The Bathroom Remodel (Part 3)

My apologies for the delay in bringing you the next installment of the basement bathroom remodel series, but sadly there hasn't been much to report as of late.

T-Bear did a terrific job with the grout on the floor and in the shower.


Then Conservative Hubby sealed the tile.


James K. stopped by and returned the toilet to its rightful position and installed the new showerhead and handle.

But that's all that's been done since the major bathroom remodel weekend.

That means there's still ceiling sanding and priming and painting to be done. The back wall needs painted, too.

We need to put in a new drain in the shower and install the new vanity and sink.


There's a mirror to go on the wall and a light fixture that needs hooked up to the ceiling.

But none of this is going to happen for at least the next couple of weeks. So we're just making do with the mess in the basement for the time being.

Fortunately it's a little tidier than in this photo (though not much).


And the tile cutting mess has been cleaned up.


Thank goodness.

The Bathroom Remodel (Part 2)

It probably won't come as a surprise that last weekend's basement bathroom remodel hit a few snags.

Doesn't every home-improvement project get stalled by unforeseen challenges?

The challenges in this particular project took the form of a leaking shutoff valve (for the whole darn house) and leaking pipes in shower.

And an extra trip to Home Depot in Bloomington and about 50 extra trips to Ace Hardware in L-Town.

Despite these holdups, the boys made progress.


First all the plumbing fixtures came out.


Then the ceiling came down and was replaced with a nice, smooth drywall ceiling.


Then the shower underwent some demolition and gained new tile-covered walls.


And a lovely tile floor too.


Next came the bathroom floor.

It was at this point in the process that I was completely shocked and amazed and impressed to learn that the fellow working the wet saw in the basement was none other than Conservative Hubby.


I did not know he possessed the skill to make such delicate cuts.

(For the record, he didn't know this either. And T-Bear and James K. were as surprised as I was.)

But it turns out he's got a talent for the tile-cutting.


This came in handy, along with T-Bear's knack for laying tile in perfectly straight lines and sacrificing holiday Mondays to grout said tile, even after the others had to go back to work.

But you're just going to have to wait on the edge of your seat for those grout photos. Sorry! (But not really.)

The End of Living Loft-Style

I know you're heartbroken, devastated, absolutely torn apart about the title of today's post. "What?" You're crying out, no doubt. "How can this be the end?"

Alas, it is the end because I have exhausted all the photos I took of the loft to end all lofts. Plus, remember it is a loft. In the upstairs of a building in downtown Laramie. In other words, it's not a mansion people. And My Parents only need so much space.

So let's get to the last--but certainly not least--of it.

The kitchen.


And oh what a kitchen it is. Huge and open, with professional-grade appliances and, naturally, a few quirky accents.

The appliances might look black in the photos, but they're actually the color of eggplant. And, as you can see, even the cabinet inserts take an artistic bent. I may not have picked those inserts if this were my kitchen, but they look lovely and they do grow on you when you linger in the room for a while.

Besides, how could you ever complain in this big of a cooking space, with a great layout and room for pretty much every kitchen gadget known to humans?

Had I stayed longer, I would have whipped out the ice cream-maker and pasta-maker and this-maker and that-maker and used it all. But, given time constraints, I had to settle for frying bacon and making pancakes on the built-in griddle on the range. And I had to use the oven and the KitchenAid Mixer to whip up some cookies, which we enjoyed as dessert after a feast of Thai takeout in this cute little dining area.


In the kitchen, once you look past the gadgets and beautiful countertops and colorful appliances, you'll notice a number of interesting details.

Like Buddha sitting on top of the china hutch and other sculptures tucked in nooks in the cabinetry.


Like a telephone on the wall painted in crazy swirls of color.

Like a planter shaped like a woman's head on the windowsill and a Homer Simpson cookie jar that grunts next to it (you can sort of see them in the top photo, though they're awfully hard to make out).

On a side note, should you ever visit My Parents, be warned: Simpsons paraphernalia pop up in the most peculiar places. And no, it's not their personal collection. It came with the loft too.

The end.

Living Loft-Style Part V

Despite my temporary absence, the loft tour isn't quite done yet. Today we're moving on from the media room to some more intimate spaces. They include ...

... My Mom's giant dressing room


... the half bath in the hall


... and the master bedroom,


with a bed so tall My Mom needs a stool to get onto it.


And, perhaps most impressively ...

... the master bathroom.


What a luxurious (and playful) spot to bathe, eh?



(Pardon the photo quality--some snapshots were taken with My Mom's cell phone camera!)

Living Loft-Style (Part IV)

Now that I've shown you the entrance and entryway to My Parents' loft and have shared some of the loft's more colorful history with you, it's time to take a peek at more of the art- and light-filled living spaces in the loft.

First stop: the living room, which is actually two distinct spaces open to one another.

This is where My Sister's favorite mermaid table resides.

In the room, a petite fireplace and stained-glass windows mingle with colorful contemporary furniture (designed by the couple who own the space).


Occasionally, peculiar creatures appear. Like the monkey standing, ready to serve, next to one chaise.


