Easty's Home

Cabinet Capers: Erasing the Past

2012-07-29T19:12:00.001-07:00

This entire process has been very entertaining for me. I live alone, as far as other humans go, and have learned that I can laugh out loud at myself without fear of wondering if I should be committed. Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy. I’m frakkin’ nuts! So by that logic I am doing okay.

I laugh frequently at the gross things my house presents, and to be honest it’s almost daily. Between Pete occasionally sharting in the bed (twice! really??!) and the remnants of German cockroach infestation, I have seen my share of poop; especially for being a non-parent. I should rename this blog: Easty’s House of Poop, aka EHOP. Ha! #EHOP

When last we left our heroes, the cabinet doors were drying after a couple coats of primer and my head was pounding.

Time to eradicate the past horrors from the kitchen and bring this baby into a new era of well-being! I donned the rubber gloves and a bucket of soapy water and got to scrubbing.

Before (eeeewww)

After (aaahhhh)

Why yes!That is a good, solid layer of roach poop/pieces. I gagged and laughed my way through it because if I can’t laugh at really disgusting stuff, life gets just a little too hard. Here are the two big guys all scrubbed down and degreased (the same process as the doors.)

After Brett got the new walls in, we did some reordering of the cabinets to make the kitchen a little more cohesive. There used to be a single unit over by the refrigerator that wedged it tightly against the wall and provided a ridiculously small surface area. So we moved it over to the cabinet next to the stove to create more counter space and so the fridge could breathe. The orange arrows below show the move, but please forgive the terribleness of the rendering:

See that green arrow? The original plan was to have a double upper cabinet with glass inserts installed in the door panels. Then this happened:

So I was like, “Suck it, jigsaw! I’m going all-open shelving!”

And that’s the new plan. This is how I roll.

Once all the cabinets were in place it was time for a light sanding and primer.

Pete was super helpful and not in the way at all.

BTdubs, my dog looks dead but I swear he’s just really hot and tired. It was 101 degrees outside (it’s the duurty south ya’ll) and with all the indoor/outdoor movement, plus the power switching on and off to rewire some of the electrical, it was about 97 degrees in the kitchen. Poor Pete! He works so hard.

Brett secured all of the cabinets to the wall and installed the counter-top and sink. I broke out the wood filler once again (woot!) to erase the ~~past~~ lines between the units so it looks like one solid piece of furniture. I plan to put “feet” at the base of the cabinets later on so that you really get a sense of furniture-ness and not these-are-standard-box-store-cabinets-ness. whew.

Oh! And Brett rigged the sink cabinet to make it seem like it was built for an apron sink! Which of course, it totally wasn’t. In fact, we had to go out and purchase a new sink unit (hello unexpected reno cost!) because the original cabinet fell apart when we removed it from the wall. Years of water damage corroded the particle board and it just collapsed in my hands. The good news is that Lowe’s had an unfinished version in-stock for $105 that blended well with the originals. Added bonus: I did not have to de-poop that one!

Before

After!

After sanding everything down, giving it another couple coats of primer, it was finally time to break out the real paint.

Ooooo low odor! No VOCs? Now we’re talkin’! I used Benjamin Moore’s Advance paint in Cloud Cover, satin finish; quite literally ripped this one off from the Petersik’s. I’ve spent enough viral time in their kitchen to know that this is a great color and finish. And they highly recommended it, which is more than enough for me! Sold!

Next comes the hardware phase plus censored expletives! Good, good times!

Hugs,
~Easty

Cabinet Capers: Prep Stage

2012-07-28T15:46:00.002-07:00

Let's back-track a couple months!

While Brett The Handy-Man broke his tail on the walls, sink and countertops, I went quite easy on myself (for now) and focused on the cabinetry.

Rather than drop a cool $7 grand on custom cabinets (meeeps!), I decided to give my builder cabinets a refresh and save on my renovation costs. I turned to my DIY gurus over at Young House Love for a little bit of advice, but wound up “borrowing” their entire shopping list and process. Hey, if it works, why reinvent the wheel? I am so not original!

Since Sherry and John Petersik were just winding their kitchen reno down as I was embarking on mine, I thought: how serendipitous! I don’t know what I would do without this lovely duo and their DIY advice. They make me want to move to Richmond, VA just so I can be BFFs with them. That didn't come off as creepers did it? Sorry. Back to the whole point of this post because I have clearly strayed:

First, I had to take all of the drawers out and the doors off, and strip everything of its hardware.

<<Sidebar: I did my best to keep the hardware that I would be reusing together. I numbered the six lower cabinets and labeled cups to keep the shtufff in. It was a valiant effort that fell by the wayside in the end.>>

I started prepping the decorative panels by using sprayable Next Degreaser from Home Depot. It was really easy to use, low VOC (but still pretty potent) and non-flammable, because you know I left it on the gas stove top, like, a lot.

Shake it, spray it, let in soak a little and scrub it girl! The directions said to scrub with a rag, but based on the sheer amount of poop-ature I have found, I figured I should use heavy-duty scouring pads. Then the rag for clean-up/wipe-down.

The plank on the top has been degreased and the one on the bottom has not. See how much light the bottom one reflects? That’s because it’s slimy and gross and the top one is squeeeky clean!

Next came the really fun part: filling up the old hardware holes! I have a brand new obsession over wood filler. It’s a seriously good time!

Again, based on what the Petersik’s suggested, I used Elmer’s Pro Wood Filler found at Home Depot. Slap it on there…

…smoosh it in…

…scrape it off…

…let dry and repeat! Each plank needed about two layers of gook to make it flush with the board.

