tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210109599486640032024-03-12T23:37:48.702-05:00Our Acreage AdventureDaily adventures of a Chicago suburban family transplanted to rural IowaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-10320930112700611412017-03-21T16:28:00.003-05:002017-03-21T16:28:42.771-05:00The Battle of the Three "R"sWe are just over a year into our 1954 Canned Ham Trailer remodel. It's starting to feel like an episode of "Grand Designs". (If you haven't checked it out, "Grand Designs" is a fabulous British TV show about self-builders. Season 1 is now on Netflix!) In pretty much every episode, the naive homeowner has a unrealistically small budget and and even more ridiculous time frame. Build a whole house in 9 months with 300 pounds? Sure! Why not!?! 2 years later and 600 pounds in the hole the home is done and the show is over. <br />
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Thankfully, our little "Grand Design" is on a much smaller scale money-wise but our original plan of having it done last Labor Day was hysterically unrealistic. At this point, we are about $1000 in and have just finished getting the main shell of it back together. Our main huddle to get to this point is just having enough of a full weekend to get work done. This has not been a project that we can put in 1-2 hours and walk away then easily come back. It's needed FULL days of undivided work which is pretty much impossible with 3 kids. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A year of work- walls and framing done</td></tr>
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So, to get us back on track, we created a calendar that gets us finished in June. We have already altered our calendar several times, trying to decided what order of operations most makes sense but we are getting there. Our walls, floor and framing have all been replaced so we are now on to building the furniture. So here, we get to the three "r"s. Do we Renovate, Restore or Replicate? <br />
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My definitions of the three in the context of this project:<br />
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<b>Renovate: </b>Use the shell and restore, modernize, overhaul the rest. (Think of the <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/08/our-kiddos-get-best-space-in-house.html">bathroom</a> we renovated in our Decorah house. We tore it to the studs and built everything new on top of that, totally changing the layout, fixtures, etc)<br />
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<b>Restore: </b>Take what is already there and fix it up. Return it to it's original condition. (Take old carpeting up and restore the hardwood floors under back to their original- or close to condition).<br />
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<b>Replicate: </b>Make an exact copy. (Like when "This Old House" takes a piece of existing molding, creates a mold of it and makes a cast to then replace this missing portion).<br />
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When we set out on this adventure a year ago, we had every intention of replicating the original design where it was still present. We carefully took measurements and drew outlines of old cabinets and shelves planning on making copies since the original wood was too moldy to use. Fast forward a year later and we are a lot less interested in making exact replicas of the original trailer. Vintage trailer enthusiasts are going to have our heads but at the end of the day it's our trailer and our project. <br />
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Many things contributed to this decision including time and money but a lot of it came down to supplies. When you work on a project for such a long time, luan that once was $5 a sheet and at the local hardware store is now no where to be found, the closet match an hour away for $25 a sheet. So unmatched luan which makes up the interior walls and ceiling of the entire trailer forced us to rework our original plan and make adjustments. Such is life. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right side wall out of original luan; ceiling curving to back wall in new, lighter luan</td></tr>
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This mind flop from replication over to renovation then took us on our never-ending search for supplies and design ideas which took us to every home improvement, restore, and building supply store in the entire Portland area... much to our children's dissatisfaction. <br />
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And husbands.<br />
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On top of potty training the littlest one, I don't know how we've made it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make your own port-a-potty in the back of the car!</td></tr>
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So, after several months of searching, looking at paint colors and debating bed layouts, I think we finally have settled on a design. Good thing because if we had made the kids look at flooring options anymore we would have had a mutiny on our hands- no matter how many donuts we bribed them with.<br />
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Here is our "final" design plan.<br />
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We <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2016/02/rehabbing-trailer-dining-benches.html">reupholstered</a> the front benches last winter so the fabric there was our jumping off point for everything else. Next step was deciding what cabinet wood to paint and what to leave wood- after our luan debacle which caused us to decided to paint the side walls, we decided it would make sense to paint most of the wood so it blends in with the walls better. We are restoring the old, original turquoise stove so we have picked a great, dark blue for the kitchen cabinetry, "Approaching Storm" by Glidden.<br />
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The side walls will be painted white which will showcase the beautiful luan that wraps over the ceiling. Picking white might be the hardest thing around but after much contemplation, I settled on "Sleek White" by Behr which is nice and warm but doesn't show too yellow like others did.<br />
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Finally, the flooring decision. We had originally settled on beetle kill blue pine. <br />
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We found this stuff at a local building supply resupply and fell in love. Beetle kill pine is a result of a beetle epidemic in which the beetles bore through the trees, eventually killing them. The trees have these beautiful blue streaks running through them, making them perfect for unique home projects. Unfortunately, once we did the math on the wood plus other supplies for laying hardwood we were at $300. A little pricy for our trailer project. <br />
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"Grand Designs" and "This Old House" to the rescue again. As we were driving to yet another hardware store to look at linoleum yet again, when I remembered a technique where you paint on top of concrete then throw paint flakes over to give a polished concrete, kind of vintage linoleum effect. This is usually used on basement or garage flooring but why not our little trailer? Lightweight, fast application, easy clean and cheap? Sounds perfect to me. $50 later and we are in business. We chose Behr's 1-Part Epoxy Concrete and Garage Floor Paint tinted in Pacific Fog with <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-Granite-Paint-Color-Flakes-Actual-Net-Contents-10-fl-oz/3850787">Valspar's Paint Flakes</a> in Granite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample of grey flooring before flakes are added with white wall color</td></tr>
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Finally, design in place, we are now painting the walls and floor and then building cabinetry for the kitchen, back beds and front dining area. Hopefully, we will starting making some more visible progress soon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side wall painted white</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooring prepped for paint</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-78269566342294194682016-11-08T13:42:00.001-06:002016-11-08T13:42:22.005-06:00Mr. Tall Dark and HandsomeMeet the newest addition to our house- Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome.<br />
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Meow.<br />
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One of the perks of renting has been having the time to do a little furniture updating. Though we are constantly busy with three kids, work and slowly restoring our vintage trailer, we have crammed in a few minor projects. Most of our major furniture was purchased when we were first married, 11 years ago. After a decade of living, many pieces needed updating for obvious reasons (you can only flip the couch cushions so many times) and other pieces have just outgrown us, size wise or style wise. <br />
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One of the ways our style has changed is wanting some custom and eclectic pieces around our house. When living in Decorah, I discovered this amazing shop in Chatfield, Minnesota, Adourn which had antique furniture updated with modern paint and fabric. A love connection was found and ever since, I have tried to get my hands on as many furniture rehab projects I can. So, when E had outgrown her dresser, I was ready to jump at the chance to give an old piece some love.<br />
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I have little patience or time for thrift store or garage sale shopping, though this is probably the best way to really get a steal. I found my gem instead in a local antique mall. As soon as I turned the corner, the high dresser spoke to me. <br />
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Two doors reveling two drawers (one even with drawer dividers perfect for unmentionables) with three lower doors, perfect for a grade-schooler's budding wardrobe. <br />
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The dresser had a few obvious places of wear that would need fixing but Andy gave the ok so I brought it home. Thankfully, it was love at first sight for E too. <br />
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When buying old furniture, give the piece a good work-over before purchase. Some things that I look for: <br />
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<ul>
<li>Do the drawers/doors open and close easily and correctly? </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Take out all the drawers. Look for anything broken on the drawers then look in the dresser. What kind of support is inside? If you are planning to store heavy things or put something heavy on top (like a TV), all drawer openings should be separate "boxes". When I take the drawers out of this particular dresser, it is just a big, open box. I was ok with this for this use but when I bought an antique dresser for a TV stand, I made sure it had completely closed areas where the drawers were to give more support.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Check the sides of the drawers. How are the drawers joined? Dovetail joints are usually an indication of good craftsmanship.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Lift the piece. Is is heavy for what it looks? A light piece often indicates cheap wood (fiberboard, etc).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Do you like the hardware? Hardware is easy to change, but can be pricey.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Do you like the color/finish? If it is painted and you want stain, stripping paint is time consuming and can be pricey if you use liquid strippers (and can also take years off your life with the fumes!)</li>
</ul>
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In most cases, many of these things are not necessarily deal-breakers if you truly love a piece but are things that you should be aware of, especially to foresee the work and cost that will be involved with rehabbing your new piece. The knowledge can also often help you negotiate a better price.<br />
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I knew I was getting into a pretty extensive rehab with this dresser and even then ran into additional things that ended up needing fixing. Thankfully, I keep Andy chained in the garage to help me with this upsets.<br />
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First order of business was to sand the dresser down. I knew I was going to paint the dresser so I just needed to get a couple of layers of old paint off and make sure everything was nice and smooth. Where I was able to, I used an orbital sander and in corners I used a sheet of sandpaper and elbow-grease.<br />
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Once sanded, I filled any holes with wood filler and tightened up all the drawers with wood glue and Andy's serious assortment of clamps. Luckily, the shell of the dresser was in pretty good shape but all of the drawers needed to be reglued at the joints.<br />
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I chose Behr's "Little Black Dresser" for the final color. It is a slightly off-black which I thankfully was able to talk E into since I thought it would look great with her pink walls and I'd been dreaming of a black dresser with brushed brass accents for a while. Turns out, black paint is kind of a bitch to do because it shows every single dust speck that inevitably lands on it during the process. Thankfully, I finally got it painted with a few coats of flat paint and love how it looks. I painted the sides of the drawers with a bright pink for a little surprise.<br />
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To add some flair, I decided to stencil on a flower design on both sides of the dresser. I wanted to make the dresser a bit girly but also make it easy to change when E inevitably turns thirteen and doesn't want flowers and fairies all over her room anymore. I considered doing wallpaper on the sides but vetoed this in the end because it would have been harder to change.<br />
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I found a stencil I loved at <a href="http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/collections/floral-pattern-stencils/products/spring-rose-blossoms-wall-stencil">royaldesigns.com</a> but didn't want to wait for the shipping and had a hard time shelling out $40 for a stencil. So, I ran to Michaels and found one I liked just as well. Using some stipple brushes and a coral, pink and off-white paint, I gave it a test run. Disaster. The size of the flowers were way too small for such a large space and the hard stipple brushes were a nightmare. <br />
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Back to the drawing board... or in my crazy case, make-your-own-stencil board. This is not my first adventure in <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/01/closeted-stenciler.html">homemade stencils</a>. I have actually done it several times now, all in the same round about way. At this point, Andy just goes out and buy me a sheet of stencil plastic knowing I will eventually just make my own.<br />
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Making a stencil is pretty darn easy. You can buy large, blank plastic sheet for stencils at a craft store. I then find a design I like, print it out and copy it onto the plastic using a thin, permanent marker. Using an exact-o knife, precision and patience, I cut out my marker lines, creating the perfect stencil. To make my life a bit easier, I made one large flower and a few leaves and decided I would hand paint some little flowers and leaves to fill in the spaces.<br />
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New stencil in hand, I used some stencil adhesive on one side to make the sheet sticky so it would stay on my dresser. I am not an expert on applying stencils yet- I have experimented with stipple brushes, foam brushes/roller and craft paintbrushes all with mixed results. In this case, I used a small craft brush since the flower and leaves were pretty small and applied 3-4 thin coats of paint. I still had a bit of bleed-through which I went back later with some black paint to cover.<br />
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After all the flower and leaves were stenciled on, I tried my hand at some free-hand flower buds (on a scrap piece of wood, of course!). Yeah, an artist I'm not as this was a disaster. So, I tested out a few other things until I finally came to the design I liked.<br />
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All dry, I applied three coats of satin polyurethane. <br />
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I hate this stuff. It is crazy annoying to put on, constantly trying to make sure it dries smoothly and doesn't drip (a fate I was unable to avoid). I prefer a satin finish for furniture but it does tend to show brush marks so you have to be careful to apply evenly. The type of poly that I bought doesn't require sanding in between coats but sanding is often required so read the directions first!<br />
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Finally done, I was able to screw on my fancy new hardware which I snapped up from CB2. <br />
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I was surprised at how high quality the knobs were for a really reasonable price. Some of my other go-to cabinet hardware stores are Cost Plus World Market (super cost efficient!) and Anthropologie (great for unique, eclectic pieces but can get super pricey if you need several knobs/handles). You can also check your friendly, neighborhood antique store and might get really lucky (remember, hardware can easily be spray painted to change the color/sheen!). Andy steered me toward a product- Thread Locker which you apply to the screw to keep your knobs from spinning loose.<br />
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Viola! Finished cabinet, perfect for my whimsical 6-year old!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-27388360690334675022016-07-07T15:51:00.001-05:002016-07-07T15:51:45.191-05:00Meet My Pod-HusbandHell has officially frozen over. Start betting on the Cubs because they are definitely winning the World Series this year. Pack up the kids and head to the country because the zombie apocalypse must be close. Andy is REUSING old material. He is using NAILS. Seriously people. The world is ending and this project has broken my husband.<br />
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Andy and I use holidays to jumpstart new projects or make leaps of progress in old ones. (See the <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/12/origin-story-kids-bedroom-remodel.html">kid's bedroom remodel</a> of Christmas break 2014). Andy had 4 days off of work for the 4th of July so we decided to buckle down and work, work, work on our vintage canned ham trailer. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our helpers ready to celebrate the 4th!</td></tr>
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After finishing <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2016/06/gidget-gets-new-floor.html">replacing the entire floor</a> over Memorial Day weekend, we were ready to move on. Cue in three weeks of discussions over what part to do next- walls or roof? After much discussion, we decided it made most sense to tackle the walls next. These old trailers are like jigsaw puzzles and I don't really think there is a "right" or "easy" way but depending on what you have to replace, you need to just make a decision and go with it. Andy leaned toward replacing the roof first to help with the overall structure of the trailer but I convinced him the walls were the way to go so we wouldn't be nailing a new roof on top of the walls which would later be replaced. After the weekend, we both agreed that we made the smart choice.<br />
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To replace the sides of the trailer, we first needed to add some interior support so the whole trailer wouldn't fall over when the side was removed. Andy added 2 support beams to hold up the roof and several triangle wedges to hold up the other side of the exterior wall.<br />
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Next step was to remove the exterior skin which is made of thin aluminum held on with a variety of million-year-old, rusty screws and nails. Like really mean, nasty nails that have a screw-like spiral shaft. Whoever thought of those didn't consider or care about someone ever having to remove them. Similarly to removing the metal on the front of the trailer, Andy and I used a catspaw, hammer, screwdriver and paint scrapper to remove most of the nails/screws. The catspaw is my new favorite tool, so much so that Andy had to run to the store to buy me one for myself. Flowers and chocolate aren't the way to this girl's heart... just bring me a catspaw and I'll be yours forever. <br />
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Most of the screws/nails came out with a variety of these tools. Each metal piece that came down was carefully labeled and set aside to later clean and put back on. Extremely stubborn nails were cut with a sawzall then pounded down or pulled out.<br />
