tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90149639984658923702024-02-06T21:15:00.633-05:00Living in DuringNo longer in "before" and a long way from "after," we are Living in During.livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-45177838657675687482020-05-09T21:33:00.000-04:002020-05-09T22:33:49.123-04:00Basement in Action<div style="text-align: center;">
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In addition to moving the toys and kids' craft supplies to their new homes in the basement, we have added a number of decorative and functional details such as a large, colorful rug and the kids' records. It's really come to life down there over the last month.</div>
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Framed record albums have been on one wall or another in our house for years now. Along with the record player, they most recently resided in our craft room where the kids would listen to <i>Peter and the Wolf</i> while making their creations. </div>
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The craft room upstairs is now devoted to housing my photography gear, sewing supplies, and some home office items. In other words, it's a gloriously kid free zone. </div>
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Now Sophie and Michael listen, create, and play away happily in the basement, a relief in this time of staying at home.<br />
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One day I will totally support swapping out those framed albums for David Bowie and Pink Floyd when they're ready. For now, we're holding onto childhood and playtime for as long as we can.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">There are still some projects beyond the staircase and barn door that will get most of Mike's attention shortly. On the walls I plan to put up a photo ledge for the kids' artwork and a large whiteboard for games of Pictionary and so on. </span></div>
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Sophie spent much of the first day that the basement was open for business sitting on that little bench that houses their costumes, reading away.</div>
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The rug just arrived this week and has been covered in Barbie clothes, Pokemon cards, and two lounging ten-year-old's for hours each day since. Cleaning up afterward is thankfully still somewhat fun for the kids (although not instinctual--does that ever happen?). The novelty of having big deep drawers devoted to their treasures is still pretty strong and has kept the groaning and sulking pretty minimal so far.</div>
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Reusing the kids' old playroom shelves as a building zone has been one of my favorite ideas for the basement. One really can't resist the K'nex and Lincoln Logs for long when they're staring right at you, and the creative juices get flowing. The kids know that mixing the various building toys into different bins would physically hurt me, and they have resisted so far. </div>
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While the space was still under construction, I found a convertible table and ladder-back chairs on swap sites for next to nothing. We've already enjoyed some family game time in the basement as the table has worked out as intended for Monopoly, puzzles, and crafting. </div>
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We're waiting for retail to get going again before we get the couch we've had our eyes on all along. A TV for movies and video games will be the final big purchase. </div>
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For now, the kids are enjoying the wide open area where the couch will go by creating elaborate Lego structures. It's been exciting to see how having some space to spread out and their toys in new and more accessible locations has inspired the Michael and Sophie to play more. The requests for screen time and petty arguments are inevitable, but this space has brought some joy and peace in a time when they're especially needed.</div>
livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-58230264269378457462020-04-29T17:22:00.001-04:002020-04-29T17:22:04.331-04:00The Calm Before the Toys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I enjoyed the calm before the toys on the morning before we moved them all into the basement and braced myself for the chaos on the way. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how willingly the kids let go of old toys and enthusiastically put their favorites in their new homes. There was still some work to do the day after (Lego organization for the kids; children's craft supplies for me) and I've never been more grateful for a home project taking so long. This work and its rewards are just what we need right now.</div>
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Since I took these pictures, the toys have arrived, we've put up some art on the walls, and we brought in a table and chairs that has already seen some cutthroat games of Monopoly. I'll share new pics soon (a rug is also on the way), but for now, just enjoy the calm.</div>
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<br />livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-16738080972152096072020-03-29T20:15:00.001-04:002020-04-29T17:04:58.579-04:00Almost finished basement!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While Mike has taken on most of our home improvement projects to date, including finishing the basement in our previous house, we hired a basement finishing company back in the late fall to install the electrical and lighting, build our walls, and spray our ceiling black during the early winter. We had a budget to put toward the basement, Mike wasn't particularly excited about those initial tasks, and we were grateful to have had more time together around the holidays as a result.<br />
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Painting the walls (Repose Gray by Valspar), installing and painting trim, and laying down our flooring (<a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Decorators-Collection-HandScraped-Strand-Woven-Herringbone-3-8in-Tx4-3-4in-Wx23-5-8-in-L-Eng-T-G-Bamboo-Flooring-15-49-sq-ft-case-AM1735E/305219298?mtc=Shopping-B-F_D23-G-D23-23_10_WOOD_FLOORING-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-NA&cm_mmc=Shopping-B-F_D23-G-D23-23_10_WOOD_FLOORING-Multi-NA-Feed-PLA-NA-NA-NA-71700000032320746-58700004389677924-92700044623042031&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjoH0BRD6ARIsAEWO9DscQVvLjmng0ACHV5MB0MDpMCEup6NVzkqGm26T46wpZdLLL_sd-moaAqvJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">engineered bamboo in a herringbone pattern</a>) were tasks Mike did take on, and he checked the final touch-ups off that to-do list over this weekend. Take a look!<br />
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Upgrading the staircase and building and installing a barn door for the workshop are next on his project list.<br />
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We have always been terrible about remembering to take before pictures, eager to just get improving. What you see below is representative of the state of the whole basement initially--cement walls and floor, bare light bulbs, generally depressing.<br />
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The bumped out walls in the far corner of the photo below surround the water heater and furnace in the storage room, accessible from the workshop (functional but in progress) to the left of the stairs.</div>
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I can't wait to get this space up and running! Stay tuned.</div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-39796287030114261112019-03-01T13:28:00.000-05:002019-03-02T16:15:38.171-05:00Dreams of My Liquor CabinetI had an odd dream last night that the high school where I teach had lined the halls with vintage furniture. I loved the laid back, creative vibe it created! Outside my own classroom door I recognized a cabinet with glass doors and realized the school wasn't decorating the space, they were getting rid of some of my favorite treasures. It felt like a shame to me, and I was compelled to let folks know how these pieces could be repurposed!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR17R-Sp3Tcdz9OEtru57szNEMwCOY_TRJwn88cSVcqbskzV_KXw_dtMW0PE4lheOC9lf7AGR6ON47wMDT0_PUuDDTy1uvflVOj4yzWqPLevSAiFuWh9fzokALmLonEREhvlKKsKS28xL/s1600/Liquor+Cabinet+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR17R-Sp3Tcdz9OEtru57szNEMwCOY_TRJwn88cSVcqbskzV_KXw_dtMW0PE4lheOC9lf7AGR6ON47wMDT0_PUuDDTy1uvflVOj4yzWqPLevSAiFuWh9fzokALmLonEREhvlKKsKS28xL/s640/Liquor+Cabinet+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yep, my subconscious is doing back-flips with the leave of absence I am taking from teaching this year.<br />
<a name='more'></a>In case you need the backstory, I chose to take this year to pursue a photography business and to be more present with my kids. It's been fantastic. As folks ask "What's next?" more and more and I adjust back into a full-time teaching mentality, my dreams are getting a little kooky.<br />
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From last night's strange dream, though, I do feel inspired to share this cabinet with you! I'ts been about a year since it came to live with us, but better late than never.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPHB1Ehdzl5Gj-UDllpwOEFRpon4G__kbRuZcnZko9Vg2H2JN2_2uoBR0k_-NlDUHUKtv1orvUwh21SwglraDlpRjyEAaDG8gTmHWdok5jP92kM0x1Xts3EyWsWi0QuvEhdYtMosNdO1z/s1600/Liquor+Cabinet+%25281+of+1%2529-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPHB1Ehdzl5Gj-UDllpwOEFRpon4G__kbRuZcnZko9Vg2H2JN2_2uoBR0k_-NlDUHUKtv1orvUwh21SwglraDlpRjyEAaDG8gTmHWdok5jP92kM0x1Xts3EyWsWi0QuvEhdYtMosNdO1z/s640/Liquor+Cabinet+%25281+of+1%2529-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I was hunting a small cabinet in which to store our liquor and glasses last spring, I kept comparing the ones I was seeing on swap sites to a specific one in my mind--glass doors, elbow height or so, classic color and lines. That actual cabinet has been part of the scenery of my entire life.<br />
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It originally belonged to neighbors of my grandparents back when my mom and her siblings were kids. Those neighbors were giving it away, along with some other pieces those many years ago, and it has since been my grandmother's and then my mom's, displaying deviled egg trays, souvenir plates from various travels, and other mementos from my family's history. I eventually decided that I might as well ask my mom if she would be willing to part with the cabinet, and as it had become a bit of a hodge-podge catchall in her guest room, she had just recently been considering letting it go. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQi4TbBTJRtJr8zo5zfmr1VDkq-14Thz-6P_meusSYM-kzWqWH8UMLs0jEQ1Cmm3NrUgZmP0zEMbqpaSFwhL5ZTMoniPRRRQmKVXDAIJxhOZ7zljVf473f4R8uiX1T9yHJHjms7vaeZpgU/s1600/Liquor+Cabinet+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQi4TbBTJRtJr8zo5zfmr1VDkq-14Thz-6P_meusSYM-kzWqWH8UMLs0jEQ1Cmm3NrUgZmP0zEMbqpaSFwhL5ZTMoniPRRRQmKVXDAIJxhOZ7zljVf473f4R8uiX1T9yHJHjms7vaeZpgU/s640/Liquor+Cabinet+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a>Within days it was in my living room, perfectly displaying Mike's collection of pint glasses, my grandpa's old high ball and shot glasses, and all of our pretty booze. It's no surprise that whenever I reach in there for a glass I think of what a shame it is that my husband and my grandpa never got to have a beer or a shot of whisky together (Mike and I met a few months after my grandparents passed away). It's nice to imagine that occasionally, though, as somber as it is.<br />
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The rest of the furniture in that space is relatively new, and this cabinet adds some gravity to the room with its age and wear. It did have a pretty deep gash in the wood, probably from my own kids when visiting Grandma, but a little Old English Scratch Cover took care of that--no big refinishing project necessary. This is not a paid advertisement, just some words from experience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoLQskXqvnrHNAydGCDxIT2h-lfsJdXQ_e9CF-y_u9BBFrWl_e1NsoKpbrv8ej7MgctyMVTxDsIQCkA1Gzq9M0ixgOK7qXa_AT-VxbPMAOQt2qsUF5K7vTIi3q9WSnU3-Qop2kQoPU7gx/s1600/Liquor+Cabinet+%25282+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoLQskXqvnrHNAydGCDxIT2h-lfsJdXQ_e9CF-y_u9BBFrWl_e1NsoKpbrv8ej7MgctyMVTxDsIQCkA1Gzq9M0ixgOK7qXa_AT-VxbPMAOQt2qsUF5K7vTIi3q9WSnU3-Qop2kQoPU7gx/s640/Liquor+Cabinet+%25282+of+4%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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If you identify a storage need in your home, maybe for books or games or tequila and gin, consider giving new life to an old piece with just a little polish and a new purpose.<br />
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I'm off to ponder the obvious overlap in my dream between my home space and my work space, my desire to share and teach and my desire to be creative, and ultimately the whole concept of purpose and how that changes over time.</div>
livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-35928662711064655092018-06-19T12:07:00.001-04:002018-06-19T13:02:02.678-04:00To display or not to display?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">I recently came into possession of some old copies of six of Shakespeare's plays. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">These are from 1961. </span>Aren't they pretty?<br />
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As a high school ELA teacher with a cat named Oberon (partly for the fairy king, partly for a good wheat beer) whose address and subdivision are also Shakespearean, I believe these should be on display around here. I'm thinking of our walls.<br />
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Perhaps they belong in the powder room? I have not loved ANY arrangement that has gone up in there so far. I can never decide if I have too much or too little up and am not nailing the scale with any of it.<br />
