Bungalow Goes Nuclear!

Brighton, The Ski Joint That Cares

2008-12-10T10:28:00.005-07:00

Okay, I've been browsing the local resorts ever since we had a good snow yesterday, jonesin' for a ski fix and a good deal, when I came across this little tidbit: Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon above SLC, is offering $15 lift tickets on the 10th and 17th of this month, as part of Quad Wednesdays. The catch? Bring a blanket, hat or pair of gloves on the 10th to donate to the Road Home Homeless Shelter, and on the 17th bring a non-perishable bag of food for the Utah Food Bank. Isn't that a great holiday idea? You get to feel good about doing unto others while you're doing good for yourself. I definitely will be out there next week, especially since the Wasatch just got a 10-day snow forecast that should leave us with plentiful powder. So if you're going to be in the area, check out Brighton: http://www.brightonresort.com/

Holiday Fun for the Wasatch Front

2008-11-24T15:26:00.004-07:00

With Thanksgiving approaching I thought this would be a great time to share the treasure trove of seasonal events going on right here in the Ogden/SLC area. This is by no means a definitive list so please, anybody who has an event I haven't listed, fill me in via the comments section! Our family is always looking for cheap (or free!) activities to do.

OGDEN
1) Christmas Tree Jubilee presented by Weber Schools will be at the David Eccles Conference Center November 26,9am-8pm, & 28, 8am-8pm. The trees are decorated and auctioned off to raise money for special needs children in the school district. Admission is FREE, the conference center is located at 2415 Washington Blvd.
2)Holiday Lights Parade takes place on November 29th at 5:pm, early arrival is recommended to get a good view. The parade route runs from 22nd to 26th Streets along Washington Boulevard in downtown Ogden, floats will be viewable along 25th street afterwards. This event is FREE
3) Light of Christmas Village takes place immediately following parade on November 29th, at 6:30pm in the Municipal Amphitheater. There will be live entertainment and fireworks to mark the occasion, Santa Claus will be present & there will be vendors selling refreshments. This event is FREE, pictures with Santa are permissible (bring your camera!)
4) Peery's Egyptian Theatre presents The Polar Express as part of their Len Allen film series on December 8th, afternoon showtime TBA (call the office at 395-3227) Children 16 and under are free, adults are $3 and tickets will be sold one hour before the show. The Theater is located at 2415 Washington Blvd.
5) Weber County Library presents Family Fun Night at the Ogden Valley Branch, December 8th from 7-8pm. There will be stories, crafts, refreshments and more for the whole family, no registration necessary. Admission is FREE, Ogden Valley Branch is located in Hunstville at 131 S 7400 E.
6) The Old World Christmas Market will be held at Union Station on December 12, 13, 19, & 20. Local art, crafts and foods are sold at this outdoor market, childrens' activities will take place on Saturdays. Open to the public, located in Union Station Plaza at 2501 Wall Ave.

LAYTON
1) Layton City Parks Holiday Lighting Ceremony starts at 6pm on November 24th (that's tonight!), with singing in the Ed Kenley Amphitheater prior to turning the lights on. Admission is free, the amphitheater is located at 403 Wasatch Dr. in Layton Park.
2) Journey to Bethlehem is held at Mountain View Baptist Church on December 4, 5 (6:30-9pm) & 6,7 (5-9pm). This is an interactive drama for the whole family replete with live animals and an outdoor manger scene. Admission is FREE, the church is located at 2585 E 3000 N.

SLC
1) Feast with the Beasts at Hogle Zoo on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th. From 9-12 you can watch the animals recieve turkey shaped pinatas and other food-based enrichment treats, including an enormous pumpkin for the elephants to smash. Last year's was 800 pounds and this time it's supposed to be even bigger! Admission is FREE to members, regular admission otherwise. Located at 2600 Sunnyside Ave.
2) Lights On! is presented by DowntownSLC on November 28th, starting at 4:30pm. The lighting of downtown will begin at the Gallivan Center and progress through Temple Square and Gateway Mall. Activities include ice skating with Santa, free cookies, live music by Kurt Bestor and the One Voice children's choir at the Gallivan Center, plus visits with Santa, a Jon Schmidt piano concert and tree lighting at the Gateway. SLC Old World Christmas Market also starts on the 28th and will be held in the Gallivan Center through December 6th. Admission to Lights On! is FREE, as is downtown parking that night.
3) Zoolights! at Hogle Zoo begins on with special member days on December 3, 4 & 5 from 5-8pm. Members receive an additional $1 off the admission price ($5A, $3C) on these nights. The lights will be up through December 31st, regular admission for all other days. Be sure to bring your 3D glasses, or pick up a pair at the zoo!
4) Holiday Open House and Art Fair will be held at Red Butte Garden on December 6th & 7th, from 10am-5pm. Admission to the garden is FREE during the open house, making it a great time to enjoy the beauty of nature in winter. Red Butte Garden is located at 300 Wakara Way.

Yes, We Did

2008-11-04T22:47:00.002-07:00

I am going to bed tonight with the knowledge that the first non-white president, our 44th in office, has been elected in my lifetime. What a revelation for a nation that only half a decade ago was still struggling with equality and segregation. For the first time in many years I feel optimistic about the future of our government. Tomorrow's gonna be a brave new day! Sleep well, all.

Achilles' Heel of a Crafty Housewife

2008-10-15T09:50:00.003-06:00

Number of scarves begun: 14
Number of scarves completed: 5
Amount of total fiber chaos created by four cats and two boys in the last week: overwhelming

I think the yarn is winning this round.

Ramping Up To Home Improvement

2008-10-15T09:21:00.003-06:00

We're finally back to working on the house! Not that I left it completely untouched over the summer months, mind you. Our main focus has been on vacation/camping and the garden for the last couple of months. Now, as my hubbie puts it so nicely, comes the time of year when being house-bound and bored out of our skulls leads to actual restoration progress. We've been getting busy on the exterior to try and finish before winter really hits. Also, the fireplace is starting to shape up, and plans for hearth tiling are in the works. Curtains are going up, albeit slowly, and the guest room looks less and less dreary. I'll be making quite a few posts in the next few days to make up for the long summer hiatus, so stay tuned in!

Evolving Kitchen Nook

2008-05-04T12:52:00.003-06:00

We're not done yet, but at this point I can at least say that it looks better than the original.

On another note, let me just say that while Valspar has very true colors, the paint's coverage sucks horribly. I have 3 coats on the walls and I can STILL see through it. Ugh. Next time I'm taking the color I want and getting it matched in Behr at HD.

Test Patch Day!

2008-04-27T13:42:00.003-06:00

Time to break out the paint and get those colors rollin'.

I can't quite decide which version of the trim I like better, but I'm leaning towards outer "Thyme Green", inner "Sweet Annie". If anyone else has an opinion, shout it out!

And this delightful rug was a lucky find at Target, matches every color I've picked for the outside.

Ouchies!

2008-04-26T18:32:00.002-06:00

You can't tell it with all that bandage, but this hand has been honorably wounded while laying garden pavers. Yesterday I did a very *me* thing and tried to force an old paver out of the dirt(clay) it was partially buried in. Unfortunately, it pushed back and my thumb popped backwards. Lucky me I have hyperextension, I did manage to push it back into socket before I had gotten over the initial shock/pain. It's a lot harder to do once you really take in what's happened. This isn't the first time I've done something like this (you'd think I might learn not to force things, huh?), and at least it's not as painful as the dislocated shoulder of boot camp days. I am a bit put out over the loss of a good weekend's work, but I should be back at it again in a few days. In the meantime, plenty of Tylenol and one-handed typing. One a more cheerful note, the strawberries were all planted prior to my little accident, and are showing new growth. Yay!

Green Rocker

2008-04-22T16:33:00.002-06:00

As promised

I'll do the second coat tonight before sealing it.

Furniture In A Box

2008-04-21T15:22:00.011-06:00

The boys and I spent a good part of today assembling the "Adirondack Rocker" that we picked up on sale at JoAnn's. Amazingly, even though the pieces have been laying around our house for a week, we didn't lose one single sheet of directions or piece of hardware. It looks decent for mass-produced, lightweight pine. With a little paint and some sturdy pillows it should be perfect for our front porch. I had lots of help (eeek!), but we did made it through without any splinters or gouges. Ta da!

Some things I learned in the process of assemblage:

1) The hardware provided in kit furniture is usually inadequate to the task of holding things together. Case in point, the instructions recommended additional long wood screws to support the back braces, these were not included and not mentioned anywhere on the outside of the box.

