Things I found, and a "what would you do?"

I've spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks sweeping, shop vac'ing, dusting, and dragging construction debris to the dumpster in the driveway. When not doing those things however, I've been window shopping online.

If you need a pair of interesting sconces I present the Fortune Teller Sconce. Made by Global Views (yeah, they make a lot of things I like), you could buy them for $435 a piece from Horchow, or you could get them on eBay for $250, here. I wish I had a spot, but I don't.

From this week's online sales (Gilt or OneKingsLane, I forget which) I discovered Environment Furniture and their Campinas Console. I've got the spot but not the money (even though its not outrageously priced) so I may try to build this if I can find some reclaimed lumber to face it with. And should the math become too much for me (which could totally happen) Bill builds furniture!

And finally, a little success on eBay, and my dilemma.

I've been watching West German pottery lately and was totally taken with the simple shape and red-orange glaze of this little pot. It had been running with a Buy It Now over $100, and then another $40 for shipping from Switzerland.

That was all way too much for me, but I kept it on my watch list. Sure enough, the Buy It Now came down and it went on a 7 day auction starting at $19.99. I tossed out a 20 buck bid, won, and Paypal'd the seller.

A few days later I received two emails explaining how between the start and the end of the auction Swiss postal rates had changed, and that while the package had been shipped, the cost was $13 more. A third message followed shortly explaining that paying the extra shipping was my choice, but that they were a non-profit and would have a difficult time making up the loss.

I'm not inclined to pay any more shipping, and here's why: I've sent a small piece of pottery, a Royal Copenhagen bowl in fact, to Germany for 20 bucks. I've also sent a heavy Ralph Lauren coat to Australia for $27. I dont know Swiss postal rates but $40 seems high to me, unless the promised careful packing involved an enormous box.

I've also miscalculated shipping on things I've sold, and to maintain my 100 percent perfect feed back I've eaten it. Once to the tune of 50 bucks. I just don't think you change things after the auction ends.

And finally, if you were a non-profit using eBay as a fundraiser, wouldn't you mention that in your auction listing? I would.

I don't think there's anything to be gained by responding. If the pot arrives in good shape I'll leave positive feedback and be done.

What would you do?

The first Saturday in March

I'm exhausted, there couldn't have been more packed into the weekend.

The AIDSWalk Open, our annual putt-putt pub crawl kicked things off Saturday morning at 10am. Cindy was determined to buy me a drink so the shot of Kahlua I requested went right into the coffee I was still nursing from breakfast. Would enjoying that every morning be a problem?

We were highly efficient covering all the holes in the Westport entertainment district, including our favorite at Morning Glory Antiques. It had a Studio 54 theme, lots of mirror balls and silver glitter, and the best obstacle of day: Members of the KC Wave swim team, in Speedos, on a swing hanging from the ceiling over the green. Why I didn't take a phone pic of the adorable boy dangling overhead in his banana hammock I don't know. Actually I do know. I was preoccupied. Note to self: attend more swim meets.

After a bloody mary and lunch and finishing the 3 holes not in Westport Brett and I were off to Kincaid's. As you know our entry has an opening into the living room where there used to be a planter and scrolly wrought iron. Bill is changing the size of that opening to accomodate the piece of antique Chinese lattice we bought. It's a plain grid pattern rather than anything more intricate, but I think that makes it feel a bit more contemporary, which I like. I'll have photos after I figure some sort of floating mount for Bill to pull off. If you've ever had to do anything like this I'd love to hear how you did it. The lattice frame is about an inch and a half thick.

By now you're wondering what's up with the paint chips above. In anticipation of our new room I've nailed down the details on what I'm going to do with that Henredon sideboard we bought a while back. I'm going to give the Fine Paints of Europe sign lacquer a try. And as a foil to all the neutral walls and floors (and future upholstery), I'm painting it burnt orange. Benjamin Moore's Fireball Orange was a strong contender, as was Navajo Red, but the winner is Orange Copper from Dulux. It's the big chip, sorry about the flash glare.

And for hardware, a simple three-inch ring pull in polished chrome,from Look In the Attic dot com, here.

