tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44999616442016783762024-03-14T11:03:55.663-07:00At Least I WillCarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.comBlogger562125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-35177993552646742402018-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:002018-10-31T05:00:01.772-07:00Project House Update: The List 6.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm very very late posting my annual list this year. It was an incredibly busy house year and incredibly busy year just being functioning adults. Some huge things have gotten done. Some huge things are still in progress. Either way, here's where things stand.<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Also, my husband had been playing with my camera and I didn't realize he had messed with the settings. Some of the pictures are really bad. Sorry about that, but let's be real, I'm too lazy to retake them. <br /><br />If
you'd like to go back and see what we've accomplished in previous
years, click one of the older versions of this list below, otherwise,
let's see what's changed!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2013: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/06/project-house-update-list-version-10.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 1.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2014: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-list-version-20.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 2.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2015: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-list-version-30.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 3.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-house-update-list-version-40.html" target="_blank">June 2016: Version 4.0</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jone 2017: <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-list-50.html" target="_blank">Version 5.0</a> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">* means something Dan wants to do and I am trying to talk him out of.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"># means something I want and Dan is ignoring and hoping I'll forget/change my mind.</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">bold</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> means something new or completed since the last version of the list.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Entryway:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ynku6qJQTAstOXTbWZ92UA1vqVmFVChzvzsz476e97KPMbzQEAaSOgdMrLnzSbfkLHXN6HngLiOVRCiE0N_9QH4QwNMVVdt1RW9jJTHUkq_hzCbmRSAew9H1GOrEvgTbnLZQFOm4n8Zo/s1600/Entryway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ynku6qJQTAstOXTbWZ92UA1vqVmFVChzvzsz476e97KPMbzQEAaSOgdMrLnzSbfkLHXN6HngLiOVRCiE0N_9QH4QwNMVVdt1RW9jJTHUkq_hzCbmRSAew9H1GOrEvgTbnLZQFOm4n8Zo/s1600/Entryway.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br />Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-chandelier-dilemma.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/04/project-house-update-chandelier-bing.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">installed new light fixture</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, set up corner table, hung some art, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/11/project-house-update-that-needed-to-get.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">modified closet</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/07/project-house-update-repainting-and.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">repainted and upgraded doorbell</a>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/02/project-house-update-starry-starry-night.html" target="_blank">new light</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new flooring</a>, new baseboards, new console table </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: coat rack.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Dining Room:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDUFiQhumSeUoGQxLuobb_hBrWm-9yl4TvwJYG-RYqkEEsNhE4_dYt6lu0qCkH60G2kExLwSAXmojJJw7Vf1f0r_Rsb33Vn6RD4sp6KTld9hg8c2JDnAtGJXX1iwpFf_VYLa86mSHv0It/s1600/Dining+Room2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDUFiQhumSeUoGQxLuobb_hBrWm-9yl4TvwJYG-RYqkEEsNhE4_dYt6lu0qCkH60G2kExLwSAXmojJJw7Vf1f0r_Rsb33Vn6RD4sp6KTld9hg8c2JDnAtGJXX1iwpFf_VYLa86mSHv0It/s1600/Dining+Room2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br />Done: Painted, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/11/project-house-update-curtain-mistake.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung curtains</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/07/project-house-update-repainting-and.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">installed recessed lighting and repainted</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/11/project-house-update-chairs-from-this.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new chairs</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung some art and new shelving</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new flooring</a>, new baseboards</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Find a big statement art piece, new light fixture</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Formal Living Room:</span><b><br /></b> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NZYKSwol2MflMWuqykiM_2ifzf18SgqS14XVlFG3CfoLE_5H9VmuoPZ6c5pCw-1eBGIwg-AyMrqfaWg0XHm8AYYRIcF6CUqGfnaKkF74PP3ZGurI0VqBGmLVnEVBACxa7YSeAk3F8tOv/s1600/Front+Room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NZYKSwol2MflMWuqykiM_2ifzf18SgqS14XVlFG3CfoLE_5H9VmuoPZ6c5pCw-1eBGIwg-AyMrqfaWg0XHm8AYYRIcF6CUqGfnaKkF74PP3ZGurI0VqBGmLVnEVBACxa7YSeAk3F8tOv/s1600/Front+Room1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ70AZ-i6FXm46iU4guJ06jcgLVIAmxPw3r8zlNamVLEg3L8dyytcoqsy2szl5NFLH-X7lablW-4BgIF4CxK0wnwXh3lS2atGmstpq0cO6KeH-swTqK53oOMkphtroaL7h0B8xr29A-Jq9/s1600/Front+Room2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ70AZ-i6FXm46iU4guJ06jcgLVIAmxPw3r8zlNamVLEg3L8dyytcoqsy2szl5NFLH-X7lablW-4BgIF4CxK0wnwXh3lS2atGmstpq0cO6KeH-swTqK53oOMkphtroaL7h0B8xr29A-Jq9/s1600/Front+Room2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br />Done: Hung curtain rod and curtains, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-house-update-front-room-part-i.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung ceiling fan</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-house-update-front-room-part-ii.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-upgrading-sconces.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">upgraded light fixtures</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-grout-it-out.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">tiled fireplace</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-love-lamp.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">bought lamp</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/09/project-house-update-carpet-devil.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new floors</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/10/project-house-update-carpet-devil.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">arranged furniture and hung art</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Make mantle for fireplace, new molding, build built-in bookcases, get fireplace working </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Kitchen/Breakfast Nook:</span><br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiUrWMO3hNflDl1PHVYiwKkR0IE5gvne-cGu1D2oXE4f2lH8ZK56cBb9ZCUSjMxlvzKplhFwmax0uyCjRTK-Bb2C67Iblo_NrmleE8r8CQGo2ysgPIYZhjayxpYUntO1tWVPGmT5gweis/s1600/Kitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiUrWMO3hNflDl1PHVYiwKkR0IE5gvne-cGu1D2oXE4f2lH8ZK56cBb9ZCUSjMxlvzKplhFwmax0uyCjRTK-Bb2C67Iblo_NrmleE8r8CQGo2ysgPIYZhjayxpYUntO1tWVPGmT5gweis/s1600/Kitchen1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-living-room-reveal.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted, new ceiling fan in breakfast nook, removed awkward ceiling fan in kitchen, installed new microwave,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> purchased refrigerator, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank"><b>new floors</b></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To
Do: New cabinets, new range instead of built-in oven and
cook top, new counter tops, additional lighting under cabinets, pendant
lighting over the sink, new bar stools, finish painting chairs for
breakfast nook, new windowsills in nook*, new sink.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Great Room:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-living-room-reveal.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-jolly-green-giant.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">purchased entertainment center, hung art</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, hung TV, routed cables through the wall, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/04/project-house-update-coffee-accessories.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new coffee table</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-sectional.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">added more seating</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/02/project-house-update-such-fan-of-your.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new ceiling fan*</a><i style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </i><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-north-star.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung star mirror</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank"><b>new floors</b></a><b>, new baseboards, new rug, repainted a more subtle color, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-electric-boogaroom.html" target="_blank">install floor outlet</a></b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Widen doorway to entryway, add sofa table. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Master Bedroom:</span><br /> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-master-bedroom.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted, installed new ceiling fan, purchased dressers, new blinds blades</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/11/project-house-update-dressing-window.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung curtains</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/01/project-house-update-bed-finally.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">purchased bed frame</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new floors</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/08/project-house-update-ugh-fireplaces.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Redo fireplace</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, install crown molding, new door (instead of stupid sliding pocket door)#, find side table for Dan, more lighting. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Master Bathroom/Closet:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984587932"></span><span id="goog_984587933"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTXDy3jnRoIxQs9rjuFJ6UdCq1RlLEMp60zKNzj6s-TTUIx8azHadEHP5ENKmtK-wV1WdaVOQiBFWO2ATO83NO7mUgM-2Nq7cy7-puwXv33-fdkwyrM9z8TjjawTAzk1hcpZJBdw_77ZF/s1600/Bathroom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTXDy3jnRoIxQs9rjuFJ6UdCq1RlLEMp60zKNzj6s-TTUIx8azHadEHP5ENKmtK-wV1WdaVOQiBFWO2ATO83NO7mUgM-2Nq7cy7-puwXv33-fdkwyrM9z8TjjawTAzk1hcpZJBdw_77ZF/s1600/Bathroom2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/project-house-update-installing-sliding.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Replaced sliding glass door</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-little-bits-of.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed and patched toilet paper holder</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/07/project-house-update-adequate-paint-job.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">upgraded toilet room</a>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/04/project-house-update-period-cart.html" target="_blank">added storage</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new floors in closet</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To
Do: Paint, new bathroom floor, new vanities, remove overhead dry wall pocket*,
new mirrors, add wall sconces, french doors into closet, new shower*,
new shelving and organization in closet, chandelier, twinkly lights
around top, furniture (including a standing mirror and an
island/ottoman), find a cat bed they will sleep in instead of next to </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Guest Room/Guest Bath/Guest Closet:<br /></span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aPnLwvkKPl9CFfGbPah3rUhPG89t4f5a5aLLoh-q0OoZQNXlX15yJxXudRbIUtJKOgIyqC_vNgMBQI2YYccsOg9u2pAkGY4X-zLNxQwt4gujkcOlRDsWLzKZiuRzhIgO0Llsfh2TMZGQ/s1600/Guest+Room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aPnLwvkKPl9CFfGbPah3rUhPG89t4f5a5aLLoh-q0OoZQNXlX15yJxXudRbIUtJKOgIyqC_vNgMBQI2YYccsOg9u2pAkGY4X-zLNxQwt4gujkcOlRDsWLzKZiuRzhIgO0Llsfh2TMZGQ/s1600/Guest+Room1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHihTbrxFCNjPw5WjSKajGWKwh7vBsNcgs8OOLM4pL2DuXIBTugUuzulcby_6pAgj4SzfJYFWKoSzALCgej2l9jYXuqGIlzBZYqGkN1nJCAZTTo1lwqqOjD1z_2zvXRQd8_yrksIAiND3/s1600/Guest+Room3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHihTbrxFCNjPw5WjSKajGWKwh7vBsNcgs8OOLM4pL2DuXIBTugUuzulcby_6pAgj4SzfJYFWKoSzALCgej2l9jYXuqGIlzBZYqGkN1nJCAZTTo1lwqqOjD1z_2zvXRQd8_yrksIAiND3/s1600/Guest+Room3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtVv4AuZViztTL9rLabRkiIIzQBmezHqkkNYDSk6Mrbl7akW86i6knAmwP9Fv81AkPGJhqsNCECvV2yevYWeLqH0o_uMvoaj6aRmAghV6osqdvGR1Y3rEGk_JMyA_dpovpGhxlThdIJ79/s1600/Hall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Painted bookcase and end table, bought bedding, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/01/project-house-update-guest-room.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">painted room, installed new ceiling fan</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-house-update-prepping-and.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">window treatments</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, magazine shelves, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/11/project-house-update-mirror-mirror-on.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new end table</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New floors, modify/new bed frame, new cabinets and counter top, new toilet, new shower doors, paint bathroom and closet. </span><br />
<span id="goog_984587998"></span><span id="goog_984587999"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Hallway:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtVv4AuZViztTL9rLabRkiIIzQBmezHqkkNYDSk6Mrbl7akW86i6knAmwP9Fv81AkPGJhqsNCECvV2yevYWeLqH0o_uMvoaj6aRmAghV6osqdvGR1Y3rEGk_JMyA_dpovpGhxlThdIJ79/s1600/Hall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtVv4AuZViztTL9rLabRkiIIzQBmezHqkkNYDSk6Mrbl7akW86i6knAmwP9Fv81AkPGJhqsNCECvV2yevYWeLqH0o_uMvoaj6aRmAghV6osqdvGR1Y3rEGk_JMyA_dpovpGhxlThdIJ79/s1600/Hall1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zGOWjEU3GNNyFOi8IYPbpuieMUfCgcNnluUjYI4b8m8xNsaLLeGdgV1Yxb51ubp8aGUIlZo7is7Xyn5GNgy1HOPC8sWv8n5MQiGl6Cv2UR493szgM8WXtfSN1igWg8bH2g0P1eBOP9Q3/s1600/Hall2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zGOWjEU3GNNyFOi8IYPbpuieMUfCgcNnluUjYI4b8m8xNsaLLeGdgV1Yxb51ubp8aGUIlZo7is7Xyn5GNgy1HOPC8sWv8n5MQiGl6Cv2UR493szgM8WXtfSN1igWg8bH2g0P1eBOP9Q3/s1600/Hall2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588032"></span><span id="goog_984588033"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-house-update-hallway.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Paint, new lighting</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, hung art (</span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/11/fan-of-friday-week-of-1192012.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/grandpa.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">), <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new floors</a>, new baseboards</b> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To do: Nothing! Done!</span><br />
<span id="goog_984588070"></span><span id="goog_984588071"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Hall Bathroom:</span><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSk0Rryef9lcO2P6tf-IR1X9zZcP9E1qSCItT1sCoJm6D4wknAd0B_olfXzVfGVr-q_uUJDCi660eRBXQuzRf8iLod3ebds2lO1VAkVjWfcpCHEqV3Eef-A0eapadVgx3LVZRWU5vTTyP/s1600/Hall+Bathroom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSk0Rryef9lcO2P6tf-IR1X9zZcP9E1qSCItT1sCoJm6D4wknAd0B_olfXzVfGVr-q_uUJDCi660eRBXQuzRf8iLod3ebds2lO1VAkVjWfcpCHEqV3Eef-A0eapadVgx3LVZRWU5vTTyP/s1600/Hall+Bathroom1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvw0_5SXINzyZSdEhwv9e7FzJ2EQEiB7UksjqpxmPJmhCu_LeBfHXhU5mc1qX06oXMIMfR3AOfJNSPx8w8BVXEgDL9s4844R2bSOwVNbLoV2TbwSNUKew8SrQDKu_fh-nhGXHVtWsDhCx/s1600/Hall+Bathroom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvw0_5SXINzyZSdEhwv9e7FzJ2EQEiB7UksjqpxmPJmhCu_LeBfHXhU5mc1qX06oXMIMfR3AOfJNSPx8w8BVXEgDL9s4844R2bSOwVNbLoV2TbwSNUKew8SrQDKu_fh-nhGXHVtWsDhCx/s1600/Hall+Bathroom2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588056"></span><span id="goog_984588057"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Hung some art, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed drywall and purchased tub</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/04/project-house-update-ending-blues.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed carpet and wall to create one space</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-tub-of-lies.html" target="_blank">installed tub</a>, installed recessed lighting</b><br />To do: Penny floors!, paint, new toilet, new lighting, new cabinets and countertop* </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588066"></span><span id="goog_984588067"></span>Den:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588058"></span><span id="goog_984588059"></span><span id="goog_984588062"></span><span id="goog_984588063"></span><br /><span id="goog_984588076"></span><span id="goog_984588077"></span></span><span id="goog_984588030"></span><span id="goog_984588031"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrds7uueaezL-rwsxxiBB1aQuzV7NDmU3Nw3vYBdqRmCoqsA22h3Uw7RMwEnFHjJwhkIgLEfmwzIQ9RkMVFIe1pvNabYrGZvT2YiJP7-WxrICsVp6AX6kEeBCNZaYhafUobEWiCB362Lc/s1600/Den1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrds7uueaezL-rwsxxiBB1aQuzV7NDmU3Nw3vYBdqRmCoqsA22h3Uw7RMwEnFHjJwhkIgLEfmwzIQ9RkMVFIe1pvNabYrGZvT2YiJP7-WxrICsVp6AX6kEeBCNZaYhafUobEWiCB362Lc/s1600/Den1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNBJEOFDKDnZIZZBa1oK6pTVv4xj7V-RY4zEY4Zq23CTVyacA0PrLbp781K-XToWcZx3wxNrtcS5VoWvVoE_UjqFdQhaHP0An8oUBAPTAp78ISdMH4suolmEwlTX9r2sIUWlhhXrHl_yp/s1600/Den2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNBJEOFDKDnZIZZBa1oK6pTVv4xj7V-RY4zEY4Zq23CTVyacA0PrLbp781K-XToWcZx3wxNrtcS5VoWvVoE_UjqFdQhaHP0An8oUBAPTAp78ISdMH4suolmEwlTX9r2sIUWlhhXrHl_yp/s1600/Den2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588080"></span><span id="goog_984588081"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Hung art, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/05/project-house-update-mid-century-modest.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new dresser</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/02/project-house-update-window-work.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new window</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new windowsill</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/03/project-house-update-den-of-desks.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new desk</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-house-update-fan-of-fan.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new ceiling fan</a>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-easier-second-time.html" target="_blank">new window treatment</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <b>removed built-in desks, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">new floors</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Stain shelving, install cabinets, built-in cat box, paint, new floors, new lighting. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Workout Room:<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJCw1NwPDmrVFcp-9w_dQj4Qe5ZKzhhaDn_YOSB6rlEVk_jxM27PmyBtZJSuLpoRgRPDuG5ia6LfaC6m25tJ1eORwEN63siCPH1GWWqT8wTzRIU9tJHVwgNM2YMl5-29liCwwElE_C3rK/s1600/Work+Out+Room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJCw1NwPDmrVFcp-9w_dQj4Qe5ZKzhhaDn_YOSB6rlEVk_jxM27PmyBtZJSuLpoRgRPDuG5ia6LfaC6m25tJ1eORwEN63siCPH1GWWqT8wTzRIU9tJHVwgNM2YMl5-29liCwwElE_C3rK/s1600/Work+Out+Room1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588060"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span id="goog_984588068"></span><span id="goog_984588069"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/05/project-house-update-installing-some.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">New windows</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-window-sill.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">window sills</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, wiring for ceiling fan, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-painting-gym-after.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">paint, ceiling fan, new lighting</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/01/project-house-update-blinds-leading.html" target="_blank">installed blinds</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: new floors, base boards, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">paint closet sliding door frame</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Laundry Room:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX2WHNDssZLciJPqTIn8oEDlpGcpLXMgezNKlwtzvQ5OM_RDln_tK5wD2P3JfbTRqDKY1RRRaWeszftMEICfUvL-MuIY_COMu3Kd0eE4PawHcdClggb97uuGC-m5Eegao4Vuc-3Vda5r0/s1600/Laundry+Room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX2WHNDssZLciJPqTIn8oEDlpGcpLXMgezNKlwtzvQ5OM_RDln_tK5wD2P3JfbTRqDKY1RRRaWeszftMEICfUvL-MuIY_COMu3Kd0eE4PawHcdClggb97uuGC-m5Eegao4Vuc-3Vda5r0/s1600/Laundry+Room1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6UnOyavx21ZboezyaFAPd86JarAMBahr1wML0BBHZxvJTMS47iVWEYEBn20F68TrnYYpY8G5mRz89i_sTpwyk5eHR7UTdtGXbP9jwYc8GfkwTC9IpEJjbtloH0d1yRuNio4CemOFJ0JS/s1600/Laundry+Room2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6UnOyavx21ZboezyaFAPd86JarAMBahr1wML0BBHZxvJTMS47iVWEYEBn20F68TrnYYpY8G5mRz89i_sTpwyk5eHR7UTdtGXbP9jwYc8GfkwTC9IpEJjbtloH0d1yRuNio4CemOFJ0JS/s1600/Laundry+Room2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2011/11/project-house-update-laundry-room.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Purchased washer and dryer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, electrical work on lighting, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/12/project-house-update-coats-of-my-arms.html" target="_blank">updated coat closet</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To
