Okay, now what?

Basement Waterproofing-Day 8 & 9

2012-01-27T09:00:00.005-05:00

On Day 8 the concrete truck arrived bright and early. By the end of the day our floors were installed. "The Finisher" (doesn't his title sound like a great name for a movie) stayed late to keep polishing (?) the floor every couple of hours. Because it was a cold and damp day it took much longer than it should. The concrete was having a hard time drying in that weather. We opened a few of the air ducts for the day and cranked the heat so that there was some heat going into the basement. "The Finisher" stayed until the wee hours of the morning making sure that concrete had settled properly. We ended up staying elsewhere that night because the fumes from his machine were filling up the house. Luckily we have family close by that we can stay with.

The next day the regular crew came back to caulk (with special waterproofing caulk) all the seams in the waterproofing membrane and seal all the top edges. By the end of Day 9, Phase 1 basement waterproofing is complete!

Both Contractors that we hired did an amazing job! We are absolutely pleased with the quality of work that has been done and how they crews treated our home. We had open dialogue with both of them on a regular basis and they answered daily questions and concerns raised by us. Overall the waterproofing and plumbing went well and there were no surprises. We would have absolutely no problem recommending these contractors for those of you in the Toronto Area.

Here is their contact info:

Mud Monkeys

Our contact: Owner Darby Braun

(416) 891-8884

24 Industrial Street, Toronto

DanMac Plumbing

Our Contact: Stewart

(416) 237-9161

33 Chauncey Ave. Etobicoke, ON

info@danmacplumbing.com

Basement Waterproofing-Day 7

2012-01-26T09:00:00.003-05:00

Day 7 and all the weeping tile is in place. The 4" of gravel has been prepped and the reinforcing wire added. The basement is ready for the concrete floor to be poured tomorrow!

Basement Waterproofing-Day 6

2012-01-25T09:00:00.005-05:00

On Day 6 the City Permit Inspector came to inspect that all the plumbing and drainage was to code. It was approved so the crew were back at it today!

They finished putting up the waterproof membrane and covered the plumbing with gravel. They also removed the excess dirt from digging the trenches and levelled the floor. They started installing the weeping tile and adding the 4" of gravel.

They also installed the structural support near the stair opening. The footing at the bottom of the stairs is optional which we may add a temporary adjustable support to after the basement is complete and we have moved the furniture in. There is no way a couch or other furniture is coming down those stairs with the support in place. The support was not necessary but recommended by the engineer who did our drawings and got our permit. We've already noticed a difference to the floor above with the one support in place.

Basement Plumbing-Day 5

2012-01-24T09:00:00.006-05:00

Day 5 and the plumbers have a date with our basement. We used DanMac Plumbing at Mud Monkeys recommendation. We worked out what we having done and the pricing with DanMac directly but Mud Monkeys worked with them on the scheduling. It was a long day for them but they managed to complete all the plumbing work. It is ready for inspection by the city tomorrow.

Bathroom Rough In and Back Stop Valve.

New Drain for the pump instead of having it pumped up to the ceiling and down into the laundry sink.

Laundry Rough In and Floor Drain.

Sump Pump

Bye, bye old clay pipes and tree roots.

Basement Waterproofing-Day 4

2012-01-23T09:00:00.005-05:00

Day 4 on the Basement Project and the majority of the Delta Membrane is up on the walls. The footings are poured for the structural support and the trenches are started for the weeping tile.

Next up, the plumbers arrive to replace all the pipes and add the rough in's for the bathroom and laundry.

Basement Waterproofing-Day 3

2012-01-20T09:00:00.005-05:00

On Day 3 the crew finished the excavation of the floor, dug the footings for structural support near the staircase, started digging the trenches for the weeping tile and poured the concrete for the furnace Island. Progress!

Footing

Footing-The old clay pipes will get removed when the plumber come by.

Furnace Island

Basement Demo-Day 2

2012-01-19T09:00:00.004-05:00

Day 2 of the demo and almost all the floor is gone. Also a lot of the 7" digging down of the floor has been completed. The footings are revealed and in great shape. They have also made an island around the furnace as it didn't get lifted off the floor. Our staircase is now floating.

Amazingly there has been no dust in the house! We actually moved out for the first few days so we could turn the heat down low and not have dust go through our venting. But as it turns out it was really not necessary. Everyday Mud Monkeys clean up the exterior dirt before they leave. It really makes this project less intrusive for us and our neighbours who we share the pathway with. For such a dirty job they sure are neat and tidy.

Basement Demo-Day 1

2012-01-18T09:00:00.005-05:00

The first step of any reno. DEMO!

We used Mud Monkeys as our contractors for our basement project. They came recommended from many different sources, had done a lot of work in our neighbourhood including other houses on our street and were very professional and friendly. In fact I think they were the only contractors that actually got back to us with initial quotes. From there we priced out the different options (regular waterproofing, benching, underpinning) and had an open dialogue about what we could do with our house and what the costs would be. They also explained to us the process of water proofing.

In the end, we decided to go with regular waterproofing. Underpinning would have been nice to have the extra height but we just couldn't justify the cost difference. Plus we are starting off with a decent height (for a Toronto Basement) and hoping to gain a few inches. Bench wasn't really an option our small basement because we would loose so much floor space.

The crew helped us move our washer and dryer. The dryer went up stairs to the mudroom but the washer was suspended from the ceiling. They also moved the large rocks from our front garden so the bin could be placed on our property instead of the street (saving $500). We also sealed (on both sides) and locked our entrance to the basement from the upstairs. Since we have a separate entrance to the basement it makes it convenient for contractors to gain access. It really helps minimize the mess to the rest of the house.

Let the demo begin!

Besides demolishing the floor they are also digging down 7" and removing the dirt. This will later get filled with 4" gravel and 3" concrete reinforced with wire.

They made a lot of progress on the demo the first day. I still can't believe that they do it using sledge hammers, pick axes and shovels. What back breaking work! Much respect to the team at Mud Monkeys.

Basement Before the Demo

2012-01-17T09:00:00.004-05:00

Here is a look at what our basement was looking like before we started the reno.

It's pretty much original charm (except for the new furnace and tankless water heater). It was one of the things that we liked about the house. The basement had potential to be finished but we could do it our selves so we know it was done right and there is no mold behind the walls.

Here is what it has going for it:

-High ceilings for a basement (6.9" at the highest point)

-3 large windows (currently covered)

-Separate entrance.

-The furnace is in the best spot possible and does not need to be moved.

-And while we did have some water coming in previously (we fixed the source of the water this summer here) our foundation and footing are in great shape for 100 year old house.

-It is one open room and since we are digging up the floor to put in new plumbing we have the opportunity to move the laundry location and add a second bathroom rough in.

Just after new years we emptied the basement contents and stored them at a friends house. All our tools went up stairs since it won't be long until we need them again. Here is the empty basement that we are starting with.

Even the stairs are original. Can you see the wear on the treads after 100 years of use?

With our permits in the window we are ready to get started on this project!

Entry Hooks & Shelf

2012-01-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

Remember back at the beginning of August when we picked up these hooks? (here)

Finally they have been put to good use in our front entry. It's our first completed project of 2012!

The house came with the hooks below. Boring! Also not very much storage. We wanted to add a shelf to place our gloves etc. on.

We also bought these knobs from Anthropology to add to our project and pick up the yellow colour.

We bought one plank of laminated pine from Home Depot and a piece of trim to create the lip on the shelf.

We cut the plank, to create the shelf, and attached it together using glue and extra long screws, clamping it in place. Then we sanded it smooth and used the left over grey wood stain from our dining room table top. Attached the hooks and hung it on the wall using butterfly clips for sturdiness.

