Coleup, I would love to see your photos full sized rather than as thumbnails.
Home projects in the mid atlantic forum- May 2015
I second that. I was unable to appreciate the pics.
Hehehe. Sally. Would love to be natural.
The kids found an AWESOME tree while we were camping this past week that they could play in for hours.
GRRRRR..... Before we went camping I had someone delete my pics so I could start fresh. Now, when I went to post it said it wouldn't recognize the pics. I'll have to ask my friend about it. So, picture in your mind. Two large pine trees almost growing out of the same space. I couldn't reach around either one. The root systems are partially exposed on the lakeshore leaving LARGE spaces underneath the tree big enough for kids to crawl into and through. They actually wanted to sleep in it. They found it on Wednesday so had 3 full days to play when we weren't down on the beach swimming. The water was actually warm enough for me to get in one day. THAT is saying something. Some years the water was sooooo numbingly cold I only put in my toes. Maggie wanted to decorate the tree and the boys were collecting weapons for their fort.
what fun!!!
Oh boy that really sounds like a cool tree!! I love to see how kids' imaginations can take them away for hours on end with something as simple and beautiful as a tree. =)
This weekend the guy was here to put together the forms in which the concrete slabs will be poured. All were pretty simple and straight-forward except the main one - the one on which the shed will sit. Because that area is on such a slope, the back corner is a real bear. Turned out it's gonna be 'deeper', and require more concrete, than originally estimated, so today I shall set up a delivery of bluestone that the guys can use to fill in some of the space. He'll pour a perimeter of JUST concrete with rebar run down through it, and then have some rock in the center with concrete poured on top of that. Here's what that main form looks like now.
The first shot is from the deck (overhead), and the second shot is from the bottom of the deck stairs so I could show a bit more of a close-up.
Looking good, speedie!!!
YAY, it worked!!
From the back
From the lake side.
speedie, I had no idea your yard sloped, and that quite a slope!
Jan, fantastic tree- and kids!
Looks like it's coming along Speedie. So is the blue stone cheaper than the concrete space it will take up?
Look at that awesome tree, Jan!
That really is quite a slope, speedie. It's a good thing you have professionals working on it. It looks like it'd be a hard job for a diy.
Oh my gosh Jan, that is one really really cool tree!!! I'm sitting here all by myself in the office and saw the first pic and just BURST OUT, aloud "OH DUDE!!!!", then looked around to see if DH caught me, hahahaa! He's outside, Pheewww! ;)
Jeff, oh yes, that blue rock is WAY less expensive than the concrete, and leaving a perimeter for JUST concrete (with the rebar in it), then pouring 4-5" of concrete on top of the rock will be totally firm/sturdy/safe.
Speedie, how's the construction site today?
Jeff had in service at school today. When he got home he worked on cutting some of the baseboards that he had stained before we went camping.
Jan, well, as of now the area looks ... I'll take some pics before I leave for work and show you when I get home. Basically it's the same but with blue rock in it, heehee. No construction guys yesterday (other than DH sweating like a hog to wheel about 20 wheel barrows worth of rock back in there), ... (do hogs sweat??).. but today we are expecting 2 slews of workers, and hoping not for 3. The fence goes up today, that was confirmed yesterday, and the concrete guys will be back today to finish that big form and to shore it up at the back, drive rebar, set metal mesh stuff and finish filling it with as much rock as they think they need. We had about 170 cubic feet of rock delivered, so that should do it - average area to be filled was 8x13x about 17 inches deep.
Ssg, yeah, it's funny but we've lived with that slope for so long, we never really realized how steep it is back there. Once it was graded to prep for the concrete guys it became a lot more pronounced. The guys doing the concrete actually have 'day jobs' doing it, so they're doing our work as a side job, hence the weekend and afternoon/evening work. They should show up today about 3:00-3:30, until...?? I had a feeling it would be waayyy too much for just DH and me. People ask "why don't ya just build the shed yourself?" HA! This is why!! < =D
Wise move to NOT DIY. Sometimes we have to know our limits.
