This past weekend was a busy one!  Trying to meet the Monday morning deadline for Jeff, the floor guy, to start his work, we decided we had to be finished with several odds and ends.  Odds and ends are the annoying little things that seem to take the most amount of time!

Radiators were painted and the window hardware was reinstalled.  We chose white wooden blinds for the windows to highlight the beautiful woodwork.



Next, the ceiling fans were installed...



...and the Bose surround sound speakers were wired for sound.



Bright and early Monday morning, Jeff arrived and started working on the well-used floor boards.  The unvarnished area in front of the brick wall is where the closets stood that divided this space into two rooms.



After one day of work, the floors are sanded and look fresh and clean.



Over the next two days, some additional fine tuning to the boards was accomplished, stain was applied...



...and the first of three top coats of polyurethane was applied.



Looking pretty good, don't you think?

The master suite project is moving right along.  After everything was primed, the room was prepared by taping off the woodwork and color top coat was cut-in.  The color chosen is "Faux Bois" (color 8062) from the Martha Stewart Signature Collection with Sherwin-Williams.  Faux Bois actually refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains.  Translated, it means, "false wood."  But, in Martha's world, it's a color!  It's a gray-moss, difficult-to-describe color...

The master suite is coming along and it looks like we'll meet the deadline for the floor guy to do his work starting on the 22nd of June.  Meanwhile the garden is screaming for us to come out and play, but we have to place all of our efforts here for now! 

After the wall was completed, it was grouted.



The room was then cleaned up of the mess created from weeks of plastering and sanding.



Cleaned up, but still a lot more to accomplish!



First, new baseboards had to go in.  The old ones were a mess and complicated by the fact of making one large space out of two. 



From the beginning of this renovation, we have used or reused original materials whenever possible, however, this was one instance where we were unable to.  Ditto for the baseboard cap.  Fortunately, we found a craftsman who could reproduce the original for us!



So, for weeks plaster was applied and sanded (and sanded, and sanded, and...!!!)...



...and baseboards and other woodwork sanded smooth...



...and now, finally, the space is caulked and primed.







Next up:  It's Color Time!

In many of our projects, it has been difficult to see the complexity of the work or it's so mundane to the point that it all looks the same.  Wiring, sanding, priming, etc.--it all looks the same after awhile.   This one is no exception!  But as mentioned in earlier posts, we wanted the dividing wall in the master suite between the media room and the bedroom to look substantial--like a bearing wall that is original to the house.  Our challenge was to create and finish off such a structure.

With that goal in mind we chose brick that's manufactured locally with the same texture, imperfections, and character as the painted exterior brick. 



The product is real 1/2" clay thin brick--it's not brick tile or faux brick:  It's the real thing, just thinner than a traditional brick.



And we started one brick at a time.  Cut after cut, around electrical outlet after electrical outlet...



Still a work in progress, we thought about keeping the brick unpainted for awhile but decided it does look dated; Brady Bunch dated!  So primed and painted it will be!  Media room side...



Bedroom side...

Depression gardens.  Recession gardens.  Victory gardens. 



--American WWII-era posters promoting victory gardens.

What ever the name, all these gardens have one thing in common, promoting growing food in your backyard to help with the budget and to supply healthier food for your family.  There always seems to be a spike in the number of backyard gardens when times get tough:  Burpee Seed Company, the largest seed and gardening supply company in the country and located right here in Pennsylvania, says it has seen a 25 to 30 percent spike in vegetable seed and plant sales this spring compared with last.  Rising food and fuel costs are the main culprit, but during tough economic times, people seem to become more aware of the need to be more involved with where their food comes from.  To save money?  To feel connected to something?  Guess it's just getting back to basics.  And who can argue that homegrown food tastes better?



First lady Michelle Obama helped break ground recently on a new White House organic "kitchen garden."  It will be the first working garden at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since Eleanor Roosevelt planted a so-called "victory garden" at the height of World War II.

Our own little victory garden is growing so fast it's hard to catch up!



Just days ago the strawberries were covered in blossoms and we were only anticipating a big crop.



Today, a few are ripe and ready to enjoy!  Tomorrow, strawberry preserves!



The lettuce is picture perfect!



Radishes too!



The onion bed is filled with several varieties.



As the snow peas climb, they are flanked by the garlic that was planted last fall.



