Use Your Words: How to test your marriage. part 305

Hey-O friends!

Today’s post is a writing challenge created by Karen @ Baking in A Tornado.  8 participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words for someone else to use in a post. All words must be used at least once. All posts will be different as each writer has received their own original set of words. No blogger knows who received their words or in what direction the writer will take them. Until today.   

My words are: sustainable ~ various ~ coping mechanism ~ slanted ~ raccoon ~ circus

They were submitted by the very creative Jenniy @

https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com               

                     

Oh, friends. If you've read this blog for a long time you know that I like to change things up a bit in my home every now-and-then. If it's something simple like painting or moving furniture, I do it myself. If it's more difficult (ala plumbing, electrical or heavy-lifting,) I ask the man for his assistance. This time, I wanted to update our main bathroom. The room is a bit awkward, as it also houses our laundry.  So, I brought it up to the man.

He's silent for a minute (this is him recalling every circus-like remodel we've ever done) and then clenches his jaw together while talking to me which lets me know he'd rather have his teeth pulled than deal with another update. We both want our house to be sustainable for years, but neither of us has the energy anymore. "What will it entail?", he asks.

My List:

1. Paint

2. A new sink top

3. Maybe do something with the dingy floor? (not sure) 

Three things. That's it. At most: 1 trip to Lowes.

Time frame: 1 long weekend

(insert all of the experts and the good Lord above laughing in unison.)

We enlisted our son to help take out all of the room's hardware so we could remove the doors.

We had to move the washer/dryer so I could paint.

Easy enough.

What really happened to my ridiculously naive list: 

Clearing out the bathroom/ when we had hope.

1. Remove the sink top and notice the stained wall and soft bottom of the sink cabinet.

2. Remove the top part of the CABINET and realize the hot water pipes have leaked down the wall and into the floorboards.

3. Remove the corroded pipes and realize they haven't been checked since...the year the man was born? Good heavens people, after I saw the connecters, I doubted everything I've ever known that was good in the world.

The actual hot water connection. There's not enough CLR in the land to help this pipe out.

4. Cry. Assess the damage and hit Lowes.

5.  Lowes for paint, primer, pipes, connectors, and a TOTAL SINK. Remember that our existing toilet has a surface crack in the bowl, so we proactively buy a new one. Who has two thumbs and gets excited for a flipping sale on toilets? This girl.

6. Ask the man to remind me to write about the LAST toilet we installed...

7. During the hook up of new pipes, we assess that the people who laid the existing tile did NOT, in fact, tile under the sink. And the floorboards under the sink are slanted. The floor would need to be replaced.

8. Lowes trip # 2 -  Pickup wallboards, new plywood, a faucet for the NEW SINK, and tiling materials; which should be easy right? (insert more tears). Add to the list mortarboard, grout, tiles, de hazer, mud, (oh yeah, they don't have enough of the tile we chose), and a scraper blade to "pop-up" the existing tiles.

9. Replace sink pipes and decided to start chipping up the tiles, since nothing can happen until we have a floor. Use the scraper. And a hammer. And a sledgehammer. 'Seems the people that lived here previously were either reigning tile champions, or have successfully buried bodies in cement, because that stuff would. not. move.

10. Home Depot this time, to rent a hammer drill. I can't express the frustration we possessed trying to tear up that floor. The tiles merely chipped and all of the mortarboards turned to dust. I'm sure I mentioned that we removed the doors right? Enter everything in my home covered in dirt.

11.  Take a day off to contemplate buying a new home. Perhaps one with an outhouse.

12. Home Depot trip #2 to exchange for a LARGER hammer drill that eventually does a satisfactory job.

all hope and happiness is gone

13. We are five days in and the man and I don't know how we ever loved each other. He huffs and puffs when i move and I can't stand the sight of his dusty-a$$ed jeans. Frustration leads to bickering and nothing makes it better until he mentions ice cream. That's right. Frozen dairy reunites us once again. Mint-chocolate-chip-tasting is totally a coping mechanism, right?

14. Day 6: we have to temporarily move the laundry back to the hook-ups because, oh, I don't know... I have spoiled my boys into not making their underclothes last? Hey, there ARE ways.

still hopeless, but smelling April-fresh.

15. Yeah. STEP FIFTEEN! Would you like to see the finished project? Um, so would we. We are at a standstill while the man does his real job and my grandson wants to go shopping. I'd much rather buy fruity pebbles, stuffed raccoons, and various Legos at Target, than trip over one more sample of porcelain tile.