2) Pre-tapped holes are less useful than they sound. A good many of ours turned out to be too shallow to allow proper tightening of the short wood screws we needed to use. Also, one of the bottom rocker pieces was drilled off-kilter, meaning the board wouldn't seat right and we had to drill entirely new holes. It is still a bit warped, and I had to saw a teensy bit off the leg to make it rock correctly.

3) The hardware you need to complete the three crucial pieces you are holding together with one hand, two feet, and your forehead, are always the farthest from you. Or, conversely, they have been sniped by your toddler who is trying to install them in your refrigerator with your power drill. Which you ALSO need to reach with your one remaining hand.

4) The power drill is mightier than the Phillips. I know this is sort of a "duh" one, but when your instructions tell you to use a Phillips to avoid stripping soft wood you take them seriously, right? Right? WRONG! Halfway through the project I flung the manual tool/torture device out the door in favor of the drill, and this is why: the extra time it took to tighten by hand was making it almost impossible to keep the kids from climbing all over the chair. This in turn was creating screw placement that looked like it had been done by Lurch. Or maybe he would've done a better job, I dunno. The point is, if I wanted any of these screws to go in straight and remain thoroughly attached, things needed to move faster. Thank God for power tools!

5) The downside of power tools is: every time you put one down, there will be a small boy waiting to pounce on it, who proceeds to attempt drilling of unnecessary holes in places that were never meant to have any. You have to be very adept at unplugging it before their itchy trigger-finger reaches the tool. Repeated shouting of the phrases "Put that down before you drill your hand" and "If you turn that on I'm gonna tell your dad" are less effective than playing keep-away with the extension cord.

I'm not foolish enough to think I can get away with painting this thing while the boys are awake. I will post a fully painted pic tomorrow, though. Right now I am content to look, and very afraid to sit on, my handiwork.

Glimpses of Spring

2008-04-20T11:37:00.004-06:00

We ditched plans to join in the Flickr Photowalk at Thanksgiving Point yesterday, in favor of the closer and more reliable Temple Square gardens. It turned out to be a wonderful morning excursion.

Shades of Marla Singer

2008-04-15T20:22:00.005-06:00

Wow! We've had such a lovely weekend here in Ogden. It really lifted our spirits to be able to spend so much time outside in the warm, warm sun. We took a stroll down the Ogden River Parkway for the first time this spring. The boys and I got six new roses in the ground and watched the first of our bulbs come up. Dad even came by with the kids and helped us cut down the remaining junipers. The yard looked soooo much better with them out. Spring was here, finally!
Then the wind started to pick up.

And the haze began to creep in.

By Monday morning our sky had a visible dusty tinged ring up to the mountains.

The winds got colder, and rain, then snow descended upon us once more.

Now the boys and I are cooped up inside, after hurriedly covering our bareroot plants with burlap again.

Inversion allergies are wreaking havoc, encouraged by the 25 degree temperature swing.

So now, of course, I've got the death hairball.
(Cough, Hack, Wheeze.)

Actual progress reports & new pics WILL be forthcoming, just as soon as I can talk/eat/laugh/drive/walk/stretch/___(insert routine activity) without alarming bronchial spasms and dry-heaving. Honest injun.

A New Method of Torture?

2008-04-15T14:48:00.002-06:00

This was the title for a nasty-gram that I sent off to my husband's credit union today, which I've posted below. I wish I could forward it to our mortgage holder, Wells Fargo, as well. It seems that these financial institutions have decided to start sending late & overdue payment notices out a month before the payment is actually due. WTF?????? I can only speculate that they are becoming desperate in light of our country's crumbling economy. And I will do my utmost to ignore their craven attempts to add unnecessary stress and confusion to our already complicated lives. But first I'm gonna call them on their playground bully behavior.

Dear Navy Federal,
Yesterday I received what looked like an automated letter from your offices concerning my car payments which are attached to my joint account. This letter was apparently to inform me that I was overdue for not only April but also, pay attention, May's payments. That's right, you sent me a "pay us now" letter for NEXT MONTH. As in the month that comes after this one. I would appreciate it if in the future you could keep your missives of subtle threat confined to real-time. Please know that as a Navy wife, SAHM to two young children, and someone who is already having to cope with an away spouse during the economic upheaval our country is going through, I do NOT appreciate financial intimidation. I am making the payments for April today from your website, so you may rest easy on that account. Be assured that I will do my best to make timely payments as much as it is in my power to do so, and to inform you promptly in the event that I cannot. I do apologize if this letter seems overly irate, but you have strained the limits of my courtesy. Hopefully any further correspondence between our parties will be more harmonious. Respectfully,
Sarah E. Keitz

Summary of Our Week

2008-04-12T19:37:00.004-06:00

1. Stray marmalade kitten takes up residence in our garage

2. Amended soil for kitchen garden

3. Bought numerous discounted plants from Lowe's (75% off! Hells, yeah!!!)

4. As an alternative to buying overpriced SQUARE pavers for sideyard and kitchen garden, came to the decision that it is much cheaper to stain free RECTANGULAR pavers that came with the house. Bought stain in "Oak Cask"(colormatch to Olympic) from HD.

5. Multiple hailstorms threaten newly planted fruit trees, stray kitty in residence, and all the unplanted loot from Lowe's, which is hauled back into the washroom to wait it out.

6. Mail order fruit trees from Stark Bros. arrive, are soaked, and planted in the front yard.

7. The boys and I visit an IFA country store near us out of sheer boredom with the weather, and come dangerously close to falling in love with baby bunnies, bantam chicks on premises. Bad Sarah, Bad!

8. Weather clears up beautifully, we resume frantic garden preparation, all but last of 8 fruit trees are in the ground and the lilacs are next.

9. Stray kitten and 6 year old plot to significantly increase my gray hairs by means of constant badgering, annoying cuteness, and a one-track mind. I retaliate by calling the nearest no-kill agency and agreeing to bring said kitten to the next Petco Adoption Day.

10. Ogden City Graffiti Task Force show up promptly the day after my request and perform a speedy removal of all but the piece at the back of the house. Apparently, that one bit is not gonna budge so I may have to paint it (yuck!).

11. Kitten is dropped off at the Harrisville Petco, I spend several hours biting my nails off and wondering if I'm going to have to pick it back up. As luck would have it, a very nice foster family offers to take care of the kitty until another lady can adopt it, thus saving my day.

12. Tomorrow, we do snack hour for the early service at St. Paul's (we being myself and two small, hyper boys). Pray for the poor souls that show up!

Progress!

2008-03-31T13:27:00.005-06:00

Sprouting Update

2008-03-31T12:58:00.003-06:00

We just started our third set of seeds this morning, despite the fact that Utah is having some unspring-like weather. So far we have six greenhouse trays going, with various stages of sprouting throughout. Here's a breakdown of what's germinatin' at the Nuclear Bungalow:

Tray 1 (mar. 10)-"Celestial Mix" morning glory, "Envy" zinnia, "Red Pomponette" & "Double Mix" english daisy, giant painted daisy, "Excelsior Mix" foxglove, bells of ireland, "Victoriana" dahlia, "Limelight" four o'clocks, "Catskill" brussels sprouts

Tray 2 (mar. 10)-"Golden Jubilee" anise hyssop, german chamomile, blue catmint, true lavender, spanish lavender, sweet marjoram, stevia, fernleaf dill, soapwort, spearmint, feverfew, rosemary

Tray 3 (mar. 17)-"Snowball" marigold, "Mr. Majestic" marigold, "Jaguar" marigold, "Cottage Red" marigold

Tray 4 (mar. 17)-"Amish Paste" tomato, "Yellow Pear" tomato, "SunSugar" tomato, "Cherokee Purple" tomato, "Brandywine" tomato, jalapeno, "Thai mix" hot peppers, "Southwest mix" hot peppers, "Chocolate Belle" sweet pepper, "California Wonder" sweet pepper, "Genovese" basil, cilantro

Tray 5 (mar. 31)-"Siam Queen" basil, "Lime" basil, chives, oregano, "Mojave" sage, valerian, joe pye weed, sweet annie, queen anne's lace

Tray 6 (mar. 31)-"Chianti" sunflower, "Big Blush" sunflower, spaghetti squash, "Grafitti" cauliflower, "Green Goddess" eggplant, "Yellow Doll" watermelon, "Orange " watermelon, "Moon & Stars" watermelon, "Charleston Gray" watermelon, "Cactus Flowered mix" zinnia, "Psychedelic Spring" viola, "Queen mix" cleome