Here’s everybody all solidified and ready for some sanding action:

I love my little Mouse by Black&Decker! She really gets the job done, even down to those tough corners.

Listen to me; I sound like I used to do blow with the ShamWow! guy.

Next came another wipe-down with a damp cloth and a couple coats of primer. I used Benjamin Moore’s Stix primer, which covered really well but is really high in VOCs (or at least it felt like it, high being the operative word.) Lord knows I really don’t like feeling that way, so I would not recommend using it in a poorly ventilated room.

YHL recommended Zinsser Smart Prime, and after this experience I totally went out and bought some of that instead. It's hard to find in Tuscaloosa, but not impossible! Stix certainly got the job done but not without some provisions:

An entire family-size bag of mini powdered doughnuts would have also been appropriate, but I am trying to maintain my girlish figure, thank you.

More cabinetry to come, friends! Remain on the edge of you seats!

~Easty-Lou

Long time, no see?

2012-07-15T19:23:00.002-07:00

I know, I know. I’ve been M.I.A. for, like, a month.

Kitchen renovation and summertime depression is getting the better of me. That’s right, I get the hardcore blues in the summer. I’m a weirdo! Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD :( – is thought to be caused by a tiny gland in the brain that responds positively to UV rays. For some, when it doesn’t get enough of its fix, it freaks out with the DTs and makes it impossible to get out of bed. This certainly seems to be true for me: I experience less sunshine in the summer.

Seriously.

It’s hot out there and I’m not doing it. I watched a mentor loose the ~~battle~~ war with malignant melanoma. I AM NOT DOING IT.

When I get made fun of for my Caspar-like glow, I think of all the Botox I am not going to need. If this were 17th Century France, I would be considered part of the noble elite. So that’s where I am going to live in my head while I wallow and wade through my own personal cyclothymia.

My doctor just put me on Prozac. #winning! and loving it

So, here’s a little progress report on the kitchen, but first, let’s do The Before:

Le design:

And…Progress:

I have about a bazillion entries that I’ve started writing that actually show the steps I’ve taken on this bad boy. But for now, this is what I’ve got. Take it or leave it sugar-pie! I’ll be back with a vigor sooner or later.

The Greatest Gift

2012-05-27T05:11:00.001-07:00

Nope, I’m not talking birthday presents in the literal sense. The greatest gift is something that reaches far beyond the material; the greatest gift is getting to be here, to live and love.

I am a sober person today thanks to the support of my amazing family, my friends who believed I could get clean, and through the love of the God of my understanding. There was a time all too recently, that I did not appreciate the precious gift I have been given. All of the misery and selfishness was necessary to reach a point of desperation; a desperation to change no matter what.

I am grateful to be alive, to have people in my life who are loving and supportive, to have a bond with a Power greater than myself who wants the best for me, and to have the ability to grow.

Though I can see the changes materially right now, spiritually, I think I am getting better. And that is the goal after all; to be better.

So on this day, the day I was born, I want to thank my parents for letting that happen and always being there through the thickness and the thin. Thank you, little brother, for being an inspiration. Your voice has always brought me joy. Thank you, friends, for being awesome and understanding people. You are the mirrors that help me see more clearly. Thank you, God, for letting me stay here to learn more and be a better person.

Now, I bet you thought this was going to be a post about dining room chairs and a new kitchen, didntcha? :)

Love, Easty

The Demolition Report: Part 3 of 3 Finale

2012-05-25T11:38:00.003-07:00

Oh, it is so ON right now!

My kitchen is beyond crazy:

Usually I like to clean up after each wall comes down, but today I tackled the fourth and final wall: the outer wall, now known as Hell Wall. The handyman and I just found another active nest, and we all know there was screaming. Mostly from him. Just kidding :) Ya’ll know it was me!

But the insulation and moisture barrier are now up, and this is officially a roach-free zone.

Here is my new best friend, R2 (as in D2), who cleans up ze poops and ze crevices:

And here is the inaugural piece of beaded board:

We are officially out of the demo phase and into construction! I’m peeing I’m so excited :)

Field of Little Nightmares

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

If I were married right now I would be headed for divorce. The kitchen is in a state of chaos that only I could handle and fortunately does not need to be made conducive to another person. It works for me, for a little while longer anyway. If I build it, he will show up…(no, I am not about to suggestively quote The Field of Dreams.)

It just barely works, but hey, there's coffee!

The handyguy is coming over first thing on Friday to install the insulation, bead board panels, counter tops, sink and faucet, and to teach me about electrical wiring. I am officially his apprentice for the day! My parents could not have thought of a better birthday present for me :)

I’ve been working on the ~~railroad~~ cabinets, cleaning the roach poops and degreasing (more later): seriously nasty stuff that has me questioning God’s reasoning for building the cockroach in the first place. What purpose do they serve? Really? The way I see it, it’s either us or them and maybe that’s the point. Maybe God is just trying to keep us on our toes. “See guys? If you build the nuclear warheads you will kill everything but these f***ers and the Twinkies they snack upon. Is that how you want it? Roaches and Twinkies and Cher??” No Sir/Ma’am. No I do not. And God didn’t really cuss. That’s my character defect interjected into how I think God sounds. Please take no offense as I am the first to admit that I am perfectly imperfect in every way.