Interesting Speedie, you taught me something :-)
Cool Jeff, it's fun to learn something new, huh? I learned that myself from him just the other day. =)
Well, the moment we've been waiting for... Drum roll Please!!!.... WE HAVE FENCE!!! =)
WoooHooo, I am soooo excited!!!! Funny how that white makes the back look so much brighter, I love it! Now we all can see how and where I'm gonna need some nice evergreen specimen trees, both at that back corner and at the very end of the fence at the front. And it's easier to see that slope upon which that new tree is gonna sit. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and dig that down some... just not sure how. Now that the fence is sitting up there I can't bring it ALL the way down. Will need to give it some thought. Any ideas or suggestions?
< =D Wheeee!!!
WOW what a crisp clean inviting difference already!
Yea fence team.
Good on you all honing the DIY skillset of delegating responsibility!
Can't wait for the next act.
Woohoo!!!!
Beautiful fence, speedie!
So, we went to a friend's family farm in Nanjemoy, Charles County MD on Sunday. Boy was it beeeeeeeeeyootiful down there. Just for kicks, I was on Zillow tonight. Oh lookie, 42 acres waterfront, 3 BR 2 BA $390K... just a "little" water damaged inside
2805 Riverside Ranch Pl,
http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Charles-County-MD/36709349_zpid/1607_rid/waterfront_att/featured_sort/38.753012,-76.302109,38.123753,-77.68364_rect/9_zm/0_mmm/?view=map
Holy kamoley! Anyone up for a home project adventure? But... just think of the water views...swimming, fishing, wide open spaces
This message was edited Aug 25, 2015 8:55 PM
It's looking good, Speedie! I wouldn't dig down at all; in fact; I might consider building a raised bed in that front area, with the back side level with the neighbors' fence. You would get faster screening that way, whatever you plant would get good drainage, and you wouldn't have a problem with erosion on that slope.
Sally, I wonder what happened to that house! Perhaps a tree fell through the roof and everything got soaked?
I can't imagine, Muddy. A few nice details remain- the wood floor by the big bay windows, the ceilings there- but most is gutted! Or maybe they attempted to start the repairs. Did you like the yellow toilet sitting by the staircase?
But- my word, for the acres and location-- could you do it?.....the river on this gorgeously beautiful Sunday was virtually empty except for our group. Awful nice compared to the four lane highway type boat traffic around the rivers here.
Sally, I was gonna say that YES we should do a group-buy for that house ...but ONLY if we get to keep that yellow toilet!! =) I don't believe I have ever seen a yellow toilet before.
Muddy, that's a cool idea, THANK YOU, I hadn't thought of that! Of course, that little hillock will need to be cleaned up quite a bit, and then more GOOD soil added to it to raise it... and it needs to be shaped up nicely, but I can do that! =)
Sally, what a find! Looks like a great deal for a DIY'er. The house is already gutted, and it wouldn't be that much different than the interior work needed when building a house. I could totally see you taking it on :)
Speedie, only if we get to keep the yellow toilet and have it stay right there at the bottom of the stairs!
That place will be gorgeous after someone dumps a ton of money in it. I don't understand why they didn't gut out that dippy tile shower too.
Speedie, your fence looks awesome. That should keep the deer out of the backyard.
speedie---
Come on over---and check out my main bathroom---there IS a yellow toilet in there...
You been here--did you miss it? G.
Cool, demo is pretty much done.!! Location, location, location!!
Heck, let's all save ourselves the time, money, and aggravation and go to Gita's house, she's got a yellow toilet! =) (we can even move it downstairs for Jeff) ;)
I can't believe I FORGOT about your yellow toilet, G!!! (goodness, we've all turned "potty mouth" here.) =)
Don't have to move it---there is also a yellow one down there already----
Now--in the shower stall, miniature BR off my Bed Room--you can enjoy a BLUE one!
That nice, muted, sky blue,,,And--I even have a nice patterned, blue and white
wall paper in this one. It totally matches the toilet and the sink on the vanity.
