Happy Mother's Day!

Mom Masking
Originally uploaded by zostra

OK, I did bring her flowers and a card, and promised to make her brunch once my kitchen is functional, but today Mom masked the bathroom so we could prime it and paint the ceiling. The rain made the humidity too high to get any more paint on the walls in the bathroom, but we did also prime the living room and paint the living room ceiling. Quote of the day, heard while painting the ceiling: "Go about 90 degrees over, or 180 degrees, one of those." I'm not saying who said it to whom, but I think that despite the low-VOC paints they had inhaled too many fumes. Another statement overheard was "No, XXXX, that's NOT ceiling paint on your roller!" Response was not suitable for publishing, but the paint was quickly removed with a wet rag.

Caulking

Baseboards Caulked
Originally uploaded by zostra

All of the baseboards, door, and window trim need to be caulked after they go in. This involves not only spackling the nail holes, but also running painters' caulk along all of the seams. In this case, the corners, between the baseboard and the wall, and between the baseboard and the baseshoe (that bottom ridge part). Then we'll go back with touch up paint and go over any spackle or caulk that needs to be covered. Then we'll be done. Some time in the next decade or so. At least that's how it feels after you do one baseboard. Thanks, Seth, for coming over and spackling with me.

Colors!

Colors!
Originally uploaded by zostra

I love the series of colors as you look from one bedroom (orange), through the hall (yellow/cream), into the other bedroom (blue). And I love that there is door trim up in the bedroom so it's starting to look finished.

Windows & Baseboards

Windows & Baseboards
Originally uploaded by zostra

The windows arrived a day early, and they have started putting them in. In the beginning they are just "roughed" in, but as they go they will put them in properly and then start sealing things up and fixing the stucco outside, adding trim, etc. It's very exciting, as this is the last big part of the project that has to be done by the contractor. The baseboards and door trim are being put in by loving hands at home, as Dad likes to say. Those have started as well.

Plastic Kitchen

Plastic Kitchen
Originally uploaded by zostra

Second coat of yellow in the kitchen & dining area went on today. The hall is now eggnog (creamy, slightly yellow, lighter tint of kitchen & living room) instead of grey-blue-green. Did I mention that my parents are amazing? They've done a huge portion of all of this. I'm just the night shift.

Painting Closets

Painting Closets
Originally uploaded by zostra

Hall closets with shelves that can not be removed (OK, they could if we REALLY wanted to, but that would create more problems than we already have) are difficult to paint. As I demonstrate in this lovely photo, taken while I paint the inside of the top part of the closet.

Blue Bedroom

Blue Bedroom
Originally uploaded by zostra

It's blue! Second coat of orange on the other bedroom. Tile is sealed (we did that yesterday, after the move). There are patches. There is primer. The washer & dryer are in. There's a big chip in the kitchen sink, so it's being returned/exchanged. I, literally, have the kitchen sink in my car.

Welcome Home

Faux Mailbox
Originally uploaded by zostra

Much like the temporary mailbox we put up to keep the mail off the floors while they were being refinished, I am in a state of flux. My stuff is in the garage, in piles in a few rooms, and I am living out of a suitcase at Daniel's (thank you, Daniel). It was decided that cats and an active remodel don't mix. Not to mention the shower isn't working yet. Nor is there hot water. Picky, picky, picky. That's me.

Primer & Paint & Grout

Orange Bedroom
Originally uploaded by zostra

There's orange in the bedroom. Ceilings in both bedrooms are done. Other bedroom is primed. Kitchen counter is grouted. Moving stuff into the garage tomorrow.

The Helpful Hardware Place

Pre-mix Paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

You know the tagline for Ace Hardware, right? Ace, the Helpful Hardware Place. It's true. Today I went to Pastimes Ace Hardware in El Cerrito to have my paint mixed. I'd met this lovely woman, Chelsea, there about a week ago and she told me what I needed to do to get the paint mixed there. They don't computer-match, but if you let them know the type of paint they can get the proper formula and mix it with the old fashioned tint machine (all these big tubes on a wheel that measures out the tint). I called ahead and Chelsea had all the formulas ready to go when I got there. I got to watch her put the tint in, and we mixed up all of the paint for the house. While we did this we chatted about paint, and a few other things. She mentioned how much she liked to paint. I told her where the house was & told her if she wanted to see the colors up on the walls to come on by any time (she's particularly fond of the orange for the second bedroom). She showed up. And painted. For almost two hours after she got off work. On a Friday. How cool is that?

Patience

V-cap-less corner
Originally uploaded by zostra

They tell you that remodeling takes longer than you think. That you will spend more time, more money, and more effort than you thought. Anyone who knows me knows how I like to plan, organize, be prepared, have a list, check things off. But how do you check off the v-cap that is backordered from Japan for an unspecified amount of time? That they didn't tell you was backordered until after you'd ordered the rest of the tile? Sigh. I have patience. But I don't have my v-caps.

