Trying to Hold it Together

Have you ever had to deal with contractors? If you have it isn't always fun. Fortunately for us we don't have to use contractors too often because Marc and I know how to do most everything ourselves. However, our project house needs a new roof.........and it's a big one. With the weather in Ohio as it is right now we would have to take a week off to get it done. With Marc's busy schedule at work that is not an option. So, we hired a roofer to do the roof. An Amish crew that claims they will have it done in two days. It is a three layer tear-off with damaged wood replacement and new dimensional shingles. Two days. I suppose with their 12 man crew it is possible..................IF they would ever get it started. They were supposed to star this past Monday and with scheduling conflicts, permit issues and now bad weather...........possibly Friday.

As you can see in this picture they roof is desperate. See the pretty blue tarp on the roof? That is covering a series of holes that are leaking into the house. Fortunately all of the water is running down the outside of the chimney so the damage is staying to one area. However, we are going to come to a point where work will be haulted until the roof is complete. No sense hanging new drywall when there is water coming down! I have made several calls to the roofer and he is HOPING to be on the roof Friday. I certainly hope so, otherwise I will have no choice than to fire the poor Amish man who hasn't even technically started and find someone else. Don't want to do that. And in case you are wondering- no, we have not paid them any money yet.



Last night I finally figured out how to convert the weird bedroom layout into a more conducive space. Two of the bedrooms are connected due to a more recent addition. You have to walk through one bedroom to get to another.

So, I got out my tape measure and my painter's tape and played around with a "chalk line" as my husband calls it, until I go it right. I won't leave the door there though.

The "new" room will still be a decent size at 10x10. So that works.

I also removed all of the old door casings and prepped the spaces for the new, pre-hung, white paneled doors.

Picture me jamming the pry bar above the top casing and hanging from it like a monkey trying to get that bad boy down. Fun.

After that I started removing the wallpaper from one of the bedrooms...........

Stripping wallpaper is SO not my favorite thing to do.

We framed in one of the doorways that leads into the kitchen to allow for a better layout and more cabinet space. Marc had the frame ready to go and asked me if I would go cut the stud for him. I told him no, no way. I am terrified of the miter saw! So, he gave me an "Okay, I understand" look" and asked if I would measure and mark it for him. To that I happily agreed. As I was measuring the board I had this terrible wave of guilt come over me. I thought to myself, "we are in this together.............Marc can't do all of this himself.......it's time to step out of your comfort zone Heather." And without dwelling on it further I grabbed that 2x4 up, marched out to the garage and made my first ever cut with a miter saw. It was still scary, but I did it. Power tools do not bother me, I love them actually, but the miter saw scares the daylights out of me. However, I know I can do it now so I will keep cutting............and hopefully keep all of my fingers in the process.

Marc was extremely proud of me to say the least and I even had to mark my stud.........

LOL!! Doesn't our wall look good??? To the right of the newly framed wall will be a large opening/window to open the kitchen to the living room. It will span about 7 feet and really give a nice look. There will be about a foot of wall to the right of the opening and then the entrance into the kitchen.

Our plans to vault the kitchen were going to be costly and set us back quite a bit so a window is the next best thing- if you can even compare the two plans. As if!

While we were busy working Kyle was busy on a project of his own. He was building a "bench" and spent about two hours just like this hammering nails into the boards.

Bella ended up falling asleep while she was drawing so we decided to pack up and head home for the night.

Cali..................what a hoot she is. While we were sawing and hammering and demolishing this is what she was doing..............

Hee Hee!!! Isn't that funny!!! She is a great sleeper. I could watch her sleep for hours though. I love how she pulls her little legs up. She looks like a bug on it's back!!!

Again, first thing this morning the kids were asking if we could go to the house!! They love it there! One of the reasons I am sure is because-unlike our apartment- they can run and jump and be as noisy as they want and not disturb the neighbors. The house is a lot bigger than our apartment too and with no furniture in there they have a LOT of room to run around and play.