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It took us about half a day to remove all the metal and windows on one side of the trailer. Once removed, Andy looked through the existing framing and declared he was just going to patch in the worst spots. People. This is pure insanity. I mean, this man has never saved a piece of anything during a building project in his entire life. "Patch it in"?!? It's seriously crazy talk. I murmured a "sure, sounds good" as I stared at my new pod-person husband. I mean, he looked ok. Still blond, big nosed with a constant whiff of lumber smell around him but he was NOT my husband. Heading inside to get my new pod-husband some sugar water, Andy spent the evening replacing a few boards of the frame, the worst of which was on the curved back bottom of the trailer. To get wood to curve, Andy cut framing boards down with the table saw into thin, long pieces then used a chop box to cut slices along the area that would be curved. This provides relief to the wood, allowing it to bend. Pretty amazing stuff.<br />
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Heading to bed that night with my new husband, we were suddenly awoken by a large gust of wind followed by a metal on metal crunching sound. Rushing to the window, Andy looks at our now bald trailer. Metal roof totally gone. Andy headed downstairs to survey the damage. Waiting upstairs, all I heard was chuckling. Cursing is one thing, but chuckling from Andy means things are really bad. Somehow, the entire metal roof was swept off the trailer, made a summersault in the air and fell directly into the pile of metal pieces we had painstakingly taken off the entire day before. Metal was strewn throughout the yard with several window frames crushed. <br />
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After spending months worked up about how we were going to get the roof off and how/where we would store it, a kamikaze gust of wind did it for us.<br />
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The next day, I was on metal-bending duty while Andy continued on the side of the trailer. With a metal brush, I cleaned all the small metal parts and window frames. <br />
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To rebend the frames that the roof had cruelly bent to hell, I used a hand seamer then a mallet to bang the frames back into shape. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy's tool box was the perfect shape and size to use as a template</td></tr>
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Worked like a charm! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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All the window frames then got 2 coats of silver spray paint.<br />
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That done, Andy and I took the interior paneling down, only one section at a time. The paneling was removed carefully (see my now claw hand after 4 days of using that catspaw and hammer to remove millions of nails) so we could trace the old panel onto new luan.<br />
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Here's where stuff got real weird. We started using a stapler attached to an air compressor to staple the luan into the framing. The thin luan just wasn't attaching to the framing so next thing I know, Andy has a hammer and nails in his hand. Perhaps to most, this isn't a sign that your husband is now a broken man but I'm tell you... Andy is now just a shell of his former stuff. Andy's hatred of nails rivals my hatred of rubber bands (just work in an archives and you will come to hate the nasty, rubber things that look like dried up worms stuck to paper after a short year or so). Any time I bring home a "new" piece of antique furniture, he grips for DAYS about the nails. So to see him now using a bucket of nails and a hammer is pure insanity. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who is this man?!?</td></tr>
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Four day weekend complete, we have a finished wall and are now about half-way done. with all the exterior work. <br />
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And I have a new pod-husband. Please help.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-27594929562909239172016-06-13T22:18:00.001-05:002016-06-13T22:18:52.928-05:00Gidget Gets a New FloorAfter two full weekends of hard work and clear skies, Gidget has a new floor. We will not pretend that any part of our work on our 1954 canned ham trailer will be a "restoration" project. This is full on replication. As we dig more and more into our little gem, we are shocked that it lasted as long as it did, held together mostly with spray foam and rusty, crooked nails. By the end of all of this, we expect the only original pieces left will include the metal skin, windows and stove.<br />
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A few months ago, we spent a weekend doing some <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2016/02/getting-to-restoration-of-gidget.html">basic interior demo</a> to prepare the trailer for it's eventual and inevitable exterior repair. In the months of rain, we measured all the cabinetry that came out to replace later, took apart and cleaned up every component of the Martha Washington stove and replicated the <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2016/02/rehabbing-trailer-dining-benches.html">two front benches </a>that fold into a bed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sneak peak of the new bench fabric</td></tr>
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Finally into gorgeous spring weather, we took advantage of a couple of free weekends with the promise of no rain and tackled the front wall. The biggest oddity in the way these trailers were constructed is you have to take them apart from the outside in just to replace any of the interior paneling. All of our interior paneling was rippled from decades of water and growing mold on top of mold so we knew going in that every wall would have to be replaced. <br />
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Manned with our favorite demo tools- a cat's paw, hammer, crowbar, drill and screwdriver- as well as the knowledge from many nights watching YouTube videos from the expert trailer guru at <a href="http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com/">http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com</a> we started in carefully removing the corner rails then metal exterior skin. Each wall of the trailer is supported by the adjoining wall so to maintain the structure, we only remove one section at a time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy not excited about all the flathead screws</td></tr>
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Under the skin, 1950s insulation, framing and paneling was revealed. <br />
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Once we carefully removed the window (which we will reinstall), we were able to remove the framing and paneling, leaving a large section we could then use to measure when we replicated and replaced with new wood. <br />
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Removing the front panel revealed the floor which kind of led into a long rabbit hole of thinking we could just replace small sections but then realizing it was better to just go ahead and replace the entire flooring. (We made this decision after I had already spent hours trying to peel crazy old linoleum off of plywood, grr). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing the linoleum with a Ridgid JobMax... this turned out unnecessary when we decided to replace the floor</td></tr>
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This was a slow process- not difficult but just time consuming to remove things slowly to maintain the original structure. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a circular saw to cut flooring into smaller sections to remove</td></tr>
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The floor has 5 layers: starting at the under carriage with the metal trailer frame, followed by soundboard, then wood framing, insulation and finished with plywood. All of this needs to be carefully measured, cut and tucked inside through the small front opening then fastened with carriage bolts. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original flooring section- the original didn't have insulation but we decided to add it</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every carriage bot needs to be removed from underneath- many needed to be cut off</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New soundboard and framing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New insulation</td></tr>
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We only replaced the front half of the floor on the first weekend because we were afraid that if we took all the flooring out the structure would be too flimsy. Once the front floor was replaced, we replicated the front paneling using 1/8" thick luan and 2x2 framing cut down into 1 1/4" to match the original framing. All this was screwed back into the side walls... that will eventually need to be unscrewed when we replace the rotted sidewalls. Super annoying but we don't know another way around it since you definitely can't take all the walls off at once as you would loose all the structure. As it was, to get the front panel screwed in, we had to push on one side while screwing the the other just to get it all straightened out again. <br />
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The next clear weekend, we did the exact same thing to the back half of the trailer first removing the exterior metal, framing and paneling then replacing the flooring. The back section was especially disgusting with sections of moss growing in the flooring as well as a new birds nest in the floorboards. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terrifying hole in floor covered with random pieces of plywood</td></tr>
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The back bar of the metal frame was so bent out of shape that after some waffling, we decided to replace it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old bar on left; new on right</td></tr>
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Really, Andy doesn't need much of an incentive to whip out his welding mask and at $12 for the metal was a cheap fix. <br />
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New bar welded on, the rest of the floor was replaced.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back half ready for insulation and plywood</td></tr>
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Gidget is happily sitting in our driveway now with a new floor. After 7 months of renting, we are all happy to have the cheerful hum of saws running again. We aren't getting too much into specifics here with these updates so please check out our favorite resource: <a href="http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com/">http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com</a> if you are tacking a similar project. Thankfully, we have our super helpers on the job with all our projects.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-91434347536262035262016-06-06T17:36:00.002-05:002016-06-06T17:36:18.786-05:00Mini Craft: Paper Triangle GarlandIt's 102 degrees and I'm staring at a beige wall. This ends now.<br />
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Typically, I like to "decorate" my walls with paint but since we are currently in a rental I am forced to be creative. Cue Pinterest.<br />
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After some searching and brainstorming, I settled on creating a garland from sewn together paper triangles. Paper found in the scrapbooking section of craft stores has a good weight to it- it's a little thicker but will still go through the sewing machine. Our usually color palette is blue/greens but I was drawn to a coral paper and decided to go with it! I settled on 3 coral shades, one gold with a pebble texture and a solid natural paper tone. <br />
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Once home with my purchase (which was less than $5), I perched myself under the fan with a paper cutter and House Hunters International and cut each paper into strips then back into triangles. A few episodes later, I had a ka-billion little paper triangles ready to go. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I measured my triangle angle and taped a guide on my paper cutter to make for much faster cutting</td></tr>
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While possibly daunting to someone intimidated by a sewing machine, the easiest part of this project was sewing the triangles together into strings. I just ran each triangle, point first through the machine and let the machine stitch a few empty stitches in between each triangle to give small gaps. Definitely doable for the beginner sewer.<br />
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I chose to sew the triangles into groupings of coral then gold but depending on the paper you choose, a more mixed up pattern could be really cool. I didn't think about it until I was totally finished, but the gold pebble paper I used only had the color on one side; the other side is white so in the future I would probably sew any single-sided paper back to back so you don't end up with one white side. <br />
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Garlands sewn, I was ready to hang. I experimented with a few options using blue painters tape to carefully and temporarily hold up my strands. Then, as it so rarely does nowadays, lightening STRUCK! I was hit with an idea to first hang a piece of wood from a slight overhang at the top of the wall. Lately, I've really liked the juxtaposition of using some natural woods mixed in with other elements. It was like kismet because we had some scraps that were the perfect size laying around outside from our trailer remodel. For the odd size lumber needed in the vintage trailer, Andy had to rip down the 2x2 boards we bought so I found a cut off about 1/4" thick. I used 4 eye hooks and clear fishing wire to hang the board from the ceiling. Dumb-dumb here stands on a ladder, suspending wood on a 100 degree day. I looked like a swamp monster by the time I had the board straight. <br />
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From there, I used the clear fishing wire to hang my garland. <br />
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Once I had one strand arranged on the wood, I decided I wanted to cross it over the doorway leading down the hall so I used a second strand for this part. To stick my garland to the other side of the doorway, I used sticky tack. For now, it will do but I kind of have a vision to put a hook that looks like a twig or something here for future garlands.<br />
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And now I'm obsessed. Don't know why I didn't think to do this earlier but it makes the space. I love how the triangles all have some movement with the air in the room that they seem to be dancing on the wall. <br />
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The suspended board was a stroke of genius and makes the whole look. I feel like I'm living in an Anthropologie. Now my mind is racing will all the possibilities. I'm thinking cascading raindrops in the spring, E has declared winter will be snowflakes. The possibilities are endless.<br />
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An afternoon of "work" and a $5 price tag. Pretty awesome in my book.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-80071225470145299172016-02-28T21:26:00.002-06:002016-06-12T20:35:10.982-05:00Rehabbing the Trailer Dining BenchesOur vintage trailer remodel is at the mercy of Portland weather. Last weekend, we did some <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2016/02/getting-to-restoration-of-gidget.html">minor demo </a>of the interior of our 1954 King Vintage Canned Ham trailer. At this point, we can either start replacing the floor and walls of the trailer or begin restoring/replicating interior cabinets, benches, appliances, etc. To work on the floor and walls, we will need to remove the exterior skin (metal part) of the trailer, exposing the interior to the elements so we need a full 2 day weekend of 100% clear skies. This weekend predicted a mixed bag of rain, clouds and wind- not a good set up for outside work so into the garage it was. <br />
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Andy began his weekend, carefully taking apart the old Martha Washington stove (more to come on this in a later post). I decided to begin tackling the two front dining benches that fold into a twin bed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining area table and benches. Table folds down and benches lay flat to make a twin size bed.</td></tr>
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I wasn't sure, going in, what I would be able to reuse and what I would have to rebuild so using a punch, hammer and pliers, I carefully removed the millions and millions of staples holding the upholstery to the frame. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back side of bench</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back fabric removed to reveal staple nightmare</td></tr>
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About half way through the first line of staples, Andy casually looks over from his table of stove pieces and comments, "Wonder when the family of mice will come running out." Dick. Now I am terrified but the work continues.<br />
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Under the upholstery and decades worth of mouse poop, padding covered well preserved springs. This springs were attached by even more staples but after careful excavation, I finally had one bench in pieces. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staples removed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H12fR_SIDkc/VtOxnPvz5xI/AAAAAAAAYTQ/CWhddN2dKJ0/s1600/IMG_5683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H12fR_SIDkc/VtOxnPvz5xI/AAAAAAAAYTQ/CWhddN2dKJ0/s320/IMG_5683.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springs which I labeled with blue painters tape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uYzGrvWXWw/VtOxoFfkG6I/AAAAAAAAYTU/-u69t3xsvWw/s1600/IMG_5684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uYzGrvWXWw/VtOxoFfkG6I/AAAAAAAAYTU/-u69t3xsvWw/s320/IMG_5684.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sinuous Springs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At this point, I decided to only take apart one bench at a time so if my careful labeling and pictures were confusing, I could look at the intact bench to get the whole thing back together again. Overall, the wood framing was in pretty good shape and I felt good about filling holes and sanding. Mr. Rain On My Parade, Andy glances over. "No, those are getting replaced." Grr.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rt6S6pU4xM/VtOxs3Ql2xI/AAAAAAAAYTw/PRct1hsNgkA/s1600/IMG_5694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rt6S6pU4xM/VtOxs3Ql2xI/AAAAAAAAYTw/PRct1hsNgkA/s320/IMG_5694.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Frames</td></tr>
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Off to Home Depot we go to get 5 2x2 boards to replace the bench frames (we went ahead and got materials to make new frames for both benches) as well as an assortment of hardware for the now-in-a-million-pieces stove.<br />
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Once at Home Depot, I had to begrudgingly admit that Andy was right when I saw the price tag for the 2x2s. $5 for new frames is well worth the price. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ti_QMQBzzu8/VtOxrO_GyUI/AAAAAAAAYTk/WY9vX9f_FAk/s1600/IMG_5688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ti_QMQBzzu8/VtOxrO_GyUI/AAAAAAAAYTk/WY9vX9f_FAk/s320/IMG_5688.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2x2 boards are 82 cents each</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c_0lQ88NcwA/VtOxqvvPaNI/AAAAAAAAYTg/2old0KDYDwI/s1600/IMG_5687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c_0lQ88NcwA/VtOxqvvPaNI/AAAAAAAAYTg/2old0KDYDwI/s320/IMG_5687.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Car carts are not made to cart serious supplies</td></tr>
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My task done, I entertained 3 wild animals in the hardware department while Andy tried to match 60 year old screws, nuts and washers. An enormously frustrating task. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mL6bnno-0HM/VtOxrqQazMI/AAAAAAAAYTo/gCw46mylFYA/s1600/IMG_5689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mL6bnno-0HM/VtOxrqQazMI/AAAAAAAAYTo/gCw46mylFYA/s320/IMG_5689.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My drivers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oveOcxShJiY/VtOxsDBbTBI/AAAAAAAAYTs/wq3FF1Uq2VE/s1600/IMG_5693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oveOcxShJiY/VtOxsDBbTBI/AAAAAAAAYTs/wq3FF1Uq2VE/s320/IMG_5693.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to find hardware</td></tr>