Finding Studs

Peter & Dad searching for studs
Originally uploaded by zostra

The cabinets went back in the kitchen today. Dad and Peter started in on the tiling of the counters. This involves mudding cement backer board onto the plywood that's on top of the cabinets. Before the mud can set, the backer board is screwed into the plywood. Backer board for the backsplash is then screwed into the studs in the wall, as demonstrated by Dad & Peter. I helped with the tail end of things. It was too cold and wet for the cement on the wallboard to completely dry from yesterday. Maybe tomorrow.

Paint!

First Yellow Coat
Originally uploaded by zostra

I took today "off" (do furlough days really count as days off?) to work on the house. I picked out baseboards and door casings at Rafael Lumber (ask for Allen...he knows his stuff!) then met Dad & Uncle Peter at the house. Today I/we managed to get a second coat of mud on the new drywall, prime the kitchen (mostly), paint the kitchen (mostly), patch several holes with drywall, prime one bedroom on the walls & ceiling that weren't drywalled, sand & wash out one bedroom closet, figure out where the kitchen cabinets need to go back in, accept a washer/dryer delivery, figure out that the stacking unit for said w/d is included in the purchase and is inside the darn dryer (no wonder it wasn't on the order), figure out which bathroom sink/pedestal/faucet I'm going to get, and explain to my credit card company that no one has run wild with my account except me.

New Skill #17,325

Insulation
Originally uploaded by zostra

I've learned many, many new things since buying my house (and I've only owned it 3 weeks!). This weekend was my favorite so far. After discovering some unfortunate spores (i.e., mold in the walls) under multiple never-ending peels of paint in the the outer walls of the bedrooms we decided to rip out the drywall and replace it. As this fun activity was not in the original budget it seemed prudent to do it ourselves. The fact that my cousin Tony has done a fair amount of drywalling, and was willing and able to come help out made the decision that much easier. So, for 1/10th the cost of having professionals do it, we took out the sheetrock on four walls (2 exterior walls in each room), put in insulation, put up new drywall, and are now in the process of mudding it, which takes about three days because of drying time between mud applications. A nice combination of deconstruction and construction, very task oriented, and you really feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. Thanks, Tony et al. You rock. Sheetrock, to be exact. Oh...that was bad...must have been all the dust I inhaled.

Aioli

Aioli
Originally uploaded by zostra

Friday night I took the night off and went to Daniel's for dinner. He'd made a full aioli, which means not just the mayonnaise-cum-garlic sauce, but the blanched vegetables, poached fish, boiled eggs, bread, olives, and rose wine (OK, he didn't have boiled snails, which technically do go with it, but I wasn't too critical...). It was marvelous. Way too marvelous. We decided once a year is our max, since we both couldn't stop eating the sauce (or the rest of it).

Today we put protective paper all through the house to keep the shiny floors beautiful while we sheetrock & paint. We didn't finish until well after dark, and there are still no lights in the house except the one clip-on construction light we had to work by, so I didn't take any pics. I'll get some in the morning before the sheetrocking starts.

Shiny floors

Shiny floors
Originally uploaded by zostra

Floors are progressing. And the varnish is quite volatile & aromatic. Whew. Two minutes in the kitchen and I had to leave. Wallboard in the kitchen is all patched & mudded. Ready to be sanded & painted this weekend.

Fishes

Mural
Originally uploaded by zostra

We're in limbo (sort of) waiting for the floors to be done & to dry. So today I bring you a mock up of the tile mural that's going to be behind the stove. Eventually.

Floor Sanding

Floor Sanding
Originally uploaded by zostra

They started sanding the floors today...I'm not sure what all the different colors mean at this point. I am going for a water-based stain, which should keep the floors light, but will also show some of the differences in stains that have been applied over the lifetime of the floors. Hopefully not this much difference though. Hmmmm.

Honu

Honu
Originally uploaded by zostra

Nothing happened Monday at the house, primarily because we are waiting for permits/inspections today. But a friend of mine is stranded in the UK, and she's using this as one of her diversions. She knows who she is, and she knows why this picture (taken January when I visited my brother & nephew in Hawaii) is just for her. I hear that they are starting to fly again over there...hope you get home soon & safely, Honu!

12? Really?

First Blood
Originally uploaded by zostra

It is not at all necessary to put 12 nails into 6 feet of door trim. Nor is it necessary to use 2+ inch nails to do so. Really. 4 or 5 would do. 1-1/4 or maybe 1-1/2 if you want to go really crazy. But 12 is overboard, 2+ inch nails is just overkill, and 7-8 coats of paint without ever taping or sanding is just too much. Which is why all of the baseboards & door trim came off this weekend, to be replaced. And why I have several bloody, bruised knuckles. Stupid nails.