Between that and client work, I haven't had much time to get back to stripping the bathroom door. But before going to bed last night, I decided I could spare a little time stripping the hardware for it.
I used Citristrip. Remember how the doorknob and plate looked a few days ago?
Here it is now. Ta-dah! Shiny.
And here it is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-55404605522325572252010-09-21T12:44:00.004-05:002010-09-23T14:46:47.316-05:00Stripping Wood Doors, Part 2I can tell how irritating a current client project is when I find that I'd rather strip paint than work on a book layout. But, duty called, and I had to put off removing the Citristrip from the bathroom door, which is not really a bad thing, as the paint has been stubborn and an extra long soak will no doubt save me a little effort down the line. Twenty-four hours after initial application, I wasUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-23191418597537559892010-09-19T23:23:00.000-05:002010-09-19T23:23:25.289-05:00Sweating PipeLest you think Ted is slacking while I strip paint, rest assured he's been working on plumbing. Here he is in the garage "sweating pipe" for the new bathroom supply lines. His work surface is the old sink we pulled out of the bathroom. It's worked very well for him.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7865137195444403241.post-91296638507428842992010-09-19T23:14:00.002-05:002010-09-23T14:48:31.531-05:00Stripping Wood Doors, Part 1I hate stripping paint.
It probably wouldn't be so bad if some previous owner didn't use peachy-flesh-colored enamel on everything. It's nearly impossible to pull up.
I blame this paint for me dragging my heals at attempting to strip any of the doors, but the time has come in our bathroom restoration for it to be done. This will be my first door project.
And so, for the next week or so, we'll Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7