Voila!

Now that we have been using it for a few weeks it is way more function than the old hooks. We like how the hooks are spread out more and the shelf is pretty handy too. It still tucks nicely behind the door and makes the space feel more finished off.

2012 House Resolutions

2012-01-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Time to make our annual House Resolutions list.

I enjoy making these yearly lists and then checking back to see what actually gets accomplished.

We didn't do so great on our 2011 list (here). In reality we did actually accomplish a lot of small projects and one major unexpected project, the shower reno. These are just guidelines and with renos you just have to roll with it. We had planned to start our basement reno this past spring but instead I left my job of ten years to have a break and then try some new things. It wasn't in the best interest of our budget to go forward with the reno at that time. I don't regret that at all since moving on from my job was the best decision for me and us.

Looking to 2012 our list is both simple and complicated. Simple because there are only 3 things on our list. Complicated because it is the biggest, most expensive and complicated reno that we have done yet. Oh yeah and we have a deadline of April when the baby arrives.

1. Finish the move to the new office. Currently the computer has moved over but nothing has been set up properly and we haven't really decorated.

2. Create the Nursery. We have started looking for the furniture and storage items already (without luck). We are hoping to find some old furniture that we can fix up and make our own. Currently this room is being used as storage for all our tools (see #3).

3. Waterproof and finish the basement. When complete we will have a second bathroom, a new laundry room, built in storage and 1 large multi purpose family room and guest sleeping area. No big deal right? This project starts next week so you can expect some posts coming soon!

So there you have it. Lots to do in 2012. We are so looking forward to expanding our home and our family in 2012. It's going to be a great year!

Looking back at 2011

2011-12-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

New Years is always a good time to sit back and reflect on what has been accomplished over the past year. It's also time to think about goals for the coming year. More on that tomorrow.

Here is a look back at some of the house projects that we completed in 2011

Made a matching (to our dining room table) shelf for the console table.

We travelled to Detroit in the winter to get the only remaining Kulla Lights from Ikea.

We picked up the Solair chairs for our front porch.

Installed a custom floating desk in the office and painted one wall with chalk board paint.

We painted the interior of our front door yellow.

We planted some Annabelle Hydrangeas in the back yard.

We painted the alley side of our garage to match our updates from last year.

The top half of our house had all the missing trim added and the painting done.

We worked in the garden, tried to improve our lawn and planted some vines on the chain link fence.

We found some great second hand bar stools which we refinished.

We refinished the outdoor lounges that we inherited with the house.

We installed new Eavestroughs on our front porch.

And our big reno for the year was the bathroom update and new shower.

And of course we revealed our most life altering project yet. It's still a work in progress. Completion expected April 2012.

See you in 2012!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T19:20:00.004-05:00

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone from us. I hope you all enjoy some time off work with family and friends.

We are relaxing together on our last Christmas Eve just the two of us. Tomorrow the whirlwind family tour starts. This year I really can't wait to sit down to a big feast. Bring it on!

Here are a few scenes from around the house this Christmas.

My baby bump at 22 weeks. Still feeling really good.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Sympathy Bump & Baby Bump

2011-12-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

So we have some news to share.

I'll tell you the same way we told our family & friends. With our custom t-shirts that we had made.

In case you can't read them they say:

Sympathy Bump

and

Baby Bump.

So there you have it folks, our little secret is out. These photo's were taken at 17 weeks and I am currently 21 weeks. The baby is due at the end of April. So far the pregnancy has gone really well, minus the major nausea and food aversions in the first trimester.

We had such fun watching reactions as people caught on to our t-shirts. It was a great way to share the news.

We are super excited as this has been a long time coming for us. We can't wait to meet the baby in the spring. We don't know if it is a boy or a girl as the baby wouldn't reveal the goods in the last ultrasound. We're taking that as a sign to leave it as a surprise for the birth day.

One Of A Kind Christmas Show

2011-11-28T13:00:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again folks! Time for the One Of A Kind Christmas Show!

The show is on now until Sunday December 4th at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto. As usual there are many wonderful vendors this year. It's great place to do some Christmas Shopping for more unique gifts.

Here is a peak at few booths that I enjoyed. There were so many talented vendors it was hard to pick just a few to feature.

Wired and Wonderful, booth W-46

Wire Jewellery

I loved her colourful wire jewelery. Made from cooper wire and coated with Hypoallergenic colour that will not fade.

Danielle Hession, Booth K-53

Mixed Media & Custom art

Danielle's work is so whimsical, made of old photographs, fabric, paper and what ever else comes her way. Absolutely gorgeous. I just love the candy colours.

Kelly Grace, Booth K-05

Acrylic Paintings.

I have long been an admirer of Kelly's paintings. I love the quality of light in her street scene paintings. Such a talented artist.

Michaud Toys, Booth F-30

Wooden Games

These wooden games made me nostalgic for my youth. Who doesn't enjoy a good game of Crokinole or Chinese Checkers. The wooden games are made from Sustainable Canadian Hardwood with an organic and food safe finish. I thought these would make a great gift for a family or the cottage.

Monster Factory, Booth E-06

Handmade Plush Toys

These characters are adorable and each comes with their own name and personality. I couldn't resist spending time in the booth.

Tresnormale for normal people, Booth A-49

Urban t-shirts

I just love these graphic t-shirts of iconic Toronto architecture in street scenes. Very Toronto.

Page Quilts, Booth Y-51

Handmade Quilts

I love the colourful hand made quilts and tea cozies by my talented neighbour Valarie Page. Stop by to see her handiwork in person at Booth Y-51

Hopefully you get a chance to check out the One Of A Kind Christmas Show and Sale this year. And remember to get your Free re-admission Pass when you leave. You can always come back another day to purchase more goods.

Bathroom Reveal

2011-11-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

Ta Da! Here is our long overdue Bathroom reveal. The shower walls have been in for a few weeks but we needed some extra time to make some prints for the walls and find some daylight for photography.

We're absolutely thrilled with the new shower and the other updates we made in the bathroom. The best part is we no longer have a leaky shower.

The tub surround was also updated with the new tile for an integrated look with the new shower.

New shower hardware (standard).

We made these prints to add a little pop of colour in the otherwise serene room. The feature close up details of nature in various shades of vibrant greens from our honeymoon in New Zealand.

We kept all the old hardware to save money but they still look great.

We also updated the vanity with new glossy white doors and new hardware (see the old ones at the bottom of the post). Yay for Ikea cabinets! We only had to paint one side with special primer and paint.

The new vanity connects with our new glossy white shower and bath tile, making the room come together. We did not want the new shower to stick out but also didn't have the budget to renovate the whole room.

And for comparison here are the before pictures of the old TRON bathroom.

Bathroom Shower Tiles

2011-10-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

Well we didn't quite complete all the tiling during our 1 week renovation vacation. Hence the delay in posting on the tiles. Just a few touch ups left to do while we are waiting for the glass walls.

Tiling is hard work! Especially when you choose to stack tiles. Brick or subway style would have been much easier for our shower (I think). If we ever do a stacked tile again the shower will be built to the size of the tiles to avoid making so many cuts.

We used glossy white 4" x 12" ceramic for the walls, 1.5" Carrara marble hexagon tiles and Carrara marble thresholds.

First we added the floor tiles and drain. Love them!!

Then we added the marble thresholds. I know most people add these last but in our case it was important to do them first as It would effect the tile spacing on the large full wall.

