tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51797033619447297852024-02-07T02:08:46.688-06:00Home of the Tumbling StonesMy name is Miyu (pronounced Me-You), and I would love to share my adventures of renovating my home(s), money saving DIY projects, and hints and pointers on decorating your home. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-44918338601103417562013-12-18T09:57:00.001-06:002013-12-18T10:14:37.051-06:00Christmas Time <body>
... is herrreeee<br />
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Oh, how I love the Holidays. As much as people like to say it's too commercialized (thanks, Pope Francis), kids these days get waaaayyy too much stuff, and now, Black Friday is not so much Friday anymore... and no, I'm not technically Christian. Commercialized or not, there is something special about the season that makes me happy. I still love my red Starbucks cups, having either Love Actually or The Holiday on repeat on my bluray player, and gift wrapping. <br />
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Yes, I love gift wrapping. AND, it's a special talent of mine.<br />
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Give me some of that red fermented grape juice in fancy stemware on a Thursday evening, and I'll go to town. If it's snowing outside, that juice might be replaced with some spiked hot chocolate. Bailey and I get along great when it's cold :)<br />
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I typically browse through Pinterest and get some rough ideas on how I want to go about wrapping every holiday season. This year, I went with a neutral theme.<br />
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Found this AMAZING wrapping paper at HomeGoods for $2.99 a roll. Christmas Music scores. I also found this pin <a href="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/90/f9/6d/90f96d3b9c1caa89b461be15611fbe1e.jpg">here</a>. Mini-wreaths instead of bows! Brilliant!<br />
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So with my handy dandy hot glue gun, I made wreaths out of $.59 wreaths from JoAnn and bought <a href="http://www.joann.com/holiday-inspirations-all-over-pinecone-ornament/12713350.html">this</a> for $5.99 and disassembled the berries and pine cones to put on my wreaths.<br />
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Here's the turnout!<br />
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and a Christmas BONUS.... my ugly Chrstimas sweater that I handmade, and won at my office's Ugly Sweater Contest :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbie & Elf are trimming the tree (me). Barbie also has an ugly sweater on! LOL</td></tr>
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I hope everyone has a Happy and Safe Holidays! See you in 2014 :)
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</body>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-14270762127503891652013-07-03T15:49:00.002-05:002013-12-18T10:19:19.122-06:00The Kitchen - Final Reveal!!<body>
Of course, the final reveal is the most exciting part of any project or renovation... oh, the sigh of relief, the feeling of accomplishment, the feel of sweat equity really paying off... and of course, the thought that you'll get to enjoy the newly renovated room from here on out until... well, until you either sell the house or the room your just renovated is considered outdated again.<br />
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So... here we go! Pictures speak for a thousand words, as they say :) Enjoy!<br />
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It's a definite change from the days of the old kitchen:<br />
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</body>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-60543205712037436632013-05-28T17:42:00.003-05:002013-05-30T15:11:28.939-05:00Kitchen Renovations - The Pre-FinaleSo I've been periodically jumping around with projects!!<br />
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Let's get back to my kitchen. The kitchen is where the heart of the home is. If your kitchen is done right, even if the rest of the house looks like crap, sometimes you can sell the whole house because your kitchen is amazing. I wanted not only a good looking kitchen, but a functional one.<br />
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Again, here's the before blueprint:<br />
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And the after:<br />
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So, here we go. The last part, I left off with the load bearing wall coming down, and header beam going in. After the beam went in, things moved along at a good speed. It shows how amazing things look different when you do things to walls, whether it's just painting it or putting decor on it, or in this case, covering up the studs... <br />
<br />
<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg958ZDdu8Cj7XkbEXWXm6OhP6F8al_8vFy5wBKk1sAeFRQC5yrZ8bJSPbBPdoM-_x1E3Nf6K2bJ7EXO2d4eNZyovtcx5qppDDiBvnV8jhUNeIJ79UGte9L9yYYoZOq7_oeIVzzmXEPVCc/s1600/DSCN1582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg958ZDdu8Cj7XkbEXWXm6OhP6F8al_8vFy5wBKk1sAeFRQC5yrZ8bJSPbBPdoM-_x1E3Nf6K2bJ7EXO2d4eNZyovtcx5qppDDiBvnV8jhUNeIJ79UGte9L9yYYoZOq7_oeIVzzmXEPVCc/s640/DSCN1582.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1/2 bath is framed in....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACAGoNxWo3MifOeWht9UfefU3xDMrjOCqJF9ukWovFTCjAj-maNUDdMuX3VGcCn_icNrHjYXS6zWJOoUFsvhRtMiYde4myss8GGL3B1yvLm3S55Kv3RkOiE-Svc43rJlPXlTK_DwMt94/s1600/DSCN1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACAGoNxWo3MifOeWht9UfefU3xDMrjOCqJF9ukWovFTCjAj-maNUDdMuX3VGcCn_icNrHjYXS6zWJOoUFsvhRtMiYde4myss8GGL3B1yvLm3S55Kv3RkOiE-Svc43rJlPXlTK_DwMt94/s640/DSCN1583.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the 1/2 bath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49-_ffPzeT6Rz0i2m7ZSmgJEv0H0ZYnvnYB_S2nnXBFb5yYtsgiSHpOrorK3zfgdLV16ei7iRnxRCdAje6blj56sufGYtIEVXk_Ym_p05Cw3fheoQDEFjrrlXeIwV2y8d3H5AdKZBqb4/s1600/2011-03-02+14.08.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49-_ffPzeT6Rz0i2m7ZSmgJEv0H0ZYnvnYB_S2nnXBFb5yYtsgiSHpOrorK3zfgdLV16ei7iRnxRCdAje6blj56sufGYtIEVXk_Ym_p05Cw3fheoQDEFjrrlXeIwV2y8d3H5AdKZBqb4/s640/2011-03-02+14.08.42.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpy9z2egFY7XLWiVQy-XHelRDfMvIXSbd943aaJqPxw3nmUXW-MNU3eVy4NulQ42g24KYH5BdpA_zWn-BBRBjhURM7gFBmml534JvUxGumwN75OmVzMagmD1U6I0USlXjyihK4l9Wmi8/s1600/2011-03-02+14.11.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpy9z2egFY7XLWiVQy-XHelRDfMvIXSbd943aaJqPxw3nmUXW-MNU3eVy4NulQ42g24KYH5BdpA_zWn-BBRBjhURM7gFBmml534JvUxGumwN75OmVzMagmD1U6I0USlXjyihK4l9Wmi8/s640/2011-03-02+14.11.37.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94la-3E6cA7_EucdWL0hXhqOnJ9bfxjTERUCxxA6fkK-4bRN7fwg8vy_vAFECPFQQ4hzd3lvEQRYJn55Q7JLFvZ3rwQV-GHNtEIHEBG8SvJrz9c3NqC_tXMt5zT4wgnmItxK82p-Orw4/s1600/2011-03-04+12.54.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94la-3E6cA7_EucdWL0hXhqOnJ9bfxjTERUCxxA6fkK-4bRN7fwg8vy_vAFECPFQQ4hzd3lvEQRYJn55Q7JLFvZ3rwQV-GHNtEIHEBG8SvJrz9c3NqC_tXMt5zT4wgnmItxK82p-Orw4/s640/2011-03-04+12.54.25.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mudding!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My general contractor gave me the sweats when we went through 5 layers