Time Lapse Revisited

2008-02-23T09:02:00.006-07:00

I know, I know, it's been a while, AGAIN. But I really am going to try to keep up the posts from here on out. Incidentally, we've been plenty busy since the start of the year. Things that would probably have made for interesting blogging, if I could've mustered up the brain-power to document them. Like when our family Jeep was hit by a left turning truck WHILE MOTIONLESS IN OUR DRIVEWAY and the less-than-lucid Ogden PD we called wrote us a citation for a "backing violation". Um, hello, does the term "stationary vehicle" mean anything? Needless to say we are appealing that one, we might even have a chance since she filled out almost HALF of the paperwork incorrectly. Also we lost hot water for about a week after the valve leading to the roof evap. cooler corroded and gave us a lovely high water bill. Of course, I was under the impression that this particular line had been drained, lucky me I got to find out different right in the middle of an ice storm. Directly after solving that little dilemma, our wall oven decided to call it quits, and it took 2 weeks to get someone out to repair the faulty wiring on it. I am guilt-ridden over the amount of takeout I ate in that time period. Now that we can bake again, we are facing yet another plumbing problem in the form of an overflowing basement drain, which appears to be directly linked to the kitchen sink. Nothing else in the house is affected, so I will be taking apart the basement ceiling/walls of the target area in an attempt to locate the problem. I have to now anyway, because it appears to be causing mold damage (yuck!). In between all of this, our little family has managed to survive the cold/flu season relatively intact, and we are heading for the local gym every chance we get. The boys are thrilled with the child care center, and a few hours a day w/o kids is a nice reprieve for me. Even if I have to make an effort to get fit during that time. And now that the end of winter is finally in sight, we are getting ready to start seeds in the kitchen nook, which gets the most reliable sun. When we have something more interesting than a couple of trays of potting soil to look at, I'll be sure to put up pics. Here's looking forward to spring!

Had Ourselves A Merry Little Christmas

2007-12-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Season's Greetings! I know it's been ages, and honestly I have no other excuse for not posting than "it's the holidays", which does sound pretty lame. But I really have been busy with other things, namely: taking small boys sledding, baking, cleaning like crazy for all those non-existent guests that just might show up unannounced over the weekend, decorating for Christmas, soapmaking, ornament making, still more cleaning, visiting relatives, observing Advent, and the tireless creation of more than 20 unique knit hats. I thought I would never finish those in time, to tell the truth. Now that all that's past, I can try to catch you up on our seasonal celebrations through pictures. Here we go!I did some Thanksgiving baking (mmm, pink lady apples make the best pie!)And we saw the lights display at Layton City Park G tried valiantly to watch the Ogden Christmas Parade over the heads of big people (some of whom were less than kindly)We took a break from the cold to see the fabulously free Christmas Tree Jubilee at the Eccles Center (this was my favorite, duh)A was enthralled by the miniature version of Union Station (complete with running train) at the Ogden Christmas VillageWhile G loved the polar bear tea with disco ballAnd we got to take our Christmas card photo in the snow for the first timeAt our church Advent craft fair, A got to be creative painting popsicle stick snowmenG made a paint-splatter glass ornament (horrors!) The new kitten, Fafnir, ogled the crap out of our upstairs Christmas treeWhich was almost as tall as our 9' ceilingsI got to decorate our very own mantel (another first)We got a little snow....Which turned into a lot of snow, and led to us being housebound for Christmas Eve dinnerLuckily I had chocolate cheesecake and blueberry port to console me I took a glamour shot of the tree (with a little help from our friend Vaseline)Then I turned on The Flying W Wranglers "A Cowboy Christmas"And the boys engaged in some festive dancingWe went outside to see the fresh snowAfter which everyone got verrrry sleepyChristmas morning dawned frosty and beautifulSanta had delivered lots of goodiesThe cats were a bit cranky about us opening what they felt were THEIR presentsThey did calm down after receiving homemade cat toys The wrapping carnage got pretty scaryAnd ungodly amounts of candy were consumedSome of us snuck away to sleep before....We headed off to Grandma's house for more gift-giving!And lots of affectionate exchangesPoor Sheila cowered in hopes that we would finish cluttering up her houseA discovered his 2 foot tall penguin made a good chairLater we took a few runs on the nearby sledding hillAnd A refused to sled with anyone but me (awww)
Christmas Day ended with a classic Wasatch Front sunset

Have An Arts & Crafts-y Halloween!

2007-10-31T12:31:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween from us folks at the Nuclear Bungalow! All you exciting people are probably going to be at parties or with friends. I'm going to be chauffeuring two small children between church carnivals, local mall, and any neighbors that are brave enough to stay home passing out candy. Then I'll tuck the sugar-saturated tots in and watch my Halloween standbys: The Exorcist & Session 9, before blowing out the pumpkins and crawling to bed.
Any trick-or-treaters be safe out there tonight, and have a ghoulishly good time!

The View From Our Front Porch

2007-09-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

Isn't it lovely? Try not to be too jealous, gentle reader, of our "Fast Stop, Sandwiches and Cold Drinks" sign and building accentuating the mountainscape. And YES, we do have a little snow up there, as of last week although most of it will melt before the stuff really hits the ground.

Imagination Boost

2007-09-28T10:09:00.000-06:00

After posting about the roses, I took a look at the pics and realized how uninspiring those twelve little pots look. Hard to imagine what they'll be, you say? Need a mental picture? So here, culled from flickr, are images of the roses that will be blooming from these first twelve plants next summer:

"Abraham Darby" English shrub rose

"Graham Stuart Thomas" English shrub rose

"Darlow's Enigma" Hybrid musk rose

"Madame Hardy" Damask rose

"Madame Alfred Carriere" Noisette rose

"Konigin von Danemark" Alba rose

"La Reine Victoria" Bourbon rose

"Apothecary Rose" Gallica rose

"Wise Portia" English shrub rose

"Reine des Violettes" Hybrid perpetual rose

"Angel Face" Grandiflora rose

"Gertrude Jekyll" English shrub rose
A Special Thanks to all the flickr members who by taking these pictures allowed me, someone that hasn't gardened in YEARS, to plan out her dream garden with stunning visuals.

THE LIST, rev. 30

2007-09-28T09:41:00.000-06:00

Really, there may have been more, I just stopped counting at 30. I can be completely AR at times, just ask R how many graph pads I go through a month. This particular revision is what I call the "Things to do BEFORE Christmas" list. As in things that will keep me from mortification when seasonal guests and visitors start to descend on me during the holiday season. Also some practical things to lower my energy bills, keep me from burning down the house, and give me much needed privacy from the neighbors' oh-so-close windows.

The List

1. Plant front yard roses/bulbs/perennials/trees, mulch and cover with burlap for winter protection
2. Throw out any debris from demo/yardwork, clean out garage so car will actually fit inside
3. Weatherstrip front door where gapped, cover swamp cooler
4. Tear out paneling in foyer/living room/dining room/guest room and dispose of
5. Skim coat walls with plaster as needed, also patch with sheetrock any bad spots
6. Primer and paint walls in foyer/living room/dining room/guest room
7. Order velveteen for heavy drapes in foyer/living room/ dining room/guest room/master bedroom (we figured it best to concentrate on the largest windows first)
8. Install any needed curtain hardware, sew and hang linen-backed drapes
9. Have FP/chimney cleaned for winter use, chimney cap tightened
10. Clean/strip FP bricks, replace mantel with something more fitting for a bungalow(DIY, probably)
11. Tile FP insert and hearth
12. Remove remaining carpet in foyer/dining room/hall/guest room/master bedroom
13. Deep clean and sand exposed hardwood flooring
14. Shellac and seal hardwood floor in foyer/living room/dining room/hall/guest room/master bedroom
15. Remove foyer mirror/foyer light/guest light/master light, replace lights with period/vintage/new fixtures
16. Finish skim coating kitchen walls where needed
17. Primer and paint kitchen walls
18. Finish painting/staining cabinets, attach new hardware
19. Remove chandelier from kitchen nook, replace with 3 pendant lights
20. Find fabric, sew and hang linen-backed drapes for kitchen/kitchen nook(harder than it sounds, what goes with lime green AND looks good year round?)

The Real Work Begins

2007-09-28T09:13:00.000-06:00

Gosh folks, sorry to leave you hanging for so long! We've been spending the past weeks getting settled in our new home & neighborhood, dealing with the obligatory plumbing/electrical problems that always surface when moving into a new place, and unexpectedly commencing homeschool a la kindergarten. Busy, busy, busy! But now that we've settled into somewhat of a daily pattern it's time to bust out the tools and start work in earnest on what really needs to be done here in the Nuclear Bungalow.

Since we in the Rockies are rapidly closing on "frost date", I'm starting with that exterior job closest to my heart, planting the roses(cheers!). In preparation for the planting I get to do FUN things like tilling/composting the site, removing cat pee bushes(yes I know that's not what they're called), and knocking down the world's ugliest brick planter. Which has already broken one sledge handle. Hopefully the mason's chisel will work a little better, but there is a strong possibility that I will be planting around the thing for now.

