Home projects for winter, more bright ideas in the mid-at

Thanks, Greenthumb; that sounds pretty easy.

I think "Kills" describes Kilz very well...it kills stains, mildew, etc., right?

Yeah and it just about Kills me with the fumes it gives off. Sheesh, Sunday I put the first coat on and Darcy was using the oven for baking. I think the oven heated the fumes and the combo made it smell like someone doused our carpets in lighter fluid. It was pretty noxious. Last night I put a second coat on but this time I opened the downstairs windows afterward for about a half hour. This seemed to help tremendously.

Jeff, there are two types of Kilz...Original and Type 2. Type 2 is a water based latex primer sealer with low VOCs unlike highly volatile Original. Kilz 2 does almost everything as well as Original IMHO. Any painting, etc needs proper ventilation while it dries. Sorry you and Darcy inhaled so much bad fumes. I'm sure we've all BTDT!

Jan, you have me thinking about memorable bathing experiences!

One with a deep 'soaking' tub comes to mind. At a house I shared with five others on Maui, the indoor bathing facilities were almost always in use, so I chose to bathe outdoors on the lanai where there was a tiled deep tub adjacent to the shower and enclosed by vertical wood slats for privacy, but open to the sky and wonderful tropicals breezes and scents...Sigh. There was a wooden bench to step up up and over for entry and exit down to a built in ledge/seat with anpther built in ledge/seat directly across. Probably 24- by 30 by 30 deep.

Another was taking our Sat nite bath in the laundry tubs as little kids. They were soap stone and never cold or slippery or noisy. I think soapstone would make a lovely tub! I'm sure DH could fasshion a traditional tub out of wood, too! Maybe one you all could take along on your motor home adventures to use in some idyllic spot!

That Maui bath sounds wonderful!!!!

Hehehe, just what we need?!! Actually, I've already been thinking about the availability of any hot springs on our journey this summer. Thermopolis,, WY comes to mind. Some day we will hopefully get back to Liard Hot Springs in Canada.

When I got back after volleyball last night(we won, BTW) Jeff had ripped out a few more sections of wallboard. Hmmm....I need to clean out 2 closets before those walls disappear.

Jan--You play Volleyball????? Or was it your daughter?

This sport---was the love of my life. I played competitive, serious, USVBA V-ball
for close to 20 years. met my DH through it too...He was awesome at it.

Self retired when i turned 40. Couldn't keep up with the 20-somethings and
I had started working too.
I was also a certified V-Ball official for 15 years. Stayed with it after I finished playing.
Did a lot of Regional games, HS matches,many University matches--as well as
Rec. leagues.
My youngest daughter played V-ball all through High School and also for
a couple years while in college.

Oh, well--That was all in my previous life.....:o) G.

Me --one of the line judges-- at the only USVBA Regionals that were held in Baltimore--
at the 5th Regiment Armory. Early 1980,s????

Hehehe, yeppers, Gita...ME!!! I knew you played that's why I mentioned it. I knew you would pick up on it. Just the local recreation league. Not regulation size courts, though. Imagine FOUR games going on simultaneously in one gym. It's annoying when the whistle blows to stop play because a ball came in to the court from another game. Two games sharing one sideline. With the exception of just a few years when I didn't play, I've played since '76. My DIL also plays. We seem to be stronger this year. So we have more confidence. YAY!! It is nice to win some games for a change.
I've always been impressed with your volleyball experience.
One year I landed on the side of my foot and heard a pop. I didn't put my full weight on it when getting to the sideline. Good thing or I would have broken the bone all the way through instead of just a crack.

Jan--

I started playing (NOT seriously) at the downtown "Y" in the early 60's.
It was SO different then! There was no digs--no falling on your knees--etc.
It was ALL volleying...fisting....etc. You could even assist a serve over??????
That IS where I met my DH to be....We got married in 1963.

I have played in many tournaments where the courts are too close to each other.
I vaguely remember --someplace--they hung nets between courts bc of this...

In rec ball--what you describe is a given. I once tried playing rec. ball in
an elementary school gym. The walls were, pretty much, the boundaries....
you had to step in to serve the ball.

D-mail me your address--and i will send you the paper i wrote on
"The History of Volleyball". But--even that may sound "dated" now--as it was written
in ..maybe...1989 or 1990.

