Half-Bath Bliss - The Resurrection Begins

Because all our millions of fans enjoyed my first installment of Half-Bath Bliss so much and couldn't stop raving about it...I decided Part 2 was overdue.  ;)

I left off right after I had demolished our entryway half-bath, and freed a frightened barn swallow who had somehow worked his way into our home. Now it's time to show you how we started putting it back together.

I started by fixing some inherited haywire wiring...goodbye junction boxes!! Hello functional fan!!

Luckily my handiwork passed Andre's electrical inspection!

After the rough-in work was done, it was time for drywall.  Of course I couldn't get started without my cheerleader!  :)  Don't worry Kelly, I'll sweep up the mess later...or maybe tomorrow...

And the ceiling fits!  I'm still amazed we were able to lift this piece and get it into position without breaking the little edge around the fan housing!  Look at those muscles!

My flat, cro-magnon skull did a great job helping hold up the sheet while we got the first few screws in.  But I'll be honest...I couldn't have done it without the help of my ladies (Alex took these shots, along with 20 more of the cat)!

Get in there last piece!!!

The un-mudded results...thank the wiring gods for shining upon me!

Functional fan.  Enough said...

My queen picking up some new mudding skillz.  She wasn't half bad!  :)

She may have found a new calling.  Somehow I don't think she's going to answer THAT call.  ;)

Stay tuned for the final installment where we mud, paint, and unveil our surprise counter top selection.  Thanks for reading!

EJ

Marmaduke, MarmAlex, and MarmaPink

A few weeks ago Alex and I took a free Saturday afternoon to spend some quality time together. The plan was simple...a movie and dinner. Marmaduke (who knew Jack Bauer could pull off such a great canine antagonist?!), followed by dinner at Noodles and Co.

Going to the theater with Alex isn't quite as simple as buying some tickets and popcorn. A home-made, themed costume is always required!

Of course Andre supervised the scissor usage...

Ears...nose...Rock Princess shirt...

The excitement built en-route...

And of course, what kind of dog would she be if she didn't have a tail?! ("COME ON! LET'S GET TO THE THEATER!!!")

Making one random passerby point and giggle was all the validation she needed. SUCCESS!!!

Front row seats!

And what better way to end a trip to the movie theater than winning a pink, stuffed teddy bear out of one of the cherry picker, crane arcade games...on the first try...seriously. I told her she got one try...and that's all she needed.

Here was "MarmaPink" 5 minutes after being rescued from the arcade game, playing with dragon friends at Barnes & Noble. :)

Then, on to dinner with MarmaPink in tow...dear sir or madam manager of Noodles and Co...your particular establishment is missing the little plastic thingies which enable kids to use chopsticks easily. Get some. Otherwise, hire me as your full-time rolled-up paper thingy guy to allow kids to use chopsticks easily.

BAM!!!

I liked it so I put a ring on it!

And she said "YES!" :) That's right...on the 4th of July holiday I asked my beautiful/amazing/brilliant/sexy girlfriend to spend the rest of her life with me, and she went for it.

I didn't have anything fancy planned, but with a house-full of family there couldn't have been a more perfect time to pop the question. I just asked Kelly to come upstairs so I could show her this "one other thing from IKEA" that I'd gotten her. It was some sort of egg-shaped nesting doll-style container. When she got to the top of the stairs I cranked up "I'm Yours" and asked her to open it up. She says she doesn't remember a thing about it except that it was a huge surprise. Lucky for me I caught her off guard. ;)

Like I said, the timing was perfect as we were going out on the town that night with an amazing dinner planned at Michael Smith's restaurant. It was an amazing meal, celebrating our engagement as well as my brother/sis-in-laws upcoming baby. The food was amazing, the wine delectable, and the conversation jubilant!

Oh yeah, one other thing...Alex couldn't have been happier. It was only days after she gave us her best rendition of Beyonce's big hit..."Single Ladies."

I couldn't be more excited to spend the rest of my life with my partner, my soulmate, my better half, my best friend and now fiancée Kelly. Here's to a lifetime of joy, laughter, and successful home renovations!!! Na zdrowie!!!

Love Is In The Chair

If you've been following our adventures on this blog you know that one of us (me!) has taken quite an interest in designer chairs.  I have long been searching for the perfect molded plastic Eames chairs, and have been tempted many times by Overstock.com's near replicas.  In addition, I have set my sights on Bertoia chairs, seeing them pop up everywhere from the MOMA (I <3 NY) to my favorite design magazines and the living/dining rooms of other design blogs I frequent. It's a shame either chair, brand new, will break the bank at anywhere from a whopping $200-$600 a piece! 

(Courtesy of Knoll)

As an avid fan of Craigslist---okay, an obsessive fan--- I am always searching for great pieces and a great deal.  And should either of said chairs ever pop up there, I waste little time in contacting the poster.

Today we give you Reason No. 4,568 of why CL spells "love" for us and a brief history of Harry Bertoia and the famous Bertoia chairs courtesy of designaddict.com.

Harry Bertoia emigrated to America in 1930. He studied at the Cass Technical High School in Detroit and trained on a scholarship at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan. From 1939 to 1943, he set up a metal workshop and began to teach jewelry and metal working. In 1943, he worked with Charles and Ray Eames for the Evans Product Company where they experimented on molded-plywood seating. In 1950, he established a studio in Pennsylvania and introduced his famous 'Diamond' chair made of welded steel lattice work. Later came the also famous wire side chair.  The success was immediate and in the mid-50's the royalties he received for these chairs allowed him to devote himself exclusively to his sculpting career.

That being said, there are two kinds of Craigslist Posters.  Those who know better.  And Those who don't.  I am a big fan of the latter.  Today it is with great honor and total giddiness that I present our breakfast nook in the making.  As we continue to pull our kitchen together and round out the finer details, the posters who do not know any better, have offered up 4 new additions at the bargain price of $100.  Total. All 4.  Clueless. Just the way we like 'em!

You'll just have to imagine how incredibly geeked out with excitement I was and how difficult it was to hide it, as he named his price for all four. They were "left in the house when we bought it and we have no need or desire for them."  

That might be the most beautiful thing I have ever heard anyone say.

And just for fun, I thought I would also include a shot of my web browser and my list of one-click Favorites.  Notice how Evan has cleverly renamed my direct-link to Craigslist icon.  :)

Nice try! Not a chance! :)