Hot water, please?

We haven't posted in a while because we're spending every waking minute trying to get the house habitable.

Our downstairs bathroom, the only one finished right now, is done and we can't wait to use it properly.  The urinal got used right away (Jeremy was upset that Oslo beat him to it).  The toilet we initially purchased, a Kohler dual flush, didn't fit in the rough plumbing opening.  Ugh?  Luckily, our plumber, feeling badly that it didn't fit, helped us return the toilet and found a Toto that we like even better, and he gave us the contractors price on it.  I completed the tile in the shower.  Wow, that was way more work than I anticipated.  We used glass mosaic and it is unforgivable and very difficult to work with.  It lays down quickly, but it also shows every irregularity on the surface and is tricky to cut.  Jer and I designed the vanity/sink combination.  The cabinet is maple and we found the legs online, which we stained to match.  The countertop is a beautiful piece of remnant soapstone from Berkshire Stone in Winsted, CT and the backsplash is Vermont green slate.

The IKEA kitchen came together nicely.  Those Scandinavians know how to design.  We're very pleased with the quality of the cabinets and appliances.  I chose the IKEA ovens (microwave and convection oven) from IKEA, manufactured by Whirlpool, because I wanted to make sure they would fit in the IKEA oven cabinets, plus they were cheaper than buying the same Whirlpool appliances at Sears.  Our other appliances consist of a Kenmore Elite induction cooktop, Kenmore Elite fridge by LG, and Bosch dishwasher.  It took a bit of work getting all the cabinets ordered, picked-up, and assembled (not recommended for the novice weekend warrior). We decided to use the oak butcher block countertop for the areas on either side of the sink.  The island has a temporary countertop, until we decide on how we're going to finish the island and what material to use on the countertops.  We just installed a 1/2" piece of veneer from the "seconds room" at IKEA.  If you're creative, that's a good place to find some awesome deals.

Jeremy has been concentrating on the stairs, which have turned out great!   The steel stringers are from Artistic Iron Works in Canada.  Jeremy had a steel frame built for the landing and we used reclaimed barn beams for the treads and landing decking.  We had a local sawmill remill the beams and we planed, sanded, and finished the wood.  The posts are pine and the railing is galvanized hog wire fencing from Tractor Supply ($30 per 16 feet section!!)  And the added bonus is that the inspector "passed" our stairs much to our surprise.  We thought there would be lots of issues with the openings everywhere, but he just asked us to cover the risers and we concurred.

Now, all we need is hot water and we can move in!!

Hot water, please?

We haven't posted in a while because we're spending every waking minute trying to get the house habitable.

Our downstairs bathroom, the only one finished right now, is done and we can't wait to use it properly.  The urinal got used right away (Jeremy was upset that Oslo beat him to it).  The toilet we initially purchased, a Kohler dual flush, didn't fit in the rough plumbing opening.  Ugh?  Luckily, our plumber, feeling badly that it didn't fit, helped us return the toilet and found a Toto that we like even better, and he gave us the contractors price on it.  I completed the tile in the shower.  Wow, that was way more work than I anticipated.  We used glass mosaic and it is unforgivable and very difficult to work with.  It lays down quickly, but it also shows every irregularity on the surface and is tricky to cut.  Jer and I designed the vanity/sink combination.  The cabinet is maple and we found the legs online, which we stained to match.  The countertop is a beautiful piece of remnant soapstone from Berkshire Stone in Winsted, CT and the backsplash is Vermont green slate.

The IKEA kitchen came together nicely.  Those Scandinavians know how to design.  We're very pleased with the quality of the cabinets and appliances.  I chose the IKEA ovens (microwave and convection oven) from IKEA, manufactured by Whirlpool, because I wanted to make sure they would fit in the IKEA oven cabinets, plus they were cheaper than buying the same Whirlpool appliances at Sears.  Our other appliances consist of a Kenmore Elite induction cooktop, Kenmore Elite fridge by LG, and Bosch dishwasher.  It took a bit of work getting all the cabinets ordered, picked-up, and assembled (not recommended for the novice weekend warrior). We decided to use the oak butcher block countertop for the areas on either side of the sink.  The island has a temporary countertop, until we decide on how we're going to finish the island and what material to use on the countertops.  We just installed a 1/2" piece of veneer from the "seconds room" at IKEA.  If you're creative, that's a good place to find some awesome deals.

