Margaret's Space

Mosaic

2012-01-14T07:15:00.003-06:00

This is the floor in the Texas State History Museum in Austin. It depicts a campfire with people around it.

3x5 Folded Card

2012-01-12T12:39:00.001-06:00

Signature Sentiments Thank You Card

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Craft Room Organization

2012-01-07T17:37:00.003-06:00

I've been cleaning the craft room (inspired by Pinterest) so, to store all of my rubber stamps, I bought 3 silverware trays at Tuesday Morning and hung them horizontially on the wall above the table--instant shelves! These are bamboo and I drilled a small hole in each top corner to hang them. (Nailing a hanger into the back did not work as the bamboo split.)
The center one had a section on each long side that pulled out so I removed those and will hang them separately to stack the ink pads. If you look closely you can see the edge of one peeking out on the far right. I know I should have gotten it in the pic, oh well...I'll do better next time.

Lip Smacker

2012-01-05T07:50:00.002-06:00

(Don't worry, he didn't actually kiss the horse.)

Just Chillin'

2011-12-31T07:24:00.001-06:00

Family

2011-12-29T20:06:00.002-06:00

My nephew with his neice and nephew. We had fun doing family pics today.

It's Almost Time

2011-12-21T13:45:00.002-06:00

...to start the unwrapping.

She's done!

2011-12-17T10:36:00.002-06:00

My daughter-in-law graduated from Sam Houston State University last night. She's ready to teach Math, grades 4-8, anyone have a job?

Ready for Cake

2011-12-16T06:51:00.000-06:00

Wedding

2011-12-11T17:35:00.002-06:00

I attended the wedding of my son's best friend yesterday. It was beautiful. Here is one photo just to give you a peak.

Always Remember

2011-12-08T06:22:00.003-06:00

We are privileged to have the freedoms we have in the United States because of the thousands who gave their lives and thousands more who served in World War II to guarantee those freedoms for each of us.

Best Tree Ever

2011-12-02T06:40:00.003-06:00

Well, one of the best, located in the Heritage Park across from City hall in Houston it always attracts the kids.

Blue Shoe

2011-11-28T14:00:00.002-06:00

I think this artist's shoe was one of the casualities of his work as a chalk artist at the Via Colori event in downtown Houston last weekend.

Via Colori

2011-11-21T10:51:00.003-06:00

In Houston yesterday for the Via Colori event. Artists from all over come to create art with chalk on the street near city hall. I chose to post this pic so you could see their amazing work and also get an idea of the scale. This was one of the best pieces there.

Just Hangin' Out

2011-11-15T14:20:00.002-06:00

This little guy hung out all day long on my pumpkin. Maybe he was trying to figure out a way to get into it and have a snack.

Peabody Memorial Library

2011-11-14T07:07:00.004-06:00

This is the window above the door of this old Library on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. This building was built in 1902 and was the first building on campus to serve exclusively as a library. It was used as such until 1929. The banner with the letters S.H.N.I. stand for Sam Houston Normal Institute, its name at the time. I would love to see the inside but we were there on Sat afternoon and of course it was closed.
And here is a picture of the exterior of the building. It has beautiful half-round stained glass all the way around the building.

Waiting

2011-11-08T09:05:00.008-06:00

to be bottled... and waiting to go home with you. My sister and I visited the Duchman Winery (pronounced like Dukeman) in Driftwood, TX a couple of weeks ago. Very good wines and a beautiful place to visit. I felt like I was in Tuscany. (Of course I've never been to Tuscany, but this is what I imagined it would look like.)

Upcycling

2011-11-03T09:28:00.005-05:00

At the Industrial Country Market outside of Columbus, TX there is an amazing Sculpture Garden where the artist makes everything from found objects, like these fish plates and blue stones. The sculpture is always changing so you should stop everytime you passby. It is located just 9 miles north of Columbus on State Hwy 71. You will see the solar panels on the right. It is also a general store, hydroponic garden, lily pond, artist studio, etc. A very interesting place to stop.

Fence

2011-11-01T08:29:00.002-05:00

The theme at City Daily Photo today is Fence and so I thought this would be a good photo for today. I found this fence in a cemetery in LaGrange, TX.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:22:00.004-05:00

I found this guy on a building in Austin over the weekend.

