It's a Mick...House

The Rest of It

2008-04-20T11:11:00.011-04:00

Okay, at this point, save for a few tweaks here and there, my house is finished. Everything came together so quickly at the end that I didn't have a chance to get pictures as things progressed. We had a snag with the wallpaper...I felt that enough had been ordered, and didn't go for the full order as suggested by the paperers. Turns out, I needed to order more! So, things got delayed a bit, which is how I was able to get progression pictures for the dinig room and kitchen. But everything else? It took three days to get everything else done! With my schedule last week, it was hard to stop by and check it out every day (though believe me, I wanted to!). So the pics you see are of the house as it appears today. Moving will commence this week, and I will hopefully be in soon!!!

The Living Room
Same paper and border as in the dining room. As I have mentioned earlier, the same basic wallpaper is used throughout the house (with the exception of the bathroom). Some may find that boring, but one of the things about wallpaper that bugs me is the endless array pf patterns used in the house...no place for the eye to rest! I need a space where I feel completely relaxed...I think that this paper will do that for me.

I used the same border in the office. I love how this room turned out. It is much brighter than how it was before, and I think I will like working in here.

Bad shot of the hallway...good thing is, again, as in the office, a much brighter area than what it was before. I'll have to get a better shot of the border and post it...may be hard to see in this picture.

The laundry room...definitely brighter than before. I've included a shot of the border here because it is hard to see in the first pic. I can't really believe that I picked this border out; it is not like me at all...but it fit the house and I do like it in its own way. There's a bit of whimsy there.

Finally, the bedroom. We've skipped the bathroom because I haven't done anything there. I originally thought that I was done in the bedroom, but there was a noticeable gap between the walls and ceiling, and I realized (through some pushing and prodding) that I needed to get a border. I wasn't thrilled with this, but it had to be done, so here is the bedroom with the border added. I went subtle here, or at least I tried, colorwise. I like to change things in the bedroom (bedspreads, quilts, etc.) so I wanted something that didn't have a strong color in it.

Hopefully this will be successful!

One last thing today...

2008-04-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

For all of you CCHS alumni out there who graduated roughly around the time that I did, you probably remember the lady in the cafeteria who would ask you, "Plain or Jelly?" or maybe "You want corn?" or even, "You want beans?"

Well, guess what?

That house (as viewed through my laundry room window)? That's where Plain or Jelly lives! She is my next door neighbor!!! Yes! I have visions of inviting her over for lunch one day for chili and sandwiches, just so I can ask her, "Plain or jelly?" It may never happen, but, wow, I am entertained by the sheer thought of it!

(Plain or Jelly is actually B. Miller's and J. Biddle's grandma, and I am sure she is a very nice lady...in no way do I mean this blog entry as an insult to her...rather, it is more of a tribute to the lady who made lunchtime so special. -ME)

The Dining Room...

2008-04-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

Okay, when we last left the dining room, everything had been patched and the ceilings had been done. But no updates here for a bit!!! So, here we go...

Wallpaper added...

And then, of course, the border...

BAM! Dining room? Done!!!

Kitchen Stages

2008-04-19T10:11:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the kitchen is done...here are the stages of progression!

The beadboard is up and painted....

Sydnie discovered that the bottom cabinet of the built-in is an excellent place to hang out...

And then, the wallpaper went up...

Mom and Dad painted the kitchen cabinets (I helped one day, but they did the bulk of the work here), so we hung those back up. The border was also added...

And then, before I knew it, the kitchen was done (well, almost...Dad built new shelves for the built-in, but I still need to get in there and paint the inside.

But, for the most part, DONE!!!

So I Lied

2008-04-04T05:58:00.000-04:00

I didn't get around to blogging over Spring Break. I got some news last week that I won a grant to go to Japan in October, so I have been a bit scatter-brained lately. Of course, I am EXTREMELY excited about going to Japan, and excited about the house too, but there is just all of this stuff going on and no time to blog! (BTW, want to follow the Mick in Japan action? www.emilygoestojapan.blogspot.com will get you there) But, here it is, 6 in the morning, and I can't sleep, so I am going to go ahead and tour you through some of the other parts of the house. It's going to be quick, and right now I am just going to show you the "before" pics...I will post some updates later.

Just so you know...work has come a LONG way on the house. At this moment, all surface repair has been done, and two rooms have been wallpapered. Mom and I did some painting. The house is MUCH farther along than what you are going to see in these pictures. I anticipate being able to move soon. But, as time seems to not be working well with me, I will probably be in the house before I get around to blogging the rest of the progress. But, it will get done!!!

Without any further ado, then...

When you are in the living room, near the front door, and you look west, you will see the room that will become my office. It is accessed through this cool little archway. Someday it might bother me that this isn't a door, but it's give me a reason to build a Hobbit-like door, straight outta Lord of the Rings! Eh, probably not.

