Renovations Complete!

With the renovations over, I have been trying to clean up, throw away junk, reorganize and decorate the basement since. Furniture still needs to moved downstairs, cable needs to be installed and more finishing touches done before the basement is completely livable but here are some sneak peeks!

These photos are of the former storage room before it became the luxury bathroom it is today!

And now who could resist spending hours in here? Not I!

The separate shower stall is made yummier by the tile pattern I chose myself. 

Dontcha LOVE this mirror? I'm not loving my camera though. It doesn't do the colors justice.

Last but not least the inviting, working Jacuzzi that I snagged for $95! The push flow toilet for $75. The pedestal sink for $60! 

Here are some more views of my new, super fun basement entertainment suite!

This is the landing covered with slate tile. Yummy! I'm working on an enclosed storage space under the stairs...

This is the living area freshly painted and tiled. Gone are the puke green of the walls, the temporary support and the  ugly concrete floor! My wood burning stove is going to get some use this winter!

This is the guest bedroom that still needs many finishing touches. I've added a wardrobe for useful storage!

I'm super excited and will be posting more pics once the finishing touches are complete using, hopefully, a better camera!

Yikes!

A stubborn cold + renovations = a long absence.

It's kind of hellish trying to get over a cold amongst banging and sawing and  dust. It doesn't help that I seem to have hired The Two Tenors to renovate my basement. I'm not complaining though. The price is right and the basement is coming along swimmingly. O Sole Mio!

The back yard is almost finished.

Let me refresh your memory. This was my garden before....

You can't see the Nova Scotia slate path, but it's there. In the last photo there's a brick wall that enclosed a mound of soil that used to contain Sumacs which grow like weeds. After they were dug out, that garden looked bare and random.

This is what it looks like now...

You can finally see the slate path. The wall was dismantled to make borders around the two flower beds. I still need to get more wood chips, and to string the solar lights and it's done!

The basement is almost finished as well. The tenors were so fast, that I didn't manage to take decent before shots but here was the work in progress.

This is the laundry closet. The machines and doors were removed in order to lay down the ceramic tile.
The floor was just painted concrete before.

Here is the living area. It looks like a hurricane hit it, and you can't see the wood burning stove amongst the rubble.
In the foreground is the jacuzzi tub I bought for $95! Surprisingly, it works!

This was the storage room that now is in the process of becoming a spa bath. I can't wait!

Very soon, I will have a finished basement and a wonderful garden to entertain in. Since I have moved here, I have not really entertained as the space on the main floor is so chopped up and small. I can't fit more that four people in my "living room". 

This project has depleted my finances, however, it's going to significantly improve my social life. What good is money if you're living like a hermit, right?

Stay tuned for photos of the finished basement. Whoop!

New Beginnings

Well, renovation woes aside, I have finally rearranged my home into the oasis I want it to be. So, as promised, I have some before and after photos for you! They are slightly overexposed as I am not very familiar with my camera yet, and I haven't had a chance to install Photoshop on the laptop. :)

Let's start with a look into my front hallway and porch:



This is the hallway looking out onto the "foyer" and the "front door" which really was an interior door. Safe, huh? :)



Here, the front porch served as an extension of the living room creating a fragmented flow in the room and leaving very little floor space in this small area. Stinky is lounging on the sofa, hehe :)

Ready for the after shots?



Through the old front door which is now used as an interior door, you can see my brand new steel door. I feel so much safer and warmer!



Now the front porch is a little haven with an armchair to sit and read or daydream in. :) You can see one of the folding doors that have been put up. The other door is still in its package.


Just as a bonus, I thought I would include a photo of my hallway bookcase that is filled with so many goodies, and is the temporary home for some painting gems by Danette Relic, Rowena Murillo, and Steve Emery. I am in the process of finding, making appropriate frames for them and hanging them up on the hallway wall for all to enjoy.

Now, let's move on to the once living room...



There is Stinky again, lounging on "his" sofa. This used to be the living/office room, but as it was set up, it wasn't conducive for inclusive and comfortable discussions. Below is my old desk that was against the wall opposite the sofa.



