tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293779772024-03-14T10:30:28.871-07:00324 North Irvington AvenueOur new (old) home was built in 1905. The outside is nearly perfect and while the inside has lots of potential, we'll be working on making it our "own" for the months and years to come. Feel free to visit anytime but be prepared for a potential project-in-progress!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-6255632684945388222010-01-03T11:09:00.000-08:002010-01-03T13:44:33.942-08:002009: Year in ReviewInstead of posting regularly in 2009, why not skip the whole year and write one post to sum up the entire year?<br /><br />Needless to say, 2009 felt like a whirlwind. We can't believe 2010 is here already! In case you were wondering, here is what we were up to in 2009...<br /><br />We worked from home when we received a foot of snow overnight:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0bfkcYSiZPO1SPeehaqwohcl9Lk44nl_knK8ZRBHfNLbxZ_eLcO-CT7zGIBJHTRUPH4UxWgcIk8TfhtS-94_uYwD0_BAqux3jwk6q8AxwJZTHq5IxcNzWyvEJc1x3hv2OnEn/s1600-h/2009_snow.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0bfkcYSiZPO1SPeehaqwohcl9Lk44nl_knK8ZRBHfNLbxZ_eLcO-CT7zGIBJHTRUPH4UxWgcIk8TfhtS-94_uYwD0_BAqux3jwk6q8AxwJZTHq5IxcNzWyvEJc1x3hv2OnEn/s400/2009_snow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422613367052977858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We finished up our bathroom remodel (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2131535&id=27300992&l=382b4e075d">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2131535&id=27300992&l=382b4e075d"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xjTSQWFaMXUifcSMLv6jKdoN2g9wnR8qq2X3ZXknfDiSY2DNN4lv3aWrcxqBCtbcQBZ9PzMHRoApU7y1jWa-V07T8u0x_wERGByMolGwIZH7qwoydRJ_-hAfMUEHm0WT3Fe0/s400/2009_bathroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422611528816645186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We spent a fun weekend in Las Vegas (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2137180&id=27300992&l=103286f44a">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2137180&id=27300992&l=103286f44a"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRZ3339R-b8gOUSR1MgDRrzyYY9Bv2yxflikbdTiQ50zauWNSCB-t7vkf5Tj0QpZSVnT6p6qV_iQ4QIFlxFrJ70jTYP7O-0BUcHaiXcO8KhF3OkvRVLcRdHYlNk0A0K6vI8bH/s400/2009_vegas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422615102188979026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We became "Aunt Justine and Uncle Nick" as our good friends welcomed their son:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvODzRvTpXcpHbeaNhAezj88Zr1LZe67lhspHZMs6ZPhGZvIldyJgKtIo0MCG-F0-NQt8tmhIKm4-D6Fj_hd5NP7ghipJ6hvAlmNn3PSSF9zF43XSC4sIXu5jzSOpGT8yN_k8/s1600-h/2009_chase.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvODzRvTpXcpHbeaNhAezj88Zr1LZe67lhspHZMs6ZPhGZvIldyJgKtIo0MCG-F0-NQt8tmhIKm4-D6Fj_hd5NP7ghipJ6hvAlmNn3PSSF9zF43XSC4sIXu5jzSOpGT8yN_k8/s400/2009_chase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422612175652358546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We closed up our outside cellar entrance (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/4242153656/in/set-72157601949057290/">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/4242153656/in/set-72157601949057290/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sp0UgbkyX5pnIItAaCD_hxx6AxHE80KhTNXUcKYcYUV19IG-aNUcNL0qZEQ4EbvL0ykdHWMqpVwMPjKIyFPXCpbHoSbeIU63S5veWyh0Pjsvw3VLi4nN8P37hwU0mdpmegPr/s400/2009_cellar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422616370519243234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I went to Portland for the AIGA Leadership Retreat:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGF-8qED64c2igl_aY5VoiJ36_f5L-e7cjoU0NyW-0u-Uxx3iLHYrVXaHXXGEr05kVKj66aQvpxqshu-EXhEjXwZcRc8cCENBxUdZrHDL7FUZ4azrLpXsljE51XGvyw150rFo/s1600-h/2009_portland.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGF-8qED64c2igl_aY5VoiJ36_f5L-e7cjoU0NyW-0u-Uxx3iLHYrVXaHXXGEr05kVKj66aQvpxqshu-EXhEjXwZcRc8cCENBxUdZrHDL7FUZ4azrLpXsljE51XGvyw150rFo/s400/2009_portland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422617362048950946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I played softball with my co-ed company team (not always in the rain):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKyauGQ0L2DbKX1C7-jTBmnYI9xGY4sGY___vf5IU0hPRYPErq_XVJkPZYvtM8Eazhjdw_9ACTUDn2Vhofr7Z0vfy77F6NKwSTUz0P4eVAO8cIf9_ySyl92XlJHlmQHz1OH4I/s1600-h/2009_softball.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKyauGQ0L2DbKX1C7-jTBmnYI9xGY4sGY___vf5IU0hPRYPErq_XVJkPZYvtM8Eazhjdw_9ACTUDn2Vhofr7Z0vfy77F6NKwSTUz0P4eVAO8cIf9_ySyl92XlJHlmQHz1OH4I/s400/2009_softball.