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Home Sense Visit

5/11/2013

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About a month ago Matt and I went to Home Sense looking for a few things, and I'm not sure if we found what we were looking for, but we did pick up two small items for the main floor.
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The first - a little stool for the dining room corner that Matt loved.  Not sure what to put on it yet, but the good thing is that it can be put higher and act as another seat at the table, and eventually I will probably put a planter on it to add some green growing things to the dining room - something that does not need too much light.
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The second - a round mirror for the living room corner.  Wanted something on that wall some rounded edges and I thought this mirror was so pretty!
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Really makes that wall feel less bare.
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With the light on (which I'm hoping to replace soon with a light from West Elm!!!)
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A Bit of Spring Gardening

5/9/2013

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Two weeks ago I actually went out in the garden, raked all the leaves, pulled weeds, and transplanted some of the day lilies so they are in smaller bunches.  I was covered in bug bites and a bit sunburnt on the shoulders by the end of it, but I was proud that I went out before the weeds got crazy and tidied things up.
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Nice and clean front garden - you can see all the little patches of green on the top right - they used to be two big clumps - now growing as 6 smaller day lily clumps which will hopefully not take over the sidewalk this year.
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View from the porch
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Something obviously needs to be done about the doormat - the penguins are now melting in this heat, and the porch itself needs a really good clean.  Also needs to find some flowers to put in with the birch logs.
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You can see behind Matt that the back gardens are another story, although more in bloom today after a week in the sunshine than they were when this picture was taken.  But there is still a pile of wood and tarps there too...
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Cedar Outdoor Furniture

5/7/2013

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Matt had a week off work (well he finished his job on April 26th, and starts his new one on May 6th), and he decided he wanted to build some outdoor furniture.  We meant to do this last summer, but with all the travelling we did, there wasn't a lot of free time!  He bought a whole bunch of cedar and got to work!
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Gotta love a man who can use a saw
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Planning out the coffee table design
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Tabletop looks good!
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Adding the base
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And the legs - they are removeable for storage
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When the sun beats down right on the thermometer it gets a bit carried away...
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While I was at work a lot got done this day!  Base of the bench seating done!
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Adding supports and the backs
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Plus a good sand of everything including all the corners and edges
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All done!  They look great!  Need to be stained (maybe) and sealed, and waiting for the cushions from Pier One to come in (another week yet).  They are white with navy, lime, and turquoise stripes.
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Some temporary decor using things I already had.  Plates are from Loblaws!
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Kitchen Painting

5/6/2013

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Another March Break project was to paint the kitchen - I did the ceiling, primed, and did 2 coats of paint, then the trim.  It was a big job, but I like how bright and airy the kitchen looks now, and a lot cleaner too.
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Kitchen before - I didn't mind the medium greige colour, but it needed an update
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Also pre-grout work!
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First step was to patch all the uneven walls - Matt did that
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Also a lot of sanding...I took preventative measures to minimize the mess...
...still ended up with chalky shoe prints up the stairs from my dear husband.
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View from the ground after the walls were primed and ceiling was painted (ohhhh my back!)
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Lucky we have so many drop sheets to cover everything
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2 coats done, now for the trim!
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Took off the tape to reveal that the last painters were not too careful with NOT painting the trim...
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All done - much brighter entryway
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The cupboards need some updating - they are starting to yellow which really stands out now that the trim is whiter, and everything is cleaner.  Also still have to do a bit of decor, of course.
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Kitchen Caulking

5/5/2013

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*Insert bad "caulk" joke here...
Once I finished the grout colouring, I noticed that a lot of caulking between the counter and tile was peeling away, and in the corners as well.  Despite knowing this, I had to finish the kitchen painting, and then forgot about it for a while.  Luckily Matt surprised me this past week by removing the old caulking and redoing it!  Gotta love that guy!
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Too easy to remove, in my opinion...
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We actually removed the cover to find they had caulked it to the wall - it took a bit of work to fix it.
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The grout colour would not stick to the caulk in the corner either
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To do this job, you need rubbing alcohol to remove the old caulking, and maybe an exacto-knife and sandpaper, some painters tape to line the edges (crucial in getting a nice even line), and of course a caulking gun.  It doesn't take a lot of work to remove it - the alcohol makes it nice and soft and easy to peel away, and then just clean the area, scraping away any excess and smoothing it out, plus wiping it clean and dry.  Line both the top and the bottom with painters tape, caulk the lines, and immediately remove the tape before it hardens.  Let it sit 24 hours before getting it wet (although the caulking says it will be ready in 2 hours), and voila!
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Caulked edges - you can be a bit messy with the painters tape
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Peel away to a nice clean line
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If you don't use the tape, you won't get a smooth and even line above and below the edges
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All done and cleaned up!
Next post?  Kitchen painting job!
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Kitchen Grout

5/4/2013

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This project actually took place while I was on March Break...just forgot about the pictures and project until Matt started doing the caulking this past week.  Our grout was originally white I believe, and it turned a gross yellow over time.  I tried cleaning, scrubbing, and everything to get it back to white, but nothing would help.  So here's what I did, in pictures:
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BEFORE: Also before I painted the kitchen, was just prepping the walls
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A close-up...very dingy yellow
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Chose a gray as I figured if I did it white, it would just go back yellow again.
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If you read the ingredients, it's pretty much just paint.  Squeezed it into a bottle and applied it with a foam brush
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Wipe the excess from the white tile with a slightly damp towel.  Some grout lines will required two coats.  
It took me 8 hours over 2 days to do this whole room.  You need to go slow and be patient.
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Did around the stove on Day 1, and around the sink on Day 2.
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Finished work - I like it! 
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Crisp and clean!

Coming up next?  Caulking around the counter and tile, painting the kitchen, staining the living room TV unit, and of course, or backyard furniture project!!!
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    Kathleen

    Adventures in married life, cooking, teaching science and new home renovations in the city!

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