Fireplace

 ....done...done...done...another one bites the dust!

Let's check this one off the list.   Fireplace is finally complete.   This one I will rank in the challenging project category.

To remind you, this is what I started with.  Ugly fireplace with 4 tiles that stuck out like a sore thumb.   I hated the fireplace so much I even thought about taking all the stone out.   

First added a beautiful gas fireplace insert....thanks to my wonderful son in New Hampshire.   

Then I started tackling those squares.    I had no idea what was behind them.    Well I quickly found out they were vents that had pieces of slate in them and they weren't sturdy enough to drill into.  I had to build a frame with 2 x 4s to attach the brackets for my mantle.  

Once I built the frames I mounted plumbing pipes.  Ended up going back to the store 3 different times.  The mantle is live edge so one end needed to be a bit longer than the other.  

Then the challenge of getting stone that would kind of match what is already there.   Well I found some stone and had Johanna dry brush it for me. She did a great job and can add a new painting technique to her resume.

She also helped me by breaking up the rock to fit.   This video is priceless.

Next step was to glue the rocks to the wall with mortar.

Then it's grout and we are good to go.

It's actually starting to look like a fireplace.  

Add the mantle!   (BTW pictures don't do the mantle justice.   It's live edge red cedar and beautiful.

View from the top.

...and view from the bottom.  

A few decorations and WALLAH!   

It's finished......Oh, and I'm kind of liking all that rock I wanted to rip out.

Crafting She Shed

 I'm so limited on space that I decided it was more economical to purchase a camper and convert it to my She Shed.....as Mike says "That there is an RV"

Well, here she is in all her glory.  My crafting She Shed.

The nice thing about it is, it's a toy hauler so the back end opens up completely and you can load up just about anything.

Well I've been working on it since the end of March and it's finally done.   Well, nothing is every really done is it, but it's usable. 

First we have my cutting station.  This is were I do all of my vinyl and T-shirts.

Aren't the curtains pretty....had to make them and spruce the place up.

Storage and fabric, and yes I have a lot of fabric.  But as you know, I have an etsy store where I sell it.

Love all the overhead storage.

I have an ironing station and even have my Grandma Dinkel's treadle sewing machine.

Here's my cutting table.  

I also have a refrigerator that just might have some "Adult" beverages.

Here she is and I love it. 

Unexpected Great Weather

Today was unseasonably cool and it was so nice.   Temperature outside about 75 so windows were open and I decided to work outside.   

I hate where the day lilies are at the house.   I don't really like stuff right up on top of the house.   I always felt like it just attracked bugs.   So bye bye day lilies.   I transplanted them around my She Shed and on the side of the fence.   Hopefully that helps with me having to weed eat the fences constantly.

Before

After

Life is Good

I'm happy beyond my wildest dreams.  If you would have told me 5 years ago I would be in this current state of mind I would have laughed.   Gotta say I'm so happy and content with my life.

Bathroom Remodel has Started

I've been trying to get a contractor in here for 6 months.  Because of COVID all of them are so booked up.  When I finally made the decision that there was no rush and I was going to just wait until next year I got a call from my contractor.   He's waiting on a bigger job and can do my bathroom remodel.   Whoo hooo. 

I decided since they were ready to go that I would let them just do the demo.   They had it all demoed in less than half a day and started putting it back together.   This is going to look so good.   Right now we are at a temporary stand still waiting on the shower base to come in.   It was ordered last week and takes 2 weeks.   Hopefully this will be completely done by the end of August.   Won't that be awesome.  Then my remodel will be done!

Here's the way things started with the bathroom.

First thing was to rip out all the carpet.   Who puts carpet in a bathroom?   

Second thing was to rip out that wall between the toilet and the vanity.  It was a sheet of drywall and all it did was make the room look smaller.  

Some people may like it but there were mirror tiles on the wall that I also ripped off, so 1970.

This is the first day after the contractor got to work.   

Everything demoed and starting to put things back together. 

Couple of things we found during the demo.  First there was a heat/air vent that will be in the shower.  I opted to keep it.   Might be nice to have heat blowing on you during the winter.   I can just close it off in the summer if it's too much.  

Second thing, you will see in the picture above is an outlet was behind the old shower.   I opted not to keep the outlet in the shower.....good idea?   Instead, they just turned it around and now I have 2 outlets in my sewing room.   Because you can never have too many outlets in a sewing room.

They are putting everything back together and right now 

we are just waiting on the shower base to come in.  

I'm super excited to get this last stage of my remodel done.   Now hurry up shower base and get here. 

Carpet is Gone

Finally, all the carpet is out of the master bedroom.  That was a harder task than it appeared.  I had so much furniture and stuff that needed to be moved out...and the problem is it can't be moved back until the new carpet is installed.   Well good news the old carpet is out and the new carpet is scheduled.    Now I just need to clean the sub floor good and paint he walls.   I had to move all the furniture in other parts of the house and the garage.   All I have is a twin bed and the tv in the bedroom for now......Come on carpet!

Golf

My new challenge in golf is to try and figure out how to hit this tiny little ball.  It's more challenging than it looks.   Line up to the ball, keep your body aligned straight, don't move your head, lead with your hips.....there are so many things to remember just to hit a ball.

Well Jackie and I had our first golf outing and we didn't do as bad as I expected.  (I'm speaking me doing bad).   We actually won a pink golf ball each....for getting 5 bogys.  For those ungolfers out there, that's 1 over par, and for us rookies that is pretty darn good. (At least in my opinion).
 

We actually look like we know what we are doing.  

We golfed 52 on a 9 hole course which isn't perfect but for a first time it's not bad, 

oh and we loved driving and riding in the golf cart. 

We had such an amazing time and I start lessons on Monday.  

That was Easy

That was the easiest carpet I have ever ripped up, and I've done a lot.  

I was told by the carpet salesman that it was most likely glued down.  Nope, just laid right down on the old tile and that was it.  Easy Peasy.

I'm thinking maybe I need to cancel the carpet order and just go with the retro linolium look.

What do you think?

Nah, I'm just kiddin'

Here's the existing carpet....I know, hideous. 

Only took about 1 1/2 hours to rip all the carpet and pad out.  Whoo hooo.   It's ready to be scrubbed and then I am in a hurry up and wait mode.   Carpet has been measured and ordered but seems like everyone is doing remodeling and ordering carpet.   5 weeks out.......I'll see you in about 5 weeks with updated photos.

Beautiful Cedar Shelf

I had orginally went to buy a piece of cedar to make a shelf when I found my mantle.  Well today the weather had a bit of a breeze and wasn't so blistering hot I finished my shelf.

First I started with a beautiful piece of cedar and did a lot of sanding.

 Triple coat varnish recommended by the people that I bought the wood from.

Two coats later, which I guess is an equivalent to 6, it's finished and beautiful.

Finishing the Mantle

The people I got the wood from told me that I needed to sand it down, otherwise the edging would just flake off constantly.   Today was the first step.  I used my electric sander to sand down the first layer.    It's really bringing out the reds in the cedar......and look at the worm holes.   What character.