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I bet my favorite wood worker could make me something like the frames I've seen for <a href="http://www.pewabicstore.org/Browse-Store/Framing/">Pewabic tiles</a>. Maybe two of them, one horizontal for over the towel rack and one vertical over the toilet? And this is where I tend to lose interest in decorating in there. Over the toilet status just seems so sad.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pewabicstore.org/site/index.html?_ga=2.113140044.910475383.1529421732-323725062.1529421732"><img border="0" src="http://www.pewabicstore.org/2023.jpg" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sidenote: I should not be allowed to browse the Pewabic website. The snowflake ornaments are currently on sale, and now I am obsessed. I need those, right?</span></div>
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Maybe the books should go on that big ol' craft room wall? Yes, it's still bare, but summer is here! Time to finish <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2018/01/craft-room-progress.html">crafting the craft room</a>, one way or another.<br />
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With the record wall on the other side with a graphic mid-century vibe, that could work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBw9lEvZXFM2CWTeWcYPD3wyaXBQPJzWCUOHOxgyt7E8WdZuNiQv-9ZxRhnNCbphFPxcQZHoUDP83enGj4nITadR1nPpM_2GKxE6_GVJH9xaEn-S0IxEJHlxlXph_XccbVlEUxYWcXqQB/s1600/image2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBw9lEvZXFM2CWTeWcYPD3wyaXBQPJzWCUOHOxgyt7E8WdZuNiQv-9ZxRhnNCbphFPxcQZHoUDP83enGj4nITadR1nPpM_2GKxE6_GVJH9xaEn-S0IxEJHlxlXph_XccbVlEUxYWcXqQB/s320/image2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm considering some shadow boxes <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kylierott/2311529806/">like these</a> but a bit more substantial. A mix of those and some book page art like <a href="https://www.vintagepaintandmore.com/2013/11/book-page-wreath-tutorial.html">this wreath</a> could be fun.</div>
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What do you think? Do you have any other ideas for me? How else might I display these beauties?</div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-35064058486638531982018-02-06T19:45:00.000-05:002018-02-06T21:18:59.497-05:00Finished KitchenIt's done!<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/ZcO1qN0"><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/ZcO1qN0.jpg" title="Living in During FInished Kitchen" width="400" /></a>
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It's been a slow burning project, this kitchen.<br />
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It didn't strike Mike and me as a room in need of a full reno back in 2013 when we moved in, but as these things tend to go, one "little" update just led to another and another.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top three pictures here are from the day we moved in. The bottom two are from the sellers' listing.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/W2zzamW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/W2zzamW.jpg" title="Living in During FInished Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since we bought it, this kitchen has gotten new appliances, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/12/family-room-floor.html">dark hardwood flooring</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2016/02/february-progress-london-grey.html">quartz counter tops</a>, a wooden counter for the island, a bigger sink and faucet, gray subway tile back splash, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2018/01/custom-kitchen-soffits.html">shaker style soffits</a>, and finally cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and corbels custom built by the guy whose blood, sweat, and tears pretty much hold this place together now.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/1KVvqJ6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/1KVvqJ6.jpg" title="Living in During Finished Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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In all honesty, we know the cabinets don't look <i>that </i>different from before. However, the little differences between the original ones from 1996 and the new ones matter to us. The kitchen now feels fully updated, not just mostly polished up.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/Dhm5lmo"><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/Dhm5lmo.jpg" title="Living in During Finished Kitchen" width="400" /></a>
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The cabinet door project idea, when I first threw it out as a possible woodworking project for Mike, seriously lit him up. He immediately got talking about podcasts and jigs and tools he would need. There was really no stopping him on this one. It was a much better reaction than the deep breath he usually takes to expel the stress that is being married to me.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/0cPiMBd"><img alt="" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/0cPiMBd.jpg" title="Living in During Finished Kitchen" width="400" /></a>
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According to that guy, here are the steps that went into this work:<br />1. Buy rough lumber.<br /><a href="https://imgur.com/y2hQ3mR"><img height="300" src="https://i.imgur.com/y2hQ3mR.jpg?1" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /></a><br />2. Mill stock using joiner/planer/table saw.<br />3. Cut grooves for center panels.<br />4. Cut tenons to fit into grooves.<br />5. Cut floating panels to size.<br /><a href="https://imgur.com/ntkXjVq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/ntkXjVq.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="300" /></a><br />6. Prime panels (to avoid seeing line when assembled and wood expands/contracts).<br />7. Glue up.<br />8. Drill pockets for hinges.</h3>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/SSu9IBQ"><img height="300" src="https://i.imgur.com/SSu9IBQ.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /></a></h3>
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9. Paint.<br />10. Install.</h3>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/IhArz0N"><img alt="" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/IhArz0N.jpg" title="Living in During Finished Kitchen Before and After" width="528" /></a><br />
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-1035785177721730452018-01-21T15:26:00.000-05:002018-02-06T21:14:57.729-05:00Shaker Style SoffitsOne of the aspects of our kitchen that I grew to dislike over our first few years in this house is the space over our kitchen cabinets. By no means was that space a major issue--we bought the house perfectly happy with that look, but I'm just not one for displaying knick-knacks and whatnot, so the open area felt empty.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/bGwfGDs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/bGwfGDs.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="266" /></a></div>
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Instead of watching the open space fill with dust, Mike and I decided to find a way to customize it.<br />
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Certainly not alone in this pursuit, I found a number of possibilities in the form of small upper cabinets and/or trim (click images for source location).<br />
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<a href="http://www.amyscasablanca.com/2012/03/kitchen-soffit-transformation.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADopq5lX1FcUkyGwbReJLq26ClULwqnePuaqAtpCHtd9Yf_zxT-R0kHpAbMrsqb1Oh6W9wMKgqmttJUSVU4tUhKuSvYmMG_icVMTwkI639w_5X5r3R45tbOaoOtJNQ-n3EX3X2DaGjSTD/s320/amyscasablanca.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We strongly considered traditional crown molding, but I questioned whether that was the best choice to go with the new shaker style cabinet doors that Mike started building as well.</div>
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<a href="https://www.bhg.com/kitchen/remodeling/makeover/design-your-own-kitchen-remodel/#page=7"><img alt=" BHG" border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjW7u6ziB-ikvjtTNN_9SMCcRnS645soQJGScTpNzsQYVROe022cRkWOVz-RmTCLitSXuLE5OFafVfS77DuuhjOCAJJLNkEuF7U4-0DNdARDjhl7zAeiF2xthAAhvyvnLB-qFexzVtIjR/s320/bhg.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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Since there was a significant amount of space above our cabinets, small uppers were also a possibility. Partly because most kitchen supplies that we only need occasionally, like platters and small appliances, would be too large and heavy for that location, and partly because this project was seeming to have no end, I nixed that idea in favor of simplicity.</div>
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The look below is the one that inspired us the most, and we moved forward with it in mind.</div>
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511651207653712207/"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="564" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3FCoxuy3ZT4yJ3WX1PRn2pk7cf1ZQz7MIUelhbwEquCv5mWeIt7484jKkZ_tApam6mGvLQwtanB2tAGGsvgr-2e9U5R5L2D_y5f2CoGpWv8z67GrQhl_IgBq6fMvLwXZi1Fn0Pg7sycG/s320/gardenweb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To achieve it in our kitchen, Mike built a two by four frame and attached sheets of plywood and poplar trim (my apologies for the phone quality before photos). He gave the new addition and the old cabinets a fresh coat of paint to match the coming new doors.</div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/XuY1O2T" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/XuY1O2T.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="266" /></a><a href="https://imgur.com/BO1pT1o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/BO1pT1o.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="299" /></a></div>
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The new cabinet doors are extremely close to complete (Mike is installing at this moment), and this new trim coordinates well with their shaker style.</div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/6mHnhhc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sofit update" height="265" src="https://i.imgur.com/6mHnhhc.jpg" title="soffit update" width="400" /></a></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-47893157608988742632018-01-05T14:29:00.000-05:002018-01-05T16:34:22.431-05:00Gift Wrap Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://imgur.com/fnROrE3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/fnROrE3.png" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="337" /></a></div>
If you've ever gotten lost in the beauteous organizational haven that is searching "craft room" on Pinterest, you've likely been hypnotized by one gift wrap station or another.<br />
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It's not just me, right? Rolls of paper and ribbon on rods neatly hung among other supplies has a soothing effect on everyone, I'm sure.<br />
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With the reconfiguration that our craft room underwent recently, space for such an area opened up! Yes, that made me a little giddy.<br />
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I based our gift wrap station primarily on <a href="https://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command/projects/all-projects/gift-wrap-station/">the one on the Command website </a>since, like so many projects, I enjoy the speed, ease, and lack of nail holes that Command Hooks bring to any project. They don't pay me at all, but maybe they should considering how I've touted them before with our <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/02/2-tablet-charging-station.html">tablet charging station</a>, many <a href="http://sharedanddoubled.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-little-christmas.html">Christmas decorations</a> (did you enjoy the Shared and Doubled throwback post?), and now this. They're just really handy!<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/t0nxs9l" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/t0nxs9l.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="266" /></a></div>
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Unlike other gift wrap stations that I found, though, I wanted ours to hold those longer rolls of gift wrap as well as the shorter ones. I also decided to keep our ribbon in a box conveniently located on the shelf above this area instead of on a rod or in a caddie.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/F68luha" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/F68luha.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="400" /></a></div>
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Supplies:<br />
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pencil<br />
level (a super long one is best)<br />
tape<br />
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4 dowel rods cut to 36"<br />
2 dowel rods cut to 46"<br />
14 Command Medium Utility Hooks<br />
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To be sure my shorter rods were centered on the longer ones, I stuck painter's tape to the long level between 0 and 1, 5 and 6, 40 and 41, and 45 and 46.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/mBbg3VS" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/mBbg3VS.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psst, did you notice <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2018/01/craft-room-progress.html">my sewing table </a>in the background.? It came!</td></tr>
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I marked the wall every three inches in the space where the station would go since that was how far I wanted the rolls hang from one another. I then placed the level at each height and marked where those hooks would go using the tape on the level as a guide. I actually placed the hooks consistently to the inside of each piece of tape.<br />