Best sport in the world! The most "team oriented"--NO ONE is the hero.

G.

Remember my fabric mess? I have gotten this far with the organizing, still have more to do. The bookcase is next. Had to take a break and do some sewing.

good job with the stash, and the quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!

What a good job you did, Love the quilt.

That is a great organizing job. Ditto what Holly said on the quilt.

Awesome quilt Catbird :) I love homemade quilts. My Mom used to make them all the time.

Nice job Robin, I loved the remark, " Had to take a break and do some sewing." Too much order leads to order and not much else. LOL

All is quiet on the home front as far as projects go, I think we were a little over ambitious in our efforts and needed a rest.
I did enjoy the nice day yesterday to put some order in the garage, so I can finish sorting all the pots, trays, and such and get them stowed. Gotta' be ready for a new season.

This message was edited Feb 6, 2015 1:41 AM

Great job!!! It looks so colorful and inviting. Beautiful quilt!

Gonna visit a showroom this morning to get ideas. Hopefully the staff just leaves me alone so I can wander.

I find myself on the very cheap end of most showrooms, but it is fun. We bought a shower enclosure that we would not have seen at Lowes/HD, and then matching vanity top with sink molded in.

Is Jeff going to do it all? wow.

Ric--

Some time in March I will gave 6 of my windows replaced as well as 2 doors.

My windows are all wood and the screens are actually metal.
I may hang on to a couple of those--metal screening is a thing of the past....

Do you know someone--or some place that would like to have the old windows?
They all have the wood grid cottage look.

Not that I need to worry--the installers WILL take them and dispose of them.
BUT--being the recycle minded person I am--I just wonder if someone could
use them for something????

Possibly Gita, Our son might be interested. But I know if you put out a free for the taking notice, they will disappear faster than you know. Many people want them for craft projects & garden projects.

It is still a ways off--but i will keep in touch.
What i am afraid of is that if i decide to keep them all--just in case--
I will be stuck with them.

Then it is landfill.....G.

Gita save your documentation on the windows, I was reading about tax credits on window replacement. Stick the bills etc in next years tax folder.

Great idea Sally. I know we have gotten credit for our upgrade. I have also gotten credit on new windows for my father.

oops that may be old info- See this
http://energy.gov/savings/residential-energy-efficiency-tax-credit

I was wondering about this.....

Thanks, sally---we can chat about this in the car going to the Swap.

I do not see anything in the article past 2-13.

I can call BG&E Smart Service and ask.....

G.

Yep, Sally, that is his plan. We'll see how far that goes. Hehehe. Hey, it worked out great in the kitchen.

Holey cow!!! WHAT a place!!!. All kinds of ideas. Brought home a file folder full of things. And a contact person. Ann rhymes with Jan. Hehehe. It will all depend on what kind of tub Jeff wants. I'd do away with a tub in that bathroom if it was totally up to me.

Gita, agree that you could just leave them out by the curb and they would disappear in a heartbeat. Lots of crafty things being done with them.

Gita, I know nothing beyond what you see on that website- which says no rebates/ credits anymore

Let us know how it goes Jan! As you may have done with the kitchen, there may seem to be so many neat things but the dust will settle and you'll pick what you really like and it'll work out great.

Gita, Habitat for Humanity might take your old windows. They'll even pick them up if they want them. This lists locations in Baltimore: http://www.habitat.org/restores/search?area=MD

This message was edited Feb 6, 2015 5:53 PM

Muddy--That is a GREAT idea!!! I never thought of that....

I know exactly where one is--tight across the street for the Dundalk HD.
Near where my daughter lives...It is called "ReStore".
First listing in the link above.

I could even stop in there some time when I am leaving my daughter's.
Or call......

Gita

If they don't want them, you could offer them to others via "freecycle". https://www.freecycle.org/

I've just started looking at things people want to have or want to give away in my area, because I want to get rid of stuff and, like you, I don't want to add to the landfills. My first experience was frustrating because I had log-in and password problems, but I'm going to try again tonight so I can get rid of 2 garbage bags of packing peanuts that someone actually wants!

Some of those packing/mailing places like Mailboxes Etc. or the UPS store are happy to have you drop off packing peanuts or bubble wrap. No listing and no waiting for someone to show up.