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Once home, we got to the task of cutting the 2x2s into lengths using the chop saw. Andy taught me a great tip for this: measure the first length and cut then use this board as your template for all other same-length cuts. This makes sure all your boards are a consistent measurement. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDvZR86Tfg4/VtOxtXu7qEI/AAAAAAAAYT0/53wARk4wbVY/s1600/IMG_5696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDvZR86Tfg4/VtOxtXu7qEI/AAAAAAAAYT0/53wARk4wbVY/s320/IMG_5696.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first cut board on top so I can measure the bottom board</td></tr>
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For the 2 benches, each with a seat and back, I cut 8 35" lengths, 4 20" lengths and 4 16" lengths.<br />
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Next step was to create a lap joint at all of the corners. A lap joint is a stronger joint since it gives you more surface area to connect with glue. Andy did this step for me on the table saw. Despite his excellent teaching, I am terrified of this saw and am a shorty-mc-shorterton who can't reach the length of the saw while keeping even pressure on the wood. If you'd like more information on how to set up a table saw for a lap joint, check out the video at the bottom of this post!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ1B-tjPybQ/VtOxu5pRueI/AAAAAAAAYT8/SI0LBp8Xi0c/s1600/IMG_5703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vQ1B-tjPybQ/VtOxu5pRueI/AAAAAAAAYT8/SI0LBp8Xi0c/s320/IMG_5703.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a lap joint on the table saw</td></tr>
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From here, we went to drill press to pre-drill holes into each corner.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-soIUDZrMRo4/VtOxvvot_4I/AAAAAAAAYUE/7Zn5uFTnl-4/s1600/IMG_5704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-soIUDZrMRo4/VtOxvvot_4I/AAAAAAAAYUE/7Zn5uFTnl-4/s320/IMG_5704.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Holes prepped, each board got glued up and screwed. <br />
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When making a 90 degree frame, it is incredibly important to make sure the corners are square. By measuring corner to corner diagonally, you can check the measurement and make any adjustments needed if the diagonal measurements are not the same before the glue dries.<br />
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Finally, Andy made two corner supports for each frame to put in opposite corners to keep the frames square.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--KYRtuEh6A8/VtO6O1r6F2I/AAAAAAAAYUY/mBuoAi05UA8/s1600/IMG_5707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--KYRtuEh6A8/VtO6O1r6F2I/AAAAAAAAYUY/mBuoAi05UA8/s320/IMG_5707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Glue dried, we are ready to put the old springs onto the new frames.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-87548400104454367532016-02-24T20:49:00.001-06:002016-06-12T20:36:35.911-05:00Getting to the Restoration of GidgetSo... looking back at that last time we posted, we are epic failures! We get asked constantly how we get so much work around the house done with 3 kids and the proof is in the puddin'. Sometimes it takes us a REALLY long time. <br />
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We bought our little <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/12/meet-gidget.html">canned ham trailer</a> at the beginning of December, excited to dig into some restoration. Flash forward 2 months and we haven't touched it. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z3XRBQyBgcQ/Vs4rSOcLI9I/AAAAAAAAYSU/AzXpiBhHgq8/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z3XRBQyBgcQ/Vs4rSOcLI9I/AAAAAAAAYSU/AzXpiBhHgq8/s320/IMG_2635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have no trepidation over this project, we just haven't had a good chunk of time to dig in. Honestly, we have been so awestruck by beautiful weather, which has lead us to some fantastic hiking in our new city. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTIfZX-lRdc/Vs4qY48CuDI/AAAAAAAAYRc/-bktCQxuc_A/s1600/IMG_5166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTIfZX-lRdc/Vs4qY48CuDI/AAAAAAAAYRc/-bktCQxuc_A/s320/IMG_5166.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Falls State Park</td></tr>
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Finally, last weekend we decided it was time to buckle down and dig into Gidget a bit. We have tons of home renovation knowledge but our trailer knowledge is zip so we have been referring to a really helpful site <a href="http://cannedhamtrailers.com/">cannedhamtrailers.com</a> for some information on process and what we might expect as we start to tear into this thing. The author of the site, Mobiltec is incredibly knowledgeable and a true restorer (really, to an extreme at times) but is THE resource for anyone doing this kind of restoration. <br />
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After consulting Mobiltec's videos, we learned that it is incredibly important to not just rip everything out at once- even if you plan to eventually replace/repair everything. These vintage trailers were originally built from the inside out so if you go into tearing it out from the inside out, you will be essentially screwed and not be able to get it back together again. The key is to work from the outside in, one side at a time. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TKRbccjwkwo/Vs4qgBrT_nI/AAAAAAAAYRg/LYwwlWAcRgA/s1600/IMG_5538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TKRbccjwkwo/Vs4qgBrT_nI/AAAAAAAAYRg/LYwwlWAcRgA/s320/IMG_5538.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of the day. Eager and not yet covered in mold spores. </td></tr>
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To prepare for this careful excavation and then restoration, our first step was to do some careful tear-out of some of the fixtures inside the trailer. You don't want to rip out floor to ceiling cabinets/walls at this point since these help with the overall structure of the trailer. We plan to reuse/rebuild what we can and copy what we can't, so we carefully documented and measured all pieces coming out. We ended up removing the dining benches, cabinet doors and hardware, light fixtures, the stove and kitchen base cabinet as well as the carpeting. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_zq_FLC5CY/Vs4qgvbJa6I/AAAAAAAAYRk/hUW1j4Y-Jao/s1600/IMG_5542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_zq_FLC5CY/Vs4qgvbJa6I/AAAAAAAAYRk/hUW1j4Y-Jao/s320/IMG_5542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of camper: Dining area with fold down seats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0pdddpFjocU/Vs4qgn4NTSI/AAAAAAAAYRo/ddkUoSKPm94/s1600/IMG_5544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0pdddpFjocU/Vs4qgn4NTSI/AAAAAAAAYRo/ddkUoSKPm94/s320/IMG_5544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Structure boxes under seats which we took careful measurements of before removing</td></tr>
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As always, Andy's tools of choice for any demolition are a screwdriver, small pry-bar, hammer and respirator. Don't ask him how many different types of screws and nails he found- it's a touchy subject.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n0kAdvKyKf4/Vs4qhVoFRzI/AAAAAAAAYRs/qK40VfrHjEY/s1600/IMG_5553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n0kAdvKyKf4/Vs4qhVoFRzI/AAAAAAAAYRs/qK40VfrHjEY/s320/IMG_5553.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The work was slow going and dirty but by the afternoon, the bulk of the interior demolition was done. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DEPmgEzaBA/Vs4qh6PtYzI/AAAAAAAAYRw/2SaCdOephD0/s1600/IMG_5559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DEPmgEzaBA/Vs4qh6PtYzI/AAAAAAAAYRw/2SaCdOephD0/s320/IMG_5559.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cheerleader</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QNXFNMBhIK8/Vs4qinSV3GI/AAAAAAAAYR0/Qt8M1eivSTw/s1600/IMG_5563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QNXFNMBhIK8/Vs4qinSV3GI/AAAAAAAAYR0/Qt8M1eivSTw/s320/IMG_5563.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removal pile. About half of this ended up on the bonfire.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nziWugDuydE/Vs4qiyOLMNI/AAAAAAAAYR4/ZcEFDAXpaLI/s1600/IMG_5564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nziWugDuydE/Vs4qiyOLMNI/AAAAAAAAYR4/ZcEFDAXpaLI/s320/IMG_5564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old carpeting </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1lnkpXsK09I/Vs4qjBdnVwI/AAAAAAAAYR8/pmUaWD8ScoI/s1600/IMG_5566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1lnkpXsK09I/Vs4qjBdnVwI/AAAAAAAAYR8/pmUaWD8ScoI/s320/IMG_5566.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished with a good Shop Vac</td></tr>
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We took measurements and drew templates of pieces that we would have to remake and labeled all pieces we would refinish and put back in. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_EqoB9iLu_k/Vs4qk0UcXkI/AAAAAAAAYSQ/g-Kp5SYP_GQ/s1600/IMG_5577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_EqoB9iLu_k/Vs4qk0UcXkI/AAAAAAAAYSQ/g-Kp5SYP_GQ/s320/IMG_5577.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traced outlines of pieces we plan to replicate</td></tr>
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So now we are onto the meat of the project- replacing/repairing the flooring, framing and inner skin (wall) of the trailer. We plan to start with the flooring so need a full 2 day weekend with clear weather... which is nearly impossibly during an Oregon winter. Until then, we hope to do some restoration of the original Martha Washington stove and start rebuilding cabinetry and benches. Until then, this is what we are left with. We aren't running for the hills yet, which is a good sign.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-blJiBaAoCH0/Vs4qj5OTilI/AAAAAAAAYSE/sLWXiLdNRbE/s1600/IMG_5569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-blJiBaAoCH0/Vs4qj5OTilI/AAAAAAAAYSE/sLWXiLdNRbE/s320/IMG_5569.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpIbjhFGBlc/Vs4qkIVdlZI/AAAAAAAAYSI/n4do1UiqV0Q/s1600/IMG_5570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpIbjhFGBlc/Vs4qkIVdlZI/AAAAAAAAYSI/n4do1UiqV0Q/s320/IMG_5570.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen area looking back into bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Hy0aQsJ0U/Vs4qkob_edI/AAAAAAAAYSM/tyyyjldGpkE/s1600/IMG_5571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0Hy0aQsJ0U/Vs4qkob_edI/AAAAAAAAYSM/tyyyjldGpkE/s320/IMG_5571.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedroom area.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-60911208993451044572015-12-06T21:45:00.001-06:002016-06-12T20:36:57.182-05:00Meet Gidget2 weeks, 3 days. That's all it took for these two DIY junkies to crave for our next project. I suspect family members were taking bets on how long it would take us to become stir crazy in a rental house with no "next project" around the corner. Andy and I tried to fool ourselves, planning minor furniture rehab projects and filling our time with outdoor pursuits but, alas, renovation is in our DNA. <br />
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This last Wednesday, I was chilling out with the boys and surfing on Pinterest. Not something I do on a frequent basis as it can quickly get hobbyists into trouble. A scroll or two down the "Popular" page reveled a finished vintage trailer remodel project. It was love at first sight. A really quick search on Craigslist yielded a 1954 King vintage trailer for sale a mere 2 1/2 hours north of Portland. At $1750, the price was incredibly reasonable considering how rare they are and that restored ones can go for $9000+. I knew convincing Andy of our new endeavor was only an email away. Considering I am a mega planner and preparer and never do anything spontaneously, Andy jumped on my one act of madness and quickly contacted the seller and put all the other steps into motion.<br />
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New trailer hitch installed on our mini van, which amazingly enough has plenty of power to tow the caravan, we loaded the kids up at the crack of dawn and set out to meet our newest project. <br />
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Named "Clarice" by it's current owner, the caravan is an 18 foot, 1954 King canned ham. <br />
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Clarice is a pretty cute, old fashioned name but considering it immediately puts us into mind of a people-eating psychopath, we have decided to rename her "Gidget", a 1950s fictional character portrayed by Sandra Dee that spent her chasing after Moondoggie, surfing and having beach parties. As far as we can tell, Walter King manufactured the trailers in the 1950s out of California. <br />
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"Canned ham" refers to the iconic curved shape of the roof. Many of the trailer's original features are in intact and ready for restoration such as classic 1950s light fixtures, hinges and knobs and Martha Washington stove. <br />
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Andy and I have no experience with campers but are excited to dive into this new arena. We plan to carefully disassemble the camper, repair the "guts"and then build it back up, using as much of the original materials as we can. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Bedroom" light</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built-in bedside table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open exterior windows</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedroom area with recent loft addition that will be removed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining area with folding table and benches that lay into a bed</td></tr>
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What we can't use, we hope to build or purchase period-accurate reproductions. Our goal is to have this camper ready for the road (I won't say "done", because when is a project every truly done) by summer so we can take her on the road, visiting the amazing National forests, parks, oceans and lakes all within a days drive of our new home. Follow along as we learn on the job breathing new life into Gidget.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-51793817358463211072015-11-25T10:42:00.001-06:002015-11-25T10:42:09.807-06:00We Made It4 days of travel. 4 time zones. 8 states. Countless bathroom breaks, granola bars and movies but we made it. <br />
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A work relocation brought this Iowa family to Oregon and we are settling into life on the West Coast.<br />
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It's not even been a week, but a few early observations about our new home:<br />
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-People are super friendly. Most clerks will chat you up as they check you out.<br />
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-People are also weather wimps. The last few days it's been "freezing, bitterly cold"... yeah, the highs have been in the 40s. Midwesterns don't use the term "bitter" until it's at least 20 below zero.<br />
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-Getting gas sucks. You'd think having someone else fill your tank while you sit idle in the car sounds great but in reality, it is the longest, most aggravating excursion possible. <br />
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-It is insanely beautiful here. Getting groceries, oh, there's Mt. Hood. Playing at the park, oh, Mt. St. Helens over there. Majestic is the only word I can think of and pictures don't nearly do it justice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt. Tabor Park</td></tr>
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-Coffee, coffee coffee. It's everywhere and delicious. Still trying to find my new "Java Johns"- with no success... they just don't make Marys around here but I found a fantastic drive-thru called "Dutch Bros". The coffee is good and well priced and the employees are all super friendly and efficient. If there is a line, one employee will be outside taking pre-orders so your drink is ready when you get to the front. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complete with inspirational sayings</td></tr>
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-Grocery pricing is really different than the midwest. You can get a gallon of milk here for under $2.50 but the cheapest pack of bacon is $6!<br />
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We are renting a home here south of the city in wine country. It's been about 10 years since we have rented so it's a little different for us but we are excited to have more freedom (aka time) to get out and explore the area instead of working on house projects all the time. Completely unintentionally, we stumbled on a converted barn house. It's been a dream of ours to convert a barn and we didn't have time in Decorah so it's really fun getting to live in one now. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stars lead to driveway and garage door</td></tr>
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The barn is at the top of a mountain- about 1000 feet above the town below. Roads to the top are narrow and curvy- something that my straight, flat Iowa/Illinois driving is getting used to. It also gets really foggy up here.<br />
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Like no joke, can only see a few feet in front of the car, lose the road foggy. But man, on a clear day it is beautiful. We can see Mt. Hood from our deck looking past the neighbor's house and get a straight view from the end of the driveway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the deck</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the road</td></tr>
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Our rental has all the living space on the 2nd floor- below is garage space. Single level living with three kids is awesome. The house has a HUGE deck overlooking the valley. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house even has wind and solar power!</td></tr>
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From the deck, the door opens to an open concept living, dining and kitchen. It is so bright and airy with a loft ceiling and huge windows. From there, a long hallway leads to three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a million closets- there is seriously a crazy amount of storage here.<br />
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We are pretty much unpacked at this point and will share pictures as we can. Today, I have the two finished kid's rooms. E was sharing a room with F in Decorah but asked for her own room. With the big move, we decided to grant her wish so she has her own room now. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double closet which we used for toys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I bought 2 prints at the Decorah High School Winter Craft show and hung them here. A great reminder of Decorah.<br />
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F and L now share a room which backs up to the living room. This room doesn't have a window to the outside but gets light through a window into the living room. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took pages from a "Where's Waldo" book and framed them</td></tr>
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They got the dresser/bookcase combo I renovated last year as well as a lot of toy storage.<br />
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More to come soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-53645211204670939602015-11-17T21:54:00.001-06:002015-11-17T21:54:09.635-06:00Day 3: Epic Road Trip from Ohio to Oregon<div class="MsoNormal">
In our 12 hours of driving today, we went through a 33
degree temperature fluctuation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
morning, we work up in Rawlins, Wyoming to F excitedly proclaiming that it was
snowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less excited, at 5:13<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>am, we looked over and saw indeed there was a
slight dusting on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a
typical hotel breakfast, our 4<sup>th</sup> in as many days, we packed the car
at a chilling 24 degree morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
course of the morning as we traveled through the desolate plains of Wyoming, we
dropped to 18 degrees, of course when the kid’s had a pee emergency so we had
to hightail it out of the car in bitter cold with insane winds into a rest stop
bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a trip I wish to
repeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ominous Road Warnings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, our drive today was
like driving on the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expected to
be driving through mountain passes all day as we went from Wyoming to the
Oregon border, but instead were mostly driving on flat roads with rocky
outcroppings around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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As we left