A bunch of broccoli raab is ready for the sauté pan--add a little olive oil and garlic and dinner is served!



An update on the espalier apple tree project:  After they were pruned down to about 24-inches, they immediately began to show signs of life.



Now comes the rewarding part of training the branches.



An under planting of peonies completes espaliered apple tree area.

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Garden Plot



Legend:

1.  pea, garlic (16’ bed)
2.  onion (16’ bed)
3.  tomato--with companion plantings of beets and carrots (16’ bed) 
4.  tomato--with companion plantings of beets and carrots (16’ bed)
5.  cucumber (8’ bed)
6.  strawberry (12’ bed)
7.  shallots, herbs (8’ bed)
8.  peppers, herbs (8’ bed)
9.  strawberry (12’ bed)
10. broccoli (8’ bed)
11. asparagus (4’ bed)
12. squash (8’ bed)
13. eggplant (4’ bed)
14. spinach, (4’ bed)
15. lettuce, broccoli raab, greens (8’ bed)
16. asparagus (4’ bed)
17. potato, espaliered apple trees. peonies (12’ X 24’)
18. bean (6’ X 24’)
19. bean (6’ X 24’)
20. blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, rhubarb, horseradish, espaliered apple trees. peonies (20’ X 24’)

to be added:
21. rose garden (22’ X 20’)
22. water garden (to be determined)
23. potting shed area (22’ X 12’/potting shed 12’ X 10’)

Pillsbury Bake-Off®...  Pillsbury Doughboy™...  Remember the “French Silk Chocolate Pie” from 1951 or the “Tunnel of Fudge Cake” from 1966?  How about the “Poppin' Fresh® Barbecups” from 1968 and the “Dilly Casserole Bread” from 1960?  All a little slice of Americana.  The first Bake-Off® was back in 1949 and the upcoming one marks the 60th anniversary of this exciting contest.

Back in January, Brett started creating some recipes for the anticipated 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off®.  The recipes had to be original, meet certain category considerations, and use appropriate products from Pillsbury® and participating sponsors.  A lot of effort and creativity went into the process and like most everything he does, it’s 100% or not at all!

Well, the effort has paid off:  Last week he received a call informing him that one of his recipes from the tens of thousands they receive, has been selected to move forward to a voting round where consumers select 10 of the final 100 recipes that will get to compete at the 44th Bake-Off® to be held in Orlando, Florida April 10-13, 2010!!  Confirmation from the Pillsbury Bake-Off® team arrived today and he’s one step closer to winning the grand prize of $1,000,000!!  That's ONE MILLION DOLLARS!  The competition is steep and the odds of having the chance of being 1 of the 100 for the chance at a million dollars is mind boggling to say the least!

Brett’s recipe will be paired with another recipe and placed on BakeOff.com for a period of two weeks.  Consumers can vote for their favorite of the two recipes and the recipe with the most votes earns the right to compete at the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off®.  A total of 10 recipe pairs will post every two weeks.  Voting rounds started on May 14 and will continue through September 17, 2009 officially ending on October 1, 2009.  So, 2 recipes per round going head to head for on-line votes with the winner moving on to secure a spot and compete at the Pillsbury Bake-Off®.  Brett will definitely need your help!

We’ll let you know when his recipe is up for on-line voting but in the meantime, go to BakeOff.com to check out the first two recipes.  Register and vote for Brett’s friend Linda’s Dutch Apple Breakfast Bake, then come back every 2 weeks to check out the competition.  Registration is easy and Pillsbury doesn’t spam.  Also, there’s a lot of great stuff there too--you can even make the Doughboy™ dance (check out Doughboy™ fun at Pillsbury.com)!

Stay tuned...

If you have a moment, we'd sure appreciate your vote!  Rejuvenation Hardware is having a contest for $1000.00 gift card in their "Make Your Home Your Own" contest.  Rejuvenation.com offers beautiful vintage reproduction hardware and lighting and we've used their products all over the house:  Door knobs, door stops, etc.  For this contest, we entered the laundry/pantry.  Remember the door stops used for coat hooks?

Click here for direct link to VOTE!

Entrants in this contest had to upload a few pictures of their projects along with a brief description.  Just follow the link below and vote for us!   (In case the link doesn't work, the entry is listed as Brett Y., Reading, PA, Laundry/Pantry).  You can only vote once. 

Thanks in advance for taking the time! 