I spent today browsing Nell Hills looking at rugs and an enormous wall mirror, also hitting up a new thrift store to see if there was any good project furniture (there wasn't). The living and family rooms are moving along and all I can think is that I'm going to have big empty spaces to fill very soon. Pictures of that progress later this week.

Dusty!

Alex says "What the hell? Our ceiling is gone..."

Dirt and dust everywhere.

It'll all be done soon, and we'll clean. Then the floors will get sanded down and refinished, and we'll clean again. And then we'll start decorating, and that'll be fun. Hang in there Alex.

Expansive

So you'll remember these before shots from when we moved. First, from the entry, which was sort of made up of two "bays" divided by a half wall (with wrought iron and a planter!) and a panel of ribbed glass that did nothing more than narrow the space you walk through. Once through the first bay you could go right, down the hall to the bedrooms, left through another archway to the living room, or straight through a pair of double doors into the panel-clad family room.
You can still go any of those directions, but you won't be contending with many walls now. That in-the-way ribbed glass is gone, as is the scrolly iron and planter. That opening is getting changed a bit, and eventually filled in. In fact, the entire second "bay" is gone, and is part of the living room. You can see the header over the hallway is on its way out as well. Long spans of uninterrupted ceiling. Oh, and those big studs? A fat wall that will hold the tv mount on the family room side. With big openings in the wall on either side.

On the left of this shot you can see the interior picture window. Yes, nearly 11 feet long, smack in the middle of the house. With curtains no less. You'll also see an entire wall of cabinetry that housed the TV back when TVs were really deep. So the closet behind the cabinetry was worthless. Oh, and since it was opposite the fireplace you could never easily enjoy both.

Now, all gone! It adds nearly 28 square feet to the room, minus that little corner we need to deal with. (Furnace venting, but I need it to move as its impinging on my layout for a pair of french doors and new windows) Those three old studs sticking up at the bottom are where the window used to be, and now where the fat studs in the above photo are located.

I hope that gives you a little idea of how we combined the rooms, trying to open them to each other but still keep a bit of separateness. More framing has happened, in fact the entire center wall is done as is the wall to the left where you see the electrical panel.

This week will be exciting. The dumpster arrives tomorrow (we've got a mountain of debris on the patio), and then Bill will demo the family room ceiling. The electricians will be in on Wednesday to install all the new lights/outlets/switches. Bill will likely demo the parquet then as well and then hang the new drywall ceiling. And if the rain and ice and snow ever stop Bill can go pick up the new oak plank and get that put down.

I'll get more pictures posted when the drywall goes up. I can't wait to paint!

Construction update

So what has happened this week? The media wall and surrounding partial walls have been built where the old interior picture window used to be. The old tv cabinetry wall and worthless closet are gone and a new wall has been framed in its place. Assorted other tear out has happened, just part of the entry and the whole north wall of the living room left to go.

The dumpster will be delivered Monday morning so we can move the mountain of debris off the patio. The family room ceiling comes down Monday or Tuesday, and the electricians are coming Wednesday to rewire everything and install lighting.

Bill will be back in to put up the new drywall ceiling and walls, and also remove the old crumbling parquet and install the new oak plank. Which may not be stained for a bit because we're thinking if they're here they might as well refinish everything, hallway, entry, living/family room and dining room.

Photos soon.

In happier news

The entire middle third of our house has been demo'd!

We live in crazy times

In addition to the Wisconsin union busting, Iowa and Nebraska are seeing bills introduced by their teabaggers that will grant civil and criminal immunity to those who use deadly force to prevent an abortion. Oh, and allow anyone who is arrested for using said deadly force to sue the police.

Because the assault on women's reproductive rights isn't enough. We must ensure those who attempt to kill providers don't pay for their crimes.

America has lost its mind.

The perfect carpet

Chris had a post about Michael S. Smith in Architectural Digest recently, discussing his use of pairs of accessories. What stopped me in my tracks though was this carpet. Source? Anyone?