of linoleum and vinyl and when he saw the original hardwood did the
breathing in through his teeth (and he's NOT smiling), and the deep
exhale with his mouth in the shape when kids blow out their birthday
candles. Then he says softly, "We might not be able to save it". <br />
<br />
"BUT MARK!! IT'S NOT IN MY BUDGET!!"<br />
<br />
"Well, I know Miyu, but this looks prettttty bad. I'll have the flooring subs make the call."<br />
<br />
1 day later. Enter Flooring Experts. I gulp. 2 seconds.<br />
<br />
"Oh, psh, this will clean up just fine! We are just so happy you're saving them. A lot of people don't even bother asking and they'll just tear it straight out because of how it looks. Can we take before and afters to put on our website? It's good education. Old floors are almost always salvageable. That's the beauty of hardwood."<br />
<br />
Then, we fixed the floors. We had a lot of patching to do because of where old walls used to be, where cabinets used to be, etc. They called it "lacing". I call it MAGIC. Refinishing cost me $1500. If I had gotten new flooring, it'd been over $3000. CHA-CHING.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg8hjaeN0UarRUiMyA0bjxaHzVv_GishAR3bNf4IqC2097wLw-wbl_VSE6iXHzUnG5g3WDMzD5kcoZ0tBblOcsamz0CO3ZVMRReZ4NcVed92Vw3wFXmp8DpJb7W0EYTpI9Dv7vUVpuDk/s1600/2011-03-04+12.54.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyg8hjaeN0UarRUiMyA0bjxaHzVv_GishAR3bNf4IqC2097wLw-wbl_VSE6iXHzUnG5g3WDMzD5kcoZ0tBblOcsamz0CO3ZVMRReZ4NcVed92Vw3wFXmp8DpJb7W0EYTpI9Dv7vUVpuDk/s640/2011-03-04+12.54.28.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No joke, the floor with all the dust and grime on it is the original hardwood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then, the cabinets came. I chose to paint the cabinets (althought I'm a big fan of dark stained cabinets!) because of 2 reasons.<br />
1) I didn't want the hardwood floors to clash with my cabinets<br />
2) My kitchen really lacks natural lighting. The 2 windows that exist faces West and Southwest. So I needed to brighten my kitchen up some other way.<br />
<br />
Poplar is a very good wood to use, if you're painting.<br />
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<br />
Is it dinner time yet? It's getting a little cozy in this kitchen!<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for the final reveal!! <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-85714139590281279362013-05-08T08:58:00.000-05:002013-12-18T10:18:50.306-06:00First Time Pinterest Challenge!<body>
So, <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/">Young House Love</a> is one of my favorite blogs to read everyday.<br />
<br />
And... this is my first time at participating in their Pinterest Challenge!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ECczO6pr-ydAIlmAxClmw1PtsA7XgLe1WCgYZ2dmp5yYC8eJltgivpGLMp4pZykXog3ypRrY-t3O2s8w2kwj8uSAmO5OdVOyl0brZhuuZegEiuccWbpL7kW0toPVpGFa6dPE8l01uH0/s1600/Pinterest+CHallenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ECczO6pr-ydAIlmAxClmw1PtsA7XgLe1WCgYZ2dmp5yYC8eJltgivpGLMp4pZykXog3ypRrY-t3O2s8w2kwj8uSAmO5OdVOyl0brZhuuZegEiuccWbpL7kW0toPVpGFa6dPE8l01uH0/s1600/Pinterest+CHallenge.jpg" height="120" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And whaddya know, the Pinterest inspiration also comes from YHL, <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2013/03/fireplace-makeover-stick-a-fork-in-it/">here</a> is the original post. Isn't it a beauty? It's made of marble tile (oooooh) in a herring bone pattern (aaaah)!<br />
<br />
So here we go:<br />
<br />
This was part of my basement renovation, I saw the Pin online when I was debating how I should tackle the mantle of the fireplace.<br />
<br />
First, let's look at this fireplace (before) from afar:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJf5UjShwQlVA5K7TUnvlGQJmXhSdy_TR5EHLCZ0DgB25AhUGPO3xcl6oIHZ0-TL0QG-QCiJHes3iJWa4hIsFnWX5Y-mwZQISZN3q0vcs5AEwxse_670vcQe_mtSVSoATLXaehw4fEo4/s1600/DSCN1465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJf5UjShwQlVA5K7TUnvlGQJmXhSdy_TR5EHLCZ0DgB25AhUGPO3xcl6oIHZ0-TL0QG-QCiJHes3iJWa4hIsFnWX5Y-mwZQISZN3q0vcs5AEwxse_670vcQe_mtSVSoATLXaehw4fEo4/s1600/DSCN1465.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Closeup:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX2wEraBZyYtO5Wt58bqQ7Aa0MSfy39QsRm2IPTUKMj80uM5hpAtZJ86PExOUzJZnBtq4J78T5qS4xAvbTWbtJV20SIN2CqZrg881mu1WZNRDfx62-iYuLKFAJf0haKiOGKZCB9eFAxw/s1600/IMG043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVX2wEraBZyYtO5Wt58bqQ7Aa0MSfy39QsRm2IPTUKMj80uM5hpAtZJ86PExOUzJZnBtq4J78T5qS4xAvbTWbtJV20SIN2CqZrg881mu1WZNRDfx62-iYuLKFAJf0haKiOGKZCB9eFAxw/s1600/IMG043.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
Then, I started to reface it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouOlgPxcl9l9xNvRr8rSZmp5ORetMgQEQZVRORKy5ZFtf47K-vuvKCaEOfqAcQv9T_yq3NZkWme22sy2nkSBmZ6CIC-3W1HG3u80_cyprijrrYcAcQt3gK8ONqI8_S6GBpDBJhM3IG6w/s1600/Basement+FIreplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouOlgPxcl9l9xNvRr8rSZmp5ORetMgQEQZVRORKy5ZFtf47K-vuvKCaEOfqAcQv9T_yq3NZkWme22sy2nkSBmZ6CIC-3W1HG3u80_cyprijrrYcAcQt3gK8ONqI8_S6GBpDBJhM3IG6w/s1600/Basement+FIreplace.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
I directly applied the mortar to the brick (instead of using cement board) for a few reasons:<br />
<br />
1. Brick was straight, no loose brick (I fixed some top ones that were loose)<br />
2. Brick was bare, any sealer had worn off of it over time (I mean... my house <i>is</i> 85 years old, after all)<br />
3. I lightly sanded the brick with 60 grit sandpaper so that the mortar would have something to cling onto.<br />
<br />
Some key points here with stacked stone tile are:<br />
<br />
1. Keep it level. Stone will not stack correctly if you don't keep it level!<br />
2. Lay the tile out first, on the floor or something. This way, you can arrange the tile how you want it since the color of the tile are all different. The last thing you want is uneven colors... evenly distribute the darker tiles and lighter tiles.<br />
3. This may sound obvious, but start at bottom and move up. The stone sits on top of each other. The stone is too heavy for the mortar to be its support.<br />
