Laundry Room: Before and During Pics

Woke this morning to a warm and balmy day. Considered putting the windows in today but as soon as I checked the radar I knew that was not going to happen. It looked like the rain was going to be here in an hour and when it started I was going to stick around for the whole day. So I went out to my workshop to get something and decided in that moment that I was going to finish the Buck Hut that was in the middle of the workshop so you need to walk around it every time you walk in.  Highly annoying. But the things never seem to go smoothly around here because there is always a chain of events that must happen before this happens, Like the following:

First I didn't get the Buck Hut done because I didn't have ONE piece of 1/2 plywood.

Then I didn't have the Buck Hut done because I was using the circular saw in the house and I had the blade set to the "perfect setting" to take out the floor in the dining room. I mean, you might never find that exact depth again.

I finally get the dining room floor out so I can take the circular saw back out to the workshop to cut the ONE piece of plywood needed.

Cut the ONE piece of plywood and finish the Buck Hut

Can't move the Buck Hut out of the work shop because the tractor has a flat tire.

Need to walk all around the farm looking for the air compressor to fill up the tire.

Found the compressor and aired up the tire......................finally.

MOVED THE BUCK HUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I put the miter saw and stand together which I am pretty sure certifies me as an aeronautical engineer. (I had to use the directions) That is 2 hours of my life I will NEVER get back.

Here is some before pics of the mudroom that it going to be the laundry:

But look what I found under the 1/4 laminate that was nailed to the wall:

It is the original clap board siding  on at least two walls and I am thinking I am going to keep it and incorporate in my decor by cleaning and painting it so it will have a "porch like" feel. It looks really cool. Leave a comment if you like it / hate it .

And finally for my friend Miss Effie. Here is some thing for our Pinterest board! It was taken in Kalona IA and I thought of you!

Turkey and Tools

THANKSGIVING DAY:

When I was growing up, Thanksgiving was a special holiday second only to Christmas and my mom always hosted the dinner. She planned it for a weeks and we literally cleaned the house the whole week before because after all you couldn't let people see how you really lived. The day of the event everything was in place and the whole family was in their Sunday best. The Grand parents came also dressed to the nines. There were relish trays and drinks beforehand and the meal itself was a sight to behold. Oh those were the Norman Rockwell days.................

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2011. Let me set the scenario for you. It is 60 degrees and beautiful out! I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner like always. I decide that TODAY would be a good day on starting to put windows in. I mean after all, did you catch the part about the kick ass weather we are having in the Midwest??? So I get up and start tearing apart the sun room. I mean really how hard could it be to get those windows out and the new ones framed up and slapped back in? Well let me tell you how it went:

Worked from 8 until  11:50

The neighbor stopped down to borrow some orange snow fence at 11:50. (I might have BS'ed too long)

The turkey got in at promptly 12:47pm. (47 minutes late)

My mom shows up at 1:30 (an hour early)

My kitchen and sun room looked like a tornado had hit (think F5 tornado)

I ate my basic Thanksgiving dinner unshowered, in sweats and a T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. (very sexy if you have never seen the look)

The food was awesome. (but so much for the days of the Norman Rockwell settings).

Windows not in. (Shit! but that is okay because I spent the morning listening to and thinking  fantasizing about Jason Aldean. )  

The good news is, I found the old clap board siding underneath the 1/4 laminate they had nailed up to the wall. I am seriously thinking about keeping it and cleaning and painting it: It looks very nostalgic and I think it would work in a laundry room, pics to come.

Odds and Ends

A few years ago I paid off all of my credit cards and I have never used a credit card again and never will. I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey and if you don't know who he is, check him out! He is all about being debt free. When I made the decision to pay off my credit cards, I had to not only make extra payments to pay them off but I also had to pay cash for everything that I needed. I the pain was akin to getting your teeth pulled without and novocain. No joke. This was 2 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Now that I am renovating "The House" I think it is going to be a lot like paying off the credit cards. I will have to do that extra work to make the renovations happen, and at the same time keep up on the normal things that need to be repaired that is an ongoing problem with a 125 year old farm. I am up for the challenge.

Now with that being said............................


The miter saw is here! The miter saw is here! Oh it is like Christmas in November and............ the windows are here!!!! That is the good news!

But here is the bad news: I have like 3 projects that are started but not yet finished. In this order:

1) Buck Hut is NOT done. (Can you believe it? Me either)
2) Flooring in dining area in not finished (What? it has only been 2 months since I started this project)
3) Barn door needs to be repaired and rehung. (1 hour repair- 1 measly hour..............)

While I was thinking about this I was trying to think of some good excuses of why I haven't got this done. I have everything I need to do these but the tin to do the buck hut roof. Unbelievable. So with that being said, I have made it a G-O-A-L to get these 3 things done this week because Big L is off school next week for the holiday. I want to start re framing the window area while he is off.

I thought by writing this down it would help shame motivate me into getting it done. We shall see. I think I will go to Menards and pick up my windows and some tin up this afternoon. Maybe that will help motivate me more.