A helpful hint when dealing with marble. Use a wet sandpaper as fine as possible to polish any unfinished edges. In our case we had to cut the marble to our correct size and polish one end. Thanks to the associate at The Home Depot, Gerard Square for giving us this (and many other) helpful tips.

Once we had the marble in we could begin the tedious task of tiling all the walls. It was particularly painful because of the stacked pattern that we decided to use. We choose to have the full tiles starting on the outside of the shower with the cut pieces in the corner. We started with the tiles direct above the ledge. All the other tiles would have to match up to these ones.

And this is where we are at today. We still have to touch up the walls and paint around the shower. We also have to caulk all the seams and paint the tub deck (white). The glass has been measured and the template has been checked. So we're hoping maybe next week the glass will be installed.

Since our renovation was unplanned and only for the shower we had to try and Connect the new tiles with the old charcoal grey tiles. Honestly we would have loved to ditch the grey tiles all together and start fresh however it was not in the budget and technically nothing is wrong with the existing tiles. So we decided to work with what we have.

We choose to use the tiles stacked because we thought it would best match the other grout lines already in the bathroom. The Carrara marble blends the white and Grey together. We choose to retile the front of the tub surround as well so that the tub and shower would both be white and the new shower would better integrate into the room.

We have a few additional updates that we are working on. We should be able to show you everything once the glass has been installed. We can't wait! It's been one month of only taking baths.

Eavestroughs

2011-09-19T09:00:00.005-04:00

Our new neighbour was recently having new eavestroughs installed and we were able to use her contractor for a little work at our house too. We needed to add new eavestroughs to the 2 sides of the front porch and install bigger down spouts for the new eavestroughs to connect to.

Using our neighbours contractor was a bonus for us for many reasons:

-We got to check our the contractors work on our neighbours house and see the team in action.

-It was easy for them to add our small job onto their day working next door which made it cost efficient for us.

-We had time to look at the colour swatches and the grey was a direct match to our grey paint. How amazing is that, a perfect colour match!

-Our neighbours house has a flat roof and was missing a flap along the side to keep the water from spilling over. All the water from her roof was flowing onto ours, overwhelming our eavestroughs and downspouts and causing water to pool which then made it's way to our basement. When we talked to the contractor about what we needed to do to stop this on our side he said it had to be taken care of from our neighbours side. He walked her through the process and she decided to proceed with making the improvements (not part of her original plan). We are so appreciative of our new neighbour for solving this!!

barely visible on the sides of the front porch

So now all we need is a little rain to see how the work at our neighbours and our house improves the water situation. No rush for the rain though. Take your time mother nature.

Installing the Shower Kit

2011-09-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

For our new shower we have decided to use the Schluter Kerdi Shower System. It is not cheap (around $550 to $600 depending on the size) but it is one complete kit that comes with pretty much everything you need to have a leak free shower. In our case because we were dealing with a previously leaky shower we wanted to ensure that not a single drop of water would get through.

You can also purchase individual components of the kit should you want to do some parts yourself (like make your own sloping floor). There are also additional items that you can add like a corner bench etc.

Before you attempt to install this kit it is really important that you read all the instructions. The kit comes with a full installation booklet and DVD and additional resources are available online.

Let's get started shall we?

First you install the perfectly sloped floor tray to line up with your drain. It is made of polystyrene so you can easily cut the sides down to the correct size. Using unmodified mortar you attach the tray to your sub floor.

Once the tray is in you can start to add the Kerdi polyethylene waterproofing membrane and vapor retarder.

Start with all the seams and the inside corners that do not go against the curb. We measured and cut ours before installation. It's really important to make sure that you smooth out all the Kerdi seams, especially in the corners where there will be multiple layers. You do need to apply some pressure to do this properly.

Once all the seams and corners are in you can apply the Kerdi membrane to the walls. Again we measured and cut our pieces before installation. This is two person job to attach and should be approached like wall paper. Start from the bottom/top middle edge and work your way up/down and across. Again it is really important to smooth out all the excess mortar and a fair amount of pressure needs to be applied to do this.

Once all the Kerdi Membrane is on the walls the drain flange is ready to be attached. Measure and cut your last piece of pipe to connect the drain flange to the p-trap below the sub floor. Apply the glue to the pipes and mortar to floor and attach. Eek! This part had us nervous but everything seemed to fit together really well.

The last step is to attach the curb (again is it polystyrene and can be cut in length and height). We cut down the height of our curb so that we would have one full tile on the outside edge. Once the curb is attached you attach the last 2 inside corners and the 2 outside corners. Then the Kerdi membrane can be added to the curb and then finally the shower floor.

Viola! The shower kit is complete. You need to wait 24 hours to allow it to dry before you can tile.

My outline above makes it seem really simple and easy. Let's just say it's about as easy as installing a shower kit. While using the kit did simplify the process it did still take about 10 hours to install.

When it was done were feeling really triumphant (and exhausted) that this phase was complete. It is starting to look like a shower.

Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience

2011-09-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

We all know that today is the 10 year Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I have my own memory, as we all do, of watching the events unfold. The feelings of fear, terror and heartbreak lasted for some time. It was such a profound event that changed the world, it's important to think back, remember and reflect.

Today I am thinking of the thousands of people that were directly impacted by the attack.

Those that lost their lives.

Those that survived.

Those that lost family, friends and co-workers.

Those that lost their lives helping others.

Those that are experiencing ill health due to the toxic dust from ground zero.

For the past week I have been visiting this site by TIME, Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience. The site contains short candid videos from various people reflecting on their 9/11 experience. They are absolutely fascinating and heart breaking. The story that sticks with me the most is from World Trade Center survivors Brian Clark and Stanley Praimnath. If you have some time to spare it is worth checking out.

From the website:

If the story of the United States has a theme so far in the 21st century, it is surely one of resilience. To hail that spirit on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, TIME revisited the people who led us, moved us and inspired us, from the morning of the attacks through the tumultuous decade that followed. These astonishing testimonies — from 40 men and women including George W. Bush, Tom Brokaw, General David Petraeus, Valerie Plame Wilson, Black Hawk helicopter pilot Tammy Duckworth, and the heroic first responders of Ground Zero — define what it means to meet adversity, and then overcome it.

Building The New Shower

2011-09-09T09:00:00.009-04:00

Now that we* finally have the bathroom demo complete we can start building the new shower.

The first step was to move the drain so it is centred for our new larger shower. Then we built in extra support for the framing where we are going to be attaching Durock and the glass. We then added Roxul Safe'n'Sound insulation for the interior wall and floor for noise reduction. The vapour barrier was secured.

Next we glued and screwed 2 layers of sub floor to build up to the height required. We worked around one small corner of the old sub floor that was just to difficult and time consuming to remove. We will be pouring self levelling cement to even out the entire floor later.

Durock was added to the shower wall. We will be building ledges on the other two walls and need the floor to be level before we do that. We sealed and primed** all the edges to prepare for the cement.

Then we attached the wire mesh.

We poured self levelling cement to smooth out the rough patches, get us to the correct height and level the floor. A level floor is absolutely required for our new shower kit.

Next we framed the two ledges and finished adding the Durock to the last 2 walls.

Then we used the kit template to cut the hole to expose the drain.

The next step is to install the shower kit.

*And by we I mean Rob. Applies to entire bathroom shower project.

**Special primer for self levelling cement to adhere to surfaces.

Matchy-Matchy

2011-09-08T15:00:00.002-04:00

As Rob was making some cuts for the bathroom in the backyard I couldn't help but notice that we are getting very matchy-matchy.

Not only does the garage door and star match but so do the saw horses, the reno wardrobe, the safety glasses, the Dewalt Saw and stand and extension cord. Talk about coordination.