<br />
The #3 above is hence why I have an odd-looking, jerry-rigged wood support system for tile in the middle:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Then, I needed a mantle. It was an odd size (57" long) so I said, maybe a 60" shelf will work? So I started looking... but couldn't really find anything I liked.<br />
<br />
This is when the YHL blog post on their fireplace reface really REALLY helped me out! YHL made their own mantle out of MDF and I took what they did at the top with the 2x8, crown molding.<br />
<br />
I got the materials:<br />
<br />
1 - 6 ft 2x8 piece of board<br />
2 - 6ft 1x2 stain grade trim pieces<br />
1 - 6ft crown molding<br />
1 - 6ft 1x4<br />
<br />
Then I built this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxrHZ701L6QNnEIv1ABFuX-ZZ_Ll5gd45e0-rSl6uZoSPXvRa06dE_kyoyy8LKsXu5JupwGf1dA3Lejy4BF3BbhsHE9pCUe6OteCNSN456XjwVSa1thKah-pQiuz7W1adHynszSX-I_M/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxrHZ701L6QNnEIv1ABFuX-ZZ_Ll5gd45e0-rSl6uZoSPXvRa06dE_kyoyy8LKsXu5JupwGf1dA3Lejy4BF3BbhsHE9pCUe6OteCNSN456XjwVSa1thKah-pQiuz7W1adHynszSX-I_M/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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After two coats of paint, I liquid nailed it on top of the mantle for the finished beauty:<br />
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What Pinterest Challenge will <i>you </i>take on this Spring? A spring wreath? A summer pasta salad made from scratch? Basement fireplaces...??? <br />
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<script type="text/javascript" async data-pin-hover="true" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>
</body>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-37004312416568347222013-03-29T14:27:00.000-05:002013-03-29T14:27:19.640-05:00Kitchen Renovation Part IIIt's been a little while since my<a href="http://makeityourselfandupdate.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-kit-kit-kitchen.html" target="_blank"> last post</a>: Kit Kit Kitchen.<br />
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So, last place I left off was that my kitchen was gutted, I found some amazing <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnytGGJxMR-DwLb0OaEmyYUFRyRuDGAp3231VyQmTOwoP6dZ2QXIKjGsB0XDKRJY4Pfx8pKucoBvmPCbrZD6WzOY8MRKUetelEFMEIeDY0EyAOTm02RJkJ9AMhRhsxNeXivxnTjmCWAyQ/s1600/2010-12-23+16.30.43.jpg" target="_blank">wallpaper</a>, and I was going to be taking out a loadbearing wall (eeeek!!) and combining 3 spaces, the breakfast nook, the original kitchen, and the CatPalace Pantry to create one huge kitchen.<br />
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I'm not going to lie. I had never intended on blogging my renovation process so I don't have tutorials... but I do have some good pointers about kitchen expansions.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>CREATE AN EAT-IN SPACE</b>. My house was built in the 1930's, but the developers at the time were ahead of their time: an ensuite bathroom (more on that in a later post!) with the Master Bedroom, another full bathroom, and a powder room on the main level. Just because your house is old doesn't mean you can't have an eat-in kitchen! A breakfast bar can create a space that makes it easy for entertaining and a great space for a quick bite.</li>
<li><b>ALWAYS FOLLOW THE 3-STE</b><b>P RULE. </b>There is a reason why this rule exists. A good looking kitchen doesn't mean a functional kitchen. Make sure your sink, your prep area, your cooktop or stove, and refrigerator are all within 3-steps away from each other. <b> </b> </li>
<li><b>MAKE YOUR KITCHEN PERSONAL. </b>I'm a wine geek, so I knew I wanted a space where I can display my stemware and my wine bottles. I also like collecting cookbooks, so I had a little bookshelf built in a section where I can store them. If you have pets, think about where you want to put their bowls! One may think, "Why make it personal if I want to raise resale value of the kitchen?" Truth is, I think wine racks and bookshelves are just great additions that adds value and not deter buyers away. If anything, the kitchen will be a huge selling point. With the right buyer, that extra amenity you put in the kitchen may be the token to a quicker sale.</li>
<li><b>CONSIDER WOOD FLOORS INSTEAD OF TILE. </b>I think the best decision I made for the kitchen was to keep the original hardwood floors. To me, tile is just so cold and so hard... refinishing the hardwood floors not only saved me $$$ but it also gave the kitchen a very classic look. My inspiration:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgbTZQltBGiHGtaN1MPTSnoLIaLiKWDrupHsU3ZaQnbZr74wJsnlq8bRtvWmZVF0fn_p3PcmftUbvdBo6a76mBTELStYuTsNRz9lsGj5SrjawQAwuDICPpj11sWXG2NoR-7jT-GD7Zc4/s1600/whitekitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgbTZQltBGiHGtaN1MPTSnoLIaLiKWDrupHsU3ZaQnbZr74wJsnlq8bRtvWmZVF0fn_p3PcmftUbvdBo6a76mBTELStYuTsNRz9lsGj5SrjawQAwuDICPpj11sWXG2NoR-7jT-GD7Zc4/s400/whitekitchen.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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So here we go with some more BEFORE pictures:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaWzXR1JcPJuv18j3sakjYFwprB_Pf_Lk0GWGVvrwNj_HRq8HFq2veQPwZOAfhP3bQv2i9RpcL463RVuwkmX7U8hNfvGKvTtye6rX_JvOxDXivvtLX8B5Kk7CpactkBQ0PGyD480pkn8/s1600/DSCN1460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaWzXR1JcPJuv18j3sakjYFwprB_Pf_Lk0GWGVvrwNj_HRq8HFq2veQPwZOAfhP3bQv2i9RpcL463RVuwkmX7U8hNfvGKvTtye6rX_JvOxDXivvtLX8B5Kk7CpactkBQ0PGyD480pkn8/s320/DSCN1460.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The floor of the kitchen was vinyl... on top of vinyl... on top of vinyl... on top of linoelium, then another layer of lenolium, then finally, after 5 layers, we discovered the original hardwoods. The most confusing thing for me was the fact that one of the vinyl floors mimicked wood. WTF?<br />
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So, the journey begins with demolition which you can read more about <a href="http://makeityourselfandupdate.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-kit-kit-kitchen.html">here</a>. <br />
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After many wallpapers and pounds of plaster torn down, we were finally down to the studs:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TZRZvItICxhqvYyscEZdUeAuW8-UlWJEsI5NYeuokX_x4S3VgvOy6m7JA5xcA35lg7FpdXoLKn9X_MH_SIWHznzMWA3BJw3kqN0xigSF5Kfkn6QsMYFWw2n_Wy8GF1J7qmWSGdiDZZk/s1600/DSCN1561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TZRZvItICxhqvYyscEZdUeAuW8-UlWJEsI5NYeuokX_x4S3VgvOy6m7JA5xcA35lg7FpdXoLKn9X_MH_SIWHznzMWA3BJw3kqN0xigSF5Kfkn6QsMYFWw2n_Wy8GF1J7qmWSGdiDZZk/s320/DSCN1561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wall that was eliminated!</td></tr>