1--The beautiful, blue sink--matching toilet and tank as well.
2--wallpaper to match! VERY well applied....You can even see a sliver of the
blue tiles--this lines my whole shower stall...
3-Yellow sink in the downstairs BR. Such a vibrant color! Don't you think?
No need to show you the toilet and the tank--they all match.
The tub used to be yellow too--but, years ago, my DH put in a white shower liner.
4--THIS will blow you away! Such good taste!! so well coordinated to our Sofa (back then)
You have to look at the wallpaper behind the pictures...
This beauty used to be the wall paper in all of my LR&DR. shuddddder.....
Ahhh...Memories.......the 1970's!!! One of a kind era.....
This message was edited Aug 26, 2015 6:01 PM
Style and datedness are such funny things. That flower picture SCREAMS early 1970s.
Your colored sinks though- are about to come back in style in a retro sense, I bet.
70s indeed. White is where it's at.
My favorite style has and always will be the turn of the century 1930s look. I loved my grandparent's big old rambling house that was furnished and decorated in that style. Call me crazy, but I've gravitated towards that style in my own house - ON PURPOSE!!! Flowered wall paper, lace curtains, and some rooms are actually PINK OMG. I do enjoy the crisp clean style of whites and neutrals though and realize that it is much more marketable than my 1930s look. I just have to laugh and shake my head at the 1970s style though - what were people thinking ROFLOL.
Terri, your house is beautifully YOU. I don't have any skill for decorating. I accumulate too much random stuff. My DD is helping correct all that with the bathroom remodels though.
Ohh remember the 80s, all blue and pink pastelly? ICK. Which is what 'they'd ' say about all my earth tones, moss green and tans....
Sometimes tempted to give away ALL current towels, both bath and kitchen, and buy new ones, all WHITE. I read that once about dining room, just get all white linens - classic look. And bed linens. UGH the closet is a mess there. Watch out for White Sale Time...
Maybe I could go with two towel colors...
Yeah, the 70s home décor styles were as odd as the clothing and hair styles. Remember bell bottom pants, leisure suits, and "teased" hair ? WTH were we all thinking ? LOL I guess that culture was a good fit for avocado or baby-shit yellow kitchen appliances.
I remember that there were three major appliance colors - the green was avocado, the yellow was harvest gold, and there was a brown, but I can't remember what they called it. I guess every decade has its definitive look, but the 70s and 80s were really out there. I think the clean crisp look that is popular now is classic and timeless. Well, maybe the more wild granite counter top patterns will be out dated and be one of those "OMG what were they thinking" features down the road.
Thanks Sally for the boost of support for my 1930s style LOL.
Terri, the curb appeal of your home is also thru the roof (pun intended) ! Not that you get a lot of traffic out your way to enjoy that curb appeal. :) But I know you prefer it that way.
Thanks CAM :) You know, google is absolutely amazing. You can find the answer to almost any question you can think to ask. I couldn't remember the name of the brown color that was popular in the 70s - googled it and voila, it was called Coppertone.
Ah yes, my parents had a house built on 1968 and it had the Coppertone appliances. Can't believe my steel trap of a brain didn't retain that useless information. LOL
I agree that your place is VERY inviting, aspen. Could settle in easily there. The different views from each window and your conservatory is to DIE for.
The house next door that has been empty for 8 years was sold at auction in Monday. Today a dumpster showed up with a crew to empty the house and demo the wheelchair ramp. I just walked over to meet the new owner and it was just the work crew. The 'boss' said it would go on the market as is, but if that didn't work then the new owner would fix it up. Good luck.
Out of those 3 appliance colors, I think I could have easily incorporated the avocado green into a pleasant décor - don't think I could with the others though. I like the look of stainless steel that has been popular in this decade, but I wonder if that will fade from popular consumer choices.
Before we remodeled the kitchen it had dark cabinets and that 70's Orange laminate counters and a patterned linoleum floor that was good in a way...if you dropped something you never found it among all the detail of the pattern. I guess that was good raising four boys. The dirt didn't show. YAY!!!!