Wish us luck/Pray for our marriage/Pray for our souls.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends, free from DIY projects or HGTV.

-Michele

Don't forget to check out the other amazing bloggers and see what they've come up with!               

They were submitted by:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Wandering Web Designer

 Spatulas On Parade

 On The Border 

 Sarah Nolan

 Part-time Working Hockey Mom

 Climaxed                                             

Fly on the Wall: March 2015

Hey-O!  Welcome to the March Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 14 amazing bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

Cast:
Me
The man
Alex, the eldest (daughter, 21) 
C., The middle (son, 16)
J., The youngest (son, 10)

First of all, I'd like to explain where in the world I've been for the last few months. But if I did that, I'd actually have to give an answer. The truth is I've been dealing with issues out in the real world that are a bit too painful to blog about. Yet. I miss writing so much. I hope to continue, but for right now, I'm here. Thanks for sticking around :)

Hockey, anyone?
Red Wings forever, I know. But, we are across the country from Joe Louis Arena. For now, the youngest is attending games here in our city. Our team, the Mustangs, are part of the Western States Hockey League. J. absolutely loves it.

Thank goodness the Mustangs also wear red.

Since J. likes to imitate life in LEGO form, this is sitting in the middle of his bedroom:

Check out that audience. Everyone is a fan :)

Here's the zamboni!

The announcer.

...and the "Stanley Cup". 

Love this month was:

1. Getting coffee each morning from the man. He rocks. There's no other way to put it.
2. The middle child giving up Java and Coke for Lent. Someone has to pick up the extra caffeine. I'm happy to help.
3. Sharing something personal with an in-law and getting the kindest response EVER. Seriously. EVER.
4. Getting a text in the middle of the day from the eldest that says, "I love you, mama."
5. Getting funny memes and words of encouragement from amazing online friends.
6. Receiving a surprise gift from my forever friend. 

Thank you, Nick Nack! 

Yep, I'm Asian.

You might have already known that. But, if you had any doubt, check out my red "Mr. Miyagi" painting job. It was the first coat of my sewing room re-do. 

Old room with the dreaded "I don't know what's been on you" carpet.

First coat. Wax on, wax off. Two brushes at the same time.

3 coats later...

Quote of the month: (and a bit of bragging)

To the man and me: "Oh yeah, if you want to come tonight, I might be getting an award."

-said the boy who won First Place in Engineering in the District Senior STEM fair, The Office of Naval Research Award, a Yale Science and Engineering Association Award, and the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Award for Sustainability Solutions. You know those times when life gets you down? When being a teenager is really hard? This night told all that negativity where to go.

While I had nothing to do with these awards, I did give birth to that child. Let a mom hold a certificate or two.

Advice of the month from Grams:

When I asked Grandma what keeps her looking so young:

"Walk around with Jesus in your heart. Let that light shine through. Oh, and always wear a long-line bra. In a size that fits, of course, not one that you WANT to fit."

-Thanks Grams.

Thanks once again for reading. Thanks also to the Fly's AMAZING creator, Karen @ Baking In a Tornado, aka "The Blogging Original", for hosting this challenge! Would you like to join in the next FLY challenge? Click on the FLY button on my side bar. Karen will  take care of you.

Take a look at what the other bloggers have going on inside their homes. Go on! Leave them a comment. You know you want to...

Baking in a Tornado                          

Spatulas on Parade                          

Follow Me Home                           

Menopausal Mother                          

Stacy Sews and Schools                        

Battered Hope                                   

Just A Little Nutty                                  

The Momisodes                                        

Someone Else's Genius                            

The Sadder but Wiser Girl                        

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                            

Disneyland in Kentucky                               

Juicebox Confession                            

Searching for Sanity                      

Go Mama O       

Happy Friday, friends!

-Michele                               

Basement Bathroom is Finished!

Well you know, nothing is ever REALLY finished, but for now, we are "DONE!"

As you know, this wasn't our favorite redo. But, I love the finished product and am so happy that we were able to make even the smallest of improvements. One of my favorite parts of this little room is that it reminds me of something I might have found in my great-grandmother's house. Nothing fancy, but not bad at all for a basement bathroom. I'm secretly in love with the "shabby chic" look; even more in love that the plumbing and electricity are working properly...

Here are some before and after pictures. I hope you like feminine, because there will not be any "seats up/missing aimers" action allowed.  Also not allowed: newspaper reading, toilet texting, or using of the "good towels". Yup, it already feels like grandma's...

