Begining Day Three

OMG! I am still so tired and soar...I got a good night sleep, even though I had some crazy dreams. But welcome to my sleep - I dream A LOT.

Yesterday was very busy and we did get a lot of stuff done. We finished removing the floor in the laundry room, removed the tile in the bathroom and then the drywall and the over hang above the tub.

The tile just popped right off the wall so my BF said to go ahead and pull it off. As I was removing it from the tub, around the faucet I noticed the there as no drywall behind the tile. It appears that the crack in the tile was allowing the moisture to get to the drywall so after several years the drywall just crumbled and of course the remaining drywall was filled with wonderful black mold. I pulled down the first piece looked at my BF and said "Mask?" He just smiled and walked into the kitchen and grabbed me a mask. The other crazy thing is that the tile was on drywall not tile backer.

(tub full of tile)

OK I have to admit I am a little claustrophobic and wearing a mask can be difficult for me however after an hour I noticed that I was not sneezing and my noise stopped running. Secretly I think I have fallen in love with the mask:) At the end of the day I could breath, what a relief!

The funny thing about this whole remodel is that as the bathroom stands I like it a lot more than I did before we gutted it. So now I have to do the before and after shots so far.

BEFORE

AFTER

The more we dig in the project the more I am glad that my BF is here to help. Not only does he bring his 10+ year of knowledge he also brings the right tools. I was raised by my mom and the tools that I learned to work with was a hammer and a screw drive. I always had the belief that these were all the tools I needed to get the job done. And yes, I could have gotten the job done with the hammer and a screw driver (Ummmm, although to would have taken forever). However I quickly learned that having the right tools is a blessing and makes the project move along quit smoothly. All my BF could do is shake his head...I just laughed. I keep telling him I love his tools and he just smiles and shakes his head.

Oh, yes and the other thing is that I decided to switch tiles. See, I was trying to save money (which is good) however I think I was trying to save in the wrong area's. I was looking at the tile yesterday and have been for a while. I realized I'm not 100% happy with it. I have come to the thought that if I was flipping a house this tile would be great. It does look nice but the pattern on the tile is digitally printed so that means after a certain amount of time I will eventually start seeing some wear. Granted, I will probably sell the house before I see the wear but I don't want to spend this amount of time and money on something that I will look at and say "I wish I woulda" So I informed my BF that I was taking back all the tile that I bought and I need to go look for other tile. I want to be 100% happy with my bathroom and the floor is not something that I can easily change down the road....so in the next day or so I will be back at the store looking for some tile that I love but that is within budget. The good thing is I only need 120 sq ft of tile so really any tile will fall into my budget....one bonus about a small space!

Well off to another day of working my A$$ off and slowly seeing my bathroom put back together.

Day Two - Completed

Well this will be short and sweet because I am exhausted and just want to lay down...but I am so excited about getting the bathroom completely gutted I just had to share some pictures....later I will tell more.

What we did today

Gutted the remaining of the bathroom down to the studs.

Schedule for tomorrow

remove tub

add electrical switches, outlets and lights

Drywall

Hope we can get all the completed tomorrow.

This was the tub after we removed the tile. Where the crack was in the tile there was no drywall behind it. There was mold on the drywall once it was down.

Close-up shot to shot the rot:)

Here I am actually working...I did most of the hauling of crap out to the garage.

Here is the bathroom completely gutted. Nothing on the walls.

This was where the over hang was now there is this huge hole above the tub.

Interesting find!

After we removed the drywall we found hundreds of razor blades from back in the day when the medicine cabinet had a slot in the back for men to throw their razor blades in. The slot lead the razor into the wall and we found them all. It was interesting.

OK, that is it for today...I'm beat and am going to go lay down!

Day one - Done

Well, day one done! I would like to think over all it was a successful day. I thought we would have the whole thing gutted by the end of the day however the floor was more of a challenge than we thought.

What did we get done
Removal of the washer and dryer, water tank (NO HOT WATER, UGH), sink and faucet, glass shower doors (well only half), and all the trim.