Wyoming and entered into Utah, we finally got to go through an exciting
mountain tunnel and had a bit of nice mountain viewing but that was really
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>F was excited by the baby mountains
and the big mountains which he called “mommies” for some reason.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sick of cold cheese, ham and crackers for lunches, we
decided to stop for a hot lunch about an hour north of Salt Lake City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We choose a dive diner which had the BEST
chili we have ever eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazing,
meaty, beany and smoky chili.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clientele
were all hardened ranchers wearing Stetsons, spurs and worn jean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like a romance novel fantasy but reality
is a lot more grizzled with silky, feminine looking scarves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L eating lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After lunch, we continued driving on the moon getting a few
more mountain sightings in the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We
made a bit of a detour in Twin Springs, Idaho for a snack/coffee stop and got
our first “scenic overlook” at a bridge over the snake river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heights are not my cup of tea so with
knocking knees, I took a quick peak and picture and let the boys check out the
view a bit longer and do boy things like pee on big rocks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Driving through Boise, we hit our first traffic jam of the
journey, temperature then at 51 degrees but luckily cleared out of it quickly to arrive in
Ontario, Oregon at 7 pm , Mountain Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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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="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUf-HvhVrwc/Vkv14K0VZrI/AAAAAAAAXxw/Shv8CtnhYCE/s1600/IMG_4701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUf-HvhVrwc/Vkv14K0VZrI/AAAAAAAAXxw/Shv8CtnhYCE/s320/IMG_4701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">night driving is not conducive to state sign pics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazing Mexican food in our bellies, we are no longer just a haggard
shell of our former selves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the one different thing about our Oregon hotel room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Miles: 639<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hours: 12 (had an hour lunch break that slowed us down
today)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
States: 4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bathroom Accidents: 1 (this was before we left the hotel when
L peed out of his pjs)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coffee Stops: 1<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-4271333240771823172015-11-16T20:58:00.000-06:002015-11-16T20:58:04.233-06:00Day 2: Epic Car Trip Ohio to Oregon<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Day 2 on our car trip and no one has been killed or left
behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in the process of driving to Portland
to begin a new job and driving with our 3 little kids to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday, we traveled from Cincinnati to
Omaha (more on that <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/11/day-1-epic-road-trip-ohio-to-oregon.html">here</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we
tackled Nebraska and half of Wyoming.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall, the trip has been very uneventful today, for which
we are very appreciative of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started
off strong, leaving Omaha at the planned 7am departure time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brief view we got of Omaha was promising
and looked to be a super cool city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps a great vacation spot in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We grabbed some great coffee on the way out
of town from a drive-up coffee stand- they seem to be popular out west.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_YUkJ83lBtY/VkqVNHspOXI/AAAAAAAAXus/mt_BSce6OlI/s1600/IMG_4668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_YUkJ83lBtY/VkqVNHspOXI/AAAAAAAAXus/mt_BSce6OlI/s320/IMG_4668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a bit of a bump in the road a couple hours in when F
threw off his headphones and shouted, “I need to poo!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any with toddlers know that this means he has
a turtle head ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, we
were in Nebraska where stops are far and few between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, he managed to hold it for 10 minutes
until we found a stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crisis averted.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-17Bw3pS3Ffc/VkqVMgQxulI/AAAAAAAAXug/Y9EfmC8O8ZU/s1600/IMG_4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-17Bw3pS3Ffc/VkqVMgQxulI/AAAAAAAAXug/Y9EfmC8O8ZU/s320/IMG_4670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nebraska Landscape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got a call from the truck driver with our household
belongings around noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His truck had
broken down but he was finally back on the road with an anticipated delivery
date a day later than originally expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a big deal to us since he will still beat us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Failed to ask if truck trouble was minor, or
truck tipped over with destroyed piano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s hope it was the former.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I mentioned yesterday, we don’t really stop for lunch so
we stopped at a few rest stops to stretch our legs and go to the bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our next food stop was in Cheyenne around 2
pm, Mountain Time for some coffee and pastries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The view we got of Cheyenne was not as promising as Omaha and I don’t
anticipate another stop there in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Very industrial and overall run down- not what we expected.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leaving Cheyenne, we ran into a random snow storm, of course
going through the first mountain pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>About 7 years ago, I slid off the highway in Illinois in my Jeep during
a horrible storm and ever since then get SERIOUS snow driving anxiety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like, want a cigarette or heavy drinking
anxiety (both of which I’ve never done).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Signs warned of doom until Tuesday at 11 am (snow/wind warnings) but
luckily, the road was never closed and it passed quickly with me breathing into
a bag in the passenger seat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tonight, we are in Rawlins, Wyoming. After the Mexican restaurant we found on Yelp turned out to be closed, we settled on a country version of Applebees right in downtown complete with GIANT menus, chicken fried steak slathered in gravy and sundaes for the kids. Perfect end to the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4qblvANV_E/VkqVPTfej8I/AAAAAAAAXvA/GxsRhu0a2Lw/s1600/IMG_4676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4qblvANV_E/VkqVPTfej8I/AAAAAAAAXvA/GxsRhu0a2Lw/s320/IMG_4676.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miles: 639<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hours: 11<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
States: 2<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Potty Accidents:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>0
(but close today)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coffee Stops: 2<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-3032015461172300052015-11-15T20:07:00.001-06:002015-11-15T20:07:31.280-06:00Day 1: Epic Road trip Ohio to Oregon<br />
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12 hours in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy has
swass (sweaty ass).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A month after Andy
has started his new job in Portland, we are finally moving the whole family out
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are taking 4 days for this
epic adventure and will (hopefully) share some delights about each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is day 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VPCgbwx2qy4/Vkk4nc2ofZI/AAAAAAAAXtk/47WanLJMnhs/s1600/IMG_4656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VPCgbwx2qy4/Vkk4nc2ofZI/AAAAAAAAXtk/47WanLJMnhs/s320/IMG_4656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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6 am (Eastern time)-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We roll out of our hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio and head to Waffle House
for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are we in Cincy
instead of Decorah?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Great Aunt Mary
passed away and her memorial service was this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A career librarian, Aunt Mary would have
loved our blogging literary tendencies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-vhF4NB6_k/Vkk4m-02WEI/AAAAAAAAXtY/X7afEMrN7A0/s1600/IMG_4657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-vhF4NB6_k/Vkk4m-02WEI/AAAAAAAAXtY/X7afEMrN7A0/s320/IMG_4657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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7 am (still Eastern time)- We hit the road, aiming for
Omaha, Nebraska bellies full of waffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have 4 days planned for nearly 2500 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our thought is to bang out the “boring bits”
in one long day, then step it back from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Growing up in the Midwest, we have driven the roads in Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Iowa frequently and don’t need to savor the sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Our morning is uneventful with a stop every couple of hours
to let kids pee and run around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
travel a lot with the kids and have determined that life is easier for us if we
pack food in the car for lunches- usually cheese, salami, crackers, hard boiled
eggs, nuts peanut butter packets so we don’t have frequent bathroom stops PLUS
a lunch stop which would equal a deathly long car ride. <o:p></o:p></div>
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1:30 pm (Central time)-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A pit stop in Iowa right outside the boarder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 miles into Iowa on I-80 and we are already
frustrated with the truck traffic and discourteous drivers who don’t understand
how to use a left lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy and I have
switched driving duties at every bathroom break to prevent driver and kid
fatigue (passenger seat victim is in charge of passing out food/activities to
kids).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The boys have napped and E finally seems to have found something to occupy herself, creating a headpiece and necklace out of pipe cleaners.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy and I have taken a break from listening
to Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians and the Toy Story series to “watch” Happy Endings on
our laptop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Don’t worry, driver doesn’t
get to see, just hear!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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4:15 pm (still Central time)- L is starting balk from
sitting in the car seat all day and Andy is sick of car snacks and “bird food”
for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have 100 miles to go to
hit Omaha and our planned Frudruckers for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dreaming of toasted buns, seasoned fries and
warm, yellow cheese from a push dispenser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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6:30 pm-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner
consumed and the hanger monster is now at bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heading to hotel when E starts a conversation- “I want to be married in
Decorah” .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit of of the conversation:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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E:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I want to be
married in Decorah"<o:p></o:p></div>
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A/M:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Who will you
marry?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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E:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will just be handsome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can marry whoever I want.<o:p></o:p></div>
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F:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just want to
marry mommy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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E: You can’t marry mommy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is married to daddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t
get out of marriage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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F:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just want to
marry mommy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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E:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MOMMY IS ALREADY
MARRIED.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t get out of marriage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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F: I Just want to marry mommy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Me:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll marry you
buddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>::heart warms””<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tally for the day:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Miles: 724<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hours: 12<o:p></o:p></div>
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States: 4<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-18445980419675935072015-11-09T20:08:00.001-06:002015-11-09T20:08:55.315-06:00My Frivolous Favorite Things about DecorahIt's here. I don't even have to switch to the 10 day forecast view in my weather app to get to our moving day. <br />
<br />
4 days.<br />
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<br />
<br />
The chains don't lie. (Damn, that'd make a sweet song title...)<br />
<br />
Our house is currently in total chaos- as one would expect of an imminent move of 5 people 2000 miles away. <br />
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<br />
The kids have turned rabid, eating mac and cheese in the living room in various states of undress.<br />
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<br />
The master bedroom is "Epic Car Trip Adventure 2015" command zone. <br />
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<br />
Trying to plan for living out of a car for a week is kind of an organized person's dream mission: you have to plan it just right and get the jigsaw of car packing perfect and life will be complete.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49ZBtXboGsw/VkFLPUFnZfI/AAAAAAAAXtI/AlRCKlNhUmw/s1600/IMG_4648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-49ZBtXboGsw/VkFLPUFnZfI/AAAAAAAAXtI/AlRCKlNhUmw/s320/IMG_4648.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kid's clothes packed in Ziploc bags, tape-coded and labeled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Andy thinks I'm a nut job but I know 3 days into the trip when everyone is tired, dirty and cranky he will appreciate the fact that I labeled each bag and container so we can find the computer charger when it inevitably goes dead.<br />
<br />
So in between all the lists, phone calls and goodbyes, I have been pondering all the things I will most miss about Decorah. This will be a purely fluff list- of course we will most miss the amazing friends we have made but my computer keyboard is not waterproof so we will leave those words in our hearts and not on this blog. <br />
<br />
So onto my frivolous favorite things about Decorah:<br />
<br />
10. Never waiting in line at the local grocery store. Seriously, if you are in one deep you will hear a frantic call for another checker and get immediately waved over.<br />
<br />
9. Fareway cart service. I wrote a post a bit ago about this local grocery store. Once you are all checked out, a friendly employee pushes your cart out to your car and loads all the groceries. I don't look forward to trying to strap three kids into carseats while trying to keep one foot on the cart to keep it from rolling away into another parked car. <br />
<br />
8. Nordic Fest. Most Decorah-ites probably would disagree with this being on my list of things I'll miss, but I will. This festival embodies midwestern small towns with its charming traditions and use of local organizations to run booths. My belly won't miss the rommegrot and lingonberry ice cream but I certainly will.<br />
<br />
7. No traffic. 10 minutes to and from town- completely consistently. No need for back-way routes or alternatives. The most traffic you'll find in this small town is right at school drop off and pick up when you might have to wait at the light one extra time.<br />
<br />
6. Safety. We don't lock our doors. Rarely do. Hopefully I can remember to hold onto a key ring again. Once, I left my car sliding door totally open in the middle of town, did errands for an hour, came back to find it open and NOTHING missing. Can't beat that.<br />
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5. Kwik Star. Love this gas station. The prepared food section actually has good choices- yogurt, cheese, fruit, salads, etc and the milk, egg and butter prices are often CHEAPER than the grocery store! They are always clean and the staff is super friendly. Also, no fee ATMs! Kwik Star is the model all gas stations should use.<br />
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4. Fresh chicken eggs. I'm a wacky person that will eat the same breakfast for like, 2 years straight then one day, out of the blue get sick of it and never eat it again (remember the frozen waffle incident of 2000, dad?). Right now, my breakfast is an egg with an english muffin. But my eggs are pretty much still warm from the chicken which makes a huge difference in flavor. Store-bought eggs ain't gonna cut it. We are planning to have chickens in Oregon but the soonest we would probably have egg producing chickens would be in a year or so so I have a serious gap to fill in my breakfast regime.<br />
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3. Running into people. Growing up in suburban America, the thought of running into someone I knew every time I left the house sounded like a nightmare. Now though, three years of living in a smaller town I run into someone in almost every store I walk into. And guess what, I like it. Having a quick chat with an acquaintance while running errands makes the mundane so much more interesting and makes you feel like a valued part of a community. And only in Decorah could you drive an hour up to Rochester and STILL run into people from town.<br />
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2. Walkable shopping. I LOVE parking my car at Fareway, getting the kids into strollers/carriers and then doing the loop to most of the stores I need to hit. It makes shopping with little kids more pleasant since you don't have to constantly strap in and out of carseats. It's also nice to get out and get some sun on your face.<br />
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1. Java Johns. Can't have a "things I'll miss" list without this little coffee shop. For a good few months after moving to town I MISSED Starbucks. I had my iced coffee order down to a science and was not in the mood to break in a new coffee joint. I tried all the shops in town until I settled on this one. On any given day, you will find me with at least one kiddo either running in and out with my drink (right now my drink of choice is a London Fog, yum!) or settled into a booth with a Bob's Breakfast Biscuit and F with his favorite- a cinnamon roll (this might have been his first word). This was the first place we stopped on our way home from the hospital after both boys were born and feels like a second home. The kids have adopted the owner, Mary to the point that upon entering they yell, "MARY!!" and people ask if we are related. This was one of the first places we went when we arrived into town and will certainly be our last stop on our way out Friday.<br />