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Load bearing wall came out, and new header was placed in:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VhyphenhyphenDlM2LzdpXcy88E3_YHmk5djk0tvt2c2er7v1ta3-XFEjdZXYzcHavV9aoaPLVxl6ev1iKvipSFWxk_t8pPFN-Cg8d-ezthIksNFcu32_3SiuMboWzu5y60jl80zYBdP_QsL_3Ols/s1600/DSCN1582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8VhyphenhyphenDlM2LzdpXcy88E3_YHmk5djk0tvt2c2er7v1ta3-XFEjdZXYzcHavV9aoaPLVxl6ev1iKvipSFWxk_t8pPFN-Cg8d-ezthIksNFcu32_3SiuMboWzu5y60jl80zYBdP_QsL_3Ols/s400/DSCN1582.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS7JITDCf5Je2GtxrsrvHJPImMEriXIlWj_o5y6oi_SUOwLMSXIv9os6EIKplFNTD1IY6OtywvCEOcNuApn36amouIf1pPnoF2iaXnISxL9kHUKSWwdncZL2PevvHsySVDqLRlOQN0D0/s1600/DSCN1579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyS7JITDCf5Je2GtxrsrvHJPImMEriXIlWj_o5y6oi_SUOwLMSXIv9os6EIKplFNTD1IY6OtywvCEOcNuApn36amouIf1pPnoF2iaXnISxL9kHUKSWwdncZL2PevvHsySVDqLRlOQN0D0/s640/DSCN1579.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that beauty!</td></tr>
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More to come!<br />
Wanna read the first part? <a href="http://makeityourselfandupdate.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-kit-kit-kitchen.html">Here it is</a><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-71680334997030284332012-10-22T16:42:00.000-05:002012-10-22T16:42:17.834-05:00The Kit Kit KitchenAs you remember, my mood board looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyNPnrG3RF_w965IPvlfA3oYl9CXyy5uRGXo8YXdx2ecwQ0_xsa4F4ZZlhNquII4zsBv36u-8byxWteCC3HKg0G7VPNUZA0-oEjap-CAzSjTID5SNTkbxNHRt15VjOlqETh7Zq05MjY/s1600/Kitchen+Board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyNPnrG3RF_w965IPvlfA3oYl9CXyy5uRGXo8YXdx2ecwQ0_xsa4F4ZZlhNquII4zsBv36u-8byxWteCC3HKg0G7VPNUZA0-oEjap-CAzSjTID5SNTkbxNHRt15VjOlqETh7Zq05MjY/s1600/Kitchen+Board.JPG" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
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So... here it goes, a drawing I did so cheaply (FOR FREE!) in Lowe's Virtual Designer. 3D modeling technology at its best! BOOM!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO2XePansURRtcQDWAAuhCxXSmzxBQhmgMZ1uVB6wpo3d6ZC6N66IUrbGW4xi5_Q0aunAQ9ABiHSNGX_-M8wrIfCNu0Z8h8eO3O_gt9ITQvfhxQkHuR443TQF8bVLFbZr_CC3m0cqeT4/s1600/kitchen+design+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO2XePansURRtcQDWAAuhCxXSmzxBQhmgMZ1uVB6wpo3d6ZC6N66IUrbGW4xi5_Q0aunAQ9ABiHSNGX_-M8wrIfCNu0Z8h8eO3O_gt9ITQvfhxQkHuR443TQF8bVLFbZr_CC3m0cqeT4/s1600/kitchen+design+2.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklCX8YnAZCh4TQ40h4z4xs6KXaWx-hp8EaKg3ybXzo7pJdNCva6qQ_XbFHFcws_JA9eKEmICfbDHYCJEQ2kCx8irDEHNGnvFDYAHgn4xdud8oYTp23TwsymLP1dNeRpqDLvgohuoxbrs/s1600/kitchen+design+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklCX8YnAZCh4TQ40h4z4xs6KXaWx-hp8EaKg3ybXzo7pJdNCva6qQ_XbFHFcws_JA9eKEmICfbDHYCJEQ2kCx8irDEHNGnvFDYAHgn4xdud8oYTp23TwsymLP1dNeRpqDLvgohuoxbrs/s1600/kitchen+design+3.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind the overhang piece of countertop... that's me not knowing how to use the software.</td></tr>
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This made me wiggle. I wanted a little wine rack area with glass cabinets to see all the stemware... and a nice peninsula so people can sit, a super heavyduty overhead hood so that I can cook all the Asian food I want and not stink up the house, and a little nook for the cookbooks I own.<br />
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Now, how the hell am I going to get this? Yep, well, you have to knock down a few walls and rooms to achieve this, including the <a href="http://makeityourselfandupdate.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-search-part-tres.html">Cat Palace</a> (Thank god that we get to get rid of this area).<br />
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How did we do it?<br />
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SLEDGEHAMMER IT! (and, well carefully also sustaining the structural integrity of the house)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_TieLLb4Hn1WA3iNV-PtiP3dyju5rxAMXqRGz0Gij_vMSxFw23vJc7TUoxrreOEThcwNVXzCRm2emUuLi1RXTj7sszq1P6U81h-ZUDQgGGr2mS_0g4CKZ3i2-c0562sCLwPO7JI2mMI/s1600/2010-12-23+16.15.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_TieLLb4Hn1WA3iNV-PtiP3dyju5rxAMXqRGz0Gij_vMSxFw23vJc7TUoxrreOEThcwNVXzCRm2emUuLi1RXTj7sszq1P6U81h-ZUDQgGGr2mS_0g4CKZ3i2-c0562sCLwPO7JI2mMI/s1600/2010-12-23+16.15.53.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasty nasty PLASTER</td></tr>
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Oh and I found this LOVELY wall paper in the Cat Palace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnytGGJxMR-DwLb0OaEmyYUFRyRuDGAp3231VyQmTOwoP6dZ2QXIKjGsB0XDKRJY4Pfx8pKucoBvmPCbrZD6WzOY8MRKUetelEFMEIeDY0EyAOTm02RJkJ9AMhRhsxNeXivxnTjmCWAyQ/s1600/2010-12-23+16.30.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnytGGJxMR-DwLb0OaEmyYUFRyRuDGAp3231VyQmTOwoP6dZ2QXIKjGsB0XDKRJY4Pfx8pKucoBvmPCbrZD6WzOY8MRKUetelEFMEIeDY0EyAOTm02RJkJ9AMhRhsxNeXivxnTjmCWAyQ/s1600/2010-12-23+16.30.43.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVE IT</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-48613024793869335602012-10-21T11:36:00.001-05:002012-10-21T11:36:07.261-05:00You can call this a true DIY...My needs for a nightstand are pretty simple.<br />
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1) I'm blind as a bat. I can't walk 3 feet without hurting myself without any vision correction... so I wear my glasses or contacts until I close my eyes for the night. So, I need a place to put my glasses.<br />
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2) I need a lamp, so that I can read, then shut the light off without moving from bed.<br />
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3) Sometimes I need a drink of water in the middle of the night, so someplace I can reach over and grab my glass of some good H2O.<br />
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So, here's what it initially looked like. Can you say poor DIY?<br />
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The steps were for Zoro, who is not coordinated enough to jump up onto the bed. I bought them from Petsmart for frigging $40... can you say rip off? Then, you can say "RIP OFF!" again when I tell you that he was not only uncoordinated enough to not be able to jump up on the bed... but uncoordinated enough to not be able to learn how to use these stairs. After trying to teach him how to use them for 3 months, I couldn't return the stairs...... so I started to use them as my nightstand. <br />