I am waiting to remove this one panel that is directly to the left of my bedroom door. Behind it lie such horrors that I would like to hold off on opening Pandora’s box until the very last minute. There is a very large amount of American cockroach poop back there and a too recently-active nest. That story goes a little something like this:

The house came with a termite bond because back in 1995 the owners had to gut the back porch due to an infestation, and built the master bedroom suite in it’s place. The termite bond has been renewed every year since as a way of insuring that if it ever happens again, it will be a far less expensive endeavor. Well, my renewal came up and the house needed to be inspected. The guy shows up, does the crawl space shimmy and then starts admiring my demo work in the kitchen. I pipe up about this one panel that I am afraid of, he pulls it back and reveals three honkin’ buggers just chilling out as if they owned the place. Spray, spray here; spray, spray there…then all over.

They come pouring out.

It’s at this point that I am screaming and in tears, and Petey is all up in the mayhem and foolishness. The guy just stands there chuckling, “Boy, I’m sure glad I was here for this!”

Yeah, me too. God looks out for me and does for me what I cannot (and should not) do for myself. Even when it comes to killing other creations, or whatever. I just lost about three years off of my life I think.

The Demolition Report: Sweat & Mascara

2012-04-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have sweat and mascara in my eyes. It hurts. And all of the sweaty stuff is making me break out like crazy.

Don't look at me! I'm hideous!

It stings.

But my kitchen demolition is very underway! Hooray! I am discovering all sorts of buried treasure, like this old window:

Neat. It would look directly into my shower! Double neat!

And a whole bunch of ancient cat food over which the previous contractor installed the cabinets. Laziness, people. Laziness.

Without further ado, here’s a slew of photo documentation from the last four days:

Not 100% sure this isn't asbestos *laughs nervously*

OMFG Do not lick that! There should be no eating right now!

And then Petey got sent to our room; too much curiosity, too underfoot.

I also found out where the cockroaches had been breeding (behind the fridge):

Dry heave city

And where they had been pooping (on the other side of the room, behind the oven.) I will spare you that picture. Needless to say, I donned my protector mask for both tasks. I truly feel that good Feng Shui starts within the walls; just knowing that stuff is in there?? It’s keeping me up at night. I’ve washed my hands about sixty times today alone, and showered twice. But I can never unknow the things I have seen…this will be my Vietnam.

But seriously, I’m easily traumatized. It’s a character defect that I am working on. Thank goodness I have never experienced the stuff that people actually get PTSD over (like Nam). No, no. I am just a girl, tearing apart her walls, cleaning up an old cockroach infestation before sealing it all back up again. Ahhhhh the simple life!

The Jury Is Still Out

2012-04-24T18:20:00.001-07:00

So I found the deal-to-end-all deals almost six months ago. Whilst perusing one of my favorite local antiqueries, I came upon two super industrial (yet oddly romantic) folding chairs. I just counted at least three things wrong with the last sentence, including that I just called two folding metal chairs “romantic.”
But they are! And it helps that they came in a pair. A pair that cost me a total of $20 beans.

Here they are, all soul-matey and smooching in the backyard:

See the lace-y detail? Pretty romantic, no?

Well, this lovely rusting duo has been sitting around gathering cobwebs (which I basically just spray painted over because, oy, do not like the spiders) until I finally decided that I would try to incorporate them into the kitchen plan as a playful pop of color.

I dug through my paint samples, compared them to the lime green Fiesta bowls I got last Christmas (umm, and the dog dish), took the right sample to Home Depot and came back with a new shade of Key Lime. I used the gray primer I already had on hand and gave the chairs a light sanding before I got to getting.

The metal was pretty rough already -- not ow-my-tushie-will-never-be-the-same rough-- just rough enough to hold paint without a whole lot of prep work. And I really did spray right over the cobwebs. They were more fun (crispy!) to break off after the priming was complete.

Then I applied really light, thin coats to each chair. It took about four coats per chair to complete, and I had to run back to Home Depot for a second can. I left them out in the sun for a couple days to cure up, and then brought them under the carport for a few more to really let them air out—VOCs are not good for the Petey and me.

Blimey! Limey!

And they are now super-duper lime. I like it in the Mood Board, but once the whole thing is together I may go back to the drawing board with these. At least I know they can hold their paint!

Let me know your thoughts! Anyone else spray paint something a wacky green? Or yellow? Who else is in a Spring-y color mood? Or likes to make up words?

The jury is definitely still out and they may refuse to ever come back at this point.

The Demolition Report, Part 1 of ?

2012-04-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

My foks are wrapping up a handyman/contractor for my birthday and sending him over to The Knoll (aka Easty’s Home). So excited! He is going to teach me how to do the things I should not “wing,” which is how I’ve been operating up until this point. Considering I could really screw up my kitchen, or hurt myself, we all thought this would be a good idea.

Brett took some measurements last weekend and sent me a list of remaining materials needed to finish Phase 1. In order to save on disposal fees, I am going to do the majority of the demolition myself; I’ve already started! Last night I finished removing the last of the old extractor hood.

Here’s the original BEFORE shot:

And in the upper cabinet removal phase:

And here’s where we last left it:

That last piece of the old extractor has been taunting me for a couple months now, so I Tawanda’d it last night.

TAWANDA!!!

It should really think twice before mocking me with it’s “Nah nah nah boo boo! I’m two inches off center. Whacha gonna do about it?” kind of talk.

BAM. Here’s the most recent state of the kitchen:

Note how sparkly clean the counters are; demo is a messy, messy process. I covered the top of the stove but that didn’t completely stop the drywall dust. No biggie. The most important thing is making sure that the drywall doesn’t end up in my eyes (on with the protective eyewear) and that I don’t do anything really nuts that may cause me to fall from the counter to the floor.