Do: Paint, new floors, move sink into garage, build platform for
washer/dryer, purchase deep freezer, straighten out crooked pantry,
install some shelving, find bench and storage for shoes, new lighting.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Backyard:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0AwIf_Zj_ppXGBZeDaUFKmPxLDw2CaHUKFDr3lCfFen4Iy4_38YRH5_F1xcfmktW_PMtqZEEHRpsYUUGFFWyTlN5FNblt7qqhvgyr3_r08UZAZx54NzopXyLeH1zQIIOcr4mie-ndE-D/s1600/_DSC2870_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0AwIf_Zj_ppXGBZeDaUFKmPxLDw2CaHUKFDr3lCfFen4Iy4_38YRH5_F1xcfmktW_PMtqZEEHRpsYUUGFFWyTlN5FNblt7qqhvgyr3_r08UZAZx54NzopXyLeH1zQIIOcr4mie-ndE-D/s1600/_DSC2870_1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/09/prjoect-house-update-pimping-turtles.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Built Turtle's habitat</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-evil-shrub.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed pokey bush</a>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/06/project-house-update-im-finally-expert.html" target="_blank">updated Turtle's house</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To
Do: Remove gravel, plant some trees, fire pit, build housing to hide
pool pipes, convert exterior shower into a shed, replace outdoor lights </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Frontyard:</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Removed fountain, planted some trees, removed a ton of dead cactus, new porch lights</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: redo driveway, paint garage door, new driveway lights, paint pergola </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Other things we've done: new roof, updated pool solar heating, adobe bricks sealed, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">built Dan's external shop (</span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-lets-go-shopping.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Part 1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/09/project-house-update-dan-is-gonna-owe-me.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2</a>, and <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-shop-details.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">3</a>), <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-hitting-pay-dirt.html" target="_blank">added fill dirt</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Other things in progress: -</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557255938080788309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-64434659986401161222018-02-19T05:00:00.000-07:002018-02-19T05:01:07.223-07:00Another Year Older, None the WiserMy birthday was at the end of January. It wasn't a 'milestone' birthday but I do love to celebrate me.<br />
<br />
Continuing my annual tradition, I took the day off from work. My husband made me french toast for breakfast before he left for work. After filling up, my mom and I went on a wildlife hike. It was just over three miles and we saw almost zero wildlife. Every spot that you would normally see jack rabbit or deer or anything but little birds was empty. It was still a lovely little walk, but my mom was disappointed that her trail didn't show itself off properly.<br />
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It was lunch time by the time we finished so we went to lunch at one of those eat-in movie theaters. We didn't have a plan so we just picked a movie when we arrived. That's the beauty of going to a movie in the middle of a weekday: there are plenty of open seats. Usually the movies are terrible at the end of January so I've gotten used to watching trash (see the Vin Diesel XXX sequel <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-big-three-oh.html" target="_blank">last year</a>) and I kind of look forward to it. This year we ended up watching 'The Greatest Showman', which is not supposed to be trash. I was kind of disappointed, but the music was good. I'm not a fan of circuses and Hugh Jackman's character had virtually no redeeming qualities for being the 'hero', but I enjoyed everyone else.<br />
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I spent the rest of my day lounging at home with my cats, watching youtube videos and reading books. It was a good day.<br />
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One of my friends wanted to celebrate with me, so on that Friday we did one of those wine and paint classes. I don't drink, but I do enjoy <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/06/space-turtle.html" target="_blank">directed creativity</a>. I always feel guilty choosing activities that come at a price, but once I saw this one on the website, I knew we had to do it.<br />
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It was a beautiful combination of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and Star Wars. Abstract and nerdy, we needed to do it.<br />
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I was concerned that Dan wouldn't enjoy it, but he loved it. He was such a good sport and I'm already keeping an eye out for the next class that may be up our alley.<br />
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Afterward, my friends and I went to a local fast food joint up the street (Eegees!) and met up with some more of us, sat in booths in the back, and filled up on french fries and frozen drinks. I wanted it to feel like being a teenager again and the night delivered.<br />
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Dan and I celebrated together, just the two of us, on Saturday. It was a beautifully warm day and we spent it at the zoo. Most the animals were out, as were all the children in town, but we still had a fun time. I took Snapchats and added ridiculous captions and sent them to Dan so that, at the end, he had my recap of the day.<br />
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We got frozen yogurt at the mall on the way home and had a bit of a shopping spree. Who can tell a girl no when you are celebrating her birthday? The rest of the day was chill, which is always good by me.<br />
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I celebrated with my family on Sunday by opening gifts and going out for pizza.<br />
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My birthday is always my favorite holiday. That probably says a lot about me, but I like being the center of attention. This year wasn't the big party like last year, but I did get to spend time with lots of people I love and care about. It was a good day celebrating a good year.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-43472179507825940392018-01-12T05:00:00.000-07:002018-01-12T05:00:32.542-07:00Books of 2017One of <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2018/01/goals-for-2018.html" target="_blank">my resolutions last year</a> was to read more. In an effort to increase the number of books I read, I documented what I read.<br />
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I was doing really good. REALLY GOOD, until about half way through the year. I made the mistake that the library had some sort of online record of the books I had checked out, but I was wrong. There's no "Order History" like Amazon, so I was digesting books and forgetting what they were called. Oops.<br />
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I'm starting this over again this year, but with a physical copy in my newly-acquired bullet journal. My new goal is quantity over quality. I want to read as many books as possible and feel no commitment to finish crappy books.<br />
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And clearly the books I read last year demonstrate that. There were some trash ones, but I enjoyed it, none the less.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The Raven King</b> (Finished 1/11/17): Fourth and final book of the 'Raven Cycle' series. It's probably my favorite book of the series for character development, but the ending is incredibly abrupt. It's fairly easy to assume most of the conclusions for the characters based on who they are, but there was one major (MAJOR) scene that had no resolution what-so-ever and, if there had been, it probably would have been the perfect book to me. </li>
<li><b>Silver Shadows</b> (1/15/17): Book five of the six book 'Bloodlines' series (the spin-off from the 'Vampire Academy' series). This is the first strong book of the 'Bloodlines' series. Books 1-3 set up the world and the problems the characters would eventually have to deal with, but Book 4 felt like a complete placeholder to the story line of Book 5. The twists in this series can be seen a mile away, but it's still very enjoyable. </li>
<li><b>The Ruby Circle</b> (1/29/17): Sixth and final book of the 'Bloodlines' series (the spin-off from the 'Vampire Academy' series). This book had to act as the conclusion for the first five books of the series and it would have had a lot of storylines to close. However, on top of that, it tried to wrap up storylines that didn't really need conclusions from the 'Vampire Academy' series and it was just too much. It's still a good read, but some conclusions are made too cleanly and simply to give time and space to other threads that could have just been left alone. </li>
<li><b>Fan Girl</b> (2/5/17): Recommended and lent to me by my sister, it's a story of a college freshman who writes knock-off Harry Potter fanfiction. It was an interesting read and the structure had a twist that most young adult novels don't: about half-way through, almost all the plots that I thought would take the entire book to hash out, resolved. The second half of the story grew and focused on some of the smaller arcs from the first half. I found the fanfiction portion of it to be the least compelling part, but I did enjoy it. </li>
<li><b>The Gunslinger</b> (3/2/17): Book 1 in the 'Dark Tower' series. I've heard a lot of good things about these books from my nerds friends so I thought I'd give it a shot. Here's where I'll get controversial: I did not enjoy this book. Maybe it's because I've been on a Young Adult kick, but I don't like stories where elements of the plot are left out to be 'mysterious'. I like stories with linear timelines (maybe the occasional flashback or forward) and where I'm given enough information to care about what's happening. I may try reading the next book in the series before riding it off completely, but it was not an enjoyable book for me. </li>
<li><b>The Color of Magic</b> (3/19/17): This was my first Terry Pratchett novel and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. It was like reading a D & D session. I may try another one down the line, but I had two critiques. One, I never really bonded with the main character. He was always a bit 'eh' to me. Two, there were almost no female characters and the ones there were were not even two-dimensional. They were one-dimensional, if that. </li>
<li><b>Binti: Home</b> (3/21/17): Book Two of the Binti trilogy. It was a great read and I love how short these books are. It's hard to describe, but the series is about an African girl going to space university. The biggest problem with it is that I had no idea it was a trilogy and the book ends with the largest cliffhanger I think I've ever come across. There was no attempt to soften the blow before just stopping. And I have no idea when the third book comes out. </li>
<li><b>Storm Front </b>(3/26/17): Book One of the 'Dresden Files'. It's about a wizard who helps solve crimes in modern times. I've had several people rave about this series so I wanted to give it a try. It was pretty good and I'll give a series another shot, but man were the women poorly-written. It's from 2000, a time when women became 'empowered' by being hyper-sexualized, which in reality comes across as incredibly skeevy. I'm hoping the series evolves passed that feeling. </li>
<li><b>Carry On</b> (4/2/17): The official fan-fiction referenced in 'Fan Girl' (see above). This is a weird sort of book because of what it pretends to be. It's pretending to be fan-fiction of the conclusion of a non-existent 'Harry Potter'-ish series. It has to pretend that you have the information of the previous six books when in fact the previous six books never existed. For the most part, it's well done, but it lacks the emotional weight the conclusion of a series should have. It's definitely a good read, but it missed the very tiny target it was aiming at. </li>
<li><b>Fool Moon</b> (4/28/17): Book Two of the 'Dresden Files'. I'm enjoying the 'Dresden Files', but I can't say I'm happy with it yet. Book Two is much better than Book One. Dresden depends more on the team around him, but yet there's very little justification for the 'heroic' decisions he makes. They are called 'chivalrous', but most of the time it's just moronic. Dresden declares in this book to be more honest and forthcoming with his colleagues so maybe he'll stop being so 'heroic' in future books, which would make the series easier to stomach. I'll give it at least one more shot since I do enjoy the fast-paced speed of the plots.</li>
<li><b>Prey</b> (DNF 5/22/17) While I traditionally enjoy Michael Crichton novels, this one took forever to get going. This one was the story, I think, of nanobots that escaped a lab and evolved and were terrible. I don't know. I gave up about one third of the way through and read a synopsis later. Maybe I'll try again in the future, but I've got too many good books on my plate to force my way through something that's only OK. </li>
<li><b>American Gods</b> (5/29/17) This book about the conflict between new Gods and old Gods in America had been on my Reserve list through the library since the beginning of the year. It took almost six months before it was in my hands. It was a great read and I'm excited for both the show and to read more Neil Gaiman in the future. </li>
<li><b>You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)</b> (6/4/17) This is the memoir of Felicia Day. I'm definitely <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/fan-of-friday-week-of-8312012.html" target="_blank">a big fan of hers</a>. Because I have been following her for a while, it was incredibly interesting to find out all the behind-the-scenes stuff that happened along the way. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of hers or to anyone interested in turning something niche into a full-blown career. </li>
<li><b>Grave Peril</b> (6/6/17) Third book in the Dresden Files series. Since my library only carries the E-Book versions of this series, I download them and read them on my afternoon walks away from my desk. I think I'm officially hooked on the series. The plot connections still aren't as strong as I'd like them to be, but the supporting cast is getting stronger and more complex, which is good since I'm not really a fan of Harry Dresden himself. </li>
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After this point, I got into graphic novels and that's where things got very confusing. There were anthologies and single volumes and it was so confusing, especially since I forgot to write down the titles. </div>
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There was some Avengers and Wonder Woman and Valerian and James Bond books and John Green books and all sorts of other things.</div>
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I'll try to do better next year. </div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-7437574533705832402018-01-03T05:00:00.000-07:002018-01-03T05:00:05.704-07:00Goals for 2018I've been MIA for the longest I've ever been from blogging. It's nothing personal, you guys. I haven't even read any blogs in months. My life shifted focus for a bit, that's all.<br />
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Let me go back for a minute and recap, for my own sanity. Where I last left off, we were about to get all the floors in our house redone [link]. It's a long story that I may someday decide to tell, but it ended up taking two weeks longer than expected (it was only to be a week long project) and the installers broke, damaged, or ruined many other things in our house. While the floors are beautiful, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth that I chose not to dwell on by documenting it for the blog. Although it's almost four months later, we are still working to get our house back in order.<br />
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In addition to all the house stuff, I've taken up a new hobby. I won't go into any real details here, but I've taken up some design work for myself. I'll hopefully have an etsy shop up and running soon, but most of my creative energy shifted away from blogging and into this new outlet.<br />
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Because of these two things, this blog became dusty. I felt some guilt about it at first, but that faded pretty quickly. I no longer have the delusion that this blog will be anything other than a way for me to remember my own life. I won't become some sort of overnight internet celebrity and this space will generate income. I miss that boat. Oh well.<br />
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So, to get back on track, I am back. No promises as to how often or in what capacity, but I did want to come back to continue my tradition of analyzing my resolutions from last year and create some new ones for 2018. Resolutions didn't go according to plan, either, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a fail. I mean, I may give some 'F's, but that doesn't mean *I* am a failure.<br />
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<u>Finally, successfully, learn how to drive stick shift. </u>This 100% didn't happen. My new way of handling this is, when my husband starts talking about getting a new car (which he does ALL THE TIME), I ask, "Does that model come with Automatic?" Like, maybe I'll let him buy that fancy new Jeep if he gets it in Automatic. Eventually, I'll just phase out all his stick vehicles and I won't have this problem anymore, right? <b>F</b><br />
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<u>Write four blog posts a month.</u> I did real good through August and then...zip. Nothing. So, like, that's not a complete failure, right? The flaw I found in forcing my self to write a certain number of posted is that I hoped it would motivate me to do more exciting things and then write about them. Instead, it just ends up being me writing about boring things in my life that I, nor anyone else, care to read about. <b>D</b><br />
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<u>Hang out with Dan more.</u> This one really boils down to 'being more mindful of spending quality time together'. Rather than just sitting on our laptops next to each other, engaging in activities together. Having some spontaneous outings. Focusing on the 'friendship' portion of our relationship. And it was pretty good. I wasn't necessarily intentionally trying to achieve this goal, but it did end up happening throughout 2017 more than 2016. <b>B</b><br />
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<u>Read more.</u> I definitely read a lot last year. A lot of great stuff. A lot of terrible stuff. One of the biggest revelations that came from this resolution is that you don't have to finish books. If you aren't enjoying a book and you already gave it 100 pages of effort, cut your losses and move on. This freed me up to try and read a bunch of stuff I wouldn't have before. I got weirdly into comic books. I have a whole other post planned about this that I'll post hopefully soon. but it was a weirdly successfully resolution. <b>A</b><br />