And sometimes, even objects with seemingly normal functions, like this lamp, are anything but ordinary.


Down the hall from the living room is another space for relaxing. It's the media room.

But, naturally, even it manages to surprise.

There's the two-tiered seating area, with comfy couches for lounging while watching films. The movie posters on the walls. The fabric draped across the ceiling so the lights are never too bright, just as it should be in a movie theater.


And yes, this is a movie theater. Because besides the stadium seating there's ...

A giant screen on the wall. Massive. Hooked up to a projector and surround sound that makes the whole place shake.


It's a movie lover's dream (or, in My Dad's case, a sports lover's dream).

Living Loft-Style (Part II)

Yesterday, I introduced you to the front door of the loft My Parents are renting for the next year. Today, I'm going to allow you to peek inside.

This is the entrance to the loft, on the first floor of the building. This is where you must take off your shoes and slip on a pair of slippers before making the trek upstairs.

At the top of the stairs, a lovely statue and four very hip fellows greet you.


On the wall opposite, you'll meet the woman who owns the loft, in the form of a painting of her in her youth. (I only met her once for a moment but she is still this lovely.)


One thing I learned on my brief visit to My Parents' temporary home is that there are so many things to see in the condo you can't possibly take it all in at once.

Case in point: This little bull sitting on the floor in the upstairs entryway. I didn't even notice him in the first 24 hours we were there. In fact, every time you turn around there's another piece of art that escapes notice because there's just too much to see.


Like the smiling gold Buddha above the stairs, which I didn't realize was there until we were leaving the loft the last day of our short visit.


As for more examples of the art, you'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Living Loft-Style

My Parents recently sold their cute little house in Laramie. They sold it because in less than a year they're ditching their jobs and the Wyoming weather and moving to Lake Oconee to begin their retirement. (Although I still staunchly believe they are much too young for that sort of thing.)

In the meantime, they're renting a loft in downtown Laramie. But not just any loft. A loft owned by the couple that owns My Parents' favorite wine bar. A loft owned by a couple that also owns multiple art galleries.



So it should come as no surprise that the loft they remodeled and decorated in downtown Laramie is a bit of an art gallery itself.

Actually, that's an understatement.

It's more than a bit of an art gallery.

So this week, I'll be taking you on a tour of the art gallery-slash-loft my parents are calling home for the next year.

But today, we're not going to go any further than the front door. That's what you saw above. And this is the window beside the front door.



Sorry, Madam Opal isn't in today.

(On a side note, people sometimes leave notes for Madam Opal on the window. My parents find this a source of entertainment. We are still trying to convince My Mom to sit in the window on Halloween and read palms. She's not all that interested, but we have another week yet to change her mind.)

Come back for more tomorrow!

A Tale of Three Houses (Part III)

Go ahead and boo. I know I'm lame. I gave you a tale of two houses and then left you hanging for a couple of days. That was mean. But very unintentional—I promise.

I just got distracted by studying for an environmental law exam (I thought I had two weeks before I had to take it, then found out the other day it's next Tuesday—ack!), tackling a few around-the-house projects, trying a few new recipes, and going to a luau. You'll hear about all these things soon (well, except for the exam, because I am guessing you don't care to hear about nonattainment areas under the Clean Air Act and who is considered a generator of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act—but hey, if I'm wrong, let me know).

But first, I owe you a tale of the third house.

This house came well before My Parents' condo and Conservative Parents' home. It was My Parents' first introduction to the Lake Oconee area and, if memory serves me correctly, it is also the place where the wheels started turning and Conservative Parents got serious about seeking out their own place in the area.

Can you see why yet? A nice-looking exterior (with an exceptionally steep drive). A wooded area.


All very nice. But the real draw? The reason I would drop everything and move in there right now if P-Diddy and the lovely L would have me. (And no, not that P-Diddy. But that's a swell nickname, right?)


The lake.


You can see the lake from their back deck.


And the screened porch.


And from the lower patio area under the deck (which includes a terrific outdoor fireplace). I do not have a photo of this, unfortunately, but it's a sweet spot. It's the entire lower level you see here. Now use your imagination.


But wait. I'm supposed to be showing you more of the inside of the house. Not talking about the views oustide. (Although, of course, when the weather is nice we spend most of our time outdoors.)

This is the kitchen, where lovely L has made many a fine meal and the rest of us have opened many a fine bottle of wine.


This is the formal dining room, where dinnertime takes place. Although on busy lake weekends, the bar in the kitchen, the kitchen table, and the table in the screened porch may be used for overflow seating.


This is the living room. Perfect for relaxing. If you aren't relaxed enough, from lounging on the deck, on the patio, on the dock, in the boat ... well, you get the idea.


Upstairs, you'll find bedrooms and bathrooms. Downstairs, you'll find more living space and an additional bedroom and bath. We were in the midst of a big, raucous, multi-family weekend at the lake when I took these photos, however, so I chose to be nice and leave the bedrooms and baths alone.

