What Money Can Buy

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Maggie C

I was talking with my eldest daughter the other day (okay, maybe it was more like complaining) about how much I’ve been spending on all my DIY home improvement projects; projects which include reviving the hardwood floors that I discovered under my grungy living room carpet, ripping up the ugly linoleum from my bathroom floor and laying down vinyl tile, making a bathroom sink back splash out of art glass squares, constructing a stained glass privacy panel for the bathroom window, remodeling the kitchen (still in progress), and redoing my dining room to… well, to make it look like a dining room and not a staging area for all my other projects.

dining room

And those are just the indoor projects.

My daughter asked me if spending all that money brings me happiness. ‘Cuz, you know – that whole thing about how money can’t buy you happiness. I didn’t have to ponder that question long at all before giving a resounding “Yes!”

I never had much occasion to practice any handyperson skills up until the past couple of years, so every home improvement project I take on involves a learning process of new skills and knowledge about the workings of “this old house.” (Does that phrase sound familiar? I could probably start my own DIY TV program).

living room floor

The projects have varying levels of success. Some turn out well, some have to be completely redone. Some results are “interesting” and “unique” to say the least, so I just pass those off to my eclectic artistic license and try to imply that that’s where I meant to go with the project – I just didn’t know it until I got there.

Regardless of how I rate the outcomes, I can honestly say the process itself is almost entirely fun and satisfying. I love the challenge, the chance to research and learn new things, the hands-on real world application of what I learn, and the gratification of a daily tangible result.

kitchen

So despite my complaints about the cost of my myriad DIY projects, it is indeed money well spent. It buys a more comfortable, appealing home atmosphere. It buys an “experience” in addition to paying for material goods. And – you might well say – it buys me happiness.

bathroom sink glass back splash

The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: Satisfaction

Weekend Coffee Share 5/28/17

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee…

I’d offer you some cold brew out on the deck. We’re finally getting some sun and warmth and blue skies and flowers and singing birds. I love it!

Now that my kitchen is functional, I’ve turned my focus on the yard. I’ve started moving the seven cubic yards of wood chips from where they’ve been camped all winter just outside of my back yard gate. I need to clear access for the fence installers that are coming next week to set up a new fence along my back property line and replace the gate on the street side.

Is it just me, or does this pile of wood chips resemble George Washington’s Mt Rushmore carving?

It will be a solid privacy fence. What’s that saying… “Good fences make good neighbors.”

Hold on… I want to look up who actually said that. Probably rude of me to hop on the computer while I have guests, but it will only take a sec.

Ah… Robert Frost. And it’s not a saying, it’s a line from a poem, Mending Wall. Interesting. I didn’t know that.

Frost writes about stones falling from the wall that separates his property from his neighbor’s. In the spring it’s time to mend the wall.

A few excerpts:

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go…

They work together until they come to the end of the wall.

There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

The poet presses the point:

“Why do they make good neighbors?
…
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense…”

The neighbor continues working for a bit.

He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

You may read the entire poem here:
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/mending-wall

*****
Sorry for the interruption of our coffee date, but I get curious about things. And I learned something new!

My neighbors and I don’t have apple trees and pine trees between us. They have an eclectic collection of – how shall I say this – crappy junk! I have daffodils, grape hyacinth, California poppies and St John’s wort.

Maybe they hate looking at my flowers as much as I hate seeing their junk. Who knows? But I’m so excited for the new fence! The installers will set the posts and show me how to put on the boards. It costs less if I do some of the work myself. And we all know how much I love to attempt new DIY projects.

Maybe I’ll write my own poem about putting up my fence. Seriously. Okay, so I’m no Robert Frost, and my vinyl fence won’t be as picturesque as a countryside stone wall. But I’ll give it a shot. We all know how much I love to attempt poetry.

I guess I got a bit preoccupied today with fences and walls and neighbors and Robert Frost. And I’ve had too much caffeine now, so I’m antsy to get to work on… something. It won’t be shoveling wood chips today. It’s too hot. I have lots of projects to choose from, though.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great week!

#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Emily at NerdintheBrain.com. You can go there to check out what others are sharing over coffee this weekend.

Weekend Coffee Share 5.13.17

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee, I’d be pretty stoked to show you the progress in my DIY kitchen redo. You might be stoked to be able to make it to the kitchen without having to don a hardhat, steel-toed boots and a nail-proof vest.