Restores are great!!!!

Muddy---

IF your Packing Peanuts are NOT the kind that instantly dissolve when wet--
those are useful to fill the bottom halves of really large pots to take up space
so you do not have to fill it all with soil---Baaaaad for plants to have so much wet soil,,,,

I shudder when customers want to know if they can fill pots with rocks!
I just look at hem and say: "SO? are you going to lift it when moving it? "
Chunks of Styrofoam or empty water bottles (capped--intact) even chunky mulch
is better,,,ALL topped with either newspaper or coffee filters...LOTS of coffee filters...

Those are great ideas, Gita and Pat.

I didn't know that Mail Boxes etc. and such places would take old packing peanuts and will try to unload them there unless the Freecycle person takes them.

Gita, I have used mulch and rocks at the bottom of such pots, and using packing peanuts wouldn't have occurred to me. Ditto for covering it with newspaper or something else. I have extra landscape fabric that might work well.

I got a second coat on the ceiling today as well as a second topcoat on the wainscoting but Darcy did that part. And the saga continues....

Hehehe. Oh, boy, DOES it ever.

Our bathroom project just expanded. After taking down some Sheetrock and also seeing what is behind closed walls, Jeff wants to rip out the wallboards in two bedrooms also and rearrange the layout. The trim is down in the one bedroom and he has found and removed many nails from the sheetrock. Rearranging the layout will mean adding a header in one area. He DOES love to work with his hands. Needless to say I am cleaning out closets. It is forcing me to sort. That's a good thing.
I found a sink I like on craigslist. It is in Chestertown, MD, so I think I can check it out this weekend after I babysit in Annapolis. Anyone know of a claw foot tub that is being sold? I know where I can find one, but it is currently being used in a garden....Ric, Holly. Hehehehe. Just kidding, you guys!!!!

Oh my Jan! Well, it is good to have to sort and thin if needed.
It sounds like he's got a great concept going.

Oh, my, indeed!!! Hehehe.

He was surprised at the thickness of the wall board and the way the junction boxes were put in, sooo he wants to fix everything. So, now we can insulate better, etc. it just wasn't in my thinking, but, I'm on board cuz I know he'll do a bangup job. Put in better lighting, more outlets....and the beat goes on....

What fun, Jan. Sounds like a fantastic project where you can get things set up exactly like you want. Even small changes can make a room work so much better.

We did the bedrooms so that the light switch is in the usual spot as you come through the door, but did them as 3-way switches with a second one next to the bed so that you don't have to walk around in the dark.

Isn't it funny how projects tend to snowball once you start? After painting one room, I'm noticing all of the other areas that needed to be painted.

Jan, I have no idea whether someone might be trying to unload a claw-foot bathtub, but if you have time you could see what's available on Freecycle. If this link works, it should show all of the groups in NJ. You have to join each group in order to see what people want or are offering. It's free to join.

Freecycle does not allow anyone to charge for items they want to give away, so the price is always right! https://www.freecycle.org/browse/US/New%20Jersey

This message was edited Feb 9, 2015 6:50 PM

Jan, sounds like a great project. What kind of heater do you need?
Lots of things going on around here. Mom called last night her water heater broke, water all over the floor (no damage), she got the water turned off at the main line so had no water at all and was worried about the gas line. So I called Jamie, he rushed right up and got things taken care of, fixed the problem with the drain, made sure there was no problem with the gas line and turned on the water so that she at least had water in the house even if it wasn't hot. Then Josh and I went up this morning and he put in a new hot water heater. What great boys we have.
So when I finally got home here was Ric, he cut and fitted all the tiles for the back splash in the kitchen. Just a great group of hard workin guys.

Awesome guys for SURE!!!!

Free cycle. The price is always right. Ain't that the truth?!!

I'm looking on craigslist and found a sink. Down in Chestertown, MD, so when I babysit in Annapolis this weekend I can check it out and maybe bring it home. The guy is out if town, but will arrange to have his dad let me to look at it. I'll have my son follow me to help me load it in my car. It looks heavy. Waiting to hear the dimensions, but it looks perfect. To my mind anyway. It can't be THAT easy!! I'll keep you posted.