So here are a few pics of what my front yard has looked like up to this point:

And this is what's going in the ground today:

Also, if I can find a "Green Gage"plum and "Blenheim" apricot locally that aren't budget-breaking these babies will be in rings around the trunks, in the island part of our yard:

Breaking The Prolonged Silence

2007-08-09T19:03:00.000-06:00

Well, I've just now gotten our internet back up, and we've been in our new residence since last Saturday. Still getting used to things in the house, and the neighborhood for that matter. So far my only trouble with the shared driveway is remembering to straighten out before backing down it each time, to avoid any scrapes. My boys are thrilled that we have a 3 and a 5 year old living next door, and invitations to play have already been exchanged. As for the house, projects move slowly and haltingly, more due to the toddler than the projects themselves. I have managed to start painting the master bedroom in "Juniper Berry", a great improvement on the stark white walls. It looks like that is the only room that still has all the original trim, so after I get it stripped I'll be using that as a guide to making trim for the rest of the house. I started work on the kitchen as well, but to my dismay the plaster appears to be in shambles under all that painted wallpaper and faux paneling. For the moment I've decided to leave the paneling and spackle all grooves for a smoother surface, then primer over and paint it all lime green. Sounds alarming, I know, but the kitchen is already so modern there's not much hope of going totally period on our current budget. I will still do the subway tile backsplash and probably bamboo countertops, the current cabinets will stay but get a retro facelift (think International Orange, blond wood and brushed chrome!). The windows all look great up close, only the front sidelight need replacing, and then new wooden screens all around. I did have a beastly time with the exterior water spigots, luckily the home warranty covered replacing some leaking segments of galvanized with PEX and now we can water our very dead lawn right before I rip it out. As for the rest, I will post more updates as soon as I can get some decent pics of what we've done so far. And of course some of the fun we're having in our new surroundings in the Wasatch Mountains. It's good to be home!

We Interrupt This Blog For An Important Message.....

2007-07-16T13:52:00.000-06:00

With closing day fast approaching (yay!!) and our household being packed up for the big move, it is time for me to announce a short break from our houseblog until we can get the 'net set up in our new house. Hopefully we should be back to blogging about our new digs as early as next weekend. Much thanks to all those who have offered their support, advice, and encouragement during our purchasing endeavors. When next you hear from us Nuclear Bungalonians, we'll be in lovely Ogden, Utah!

Post-Inspection Checklist

2007-07-09T11:06:00.000-06:00

Well, our inspection that was originally supposed to be several weeks ago finally took place. I have to say, even though some problems turned up, it's a relief that most of them are small in nature. Nothing like the last inspection, thank GOD! So here are the things our inspector recommended be taken care of:
-loose, uncovered electrical wires/splices need to be properly concealed in conduit/junction boxes
-natural gas supply needs help as currently the gas is on but not reaching appliances (this may just be due to the contractor working on the house, I'll have to check)
-small leaks in the basement need repair at main water shut-off, bathroom supply, kitchen supply
-chimney needs repointing at top and cap needs to be secured
-main electrical service running overhead needs to be raised for safety (probably need to contact the utility company about that one)
-basement shower surround is pretty dead (not to worry, we would have demo'd it anyway!)
-loose light fixtures in bedrooms need to be properly installed
-furnace needs a flex line, also discharge pipe is threaded and needs to be replaced.

DIY Interior Storms

2007-07-02T18:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a nifty link I just had to publish. Especially since people I deal with in the homebuying process tend to go on and on about how I need to install storm windows, what with a drafty, OLDER house and all. I really loathe the things, and so the idea of light interior versions that I could stain to match and build inexpensively/quickly appeals greatly to me. After all, what's the point of having a gorgeous historic home if you have to hide it behind ugly aluminum one-third of the year?

http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=193

Things Are Starting To Look Up

2007-06-20T11:10:00.000-06:00

At least on the purchasing end of our journey. We have a binding contract on the 28th St house, with escrow closing on the 12th of next month. The rush to close is necessitated by R's work schedule, he'll be very busy the rest of this year, as his carrier prepares for their move. He is supposed to be off the ship before the move, so at least he won't have to fly back from overseas. But the really good news is that the sellers signed an agreement to repair anything mandated by the VA appraiser or lender, which means there shouldn't be any obstacles to closing on their end. No repeats of 26th St nightmare, yay! Our inspection is scheduled for next week, I have my fingers crossed that nothing wacky turns up. And of course now is when we have to finish packing, cleaning, painting, requesting leave, reserving a truck & lodging, getting quotes for carpet and pest control for the apt. Lots to do before closing day!

Morning Rant-Grocery Etiquette

2007-06-19T07:36:00.000-06:00

This is for the elderly gentleman in the Langley Commissary this morning, who apparently was in SUCH a hurry to get through his 9am produce shopping in an uncrowded store that he felt it his duty to comment on the placement of my child-filled shopping cart. I believe his exact words as he pushed by me angrily were, "Gee, thanks for blocking the WHOLE aisle!" I feel compelled to call attention to his uncouth behaviour.
You sir, are a discredit not only to your gender but to your years. For shame, that you could not be bothered to utter a simple "excuse me", yet you have the breath to waste on a snide and cutting comment. Which you made in front of my children and several other men, ALL of whom looked embarrassed by your actions. It is a certainty that if one of them had been in front of you, those words would not have left your mouth, instead you probably would have just moved their cart aside to make way. And speaking of making way, that is exactly what I WAS doing, making way for the stockperson to finish unloading the fruit I was trying to purchase. My aim was not to make everyone behind me look for another route, but to try to help a fellow human being. Which is something you ought to try to do more often. Oh, but I suppose it's easier to be a misanthropic chauvinist and tell other people where to go, then rush off to avoid being confronted. Please keep your scathing remarks and snap judgements to yourself. Stop doing such a disservice to the rest of the wonderful, elder generations that possess the warmth and social graces you so obviously lack. Yours sincerely,
Young, Mixed-Race Mother in the Grocery Store

Let Downs

2007-06-13T11:21:00.000-06:00

We finally got pictures of the other house we're considering, on Van Buren. Surprisingly, this one doesn't look as salvageable as 28th St, even though the original views we had of it seemed to suggest otherwise. Of course, the listing agent probably took the best possible shots and left the rest out, so I should have expected this. It looks like someone demo'd the porch and put an asbestos-shingled addition on the rear, a la 1940's. Except for the Living/Dining Rooms the interior is really weirdly chopped up and dinky. The neighborhood looks a little nicer, that and the original interior trim plus slightly larger yard are the only things this house has on 28th St. The renter next door has mean dogs and there's a registered sex offender living three houses down, so apparently in this case looks are not all they're cracked up to be. Oh well, here are the pics of this Quasimodo. Take a gander!

Another Day, Another House

2007-06-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

Hmm. Well, this next prospect is certainly thought-provoking. It's a 1923 brick bungalow on a tiny city lot with a shared driveway, and the interior is a mixture of Craftsman details and 70's fugly. I really don't know what to feel about this house, part of me wants to try and save it, the other part thinks that its surroundings might not make it worthwhile. The seller is willing to make the necessary repairs to get us through escrow, and it is priced low enough to allow serious renovation, so we are somewhat tempted. Just to give you an idea of what I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, here's the 28th St bungalow with:

The Good

The Bad

And The UGLY!

Happy Birthday, Son!

2007-06-10T16:20:00.000-06:00

Our youngest, A, will officially enter toddlerhood this week, and while I'm not willing to give out the exact date, I can favor you with a montage of photos of him from the past year. Smile, birthday boy! We love you.

Norfolk House Voyeurism

2007-06-05T05:12:00.000-06:00

While I wait for inspiration to strike in the buying process, here are just a few of the cute little bungalows in the Downtown area of Norfolk, by Lafayette Park.

My personal favorites are the little yellow and gray houses, they just look so cozy, cute and cottagey.

They Could Be Contenders

2007-06-01T14:35:00.000-06:00

Oh no, now we have more houses to choose from! I guess quite a few people waited until after Memorial Day to put their homes on the market. So here are three more possibilities while we wait to see if our back-up offer on Adams moves to 1st.

Contender #1 is on Parry St up above the downtown renewal project, and was built 1912. It's kind of blah right now with the aluminum siding, skimpy porch hardware, and unfinished basement. Inside the house is 3088 sq. ft. half up, half down, with 3 beds and 2 full baths. Situated on a .17 acre lot with a 1 car garage and $99,000 price tag, there's definitely room to play with.