Petey thinks I’ve completely lost it.

What are you doing??

There will be much more demo going on in the next couple of weeks. I will keep all ya'll posted! Enough about me. What did you do with your Saturday? Any fun projects? Time spent with the kiddos? Anyone else weird out their dog too?

The New Herbs

2012-04-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of a certain holiday I used to celebrate (that now just sort of makes me depressed), I rang in April 20th with a different kind of herb experiment: salsa verde!

My mom and I took an herb class at William Sonoma last weekend and I got inspired to combine a couple of the recipes. We learned to make salsa and chicken with compound butter—which was too much butter for me, but still pretty good. Now that I am actually sitting here looking at the recipe for salsa verde I realized I forgot the onion, which is why it ended up tasting more like a marinade than salsa. Why wasn’t I looking at the recipe while cooking? Because that’s not how I roll, hommie.

Here’s the shot of the stuff:

Yes, my kitchen is still mid-demo but semi-functional!

I’ve never done a single thing with a tomatillo so here’s me trying to figure out how to peel it:

I will conquer you.

Bite. No?

It’s surprisingly sticky under the leafy stuff! My compost pail got a nice bit of greenery, which I am sure is a welcome change from the coffee grounds. Tons and tons of coffee grounds…

So here’s the Easty-ized recipe (which needed a small white onion):

6 tomatillos
3 seeded jalapenos
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbs. of course sea salt
1 Tbs. ground pepper
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup EVOO

I threw everything into a food processor and pulverized the heck out of it. Then I melted a little bit of butter (instead of making a compound) with more EVOO in a pan, tossed in some sliced shallot, more salt & pepper, and cooked up the boneless, skinless chicken tenders.

Meanwhile, I got a call from my bestie in California and caught up on the gossip in between food processor pulses. “Sorry! Loud noise! <whirrrrrrrr whirrrrrr> He said what??! Oh girl, that’s crazy face!”

Trust me, it tasted way better than this looks.

So I go a shot of the chicken but by the time I was done with everything I was too freakin’ hungry to pause and photograph my salsa. Boo. But I ended up putting it on the chicken and it was delish. Again, better on chicken than as an actual salsa, so I put the rest in the freezer for later. My Venezuelan officemate told me I should have roasted the tomatillos first too. I’m going to take his suggestion next time so I can eat it with chips…and cheese. Like a whole bunch of melty cheese…

After dinner I broke into the Heart Smart Bisquick and had myself some strawberry shortcake minus the whip. Hey, work with what you’ve got!

Anyone else get crafty in the kitchen this week? Is there anyone out there who likes to experiment without looking at a recipe too? Or is that just me?

Up next--some light demo! My favorite :) ~Easty

Making Tabletops from Lemons

2012-04-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love reclaimed wood? A lot. And I happened to find some in my house! The previous owners had jimmy-rigged a “storage system” over the toilet in the master bathroom – yes, open storage over the toilet – that left these purty little shapes on my wall when I immediately ripped them down:

I see it; the off-center toilet bugs me too.

I mean, it was like the first thing I did in the house, right after closing. Sups hid. (“super hideous” if you don’t happen to speak Princess) Face it, this idea of storage was a dud and part of me really wishes they hadn’t painted over the yellow walls; so sunny!

I was able to salvage the shelves by removing the supports and sanding everything down. You may remember this post where I stripped down the longest one (that was over the closet door) and we last left everything looking like this:

Well I finally got my hands on a jig saw and quartered the six footer into submission. When laid together, it was all starting to look like a 3x3.08’ tabletop. Yay!

I even found use for part of the old supports by using them as the connecting pieces. I laid everything out the way I wanted it and started gluing.

Since each support had two holes predrilled from where it attached to the wall, I used some washers to secure the screws. After those were in, I just screwed directly into the wood in a bunch of other spots. The wood is super soft so I didn't need a drill bit, but I did have to make sure I didn’t get to close to the ends for fear of it splitting.

Here it is with everything screwed in:

And here it is all done!

I am storing it indoors and laid flat so that there isn't any warp-age between now and when I actually get the table base and banquette seating together during Phase 2. I will probably need to seal the wood since it will be used for dining, but it feels so good to cross something off of the list! The stripe-y natural wood is going to be a warm, welcome contrast to all of the stainless steel in the room and the cool blue walls.

Did anyone else get to cross something off their list this weekend? Or rip something apart and put it back together? Do tell!

~Easty

Baby's First Mood Board

2012-04-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

So I never really understood the concept of a Mood Board until I watched my favorite DIY/blogger couple whip one up and then start using it for their master bathroom. Then it made sense! I am one of those folks who learns by example, a "Kinesthetic" if you will, so I decided to throw one together for my kitchen. Here it goes:

1. Track lighting
2. Apron sink
3. New countertop
4. New hardware
5. New faucet
6. Red compost pail
7. Black and white floor tile
8. Red mixer
9. Wall mount hood
10. My tea towel art
11. Red microwave
12. Pendant lamp
13. Utility chairs I picked up at an antique store and spray painted grellow for a little kerrrrr-pow

And there you have it! Mood boards really do give you a sense of what the room is going to feel like; it's basically just missing the walls. This could get very addictive...I will try to keep my moody addiction on the DL, but I may not be able to help myself. Consider yourself warned, people!

Go ahead and poke the bear,
~Easty

Mid-Century Madness

2012-03-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to the sound of someone running around on my roof. Happy Printemps everybody! Welcome back little furry critters!