The desk was only good for the computer and had no space to grade my papers, write or paint.

Now, the room is my bedroom with plenty of morning light and space to walk around the bed, and dust under it. I no longer feel like I am sleeping in a crypt!:)

The desk has been replaced by my new (old) solid oak bureau that I bought at the antique store for 199! I finally have space to store my tops and jewelry and sweaters! Stinky loves it too. He is is not far from the action. :) I haven't had the chance to put up the painting Danette and I created yet. I need another pair of hands. :)

Now on to the old dining room. I unfortunately had not taken photos before I got rid of my old dining table which I donated to my department's lunch room, but I took a couple of pictures so you can get a before idea.

The window-paneled door was to the bedroom and was always closed. This door will be moved to the new bedroom for privacy if I need it :)

The table used to be under the hanging lamp and pretty much took up the whole small room which is in the center/heart of the house and was hardly ever used.

This photo gives you a better idea of the floor space in the room...

Now the room has been transformed!

Into a living room! I got rid of my old coffee table and bought this leather storage bench to take its place. I moved the sofa table from under the window to accommodate my TV.

Now, my guests and I can sit together, watch TV, share a snack...

...and some conversation in my new cozy living room! Now the heart of my house is being used daily! Whoop! :)

Last, but not least is the final transformation...

This small, west-facing room used to be my sleeping crypt with barely enough room for my bed. The blinds were almost always closed and the headboard was at the side of the bed. Making the bed was challenging, to say the least...

BAM! Look at the light, the blinds open to let the sun flow in and me to sit at my new spacious workspace and stare out at the garden! The pine dining table I bought is big enough to allow me to spread out and breathe! Isn't it lovely?

Plenty of room to grade my papers, write, work on my laptop, make collages and paint.

I am so happy and, yes, proud, for creating a brand new environment to live, play and create in. My small house has become more functional and enjoyable. I can live with the renovation setbacks, because I have the satisfaction of knowing I have made a visualization come true.

Whoop! Whoop! :)

Mr. Hand-in-your-pocket Man

Being a single, independent woman can have it's perks. Making repairs in your home is not one of them.

Before I begin my renovation saga, let me preface this by saying I have made the decision to take home repair classes. Because in this, as in most everything, I have learned a valuable lesson: If you can't do it yourself, you better have deep pockets.

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have been in the process of renovating my home, inside and out, to suit my needs and abilities. The garden cleared and ready for some beautification next year, I turned my attention and limited budget to the inside of my home. My very tiny bungalow which is the size of a small condo. It's cozy and I love it, but it's spatially challenged, so I decided to do away with the dining room and make the most of my space.

I went about the long and arduous process of finding someone able to help me make my home more energy efficient, by putting in a solid front door (I had an internal door) and cutting the cold air flow into my home by adding and rearranging some doors in the house. I also bought a better kitchen tap to conserve water and stop the incessant drip.

Finding a handyman was like looking for the Holy Grail. No one I know was particularly helpful, so I was forced to use directories. I made a lot of calls and finally went with a company that gave me a reasonable quote for all the jobs that needed to be done.

I was ecstatic that I would achieve all the changes on my limited funds.

Boy,was I naive.

The day of the appointment came, and I took a day off to be around for the repairs. I had decided not to purchase the door in advance, and go to Home Depot with the hired hand to pick the right door with the right measurements. I thought that would have been the most efficient way of dealing with the problem.

Again, naive.

The guy came, I went over what needed to be done, and he measured my doorway. We bought the door. He begins his work. I proceed to make coffee and sit down to do some work that I brought home with me. He comes to me a few minutes later, and tells me the door is slightly bigger and as it's a steel door, the only option remaining is to adjust the frame. Thinking he is the expert, and trusting his judgment, I let him do his thing.

Big mistake.

Six hours later, the door was in. The frame looked like something from a horror movie. I had to spend more money to get molding for the frame, foam filler and new door handles. My screen door no longer worked. At 3:30, he stopped working, full half hour before the agreed time. He told me to make another appointment because he needed another day to finish the job, and he left.