I do like how the windows look out over the front porch. There is a lot of light in this room, and hopefully I will get more work accomplished at the computer in that room than what I am accomplishing here! Mel told me that I can have her hide-a-bed couch in her old house's basement (dude, you rock), so when you come to visit, this will be your room!

I think I have told you about the closets. Whew. Scary. Take a look.

Another view...this is the ceiling...

This is where half of my clothing will be hanging. I think you can see why I want to have it fixed!!

Leaving from the office, we reach the hallway.

Just so you know....room at the end is my bedroom. First door on right is the laundry room, second is the potty. The door on the left leads to the dining room. Congrats! At this point you have a rough layout of my enitre house! Draw your own map, just for fun!

The hallway looks much better in this picture than it is. The paper is really dark. Like all of the paper, it is getting replaced. As is all rooms, the ceiling has been done here. And it looks fantastic. I'm pretty pleased with it!

Into the laundry room...

The laundry room is technically another bedroom, but as there was already a washer and dryer hookup here, it was thought best to go ahead and keep this as the laundry room. Truth is, I am more apt to do the laundry if I don't have to climb the steps to do it, so this'll work out. I like that it has hardwood floors! I just have hardwood in here and in the office, and I need to polish it up yet. In here, especially, it will be nice because this room will also have the cats' litterbox. Probably more than you wanted to know. We'll just call this the dirty room and leave it at that.

Scary closet here too, but not as bad as in the office!

The ceiling in this one isn't NEARLY as harmful to my clothing, but it still got redone.

Laughing time. This is the access to my attic. This house has now been mine for two months. I have yet to go into the attic. Actually am not planning on it anytime soon. My butt is far too big for that opening!

Ah, the bathroom. Love it here. Why? Because NOTHING HAS TO BE DONE HERE. It was all just recently redone. I can actually go in here and pretend I am living in my house. Of course, I have to shut the door to get the complete visualization, and then I am stuck with the fact that I am sitting for no reason in my bathroom. This is what derranged people do.

New tub even!

Wooden toilet seat has GOT to go! I keep getting visions of splinters in not so pleasant places...

Okay, last room....my bedroom. Believe it or not, when Mom and I were in here the other night painting, it was ridiculously dark in here. Scary dark ! This house is in town, and even with the blinds open, it's dark! I see nightlights in my future, and that saddens me greatly, as I am no fan of nightlights. But I do have a knack for falling, so nightlights will be going up!

The closet here is very small. Marty got in it the other day to illustrate whether or not you could actually hang a clotheshanger in here. The Marty-Test proved negative. My plan anyway is to put shelves up in here, so it works out the way I planned anyway!

Anyway, that completes the "before" photo tour. It's now 6:30, and I have to go take a shower to get ready for work. I will try to post some updates soon!

Okay, okay...I know it's been a while...

2008-03-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry...life got in the way there for a bit and I couldn't get around to blogging. The good news is that next week is spring break, so I should be able to catch up completely. In the meantime, let me show you around a bit more...

Work in the Kitchen...

Okay, the ceiling is up...you may or may not be able to see the pattern of the paper. Guess you'll just have to come and visit! By the way, the dark spots you may see are spots that are still wet. Should dry white...if not, they'll be painting!

Yesterday I stopped by the house and the beadboard was up. I am really excited about this! It's actually getting to where I can visualize the finished room!

On to the dining room....remember that bad spot I told you about earlier? Well, it's gone through some changes as well. The first is from last week, and the scond from yesterday...

And while we're here, look what's missing! That's right...the old wallpaper is gone...nothing more than a memory right now. The walls are yellowish...it's been prepped for the wallpaper, and it was tinted to complement the wallpaper. No, my wallpaper is not yellow, but a more honey, wheaty, tannish color. Yes, I know that's vague.

Look at all of the layers!

Little bad spot in ceiling being prepped...

By the way...here is a clearer picture of the ceiling paper.

That's it for now....I'm off to bed! More to follow!

Ooh, look! Work is starting!

2008-03-11T22:03:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I signed a contract to have my ceilings redone, the kitchen completely renovated, and the closets redone (you've not seen pics of those yet...you'll understand). I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited that work is beginning....anyway, here is what is going on:

First, the kitchen:

Work started yesterday (Monday). Here you can see that some of the yellow tile stuff has been removed. None of the rest of it will...apparently it could have asbestos, or at the very least, fiberglass. It is being worked over, I suppose. The plaster you see will be used to fill in the wall and make it level from the tile stuff.

Sad happenings....the little table by the stove was taken down. Moment of silence, please. I'll replace it with some type of shelf. But for now, here it is...or was, rather.

And finally, some prep work being done on the kitchen ceiling, and in my bedroom (more on that room later):

Live From the Living Room!

2008-03-09T18:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, the best picture I have of the living room is in the dining room blog, but as I am trying to document each room, I will add in what else I have.