I've been so busy around the house that I have neglected my precious baby blog over the last couple of weeks. Luckily, I am motivated enough to keep improving my space- the blog is a preemptive strike against those days when I am not motivated what-so-ever (which totally happens when I get the blues.)

Like most DIYers, I am addicted to consignment shops, antique malls and thrift stores. My favorite spot right now is Skyland Antique Mall because of the mid-century retro booth they have in the basement. Mmmmm... mid-century. I am obsessed. They might as well put a big, flashing marquee over it that reads : DON'T BOTHER. THIS HAS ALL BEEN CLAIMED BY EASTY.

If I were my dog, I would have already peed all over the wares in that section. Graphic, I know, but that is basically what I did when I saw this:

Just look at those classic '50s leggies!

It doesn't look like much from the picture, but this little baby is just oozing with potential. It's a record stand! Complete with slots to hold my non-existent vinyl...oh I have plans for you my precious. PRECIOUS [insert maniacal hissing and hand-wringing here]

I am picturing a black-and-white chevron motif, but more on that later. Let's just call this the 'Before' post on this one.

Here is another Before of another faboobulous find:

Okay, I got a little excited (impulsive) and took the seat off the frame before taking the actual 'Before' shot, so let's call this pic a Before 1.25. Note the scuzziness on the sides from years of sitting in a smoking household. I also found a lollypop stick stuck between the seat and the frame. Part of me was all, "Eeeeewwww," and another part (the inner-anthropologist) was all, "Hmm, I wonder how old this is? I wonder if the child who left this here is my age now, or older?" And then I promptly threw it away. Moving on.

Oh yeah, I'm gonna reupholster this bad boy. Oh no, I have no idea what I am doing. I'm just doing it!

Good-bye weird, sticky blue vinyl! Hello blind ambition! Exclamation! Exclamation!

Tea Inspiration

2012-03-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ya'll, I love decor books; cannot get enough. I've been tagging my way through Grace Bonney's Design*Sponge, oohing and ahhhing all the way. It is also helping me to put together my very own Inspiration Book to help me nail down my own personal style. I know I am "eclectic," but what does that really mean, anyway?

This kitchen gave me an idea:

It belongs to Genifer Goodman Sohr of Nashville, Tennessee (a fellow belle) and not only do I love the painted white brick and the delicious yellow upholstery, check out the hot pink kangaroo to the left. That's a tea towel! Since I am always looking for ways to keep my budget in check for this kitchen renovation, I looked to Fab.com for help.

Well my tea towel finally came in right before my trip to Atlanta and I hit up Ikea to kind a frame that would fit. In hindsight, I should have opened the package before buying the frame, but it was wrapped up so delicately with a little brown paper strip that I left it to bask in it's cuteness for a few more days. I took the measurements though and it was off to Georgia.

See? It just looks too nice to open.

When I opened the towel *gasp* the pattern faced short ways, not long ways. I really need to pay attention to the fact that width is listed first in dimension specs, not height. No biggie. Instead of floating it over the mat board as I had originally planned, it would have to go under.

Here we are with a freshly ironed tea towel that is most definitely too wide to float.

I laid a piece of end roll newspaper behind the sheer towel so that the brown frame backing doesn't peek through.

Skipping some really boring shots of me screwing everything into place ...

Et viola!

This will eventually hang over the banquette seating (part of Phase 4) in my kitchen reno. I just love the illustrations (by Claudia Pearson) and red is my accent color so this will fit in beautifully. It is a little askew due to the fact that it is a tea towel, but I think it adds to it's charm!

More on the way! Mrs. Goodman's fabulous dining chairs have inspired me to try my hand at re-upholstery...

My New Passion for Stripping

2012-03-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

If you decided to read this because you thought there might be human nudity, I suggest you stop reading now before you get disappointed. I'm talking about paint stripping and naked wood. I love it, I love it, I love it!

About a month ago I ripped down the weird, country-kitchen-type shelving that came in my master-bath because it was, well, weird. That room is going to be so funky-awesome ("badical" as my friend Yazzie says) and the country shelving was ruining my vision. I took it down, removed the brackets and boom! Suddenly reclaimed wood!

Reclaimed wood I can use to build the banquette table for the kitchen...yay! I have four aux natural three-foot pieces, and one six-foot piece. One problem: the six-footer had been painted white and used to house red candles. Time to break out the serious chemicals and goggles!

Before shot and materials

Glob it on, baby!

Just look at those wrinkles!

Ohhhhhh yeah....

Whoooo! Take it all off!

Whew! It took a lot of elbow grease to strip it all the way down, but it was totally worth it. It is a much lighter patina than the other pieces, but I am going to saw it in quarters and mix the pieces together to create visual interest on the table top. I found a restaurant-style, cast iron table base for about $27.00 online from Atlanta Fixture that should work perfectly.

Here it is, all alone and naked.

And here it is with it's darker counter-parts, or should I say, table-parts?

Say Cheese!

Speaking of the banquette seating, have I shown you the kitchen plans? I haven't?? Here you go:

Note the apron sink. I got it this past weekend at Ikea!!

So this thing is really going down. I am jazzed, really and truly. More madness to come!