Lounging Around

2011-09-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

When we moved into the house there were two wooden lounges tucked up in the rafters of the garage.

Eventually we pulled them out and saw that they were quality lounges that just needed a little TLC. What I love about them is you can use them as a bench for multiple people or a relaxing lounge for one person. Also the wheels make them easy to move around.

Now that summer is over I am finally finishing updating them. I used the left over paint from our front door to paint them. I just need to find or make some sort of cushion.

They are so cheerful. I am hoping we can find a few more lazy afternoons to enjoy them this year.

Book Club: A Visit From the Goon Squad

2011-09-07T09:00:00.004-04:00

Our latest book that we covered for book club was A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. This book was really different than any other book I have read before. Each chapter was a story unto itself, but also connected to the other cast of characters in some way or another. Jumping forward and backward in time with the same characters. I loved Jennifer Egan's writing style. Revealing just the right amount of information about each character and generous foreshadowing. The foreshadowing was helpful to complete the picture since we might only get to see the same character at certain points in their life.

It is neither a novel nor a collection of short stories, but something in between. A series of chapters with interlocking characters at different intersections of time. Some effort is required on the readers part to remember the details and tie the chapters/characters together. I recommend reading this in a short period of time.

Overall I really liked this book. There were just a few characters that I was left wanting more info on. I would recommend A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.

From the book:

Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption.

Cats Meow

2011-09-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

Cats are funny little creatures. The endlessly amuse me. Like this little guy who was sunbathing on a rock in someones garden. He put on a nice show once he saw there was an audience.

Bathroom Shower Demo

2011-09-06T09:00:00.006-04:00

There is no turning back now.......the shower is GONE.

The shower glass & tile walls came off as expected. We learned that the source of the leaks is that the walls were tiled on regular drywall. No Durock was used. No membrane to keep the water out. What??? No wonder we were sprouting leaks left, right and center.

We did have some mould in two different locations of the shower. Luckily they were not too bad. We were able to remove the materials that were mouldy and spray to kill and clean and remaining mould. All mould was handled properly and respirators were worn. We tested all our pipes before we removed the tray and they are fine, no leaks.

Removing the shower base was a whole other experience. It was spray foamed and cemented to the floor and then tiled on top. After a lot of swear words and major effort the base finally was pried loose in pieces.

And yet another surprise under the shower base. For some crazy reason they used Durock under the shower base and on top of the sub floor mixed of course with cement. Fun times indeed. Rob had to cut it piece by piece being careful not cut into the floor joists, plumbing etc.

After almost 2 days of demo work (!!!) we are finally ready to start putting the shower back together again. Thank goodness we have a separate bathtub that we can use.

2011-09-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

You know it is going to be a bad TV night when:

-You no longer have cable and forget to get a digital antenna before the stations stopped broadcasting analog signals.

-Netflix is showing you this message.

Something In This Picture Isn't Right

2011-09-05T09:00:00.003-04:00

Can you see what is wrong in this picture of our bathroom?

Did you guess that our shower door fell off and is not re attachable? What you probably didn't guess is that this shower kit is also leaking in a few different places. Every time we seal and patch a spot up a new leak is found.

It has become abundantly clear to us that this shower kit was not properly installed and is a ticking water/mould time bomb.

So this long weekend and into next week we are going to attempt our biggest DIY yet. We're ripping out the shower kit and installing a larger custom shower.

Bonus points for creative use of the clamps.

Did I mention that this is our one and only bathroom in the house? It should be fun times ahead. Wish us luck!

Sailing

2011-09-04T15:00:00.002-04:00

Well September is here and the fall is in inevitably coming.

As part of our effort to enjoy every last second of summer we took a trip out on my parents new sail boat. The boat is named Suzanne a combo of both mothers (my grandmothers) names; Susie and Anne. She is a lovely 37 ft boat.

Sailing is so peaceful and calming for the most part. It has it's moments and every sailor has their stories of adventure.

We sailed from Belleville on the Bay of Quinte, stopping to Anchor in Sandy Cove

Sailing is hard work.

Cheesy

2011-09-04T10:06:00.002-04:00

What to do with left over cheeses from guests (book club).

Make 5 cheese macaroni of course!

AGO: Abstract Expressionist New York

2011-09-03T07:50:00.000-04:00

Last week we checked out the Abstract Expressionist New York show at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The show was excellent! Our favourite painting was by Lee Krasner, who was Jackson Pollocks partner. Another favourite is always Mark Rothko.

Today and tomorrow are the last days of the show!

Have a great labour Day Weekend Every one!

We have some major renovations planned this weekend and into next week. It's our biggest DIY yet. Funny thing is it wasn't even on the list but because of ongoing problems we were left with no choice but to renovate. Details coming up soon!

Niagara-on-the-Lake

2011-09-02T09:00:00.006-04:00

Looking for a day trip to the country outside of Toronto?

Niagara-on-the-Lake is always a great trip this time of year. Last week we loaded up the car with our bikes and headed there. The perfect way to spend a Birthday!

I didn't take any pictures in town as I was too busy gawking at every house. The town itself is adorable and historic. Even the new suburbs match the historical feel. Add to that Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, wineries and orchards and you have got the picture perfect country experience.

I think the wineries are best explored by bike. This time we brought our own but in the past we have done tours that include comfy bikes and will transport any purchases that you make. Also there is a beautiful bike path that follows the Niagara River. You can even bike all the way to Niagara Falls.

Niagara-on-the-Lake makes for a wonderful day trip from Toronto and of course if you want to stay over there are endless B&B opportunities.

This house had a beautiful gate, however I am not sure how much security it provided them.

Sky's the Limits

2011-09-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Every evening we have been biking in Tommy Thompson Park (Otherwise known as the Leslie Spit). Most of the time we feel like we are the last to people left on earth. It truly is like being in the country.

We always catch a sunset glance back at the city.

Good Bye Jack

2011-09-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

Last Friday we paid a visit to the Toronto City Hall to to see the tribute and say goodbye to our MP Jack Layton. I'm glad we went as it was a very interesting experience. On Saturday we watched the complete funeral service.

RIP Jack. So sad to see you go!

Toronto Island

2011-09-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been to Toronto Island?

I'm always surprised by how many locals have never made the short trip over to the Island. Well if you haven't been, you really should go. It is absolutely lovely. Like being at the cottage with a view of the city.

Plus, you get to take a short ferry which is always fun.

Bikes are the absolute best way to explore the island. If you don't have a bike you can rent a Bixi Bike from the outside the ferry terminal.

This young fellow really wanted to try out our bikes.

While this guy was happy just to hang out.

Besides the amusement parks and splash pads for the kiddies, the sand beaches and trails, lush grass and spectacular view of the city. The BEST part of Toronto Island are all the fabulous cottages. They are all unique and so lovely to look at.

Here is a small sampling.

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-29T16:00:00.003-04:00

We've been really busy enjoying the last few days of summer. A few of the activities we have been up to:

Biking on Toronto Island
Niagara-on-the-Lake bicycle winery tour
AGO- Abstract Expressionist show
Visiting the tribute to Jack Layton at City Hall
Sailing on the Bay of Quinte

While I work on posts please enjoy this little guy with attitude that we met at the Starbucks last week. Even his outfit has attitude!

Book Club: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage

2011-08-24T15:00:00.001-04:00

A friend gave me this book many years ago and I finally just got around to reading it this summer. I generally don't like short stories as I find I am always left wanting more.

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro is an exception to this rule. These stories are just the right length and I felt satisfied when they were done. I also enjoyed the Canadian Content.