What's new

Remember I was looking for the Austin Productions copy of this statue from the V&A? Google finally gave it up at a gallery in Seattle. I emailed today to find out how to purchase. I'm kind of excited as it was one of my favorite things at the museum. Brett's mildly worried because we have an aquaintance who has a copy of Michaelangelo's David in every room of his house, but I've assured him I'll never let that happen. (If we ever get together for drinks remind me to tell you the story of the aquaintance's new hot tub, the shorty robes we were given to change into, and my uncontrollable laughter.)

But that isn't the big news. The big news is that there might actually be a nice place to put it sometime soon. Super Carpenter Bill is back, and we've given him quite a list:
-open up wall between living and family rooms
-build media wall between living and family rooms
-new family room ceiling (bye bye asbestos tile!)
-new family room floor (goodbye sad old parquet, hello oak plank to match the living room!)
-demo old bar and frame for future built-ins
-replace family room paneling (ick!) with new drywall
-open up entry, removing a myriad of odd partial walls
-demo old television cabinetry and closet, adding 4 feet to the room
And with any luck, hello two new french doors and new windows looking out to the patio.

So in addition to continuing work in the bathroom, Presidents Day weekend will involve emptying out the living and family rooms as well as the entry and hall closets, and making ourselves a temporary living room in...the master bedroom.

I'll post some refresher before shots when we get everything emptied out, and then I should have some fun "during" shots when he really gets going in a couple weeks.

Wish us luck!

Maison21 needs you

A friend of Christian's has taken in this gorgeous boy, but he needs a permanent home. Full info is here. I'd take him in a second if I had any way of knowing he and Alex would get on. If you're not in the market please pass this on to anyone you know who might be. Look at that face, somebody is gonna hit the jackpot.

Subtle pattern

Here is that wallpaper that I couldn't swipe an online photo of last week. I'm sorry there's nothing included to give you a sense of scale, but just trying to find decent light to take this shot was daunting. If you can see the fold lines, each of those sections is nearly 8.5 by 11 inches, so just think of six pieces of copier paper laid out in two rows of three.

Basically we're trying to open the living and family rooms up to one another. The family room paneling and parquet floor will be replaced with drywall and oak plank to match the living room, and right in the center of the entire thing will be what we're calling a media wall. Seven feet long and thicker than a regular wall (we're thinking 8 or 10 inches currently) it will hold a flat panel tv on the family room side, and a credenza and some art or a big mirror on the living room side.

The entire room, including the entry, will have painted walls, but we wanted a little bit of pattern for here in the center just to break things up a bit. We'd originally thought about paneling the entire thing horizontally with gray prefinished wood flooring, but we have an old grayish Chinese cabinet we'll use under the tv to hold components and it just seems like too much wood.

This paper seemed too taupe to me at first, but the more I look at it the more I'm convinced its fine and that I can find a gray that works with it but doesn't read too brown.

Cute Contractor hasn't gotten back to us with numbers so I have no idea if or when we're getting started, but whever its a go I think we've got the wallpaper question answered.

Hello Handsome

Photo: Craig McDean

Apparently Tom Ford doesn't wear clothes at home. Which reinforces my belief that Richard Buckley is one of the luckiest men alive. Interview (literally) here.

Why I'm retiring to Palm Springs

It's become almost a tradition. It snows, I step out on the side porch and take a picture, then whine on the blog!

The upside is that the company I work for is very good about weather, closing early yesterday and not opening until 10 this morning. Plus we're casual, which to me is the best thing that could be done for one's employees. I'll be much warmer in jeans and harness boots than I would have in slacks and some Donald Pliner slip-ons.

Brett got up and shoveled the driveway making it easier for both of us to get in and out, and perhaps more importantly, giving Alex a spot for his morning constitutional. Sweet boy, Alex is one of those dogs that prefers dry paws. While that occasionally complicates spot selection, it does make for less mess being tracked back inside.

Here's hoping your day is warm, safe and dry.

Raina knows how exciting this is

Today we installed Schluter fabric in the bathroom. Yes, only two pieces, but they're large pieces. Combined with thinset mortar that was a bit on the runny side it took a while. Luckily, Brett is off work tomorrow for MLK day and may finish up the pony wall.