I had an unfinished door and more than half the jobs not completed.

I called the company and talked to the owner who thought this was unacceptable and told me to book an appointment for someone to come in to finish the job free of charge. I thought, "Wow! How awesome are they?"

How incredibly naive was I?

I booked a couple of appointments because I couldn't take another day off. This time, they sent two guys over. "Great!" I thought, "They sent over two guys to finish the job in double time. How considerate and efficient."

Two hours later, two folding doors were put up, the front door was still unfinished, my new tap was not installed, and the interior door was not moved. One of the guys (the one who, for lack of a better word, fucked up the job to begin with) left early again, leaving the other guy to present me with yet another invoice.

"Invoice?"

I got on the phone with the owner, and he proceeded to tell me he did not say "free of charge" but had said "free of service charge". One little word cost me 200 bucks over my budget. Further, he told me that it was my fault that the job was not completed because I wasn't accurate in describing the job. I disagreed. I asked why his man would buy a bigger door to begin with. When he saw that the door was too big why would he not suggest a wood door that can be cut to fit, or tell me by keeping this door, it would add another 6 hours and so many dollars to the estimate.

The dude did not budge. I paid the man and told him I no longer required their services; and that knowing so many people who needed repairs done I not only would not recommend them, but I would warn everyone I know about this company.

When you run an incompetent and unfair handyman business, do not call yourself "Mr."

So, now I am left with taps to be replaced, doors to be finished and hung, and no money to hire anyone else.

It's do-it-yourself time.

Handyman my ass.

I will post pictures this weekend.

:)

One Woman's Jungle

I have often written about the Amazon Jungle I had growing around my home. I don't think you can believe it until you see it. The following photos are those of my front yard...

This was the view of my "garden" from my porch...
I am sure there were several small creatures living in there...

This was the view at street level. The weeds were as tall as me. I was convinced people thought a wicked witch lived at my house. Complete with cauldron in which to boil kids!

This is what my front garden looks like now...

The view from my porch...
They rounded up some near-extinct species which now reside at the Toronto zoo... :)

From street level, you can actually see my home. The Japanese pine will be planted tomorrow, along with some winter heather that I bought. Now you can actually walk up to my house without getting attacked by weeds or hidden creatures... :)


Underneath the coastal stone and the cedar mulch, the garden is double-tarped to prevent weeds from growing next year to the extent that they did for the past two years. I will be planting some more flowers in the rear bed next spring... :)

Now on to the backyard Rain Forest...


This was supposedly my "parking pad" and entrance to my garden.... Before.

And after.

This is the first thing you encountered when you walked in.
The shiny thing in the foliage is not a unicorn as I previously thought, but my small patio set...

That you can see now... Along with the crab apple tree in the back.
Don't worry though. The bear was returned to his natural habitat :)

In the foreground you can see the Sumach sapling... One of many that was growing.
The Sumach is a weed that can become a full fledged tree in one summer.
Among all this craziness was my other patio set...

That you can now see.


My flagstone path was buried.
In crazy greenery...

But now is an open pallet for next year's planting. The possibilities are endless!
It might look sparse right now, but at least I can see my garden and begin to shape it into an environment of peaceful tranquility and joyful gathering.

So much to look forward to!

My garden saga was not an easy one. I had to "audition" several people for the job and got quotes ranging from 2500 to 4500. I was appalled! I managed to get everything done, including the materials for 1600. Not bad at all! Tomorrow the backyard will be tarped as well so that those pesky weeds do not stifle my flowers again!

Invincible not Invisible

(click on image for source)

Look at that beauty! The confidence. The power. It's breathtaking. This lovely being doesn't question her place in the world, or whether she will succeed. She is. Fabulous!

Before I continue on today's ramble, I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who commented yesterday. I will copy your comments into a document, and call it my Power Packet, and open it any time I am feeling less than the Queen of my Domain, like Bertha up there.

And did I ever need it yesterday! I had a particularly unsavory run-in with a woman who tries very hard to overcompensate for her many flaws by picking on others. She decided I would make a good target yesterday, but she certainly picked wrong. Why do people think they can mess with me? Do I give the impression that I can't take care of myself?