I enjoyed almost all of the stories, as they were all rich in the everyday of human relationships. The general theme through out was forbidden love. Whether that be to an older or younger lover, a fling outside of marriage or an old childhood sweetheart showing up to tempt you. The secondary theme is suicide. It makes only a mention in some stories while it is a focal point in others.

Stories:

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Floating Bridge
Family Furnishings
Comfort
Nettles
Post & Beam
What is Remembered
Queenie
The Bear Came Over the Mountain

The Bear Came Over the Mountain was made into the film Away From Her directed by Sarah Polley and produced by Atom Egoyan.

Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, the opening story is also being turned into a movie.

I would recommend this book of short stories.

Jack Layton

2011-08-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Jack Layton succumbed to his battle with cancer. This news is hitting the Canadians hard and I am no exception. After all, we are in Jack's riding and had the opportunity to vote for him personally.

image via Blog TO

Jack was the Leader of the Opposition (first time ever for the NDP).

Jack was a fighter and never gave up.

Jack was hopeful and optimistic and looking to make change in this country.

Jack was Canada's most charismatic politician. Agree with his politics or not I can't think of anything bad to say about him.

Jack's contribution to this city, province and country have been significant and a lifelong work.

Jack was 61 and a husband, father and grandfather.

A state funeral will be held on Saturday here in Toronto.

He left Canadians with this heartfelt letter and his closing words are so inspirational. I have already seen a few different versions of the posters.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.

All my very best,
Jack Layton

The Posters above of Jack's Words are from Stuart Thursby and high resolution printable versions can be downloaded here.

More info on his life and contributions:

-CBC

-The Globe and Mail

-The Toronto Star

-The National Post

Lawn, Garden & Vine Update

2011-08-22T09:00:00.008-04:00

In the front, our Rudbeckia (Brown-Eyed Susan) are in bloom. These flowers kind of take over as they seed themselves, but we like it since they are a match to our door. They are late bloomers and stay in bloom until fall. These were already in the garden when we bought the house.

In the back yard the Annabelle Hydrangeas are getting stronger and fuller. We won't have any blooms this year as they concentrate on building hearty roots to make it through the winter. They get stronger every day! I planted some Merlot Dazzler Impatiens this year to add a little colour. Impatiens seem to do really well for me where ever I put them in our yard. The great thing is they do really well in the shade.

Well, our lawn is not doing so well despite daily watering.

For one the raccoons are doing number on it! I think it is so easy for them to dig up for 2 reasons. 1) we have grubs that we need to take care of. 2) the root system is still very weak despite our efforts. I think we made need to add new nutrient rich soil. So we'll like do some fall lawn care and then deal with the grubs come spring.

Remember that weed tree we cut down (here)? We still have to remove the trunk and roots and in the mean time it is attempting a come back. I don't think so. Your days are numbered weed tree.

Our little vine (here and here) seems to be doing well. We also had a few other strands start to grow in. What do you know.

Our neighbours butterfly bush REALLY attract the butterfly's. It's a non stop butterfly show over here. She has several Butterfly Bushes in white and various shades of purple. They are very pretty this time of year.

And just for fun. This is what our backyard looks like at night when the Raccoons activate the motion sensitive light.

Tweet, Tweet

2011-08-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

I have finally joined twitter.

I'm a little sporadic with my posting right now as I am still getting comfy. I don't know why I was so slow at adapting to this social media but I am finally getting it. I think it was all the @'s and #'s etc.

If you would like to follow along please join me by clicking the link below or on my side panel.

okaynowwhat_

Cottage Vacation

2011-08-17T09:00:00.008-04:00

This year our summer vacation was a little closer to home. Our teaser photo may have had you thinking that we were in some far off tropical location. Did we trick you?

We were just a mere 3.5 hours north of Toronto on the west side of Georgian Bay. The photos have not been doctored, it truly is this magical and the water really is clear and turquoise.

Our secluded beach, reachable only by boat

Lucky for us we have a fabulous location that we can escape to, the family cottage. We feel extremely blessed that we have the opportunity to play in this magical place.

the cottage

We loaded up the car with all kinds of goodies, including our bikes on our new bike rack!

creative packing

bike for sale

I love this barn! It's called the story barn

sunset relaxing. There may have been some wine sipping involved

roasting marshmallows by the camp fire

by the light of the moon

We made the effort on the first day to get the small boat on the water. It's been 5 years since it has been out! The engine needed a bit of a warm up but then we were good to go for the rest of the week. It was definitely worth the effort! Check out the amazing views of the Niagara Escarpment from the water.

The highlight was when we stopped at this secluded beach, reachable only by boat. We felt like we were on a tropical island.

I love how these trees are growing right out of the rock

We visited Tobermory, a lovely little summer town. It's the Scuba Diving capital of Ontario as well as the deepest fresh water harbour in the world. It's also the gateway to Manitoulin Island via the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry.

scary tower with see through stairs, but check out the views below.

While in town we played a round of golf at Cornerstone Golf.

We did a lot of biking! We hit some trails and a lot of country gravel roads. It was awesome!

The endangered Massasauga Rattlesnake-the only venomous snake in Ontario

Flowerpot in the woods-There are more to see in the Fathom Five Marine Park which you can take a glass bottom boat to.

Cabot Head Lighthouse

Flintstone style chairs & ottoman

We already miss it and are wishing are back at the cottage already.

Previous cottage posts here, here, here and here.

Vacation

2011-08-15T09:20:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful, relaxing vacation last week.

We're sorting through all our photos, the laundry is being done and we're back into the swing of things. More photos to come.

Bar Stools

2011-08-09T09:00:00.006-04:00

For 2 years we have been searching for bar stools for the kitchen/dining room. Everything that we liked was out of our budget, and with 4 stools to be purchased it could become quite expensive. Finding what we liked in vintage stores has also been challenging as it is difficult to get a set of 4.

But in Montreal on the long weekend, we finally found something to suit our budget with potential. We picked up these bar stools from Antiquites A @ Z on Amhurst Street. We liked that we were solid wood and well constructed.

With our BBQ this past weekend I started refinishing them right away. We're both very pleased with the results.

I sanded the seats and stained them the same grey to match our dining room table. Then I applied 3 coats of satin water based urethane, also left over from our table.

For the legs I lightly sanded and cleaned them before spraying 2 coats of black glossy spray. For these curvy legs spraying was definitely the best option. Although my finger still feels numb from all the spraying 3 days later.

Here they are in the room. We've been enjoying sitting on them for the new perspective they offer. It's like we've added another room in the house.

The glossy black legs match to the dining room light and the grey seat works with the table and shelf we have in the room already. We're thrilled to finally have bar stools!

Betsy's 2nd Annual BBQ

2011-08-08T09:00:00.005-04:00

This weekend we celebrated our second annual "Betsy's BBQ". Betsy being the house of course.

It's a chance to open our house up to our friends and pull everyone together. This year we lucked out on some beautiful weather and all the little ones were able to take a dip in the splash pad across the street. We love the tradition of having an annual event.

PS- the chalkboard wall in the office was a big hit with the kids and adults alike.

Montreal Long Weekend

2011-08-03T11:20:00.001-04:00

We spent the Civic Holiday long weekend in Montreal visiting our friends. It was a relaxing weekend of gluttony. The weather was gorgeous and the company fabulous.

We drank many a fine wine, beer and even Patron.

We had pleasure of the company of this cute fellow. Bubbles, play doh and "tennis" galore.

We shopped Montreal's fine stores and markets and enjoyed the patios.

We even made a few purchases this weekend. We picked up some bar stools from Antiquites A @ Z on Amhurst Street. Amhurst Street is the place to visit if you are looking for vintage furniture.