The fabric is going to cover what we need to cover, but isn't going to go as far as I thought. Luckily I bought a gallon of HydroBan, which is a rubber product that you apply to your drywall with a roller like paint. Two coats and you're ready to tile on top of it. That should cover everything else and be more than enough protection to handle any water or vapor that might get past the tile.

We also met with another contractor about reconfiguring the living room, family room, and entry. He seemed to completely grasp what we want to do and specifically said he would break down our quote so we could choose jobs as necessary. I'm really hoping we get good numbers back from him. He came with good references and he's done things for others that we absolutely are going to need. Like build an addition for the master bath. It doesn't hurt that he's also attractive. And by attractive I mean really hot.

Dear Sherwin Williams

I'm a big fan of your Cashmere paint line. This is the third house I've used it in and have nothing but good things to say about the coverage, finish, and durability.

I've never considered you for wallpaper however, because most of the books you have in-store are not so great. A bud of mine recently found that you have some good grasscloth, so tonight I got online and looked around.

Being able to search by color was helpful, and I found something I think I love. But then I couldn't crib the picture. People do a lot of sourcing online. I have folders on my laptop devoted to furniture and fixtures and all sorts of things I want to remember for future use. Except for your wallpaper, because I couldn't.

Yes, I'll order a sample for five bucks, but it would have been nice if I could have grabbed the picture for my file.

Thanks,
Dave

My newest obsession

Apparently it's been at 51st and Main since August, but somehow until this weekend we'd missed Yogurtini. And I've been twice since Friday night.

When you walk in you're greeted by about 14 frozen yogurt machines. Each has two flavors and a swirl. Grab a cup, pick your yogurt, and slide on down to the topping bar. Nuts, fruit, cereal, crunched up candy, its all there. At the end are the sauces.

Top your yogurt as you like, weigh and pay. It's brilliant.

I was out for a bit this evening and surprised Brett by bring some home. I had the same thing I got Friday night: Dulce de leche yogurt, waffle cone pieces, slivered almonds, coconut, and caramel sauce.

For Brett: Chocolate/Vanilla swirl, brownie pieces, crushed peanuts, crushed cashews, crushed Kit-Kats, chocolate sauce.

If you don't have a Yogurtini near you check around, there are other franchises with similar concepts. I'm finding the array of choices and do-it-yourself construction irresistable. I'm totally thinking about going tomorrow for lunch.

Greek chic

Here is eBay item number 350167897809.

$1500 or Make Offer. I'd make an offer. It's cool as hell but that's too much for a chair without provenance. I'm not making an offer, as much as I'd like to.

There's a matching sofa under a separate listing, but that's a bit much for me. I like the beauty of a single statement chair. You could change out those casters for something less obtrusive. GAAA I love that fabric. Classical motif AND quilted. It's perfect for the grayscale scheme we're working here at Chez Malaise. Damn it.

Happy New Year

It's an odd finish to 2010 at Chez Malaise. As I type the substitute electrician is trying to get the ceiling lights to work in the bathroom, Prada is penned in another bathroom because she wouldn't stop barking, and Alex is napping with Brett, who is in bed sick.

The temperature hit the low 60s here yesterday, yet there is ice on the trees this morning from an overnight rain. Also this week a bird flew into the dining room bay window, hard enough to take a cone-shaped chunk out of the glass.

The contractor we met with about reconfiguring the entry/living/family rooms finally got back to us this week. His bid was exactly twice what I told him our budget was. I was hoping for a breakdown of costs per item but that didn't happen, which makes me think he's not terribly interested in the job.

You might think I'd be bummed out, but for some reason I'm not. The lights will eventually come on and Prada will go home to her daddy. Brett will go to the doctor for drugs and get well, and if we have to get more quotes or GC another project ourselves, well, we'll do that.

We've lived here just over a year and while there's so much left to do to make this place a home, truly quite a bit got done.

And through the occasional scary parts and numerous little wins, you were here reading my rants and cheering us on.

Wishing you all the best in 2011.

This is gorgeous

Roger Ebert thinks it should win an academy award for short subject. I'm totally charmed.

Christmas wrap up

Turns out there was no need for my Christmas crankiness. Brett had a good holiday with his family and made it back in time to head to my family's gathering for drinks and dessert. We intended to stay about an hour and head home to exchange our gifts but were having such a good time catching up with my cousins Eric and Mauria and their mates that we were there all evening.