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The hooks I used happened to be 3" tall themselves, so as I stuck them to the wall according to the product directions, I just placed each one right above the one before without really looking at my marks at that point. Having leveled the first row, that worked out fine.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/n1bKyUS" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/n1bKyUS.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="400" /></a></div>
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To me what is always the worst part of using these hooks is waiting an hour after sticking them up before hanging anything from them. It's tough to be patient, but I've learned that it's necessary! Nobody wants wrapping paper dropping to the ground because the hooks didn't have time to properly adhere.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/W5Pnk82" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/W5Pnk82.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="400" /></a></div>
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I hung hooks for the scissors and tape (possibly my favorite part) in an open area, and had hung the gift wrap bags during this closet's last configuration. They still work there!<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/EYCqRUM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/EYCqRUM.jpg" title="Living in During Gift Wrap Station" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm actually excited for the next last minute Saturday morning birthday party gift wrapping challenge. Between Amazon Prime, this station, and our stash of dollar store birthday cards, I think I've finally got this!<br />
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-64284582306554520212018-01-03T19:54:00.000-05:002018-01-05T15:42:41.717-05:00Crafting a Craft RoomThere was a moment over this winter break when I was sitting on our craft room floor surrounded by sorted piles of sewing notions, fuse beads, and office supplies when Mike sent Michael in to deliver a grilled cheese sandwich. I was in the zone, and he just knew that I would prefer not to go downstairs for lunch.<br />
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These weeks off of work have given me that rare luxury of time. I could sit and stare like lunatic at the piles of supplies and furniture leftovers to envision the form and function that I <i>want</i> for the crafting space, not just what could work.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/uvU9U51" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/uvU9U51.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="266" /></a></div>
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Prior to this break we had done the following:<br />
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<li>Painted the yellow walls the same Revere Pewter as the rest of the house.</li>
<li>Bought a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60323021/">Stenstorp </a>island and used the solid wood top to replace the island counter top in our kitchen--perfect size and reasonable price. Bought a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60251137/">Linnmon</a> table top to replace it on the craft table.</li>
<li>Bought a small cabinet for the printer, office supplies, and home file storage.</li>
<li>Hung our old record wall and set up the record player (the kids love coloring/crafting while listening).</li>
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This incarnation of the craft room was based on the plan of painting an old sewing cabinet that we bought at an estate sale years ago. I was going to put my old sewing machine and supplies in it, but that plan just wasn't exciting me. </div>
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I couldn't envision myself sitting in the tight corner I had designated for that clunky cabinet, happily sewing on my over 30-year-old hand-me-down sewing machine.<br />
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Additionally, the office supply cabinet and printer seemed out of place front and center in the craft room, and the dresser of craft supplies in the closet was constantly overflowing and jumbled.<br />
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With all my brooding (and a modest budget discovered when looking over our 2018 finances), I came up with a better plan and did the following:<br />
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<li>Moved the office supply cabinet into the craft room closet.</li>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/z8bpTNh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/z8bpTNh.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="266" /></a></div>
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<li>Swapped the tall dresser that had been in the closet storing supplies with the shorter one in Sophie's room. </li>
<li>Moved the short dresser (originally the kids' changing table!) into the craft room to store fabric and sewing supplies.</li>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/AyEcedp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/AyEcedp.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="266" /></a></div>
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<li>Took measurements and bought various containers for craft supplies--kids' materials on the craft table shelves (pictured below); grown-up stuff on the floating shelves that Mike will build.</li>
<li> Researched sewing machines and found a nearly new one with all pieces in original packaging that met my criteria on a swap site. Bought it!</li>
<li>Searched swap sites for a used sewing table/desk but found an affordable new one on Amazon. On the way!</li>
<li>Searched "banker's chair" on a whim on a swap site and found one. Bought it!</li>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/teiKiUN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/teiKiUN.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="266" /></a></div>
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There are a few projects yet to complete, but I can see my craft room coming to life.<br />
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To do:</div>
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<li>Set up <a href="https://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command/projects/all-projects/gift-wrap-station/">gift wrap station</a> above office supplies in closet.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtUdAO0X0Yo">Make and hang floating shelves</a>. Craft supplies to be stored on them are already sorted and in boxes (on the floor in pic below)!</li>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/daXp57j" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/daXp57j.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li>Assemble <a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71HBA4qX4iL._SL1500_.jpg">new sewing table</a> when it gets here. You have 10 minutes left in your two-day shipping window, Amazon! Where are you?</li>
<li>Figure out what to put on the wall above the craft table. Please let me know if you have some fun ideas! I'm considering framing items that family members have made.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX5rSU0bF4-HFo7GkkD2qabBGDf8zIOxtFZu74n0p_roJr54hqQOJY4YRJ1e8c1jGv3VlWhZNjVkwkIWB8l2u1FgzW2JAHdnVRXhh8mtb3hz548VP7GOWo7Xa5X821Q6O-U6lk63kmOBx/s1600/Craft+During+%25281+of+7+with+text%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Craft Room" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX5rSU0bF4-HFo7GkkD2qabBGDf8zIOxtFZu74n0p_roJr54hqQOJY4YRJ1e8c1jGv3VlWhZNjVkwkIWB8l2u1FgzW2JAHdnVRXhh8mtb3hz548VP7GOWo7Xa5X821Q6O-U6lk63kmOBx/s400/Craft+During+%25281+of+7+with+text%2529.jpg" title="Living in During Craft Room" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll keep you posted as we move further out of during and into after!<br />
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<script async="" data-pin-hover="true" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-4176815730494513322017-11-23T09:39:00.000-05:002018-01-05T15:44:21.582-05:00Finishing Touch to the Staircase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've definitely learned over the years that home improvement projects are made up of more than supplies and skills. They're also composed of countless decisions, from refinish or replace to polished nickel or oil-rubbed bronze.<br />
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What trim, if any, to put along the outside walls of our staircase was one decision Mike and I decided to feel out a bit. I tend to enjoy simple finishes, and seeing our staircase without the fluff of carpet coming out the sides made me happy enough at first to just leave the outer walls as they were and move on. </div>
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BEFORE/DURING:</div>
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<a name='more'></a>As tends to happen, though, simple started to look a little sparse, and I went back to our inspiration photos to see what direction we could go next. Click the photos below to be directed to their sources.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.99architecture.com/2017/02/15/farmhouse-decorating-style-99-ideas-for-living-room-and-kitchen/"><img alt="See this Instagram photo by @thedowntownaly • 1,485 likes" class="_mi _25 _3w _2h" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/59/96/09/599609afb3fba42867b8ccfed7572d42.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.tidbitsandtwine.com/rise-risers/"><img alt="http://www.tidbitsandtwine.com/rise-risers/" src="http://tidbitsandtwine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Classic-White-Riser.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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We decided to add some trim diagonally below the stair treads on the outer walls and to paint the space within to create the look of more substantial molding.<br />
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Mike and I played around by taping strips of molding at different distances and angles to make all the corners and irregularities of our staircase make visual sense, and Mike marked off our lines with painter's tape. Before I went to bed on Sunday night, I considered taking some "during" photos of the painting in progress but decided to do that when I got home from work on Monday when the lighting would be better.<br />
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However, I walked in to see this!<br />
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AFTER:<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/LCocGxg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/LCocGxg.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="266" /></a></div>
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On his lunch break Mike came home and finished the project! Well, the nail holes and mitered corners still needed some filling, sanding, and touches of paint, but no painter's tape photos could be taken! He worked too fast for me on this one, and we both enjoyed the surprise.</div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/e2AFpLe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/e2AFpLe.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="266" /></a></div>
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With the kitchen cabinet project requiring so much of Mike's time to finish, this was a nice quick win to squeeze in before the holidays.</div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/0IaG6Of" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/0IaG6Of.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="266" /></a></div>
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Mike and I are both amazed by how much visual weight and polish this relatively quick project added. I'm glad we waited to add this finishing touch. Had it been part of the project last fall, we would not have appreciated the simple upgrade as much as we do today!</div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-59209838538655362842017-11-12T15:23:00.001-05:002018-01-05T15:46:02.062-05:00Cat-Proof Furniture (We hope!)The four chairs we bought for our living room two years ago have finally fulfilled their destiny. By that I mean our cat has essentially destroyed them.<br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/ucEK17c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/ucEK17c.jpg" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" height="212" title="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Humane Society successfully guilted us into not having kitty declawed sixteen years ago when we adopted him, and we have been <i>un</i>successsfully shooing him from furniture to his scratching post and trimming threads from numerous chairs and couches ever since. Mike also trims the cat's claws regularly, but it's really no use.<br />
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We love that old guy, but he owes us a few hundred dollars in damages at least.<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10401167_33439484071_108_n.jpg?oh=363a9ab94cc8e5411db8c9548ac40521&oe=5A9E4A9E" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="240" src="https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10401167_33439484071_108_n.jpg?oh=363a9ab94cc8e5411db8c9548ac40521&oe=5A9E4A9E" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/three-posts-barwood-tufted-wingback-chair-thps1795.html?piid%5B0%5D=20277615&piid=20277615">These most recent victims</a> were pretty inexpensive, but I did love them. So retro and elegant all at once, weren't they? That's not the case once they're threadbare, sadly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbRnmXpWagjVWTkvTbVV5wjopbIHutD5oJTmbBnzxjckEwoJegl_NqejEp67byY5F0I66OVkn6z7Mt415dibn5MpEBo_qKteYzTt1L4yfQ6pFPJRqZNLQAx3iB6ug0zhbseeaO3bUR0pL/s640/blogger-image-1570725865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbRnmXpWagjVWTkvTbVV5wjopbIHutD5oJTmbBnzxjckEwoJegl_NqejEp67byY5F0I66OVkn6z7Mt415dibn5MpEBo_qKteYzTt1L4yfQ6pFPJRqZNLQAx3iB6ug0zhbseeaO3bUR0pL/s320/blogger-image-1570725865.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I noticed that the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70154678/">chairs in our dining room</a> that we got around the same time did not suffer the same fate as the living room beauties, and kitty has not been any more gentle with them. It appears that Ikea has discreetly discovered not only the formula for mass market style but cat-proof fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABfPli0SO0_v8eIhrrHKqHTR-SmgsJ2fnZh6gUXBo764_SuPXeMECAdbib5Gesbm3KAFxcXqvEmzPdUsXaNGonJ-uk2O3HKmgCK9INKrCKSMZrE9xaTO-M9wQP_6DM-EjIp7cQqJg6w4U/s1600/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABfPli0SO0_v8eIhrrHKqHTR-SmgsJ2fnZh6gUXBo764_SuPXeMECAdbib5Gesbm3KAFxcXqvEmzPdUsXaNGonJ-uk2O3HKmgCK9INKrCKSMZrE9xaTO-M9wQP_6DM-EjIp7cQqJg6w4U/s320/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" title="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" width="320" /></a></div>