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<u>Find more ways to give back.</u> This one was a cop out for me. I did give more this year, but it was mostly financially-based. I gave to charities and I gave big tips and bonuses to those around me at the holidays, but I failed to give back with my time or my energy. The opportunities didn't present themselves like they have in the past and I didn't go and seek them out. <b>D</b><br />
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And now on to the new stuff!<br />
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<b>Try a new recipe a month.</b> This was one of my goals back in 2016 and it was great. It was quite a bit of pressure, so it fell off in 2017. I'm bringing it back and hopefully it will be easier this time because Dan is trying to be healthier. He can be a very picky eater, but it's been easier to deal with lately because if he is hesitant to try something new, I can play the 'it's healthy, just try it' card and it usually works.<br />
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<b>Hide less from people.</b> This is probably a 'me' specific problem, but I hate talking to people when I am out and about. Unless you are my best friend or my mom, I don't want to make small talk in Target. If you are a person I barely know, I will do the polite wave or head tilt across the grocery store, but I will go out of my way to avoid someone I knew in high school. It's starting to become a real problem for me and I need to train myself to bear the five minutes of awkward catch-up and move on.<br />
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<b>Take a stab at bullet-journaling.</b> In an effort to wrangle my scatter-braining, I've gotten myself a bullet-journal. It arrived on New Year's Eve and I've already started scribbling in it. I know I will never be as good at it as so many people on Pinterest and Youtube, but I just want all my notes in one place. No pressure, just doodles. Hopefully I'll eventually develop a system, but if I don't, no skin off my back.<br />
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<b>Be more tidy.</b> I am the type of person who takes her pants off and leaves them where they lie. Or who puts dishes in the sink even though the dishwasher is empty. In a pinch, I could make my house presentable in under 15 minutes. However, I'd like to not live in fear that the person ringing the doorbell will want to come inside. It doesn't save me any work in the long run by being sloppy so why not try to get it right the first time?<br />
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<b>Reduce waste.</b> I started this in 2017, but I want to go full 'hippie' this year. I've switched to canvas grocery bags. My sister got me a tumbler composter for Christmas. I've got reusable make-up wipes coming in the mail. I'm starting the year on the right foot, but I'd like to investigate more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.<br />
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So, that's my list. I've got more, but they are either too small to share here, too risky to believe I will actually complete them, or too personal. I'm trying not to overhype myself this year. Honestly, nothing changed between Sunday and Monday, other than the calendars, so why put all this sudden pressure on myself?<br />
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I believe this can be a good year and hope I am correct.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-84159520812083077242017-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-29T05:00:00.222-07:00Project House Update: Electric BoogaroomIt's another installment of "Look At All The Crap We Had to Get Done Before New Floors"! Because we can't keep anything simple and love to over-complicate everything, this is the story of the new outlets in the floor.<br />
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It's always been a wish-list item for us to have outlets in the floors in the centers of our living room and our den. Given how we wanted the ultimate lay-outs of the rooms, electronics would reside in the centers of the rooms, away from the walls. We use our laptops on the couch in the living room and the desk in the den will be home to a desktop computer. Up until now, we've run extension cords across the floor, but that's honestly dangerous. I am just too clumsy to not trip on that eventually. </div>
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Dan had the foresight to realize that once the new wood floors were installed, we would never have floor outlets. It's not like we would rip up the beautiful new floors to have them installed. So, if it were ever going to be done, it had to be now.<br />
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The hardest part of the whole endeavor was finding the right person to do it for us. It was kind-of electrical work, but the real bear of it would be cutting a trench in the foundation to run the conduit for the wiring. We lost a week, and ultimately had to push back the floor install date, because no electrician would get back to us. We reached out to the general contractor who <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/09/project-house-update-dan-is-gonna-owe-me.html" target="_blank">built the shop</a> and they waaaaaaay overpriced it. We came back offering half and they agreed.<br />
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It was over ten hours of cutting and jackhammering (which was a fun day of working from home for me), but it got done. </div>
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Once the floor is all done, Dan will install the pretty brass face-plates and we will have outlets in the floor like a conference room. </div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-35205133488388434452017-08-28T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-28T05:00:26.434-07:00Project House Update: Tub of LiesThis is the story of a woman who thought she knew what she was doing and gummed up the works. Though, like any fairytale, there's a happy ending.<br />
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When we started planning out <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/04/project-house-update-ending-blues.html" target="_blank">the blue bathroom renovations</a>, a task we quickly agreed upon was the removal of the wall. Originally, the bathroom was two spaces: an outer chamber with the sink and mirror and the inner chamber with the toilet and bathtub. It would probably have been a practical bathroom arrangement for kids who share a bathroom. Older kids, like tweens and teens where one wants to shower and the other wants to do their hair. However, because the inner chamber is so small and cramped, it didn't fit our lifestyle for the next five, ten years. We don't have tweens. We'll probably have babies. Babies who will need to be bathed in the only tub in the house, in a small, dark room. we pictured ourselves having to kneel next to this old tub in this crowded space and it became an easy decision: the room needed to grow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYecFT3Be7f9tXdUYOYrSRyTyll2UqIOvP8cCk6nhaZpyvgBxAGpd2nzc-576gu7D-p2nh3vDgGtejK1qJ1Q2Mez83QjK-UUp3KvMcLjAzE6B2XSAYdD_c_CUv1Ig02s0rppXIgf0s5l0/s1600/blue+bathroom+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYecFT3Be7f9tXdUYOYrSRyTyll2UqIOvP8cCk6nhaZpyvgBxAGpd2nzc-576gu7D-p2nh3vDgGtejK1qJ1Q2Mez83QjK-UUp3KvMcLjAzE6B2XSAYdD_c_CUv1Ig02s0rppXIgf0s5l0/s1600/blue+bathroom+collage.jpg" /></a></div>
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That was an easy decision for us, but a more difficult decision came in the form of what type of tub we wanted. I have always dreamed of having a vintage, relaxing bathroom and a big portion of that was a claw-foot tub. Dan liked the appearance of them, but he had concerns about the practicality. We went back and forth and couldn't find a compromise. We didn't have any good resources to determine the correct direction, so I had an idea. I posed the question to Apartment Therapy. It took a couple of weeks, but <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/are-clawfoot-tubs-impractical-good-questions-220312#cid-2261923" target="_blank">they posted it</a>. Here's my original question:<br />
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My husband and I are planning our guest bathroom renovation and we are at an impasse as to what type of bathtub to choose. I'm all-in on a clawfoot tub. He is not. My argument is based mainly on aesthetics, his on functionality. The bathroom will have a vintage feel with a gorgeous tile floor, so a clawfoot tub would not only fit with the look of the room, but allow us to use more of the pretty tile under it...</div>
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However, it's also the only bathroom in our house with a tub and will eventually be the bathroom our future kids will use. My husband is concerned with lack of edge/shelf space for bath products and the potential amount of water splashing and overflow from the gap between the the tub and the walls.</div>
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Since we don't know anyone personally with a clawfoot tub, I pose this question to you: can a clawfoot tub be practical with children or should we stick with our existing built-in tub?</div>
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And comments poured in. It was great. The comments mostly fell into two categories: people who had fond memories of club foot tubs as children and people who tolerated them as adults. As we got more and more opinions, it became clearer and clearer that Dan was going to win. I caved and we moved forward with a built-in tub, not a stand-alone tub.<br />
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We were in agreement that we wanted to remove the wall and install a new built-in tub. Now, I'm going to skip ahead a bit to something I found out later, just for some context. A lot of homes are built with this small, inner chambers because of how bathtubs are built. 90% of bathtubs are designed to be surrounded by walls on three sides. These small chambers surround tubs on three sides and everyone's happy. However, we wanted to remove one of those walls so it would now only be surrounded by two walls. It would just sit in the corner. And remember how I said like 90% of tubs are built for three walls? Yeah, this was going to cause a problem, but I didn't know that yet.<br />
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Once we were in agreement, I started hunting for tubs, without knowing what I was looking for. I didn't know the difference between corner stand-along tubs and corner built-in tubs. Here's the difference:<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://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwimcapmmNO1phMavAUjjyw2NUdl8kei3dcKtjedgAYij_3sf9oTtqPaN_f04ZPl7jEPwj4pGqjFCAMmHOlPMRSz2yWZUktjZKOW7tThCjoXLrVaT8lFVjB37-uhcDaexZXkM9lw5LUyMX/s1600/Tub+lip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwimcapmmNO1phMavAUjjyw2NUdl8kei3dcKtjedgAYij_3sf9oTtqPaN_f04ZPl7jEPwj4pGqjFCAMmHOlPMRSz2yWZUktjZKOW7tThCjoXLrVaT8lFVjB37-uhcDaexZXkM9lw5LUyMX/s1600/Tub+lip.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tubz.com/alcove-skirted-tub.htm" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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Built-in tubs come with these lips/ledges that you tile over to keep water from flowing down behind the tub. They are made for tubs you intend to shower in.<br />
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Without that knowledge, I create a huge list of beautiful corner tubs. Dan asked me if I had found any tubs that would work for us and I ignorantly told him that I had found a bunch. No need to worry, let's start the renovation. And before I knew it, he was knee deep in drywall and the room was without a wall.<br />
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That's the point that he looked at my list and had a mini-heart attack. Almost none of the tubs I loved would work. They were lip-less. We had torn apart the room on my assurance that I had found tubs that would work and I was wrong. Laptops in hand, we searched and searched and found a handful we thought might work, but the numbers were not in our favor.<br />
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Many looked like they might be tight enough to the wall so we could try and tile tight to prevent water from getting behind it, but it would be a gamble. Also, Dan found some add-on kits that act as the lip that you can turn a stand-alone tub into a built-in, but we didn't want to have to trust it. We were down to three tubs that were meant to be installed in corners like we needed and two more fell off for being too long for the room. We were left with <a href="http://www.modernbathroom.com/showers-tubs/americh-bow-6632-right-handed-tub-66-x-32-x-21-__bo6632r.aspx" target="_blank">one tub</a>. Good thing we liked it because it was what we were stuck with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O9UdfehOEc9R1hyYFG6ggjF-s2N8OuoCZV4W09O-tbeGn72XMoTAciy-F9suDzBlFVbS-uaq2jaEHMmvVai8dNkmOg6NzGe7ckOpf4tx4Z1WI9hEjZUPZD7MFrZsuobXyELOR0WTKRPk/s1600/Tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O9UdfehOEc9R1hyYFG6ggjF-s2N8OuoCZV4W09O-tbeGn72XMoTAciy-F9suDzBlFVbS-uaq2jaEHMmvVai8dNkmOg6NzGe7ckOpf4tx4Z1WI9hEjZUPZD7MFrZsuobXyELOR0WTKRPk/s1600/Tub.jpg" /></a></div>
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I left Dan to order it, since he knew all of the configuration details, like where the drain needed to go. In hindsight, I should have known better to let him buy something unsupervised because he added all sorts of bells and whistles. Jets, a heater, a. recirculating pump, this thing is pimped out. And he didn't tell me about any of it. He got in trouble for that one.<br />
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And like most of our projects, once we received it, it sat. It <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" target="_blank">sat in the shop</a> for almost a year before we moved it into the house. Not the bathroom, but the guest room because we needed to use the trailer it had been sitting on. But now that <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/08/project-house-update-floor-is-lava.html" target="_blank">things have escalated</a>, it's in place!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaSns2tujlGpaDDDU4JWpjLHxzk4dbbResmPuTyfi_fJiH2sV5IMmK6h9pg4iC4Y8JnzhbY71kTc8GcyhnXyQBqvSt8vsgEekBdtARTLaZHXVXvZi5RisvHfp1bSxVj60PwSbn3GAZdvk/s1600/_DSC2157_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaSns2tujlGpaDDDU4JWpjLHxzk4dbbResmPuTyfi_fJiH2sV5IMmK6h9pg4iC4Y8JnzhbY71kTc8GcyhnXyQBqvSt8vsgEekBdtARTLaZHXVXvZi5RisvHfp1bSxVj60PwSbn3GAZdvk/s1600/_DSC2157_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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To recap, when we decided to finally redo all the floors, it created the flow chart to end all flow charts. Before the floors went in, we wanted to repaint the green living room and kitchen, but before we painted, we wanted the drywall fixed. And if the drywall guys were going to be here to fix the kitchen, they might as well just drywall the blue bathroom at the same time. And to drywall the bathroom, the tub needed to be installed. It was all very "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFh738q2f5BlG5ZcgVkz_7MnCkPK0rp7u6CxkYTbkh-IXhOr9JJxpPF3aeeTyHifiOmVJGZlEyPwitA0zXBZWqzCuRw6FJ_A_vDOm-54WerhPuZBs_u5n1VjPpkunkAI0XN_H9BTRoe6-/s1600/Flow+Chart+Floors+-+Tub.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFh738q2f5BlG5ZcgVkz_7MnCkPK0rp7u6CxkYTbkh-IXhOr9JJxpPF3aeeTyHifiOmVJGZlEyPwitA0zXBZWqzCuRw6FJ_A_vDOm-54WerhPuZBs_u5n1VjPpkunkAI0XN_H9BTRoe6-/s1600/Flow+Chart+Floors+-+Tub.JPG" /></a></div>
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It's been plumbed and glued in place! We finally have a beautiful new tub! Who knows when I will actually get to bathe in it, but it's there!<br />
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Here's the run-down of what's remaining to do in blue bathroom.<br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>remove carpet</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>remove dividing wall</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>remove old bathtub</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>order new bathtub </strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>remove drywall</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">re-drywall room</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>remove old vanity</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">install penny floors!</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Electrical work</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Plumbing work</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">install new vanity! (We purchased the vanity many moons ago. Like everything, this has its own story behind it. We'll get there.)</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><strike>Install bathtub</strike></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Tile bathtub surround</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Swap in new toilet</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Paint</li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">Hang mirror and lights </li>
</ul>
So much is happening! The floors have been ongoing for over a week now. They were supposed to be done in five days. But before I get to that story, there's a lot of other items on that chart to cover. We've been so busy and I am looking forward to this all finally being over.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-91307786629136211812017-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:002017-08-18T17:00:18.966-07:00An Inch and a MileI go through four stages with my hair.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>First, it's short and cute and I love it. I style it and I feel put together and awesome.</li>
<li>Then, I get tired. It's too short to braid and put in a bun and I hate having to pin the little bits that aren't long enough to make it in a ponytail. I can't keep up the styling and I decide to grow it out. </li>
<li>After a bit of time, it starts to grow out and I can do things with it again. Buns that I think look like chignons, but probably not. Braids that fray by the end of the day. Messy ponytails when I'm sweaty. </li>
<li>But with a little more time, it's fairly long and it starts to get in the way. It gets to be heavy with the length and all illusions of volume disappears. It's way too long to try to style and I can only do one braid, two buns, and two ponytails, so I start to feel boring. But I tough it out for a few months more because it's almost long enough to donate and repeat the whole process. </li>
</ul>
And that's what has happened in the past and it's happened again. I've been actively tolerating my hair since March. It's been too long. Long to the point that I would end up laying on it when I slept and waking myself up when I tried to move and failed. I really thought I could make it through the entire summer because it's much easier to put hair up when it's longer, for me, but I couldn't make it.<br />
<br />
Ten inches gone and donated to Locks of Love.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMbYkhWxT2GQsAF4FWrrSpSV7IXzaQVEYr0SWY9Ic4byFFe-bpbSzObK_kta4_8pEAkXXuxG2HpBllfCnsXprEWYlTMRJ_UVrC61nhQrF4eY0RdiSfZR0bz-IYUyMmUCt9Rdr9bPiGLd7/s1600/IMG_20170727_192434_976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMbYkhWxT2GQsAF4FWrrSpSV7IXzaQVEYr0SWY9Ic4byFFe-bpbSzObK_kta4_8pEAkXXuxG2HpBllfCnsXprEWYlTMRJ_UVrC61nhQrF4eY0RdiSfZR0bz-IYUyMmUCt9Rdr9bPiGLd7/s1600/IMG_20170727_192434_976.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm still really feeling the short hair. I'm trying to be better at taking the time to deal with it, but we'll see how long that lasts.<br />
<br />
It took 40 months to grow that ten inches of hair. I don't know if I'll be able to pull that off again, but I'm glad that I was able to for the <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/locks-of-love-done-and-done.html" target="_blank">second time</a>.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-42521334522329563962017-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:002017-08-01T05:00:09.585-07:00Project House Update: The Floor is LavaIf you've ever given my <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-list-50.html" target="_blank">yearly list of projects</a> a detailed look, you would notice that one of the jobs for almost every room in our house is 'new floors'.<br />
<br />
Few people believe me when I talk about how bad the floors are if they haven't seen them. When we moved in, the ENTIRE house was carpeted (minus some bad tile in the entryway and some bad pergo in the breakfast nook). Original to the house, 1983 carpet.<br />
<br />
It was in the kitchen. It was in the bathrooms. It had a tile border around the edge so that nothing ever sat level. It was thread-bare at parts so the cats could pull at strings in it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtcgrp0KqnE38j6cmK9PGZLmTMrHThZNQjuXg-OYCInWMqN9dXDYcFmDa2ndWh-qvTHSZxR9Oo-t8QQc37IVQXWWVuMgwIkcHNAcUhVDYFmoRcntrTp7FuBkwsOkCftX6tzokmln4yjL5/s1600/_DSC2836_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtcgrp0KqnE38j6cmK9PGZLmTMrHThZNQjuXg-OYCInWMqN9dXDYcFmDa2ndWh-qvTHSZxR9Oo-t8QQc37IVQXWWVuMgwIkcHNAcUhVDYFmoRcntrTp7FuBkwsOkCftX6tzokmln4yjL5/s1600/_DSC2836_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBGdu7rAVlG4TBd7BWfxL_dIf05qKChEWaucMWP0p9Tpek6MBKwoktvF0n7BHH81urWeJcH1qpxOmS-gSSyrOtsBzD7whlYzsn8V4DF2JPzvZFTtg14FMWrBRzpjvO6cZsN__3bYDWlsz/s1600/_DSC2855_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBGdu7rAVlG4TBd7BWfxL_dIf05qKChEWaucMWP0p9Tpek6MBKwoktvF0n7BHH81urWeJcH1qpxOmS-gSSyrOtsBzD7whlYzsn8V4DF2JPzvZFTtg14FMWrBRzpjvO6cZsN__3bYDWlsz/s1600/_DSC2855_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's been on the list for quite a while mainly because Dan and I couldn't agree. We both agreed it was terrible, but we couldn't agree with what to replace it with and the timeline to replace it.<br />
