New/Old Stuff

Ahhh... there's nothing like it. That something that will finally push you into finishing a project. In this case my exterior/interior door and window.

A looonnngg time ago we found a window...

and then we found a door.

(In case your wondering why we have a window and a door behind our walls, this part of the house was an old porch that had been enclosed.)

Then we made an arch. We found those posts for $10 each.

Then we found and bought a 100 year old tin ceiling and added that to the mix.

Much better then a drop ceiling don't you think?

So here's the thing, the window and the door sat as a window and a door for a very long time. Not that we didn't want to finish it, it's just other things took priority.

Since M'lynn's getting hitched and the reception is at home, you start to see your unfinished projects and want them done like yesterday.

Here's what we started with on this dreary day.

I forgot to take a picture of the door but it looked pretty much the same.

Why yes that is baseboard that we saved and are now our shelves.

Makes for a perfect plate rail and a great spot for cookbooks. :)

Eeeekkkk!!!

You know when you're doing something that just drags on forever and finally there is a what I like to call an eeekkkk moment. It's that moment where you can finally see a light flickering at the end of the tunnel. That eeekkkk moment came this weekend for me.

New floor!!!!!

New back splash!!!! This was leftovers from our kitchen ceiling.

New counter and fridge surround!!!!!

Shhh.....I know, I know there is a long list of things that need doing yet, but for now you'll have to excuse me while I lay on my new floor. Eeekkkk!!! :) 

Moving Forward!!!!!!!

We've a hit a heat wave and I have to say I'm enjoying the heat but I think it's making me feel a bit under the weather. Super tired and very headachy. So today I'm working in bits and pieces on curtains and thought I'd fill you in on the Avion's progress.

Rotted floors have been replaced and we've added a new couch instead of a dinette. 

After ripping everything out we liked the open space and opted for a couch that we can pull out to make a bed.

Open...

Closed

 As far as a table goes I've got something in mind but that's a "wait and see" project. ( wait and see if I can convince my handsome husband to build what I have in mind hehe )

He built new beds and we've got new foam to go on but in a hurry grabbed some old stuff to test it out. 

We've also got the new countertops. It wasn't my first choice. I wanted something a little more retro but the price was more than right and seemed silly to spend a lot more money. After hanging out with them now for awhile we've become buddies and I can hardly wait till they're in their new home. 

I'm pretty sure you'll find us hanging out with the trailer in construction mode all day tomorrow celebrating Canada Day, but once evening comes I'm hoping to sit back and light a sparkler or two. :)

Moving Backwards.

That's exactly how this weekend felt, like working in the wrong direction.
My dashing husband decided to spend his entire weekend dedicated to working on the Avion. This is how he spent Fathers Day! Hehe he's a Happy Camper....well maybe not so much after this weekend.

On Saturday we tore up a piece of the floor we knew to be wet. The front window had not shut properly for a long time and although we had taped it shut, how long it was wet was anybody guess. We're thinking a long time because when we lifted it, it came alive with a large amount of ants who were right at home in my floor.

So we ripped the floor back farther to investigate and luckily they had contained themselves to the front. We've now treated the area and I'm happy to say no more creepy crawlers.

Countertops also have been removed from both kitchen and bath and hopefully today we order our new ones.

Here was one of our only highlights. (no pun intended)

This went from this

To this. Yup we pretty much did a happy dance when we put it back up.

Hard to believe that it needs to be ready for use in less then a month but thankfully as a guest room, not to camp in...yet. :)

It's been a While.

So remember a lonnnnngggg time ago, we bought a trailer.

 A 1965 Avion.

Today it went from looking like this...

To this!
 M'lynn, Isaac and I spent the morning ripping things apart. The plan is to have a wrap around sofa in the front instead of the dinette. Penelope had to come see what the hub-bub was all about, and make fun of M'lynn's socks.