Contender #2 is on Adams (another one!) just behind the LDS Pioneer Church (nice grounds) above 22nd. Built in 1907 with very charming brick exterior and windows, it has 1765 sq.ft., 4 beds, 1 full bath, an upper half story, and a partial unfinished basement. The asking price is $100,000 and there is a 2 car garage on this .17 acre lot, which looks fully fenced

Contender #3 is the most likely to prove hard to resist, it is located on 7th in N. Ogden, has a nifty stone exterior, and a .38 acre lot. Built 1918, with 1820 sq.ft. half up, half down, it has a fully finished basement, 5 beds (make one a study), 1 full bath, a 2 car deep garage, air conditioning (ahhh), awesome mountain views and a fully fenced HUGE backyard. It is also the most expensive, they want $122,500 and will probably get it. Nice area, big lot, nice house with mostly original windows/doors/trim, and only been on the market for 2 days. My realtor is putting a PO together as I type, so that she can call me from the house if it looks as nice or better than the lovely Adams bungalow that we are currently waiting in line for. Cue suspence!

Push On, Push Off....

2007-05-31T20:21:00.000-06:00

Guess who is now the proud owner of 51 assorted push-button switches, matching switchplates, and outlet covers? I really feel proud of my latest Ebay foray, this seems like quite a find after researching the cost of reproduction switches. Total with shipping came to just over $125, or about $2.50 per component. Lucky me, I have the in-house electrician to dissect and repair any worn parts. Hopefully this purchase will help with whichever house we end up with! And any that don't end up being used on our house can go right back on Ebay for another old-house addict to snap up. Many of the switches have MOP or bakelite button faces, and the brass plates should look spiffy once cleaned up. I think there's even some sort of dimmer switch in the lot, should be interesting to sort through. Supposedly these were all salvaged from an early 1900's house. Poor house, but all the better for me! And now some pics of my new treasures.

Interior Palette

2007-05-29T10:38:00.000-06:00

I know I promised to post these much earlier, but things have been up in the air a lot lately. At least I finally got around to showing everyone my plans for the colors in our new house! Here they are:

"Sweet Spiceberry" (Olympic). This is for the walls in the dining room, which also happens to be the first room upon entering the house.

"Magnolia Spray" (Olympic). I'll be using this for the ceilings and above chair rails in all but the bathroom. It's hard to tell in this picture, but the color is a lovely sort of heavy, peachy cream

"Applesauce Cake" (Olympic). This is the main color for the interior. It's going on walls in the living room, kitchen, hallway, closets, pretty much anywhere that other colors aren't specified.

"Vineyard Green" (Olympic). This is for the walls of that adorable sunroom just off the living room. I'm still not sure if it's too dark, but only a test patch on the actual wall will show for sure.

"Sweet Annie" (Olympic). Yes, this is the same olive-y green that I want to use for exterior trim. It's also going to be on the current bathroom walls. Really, it looks much less like pea soup in person!

"Cinnamon Diamonds" (Olympic). This is the color I originally planned for the walls of our guest room. As our guest room will be our master bedroom until the attic is finished off, I suppose we'll be living with this color for a while.

"Grape Leaves" (Behr). Has the same name as one of the exterior colors we picked. This will be on the walls of our older son's room.

"Blue Agave" (Behr). This is for the walls in the baby's room. Sorry about the size, this is the only sample I could get of this color.

"Ocean Kiss" (Behr). When we add a second, master bath, this will be on the walls.

"Juniper Berry" (Olympic). And last of all, this color will be on the walls in our attic master bedroom. Just as soon as we get it built, that is!

Photo Flux, Part 2

2007-05-24T08:19:00.000-06:00

Here are the photos from Orchard, for your perusal.

Just an aside, that funny looking building in the last shot is apparently a spa and tea room. Talk about upscale!

Photo Flux, Part 1

2007-05-24T07:46:00.000-06:00

I feel I must apoligize for the barrage of photos you are about to experience, it's just the best way I can give to see these two homes for what they're worth. Have fun!

And these were just from Adams! Next stop, Orchard Ave.

Decisions, Decisions

2007-05-24T06:45:00.000-06:00

Ok, folks we are down to 2 houses again! The Jefferson Historic home is out of the picture, thanks largely to the scope of work that would need to be done ASAP to get the bank to sign off. So our choices now are between the early Bungalow on Adams and the folk Victorian on Orchard, and let me tell you, this will be a close race. Both homes have so much potential, I am surprised we didn't look at them before now! Of course, we have been concentrating on other areas and more square footage. But we're wiser now, I swear!

The Orchard house is about 1680 square feet, has a .15 acre lot, and is in between Jefferson and Eccles Historic Districts. Houses all around are gorgeous and the neighborhood looks decent and well-kept. I did notice a non-conforming duplex for sale across the street, not sure what to think about that. Plus there is no basement, just crawlspace (house is from 1878 so probably typical), and the kitchen is a wee bit tight. I think it has gas heat, and although the windows are not terrible they do have aluminum frames. Bit of a disappointment as I was hoping for originals, there's no FP but all the original woodwork seems to be intact. Has 4 bedrooms and 2 large bathrooms, plus what appears to be a laundry porch and upstairs 2nd kitchen. Was probably a duplex itself at one point. There is one room where the new linoleum floor seems to be alarmingly off, diagonal to the baseboard trim, but I don't know if this is subsidance or just really bad floor leveling.

The Adams house is 1586 square feet on the first floor, plus an additional 370 square feet in the walkout basement. Not sure if more room is available down there, but the roof looks decently high for a half-story addition if we add 2 dormers on the back. I'll have to get up in the attic and look at the truss system. It has a .20 acre lot and is close to the Jefferson Historic District, and to Washington Blvd, the main drag. The house was being rented but is currently vacant, neighborhood around looks very similar to Orchard's, with big & beautiful old houses around it. I didn't see anything for sale in its immediate vicinity, but there are a handful of houses on Adams farther down for sale. The majority of the house looks to be original to its 1899 build, with the exceptions of the kitchen, bath and flooring (I suspect it's wood still underneath). All the windows are intact with 3 or 4 over 1s and stained glass details (yay!). Original hot water radiators in all but the front sunroom, and great FP with original tile hearth, no bookcases though. Kitchen is very large, probably used to have a eating nook. Exterior brick has been painted red, would probably be a headache to strip. It has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, plus 2 sunrooms, and the laundry/storage downstairs. Didn't see any significant problems, mostly just looks like it needs a good cleaning and some interior decor. We would really love it if the roofline could accomodate another bedroom and bath, that would make a wonderful master suite, plus with this house we'd have a much larger budget to remodel/restore.

So that's the rundown, and I'll post again with NUMEROUS pics of both to look at before deciding. Please, friends, send in your votes and make our job easier!

A New Project: Re-Upholstery

2007-05-23T10:31:00.000-06:00

Like I really need to add to the list! The $40 thrift-store chair that I bought a few years ago to rock the babies to sleep is ready for a good facelift, and I've finally decided to tackle it. I can't really justify throwing it out and buying a new one, as the only faults are ugly tan fabric and missing buttons. And the boys love it so, it's their favorite spot to sit with us and read. Here's the chenille fabric I picked up on Ebay for it:

Hopefully the chair will soon be ready for its new Arts & Crafts home. I'll be putting it in my older son's room, since he has asked for a Grape Leaves green theme. I haven't decided on whether to do same-fabric piping or pick up a complementary shade such as gold. Also I need to look at what types of upholstery buttons to switch to, and possibly adding pleats to the front. I do love pleated upholstery in antiques, just not sure I can replicate it.

Ye Olde Brass Bed

2007-05-17T14:50:00.000-06:00

Here's a few before pictures of the lovely early 1900's bed I picked up on Ebay last month. So far I've gotten the footboard top rail and sides cleaned up, although I will have to go over the details with a Q-tip and some brass cleaner to get all the gunk out. There are some gouges and dents, surpisingly less than I expected given it's age. R is eager to try his drill with a brass polishing attachment, though I am somewhat reluctant to let him use anything high-powered on this old beauty. All I've been using to clean it so far are an old penny, a pair of disposable gloves, some ratty undershirts and a can of Brasso. Seems to be working wonderfully at taking off all those layers of metallic paint and tarnish. It is a little time-intensive, but I don't mind in the least. Stuff like this just gets me warmed up to do all that wood stripping I'm dreaming of for our new/old house. I've already started accumulating old textiles again in preparation, including this lovely green chenille bedspread which works perfectly in my son's very spring green room. BTW, in case anyone else loves this color as much as we do, it's Calyx by Behr (Home Depot), and I think they only have it in their computer colorbase now, not on paint chips. I will be sad to see it go, but now is a good time to upgrade to a more big-boy version of it.

