No dig zone and thinking outside the box (part 2)

When we last left our heroine she  was facing a crisis of epic proportions...oh wait, wrong story...

Well, maybe it wasn't a crisis of epic proportions but it was definitely an issue--for me. In case y'all don't remember I am talking about that ugly corner of my house with the gas pipes. When I had posted about this previously, I had taken the project to the point of spraying the gas pipes, the meter and phone/cable boxes. It needed a 2nd coat of paint, then it rained, and rained and rained...The more it rained, the more irritated I became. What soothes my irritation (besides chocolate, booze and pasta?) Pinterest and shopping. Never, EVER a good combination!  

I...ummm...may have over spent on this project. But after carefully weighing the instant gratification factor against the "I will be sweating my ass off , being chased by buzzing/ stinging insects, and I really didn't want to paint a kazillion things factors"... I went for instant gratification. I know, I know. I broke my own mantra of a budget. And repurposing things. But it was hot as hell. And I'm tired ...

Please pass me the cheese plate to go with my whine...

Gatehouse Vinyl Privacy Lattice 31 x37

Pea Gravel 0.5 cf

Retaining blocks, 16 inch

Here are some of the in-progress shots because the typhoons rains came...again. This is not how I leaving it but you get the idea of what I am trying to do by concealing this corner. Since I can't stick the spikes in the ground due to a concrete slab  and gas/ water lines, the blocks filled with gravel holds the spikes n place. Let me tell you those blocks are heavy as hell.  It is definitely quite the workout! This is even more of an improvement over painting the pipes but I am not loving the gap in between because you can see the hardware. Nor am I loving the gap under the panels.



View from my porch...ehhh not so much...but I have a fix for this too

What I do like is the utility workers have easy access to the meter. They can view it over the panel or have access to step behind the panels. Worse case scenario this all can be moved with relative ease.

Just a tweak on the hardware which came with the panels. The top hardware is used when attached sided by side (except you use 1 bracket). I connected them using a small bolt and nut. The bottom hardware is used when connecting the panels at a 90° angle. Agian I overlap the hardware using a small nut and bolt. I bent the hardware to conform to the angle I had arranged the panels, drilled through the sides and attached using small bolts with nuts. The hardest part of this was finding bolts that fit the hole of the hardware and nuts to fit the bolts when digging through the hubbs hardware bins.

Well that's where I am for now. If the rains ever stop, I can finish what was supposed to be a weekend project which has now spanned over 2 weeks....

Projects Galore

Y'all, I have come to a realization... I am a  habitual unfinished project addict (HUPA).  I really think there needs to be a support group for this. Now just so y'all know-- I am not making light of anyone that suffers from any kind of addictions. This is me making fun of me.

It always begins innocently enough. You struggle through whatever project you are working on and in my case they tend to be in years. You finally get the burst of energy or money needed to infuse life back into the project that was dying a slow pitiful death, and take it "this close" to being completed and stop. Why is that?  Does anyone else do this?

I was taking stock of the house and the DOZENS of unfinished projects (and I am excluding all the craft/ DIY and garage type projects) ...in no particular order

1. Kitchen- Still needs paint touched up around the ceiling, baseboards installed, doorway trim work (multiple), and new door installed.

2. Living room- Baseboards installed, trim work painted, and  3 outlets updated.

3. Upstairs bathroom- Paint touch up, install the exhaust fan, finish painting the door and trim, install the last piece of window trim and paint.

4. Spare bedroom- update the outlets, touch up  wall paint, and finish painting the trim work.

5. Dressing room- finish framing the entry, paint the the trim, touch up wall paint, finish painting the interior of both cubbies and replace/ move the light fixture.

Now those are the unfinished projects for inside the house. On to the exterior unfinished projects.

1. Kitchen window siding patch--I am really tired of looking out my new window only to see plastic sheeting.

2. Living Room- 2 window screens replaced, convert unused door to a window (frame, install new window, insulate) and patch siding.