Have a great day!!

~Heather:)

PS Thank You ALL for your sweet comments............... you are all so encouraging!!! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!

Flippin' Houses & Holdin' Babies

Yesterday was another busy day for us. We started off our day shopping at the Home Depot for materials. Good way to start a day, right? hee hee Once we got to the house Marc installed some overhead lighting in the family room so the kids could play down there even after dark. Then, while Marc was in the kitchen getting rid of multiple "mystery" electrical wires I started demo on the bathroom.

Here is the before...................


The medicine cabinet and vanity was not only disgustingly dirty but it was covered in mold. Can we say rubber gloves?? And the tub......well, there are no words. Hopefully they wore shoes when they bathed in there but I doubt it.

I went to work and ripped up the old linoleum and cove base............

And then I removed the yucky vanity which it turns out was a condo complex that housed many, many spiders. They were not happy about being evicted. The plumbing went smoothly and I had it out and carried to the garage in less than 10 minutes.

When I pulled the sink off the cabinet section this black glob went flying through the room. The kids screamed! It looked like a mouse but it was a ginormous glob of nasty, sink clogging hair and yuck. I am wondering if these people ever cleaned!

Since Marc was still busy with the electrical I moved on to removing the doors and trim throughout the house. By this time Cali started getting fussy.

So, I literally had the pry bar in my right hand removing trim from around the doors and windows and Cali was nursing while I held her in my left arm!!! My husband, bless his heart, said "I don't know how you do that! I wouldn't be able to!" I didn't tell him that with one pull the trim just popped off!!! LOL!!

Baseboards, doors, trim, and window casings are gone. And as soon as the drywall is finished and the walls are painted we will be ready to install the new white trim and six panel doors. I can't wait to see the house then!!!

When we were at the Home Depot yesterday I found the tile I want for the bathroom. The floor tile just happened to be on clearance for 68 cents a square foot!! We needed 3 boxes and spent about $30 for the bathroom floor. Once the new tub goes in I will be ready to install the floor and the tile for the tub surround. This is the tile I will be using for the surround......

It is so much prettier in person and I love it! The floor tile is a light creamy beige much like the bottom left piece of tile in the above picture. We will be using brushed nickle finishes throughout the house and purchased the faucets and light fixture yesterday. We were going to wait for those but the clearance isles were full of treasures yesterday so we couldn't pass them up.

Here is the new light Marc installed in the family room yesterday.....

He installed two because it is such a large room. Again, they look better in person but you get the idea!

Bella had a ball playing with the box. She turned into a Doritos eating Robot!!

And Marc gave Kyle bags of plumbing pieces and he was content for hours making the most amazing contraptions!!!

As soon as the kids woke up this morning hey asked if we could go back to the house!!! When I told them we had to wait until after nap they were both disappointed!! LOL!!! It really eases my mind that they enjoy it there. Maybe my husband is right- maybe I do worry too much.

Tonight we have to build a temporary support wall so we can cut an opening in the kitchen to open it into the living room. If all goes well and we stay on schedule we hope to be hanging drywall by this weekend. Woohoo!!!

Have a great day!!

~Heather:)

A Good Days Work

Today Marc and the kids and I spent over half of the day at the house. There is a lot to do and we jumped in head first. I started ripping up carpet while Marc set up his tools and showed the investor our plans for the renovations. Later, we did my favorite part- DEMO!!! There is something about demo that makes me very happy. Ripping out the old to make way for the new. Once the dust settles you are left with an empty shell of opportunity. It excites me! My head has been spinning with all of the ideas for this house but the kitchen has been "my baby" in this house. It is very small but that isn't stopping me from big ideas. Right now it is a narrow, galley style kitchen but we will be opening it up to the living room to make it feel larger.
Today was a good day. And although there is not one part of my body that doesn't ache..........it feels very good that we accomplished what we did.