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Our house has a very craftsman feel. It got a gorgeous wood ceiling and we've leaned vintage with a lot of our design choices. Because we live in the Southwest, it's very typical for houses to be almost completely tiled, or even stained concrete. Those are nice looks, but not for us and our house.<br />
<br />
I've always liked the idea of wood, but it worried Dan. Neither of us had ever lived in a house with it, so we didn't know how difficult it would be to keep it nice. As a compromise, he was on the 'wood tile' bandwagon.<br />
<br />
No offense to anyone that has wood tile, but it's not for me. Maybe the technology will get there someday, but there's not enough variety in the tiles to seem natural and the grout lines are too thick and noticeable.<br />
<br />
And that's where we were. Dan fully committed to wood tile and me fully against it. And we stayed there for many years. I think he thought eventually I would come around or the tiles would become better looking. But the opposite happened. I got him looking at engineered woods and bamboos and he came around to my side of things. We just had one problem: the kitchen.<br />
<br />
Our kitchen is very functional, but it's also very dated. The plan has always been to completely gut it at some point in the future. And part of that gutting would be removing all the cabinets and installing new floors under them. Dan didn't want to rip out the old carpet, install new floors, and then find out when we redo the kitchen that we can't get any more of the material to install under the cabinets.<br />
<br />
Once the idea of new floors was fully seeded in my brain, I came up with a solution. If we were going to redo the floors in the rest of the house, it would only increase the cost by about $500 to have them install the wood in the kitchen as well. Now, that's not chump change, but I would pay that to be done with carpet. And, in the future when we redo the kitchen, if we find out that wood in the kitchen was a bad idea, we can redo it again. I just needed that carpet gone!<br />
<br />
And my plan worked! He was on board! It was full steam ahead on new floors! We looked for a few weeks at the big box stores and couldn't find that perfect solution. It wasn't until we tried a store that just specializes in floors that we found our perfect match! It's a lovely reddish wood that matches the wood in our ceiling. It's got a distressed look so any damage we do should be hidden. And it comes in a variety of widths for a more organic feel.<br />
<br />
So, over Fourth of July weekend, we pulled the trigger. We bought enough wood floors to be a small car. The euphoria was amazing...for about an hour. That was until we realized all we needed to get done before the floors could be installed. The only way I could keep sane was to make a flow-chart (nerd alert) to track it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw5QD78LyOFV0pvkTOv36-96NQjdJS0F08-Qoz1XhIpzct8ZbZQHs_RYXbmLD3Ae_7tNoQ2x1pY00Po1cTiRtiFMecq40JX59YZ5ED6kc-CzYkTvN_voGLF1qwMfx_4KYkJHHhjT7zqch/s1600/Flow+Chart+Floors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw5QD78LyOFV0pvkTOv36-96NQjdJS0F08-Qoz1XhIpzct8ZbZQHs_RYXbmLD3Ae_7tNoQ2x1pY00Po1cTiRtiFMecq40JX59YZ5ED6kc-CzYkTvN_voGLF1qwMfx_4KYkJHHhjT7zqch/s1600/Flow+Chart+Floors.JPG" /></a></div>
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The posts for the next couple of weeks, if not months, will be going into these things more, but right now, it's full panic mode. We've got less than three weeks until floors are installed and things are way out of control. The results are going to be amazing, though!Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-57506381563248428192017-07-28T15:30:00.000-07:002017-08-27T09:59:10.750-07:00Project House Update: The List 5.0I'm late posting my annual list this year. And, as of right now, there isn't much new on this list since last year. In a couple of weeks, you'll understand why. Some of the biggest projects and updates we've ever accomplished should be wrapping up soon and I am so excited! Right now, we are in completely over our heads, but it will be worth it! And we will have so many things projects to remove from this list next year!<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">If you'd like to go back and see what we've accomplished in previous years, click one of the older versions of this list below, otherwise, let's see what's changed!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2013: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/06/project-house-update-list-version-10.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 1.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2014: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-list-version-20.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 2.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">June 2015: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-list-version-30.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Version 3.0</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-house-update-list-version-40.html" target="_blank">June 2016: Version 4.0</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">* means something Dan wants to do and I am trying to talk him out of.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"># means something I want and Dan is ignoring and hoping I'll forget/change my mind.</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">bold</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> means something new or completed since the last version of the list.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Entryway:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_4GosSsqdwBKVWeeUHKkIq0FYlgSNP-uqxGpAV6wc63VkI_G_xDpSo2c3UKZYeT46pd2D13OoSekBUpb3sAW6Yo2B3mOXkZBS-h0ZKLamHwa0IJiEPr80-nIfBR5kd0_bxtZG2QmCW8J/s1600/_DSC2828_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_4GosSsqdwBKVWeeUHKkIq0FYlgSNP-uqxGpAV6wc63VkI_G_xDpSo2c3UKZYeT46pd2D13OoSekBUpb3sAW6Yo2B3mOXkZBS-h0ZKLamHwa0IJiEPr80-nIfBR5kd0_bxtZG2QmCW8J/s1600/_DSC2828_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-chandelier-dilemma.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/04/project-house-update-chandelier-bing.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">installed new light fixture</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, set up corner table, hung some art, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/11/project-house-update-that-needed-to-get.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">modified closet</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/07/project-house-update-repainting-and.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">repainted and upgraded doorbell</a>, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/02/project-house-update-starry-starry-night.html" target="_blank">new light</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New flooring, new baseboards, coat rack or console table.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Painted, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/11/project-house-update-curtain-mistake.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung curtains</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/07/project-house-update-repainting-and.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">installed recessed lighting and repainted</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/11/project-house-update-chairs-from-this.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new chairs</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung some art and new shelving</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Find a big statement art piece, new flooring, new baseboards, new light fixture, redo dresser into china cabinet</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Formal Living Room:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Hung curtain rod and curtains, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-house-update-front-room-part-i.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung ceiling fan</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-house-update-front-room-part-ii.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-upgrading-sconces.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">upgraded light fixtures</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-grout-it-out.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">tiled fireplace</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-love-lamp.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">bought lamp</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/09/project-house-update-carpet-devil.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new floors</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/10/project-house-update-carpet-devil.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">arranged furniture and hung art</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Make mantle for fireplace, new molding, build built-in bookcases, get fireplace working </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Kitchen/Breakfast Nook:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J7CEU_ipcouZgUjrbERlZ65mC4DuxuZlwEFky-8QzV5V0EFDStK75DgX2ydGMxzyzPgsuf9PskNhnwDy2ln96pt5FTUnQqiazUJ-mnUqpo-XsGKPbKPFO5Zd_eBEq14SCFI5jifEMRRZ/s1600/_DSC2836_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J7CEU_ipcouZgUjrbERlZ65mC4DuxuZlwEFky-8QzV5V0EFDStK75DgX2ydGMxzyzPgsuf9PskNhnwDy2ln96pt5FTUnQqiazUJ-mnUqpo-XsGKPbKPFO5Zd_eBEq14SCFI5jifEMRRZ/s1600/_DSC2836_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-living-room-reveal.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted, new ceiling fan in breakfast nook, removed awkward ceiling fan in kitchen, installed new microwave,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> purchased refrigerator</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New floors, new cabinets, new range instead of built-in oven and cook top, new counter tops, additional lighting under cabinets, pendant lighting over the sink, new bar stools, finish painting chairs for breakfast nook, new windowsills in nook*, new sink.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Great Room:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYQvtHC1kVacINawf2OKtcfjhDL-q_okY2xAIqT9ilSQC-bWohMsveY-AA7v3nBOChOzojPAvFZrs60beDNFWc4cz_VhTYj7fQgmMWzJC0_gzIvWLe35R4dIMIETTi8AM9cRdb0beB9lH/s1600/_DSC2839_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYQvtHC1kVacINawf2OKtcfjhDL-q_okY2xAIqT9ilSQC-bWohMsveY-AA7v3nBOChOzojPAvFZrs60beDNFWc4cz_VhTYj7fQgmMWzJC0_gzIvWLe35R4dIMIETTi8AM9cRdb0beB9lH/s1600/_DSC2839_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-living-room-reveal.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-jolly-green-giant.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">purchased entertainment center, hung art</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, hung TV, routed cables through the wall, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/04/project-house-update-coffee-accessories.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new coffee table</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-sectional.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">added more seating</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/02/project-house-update-such-fan-of-your.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new ceiling fan*</a><i style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </i><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-north-star.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung star mirror</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><i>.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New floors, new molding, maybe repaint a more subtle color#, widen doorway to entryway, add sofa table. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Master Bedroom:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0MGZpIS_ojbH2aJ6p4G6HKOcxwkpJpN-cKt7_k32USHXAoisHW7qcDSW88Nm90Kiv2Jtkz8Ef6M_nVVc8KM3uULqVwt-S199bAIa3ySqRkOc5_NWfQKM9gTeXOXePcxJCzt8eOxVugno/s1600/20170728_125304_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0MGZpIS_ojbH2aJ6p4G6HKOcxwkpJpN-cKt7_k32USHXAoisHW7qcDSW88Nm90Kiv2Jtkz8Ef6M_nVVc8KM3uULqVwt-S199bAIa3ySqRkOc5_NWfQKM9gTeXOXePcxJCzt8eOxVugno/s1600/20170728_125304_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-master-bedroom.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Painted, installed new ceiling fan, purchased dressers, new blinds blades</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/11/project-house-update-dressing-window.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hung curtains</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/01/project-house-update-bed-finally.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">purchased bed frame</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New floors, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/08/project-house-update-ugh-fireplaces.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">redo fireplace</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, install crown molding, new door (instead of stupid sliding pocket door)#, find side table for Dan, more lighting. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/project-house-update-installing-sliding.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Replaced sliding glass door</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/06/project-house-update-little-bits-of.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed and patched toilet paper holder</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/07/project-house-update-adequate-paint-job.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">upgraded toilet room</a>, <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/04/project-house-update-period-cart.html" target="_blank"><b>added storage</b></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Paint, new floors, new vanities, remove overhead dry wall pocket*, new mirrors, add wall sconces, french doors into closet, new shower*, new shelving and organization in closet, chandelier, twinkly lights around top, furniture (including a standing mirror and an island/ottoman), find a cat bed they will sleep in instead of next to </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Painted bookcase and end table, bought bedding, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/01/project-house-update-guest-room.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">painted room, installed new ceiling fan</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/03/project-house-update-prepping-and.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">window treatments</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, magazine shelves, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/11/project-house-update-mirror-mirror-on.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new end table</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: New floors, modify/new bed frame, new cabinets and counter top, new toilet, new shower doors, paint bathroom and closet. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-house-update-hallway.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Paint, new lighting</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, hung art (</span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/11/fan-of-friday-week-of-1192012.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/grandpa.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To do: New floors, add baseboards </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Hall Bathroom:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh352PsVkPydKEUw2x3_QYedlA2e48aHrMl1PGWCYwOY_tHclmD1m4P__PwRH9x0uG3m0qr3N6Ru4XiQKhjMXFg7X-c9KsuZgf5rWIN7RbuPG03-3oKZkJ-p_lyuz36dIubNovBlpm3o0od/s1600/_DSC2859_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh352PsVkPydKEUw2x3_QYedlA2e48aHrMl1PGWCYwOY_tHclmD1m4P__PwRH9x0uG3m0qr3N6Ru4XiQKhjMXFg7X-c9KsuZgf5rWIN7RbuPG03-3oKZkJ-p_lyuz36dIubNovBlpm3o0od/s1600/_DSC2859_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_09dIer2aeih_lmLLPs55vUnhpnsQEehtPg8c6xxAFIUqHJoeY3h-zOex5huh8pMApVzmLjMQbDwKf-k_NERCUrScAHmAIwI3uR3LYdj2N81rD5CCUU-ahv4qPnwoH9T0WGtJYOXl8cn/s1600/_DSC2860_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_09dIer2aeih_lmLLPs55vUnhpnsQEehtPg8c6xxAFIUqHJoeY3h-zOex5huh8pMApVzmLjMQbDwKf-k_NERCUrScAHmAIwI3uR3LYdj2N81rD5CCUU-ahv4qPnwoH9T0WGtJYOXl8cn/s1600/_DSC2860_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Hung some art, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed drywall and purchased tub</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/04/project-house-update-ending-blues.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed carpet and wall to create one space</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To do: Penny floors!, paint, new toilet, update tub, new lighting, new cabinets and countertop* </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Den:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowVPyJJYMQNTBAPc9mvGsleR39orQVHNPKRIHZN_yAneCsW_Kstfjw47tz8xY1CvK-XcuZiaxOtw8TySKLf37I7FRhVaoG9N1lDsYbojQFMA-lqvG3FWxkZXy9IJalJrYrN3tMC4dOWwG/s1600/_DSC2862_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowVPyJJYMQNTBAPc9mvGsleR39orQVHNPKRIHZN_yAneCsW_Kstfjw47tz8xY1CvK-XcuZiaxOtw8TySKLf37I7FRhVaoG9N1lDsYbojQFMA-lqvG3FWxkZXy9IJalJrYrN3tMC4dOWwG/s1600/_DSC2862_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtLFUkvWJMHmQ5UDFLHPmeSmfUfB74VmIWyfbrnID5cBoQK-l1RdTxFJzchuOj0uq5O3ZiVKA1pHO-BE9SaEvEyjVS4IibyMuliCs8WsPKHfuLInTL8ou32nasowdb42d2IXHWbU7baYr/s1600/_DSC2863_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtLFUkvWJMHmQ5UDFLHPmeSmfUfB74VmIWyfbrnID5cBoQK-l1RdTxFJzchuOj0uq5O3ZiVKA1pHO-BE9SaEvEyjVS4IibyMuliCs8WsPKHfuLInTL8ou32nasowdb42d2IXHWbU7baYr/s1600/_DSC2863_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Hung art, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/05/project-house-update-mid-century-modest.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new dresser</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/02/project-house-update-window-work.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new window</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new windowsill</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/03/project-house-update-den-of-desks.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new desk</a>, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-house-update-fan-of-fan.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">new ceiling fan</a>, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-easier-second-time.html" target="_blank">new window treatment</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Stain shelving, remove desk and install cabinets, built-in cat box, paint, new floors, new lighting. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Workout Room:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP6howlGMlnMKKHmQgr9oo7Qrjs6zQaZdia6Rhh7RnMy-rxjTpo-835St_eDg549kJ4Fkxnx2dr5TPiJIG5lOedW3imDGq9xTNAOddbTZRwj25qCmmBRauqyw-mSvy9p2lewdgjggBX7A/s1600/_DSC2864_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP6howlGMlnMKKHmQgr9oo7Qrjs6zQaZdia6Rhh7RnMy-rxjTpo-835St_eDg549kJ4Fkxnx2dr5TPiJIG5lOedW3imDGq9xTNAOddbTZRwj25qCmmBRauqyw-mSvy9p2lewdgjggBX7A/s1600/_DSC2864_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJJ8M5E6hRGdfu7ZHT-7dkuur3oSRrPQ1qLkG82UOcF9JRsKj_CX2anUVo6A00Rs0Y3ZtyONX4oZPTcUm8zH6FcEmMoNfHZZQewU0VvDwPm_2b0VpqoEulaZFQXKQUJV_BOswQ0oij2y6/s1600/_DSC2865_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJJ8M5E6hRGdfu7ZHT-7dkuur3oSRrPQ1qLkG82UOcF9JRsKj_CX2anUVo6A00Rs0Y3ZtyONX4oZPTcUm8zH6FcEmMoNfHZZQewU0VvDwPm_2b0VpqoEulaZFQXKQUJV_BOswQ0oij2y6/s1600/_DSC2865_1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/05/project-house-update-installing-some.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">New windows</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-window-sill.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">window sills</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, wiring for ceiling fan, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/07/project-house-update-painting-gym-after.