3. Upstairs Bath- Replace the screen

4. Spare bedroom- replace 1 window and replace 2 screens.

Then of course I have a litany list of NEW projects

1. Downstairs bathroom and laundry room--total gut to the studs. Separate into 2 separate and functional rooms. 

From this...

To these...

This would be the view looking in from the kitchen. The door at the end the room would be a pocket door for the half bath

Which now becomes this!

Just gotta love the visualization software!

2. Dining room-floor repair-level or platform? Finish flooring,  install trim work,  install molding, install new window, exterior door, update the outlets, move the thermostat, replace thermostat with programmable thermostat, install new light fixture, build/ install closet doors  (Don't forget--clean, organize and reconfigure the storage closet) and paint EVERYTHING. 

3. Master bedroom- where to begin.  This will be a gut job to the studs. We need to address insulation, ceiling height and ventilation issues.

4. Upstairs flooring-  hallway and dressing room. Patch/ repair sub-floor, install new floor, update several outlets, install baseboards, and paint everything!

5. Stairwell- Seal off the door at bottom of stairs (frame, insulate drywall and patch exterior siding), repair plaster walls, paint, install hand and rail, and  refinish stairs.

Sadly not much has changed since this was taken in 2009

I have this as an inspiration. The textured wallpaper would cover a multitude of  flaws. Paint it in a nice cheery color?

6. Update furnace and install return vent upstairs cha-ching! ($$$)

7. New Roof-House and Garage

8. Siding

I really like the color combination

9. Fence

My dream!

So...what are my priorities?

Finish all the unfinished projects. I hate being the adult sometimes, making all these adult decisions!  Items affecting the performance of the house (windows) will come in next, then siding repairs. I really believe the fence needs to move up the list of priorities. "Fences make good neighbors"--or at least makes the neighborhood more tolerable!  After that it is a matter of deciding on small manageable projects (which would be interior) or bite the proverbial bullet, go big and hit the most expensive projects.  Obviously, some of these projects will overlap-such as dining room/ bathroom/ laundry room due to flooring install. Master bedroom, stairwell and furnace duct work will overlap.  

I feel very overwhelmed trying to manage all this but it has helped to write everything down. This is just a brief summary, I have a notebook with very detailed notes concerning each project. So, um, maybe we might just finish all these stuff before we pay the house off?

My dirty little secret...

We all have them.  Some are shameful. Some really aren't dirty. Some it turns out you can laugh about later on..much later...

Phew ...here goes..We not only have unfinished projects,  we are known as leaners, pilers and stackers. Yes, my friends, it is true. The far reaches of my house (those hidden from camera range) are a hot mess.

See this? THIS is the moldings and trim work the hubbs STILL needs to install in my bathroom. You know TWLBRIH (The Longest Bathroom Remodel in History) that I already blogged about in April 2011. Come on, seriously?!

  Oh yeah never mind the peeling paint (MORE peeling paint--yet another project...sigh) in these backgrounds. This is some of the other rehab/remodel/ construction crap littering my house from incomplete projects. I have managed to coral it into this holding area of sorts.

These next few are all me-- unfortunately. This is the closet in the spare room. No closet doors. Good thing I don't have any guests who have to wake up and stare at this. The entire right corner of this closet nook is painting supplies. To bad I am not motivated enough to do something about it...

Oh yes and let us not forget the stack-o-totes behind the door. At least my gift wrap hanging on the back of the door is organized. See that little pile of stuff in front of the totes? That is part of my super secret stairwell re-do. That I will get to...eventually.

This is a mirror I need to re-home and a little craft I am working on in front of the mirror. Another mirror behind it that needs hung on the wall as soon as the painting is finished and my necklace cabinet needs hung near my vanity.

This is all Sam-Sam. He is a rumpler. Bad kitty.

So there you have it. Some of the cluttered corners of my house. Maybe it's not cluttered. It's  lived in.  Yeah that's what I'm going with...(Don't judge)