Two of Many

2011-10-25T06:49:00.005-05:00

These are two of the many stained glass windows that adorn the Painted Churches between Columbus and Schulenberg, Tx. These are in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ammansville. This church and the other 3 in this area along with one in Plantersville are called the Painted Churches because of their elaborately painted interiors done by Czech and German immigrants back in the early 1900's when they settled in Texas.

Silhouette

2011-10-20T09:13:00.003-05:00

I like the way this angel is silhouetted against the blue sky. I found her in a cemetery in LaGrange over the weekend.

Shopping!

2011-10-19T10:07:00.004-05:00

Meredith and I took a little time off from Sat -Tues. We did a little sight-seeing on the way to Austin, visited my sister and her family and then headed to San Marcos to the outlet centers to shop. As you can see we were quite successful in leaving quite a bit of money there. A day-and-a-half of non-stop shopping is about all I can do.

Unity

2011-10-06T17:47:00.002-05:00

We saw these Chinese umbrellas hanging from the center of The Pavillions, a center for shopping and entertainment in downtown Houston on our photowalk Sunday night.

Save a Life

2011-10-06T09:18:00.004-05:00

This is a departure from my usual photo posts but bear with me...
Today we all mourn the loss of one of the great men of our time, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers.
He was born to a single mother who chose life and adoption for her son rather than abortion. How different our world would be had her decision been abortion.
Abortion takes the life of a human being and every life, given by God is valuable. Every human conceived has a job to do in this world. Every life loss to abortion leaves a hole in the human race that can never be filled by anyone else.
The world owes Steve Jobs' birth mother and his adoptive parents a debt of gratitude for giving the world this man who has changed all of our lives for the better.
What will YOU do today to make the world a better place? I am making a donation to Houston Coalition for Life to help save lives by stopping abortion.

Red

2011-10-04T08:03:00.004-05:00

This is one of the photos I took during my recent Photowalk in downtown Houston at night as part of the Worldwide Photowalk that took places in 1000's of locations around the world on Oct 1-2. These awnings are part of the Hotel Icon, an old hotel that is currently undergoing some renovations. It is still open while they remodel.

For Two

2011-09-24T08:02:00.003-05:00

I found this clever sign while out photo-ing with Kay and Marilyn a couple of weeks ago. It was somewhere near LaGrange, TX

Isn't She Lovely...

2011-09-13T08:59:00.003-05:00

I found this angel in a cemetery in Rutersville, Tx. I heard a few days later that the town was evacuated because of the Bastrop Fire. I hope this angel survived.

Come In

2011-09-09T09:11:00.004-05:00

The door knob on the old Halsted Train Depot in Texas. It is now but a relic of the past.

Wind Power

2011-09-04T12:31:00.004-05:00

This windmill had no trouble turning yesterday as it was rather windy here in Texas. Windy, Hot and Dry. I took a Photo Day Trip with my 2 Flikr friends yesterday. We left Alvin at 5:30 a.m. and drove all around the area just south of LaGrange. It was a beautiful day as you can see from the gorgeous blue sky.

Long Tall Texans

2011-08-26T14:55:00.002-05:00

A shadow portrait of me and one of my sisters. I wish I was this skinny but then maybe if I was this tall I would be this skinny.

Caught

2011-08-24T07:18:00.002-05:00

As the drought continues in Texas, the trees are losing their leaves as if it were Fall.

Baby Feet

2011-08-19T07:12:00.001-05:00

...they speak for themselves

Bottoms Up!

2011-08-12T07:10:00.003-05:00

These 2 ducks were turning themselves upside down in the Hermann Park Reflection Pond yesterday and they looked like they were having fun but I'm sure they were simply looking for lunch in the shallow pond.

Cousins

2011-08-09T07:18:00.004-05:00

This is an old photo from about 1990 I guess. The middle one is my son Austin and on the left is Brian, right is Stephen. They were born within 4 months of each other and were good friends growing up.
Brian is married and lives in Hawaii while he serves in the Navy, Austin is married and works in Arlington, TX and Stephen, is a great trumpet player who works a regular job during the week in Houston and plays gigs on weekends. They have all truned out to be great men.