We're not a 100% sure on the bar stools. We see the potential and the price was right. They are not exactly what we were looking for. But since we have been looking for 2 years why not give them a try. I am working on them this week and they are starting to look better already.

We also found this little guy at Zone. One of my favourite stores to stop into in Montreal. Oh how I wish they had a store in Toronto. We seem to pick something up from there every trip.

This guys and 2 of his friends will be replacing the generic hooks in our entry way.

The only thing I don't like about Montreal is the drive from Toronto and back. Especially in long weekend, crazy traffic. It makes the taking the train look really appealing.

Overall a great long weekend!

My long lost friend, My Bike

2011-07-27T15:29:00.003-04:00

This summer I have discovered my long, lost friend, my bike. For years it has been packed away in our limited storage waiting to make a reappearance in our lives. This is the year!

By bringing our bikes up from the basement, we now have easy access to them. Making it a lot easier to go for a ride on a whim. In fact we have gotten quite into it, attempting to go for a longish ride each weekend. I forgot how much I enjoyed cycling. I do prefer to stay to trails and away from car traffic (I'm a wimp when it comes to that). Luckily for us, just down the street we can access the Martin Goodman trail and explore in all different directions.

On the Martin Goodman trail, we have easy access to The Beach and Ashbridges Bay, Tommy Thompson Park, Cherry Beach, Don Valley trails and access to the downtown waterfront and Toronto Island. I'm amazed at how much country scenery can be found here in the city. In the hot days this summer it has be great to take off on the bike for a cool breeze. You just have to get out there and experience it for yourself.

Coxwell and Lakeshore skate park

The Don River near Don Mills

Don River at Lakeshore

Ashbridges Bay

The Beach

Tommy Thompson Park

2 years! Before and After House Tour

2011-07-22T15:46:00.001-04:00

Yesterday marked two years since we got the keys to our house. It feels like it has been much longer. At the time were debating between our house and another one close by. We made the right choice for us for so many reasons.

Us, waiting for the house to become ours

I started this blog as soon as the deal was done as I had been lurking on other blogs for awhile. Finally something to write about. I had found my first reno blogs while looking for info on removing angel-stone from a house that we were contemplating purchasing at the time.

I thought it might be fun to look back and see how much the house has changed since we purchased it. The before pics will be first followed by the current state of the union. Of course there is still much we would like to do. Does it ever really end?

FRONT EXTERIOR

What we did

-Tamed the jungle of a garden.

-Added a railing to the stairs to meet codes

-Replaced all the missing trim on the upper half

-Painted everything (including the windows) grey, white and yellow

-New porch furniture

ENTRY

What we did

-Refinished the floors

-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white

-Painted the door yellow

-Replace the standard boob light with vintage exit light

LIVING ROOM

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did

-Refinished the Floors

-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white

-Installed custom roller blinds

DINING ROOM

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did
-Refinished the Floors
-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white
-Frosted the bottom of the windows
-New pendant light
-New dining room table top

KITCHEN

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did
-Refinished the Floors
-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white
-Installed custom roller blinds
-Made new pendant lights for over the bar

We have some ideas to update the kitchen in the future. Right now it is not a priority.

STAIRS

What we did
-Removed the carpet
-Refinished the risers and treads
-Painted walls, ceiling, risers and trim white
-Put in a proper cold air return vent cover

Older pic-shelf has not yet been added to the table

MASTER BEDROOM

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did
-Refinished the Floors
-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white
-Installed custom roller blinds
-Installed Pax built in closet

GUEST BEDROOM

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did
-Refinished the Floors
-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white

Currently set up as the commend centre, we plan to make this into a cozy guest bedroom once the office is complete. We've already purchased our Kulla light!

BATHROOM

real estate image-previous owners stuff

What we did
-Painted it soft grey
-Installed custom roller blinds
-Changed out the mirror

We have some updates planned for the bathroom in the near future.

OFFICE (former closet)

What we did

-Removed the shelving, carpet and bifold door

-Installed and refinished the floors to match the rest of the house

-Painted walls, ceiling and trim white and then later added a chalk board wall

-Added baseboards to match the rest of the house

-Replaced the boob light with a Kulla Light

-Used our old dining room table top to create a built in desk

This room is a (slow) room in progress. A few more things to do before we "move" into the office.

UPSTAIRS HALLWAY

What we did

-Refinished the Floors

-Painted everything white

-Replaced the boob light with a Kulla Light

-Painted the bedroom door and added a new door handle

BASEMENT

What we did

-Painted the floor

-Removed the oil tank

-Replaced the oil furnace with a new high efficiency gas furnace

-Replaced the electric hot water tank with a tankless heater

We have so many future plans to waterproof and finish the basement. These are currently on hold.

MUDROOM

What we did

-Added bike racks for easy access

-Added more storage

This room is a covered porch, which means no insulation or AC or Heat, no windows and no power outlets. We have future plans to rebuild the mudroom but this is not a priority either.

BACKYARD

What we did

-Replaced some rotten boards on the deck

-Trimmed out the door

-Painted the deck and mudroom the new colour palette

-Added a gas BBQ hook up

We have future plans to paint the siding grey and trim white.

GARAGE

What we did

-Replaced the mini door with a regular sized door and added trim

-Painted the entire thing with our new colour palette

-Planted Annabelle Hydrangeas

-Removed a weed tree

So there you have it folks. This is us two years in our house. There is lots to do but at the same time we are pretty happy with where we are at and are enjoying the moment.

Have a great weekend!

Hot, Hot, Heat

2011-07-21T22:46:00.005-04:00

Hot, Hot, Heat. Yes, that is the name of band. But today it could also be used to accurately describe the weather in Toronto. We officially hit 37.9c (100f) but with the humidity it felt like 50c.

I still managed to take a bike ride down to the beach to catch some cooler breezes. I also did my final coat of paint in the side windows outside. Yes, crazy, I know. It took me the rest of the day to recover from being outside. I really am appreciating the AC this evening.

My poor Annabelle's did not take kindly to the heat even though I gave them a few drinks today. This was the worse that I have ever seen them, but eventually they did bounce back.

Today is 2 years of being in our house. I'm working on pulling together a before and after house tour.

Something is lurking in the bushes

2011-07-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

See these Maroon Day lilies? Something is rustling about in them all day, every day.

What ever could it be?

Oh it's just Felix, the neighbour hood cat. Caught you!

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's going to be another hot one here in Toronto.

We'll be enjoying our freshly painted house.

Front Exterior Reveal

2011-07-15T14:00:00.001-04:00

This reveal is almost a year in the making. I can't tell you how excited I am to be sharing the completed* Front Exterior. Cue the drums and the fireworks!

Last September we worked for weeks, until we ran out of painting weather, painting our garage, back deck and mudroom and front porch. Basically everything we could reach without going up on a giant scary ladder or steeply pitched roof. That left us with a Half and Half house for almost a year.

This summer we've been waiting for the weather (remember all that rain in the Spring) and the Contractor to be available. Well this was our week!

Here she is!

New trim added

Exterior colour palette details can be found here.

A little reminder of what it looked like before.

decorated for a friends baby shower

Just a few more updates to the side and back next week.

*Nothing is ever complete, is it? I mean, I still would like to have a new door, new windows, new house numbers, a mailbox, perhaps a little table with the chairs and maybe even some outdoor drapes.

Baby Spinach, Cheese and Olive Pie

2011-07-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

This week I made one of our favourite, easy, healthy dinner items, Baby Spinach, Cheese and Olive Pie. This one is particularly great if you are looking for something tasty and vegetarian.