~Easty

50,000 Freeloaders

2012-03-03T16:58:00.001-08:00

My master bath came with this lovely little greenhouse window that looks out onto the backyard. I quickly made that the new home for my potted plants, since I made the move in December and didn't want my greenery to go into shock on the front porch. My plants have always been very sensitive to change, like their caretaker, so I thought this would be a nice nesting spot for them. They get plenty of sun and a light, daily misting from the shower steam. It is a very symbiotic relationship, considering the ventilation exhaust goes directly into the attic (as was discovered during the home inspection). When the former owners put in the extension off the back, thus creating a separate second attic, they failed to divert the exhaust pipe to the exterior of the building. Therefore, my asparagus fern, lovingly named Harvey, soaks in the majority of the moisture, as does Felicia (the philodendron) and Cornelius (the corn plant). The only one who doesn't seem to appreciate the new pad is Octavia, the orchid. She's kind of difficult to please.

Left to right: Felicia, Cornelius, Octavia & Harvey

A few weeks ago I noticed that Harvey had a growth spurt and two new stalks were pushed up against the ceiling of the greenhouse window, competing for sunlight. "My goodness! What a growing boy! Good for you buddy." I also noticed a couple of ants (let's call them The Explorers) had gotten in through that same ceiling and were making their way down one of those stalks. I didn't think much of it; I just moved the branches away from the window and went on with my life. I checked in later and didn't see any more creepy crawlies, so that was that.

The other day Felicia was complaining of dehydration so I did her a solid and threw in a whole bunch of water. I gave everyone else a drink because it was only fair, and.......whoooosh! It was as if The Great Flood was upon us. If ants create their own historical documentation of the event, this is where an arc and one ranting, bearded, white-robed ant would be appropriately gathering microscopic organisms in twos.

Fifty thousand ants, I would say, all clinging for dear life on the side of Harvey's planter. Felicia had some too, but not like poor Harvey. As none of this colony had paid any rent to me what-so-ever, eviction seemed to be the only course of action possible. Nobody rides for free, pal.

Oh, and it was 10:30 at night so I had no way of popping out to the store to buy toxic chemicals, nor did I want to. I've been researching alternate, green ways of pest prevention but this was a swarm and it was now. I quickly Googled "kill ants naturally" and found that certain household products will do it. So I came up with a plan:

I got out the spray bottle I use for normal cleaning with a mixture of one part water and one part white vinegar. I added a bit more vinegar to it because ants really find it offensive, and sprayed the hell out of 'em. It was pretty effective but by the end of that session I was gagging from the smell myself.

Next, I lined the window sill with salt (evil spirits don't like that either) and sprayed more vinegar around the window and parameter of the room. I really didn't want to wake up to a new ant line making it's way to my bed.

And then I waited. And slept. And had nightmares about swarms of ants all night. Before going to sleep, I prayed that they would just leave the way they had come in. I really didn't want to kill them.

The next morning there were a few ants moving about, cleaning up their drowned fellows and stuff. I felt bad for them. But we cannot have this in the house, I'm sorry. After doing some more research, I found a substance called Diatomaceous earth. It is a chalky powder made from the fossilized remains of a hard-shelled algae (diatoms). The particles in food-grade Diatomaceous earth are microscopic and harmless to humans and pets, but lethal to insects. Their razor-sharp edges cut the exoskeletons of the insects causing them to die of dehydration within 48 hours. So it still isn't nice to bugs but it won't harm me, the plants or the Petey. It can be sprinkled around the house (indoors and outdoors) for preventative measures, and can also wipe out Harvey's infestation.

I gave the ants a 36-hour eviction notice. They had until the weekend to get the heck out of my house before it got really bad, not just odorous bad, lethal bad. I have a hard time with the killing stuff now that I've somehow acquired a soul, but one cannot live with fifty thousand freeloading buggers. I won't do it; it simply will not do.

I headed to Manna Grocery, Tuscaloosa's local organic market, and purchased the Diatomaceous (rhymes with bodacious) earth, corn meal and Dr. Brommer's Pure Castille Soap in peppermint. Along with the vinegar water, ants find the liquids offensive and the solids deadly. I find the peppermint soap water to be quite lovely!

Saturday morning I took everyone outside to the front porch and did exactly what I did before; everyone got a really big drink. Expecting the same swarm as before, I jumped back and waited...

And waited....

And...nothing. Not one single critter came out of those pots. Hoooray! Let's hear it for vinegar and the power of prayer!

Everyone got a light diatom dusting and spent a couple nights outside while I cleaned and recaulked the greenhouse. While I was out there I went ahead and dusted the porch below the front windows too, since spring is nearly here.

I used the peppermint soap to make my bathroom minty fresh and buggy offensive, then got to scraping and caulking. I have to admit that I went a little nuts sealing every single seam, but I really need it to keep the ants out and my sanity in. Get it? In-sanity? <Snort>

Before (note the gruddy corners)

Scraping away the old gunk with my fancy pink utility knife

Goes on white, dries clear

After: Watching the caulk dry

Oh hey girl! Whatchu doing?

About half-way through, this really friendly (and very photogenic) squirrel came by to see what was going on. I guess all of that scraping was cause for curiosity. I like making new friends.

The plants are now back in their rightful spot, all except for Octavia. I moved her to the kitchen to see if she likes it better in there. She's such a pill.

Keep on keeping on,
~Easty

Decisions, decisions

2012-02-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

I died this week. Just for a couple days but then I got better.

That 24-hour stomach virus hit me like a ton of half-full paint cans and I was down for the count. Fortunately I have some of the most amazing parents who knew exactly what to do, when all I knew to do was not move. My mom came over with enough provisions to get us through Y2k, and my dad came over at just the right moment with (insert the sound of angels' voices) aspirin. Much better!