Eric did indeed wrap up his Emmy for his parents for Christmas so it was the popular photo op as you see here. Brett was surprised by the weight. I never pick up important things like that because I always fear dropping them. Plus I had a glass in my hand most of the time.

Mauria and I lived together at KU and she's moved to Chicago in the years since. We don't see each other nearly often enough so I was super happy we got to spend time together. She and her man are also heading to Cabo this week, so I'm also super envious.

Cranky Christmas

We're a bit out of sorts here. The traditional goings-on have all changed and Brett and I neither one are too happy about it. But we'll deal, and after meeting all the obligations Christmas night will find us here together, which is where we'd both prefer to be. With dinner and a good bottle of prosecco and Alex and Prada running around. Some gifts and probably some Wii gaming as well. Who knows, maybe even a movie if we're feeling crazy.

May your Christmas be exactly what you're hoping for!

Treize

December has been a pain in the ass. Work has been incredibly busy, which is a good news story except that I'm accustomed to a certain pace to my days. Family stuff has also taken a bit of time and energy, and so my annual December 15th post to say happy anniversary to my sweetie, well it didn't happen.

But it was our anniversary this past week, lucky number thirteen. As I tweeted that evening, 13 years ago I had a date with a guy. And Wednesday night that guy and I were sitting on our couch, in our house, drinking wine with our dog in our lap. I'm amazed and surprised, but mostly I'm grateful for loving, and being loved, more than I ever imagined I would.

Brett and I have traveled a bit, and you know by now of my love for France. My gift from Brett was two french things I'd mentioned. A Le Creuset braising pan in the Ocean color, and Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, Around My French Table.

You might be thinking "They don't even have a working stove, why would he want either of those things right now?" And to that I can only say, with a long shared history comes a certain amount of faith in the future. It may not be right here, right now, but at some point I'll cook from that book, in that pan. And when I sit down to eat it'll be with the guy who gave them to me.

Happy anniversary sweetheart.

Would someone show John McCain the door

First it was "Wait until the Don't Ask Don't Tell" study is complete. The study said the majority of the armed services didn't care if the gays served openly.

Then it was "The study is flawed, they should do another one."

Now it's "Three out of four military leaders agree, now isn't the right time to repeal. Lets look at a path to repeal sometime in the future."

Mr. McCain, please stop. Any shred of credibility you had before foisting Sarah Palin on the world is now completely gone. You're pandering and everyone knows it. Your wife and daughter (both of whom I like a great deal!) don't even agree with you. You've become a dinosaur, and one who'll say anything in an effort to remain relevant. Thank you for your past service. It's time for you to go.

Balls out

I took this shot from Jenny, who got it here. And knowing my history with balls, you know I think its fab. Other happenings:

My office adopted families again this Christmas, and once again Brett and I were to buy for a seven year old boy. I forgot to take pictures of his haul before I wrapped, but there were boot cut jeans, cargos, shirts and half-zip sweaters, and most exciting, a soccer ball and goal, and the radio controlled helicopter that were on his wish list. The helicopter has a missile launcher. I hope that if he tries to shoot his older sisters that he doesn't injure them.

Prada the Christmas Schnauzer will be joining us again for the holiday, staying from December 20th through January 3rd. She is practically svelte since moving out of the high rise, I'll try to showcase her new figure with a photo comparison.

And finally its cold. Freakishly cold. Low tire pressure and going out to buy Alex a little jacket cold. We had an energy audit and the guy is coming back with the results tomorrow evening. I'm WAY looking forward to finding out what we need to do to make the bedroom feel less like its outside.

Moving the ball down the field

Raina, fellow passenger on the bathroom renovation train, posted an update today. We've made some progress ourselves so I thought I should put up a shot as well. The drywall is all up and it actually feels like a room again.

The big surprise is that the doors are in. Who did them? We did!

The internet is amazing. I simply googled "how to install a split-jamb door" and was watching a video in mere seconds. You need a hammer and finish nails (long ones), a level and some shims, and then some shorter finish nails for securing the casing to your walls. The first took a bit longer but the second door practically hung itself. And happy accident, the door looks to be exactly the right size to clear the floor tile with no trimming necessary.

