House Made

new kitchen light
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Well, I came home from the grocery store to find that my awesome girl had finished painting the kitchen ceiling and installed the new light over the sink. Dear lord, we can now actually SEE WHAT WE’RE DOING in the kitchen. It’s a miracle!

Schoolhouse Electric, who made the light, makes new fixtures from original antique moulds. The quality of this thing is amazing.

And now I have to go cook for a party. I bet the food will look good with actual light on it!

beth_ceiling
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Well when Beth wears white paint in her hair like this, it really shows its runway style. But mostly it’s looking nice and fresh on our nicely patched and textured kitchen ceiling.

Beth did all the work on this one and it’s going to look so good when it’s finished. I just can’t wait to get that light installed. Sadly, all this schmancy prep work had to be done first.

I know she’s going to get serious about wanting new kitchen counters as soon as this project is done.

Salvia Elegans
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Beth here.

I’m officially a plant nerd. Merideth asks me what a particular bud of green on the ground is, and I respond with glee with its scientific name (Oh that? It’s Brickellia californica! See – you can tell because its leaves are slightly more pointy than its cousin…).

But the depths of my nerdiness are being revealed more and more as plants start to arrive by mail order from various spots around California. We’re aiming for a California native garden (aiming, because sometimes I can’t resist some old favorites that one would not have seen during the gold rush). Yesterday, a long-anticipated plant arrived – the Salvia Elegans, more commonly known as Pineapple Sage because it actually smells like pineapple! How cool is that?

Okay, I realize it’s not that cool. I’m off to do something WAY hipper now that definitely does NOT involve smelling the different varieties of Rosemary to see if I can tell the difference.

fake water feature above
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Okay so this was Beth’s idea, but i got to do it. In our front yard, there’s a big long accordion drainage tube that runs from one of the gutters in the back yard. The genius who attached it let it run on the surface of the flower beds before burying the last 2 feet under the roses, pointing the outlet at the bottom step so you have a big puddle to step in whenever it rains, then pouring cement over it to make sure it’s secured there with its ugly black accordian head pointing out.

Beth said, “You should build a fake waterfall there to hide the tube.” Genius! So Beth buried the whole length so it runs UNDER the dirt to the backyard and I cut the tube off right where it previously dove underground. I strategically piled up the rocks and hid the tube. Now we have a lovely little waterfall that gently streams whenever it rains and for a few days afterward as the water drains down the front hill of our property. I love its trickly ways.

Here’s a view from below it. You can baaarely see the tube thinger when you get down on the sidewalk like this and look up at it. Dogs probably think my work is shoddy:

iris
Originally uploaded by merideth.

That’s right. No workin’. Beth sent me these GORGEOUS irises…love how their architectural structure is complimented by the deco vase…my favorite. Who loves her baby?

And to celebrate, we had a massage therapist come to the house and knead our cares away. It. Was. Awesome. I mean, the massage is always great, but let me tell you, it is heartily improved by not having to jump up, get dressed, and drive home.

Beth has decided that it’s better than having a houskeeper. Mmmm. Happy fake holiday.

old kitchen light
Originally uploaded by merideth.

I ask you, why, why would anyone put this hideous thing up in their kitchen? Not only is it ugly, but it flickers and then never comes on until about an hour after you’ve left the kitchen.

When the realtor listed our house, he took one look at that wood frame and thought that it was a skylight and described it as such in the house flyer. No, sir. NOT a skylight. Better. Flourescent bar lights that cast that oh-so-flattering glow on all who fall under its gaze.

So Beth ripped that thing out today and began patching the ceiling in preparation for our new, Schoolhouse Electric (man, I love that place) fixture.

Oh, and clearly the ceiling had been leaking LONG before we fixed it. Good job with the spackle-hide-method, previous owner.

stained door
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Well now it’s stained. The stain is still drying and I’m hoping to get one coat of varnish on before tomorrow night when the 10-day rain extravaganza is supposed to begin.

The color looks redder in the photo than it is in real life. Overall I’m pretty happy with it. I like the dark wood so much.

Now I just have to clean the excess stain off the windows. But that can wait. Right now I need something in the pizza family.

Okay, so I haven’t gotten around to staining the door yet because it’s dark when I get home from work. I think that’s a real reason and not an excuse at all. Of course I’ve been obsessing about it. I run my hand over the door when coming and going to make sure the grain hasn’t risen after my intense sanding. I check for any new marks. I gaze lovingly at its solid, 200 lb ways. And I cross my fingers for clear, dry weather.

So, since things aren’t finished, I thought I’d post photos of the beautiful entry set. It’s hammered bronze in the arts and crafts style. A lever handle is on the inside in matching hammered bronze. It. Looks. So. Good.

exterior

interior

First, let me just say that Beth is a machine. She carted endless loads of mulch to the backyard by piling it onto a tarp, then picking the tarp up by its four corners and toting it santa-style UPHILL and UPSTAIRS to our backyard, which is significantly higher than the sidewalk on which the mulch mountain lives. I don’t know how she did it. I gave out in a fraction of the time and mulched the front yard. She carried bag after bag for hours. She’s a superhero.

So the back is now mulched…oh and we weeded before we mulched. And the front, sides, and stockpile are all mulched. So now the rest of the gorilla hair is up for grabs to the neighborhood.

Also, I can’t make a fist as I have that thing happening like when Chandler messed up his hand getting Phoebe’s high scores off the Ms. Pac Man machine by playing all day. Only mine isn’t from Ms. Pac Man. It’s from sanding our new front door in preparation for stain and varnish. The door looks great, but finishing had to be postponed because there was too much moisture in the air. Hopefully we won’t get any rain until I can seal it, as right now it’s all unprotected and naked to the elements. Naked, but beautiful. It’s Lady Godiva Door.

New front door
Originally uploaded by merideth.

Okay, so remember when we bought this door? Like months ago? The amazing $200, solid doug fir, ebay door? Yeah, well it’s even more amazing now that it’s installed. I love the entry set so much I want to marry it. Except that I’m already married. To an actual person.

Annnnnyyyway. The door is in but as yet unfinished. We went to Rockler (amazing store for all your woodworking needs) today and got loads of advice, instruction, and the correct products for getting the new door stained, varnished, and sealed. So maybe by next weekend we’ll have a photo of the finshed product. But for now….man it looks good!