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One of the reasons we love this company is because of their corporate philosophy.  Read about Rejuvenation and their commitment to the environment and reducing their carbon footprint:

Rejuvenation's culture is defined by core values that include treating the environment fairly and with respect. Founded in 1977 as an architectural salvage retailer, we have long demonstrated a commitment to recycling and reuse.

"It's part of who we are," says Alysa Rose, Rejuvenation President. "We feel strongly that we have both an opportunity and an obligation to try to make things better through our actions."

It starts with Rejuvenation employees. A cross-departmental, employee-run Sustainability Committee ensures that we incorporate sustainability principles throughout our operations. That includes everything from our big-picture manufacturing practices - like the clear coating system shown above which significantly lowered our VOC output - all the way down to the little details such as replacing paper-wasting salt-and-pepper packets with large containers in the lunchroom. We're pleased that the company's efforts have inspired some of our employees to take a Voluntary Simplicity class in their free time.

One of Rejuvenation's unique conservation efforts is our "alternative commuting" benefit that pays employees to walk, carpool or ride our bikes to work, and subsidizes those who take public transit. In fact, our decision to stay in the city of Portland rather than move to the much-less-costly suburbs is largely to limit the commute for the majority of its employees. We also inaugurated a fleet of company bikes that employees can use during the workday to run errands, attend meetings, or just get outside for a breath of fresh air.

Recycling is widespread, far beyond the usual bins for cans, containers, and newsprint. Every office and workstation separates paper to be shredded and utilized in packaging. Nearly all of our packaging materials are 100% recyclable. We ship our products using the innovative packaging system, which turns flat rolls of Kraft paper into three-dimensional honeycombed cushioning. Not only can our customers recycle it at the curb but also we hear their cats love it!

(from Rejuvenation.com)

The garden continues to be a much needed diversion from projects around the house.  The season for asparagus is so short you have to enjoy it while you can.  We'll freeze some to enjoy later but there's nothing better than fresh asparagus from your garden.  It's taste is so different from what you can buy at the market that, once you've had it, you'll never want store-bought again.  Tonight, it's Minted Asparagus Risotto With Lemon Zest to the rescue to help us use up some of these delicious spears.

Risotto is really a simple dish to make and the variations of this Italian rice dish are unlimited.  Just Google "Risotto" and a zillion recipes come up.  Regardless of the added ingredients, the basic procedure is the same.  The rice is first cooked briefly in butter or olive oil to coat each grain in a film of fat then, white wine or vermouth is added and has to be absorbed by the grains.  When it has evaporated, the heat is raised to medium high and very hot stock is gradually added in small amounts while stirring gently, almost constantly:  Stirring loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid.  The hardest part is you have to stir it constantly and can't get distracted:  It needs you undivided attention! 

So, choose a basic recipe.

Next, add your fresh ingredients...



...and in no time...



...you'll have a delicious meal!



Some interesting facts about asparagus:

*Asparagus is high in glutathione, an important anticarcinogen.

*It also contains rutin, which protects small blood vessels from rupturing.

*Asparagus is a good source of vitamins A, C and E, B-complex vitamins, potassium and zinc.

*Asparagus has been used to treat problems involving inflammation, such as arthritis and rheumatism, and is an excellent diuretic which helps to cleanse the liver.

*An excellent addition to the diet during pregnancy because asparagus is a good source of folic acid.

The master suite is coming along and progress is being made.  We haven't posted many updates for this space because we're at the point of plastering and sanding and, really, how many more photos of that process can we post?  Suffice it to say that we'll update any visible progress.

The wall dividing the bedroom and sitting room is finished. 



The electric is done and rough-in completed.  We've decided to use something substantial to finish off this structure and we'll update this soon.



One this side (sitting room), there's a need for a lot of electric, audio, and video options for now and in the future.



Lots!    For television, Tivo, audio, dvd, and whatever the techno geeks come up with in the future!

On this side (the bedroom), it's more of the same.  In the coming weeks, we'll be finishing up the plastering and sanding.  For now, we'll only dream of priming and painting!



In each of the rooms that we've completed so far, if there has been a hole or crack large enough, we've stuck a little "Time Capsule" inside with a note for Kraemer House's future owners and a few trinkets:  New state quarters, a magazine article featuring the house, pictures, etc.  Remember our time capsule for the pantry? 

This one is tucked away in an old chimney flue.  Shhhh.  Don't tell anyone!