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Except... it's too low. So I took a box with my backup ink cartridge, stacked it on top, and said, "This makes it my perfect height! YAY!" and did a little dance. FML.<br />
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Now, after living like this for oh, a year and a half, I was beginning to think that I should do something about it when......I was at Marshall's I found the perfect nightstand. On clearance. Solid wood, dark stained like my bed. $149.99. I saw it, I grabbed a store employee and I had it in my car faster than Bolt running 100m in the Olympics.<br />
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So without further interruption, I present to you my new setup.<br />
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Cost Breakdown:<br />
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The lamp: The base at Target on clearance - $15; $10 lamp shade from HomeGoods - $25<br />
Jewelry tree I've had since I was in school <br />
Glass Jewelry box (HomeGoods) - $10<br />
Pinboard (TJMaxx) - $14<br />
The hook - I've had since I don't even remember when.<br />
Nightstand (TJMaxx) - $150<br />
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TOTAL: $199<br />
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Pretty good for under $200? <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-87696593442213708582012-09-06T09:38:00.000-05:002012-09-06T09:38:33.566-05:00Stenciling with Martha<br />
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Intermission time from this house hunting and buying! Let's talk about a small project I did recently for my guest bedroom.<br />
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I'd been looking for a dresser to put in my guest bedroom, but didn't want to spend much money. I'm going for a yellow/grey color combo in that room... so I was just browsing on craigslist... then came across this guy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3MNnXamm4AXMXLuIfe6nJYXOOepb-G7hJ9tdKtuy_WmswfDIN47AYkEJ-lpuj__fEThgbYahyqXIQonOLNMcZenWGEY2CWIo0oNTVcze2pyl3Fm14XeVIoSW0k2vJmBCnUM32ZgLksc/s1600/Stencil+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3MNnXamm4AXMXLuIfe6nJYXOOepb-G7hJ9tdKtuy_WmswfDIN47AYkEJ-lpuj__fEThgbYahyqXIQonOLNMcZenWGEY2CWIo0oNTVcze2pyl3Fm14XeVIoSW0k2vJmBCnUM32ZgLksc/s400/Stencil+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I paid $30 (+$5 delivery fee) for this Maple Beauty and a mirror. It had some water rings cups, some stains, some dings... but nevertheless, for a solid piece of furniture, $30 was a steal. <br />
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I got my screwdriver, took all the cabinet pulls off. I got my paint/polyurethane stripper out and got to work with it. After I got the majority of it off, I got my orbit sander and 80 grit sander and went to work to get all the varnish off.<br />
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I used two colors, a pale yellow from Valspar and Stowe White from Glidden, that I already had in my garage. <br />
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Then I bought this guy with my 40% off Michael's coupon. The Martha Stewart Stencils and the Martha Stewart Stencil brushes.<br />
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<img alt="Martha Stewart Large Stencils 3 Sheets/Pkg-Cathedral Lace" height="320" src="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/CBZhyevLwyQAtsRAYL5H06MGZrDRgdUMa2DlRE9H2zUSrZeAqURHYJr-GzCBb8Tep7VwYvzVyVRft9SqqFahWSoRUrGihtdnWDZkswx9r2Wr9KKP8yV1PG8TGtUg0cndeRLsslOT3TghZcXeg_hSKZuj7gLe" width="320" /><img alt="Martha Stewart Stencil Brush Set 3/Pkg MS32802" height="320" src="http://cdn1.stuff4painting.com/catalog/product/cache/5/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/3/131045.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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I gave the dresser two coats. I painted the top of the dresser and the drawers white, then I went painted the main dresser front and sides the yellow.<br />
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Problem was, the Stowe white was an oil based color... and the little tubes of acrylic paint that you can buy at Michael's for $2 will NOT work for stenciling on top of oil based paint. That's why I went ahead and used the Valspar Latex. <br />
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I did a test run of stenciling by taping the stencil down and blotting it lightly........ but it failed. The paint would bleed through and I couldn't get any clean lines. Frustrated, I went to Google. Google tells me to use adhesive on the stencil. Hey! I own this guy: <br />
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<a href="http://www.artistsupplysource.com/images/T/t-85474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3M Spray Mount Spray Adhesive: 10.25 oz." border="0" src="http://www.artistsupplysource.com/images/T/t-85474.jpg" /></a></div>
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So I sprayed my stencil from about 16 inches far, let it dry slightly, then I used the plastic lining that the Stencils came in to lay the stencil adhesive-side down to get rid of the initial tackiness to tone down the adhesive strength. After a few times, the adhesive was tacky enough that it'll stick down to my cabinet, but not tacky enough that it'll leave glue adhesive residue when I peel. </div>
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I dipped my brush in, literally getting a coat at the tip of the brush, then used an ad paper that was slightly stronger than regular paper to turn my brush on to let off an any excess paint.</div>
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Then I blotted the stencil, making sure I got every spot, then peeled off the stencil carefullly.<br />
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Outcome:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqQlBJMcFtd4wQ1o0kH698zF7bfNSlGgV0y7PDDKHJ9ZmMrrjY6CmT-jk9HrpFFLE6xL626M1ED-hb4p2vEKeFdXP1eWpgekq_VbrsCLgewKhRCip6dVMVkWbQJoKftl_GS2jBtN5xEo/s1600/Stencil+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqQlBJMcFtd4wQ1o0kH698zF7bfNSlGgV0y7PDDKHJ9ZmMrrjY6CmT-jk9HrpFFLE6xL626M1ED-hb4p2vEKeFdXP1eWpgekq_VbrsCLgewKhRCip6dVMVkWbQJoKftl_GS2jBtN5xEo/s320/Stencil+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need a better camera....</td></tr>