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With that knowledge, we went for some <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89047344/#/S59129586">Jennylund</a> chairs this time.<br />
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I had actually considered them the first time around, but Mike found them uncomfortable. His opinion (and fitness routine...ahem) has changed since then. Still, I worried we and perhaps guests would find them a little too snug, but as I type this post curled up in one, I'm finding myself less concerned. I see these actually getting more use than their wider predecessors.<br />
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We also replaced the rugs in our <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DVDATI0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1">living room</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B9A0UGI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">family room</a> and bought better <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S3TPFYG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">rug pads</a>. The old natural fiber ones were stylish, but they shed a little bit and got a few snags over the last couple of years. We're hoping the new ones will serve us better and will be a little cozier for playing on the floor. Our kids are getting bigger, but a cozy floor is still important.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwrHyxynN6aUf3KXAA4ZfTwEAnz4gdfKwB6l8UQ4jcXdvWqzjB0MsFe9jbomQYd-nQ9aUXBWw8VnXbmM-a38sAY12s6pRhDDCDrCBym3QP-TFuIpMmc-P7ere0bqtUFYdBiVDNdmnljjU/s1600/Chairs+%25283+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwrHyxynN6aUf3KXAA4ZfTwEAnz4gdfKwB6l8UQ4jcXdvWqzjB0MsFe9jbomQYd-nQ9aUXBWw8VnXbmM-a38sAY12s6pRhDDCDrCBym3QP-TFuIpMmc-P7ere0bqtUFYdBiVDNdmnljjU/s320/Chairs+%25283+of+4%2529.jpg" title="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvRLgu-I099TOSYBWZXA18imiHlFxYTfIAPkki7dS7RSnMO9h0QcgyUmgO6AJT7TD0S-GQhkHsG97uZWPdUnKVfTKYgjh3BwRqKsixTDymeP1MEgkYIJIPwhUpap7Vq5z1DBho34CES3D/s1600/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvRLgu-I099TOSYBWZXA18imiHlFxYTfIAPkki7dS7RSnMO9h0QcgyUmgO6AJT7TD0S-GQhkHsG97uZWPdUnKVfTKYgjh3BwRqKsixTDymeP1MEgkYIJIPwhUpap7Vq5z1DBho34CES3D/s320/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529-3.jpg" title="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" width="213" /></a></div>
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We're all enjoying the changes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFADUGGjZg3S5rvuVdW4fWljy3cEDE2oOfU3N1lA0QVCXCrnPRR0DBBKZg7YLEnUHijnEx7Negv-3-GL_09kdKHx5_hUpt4I-cLxxzE409pswfL1sXWbky82LVhXO6SYXMi7RbCZ-2aOXM/s1600/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFADUGGjZg3S5rvuVdW4fWljy3cEDE2oOfU3N1lA0QVCXCrnPRR0DBBKZg7YLEnUHijnEx7Negv-3-GL_09kdKHx5_hUpt4I-cLxxzE409pswfL1sXWbky82LVhXO6SYXMi7RbCZ-2aOXM/s320/Chairs+%25281+of+1%2529-2.jpg" title="Living in During Cat Proof Furniture" width="320" /></a></div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-71111656678203739622017-09-27T18:49:00.001-04:002018-01-05T15:50:38.812-05:00Staircase Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQQjlkK" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQQjlkK.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
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I recall looking at the photo below several years ago when it was just of a staircase in a house on the market. Like the <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/12/airstone-fireplace-makeover.html">fireplace surround</a>, the kitchen counter tops, and so many other parts of this house we now live in, I disliked this staircase before it was even ours, but I felt inspired by it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/qzVAlFl" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="239" src="https://i.imgur.com/qzVAlFl.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Since it would require similar skills and methods as the floors we had refinished and the cabinets we had gel stained in the house where I sat looking at the sellers' photos, I knew this was a project that Mike and I would want to take on.<br />
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Like everyone who aims to go from carpeted to wood stairs, we had hoped that under the carpet there would be some lovely treads that would just need a little refinishing. However, a peek under a corner of carpet early on revealed what we expected of a home built in the mid-1990's--construction lumber disappointment.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/Bx1i7hd" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/Bx1i7hd.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">You can see the eventual new stair tread on the center stair and construction lumber above and below.</td></tr>
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The exposed treads on either side of the staircase (my least favorite detail when carpeted) meant that, in addition to replacing the junky treads, we would have to remove and possibly replace the balusters in the process...and be prepared with significant time and a decent budget.<br />
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The cost of a full staircase renovation was more than we could justify to ourselves, even with a small discount that one company offered in exchange for being featured here on the blog. We have over 80 balusters alone which seem to average about $5 each for very basic ones. Add in treads, risers, newels, handrails, a custom landing, and so on, and this project's cost had the potential to go way, way up.<br />
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Ultimately we decided to leave the railing, remove but reinstall the balusters, and toss the original treads and risers and replace them with new ones. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/TkoOWNr" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/TkoOWNr.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You're a wizard, Harry."</td></tr>
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We bought unfinished <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/11-25-in-x-48-in-Raw-Pine-Stair-Tread/3333688">treads</a>, and Mike stained them to match our flooring (equal parts Minwax Jacobean, Ebony, and English Chestnut--the same combo used in the <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/10/living-room-and-dining-room-floor.html">living room</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/hKOwiYq" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="240" src="https://i.imgur.com/hKOwiYq.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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To get a finished edge on the sides that would remain exposed, Mike used a router.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/pBvUlC1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="240" src="https://i.imgur.com/pBvUlC1.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Mike really rekindled his love of wood working, particularly while making the custom landing from multiple treads. Seriously, since this project last fall he has been devouring wood working podcasts and has invested a lot of time and energy into getting his workshop more functional than ever. It was a pretty pivotal endeavor, a real turning point, not unlike the landing itself...leading to another level. Mind-blowing, really.<br />
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He painted the balusters and risers white, and gel stained the handrails and newel posts. I admired his hard work and gave lots of high fives.</div>
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Some tutorials I read online suggested that balusters could not be easily removed and reinstalled. However, Mike discovered in his woodworking trance that <a href="https://www.allstair.com/Dowel-Pin-2027.html">dowel pins</a> are a relatively simple solution for reuse. They float inside the balusters that have been cut free of the original treads and are glued into the new ones.</div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/563Zgte"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/563Zgte.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="320" /></a></div>
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This project was a cost-effective solution that we trusted would still give us the aesthetic we desired. We were right to have maintained that faith.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/AJguo9o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/AJguo9o.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="266" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/yX6YaYD" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="266" src="https://i.imgur.com/yX6YaYD.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're quite pleased with how the color of stair treads and landing, the original floors we refinished (to the right of the stairs), and the new floors blend together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imgur.com/lb4mSx6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Living in During Staircase Update" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/lb4mSx6.jpg" title="Living in During Staircase Update" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While it's taken me nearly a year to write up this post after that little <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2017/09/years-of-living-in-during.html">blog hiatus</a>, Mike had the project done just before Christmas last year. He was definitely on the nice list!</td></tr>
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Speaking of aesthetics, I don't think I've ever shared <a href="http://nicety.livejournal.com/1089875.html">my inspiration house</a> here. I stumbled on it also back around the time when we bought this house and thought <i>This. This is how I want my house to feel. </i>Since then the whole farmhouse look has become all Fixer Upper famous, but I remember this home seeming so vintage but fresh, so industrial and rustic but warm. I'm not trying to replicate the house, but I've appreciated how it spoke to me years ago and have used it as a guide. I come back to this house when I feel stuck or unsure. Would what I'm considering work in that house? If not, I tend to steer away. I discovered at some point that my inspiration house is actually in Frankenmuth, MI, not too far from here.<br />
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We decided not to add too much trim to the sides of the staircase, enjoying the refreshingly clean look that a lack of carpeting brings. Now, though, we are planning a little addition to it. Stay tuned!<br />
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<script async="" data-pin-hover="true" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-11541989788001831012017-09-11T15:49:00.000-04:002017-09-26T14:50:41.382-04:00Years of Living in DuringIt's funny to think back.<br />
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<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/10583336076_441e6b482f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buzz and Jessie-9" border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/10583336076_441e6b482f.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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We bought this house in the fall of 2013. The kids were three and a half with another couple years of preschool/child care ahead of them. Mike had over an hour commute to and from work each day. My dad was the only one of our kids' grandparents who had retired at that point. I started this blog that winter.<br />
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So little has changed, and yet so much.<br />
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The kids are in second grade now, riding bikes with two wheels and reading every chapter book they encounter. Mike took a job five minutes from home not too long after we moved here, and all four of the kids' grandparents retired. The most heartbreaking new reality, of course, is that Mike's mom Gail passed away last October. <br />
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Amid all the ups and downs...and way, way downs...our home projects have been right here with us, nagging at Mike to put in more evening hours, urging me to plan vacations and other time and financial commitments around one project after another. Thankfully Mike and I are very proud of what our ideas (mostly mine) and hard work (mostly his) have produced. These projects have provided a creative outlet for me and an opportunity for Mike to hone his skills, retreat to his workshop, and make our home more beautiful, bit by sawdusty bit. Swinging a hammer through life's way, way downs is a healthy way to grieve, right? I sure hope so.<br />