Jeremy has been concentrating on the stairs, which have turned out great!   The steel stringers are from Artistic Iron Works in Canada.  Jeremy had a steel frame built for the landing and we used reclaimed barn beams for the treads and landing decking.  We had a local sawmill remill the beams and we planed, sanded, and finished the wood.  The posts are pine and the railing is galvanized hog wire fencing from Tractor Supply ($30 per 16 feet section!!)  And the added bonus is that the inspector "passed" our stairs much to our surprise.  We thought there would be lots of issues with the openings everywhere, but he just asked us to cover the risers and we concurred.

Now, all we need is hot water and we can move in!!

Happy Dance times 2

Another finish, well, another two finishes. Gentle and Kind by LHN. This was a silk thread pack, and there was nearly enough thread to do both of these. Yup, I did the one the way it was supposed to be done, on 28 count Putty Linen, and the other on the same linen but just over one thread. You might notice that the personalization has NOT been done on either piece. The larger one will be a sister present, and I'm not sure which of my four sisters will be getting it--though I have a good idea which. The mini one is blank because while I know who its going to, its a PIF and a secret so in case that person is reading, I don't want them to know its for them. Hahaha.

So, that's why I've been going a bit over board on the over one stitchings. Seems like lately, everything I stitch, I stitch twice. But, I'll tell you true, that mini took more than twice as long as the full sized one. (But, I think its cuter. What do you think?)

I've run into the problem of the deep red silks bleeding when I iron because I dampen my fabric. Is there any other way of getting out fold lines? Anyway, my son had an idea that really worked. I lay my fabric face down on a towel, as I always iron stitching this way, but after dampening, I lay a paper towel over the back and then iron. Strangely enough, the bleeding bleeds up into the paper toweling instead of into the fabric or towel. Isn't that amazing? The silks used in this thread pack were Crescent Colours Belle Soie, ah so lovely to work with.

And finally, I've framed up Americana Samplings and Pine Tree Hill with frames I had bought ages ago. I pulled out my two tubs of picture frames and sure enough, had a frame for both. I loved the red antique like frame for Americana Samplings.

Off to pull threads for my next project. It's a LHN small one, but its charted for DMC and I want to use Crescent Colours Cottons. So, I'm taking it all outside to match up colors. I've already pulled all the DMC used, now to match them up.

Until next time, stitch on, my friends.

Happy Dance times 2

Another finish, well, another two finishes. Gentle and Kind by LHN. This was a silk thread pack, and there was nearly enough thread to do both of these. Yup, I did the one the way it was supposed to be done, on 28 count Putty Linen, and the other on the same linen but just over one thread. You might notice that the personalization has NOT been done on either piece. The larger one will be a sister present, and I'm not sure which of my four sisters will be getting it--though I have a good idea which. The mini one is blank because while I know who its going to, its a PIF and a secret so in case that person is reading, I don't want them to know its for them. Hahaha.

So, that's why I've been going a bit over board on the over one stitchings. Seems like lately, everything I stitch, I stitch twice. But, I'll tell you true, that mini took more than twice as long as the full sized one. (But, I think its cuter. What do you think?)

I've run into the problem of the deep red silks bleeding when I iron because I dampen my fabric. Is there any other way of getting out fold lines? Anyway, my son had an idea that really worked. I lay my fabric face down on a towel, as I always iron stitching this way, but after dampening, I lay a paper towel over the back and then iron. Strangely enough, the bleeding bleeds up into the paper toweling instead of into the fabric or towel. Isn't that amazing? The silks used in this thread pack were Crescent Colours Belle Soie, ah so lovely to work with.

And finally, I've framed up Americana Samplings and Pine Tree Hill with frames I had bought ages ago. I pulled out my two tubs of picture frames and sure enough, had a frame for both. I loved the red antique like frame for Americana Samplings.

Off to pull threads for my next project. It's a LHN small one, but its charted for DMC and I want to use Crescent Colours Cottons. So, I'm taking it all outside to match up colors. I've already pulled all the DMC used, now to match them up.

Until next time, stitch on, my friends.

How to Stop Snoring

How does snoring occur??? Or why do we snore?? This question hits the mind of every person whose sleeping partner snores....

Stertor as termed medically is the unpleasant sound that one makes when he/she breathes while sleeping. This is commonly known as snoring. It is caused due to the vibration of respiratory structures that are in relaxed/collapsed state while sleeping. These respiratory structures are mainly the uvula and the soft pallate (back of the roof of mouth). The vibration is respiratory structure is due to the blockage in the airway which causes obstruction in the air movement.

How to stop snoring?