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So, now that I'm feeling slightly misty, let's back it up and throw out a few things we will NOT miss! Here it is in no particular order:<br />
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1. No garbage pick up at the house. Yeah, we seriously have to load up the car with garbage and take to a dump site.<br />
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2. Living on a gravel road. Dust, Dust, Dust= constant cleaning of everything and dust covered plants/grass during dry months.<br />
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3. Walmart. Yeah, I know they are everywhere but I am never stepping foot into one again when there is a Target next door. <br />
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4. Having to drive 2 1/2 hours to get to an airport. Such a logistic pain.<br />
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5. Having to drive into town if we want to go for a walk or bike ride. Not much walking to do on a gravel road.<br />
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6. Midwest winters. Lived these for 31 years. I think I'll take some rain over the arctic cold and piles of snow.<br />
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7. A DAMN decent hot dog. Come on Decorah, this shouldn't be complicated. When one does hard work outside in the summer, one wants a HOT DOG!<br />
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8. Drive-thru coffee. Yes, I love me some Java Johns but I look forward to being able to get coffee while still in my pjs. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-16029192351972431302015-10-24T18:53:00.000-05:002015-10-24T18:53:08.522-05:00Our Greatest HitsWe have movers coming today to give us estimates so I thought it was a great time to get a little more sentimental about this house with a "Favorite Things" post. Our style has evolved a lot with this house as has our confidence and I can honestly say there is nothing that we did that I don't love but there are a few things that I will definitely miss and if you stay with us, will likely pop up in future homes. Of all the multitude of projects we have done, here are my tops:<br />
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1. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/06/our-diy-outdoor-shower-basic-model.html">Outdoor Shower</a><br />
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This is our most pinned pin with over 2000 pins! I originally built this for Andy to use after a long day of work but I actually fell in love with the convenience of it after a long, hot run. Nothin' cools you off faster than a cool shower in the open air. Definitely installing one of these in every home we own (though will have to work on a privacy wall plan for more suburban living).<br />
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2. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/08/our-kiddos-get-best-space-in-house.html">Dresser Sink Vanity</a><br />
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Love having such a unique piece, especially in a small bathroom to add so much character. The great part is, if you plan well it actually is of similar cost to a stock-vanity... and looks a million times better.<br />
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3. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/06/bookcase-magic.html">Antique Dresser Make-Over</a> with Attached Bookshelf<br />
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Crazy in love with how this turned out. So happy this gets to come with us!<br />
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4. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/02/reclaimed-wood-conversion.html">Open Beam Loft Ceiling</a><br />
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What a transformation in this room! Using reclaimed wood from the original walls, the loft structural beams were wrapped, creating a rustic and open feel to the room.<br />
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5. No More White Halls<br />
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I'm never painting a hallway white again. Using my new favorite neutral color Shadowed Dapple Grey (Walmart color), I couldn't believe what a huge difference it made compared to white, making the glossy white trim pop.<br />
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6. Behr's Puddle<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWIB_a-A9hw/VEa8BsEqT3I/AAAAAAAAQa0/Hg81scJQ28w/s1600/IMG_1371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWIB_a-A9hw/VEa8BsEqT3I/AAAAAAAAQa0/Hg81scJQ28w/s320/IMG_1371.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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This was one of the first colors I picked for the house and I love it. It is a pretty neutral color which seems to go with everything. <br />
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Dear Landlords, <br />
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Stop painting apartment wall white or beige. Go for Puddle.<br />
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7. Natural Linen by Glidden for a<a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/09/525600-minutes-of-trim-painting.html"> Door Color</a><br />
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Mmmm... love this wheat color against the white trim. What a great accent to exterior doors.<br />
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8. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-20-stair-makeover.html">Stair Make-Over</a><br />
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One of my most "mathy" projects but love the crisp, clean look of this design.<br />
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9. <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/08/restore-ing-master-bath.html"> Barn Wood Mirror Make-Over</a><br />
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Anything that is free has to top my list. Using wood we found in our barn, Andy made a simple frame for an existing cheap mirror.<br />
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10. Old White Farmhouse Exterior Make-Over<br />
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99.99% of old farmhouses are white. We are non conformers and are in love with this two-tone look. Slate siding on the 2nd story was replaced with board and batten with new trim work updating this old structure.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-44411539255379953622015-10-16T15:30:00.001-05:002015-10-16T15:30:26.708-05:00Mic Drop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bam. It's done. We have accepted an offer on our house so now, we are truly done. We're not ones to toot our own horns, but DAMN! We did some good work here. When hearing of our move to Portland, some people said, "Oh no! All that work you did and now you are leaving!" For Andy and me, that's not even a thought. Renovating houses is our hobby and even if we were staying in Decorah, we would probably be looking for our next renovation project. We love getting into the bones of a house, bringing out the character and making it livable for the modern family. There will be many things that we did to this house that I will miss (a post on that coming soon!) but everything we learn in each house we do gets brought to the next and so on and so forth. Conquering the world, one house at a time.<br />
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So.....drum roll please.... this is it.<br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Exterior Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">What we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed the old siding on 2nd floor
and put in board and batten</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted upper board and batten
(Raindance by Benjamin Moore color-matched by Sherwin Williams) and lower
siding (Rushing River by Benjamin Moore color-matched by Sherwin Williams)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed chimney on left side of house</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Ripped out and rearrange garden beds</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Created a gravel walkway and widened
the driveway</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed the garage and prepped area
for seeding</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted deck with Behr Deck Over</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced concrete steps to main
entrance with small wood deck</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Repaired cellar entrance</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced gutters on portions of the
house</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Porch Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07clmSjFIyQ/ViFRemt6y6I/AAAAAAAAWvo/69xT-mnegYI/s1600/P1060081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07clmSjFIyQ/ViFRemt6y6I/AAAAAAAAWvo/69xT-mnegYI/s320/P1060081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Porch Now:</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIAew08pkEc/ViFdDLzw4hI/AAAAAAAAWzA/11hATQrimG8/s1600/IMG_4441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIAew08pkEc/ViFdDLzw4hI/AAAAAAAAWzA/11hATQrimG8/s320/IMG_4441.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/08/porch-built-in-bench.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Built-in storage</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted all walls and trim white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed coat hooks</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling blue (Flint Smoke by
Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replace light with fan/light</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Updated door hardware</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Kitchen Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EMERAMWX7E8/ViFRcF2SBdI/AAAAAAAAWvg/07YW34UYdr0/s1600/P1060080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EMERAMWX7E8/ViFRcF2SBdI/AAAAAAAAWvg/07YW34UYdr0/s320/P1060080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Kitchen Now:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0cz2u4csYk/ViFNx69b-ZI/AAAAAAAAWtA/4MfKeDmbDOA/s1600/IMG_2470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J0cz2u4csYk/ViFNx69b-ZI/AAAAAAAAWtA/4MfKeDmbDOA/s320/IMG_2470.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed curtains</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls (Flint Smoke by Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted cabinets (Spanish Olive by
Glidden)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted handles black</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted all trim white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed paint from hinges (previous
owners had painted all 30 of them faux wood!)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced light (can't see it here but
we got a great one!)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced fridge </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced stove </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted all trim and windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted doors (Natural Linen by
Glidden)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Installed a dishwasher</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced sink and faucet</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-20-stair-makeover.html">Removed carpeting and
painted stairs</a></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Dining Room Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Dining Room Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls blue (Flint Smoke by
Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Took down blinds</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim and windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced exterior screen door</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Updated door hardware</span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted door (Natural Linen by
Glidden)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Living Room Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Living Room Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls blue (Flint Smoke by
Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Took down curtains</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced ceiling fan (the new one is
a flat black)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Tore up carpeting and refinished
hardwood floors</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim and windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced beige outlets with white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Kids' Playroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fVoEVkPeN4s/ViFRh2SokxI/AAAAAAAAWwI/P2I4VfHpXQg/s1600/P1060084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fVoEVkPeN4s/ViFRh2SokxI/AAAAAAAAWwI/P2I4VfHpXQg/s320/P1060084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Kids' Playroom Now:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fHqoTY6DADk/ViFOcFDH5eI/AAAAAAAAWtg/UNDjmBXwLtM/s1600/IMG_2486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fHqoTY6DADk/ViFOcFDH5eI/AAAAAAAAWtg/UNDjmBXwLtM/s320/IMG_2486.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls taupe-ish color (Puddle
by Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Took down curtains</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced light</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/11/floored-by-change.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Tore out carpet and
replaced with hardwood</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim and windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; text-indent: -24px;"> Updated door hardware</span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed door from living room to
playroom</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #262626; text-indent: -0.5in;">Replaced beige outlets with white</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Master Bedroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rtlmr1v9Rho/ViFRlNbzzpI/AAAAAAAAWwo/hZypaxmi-ZU/s1600/P1060087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rtlmr1v9Rho/ViFRlNbzzpI/AAAAAAAAWwo/hZypaxmi-ZU/s320/P1060087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Master Bedroom Now:</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tHhFUgMEAfA/ViFN6CY4fhI/AAAAAAAAWtI/9-fgOKUS6cw/s1600/IMG_2477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tHhFUgMEAfA/ViFN6CY4fhI/AAAAAAAAWtI/9-fgOKUS6cw/s320/IMG_2477.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Repainted walls<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Blue Grey Slate by Glidden)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/11/floored-by-change.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Tore out carpet and
installed hardwood floors</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced beige outlets with white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim, doors, windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Updated door hardware</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/11/closeted-organizationalists.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Built a new closet
organizer and removed bifold doors</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">1st Floor Bathroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XwUMwnDCatA/ViFRmLhWH1I/AAAAAAAAWww/fM88Wl-JI3w/s1600/P1060089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XwUMwnDCatA/ViFRmLhWH1I/AAAAAAAAWww/fM88Wl-JI3w/s320/P1060089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">1st Floor Bathroom Now:</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wym8fKiGTgk/ViFNQS1eLfI/AAAAAAAAWso/4mXehUMayoY/s1600/IMG_2461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wym8fKiGTgk/ViFNQS1eLfI/AAAAAAAAWso/4mXehUMayoY/s320/IMG_2461.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls purple/grey color
(Milestone by Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">New ceiling light</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">New shower curtain</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Removed some of the handicap bars</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted all trim and doors white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/10/vain-for-our-vanity.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Painted vanity</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"> (Puddle by Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/09/re-purposed-reflection.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Built a wood farm
around existing mirror</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced hardware on vanity and doors</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced beige outlets with white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Built shelves into the closet
(originally just a clothing bar)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/09/who-glued-these-quarters-down.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Replaced vanity
countertop</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Laundry Room Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HwN1e3RhGeY/ViFRndasZGI/AAAAAAAAWw4/Hf5gg4z0fsI/s1600/P1060090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HwN1e3RhGeY/ViFRndasZGI/AAAAAAAAWw4/Hf5gg4z0fsI/s320/P1060090.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoDqb4ybpNI/ViFRoD5CXfI/AAAAAAAAWxE/zOhCkS9JSt0/s1600/P1060091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoDqb4ybpNI/ViFRoD5CXfI/AAAAAAAAWxE/zOhCkS9JSt0/s320/P1060091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Laundry Room Now:</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LMpy5MkNzg8/ViFNQu0XPjI/AAAAAAAAWsw/suLDiHK93pA/s1600/IMG_2463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LMpy5MkNzg8/ViFNQu0XPjI/AAAAAAAAWsw/suLDiHK93pA/s320/IMG_2463.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5IjZmSiO0po/ViFNQqIbCaI/AAAAAAAAWss/_6-mJWsh-pQ/s1600/IMG_2465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5IjZmSiO0po/ViFNQqIbCaI/AAAAAAAAWss/_6-mJWsh-pQ/s320/IMG_2465.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls and ceiling white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced washer</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Tore out ceiling drywall to
replace upstairs bathroom plumbing </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Moved and painted coat hooks from
porch</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced dryer</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim/doors/windows white </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Upstairs Office/Craft Nooks and Hall
Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">Upstairs Office/Craft Nooks and Hall Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls and ceiling white and
green (Spring Cactus by Glidden)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Made the stair wall a half wall</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/02/containing-craft-madness.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Tore out closet for
office nook</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Widened doorway to craft area</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Tore-up linoleum and
painted wood floors</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted trim and doors white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced all lighting</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced beige outlets with white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Replaced breaker box</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">2nd Floor Bathroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">2nd Floor Bathroom Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/08/our-kiddos-get-best-space-in-house.html"><span style="color: #620701; font-family: Times; text-decoration: none;">Complete renovation</span></a><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"> from framing out including new electrical, insulation,
plumbing, flooring, window, tub, vanity, lighting, paint.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">2<sup>nd</sup> Bedroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">2</span><sup style="color: #262626;">nd</sup><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;"> Bedroom Now:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted ceiling (Arctic Ocean by
Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted walls (Ancient Pewter by
Behr)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Moved ceiling fan from living room
and painted hardware silver and put on new globes</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Tore out carpet and laid square tiles
(classroom tiles)</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Painted all off-white
trim/doors/windows white</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Built a closet organizer, painted