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As we round the corner of this fourth year in this house, we are excited to see our main floor looking like we envisioned back in the fall '13, maybe even better. Mike is putting most of his project time now into building kitchen cabinet doors, a new direction in our kitchen update that we decided to take this summer. Once that job is thoroughly complete and a few smaller but tedious tasks are finished (touching up trim, replacing some light switches and covers...that kind of stuff), I think we'll be able to check that big ol' box: Main Floor Updates. We're already researching basement and second floor projects for 2018, though, of course!<br />
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Mainly as a little motivation for the two of us at this four-year mark, I wish to take a good look at much of what we have done here. Who doesn't love some before and afters?<br />
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BEFORE AFTER</div>
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<a href="http://imgur.com/UeVmi3l"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/UeVmi3l.jpg" height="200" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Family Room - <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/12/airstone-fireplace-makeover.html">Fireplace</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2016/03/photo-ledges.html">Photo Ledges</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/12/family-room-floor.html">Floor</a><br />
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<a href="http://imgur.com/rACkTjS"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/rACkTjS.jpg" height="200" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /> </a><br />
<a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/09/kids-beach-bathroom.html">Kids' Bathroom </a></div>
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<a href="http://imgur.com/eKQxRSK"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/eKQxRSK.jpg" height="200" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /> </a><br />
Sophie's Room - <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/07/no-sew-diy-blackout-curtains.html">Blackout Curtains</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/06/where-your-story-begins.html">Spray Painted Butterflies</a><br />
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<a href="http://imgur.com/UCnCBWI"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/UCnCBWI.jpg" height="200" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /> </a><br />
<a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/08/boys-vintage-transportation-bedroom.html">Michael's Room </a> - <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/07/industrial-gear-wall-art.html">Gear Wall</a>, <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/08/poster-frames-made-from-89-trim.html">Poster Frames</a><br />
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This blog's readership has always been smallish, it's never really generated much of an income (one little check and some AirStone supplies, to be exact), and to be honest, being a blogger feels a little embarrassing at times. It's a very 2005 kind of hobby, right? </div>
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However, while taking the last year off from the blog (not in some grand life decision--just what my heart led me to do), I found I that missed the joy that comes from sharing our projects. I'm not making any major commitments here, but I do intend to blog regularly again because it just makes me happy. It's not going to be a daily or weekly endeavor, but at least one post a month, I think.</div>
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Here are some projects from the last year or so that are potential for upcoming posts:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPb6Z0mrsqYWn8gfn2vNiMq82Bea6dyEgXobSts-lj6BpcPdTsVFYJJXJwXKYF8tuZu4ttIvWNR20b63mKSi45eCN8yk5x0Pr87DutGwSoh7a-ywBT56F1lVsa1X_BI_9NmDS4VUYy9l9/s1600/kitchen+before+and+during.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPb6Z0mrsqYWn8gfn2vNiMq82Bea6dyEgXobSts-lj6BpcPdTsVFYJJXJwXKYF8tuZu4ttIvWNR20b63mKSi45eCN8yk5x0Pr87DutGwSoh7a-ywBT56F1lVsa1X_BI_9NmDS4VUYy9l9/s400/kitchen+before+and+during.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Kitchen - This space is the epitome of living in during, that's for sure! It's been in the works for over a year and a half now with many projects within it.<br />
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<a href="http://imgur.com/gBM3bmB"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/gBM3bmB.jpg" height="200" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /></a><br />
Powder Room<br />
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Patio</div>
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Staircase<br />
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I'm pleased with how far we've come and look forward to sharing more details! We'll certainly be living in that during stage for a while yet.</div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-82195596725591926942016-09-04T21:29:00.000-04:002018-01-05T15:51:13.352-05:00Transform Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Transform old dishes into mercury glass." src="http://i.imgur.com/U9G2uAK.jpg" height="400" title="Transform old dishes into mercury glass." width="280" /></div>
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After giving a pair of <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2012/07/diy-mercury-glass-lamps.html">glass lamps a mercury glass makeover</a> some years back, I now have a hard time looking at any clear glass decorative item without fantasizing about tackling it with some Krylon Looking Glass paint. It's such a quick, easy, and fun project!<br />
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<img alt="Plain Glass Pumkin" src="http://i.imgur.com/ISFt94a.jpg" height="265" title="Turn Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /> </div>
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I gave into this impulse when I purchased a glass pumpkin candy dish from a local garage sale. The pumpkin was cute enough in its natural state, but I just couldn't resist attempting the simple transformation. </div>
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<img alt="Plain glass pumpkin, Krylon Looking Glass paint, water spray bottle" src="http://i.imgur.com/xSw9YcH.jpg" height="265" title="Turn Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /> </div>
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If you wish to try this project, you will need the following:<br />
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<li>a clean, glass item</li>
<li>a spray bottle of water</li>
<li>Krylon Looking Glass spray paint</li>
<li>an appropriate location for spray painting (like a cardboard box in your backyard)</li>
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This Kylon paint is the only product that I know of that will make this particular magic happen. It's not just metallic--as it dries, the glass becomes truly mirror-like. I tend to find it at craft stores.</div>
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<img alt="Top of glass pumpkin in progress" src="http://i.imgur.com/CwuRA8p.jpg" height="265" title="Turn Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /> </div>
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To get the bubbly, worn out appearance of old mercury glass, give the back or underside of the glass a light spray with the water bottle. The paint is also applied to the back or underside of the glass item, so wherever the water droplets are, the glass will remain transparent after painting. </div>
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The paint directions say to spray your glass with five smooth coats, waiting one minute between each. I'm not sure if I applied five full coats of paint to the pumpkin, but I did give it at least three or four before I felt there was an adequate balance of coverage and transparency. The photo above of the underside of the lid was taken between coats two and three. The photo below is how it all looked when the painting process was complete.</div>
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<img alt="Top and bottom of mercury glass pumpkin in progress" src="http://i.imgur.com/jXfPIzm.jpg" height="265" title="Turn Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /> </div>
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The paint dries fairly quickly, but the water takes longer. Eventually you can dump the remaining droplets out when you feel confident that the paint is dry enough to not be disturbed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhGGONCfqh5iQEtFpAyCavd30Bn9yi3C_2Fllk9hKS3wLe0-oEb3bEpTDPTMqBf4qmntaLRVde-RPr-aAljbnoIrbo-flbQW07iE_ZBKk70f7tXawH-IXJ6jaqswY4b=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mercury Glass Pumpkin Candy Dish" border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/aERNllI.jpg" height="265" title="Transform Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /></a> </div>
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The mercury glass look is one of my favorites for adding just a bit of sparkle to a space. It has that vintage, lived in appearance, so it fits into an otherwise rustic, industrial setting without looking too glam. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhzr9qr7eifBHDQk10IbPBj7OKsKrx-oy47AwMA_Lr_u55cZLyFa4J7HLrkuAUhuB1S0W_98wJtMzOjI4yyXb0BylSV0Zqysd8rEXOaX4sJ2zCA0L9ua0OXfFo-vhDd=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finished mercury glass pumpkin on coffee table with books and bowl of corks" border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Iut4ENI.jpg" height="265" title="Turn Old Dishes Into Mercury Glass" width="400" /></a></div>
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I still have most of a can of the Looking Glass paint to use up, and I look forward to finding more old glass items to transform into mercury glass decor.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">To see more fun projects, check out the <a href="http://www.twelveonmain.com/merry-monday-link-party-120/">Merry Monday Link Party</a> at Twelve on Main. </span></span><br />
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Throw pillows are typically a quick and affordable way to transition the look of a space from one season to the next. However, the cost and storage space for a year's worth of them can add up quickly, so DIY pillow covers are always my preference. The ones I made recently using $7 IKEA pillow covers, printable iron-on transfer paper, and digital vintage holiday images that I purchased for pocket change on Etsy are my new favorites. I designed them so I can simply flip them to display the next holiday's image when the other passes. Talk about an easy transition!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx09dyNnjnzDXGM00S3l5ULQQxKIJdPA61gtIeItDb-spyxIYFpCpnVbZsmvIP7dfByAvJg_YntX-_T0kIaym-RokC2q7_ajSN3quRE_s3yrfcJOdL-fgLas-CVkXmD7SuY290XosG2oDl/s1600/PicMonkey+Image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx09dyNnjnzDXGM00S3l5ULQQxKIJdPA61gtIeItDb-spyxIYFpCpnVbZsmvIP7dfByAvJg_YntX-_T0kIaym-RokC2q7_ajSN3quRE_s3yrfcJOdL-fgLas-CVkXmD7SuY290XosG2oDl/s400/PicMonkey+Image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I probably shouldn't admit this, but having a couple of new throw pillows
ready for each of the next four holidays has given me a little peace of
mind. Creating them could not have been much easier, and now I know my
home will feel a little cozier...<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><span style="color: #444444;">...in the days leading up to Halloween...</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Halloween Iron-On Transfer Pillow" src="http://i.imgur.com/BuazjFL.jpg" height="265" title="Halloween Iron-On Transfer Pillow" width="400" />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js"></script>
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">and Thanksgiving...</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Thanksgiving Iron-On Transfer Pillow" src="http://i.imgur.com/6Tu4Yqy.jpg" height="265" title="Thanksgiving Iron-On Transfer Pillow" width="400" />
<span style="color: #444444;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">and Christmas...</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Christmas Iron-On Transfer Pillow" src="http://i.imgur.com/x3TAtHC.jpg" height="265" title="Christmas Iron-On Transfer Pillow" width="400" />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">and Valentine's Day.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<img alt="Valentine's Day Iron-On Transfer Pillow" src="http://i.imgur.com/7QP2aiZ.jpg" height="265" title="Valentine's Day Iron-On Transfer Pillow" width="400" />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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</span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">I'm very excited that these "eight"
pillows are actually only two pillow inserts and four pillow covers, each with one holiday's image on one side and another holiday's image on the back. After
Halloween I can flip those pillows to show the Thanksgiving images. I'll
change the covers for Christmas and then flip them again for Valentine's Day.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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The process for creating these pillows was nearly as simple.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">1. <b>Shopping - </b>The Ikea Vigdis
covers are $7 each at Ikea, and I bought two more, already having two on hand. I also had the two 20"X20" down pillow inserts already (they came in pillows with removable covers that I bought years ago at Home Goods). I purchased the printable iron-on transfer paper
at Jo-Ann. The pack of 10 sheets was $9.99, and I used a 40% off
coupon.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">2. <b>Etsy - </b>My shopping continued online as I scoured Etsy for "vintage digital images" for
each holiday. The ones I purchased ranged in price from $1 to $3.50 (most were closer to $1). This took a while, mainly because I love all those old graphics and savored the fun! </span></span></div>
