UFO Update---of a different sort

I have been about working on my UFOs for Susan of Blackberry Creek's UFO challenge for this year.  I promise, I am going to get back on it this weekend, because I want to finish that one quilt I made so much progress on and practice some FMQing on it.  This is because I'm almost done with the house quilt, and I may want to quilt it myself.  I figure I better practice on something else first.  More on all that later. I wanted to post something this week, however, to get me back in the habit of being concerned about UFOs and holding myself accountable to making UFO progress each week.  Hope this is okay.

How about a little UFO update on our house?  We had big plans for this summer to continue remodeling.  But we have made NO progress with all our traveling, etc.  We're hoping to finish up some pretty big projects before school starts.  Here is what's on tap:

• Finish pulling up that front sidewalk and the stumps from the bushes we cut down.
• Pull up the stumps from the bushes we cut down in the back.
• Replant some...the rest will wait until spring.
• Pour new sidewalk (we decided to go with concrete) and a pad in the back for hot tub (YAY!  Can't wait to get that hooked back up before winter!)
• Get electrician out to wire hot tub.
• Gut and totally refurbish at least one bathroom.
• (This one is a maybe.)  Gut ant totally refurbish other bathroom.
• Replace front door and door to garage.
• (This one I want to do, but I'm not sure it's on Papa Pea's list.)  Paint inside of garage.
• Perhaps paint brick on front of house to match rest of house. (We're still thinking about this one. Papa Pea really hates to paint brick...high maintenance.  But I think it's something that makes the house look dated and adds too many colors to the house.  We both agree it would look better if painted.  We'll see on that one.  It would only take a few hours to do it...)
• Paint the back door to the garage.

That's a pretty ambitious list, isn't it?  We figured we better start small and build some momentum again.  So, I asked for this as a "warm up" activity:

(You can see a little of that brick on the far left side of this photo....)  "Honey, I really hate these light fixtures outside the garage?  Could we start by putting up new light fixtures?"

"There are only two of them.  The one on the right is broken, too.  (My fault from a Christmas decoration I hung on it.)  There are actually three, because there's another next to the back door from the garage.  We can deal with that one later."

In less than a week, I got this!  I really love it!  What a beautiful difference!  (Yes, I need to paint my milk cans, too.  They are looking pretty bad.  There's one under each light.)

A much more updated look, don't you think so?  The mounting hardware on this was bigger, so Papa Pea had to put up a piece of wood, cut into the siding to mount it flush, and everything.  But it looks so much nicer.  Now, we need to go back and get one more for that back door.

Today, Papa Pea is working on that big monstrosity in the back yard.  To give you a sense of size, it's probably about 10 feet tall....from the ground to the top of that dish.  Maybe more...  It's comin' down, baby!  I can't wait!  We got the bolts off the part that sticks up and receives the signal.  That was no easy task.  They were rusted shut pretty good.  But when we went to take it off, it was full of hornets and a big hornet's nest.  So, Papa Pea sprayed it with some hornet killer, and we're letting it sit a bit.  The smaller dish is our Internet receiver.  Hopefully within a couple of weeks, we can take that down, too.  I hope to have a new Internet solution by then.  I think we're going to pour the hot tub slab somewhere between the two of them.  I'd sort of like it about right where the smaller dish is.  I'll update you later!

We started shopping for stuff to remodel the bathroom.  That's a huge first step for us...getting the tile picked out, countertops, etc.  For our guest bathroom downstairs, I am thinking something like this would be really cute as the new vanity.  It comes with a solid surface countertop AND sink bowl!  This one's a litle too narrow.

But you can see it comes in wider styles.  Our current one is 36", so I think we'd go with this 37" model.  I like how it looks like an antique piece of furniture and it would go nicely in our basement, I think.  The price doesn't seem bad, considering that includes the solid surface counter top and sink, too.  All we'd have to add are the fixtures.  (Of course, it just kills Papa Pea to pay money for the cabinet, when he could build it himself.  I'm going to let him build the one upstairs for our bathroom, I think, because it's an odd size...7 feet.)

Next step, get it ordered, pick out tile, and start the demolition!

Okay...so it wasn't a sewing UFO update.  But these were definitely projects that needed to get done so we could move forward on our house plans.

I'll make sure to have a more quilterly UFO update next Friday!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Sweet Pea and I are off to a quilt show in Grand Haven tomorrow, and then I'll take her to the beach there.  Some spectacular beaches off Lake Michigan.  Looking forward to it.

Until next time,

Mama Pea

Comments

[Mary on Lake Pulaski]

Whew! Good Luck!

[Shelly]

Better than no progress at all, which is how things stand around here. Your day tomorrow sounds so fun -- have a great time!

[Deb]

I can understand your situation; I've had to "get back on track" so many times this year! Hope you get a chance to have some sewing fun, too!

[Julie in WA]

We painted the brick on the front of our house to match the siding last summer. What a difference! The house looks so updated and I am happy we took the plunge! Go for it!

[Linda in Calif.]

That's quite a list! I love the cabinet/sink. So striking. And yes the lighting fixture looks nice too. You and Sweet Pea have a blast tomorrow!!

[Lynn]

I got tired just reading the list! The vanity is really nice though. I know what you mean about the DH not wanting to buy something he could make. Here is my response to that: "How much is your time worth? Do you really want to make it by X date? And how much are the materials going to cost? Can you make it for less than this one costs?" Occasionally he will still say yes he wants to make it himself, but more often, after thinking about in these terms, we just buy it. There is definitely a time and place for the handmade item, but my DH is such a perfectionist that it often never gets finished because it isn't perfect!

The lights look great! Good start! Have you thought about buying or renting a sprayer to paint the brick? I've never tried one, but I'd definitely look into it if I had to paint brick!

Have a great time at the Show and the beach!

[Jackie]

Wow, you are getting the house all fixed up for my visit? Thanks...

[Linda]

New lights look so good!!! It's amazing how little things like that can make a huge difference! Love the vanity too. Very pretty!

[Barbara Anne]

Applause on the home improvement accomplishments and plans! Love your new garage lights!

Have a wonderful time at the quilt show. Decades ago, I lived in a Chicago suburb and enjoyed the Michigan Dunes every summer as a teen.

I hope to have quiltie UFO progress to report next week, too.

Cheers!

[Terri]

I just love updates on your house. They almost inspire me to do something with mine.

[Maggie Szafranski]

I think the brick painted would be great! We have those same light fixtures beside our garage door! Love that bathroom vanity!

[Mama Pea]

Thanks, Maggie. I am ready to start it this week...just need to pick out the paint color and get Lloyd to high pressure wash the brick for me. How funny we have the same lights! :-)

Glad you had so much fun with Edyta!

Stephanie

[Nolan Anderson]

Might I suggest you go for an extraterrestrial theme for your bathroom since you're having so much trouble with the UFO Update? Just an idea...