closet floors and walls</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">3rd Bedroom Before:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 20px;">3rd Bedroom Now:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LbeF_yDE_zI/ViFQqS1oDxI/AAAAAAAAWuw/qF91MxrzhE0/s1600/IMG_2512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LbeF_yDE_zI/ViFQqS1oDxI/AAAAAAAAWuw/qF91MxrzhE0/s320/IMG_2512.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Things we have done:</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times;">Complete renovation including new electrical, insulation,
drywall, flooring, new vaulted ceiling, in wall electric heater, window, door,
lighting and fan.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Times; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Outbuilding and Property
Improvements:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MM6kBvM-16Y/ViFdD_IbwLI/AAAAAAAAWzI/lxNv2z7x6VU/s1600/IMG_4442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MM6kBvM-16Y/ViFdD_IbwLI/AAAAAAAAWzI/lxNv2z7x6VU/s320/IMG_4442.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X4_O6aFVJs/ViFdmg2lI3I/AAAAAAAAWzY/gwUW8Rw0nXI/s1600/IMG_2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0X4_O6aFVJs/ViFdmg2lI3I/AAAAAAAAWzY/gwUW8Rw0nXI/s320/IMG_2527.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outdoor shower- our most Pinned post! Thinking we may start an outdoor shower business in Portland...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhN4kPnQYkE/ViFdEEOHeBI/AAAAAAAAWzM/_9DjZqCEE0Q/s1600/IMG_4443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhN4kPnQYkE/ViFdEEOHeBI/AAAAAAAAWzM/_9DjZqCEE0Q/s320/IMG_4443.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forgive the terrible picture but it's super windy today and I wasn't in the mood to mess around!</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #262626;"> Built an outdoor shower</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">General clean-up of all outbuildings</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Created a fully functional workshop with lighting and electrical</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Made a children's playhouse with loft</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Built 4 raised garden beds</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Built 3 compost bins</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Built a chicken coop</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Removed extra fencing and old cattle bins</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #262626;">Built sandbox</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #262626;">Looking over the pictures, part of me is still surprised Andy got me to buy this house. Must have been those pregnancy hormones but I don't regret a single day of living here. Three years of frustration, stress and mess of constant renovation has also brought us the joy and pride of doing work yourself and making a home.</span></div>
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We've seen Esther grow in this house and brought in two more babies. It's going to be hard to leave but the memories are always there and we are always together. On to the next project. <br />
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-23176552605850451162015-10-07T13:40:00.001-05:002015-10-07T13:40:56.648-05:00The Sum of My KnowledgeAs we prepare for our big move, in my abundant free time (extreme sarcasm here), I have been thinking about the things I know about our new home state, Oregon. The last time I was in Oregon was in middle school when my family drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington to San Francisco. My first visit to Portland will be this weekend. So, here is the sum of my knowledge.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The license plate is super sweet with an evergreen tree. Super excited for this!</li>
<li>Marijuana is apparently legal. Considering it took a dictionary for me to figure out how to spell it, this is not something I will be partaking in.</li>
<li>I can name most of the suburbs of Portland and their location but have no idea how to pronounce them. (Tigard... You'd think Tih-girrd but apparently it's more like Ty-gird!)</li>
<li>There are trees, mountains and beaches/ocean within driving distance</li>
<li>Goonies was filmed in Astoria, Oregon. I'm sure this will be one of our first weekend trips, despite the tarp over the iconic house.</li>
<li>The weather is temperate and surprisingly of similar precipitation amounts as here (just more rain as opposed to snow). Apparently, no one carries an umbrella. Not sure if this is because they are "too cool for school" or just totally unprepared. Iowa country living has taught me the importance of appropriate weather gear and dry feet so you will see me in my boots with a rain jacket and umbrella. Don't care if that makes me like a tourist!</li>
<li>You can't pump your own gas. Right now this is so wacky to me, but when I first moved to Decorah I was totally freaked out by the Faraway cart boys and now I don't know how I'll live without someone unloading groceries for me!</li>
<li>Biking is a big part of the culture.</li>
<li>It's in a different time zone- Pacific Time which is 2 hours behind Central Time. Family/friends: I apologize in advance for the mistakes I will make with this.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Four years ago, Andy interviewed in Cresco as I toured Decorah for the day. After his interview, I said, "Yeah, I can't live here." Now, four years later and I am so sad to leave. Despite not having a heck of a lot of knowledge about our new home, I know if we could settle so fully into county life, we can settle anywhere! Our Acreage Adventure: The West Coast Chapter? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-67779177713596581552015-10-04T21:36:00.000-05:002015-10-04T21:36:22.279-05:00The Goldilocks DilemmaAs a mom of three young kids, I am more versed in children's literature than the latest best seller novel or Oprah's list book. I can recite "Brown Bear" and "Moo, Baa, La" by memory and amuse myself by singing the "To Market" book. Inevitably, the books I try to hide in the back of the bookshelf are the books the kids aways request, among them "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." <br />
<br />
Throughout the book, Goldilocks seems like a spoiled little juvenile delinquent, first breaking into the bear's house then complaining about all of their stuff. "Too little/ too big, too hot/too cold." Well, after the past several months, I think I perhaps have a better understanding of Goldilocks' pickiness.<br />
<br />
Andy is a manufacturing engineer and has been working at a plant in the area specializing in air filters. At the plant, he is the APD (accelerated product development) supervisor which basically means he is a super problem solver. Through his experiences over the last four years at his job, he has become very passionate about LEAN principles which can be utilized within any company, not just manufacturing. The time came to move on from his current position, which is typical in his field so he began an extensive job search.<br />
<br />
After some initial bumbling, we focused in on three things that a prospective job would require for us to move forward:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Job Description- something focusing on LEAN</li>
<li>Location- a place to grow with interesting things to do/see, focused on outdoor lifestyle and family friendly</li>
<li>Product- the company makes an interesting product that Andy can stand behind</li>
</ol>
<div>
We encountered several jobs along the way that knocked two off the list but kept looking for a slam dunk. We turned down a few opportunities that just weren't the right fit, at times feeling like a petulant Goldilocks looking for that perfect bowl of porridge. Finally, the waiting paid off and we were able to fall asleep in that "perfect bed". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, we'd like to announce that we are moving to Portland, Oregon. Andy will begin his job in two weeks as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at a company that makes ergonomic desks (wacko that he is, Andy had actually custom-built a standing ergonomic desk for his current office). We are super excited for this change, especially since we spent SO much time researching every aspect of it but also sad to be moving away from a town we fell in love with and our little farm that we put so much sweat into. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I never would have guessed three years ago as I was driving here the first time from the Chicago suburbs that we would be so sad to leave but, alas, we are. We will miss family, friends, neighbors and those damn chickens but look forward to new adventures that await. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, we will continue blogging... it will look different since we plan to rent for awhile so perhaps some posts on adventuring in our new state, learning about west coast living after 31 years of midwest life, or maybe there will even be a tiny house in our future (?!?), so stick with us as we navigate a totally new environment. We will keep our current title so our web address stays the same but perhaps add an addendum to it... Any suggestions? So this little Goldilocks is packing away her lock pick set for a bit and preparing for new adventures.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-44296836538503520432015-08-09T20:38:00.002-05:002015-08-10T07:54:01.407-05:00CORN!!!<div class="MsoNormal">
Farm life is a lot of work and some jobs are so big that
they require the big guns- huge family gatherings with lots of helping
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think Ree Drummond:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pioneer Woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we don’t have family around here, over
the years we have found a surrogate family that we bounce into whenever extra
hands are needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter the Hurds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy met Aaron at work… they probably bonded
day 1 over their shared crude humor and willingness to try anything once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We usually call Aaron “Double A” since my
sister’s name is also Erin and it gets confusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AA has made several appearances in our blog
since he is always our country life savior. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aaron’s wife is Shannon and they have two
school-aged boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The family all
congregates at Rita’s house, Aaron’s mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rita is the 90lb, tough-as-nails matriarch of the family with a heart of gold and can toss heavier
loads of chopped wood than Andy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also included in these family gatherings are Aaron’s sister, Heather,
her husband Mark, and their two boys. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last night, after a to-die-for dinner of smoked chicken at
Aaron’s house, Aaron casually asks what we are doing Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still stuffed with chicken, the warning bells
did not clang fast enough as Andy proclaimed we were free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Great!”, Aaron replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We are doing corn tomorrow.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first experience with corning was 2 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy was in China on business and I was home
with then 3-year-old E and 1-year-old F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aaron had checked up on me several times while Andy was out of town so I
thought when I was invited over to Rita’s to have supper and help freeze corn
that he felt bad I was home alone and was trying to feed me something other
than the traditional cereal and pancake diet I consume whenever Andy is not
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6 hours later, 75 bags of corn
ready for the freezer and drenched in gallons of sweat I realized I should
always get more information any time Aaron calls.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flash forward two years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You want to help corn in the morning?” The question loomed in the air.
Andy, having no idea what he is getting into agreed quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I like to dramatically complain
about it and tease Aaron about roping me into the corn day from hell, I
actually had a good time and just used my last bag of corn from two years ago
so I was ready for another round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also
prepared this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mean person that I
am, I decided to enact a bit of payback and give Andy NO information about the
coming day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mwahaha. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m3_Pa7pC5lA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m3_Pa7pC5lA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day begins with picking corn from Rita’s land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole truck bed is filled and then driven
to a shaded area for shucking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone,
including all the kids lend a hand shucking the hundreds of ear of corn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<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="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0msactMKBWQ/Vcf8qNX4GyI/AAAAAAAAVak/muFb6pwMMt0/s1600/IMG_2863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0msactMKBWQ/Vcf8qNX4GyI/AAAAAAAAVak/muFb6pwMMt0/s320/IMG_2863.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F is a shucking pro! Serious Iowa boy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSH9Y3yGZRg/Vcf8p3v_SII/AAAAAAAAVag/vhIRxOywMI4/s1600/IMG_2864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aSH9Y3yGZRg/Vcf8p3v_SII/AAAAAAAAVag/vhIRxOywMI4/s320/IMG_2864.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron and Andy </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dj8Y7p8vQs/Vcf9ZwPQ-aI/AAAAAAAAVa8/pPu0CUswnPI/s1600/IMG_2867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dj8Y7p8vQs/Vcf9ZwPQ-aI/AAAAAAAAVa8/pPu0CUswnPI/s320/IMG_2867.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heather, Rita and boys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My first year, I showed up after this task
was complete and thought I had gotten out of all the hard work!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, this year I decided to leave Andy in
the dark knowing he too probably thought the big job was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a bad, bad person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <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="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9VUdwacgK9M/Vcf9NXU-ReI/AAAAAAAAVa0/oTQnp88_kC4/s1600/IMG_2868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9VUdwacgK9M/Vcf9NXU-ReI/AAAAAAAAVa0/oTQnp88_kC4/s320/IMG_2868.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All corn shucked</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before the actual big job of boiling the corn, cooling it,
cutting it from the cob and then bagging it, the whole family takes a break to
have “dinner” (which is lunch to rural Iowans).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On these big family work days, dinner can range from a roast that has
been in the crockpot since morning to cold cut sandwich fixings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8JVEhYnVgU/Vcf9xh6R30I/AAAAAAAAVbc/Ngz_ECi08A8/s1600/IMG_2869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8JVEhYnVgU/Vcf9xh6R30I/AAAAAAAAVbc/Ngz_ECi08A8/s320/IMG_2869.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
After dinner, the kids scatter and the adults get to boiling
huge pots of water, washing the corn and prepping the cutting and bagging
stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qTko3Z1OQ0w/Vcf9_I546gI/AAAAAAAAVbk/pFxBXJVP-NY/s1600/IMG_2877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qTko3Z1OQ0w/Vcf9_I546gI/AAAAAAAAVbk/pFxBXJVP-NY/s320/IMG_2877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The worst part of corning is
just dealing with Mother Nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
year luckily wasn’t too hot, only with a predicted high of 77 but by the end of
the two hour boil, cut and bag, the kitchen was a whopping 85 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add a baby to that and you are talking some
serious boob sweat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1jWQ0Z3tRk/Vcf-P_is_5I/AAAAAAAAVb0/K1Sj6zhUR0Y/s1600/IMG_2880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1jWQ0Z3tRk/Vcf-P_is_5I/AAAAAAAAVb0/K1Sj6zhUR0Y/s320/IMG_2880.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagging corn with L. 2 years ago, this was me with F.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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Despite the heat, the friendly banter between adults
throughout the work (which included a reoccurring 6" long and 1/2" wide dick joke) and the antics of the kids which ranged in age from 7
months to 11 years<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>makes the whole job
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and A ready with the electric knives</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kid lego set-up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L watching the big kids</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sort of Hunger Games war set up which included nerf guns and a bow</td></tr>
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All said and done, we completed 60
2-cup bags, 5 4-cup bags and 10 1-cup bags of corn ready for 4 family’s
freezers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Dd-PPlCKco/Vcf-gy-q2rI/AAAAAAAAVb8/BIz34y_d_t8/s1600/IMG_2881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Dd-PPlCKco/Vcf-gy-q2rI/AAAAAAAAVb8/BIz34y_d_t8/s320/IMG_2881.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I may never want to see corn
again but at least if I change my mind, I have farm-fresh corn ready to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-8344192423449612512015-07-07T16:11:00.001-05:002015-07-07T16:11:28.800-05:00Another Room Off the List- Finished Kid's BedroomThree years ago, Andy convinced me to drive out to Decorah after a long day of teaching pubescent middle schoolers in St. Charles, Illinois to check out a house that just went on the market. He had checked it out earlier that day with the realtor and was in love. 4 acres, lots of useable outbuildings and a house with "great potential". After a 4 hour car ride with a 2 year old, I pulled into the drive, walked through the house with extreme trepidation while Andy pranced around gleefully with an expectant look on his face. He almost had me until I made my way upstairs and stepped into the murder room. Broken window, low ceiling, random floor covering and even a scary cot (which E proceed to immediately jump on).<br />
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<br />
Andy's puppy dog eyes got to me so despite my reservations, we bought the property knowing it was a fixer-upper but the upstairs bedroom would need immediate assistance to make it safe and livable for E. Knowing they were only temporary fixes, Andy replaced the window, installed a fan and put in 12"x12" VCT commercial vinyl tile (a good flooring option that is cheap, easy to install and easy to maintain). I gave the walls a fresh coat of paint and stuck flower wall decals on the walls.<br />
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<br />
It was a good temporary fix but we knew eventually we would need to replace the insulation and walls in the entire room. Flash forward to this past winter: With the imminent arrival of baby 3, we decided to dive into the <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/12/origin-story-kids-bedroom-remodel.html">project</a> while Andy had 2 weeks off over Christmas. We found some... unique things under the walls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8s0QuAa5bHY/VZwRoFFQpII/AAAAAAAAVOY/A6Iuq1QbTxo/s1600/10868107_864953236859376_7204896999096653267_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8s0QuAa5bHY/VZwRoFFQpII/AAAAAAAAVOY/A6Iuq1QbTxo/s320/10868107_864953236859376_7204896999096653267_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood siding under drywall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">News clippings (this one from 1903) glued on the studs</td></tr>
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But luckily, Andy was undeterred and soon had the room down to the studs.<br />
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At this point, we decided to make the ceiling a loft ceiling, wrapping the supporting beams with the <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/02/reclaimed-wood-conversion.html">reclaimed wood</a> we found under the drywall to give the room a rustic feel and make the room seem bigger and airier.<br />