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Pretty Good!!! Then I proceeded with the entire dresser... added hardware...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoyy5pwSmVD5uyuIsYBAan1oc78yqjJD7kUZfi6tQGCrpB3RL7y4gu5Iyqx6A5-PBFOYMh2mbo9ygBp2jG8LoCaiTuHm3aoDU1O2iUxO115lBR8VsCpNBTDt7duOl4vcjVvJ45Q5cVHY/s1600/Stencil+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoyy5pwSmVD5uyuIsYBAan1oc78yqjJD7kUZfi6tQGCrpB3RL7y4gu5Iyqx6A5-PBFOYMh2mbo9ygBp2jG8LoCaiTuHm3aoDU1O2iUxO115lBR8VsCpNBTDt7duOl4vcjVvJ45Q5cVHY/s320/Stencil+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlodH3E-kOva5Hr3nXVkfKz0Gr8LfOuP6g_QyHlma_iqtRJO_vDNHp_LgyUeQYRCYnvWYAjpz93OI9pAtmU13C2WkFHFWw6L1v1L0uMDZ_kFvzmFuoEvGWnGQ60FXCJjmWiyeohKMqyn0/s1600/Stencil+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlodH3E-kOva5Hr3nXVkfKz0Gr8LfOuP6g_QyHlma_iqtRJO_vDNHp_LgyUeQYRCYnvWYAjpz93OI9pAtmU13C2WkFHFWw6L1v1L0uMDZ_kFvzmFuoEvGWnGQ60FXCJjmWiyeohKMqyn0/s400/Stencil+009.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'm excited to buy new accessories for the dresser and put in my guest room!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-91354233508361768022012-08-31T15:25:00.000-05:002012-08-31T15:25:40.481-05:00Hiring a Contractor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Contractors can be tricky. Honestly, hiring a contractor is one of the most daunting tasks, in my opinion. Thank goodness for the World Wide Web. I did so much research on how to hire a contractor on the internet. The key here is this: know the scope of the job, and know it well... don't let the contractor teach you, you need to sometimes be able to teach them. Not that their experience will be overlooked, but the internet in this case will be your best friend. For any task, there is more than one way to skin a cat. <div>
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<a href="http://www.pwnedcake.com/Aviary/tut/newkitty/img/kitty01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://www.pwnedcake.com/Aviary/tut/newkitty/img/kitty01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, there will always be better, faster, more efficient, cost effective ways of doing it. Know your options. </div>
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After getting recommendations and referrals, looking on service magic, I took 5 bids for the job. One guy said he'd match the lowest bid given. One guy told me a wall in the garage (obviously added to create a closet when it was converted into a room) he was afraid of knocking it down because he thinks it is a load bearing wall (SERIOUSLY!? SERIOUSLY???). One guy told me he only works on homes that requires additions to a home, not renovations. One guy told me that he wasn't licensed.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Enter Mark. Mark was an easy-going, Ford F150 driving, old-school Levi's wearing kinda guy, in his late 40's. I took him through the house. He, right off the bat, gave me a scope of how he would tackle demolition, his approximate timeline, and understood the design I was going for in the kitchen. His plan for demolition was what made me think, 'I think I may have a contractor'. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After getting several bids, I hired Mark as my general contractor. With these design plans:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Kitchen:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyNPnrG3RF_w965IPvlfA3oYl9CXyy5uRGXo8YXdx2ecwQ0_xsa4F4ZZlhNquII4zsBv36u-8byxWteCC3HKg0G7VPNUZA0-oEjap-CAzSjTID5SNTkbxNHRt15VjOlqETh7Zq05MjY/s1600/Kitchen+Board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZyNPnrG3RF_w965IPvlfA3oYl9CXyy5uRGXo8YXdx2ecwQ0_xsa4F4ZZlhNquII4zsBv36u-8byxWteCC3HKg0G7VPNUZA0-oEjap-CAzSjTID5SNTkbxNHRt15VjOlqETh7Zq05MjY/s640/Kitchen+Board.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. White Kitchen Cabinets</div>
<div>
2. An Off-White color for the cabinets, and a turquoise based color for the walls</div>
<div>
3. Refinish existing (fingers crossed they are still there... because it is covered in vinyl) oak floors dark</div>
<div>
4. A glass subway tile with a strip of a decorative tile</div>
<div>
5. Tracklighting and Pendant lighting for the peninsula</div>
<div>
6. Oil-Rubbed Bronze hardware</div>
<div>
7. Corion top in "Night Sky"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is the Before floorplan:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<img src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/198853_744906489389_1630312_n.jpg" />
</div>
<div>
My proposed After:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<img src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/189234_744906479409_2082048_n.jpg" />
</div>
<div>
Exciting!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-5008087195992882262012-08-29T16:30:00.000-05:002012-08-29T16:30:33.686-05:00Inspections, Inspections, Inspections.My offer was accepted $8,000 below the asking price, and about $50,000 less than what a typical house sells for in my neighborhood.<br />
<br />
<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBysyG7O5NskK2Wt7FVoYwXjXLSE5sm2f-d9rmX3lSDJZMjpdJqb7pv6378KPxOvhiWibYqHRkOuN2cSr31yUfBMhxf_iBarocb77cfQCurKT6UWqpiHf52Eepbpx5QQKyoC7RR_qwA/s1600/445E74th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBysyG7O5NskK2Wt7FVoYwXjXLSE5sm2f-d9rmX3lSDJZMjpdJqb7pv6378KPxOvhiWibYqHRkOuN2cSr31yUfBMhxf_iBarocb77cfQCurKT6UWqpiHf52Eepbpx5QQKyoC7RR_qwA/s640/445E74th.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just love this photo. Aren't the white and pink dogwood trees amazing?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Inspections revealed a MANY things, but to note:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The drains from the gutters were pretty worn out, and weren't properly directed away from the house and needed to be fixed</li>
<li>The chimney, from all the settling the house had gone through for the past 85 years, needed tuckpointing ($$$$$$$$)</li>
<li>There was a fuse box, which is pretty common in old homes, inspector recommended that it gets eliminated </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
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Good news, a lot of the issues the inspector saw were in the areas I was planning on renovating. So the conversation usually went like this:<br />
<br />
Inspector: "Well, then I see this light here in your converted garage..."<br />
<br />
Me: "You can stop right there. I'm converting the garage back. Will that issue still exist after?"<br />
<br />
Inspector: "Nope. I guess I can skip over the next 4 things then."<br />
<br />
With the addendum to the original sales contract, Michelle and I put in that the chimney tuckpoint and the drains from the gutters be fixed, which the sellers accepted.<br />
<br />
Now, with inspections behind us and nothing too detrimental found, it was time to call those contractors in, start designing a new kitchen and a bathroom, and get to work with closing the house!! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-75482855436871588982012-08-27T22:35:00.000-05:002012-08-27T22:36:47.046-05:00The Search (Part Tres)<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