I’m far from done, but it’s starting to look like a kitchen again. Since you are only here virtually, I’ll share “before” and “now” photos:

BEFORE

NOW

I still need to paint and hang cabinet doors and tend to a number of small items, but the big parts are done, at least on this side of the kitchen. The opposite side is still a mess. If I showed you “before” and “now” photos of that side, you’d think I was losing ground instead of gaining. So let’s just look at this side of the kitchen and pretend the other side doesn’t exist. Except for the coffee pot, of course.

I wanted to get the project to a point where the kitchen is functional again, and then be able to focus on other interests for a while. Like my yard.

There are so many outdoor project ideas I have for this summer, if the weather would only cooperate. For now I just stand at my rain-spattered window and watch all the growing things beckon to me to come out and play. Then when I realize their “beckoning” is just from the wind and rain pelting the plants into a desperate frenzy, I wrap my sweater a bit tighter to ward off the chill and return to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. And maybe a bit of touch up painting.

Thanks for stopping by and letting me carry on about my DIY doings. It might not look all that impressive to some, but I’m having fun trying out new skills and ideas and just seeing what unfolds. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I just saw my dog run by with a pie tin in his mouth. I really need to get those cabinet doors hung.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is generously hosted by Emily at NerdInTheBrain.com. Hop on over to see what others are sharing over coffee this weekend.

quell corner cutting

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Maggie C

question quick fixes
quite often one discovers
quality takes time

Q is for quality.

#AtoZChallenge: 26 posts in April, topics to proceed alphabetically. Theme optional.

My theme: a three-line poem each day (5-7-5, haiku form) with the first letter of each line the same as the letter of the day.

Weekend Coffee Share 4/16/17

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’m boycotting my kitchen today. It has nothing to do with not wanting to cook a nice Easter dinner for family. I boycott that scenario every year. No, today I’m avoiding the kitchen because I’m frustrated with my DIY kitchen remodel project. But I don’t even want to think about that, so instead I’ll tell you about my yard.

As you see by the photos, I have lots of dandelions. Lush, healthy, organically grown, beautiful dandelions. I took the photo of my front lawn through my living room window. The neighbors don’t seem to appreciate my weeds as they have a habit of becoming everyone’s weeds when their seeds blow. So I thought it might not go over well if I am observed in my yard proudly photographing this year’s bumper crop.

I still have a ways to go on the whole not-caring-what-other-people-think thing. I suppose on the flip side, it could be seen as a not-being-a-good-neighbor thing to let my weeds grow and spread to the others’ chemically-induced pristine lawns. But we all have our neighborly vices. Screaming kids, barking dogs, loud parties, random rusting appliances abandoned in the front yard… and wayward weeds.

Anyway… what I was going to tell you before I got sidetracked with broken appliance yard decor is that today I came across a recipe for dandelion jelly! I’m kinda stoked to try it, but my stove is still unavailable, what with the whole kitchen remodel thing that I’m not talking about today. I’m thinking maybe if I pick the blossoms and show up at a neighbor’s door with all the ingredients, perhaps they’ll see that weeds aren’t all bad, and they’ll welcome me inside to make the jelly in their kitchen.

Or they might just scream, “Run! It’s that weird weed woman!” and slam the door in my face.

Maybe I should just go out and mow the lawn, sending all my beautiful weeds to mulch heaven. I’ll ponder that idea while we enjoy the rest of our coffee. It feels like a good day to sit back and relax, admire my flowers, and let the lawn, the kitchen remodel and myself have a pleasant day of rest.

For all who celebrate Easter, I send wishes for a happy, blessed day.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Emily at NerdintheBrain.com.

Weekend Coffee Share 3/25/17

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee… well, we wouldn’t be able to make it to the kitchen right now, but I’d invite you around back. I’ve got the hose set up, so I can offer you water. I could wash out that cute little flower pot for a mug.

No? Okay, well come around back anyway, and I’ll show you what I’ve been up to.
Remember that little concrete countertop I poured a couple of weeks ago? Well, I worked on grinding and finishing it this week. And now it’s going to be a very shiny stepping stone for the yard somewhere.

Apparently there’s a kind of sweet spot with concrete finishing, right when it gets that nice smooth sheen, and before it begins getting really shiny and starts revealing even more pits than what one has already sanded out. I was going for a shiny look, and managed to polish my way right past that smooth sweet spot.

With proper training, experience and equipment, I suppose there are subtler nuances between finishing stages, but I lack all of the above. Hey, it was fun, though, and I haven’t given up!

Today, I gave it another go ‘round with a pour-in-place top. Same size as the first one, but this time instead of doing all the dirty work in the garage and then bringing it into the house to install, I built the mold right onto the counter surface and poured the concrete directly into its final resting place, doing all the dirty work in the kitchen.