Still Waiting

2007-05-17T14:17:00.000-06:00

Well, as most of you have figured out by now, we are not in our dream fixer house. And unfortunately for us, that isn't going to change any time soon. The house is back on the market, and we are once again looking for the perfect home to rehab. It just got to be too much of a hassle turning the other cheek to those darn sellers, and so we had to cancel the contract. Although I don't believe they've changed agents and the house is still not being truthfully represented as an "as-is short sale", they are still trying to make that 11th hour sale before the lender forecloses on them. At which point it will probably go back on the market with a few improvements and a slightly higher price tag. Rather than wait, we've moved on in our search and identified a few likely prospects. Some with more potential than others, but all within our price range and and target area. First on our list is a very rough diamond indeed:

This house is 3500+ square feet AND located in a historic district, with old-time charm and only a few houses from the Eccles Mansion. It's also at the top of our price range ($130k)) and needs extensive work, which could make it a lot to bite off. The current owner is an architect in charge of rehabbing a number of historic downtown homes, and has already done quite a bit of work on this one. We are submitting an offer, but are hesitant to commit to loving this house yet as it may prove more than we can tackle. Also the style is very conflicted Victorian/bungalow, it was built in 1896 but had major remodeling c. 1920. Again, lots of work to do before we'd see improvement. R is very nervous about owning/rehabbing a home this large in an area where you have to get permission for any exterior work. Some smaller, less expensive homes we're looking into:

This house built c. 1899 is only .3 miles from the previous house, and has a 5th of an acre lot. We love the lines of the house and the original windows & FP, but the street behind the house is a main thoroughfare with lots of businesses. We do worry about the noise and location with this one, although it's turn-key condition and $90k price tag might make up for it.

This one is in between the historic districts, built in 1878 and has a pretty nice neighborhood. It obviously needs some gussying up externally, still sturdy and large enough for us. It is at the small end at 1650 sq. ft., but fairly inexpensive for the up and coming area ($105k). One thing to note: none of these new prospects have garages or carports, so we'd either have to be ok with parking outdoors all the time, or have enough lot and budget left to build our own garage.

Zoo And D.C. Voyeurism

2007-04-24T06:03:00.000-06:00

We took a day trip down to our nation's capital this past weekend and let the boys run around the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Lots of fun until the crowds and 80+ heat arrived. Then we hightailed it to the nearest Safeway for picnic lunch supplies, which we noshed on in the Takoma Park Historic District.

I especially wanted to see their bungalows after reading Bungalow Nation. I did take a few pics of nice ones, on the whole I'd have to say it was pretty disappointing driving around the area. Not that many of the houses looked cared for, or even historically accurate. Afterwards it was off to Herndon, VA for the real reason we went on our trip. A 1910 solid brass full-size bed for our lucky 5-year-old! Still needs some cleaning, but overall gorgeous and HUGE. The headboard is about 5'2", and the footboard 3'4". I'll post some before and after pics once I get it polished. We loaded it up onto our roof rack, strapped it down with rubber bungees, and headed off for home. Where we happily collapsed.

It's exhausting having fun!

More Pictures #3

2007-04-15T11:31:00.002-06:00

Another set of interior photos from the first floor:

Living room and front door from dining room

Hallway off dining room leads to first floor bath. I believe it also opens to the den and the back bedroom.

Front window in den, currently used as a 6th bedroom. We'll probably use it for one until we can get the basement free of mold, put in new drywall.

Back bedroom, with a walk-in closet under the stairs to 2nd floor. This will be our guest bedroom, and the closet will lose some space to an enlarged pantry sometime in the future.

2nd floor stairs off the sun porch, I'm really not sure what to make of these. It looks like there was storage underneath at some point, hopefully once the carpet is gone I can get a better visual.

Escrow, Take Two

2007-04-12T12:14:00.000-06:00

'Sigh'. After waiting for 2 weeks for the listing agent to address our "fix-it" addendum to the home inspection, we've decided to try another tactic. Mostly because we feel like we're getting nowhere with this and it sucks to be bogged down. We are issuing a new addendum stating that we will buy the house "as-is", with the current price standing at $118,500. This way the bank can get their money back, and there will still be enough for commission. Our only caveat is that the furnace MUST be replaced and the plumbing patched. We left it open to them how they accomplish this, not insisting on a certified plumber, only that it has to be correctly patched. Otherwise if something goes wrong with it after closing, the home warranty might be voided on a technicality. Everything else that needs fixing, including the knob & tube, will be tackled by us. We will have to decide whether to pursue a 203k mortgage or home equity loan to cover the difference in needed repairs. So hopefully they will comply this time, in a TIMELY manor, ha ha ha. My realtor dutifully tried to talk me out of this, I think she is afraid that when we move in to the house it will turn back into a pumpkin or something. Poor lady, I don't think she quite gets the idea that I WANT to live in an ongoing, money-eating project, sadist that I am. She would prefer that we just take our earnest money back and start house-hunting all over again. Which I would do if it would be better for us, but it just won't. For starters, the market has been dead since the middle of March, no promising listings in our size/price/age range at all. And the prices are starting to rise, which means that if it takes us another 2-4 months we will be priced out of our range. In the only city left in Utah that we can still afford to buy into! Sorry, but we won't be repeating the last few months' hit-and-miss tactics in the effort to avoid a lot of paperwork now. 'Cause if this keeps up we could end up stuck on the East Coast, renting indefinitely. There's only so many places that a military salary can buy you a house AND still be within reasonable distance of military work. Life is fun like that.

Flu Fun

2007-04-11T07:55:00.000-06:00

Oh you evil spring freeze, you've thrown our systems out of whack once again! Everyone in the house seems to be infected now, and the nausea/vomiting is in full swing. This is the third time this year the flu has made it to our house, I'm hopeful that there will be no complications this time. Have to keep cleaning up the boys, with more than a touch of queasiness myself, and what keeps running through my head is that bit in Eddie Izzard's "Glorious". The one where he's speaking as "James-The-God-Mason" and saying that connecting the inner ear and vomiting will be great fun, because then hearing someone vomit will prompt you to respond in kind. All too true, unfortunately. I have found that some things help offset the flu odor and nausea, like sheet spray. After removing soiled linens and wiping down offending surfaces, it greatly reduces the smell if you use a light scented sheet spray when remaking the bed or sofa. We like Shore from Restoration Hardware because it is mellow and does not smell like food. And we've covered all cushions/pillows/mattresses with aller-free waterproof covers, to keep bacteria and mildew from reaching the interior. If your kids don't mind the strong taste, breath mints like Altoids are great since mint is a natural anti-emetic. Now that I sound like some sort of ad, I think I'll go crawl off to bed for a cat-nap with the boys. And hopefully tonight they'll be able to eat more than gatorade, Coke and saltines for dinner.

Bidders Anonymous Needed

2007-04-10T10:20:00.000-06:00

Okay, I admit it, I am sick. I am addicted to Ebay! Now if someone will please point me towards the correct support group..... Really, I do manage to hold off bidding on a lot of things, so it could be much worse (be afraid, R, be very afraid). There's just so many nifty old things that I could sooo use, it's hard not to drool a lot. Some of the items wearing droolmarks this week:

This beautifully restored Hoosier cabinet (to replace all that "big box" cabinetry for kitchen storage). Look, a microwave would fit perfectly behind that accordion door!

And this antique "Quality" gas stove in lovely greens and white, knobs intact and just needs some rust removal. Crave! I can just see it in a subway tiled alcove. I may actually bid on this, it's pretty reasonable and we're probably moving next month.

I also search routinely for antique matelasse (jacquard woven kind), candlewicked bedspreads, homespun wool blankets, vintage copper and cast iron cookware, brass beds, and vintage kitchen gadgets. Occasionally I find neat things, like the kitchen sink. Or rare things, like the 80 year old near perfect, butter yellow matelasse coverlet, with the nouveau-style tulip design (more on that in a later post). R does his best to talk me out of the stranger items (who wouldn't want a 5 gallon stoneware churn from the 1800s?). All in all it's not so bad, this being addicted to buying other people's junk. Ooh, I wonder if anything new came on while I was posting this?

Ogden Cutie For Sale

2007-04-10T07:28:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to put this up, in case any fellow bungalow lovers are looking for a starter home in the SLC area. This is a decent sized house, just a little too small for our family, but obviously it has loads of charm. Whoever painted it actually did a nice job for beginnings, not that much to un-muddle. So please, take a look, fall in love, buy the house, and move near me, I need the interaction! So far Ogden does not seem to have much of a community for bungalow owners, we need to unite and start our own association. Here's the listing info for this darling home.