This is standing right inside the door from the dining room, looking over to the front door and the doorway into the office.

This discoloration on the wallpaper is actually shown to a MUCH larger degree in this picture...when you are in the room, you don't notice it. Again, same wallpaper throughout, so this will eventually be covered as well. But while you are looking at this, possibly thinking "Niiiiiiiiiice," might I take this opportunity to point out the woodwork? It is absolutely gorgeous! Only the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom don't have it in its original condition any longer, but the rest of the house does. And it truly is beautiful. If you have a thing for old houses, it will take your breath away. It did mine.

Here is the front door, open. Would love someday to strip the paint off of it and return it to its natural color. This may not happen any time soon, or ever, for that matter. But a girl can dream. Still, love the door with its woodwork.

Oh yeah! The outside!!!

2008-03-09T18:25:00.001-04:00

I actually meant to post these pics in the beginning. Anyway, here is the outside!

A view from the side of the house...yes, that is a window air unit. Yes, I know how hot it gets in the Ohio River Valley. Yes, I know that humidity is attached to it. Yes, I am starting up a fund to put in central air. I'm not stupid, for crying out loud.

And finally, a view of the back...that's my car's house behind mine.

Okay, that should take care of that one. What am I doing to the outside? Absolutely nothing except putting some flowers on the porch starting Derby Weekend.

Into the Dining Room

2008-03-08T14:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, as you move from the kitchen into the core of the house, you first come into the dining room. Pretty much the first thing that you see is the wallpaper...

Dang. You might now see why I want to replace it. I think I could live with it, it's just that I don't want to. So, I'm not. Not sure what the time frame is on getting this replaced. There are a couple of tricky areas that need to be addressed.

This is the view from the kitchen into the dining room. The door on the left leads into the hallway, and the door on the right into the living room. There used to be French doors that led from the dining room into the living room...no trace of them now. Would love to have them though. If you look above the door into the living room, you can see the doorbell.

Not sure how old the thing is, but it still has a nice "ding" sound to it, and it is still functional, so it will be staying. To paint or not paint? I'm taking suggestions, although all signs are pointing to leave it as is. It has a nice patina to it, if you can overlook the discoloration.

The dining room opens up into the living room. Here is how it would look if you were standing right in front of those doors.

If you looked behind and off to the corner, you would see this...which also has the worst bit of wall in the house. Definitely not looking forward to tackling that one!

Plans for the dining room:
Fix the spot in the wall (there are actually two...don't have a pic of the second spot, but it isn't nearly as bad). Put up wallpaper and fix ceilings. Compared to the kitchen, minus the tricky wall spot, shouldn't be too hard. As with all windows except for the kitchen and bathroom, I will be putting up new blinds...sometime.

In the beginning...

2008-03-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I bought a house. This is going to be my attempt to blog what is going on with the renovations for said house. While the house has its own charm right now, as is, it does require a bit of Micky-fication and a Mick-overhaul. So, to begin with, here is what I have. I will try to keep up with this as best as I can!

The Kitchen

View from the back door. I love that sink. It is definitely old school...some would call it retro, but it's not their house, is it?

If I was the refrigerator, this would be my view. That is my new, came with house, gas stove. Little worried about the gas stove. Not necessarily about the burners, but the oven intimidates me. It's a good thing I don't cook or I would really be worried.

Not sure, but this may be my favorite part of the kitchen...the built in china cabinet. I love this thing.

View from the dining room. The door leads to the garage (my car's house) and the driveway (that's where you'll be parking). The table and chairs came with the house, and I am happy about that! The table has a drop leaf on both sides and fits perfectly in that space. If I wanted to impress the poop out of people, I would call this my breakfast nook. I'll be replacing the tablecloth and the curtains above the sink.

The house came with all kinds of treasures, one of which is this frog. It is sitting on the sink, and it will be staying on the sink, because it's just cool, darn it! I kind of hate the fact that I threw the scouring pad inside away...kind of looks like a rolled up tongue, doesn't it? Anyway, when you come to visit, you can check out the frog and various other treasures...just ask! You'll want to take the LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson salt and pepper shakers home, but they're mine. Deal.

Plans for the Kitchen
First off, tear down that yellow tile stuff. I am going to be using the same wallpaper throughout the house, so it will be going up here. In another blog I will show a picture of the wallpaper sample. White beadboard is going to go up, about three feet from the top of the baseboard. It'll be topped with narrow molding. Then the wallpaper, then a border. I also have some painting to do...baseboard, cabinets, door, etc. The ceiling will be redone. Right now there is some consideration on using ceiling tiles that look like the old tin ceilings of the past. Should look good...can't wait to see it. There is a shelf that runs between the china cabinet and the basement door which haas to come down. I definitely want to replace that, but as it isn't a top priority, that is something to do down the road. I am also considering buying a refrigerator, as I think it might be useful.