Its been forever since I've painted anything around here, so thats on my list for this week.

Like Raina, I'm shooting for a January reveal. Cross your fingers.

The MidMal Gift Guide

Its December, its cold, and I don't think I've ever done a gift guide. We cap Christmas pretty low at Chez Malaise, so think of it as a guide not only for the holiday, but for gifting (yourself or others) all year long. Spreading it out is much better than concentrated Christmas excess.

I somehow forgot to upload this when I first posted, it's C. Jere's Raindrops wall sculpture, available through Jonathan Adler. Love.


I saw these at Hall's and guessed that they were made by Global Views, and I was right.

They're the Geometry Covered Vases, and 19 and 25.5 inches tall respectively. Global Views' website has a handy dealer locater if Hall's isn't convenient. Note, the ones I saw were much brighter than these appear, which is good. The green was way more acid than grass.

It wouldn't be my gift guide if there wasn't a lamp, so how about two.
From Barbara Cosgrove's BCL line, the Glitz lamp. Eighteen inches tall, silver on porcelain, $356 for a pair, which is the only way they're sold. (Pairs are good, we like pairs.)

Imagine a tree full of silver balls and these.

Unglazed porcelain origami crane ornaments, $48 per pair at Gump's. At that price a full tree is going to require some severe markdowns, but still they're very cool.

I love mirrors, especially big, round ones.

From Global Views again, the Galt mirror. 36" of beveled mirror and pale wood goodness. I can think of a number of places this would be really great.

Good gifting always requires a little work, but please do not steal this Winifred Turner sculpture, Crouching Youth, from the Victoria & Albert in London.

Austin Productions made an authorized cast of the original. I've been watching one on eBay forever, but it seems to have disappeared. If you ever run across one I need to know.

Getting to those covered vases at Hall's took me right past the shelves of Votivo, where I remembered how much I like their Clean Crisp White scent.

I know, I don't really want to look at a reed diffuser either. The problem is, while Votivo's candles smell great, they also smoke a lot. Like enough to set the alarm off when you leave one burning in your condo bathroom on Christmas eve. Tuck this in a discreet spot and you're good to go.

This isn't just a list of things for the house though. Everyone wants a little something for themselves.

Like a black guccissima bifold wallet, $280 from Gucci. Just remember, men are often particular about wallets, don't give one unless you know what he likes.

Jewelry is much the same. He's likely either a jewelry guy or he isn't.

I wish David Yurman wouldn't plaster his initials all over things, but even with, I like the multiple pieces of the Special Petrvs Amulet Necklace, $1350 from Neiman Marcus. The 22" chain seems a little long, but that's an easy fix. I think it would be a lot more interesting up a bit closer to the throat.

Another good idea I must mention is a gift thats fun and does some good at the same time. What could be more fun than a puppy! The doing good part comes from getting one from your regional rescue.

This sweet little guy (and his brother - another pair!) is available from a shelter in St. Louis, but there are plenty of extra dogs everywhere. And if you're not up to housebreaking or dealing with all the mess (schnauzers are a handful until they're about two) there are plenty of adult and senior dogs who need a home as much, if not more than the babies. This is one gift you should ask about before hand. We're serious about dogs here, and 'forever home' means forever.

And finally, the big gun. Yes, every winter we're bombarded with the commercials. Often the family in the driveway presenting Mom with her new Lexus.

I say if you really want it make it a December to Remember, go vintage. This 76 Eldorado convertible is fab and way more reliable than something old and British or Italian. 19 feet long and not much more than that to the gallon. White is nice, and black is always good. (Red is a bit much in my mind.) Perfect, to me at least, is Innsbruck Blue, with the blue leather interior. Get the parade boot too. You probably won't end up behind a marching band, but you never know.

Not that there's anything going on in the dining room

But how much do I love this chandelier. Thomas O'Brien for Visual Comfort. Kind of mod, kind of retro, a tiny bit wacky. Thirty-three and a half inches wide, in polished nickel.