1912 brick bungalow, 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1510 square feet, partial basement (shelf), open porch, patio, den/office, hardwood floors, woodburning FP, appliances included, partially fenced, mountain views, gas/central, no garage, lot is approx. .11 acre. Located at 3209 Porter Ave, 84403 (Ogden), MLS#673598. Asking $94,900. You can view this on either http://www.realtor.com or http://masters1.utah.remax.com/default.aspx

Advantages Of Bordering A Historic District

2007-04-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

You get to see homes like this every day when you walk outside! Below is a link to the Flickr search "Eccles Historic", photos are courtesy of Karen R. There are quite a few photos of the lovely Eccles mansion, which serves as a community center for the neighborhood. Most of the houses in this historic district are from the Prairie School, and date between 1900-1924. Once homes to the wealthy, now they're being restored and preserved for posterity. The surrounding neighborhood seems to be making a renaissance, which is one reason we are so eager to close on our house. It is catty-corner to the boundary of the historic district, and thus a prime candidate for improvement. I can just imagine walking the half-block to take the boys to art lessons, in a Richardsonian sandstone mansion!

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=eccles%20historic&w=all

More Pictures #2

2007-04-09T07:01:00.000-06:00

Stuck at home with a fluish child today, so I'm posting more of the house pics.
Exterior of rear dormer. Lots of painting and flashing to do here, neat shingle pattern though.
Exterior of sun porch off kitchen. That covered entry bothers me for some weird reason. I'll have to see if it looks better with paint, or else just replace it outright.
Close-up of the lovely paint job on the sun porch. Obviously the door to the walk-out basement will have to be replaced.
Rear yard view from the house. Nice size for us, with a little grooming. The dead tree will be first to go.
Close-up of the garage, showing why the tree is a problem. Waaay too close to the garage, and definitely causing some damage. We'll need to do some mortarwork and probably replace the roof.

Possible Face Lift, House Colors

2007-04-08T16:04:00.000-06:00

This is one version of what our house may look like after some new paint, decorative framework, and new transoms. The upstairs window would be recessed to the master bedroom so that we could screen in a private sleeping porch in the front gable. I'm not sure what exactly we'll end up doing with the transoms, maybe stained glass or leaded mullions. Have to take a look around the area to see what was appropriate at the time our house was built. S.L.C. has loads of restored homes in their downtown, hopefully some of them are from the same time frame. Keep in mind that the wooden baluster fence around the entire yard will be the light green color of the framework and trim.

Don't Let Your Eggs Freeze

2007-04-08T06:32:00.000-06:00

We're off to church for service, brunch and the egg hunt. Hope everyone is doing well in this unusual spring weather. Have a happy and blessed Easter Sunday!

April Snows Bring May Flowers?

2007-04-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

So I woke up this morning to this:

Definitely not "play at the beach" type weather, which is what we were having earlier this week. We've gone from a high of 85 degrees to a low of 32 degrees, and so of course all the winter clothes have already been packed for moving. Aauugghh! This weather would've been great say, around 3 months ago. Now it's just irritating. R has a three day weekend in I don't know how long, and we're going to spend it stuck inside. Oh well. At least the kiddos are thrilled to see snow. G is convinced that God has put a great big snowman in the clouds just to bring us snow. How cute!

Rough Landscape Plan

2007-04-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

Here's what I've come up with so far. Of course, all this will be relative to the lot and house dimensions, which may be slightly different than depicted here. I know that some of the writing may be hard to read, so I'll try to clear things up with a list of the major plants that are going in. The pavers are only representative right now, still haven't decided between brick and pre-cast stone. One is more aesthetically pleasing, the other easier for kid traffic. And the drive will eventually be repaved with concrete, pigmented and scored to mimic slate tile. Also, we are considering switching out the teepee in the Kid's Garden for a wooden play/potting structure at Costco. The thing is ready to assemble and only costs $300, plus G is begging pretty heavily. I am so happy to have another plant lover that I will probably cave!

Front yard view

Rear yard view

-Rose Garden (inspired by Prairie Rose House!)

2 "Austrian Copper", rambling species; 1 "Eden", climbing tea; 1 "Sombreuil", climbing tea; 1 "Abraham Darby", English shrub; 1 "Queen Nefertiti", English shrub; 1 "Graham Stuart Thomas", English shrub; 1 "Golden Celebration", English shrub; 1 "Gertrude Jeckyll", English shrub; 1 "La Reine Victoria", Rambling bourbon; 1 "Mary Rose", English shrub; 1 "Angel Face", hybrid tea; 1 "Apothecary Rose", Gallic; 1 "Reine des Violettes", bourbon; 1 "William Shakespeare 2000", English shrub; 1 "Wise Portia", English shrub; 1 "Mme Alfred Carriere", noisette; 1 "Mme Hardy", damask; 1 "Darlow's Enigma", musk; 1 "Desiree Parmentier", gallic.

-Fruit trees in front

1 "Green Gage", European plum; 1 "Wilson Delicious", apricot.

-Fruit trees in rear

1 "Wolf River", apple; 1 "Lodi", apple; 1 "WhiteGold", cherry; 1 "Royalton", cherry; 1 "FlavorCrest", peach; 1 "O'Henry", peach.

-Ornamental trees/shrubs in Kid's Garden

1 "Autumn Gold", gingko biloba; 1 "Nicholsonii", Japanese maple; 1 "Blue Atlas", weeping cedar (not shown); 1 "Primrose", lilac; 1 common lilac.

-"Possible" hedge along drive ( I feel a little mean about planting something that will definitely spread to the other side of the fence, but I also want some privacy)

2 "Adelaide Dunbar", lilacs; 2 "Mme Lemoine", lilacs; 2 "Charles Joly", lilacs; 2 "President Grevy", lilacs.

For The Doubters

2007-04-04T11:47:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know that all our family and friends are having a really hard time wrapping their heads around the idea of us as a restoration team for any major fixer-upper. This post is for all of you. If you are an innocent houseblogger or casual reader, feel free not to read this vent.
WE ARE NOT CONFUSED, WE ARE NOT CRAZY, SO STOP FEELING SORRY FOR US!
(Deep breath)
See, it's okay to tell us we may not know what we're doing, because we don't. That's right, we don't. In order to know, we'd already had to have done this at least once. Hence the "first time" homebuyers. We're not embarrassed that we cannot afford a fully finished house, or even one that costs upward of $120k. You shouldn't be either. R is a hard worker and I am proud of him for the accomplishments he has. And if we make a mistake along the way, it's not going to end our universe. Every person out there at one time or another has been a first-time homebuyer. The thing is, we have learned to see this not as an overwhelming project, but more as a hands-on tutorial in Self-Reliance 101. Because when that next deployment rolls around, God forbid, I will be on my own no matter what kind of house we have. Now would you rather I know the workings of that house and what to do when something breaks, (which it always will, Murphy's law of deployment), or do you want to be on the other end of that phone conversation where I'm calling to scream and cry about the hundreds or thousands we had to spend b/c R isn't around enough to work on the problem and I haven't learned the skills. Hmm, I'll take what's behind Door No. 1 thank you. When we share our progress with you, it is frustrating to hit this wall of discouragement or ignorance. We really want to make everyone a part of the exciting task we're embarking on, but without co-operation that's impossible. That doesn't mean falling in line and glibly repeating' "how nice" when talking to us. It just means we'd prefer you keep any non-useful comments to yourselves. No doomsday stuff, please. R and I and the boys love all of you to distraction, and are really hopefull that someday when we have enough finished living quarters you'll get the opportunity to experience what we poured our hearts into firsthand. With great affection,
The Black Sheep

Springtime In The Garden

2007-04-03T14:57:00.000-06:00

Just not our garden, I'm afraid!
Children's garden entrance

A throws pennies

G is surprised by the fountain

Lovely patterned paver of slag glass and cement

Very Wrightian fountain in the rose garden

Since we're still waiting to start our own garden, I thought it would be nice to take a trip to the botanical garden nearby. The boys and I had a thoroughly lovely afternoon at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

More Pictures #1

2007-04-03T06:57:00.000-06:00

There's probably going to be a lot of waiting for the next few weeks, what with the short sale and all. So in lieu of elevator music, here are more pictures of the house. I'll do these in installments to keep things going. I may also post some rough plans, and more color pics. Our interior choices for most of the house are pretty solid now. Enjoy!

This is upper bedroom No. 1. Note the lovely peach color and unfinished closets. We'll probably turn this into the master bedroom, with some tweaking.