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Best decision of all time and a huge improvement to the entire space. Second best decision was hiring a professional to finish mudding and sanding the walls- he finished the day L was born so we were so thankful that this big job was finished before bringing a fresh baby home and having to worry about sanding dust in the house.<br />
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Running home while I chilled in the hospital with baby L, Andy got two quick coats of paint on the walls so we could move E and F's mattresses back into the room. I am in a hot and heavy romance with this color- Shadowed Dapple Gray which is a Walmart color that I color matched in Glidden paint. I have decided that this color is the answer to my white wall phobia- the perfect neutral color that makes the white trim work pop but makes a room look complete. In the last couple of months, I have bought several gallons of this paint and used it to freshen up the laundry room and hallway leading upstairs. <br />
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After taking a few weeks off of the project, I painted all of the trim and Andy finished his custom lighting boxes and installed the fan- same fan we had before but with a longer drop to fall at the beams.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 of the 4 lighting boxes Andy built in the beams</td></tr>
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I did some custom furniture painting on an antique dresser and bed and shared details on those projects <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/01/dresser-designs.html">here</a>, <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/02/10-restore-find-to-fabulous-kids-bed.html">here</a> and <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/06/bookcase-magic.html">here</a>.<br />
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Using more reclaimed barn wood, Andy built a door- a semi-tricky feat with one slanted wall to contend with. He built it in the style of a barn door complete with barn hardware so I painted both sides in white and then gave it a distressed look with a sander.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New door- unpainted</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1g_OAgPZOI/VZwRztfjL1I/AAAAAAAAVOw/61LhnpxowO8/s1600/IMG_2689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f1g_OAgPZOI/VZwRztfjL1I/AAAAAAAAVOw/61LhnpxowO8/s320/IMG_2689.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanding the paint for a distressed look</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished door</td></tr>
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Finally, six months from the start of this project, I finished sewing two quilt tops for E and F's beds- starting with a fish fabric and the same pattern, I made a port hole effect using purples for E's quilt and greens/blues for F's quilt. F calls it his "under the seas" quilt. He is now requesting a "Wreck it Ralph" quilt. <br />
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The kids love their new room (perhaps a bit too much from all their wild antics after bedtime) and we notice a huge difference in heating/cooling throughout the room now that the room actually has insulation in the walls. The fan helps keep the room cool in the summer and the in-wall electric heater unit is perfect on those cold nights. Between the new bathroom and their bedroom, I think I might be kicking the kids out and moving upstairs.<br />
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And just in case you forgot where we started....<br />
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Crazy huge improvement.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-20409568167309299752015-06-14T21:23:00.001-05:002015-06-14T21:23:22.683-05:00Bookcase MagicBAM.<br />
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My newest furniture update- a built-on bookcase for a vintage dresser. I seriously can't get over how awesome this turned out. I will take a bit of a break patting myself on my back to get my hands back on the keyboard to share some details on this design.<br />
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One of the challenges of our attic remodel is organization. There isn't a closet in the space and we didn't really have enough of a need for one to get into the logistics of building one in. But, we did need space for two kids worth of clothing, books and miscellaneous bedroom stuff. I really wanted a single bookcase and dresser unit for the room since we were adding a bed and I didn't want to clutter up the room with too much furniture. Also, I thought getting the books a bit more out of toddler arm reach would help with book longevity. (A moment of silence for the countless books I have had to throw away due to excessive tearing or traces of human excrement).<br />
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Starting with the base, I <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/01/dresser-designs.html">spruced up an existing vintage dresser</a> we had. <br />
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For the bookcase, I was inspired by this picture. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e030L9d9Hek/VXoDdovJ6RI/AAAAAAAAVI8/XrfFcmzPKkA/s1600/734e0981a07764b01fce6559c22baa13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e030L9d9Hek/VXoDdovJ6RI/AAAAAAAAVI8/XrfFcmzPKkA/s320/734e0981a07764b01fce6559c22baa13.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">http://thecartens.com</td></tr>
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I am a super visual person, so I used painters tape to mask out the dimensions of the bookcase, starting with the width of the dresser and using the slant of the wall to determine my height. <br />
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I decided I didn't need even shelf heights since many kids books are short (thinking of board books), so I went with 13" on the bottom for my tallest height and 11" in the middle and 10" on top. <br />
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Design completed, Andy was in charge of the actual build. ----------<br />
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Ap: As per usual I used 1/2" birch plywood for the case and 3/4" pine ripped to size for the face frame. This bookshelf is 38" wide and books/ children climbing can be heavy so I wanted to make sure each shelf was as rigid as I could make it. I rough cut all the pieces with my straightedge and circular saw and then final cut all the pieces using the table saw. Next, I set up the dado blade on my table saw and cut 1/4" deep dados into the sides to accept the shelves and back. Because Megs wanted to paint all the pieces ahead of time I had to be extra careful with the final assembly. I asked that she not paint the edges of the pieces so I would have a clean glue surface for the mating parts to stick. Overall this was a very easy project and went together quickly. I am not a huge fan of pre-painted parts but it worked out ok. Back to Megs...<br />
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Mp: I really liked the different pattern on the back of the bookcase in my inspiration picture but couldn't find a wrapping paper with the right colors that was also gender neutral, so I decided to stencil a design myself. Using leftover paint from a <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-mess-of-progress.html">desk I refinished</a> a couple of years ago, I put two coats of Simply Silhouette by Behr on the backing piece of wood. <br />
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While I had my painting station all set up, I went ahead and painted all the other bookcase components with two coats of Ryegrass which was the green I used on the dresser.<br />
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I have become so accustomed to county living that it didn't even phase me to knock chickens away from my drying station. Life is weird.<br />
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While my pieces were drying, I created my stencil. I had left over stencil sheets from a stencil I created for F's old closet so I used this to trace my design on. For this particular project, a piece of cardboard would also work fine. I found the stencil design on <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/11/make-a-statement-wall-with-paint-pens.html">this site </a>where the author uses it for an accent wall.<br />
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Utilizing all of my quilting rulers, I traced the stencil design onto the backing board with a pencil. Once my entire design was traced, I used one of the kid's craft paintbrushes and hand painted over the pencil marks with gold craft paint.<br />
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Andy then took over again putting all of the pieces together and nailing a face frame over the front. <br />
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I filled the nail holes and painted the face frame with 2 coats of the green paint. Andy cut two blocks of wood that he screwed into the top of the dresser and then screwed into the inside of the bookcase.<br />
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This is nice because if we ever have to move the dresser, we can easily remove the bookcase and move them in two separate pieces.<br />
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Viola. Pure perfection.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-62753310915164853112015-06-07T20:34:00.001-05:002015-06-07T20:34:24.683-05:00The Weekend List<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend started out with one of my favorite
things:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Andy has home improvement ADD, so as soon as he gets 75% done with a project, he starts another project, resulting in a lot of <i>almost</i> finished things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We have a whole two sided list of these kinds of projects but since the weather was predicted to be nice most of the weekend, we picked some outside things to get wrapped up.</span></div>
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I got a
head start on the list on Friday, lucking out with great weather and
cooperative kids during nap time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last
summer<i> (or was it the summer before that?!?)</i>, Andy power washed our peeling red
deck and put a coat of Behr Deck Over paint on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deck Over is kind of a cool product that is
advertised to help bring old decks back to life, filling in minor cracks and
gaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First coat looked great and the
new walnut color was much nicer than the old red.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the instructions, you must put
on two coats but Andy moved on to another project and we never got around to
doing the second coat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flash forward to
Friday- I used a roller and went ahead and put two additional coats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our deck has some serious gaps that the paint
didn’t fill in (not that we expected it to) but the Deck Over did a nice job of
filling in the minor gaps and giving the entire deck a nice, matte finish that
has a good grip to it to prevent slipping.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1JH9ECQ16zQ/VXTrRepVH6I/AAAAAAAAVHU/70SbYfWVQ9Y/s1600/IMG_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1JH9ECQ16zQ/VXTrRepVH6I/AAAAAAAAVHU/70SbYfWVQ9Y/s320/IMG_3400.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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At F’s request, we started Saturday off with homemade waffles
before tackeling more of our list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy
was on gutter duty while I was back on my painting station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most frustrating things about
living in a small town is when you are just a few feet short of gutter, you
can’t run to the store to pick up some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, gutters are almost completed but we will need a trip to Menards
before those can get finished up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74I8yNp6Jow/VXTrO8id5xI/AAAAAAAAVG8/KZE-rBPAE6k/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-74I8yNp6Jow/VXTrO8id5xI/AAAAAAAAVG8/KZE-rBPAE6k/s320/IMG_3395.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Andy also finished clearing all all the bedding from the chicken coop that had built up over the year. To help keep the chickens warmer in the winter, you just add bedding all spring/summer/fall on top of the soiled bedding until you have 7 inches or so down. Then in spring, all of this needs to be cleared out to start fresh. Andy moved several loads of poop, which is compost gold to the compost bins and then spread the rest in our back 2 acres where the horses pasture. It's a stinky job but very satisfying to see the floor of the coop.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our powered wheelbarrow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfnXZftn3lY/VXTrUJt61GI/AAAAAAAAVHs/C1LujyE1bMY/s1600/IMG_3406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WfnXZftn3lY/VXTrUJt61GI/AAAAAAAAVHs/C1LujyE1bMY/s320/IMG_3406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was too beautiful outside to work inside, so I set up a
painting station outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We completed
the renovations to E’s and F’s room in February but I wanted Andy to build a
bookcase to go on top of the dresser in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wood was purchased months ago but Andy was
able to get everthing cut out and dry fitted Saturday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I painted all the shelves and shell the same green as I painted the
<a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2015/01/dresser-designs.html">dresser</a> with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m334nmRyC6w/VXTrST4hoZI/AAAAAAAAVHc/xk8Mk4b6up0/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m334nmRyC6w/VXTrST4hoZI/AAAAAAAAVHc/xk8Mk4b6up0/s320/IMG_3403.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I wanted to do an accent
on the back piece, so I painted this a dark grey-blue and then stenciled a
design on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AK1CE70N_14/VXTrU10a3JI/AAAAAAAAVH0/9DocQJyVJg8/s1600/IMG_3409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AK1CE70N_14/VXTrU10a3JI/AAAAAAAAVH0/9DocQJyVJg8/s320/IMG_3409.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I will do a post once the
bookcase is totally done with details on how I did all this but it took a lot
of math, chocolate cake and episodes of Friends on Netflix to accomplish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> <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="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnIyemEzTBc/VXTrNrVtcvI/AAAAAAAAVGo/-xGly8NEfAw/s1600/IMG_2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnIyemEzTBc/VXTrNrVtcvI/AAAAAAAAVGo/-xGly8NEfAw/s320/IMG_2666.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bookcase ready for face frame</td></tr>
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</o:p></div>
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What do the kids do while we are checking of items on our
list?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Helping”, playing in the yard, asking
us thousands of questions, preparing snacks, you name it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While working in the yard, we looked up to see our neighbor, Farmer Randy walking along our road. </div>
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You know you have lived in the country too long when a person WALKING on the road causes a stir of commotion.</div>
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Andy spent Sunday morning living out his lumberjack fantasies, cutting out dead branches from two of the evergreen trees. </div>
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At one point, my little squirrel had climbed almost all the way to the top of one tree. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Where's Waldo? </u>Andy edition </td></tr>
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It's a good thing we don't have any woods on our acreage or I would never see him again.</div>
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Worn out from playing out side the whole previous day, E was running a little fever and passed out on the couch. </div>
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By the afternoon, she had recovered and prepared Andy a snack since he was working so hard in the shop.</div>
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I was able to get away and spent the afternoon on a kayak trip down the river organized by a local campground, Hutchinson Family Farm Campground. We have on on canoe trips several times down the river with the kids but it was a ton of fun getting to relax and watch the scenery as we floated down the Upper Iowa River.</div>
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It was my first time in a kayak but it was super easy. </div>
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I only got in to a bit of trouble once when I decided to dig into my bag for a muffin and got turned around, floating backwards down the river. Luckily, a few strong strokes got me back on track. Once we reached the end of our river trip, we had campfire pies and s'mores as well as a wine tasting from a local vineyard. </div>
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So, smelling of bonfire (is there a better smell??) with a belly full of marshmallow and chocolate, I get to check a few more things off of our list and amble off to bed a happy women.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-2880822820565360482015-05-25T20:10:00.002-05:002015-05-25T20:10:20.532-05:00Outbuildings: From Work House to Play HouseDespite some rainy weather, Andy and I managed to get a little outdoor work accomplished on this three day weekend. One of the things on our to-do/wish list since we moved in was making one of the outbuildings into a playhouse. The "small" outbuilding is situated near our vegetable garden and the best area of lawn on the acreage. <br />
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Two summers ago, we built a sandbox and <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2013/07/flowing-water-happy-kids.html">outdoor play area</a> next to the outbuilding but never got around to cleaning out the inside of the building and repairing the roof. With my sister and brother-in-law visiting this weekend, we decided to finally dive into this project. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting my city sister to work</td></tr>
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The intermittent rain kept us from doing any roof work, but we were able to jump into the interior cleaning portion of the project- aka spider and mouse removal. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walls piled with years of dust, dirty, bugs and animal poop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rat's nest in loft</td></tr>
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I don't have any pictures of the inside of the building when we first moved in because I refused to even peer inside but this is where we started on Saturday.<br />
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Andy had already done an initial clean out of a generation worth of rubble and randomness inside over the last three years. We found a few "gems" to keep such as this box as well as some old stools and buckets.<br />
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The main task of this weekend's clean out was to purge, organize and make the inside safe for the kids. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little helper is super confident up and down the ladder to the loft</td></tr>
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We took everything out and hammered down or pulled out all nails sticking out of the walls. Like millions of rusty nails. We also removed two tables that someone had probably used as planting tables at one point. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy tearing out one of the tables</td></tr>
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Cleared out, the space is actually pretty large and would make a fantastic guest house if we were so inclined to run plumbing out to it. Bed in loft, kitchenette and bathroom under with a little sitting area. A project for another decade I think. For now, we are using the loft space for seasonal storage and the floor space for a stage and theater area for the kiddos. After lots of sweeping and vacuuming, the space is "clean" and safe. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table which will later be a crafting area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Platform for stage area and pod swing. Loft above holding winter tools and lawn chairs.</td></tr>
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Andy used one of the old tables to create a little stage and as soon as we repair the roof, I will be putting up some curtains and maybe some paint to make a really fun theater for the kids to put on their shows (much to Andy's terror as live theater is his biggest fear).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their first production- "Box Trolls" (F is in the box on the floor)</td></tr>