Skipper

2011-08-03T09:21:00.005-05:00

Since all of the stores are advertising school supplies in anticipation of the first day of school that is fast approaching, I reached way back into my archives (in fact this was on film) and found this photo of my daughter's very cooperative cat Skipper. Before he got old and onery, he used to allow us to pose him for pictures. I took this one for my classroom (8th grade Math) and the kids loved it. Doesn't he look like a genius? I have since retired and Skipper doesn't do photo shoots much anymore.

A Lake in the Forest

2011-07-29T07:35:00.001-05:00

The Angelina National Forest, that is. It is a beautiful pine tree forest located in East Texas.

Have you ever...

2011-07-25T06:32:00.004-05:00

seen a grave with hinges? Well this one is in the Greenwood Cemetery near Jasper, Tx. There were several in this cemetery with hinges attached to the concrete covering. We drove down a grass road through the woods for about 1/2 mile to find this very peaceful cemetery. This grave dated from the early 1900's.

The Answer

2011-07-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

Answer to "What is it?" from yesterday. It is a donkey behind a wood fence.
We found this pair in East Texas last weekend while wondering the back roads in search of great photos.

What is it?

2011-07-22T07:22:00.001-05:00

Look for the answer tomorrow.

I bet they are good

2011-07-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

We came across this cute sign while cruising the backroads of East Texas Sun morning. Unfortunately, Clyde wasn't home and so we weren't able to try any.

Old and New

2011-07-18T07:57:00.002-05:00

While out exploring East Texas with my 2 photo buddies this weekend I took this shot of a rusted iron fence in a cemetery with beautiful crepe myrtles in the background.

Seashells

2011-07-06T16:30:00.001-05:00

I was just playing around with some still life photography...

Long May It Wave

2011-06-29T19:22:00.001-05:00

Just Peachy

2011-06-27T08:20:00.003-05:00

My first ever fresh peach pie.

The recipe was Southern Livings' Brown Sugar-Cinammon Peach Pie.

It was as yummy as it looks.

Nature's Bounty

2011-06-22T07:50:00.001-05:00

While my sister has been out of town I have been allowed to pick her vegetables. I have picked 40 tomatoes in 2 days! Yummy

My First Okra!

2011-06-19T18:59:00.004-05:00

My sister, the gardener, gave me 4 okra plants this year. I planted them in a 5-gallon bucket and have watered them faithfully. Here is the reward, lovely flowers followed by okra. I've harvested 2 so far. A few more days and I might have 1 serving for myself.

A Good Place to be...

2011-06-15T15:52:00.001-05:00

when the temps are reaching 100 everyday.

Sittin' on the Seawall...

2011-06-09T09:16:00.002-05:00

watching the Bathing Beauty Contest in Galveston last month. this gentleman got into the early 1900's theme in his seersucker suit and straw hat.

Happy 3rd Birthday

2011-06-07T16:04:00.003-05:00

This is my great nephew John on his 3rd birthday. He is Mr. Personality +. When the pediatrician asked him at his 3-yr check up, "What is your Daddy's name?" he said, "Dad" and when asked his Mommy's name he said "Honey."
His Mom had better keep a close eye on this one he is so cute and friendly.

Ball of Hoses

2011-06-05T07:01:00.003-05:00

This giant ball made of various colored garden hoses is a sculpture and a fountain. We found this at a place called Industrial Country Market on Hwy 71 just outside of Columbus, Texas. It has a little of everything, a store, an art studio, a sculpture garden, greenhouse, etc, etc. If you are ever out in that direction, you should stop in and visit with the friendly folks who own and run this place. They operate completely off the grid using their own solar power and rain water. (and as dry as it is in TX right now, that is quite a feat!)

Hurricane Season

2011-06-01T07:10:00.005-05:00

Here on the Gulf Coast we spend the months of June-Oct watching the tropics for the next tropical depression or storm or hurricane. When one appears we always hope for a little rain but we also hope it will come ashore someplace besides our piece of the shore. And so, today, June 1, the watch begins, will this be the year we get "the big one"?

P.S. I have no idea who this family is, they were on the beach in Galveston a couple of weeks ago.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T06:44:00.003-05:00

I found this tombstone in a cemtery around Smithville, Texas. The cemetery is out in a pasture and I'm sure oft forgotten. Mr. Hall served in the First World War. I thought the round marker (see close-up in next photo) was interesting.
You see it says he is a World War Veteran, not WWI or WWII, just World War. At the time of the first World War no one thought there would ever be a need to number them. I'd like to thank Mr. Hall and my Dad(WWII) and all of the others veterans of all the other wars for keeping our freedoms safe.