UGH!!!!! What is that <i>SMELL?????</i><br />
<br />
The odor was undeniable. The whole place reeked of a stagnant, sour smell. They tried to mask it with a combination of Glade, Febereze, and reed diffusers. IT WASN'T WORKING.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" height="480" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/190680_744906718929_3321690_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Breakfast Nook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/185939_744906763839_158060_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="spotlight" height="480" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/185939_744906763839_158060_n.jpg" width="640" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kitchen</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></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://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/192543_744906489389_1630312_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="spotlight" height="480" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/192543_744906489389_1630312_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen - BEFORE Blueprint.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Michelle looks at me and says, "I think it's coming from this pantry." We look inside... yep, a.k.a. the "Cat Palace". The room was a small pantry-ish room off from the kitchen. The room had a tiny section with cat food, three litter boxes, with the litter scattered everywhere. It was apparent the cats didn't use the litter boxes entirely. It was apparent the owners didn't clean this room often enough.<br />
<br />
<br />
We go upstairs to the Master Bedroom. The room was painted half green and half brown. It matched an artwork on the wall. Except... well, they painted the trim also the same color. Window trims were the same eggshell Green as the rest of the walls.<br />
<br />
<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;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" src="http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/197284_744906858649_7608867_n.jpg" style="height: 381px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 508px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Original Bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The master bathroom had 2 vanities, one had a sink, the other didn't. The whole room had wainscotting, which I didn't mind.<br />
<br />
The garage, had been converted into a family room, hence why the house got missed by so many searches. Most likely, people typed in "at least one car garage" which had limited from this house from showing up on search results.<br />
<br />
Great things about the house?<br />
<ul>
<li>It had thermal windows. EVERYWHERE.</li>
<li>Air Conditioning Unit - Lenox 3 tonne. Almost new.</li>
<li>Water heater, relatively new, working properly</li>
<li>Furnace, relatively new, working properly</li>
<li>Timberline roof, under 5 years old</li>
</ul>
It seemed as though the couple who lived here focused on the comfort of living, rather than the looks of their home. Maintenance of the house was done intricately.<br />
<br />
We left the house to look at another house... only for me in the middle of the viewing, say, "I'm going to put the offer in on the other house!!!"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-3697129568842003372012-08-26T15:54:00.003-05:002012-08-27T22:35:48.859-05:00The Search (Part 2)Let me start off by stating the stats before I bought and closed on my house.<br />
<br />
87 houses... from end of July until mid-October when I put an offer into a home.<br />
<br />
of that...<br />
<br />
<b>23</b> were Foreclosures<br />
<br />
<b>12</b> were Pre-Foreclosures/Short Sales<br />
<br />
<b>5</b> were Estate Sales<br />
<br />
<b>14</b>, I would actually consider as "Move-In Ready" under my terms.<br />
<br />
<b>33</b>, the rest, were homes that had features I would love, but then features I couldn't stand that would cost $5K - $10K to fix.<br />
<br />
<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://goo.gl/photos/zMAJpwPGjh" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89zn3Yo5QX0JkA9LSdhr2bMKzC3DR_lPvJx58VZ2o2CTq2OnerlHvAtXTr6mvKjlPykMsB0tdhUxbqeTyI3c_xjD4nTw2gZ3TBZ5hDeqx_KRo0Ol4AHN_wDRHzAymGE8-k-xrYPcHamU/s320/IMG129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My stack of listings... yes, I kept them all!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>1</b> home, I actually put an offer in (it was a Foreclosure) and lost the sales war. Hindsight is 20/20, but now I am SO glad I did lose. The buyers won by a mere $2,000. The home actually is in the same neighborhood I ended up in; I walk by with my dogs every night to see, almost 2 years later, that the house is still very much in a renovation war zone.<br />
<br />
At first, I saw a mix between Move-in Ready's and Foreclosures. It wasn't until the latter half of my search when Michelle said,<br />
<br />
"Miyu, you obviously need a project. You're not going to settle for a home that is utterly and completely done."<br />
<br />
When I announced to my friends and family that I am going to buy an old
home and restore it... everyone's first reaction was... "How are you
going to pay for it?" <br />
<br />
<i>Property Brothers, Love it or List it, Flip This House, </i>those are some famous TV shows that take renovations into account before buying or selling a home. However, the majority of Americans just don't have $30,000 saved up on top of what they save up to buy a home to do renovations on a house. So, how do you fund a renovation?<br />
<br />
Well, the answer is an FHA 203k Loan. Most people are afraid to touch a loan that most realtors are unfamiliar with. A lot of Banks don't do the loan, because of its complicated nature. Some sellers are unfamiliar with the loan, so they reject your offer. Yes, it also takes about a month more to close.<br />
<br />
203k, in a nutshell, allows you to purchase a home that is valued less than what it could be worth (either because it is outdated, it's a foreclosure, or there's structural flaws to the house, etc.), then allows you to put restoration/renovation money all-inclusive into one mortgage. Many years ago, before the real estate crash, people were allowed to put "construction fees" into their mortgage when closing, even with a conventional loan. What happened? People bought stuff with that extra cash that had NOTHING to do with upping the value of their home... vacations, new cars, etc; and when it came time to either sell their home, their home was way overpriced because of how much they owed on their mortgage. So, what happens? Short sales, foreclosures... those are to name a few.<br />