Buck Huts and other farm ramblings

Winter is coming. You can't stop it. Living on a farm puts a whole new twist on winter. No matter how much I prep for winter it always seems like it creeps up on me and bites me in the butt. Oh I know the falling temperature, leaves turning a different color, then falling completely off the trees and daylight savings time should all be a big clues that winter is coming but winter always seems to "show up" catching me off guard.

One of my fall projects was building a Buck Hut. What is a Buck Hut you might ask. Well a Buck Hut is a low 3-sided lean-to that houses the boy goats on the farm. I build one last spring but there is a definite to need to separate the older boys from the younger boys because the older boys thinks the younger ones are their "girlfriends", if you know what I mean. So I framed it up a couple of weeks ago and here is how it has sat in my garage:

NOTE: ALL FARM PROJECTS MUST INCLUDE A CAT.

My son went out to the barn and got some RB&B (Reverse Board and Batten) and plywood. I was HYPED to finish my project! I got all the sides done and 2/3 of the roof done and ........................... I ran out of 1/2 inch plywood. So I was in the garage mumbling cussing about the plywood when my 16 year old son who we shall call Big L (more protecting the innocent) came in and here is how the conversation went:

Big L: What's wrong?

Me: I need some more 1/2 plywood. Go check the barn and see if I got some more.

Big L: I already looked and all we have is RB&B and 1/2 inch OSB (oriented strand board)

Me: You sure?

Bid L: Yeah, I had to dig to get you the plywood you got. Just use the OSB. You are going to put tin over it anyway. What makes the difference?

Me: I don't want OSB. I want plywood.  I will just go look myself. **This is where I stomp off to the barn and come back to find Big L smiling like the Cheshire Cat**



(example of Big L's shit eating grin)



No Plywood. Crap. Epic Failure~ BUCK HUT NOT DONE! How do you have a barn full of misc wood and NOT have 1/2 plywood????  So today I will be getting some plywood and tin to finish the Buck Hut.

On a positive note I was thinking I was going to have to power wash the Buck Hut before I painted it but tomorrow we are suppose to get 3 inches of rain and high winds so I think I will let mother nature take care of it.

Let the tool buying began!!!!!!!

I knew I was going to have to buy an arsenal of tools when I started this project. Hand tools and power tools. I do have some tools but my tool chest is very hit and miss. I wrote a couple of blogs ago buying MADE IN THE USA. Well, bad news, there is no power tools MADE IN THE USA. This saddens me very much but I have gotten over it and moved on.  If someone finds out any thing different please leave a comment.

So I will be buying tools based on reviews and my BFF'S advice.

**SIDE NOTE- My BFF (Best Friend Forever) is a 40 something guy that is not a professional carpenter but did put a full 2nd story on his 1 story ranch and he did it working around his full time job.

Here is the power tools I have:

• Craftsman table saw
• Skil circular saw
• Black and Decker cordless drill with 2 batteries
• Portable air compressor

Here is my wish list so far

• Makita 12" Dual Slider Miter Saw (LS1216L)
• DEWALT 10 Amp Reciprocating Saw (DW304PK)
• Paslode Cordless 16 Gauge Finish Nailer (900600)
• Paslode Framing Nailer (cordless)
• Hand held Router- (???)
• Dremal (4000-6)

I have been on the hunt for a miter saw and based on several reviews I have settled on Makita with a price tag of $599.00 . You can see some of the reviews here. This Old House Magazine calls this the "must have miter saw" You can check out the review if you would like and I won't bore you with all the details.

I went to  Home Depot, our local Makita dealer, and of course they did not have what I was looking for so I turned my search to online. I found what I was looking for on EBAY. (Imagine that) but I got more than I was planning on. Here is what I bought:

Makita 12" Dual Slider Miter Saw with folding portable stand

It kinda gets your juices flowing don't it????? The price tag was $799.00 with NO TAX AND FREE SHIPPING!!!!!!! This combo was $849.00 plus tax and shipping through Home Depot.


While I was on the black hole called EBAY I also found this:

I got this little gem brand new for $247.00 plus $10.99 shipping. This list at Lowes for $349.00 plus tax. So that is a savings of about $100.00 not to mention my time and fuel.  AND-Sales tax saved @7.25% was $75.83

So now I wait for my windows from Menards and my tools from all over the country to arrive and while I wait I will be doing demolition on my new laundry room. Pics to come this weekend.

Last years office renovation. Before and After Pics

The winter of 2010/2011 I move to from office in the back to the "big front office" in the fron. While it was empty I decided to "just hang a little drywall and put in some new floor".  So with the help of my BFF, a Layed Off Electrician, and Gar-Bear (names have been changed to protect the innocent) we did this remodel below.

This renovation went WAY BEYOND hanging a little drywall and some new flooring. New ceiling $$, recessed dimmable pot lots $$, recasing of all the windows,$$ new blinds $$, trim. $$.........$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. It might of got a little out of hand.

After seeing the transformation of the old office to new I am confident that there is hope for the old girl I call home. I set this a a separate page so I can refer to it.

The Office Before. As you can see the 70's was not kind!

The Office After. More better-er!