Half of the flooring is up and the good news is that the flooring is in good shape over all. We were a little worried about what the floor looked like under the washer and dry however after my BF poked and prodded at the floor he determined that it was fine and we could mover forward.

So the demolition began with, of course the removal of the washer and dryer and other large items (he left the toilet, that was a good thing for me). Next as he ran to the store to get some caps to cap off the water lines I began removing all the trim. That seemed to take me a long time only because I had to be careful when I removed it in the laundry room. We were trying to remove the trim with out destroying the drywall.

As I was removing the trim he finishes capping off the water lines and starts on the floor. Good news : the floor was not glued down. Not so good new: there is going to be quit a different in the hallway floor vs the tile in the bathroom. This was really our only delima. So after much debate we decided that the best thing to do was one of two things.

Either use the concrete backer and put the tile on top or use this stuff called ditra (not sure if I spelled it right) which will help with the difference. The only problem is that the ditra is probably going to be more expensive then the concrete back however the bonus is that it will lay down much faster. I believe my BF is going to get pricing and I will have to decide if it will fit in the budget....currently I do have a little wiggle room.

The interesting things that you find under items once they are removed.

In general we found the standard stuff, such as noticing that the bathroom was painted pink at one point and the standard patterned brown carpet that was so popular in the 70's was still remaining. However the most interesting thing discover was the RED carpet under the sink. Yes it was truly RED. It looks like they just placed the sink right onto of the red carpet and later cut around it when they place the new carpet in.

Also next interesting finding is that all the doors in my house are not nailed down correctly. In fact the only thing holding up my interior doors is the trim....so when I removed the trim on both sides of the door that divided the bathroom and laundry room the door jam fell out. Now to add to things I am gong to replace both doors to my bath room.

Budget, What budget!

Oh well comes with the territory I guess.

Now it is just past 4:00am in the morning and I am wide awake because of the storm that came through. I guess I need to head back to bed to try to get some sleep just to start day 2. Lets hope that things go just as smooth as they did on day 1.

Small Laundry room remodel

To add to my pain and stress I am also doing some remodeling to my laundry room. There is only a few things being done but when you add that to my bathroom project, well that can add a little more time and dollars to my budget.

I am removing the carpet and placing tile down…the same tile that is in the bathroom. I am also replacing the water heater, mainly because it is older and makes these funny gurgling noises. And painting the walls….now I still don’t know what color paint I want but worst case it will turn into a weekend project later down the road. I also want to add some shelves or some type of cabinet between the water heater and the furnace…..my house over all lacks storage.

This part seems pretty simple but here is the worry my BF has….what does the floor under the washer and dryer look like. Currently the previous owners have placed the washer and dryer on some type of 1” pressed board flooring. Though I thought it was odd and never gave much thought to it however my BF cringed. He is concerned that they put the extra flooring there to cover up other issues….like a bad floor from water damage or decay. That will suck if we find and issue because that will be another day or two of work to fix that plus additional cost. So let me cross my fingers and hope that they were just being silly when they put that down

I also want to add some paint and hardware to the cabinets above the washer and dryer...probably white...and this will be at a later time, but it will happen!

Regardless of the issues the remodel project has a green light! And I plan on remodeling my bathroom and laundry room for under $3500 in just one week. I am not sure if I can do it but I am sure going to give it an almighty try.

Schedule
Saturday – purchase remaining items for remodel with BF.
Sunday – Demolition
Monday – Not sure from here…I’m guessing we will either install floor and then tub and then dry wall…..ugh what did I get myself into? This is going to take a while

Bathroom Remodel (BEFORE PICS)

It has come the time to remodel my glorious 1960 maybe 1970 bathroom. Yes ladies and gentleman, I am gutting my bathroom, the tub, the toilet, the sink, I am going to be seeing studs on my walls in a few days.

My bathroom is horrible...it is so horrible that I don't like to have people over because I am completely embarrassed about it. It's just old and grimy looking....I can never get it clean!