So, here is what the kitchen looked liked until yesterday.............


Cabinets are removed...................

And this is how it looks now.........................

Ahhhh..........possibilities. Kyle and Bella were right beside us swinging their hammers (which I failed to get a picture of- URGH!) and knocking out the walls. I gave them small hammers and then wrapped a sponge around the claw and then covered the sponge with a sock so that when they swung the hammer it wouldn't come back and hurt them. They had a ball! And they were very proud of their work!!

When it was time to clean up Bella wanted to help with that too!! She loved the little dust pan!! She would sit it on the floor, pick up handfuls of trash, load it on to the dust pan and then dump it in the trash can. It was so fun to watch. Kyle was exhausted and chose to supervise!! LOL!!

We took a lot of toys to the house for the kids to play with. There is a nice size family room in the basement for them to play in. However, they thought what we were doing was more fun!! I have to brag on my kids here- they are fantastic! Little helpers every step of the way. I was so proud of them today. They never cease to amaze me. Marc and I were worried when we decided to take this project. We weren't sure how the kids would feel, if we would be "losing" time with them. if they would feel left out, etc. We had the best time the last two days and it has become a family affair. And although we know it won't be this easy every day, we are doing this for our kids. If we do well on this flip, or maybe two, we will be able to get into the neighborhood we want. The school system is one of the best in the state and the neighborhood is extremely desirable. So desirable that we otherwise couldn't afford it. Yikes!

I want to share a picture of the living room. The house is a split level and this is the first room you walk into when you come into the house. The entry door would be to the right in this photo. The kitchen door is the opening you see on the left. When I took the picture I was standing upstairs on the landing. I love the vaulted ceiling. I am trying to convince Marc to vault the kitchen too so that the entire room will be open with soaring ceilings. We have some concerns with wiring and a gas line though. If it was going to be our house we would probably do it, but being a flip house that may be too time consuming. We are on a two month schedule for this house so time is money.

Can't you picture it though?!?! Yes, it would be beautiful. I guess we'll see what happens!!

Well, that is all for now. More to come. Much, much, much more!!!

~Heather:)

It Closed!!!!!!

Tuesday the house, that Marc and I will be renovating for a "flip" house, closed. All utilities are being turned on and we will be starting demo on the inside this evening when Marc gets off of work. Yesterday I had to meet the gas man at the house so that the gas could be turned on and everything could be checked out. The gas company kindly gave me a four hour window! Yikes!! So, I packed a bag and drove to the house to wait.

Isn't it pretty with all of the snow?


Don't be deceived by the exterior..........the house needs a LOT of work on the inside. I will share pictures later!

So, what to do with a four hour window stuck in a van with three kids??? Well, it was too cold to play outside in the yard yesterday so we ate snacks..............


We watched movies..................

And we drew pictures. Lots and lots of pictures.......................

Yesterday I was very grateful to Chrysler for "Stow 'N' Go seating!! It allowed the kids a nice place to sit on the floor and be creative...............

Cali slept almost the entire time.......................

While Kyle and Bella created their master pieces.......................

Until we were going into the second hour of our wait when Kyle (disgusted) said "What is taking so long!?! Is that Gas Man EVER going to get here?!?! Mommy's thoughts exactly.

Mommy took some pictures of the pretty snow and within minutes the gas man arrived and Kyle and the gas man became instant friends. The gas man even let Kyle help and explained to the kids everything he was doing.

The kids did awesome, the house has heat now which means we should be able to, without fear, turn the water on.............and start working.

I hope to show pictures as the project unfolds and show you our progress. It is going to be a LOT of work but we are hoping the rewards will be great. We have done SO MUCH research on house "flipping" and we are working with a seasoned investor. It will be an exciting journey to say the least!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

~Heather:)

Baking and Bedding

Yesterday I was the bloggerazzi. I was jumping from blog to blog to blog in search of inspiration. Any kind of inspiration. Jumping to blogs I have never been to and never heard of. At this point of the winter season I get frumpy. Wishing for sunshine and green grass. I am in the mood to paint every room in my apartment neon yellow just to feel some sort of sunny warmth!! Now I love yellow- but not that much. I am sick of the snow, sick of the ice, sick of the cold, and sick of the white ground and grey skies. So Spring- if you are out there- COME ON ALREADY!!

During my blog hopping (which by the way if you haven't tried this- you should! I found so many amazing blogs!) I happened upon a blog called "My Maine Cottage" If you have never been there, I encourage you to go. It is fantastic!! The pictures alone will leave you drooling....and dreaming of living in a little cottage in Maine. As I was reading through the last several posts I found a recipe for "Delicious Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread". It sounded so good I just had to make it. Right then! So, I hopped to my kitchen, pulled in my little assistant and baked some bread! It sounded like comfort food and in these cold months what could sound better!?!
Bella and I went to work measuring and pouring, mixing and prepping pans. She is very good at greasing those pans!! And so focused too!


And of course we had to make muffins too. I think my kids would eat dirt if it was in the shape of a muffin.

And this was our end result! Now if I could only copy and paste the smell into this post you would truly be inspired to make this bread as well!!! My apartment smells FANTASTIC!!

Oh beautiful loaves of delectability!! How do they taste?? Well, all two dozen muffins are gone and when I woke up this morning I found that one of the loaves was missing!! Marc took it to work!! I have never tasted a pumpkin bread that I loved more. So to you, My Maine Cottage, I say THANK YOU for this AMAZING recipe!

This week I found something that I have been searching high and low for. Years of hunting, searching, pining, worrying that I would never find.........................

Perfect, dreamy bedding!!! If you have been following my blog for awhile you will know that my master bedroom has been the source of contention for me. I would go as far as saying complete and utter decorating stress and rage, actually, but I am just not an angry person. My bedroom is............well...............I hate it. I had beautiful bedding years ago. I loved it! I loved my room! But then we decided to upgrade to a King sized bed and I have not been able to find the perfect bedding since. That was five years ago!!! URGH!!!

I am always checking all of my favorite stores on a very regular basis. Nothing. Until yesterday. I was wanting something casual but with a formal touch. Something cozy without being too boring. Something that looked classic- that looks like it could have been around a hundred years ago, but still looks fresh and modern. Something feminine but not too over-the-top girlie. I want to walk in to my bedroom and feel like I have stepped into a fine Bed and Breakfast. I think this bedding fits the bill perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is from JCPenney and is the new Savannah bedding collection by American Living.

The fun part is- this poster bed actually looks almost identical to mine!! I love the entire room they have staged here. From the creamy pale gold walls to the ivory roses on the nightstand.

Oh I am swooning over this bedding! When I saw it online yesterday my heart actually started beating faster!! Isn't that crazy?? The only problem is- it's not my birthday, nor my anniversary. Christmas has already passed and further more we have been house hunting. This bedding is a little pricey. I want the whole package- comforter set, quilt, shams, pillows, sheets and window treatments. I figured it up and if I bought everything I want (including curtains) it would cost over $1,000.00 OUCH! I know that, for bedding, that isn't terrible. But it is terrible right now!! LOL!! So, for now I will keep dreaming- and hope that it goes on sale!! At least I know now that my dream bedding exists!!

Until next time, I hope you are all doing well and finding your own inspiration!!!

~Heather:)

**Photos of Savannah bedding are from the JCPenney website

Decorating and Kids

Before I had children I used to be one of those people that said things like: "My kids will never act like that." "My kids will never tear things up." "I will teach my kids to take care of things better than that." "My house will never look like that!"

I now find those words haunting me. I realize that I had no grounds to make those statements or think those statements because, back then, I had no actual experience. As a mom of three I have learned one valuable lesson...................if you think your kid won't- he will. If you think she can't-she can...................and if you think they would NEVER- because they have been taught better- Oh! They WILL! And they do. Usually when your back is turned, when you are on the phone or somehow otherwise distracted.