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Another project that we tackled this weekend was organizing all the gardening and outdoor tools. Previously, we have just stacked up shovels, racks, etc on one of the walls in the 3-way but this was not good enough for LEAN expert Andy. Screwing a piece of wood into one of the framing pieces of the outbuilding, Andy cut notches and holes fitting each tool. <br />
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Taking it even further, he labeled the notch so we know where each tool goes. <br />
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Guess this is what you can expect when you keep an engineer around the house.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-70666899780528749392015-03-23T08:32:00.001-05:002015-03-23T08:33:42.413-05:00Fareway My WayOne day this week after work, Andy was telling me about a conversation he had with some coworkers about my organizational skills which borderline obsessive compulsiveness. He was sharing how I plan meals and snacks weekly every Friday, make a grocery list and shop once for the whole week. His coworker replied that she too made a weekly list of groceries for shopping during the week. "But do you have a template that you write your grocery list into that follows the layout of the store?" he replied. "Um... no".<br />
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My grocery list template is organized by product type (produce, canned goods, meat, etc), in order of the grocery store aisles. I plan what I will make for diner each night as well as a few snacks, lunches and breakfasts throughout the week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grocery list template which was made on Word using tables and shading. Feel free to steal/alter/etc.</td></tr>
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This grocery template is really organized to my local grocery store (it reeks havoc when I try to use this list at Trader Joes in Rochester) which got me to thinking that we have never shared one of our new loves of small town living- our local grocery store, Fareway. Fareway is a midwest chain of 100 or so grocery stores, in operation since 1938 and is the choice grocery chain of most the small surrounding towns in our area. Larger towns can boast a fancy Fareway complete with a bakery (we are not so lucky).<br />
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The outside of the store is modest and unassuming; a single story stand-alone building featuring the recognizable yellow and red logo. <br />
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<i>Note that all the pictures in this post were "taken on the sly" since I felt like a crazy person taking pictures while grocery shopping... which resulted in hilariously clear sneaky photos.</i><br />
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On my first few trips to Fareway, I was unimpressed and used to large grocery stores like Jewel and Hy-Vee which have every product imaginable, each with multiple brands and varieties. Though Fareway keeps things simple, stocking one or two brands of the most traditionally purchased foods, I have come to appreciate the fresh produce, great prices and ease of shopping in a much smaller store. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking in you will find yourself in the produce section, trying to help your toddler collect groceries in his special red cart without inevitably catching your heels</td></tr>
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The meat counter is especially fantastic with an abundance of meats and cheeses. They don't stock any pre packed meat (like Purdue chicken breasts). This was something that was a stumper to me on my first shopping trip but now I love bellying up to the large counter to be waited on by one of five or more friendly staff members in really adorable little paper hats, white shirts and black ties. <br />
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There are no "take a number" tickets found here because there is never any waiting. Here, you will not find fancy meats like veal or usually any fish (unless it is Lent), but you will find every cut of beef and pork imaginable as well as specialty bratwurst. If you don't see the cut you want they will politely ask you to wait and then rev up the band saw in back.<br />
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As I troll up and down the aisles, checking things off my crazy, computer created grocery spreadsheet, I enjoy waving to and catching up with someone I know that I inevitably run into. When we first moved here from the Chicago suburbs, I was totally freaked out at how often I would run into someone at the store, but now I am shocked when I don't see at least one person I know. Granted, I would still rather avoid running into my doctor or one of my student's parents when I am bathed in sweat from an exhilarating Zumba workout but usually I am not so lucky.<br />
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Since it is such a small store and able to keep prices so low, there is usually one or two things off my list each week that I have to make an extra trip to to health food co-op or to the dreaded Walmart but I like shopping at Fareway so much, it is worth the extra trip to another store for me.<br />
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Checking out is also a super pleasant experience. No matter the time of the day, they always have several checkers and will call for back-up the minute there is any sort of line. I actually sometimes wish they were less "Johnny on the spot" with extra checkers so I could catch up on frivolous tabloids while waiting in line. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing at the checkout with the trashy magazines</td></tr>
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I like to play "stump the checker" picking out the most unusual produce I can find but rarely do they even miss a beat and never have I seen them flip through a book of produce to find a product number. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conveyor-less check-out straight from cart to scanner. E is unloading her little cart while L waits inside his carseat in the big cart with groceries piled all around him</td></tr>
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After paying, way less then you would expect, you are escorted to your car by a 12 year-old cart boy (or a retiree during school hours). Seriously, they won't let you push carts or carry more than a few bags out of the store... a bit awkward for the 30-year-old body builder but so convenient for a mom of three with one-to-few arms. While chatting cheerfully about the weather, your personal bag boy takes your purchases all the way to your vehicle and helps load the groceries in the car. <br />
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I can't help but think how in the Chicago suburbs, if you needed any assistance with purchases out to your car you had to drive your car right up to the entrance for fear that you would try to snatch the bag boy away with you. Not in small town Iowa. I'm pretty sure if I asked, the bag boy would hop in the car with me, drive to my house and help unload the groceries there.<br />
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If we ever move away from our little farming paradise, I would jump at the chance to shop at a Hy-Vee again but damn, I'm gonna miss those cart boys. Im sorry, but there is no way to state my enthusiasm without sounding like a creeper.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09938174079178063576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-71585645811470841102015-03-22T13:14:00.001-05:002015-03-22T13:14:46.017-05:00The Outdoor Shower 2.0This is one of those posts that I have been saying I need to update for a while, and per typical fashion have not. The time has come not just because the weather is now permitting me to use it yet again but I am laid up on the couch for the next three days after, dare I say, a necessary but uncomfotable procedure that stops the spread of the Peterson name any further in these parts. If you chuckle and wink at me the next time we meet I'll know you read this post.<br />
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Although she might not think so, Megs IS a champion gift giver. She not only listens to my ramblings throughout the year, she is capable of off shooting from my main idea and coming up with brilliant sub gifts in the same vein. This years Christmas... lumber yard scented beard oil, a 6 way photo light panel and a new bike helmet. A little random but damn if she didn't nail 3 awesome gifts. The outdoor shower, however, is her crowning achievement. Even through her plumbing was piped to near freezing well water, the thoughtfulness and mechanical achievement was awe inspiring. <i>Read about her outdoor shower design <a href="http://ouracreageadventure.blogspot.com/2014/06/our-diy-outdoor-shower-basic-model.html">here</a>.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did try it out immediately with freezing hose water</td></tr>
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It was so inspiring I immediately took the whole thing apart and re-plumbed it so a mammal not solely suited to the arctic could enjoy it. My first task was setting the 4x4 support in concrete to add stability. I was able to dig down about 2' until I hit the top of the bell shaped cistern and could go no further. A little rock in the bottom of the hole to level out the 4x4 and 2 bags of fast setting Quik-crete completed item number one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two assistants helping me mix concrete in their wheelbarrow</td></tr>
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The next goal was to plumb hot water. The spot Megs chose was perfect because in addition to being over the old cistern, it was very close to the hot water heater and subsequent plumbing in the basement. I headed to the store to pick up some Sharkbite T fittings, exterior hose barbs, and 1/2" fittings and pipe to match what Megs had constructed. We had just recently bought a new washing machine for our rental house in Illinois so I had an extra set of rubber water supply lines that would be perfect for joining the shower to the house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy hose connections</td></tr>
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Once cleaned and teflon taped up, all the pipes and valves were ready for pre-assembly. I finished the installation step by using metal pipe hangers/ straps to attach the plumbing to the support pole.<br />
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The next step was to tap into the basement plumbing and run lines to to the outside of the house. The plumbing in our house is a mix of copper, black pipe and PEX (thanks to me), but luckily the area that was most convenient to tap into was copper. I made quick work of cutting and installing the Sharkbite fittings, however getting water through the old sill was going to be a challenge.<br />
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I had purchased a 3/4" spade bit for a past plumbing project and was able to utilize the right angle head attachment on my Rigid Jobmax to get up between the joists with little difficulty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Due to space constraints, I had to drill as <br />far as I could and then add an extension</td></tr>
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My biggest concern was chipping or breaking the exterior siding which is an old slate style fiber board...aka nightmare plates as I think of them. When I re-sided the house a few years ago I tried various techniques to drill through is stuff and make a clean hole without cracking the whole plate. Without a masonry style hole saw it is nearly impossible. I didn't want to spend ~$50 for the size I needed so I set to work with a regular bi-metal hole saw, some water and very minimal pressure. The first hole went off without a hitch... or crack. Then I got cocky and cracked the plate on the second hole. AHHHH!<br />
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Ah well, nothing that can't be patched with some caulk and paint. I then finished connecting the two new hot and cold hose bibs to the T Sharkbite fittings inside through the sill and tested the connection. With pressure holding and no leaks, the only thing to do was get naked! I was initially planning to make a screen for it but due to geography and a well placed pine tree, there is enough notice of a car coming down the road from the north to at least grab a towel as they pass. When I shower at night I don't even bother.<br />
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After a week of showers, I realized it that the waste water wasn't really making it down into the cistern as much as creating a muddy mess of the surrounding grass. Also, standing on a rusty metal cistern cover wasn't that comfortable so I created a small deck. I had a couple of pressure treated 5/4 x 6 deck dotards left over from Megs raised garden box project so I set to work. The metal cistern cover is 2' diameter so I decided to make the deck 30" square which would span the opening allowing me to leave the cover completely off.<br />
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I used Tap-cons to secure the desk to the cistern so there would be no possibility of our curious little ones moving the deck and taking a swim.<br />
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We use this shower every single day and I really had a hard time moving my cleaning rituals in the house this winter. It is a rush to have freezing rain and snow come down on you at the same time as steamy hot shower water. I can only picture potential home buyers reactions to this amazing sight. I can imagine a woman wondering who in their right mind would use such a thing without a privacy screen as a man starts to undress in the background all ready to try it out.<br />
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<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00507038888114768102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-821010959948664003.post-82522980581818937922015-02-26T09:40:00.001-06:002015-02-26T09:40:12.430-06:00Reclaimed Wood Conversion<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I never understood the love of beat up old wood being used in new projects. Don't get me wrong, I am a woodworker who loves the color, patterns, and and history of tight grain old growth timber, I just prefer it to be nicely milled, knot free and dimensionally stable. However, as of late, Megs has somewhat converted me. I am still only 50/50 just due to the amount of work it takes to reclaim and repurpose lumber, but the percentage swung quickly on this project.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the tear out phase I encountered 3/4” thick, 6 1/2” wide shiplap boards all along the walls, just behind the paneling. They were half painted, half raw boards, some that spanned the full 15’ long walls. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">As in most old, dry walls I figured they would just disintegrate while being removed but with just the slightest of care I was able to pull them right off the walls using the ol’ hammer/ crow bar technique and pass them out the window. At this point I had no idea what I was going to do with these boards but they seemed in decent enough shape to use for something else around the farm.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning I showed Megs the shape they were in and she was immediately excited about the possibilities. We later discovered that the collar ties needed to stay in the room for support so I hatched a plan. What if I was to double up the collar tie supports and wrap them in the wood from the walls to make them look like beams? Megs liked it so ahead we forged. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next issue was what were were going to do about the current finish on the boards. There was no way I was just going to slap up those nasty old boards how they were. I grabbed a length of board and set forth figuring out how to refinish. In 6 sections I sanded with 40 grit, 40 then 120 grit, 120 grit, scraped, single pass through the planer, completely clean through the planer. Megs and I conferred and the clean pass through the planer yielded beautiful golden… hickory we think. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the path set, I now had to contend with the issue of planning down a couple hundred feet of boards in sub freezing temperature in a shop that isn't big enough to plane 15’ boards. Luckily on all fronts, my parents were visiting for the weekend and the weather jumped up to a balmy 30-ish degrees. My Dad and I set up a work station in the yard and got to work. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I bought my planner second hand with a couple sets of knives and the last I used it was to plane down a bunch of rock hard hickory for Meg’s cutting board. I obviously burned the hell out of those blades because the first board we tried to run through for this project burned, chattered and took all my force to push it through. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The look on my Dad’s face was one of concern. He asked the last time I changed blades, which made me laugh once I removed the actual bowed dull hunks of… I can't even call them blades. A fresh set changed in and we were off to the races, with some the smoothest planing I have ever done. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It took 3 total passes to get one side cleaned up of me feeding and Dad catching and stacking. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qCuS-sG87FY/VOuth5rqemI/AAAAAAAAAjM/PxKRjYDxr-w/s1600/IMG_2335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qCuS-sG87FY/VOuth5rqemI/AAAAAAAAAjM/PxKRjYDxr-w/s1600/IMG_2335.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-Planing</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We ended up with a pile of shavings big enough for me to fill the 5x10’ chicken coop about 2” deep… a lot of shavings! </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SoctTfvvVJA/VOutmiuU0-I/AAAAAAAAAjg/g8hWdZuwUr8/s1600/IMG_2333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SoctTfvvVJA/VOutmiuU0-I/AAAAAAAAAjg/g8hWdZuwUr8/s1600/IMG_2333.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QI3Hhn6vRZ4/VOutm6h0XRI/AAAAAAAAAjk/pnuHRTd6yo0/s1600/IMG_2334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QI3Hhn6vRZ4/VOutm6h0XRI/AAAAAAAAAjk/pnuHRTd6yo0/s1600/IMG_2334.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We packed up the temporary workshop just in time for a couple inches of snow to fall out of the sky.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A note about planing. Make sure you scour the boards for any metal before running it through the machine. Not only will it ruin your blade set and leave a poor finish, it can be dangerous to send flying metal projectiles through the air. Small metal detectors are available for this very process but I don't do enough of this kind of work to warrant one, so a handy set of pliers and quick hands to the off switch are my method.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After all the boards were cleaned up and ready, I set up my table saw and cut off the shiplap edges. I was able to get all of the beams wrapped choosing the best boards out of the stack we had planed and still have at least 100 feet of boards left over for the next project. I'm thinking the back “wall” of some mud room lockers where we can hang all of our coats and store shoes and accessories, but I think that project will be a bit down the road.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all I am really happy with how the beams turned out and it was worth the time in the end. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdWNquZEceA/VO895fWJDMI/AAAAAAAAAkA/Hl68GiuT2H8/s1600/IMG_2042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdWNquZEceA/VO895fWJDMI/AAAAAAAAAkA/Hl68GiuT2H8/s1600/IMG_2042.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(wires sticking out of walls are for lights that will be installed soon)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlcRL5sFdMU/VO894Luk8aI/AAAAAAAAAj4/rDvi_v59R78/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlcRL5sFdMU/VO894Luk8aI/AAAAAAAAAj4/rDvi_v59R78/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1LGYIc9HHRQ/VO89pXGZQFI/AAAAAAAAAjw/d3J-7gd9uXk/s1600/P1060099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1LGYIc9HHRQ/VO89pXGZQFI/AAAAAAAAAjw/d3J-7gd9uXk/s1600/P1060099.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a reminder of what we started with</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The look is great and it is nice to be able to carry on the tradition of the house by reusing the old boards in a unique way. The custom light boxes I am building now also will feature this reclaimed wood and I am toying with building a custom entry door with the same. More to come on that soon!</span></span>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00507038888114768102noreply@blogger.com0