The Middle?

Well, it isn't the beginning... it isn't the end... it also isn't the middle... So.... Oh whatever, we are shifting gears.  The studio has numerous 'little' things that need to be done to make it done, but it's done enough.  I moved all my quilting stuff out of the house and into the studio and, holy crap, do I have a lot of sewing stuff!  Also, my living room in the house is really big.  

Summer is here and, as I have been dreading, it's time to take a bite out of the house.  In case you missed it, we are building a staircase in our present bedroom into the attic where we plan to build two bedrooms for the girls and a water closet type bathroom.  

This attic project is the first of a series that will see the house transform into a functional and funky (Jeremy doesn't know it's going to be funky yet) modern home.  The plan would ideally see the first half of the house (attic, living room, master bedroom) completed by Summer 2014 (1 year), but the chances of that are 1 in 50.  So like champs we are going to try anyway. 

I'm taking the kids back to British Columbia for a couple weeks and Jeremy is going to get started on the staircase and the framing of the attic.  I will return, leaving the kids in BC with their grandparents for another two weeks, and Jeremy and I will continue on with trying to get the bedrooms up to drywall so the kids could move in to at least one of the rooms.  

It's going to be a journey actually living in renovations again, this is our 4th house we have renovated.  Although, this is going to be the most extensive project so far.

It all begins with a plan and some wood... passed up a tiny hole in the bathroom closet.   So our plan basically goes like this:

• Frame half the attic 
• Demo our bedroom to make room for stairs
• Build stairs hoping they end up where we planned 
• Insulate attic (spray foam?) 
• Wine... I mean wire attic
• New windows
• Rough-in water closet plumbing
• Frame master bedroom on main floor
• Drywall and all that crap

Well consolidating all these thoughts here on the computer screen has made me go cross eyed.  

Jordan and Payton playing in Jordan's future bedroom

The masking tape is the proposed walls

The kids are always ready to do a project so they got to paint the cat house.

Ground Up

Lately I have been feeling a little dizzy, I'm not sure if it's due to exhaustion or excitement but since all I do is feel dizzy I suppose it really doen't matter.  We have been plugging away at the endless number of tasks to bring this renovation hell to a close... we are not even close yet, but closer than last month I suppose.  Its time to turn our sights to the floor and get er' done.

Before the floor could be laid Jeremy had to fix a rather large gaping hole in the floor and build a new access to the crawlspace.  This ended up working out because our back ordered flooring we purchased never did show up at least not in time for us.  We cancelled our order and found some other stuff.  To be completely honest I'm really not that picky about the floor... actually I really couldn't have given a darn.  Jeremy kept asking me and sending me photos from the stores asking me which one I liked best and in the end it only took me telling him 12 times that "I DON'T CARE!  As long as it's not gray, or dark, or cheap, or fake looking...."  Hahaha indecisive through and through.  In the end it's just laminate, and in a studio to boot, so whatever.


With the flooring stacked in neat little piles, I was excited to get started and use some power tools!  I have wrestled with a fear of saws since a kid in my grade 12 year cut off three of his fingers and I saw him running through the school dripping blood and yelling... But I'm also ready to overcome this irrational fear and get sawing.  That is when Jeremy dropped the bomb on me... He wanted to do the floor because his OCD would never abate if I messed it up.  So after a split second of disappointment I shrugged and went to go read a book and have a cup of tea (I mean if he really wants to do it, who am I to argue? It was a good book).

But as per renovation law things had to snowball... Like building a brick wall, one brick HAS to come before another or it all falls down.  So, with financial tap-out looming, we had to purchase both toilet and vanity for the bathroom so a layout could be planned and proper holes for the plumbing drilled.  Also we had to purchase interior doors (on back order until who knows when, dammit) for the finishing of trim and transitions between rooms to be properly installed.  The finishing sure adds up, little things that seem so insignificant at the beginning of a project, but are vital to a completed one.

I've taken another job here in middle of Nowhere, Saskatchewan...which brings the grand total up to 5.  Yep, I have 5 part-time on-call jobs outside the house, renovation hell (studio), and somehow a stay-at-home mom?  They include :

• Teachers Aid (on call)
• School Secretary (on call)
• Librarian (on call)
• Janitor at the Fitness Gym (free membership!  When I can use it is still to be seen)
• Bartender (the newest on the list, I mean who needs sleep?)

But all whining aside, I'm very happy with our progress this far and very proud of Jeremy's laminate skills (I still think I could have done it).  Upcoming pressing matters include (since I'm in a list-type of mood):

• Back porch lino (already got it, just need to clear the area and get it done)
• Finish window trims (need more trim, pick up tomorrow)
• Base boards (pick up tomorrow with window trim and then paint it...)
• Plumbing in toilet, vanity, and outside tap (for the garden I didn't mean to plant)
• Rough in plumbing for tub and kitchenette sink
• Buy another case of beer and finish writing this list.

Yeah enough lists, it's disheartening.  I just noticed my calendar by the computer is still on January... no wonder I forget so much stuff...  Well that is all for now.

The Kids Step Up

Well the kids have been working on their own project, a house for the cats.  It's fairly self explanatory, so here are the photos.