More pictures of what it looked before are here. Hopefully the ball is finally rolling on this project and I can tell you all about our merry adventures. :) 

The Snowball effect.

Whenever we start a project it always seems to snowball into more. I think thats because we live in old houses and you never know what's lurking behind those walls.

In this case, before we did anything, we did a whole lot of "what ifs" before we moved a single thing, so the few surprises we found doesn't change a whole lot. Just how to rework them.

So yesterday we started doing this.

Those ceiling tiles had been up there since we bought the house, and although I looked at them everyday I kind of forgot about them.

But I don't live in an office, so they had to go.

Then we had this.

A door, a window, and a new ceiling!

This used to be an old porch before the previous owners closed it in. The I played Scott McGillvray and gave us Option One and Two. One was to keep going with original plan and leave this alcove part of the kitchen, or two, turn it into a screened in porch. Option one won over.

A long time ago I mentioned we bought an old tin ceiling, which is what we are going to use to recover  this.

And this.

And the rest.... I'll keep you posted :)

The Room at the Top of the Stairs.

In my house there are a couple of areas that once the door is shut it's out of my mind. I don't have to look at it anymore or think about it until I have to open it again. Unfortunately this room or in this case closet I did have to open almost every single day and then when the doors had to be taken off you can imagine the sinking feeling every time I climbed the steps to see this horror.

Yup, everyday for the past 6 years that was were the wash was done. Thank goodness there was doors.

But when this came home to live after the death of my washer I couldn't give it an ugly home and the doors would no longer work cause this baby stuck out much further.

So we gave it and its sister a new home.

So at this point we don't have doors and right now I don't want them because I like looking at this prettiness.

Roger made the cabinet and I wanted a chunky counter top, so chunky I got. We sealed the wood extra in case you're wondering. The sink and doors came from Habitat. I then painted the doors and bottom half black. The little bench is great for folding wash.

  

The ceiling and the walls were replaced with beadboard paneling, and, Roger trimmed the whole thing with some pieces put together to give me a little ledge. I've got something in mind for that later.

My wallpaper I picked up for $5 a roll in Goderich at the Giant Paint Can store. ( I can't remember the name right now)

The floor is a vinyl strip floor. Cool stuff in my opinion. The fabric was in my stash.

My find this summer at a yard sale. I really like this basket. It will store something, just not sure what yet.

 And my ironing board now has a home. I found this little beauty at my local thrift store and brought it home to become something else. But I really needed an ironing board so I used it. Super sturdy and far superior to the ones you buy today, so an ironing board it will stay. Now I just need to make a cover for it. Even my drying rack has a place.

So there you have it, another little piece to my almost renovated home. I'm looking forward to attacking my kitchen in the new year. :)

We're either really Smart or a little Crazy

M'lynn and I bought a trailer. Not just any trailer, a 1965 Avion. For those of you not familar with the name, think shiny. Really, really shiny. The Avion was the competition for Airstream in its day.
 When I was a little girl my mom's cousin had an Airstream and one weekend they came to visit. I can't tell you how much I liked it even back then, with all its shininess, I was smitten. Through the years I've looked on and off for one, but they seem to be hard to come by and a new Airstream is waaaayyy out of my price range. Then we saw this little baby and it just had to be ours, and its vintage to boot.

This is a 1957 Avion restored. It went through quite the transformation.

This is ours.

There is a certain beauty underneath its tired look.

The inside is also a little tired.

                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                           

This is a little gas lamp still intact.

The bathroom has a unique feature, a laundry hamper. It's the part where you see the hinge.

Its pretty pink sink.

M'lynn and I got a little nosy and wanted to see what was under the fabric. Luckily they left its original blue fabric underneath. Its nice to have a clue about its original colour scheme and the funny thing is we were already thinking we'd like to see the inside in shades of blue.

                                                                           

It's a big project and we'd like to take the next year and bring back what once was. I'm so hoping it turns out as well as it already has in my head.:)