but wait ....there's more

I may have forgotten to mention that at the same time we are remodeling the attached garage to become studio space --we are also adding a screened porch to the back yard.

We live by a salt marsh...

Ideally I had wanted to screen the entire property.

After much consideration and several glasses of Cabernet, we determined this was, in fact, not practical.
So we'll settle for a small room where we can put a table and maybe a rocker.

Here are some progress shots.

more updates soon.
they are working fast!

progress!

Progress on the construction project.

After MUCH consideration, debate, research, waffling, deciding, looking at pictures and changing of minds - we finally made a decision on what to replace the garage door with.

There were many factors to consider, with a big one being price.
We quickly found out that would could get literally anything our imaginations thought up ...for a price.
If we wanted to be able to continue to say...eat - we may have to compromise a bit.
Here is where we ended up:

Before:

 
After (unfinished, and without the handles installed yet):

On the bright side?

We are no strangers to living in a house under construction/remodeling.

It's not for the faint of heart.

Furniture is temporarily strewn about rooms while its original location lies in rubble and dust. You step over things without even thinking. The vacuum is a permanent fixture in the middle of the dining room. There is a fine layer of dust on EVERYthing - even tho you keep wiping and wiping. The screens outside, nearest ground zero are laden with sawdust, muddying the view. Of course you don't dare to open those windows...not that it really helps. The yard is wet and gooey where the grass has been disturbed or removed. The dog gravitates to the expanses of moist dirt - why o why. And so there are muddy towels always to be found near the door, the vain attempt to keep outside out.

The bright side? Well... it makes entertaining a breeze. Gone are the days of keeping the house tidy and clean. No picking up, no dusting. O sure there is daily vacuuming - can you tell? Stuff is piling up on all horizontal surfaces. Its as if nothing has a place anymore. The disruption is infectious.

Drop ins are welcome - we just don't care. Watch your step please.

Bucking up

Work on the studio project is moving along. Its rather nice just having people show up everyday and do stuff.

This is the back of the house where they cut a giant hole into the brick.
Today they are doing cementy things out in the backyard.

In the meantime - I had recently lamented that the project we had started in the house had gone awry when my menapausal hormones decided I could not handle this heavy work.

To quell these hormones I used some wine... and hired someone to pull out some of the heavy, hard to manage stuff from the room.

Then ...we took the job back.

I am (yet again) painting the basement walls. We're using UGL Drylock on the cinder block walls. Its a great product, and the walls look nice and clean. This paint actually has cement mixed into it. This helps with moisture seapage through the block. Its kinda like painting with peanut butter, tho not as tasty. You can have the product tinted - but I want to stick with nice pure, clean white. Ahh white.

Then we (read 'we' as mostly my spunky-wife) tiled the floor with the least ugly of the cheapest tiles we could find at our local big box stores.

She is quite good at it.

This small room is done now and I was able to move my tools back in.

Here are the before and afters:

hideous, scary chaos

 

ahhh...

 

ew

 

much better

next up....
the laundry room: