I dreamed a dream of backyards greeeeeeeen!!!!

...so full of life, and without concreeeeete!  (Do you get it?  Sung to the melody of "I dreamed a dream.")

Eeer...does anyone have a magic wand?  I really do have this concrete problem.  If anyone has one, can I please borrow it?  I'll give it back, I promise.

In any words, yes, it is that time.  Backyard magic time.  I've got a dreams, I have a vision, and hopefully by the end of this spring, it will come into fruition.  I may have set my expectations too high, the backyard looks like absolute crap right now, and it's more than just a cosmetic problem...but why set the bar low when you can scramble and sweat (and sometimes bleed) to have things done and beautiful on time?  This WILL get done!!!

This whole concrete thing had been more of a constant project (just because there was so much of it!!!), but this past weekend, with the help of our lovely friend, Janna, we really made some headway, and in fact, I would say we're almost done with the concrete project.  I have some before and after photos here (though I have to warn you, it's one of those things where the after photos look worse than the before ones...it's like a--when you're organizing your house, and sometimes it has to get MORE messy before it gets clean--kind of thing).

All of the concrete is now out of the ground, and in a pile, which is a huge success.  And thinking we had the hard part done last weekend, we succumbed to the idea that we were done with the heavy lifting thing, and we might as well just call a hauler to take our concrete woes away.  Which would have worked, if we had an extra 1400.00 in our "getting rid of concrete" fund.  I didn't realize we'd need a whole other savings account for this project.  So alas, we'll have to continue sweating, lifting, throwing, crying as we complete this project.  We have a dumpster that will arrive on Monday morning at 7 am, and it will be taken away at 6 pm that night, containing all of our concrete, our disgusting rat-infested wood, and all of our backyard nightmares. 

Tuesday morning the backyard will start its process of being reborn into a delightful garden, complete with fabled rat-repelling plants that will hopefully keep these horrible buggers at bay.  Already, the "patio" is almost done.  I just need to go back through and level them all out one by one and then fill it in, but I think the hard part is done.  Getting all of those pieces to fit perfectly one by one was quite the project.  Hopefully by the end of the summer, I will have coaxed some moss to grow in between the cracks and it will have a lovely effect (I found a recipe for "moss paint" that is basically blending up some moss and buttermilk that I'm anxious to try!).

We've been having a dilemma with the fence at the very end of our lot.  On the one hand, it is handy at keeping people out who might have some bad intentions, but on the other hand, it keeps our yard out of view, and we would really love to inspire our neighbors, or other people who walk by, to start gardening in their back yard, or at least start a few plants.  The paved concrete yard is so common in Baltimore, and it's one of the largest reasons that the bay is getting so polluted.  Every time it rains, it gets washed off the concrete and into the storm drains, and nothing is soaked up in actual soil, and the result is a polluted bay, an incredibly hot neighborhood (no regulation by plants and moisture).  It's really unbelievable.  I could go on and on about this...but this is already a very long post, so I'll leave it at that.

That, and my seedlings that I've started.  They're at the bottom of the page.  I've got to thank my mom for ingraining this knowledge base in me from a very young age.  As most of you know, she's been gardening in her suburban lot since she moved in there, and I didn't know how much I picked up until I started planning the lot (especially since I refused to go into the garden for fear of spiders when I was little...).  Thank you, Mommy!!   

The almost-completed patio.

The sandbag is our back step.  We're classy here in Remington.

Part of the path that will lead to the fence door. 

Before.

After.

I'll be sure to post a photo after the concrete has vanished!!!

"Oh I have to build a wall? Is that all?" or, "How to build a kitchen nook."

Soooo... let's say we wanted to build a kitchen nook (or breakfast nook, I've heard people call them).  Because our kitchen is so incredibly small, the table that we currently had in there--while very small itself--just was in the way!  So, our logic was that we could save space by fitting the table and two benches into the second entry way in the kitchen.  Why have two entrances into the kitchen when you only need one, right?

And let's say we start to build something and realize that it just doesn't quite fit the way that we want it to, and the thing that's in the way is a...wall.  And then you tear that part of the wall down.  Let's just say that.  And then imagine that the story I told you is true. 

Yup, guys.  This is the story of our accidental kitchen remodel. 

During Peter's vacation time (bless his heart), we decided to make our kitchen nook--which was only really supposed to be a wood-working project.  Build two benches and one table, put 'em up and that would be it.  Easy peasy.  Or so we thought.  Before we knew it, we were opening up the wall, buying drywall, mudding, taking down cabinets, putting up shelves, reorganizing everything, and poof!  Kitchen remodel.  And it only took a total of 2 weeks to get it in a place where we can finally cook real food again (we were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a good chunk of the remodel).  I'm sure there's more to this story, but let's go to the photos anyway...

We'll start with the "during" photos.  Sorry, I didn't really get any "before" photos (except for the ones in earlier posts--you can just refer to those if you can't quite remember what it looked like before.  

So here is the first bench that we made.  This is before things got complicated.  We started out so innocently...

Already, though, you can see that cooking was beginning to get difficult.  Yes, that is a screwdriver plugged into the wall above the stove...

This photo was taken a few days later.  I made the table on the kitchen floor because it got really cold outside the week we started building!  Just our luck, right?  (MN folks, I know it wasn't as cold as it was there...I've become a weakling.)

Uh oh, someone looks worried.  And stressed...

Oh, of course.  It was because he was looking at this mess.  This is getting into the last third of our work week.   

Here's the corner we cut off.  It used to be a 90º angle.  I'm pretty proud of the mudding job we did, considering I haven't mudded since I was in high school, and I don't think Peter ever has in his life.  It was not an easy corner.   

Ahh!!!  Where are the cabinets?!?! 

 That's all I have for the "during" photos, so onto the AFTER!!!  These are way more fun.

Table and benches perfectly situated in their perfectly manicured space. 

Taking down the cabinets was not originally the plan.  We were only going to take down the end cabinet, but then the rest of them looked funny.  But these open shelves are so much more attractive anyway!  Hand built by yours truly and Peter.  Teamwork!

The rest of the kitchen.

The pendant light I made out of a strainer we got at the thrift store, baby!

The wide bench backs became the perfect storage solution for our trivet and potholders.  Aren't they purdy?

And there was enough room to create a little shelf next to the stove. 

Disregard the dirty pan.  Gross.

Table, benches and LAMP!  The cushions will be different someday.  We need a break from doing stuff for a little while. 

Knife rack, courtesy of IKEA.  I bought it a while ago, but hadn't gotten around to putting it up yet.  Until now!!!

Different angle of the nook area. 

These shelves are on the opposite wall, which is also where our small round table used to be.  Now, we have ample storage.  I've got to tell you, it is very wonderful to feel like everything has a place. 

Back door (I'm trying to give you all some perspective on the kitchen.  It's so hard to take photos of such a little room.  I need one of those fish eye lenses...

Photo of the kitchen from a little further back. 

OOOOooooo!!! Someone is using the kitchen nook!  (And it's not falling down!)

My attempt at a panorama photo of the kitchen.  Does this help?  I hope so. 

Thus ends our kitchen saga!  This has got to be one of the longest posts I've ever written on here, but it was worth it for sure.  I'll be keeping y'all updated if anything else comes up.  And please forgive me if there is an updated post about the kitchen.  I'm sure I'll be obsessed with the little details as we finish moving into our new kitchen.  I like making things pretty...

Shelves, shelves, and more shelves!

I know, some of you have seen the preliminary photos of the kitchen remodel, and you're eager to see more, but hold your horses!  There is still a few things to do, and then I have to write the massive post.  But don't worry, your waiting won't be for naught.  It will be a good one.

But in the meantime, and because I like to post things in chronological order, let me turn your attention to some work that Peter did during his winter vacation.  I was in Minnesota, having a grand old time while Peter was slaving away, building--ta daaaah--SHELVES!  Finally places to PUT things that we own.  No longer do we have to wallow in our own FILTH!  I think he did a lovely job.

Just to clarify, the two sets of shelves were put in A) the second bedroom (otherwise known as the "Study/Practice Room/Studio/Greenhouse/Yoga room/whatever else we can fit in this room..."), and B) the living room, opposite the other set of shelves we finished a few months ago.  Peter also built his lovely table (like mine, also a reclaimed door from Second Chance), cut to the perfect size to fit into the space.  Notice the nice cut corner to allow access to the bathroom.  Mighty fine, mighty fine...

So hopefully that will whet your appetite for just a few days while I get the kitchen post ready...thanks for reading, guys!

Peter's desk and the amazing shelves he built!

My piano in its new place in the room.  Peter's desk to the left, mine to the right. 

The new shelves in the living room.  And what a photogenic Kitty!

Kitty was far too distracting in the other photo.  Here's a closer and more focused photo of the living room shelves. 

Makin' magic!

Now that the holidays are over, I can finally get back to the Remington Rad UPDATES! Woo! Of course, these photos were taken a while ago, so this is really not new news...but important nonetheless!  Ta-DAAAAH!  My desk! 

I'm so very excited to have so much wide open space to work with, and enough storage for all of my materials!  This desk has it all, including an inspiration board!  AND MIRROR for singing practice!  And to those of you who know my daily routines and habits, aren't you impressed with the organization?  Yay!

Now for the details: it is a solid wood door (purchased at Second Chance) set upon a filing cabinet, and one of the metal shelves.  I love it.

Wir haben uns shelfen!

