New Collage of Craft Room

So last night I looked through Houzz.com for pictures to inspire the new space. And I made this "mood board" or idea board.

Then today after seeing my hospital patients, I moved a desk, couple bulletin boards, deep freeze and 10 foot length of shelving out of the office. Came home and Pat and Joe were taking a break from working on his room to allow stuff to dry* (more on that later). So I got them to move the huge broken console TV out to the curb. Moved the couch over to the other wall and then things went downhill. Apparently when I asked my mom for a room she didn't exactly know what that meant. She was fine when I moved out stuff we discussed was garbage. But then when I wanted to move her file cabinets to another part of the house she had a fit. So they went in Rylie's room. Proving once again that s#$@ really does roll down hill. Meanwhile I went through every closet, every box in the garage and threw out tons of Dad's figuring. He liked to sit and "figure" for hours on end. Now that I have seen what he was figuring all those years. I'm a little nervous. He apparently went over and over every dollar he ever earned, ever paid and ever leant. And then he did it again. And again. I mean to the nth degree. WOW!!!! I always said he wasn't any fancy crazy, just plain crazy.

I also found his dog tags which are pretty cool so I'm wearing them. I found his little black book and yes I threw it away. Found more genealogy stuff that is probably in the collection I already have but I set it aside to be sure. Found boxes and boxes of mouse eaten papers and even a box of blank paper. More boxes of nuts and bolts and 2 slide rules. I EVEN FOUND THE PEDAL TO THE SERGER I APPARENTLY NO LONGER HAVE. BUT NO not the cord and pedal to the sewing machine I do have. How does that happen? I am thinking that those stupid people I lived with gave away my serger and the wrong pedal. That figures. Here I looked in the storage unit, the attic, every closet in both houses, both garages...even the office and now I vaguely remember those idiots giving it away. Oh well rather be without a pedal then have them back around. So I hope I get one on ebay. Or I can buy one for $80 or more.

Back to the collage and our misunderstanding. So I had to explain that I can't set up a craft room with filing cabinets, coffee table and end tables in the room. All I was keeping was the couch for now and it happens to be my couch anyway. I moved a whole bunch of furniture into their house when I moved in and now that I moved out everytime I try and claim a peice of furniture she doesn't want to part with it. She has my entryway console table, a double bed of cherry wood, double mattress, sofa bed and hope chest. So she eventually decided I guess to let me proceed or at least stopped complaining. So here's my plan. It's pretty rough but you get the idea.

Needs work but you get the idea.

This HOUZZ Picture Made Me Feel

So much better about the state of our kitchen...

Other by Other Metro Media & Bloggers Roots and Rafters

Craft Room via Floorplanner.com

I'm going to have to go back tomorrow and re-measure. As I was measuring my mom kept talking so I think I got some of it wrong. But this is what I have so far. There was no sewing machine or serger in the catalog of items you could add so I used a cash register to represent them. I used a coat tree to represent a dress form. And I used a pegboard with tools on it to represent the same thing just different tools.

I GIVE UP! I'm moving back across the street!

Actually that's not the case but I did say that to my husband just to get a reaction. Hee hee. I know dangerous but really he knew I was joking. It occurred to me that I really missed sewing, knitting and other crafts but I really didn't have a place to do them. There is definitely no room in our house and unlikely ever will be. My mom on the other hand lives across the street.  We lost my dad a month ago 8 days before his 98th birthday and several times when I was over recently I could tell she was happy for the company. She he's alone in this 3 bedroom ranch with a den as well. Rylie has a room of her own. So I asked last night if I could have a room. She had already converted my room to a guest room and her morning devotional room. So she said you can't have your room back but you can have the den. I was pretty sure that was the room I'd get since it was my dad's hangout and she hadn't had a chance to take it over yet. I figured this would be a great way to bring something new to the space and have a reason to hang out over there so she doesn't get too lonely.

So first I have to remove a bunch of stuff that doesn't work anymore which includes a huge console TV and two "readers" for those with visual impairment. They are like personal overhead projectors and we never got them to work. They belonged to my Uncle Robert who had similar eye problems to my dad but by the time we got him my dad's vision was so far gone they wouldn't have helped and they needed work. So I figured I could take those to Rev. Richard Hanson to fix at the Church Mouse and the TV I guess will go to the curb. I need a new light fixture because there is no overhead lighting. And I think I have an extra light fixture I bought for going over the sink before I realized Pat intended to put in cans above it. I also spied another big 8 foot table at the office I might bring over to put the sewing machine and serger on. Or there was a small desk there as well. Now if I could just find my sewing machine pedal. I hope it's in one of our storage lockers because I can't find one cheaper than $70. Ame Nguyen also brought me her mom's (who passed a few years ago) old Kenmore sewing machine. But it's needing a bobbin case. Karen Korem gave me her recently her mom's serger. Her mom also passed in the last 6 weeks. So this space is really about bringing together stuff that came from those that passed before us and creating something special.