Before: Green bathroom with water-damaged floor and soggy cabinets.

After- Pink bathroom with "wood-like" laminate floor and pedestal sink.

Before: Medicine cabinet/ Acrylic sink top 

After- Pedestal Sink ($50), Mirror from Savers 4 bucks, baby!

Before- Water damaged floor, moldy baseboards (gross, I know.)

After- Laminate floor,  bigger baseboards, LOADS of caulk

Before- Sink top, faucet

After- Pedestal sink- Lowe's cheapest faucet. I thought it looked retro.

Before- Hollowed out bathroom. This is the floor in its pre-scraping, pre-cursing, pre-crying state. Peeling up the floor and glue was ridiculous. I almost said "Forget-it, use a glue-stick!" Actually, I know I said that.

After- I do love the new floor. It's water resistant. Woo Hoo!

Before- I can't begin to describe what we scraped off the walls, what we had to patch or how much of that old wax ring was missing.....UGH times three :(

After- replaced green board, wax ring AND toilet handle. How cute is that little thing-a-majig? The man almost suffocated me while he was balancing a sink and I was attaching that meaningless handle. I say whomever uses that toilet won't think it's so meaningless..

Before- Our light, which is about to find it's home in another room.

After- This one took some begging. $39 dollars at IKEA. After the man started to cry and scream about it, I gave in. He can have his fancy lighting. This time. Boys.

Before- another pic of the medicine cabinet and wall lights.

After: I liked those lights! We switched the bulbs to crystal shaped ones. They're supposed to last longer. The candle holder on the wall and the mirror were brass. The middle child sanded and painted them for me. 

So there it is. I still have to finish painting the moulding and hang the curtain on the see-thru door, but for now, I'll kick everyone out and take a bath. Or a shower. But I'll do it upstairs because I am NOT messing up this room....yet.

Leave me your thoughts...

Happy Friday, friends!

Day 19 of Forty- Grateful Sunday :)

Hello friends! Here are my five thank-yous for the week:

1. The man and I ventured all the way to IKEA yesterday. (It's about an hour away, so you have to know ahead of time that the whole journey is going to take up a good chunk of your day.) After walking around forever and two minutes, I found myself exhausted and sitting in the middle of the cafe, checking out the treasures in my over sized yellow bag. I found those cute little lemonade bottles with the stoppers and metal clips and was pretty excited, since I'd been eyeing them in another store for quite a while. When I looked up from the bag-o-goodies, I saw that man of mine, soda and silverware in one hand and my steaming hot coffee cup in another. Right there walking toward me is my grateful number one. Yeah, he's my husband. Sometimes he's my shopping or DIY-ing partner. But lately, he's been what I've needed most; a really good friend.

2. The eldest came to help me teach a class of first graders on Friday. It was amazing to be teaching in my very first classroom (circa 1996), with not only my youngest in the class, but with my daughter who also had attended first grade in the very same room. Her teacher was the person who adopted my family when we moved to Utah. The world is an extremely, wonderfully small place sometimes. Memories flooded back and helped me to relish blessings both in the past and in the present.

3. A bunch of students on Friday noticed that I colored my hair and didn't even laugh or point at me. Sure, their ages range from 6-12, but every little kind thing counts. Especially when a fifth grader tells you, "Wow. You don't look so old, Mrs. M."   Me: Winning!

4. Me, writing this blog to you at 7:30 p.m. and STILL seeing daylight!

5. We have most of the "theatre-like" room done. The walls are bare and the sofas are in large need of some pillow-love, but it is the man's baby, and he's pretty happy. I think it's because his office is currently cotton candy pink, but that's another story for another time.

I told you I'd leave a few pics, so here they are. Remember, everything is a work-in-progress :)

Before: Here is the very messy playroom, peppered with a ton of teaching stuff.

After: It might look as if IKEA has taken ownership of the room, but that's okay. The storage is wonderful!

Before: The back wall, full of miscellaneous toys. P.S. The room was a blue/grey color.

After- The "Concession Area." We thought it would be fun to have a place to store drinks and snacks. We are still those strict parents who make the kids ask before consuming any of that; if only to make sure they're not eating mama's stuff :)

Before: Here is the only window in the room. It makes for a dark place, which I guess is why it's the theatre. This was the only source of light I had when teaching.. Ack!