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">paint, ceiling fan, new lighting</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/01/project-house-update-blinds-leading.html" target="_blank"><b>installed blinds</b></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: new floors, base boards, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">paint closet sliding door frame</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Laundry Room:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg60CUAXF-PPGZDUFJ7XOx9X_MKOG4_i0iqEp06E3UhNx7F2VIpNNqCWMw0AUNQUJL5Ffy8h0gc2PXP4KzQkX7OnSs21Ah-DX1zyUfbmpGUUem7eQ9FaQJ7HsQKdJjE2o-T1Kk8HWlZo_t/s1600/_DSC2866_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg60CUAXF-PPGZDUFJ7XOx9X_MKOG4_i0iqEp06E3UhNx7F2VIpNNqCWMw0AUNQUJL5Ffy8h0gc2PXP4KzQkX7OnSs21Ah-DX1zyUfbmpGUUem7eQ9FaQJ7HsQKdJjE2o-T1Kk8HWlZo_t/s1600/_DSC2866_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-ceWj6InpGv9cv7pcXGDkQSQszit2s_Zzb5PL4QziI5gznbC9yuDNmO_OrkaW9spVfVoYAssAtbT4HfLkzL2HoN4-EKuidOCCb8KsD8VgQRnykVzW_7Kh-u9K1SSjy9yzdqmnhPg2Re1/s1600/_DSC2867_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-ceWj6InpGv9cv7pcXGDkQSQszit2s_Zzb5PL4QziI5gznbC9yuDNmO_OrkaW9spVfVoYAssAtbT4HfLkzL2HoN4-EKuidOCCb8KsD8VgQRnykVzW_7Kh-u9K1SSjy9yzdqmnhPg2Re1/s1600/_DSC2867_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2011/11/project-house-update-laundry-room.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Purchased washer and dryer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, electrical work on lighting, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/12/project-house-update-coats-of-my-arms.html" target="_blank">updated coat closet</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Paint, new floors, move sink into garage, build platform for washer/dryer, purchase deep freezer, straighten out crooked pantry, install some shelving, find bench and storage for shoes, new lighting.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Backyard:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/09/prjoect-house-update-pimping-turtles.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Built Turtle's habitat</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, </span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/08/project-house-update-evil-shrub.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">removed pokey bush</a>, <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/06/project-house-update-im-finally-expert.html" target="_blank">updated Turtle's house</a></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: Remove gravel, plant some trees, fire pit, build housing to hide pool pipes, convert exterior shower into a shed, replace outdoor lights </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Frontyard:</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Done: Removed fountain, planted some trees, removed a ton of dead cactus, new porch lights</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">To Do: redo driveway, paint garage door, new driveway lights, paint pergola </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Other things we've done: new roof, updated pool solar heating, adobe bricks sealed, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">built Dan's external shop (</span><a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/06/project-house-update-lets-go-shopping.html" style="background-color: white; color: #ae2124; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Part 1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">, <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/09/project-house-update-dan-is-gonna-owe-me.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">2</a>, and <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-shop-details.html" style="color: #ae2124; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">3</a>), <b><a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/07/project-house-update-hitting-pay-dirt.html" target="_blank">added fill dirt</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Other things in progress: -</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span>Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-5471653664907546682017-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-24T05:00:12.562-07:00Project House Update: Hitting Pay DirtThis is a story that has been in the works for months. And only like half of that is because of my laziness in telling the story. I'll start at the beginning.<br />
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I follow a lot of blogs. My favorites are the DIY/home improvement/design ones. And in following blogs, I will enter just about every contest one of these bloggers' posts. If it's a Rafflecopter contest, I am in.<br />
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And being decent at math, I should have realized that, eventually, odds would dictate that I would finally win something. Back in Oct, Sarah of <a href="https://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/leveling-backyard-part-3-giveaway/" target="_blank">Ugly Duckling House</a> posted a story about leveling her backyard along with an entry for a free power tool rental through Home Depot, her sponsor for her post. I entered and didn't hear anything, like normal, so I didn't think twice about it.<br />
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Cut to several months later in December when I received an email from Sarah saying I had won. She had chosen someone else randomly first, but they never responded so I was second. I had won a $500 credit to use for some sort of power rental at Home Depot! Yay! And she needed a response by the following Monday of what I'd be using the rental for. Boo!<br />
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Dan and I immediately started going through <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-house-update-list-version-40.html" target="_blank">our project list</a> to figure out which ones would benefit from power tools and which ones we were ready to tackle. The front runner was the drainage around <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-shop-details.html" target="_blank">the shop</a>. When it was originally built, the contractor didn't bring in nearly enough fill dirt and it had been an 18 month fight to keep erosion at bay. Dan had always talked about assembling some friends, buying tons of dirt, and moving it with shovels and wheel-barrows. My thought was that we could save a bunch of time and friendships with using the rental towards a small Bobcat. He didn't believe there was enough space to maneuver a Bobcat around the shop to get the dirt where it needed to be. He wasn't convinced easily, but we drove to Home Depot, measured one of the little Bobcats and he was finally on board.<br />
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I worked with the company who was sponsoring the rental and scheduled for the Bobcat to be dropped off for a Friday and Saturday in February. This gave us some time to get our ducks in a row, mainly ordering dirt, and for the weather to warm a bit.<br />
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Turns out, as that date approached, my in-laws wanted to swing through town and stay with us to visit some friends and they were quickly roped into sticking around through the weekend to help out. Free labor is awesome.<br />
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Here are some 'Before' pics. It's hard to grasp the angle of these slopes in pictures, but most of them weren't walkable. You could see the paint line at the bottom of the walls where the dirt had eroded, leaving the unpainted concrete underneath. In some spots, this unpainted line was several inches thick.<br />
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Once things got going, they went fast. Dan ordered 21 tons of dirt. It sounds like a lot, but 21 tons only translated to 21 cubic feet. It was still a lot of dirt, but in the end, we wouldn't have minded more. But when it's piled up on a (too small) tarp in your driveway, it's a lot. There's a tarp hidden somewhere under there, I swear.<br />
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I made Dan and his dad come up with a plan first so we could all be on the same page. We needed agreement on priorities and which areas needed the most dirt and which things needed to not get run over. I worked from home since all the rental stuff was in my name and I let those two men have at it. We were lucky because the man who dropped off the rental told us that we were free to keep it until Monday morning for no charge since no one else was planned to use it before then.<br />
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Dan and his dad got into a rhythm very quickly. Dan drove the Bobcat and would pick up a load of dirt, drop it approximately where he wanted it, and his dad would spread it around with a shovel while Dan went to refill. In the span of four to five hours, they managed to move and dump almost all of the dirt.<br />
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With one day down and the in-laws gone, we had made all the progress we had planned to make. However, we had the Bobcat for two more days so we went going to let it go to waste. In spite of the rain that began, Dan and I set out to landscape all this dirt that we had moved. Over the course of five years, we had formed a large pile of river rock that had been removed from random places around our property. This pile was huge and we've tried to move it by hand before and it's so incredibly taxing. I'll get two buckets into it and give up. But we had a Bobcat, which changed the game.<br />
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In order to keep all this new dirt in place, we covered it with a layer of river rock. Dan would bring over a load of rock and I would fit them, interlocking, over the dirt. I was pretty helpful at first but lost steam quickly. In hindsight, I was battling the <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/03/sick.html" target="_blank">beginnings of a cold</a> which I am claiming zapped my energy.<br />
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Dan did a great job, though. When he too was out of energy, he at least had the foresight to move extra loads of rock to spots around the shop that we could place in the future. I mean, it's kind of a tripping hazard right now, but that's just more motivation to work on that sooner rather than later, right? He even made friends with a rattlesnake that had built a home inside the rock pile.<br />
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Here are the 'After' pictures. We've had several big storms over the past few weeks and it's held up well. There will be some additional work that needs to be done, but we'll do that at the tale end of monsoon season. The best part is I can now walk the exterior of the entire structure without sliding down an incline!<br />
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Dan even had the skills with the Bobcat to not run over my little plants.<br />
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I'm really glad things worked out this way! Big thanks to Sarah and Home Depot for hooking me up with this prize! Sometimes Dan and I over-complicate things, but being able to use this little Bobcat saved us so much time and sanity. I would highly recommend it!Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-19659894885348039342017-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:002017-07-05T12:00:05.311-07:00Project House Update: Easier the Second Time AroundThe great thing about finally completing a project is that you understand how easy or hard it is. That way, when you need to do it again, all the uncertainty is gone and you can jump right in.<br />
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When we <a href="https://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/01/project-house-update-blinds-leading.html" target="_blank">installed blinds</a> in our workout room, the hardest part of the process was finding blinds that would work for us. But once we had ones that we liked, there was no reason to hesitate on pulling the trigger on the ones for the den.<br />
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To recap, since the window is arched, we need blinds that can be side-mounted.<br />
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Here's what we started with. After Dan installed the <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/02/project-house-update-window-work.html" target="_blank">window</a> and the <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/05/project-house-update-odds-and-ends.html" target="_blank">windowsill</a> over a year ago, the little finishing touches never got finished.<br />
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Once we installed the blinds in the workout room and loved them, I had Dan immediately order matching ones for the den. They arrived remarkably fast and I was all gung-ho to get them installed. Dan brought me down to Earth with the list of things that needed to get done before they could be installed. It was simple stuff like spackling, painting, and caulking, all things I could do.<br />
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It took me longer than it should have, but it got done. From there, Dan popped in the blinds. Word of warning (and praise): Dan hung the blinds level, but the window itself apparently wasn't, so it looked really bad. The nice thing about these blinds, though, is that they come with extra installation stickers so we could try again.<br />
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I love the look of these blinds! You can't tell they are there unless you're looking for them.<br />
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Blinds, with cat for scale.<br />
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Seriously, you can't even see the blinds in the up position because of the thickness of the cross-member.<br />
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When the full list of house projects gets to be too overwhelming, it's great to cross them off little by little.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-18961438513980905802017-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:002017-06-23T10:00:02.761-07:00Project House Update: I'm Finally An Expert in SomethingOne thing is for sure: Dan and I are getting much better at building houses for Desert Tortoises. The first time we built Turtle a house (at our new house), it had <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2013/09/prjoect-house-update-pimping-turtles.html" target="_blank">only survived two years</a> before needing to be renovated. However, once we rebuilt it, we got almost four years out of it. However, between a pack rat, a bunch of lizards, a tortoise, and the elements, his house was definitely looking more shabby than chic.<br />
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The pack rat really made a mess of things again. It dug tunnels under the back of the house under the cinder block and compromised the integrity of the structure. We tried to patch things with additional bricks and rocks, but it wasn't enough and it continued to collapse on itself. With monsoon season less than a month away, I didn't believe the house would survive the daily thunderstorms.<br />
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This time, we made a plan, a very detailed one. That's what happens when you have two mechanical engineers who really don't want to have to keep rebuilding a reptile house. The plan was multi-layered.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Add more cinder blocks so it would be harder for the pack rat to dig tunnels out from under it.</li>
<li>Stake the cinder blocks with rebar so they would be less inclined to shift if tunnels did form.</li>
<li>Fill the centers of the cinder blocks with cement to help keep them in place.</li>
<li>Once the roof was placed back on, add another protective layer on top of the wood with tar paper or sheet metal roofing material. </li>
<li>Cover the top and sides of the structure with chicken wire and stake it into place. This would help keep the dirt in place on top of it and also hinder the pack rat from digging through it.</li>
<li>Add a layer of non-smooth river rocks.</li>
<li>Fill in all the gaps with dirt.</li>
<li>Eventually, add some desert plants around the structure to prevent erosion. </li>
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The huge fly in the ointment was the weather. With monsoon season only a couple of weeks away, we needed to rebuild his house ASAP. However, did you know it gets hot in Arizona? Not only hot, but we had a record-breaking heat wave. The temperatures were supposed to hit 115F and stay there.<br />
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It. was. miserable.<br />
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We were prepared and woke up bright and early on Sunday morning to beat the heat. It was still 90F by 8AM, but it could have been worse. We drank plenty of water and had sunscreen and protective clothing, but it was still brutal. We tried to work as fast as possible to get out of the sun.<br />
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Let me be real here: Dan did almost all the work. He was all the muscle. My contribution was planning and keeping this cheeky, little bastard out of the way. Turtle was incredibly interested in hat we were doing and kept trying to crawl into the middle of it. My job was to, about every 30 seconds, pick him up a couple of inches from the ground, move him five feet, and watch as he turned around and crawled back over. He is a very determined little reptile.<br />
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Most of the build went according to plan. Dan thought he had tar paper hoarded in his shop, but he didn't, so we used an insulating automobile fabric instead. I couldn't get the chicken wire to stake down as cleanly as I wanted so it will probably poke out through the dirt eventually. And lastly, the layer of river rocks under the dirt was maybe a half-dozen rocks. It was just too damn hot to try to collect and carry rocks. Turtle was itching to get back in his house so we shoveled dirt back on top and let him in.<br />
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His little pack rat buddy will probably move back in soon and try to cause trouble but it should at least be harder for him this time. I'm hoping that planting some creosote bushes along the base of the dirt mount will help keep things neater, too.<br />
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We'll see. If this one last five years, it's an improvement over the last design.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-25054982831531920892017-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:002017-06-15T05:00:14.644-07:00Space Turtle!Have you ever done one of those 'Drink and Paint' classes? It's the new trend to go to a studio, have a couple of glasses of wine, and have an instructor walk you through a step by step canvas painting. I've always wanted to try one, but I either didn't like the painting subject or couldn't herd my friends into an organized group to try it.<br />
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I mean, it wasn't something I was losing sleep over, but it seemed like a fun thing to try. It probably would have never happened until the opportunity was thrust upon me. My sister found a 'Paint Your Patronus' paint party and strong-armed my mom and I into signing up with her. As much as I wanted to try one of these classes, I had some concerns. First, I'm not a big 'Harry Potter' fan. I couldn't care less about my patronus. Secondly, I don't drink so I was conscious of wasting money if drinks were included. And lastly, my mom is an artist. A professional, awesome artist. You can see her work <a href="http://artofvmh.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. My sister inherited the artistic gene from our mother and I got the engineering gene from our father. I didn't want my sister and my mom's paintings to be amazing and awesome and mine just be crap.<br />
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But I was signed up, so I picked a patronus, clearly Turtle, and sent a picture of him in to be sketched out in advance.<br />
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Typically, these sorts of events happen in a proper painting studio, but this one-off happened in a bar downtown. The other difference between this patronus event and normal events is that everyone had a different painting, a different patronus. Typically at these paint parties, everyone is painting the same sunset or the same tree with little heart leaves. But you really couldn't expect everyone to have the same patronus, right? There were a lot of deer, rabbits, and owls, but I had the only tortoise and one woman had a glass of wine.<br />
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It was a fun event, but it was definitely chaotic. Fortunately, each canvas had their patronus pre-sketched onto it so we had some guidelines. Without that, mine would have been a complete mess.<br />
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The bar wasn't set up well for the event and I couldn't see any of the sample painting as we went through the steps. It became a weird sort of telephone game of interpreting what I was supposed to do by words only. 'Paint wavy lines starting at your patronus' became 'a background of wavy lines', not what it was supposed to be, smoke coming off the patronus. I didn't have a clue what I was doing most of the time, but that didn't stop me. In hindsight, a tortoise shell had way too many details on it to fit into the painting techniques we were being walked through. My Turtle painting is definitely more 'Space Turtle' than 'Patronus', but I think I like it better that way. Like something from Terry Pratchett, he drifts slowly through space, watching over the galaxy.<br />
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And speaking of watching over, I hung him in front of the toilet in the guest room, so he can watch over and judge anyone using the bathroom.<br />