So imagine this bathroom scene:



dark grey carpet with speckles, a tan/black marbled sink, white 3" tile in the shower and around the sink, cracked tile around the faucet in the tub, wonderful sliding glass shower doors outlined in dull chrome and soap scum and mold around the bottom of the shower doors regardless of how much chemicals I use, to top it off there is a lovely swan etched in the glass of the doors. Yes, those swans are there every morning staring at me as I hop into the shower.






There is this wonderful over hang above the shower so anyone taller then 5'5" would feel a little claustrophobic. I have no outlets in my bath room except this one with two prong's that is attached to the light. So I have an extension cord running from the light (over my sink) down the side of the medicine cabinet and wrapped around the towel holder so I can have a hair dryer and curling iron.




The medicine cabinet is all metal and the previous owner hung a frame around the mirror to help make it look updated. The previous owner was so proud of that thing that she actually walked me into the bathroom (during our finally walk through) and showed me her creative medicine cabinet. I just smiled and said that it looked nice....I completely lied, but I wasn't going to hurt her feelings.

I've hated this bathroom for so long, ever since I moved into it. Yes, I'm doing it myself, ummmm, with a huge help from my BF. OK really he is going to be driving the project. There is no way I would be able to gut my bathroom without help. The demolition will start this weekend....cross your fingers because I am hoping to stay with in budget and on time.....LOL...ever see any of the DIY home improvement show....yeah, well I'm still hoping.

What is going to happen to my bathroom.....
Gut the bathroom, down to the studs ...the only thing that is going to stay is the ceiling.
Ripe out the carpet and replace it with tile (YEAH!!)
No more swan etched shower doors...they will be replaced with a shower curtain
New tub, toilet and sink/vanity, medicine cabinet.
Install a new outlet (No more extension cord!)
Remove the over hang in the shower
Put new tile around the shower only!
Add recessed lights......a bright bathroom, can't wait.

That is at least the majority of the changes. I will try to post as I am making my way through this huge remodel.

This is the biggest remodel project I have ever tackled....Oh, by the way I only have one bathroom in my house...now figure that one out!

Life is interesting and so is our dreams......

Dream 1
Dirty house, trying to clean it, pick up something and there was as snake that slithered away from me I moved something else and there were two alligators (small, about 2 feet longs) one blue and one orange….emotionally I was startled but both the snake and alligators but not fearful and they moved a way from me

Dream 2
I went to a “friends” house but it ended up being a hairdresser. She had me sit down because she was going to do my hair. I looked over than there were these interesting curlers…I asked her about them and she said let me show you. So in the front of my head she straightened a small section of my hair and in the back of my head she curled a small section of hair….then she proceeded to style it and as she was styling is she trimmed a little off the top. I like the way that it looked and I was very comfortable at her house. It was strange, however when I woke up I felt very much at ease and at peace.

So out of curiosity I looked up some of the main symbol in my dreams to see what they mean.

Dream 1
DirtyIf you dream of being in dirty or messy surroundings, it is a positive omen meaning that whatever is worrying you will soon come to an orderly conclusion

Snake
The snake may also refer to a person around you who is callous, ruthless, and can't be trusted. As a positive symbol, snakes represent transformation, knowledge and wisdom. It is indicative of self-renewal and positive changes.

Alligators
To see an alligator in your dream, symbolizes treachery, deceit, and hidden instincts. Alternatively, the alligator represents healing powers and qualities.

Dream 2
To dream that you are cutting your hair, suggests that you are experiencing a loss in strength. You may feel that someone is trying to censor you. Alternatively, you may be reshaping your thinking or ambitions and eliminating unwanted thoughts/habits

To dream that you are at the hairdresser, you are looking to change your attitude. You are ready for change and moving in a different attention

I find these things very interesting for a couple of different reasons. First off, they have occurred so close together and have some similar meanings. Summarizing everything that I have read, my dreams may meaning that I am in need of change, some of my worries will be short lived and will end peacefully and someone around me I can’t trust and is deceitful.

So I guess I can say you can really read into anything you want but it is interesting because I have so many chaotic things going on around me and the most recent is my bathroom remodel…I can only hope it will turn out well. Nerves are running around all over the place.