After: You know, if you're going to complain about lack of light, you really should go out and buy yourself a pair of black curtains..and then close the blinds ;) Here is the apex of excitement for the man and me. An air hockey table. We have been known to push small children out of the way at Chuck-E-Cheese to play this game. The kids get a chance to enjoy it if we're not around.

Before: Here is a pic I'm using as an example to show you the careful measures I take when painting. Push everything into the middle of the room, open the paint can and GO!!!!

After: Here is the same view with our IKEA couch and Target game chairs.  We assembled it all and only had a handful of screw left over ;) This arrangement works well because the game chairs are much shorter. We can all watch a movie and be able to see the screen. Notice the eggplant wall, bare as a baby's bottom. I need to hang some pictures...soon. It's kind of driving me crazy. Notice that the boys could care less about decor issues...

After: Here's a view from the sofa on the back wall.

That's the room. (We are still contemplating hanging that TV.) What do you think?

Happy Sunday, friends :)

Day 16 of Forty-Let's all go to the movies..

The man and I decided a few months ago to put theatre-like room in the basement. We also decided to use the room I had been using as a classroom. If you remember, I was homeschooling the youngest as well as tutoring a ton of kids....and I had a few (thousand) items left from teaching school. For those of you that have been following this blog, it is also the room that held the evil-twin chairs...

I say "theatre-like" room because there are actual theaters in people's houses these days. Wall size screens, big, squishy, leathery chairs and popcorn makers. I've seen a few and they are gorgeous. No, when I say theatre-like, I mean a room, painted a dark color...with a TV.

I was in charge of painting and the man had to handle the electronics. We planned where things would go and what we would add to the room to make it fun for the kids, all the while also keeping in mind what would and wouldn't fit down the basement stairs. You'd be surprised.

As it goes, I painted that cute old blue classroom the color of an eggplant. A single-man living in the next town adopted our two evil chairs. Then, my husband hooked up every game system/stereo piece/DVR/DVD/CD/VCR/OMG!- thing known to man. I believe every piece we've ever owned is in that room. In good conscience, I won't go into how many wires are hiding behind a piece of black IKEA furniture. I won't because I can't even look myself.

We're not finished. I will show you parts of the room this weekend. Again, it does NOT look like any movie house you've been to..  We don't have the wall-sized screen. There aren't any velvet ropes or blinking lights around posters..

BUT if you know us, (which you should by now) you'll have faith that we stayed true to the important parts of any theatre experience. As far as I'm concerned, I could sit on the floor and watch puppet shows as long as I have these:

Tomorrow is Friday, folks! Enjoy your evening :)

Day Eleven of Forty- Peek-a-Boo!

Well, the good news is ...we hung two of the glass-paned doors today. They are so cute! One went to the craft room and one to the bathroom.

The bad news is... I now have a glass-paned door to a bathroom! What on earth was I thinking? The man had it figured out the first time I mentioned replacing the doors, but must have felt the need to let me "catch on" on my own.

I didn't figure it out at The Home Depot. Either time. We had one of the doors already and picked up the second (and third!) one this morning.

Nope. I didn't put two and two together on the ride home either, when the man asked, "Are you sure you want glass on ALL the doors?"

"Poor man." I thought. He doesn't realize that I want all the doors to match. He just doesn't get my "vision."

 I didn't realize it while the man was sawing the second door using a jigsaw. What's that?  I didn't mention that the circular saw broke after the first door? It did.

No. All I saw in my head were beautiful doors that had little crystal doorknobs; entrances that were going to be vessels of sunlight in an otherwise dark basement.

Genius. I didn't even catch on when the man asked if we should do the room across from the craft room next.

"Um, no. We need to go around the basement, in order!" was all I could say in my very OCD voice. Did he just meet me?

"Okay. It's YOUR money" he said.  I always offer to pay for changes to the house that my husband could live his whole life (happily) without making. Sometimes, it works.

Finally, we hung up the second door; my husband weirdly staring at me the whole time... Then BAM.  I could see everything our bathroom had to offer.

"Oh no!" I said, because apparently the bathroom door had magically become see-thru.

"Mmm-Hmm" said the man in a look that was screaming "I tried to tell you, you crazy woman, but you weren't listening!"

"I figured that maybe you wanted to see everyone's business." he said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked at the door and then back at me and said, "Anyway, YOU are really the only one who uses that bathroom."

What could I say?

The kids came down to see the doors and only the the middle child was brave enough to ask about the "new view" of the restroom. I could see the man doing his "Yes-I-Know-But-I-Just-Want-To-Go-To-Bed" eyes-closed-nod to the other children, who in turn nodded understandingly at their wonderfully-patient dad.