<br />
With 203k, there comes some strict guidelines. FHA will "micro-manage" you on how you use the renovation money by requiring you to hire an HUD inspector (on top of the regular inspections) who will come out and observe your renovations. They will release money as the HUD inspector allows (honestly, my HUD inspector was awesome... he just let me have however much money I needed at the time to pay my contractor). This is for the Full 203K loan, there is also a Streamline 203k loan, that I will write in another post.<br />
<br />
Michelle and I decided to go with it anyway! (Did I mention that she's amazing?) She and I did so much research on 203k loans our heads hurt.<br />
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So, here we were, in mid-October, standing in front of a gorgeous A-line Tudor style home. The neighborhood was ideal. I inhaled a deep breath of the crisp autumn air... I had a good feeling about this one.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-58439881364470824912012-08-24T10:00:00.000-05:002012-08-24T19:24:21.643-05:00The Search (Intro)<div>
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I started thinking about moving into a house when I got my second dog, Zoro. I got him to keep my Boston Terrier, Sasha, company while I was away at work. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iu1eDyBxU18WCIIovgjZDctB5YcdF1fV7i08b3MN_V_OPQ5evPvZmmT64XOAk4rcEy63x77SF6yn4BBG4towMR7cxzY4oo3lVxzwNPmGsEM1A9bLR8h3p-4IQWbtUFf4Kf9rfajJ3o0/s1600/DSCN1058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iu1eDyBxU18WCIIovgjZDctB5YcdF1fV7i08b3MN_V_OPQ5evPvZmmT64XOAk4rcEy63x77SF6yn4BBG4towMR7cxzY4oo3lVxzwNPmGsEM1A9bLR8h3p-4IQWbtUFf4Kf9rfajJ3o0/s320/DSCN1058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(That's Zoro keeping Sasha company... literally)</td></tr>
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Then, I wanted a backyard. The initial start to rent a house with a backyard eventually got me thinking to purchase a home. This is when I pulled up my Kindle app and downloaded "Mortgage for Dummies". <br />
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At age 25, most unmarried women don't think about purchasing a home. There are a lot of "what if's". <br />
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What if I get married?</div>
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What if I decide to move in with my boyfriend?</div>
What if I don't want to settle in the city I'm in?<br />
What if I lose my job, and can't pay the mortgage? <br />
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Well, ladies, if you're thinking these questions, I totally understand. If you have any doubts, I suggest you keep renting. However, the faster you dive into the real estate business (at least, in my opinion), the better of you will be in the long run. Kinda like your 401K. Like any investment though, there are risks and you have to be willing to take them. </div>
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There are costs associated to purchasing a home, yes. It is not an easy task to buy a home. You need to save a lot of money. But ultimately, your home will be yours. You can do whatever your heart desires to it. Why pay someone else's mortgage (whether it's the apartment complex's huge mortgage or your landlord's), when you can pay your own? </div>
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Enter Michelle. My crazy AWESOME Realtor. My SuperHero and SuperMom (she was 8 1/2 months pregnant and about to pop when she first met with me) who, honestly, did it all. We looked at houses for 2 weeks after we met, then she went into labor. She calls me 5 days after and says, "Ready to go for more houses??" I'm telling you, she's crazy.</div>
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We looked at <b>87 houses</b>. <b><span style="font-size: large;"> 87!!</span></b> Did I mention that she's my hero??</div>
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Ultimately, I landed a lovely home that I love love LOVE. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBysyG7O5NskK2Wt7FVoYwXjXLSE5sm2f-d9rmX3lSDJZMjpdJqb7pv6378KPxOvhiWibYqHRkOuN2cSr31yUfBMhxf_iBarocb77cfQCurKT6UWqpiHf52Eepbpx5QQKyoC7RR_qwA/s1600/445E74th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCBysyG7O5NskK2Wt7FVoYwXjXLSE5sm2f-d9rmX3lSDJZMjpdJqb7pv6378KPxOvhiWibYqHRkOuN2cSr31yUfBMhxf_iBarocb77cfQCurKT6UWqpiHf52Eepbpx5QQKyoC7RR_qwA/s1600/445E74th.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now, my entire <i>process </i>to get to this point? Stay tuned...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179703361944729785.post-41154657448580112562012-08-23T16:09:00.001-05:002012-08-24T19:11:58.264-05:00Welcome to M.I.Y.U.Welcome to M.I.Y.U.! <br />
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It's quite the corny blog title... but hey, I was thinking of other things like...<br />
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D + MIYU - U = DIY !!!<br />
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Then I realized that most people won't understand what the heck I'm doing with that equation. <br />
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OR<br />
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MIYoUrself. Yeah, that one just looks obnoxious.<br />
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Anyway, I'm obsessed, addicted, can't get enough of home renovating, improving, and DIY projects. I watch HGTV and DIY Network religiously. Nicole Curtiss is my hero. I *may* have even swapped cable companies despite the price increase (it was only a $5/month increase!!) because the new company had DIY Network in HD and the old one didn't. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymCuDhnXWbNjjRGogcoHxhOIJkXPzAbvOLbuiFb6mFlIUvOEr6RogBqbE-6w4PcjMj-aIXvzQ_Bcjz2jtTfw34sduGPDCQcoqWPvZB3iQ6tZcPt4wX07QF8lHMETNTywrZhGRsm8-8d4/s1600/IMG_0854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymCuDhnXWbNjjRGogcoHxhOIJkXPzAbvOLbuiFb6mFlIUvOEr6RogBqbE-6w4PcjMj-aIXvzQ_Bcjz2jtTfw34sduGPDCQcoqWPvZB3iQ6tZcPt4wX07QF8lHMETNTywrZhGRsm8-8d4/s320/IMG_0854.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm a happily unmarried upper-20's working engineer, proud pet parent to my two lovely dogs, Sasha and Zoro. <br />
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My house was built in 1938, pre-World War II. It's an A-line Tudor style house, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath with a lot of character. I bought it through a short sale, took out a 203K loan, and renovated with my visions and dreams. This is my story. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17981508898102287243noreply@blogger.com0