I just recently been subject to someone stabbing me in the back, however I think it will turn out alright in the end. Lessons learned and I now know that I can’t trust this person ever!!! And the snake dream happened before I was aware of this incident.

I believe dreams come from deep down inside of us and allow us to work through things that we can’t when we are awake but I also think that some dream are just a lot of memories slapped together from things that you have seen that day. I think these last two dreams are a combination of things that I see during my waking hours and things I need to subconsciously work through.

I still find dream interpretation interesting and comforting at the same time.

My Passion for photography

This past Saturday I was the photographer for a wedding. I love being a wedding photographer.

I know out there in photography land there are a lot of photographers who turn there noses up at a wedding photographers. However I get so much fulfillment out of being selected to capture special moments at a couples wedding.

This is the one of the most important days of two people’s lives and I have been the lucky one, the chosen one. I get to share this turning point and other intimate moments with them that others will never get to experience.

I see the bride getting ready and her nerves jumping all over the place. I get to spend time with the groom and see his fear and nerves as well. I am apart of all the “family and friends” inside jokes. And most of the time I get an explanation of these jokes. I see the tears and joy of the parents, family and friends. I see the groom’s first expression when he lays his eyes on his bride for the first time. An expression that most attendees don’t look for because they are focused souly on the bride walking down the aisle.

I see it all and I am the only one able to document all those moments. I love photography and I believe it shows through my work.

The best thing about these pictures....they all came straight out of the camera...no editing was required.

Memories of Embarrassment

Crazy stuff this weekend….I was in a wedding on Friday, the photographer for a wedding on Saturday and went Kayaking on Sunday….now talk about a crazy weekend. Which, of course, I have an embarrassing story to tell.

So we were done kayaking around 3:00pm and I volunteered to stay with the kayaks so that my BF could go get his truck, which we left at the drop off point. It was a good 10-15 minutes away and he seemed concerned about leaving me there by myself. We really didn’t have a choice because the truck we had there was not big enough to take everyone’s kayak / canoes so he finally agreed and left me there.

There was nothing for me to do but park myself under a small shade tree and wait. It seemed to take forever and as I was sitting there my stomach started to gurgle, then all of the sudden the pain hit ....OMG! I had to go! And I had to go NOW.

I looked around for the safest spot to run, grabbed some tissue out of the kayak and ran down a closed horse path. I needed to find a safe place that didn’t have poison ivy or this metal stinging weed. So I took a quick turn left into this wheat/ grassy area…it seemed safe enough. So I ran to the center and dropped my drawers and started to do my business. Then, as I am in the middle of relieving my agony I hear the unforgettable sound of my BF’s truck, diesel truck. CRAP….of course Murphy’s law, so I did my best to finish, wiped and readjust my clothing and walked (really ran) out like nothing was wrong. As I was heading out of the grassy area I ran into the stinging metal weed and geeezzzzz did it sting. Bumps were popping up everywhere on my left leg and it stung and burned.

So I get out and smile as best I could and his friend looked at me and said…where were you?…..I am such a bad liar so I didn’t even try I just looked at him and said “I had to pee” which was the truth, its just not the reason I disappeared. And he looked at me and said “oh, so you found the out house?” What! Are you serious! I ran back to the woods in weeds to squat and there is an out house just around the corner. Ugh, I wanted to scream.

Of course my face turned 18 shade of red and I looked at him and said “Oh, I didn’t know there was a port-o-let, I just went in the woods”. He just laughed and said that it was probably cleaner then the out house anyway. Man, talk about embarrassing! I just tried to laugh it off. We finished loading up the kayaks and headed home. Only for me to tell my BF what really happened…he just shook his head and said “TMI, Jenny, TMI” that is his normal statement when I tell him too much information, which, I guess this time I did.

So is life!

More to come shortly

Just starting up my blog and will take me a few weeks to get it set up....I have so many things to write about from this last year it is unbelievable! I can't wait to get them down and share with others.

Lets keep things interesting and live our lives:)