Iris

2011-05-28T06:53:00.003-05:00

I know, real creative title, anyway, I came across this beautiful Iris while exploring the Lexington Cemetery on my Kentucky trip. One of my uncles is buried there.

A Simpler Time

2011-05-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

I think this is my favorite photo from my trip to Kentucky. I took this in Shaker Village of an old buggy parked in the covered area by a barn.

Choose Your Bat

2011-05-22T07:04:00.002-05:00

This display is in the museum at the 21C hotel in Louisville. It is a hotel with a museum in the lobby.

Window to the Past

2011-05-19T06:56:00.004-05:00

This was the view out one of our windows during our overnight stay at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. What a peaceful place for some R&R.

Beautiful Countryside

2011-05-17T14:24:00.005-05:00

I have just returned from a week in Kentucky visiting the places I visited as a kid when we would go to see my Dad's family. It was as beautiful as I remember. The fact that they had had so much rain helped all of the flowers to be in full bloom, especially the roses and peonies and irises. This is the view from the top of the hill where St. Rose Church sits near Springfield, Ky. My grandparents and other relatives are buried in the beautiful cemetery there.

Closed

2011-05-03T07:13:00.001-05:00

One of many wrought iron gates we found in Charleston

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T07:27:00.000-05:00

Grand Entrance

2011-04-20T08:58:00.002-05:00

One of the plantation homes we visited near Charleston.

Gone Fishin'

2011-04-17T15:13:00.002-05:00

This grandpa told me he thought he had found the best way to babysit. I had to agree.

A Peek Inside

2011-04-14T10:22:00.001-05:00

Viburnum

2011-04-12T06:54:00.002-05:00

This is another photo from the Dallas Arboretum. These bushes were over 8 feet tall and were absolutely covered with these beautiful blooms.

Let's Meet for Coffee

2011-04-07T07:01:00.003-05:00

Taken on a side street in Charleston, SC a couple of weeks ago.

Azaleas

2011-04-06T13:35:00.002-05:00

These azaleas were such a bright color--almost orange. I had never seen this color before.

Flower Time

2011-04-04T07:34:00.003-05:00

Meredith and I took a trip to Arlington this weekend to visit Austin and Cat. On Sat we all went to the Dallas Arboretum to see the display of tulips. Although the tulips were on their way out, there were still many gorgeous blooms to behold. The azaleas, viburnum and others flowers were in full bloom so we were not disappointed. I think this little candy-striped one was my favorite.

What's wrong with this picture

2011-03-30T19:50:00.004-05:00

As I was coming out of the store across the street, the city worker was just finishing putting up the sign on the left so I paused to read it. I was so glad that I had my point-and-shoot camera in my purse. April 28-12--What? It took me awhile to figure out where the professional sign maker had gone wrong. The handmade sign on the right is the clue. (You may need to enlarge the photo to read it clearly). I just hope that the professional sign was donated and that they did not use any of my tax money to pay for it. I noticed today that someone has attempted to fix the error with a Sharpie marker.

Camelia

2011-03-25T07:56:00.001-05:00

The camelias at the plantations near Charleston come in many varieties and they were all beautiful.

Magnolia Gardens

2011-03-24T07:48:00.004-05:00

I visited Charleston, SC last week and made a trip out to the Magnolia Gardens Plantation for a tour. It was beautiful but give it a couple of weeks and it will be gorgeous. The azaleas were just beginning to bloom but there were lots of camelias and wisteria to see. The city of Charleston is so full of history and historic buildings. It was fun to explore and of course we made the trip out to Ft. Sumter too.

A Day in the Park

2011-03-17T07:21:00.004-05:00

A trip to Discovery Green yesterday provided all kinds of entertainment. Houston Ballet Academy was there to perform, millions of kids were there since it is Spring Break, of course the standard playground was popular for my great-neice and nephew who were with me. On the more unusual side of "fun" was our trip across the street to the convention center. My neice, who is 8, just wanted to cross the street. so we did and the George R. Brown convention Center is on the other side so we went in and rode the escalator up and looked out to see the park across the street.
You see, neither her or my nephew (he's 10) had ever had to cross a street with a walk/don't walk signal. for them that was an adventure.