Now that I don't have to eat like a toddler anymore,

Chicken fingers, tots and Motts

I figured it was time to start in on the house again, light duty. So I need some help deciding on what color to paint my front door. I found an incredible deal at SignatureHardware.com on a door knocker.

Doctor's door knocker in antique brass

The best part about it is that it doubles as a wreath hook during the holiday season and is flat enough that I can keep the glass storm door up. (I don't love the storm door but Pete likes to look out onto the world.)

So, decision time. Yellow or red door? What do you think? I honestly cannot decide!

The Weekend Warrior - Part 2

2012-02-08T05:22:00.001-08:00

The softer side of my warrioress-ness:

After a fairly restless night getting used to my hyper house guest,

Manny!

Petey giving me the put-the-camera-down look

I finally tackled that throw pillow project I've been putting off for reasons including but not limited to: a) I needed an iron/ironing board, b) I needed at least two hours of quiet, and c) I am still a little afraid of my sewing machine. One time (at band camp) I was using the wrong thickness of needle to sew some denim - the machine is called the BabyLock Denim Pro II for goodness sake - and it broke off and hit me in the lip. It really hurt but my first thought was, "Thank God it wasn't my eye!"

Since then I've been wary of the thing and have always worn glasses/sunglasses/ safety goggles when putting it to use. I have a lot of meshugas, I know. As my dear Aunt Molly would say, I may be high maintenance but at least I'm self-maintaining. The whole point of me blogging this stuff is to document my learning process when it comes to DIY and overcoming my fears.

I get daily emails from Joss & Main, One Kings Lane, Fab, Beyond the Rack, My Habit and The Foundry, which are all websites listing daily designer sales up to 80% off retail value. I am addicted to scouring these sites but am extremely restrained when it comes to buying. Only on a rare occasion will a deal so fabulous catch my attention that I throw down the plastic for a piece of bargain basement gold. Most recently it was a Fab.com tea towel that will be framed to hang over the future breakfast nook...more on that later when it arrives in 10 to 22 days.

The most common pieces that I rummage through are linens and decor. Graphic prints are so hot right now and I love yellow and white chevron throw pillows, but not at the $65+ price tag! So I popped into the local fabric store when James was in town, found the very print I was looking for and a 16x16" pillow form to work with. That lovely yard of yellow and white goodness has been sitting on my sewing table for a month and I no longer had excuses a and b standing in my way. Time to kick the dogs outside and conquer c!

Sometimes I plan and plan and plan, other times I just jump right in. This time was a jumping plan. Without a pattern to work with (not that I would really know what to do with one if I had it) I started measuring and estimating that I would give myself an extra two inches on each side to work with.

20x20" square

There was some pinning, some ironing, a lot of stitching, peddling and some cussing, but before long it was starting to look like a pillow!

Now how do I finish this? That took the most time out of anything. After two broken needles and no blindness, I decided to hand stitched it shut and spot clean later, I guess.

Not too shabby for my first attempt at pillowry!

Here it is in action

I quickly moved it to a safer location because of this guy and his shredding ways.

Ya'll come back now ya hear?!
~Easty

The Weekend Warrior - Part 1

2012-02-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am a weekend warrior.

I have a full-time job that requires me to be awake at 5am and at work by 7. I get an hour break and am home by 4, at which point I am pooped. I am Queen of the Power Nap too (Petey is the Duke of Snuggle Buggle). After a quick recharge, I make some dinner, clean up, go spend some time with my fellowship, and then I have time to do things around the house...starting around 9pm.

So really it's over the weekend when I get the most done (and on the blog too). Someday I hope to have a really successful, workaholic spouse so I don't have to do the 40-hour grind anymore. I want to be one of those women who says, "I work because I want to," say 20 hours a week. Right now, it is just me and The Duke and he doesn't bring home the bacon. He's an outstanding watch-dog though, despite being such a little squirt.

Stewart Peter Brown I, Duke of Snuggle Buggle

When my officemate found out I was closing on a house he said, "Congratulations! You just took on a part-time job," says the father of three toddlers - all boys. I came home for lunch on Wednesday and found a four-foot deep sink hole to the immediate right of my driveway. By the grace of God it was in the city's jurisdiction and they were all over it! Whew. Now, for the kitchen:

When we last left it, the kitchen was in a state of backsplash nakedness/hoodlessness. It being Saturday morning...

ATTACK!

The Duke inspecting the temporary kitchen setup.

I started the day by clearing the counters and the upper cabinets, setting up a temporary kitchen in the corner with the daily necessities. The most important placement was the coffee pot because I am just not fooling around in the morning. I will cut you if you stand between me and my coffee.

After that I took down all the upper cabinet doors,

and I found this:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Upon completion of a brief melt down, I decided to put on my big girl pants and suit up...out came the pink rubber gloves.

After learning my shocking lesson a couple weeks ago, I turned off all the power in the house before starting to remove the cabinetry from the walls. I already have gravity working against me; I don't need to add more physics into this!

Power On: beep, beep beep!

Power Off: silence

Look Ma! One hand!

A few things to remember when dealing with electrical wiring:

Make sure you shut the power off from the main circuit breaker box outside. The box inside is usually a subpanel (learned that the hard way!)
Only use one hand. Don't complete the circuit by using both!
Rubber is good. Very Good. Rubber soled shoes, rubber gloves, rubber handled tools. All of it good.
Use the right tools like a voltage checker (as seen above). It lets you know whether you've got a live wire or not and it's like, ten bucks at Lowes. Also, these cap dealies (right) are pretty crucial for capping off exposed wire until the electrician can get there. I should have bought more yellow ones; those are the size of most of my wire and I used them all today.