One day, they might be doing exactly what we're doing now, and finding a little hidden treasure might give them a chuckle and motivation to continue on.  At this point though, it's hard to imagine another renovation here given the pains that we're going through.  It's inevitable, however, that the process will one day, begin again...

The historic plaque on Kraemer House was in need of a facelift. 



So, as we begin this spring working on exterior projects, we thought we'd start with an easy one to warm up from a long, cold winter!

First, it was stripped of all the old, chipped and cracked paint.



Next, it was primed and painted.



Finally, color was added.  Bright, shiny, and ready for a close-up!



For more on the history of Kraemer House, click here.

More spring treats from the garden!  We planted one rhubarb plant last year and are able to cut sparingly this year.  To allow the plant to grow strong, we can’t cut too much--but a little goes a long way!



Technically a vegetable, rhubarb is eaten more like a fruit; its tang is offset by sugar in jams, sauces, and pies. 

 


The May, 2009 Food and Wine magazine has a recipe featuring this celery-like treat so we thought we’d give it a try.

Rice Pudding with Poached Rhubarb

Rice Pudding
        1 cup arborio rice
        2 1/2 cups whole milk
        1 cup heavy cream
        1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
        3/4 cup sugar
       
Poached Rhubarb
        3 cups water
        2 cups sugar
        1 cup dry red wine or rosé
        2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
        1 cinnamon stick
        1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
        1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1-inch lengths
        Small mint leaves, for garnish

    1.    To make the rice pudding: Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook over high heat for 3 minutes. Drain the rice and return it to the saucepan. Add the milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until the rice is very tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the sugar and remove from the heat. Discard the vanilla bean. Scrape the pudding into a 9-by-13-inch glass dish, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

    2.    Meanwhile, make the poached rhubarb: In a large saucepan, combine the water with the sugar, wine, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Add the rhubarb and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Pour the rhubarb and its poaching liquid into a glass or plastic bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

    3.    Spoon the rice pudding into bowls. Using a slotted spoon, top with some of the rhubarb. Sprinkle with mint leaves and serve.




Though it may not suit everyone's taste, this much maligned fruit-like vegetable deserves a place in the garden and brunch buffet.  Enjoy!

Asparagus is a member of the lily family and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years.  It's a good source of fiber, folic acid, and potassium.  After a few years of nurturing and tending to the asparagus beds, we're finally able to enjoy the fruits of our labor!  Once picking season is over, we'll once again allow the remaining spears to go to "fern" since they provide rich nutrients to the roots for the next season's growth.  But for now, it's time to enjoy!

Because of some generous rainfall and a few days of unseasonably hot weather, these spears took off and grew so fast we knew it was time to make a big batch of something.



I know people have been doing this since the beginning of time, but it is truly amazing to be able to walk out to the garden out back, pick whatever is ready to be harvested and, within a few minutes, turn it into something delicious. 

This week, that something delicious is Cream of Asparagus Soup.  With garden fresh asparagus and a few ingredients, in no time we had dinner and enough to freeze for later.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped shallots (about 6 large)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.  In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme; cook until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook until incorporated, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

2.  Add asparagus and 6 cups water; season generously with salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer, until asparagus is bright green and just tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

3.  Puree until smooth (see note below).  Stir in cream and lemon juice.  Serve hot.

Note:  This is where an emersion blender comes in handy!  No need to work in batches--with an emersion blender, it’s a one pot process.  Otherwise, work in small batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2006



Happy May!

Brett got a new camera recently and one of the lenses is a wide angle.  These pictures were taken from the second floor porch and you can really get a full view of the garden...



...and its scope.



This year, we plan to complete the hardscape and add additional plantings to help define the garden “areas.”  We began working on the rose garden area last year and recently planted a small hedge of boxwoods to set off the space.  It will also provide some green interest during the winter months.



A project that we’re really excited about, is an espalier of apple trees.  Espalier (pronounced ess-PAL-yay or ess-PAL-yer) is a training technique used to grow plants flat against a wall or fence.  According to Wikipedia, the word espalier initially referred to the actual trellis on which the tree was trained to grow, but over time has come to be used to describe the technique.  During the Middle Ages, entire villages lived behind protective walls, and to save on precious space, orchards were planted and trained right up against the inner face of the walls. Due to the extra warmth of the sun radiating off the walls, the growing season was extended, and the fruit more abundant. Because necessary sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning remains standard procedure at commercial orchards in France.  Also, espaliered trees have less mass making them ideal for decorative purposes and gardens with limited space.