Wildlife

2011-03-13T07:46:00.005-05:00

Even though I have lived only about 40 minutes from Brazos Bend State Park since it's opening in 1984, I had never been for a visit. That is until Friday when one of my photo buddies and I went out to take pictures of the wildlife. This park is famous for an abundance of birds, alligators, turtles and snakes.
Thank goodness we did not come across any of the snakes! The reflections in the black swampy waters were amazing as you can see with the turtle above.

And, yes we did get to see several alligators. This was the biggest guy we saw. He was about 8 feet long and he had chosen to sun himself along the road we needed to walk along. We were only about 25 feet from him and trust me we did not get any closer than absolutely necessary to pass by him. He never moved. The Park Ranger who happened by told us it was okay to pass him and these alligators are very accustomed to humans in their world. My thought was, just becasue they have never attacked a human, doesn't mean they never will, and I did not want to be the first.

Still, though, what a terrific opportunity to see this magnaficent creature up close in his habitat.

Safe Landing

2011-03-08T07:21:00.003-06:00

I was driving past the sky diving facility a few miles from my home and noticed they were just finishing with the last jumps of the day so I stopped to snap a few pics with the point-and-shoot I carry in my purse.

Purple Wildflowers

2011-02-27T07:33:00.002-06:00

I like these little purple wilflowers with this old barn in the background. I found these in East Columbia last week.

Yellow

2011-02-24T19:59:00.002-06:00

While exploring the tiny town of East columbia with my 2 photo buddies last weekend we found a bed of daffodils. Of course I had to take the picutre.

Final product

2011-02-21T07:20:00.005-06:00

Well, there are still 4 drawer fronts missing but they should be installed this week.

And, I found barstools for only $25 each at Target yesterday. Since I had not found any others that I was in love with, I figure for $25 each these will be just fine and will allow me to continue looking over the next year. Or maybe, with the $$ saved, I will be able to afford that stainless refrigerator sooner.

Jumping for Joy

2011-02-17T16:29:00.004-06:00

Finally, things went well today. No new pictures but when I got home from teaching GED, all workers were gone, touch-up painting was done, fence was repaired, formica is repaired, garage is clean, all drawer pulls are on and did I mention, there were no strangers in my house (huge sigh of relief).

All that is left is to get 4 drawer fronts (which apparently were never made), replace white outlet covers with stone ones and have the glass installed.

I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and then moving into my new kitchen and cooking dinner tomorrow night. No more sandwiches, cold cereal and microwave meals for this girl for awhile! When everthing is put back in place, I will post some final images.

Thanks to all for hanging with me these last 6 weeks and keeping me encouraged when things got rough.

Try, Try Again

2011-02-16T20:43:00.008-06:00

Well, they tried again to correct problems with the formica but each time they correct a problem, they manage to create a new one. I am NOT giving up! Today the crew showed up at 4 to install hardware and caulk and fix other problems. At 8:15 when they were done with the formica and I went to see, I found more problems with the edge of the formica. I pretty much lost it and asked them to leave and I would discuss it with the boss tomorrow. I'm afraid that by the time they get this right, it will have cost them almost as much as granite. At least it isn't costing me anymore.

On a happier note, the carpenter did get the cabinet doors installed today as you can see in the photos below and most of the hardware is on. We need longer screws in order to finish. The stove is also finally installed properly and yes, I know I need to take off the protective plastic but I don't dare until the job is finished.

On the right of this last photo you can see where a drawer front is still missing. Actually 4 of them are MIA but the hunt is on. Soon this will all be an unpleasant memory and I WILL have a new kitchen.
Time for a good night's sleep.

Last of the Incomplete Kitchen

2011-02-15T18:59:00.006-06:00

At least, that is my hope and that is what I have been promised. Not much has happened since the touch-up paint on Sat. They have been painting the cabinet doors for almost a week. It takes a long time since there are 36 doors and 18 drawer fronts and you can only paint one side at a time. Also, believe it or not, the cold weather has slowed things since they are taking longer to dry.
But, tomorrow is the day they finish everything! Well, almost everything. The glass for the doors in one cabinet will have to be ordered once the doors are in place, but that is minor. Below is a picture of the lazy susan for my pots and pans...

And here is the famous appliance lift for my food processor, put away in the cabinet and...

lifted up so you can use the food processor. There is a plug in the back of this cabinet so that it can stay plugged in all the time. This is going to be great!