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422612408393380722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We went to beautiful Colorado (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2186519&l=b8ce3c023f&id=27300992">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2186519&l=b8ce3c023f&id=27300992"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDYqP-clTEwEAEoz7xg-rNWvKxQuSbWqLxjp2ODczCVxslqDsc-uDiaI9tp7Kg-6LFnWdQCnw0aMIeeyM1TBFjilRDntaNEam2gDmHdlmeWseFySATV55rOMAxKprN0RV7_Aw/s400/2009_colorado.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422624668705830930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And almost immediately headed to Chicago for Lollapalooza (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623130498736/">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623130498736/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThi4-nb-7IrSJScSwD2vIMde5ShoeB9nSyZq82if4bpYaxWMQXJ74WCAFMeIaswbNWSpV7tMB6rMDYqeEtc_fPZMjN288VkwqT_o3Z6SVCAt10esK_rvOMl89szvnE82vu0tS/s400/2009_lolla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422625109721603970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We got certified as Open Water Divers:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15KThCSP-RwO5DPd5az8W9On1vAKIt6h4CZI3wpM5T5NbNXCHzFyfsI53HEqlu_D6DG_EpjgHNcICCOr-nhxlZn7WWa2-4XlR-lwmUJEe4Xtu-5tnZ1U9aE3P8z8WTzhivUcV/s1600-h/2009_dive.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15KThCSP-RwO5DPd5az8W9On1vAKIt6h4CZI3wpM5T5NbNXCHzFyfsI53HEqlu_D6DG_EpjgHNcICCOr-nhxlZn7WWa2-4XlR-lwmUJEe4Xtu-5tnZ1U9aE3P8z8WTzhivUcV/s400/2009_dive.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422625223900334802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Nick went to Los Gatos, CA for the annual carwash Enhancement Group:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1U2ziSwatKrxcBDty6gaFFzyk7JaN8T-Mjco3RJGwe2bRx5y_hvXTQY-E-D5nfPg64dL0qbtpv4iq3grrccgPPPVxQSkoYzTJ4NBFZFixvlsjdbbI1k7e0WVOCPdK8-uuK8_9/s1600-h/2009_mikes.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1U2ziSwatKrxcBDty6gaFFzyk7JaN8T-Mjco3RJGwe2bRx5y_hvXTQY-E-D5nfPg64dL0qbtpv4iq3grrccgPPPVxQSkoYzTJ4NBFZFixvlsjdbbI1k7e0WVOCPdK8-uuK8_9/s400/2009_mikes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422632386873149170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We threw a crazy Halloween party (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623005367019/">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623005367019/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinveTYAIpg0DhSNSV03MAuEiOkjXVSibFob39JhJ97dF3f72p_tkwvGbfF7nCzruVGoHzzkoQNNDFrkDHYU47hsSmXgYwChebj18h-Bdf2aJmzlL5ycf4-21P_HLBdHKltuoxA/s400/2009_halloween.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422625497215343554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was promoted to Manager of Design Solutions at <a href="http://www.exacttarget.com/">ExactTarget</a>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ00Gd_AbU5kJK5f1_zoSbdFYwozbJgaHsUyffuToQNBn0RyiRSzbgTz8iWYdax_-KUyV_8QQ2Z-xijyezzcFScQNenG40_n97Kjf1WPgIqthT0LdQnsp-cM7breC72r6THI7Y/s1600-h/2009_team.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ00Gd_AbU5kJK5f1_zoSbdFYwozbJgaHsUyffuToQNBn0RyiRSzbgTz8iWYdax_-KUyV_8QQ2Z-xijyezzcFScQNenG40_n97Kjf1WPgIqthT0LdQnsp-cM7breC72r6THI7Y/s400/2009_team.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422631658202034978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Posing at our holiday gift exchange and lunch</span>.<br /><br />We went to Hawaii and got Advanced Open Water certified (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623130158846/">more pics</a>):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157623130158846/"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXGrKq-5IseUOFmE9h_TCzUFSDVECFjdmqkbImqr-qa6kqlHKz1uSyM6SoUlhnRVi94fMjcuZ9twa6TMUHIDJF0UqNShDLGYU2CdjCJ0r7zX_ZGiOo0uxapgqFBj-oUjcIKWB/s400/2009_hawaii.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422625702793306786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskZ_XoBNS0r_cy4nd_5TJlsx2hqz-8aE-lLmUG50j-ZAXl6bnONlKlBq9qwf9V4iL8KgDilNr-CL_cbF_DJlD8To3PPm_8eMviKBSrLIt3MbfzWEw8IgcspBecNJLuvuBi5HP/s1600-h/2009_anniversary.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskZ_XoBNS0r_cy4nd_5TJlsx2hqz-8aE-lLmUG50j-ZAXl6bnONlKlBq9qwf9V4iL8KgDilNr-CL_cbF_DJlD8To3PPm_8eMviKBSrLIt3MbfzWEw8IgcspBecNJLuvuBi5HP/s400/2009_anniversary.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422629437685798642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We drove to North Carolina to spend Christmas with the Parsons:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uKtAiaT1p4CsFiFmvra3AOMdk1rYOs4eomQwrNgKSbx96e4SdCGk-ntUQUZE1DmRN4rUxuXbN3QroR2RxoLQgQNJur4pkFxHj7BpWARXqT1fq_l7y08FPA7In130KLrQ36c9/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uKtAiaT1p4CsFiFmvra3AOMdk1rYOs4eomQwrNgKSbx96e4SdCGk-ntUQUZE1DmRN4rUxuXbN3QroR2RxoLQgQNJur4pkFxHj7BpWARXqT1fq_l7y08FPA7In130KLrQ36c9/s400/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422630022049022914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What a great 2009! We're excited to see what 2010 brings.