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Contact me with a comment or email me at livinginduring@gmail.com if you would like the Etsy sellers' information or links to the specific images for purchase.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">3. <b>Preparing the Images and Printing - </b>When I bought the images, I requested that the sellers reverse them for
me. I forgot to do that for a few, though, and flipped them myself in
Lightroom after I downloaded them (in Develop select "Flip Horizontal" from Photo). This is especially important for graphics with text so they don't come out backwards on the final product. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">Then
in Print I selected "Maximize Size" as the template in order to fill the transfer paper as completely as possible with the images. Most of
that work can also be done in other programs like Word, but I found those choices in
Lightroom to be especially quick and effective. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">I printed each image
individually on a sheet of the transfer paper. The preparation of
the images and the prospect of printer difficulties are probably what kept me from jumping into
this project long ago, but that whole process went remarkably well.</span></span></div>
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4. <b>Ironing - </b>To adhere the images I followed the transfer paper directions. There's something about even the word "iron-on" that takes me right back to my 1980's childhood. I remember my mom made me a nightgown with a Raggedy Ann and Andy iron-on attached (that just made me sound crazy old, didn't it?).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">I did the
ironing on our butcher block island with a couple of thin towels on it. The package said not to use an ironing
board--too soft, maybe? I put a cookie sheet </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">inside the pillow covers
when ironing each one's second image to be sure I didn't melt the first
one on the other side. Again, this process went very smoothly, and after an hour or so of ironing,
I had all four (eight?) covers complete.</span></div>
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<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">My kids enjoyed watching the final reveal of each pillow as I removed the transfer paper backing and couldn't resist helping to peel a couple off
themselves. They immediately suggested making some pillows for spring...with
bunnies...and leprechauns...and what about summer? I can't blame them. This
project was really fun and does have me considering a whole year's worth of
pillows with vintage iron-on transfer designs!<br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">To see more fun projects, check out the <a href="http://www.twelveonmain.com/merry-monday-link-party-120/">Merry Monday Link Party</a> at Twelve on Main. </span></span></div>
<br /></div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-9041259341422982822016-08-06T13:33:00.000-04:002018-01-05T15:20:50.946-05:00Large Scale Wall Art: Patent Drawing Engineering Prints<div style="text-align: center;">
Large scale wall art tends to come with a large scale price tag, so I
was pleased to find an affordable and visually satisfying solution for
our two-story living room. .ngineering prints of patent drawings have an industrial and graphic quality and are easy on the wallet!</div>
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<img alt="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" src="http://i.imgur.com/Z71sXuO.jpg" height="400" title="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" width="266" /></div>
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If you've been on Pinterest ever, really, you've surely seen projects such as the ones below that use engineering prints to create enormous wall art (click images to be directed to source sites):</div>
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<a href="http://www.housebyhoff.com/2014/02/split-photo-wall-art/"><img alt="Split-Photo Engineer Print Wall Art via housebyhoff.com" border="0" class="alignnone" data-jpibfi-indexer="1" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyQ2OG4dqYBLSZrBDkEtigZfkTZdGZDoghwBlXf5SzEL1-Kgk-X6Cs0n46iOAI4PjENPlof4O5OFAksF8qRCtO37mePqDK1IlOKxV1xWsl3bU7neIt-NUOFR1cs-ltnj0kyITbV2dPLs/s320/split+photo.jpg" title="Engineer Print Wall Art via housebyhoff.com" width="213" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.delightfullynotedblog.com/2014/10/delightfully-wicked-halloween-hop-diy.html"><img alt="http://www.delightfullynotedblog.com/2014/10/delightfully-wicked-halloween-hop-diy.html" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZirNCVwNkgElzllOX7HZaqZGmP3qlkUgfhoOiaqRRr8kP-qka-M-Dm2fJHYjD3mvUkbbATYWX2cZdCXYzZyHl8FPhVitl8exGqLZhf9UgBQLUmHH4du261mWS4TLoTZM1tmG6__q1JAk/s320/HalloweenBookPageWallArt.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com/2014/07/huge-engineer-print-frame.html"><img alt="http://lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com/2014/07/huge-engineer-print-frame.html" border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kKT7KUKM-sY/U9kx6iVgHwI/AAAAAAAAROk/agDv4UgaVzA/s320/engineering_print_frame2.jpg" width="213" /></a> </div>
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With the neutral industrial look that is emerging in our house, and a household appreciation of cameras and technical drawing, <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/free-vintage-printable-blueprints-diagrams/">Remodelaholic's</a> patent drawing downloads really inspired me.<br />
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To create our four pieces, I <a href="http://www.primermagazine.com/2013/live/free-art-download-8-vintage-patent-designs">downloaded the patent drawings</a>, uploaded them to the<a href="http://www.staples.com/sbd/content/copyandprint/engineering-prints.html"> engineering print service on the Staples website</a>, and ordered 18"X24" prints. I checked the box to have the images sized to fit within those dimensions to create the white border.<br />
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You can really get far more creative with these patent drawings and engineering printing services by looking up patents for other items and printing even larger. I was quite drawn to typewriter drawings, but these four coordinating images struck me the most.<br />
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I'm also thinking of enlarging some of my own photos for our master bedroom, but that's a 2017 project. Must. Stay. Focused. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" src="http://i.imgur.com/Kzf7kSp.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" width="265" /></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
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Part
of the appeal of engineering prints, aside from their hugeness, is how
incredibly affordable they are. The prints themselves were less than $7
total. In order to maintain that minimal cost, I considered DIY frames
(perhaps like <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2014/08/poster-frames-made-from-89-trim.html">the ones we made for Michael's room</a>) and cork boards (found some for <a href="http://www.target.com/p/ubrands-wood-frame-cork-board-17-x-23/-/A-11289612?clkid=4cdb7e33N523a6f3dfd5f12176ca805b4&lnm=81938&afid=Ebates+.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002&lnk=fiatsCookie">less than $10 each at Target</a>).
Although the rustic and industrial look of bare prints did attract me,
ultimately I was drawn to an option that includes glass over the prints
for a more polished look and better protection over time. The ease of
just popping those prints in the <a href="http://www.joann.com/18x24-brown-gallery-wide-poster-frame/10709038.html">18"X24" poster frames</a>
for a perfect fit was worth the additional financial cost, and $70 total for
an arrangement appropriate for a two-story wall seems pretty reasonable to me (frames were 50% off at joann.com at the time, and I found a free shipping code).</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" src="http://i.imgur.com/QEkOTkO.jpg" height="265" title="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" width="400" />
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I have to share that just before taking
these pictures I grabbed that basket from my basement simply to have
something there for the pics. It looked too empty, so I threw in a handful of
favorite books from my night stand. There's something about the basket
that screams "Borrow me!" as any good library should, and it is now a
permanent detail in the house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDfLNUIE0BPEQ-SzpzQC0hdoZRJojBJMfHDwaJCNWru7mouK24joStqbR3dvs91dI76twdIziV6lWYGU_W-V4OWpFjJDp3ApQgZiKGkG1o1AC-s3kxmhvDkLsGK6usiGq5DvLV25BuBDV/s640/blogger-image--239550736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDfLNUIE0BPEQ-SzpzQC0hdoZRJojBJMfHDwaJCNWru7mouK24joStqbR3dvs91dI76twdIziV6lWYGU_W-V4OWpFjJDp3ApQgZiKGkG1o1AC-s3kxmhvDkLsGK6usiGq5DvLV25BuBDV/s400/blogger-image--239550736.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<img alt="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" src="http://i.imgur.com/o5bFM4c.jpg" height="265" title="DIY Engineering Print Patent Drawing Wall Art" width="400" /> </div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;">To see more fun projects, check out the <a href="http://www.twelveonmain.com/merry-monday-link-party-120/">Merry Monday Link Party</a> at Twelve on Main. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-17518058807389057292016-08-04T21:18:00.002-04:002018-01-05T15:21:30.771-05:00Four Chairs Sitting Room ArrangementSince we have a somewhat traditional family room with a sectional couch, fireplace, and our TV, our living room inspired me as a space where we could have a little fun. We could determine how we wanted it to function and forego the standard couch and chair or couch and loveseat type arrangements. We could get a couple of settees, or a chaise lounge, or...what else?<br />
<br />
With other projects taking priority, I had time to consider our living
room over the last couple of years and ultimately determined that an
arrangement of four chairs circling a round coffee table would be best. <br />
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<img alt="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" src="http://i.imgur.com/5tv2oRy.jpg" height="400" title="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" width="368" />
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<a name='more'></a>It feels a bit more formal than our family room while being conversational for visiting with guests, playing board games as a family, or looking at photo albums stored in the cabinet included in the area. It could also be a retreat for one, a cozy corner for reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee in sunlight and peace. It could. I'll have to make that happen one of these days!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" src="http://i.imgur.com/88iLVxn.jpg" height="265" title="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" width="400" />
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<img alt="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" src="http://i.imgur.com/ucEK17c.jpg" height="265" title="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" width="400" />
</div>
<br />
Here are some rooms that inspired this arrangement (click images to be directed to source sites):<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/expert-advice/stylemaker-secrets/#page=3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/expert-advice/stylemaker-secrets/#page=3" class="lazySlideImage loaded" content="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2012/06/19/101872521.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" src="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2012/06/19/101872521.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" data-src="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2012/06/19/101872521.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazinginteriordesign.com/create-magic-with-four-chairs-in-living-room/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://www.amazinginteriordesign.com/create-magic-with-four-chairs-in-living-room/" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3566" src="http://www.amazinginteriordesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/724.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://adventuresindecorating1.blogspot.com/2016/07/our-coastal-sitting-room_25.html?utm_source=bp_recent&utm-medium=gadget&utm_campaign=bp_recent" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://adventuresindecorating1.blogspot.com/2016/07/our-coastal-sitting-room_25.html?utm_source=bp_recent&utm-medium=gadget&utm_campaign=bp_recent" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoNYXuMeJB1646ackw26Qb7yNTS2RlK9mpY_4ffXu52yu1TDDjjSvpUXWlfASZ_Jhka89-kmE-aH_X5vDeLRViEPtsoH0eAmsBwLgNgybaoNvC0SKABCcgQ0ZQRvuc4oOm8uQHP8y_vQ/s400/2016sumsittingov.jpg" width="285" /> </a></div>
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Truthfully we've had these chairs since before Christmas (2015), but the
whole arrangement has slowly taken shape as we ordered and installed
curtains, gave the cabinet a fresh coat of paint, and have continued to
be consumed by other areas of our house and life in general.</div>
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The neutral walls, furniture, rug, and curtains in our living room provide a cozy backdrop
for seasonal decor. I'm looking forward to falling it up a bit in a
month or two (not a day sooner). </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/11/tea-towel-pillows.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/11/tea-towel-pillows.html" class="spotlight" height="300" src="https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12289483_1160620950633075_301454656591352086_n.jpg?oh=226b19fcb4d7107753ccf29f767af0e8&oe=58117589" title="Tea Towel Pillows" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/11/tea-towel-pillows.html">DIY Tea Towel Pillows</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" src="http://i.imgur.com/ZMsuvMC.jpg" height="264" title="Four Chairs Sitting Room Arrangement" width="400" />