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In the future, I'd still like to try a class where we all paint the same thing. My next masterpiece won't be as close to my heart as my Space Turtle, but maybe it will be more along my skill set.<br />
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If you are in the Tucson area and would like to try one of these classes, check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tipsypicassos/" target="_blank">Tipsy Picasso</a>.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-16483088970780714212017-06-02T05:00:00.000-07:002017-06-02T05:00:24.852-07:00Fan of Friday: Week of 6/2/2017This week I am a fan of the website, <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/" target="_blank">Shapeways</a>. It's a 3D printing website that lets you upload your own designs and have them created in a variety of mediums. While I haven't uploaded any of my own designs yet, I have fallen in love with many things, especially <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2017/03/fan-of-friday-week-of-332017.html" target="_blank">DnD dice</a>.<br />
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When we started playing DnD back at the beginning of the year, most of my group went out immediately and bought cute sets of matching dice. I couldn't find any that really spoke to me until I started looking at the custom ones on etsy. They were expensive, but oh so pretty.<br />
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I went without dice for several months, borrowing them from people. Over time, I realized two things: 1) I don't like matching sets of dice because I can't tell them apart. They all look too similar and I don't want to worry that I've picked up the wrong one, and 2) I don't really like the plastic, molded conventional dice.<br />
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I was ready to break down and buy a bunch on etsy when I stumbled across the website that produces the fancy ones, Shapeways. I probably spent more on dice than any reasonable human should (except for maybe Dan who for some reason bought thirteen sets of dice, no exaggeration), but they are so pretty that I carry them everywhere with me in my purse. Because they are 3D printed, they are great to show off to just about everyone I know, one of the perks of being a mechanical engineer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOpZXdcnLiZrd2pWtTcxCG1syiqTwr8BjZfHSMXWipmqhbadMOsB_YKK_vjWsur1It9jy3QIJbrytoiDR8VXyonY7uXiAz55NJguD-8hhunqJbhErQ3456ciROzBMnR6B1eAL-aKeXMut/s1600/20170518_133716_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOpZXdcnLiZrd2pWtTcxCG1syiqTwr8BjZfHSMXWipmqhbadMOsB_YKK_vjWsur1It9jy3QIJbrytoiDR8VXyonY7uXiAz55NJguD-8hhunqJbhErQ3456ciROzBMnR6B1eAL-aKeXMut/s1600/20170518_133716_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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The majority of my dice are gold colored steel. This is my <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/MRJD9APE5/jack-d6" target="_blank">six sided die</a>, or as us nerds call it, a 'd6'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPX6YivyR5bCVtEd3-DRCCNBCOfsE8x6tB7_UPA6sx_TB0HYfhBsrBB6SqBVeQoMIJnf1mz4mMgHonbByJmKZLs3DYipbyGc2-FEr1iVrddQitgyZXCann0S1s00cCWLyKKVrYLRnBNwR/s1600/20170518_133630_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPX6YivyR5bCVtEd3-DRCCNBCOfsE8x6tB7_UPA6sx_TB0HYfhBsrBB6SqBVeQoMIJnf1mz4mMgHonbByJmKZLs3DYipbyGc2-FEr1iVrddQitgyZXCann0S1s00cCWLyKKVrYLRnBNwR/s1600/20170518_133630_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is my <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/8KKQFM9DD/ring-die8" target="_blank">eight sided die</a>, also in gold colored steel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQcM2K9Tervf6mJQt2v_C8q9fjIW9QjF4EJIh095Y5rECTIBz6oujAo9Uq_w_Qrm5R6WUFSta-ukG0x315yImQSG1kk0vaWJGV4pHpp84Etp9_vSwaBaYQb6YWb2QU5SNtUfaDRFi1mnx/s1600/20170518_133616_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQcM2K9Tervf6mJQt2v_C8q9fjIW9QjF4EJIh095Y5rECTIBz6oujAo9Uq_w_Qrm5R6WUFSta-ukG0x315yImQSG1kk0vaWJGV4pHpp84Etp9_vSwaBaYQb6YWb2QU5SNtUfaDRFi1mnx/s1600/20170518_133616_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I meant to just buy one of everything, but I couldn't choose between these two ten sided die so I just bought both. My house may be a fixer upper and my car may be sixteen years old, but I make it rain when it comes to dice. This <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/QRNVTBKWE/kaladesh-d10-balanced-gaming-die" target="_blank">'d10'</a> is gold colored steel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzYd0MlJ-b-49qcqaz2NUxG_-TNXTuqwgB27EqHW6mWNyGmjXpMCTlQcVhlNMHLeC-4Rp1CB6l3NdyE9EIzJQ7UolCAtedCrCCDqrFbYFb6knX3D2ckoZozIqygRWarog2Ts2oVukg4uv/s1600/20170518_133605_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzYd0MlJ-b-49qcqaz2NUxG_-TNXTuqwgB27EqHW6mWNyGmjXpMCTlQcVhlNMHLeC-4Rp1CB6l3NdyE9EIzJQ7UolCAtedCrCCDqrFbYFb6knX3D2ckoZozIqygRWarog2Ts2oVukg4uv/s1600/20170518_133605_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/KDJF9JHSW/curlicue-10-sided-dice-alternate" target="_blank">'d10'</a> is my only die that's not gold colored steel; it's polished brass. It meant that it cost more, but it was just too pretty to pass up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CAXegym79SzFQ4QV-ndNO9KyhIIJhreiwRWzQuKnXP0Hj_UsRCdyITV15lYnIFUDkR1Om94I1F43-hT7DhTv4YTtPCibw35OWtF7S0WD6LxoRPl8YAO7hFIpy6vxFebvY48LczE9Nv8i/s1600/20170518_133545_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CAXegym79SzFQ4QV-ndNO9KyhIIJhreiwRWzQuKnXP0Hj_UsRCdyITV15lYnIFUDkR1Om94I1F43-hT7DhTv4YTtPCibw35OWtF7S0WD6LxoRPl8YAO7hFIpy6vxFebvY48LczE9Nv8i/s1600/20170518_133545_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is my gold colored <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/GHXWM7U9F/art-nouveau-die12" target="_blank">'d12'</a>. As a Goliath fighter, I haven't had much reason to use it yet, but when I get more powerful, it'll do some damage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1spdAdZzccd1IW5EwQ5Q5kQYGTqeECvxmORQeyt883kspi0dNeP9l-rgRqf3w0nA6CHxOK_hDjeM-ORYo138-nFEuFCV9TUAqflwRzpmE6Ir-dPtKbtdeXbcYXNE2MvS2-bOTZWtW6Jz/s1600/20170518_133457_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1spdAdZzccd1IW5EwQ5Q5kQYGTqeECvxmORQeyt883kspi0dNeP9l-rgRqf3w0nA6CHxOK_hDjeM-ORYo138-nFEuFCV9TUAqflwRzpmE6Ir-dPtKbtdeXbcYXNE2MvS2-bOTZWtW6Jz/s1600/20170518_133457_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is the die that started the love affair. My beautiful <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/PEPWR4V3N/starry-d20-balanced-gaming-die" target="_blank">'d20'</a> that I lusted for on etsy. I expected it to be a beast, but it's hollow so it shouldn't destroy as many tables.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBNoNHpyqMeSGketlascwPZURpkpUkI04ZdQkL2rrcuqljzTZ1bSvbZPPClrTXC4V13X92ZlkPpDwi4rj0WaZkgv4uXYLtkLUHorb9EUan6H32jVmbqUb0FiQVo1ln-FUkBZP2nfy2mSR/s1600/20170518_133419_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBNoNHpyqMeSGketlascwPZURpkpUkI04ZdQkL2rrcuqljzTZ1bSvbZPPClrTXC4V13X92ZlkPpDwi4rj0WaZkgv4uXYLtkLUHorb9EUan6H32jVmbqUb0FiQVo1ln-FUkBZP2nfy2mSR/s1600/20170518_133419_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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And again, it was a one percenter's 'Sophie's Choice' and I couldn't choose between these two insane 'd20's. While the other one was my first love, <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/JLWTBL48C/radial-d20-gaming-die-balanced" target="_blank">this one</a> wouldn't leave my heart either.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSH0-38c17VvN-dhuuXX3MgYwrhds-limc9hcC7-DBYFoxlZHqSMSFdZe8zDjo-Tl8VSUe5IYFkWILwrO9btsFVhPj4IaMTmHW5bWwoP9kGGa8NnLzwJzr9I_uMfgUkJENAUsDGmcCTnX/s1600/20170518_133408_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSH0-38c17VvN-dhuuXX3MgYwrhds-limc9hcC7-DBYFoxlZHqSMSFdZe8zDjo-Tl8VSUe5IYFkWILwrO9btsFVhPj4IaMTmHW5bWwoP9kGGa8NnLzwJzr9I_uMfgUkJENAUsDGmcCTnX/s1600/20170518_133408_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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My only die that isn't from Shapeways is my 'd4'. I really wanted a rectangular 'd4', rather than the traditional triangular design. This <a href="http://gilthevlogsmith.storenvy.com/products/16457001-d4-prism" target="_blank">one is hand-forged</a> by a partner of '<a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/12/fan-of-friday-week-of-12162016.html" target="_blank">Critical Role</a>'. Again, I don't have much reason to use it, but that doesn't hinder my love for it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwzaQ8CdOzLrpvxD6WR9xnHzExep0iiKTz3Do8WCO06FmizOwk6M0dSgozX6aL7CD7AYUMQ-6ISvP85f-QfsBW-w0uQcnvKngmksi0tONwyRL-ZYrQg1fP3GB4O7FmGFh_Q5soWncEl0z/s1600/20170518_133640_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwzaQ8CdOzLrpvxD6WR9xnHzExep0iiKTz3Do8WCO06FmizOwk6M0dSgozX6aL7CD7AYUMQ-6ISvP85f-QfsBW-w0uQcnvKngmksi0tONwyRL-ZYrQg1fP3GB4O7FmGFh_Q5soWncEl0z/s1600/20170518_133640_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I will say, for as much as I love Shapeways, I have had a miss with it. I ordered these <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/product/2MSX3TS6L/icosahedron-earrings" target="_blank">'d20'</a> earrings as a gift for a friend and both arrived damaged. I have had great luck with the printed metal pieces, but these 'Black Strong and Flexible' ones did not live up to their material name.<br />
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Lastly (I've rambled a lot about my little trinkets), Shapeways is the 3D printing company that produces all the Hero Forge minis, like my beautiful Goliath.<br />
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As an engineer and designer, I'm excited to design and upload some of my own pieces in the future!Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-77471985933839462262017-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:002017-05-23T05:00:17.061-07:00Confessions of a New Zumba TeacherMy Zumba career has been a bit of a weird one. To sum up briefly, back in 2015 I<a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/05/work-out-wednesday-zumba.html" target="_blank"> started taking a Zumba</a> class through my work. After several months of consistently taking the class, my teacher asked if I would be interested in getting my certification so I could cover classes for her when she went on vacation. <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-to-survive-zumba-license-class.html" target="_blank">So I did.</a><br />
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Going through my blog, I now realize I have failed to tell you about how this all has gone off the rails. I <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/04/i-survived-my-first-zumba-class.html" target="_blank">covered my first class</a> in April of last year and managed to survive. Between April and June, I covered a few more times, but it wasn't anything I didn't expect.<br />
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In mid-June, my teacher got a blood clot in her leg and was bed-ridden for 6-8 weeks. Two months. The class was mine for two months. I went from being the occasional sub to being the long-term sub. Although it was definitely more than I ever thought I would have to do, there was an end in sight so I managed.<br />
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Cut to the end of those two months. There was a bunch of drama behind the scenes that I was unaware of and suddenly the teacher had quit. The people who organize the class knew I wasn't ready to take over the class so I continued to cover while they found a new teacher.<br />
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It wasn't long until they did, but she was not a good fit. She screamed and shouted and pressured us into participating in ways we didn't want to and attendance dwindled. I started taking a different class on the weekends just reducing the number I took through work. Fortunately, I don't think she liked us either so she quit in October.<br />
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The coordinators tried to find us a replacement, but they didn't expect anyone before the New Year so the class was mine for almost three months. In that time, I started to improve as a teacher, but attendance never really rebounded from all the teacher-switching.<br />
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In the New Year, they did find a new teacher, but she also wasn't a good fit. She didn't really teach Zumba. It was more aerobics to pop songs, and attendance dropped even further. In April, she quit, too.<br />
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So for the last month or so, the class is officially mine. Not mine while they try to find someone else. Mine. It's been an uphill battle. Attendance has never really recovered and I have to cancel class too often due to lack of bodies. I've got ideas to increase it, but most of that stuff is out of my hands. All I can do is focus on getting people to come back once they've shown up for the first time.<br />
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I've spent a lot of time and energy working to become a better teacher and have a better class and here's what I've learned.<br />
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- Be the first person in and the last person out of the room. It comforts new people that they have the right place, it lets you get to know the people in your class, and it makes people believe that the class is a priority to you. You aren't running over late from something more important or rushing out the door to something else at the end.<br />
- Don't choreograph to a song you enjoy. This one is really hard not to do, but don't incorporate songs into your routines because you like to listen to the song. Between choreographing, memorizing the steps, and teaching it in class, you will probably hear the song over a hundred times. According to my Itunes, I've listened to 'Cheap Thrills' by Sia 34 times and "Never Be Like You" by Flume 26 times. By that point, you can't enjoy the song anymore. So how do you find songs if you can't use songs you would listen to?<br />
- However, Spanish covers of pop songs bring a familiarity that people enjoy without being overplayed. We dance to a cover of "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 called "Quedate Mas" and it's one of my classes favorites. They already know the tune so they are familiar with the transitions and they feel less lost.<br />
- Over time, you'll develop a fondness for particular artists you never knew existed before. Between the songs Zumba provides, songs you hear in other people's classes, and random earwigs that you Shazam, you'll find artists you like. You may never understand a word they say, but they release songs that fit a certain style of dance and end up a staple of your routines. For me, those are Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam.<br />
- There are two types of students: 1) the newbies who need fun, simple songs to pick up quickly and 2) the returners who will get bored of the doing the same simple songs repeatedly, and you need to be able to cater to both. For a while, my solution for this was a mixture of simple and complicated songs. This would work in theory if you are a really good teacher. Once you start to lose the new people in a complicated song with poor cuing, it's very hard to earn their trust back. No one wants to feel lost. My favorite Zumba teacher has found a way around this. He has a library of simple, fun songs and constantly rotates between them. He'll either change their place in the song list or alternate between two salsa songs week to week. It means that the newbies get the simple songs they need while the returners are kept on their toes. I'm working to develop my own library so I can better use this strategy.<br />
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- Keep taking Zumba classes as a student. It's important to keep learning and exposing yourself to new songs, moves, and teaching styles.<br />
- Avoid teaching a song that you dance to in another class, if possible. The common practice in Zumba is to direction students to start movements on their right side. Step with their right foot first, move to the right first, etc. This means as a teacher, facing your students, you start with your left. And while a good, experienced teacher can switch between a right-hand and left-hand routine easily, it's a veeeeeeery hard skill to develop. Muscle memory will screw you over if you are trying to teach a song you like to dance to. If you really want to teach a song you've done in another class, try to wait until the other teacher has phased it out of their routine so you can override your own muscle memory.<br />
- Do your own math on ZIN. I've now taught both ways: before and after ZIN. My first year of teaching, I didn't have ZIN and I was fine. I was only covering other people's classes so getting paid for teaching was very inconsistent. Also, because of this, I didn't need to churn my routine very often because it was fairly fresh to people in the classes. I had time to find and learn new songs at my leisure. However, now that I'm teaching the same class twice a week, it's much harder to find or develop choreography on my own. ZIN has been very helpful in finding good songs and choreography and learning it faster.<br />
- Develop good and consistent cueing. This is the make or break skill of a good teacher. Good cueing makes the transitions smooth, keeps people engaged and on beat, and earns you a level of trust and respect with your students. They need to trust you to feel comfortable and the easiest way to drive students away is for them to feel lost and uncomfortable.<br />
- And lastly, make it an all-around fun experience. Make it social, not exercise.<br />
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I'm still learning. I feel like I will be learning for a long time to come, but it's getting easier and more fun and I can only hope that my students feel the same way. </div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-58874018481846316182017-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:002017-04-28T05:00:20.916-07:00Fan of Friday: Week of 4/28/2017The thing I'm a fan of this week is my little, hanging herb garden!<br />
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It was a gift from my in-laws several Christmases ago. I haven't had good luck with plants in the past, so it sat in our closet for a bit while I worked up the courage to try to not kill plants.<br />
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This batch of plants is actually my second attempt. Over a year ago, I tried for the first. I killed cilantro and oregano and basil and rosemary. The rosemary was the most impressive one because of how long it took me to realize that it had died. Oops...<br />
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I'm having much better luck with this crop of plants, though!<br />
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The top plant is a habanero pepper plant. When I brought it home, Dan said, "You know pepper plants get huge, right?" No, I didn't know that. It's quickly out-growing it's small container and I'll probably move it to another pot this weekend. I'm scared to move it, though, because it's got flowers so I might get some peppers out of it soon!<br />
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The middle plant is basil. The first time I stocked this little hanging herb garden, basil was the longest surviving. I don't think I watered the first attempt enough, but it still held out for several months. This second one has been living happily for about six weeks, getting plenty of water. I love having a basil plant because we eat a lot of pasta and adding fresh basil makes it instantly classier. Dried pasta from a box and sauce from a jar? Chiffonade some basil and throw it on top for an upgrade on a lazy Monday evening.<br />
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The bottom plant is a strawberry plant. Trust me when I say it's doing better than this picture makes it look. I need to trim back some of the dead leaves and the old strawberries. You know what's hard? Determining when teeny, tiny strawberries are ready to be picked. I still haven't figured it out yet, but I will. I'll keep it alive and I'll figure it out.<br />
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So when I swap out the pepper plant, what should I put in its place? I'd like some cilantro, but I've tried to grow it several times now without any luck. Is there something easy and useful I could try? I cook a lot of tofu and rice. Is there something from the Asian palate family I should try? Or maybe something Mexican?Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-37510436019388792532017-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:002017-04-27T05:00:36.373-07:00Project House Update: Period CartThis is a weird little project I've been working on for a while, but I think it's quite unique and I'm pretty proud of it.<br />