The upstairs bathroom screams 80's, but at least it's a good size for a future master bath.

the No. 2 bedroom, in the front gable, has the weirdest paint scheme b/c of the color switches. Ideally, we'll be turning this into a sleeping porch and screening it in. Then we can re-use the gorgeous window on our master bedroom.

The loft area is currently a kitchenette, all that's going bye-bye. Not sure yet what to do about the furnace chimney enclosure, this area is kind of open for ideas.
The loft dormer overlooks the rear yard, and I can't think of a better place for a deep windowseat. I might add some built-in shelves as well. Looks like the perfect place to curl up with a good book.

Nobody Likes Surprises

2007-03-31T06:44:00.000-06:00

Especially when you're trying to buy a house. Like the surprise I got yesterday when our realtor called to tell us that our seller had neglected to mention that he was delinquent on his mortgage. In fact he hasn't made ANY payments, which makes me wonder how he got approved in the first place and what he's doing with his money. He's in default, which means this will probably turn into a short sale, which in turn means that the lender will have to approve any offer and this property will probably be sold "as is". Not good, and definitely not something I want to hear with an already signed contract sitting in front of me. The seller obviously had no intention of fixing anything or being upfront about his financial situation, was probably going to commit mortgage fraud. And it won't do me any good to sue for specific performance if the lender is involved, so that option is out. It just makes me really mad that we've gone through all this just to get pushed back to square one. I still really want the house, but if we have to take on additional financing to fix it up that will really put a lot of pressure on us. I guess first we have to find out the minimum that lender will accept as payoff, then add the repairs on top and try for a 203k loan. Urggghh! It's this type of person that I could cheerfully take out with no remorse. A pox on you, home seller!

Odd Phenomenon

2007-03-28T12:41:00.000-06:00

My oldest son pointed this one out to me. The afternoon sun had made a very decent fascimile of Utah on our kitchen linoleum. Sign of approval, or just that we need darker mini-blinds? You decide.

Furnace, and Plumbing, and Wiring, Oh My!

2007-03-28T11:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had the home inspection on our home-to-be, and all was not well. Apparently the sellers had disconnected the water and gas lines, which turned out to be a blessing since the furnace was shot and there were MANY water leaks throughout the house. We were also apprised that there was still knob & tube wiring visible in the basement (so probably in the rest of the house as well), and that it is live. The inspector couldn't even fit in the attic (entrance blocked w/fluorescent light, and about 18-20" high), but he did take a picture of a quarter-size hole in the roof. And apparently between now and when our realtor first walked through, a cat(s) decided to make her home on the first floor, so now a urine smell is present. We did already know about the surface mold in the basement (most likely caused by the water leaks!) so that wasn't a surprise. And structurally the house does seem to be ok, so at least that's a sigh of relief. Now we just have to confront the sellers with the ugly truth about their nice little fixer-upper, and see how badly they want to stay in escrow. At the very least we will need them to replace the furnace, fix the plumbing, unblock the attic, have the premises thoroughly cleaned/disinfected, and put some money from escrow into an account for the replacement of the electrical jumble. And of course, with all of this we will no longer be looking at a closing date of April 12th. At least the nice people at USAA have assured me that they will definitely issue us a policy since we are going to replace the knob & tube. I just hope this doesn't turn into the year-long escrow. Oy vey, people!

THIS, or THIS?

2007-03-27T12:18:00.000-06:00

We've been scrambling to come up with an exterior paint scheme, just in case VA requires the house to be painted. I don't want to have it painted & then get there and have to strip it all off again before I paint. So a general direction sort of thing would be nice, in case they need to put up 1 or 2 colors. We do plan on eventually going with a 5-color scheme, but are still working that out. So for now, here are the candidates:

my favorites, from Olympic(Lowes)

R's favorites, also from Olympic, and Laura Ashley Home(Lowes) oop, sorry about the rotation!

And remember, this is all in addition to the gray asphalt roof and red brick. Please tell us which one you like better!

It's Inspection Day

2007-03-27T09:31:00.001-06:00

So keep your fingers crossed, people!

Moving With Fish

2007-03-27T09:19:00.000-06:00

This is a topic that has worried me since we first started talking about a big move. I really love my reef setup, and don't want to lose any of the inhabitants. Luckily for me, I am not the first to try moving tropicals long distance! Some pioneering soul outlined a specific plan involving a construction-type water cooler, air stone, heater, 12-V adapter for your car, and precise water changing guidelines. I was thoroughly impressed by the method, and can't wait to use it myself. the link to his directions is as follows: http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/moving_your_fish_2.htm

I believe it's the fourth comment from the top.

It's Official, We Have A Deal!

2007-03-26T08:57:00.000-06:00

Just got off the phone with our realtor, and we are now officially in escrow! Which is a good thing seeing as our home inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. Yikes! Now I just have to figure out how to get us out there by closing, seems the date is set at the 12th for now. So actually a 21-day escrow, instead of a 30-day one. Which may be a problem if the VA appraiser decides not to play ball, but I guess we'll tackle these issues in the order they arise. First things first, I need to reserve a moving truck and send a letter to our landlord. Everybody keep your fingers crossed that things proceed in a timely and kosher manner. I am so relieved that we are this close to being in our new house. Yippee!!

Our (maybe?) home

2007-03-22T13:53:00.000-06:00

Now that things are finally starting to gel, let me share some pics of the house. Here's the front porch
A view of the dining room and kitchen entry from the living room. The gorgeous door on the left leads to a den/bedroom.
The remuddled but livable kitchen. I think that window is calling to me, "Save me, save me!".
This is the back porch, I think the enclosure was probably a later addition.
And one out of 3 full baths in this house. Unfortunately, it's also the only one that isn't totally screwed up!

Holding our collective breath

2007-03-22T13:41:00.000-06:00

We may soon be in escrow! Our offer was countered with a very slight price hike to cover the seller's butt ( he still owes quite a bit on his mortgage) but all other terms were accepted. We have a fully signed contract ready to go, and for once things are looking up! Our realtor is optimistic about the deal holding, she already had me schedule the radon/lead/home inspection for next week (pricey, eeek!). so now I just have to figure out how R is going to accept/sign his part, as he is currently on duty. Hmmm. I will just have to appeal to his command, I guess. If all else fails I can always drive to the base w/kids in tow and get his John Hancock. Time is of the essence, so I don't want to leave anything to chance. Also I really want to get escrow rolling so that I can take a slight break from the craziness. I've promised the boys that we'll take a trip to Ocracoke Island soon, to recover from all this moving madness. I need to do something mindless, like collecting shells or building sandcastles. And our boys are very keen on the whole pirate theme, so it will be a perfect escape. I just have to get through some (or a lot) of paperwork first!

"I left my siiiink, in San Francisco......"

2007-03-21T15:10:00.000-06:00

Actually, I left it in the Buffalo area. In my in-laws garage, to be exact. Back when we thought we were going to move there, a whole other topic entirely. Which has me wondering to myself, "Self, how am I going to transport this most lovely of antique kitchen sinks from upstate NY to Utah without incurring major shipping fees?" This thing is 100 lbs. HEAVY, cast iron with that beautiful oil-slick sheen on the porcelain. Such a good deal too, Ebayed it for $10 b/c I was the only bidder. The owner took it out of his 1925 bungalow, he was nice enough to hold it for me until I could make the drive to NY and leave it with the in-laws. Who probably thought I was out of my mind, since we still didn't have a house. So I am really loth to part with the thing, after all we've been through together. Maybe I can wheedle R into driving up there to pick it up when he visits his daughter, then toting it with him next year when he joins us for good. That's a lot of wheedling to do.

Nail-biting time

2007-03-21T13:46:00.000-06:00

R and I finally found a house we agree on, that won't stretch us beyond breaking and will be enough space inside and out. The offer has gone out to the seller, we've signed the first of the paperwork, and now the wait begins. Just like the last house we loved, there are multiple offers in play here so things are very tense. I still have the lovely poem i wrote for the first "dream" bungalow we tried to buy, but I'm hesitant to send it since it was written for another house. Is that considered a faux pas in the property realm? Hard to know since i've never done this before. Hopefully things will be relatively painless, and the sellers will accept the offer on the first try. Then of course we will have to wait for the home inspection and appraisals to be performed. It's the VA appraisal that's really got me sleepless. I mean, how do we know they won't just dismiss the house out of pocket because it is old and needs so much work? And what if they use an appraiser that has absolutely no appreciation for old houses? I've heard horror stories about the hoops that homebuyers are made to jump through to please a third party. I don't want to become one of them! Has anyone else out there gone through this kind of nerve-wracking second-guessing? please commiserate! I DON'T want to be grinding my teeth in bed every night for the next month. ACK!!