To build ours, we chose 4 by 4 cedar posts.  Two 24 foot sections, one on each side of the future rose garden, will be used.



First, the holes were dug, then gravel was used for leveling and the posts were anchored with Quikrete Concrete Mix.



Next, an apple tree was planted in the middle of each 8 foot section and plastic covered cabling was evenly spaced on the posts.  The cabling will provide support to the branches as they grow.  An under planting of peonies will be a nice addition here as well.



The difficult part was pruning each down to a 2 foot twig (OUCH!).



This is necessary to force the trees to send out horizontal branches and one vertical one to reach the next cable, where the process begins again.



But with lots of water (they each have their own water supply via drip irrigation), fertilizer, and lots of patience, we’ll have a living fence that also serve as a work of art. 

Stay tuned!

Time caught up with last year, and we didn't get to finish a few projects outside before the weather turned too cold.  Now that it's warmed up a bit, it's time to finish the steps up to the front of the house.



It was important to level it all up again.  Because of the winter's freeze/thaw, it was necessary to start all over.



Lots of cuts were required to get the look just right and this paver/wet saw made the job easy.



These pavers aren't cheap so measure twice; cut once!



A light was installed.  The wire was run last year, so the hard work was already done.



This light will complement others we have for the front porch.



Recently, we planted the three remaining dogwood trees planned for this area.  The other landscaping planted last year is leafing out and appears to have survived harsh winter.



A finished project!  So, from this...



...to this! 



And before...



...to now.



And from above.





The tulips...



...are in full bloom now and made even this hard work quite enjoyable!  Happy spring!

Happy Earth Day! 



It's finally Spring here in our little piece of this amazing planet.  The daffodils...



... that we planted last Fall are growing quickly.  A.A. Milne said it best when referring to these beauties:

               A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up,
                                      whether or no the sun be shining outside.

And the tulips, too, are up and just starting to show color.



In the garden, the asparagus is peeping through the warming soil.



The garlic we planted in the Fall is doing great and we've already planted onions, shallots, sweet peas, broccoli, potatoes, beets, carrots, lettuce, radishes, and spinach.  It's a Happy Earth Day here indeed!

...electric wiring, that is! 

Work continues in the master suite and, today, it's all about electric.  Rich has put hours of thought into overcoming the hurdles of running electric, lighting, and audio wiring in the space--hey, gotta have surround sound, right?   Since the outer structure is brick, a little creativity helped to overcome the obstacles. 

Floor boards were removed...



...so wiring could be pulled.



Electric for well-placed...



...ceiling lighting is established...



...and flush-mount lighting cans are installed.



The end result will have a ceiling fan in both rooms of the master suite, dimmable lighting, and ceiling mounted audio, as well as a lot of switches to control it all! 



In this room, plastering has already begun, as well as the never-ending sanding, and we'll have more pictures up soon.

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It was so brisk in the house the winter that our "Christmas" amaryllis couldn't muster up the energy to bloom until now.  The show has been a treat nonetheless!

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since our last update.  It seems that before we can finish one project, we're off on another and before you know it, it's spring, and the garden in screaming for attention...

At any rate, we're moving in the right direction.  The two rooms that we've been working on since January are almost finished.  

Here, the office is beginning to take shape.



It will serve as a bedroom while the master suite project takes place.

Brett's room is coming together too. 



Notice the shutters are up (a big YAY on that one!)  A nice break in the weather allowed a full day of fun painting them.  But then, the sun went down and we had to move inside...



...to a temporary painting room in the basement.



For you Dexter fans, doesn't all that plastic look like one of his crime scenes?  Yikes!



We're awaiting some mail-order items (door hardware, etc.) before we can put the "finished" stamp on it but promise some "after" photos soon. 

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Meanwhile, work is in full force in the master suite.  Rich has been planning and making preparations on this space for weeks.  Now newly cleared, you can get a better idea of this room.  From this angle, you're in the sitting room looking towards a wall that will serve a few different functions and casually divide the space.



On the back side of the wall will be the headboard and storage.



You'll be seeing much more of this space in the weeks to come as we continue the process again!  Paper is down to protect the floor--let the fun begin!



