Laundry Room Progress

Well, it only took us a year, but this weekend my Dad and Jose installed the newly milled wood onto the laundry room wall! Now all we have to do is paint and add some trim and it will be ready for a washer/drier!!! We can't wait. Here's the before, during , and after...

Before

During

After (my camera's not working so all I have is a crappy cell phone pic).

ps. If my camera was working I'd post some pictures of our Christmas decorations. I'm so excited to finally be settled into our house for Christmas this year, since we missed it last year.

I Love Fall!!

Pumpkins. Half Moon Bay. Pregnant sister. Pumpkins. Graves in front yards. Pumpkins. Crisp air. Pumpkins. This is why.

Late Night Visitor

Tonight we got a knock at the door. A woman, all dressed up for a night on the town and slightly drunk informed us that she used to own our house, and that it was the only place she ever felt at home. We let her in and showed her around, after she divulged enough details about the house to assure us that she actually did live here and wasn't a psycho creep trying to scope out our house and rob us . She told us about the plans they had for the house--knocking out a wall, adding on a master bedroom, replacing the garage with a granny unit--and even seemed a little teary. I felt a little bad, but then I realized that she wasn't the one who lost it to foreclosure. She was the second to last owner, so it wasn't as awkward. The house was a complete mess, but it was actually kind of nice talking to someone who used to live here. We didn't really get to do that when we moved in since it was a foreclosure, so we knew nothing about it's history or any of it's little quirks. In the year that we've lived here, though, we're slowly learning more and more and the house is feeling more like our own. Sometimes I think we're not getting much done, but as I showed her around tonight, I realized how much we've accomplished and how it's not really the same house that those old owners lived in. Everything they thought about doing (new floors, remodeling the kitchen, fixing the garage), we've done. I guess we're not doing to bad, after all.

Getting Things Done

Weekend To-Do List

1. Order fan light
2. Hang artwork
3. Paint and seal spice cabinet
4. Clean bathroom
5. Clean house
6. Paint kitchen
7. Spray weeds
8. Put up motion light
9. Clean up dog poop
10. Hang light over kitchen sink
11. Buy and install oven hood lights

8 out of 11's not too bad.

Annoying City Codes

Today we got a notice saying that we had to remove the "couch" from our front porch by September 25, or be fined $250.00!! And by couch, I mean a wood framed futon-like love seat with removable cushions. Apparently, if it's not actually designated as outdoor furniture, it can't be out there. It's not as if we have an actual cushy couch out there! I totally understand if they don't want junky old couches laying around, but I actually put it out there because I like it and think it looks good! Besides, it's a covered, partially enclosed porch, so it's not going to get rained on. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if I can leave it out there if I buy some designated outdoor cushions for it. I mean, really, it's not much different than wicker lawn furniture with a cushion on it! Uugh.

The guilty party. It's not a great picture, but it really does look cute and cozy.

Refinishing Projects

My mom and dad came up the other day with a couple great old finds to refinish. One was a little old end table that belonged to my Grandma Adrian (or possibly even her mom) and the other was an old wood radio that my dad found somewhere (I actually have no idea where it came from). My dad did pretty much all the hard work of stripping and sanding the two, so I can't really take much credit, but I did help put the varnish on! They look soooo good! The table still needs 4 cool tiles for the top, but I still have to find some. Bring me more old stuff!

Resurrecting the Garage

We're finally starting to tackle the garage, much to the amazement of our neighbors! It's so old and rickety and leans so badly that when the termite guys came to tent our house, they refused to do the garage for fear it would tip over! They were probably right.
With a crank and a cable, my dad and Jose pulled it straight and guess what?! After a couple weeks, it's still standing! Here are some photos, although I'll have to add a straight garage shot tomorrow, because I didn't seem to take one.

Our crooked garage.

Cranking it straight.

Adding braces to keep it from slipping back.

Re-framing the end wall.

Of course Scout's always in the action.

A bit of structural support and added insulation.

Of course we couldn't use new, shiny nails on our old, rustic garage!

Re-applying the original redwood siding, flipped over for a more antique look.

Jose, working hard :)

The (almost) finished product! Only 3 more sides to go!

Family Beach Day

Here are some photos of Scouts first trip to the ocean. She had quite a water week...Lake Tahoe, the beach, and a pool...and I can definitely say she's a water dog! She loved it.

All tired out, asleep at my feet while I cook!