Many of you guys are Facebook friends of mine, so this project might not be new to you, but it was a big project, so it needs its own post!  We built a shelf using the reclaimed wood from the shed that we tore down, and the crazy shelving that we tore out of the basement.  The two large supporting beams we got from Second Chance (an amazing home-building second hand store much like Habitat for Humanity Restores).  Peter and I both put up the two large beams and then I cut, sanded/planed all of the shelves, screwed it all together, and then varnished the whole sucker.  It was quite a learning experience for me, as I really haven't regularly used a lot of power-tools in my day (only a few times in high-school under strict supervision by a responsible adult), so has been really exciting to say "look what I made!" and look up proudly at the towering rustic beauty.

And the bookshelf has many functions!  Yes, it does!  It is also is a room divider, and a home to stray shoes and coats.  Check it out!

Here it is as a bookshelf.

Oh wow!  Coats!  And this photo demonstrates the room division.  Living room/"foyer."

I was really pleased with the rustic hooks I found...

And the happy little shoes!

The rest of the room.

From the other side.

Hmmm...why does our sink smell like poo?

UGH!!!!!!!!!!

Hello, all.  Yes, another stinky project.  Thank goodness, this was actually a project that Peter pretty much took over.  Plumbing is not my forte.  But a little history...

Above, is a photo of our sink a few weeks ago.  Notice the poop-colored water.  Yeah, that didn't ever really go away, and if it did, it took hours.  And, not only did it look like poop, but it smelled like it, too.    My friends, this is what happens when you have a garbage disposal that doesn't work (or drain).  The water would just rise and rise, and smell and smell.  Whatever had been stuck in the disposal for all of this time (it's never worked as long as we've owned the house) would float out of the disposal and into the sink.  I would try to stick a long stick down there to try to manually make something move in the machine so that it would drain just a little bit--but it never really worked well.  It was obvious.  We needed to get rid of the garbage disposal.  

So Peter got ambitious and bought a whole bunch of pvc, took the garbage disposal off all while I was sleeping in one Saturday morning.  By the time I woke up, "we" were deep in a plumbing project that needed fixing.  There was all of this problem solving that we had to do about how to re-route the piping so that it could join back up with the rest of the pipe, but also have a little "nipple" (hey guys, serious plumbing lingo here--*giggle*) for the dish washer to hook up to.  As two non-plumbers, we needed some help.   

This is kind of unrelated, but does anyone know what this thing is for?

On to our local hardware store we went we went to get all of the fixings.  And while we were there, we received some excellent help from an employee, Ben (who is now our friend because of that trip).  It was a close friendship borne on the fact that we snickered when he said we needed to get a j-pipe with a "bung-hole" (also a very serious plumbing term), and also for the fact that he thought it was hilarious that we brought our stinky j-pipe from our sink (it seriously smelled like something died in it) to the store and made him hold it for a while as he found one to replace it. 

Blue and purple--so pretty!!!

We didn't instantly trust our newly installed plumbing (hence the bowl underneath), but it works just fine!  No drip-drip!

Here's the end result!  Look how pretty it is!  And--ta-dah!  It drains, and doesn't leak.  AND, it most importantly, the sink doesn't smell like death anymore.  It's pretty much the perfect plumbing job. 

"Oh gosh, your backyard is a mess, is your kitchen any better?"

As a matter of fact, yes it is!  We've only been living here about a month, but I'm proud to say that at least our kitchen is somewhat organized.  The kitchen has its quirks for sure, however.  There are cabinets, but they're placed in very inconvenient places.  "Or maybe you have put things in inconvenient cabinets?" a friend smartly suggested, and that's a possibility.  However, in the case of the corner cabinets, I don't think it would fix the placement of the cabinet door (it opens so that the door opens towards you instead of away, making it very difficult to see the contents of the cabinet because the door is in the way).  That's something I will have to fix.  Anyway, I finally got to hang my vertical veggie basket (thrift store find for 2 bucks!), and really that's all that matters, right?  And, somehow the weird table thingy that I made out of cabinet doors I found on the side of the road manages to fit and work really well in the space.  

Stove, teal handmade cabinet table, awesome vertical hanging basket, microwave that we're keeping temporarily only because it has an exhaust fan on the bottom of it.  The actual microwave has never been used.  Great use of space, if you ask me. 

Drawers (thrift store finds), hanging things, plants (hat Kitty doesn't like to eat for some reason--she's not a fan of orchids).  Just like with my visual art, I try very hard not to buy anything new that I know I can find used at the thrift store. 

I found this little drawer set at a garage sale, and tea bags fit perfectly in them. 

Tea bags in jars. 

Finally found the measuring spoons--they were missing the whole time we lived in our Balto apartment.  It wasn't until we were unpacking everything in our house that we realized we'd put them in the storage facility...