Spring has arrived as we start another project, and we look to our diversions in the garden for balance as we begin again.

After the floors were sanded and prepped, it was time to stain!



Next, the first of three coats of polyurethane was applied.



Final coat still drying...



.... and the results are already evident! 



We'll have to give them a few days to dry and cure before we can finish our touch-ups.

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Meanwhile...

Remember, the closets we took out to make two rooms one large master suite?  Well that was months and months ago--October, 2007--and now it's time to keep our momentum going!  While we're waiting on the floors, work begins, um, continues, in the master suite.  The plan is to create a wall to divide the space into a bedroom and sitting room (think den) while keeping the space open and spacious.  Lots of work to do, but after months of thinking about it, it's time to start.

The room is 12 feet wide by 26 feet long.  The sitting room space will be approximately 12' X 14' making the bedroom space about 12' X 12'.  First, a frame is constructed. 



This will serve as a "divider" between the two spaces.



On the sitting room side, the wall will be used to mount a television...



...while on the bedroom side, the headboard for the bed will be built onto it.



It's a huge undertaking but hopefully the end result will be just what this space needs.

Stay tuned!

...well, you know!  Jeff, The Floor Guy, is giving these much worn, in desperate need of TLC floors, the royal treatment...



...and they're looking fantastic even after the first sanding!



We're tempted to leave them just like they are--check back to see how they turn out!

Well, the floor repairs...



are finished...



in both rooms...



...of our current project.



The baseboard replacement in the office turned our great.  In terrible condition, it had to be removed.  It's now mix of old and new...



and now it's better than ever!



Ceiling fans...



...are up in both rooms.



And now we're ready for the floors to be refinished...

So here's the good news:  Our floor guy, on his way to hip replacement surgery next week, has fit us in as his last project before he goes under the knife!  We're thrilled since it will allow us to start all over again on the other side of the house and keep our momentum going!

For those of you who've installed cedar closets, you know what we're talking about.  Luckily, the odor dissipates after awhile, but man is it strong at first!  We're working hard to finish up our current project.  The second room was cut in...



...and painted to  perfection.  Although this paint, Sherwin-Williams Duration Home, is excellent by all standards, it's like night and day when you compare it to the Farrow and Ball (see last post).



We got word that our floor guy might be able to fit us in between a huge project he's working on and his hip surgery.  Hip surgery?!?  Poor guy is in a lot of pain and we wish him a speedy recovery!  He said he'd be off about 12 weeks to recover.  In case he's able to get to us before his surgery, we're also completing some floor repairs...



...between the two rooms so we're ready either way.

We're finally putting some color on the walls of the second floor!  After weeks of prepping for it, we started cutting it in.



It started looking better almost immediately!



Sherwin-Williams has been our preferred paint, but we'd heard so much about the quality of Farrow and Ball, this time around we decided to try a different paint. 



Without a doubt, the Farrow and Ball paint is excellent.  Known for their highly pigmented colors, the Estate Emulsion we're using is Drawing Room Blue and the depth of the color is incredible.  The down side is the price.  It is ridiculously expensive, but as the saying goes:  "You get what you pay for."  It took only one gallon to cut in twice and roll twice--the coverage is outstanding.  This was helped by using the gray-scale tinting in the primer.  No doubt, most other paints would have required more paint. 

The depth and beauty of this color may not translate well in the picture here, but it truly is exceptional. 



Our friend, Lynn, said, "You guys sure aren't afraid of color!"  Me thinks she's right!

A trip to a consignment shop made us realize that we aren’t living alone.  It went something like this: 

Consignment Shop Lady:  “Well, this is a really nice sweater, but look at this.”

Me:  "What’s that?”

Consignment Shop Lady:  “Looks like you have moths.”

Me:  “MOTHS?!?”

Anyway, that went on for a few more sweaters before realizing that the little monsters have been living it up on Ralph Lauren fine wool!  

So, we set up shop in the partially dismantled and soon-to-be renovated second floor bathroom...



...and began installing cedar lining in the two second floor rooms we’re currently working on. 



We chose CedarSafe Natural Closet Liner. 




It’s made of aromatic Eastern Red Cedar which is a non-endangered species of wood.



So now...



...it's so long moths!

Door Number One or Two...



...or Three or Four or Five!



Five doors for two rooms!  Sanded and ready to prime and paint.  Many, many more to go!