My next project will NOW have to be...bathroom-door curtains. Dang.

I should probably just give up these silly projects altogether. Hmm.

I would like everyone to know however, that I have at least passed on some sa-weet creative genes to the youngest two, who have their designing down to a science. Whew.

Check out this amazing blanket fort:

I DO hope it has a private bathroom.

Happy Saturday, friends :)

Day Ten of Forty- Knock Knock!

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad it's Friday? I had to go there. I was teaching all day :)


The man and I have a steaming-hot date tonight...with a glass door.

Our 5 basement doors are getting a makeover. Right now, they all look like this:

I'm hoping one day, they will look like these... (but finished, of course!)

We're starting with the craft room (Woo Hoo!). 

We only bought one door, though. We need to first see if we are capable enough. When I say "capable", I mean "still married." You know the drill...

All we need is this cute man:

and the girl with the camera.

Oh, also a chisel,  a drill,  a circular saw, a sander, a plane, new hardware..etc.

This is going to be fun :)

What are your plans? Do you get traditional weekends off?

However you spend the next two days, get some downtime and enjoy a little peace and quiet, or if you are like us, enjoy the screaming sound of circular saws.

Cheers to the weekend, friends :)

A day in the life of being married to me...

Setting: The craft room. It's the weekend before my birthday. I have disassembled one of two closets and junk is strewn everywhere...The man, trying not to look worried, peeks in.

The man: Wow. What's going on in here? (He's asking in that, "I'm being nice, I don't really want to know." kind of voice.)

Me: Hey, Mr. Man. I think I'd like to paint this weekend and I need your help.....

The man: Really? What in this house is left to paint?

Me: Very funny. I'd like to paint the closet with some leftover paint, and I need your help with..

The man: But..It... is a CLOSET. (He says this to me as if I'd look at him, realize that it IS indeed a closet and change my mind..) Why do you want to paint it?

Me: Because it's a complete disaster, and I'd like to make it an office.

The man: An office....Inside your craft room... 

Me: Yes. That's what I said...and I'd like to paint stripes in there..

The man: (looking into the shell-of-a-closet, he shakes his head because apparently, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever thought of.) I still don't understand why, you know, with it being a closet and all...

Me: You know what? Never mind. I was going to use the "It's my birthday; could you please help me?" excuse...but I'm not asking you anything. I don't need your help..I don't want your help. Please. Just go.

Looking a little (okay, very) relieved, the man starts to walk away. He's slowly walking up the stairs...I start to follow him.

Me: Guess what? I am perfectly capable. I can do this myself!  I can!... But....

He looks back at me as if I fell over and cracked my head open at that very moment, he might pause a minute or two before calling 911.

Me: If one were to "hypothetically" paint a room...and say, if the wall is 38 inches, and the other is 44 inches, how might one measure the tape out for even stripes?

Oh. He ALMOST got away. So close...I can literally see his jaw start to tighten.

He again starts shaking his head at me because he knows I will make a spatial mess of things if I take charge of that blue painters' tape, and if THAT happens, I may need to REPAINT...and if I buy NEW paint, I might as well repaint the whole room.... So with that "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" realization, he asks softly, "Do you have a ruler?"

Me: (Taking advantage of the short window of opportunity) Yes. Yes! But.. do we really need one?

The man: (hoping his next wife will love stark white walls) Yes, Michele. Yes "we" do.

Thank goodness for beautiful leftover paint in the garage. Thank goodness for the sparkles I bought at Lowe's to put into the paint. Thank goodness for the man who helped his FIRST wife measure out stripes for a tiny closet no one will ever see.....except for me.

And you. 

And the man who knows his paint-addicted wife is as close to giddy as anyone can be over a 12 square foot sparkly closet office. 

This is the closet in the craft room. It was supposed to stay like this...

But it eventually turned into this...

Go ahead. Shake your head. It's a mess...Tsk. Tsk.

*

Post closet, Pre-office

Measured stripes.....

Gold and pink paint..

With sparkles? Yes.. They really work!

Look at that tape! It's the cutest little room and it is junk-free. 

***

Because I was so embarrassingly excited about the even stripes AND sparkle-paint, the man found the perfect gift for my birthday. 

***

I think I'm in love..

***

Now, what to do about that carpet?

Me: Honey???

Crickets.

Happy Weekend, friends :)