Anyway. The incident and the instigator are not important enough for detail. But it did get me thinking.

There are many events in our lives that force us to make a decision. What to do. How to react. How it will affect us. How it will make us feel about ourselves. Sometimes, these events can be staggeringly upsetting, or powerfully enriching.

We have a choice. We can take their full force of destruction, internalize it, and let it demolish a little part of ourselves. Or we can, vanquish it, make it a lesson and move on.

Which will it be? Will we allow the negative to reduce us into invisibility? Or will we take that power and harness it into invincibility?

The choice is ours. Every single moment.

I won't lie. Yesterday's incident infuriated me. But thank goodness for the human angels around us. One of my colleagues grabbed me by the hand and took me out of the room, out of the building, and we went for a relaxing drive and chat.

She helped me tap into my invincibility. I calmed down, and the bile that threatened to choke me dissipated.

She is a lovely soul.

I was able to subsequently enjoy Earth Day. Buy some ground cover plants for my front garden. Pick the garbage around my block in the rain. Add some more items to One Million Acts of Green, and get on with my day.

I am planning some garden transformations this spring, and I will be taking 'before and after' shots of my progress to share with you. My goal is to make my front and back yards into manageable oases.

I am planning to go through with my plans for some small renovations and a mini-make-over to my home as well. I will be taking 'before and after' shots to share.

I am planning to do all this as economically as possible, and in an effort to make my living space more GREEN! :)

And I will do all this because. I am invincible. Not. Invisible.

Help

Our wonderful and every abundant tender of wishes, Jamie asks us today:
What help do you wish to receive?

What came instantaneously to mind is:
"I wish for help in my renovations!"

I am prepping to change around my rooms and some minor renovations are in order. Some moving around of furniture, replacement of doors and light fixtures. I am also getting ready to renovate my garden and make it less onerous to maintain which means streamlining, getting rid of some plants and moving some of them around.

I know I can't do this alone.

In the past, I just hired someone to do these things. It's more money but I won't be placing a burden on anyone to help me. I won't have to ask for help, and frankly put myself in a position to be let down. I have gotten let down a lot.

I think I have mentioned this before, but I used to be someone who did not ask for help. If something needed to get done, I got it done on my own, or hired someone. This didn't come from a sense of pride, but a fear of rejection or disappointment.

I didn't become so fiercely independent overnight. Life made me this way. After many experiences where disappointment in people would slap me upside the head, I learned to just get it done myself.

Permit me to illustrate:

When I got a divorce and moved into my new home, I had very little furniture, so I had to buy a living room set and a new desk. Buying furniture seems like an easy thing, but the delivery people just dumped the sofas on their sides in the middle of the living room, and the desk in box, and left. The desk needed assembling. The sofa legs were supported by nailed planks to protect them. I had two hands, and limited tools.

I called a "friend" to ask her for help. She hemmed and hawed, and finally I promised her sushi if she could come over and help me. She finally did. She brought the hammer I asked her for, and stood watching me pry the planks off the legs. She stepped out of the way when I placed the sofa, love seat and arm chair in their places. She promptly fell asleep on said sofa while I was putting a five foot desk together by myself.

She ate the sushi though, and took leftovers home.

Nice.

I think you know why I started hiring professionals - movers, contractors, painters, gardeners, handy-peeps.

Since I took on a position of responsibility at my job, however, I have had to step out of that pattern. There are just way too many things to get done, so I have started asking for some help. And people have not let me down. They have rallied and helped me. And all I did was ask.

That took me by pleasant surprise.

There is a huge difference between the job situation, though, and my personal life. Will I have the courage to ask for help? Several of my friends have homes of their own, projects of their own. They are starting families, and businesses, and new relationships. I am plagued by thoughts that this will be an imposition on them, and a disappointment for me.

I am mulling this in my head : When the weather gets better, I want to have a garden reno party. Participants will be treated to drinks and a barbecue; and they can take whatever plants or clippings of plants they want for their gardens.

As you can see I need help. I wish for help. Will I find the voice to seek it?