I sincerely hope that the next pictures I post will be a completed kitchen with doors and knobs and pulls.

Not much new

2011-02-11T07:11:00.003-06:00

I didn't post yesterday as not much happened and as you can see it appears we are moving further backwards with a bigger hole in the tile but in order to fix it they had to square up the whole. Hopefully they will be here today to replace the tile. Also, what you can't see in a picture is that most of the formica was replaced yesterday--a 9 hour process--and this time is looks like it will hold. The last attempt included cracks and bubbles and marred finishes.
The cabinet doors have arrived and are being painted but with freezing temperatures, the drying process is slow so it will most likely be Monday before they can be installed. Oh, well, I have learned to wait.

Two steps forward...

2011-02-08T18:32:00.005-06:00

...one step back. today they installed the lazy susan and the appliance lift and the light over the penninsula (isn't it pretty). I guess that is 3 steps forward

But, as you can see below, they took out part of the tile to move the misplaced outlet for the stove that I told you about yesterday. Tomorrow more tile will have to bite the dust so they can do the sheetrock repair and then replace the tile. Thursday the formica is being replaced and hopefully the cabinet doors will appear. We have been calling for a week and can't seem to find them. Actually we know where they are and that they are most likely finished but they need to be delivered so they can be painted and installed.

Appliances...almost

2011-02-07T19:36:00.003-06:00

It is the beginning of week #5 and I am officially tired of cooking in the bathroom and having numerous guys in my house all day. It is time for this project to be done. As you can see I almost got appliances today. Everything is installed except the stove. Even though I bought and had it delivered before construction began, not one of the people on this project ever opened the box to see how it fit in the space. It does fit in the space, thank goodness, but the carpenter didn't know it would need a piece of countertop behind it. The tile guy put one too many rows of tile in that space and the electrician thought it would have a panel at the back that would be in front of that plug you see near the bottom of the tile. Soooo, tile guy has to remove about 20 tiles so electrician can cut a hole in the wall to put in a new longer wire so the plug can be lowered and the carpenter has to build a little bridge between the two sides. But, as my sisters keep reminding me, there is nothing they can't fix. I have caught and headed off some problems but I can't catch them all. After discovering yet another crack in the formica, it is all being replaced except for the piece on the penninsula. So in a day or so my kitchen will look like it is torn up again but only for a few hours I hope. I know the general contractor is ready to be through with this job but he has been so busy with other jobs that he has depended on his "guys" to take care of this one and without him on site more, I think it is going to cost him some of his profit.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I get to be the one to inform the tile guy and the carpenter of the errors they need to fix. Tile guy will take it in stride, but I think the carpenter may be a bit cranky.

Weekend Break

2011-02-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

My daughter and I braved the Texas icy weather to make a trip to see my sister in Austin this weekend. We left at noon Friday after some of the ice had a chance to melt off the roads and made it to Austin safely. They still had a little snow on the ground there. Sat. and Sun. were gorgeous weather and we had fun prowling estate sales and resale shops.
I left the crew working on the house this weekend and came home to find most of the painting completed and the under cabinet lighting installed. I love the way all the lighting looks, especially in the evening. I also have a sink again and tommorrow my new appliances should be installed.

Backsplash is in.

2011-02-03T15:01:00.003-06:00

They put in the stone tile backsplash today. It will look even better when it is grouted and sealed. Also, I found these nice glass cannisters at Hobby Lobby this week. I bought 2 large ones (one shown here) and 2 small ones. The lid is silver with a pineapple on top. I think they will look beautifull lined up on this counter. Next we need some cabinet doors and for the painters to return and cleanup all the paper and plastic and do the touch-ups.

Progress

2011-02-02T18:55:00.003-06:00

We made some progress today. The counter tops are done and the hole for the sink is cut. I think this area in front of the big window is going to be my favorite work space--lots of natural light and no upper cabinets to get in the way. Backsplash tomorrow.

