7.26.2012

Foundation

Things, as usual, are moving along at a steady pace.  The crew were busily setting up the forms for the concrete being poured tomorrow at 11.  Exciting to see the footprint of the house really showing itself.  Found our living room ceiling height can be 7" higher than planned going from 9'3" to 9'10", so that's nice.

 The garbage pile is now a back fill pile.  Also a fantastic place for the kids to play.

 I do wonder what happens to all the boards when they are removed after the concrete is poured.  Seems a waste to head to the dump.

 I got all excited when I saw the form for the support post (center right of photo).  It will be at the bottom of the stairs.

 Hoorah, the recycling bins have been unearthed!

 Again, looking at where the french doors will lead out.  I do wish a little that the indentation was in 3' rather than 2', but too late.

Fun way to cook our dinners when not using the toaster or microwave ovens.  Fun for about 2 seconds then we'll be sick of it and won't want to look at it when we camp next month.  Cool propane oven though.

7.20.2012

Something's Missing

I'm always amazed at how much can happen in a short amount of time around here.  Went camping with some friends over the weekend and came home to find half my house in the garbage bin!


 Here she is in the way she was circa 1912.  
I strain to imagine how this area must've looked back then.  I imagine it starting out as a sailor's family home or perhaps just your average dockyard worker.  Modest and comfortable for the time.

Half a house smaller - on the left if the boys bedroom closet, center would've been the old exterior door and a window next to it.

Well that solves that, the playhouse had no choice but to be removed.  They did a fantastic job of keeping it in one piece for the move.  There was talk of having to smoosh it, but sorted it out and relocated it. 

Finding it's new home.  Not the most ideal location, but that would've been where our current veggie patch is and there was no way I was about to work to get that area ready.  Here it'll stay and house our chickens one day.

Doesn't hurt to ask...I had the excavator remove a couple of stumps that have been in our way for a real long time.  Plink, out in a flash!
 Watching from a safe distance.

I can stand way back now and see just how nice and big our property is.  Too bad we need to fill much of it back up with house.

Foundation excavation has been done and inspected, next week concrete.
You're looking at the future back french door spot.






7.13.2012

Ta-daaaa, I present the garage.


Here, at last, are some finished (well not quite) photos of the garage.  Obviously this is a make shift set up to get us through the next while and will be much nicer looking digs when the appropriate room title is appointed.

A special thanks to my Mum for doing our last 5 days worth of laundry at her house for us.  Washed, sorted, folded.  Thanks Mum!



 The al-fresco dish drying area (remind any of you of camping???)

 The toilette avec laundry tub, aka dish washing area

 le boudoir - how's that for decor?  A lovely garage door panel with primed walls

 View of media room.  Please note Olivia is sitting next to her kitty bed instead of in it.  She's mad I threw away her normal pillow

 The dining room

 Kids hall/bits of tools and things spot/make up beauty salon (I am not to be trusted putting in drywall anchors so the mirror in the bathroom install job is waiting for hubby to do)

 The food prep spot (still have stove in the house).  Note the blue tub to put dirty dishes in that are to be washed three x's a day in the laundry tub.

Unrelated, but look, boys found a peacock feather in a parking lot today!  Rarely do you find an un-mangey one.

7.11.2012

House Demo and Treasure

Got enough battery juice to get these photos uploaded...


 The pile is getting bigger - will be scavenging for some ReStore donations such as doors and other goods.
 Windows and drywall are out.
 Hey, it's the old exterior siding as seen in my cover photo.  We thought the back was added in the 80's, but now we're not so sure what happened when.
 Bathroom looks so tiny without any fixtures.
 Standing in our old master looking at the kids closet on the left and our kitchen pantry on the right.
Look who were hiding behind the drywall all cosy in the insulation (you can just see them in the photo above in the bottom left of the pantry) - some old Fisher Price toys.  Wonder how they got there?  Were they someone's treasure hidden to be unearthed one day such as we did?  Think we'll do the same, maybe with a toy and a loonie.

7.10.2012

Adapting

Busiest last couple of weeks we've ever had I do believe.  We're all "moved" into the garage now and it's at about 95% completion.  I can't believe I haven't taken photos yet, my darned camera ran out of batteries and the thought of trekking back into the house to get new ones makes me feel tired, lol.  Plus, it's a little all over the place at the moment.  It sort of feels like camping/cottaging/being in a house.  We have no laundry or shower facility and no kitchen sink so that makes things interesting.  Our gracious neighbours offered up the use of their shower and we're doing our dishes in the bathroom laundry tub (so glad we purchased).  Yet to do laundry, but that'll end up at my parents house I'm sure.  Taking a while to adapt although we're only heading into night 3 so it'll take time.  We didn't want to lug everything we owned in here so we've left clothing behind so every night I gather up what we'll wear tomorrow along with whatever other item we're needing at the time.  I miss flopping on the sofa to watch TV although we still have it set up in the house, but no sofa.  That's long buried...you'll see.  We'll get the hang of it and remind ourselves that it's all worth it. 

Where we're at now...
Just painting bits on the exterior of the garage plus a couple of electrical things to be done and interior trim will happen when the house is having it's done.  
Yesterday they started ripping apart the back of the house...drywall and windows have come out along with any fixtures.  Our kitchen, while still functional, but without hot water (tank is now servicing the garage), is storing the bathtub and bathroom vanity.  The boys' room has all our clothes along with the toilet and washer/dryer.  Deep breath Essy.

Few random shots until I find some batteries to show you the rest...

Start of vinyl plank install (returning 12 boxes since we opted not to finish the front of the garage, the car won't mind).
This is where sympathy for me comes into play.  Moving that piano up one entire stair rise to get it in here was BRUTAL.
Smashy, smashy time for my oldest (he wanted to having a 'Smashing Party' with all his friends, but this Mum was to tired to make that happen.

More to follow once I get around to finding those batteries.  Anything good on TV?