Oh look

Here is a handsome Ralph Lauren for Henredon buffet. Last year the lady selling it on Craigslist was asking 600. Last month she listed it again at 400, and if I had any extra cash I would have bought it. We've got lots of empty space and storage is always good.

If you're interested, it's now available on eBay at the bargain price of $2499.99. The seller is in Garden City, not too far from KC. They also have the Baker sideboard they beat me out on at an estate sale two years ago. They started somewhere around two grand on it and its down to $724.99 now.

Anyway, handsome buffet is on my watch list now in case I have a spot for it in 2013, when I'll shoot them an email offering 425. And just in case the sellers might find this post (stranger things have happened) I'll say this: You buy pretty good stuff, but even with Ralph's nameplate inside, in the end its just used furniture.

Whew!

photo credit tvfanatic.com

I had a whole post ready in case the teabaggers hijacked Dancing With the Stars, alas with Bristol out in 3rd place there's no need. But why waste the Shirtless Mark Ballas photo I found?!

Drywalled

Its amazing what happens when you get after a project. We spent the weekend hanging drywall and we're over halfway done. And most importantly, there were no injuries in spite of the use of a rather scary jab jaw.

You'll note the copious use of screws, perhaps more than you'd see if you had this done by a pro. Yes, there were lots of misses and screw-throughs, but its up and its solid. Our carpenter Bill would be horrified, but we're pretty proud.

Pat, the really nice neighbor behind us came over to check on us and was kind of unsure how to reply when we mentioned tiling next, thinking that we didn't know sheetrock wasn't the proper underlayment, but we explained that it was all getting covered with the Schluter fabric and would be waterproof.

Just about 1 1/2 walls left and we'll be ready for the next step.

After a bite to eat and a shower we treated ourselves to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. If you've enjoyed the others you'll like this one just as much.

Why I don't DVR daytime TV

Weekend Recap: The good and the ugly

Thursday I was running errands over lunch when a series of Estate Sale signs guided me into a strip mall near my office. It was the strangest mix of things, from what looked like an old french pine armoire priced at $1800 to tupperware pitchers. My friend Jenny just bought a pair of lovely old twin beds with inlaid wood head/foot boards, and I've been searching for a small chest we could paint to go between them. I didn't find a chest, but I did find the Henredon buffet you see above. Of course at our house we like to say Henry Don because we're weird like that.

I thought the lines were good, but they had $235 on it which seemed like a bit much. I mentioned it to Brett, and also emailed another friend who likes to refurbish the occasional piece of furniture. Saturday we ran to the coffee shop near that strip mall for breakfast when Brett asked if I wanted to show him. I balked at first, I was feeling tired and lazy, and if by chance it was there I wasn't really in the mood to heave anything heavy into the car. Well, not only was it (surprisingly) still there, but it was half price. And its on wheels, so it rolled right outside to our vehicle.

Hello Gorgeous recently unveiled some magic she worked on a set of Henry Link Bali Hai bedroom furniture. In that reveal post she also noted some information she received on using Fine Paints of Europe's Brilliant sign enamel for an approximation of a lacquer finish. I'm going to have to order it online as there are no dealers in KC, and from what I can tell its about $100 a gallon for both paint and primer, but I'm going to give it a shot. The ten buck fee for a custom match is cheaper than ordering a $50 paint deck, so the search for a color is on. My first thought was a soft, pale gray, although Brett and I are both intrigued with the idea of burnt orange if we can find the right one. It also desperately needs new hardware, so if you know of a a really good ring pull give me a shout.

So that was the good. Also good was the fact that we completed the cement board on the bathroom floor, and late in the afternoon I got our leaf-filled front yard mowed.

But midday today came the ugly. Brett was scoring the last little piece of board when his utility knife slipped off the straightedge. The urgent care folks were great and about an hour later I was driving Frankenfinger and his six stitches home. It was horribly painful for him I know (and unbelievably bloody!) but he's alright, and has spent the evening medicating with a bottle of chilean sauvignon blanc.

Chili time

Every year on the Friday before Halloween my office has a chili cook-off. I don't usually participate because I have a policy about getting out of the office for lunch, but this year I was kind of in the mood for chili and thought what the hell.