Frustrating Day

2011-02-01T18:38:00.003-06:00

Well, it finally happened. Everything has gone so smoothly with the remodel that it was bound to come to a crashing halt at some point and today was the day. I called the shop at 10 a.m. and asked who was coming to work today and when. The secretary told me that the formica guy would be here, he was on his way. Well, that didn't happen. I called again at noon, she would call them and call me back. Nothing. At 2 I called again, this time I am not being real nice anymore. She say she will call him and find out what is going on. fianlly at 3 the guy calls me and says he is getting the formica and is on his way. He got here at 4. Of course, the guys are blaming the secretary and she is blaming them, who knows. Talk about a wasted day. They worked til 6:30 and said they would be back at 8 a.m. I will believe it when I see them. The thing is, the tile guy is ready to do the backsplash tomorrow but can't start until the formica is down. The contractor's claim that it would be done by Thurs is obviously not going to happen. This is my 4th week without a kitchen and I've handled quite well until today. I just hate being left hanging and for it to happen twoard the end of the job when you are anxiuos to be done is the worst.
Anyway, here is what the formica looks like. It is a very deep brown granite-looking pattern. This piece is just roughly fitted.Here is what it looks like with the floor and cabinet color And here is another view. I think it is going to look very nice. Maybe by tomorrow evening there will be completed countertops and a partial backsplash to show off.

New Floor

2011-01-31T18:14:00.003-06:00

This is what I had at the end of the day Saturday and what I woke up to this morning. Paint is done but we still have a mess.And, this is what I had by 2:00 today. cleaned up a bit (although the painters still have some cleaning to do) and a new floor! the end is in sight but it wll be next week before it is all done. Hopefully I will have countertops tomorrow--stay tuned.

Progress you can see

2011-01-28T16:27:00.004-06:00

For the last 2 days not much has happened that you could see. They caulked and caulked and caulked some more. Today they started painting. This is the primer and tomorrow they spray on the color which is just off-white. they tell me that Mon, Tue and Wed will be Formica, flooring, backsplash and appliances and sink. I promise lots of pictures! We are all hoping that the cabinet doors will be delivered Mon so they can be painted and installed.

It is close to the end and I am not going crazy yet. In fact I even cooked dinner for myself, my daughter and my sister on Wednesday. We had chili cheese dogs for supper. I teased about having given a dinner party out of my bathroom kitchen. How elegant!

Not much happening

2011-01-26T19:21:00.004-06:00

Well today was a slow day. Painters came this morning and spent a couple of hours caulking before they were pulled back to their original job (the one they got rained out on Monday) so no painting happened. The entrance hall is a little side project they are doing for me and they got the crown molding in place today so it can be painted along with the kitchen.

Tonight my sister Linda came and changed out the ceiling fixture in the entrance hall for me and stayed for dinner. Yes, I cooked dinner in my mini kitchen for her and for Meredith. We had chili-cheese dogs and iced tea. Very yummy. Who would have thought you could have a "dinner party" out of that mini-kitchen.

Since I don't have a new kitchen picture today I thought I'd share another one from the Antique Center of Texas. I thought this collection of glasses looked sort of like a field of flowers.

Ready for paint

2011-01-25T20:00:00.004-06:00

The cabinets are trimmed out and ready for paint. They look very nice and the doors have been ordered. The one you see in this first picture without any shelves will have adjustable glass shelving and glass front doors for the top part and solid doors on the bottom. All the other doors will be solid. The arches above the windows were originally more ornate, but I decided to go with simple and that, in part, is how I am getting a full stone tile backsplash. I don't have much paintable wall in the kitchen which is kind of unfortunate since I really like the paint color (it matches my sofa) but I wanted cabinets everywhere. The only walls are here around the door to the garage and around the windows. Originally the backsplash was to be painted and that would have looked beautiful, but I think the tile will be much more scrubbable and sensible.

A Very Busy Day

2011-01-24T19:44:00.003-06:00

The house was a beehive of activity today. Sheetrockers, carpenter, painters, Formica guy, and the boss were all here at one time or another today. I left to get my hair cut and came back an hour later to find the blue plastic wall is gone. Yippee, now I can see what is going on. This is what I had before lunch...By this afternoon, the plywood for the countertops was in, the walls were all primed and the living room and kitchen ceilings were painted as well as the touch up on the living room walls.This is what the entrance hall looks like right now. I have to climb around/over a chair to get into the office to use the computer. They also painted this ceiling before they moved furniture into here out of the living room. Tomorrow we get to put the living room furniture back as much as possible and finish the wall paint and hang the last 2 cabinets. Also, the door guy is coming to measure for the cabinet doors. They tell me it should all be done by the end of next week.
A bit more good news, I am going to be able to have stone subway tile for the entire backsplash instead of having it only behind the stove. Saved a little money be redesigning the vent hood and window arches so now I get a full tile backsplash.