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Back almost three years ago, I did <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/07/project-house-update-adequate-paint-job.html" target="_blank">a mini re-do on the 'toilet room'</a> in our master bathroom. I removed the old, built-in toilet paper holder, patched it, and painted the room. Because this was meant to be a hold-over project until we did a full bathroom re-do, some details were put off. No new toilet paper holder was installed and I was tired of just setting the toilet paper on the back of the toilet, so I assembled the Ikea cart we had purchased.<br />
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Over time, I realized it was a great place to store all my period stuff. With a toilet room, any time I needed <i>something</i> meant the forethought to grab it from under my sink before heading into the toilet. Now, I had all this space to store stuff and it was great.<br />
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Then along came Dan. In his traditional masculinity, having all of my period stuff out made him uncomfortable. He wanted it hidden away.<br />
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So what did I do, as a good wife?<br />
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I ignored him completely and put everything on display instead. <br />
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I took a bunch of empty candle containers and small cheap vases and organized my tampons by size.<br />
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The part of this project that took the most time was finding and gathering the right size containers. Bath and Body Works three-wick candle jars work really well for this.<br />
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The last little bit of my display is my new art. These images are both from my work calendar last year. I think the fog one was May and the starry night was December. Something about these images, especially when paired together, is incredibly peaceful to me. The fog image seems to be of a doe in the morning fog, unsure of the day that lies ahead. The starry night is the same doe, surviving her day, and relaxing at the end of it. And, because we're being honest here, I use this bathroom in the morning or at night so the beauty of it isn't lost on me.<br />
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I need to come up with a catchy term for whatever the hell this set-up is, so suggestions are appreciated. I can't come up with anything punny involving periods or carts.<br />
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I am quite proud of it, though. It's nothing special, but too many people treat periods like some sort of curse. Something we don't talk about or acknowledge. But as a woman who annoyingly bleeds from her vagina for a week each month, this set-up has proven to be incredibly handy.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-89552339066395536902017-03-27T05:00:00.000-07:002017-03-27T05:00:16.639-07:00SickI've just gotten over a cold. This marks the fourth time I've been sick in four months. Each time, for a week or more.<br />
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It started in December when I had laryngitis over Christmas.<br />
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In January, I was trying to work-out 30 days in a row in lead up to my 30th birthday. On Day 21, my streak ended as I succumbed to a cold.<br />
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At the end of February, over Dan and my 6th wedding anniversary, I got a viral infection in my throat and lungs and went to Urgent Care. That was a fun Saturday, spending a crap ton of money to be told there were no medications to help and it may last as long as a month.<br />
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And now, in March. I spent last weekend waiting on Dan hand and foot so he wouldn't spread his germs everywhere and I could be spared his cold. I'm pretty sure he thought I was going to kill him when I started sniffling.<br />
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It's amazing how much your schedule gets thrown off when you're sick. Your diet goes out the window because if it isn't warm and made of carbs, it isn't going in you. Exercise is nearly impossible when you can't breathe properly. All the little chores like laundry and dishes aren't as important as sitting on the sofa and focusing on 'getting better'. The events that you were considering, like farmer's markets and flash sales, are a pipe dream because unless it's absolutely necessary, you aren't doing it.<br />
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After this last batch of germs, I stocked up on everything preventative. Hand sanitizer, Vitamin C, Emergen-C, cough drops, all of it.<br />
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If this streak doesn't end at four, I'm going to seriously look into building a bubble for myself.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-84120222824522500652017-03-09T05:00:00.000-07:002017-03-09T05:00:00.161-07:00GrandmaRight after Valentine's Day, my grandmother passed away. I've had a lot of emotions swirling under the surface about her death that I haven't done a good job processing.<br />
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Let me be very honest from the beginning: I always felt like my grandma and I didn't get along. I always loved her and I knew she always loved me, but most of the time, our relationship just stressed me out.<br />
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My grandparents were a very ying-yan pair: my grandpa was happy and silly while my grandma was serious and responsible. And because of that, I had a <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/03/grandpa.html" target="_blank">special bond with him</a>. With her, I constantly felt defensive. Her critical nature meant that I was perpetually tense for her next back-handed compliment. The person I was and the person she wanted me to be never aligned and she didn't know how to accept that.<br />
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Part of the reason I didn't feel as close to grandma was because we were similar in a lot of aspects, but most of them negative. My dad, who never seemed to get along with my grandma, would sometimes call me 'Grandma' if I was planning my day out too much or if I was worrying about something he thought I shouldn't.<br />
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Most of her stories had an undercurrent of regret, of longing for a different time, and nostalgia for the past rather than enjoying what was in front of her. <br />
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We were very similar in a lot of ways and that scared me, so I pushed her away. Being around her was a mirror for the parts of myself that I didn't like. My tendency to be mean and negative. My need to plan and schedule and the anxiety I experience when there isn't one or when no one will follow it. My depression. She was much more than that, but being around her reflected my own insecurities back at me.<br />
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As I got older, it became easier to see that her criticisms and negativity were more about her than me, but the easiest way to deal with it was to avoid her. And I did. I should have tried to have a conversation with her about it, but instead I chose to avoid the issue, and potentially hurting her, like a coward. There was no winning in the game we played so I chose not to play.<br />
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One of my favorite memories of her was when she was happy and silly. I'm not sure of the timing, I could have been anywhere between ten and sixteen years old, but she was watching my sister and I on a lazy summer day and she decided we were going to play a board game. She went to the game closet and found a game no one had ever played (I think it was one of those generic ones that everyone has because someone gave it to them) and we spent the afternoon screwing around and making up rules. There was music and dancing and I have no idea if there was a winner or loser, but I can remember her dancing around in the living room.<br />
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My grandma went pretty quickly. I found out on a Tuesday that she had fallen and was in the hospital for observations and Wednesday she was suddenly gone. I think the suddenness and lack of closer is one of the things my family is having the hardest time dealing with. We didn't expect our trip to visit her in July to be the last time we would see her. We thought it was just the first time we were going to see her in her new home in Washington.<br />
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I'm still working on processing my feelings, but the one I'm having the hardest time with is the guilt. I feel guilty because a small part of me is relieved. Relieved that I don't have to do this dance of avoidance anymore. I love her and I will miss her, but the fact that I am slightly relieved is the emotion that hurts me more than the sadness. </div>
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I'm sorry, G-ma. We should have dealt with our differences sooner and I'm sorry we won't get that chance now. I hope you thought I was lazy and inconsiderate, not that I was actively avoiding you. And I know this offers virtually no comfort, but I will try not to make that mistake again. </div>
Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-58286525603250745362017-03-03T05:00:00.000-07:002017-03-03T05:00:04.779-07:00Fan of Friday: Week of 3/3/2017I've mentioned in a previous '<a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/12/fan-of-friday-week-of-12162016.html" target="_blank">Fan of Friday</a>' post how I've fallen in love with the web series 'Critical Role', but what I didn't mention at that time was how that love has now manifested itself. My friends and I started a campaign and we're playing Dungeons and Dragons in real life!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPQ3cIlAYrlV22ZxssO_RM6THwatxr6Z_R1s_ydx5XbhIwG28kOamEKUL5thlPM1xVVxj3F9C_PThhb1fxQnOghf4I_Vs8tZzxM6V_hUCZr01qprd7-Vj0_7ppbuaIogAtVkQpq3QLZ09/s1600/IMG_20170107_145644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPQ3cIlAYrlV22ZxssO_RM6THwatxr6Z_R1s_ydx5XbhIwG28kOamEKUL5thlPM1xVVxj3F9C_PThhb1fxQnOghf4I_Vs8tZzxM6V_hUCZr01qprd7-Vj0_7ppbuaIogAtVkQpq3QLZ09/s1600/IMG_20170107_145644.jpg" /></a></div>
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Let me explain a bit. There seems to be this weird phenomenon of secrecy to people who play DnD. It's not something they usually talk about openly so you may have friends that play and you would never know. And that turned out to be the case with two of my friends.<br />
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When I started to get really into 'Critical Role', my obsession came up at our weekly trivia nights. That's when I not only found out that two of my friends actively play, but a whole bunch more wanted to try it.<br />
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Over the course of a couple of parties (Dan's birthday, Christmas), the DnD virgins convinced one of the experienced players to run a game for us, found another friend to join as our party mentor, and began setting up a game.<br />
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Dan wasn't that into the idea at first and actively tried to make things difficult. He stubbornly said that his character was a male prostitute and would only play as such. It back-fired on him, though, because once I bought the player's handbook, I found a way to make that character work. In taking his craziness seriously, he started to as well and his character, Glor Ekemon Holl, was born. He's a Tiefling Bard who team up with the elven rogue of our group to charm people out of their secrets.<br />
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My character is probably the polar opposite of Dan's. She's a Goliath Fighter. She's almost eight feet tall, young and naive but well-trained in fighting and strategy, and on the run. She's got this elaborate backstory that I haven't revealed to the other players yet. I've had so much fun coming up with her. Even her name, Brenna Sverdavbolge, was fun to come with. 'Brenna' is a Norwegian name meaning 'sword', which is what she fights with, her last name is a lose amalgamation of the Norwegian translation of 'Surge of Swords', her herd name,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSclHIIZlovubfC_-thfJ0cfWghjuTws5AenFXGvm10ChuxLhetspkIp-UEPWNpOXOzNT_VzXZsdOde1ZP2buYSDbCLwj9TcaL0pELDIo_aAmRW_iNsCrNDOCDulTkBuPCcjhP7Jt6QcV/s1600/character+details.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSclHIIZlovubfC_-thfJ0cfWghjuTws5AenFXGvm10ChuxLhetspkIp-UEPWNpOXOzNT_VzXZsdOde1ZP2buYSDbCLwj9TcaL0pELDIo_aAmRW_iNsCrNDOCDulTkBuPCcjhP7Jt6QcV/s400/character+details.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll say the one downside of my character is that finding a figurine of a female Goliath is a pain in the ass. For those who don't know, most of Dungeons and Dragons takes place on paper, but for fights and battles, it's easier to understand what's happening by laying everything out. This is done with a gridded mat like a white board and figurines. However, almost every female Goliath figurine looks like it's from a bad 1980's hair metal music video. Sexist much?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2ZQiw60sv8i-WQsem7VKdrGOPT0Q2YzGLYzzNInkVwOaMB-vV8eho-gyLBZ0sKbzCMPV4QfVFf_t12F9XUYaH4JaGTfpDKMuxdHWPamgoxGqD43Ki2U7waMiZQRaL1Mtd0uuCj01l1oi/s1600/goliath3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2ZQiw60sv8i-WQsem7VKdrGOPT0Q2YzGLYzzNInkVwOaMB-vV8eho-gyLBZ0sKbzCMPV4QfVFf_t12F9XUYaH4JaGTfpDKMuxdHWPamgoxGqD43Ki2U7waMiZQRaL1Mtd0uuCj01l1oi/s1600/goliath3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yeah, that's definitely not my character. In my hunt, though, I found this amazing website call <a href="https://www.heroforge.com/" target="_blank">Hero Forge</a>. It lets you design a character and they 3D print it and send it to you. You have to paint it yourself, but you can make just about anyone.<br />
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See? This is much better. She wears her hair in two braids rather than one, but close enough.<br />
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And a few weeks later, here's the real deal (in terrible picture form)!<br />
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And now with Rusty Cat nose for true scale. Immediately after this picture, he bit her and tried to run off with her. The mini now lives on a high shelf away from cats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4HXUUgNxiIK7GBCVc2H6NLDh-nDmyj_FFAfzGSge2E64lzzufaReRdgLCad3H071JBYkuU0wzYGADRk-pAMvZ6gMapyQ8k5pXrrY-m3R7nFqCg-L9ZIW4pqiccYEjAiy4FZghYU0CV-E/s1600/20170127_181547_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4HXUUgNxiIK7GBCVc2H6NLDh-nDmyj_FFAfzGSge2E64lzzufaReRdgLCad3H071JBYkuU0wzYGADRk-pAMvZ6gMapyQ8k5pXrrY-m3R7nFqCg-L9ZIW4pqiccYEjAiy4FZghYU0CV-E/s1600/20170127_181547_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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The one flaw in this mini is that she's normal mini heights. She's as tall as I could make her, but she would still be about the same height as an elf or a human, which in actuality she should be about two feet taller. I plan on remedying this by 3D printing her a taller base that I can snap the mini into. God I love my nerd tools.<br />
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I'm loving everything about our monthly games where it's just friends and snacks and make-believe. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering trying it out.<br />
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And as a wrap up: here are some ideas and links for things I found helpful as a new player.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Learn about the game! There are some great youtube videos, particularly 'one-shots' where the game wraps up in one play-through, that will help you understand the mechanisms of the game. I am fond of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tdl6GhiSI8&index=7&list=PLqTT_VuffgDNhGgOt4oU6OEDOxm6W3A2x" target="_blank">this one</a>. </li>
<li>Visualize your character. I found it so much easier to play once I could see my character in my mind. Find a mini, sketch it out, whatever it takes. There are some <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511651207651610249/" target="_blank">great artists</a> out there that may have <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511651207651610257/" target="_blank">already created</a> something similar to yours. </li>
<li>Start out with everything hand-written in pencil. It will take a while to figure out how you best want to run your character, but don't commit to any strategy too quickly. I've ended up with pencil on paper, within plastic protective sleeves, that I write on in game in wet-erase marker. Between games, I update the penciled information if necessary. Dan created a template to print his spells in business card form and he's got a sleeve of them. </li>
<li>Find online resources. The work sheet in the back of the book are great for covering all your bases, but there may be ones out there that are more helpful for your specific character. I found <a href="http://epiclevelgaming.com/dd-5e-alternate-character-sheets/" target="_blank">these ones</a> and I'm so excited about them. </li>
<li>Lastly, don't be afraid to admit that you're learning. I will admit that the first game we played, I was a hot-mess. There are a lot of <a href="http://epiclevelgaming.com/10sinsofplayers/" target="_blank">unspoken rules</a> of DnD and I broke a lot of them. I'm trying to get better, but we are all still novices. </li>
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<br />Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-72085595595829495852017-02-23T05:00:00.000-07:002017-02-23T05:00:36.256-07:00The Big Three OhIn my new strategy of posting nothing in a relevant time period, let's talk about my birthday. My 30th birthday. The big 3-0.<br />
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As crazy as this sounds, I had kind of been planning my 30th birthday party for over a year. Before my 29th birthday last year, Dan knew I wanted a Roarin' 20's party and he wanted to throw it together for me at the last minute. As a perfectionist and planner, that clearly wasn't acceptable in my eyes. So I decided to not have a 29th birthday party and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/atleastiwill/art-deco-bday-party/" target="_blank">got to thinking</a> about the big one the following year.<br />
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While I tried too not go too crazy, I've always wanted to throw a real party. A theme that didn't seem thrown together with random things from around the house. I bought a set of 50 disposable champagne glasses to build a pyramid, a big metal tub for cans and bottles, and balloons. I love balloons so much and there really aren't enough excuses to have them. I finally painted my strings of lights that I bought from Target summer clearance years ago. They got a good coat of gold spray paint and hung in the dining room and kitchen. I found <a href="http://chrystinanoel.com/2014/05/23/throw-1920s-party-part-2/" target="_blank">printable signs and a banner</a> and made a drinks menu. I made a playlist of 1920's music.<br />
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The main reason I wanted to have an "End of the 20's" party was to have an excuse to buy a flapper dress. I love the Art Deco aesthetic so much. I spent weeks going through almost every dress on Unique Vintage until I finally settled on <a href="http://www.unique-vintage.com/1920s-style-black-silver-sequin-mesh-cap-sleeve-fringe-flapper-dress.html" target="_blank">this one</a>. I wanted something not backless, something sparkly and flashy, and something not so costume-y that I could wear it again. While the dress is reusable, the rhinestone headband probably isn't. Originally, I ordered a more <a href="http://www.unique-vintage.com/black-ivory-tulle-rhinestone-headband-sku-s155226.html" target="_blank">subtle, timeless headband</a>, it was on back-order so I got <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011L069DO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1" target="_blank">this one</a> at the last minute from Amazon instead.<br />
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<a href="http://www.unique-vintage.com/1920s-style-black-silver-sequin-mesh-cap-sleeve-fringe-flapper-dress.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIScfh-s_HDY2e6Dyia8vkvPVLqDF_56CfvfIZq0E-scoDZM6ws0G8SL4flvAWA_3S5yq8W0PrilxxqmfIal3be4pI3PnoWNz6SXuZ2djSL9WurmUkEoOQz0zFZUzmwnv6dN0uwQT5ICGl/s1600/dress.png" /></a></div>
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While most of Dan's outfit he already owned, like a button-down, trousers, and shoes, some new suspenders really made it look vintage. At least three of our friends also wore suspenders and there was a whole side conversation of just how functional they are. I was actually really amazed at how many of my friends dressed up. When you have a group of nerds who never get to dress fancy an opportunity, they go all out.<br />
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My friends gave me some great gifts, most of them dinosaur related. Two of my friends made me a dinosaur terrarium. They used an insanely strong epoxy so it's still sitting outside letting the fumes dissipate, but I'm excited to find a place for it inside soon. Also, two different friends found a new home, with me, for three lawn dinosaurs that used to belong to his parents.<br />