Now, I know that kids are kids. And I want them to be kids and explore and discover and figure things out. I also don't expect my home to look like a picture in a magazine (at least not during the hours of 7am and 10pm LOL!!) However, I do find myself envious of those people who have a beautiful, well-kept, well-decorated house AND children. Children who seem to have been born with a certain gene to respect and a knowledge to leave nic-nacs alone, not use curtains as Super Hero capes (while still attached to a curtain rod) and who seem to have super glue on their little bums until dinner is finished and their hands have been wiped clean.

Now, I LOVE my children and I would NEVER in a million years trade them or their personalities and traits. I just think my kids are.......... maybe.................a little more curious and daring than those nic-nac friendly kids I know.

Because as much as I would love our bedrooms and home to look like this..................


Our rooms seem to ALWAYS look like this.................

A few weekends ago Marc and I were up pretty early on a Saturday and all of the kids were still asleep in their rooms..............we thought. I kept smelling something hot and convinced myself it was probably the coffee pot or the college student next door trying to fry eggs during a hangover. After my first cup of coffee the smell seemed to be stronger. So, like a hound dog I went through the apartment with my super sniffing powers and found that the smell seemed to be coming from Bella's room. I opened the door to see Bella quietly playing in her kitchen and smoke rolling from her lamp!!!!!!!!!!!!! I yanked the plug from the wall and went running to the kitchen with smoking lamp in hand. My curious Bella had laid her pajamas on top of the bulb, all curled up in a ball.........................

The bulb ended up busting as the plastic cooled and shrunk and the Strawberry Shortcake pjs??

Well, let's just say I never appreciated the term "flame resistant" more than I did that day.

I was pretty shook up the entire morning. Our apartment wreaked of burnt plastic and the kids got a very long lecture on fire safety and know now that they are not allowed to play with lamps. Bella's lamp- just to be safe- will not be returning to her room.

And then we have Monday's events. We had purchased an armoir for Kyle to keep his clothes in since his new room doesn't have a closet. Monday the kids were in his room laughing and seemed to be having a good time so I went to check on them. Now, most mothers know there are two times that are red flags- when you know you better stop what you are doing and go check on your kids. #1 When they are extremely quiet and #2 When they are laughing and squealing.

When I walked into the room, I was floored! I had to leave the room, count backwards and go back in. What I found was two little monkeys swinging from the last remaining door on the armoir.

What happened to the other door, you ask? Well......................

Yeah. I don't think this requires an explanation. And I think it goes without saying that the two little monkeys had to sit on time out for a very long time. Which, for them, is 15 minutes. Long enough to finger paint the table and the walls with their peanut butter sandwiches.

These are the things my kids get into almost every day. I clean up one mess while they make another. I guess looking at it from a positive perspective I could say that my kids have great imaginations and impeccable motor skills. They are, after all, learning.

As for Cali..............well, she is still innocent and well-behaved. But I think as soon as she learns to walk and swing she will be right in there with the pack of wild monkeys!!! I know that will happen sooner than I think. She is FIVE months old today!!!!!!!!! Five months already!

She loves to watch everything and everyone around her..............just soaking it all in.

She is teething and has mastered the skill of shoving almost her entire hand in her mouth.

She is happy and fun and smiles almost all of the time. She squeals and jabbers and makes a lot of noise. She is still trying to master sitting by herself and she is getting there.

I had her to the doctor for her well-visit last Friday and she weighs 15 pounds and 8 ounces which places her between the 75th and 90th percentile amongst her peers. She is also 26 7/8" long which puts her OFF the growth charts!!! The Dr did detect a heart murmur but with the way she is growing and developing they are not overly concerned. We will continue to monitor it regularly and she should out grow it by the age of two.

Happy Birthday Cali!!!!!!!

~Heather:)