So it's not just a craft room, it's a coming together of a space and machines that belonged to people we loved and loved us and have left. I hope I can do it justice. Oh and I have no money for this project so I'm scrounging for as much stuff as I can. I just thought it's a B&B room, bequeathed and bestowed.

Wouldn't this be perfect?

Traditional Home Office by Phoenix General Contractors Meritage Homes

Since I can't afford however such lovely cabinets at this point this looks closer to reality.

Eclectic Kids

Looks like I could put a long shelf (tons of these at office) over a couple shelving units. Yes that ought to work for now!

And if I keep the couch over there after all I could put a big bulletin board (have one of those in office also) over it.

Eclectic Home Office by Philadelphia Interior Designers & Decorators Caitlin Wilson

So now to go measure the room, take before pictures and haul stuff out!
The Before...

I took 2 VCRs, 2 reading assistant magnifier thingy's, and all of Rylie's stuffed animals and tent out of the room. I'm going to get Pat or Joe help me move the BIG TV console out to curb tomorrow and move the couch possibly to the other wall. I'm hoping I can get my mom to move the file cabinets to another room or garage. I'd like to paint the room lilac I think. I'd really like to take that carpet up and put down a bamboo floor. Maybe if we have flooring left from basement? And I saw the perfect curtains today at TJ Maxx along with some pillows for the couch if it stays to tie it all together. I also saw some great furniture but I will likely stick with stuff I can peice together out of storage unit and storage at office. So now to play with the room layout on floorplanner.com!

I found someone MUCH MUCH CRAZIER than me and I love her!!!!

You have to check out this woman's blog and crazy destiny to own all of these gilded Victorian mirrors and put them around her Victorian house. And what is better than that? Her husband sounds like he is my husband's twin with more money. If we had more money my husband would be doing like her husband. Working 24/7 on the house. But he has to split his time between many remodeling projects... remodeling my practice has always been first, then the house and then the yard. If it were up to me it would have gone in the opposite order BUT then we would have run out of money immediately. So that's why we still have studs and exposed installation for our upstairs walls in half the house.

http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/ornate-victorian-antique-mirrors/

I found her through another site called Hooked on Houses. Where I was reading about much of the reality of HGTV. I read about how much of it isn't as it appears while watching Love it or List it too on TV. Despite the tips to make me see through the show I still enjoyed it and soon forgot them. So I can still enjoy the show. I mean if you're really watching for the dialog and suspense of what they'll decide to do then I wouldn't read her blog. But like her I watch for the houses. I want to see as many houses as possible and see what the designers do with their renovations and the "story" is secondary. So who cares!

So anyway just one of those mirrors would probably crush half my house. But I enjoy her spirit and the fact that her husband and her have reached an agreement of sorts. I like to think we're getting comfortable with each other in that same way and will come to a similar understanding.

The Kingdom Mirror

Backyard project preparing to espalier and spread out blueberry bushes

In preparation for a beautiful deck.... (oh please happen sooner than later). I dug up the potatoes and began to disassemble the boxes and trellis.

I started moving the fruit tree saplings to be about 18 inches in front of the fence posts. And repositioning the blueberry bushes to be two at most between tress. 

I also planted some spring bulbs I bought and old ones I dug up. Crocus, Allium Globemaster, and Narcissus Paperwhites and another one I never tried before Anemone?

Anyway it's this part along the back fence. I worked out there 7 hours and was so sore today. I used to work all day no problem, then I got to where 2 hours and I needed a rest. Yesterday I was a little tired but I was so sore today and that surprised me. Maybe because I have this cold or allergy thing still going on...

Wish I could make it look like this:

Not exactly I guess but you get the idea.

My prior collage!

Need that style of cabinet around refrigerator to left of stove!!!

I really like the chalkboard by the stove and I like this style of cabinets. I just think we'd probably go with wood color but who knows I like white as well.

Craftsman Kitchen by Portland Architects & Designers Buckenmeyer Architecture

Deck Plans

We still have lots of post holes to dig. So we got an earthquake auger. At first Pat didn't think it was worth the money for a "few" holes. Luckily I brought my drawing with to the store and said what if we need to dig a total of 27 + 41 holes of which we've done only 21. 20 of which still are just for the pool deck. On that note he put it in the cart.

Awesome links from Houzz.com

I'm always on Houzz.com looking for more inspiration or is it more confusion not sure. But I'm addicted. Today found some links for help with split-levels and split-entries.