So, I had some fixtures to remove and all of these things came into play this morning.

Snip, snip mofo.

Exposed and dangerous

Done. Now listen to Marilyn.

When I got to the nasty florescent over the sink, I realized I needed my crowbar and rubber mallet to remove the "Country Kitchen" wood thingy (valance? what would you call that thing??) I summoned my inner hoss and ripped, clipped and stripped everything down and without hurting myself, save for a couple awesomely tough bruises on my thighs. Note: when removing cabinetry, check for the no-see-um screws first, often found on the very top or underneath. Unscrew those, then the lower ones, then do the top. Dealing with the hidden screws is how I got the bruises.

Valance thingy?

Rubber hammer time!

Ta da!

Oh yes, those big brown patches over there on the sink wall? That's drywall. Really friggin' old drywall that used to be white. I have to replace the whole thing I think. The project keeps getting bigger but thanks to Sherman-Williams and their amazing Color Visualizer, I can start to see my vision coming alive:

Imagine this with those white dishes I found, red accents and a whole bunch of glass jars filled with pasta. Ahhhhhhhhhh. It makes it all worth while.

Call it a productive Saturday! Cheers, ya'll!
~Easty

I do not luv the '90s

2012-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

That's not all together true. The '90s were pretty good to me. Culturally it was a new dawn in music and fashion; a complete rejection of the '80s. And I went through all of my awkward phases during that decade so it played a formative role in "character building."

However when it comes to my kitchen, I do not like the 1992 burgundy/hunter green combo found in the tile backsplash and countertop. It's gross and completely outdated. It seems that '80s style has come back around (hello, neon yellow handbag at Target!) and the '90s are the new '80s. So passe.

The kitchen is my first major project! It's totally functional as-is, but totally not me at all. This is me:

(www.bhg.com)

Prior to moving in, I removed all of the face plates and installed electrical gaskets in an effort to seal the house. I removed one plate in the kitchen (to the left of the mixer), noticed evidence of an inactive cockroach infestation, quickly screwed the plate back on without sealing it, and moved on to the next room. I managed an apartment complex in North Hollywood for six months that had an unmanageable cockroach problem. It was either them or me and they won. I am still dealing with some PTSD.

Needless to say, I required some moral support in starting this one. My dear friend, James, came into town as he is working on a nationwide service project (see www.serfbliss.com) and I am his stop in Alabama. He has always been good about knocking any phobias out of me in the past, so we tackled the backsplash together.

Note the glam glasses in the absence of protective eyewear. It was better than nothing and I look fabulous chipping away at my walls, don't you think daaaaaling??

After James left, I got a little (um, a little?!) impulsive and ripped out the massive wooden Goliath-of-a-hood over the stove. It was there that I learned about grounded wires and the importance of shutting the power off in the WHOLE house (not just PART of the house) when dealing with electricity. My house smelled like burning for a while but I'm okay!

Here is what my kitchen looks like now:

Looks like crap, you say? Hey, it's progress not perfection! Here's what I want the oven's wall to look like when I'm done:

I have to do this thing in stages because I am on such a tight budget. One saving grace is that the house came with brand new stainless steel appliances, which is usually the biggest expense in kitchen remodels. I got some countertop quotes from the big box stores; nothing under $1100 for laminate even! Thanks to Ikea and my neighbor, Cameron, I spent $230 on the perfect gray/stainless steel countertops. Totally worth the three-hour drive to Atlanta! I think I may have decided on an apron sink from Ikea too ($185.99 + shipping).

I also found an all-white, 79-piece Martha Stewart dish set at a local antique store ($50!) that I cannot wait to display on those open shelves. Slap some beaded board behind that deal and now we're talkin'! I am currently emptying the upper cabinets and preparing a temporary kitchen set-up as I work on this project, paycheck by paycheck, week by week...

More to come!
~Easty

Easty's New House

2012-01-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

Where do I start?? Okay, how about here:

I moved back to my hometown two years ago after living away for almost ten. I got my college done, some "life experiences," and a butt-load of time stuck in LA traffic, before I realized how much I missed Tuscaloosa. I was stuck on the 10 when I figured that out, called my mom and asked, "how 'bout for Christmas I drive home and just...stay?" I was expecting resistance but was met with lots of joy. Yay!

And so it was: Easty was moving back East!

I've been renting apartments for most of those ten years (with the exception of three years of dorm life) and was starting to get frustrated by my budding DIY passion and the limits placed on it by the ever-present lease. Hmmm....how about a 30-year project??!! I think I looked at about 50 houses in the Tuscaloosa/Northport area before I finally found my little country cottage (from here on out known as The Knoll.)

It's got a big, fenced-in back yard for Pete------>Here's Pete! He's a jackrat with a penchant for lovin's.

Three bedrooms, two baths, and it's right in the center of town! My commute is seven minutes long, which sure beats the pants off the 2.5 hours spent commuting from Eagle Rock to Santa Monica everyday. I do miss some of the palm trees and all of my lovely friends.

Best of all, the house is 62 years old and needs some Easty-izing. I would describe that as a modern/eclectic/ French cottage-with lots of red accents-type of style. Okay, so I am a hot mess right now. Follow me on my journey of DIY and decor; I am starting with the kitchen and the gnarly early '90s stuff going on in there...

Home Sweet Home Alabama!

~Easty