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My dad gave me some really cool presents. For the most part, my dad is a fairly stoic guy. He's a fairly traditional dad and usually pretty predictable, but every once and a while, he gets ridiculously sentimental. For my 30th birthday, he gave me presents that corresponded with his 30th birthday. He went quail hunting that morning and had his biggest haul ever so he gave me a little ceramic quail. It was little dark for his vegetarian daughter, but it's the thought that counts, right? He watched his favorite team, the Denver Broncos, take a last minute victory over Oakland, so I got a Denver jersey. Unfortunately not a 1984 style jersey, but a 1997 Elway is still pretty good. Lastly, he and my mom went and saw 'The Terminator' so I now have it on DVD (don't tell him I already had the 'Terminator' box set).<br />
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It was a really cute idea. He was amazed that I already knew the 'Terminator' story. He likes to talk about it more than he realizes since he uses seeing it as validation for picking good movies. <br />
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It was a very cute idea, one that I will probably mimic someday with my own children. So, for my future children, some day long from now, here's what your presents will be based on:<br />
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1) Going to brunch with my mom and my sister.<br />
2) Exchanging the jacket my mom had given me as a gift because it was too small.<br />
3) Watching the terrible Vin Diesel movie 'XXX: Return of Xander Cage' at the Roadhouse theater, stuffing my face with cheddar popcorn.<br />
4) And ending the evening by watching <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2014/10/fan-of-friday-week-of-1032014.html" target="_blank">Mostly Walking</a>.<br />
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I don't how those will translate to gifts yet, but I'm sure it will be clever and annoying, as is family tradition.<br />
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I can't say that I feel 30 yet. It still hasn't hit me. I'm trying to embrace it but there's part of my brain that's fighting back. 30 year-olds don't have dinosaurs in their backyard. Thirty somethings have five or ten year plans. They are adults and make good decisions. I definitely feel like I have my life together now more than I did at 20 or 24, but over the last few years, I really started to figure myself out and I'm probably 95% there. I'm comfortable in who I am, even if that person isn't really an adult yet.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-16157045494514968862017-02-13T05:00:00.000-07:002017-02-13T05:00:20.448-07:00Project House Update: Starry Starry NightOne of the things that's taken me the longest to learn and has been the hardest when it comes to house projects is that the ideal solution is very rarely the first solution. As expensive and as long as it takes, sometimes it takes several tries to get it right.<br />
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Oh, but when it's finally right, it's so worth it. Let me tell you a story of how we now have this beautiful entryway chandelier.<br />
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When we first moved into our house, one of the first things you saw when you walked into the house was this light. Calling it outdated was an understatement. It was <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-house-update-chandelier-dilemma.html" target="_blank">one of the first things</a> we tackled when we started our house overhaul.<br />
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We replaced the original fixture with <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2012/04/project-house-update-chandelier-bing.html" target="_blank">this bell pendant</a> from World Market. I like the shape of it with the archway window of our front door. I like the antique brass finish with the Southwestern nature of our house. I like the secret touch of turquoise hidden inside.<br />
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However, Dan wasn't as happy with it, his main complaint being the lack of light. Due to its design, our entryway was being lit by a single light bulb and it wasn't nearly enough light. But the pro's outweighed the con's so we lived with it for over three years.<br />
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We lived with the brass bell until we <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/07/project-house-update-repainting-and.html" target="_blank">repainted the entryway</a>, getting rid of the hideous yellow that was also a 'learning experience'. The light needed to be removed to paint and Dan hated putting it back up. He wanted something better.<br />
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For months, I scoured the internet, trying to find the perfect light for us. And since Dan and I have such drastically different tastes, it was an uphill battle. That is until I stumbled across this arrangement of star pendants. The first image was going to be too small for our entryway, but once I got digging, I found some closer to what I wanted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d5EexhDvyK33ar_XKNerNCv1McayFhFizjtXwQTpxILo0IVtjmCyt0InZnJ0wjKP70z0d7TwmHeCcFxHf7IO7WSbCBLdsTjf-T638uteDuOLyma2NOpdG6OJbpRBtVDTKN-Zsyv_1ni3/s1600/star+insp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d5EexhDvyK33ar_XKNerNCv1McayFhFizjtXwQTpxILo0IVtjmCyt0InZnJ0wjKP70z0d7TwmHeCcFxHf7IO7WSbCBLdsTjf-T638uteDuOLyma2NOpdG6OJbpRBtVDTKN-Zsyv_1ni3/s1600/star+insp.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511651207642056526/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511651207646148820/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></td></tr>
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Star pendants like this are huge in Tucson. They're very Southwestern/Mexican. My mom has one in her entryway. My sister (after we found ours) went and got one for her bathroom. They are beautiful, timeless, and fit our house. It was an easy sell for both of us.<br />
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Dan and I both did some digging into where to buy these star pendants. After I failed to come up with anything substantial, Dan had an amazing stroke of luck. He found <a href="http://www.directfrommexico.com/" target="_blank">this website</a> with a wide variety of styles. Once he gave it to me and I began poking around, I found that the store behind the website is in Tucson. It was less than a fifteen minute drive and we'd both driven past it hundreds of times, every time we would go to trivia.<br />
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This next part will really show how lazy we are. On Black Friday, 2015, Dan's parents were still in town for Thanksgiving and his mom loves Southwestern knick-knacks so we decided to kill two birds with one stone and pull the trigger on some lights. We knew we wanted three, for them to be similar but not matching, and of different sizes. We chose a 10 inch star with frosted glass, a 15 inch star with clear glass, and a 19 inch star with Mercury glass.<br />
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The plan was to hang all three together, but we didn't know the best way to do it. In the interim, Dan hung the largest one and we went on with our lives.<br />
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So the other two lights sat on a shelf in our laundry room, waiting for a good solution. Again, we lived with just one light bulb lighting our entryway for nearly a year. Around Christmas time, 2016, Dan was fed up yet again with have a dimly lit room. And since he is most productive when he has vacation time, I knew it was time to really move forward and not let his energy go to waste.<br />
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The solution I had always liked best was a three-light pendant canopy. They are hard to find, but they would allow all three lights to be mounted together and be part of one, singular chandelier. We modeled what we wanted with cardboard and balloons and it helped us determine the size of the canopy we would need. And like most of this story, once I pointed Dan in the right direction, he came through and found the perfect one.<br />
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Dan had an electrician wire it all together and then it was just up to us to hang it. He wrapped each star in packing foam and paper so that they couldn't break each other when I lifted it. I don't think I've ever been so nervous during a house project, but at one point, I was standing next to the ladder, on a dining room chair, holding the light bundle up so Dan could secure it. There was over a year's worth of work (kind of) in my weak little hands and the delicacy of it was not lost on me.<br />
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But miraculously it survived! And I did, too!<br />
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It's so beautiful. I love it. I absolutely love it. The bulbs are hidden in the smallest and the largest stars, but Dan went the extra mile and put an Edison bulb in the middle one, the clear one.<br />
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They hang a little low for our tallest friends, but they will heal if they hurt themselves. As long as they don't break my lights, we won't have any issues.<br />
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And it's even prettier at night. Through the arched entryway window, you can see them from the street. So it's even classed up the curb appeal of our house.<br />
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The Mercury glass and the Edison bulb have a yellower light than the small star, but one day that will bother me enough to swap it out.<br />
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I'm so glad, after all our previous incorrect decisions, we finally ended up with the right one.<br />
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If you don't happen to live in an area where you can get these cheap and quick like we managed to do, there are a lot of other options out there. Most are fancier and more expensive than ours, like <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/moroccan-glass-pendants-w1604/" target="_blank">this one from West Elm</a>.<br />
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Like most of our projects, it took much longer than it should have. However, the slow crawl of our work doesn't annoy me as much as it used to. It's just what we need to do to end up with the right solution. When we rush, we make poor decisions. I'd rather do something right, and slowly, the first time.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-57934948802953653452017-01-24T05:00:00.000-07:002017-01-24T05:00:21.612-07:00Tucson Women's MarchSaturday morning, I had the pleasure in taking part of the Tucson leg of the Women's March on Washington. It was a last-minute decision between my sister and I. We were both getting over illnesses and the weather was supposed to be terrible, but we rallied anyway. We both agreed that our conscious' would haunt us if we didn't try.<br />
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It was raining, actually hailing at one point, and remarkably cold for Tucson, but that didn't seem to hinder turn-out. My sister lives relatively close to the route, so we parked at her place and walked over. It was amazing getting closer and closer to the beginning of the march path and realizing everyone around us was heading to the same place. At the starting point, we slowly gathered the rest of our party of six. It ended up being me, my sister, my sister's friend, my sister's friend's male coworker, my sister's friend's mom, and one of my sister's high school teachers. We were a motley crew but it turned out to be a great, little bunch.<br />
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In the grand scheme of things, we were unprepared. We were cold and wet, but more importantly, we weren't wearing any pink or had any knit hats.<br />
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I don't know what the projected attendance number was, but the estimation of final count was above 15,000. It must have been much larger than expected because everything happened much slower than scheduled. And that was ok. The march was a slow crawl through downtown, but fortunately the route was fairly short. It gave us plenty of time to chant with strangers and read punny signs.<br />
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Going in, I really didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I had no clue. And in hindsight, that was the right way to go. It ended up being thousands of people who were tired and fed up, but positive and proactive. I saw old classmates from high school. I saw a coworker. I saw young children and their parents and their parents' parents. I saw a troop of girl scouts who sang their little song as they walked. We followed behind a woman probably in her sixties wearing a sandwich board of protest signs, a Viking helmet, banging on a tambourine. There was such a sense of comradery. After the walk, three of us grabbed lunch in a cafe downtown filled with other marchers. Even though we were done at that point, many people were still checking in on the other marches across the country. Update after update of how almost every march in the country was underestimated. That they couldn't even march in Washington D.C. because there were too many people. <br />
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I don't know what I expected to get out of attending the march, but I feel like I got so much out of it. A purely peaceful protest demonstrating that there was still a large section of the population who wasn't just going to sit back and let the bullies win. In spite of being called 'sore losers' or being told to 'be hopeful' that things might still be ok, we were still ready for action. We would be vigilant. We would be watching.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-70478915365338879782017-01-20T05:00:00.000-07:002017-01-20T05:00:09.787-07:00Fan of Friday: Week of 1/20/2017Just like <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/06/fan-of-friday-week-of-6242016.html" target="_blank">nonograms</a> before, I've become obsessed with another little internet puzzle game. Whether you call it '<a href="http://www.puzzle-loop.com/?size=5" target="_blank">Slither Link' or 'Puzzle Loop</a>', it's an addicting brain exercise.<br />
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The point of the game is pretty simple: you are trying to create one continuous line throughout the space that doesn't violate any of the constraints given to you. The space contains a grid of dots and some blank and numbered squares. The numbered squares tell you how many line segments surround the numbered space. With reason and deduction (and usually a crap-ton of time), you can determine the path of the loop.<br />
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It does take a while to get the feel of it, so if it's something you are interested in, start by reading the tutorial page, slowly increasing the size and difficulty, and making notes of tricks and patterns.<br />
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Now that I've gotten the trick of them, I race myself. My goal this week was to complete one of the 20 by 20s in under 15 minutes. This was my first success.<br />
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On the gargantuan weekly puzzle, like the one below, sometimes the easiest way to solve it is to step back and do something else for a while. Fresh eyes can really help when you are stuck. And I get stuck a lot.<br />
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I mean, these puzzles aren't anything special, but they are fun, they are free, and they make me feel like my brain isn't turning into complete mush.Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4499961644201678376.post-27552502454857013812017-01-17T05:00:00.000-07:002017-01-17T09:04:28.164-07:00Project House Update: Blinds Leading the BlindOne of the things I love most about my house is the ridiculous amounts of natural light. However, a side effect of that is a lack of privacy. It's hard to feel like people aren't watching you when you've got several big windows facing the street.<br />
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The room that made Dan feel the most insecure about being on display was the workout room. When we moved in, it had some horrible vertical blinds. Those survived until we <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2015/05/project-house-update-installing-some.html" target="_blank">replaced the window</a> with more energy-efficient ones, yet never replaced the blinds. For years, the window had no covering and caused so much debate in our household.<br />
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Dan didn't like using the equipment in the workout room because he felt like people could spy on him, especially at night. We talked about hanging curtains to cover the window, but I was concerned that with the treadmill so close to it, the curtains could potentially get sucked up into its mechanism. That left us with some sort of blinds being our only option.<br />
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We both agreed that we weren't as concerned with light-blocking as privacy so it wasn't critical to us to block the arched portion of the window. All we really wanted was some way to cover the lower portion of the window. We weighed all the different kinds of blinds we could think of. I didn't want to go back to vertical blinds. We agreed the cats would probably destroy horizontal blinds. I wanted to try a cordless Roman shade, but Dan didn't trust the mechanism, but did like not having to worry about future children hanging themselves on cords.<br />
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Dan got so fed up at one point that I told him just to go to Home Depot and get anything that works, preferably cheap, as a temporary solution. If he could find something for under $50 that would solve the problem in the short-term, that was fine by me. He picked some out, brought them home, and quickly discovered how hard it would be to find ones that would work for us.<br />
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Because the window is arched, we cannot mount the blinds at the top of the window, on the underside of the window casing. Instead, we needed blinds that mounted on the sides, at the ends of the blinds mechanism. We upped our budget and scoured the internet. However, it is nearly impossible to determine in the details of blinds descriptions how blinds mount. It wasn't a searchable term and most of the time, unless there was a video showing the installation, there was no way to tell. Instead, we got a little fed-up and went back to our local Home Depot. There was no one in the 'Blinds' section to help us, so we basically deconstructed every set of display blinds. Dan walked around and popped the display blinds off their mechanisms to see how they attached. We expect to be able to find a lot of types that side-installed, but we only found one that would work for us. They are <a href="https://blinds.homedepot.com/p/redi-shade-artisan-no-tools-light-filtering-cellular-shade/206540501?id=206540501" target="_blank">Artisan No Tools Light Filtering Cellular Shade</a> by Redi Shade. They mount to the side with adhesive and a spring-loaded plunger. It blew our budget out of the water, but we decided it was worth it to have a good solution.<br />
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They are custom-order only and we had to first wait on color samples to arrive in the mail. I wanted white to match the casing of the window to hide them when in the up position, so we went with 'Snow'. Another week later, our blinds showed up and we managed to install them without catastrophe. Trust me, there was a lot of opportunity for it, but we managed. Level and everything.<br />
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I love how hidden they are in the up position. You almost have to look for them to notice them.<br />
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They still let in a great amount of light, but give us a nice sense of privacy. Our neighbors would have to walk directly up to the house and peer in to see anything now. And that's just creepy.<br />
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Since this is one of the cats' favorite views, I like to leave them up a smidge so they can still survey the front yard.<br />
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This comparison really shows off how the blinds just disappear into the casing. Yes, they were way more expensive than we wanted, but they are perfect. When we need to pretend we are productive people, we'll order the matching ones for <a href="http://atleastiwill.blogspot.com/2016/02/project-house-update-window-work.html" target="_blank">the den</a>.<br />
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Seriously, it's like magic. They are invisible or something. I LOVE IT!Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00194386349224695976noreply@blogger.com1