Moneypit Monday: Picture This!

In this little world of blogging that I've found myself in, there are many people I follow who have a weekly or monthly theme.  I've never been one to follow the crowd, but I couldn't resist with this theme. It is so fitting of our house…in fact, it is fitting for most old, fixer-upper, dream inspired houses. If you are a homeowner and have ever watched the 1980s movie "The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks, you know what I am talking about!

Today I am starting my first post in the new "Moneypit Monday" series. And what better way to start than with our new picture window!

Picture this…



This was one of the very first BIG ticket items we knew needed replacing when we moved in 1 1/2 years ago.  The view of Middle Ave & the sea from our house are gorgeous, but not with those streaks & smudges! Somehow it kept getting placed further and further down on the priority list.  We assumed the window would have to be custom built and would cost a fortune. Right after the wedding, we decided to bite the bullet. I called around, came up with some decent quotes, but nothing great.

In one of our weekly trips to Home Depot, I found Andrew in the back talking to the window people. Good news! Our favorite of the Home Depot windows, the Anderson 400 series, had a picture window our size: 67"x60", with a 4 week lead time. We have put 6 other Anderson 400 windows in the house and have been really happy with the quality and price. It was ordered that day and we even got a 10% discount. Good news indeed.

For all you New Englanders out there, you know that 4 weeks makes a drastic difference in the weather.  So as you can imagine, by the time this pretty window came in, it was November and temperatures for installing windows were not ideal. But, Andrew and I trudged forward Thanksgiving weekend and got our hands dirty.

It would seem to be such an easy project. Take old window out, put new window in. 

But as all money pits go, this is never the case. After all the shingles were removed from the window's exterior, we started to remove the boards surrounding to get better access to the window. Come to find out, there was NO framing. At all. The window was basically held in by the interior wall where they had put extra plaster to "hold it in". So in taking out the old window, we also took out part of the interior plaster wall. Good times.

5 hours later we had a 5ft. x 5ft hole in our living room, with 30 degree temps, a new frame from the new window, tyvek & weather shield on the exterior.

Day 2 of installing the window was a bit tricky. The first attempt involved putting the window in with the truck and 2 friends who we almost killed in the process. With another 30 degree day and a slightly small hole, the project was put on hold while Andrew brainstormed. The second attempt was just the two of us. Check it out…

Window Success.

To finish it off, we insulated with foam sealant, put lath back up on the walls, then sheet rocked & mudded the partial wall.

Now, picture this!

Happy Moneypit Monday y'all!

My Wife Won't Do That...

Andrew came home from work a few days ago to a cranky, sniffly, sarcastic wife. As Andrew likes to put it, I had done a lot of "suffering" that day. I had spent 7 hours doing my least favorite thing of all time: sanding sheetrock & plaster.  The first hour was exciting, progress was seen. After that, it was all dust and throbbing pains in my arm. I spent every hour cleaning out the white goop from my eyes, going outside for air and texting Andrew to say "I don't care what the F it costs to get someone else to do this job, but we are paying it next time!" Thanks to the Christmas station on Pandora, it was tolerable.

And this was my first time truly executing the task, solo.

We are currently working to finish the upstairs hall, stairwell & front entryway, which are all connected. This rehab of a big, awkward space has been going on for 8-9 months now!! When we moved in, the plaster walls were sponge painted baby blue, with popcorn, swirly ceilings and brass light fixtures. Can you imagine?? (Actually, you can, see pics below).

[THE VERY BEGINNING]

After tearing out the three bedrooms upstairs, parts of the hall inevitably got torn out as well. At one point this summer I hardly noticed that half the wall & ceiling was missing or that you could see every screw hole in the new sheetrock. In the past two months we have installed a new window in the upstairs hall, torn out the plaster ceiling & replaced it with insulation & sheetrock, rewired & installed can lights both upstairs & downstairs and spent 6 full days total mudding, then sanding, and repeating. This week, I have spent 2 days sanding sheetrock and today I did the final "spot mud". This awkward space will be ready for primer this weekend (fingers crossed).

BEFORE

AFTER


BEFORE

AFTER

As we sat on the couch reviewing our week, Andrew got quiet and said, "I shouldn't tell you this…but the boys in the shop heard what you were doing…and told me, 'My wife won't do that!!' You are lucky that yours does…"

It got me to thinking...Yes, Andrew, you ARE lucky that I would sand the sheetrock, first and foremost. And I may never do it again, for the record. But I am also lucky to have a husband who trusts me, challenges me, and teaches me HOW to build this house, how to restore things the right way, and how perfection is worth it in the end.

We have gutted & rebuilt 4 rooms so far.  In each room I have gradually acquired new skills, built on those I had, and learned to accept the new challenges ahead.  I have learned that things are never what they seem, that restoring a house is HARD WORK, and that my bitching does no good other than fill the airspace with negativity rather than drilling noises. I have learned more things in the past year and a half than I ever imagined possible. I might not like it all the time (just ask Andrew), but I am now a carpenter, a painter, an electrician and a builder every day as we transform this house into our home.

I am happy... in fact honored...to be the wife that WILL do that.

Thankful for 3

In this month of giving thanks, I've been thinking about what I am most thankful for. Immediate things have come to mind over the past few weeks. I have a loving husband who is both capable of caring for me deeply and calling me out on my crap. I have two careers that allow me flexibility and the ability to do the things I love. I am grateful for our house, our home…it has shown me what a labor of love truly is, what I am capable of, and what it means to create a home with the one you love. I am forever thankful for my parents who support me, my dreams, my crazy life, every day, unconditionally. And I am thankful for my sister, my brother-in-law, my friends and every amazing opportunity this life has presented to me. But I haven't been able to put my finger on that one thing that I am MOST thankful for this year...

We spent Thanksgiving in Newport this year with Andrew's family. We did all the usuals - played a little pig-skin, told stories, ate delicious turkey & fixings, and stuffed ourselves with yummy pie. As I sat around the warm, candle-lit table (my sister-in-law has beautiful taste…see pics below!) I couldn't help but feel thankful.

As we were driving home to Tiverton, it suddenly occurred to me what I am most thankful for this year. Becoming an AUNT.  To hear Eloise and Curly call me "Aunt Maria"…there is no other feeling in this world. It is an absolute joy to call these three my niece and nephews.  I am honored. I am humbled. And I am so grateful for their love, their developing personalities, and the way they have welcomed me into their lives.

I am thankful for Eloise - for her style, her type A personality, and her ability to see the best in people. She has entered her tough teenage years and I have seen her grow into a beautiful, thoughtful and sweet young lady. She and I have become friends, and for that I am grateful.














I am thankful for Curly - for his zest for life, his love of socks, and his genuine love & kindness. This boy puts his heart & soul into the things he loves - currently, it is all things baseball and Red Sox.  He gives a pretty great hug too.

And I am thankful for Benedict, our little piggy - for his snuggles, his love of "buck bucks" (chickens), and his love of "ya-yas" (pretty girls).  I got to hold him a few weeks after he was born, and man was I hooked.

Andrew, or Uncle Dandy as he is so fondly called, treats these three as his own and I have watched him interact with them over the years. He loves these kids as if they were his own. They are his friends…his comfort…his joy. I was always hopeful that one day I would get to claim these three as my family too. And honestly, when we got married, that was also top on the list of getting hitched…becoming an aunt!

And so I am giving thanks for marriage, aunt-hood, and three little ones that warm my heart. What are you most thankful for this year?