I don't have a go-to chili recipe. I've always kind of thrown it together from what I have around, or I've seen a recipe somewhere and given it a shot. Nothing has wow'd me so far. So I went to my favorite recipe site, allrecipes.com, and picked the recipe with the highest score (5 stars) and most reviews (1794). It's called the Boilermaker Tailgate Chili.

We're still handicapped without a stove so browning meat in the electric skillet and moving to the crockpot was a little bit of a hassle, but the beans and tomatoes are easy from a can. Other than that it was just chopping vegetables and measuring spices (there are lots of ingredients), so it wasn't a horrible deal. I made it the evening before and tasted it before we went to bed. It was just okay. So just okay in fact, I left it at home on Friday and went out for lunch as usual.

That next evening, well, it was there so we warmed it up for dinner. And as is often the case, it was WAY better the next day. So if you don't have a favorite you might give it a shot, and here are a few tips:

-You want the bulk sausage, nothing in casing. Also, I like the rougher grind of the beef.

-I used one fewer can of beans for a total of three, and it was fine. Four would be too much.

-A half can of tomato paste worked just fine.

-I chop all the celery and peppers on the big side because I like them to stay firmer, and they did.

-A small can of chiles is fine if there are no fresh ones.

-Forget bacon bits, 3 pieces cooked crisp and crumbled is delicious.

-You do need the beer. Drink the other half while you cook!

-And finally, be generous with the spices. Rounded teaspoons beat level, although I eased off on the cayenne and thought it was spicy without being overwhelmingly hot.

If you give it a try let me know what you think.

Preview: wall & floor tile

One of my colleagues at work (Hey D!) is renovating his bathroom so we've been discussing our projects. I was describing my tile when he asked if I'd posted a shot on the blog. It's a good idea, so here it is laid out on the living room floor.

The 8.5"X19.5" wall tile will be laid in a running bond as shown. The 12"X12" China Black for the floor will be laid on the diagonal. Both will have teeny grout lines. Hopefully we'll be ready to start laying this stuff in a weekend or two.

Dinner, cards, blogging...

All good things to do at a great round dining table, like this one from dosgallos.com. (Yes, I'm still obsessed with round dining tables) This is the 60", shown in a medium mahogany, lightly distressed finish. It comes in a number of other finishes, including a black which I really like, and a 72" size that would be perfect in my dining room. Does anyone know anything about Dos Gallos?

Kismet

Sick of hearing about plumbing yet? (we're sick of talking about it!)


When we moved in I couldn't get the cold water washing machine hose off the spigot down in the basement. So I put our much newer, steel-wrapped hose on the hot and hooked up the old cold hose to the machine.


Over time the slight bulge got bigger until finally we decided that when not using the machine we'd turn the supply off. And one of the last things I did before we headed off to Cali was make sure that was done. Good thing too, when we got back and prepared to do some wash it finally gave way.


Still, there was no getting that old hose off, so Saturday we called Roto Rooter back. While I waited I took a hacksaw to it and actually got the connector cut, but it still wasn't coming off. Matt the plumber showed up and after a false start caused by our turning off the water main before he arrived, he installed new taps, I got a new hose, and we're back in business.


And while he was here Brett asked if he wanted to quote the bathroom re-plumb. He beat all three of our estimates. He'll be back on the 27th to do the job.


And the Tile Shop called, the wall tile is in! I'll head out to pick it up this week.

You make the call

There is currently one double-hung window in the bathroom that must be replaced. It remains where it is and retains it's current size, the only possible change would be to a casement. It will be surrounded by about a 3-inch casing painted white, and then the whole thing is surrounded by white marble. The sink will be to the right and there will likely be a freestanding cabinet of some sort to the left, but nothing that impedes.


So the question is what to do for a window covering. I'm open to curtains because we bought a Panasonic exhaust fan that I'm sure will move the moisture out. I'm also open to a variety of blinds or shades. I'm even thinking it might be nice to forgo any covering at all and apply some sort of view-obscuring film to the glass. The only thing I'm not so into would be a shutter.


So what do you think? Or even better, what have you seen or done yourself that you felt worked really well?