The recipe is from our favourite cook book, The New Cook by Donna Hay.I don't think this is in print any longer which is a shame.

Baby Spinach, Cheese and Olive Pie

125g (4 oz) baby spinach leaves

125g (4 oz) small sorrel leaves

1 tablespoon butter

6 shallots, chopped

nutmeg

375g (12 oz) ricotta cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

1/2 cup chopped pitted olives

3 eggs, lightly beaten

8 sheets filo pastry

olive oil

Place the spinach and sorrel (I didn't have sorrel so I doubled the spinach) in a frypan over medium heat and stir until wilted, then drain well. Place butter in frypan over medium heat. Add shallots (I used a little regular onion) and nutmeg to pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Combine greens, ricotta, parmesan, mint (I didn't have mint), olives and eggs in a large bowl.

Brush filo with a little olive oil and place sheets, overlapping and overhanging, around a large pie dish. Pour in filling fold over excess filo and bunch pastry to make a rim around pie. Bake in preheated 350F (150C) over for 35 minutes or until the pie is set. Serves 6.

I have tried both black and green olives in this recipe and much prefer green olives. Also for my oven I had the temperature at 375F.

Easy, delicious and healthy!

Enjoy!

Garage: Alley Side

2011-07-14T09:00:00.004-04:00

Keeping on the garage/garden theme this week, we have another update to our garage.

Last year when we did our garage make over (here) we didn't have the time, weather or energy to do the alley side. Since I have been at home while the Contractor is here this week I have been catching up on unfinished projects.

Back alleys or laneways are such a part of the city of Toronto. Most houses in the city do not have driveways but instead access to the properties at the back through the laneway. However they are often forgotten and run down, ours included. And yes there is no garage door on our garage. It's something to strive for in the future.

Before:

After:

We used the rose plants and planters that we removed to create our Annabelle Hydrangea garden (here).

A half day left with the Contractor to finish up the work on the exterior of the house. I'm so excited to see the finished product. It's been one year of waiting for the final reveal.

Portuguese Water Dog

2011-07-13T17:00:00.001-04:00

I had this visitor yesterday and I was quite smitten with her. Normally I am a cat person, but I enjoyed hanging out with this doggie. Scotia is a Portuguese Water Dog. How can you resist that face?

Garage Garden

2011-07-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

Another little project that I have been meaning to get to is the garden in front of the garage. Last year when we painted the garage I perked it up temporarily. The little bricked edging with rose bushes just wasn't doing it for us. I have dreams of White Annabelle Hydrangeas lining the garage.

This is what we started with.

The old plants and planters removed. I have a plan to reuse them somewhere else.

The new Annabelle Hydrangeas are planted. They look a little sparse right now but they have a 4' spread so they should fill in nice. I ordered the Annabelle Hydrangeas from Bill's Garden Centre. A lovely, helpful shop with quality plants. We added Compost plus and top soil to the garden to add nutrients.

I am hoping that as they grow in and fill out they will look like the plants in the images below.

source

Weed Trees

2011-07-12T17:00:00.001-04:00

When we bought our house 2 years ago it came with a few pesky weed trees (not that kind of weed tree!). You know the ones that grow like weeds and are really dense. They are usually really tall and skinny with sparse branches/leaves. There seems to be a lot of these in the neglected back alleys of our neighbourhood.

I had already dug up a small one in the backyard this past spring but we had a large tall one growing in the back fence, beside the garage.

This weekend our neighbour was out trimming the branches of their backyard trees. I asked if we could borrow their tree trimmer for the fall to remove the weed tree. Lucky for me he was interested in removing it for us right then. Yay! I didn't even get a chance to take a before picture.

top half of the tree in our yard

Neatly bundled and ready for curb side pick up

Can you see the tree trunk in the fence?

We just have to figure out a way to remove the truck from the fence and the roots.

Vine Update

2011-07-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

Remember when I planted the ivy cuttings along our chain link fence in the back yard (here)? It's been just over a month so it's time for an update.

Well it didn't quite work out as planned. Only one little guy out of about 10 took. He is steadily growing.

I would recommend that if you are planting cuttings you take the time to root them first in water. I didn't do that but I think I would have had a higher success rate if I had of. Maybe not because the raccoons and squirrels really enjoyed digging into the fresh holes that I had just covered. Also a lot of them got pulled out by the lawn mower. This one was in a secluded place on the side of a concrete pad so it was safe.

Once it gets big enough I can try again with a fresh cutting.

Tommy Thompson Park

2011-07-11T19:00:00.002-04:00

This weekend we had the opportunity to get out for a long bike ride (about 13 km or 8 miles). Have you ever been to Tommy Thompson Park in East Toronto? It is a long piece of land that sticks out into Lake Ontario. It's all landfill, completely man-made and still under construction. You can read about the history of the park here.

Source

It's an excellent place for a bike ride or to rollerblade as most of the paths are paved. Plus there are some great views of the city. It's only open evenings and weekends as it is a busy construction site during weekdays.

I love the colours in these wild flowers

wetland with an urban view

There is no way to look good in bike helmets

landfill sculptures

Park under construction

Landfill shoreline

Old concrete telephone poles

New shoreline in progress

This brick was just too amazing not to bring home with us. Amazingly light too. I'm not sure where it will live yet. Perhaps as a door stop.

Half & Half House

2011-07-11T09:55:00.000-04:00

Remember last year when we painted our garage and house exterior? Here, here and here.

We ran out of good weather to have a Contractor come back and finish the top half of the house. We needed to add some missing trim and re-caulk before it gets painted and both of us aren't really a fan of working in heights. Some things are just better to hire a professional for.

It looks much worse in person. You can see that the top window is peeling.

I can't tell you how excited I am that we are finally completing the transformation. As I type this right now the sweet sounds of the Contractor scraping are in the back ground. No more feeling embarrassed when people walk by and then look up. I always want to scream out "We are going to finish it soon! I swear!"

Good bye half & half house!

Good bye periwinkle paint!

Good Bye orange stain!

On a side note the paint held up well over the winter. I did a 1 coat touch up to the floor of the porch and back deck last week where the snow shovel had removed some paint. I will likely have to do that every year.

Tron Bathroom

2011-07-08T15:03:00.002-04:00

While cleaning up the bathroom today, the 2 rugs that we normally have were removed. It struck me that the bathroom reminded me of the movie Tron Legacy.

What do you think?

The rugs usually soften the grid effect. Time to get the laundry done pronto since a bathroom reno isn't in the budget.

Have a great weekend everyone.

PS: I really enjoyed the Tron Legacy movie (in 3D). Movie poster source.

Small Changes

2011-07-05T09:00:00.006-04:00

Changes don't have to be big to make a difference. Sometimes it's the smallest touches that personalize a home.

We made a few small changes to our upstairs hallway by adding a new ceiling light and hanging some artwork.

Before:

Back when the small room was still our closet

After:

A close up of the painting

Stratum #5

Removing the standard boob light (only 1 more to replace!) and replacing it with the Kulla Light (full story here) makes such a difference in the design as well as the quality of light. This change really makes it feel like our place. And of course hanging one of our favourite paintings by our favourite artist, personalizes the space as well.

Did anyone notice a visible change to the office? We have painted a wall (and it is not white). Yes, that project is moving at a snails pace but we have made some progress. I'll post an update on that soon.

Canadian Cottage

2011-07-04T09:12:00.001-04:00

Following in the Canadian tradition, we spent the Canada Day Long Weekend at a northern family cottage. It was a blissful, relaxing weekend. We are so lucky to have a family cottage to escape to.