While sleeping on back our tongue tends to fall back towards the throat and thus creates blockage in the airway. The sufferer should lay on his/her sides instead of resting on back.

Elevating the head of the bed and taking pillows also facilitate the right posture that helps in minimizing the snoring problem.

Smoking is not only hazardous for our overall health but it also adds to the snoring trouble as it aggrevates the tissues of the throat. so quit smoking and let your partner aleep well.

Lose some weight if you are too bulky and overweight. The fatty tissue of your neck also causes blockage in the airway. This is probably the most effective remedy to stop snoring.

Dont drink alcohol or coffee immediately before going to bed.

Do not make a habit of taking sleeping pills. Do some sports activities during day instead, to keep yourself healthy and fit.

You can also use nasal strips if you suffer from severe snoring problem.

If nothing works for you then see an ENT specialist. there are variety of treatments available to check snoring problem.

How to Stop Snoring

How does snoring occur??? Or why do we snore?? This question hits the mind of every person whose sleeping partner snores....

Stertor as termed medically is the unpleasant sound that one makes when he/she breathes while sleeping. This is commonly known as snoring. It is caused due to the vibration of respiratory structures that are in relaxed/collapsed state while sleeping. These respiratory structures are mainly the uvula and the soft pallate (back of the roof of mouth). The vibration is respiratory structure is due to the blockage in the airway which causes obstruction in the air movement.

How to stop snoring?

While sleeping on back our tongue tends to fall back towards the throat and thus creates blockage in the airway. The sufferer should lay on his/her sides instead of resting on back.

Elevating the head of the bed and taking pillows also facilitate the right posture that helps in minimizing the snoring problem.

Smoking is not only hazardous for our overall health but it also adds to the snoring trouble as it aggrevates the tissues of the throat. so quit smoking and let your partner aleep well.

Lose some weight if you are too bulky and overweight. The fatty tissue of your neck also causes blockage in the airway. This is probably the most effective remedy to stop snoring.

Dont drink alcohol or coffee immediately before going to bed.

Do not make a habit of taking sleeping pills. Do some sports activities during day instead, to keep yourself healthy and fit.

You can also use nasal strips if you suffer from severe snoring problem.

If nothing works for you then see an ENT specialist. there are variety of treatments available to check snoring problem.

Refinishing Wood Floors - Painting Concrete Basement Floors

One of the first things we decided to do to the house was refinish the hard wood floors. The entire house is hard wood except the kitchen and baths, so this was not an easy job to do. We decided to hire some one to do the work. The people we hired where highly recommended by some friends, and they did a great job on the floors. The images below are of the stairs before, during and after.

While the guys we hired worked on the floors I worked in the basement. The basement was leaking mainly in one corner, but overall it was very damp and dark. We decided to paint the floor and the walls. For the floor we used BEHR 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete and Garage Floor Paint and we used a moisture block paint for the walls. I thought about using 2 part epoxy on the floor, but the 1-Part Epoxy was much easier to use then 2-Part. We have had the epoxy on the floor for 2 years and it has held up well. I also fixed a leaky downspout and filled some giant cracks between the foundation and the driveway. I think this is where the basement leaks came from. After a few months or so of filling cracks and moving topsoil around I finally did fix all the leaks and the basement has been virtually dry ever since.

Back to the wood floors... as I said the workers where doing a great job, but disaster struck one weekend night. While the floors where being worked on we sanded ans stripped the stairs and the stair rails. After a long day of work, we left the house in the evening to go back to the hotel. The Floor guys where still in the house working away. The next morning we entered the house and heard this terrible noise. It turned out to be water pouring through the house mainly in the living room.

At this point all the floors have been sanded and there was lots of dust still in the house, and all the water made a big mess of things. It turns out the source of the water was a radiator in the master bedroom. The purge valve loosened it self out of the radiator and shot across the room. Water ran through the house for who knows how long. We can only speculate how it happened. Our best guess is the vibrations from the floor sanding machines wiggle the valve out, and the floor guys didn't notice the leak before they left.

We managed to clean up some of the mess with the help of the flooring guys and we called our insurance company, and they sent out a company. The company cleaned up the rest and dried the house out with a portable heater and lots of fans.

The water damage was significant we had to replace two ceilings, re-sand 4 rooms, paint 3 rooms including many wood windows. The insurance company covered everything.

I guess the most important thing to remember is if you have radiators in your house before you work with any large machines that vabrate significantly go around and tighten all the valves. It might even be a good idea to tighten them once a year. Below shows the before and after of the floors.