(You've heard about this place before, by the way. But only the lake. It make an appearance last year and earlier this summer too. Now you can say you've been there. Although, admittedly, the photos can't quite do the place justice. But isn't that always the case?)

A Tale of Three Houses (Part II)

Yesterday, I took you on a tour of the terrific little condo My Parents purchased in the Lake Oconee area of Georgia.

Today, I'm back with another family home. This one belongs to Conservative Parents.


Now I know what you're probably thinking right about now. Those conniving kids. Somehow Conservative Boy and Julie made their parents purchase retirement homes next to one another for their own personal gain.


That would have been brilliant of us. Really, I wish I could take credit for it. Only we had next to nothing to do with it. It just sort of happened. I swear.


You see, Conservative Mom and Dad had vacationed in the area a number of times through their vacation club and had even looked at a few homes they were fond of (which, they discovered, were quite expensive). And My Mom and Dad had also been to the area with Auntie R and Uncle H, to visit friends in the area (bet you'll never guess whose house I'm showing you tomorrow ...). They fell in love with the area too.


Then, last summer, both families were visiting the area at the same time (it was fortuitous, not planned). And my parents weren't just there for fun, they were there to purchase the condo they'd found. Which renewed Conservative Mom and Dad's interest in the area and motivated them to keep looking for a home in their price range.

Which they found. And bought. And love.

I love it too. Can you see why?


It's decorated and ready to live in, which is precisely what Conservative Mom is doing for the summer.


Yep, she's down there right now. (Hi, Conservative Mom! I'll see you soon!) Given the chance, they both probably would live there full-time already. And really, can you blame them?

It's so darn inviting. A great floor plan. Beautiful surfaces. Terrific colors. Comfortable furniture. Swell decorating. A location within walking distance of the golf course. What more could you ask for?

A photo of the exterior, perhaps? Or the kitchen?

I know, I know. I meant to show them to you. A cute cottage with lots of character and a nice open kitchen. Only somehow I can't find pictures of them anywhere. Sorry! Use your imagination until the end of the month and then I can take new photos of it for you.

Yep, I'm headed back down there soon. Someone has to keep Conservative Mom company. It's a tough job, but I think I'm cut out for it.

A Tale of Three Houses (Part I)

Once upon a time a long, long time ago—namely, at the end of May—an adventurous blogger promised her faithful readers that she would share with them a tale of three houses.

And then she got busy with other adventures and forgot all about that all-important promise, until one day at the midpoint of July. Then she realized the error in her ways and sought out the long-lost pictures of the three houses she was so excited to share. (Luckily for her, they weren't really long-lost. They were on her computer, right where she uploaded them.)

And then—finally!—she was ready to reveal the three houses to her dear readers.

So now, without further ado, she'll stop speaking in third person (go ahead, breathe a sigh of relief) and share with you the first of the three houses.


Only this house is not really a house, per se. Rather, it's a condo. It's a condo that belongs to the parents of a certain blogger who happens to enjoy trying new things. But to protect their anonymity, I won't say anymore about who My Mom and My Dad ... er, oops, I mean, these people, are.

Well, shoot. Now that I've slipped up, I might as well explain: My Parents live in Wyoming. They have lived in Wyoming pretty much the entire time I've been alive, except for a quick stint in Montana when I was too young to remember. But they don't really want to retire in Wyoming. Have you experienced a Wyoming winter? And the short growing season? Would you want to live there when you're in your golden years? Enough said.

(By the way, parents, I know you're a long, long way from your golden years. Just looking to the future here.)

Needless to say, it didn't take much for them to fall in love with the Lake Oconee area and snatch up a little condo that was for sale right next to the golf course they wanted to join. It had almost everything they were looking for: a great price, a terrific pool view from the balcony, and no lawn for My Dad to mow.


The only problem is, my parents aren't quite ready to retire yet. So rather than having their terrific new condo languish without visitors most of the year (and having two home payments each month), they're renting it out for now.

That's why, at the end of May, when My Entire Immediate Family converged on Georgia (yes, I know My Entire Immediate Family probably doesn't need to be capitalized, since there's only four of us ... but we're very important), My Mom spent less than a weekend whipping their new place into shape. No kidding. It went from a little condo pretty much devoid of personality to this. Nicely decorated, ready for renters, and a great place for us to visit if renters aren't around.


My Mom, of course, has plenty of other DIY projects she plans to do when she moves into this place for real. Like adding more color. And artwork. And replacing the carpet with cork flooring. And getting a few more furnishings.


But, for the few hours she actually spent on the condo (and considering the fact it's a rental right now), it looks pretty darn good, doesn't it? Particularly the guest bedroom, which looks so darn serene and vacationy.


The Queen of DIY even managed to put up a new backsplash in that short timeframe. (Don't act so surprised. She's done it before.)


She's quite the speed decorator, that lady who birthed me.


Remind me to show you the magic she worked on ... oh, every place I've ever lived in since I graduated college. Maybe I'll get to that sooner than I managed to start the tour of the Lake Oconee houses.


Maybe.

(Parts 2 and 3 are coming soon—promise!)