The first was an article on msn.com called 4 reasons people hate split-levels – and how to fix 'em and included a linke to a slide show of some rebuilds. http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=13108528

However, I have also compiled an ideabook on Houzz that has renovated split-level ranches or I've even heard them called splanches. Ouch. Like house just dropped out of sky and "Splanch!" it landed on my foot. Here's the link to my ideabook on Houzz I called Ranch Retrofits just click on picture below.

Raised Ranch Retrofit

Architecture, interior design, and more ∨

Hire a decorator to find that just-right sofa and coffee table for your living room.
When remodeling or building a house, landscape gardens, patios and don't forget curb appeal.

Back to that first article mentioned lead me to this guide from Minnesota for how to fix your split. I love the watercolors in this guide. Makes me want to get out the watercolor paint and try again. Need to take a class though instead of just getting more frustrated. I also found out from this guide about the different types of split's. My house is officially a split-entry long faced. Split Visions

From the ideabook on Houzz.com and also happens to be in Minnesota and even cooler designed by Knight Construction Design (not related as far as I know but 100's of cousins) this is probably my favorite. Unfortunately it's not quite the same kind of split entry since garage off to side not under bedrooms.

Traditional Exterior by Chanhassen Design-Build Firms Knight Construction Design | Chanhassen, Minnesota

So feel free to add to the ideabook or email me pictures of your ranch or split-entry or split-level. Maybe if we post a bunch of "befores" there will be more "afters". 

Hmmm can we move the filter and saltwater system?

Can't find the answer to whether or not the filter pump has to be below water or skimmer level. And if the hoses could be replaced with longer ones.We really could have planned better BUT the weather this spring was terrible so it got off to a late start. So in an effort to swim at least some of the summer we put the pool up before we dug all of our deck post holes. And before we really thought out all of the details for the placement of the filter and saltwater system.

Not a lot of room there and certainly need to make it easier to get to the controls once the deck is in place. 

Who could wait to enjoy it! At least this year it was up before August.
Last year it was on back order and by the time we got it and put it up was August 5th. 

w

So I'll keep looking for answer. Best place I found for answers so far it trouble free pool website. www.troublefreepool.com

Another Ranch Renovation

Contemporary Living Room by Mountain View Interior Designers & Decorators Susan M. Davis

It's the mirror image of our living room but wow so light and airy! Now I'm thinking if we do change to real hardwood floors we should run the wood this way. Currently the laminate is running perpendicular.

Contemporary Exterior by Mountain View Interior Designers & Decorators Susan M. Davis

Here's the front though and I like the double doors and the way they brought the roof out to that pillar. Still need to figure out a good way to extend our roof and make a better portico.The window above that doorway is much bigger than ours I think as well. But if I add a portico it interferes with the area over the door.

Contemporary Entry by Mountain View Interior Designers & Decorators Susan M. Davis

Awesome entryway. Maybe we should make ours more like this instead of the traditional railing. 

Wishing I had this closet right now

but would be good one for Joe's room also. Closest picture to what I think Pat envisions we'll have to see.

Modern Closet by Inglewood Kitchen and Bath Fixtures D&O Cabinets INC

So close

We are so close to finally getting this pool in that I can taste it!

More pool digging

Just trying to straighten the sides and get the remainder out that keeps the hole walls from being more square instead of sloped.

I'm not at bottom here, I'm standing on ledge to dig it out.

Audience

Have to dig ramp out eventually as well.

So close just need a couple tons of sand now?

As it got darker, Rylie decides to run down hill, down ramp and vault up side. 

What could be more fun that? 

Hard work but better than a spade

As Mike LaFollett said yesterday. 

Finally almost there. Then...

1. Filling the bottom with sand is the plan. Wonder if I could talk him into softkrete might be easier? Not sure.

2. Building retaining wall around edges. Wood vs Concrete?

3. Setting up the pool and cleaning if dirty.

4. Filling the pool.

5. THEN THE STEP I've been ready for since last year. ADD a gallon of chlorine. Yes it's the only way to have pool immediately swimable. And heck I may add it when it's just half full and then add the 40 lbs. of salt to get it up to 3000 ppm. and start testing!

6. Finish filling.

7. Um need to get a new ladder but heck we may use rope if we have to!

8. Blow up all the inflatables.

9. JUMP IN!!!!

10. Start constructing deck. Go back to step 9 and continue to work on #10 and other chores but repeat 9 often!

Can you tell I can hardly wait. It would be the perfect break from working outside. For now I'm going to have to take my break napping inside to the sounds of the skid loader.

Sigh there's a lake in our backyard

Backyard Construction Zone

Started digging by hand because we could never get coordinated with friends that had equipment. But today we said forget it this is crazy and went off to rent the stuff. So hopefully this is about to go a lot faster.

Missouri Botanical Gardens

Escaped from my meeting for about 4 hours to see the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I was in desperate need of fresh air and sunshine. It was 51 degrees and the air had a perfect little crispness like Fall but the sunshine was all Spring.

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