</div>
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We didn't purchase all of these items from Amazon, but here are the products we chose:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X9VB7TU/ref=s9_simh_gw_g196_i1_r?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=P1FR0B35HKWWRJ009FY9&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=6aad23bd-3035-4a40-b691-0eefb1a18396&pf_rd_i=desktop">Chairs</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sauder-Modern-Round-Coffee-Table/dp/B00GP1O2S4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1470360730&sr=1-1&keywords=round+glass+coffee+table">Coffee Table </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YP99KK/ref=twister_B01DVSHAMI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1">Rug </a></div>
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The cabinet was a thrift store find from long ago.</div>
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I am currently working on wall art to go above this sitting area. Stop by again soon for that!</div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-62896484986835650582016-03-29T17:22:00.001-04:002018-01-05T15:23:06.147-05:00DIY Custom Photo Ledges<div style="text-align: center;">
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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<br />
With backsplash, shoe molding, and other projects dragging on a bit,
Mike and I felt ready for some quick wins, some improvements that would
provide significant impact and satisfaction with relatively small time
and financial commitments.<br />
<br />
The main one we chose to veer toward for a bit recently was DIY photo ledges for our family room.<br />
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<img alt="DIY Photo Ledges" height="500" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1668/26121343255_a70d3d23a8.jpg" title="DIY Photo Ledges" width="295" /></div>
<br />
Over a year ago I bought a couple of gallery wall kits, hung the templates on the walls on either side of our TV, decided I didn't love them, and stored them in our basement until a better idea came along. <br />
<br />
My goals for this wall included the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>get family photos on the walls</li>
<li>decorate near the TV without making the TV the singular focal point of the wall</li>
<li>not look messy or otherwise irritate me </li>
</ul>
<br />
The better idea I was seeking came in the form of <a href="http://www.ana-white.com/2010/10/plans/ten-dollar-ledges">Ana White's $10 Photo Ledge plans.</a> Mike has gotten pretty used to me texting links to such things with obnoxious statements like, "These would be easy, right?" Someday I would like to see his face when he gets one of these messages. Actually, it's probably best for both of us <span style="color: #0000ee;">if</span> I don't.<br />
<br />
While those backsplash, shoe molding, powder room finishing, and other tasks sat (and still sit) on hold, Mike spent some time <strike>getting sawdust everywhere</strike> rekindling his love of woodworking and impressing me once again with his ability to make my visions a reality.<br />
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<img alt="DIY Photo Ledges" height="332" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1623/26028655462_0778f5168e.jpg" title="DIY Photo Ledges" width="500" /> </div>
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The frames from the two <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Solid-Frame-Usable-Artwork/dp/B0083GP89G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459290995&sr=8-1&keywords=gallery+wall+kit+black">gallery wall kits</a> create a pleasing uniformity. I played around with them on our floor to determine the spacing between (18.5") and width (4') of the shelves before the project got underway. </div>
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This was a hugely satisfying quick win as it met all of my goals for that wall. On the other side of the entertainment stand I hung a 1924 map of Detroit that I bought for $15 on eBay and framed. I think it balances that space appropriately.</div>
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My big goal for this summer is to get photos organized, albums created and ordered, and get pictures up on the walls. Getting my hands on old family black and whites for these ledges is step one! </div>
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<script async defer data-pin-hover="true" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-86880464745018053352016-02-15T11:45:00.003-05:002016-08-29T08:39:10.239-04:00Why We Bought Our Quartz Countertops From IKEAIn our kitchen we have new countertops! However, I can't decide on a backsplash, so it's still not much to look at out there. In case you are curious, though, the counter is quartz, London Grey by
Caesarstone. We bought it from Ikea for a couple of reasons. <br />
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<a name='more'></a> We knew we wanted something like a classic Carrara marble but learned
from a little research that Carrara is prone to stains. For such a big
ticket purchase, that risk was just not an option for us. <br />
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A little more online research (such as comparisons at <a href="http://theletteredcottage.net/countertop-series-part-4-quartz/">The Lettered Cottage</a>) made me pretty confident that London Grey was the way we should go. On one of our many visits to Ikea, I saw they carried the product, so we priced it out and sat on the project for a while longer as we continued saving the dough.<br />
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In the meantime we also visited a local Caesarstone showroom, priced out installation through them, and found that Ikea was indeed the way to go. Ikea required a little more DIY involvement than the local company, but we knew Mike could handle that much (remove the old countertops, ensure that cabinets are level). A little birdie also shared a rumor that after Christmas there would be a rare sale on Ikea countertops, and there was: 15% off for Ikea Family members. We took the plunge then.<br />
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I'll of course share more photos once our kitchen becomes more photogenic!<br />
<br />livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-21866728123412492602016-01-02T18:32:00.002-05:002018-01-05T16:21:27.129-05:00Bathroom Storage Cabinet Turned 18" Doll Clothes WardrobeAlong with a new hardwood floor, the kids' playroom will be getting the addition of a new doll clothes wardrobe. Unlike the flooring, this improvement only cost us $6.99<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"> since <span style="color: #0000ee;">I</span> used a bathroom storage cabi<span style="color: #0000ee;">net that we had on hand.</span></span></span><br />
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This cabinet hung in our powder room when we moved in. I considered putting it back up once we finish updating that space since we don't have much for those walls, but we really don't need it for storage in there. Buying and arranging little bathroom items simply to give it some purpose just doesn't appeal to me.<br />
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Sophie got an American Girl doll from Santa last year and has acquired a few little outfits. Until now we've stored them, like so many items, in shoe box sized storage bins in the playroom.<br />
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The idea came to me months ago to take out the middle shelf from this cabinet, add a tension rod, and buy some little hangers to transform the cabinet into a mini wardrobe, but it wasn't until this recent holiday break that Mike and I snatched up ten minutes and made it happen. For real, it took ten minutes to unscrew the sides and back, pull out the shelf and its dowels, and pop it back together. We had the tension rod on hand, and the hangers arrived on the doorstep two days later via good ol' Prime.<br />
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If I'd been thinking properly, I would have taken this project on a couple of weeks ago and made a Christmas gift out of the wardrobe. Sophie loves it, and even Michael enjoyed hanging the clothes up the first time.<br />
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Of course, if you don't have an old cabinet hanging around waiting for new life, this would be a great swap site, garage sale, or thrift store item to hunt down. <br />
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Below are the hangers we used. I got the smallest ones for 18" doll clothes that I could find, knowing that anything much bigger than 6" wide would not fit in our cabinet.<br />
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With new wardrobes like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JBJ7ENC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JBJ7ENC&linkCode=as2&tag=liviinduri0a-20&linkId=HIGBQI6USX3P4Y5P" rel="nofollow"> Melissa & Doug Wooden Doll Armoire</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=liviinduri0a-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00JBJ7ENC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> running about $50 each, I feel like we upcycled that cabinet effectively.<br />
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We'll get that up on the playroom wall when we move the toys back in some time this week, I hope!
<script async="" data-pin-hover="true" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-25314134458597347202015-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:002016-08-29T08:48:32.325-04:00Family Room Blank SlateOne perk of redecorating our family room just before the holidays is that we have been able to skip over regular accessorizing and jump right into Christmas decor. However, I want to share this room in its blank slate phase before any posts with stockings and reindeer pop up. The room's new hardwood flooring, white curtains with bamboo shades, AirStone fireplace, IKEA cabinets for our games, new TV stand, natural fiber rug, and gray sectional couch make up the bones of the room.<br />
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After installing the flooring, Mike got to work on the shoe molding, and the room really started to look complete.</div>
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On the windows we put up bamboo blinds and white curtains. We put the
same blinds on the French doors and above windows around the sink in the
kitchen to unify the open space<span style="color: #0000ee;">.<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span>The sisal rug in the family room also coordinates well with the blinds while contrasting with
the other surfaces in the space. I'm enjoying the warmth that the textures have added to the room.<br />
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With twice as much square footage in this house than our last one, we were prepared to add some new furniture once our updates were really under way. Up until now our sectional couch and Sophie's bed were all we had purchased.<br />
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To add some storage and to play up the symmetry of the centered fireplace, I went on a long hunt for some free-standing cabinets that would coordinate with the ones in our kitchen and not overshadow the fireplace. I am pleased that the most proportional and attractive option also happened to be the most convenient and affordable for us. What would we do without Ikea?<br />
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We keep our games in these cabinets, and this family room has come even more to life now that games of Sequence and Othello occur there regularly.<br />
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The old dresser we used as a TV stand for the last couple of years never quite functioned the way we had intended, and since we were adding furniture to the fireplace wall, I thought a more open and visually lighter piece would look better. The weathered wood, dark metal accents, small drawer, and back panel to hide cords drew me to this new one. I saw it first on Overstock.com but ended up getting it from Target. I didn't intend to go cheap on the furniture out here, but I just kept finding affordable ones with good reviews. <br />
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In that mostly online shopping I also found a new round glass coffee table from Wayfair.com for our living room. In the family room we still have the round black one we bought years ago from Pottery Barn, but I'm considering a swap with that glass one to lighten up the arrangement. Some accessorizing will break all that darkness up as well, so we'll see.<br />
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Here's how the room looked when we moved in two years ago:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wasn't <i>bad</i>...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but this is <i>way</i> better, don't you think?</td></tr>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-39741587585036630302015-12-05T12:21:00.001-05:002016-08-28T15:18:07.439-04:00Family Room Floor - DIY Hardwood FloorThe flooring we have chosen to install throughout most of our house is Buffalo Ridge Plank Ash from Chelsea Plank Flooring. <br />
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It took a while for us to find the wood flooring that Mike and I envisioned, but this seems to be it. We wanted a medium to dark color, solid hardwood, and some visible texture. Most hand-scraped options looked too lumpy-bumpy or inauthentically distressed to us, but this wire-brushed finish pleasantly reveals the grain. The flooring is sold and installed in 3-, 4-, and 5-inch wide planks, a unique look that Mike and I were both drawn to.<br />