Hence the inaccessibility. It’s a small space to begin with, but once you’ve pulled both the fridge and the stove away from the walls, and have slopped impromptu concrete speed bumps all over the floor, well… I guess I’ll be going out for my morning coffees this coming week.

I’ll likely remove the forms on Wednesday, and assuming it’s functional, I’ll begin grinding and polishing. This time I’m going for that smooth sheen. Let’s hope I get it right. A girl can only use so many stepping stones.

Have a great week! Maybe I’ll see you at the coffee shop.

P.S. — If you notice that Chules looks a little straggly, it’s because he chose to take on the water hose while I was rinsing off my tools in the back yard. Despite what he tries to claim, I did NOT start a water fight! (I did win it, though. 😉 )

#WeekendCoffeeShare is hosted by Emily at NerdintheBrain.com. Head on over to see what others are sharing this weekend. They probably won’t make you drink from the hose.

#Weekend Coffee Share 3/19/17

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Maggie C

If we were having coffee, you might notice that the path into my house is ever-so-slightly clearer. As the kitchen makeover progresses, some of the overflow materials, tools, odds and odders are thinning out a bit. Just a bit, though.

Pardon me while I squeeze past the stove that’s been pulled out of place and now sits in the middle of the kitchen, find you a clean coffee mug and try to remember which space of countertop was clear enough to hold the coffee maker this morning.

I poured one of the concrete countertops – just a little one; 24” x 15.5” – and set it in place yesterday to see how I like it. It seems rather thick at two inches, especially for such a small top, but I’ll leave it there for a while to see if I warm up to it. If nothing else, it will make for a good practice piece as I try to get the hang of filling the air holes, polishing and finishing the concrete.

Painting, more painting, resizing cupboard doors to fit around the new range top vent, ripping up old flooring, pulling staples… it’s slow going for me, but mostly because I’m in no hurry. I spend a lot of time just standing in the middle of the kitchen, surveying my “progress,” and alternating between a sense of pride and a sense of panic as the thought, “What was I thinking when I decided to take this on?” runs through my mind.

It makes my eskie Chules anxious to see me just standing there. He thinks if I’m in the kitchen I should be fetching him a snack, and if I’m not going to feed him I should stop staring at the walls and go play with him. Or at the very least, sit and watch him as he naps.

The sun’s actually out today, a rarity that I should probably take advantage of. I’ll let Chules take me for a walk and then consider doing some yard work.

Thanks for stopping by. I apologize if I bored you with my kitchen update. As the weather moderates I can begin regaling you with stories of my landscaping projects (something about which I am equally clueless as I am with the DIY kitchen project).

I hope you have a great week!

#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Emily at NerdintheBrain.com.

Weekend Coffee Share 12/18/16

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Maggie C

#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Diana at ParttimeMonsterBlog.com.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’m feeling lazy this morning. Not that that’s unusual for me, but today I feel like embracing the laziness instead of berating myself about all the things I “should” be doing, or “have to” get done.

Okay, maybe I should go grocery shopping. With my kitchen torn up from my remodeling project, I’ve been mostly dining on frozen meals that I nuke in the microwave and foods that don’t need much preparation (like PB & Js). Since the freezer is bare except for ice, it’s time to restock.

With all my DIY home projects, I’ve been telling myself it’s okay if my “improvements” fall short of candidacy for a House Beautiful photo shoot. The house is pretty old after all, and – as a former rental house – wasn’t cared for with much pride in ownership. So if my rebuilt cupboards aren’t totally straight and level, it’s no big deal. It’s not the end result that’s important, it’s the fun of the challenge. Or so I tell myself as I survey the lopsided end result.

But I realized the other day that the house is only six years older than I am. That’s not so old… is it?

Speaking of old:

Last week I received my first “senior discount” at the local Walgreen’s store. I wasn’t offended. My first thought was that surely I’m too young for that and – in all fairness — I should decline the discount. My second thought was, “Discount? Heck, yeah!”

Perhaps the fact that I was wearing my sweatshirt inside out gave the impression of age-related dotage. What can I say? Sometimes I like to wear it that way.

Anyway, the sun is up now and it’s getting on in the morning. Basking in laziness can only last so long before the “should”s and “have to”s take over. it’s time for my PB & J breakfast. Then maybe I’ll watch a few episodes of “This Old House,” so I can plot some more DIY projects.

And if there’s a program out there called “This Old Person,” I refuse to watch it. Unless, of course, there are discounts involved.

What Rhymes with Stanza?

Words at rest, words at play

Tag Archives: DIY projects

What Money Can Buy

quell corner cutting