It looks like a kitchen!

2011-01-21T16:28:00.005-06:00

I will not lack storage or counter space in this kitchen. I will have 18 drawers and that doesn't count the pull out shelves in the pantry. The sink goes below the small window, then the dishwasher, and the stove on the far wall. Benneath the large window will be the appliance lift and built-in microwave.Below is from the stove looking into the living room (which is blocked by the blue tarp still). The tall cabinet on the left is my 24 inch deep pantry with 3 drawers below and 3 pull-out shelves above. There is still a glass front display cabinet to be set on top of the peninsula on the far right. The fridge fits next to the pantry and the box ther is the cabinet above the fridge. The extra drawers sitting around go in the lower pantry.

Looking like a kitchen

2011-01-21T12:07:00.005-06:00

My new cabinets arriving on the trailer--yippee!

And, the first 2 are set into place. It is beginning to look like a kitchen again. It will take the rest of today and most of Monday to get all of them installed. I can't wait to share more photos as the work continues.

Kitchen update

2011-01-20T06:18:00.005-06:00

One last look at the holey kitchen.The electrician put in 1000 feet of new wiring (yellow) and also a whole new electrical panel. All these neatly placed wires lead to the new panel outside.The sheetrock is done--no more hole in the walls and ceiling except where lights and plugs will go. Today they will come and texture everything and then we let it dry and bring in first cabinets tomorrow.I'm looking at this picture thinking that far wall does not look big enough for a stove and a cabinet on either side but trust me it is big enough. The length of that wall is 9 feet.

Sheetrock today!

2011-01-19T06:22:00.003-06:00

Starting around 8 this morning they are going to be closing all the holes in my walls and ceiling. It will surely increase the energy efficiency of my heater. Once the sheetrock is finished, the cabinets can begin to go in. No new pictures of the kitchen so here is another one that I took at the Antique Center of Texas on Saturday.

Kitchen Update

2011-01-17T19:57:00.003-06:00

Not much happened today. I actually had a few hours to run errands, be home alone and get a nap today. That was very nice.

It should be inspected tomorrow morning and then we can begin the sheetrock. The contractor thinks we might have cabinets on Fri. --very exciting.

As for today's photo, here is one I took at the Antique Center of Texas in Houston on Saturday. Raggedy Ann--everyone's friend.

There was an old lady...

2011-01-16T19:59:00.005-06:00

who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly...

This is a first grader's version of that old lady. You can see the fly, inside of the spider, inside of the bird, inside of the cat. This project was done by one of the first grade classes at the elementary school in my neighborhood. They were all so cute but this is one of my favorites. They were drawn with sharpie marker and then painted with water colors.
If you have never heard this poem/song, you can search it on the internet to read it in its entirety.

No new pics of the kitchen project today and not much happening for the next couple of days due to the holiday and waiting for the inspection of the electrical work. Cabinet maker has some of the cabinets ready though and maybe by Friday some will be roughed in.

Electrical Graffitti

2011-01-14T19:53:00.004-06:00

This is what I found on the wall after the electrician left today. I have absolutely no idea what it means, maybe he was teaching a class and this was his white board. I also found this one below after day 1 of the job.
In electric world it means put 3 switches here and make one of them a 3-way switch to control the ceiling lights and the other 2 will control the under-cabinet lighting.

In homeowner land it means this kitchen remodels are very costly!

Disappearing Walls

2011-01-14T06:26:00.001-06:00

A few days ago I showed that my kitchen was gone. Well, now so are most of the walls. I thought I could describe it as looking like swiss cheese but I think there is not much cheese left, only holes, especially on the left wall.

The Blue Wall

2011-01-13T08:38:00.003-06:00

Not much to show today. The electricians are hard at work on the other side of this wall that now separates my living room and kitchen. I had no idea how much electrical work would be involved--almost 3 days worth! It is going to be a VERY well-lit kitchen--yea! An early morning call to the cabinetmaker and he will be here shortly for one last last-minute redesign. The microwave placement is not right and I am losing sleep over it so it will have to be changed. I'm sure it will cost me some $$$ but better that than having to live with something that is just not quite right.