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We were happy this search led to us buying locally and enjoy the idea of sparing some ash trees the fate of the emerald ash borer, as the <a href="http://www.plankflooring.com/product-information/product-descriptions">Chelsea Plank Flooring website</a> suggests. We saw the tree-lined street we lived on previously lose some of that charm as many of the ash trees became infested and had to be cut down. It's nice to think that trees that could likely go to waste will instead be underfoot in our home.<br />
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Back in October Mike took up the carpet in the family room to discover that there was no sub-floor there. With the intention of nailing down all of our new flooring, he had to determine a new approach. Since the concrete floor is undamaged, level, and nearly twenty years old (surely cured and settled), the flooring distributor recommended the strong adhesive pictured above.<br />
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It took Mike one solid day of work to install the flooring out there. He used bits of painter's tape on the corners of the boards to show if they shifted in the adhesive process. Michael and Sophie were eager helpers a few days later when it was time to peel it all up.<br />
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Okay, they don't look terribly eager here, but I swear they were. They were just very focused at that moment.</div>
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Despite bringing home a large sample and scouring Google, Pinterest, and
Houzz for pictures of the flooring, I feared that it would be too dark
and not have enough variation. We wanted our floor to look like wood,
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So far we couldn't be happier with our choice! I look forward to sharing the cozy look that some new furniture (same couch), a rug, and curtains have created. </div>
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This same flooring will also go in our kitchen, powder room, and entryways. The question of the moment is whether or not Mike can complete that installation by Christmas. He's hacking away at tile as I type!</div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-2433927135762015702015-11-29T17:57:00.001-05:002016-08-28T15:16:30.067-04:00Make Holiday Pillow Using Tea TowelsI found myself killing a little time in Tuesday Morning the other day and decided to look for some inexpensive holiday pillows. Instead I found towels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yqaR6aS_D9G2CjmLfXqc0GA0nVersP4zC7g_OBIHCxM-Wy_c4JRGo-aK0M90ud42mfpAheC8kqtUn2fsXSFciq27pAkFWZLJo1iUQLa_LbjyWEyiGvC6LFL1E4jQsshpfbygFI3LoQAR/s640/blogger-image--51572093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DIY Holiday Pillows Tea Towels" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yqaR6aS_D9G2CjmLfXqc0GA0nVersP4zC7g_OBIHCxM-Wy_c4JRGo-aK0M90ud42mfpAheC8kqtUn2fsXSFciq27pAkFWZLJo1iUQLa_LbjyWEyiGvC6LFL1E4jQsshpfbygFI3LoQAR/s640/blogger-image--51572093.jpg" title="DIY Holiday Pillows Tea Towels" /></a></div>
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At home I matched the towels up with some pillow inserts I already had on hand and got to work making two envelope pillow covers from the larger towels and two permanent smaller pillows from the others.</div>
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I bought those IKEA Krakris pillow inserts years ago, but they've never been quite the right fit for anything until now. It's clearly their destiny.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6o2BPNkLjwapWLY0Acd3nWafgi_Z1xS9KuxdFqFDsAQSpl6BgizwdK8-xocOZ-h7nVXfPS7zqLM7B-mecIoH4dLy9jSIi1v0kGte9U3F8eTaMWOjY40POeJtSX1EjAUJNxuK4eF-bkSWw/s640/blogger-image-692183755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6o2BPNkLjwapWLY0Acd3nWafgi_Z1xS9KuxdFqFDsAQSpl6BgizwdK8-xocOZ-h7nVXfPS7zqLM7B-mecIoH4dLy9jSIi1v0kGte9U3F8eTaMWOjY40POeJtSX1EjAUJNxuK4eF-bkSWw/s640/blogger-image-692183755.jpg" /></a></div>
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The great thing about using towels for this is the ends are finished already. An envelope cover is as simple as cutting, pinning, and sewing the square. I did the first part while watching a cheesy Christmas movie after the kids were in bed and sewed them up while the kids ate <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">breakfast in the morning. No major time or effort involved here! (Hand stitching the bottoms of the smaller pillows did take a bit longer, but not much.)</span></div>
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I'm crazy about the retro cottage look that our house is taking on as we update our main floor while simultaneously preparing for Christmas. I will share more soon! </div>
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livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-61327479702643435302015-10-18T22:32:00.002-04:002016-08-29T08:59:31.328-04:00Living Room and Dining Room Hardwood Floor RefinishingHaving refinished the floors in our first house ourselves,
Mike and I immediately saw the golden oak flooring in the living and
dining rooms as a future project when we bought our current house. That
particular floor (and banister) color just isn't our preference. We envisioned darker wood and looked forward to bringing that look to life.<br />
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After a couple of recent months of some long days and late evenings, that space now looks more like we envisioned it two years ago.<br />
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The color is a mix of equal parts of Min-wax Jacobean, English Chestnut, and Ebony to match the pre-finished hardwood Mike will install throughout the rest of our main floor. The stairs and banister will be similar.<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Despite successfully completing a similar project before, this adventure has taken more time and work than Mike and I anticipated. After we sanded (for real, WE--I don't do a ton on the projects these days, but I did that!), unfortunately the stain application went unexpectedly badly. Mike used mops for application, like we did in the past, but more stain remained than should have, it didn't dry well, and we agreed that it was time to start over. I was within the first days back to teaching and had no more time to give this project, so Mike was fully on his own with the sanding again (not that he needed me--I'm just a little bummed that my sanding has little to do now with the end result.) He then applied the stain by hand the second time, applied polyurethane with a roller, and finally achieved the intended result. <br />
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Or so we thought. I recently noticed that the white lines along the edges of the floor planks were not dust that could be cleaned. A little Googling revealed that we had <a href="http://www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/sanding-finishing/what-is-really-causing-white-line-syndrome.html">WLS--white line syndrome</a>. Apparently it's fairly common these days especially in darker floors, possibly caused by the removal of solvents from polyurethane (newer EPA regulations) and the stretching of polyurethane in humidity changes. <br />
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<img alt="DIY Hardwood Floor Refinishing WLS" height="265" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/632/22287619725_ebf1c1700e_c.jpg" title="DIY Hardwood Floor Refinishing WLS" width="400" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Advice we found online and at the hardware stores ranged from waiting it out to starting over <i>again</i>, none of which appealed to us.<br />
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My solution was to get coloring. Using a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056Z0NEC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0056Z0NEC&linkCode=as2&tag=sharedan-20&linkId=TOWHVMURG23EVL2Z%22%3EMinwax%2011009%20Ebony%20Jacobean%20Blend%20Fil%20Pencil%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sharedan-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0056Z0NEC%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E.">wood scratch pencil</a>, I colored over the white lines and blended it with a cloth. That looked pretty good, but as you can see below, in certain light you could see a contrasting glare in the finish of the camouflaging.<br />
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<img alt="DIY Hardwood Floor Refinishing WLS" height="265" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/576/22261604146_158c89157d_c.jpg" title="DIY Hardwood Floor Refinishing WLS" width="400" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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I applied a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056Z0NEC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0056Z0NEC&linkCode=as2&tag=sharedan-20&linkId=TOWHVMURG23EVL2Z%22%3EMinwax%2011009%20Ebony%20Jacobean%20Blend%20Fil%20Pencil%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sharedan-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0056Z0NEC%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">wood floor cleaner (</a>coincidentally bought years ago for the floor in our old house but hardly ever used) simply by spraying the floor lightly over a three-foot square at a time and mopping it with a clean microfiber dust mop.<br />
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The end result is not flawless, but we are satisfied.<br />
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To make way for Mike to begin installing the flooring on the rest of the main floor, yesterday the family room furniture landed in our dining room. I am loving the cozy space. That window is my favorite in the house, and it all fits so snugly. <br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/89914774@N03/21666574023/in/dateposted-public/" title="Floor"><img alt="Floor" height="265" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/617/21666574023_87a7f94fb2_c.jpg" width="400" /> </a><br />
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That pleasant new arrangement will help me to remain patient about seeing the family room complete. Mike has already made good progress today, even with soccer practice, going out to lunch, getting groceries, and making dinner. Seriously, he had a hand in all of it. There was even a Lions game to yell at.<br />
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This morning we had carpet in our family room.<br />
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<img alt="Family Room During Floor Installation" height="265" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/683/22287597345_ae4ea0cbf3_c.jpg" title="Living Room and Dining Room Hardwood Floor Refinishing" width="400" /><br />
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This afternoon we did not. The trim and mantel also got a fresh coat of lighter paint.<br />
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<img alt="Family Room During Floor Installation" height="265" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/595/22099569590_73d0561e60_c.jpg" title="Living Room and Dining Room Hardwood Floor Refinishing" width="400" /><br />
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The lack of sub-floor was a bit of a surprise. Whether Mike will be installing one or gluing down the new floor will likely be determined tomorrow with a phone call to the floor distributor.<br />
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<br />livinginduringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14996799851595473442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9014963998465892370.post-13371503518415456912015-08-03T22:08:00.000-04:002016-08-29T09:00:10.752-04:00Organize Kids' Closets for Easy MorningsBefore the kids begin kindergarten in the fall, I wanted to make their closets and dressers more functional so they can get their own clothes ready for the next day as I have always done for or with them since they were babies.<br />
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Both of their closets were equipped with the standard high bar with a shelf on top, and we kept those. We simply added Ikea Billy bookcases (that were previously in our hallway) and attached a lower bar between the bookcase and the wall.<br />
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The kids' pants and shorts are now in fabric bins on the shelves. Like I did when I organized our <a href="http://www.livinginduring.com/2015/04/pantry-baskets.html">kitchen pantry</a>, I measured the shelves carefully and picked out the bins at Home Goods. <br />
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The kids' shirts hang to the left of their shelves, currently with the short sleeved summer shirts on the low bar and long sleeved fall and winter shirts up high. We'll shift those around as appropriate. On the far right of the high bars are items they will not wear to school like robes and fancy dresses. I only want clothes that I would approve for school within their reach. The extra floor space is for activity gear such as our swimming bag and Sophie's dance bag.</div>
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Both kids have dressers in their rooms as well where we keep their socks, underwear, pajamas, and miscellaneous clothes (leotards, bathing suits, etc.). </div>
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At bedtime each night, the kids will choose their full outfits for the next day, right down to the socks, to minimize morning conflicts, and they'll store the clothes on the top shelves of their Billys.<br />
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I wish this project had climbed to the top of the priority list before
now, but at least the kids are still at an age when doing things themselves is
exciting. They are already eager to get in this habit. I even got big hugs and thank yous when I revealed the new setup. What can I say? An appreciation for functional organization is in their genes.<br />
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And now their jeans are in functional organization! Sorry, couldn't resist that one.<br />
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