Here's a little taste of our long weekend.

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

For my fellow Canucks!

What ever you are doing today, I hope you are having an enjoyable Canada Day!

Aren't you glad it falls on a Friday this year.

Inside and Out

2011-06-27T09:34:00.002-04:00

We all have those little finishing touches that we never seem to get around to. You know, the kind that actually complete a project. We can now cross one of these items off the list, finishing the entry door frame and painting the inside of the entry door*.

Before-the black trim stands out in the all white entry

The previous owners, very quickly and sloppily, updated the entry door from brown to black (outside) and White (inside) when the house was for sale. We painted the entry white back when we moved in but never got around to painting the door frame. Last year we painted the door exterior yellow (here).

When I was prepping the frame for painting, I noticed that I could pull the paint off easily with my finger nail. Yikes! They had painted latex over oil base with out priming. How annoying.

I peeled off the latex paint and primed the frame. The frame was painted white but I had a different idea for the inside of the door. Why not paint the door yellow on the inside as well?

We're enjoying the punch of colour to our main floor. What do you think?

*For the record we do not like our entry door and hope to replace it in the future.

I heart you

2011-06-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Back in February I purchased this sheet set with hearts for our "cotton" anniversary. Even though the print is a little childish, I just love it. It adds a nice pop of colour to our mostly white bedroom. They are also incredibly comfortable sheets.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T07:15:00.002-04:00

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there!

Book Club: The Best Laid Plans

2011-06-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis was our recent book club selection. We choose it because it was the 2011 winner of CBC's Canada Reads and the timing also worked well with the recent Federal election.

Here’s the set up: A burnt-out political aide quits just before an election — but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock — an engineering professor who will do anything, anything, to avoid teaching English to engineers — to let his name stand in the election. No need to campaign, certain to lose, and so on.

Then a great scandal blows away his opponent, and to their horror, Angus is elected. He decides to see what good an honest M.P. who doesn’t care about being re-elected can do in Parliament.

While the idea was interesting, overall we all felt that the book fell short. The writing style was just to cutesy to be funny in my opinion. It wasn't realistic enough to be believable. Although we did all agree we enjoyed learning about what goes on behind the scenes during an election and then the MP's office. We were also interested to learn that this book was self published in 2007 and later picked up by McClelland & Stewart.

It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Book Club: Rework

2011-06-07T18:30:00.001-04:00

The last 2 days I powered through Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. It was a book I purchased for my husband for Christmas. I was drawn to it because the back cover listed the following:

ASAP is Poison

Under do the competition

Meetings are toxic

Fire the workaholics

Emulate drug dealers

Pick a fight

Planning is guessing

Inspiration is perishable

It is very straight forward and easy to read, no MBA required. The book gets right to the point in small bite size sections. Perfect for those us with limited time and attention spans. If you work in a business, manage in a business, run a business, own a business or are thinking of starting a business this book is worth taking a look at as it offers a fresh and honest approach to business.

Like the book says, inspiration is perishable. I decided to write this post the second I turned the last page instead of waiting for the right moment to collect my thoughts.

Vines

2011-06-01T09:00:00.004-04:00

We are experimenting with ivy vines on the chain link fence the separates our backyard from our neighbours. We took some clippings and planted them along the fence. I have heard that this will work but there is only one way to find out. Can you see a few thin lines going up the fence?

We'll check back in month and see if any progress has been made.

Lawn Update

2011-05-31T09:00:00.002-04:00

It's been almost a month since we aerated and seeded the lawn (here). We have had so much rain here in Toronto that the lawn is looking great! All the new grass is coming in. Here's the thing though, our lawn always looks nice in the spring. Then boom! Summer hits and it is a weak rooted mess. I'm really hoping the Aeration will make a little bit of improvement this year.

The front garden is coming in nice too. We have 3 more ferns than we did last year. The peonies will be blooming soon. I also cut back our lavender and it is doing really well.

Book Making-Part 1

2011-05-30T09:00:00.004-04:00

Since the beginning of the year, we have been working on a book for Rob's Father documenting his artwork. This past long weekend we were camped away in the family garage doing all of the photography of paintings, sketches and watercolours of all shapes and sizes. Over 200 in total! We're almost finished. It's a pretty large task but it will be worth it once complete.

Dear Neighbour

2011-05-28T11:30:00.001-04:00

If you would like to sell your house, you may want to consider cutting your grass. Just say'in.

Book Club: The Glass Castle

2011-05-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

New York Times Bestseller The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was a wonderful read. Right from the opening scene I was captivated and could not put the book down. The author is dressed up for a night on the town and in an Manhattan taxi on her way to an awards ceremony. On the way to her event she spots a homeless person scavenging a garbage bin. A closer inspections reveals that that person is her mother. That is one dramatic opener and it had me wanting to know more.

From there the memoir moves back to when Jeannette is 3 and living in a trailer in the desert with her family. She is making her own meal of Hot Dogs when she becomes severely burned by the boiling water. Later her father busts her out of the hospital "Rex Walls" Style. And so begins her nomadic journey with her eccentric father, idealistic mother, older sister and younger brother.

There are so many twists and turns that it is hard to imagine that this is Jeannette's real life. Walls' account is candid and personal, poignant and cutting with humour. The memoir is a testament to her determination to rise above that could have been a tragic life.

I would highly recommend this book!

Gallery House: Hardwood Floors

2011-05-17T09:00:00.006-04:00

In the upstairs of Gallery House the hardwood floors are almost in. Belinda and Ian with the help of friends are doing the installation themselves. They have used an FSC certified American Cherry throughout the living quarters (minus the bathrooms). For those of you that are not familiar with the FSC or Forest Stewardship Council there is a wonderful illustrated explanation of how it works here.

The hardwood flooring really makes the spaces come together. Move in day is only a few weeks off.

The closet awaits it hardwood flooring.

Second Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Living Room

Kitchen

Meanwhile down on the main gallery level things are taking shape too.

The main floor has been replaced and is no longer open to the basement. The front street level facade is starting to go in.

The gallery steps are in place.

The garage has been reduced from it's huge size to something a little more regular. It's still a really large garage for the city, but reducing it provides more space for the gallery and the upper deck for the living quarters.

At the moment there is a large open courtyard between the garage and the house. This is temporary while the footings for the massive deck are installed.

So overall lots of progress is being made but there is still a lot to do. I am so impressed by how much work Belinda and Ian are putting in themselves. All those Home Depot workshops have paid off!

For my American Friends

2011-05-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Now you too can "look and feel Canadian".

Love it!

Who is afraid of heights?

2011-05-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

The newest attraction at the CN tower this summer will be EdgeWalk. Brave souls can now walk around the perimeter of the main pod hands free attached by a cable. Anyone up for it?

Details here.

When we were in Auckland, New Zealand we observed 2 options on their much lower Sky Tower. A perimeter walk or a jump from the tower to the ground via cables. Instead we enjoyed a pot of tea while we observed the activities.

Moms Rock!

2011-05-08T07:51:00.004-04:00

Thank you to our wonderful moms for all that they do!

Happy Mothers Day!

Front Porch-Solair Chair

2011-05-04T09:00:00.004-04:00

Taking advantage of the nice weather last Saturday, I gave the porch a scrub down from the winter debris. Spring is definitely here and that means it's time to bring out our new Solair Chairs.

We need to add a few accessories like a small table, some plants and possible some curtains down the road. But overall I am pleased with how they look and their comfort.

However we did not feel comfortable leaving them on the porch with out protection. Sadly, a lockdown is required. We found an option that minimizes the chain gang look and can be painted in the future. You can really only see it close up.