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-88732068946046606012008-12-29T19:06:00.000-08:002008-12-29T19:11:07.212-08:00Welcome to the family, Riley!<img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/riley.jpg"><br /><br />Sometime this fall (we can't remember exactly when), a cat started hanging around our house. The first time we saw it, we thought Claire has escaped from the house since this cat looked very much like she does. Although a bit skittish, the cat seemed nice enough. After some convincing, it got close enough to let us pet it and we started giving it food and water every once in a while. After a couple weeks, we started to wonder if the cat had an owner or if anyone in the neighborhood knew about it's situation. We put a collar around it's neck with a note asking if anyone saw the note to give us a call. A couple days later a woman down the street called and said that the cat had been hanging around her house for the last couple years. Since the cat had been living outside for quite some time, we thought we'd leave well enough alone but continue to provide food and water occasionally.<br /><br />Well, as the weather grew colder, the cat barely left our porch, and even seemed interested at the prospect of coming inside. Nick built her an insulated shelter to stay warm, and we planned to take her to a clinic to get checked out. Without knowing the cat's history, we weren't willing to risk infection to our other cats before getting "outside kitty" checked out. Nick spent a couple hours at <a href="http://www.facespayneuter.org/">FACE</a>, getting her de-wormed, vaccinated and tested for FeLV and FIV. With a clean bill of health, Nick brought her home and invited her to stay inside.<br /><br />We've since dubbed her "Riley" and considering the circumstances, she's adapted pretty well to life on the "inside." She barely moves off of our bed, and purrs immediately when petted. Welcome, Riley!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-26206028875882106392008-12-21T18:00:00.000-08:002008-12-29T19:12:19.056-08:00More bathroom remodeling fun<img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/paintchips.jpg" /><br /><br />We've talked about the bathroom several times on the blog... we've been collecting the tools and supplies we need to "oil rubbed bronze-ify" our full bath upstairs for several months at this point. When we bought our house, the bathroom had bright gold fixtures and trim - all nice, but not quite our style. We had also noticed a sewer gas smell from time to time, which we believed to have been caused by improper or insufficient venting of the drainage pipes in the bathroom.<br /><br />Nick put his plumbing skills to the test and connected the sink in the bathroom to a nearby vent pipe in the wall. While doing so, he created quite a disaster of the drywall behind the pedestal sink in the bathroom. Since we'd been meaning to paint the bathroom for months, we decided to take this "opportunity" to go ahead and patch the drywall, paint the bathroom, and begin installing all our oil rubbed bronze goodies. He also patched the drywall near the medicine cabinet where there used to be an outlet, and some other various smaller holes.<br /><br />While I was visiting her parents in North Carolina, Nick painted the bathroom. While we liked the moss green color we picked out on the swatch, once it was on the walls I realized that our shower walls had pink undertones that were only emphasized by the green on the walls. "Back to Sherwin Williams", I said and returned with some sample containers of a deep red and dark beige. I never considered painting an accent wall in a bathroom before, but after talking to the guy working at Sherwin Williams that day, I thought it might be a good idea. You can see our samplings in the pictures below.<br /><br />The current state of our bathroom is: No tub, no sink. That's right, we've only had the shower and toilet in there for a little over a month now. We are hoping to finish this off soon, and will even be ordering the new shower door in the coming weeks.<br /><br />Here's what you've been waiting for: pictures of the mess!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/bathvent2.jpg" /><br />The new vented drain pipe<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/bath3.jpg" /><br />Where the sink used to be, and Nick's drywall patching<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/bed2bath.jpg" /><br />The clawfoot tub and sink, waiting to be re-installed<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/paintbeige.jpg" /><br />A sample of the beige on the wall next to the shower (and the rejected green paint!)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/paintred.jpg" /><br />A sample of the red<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/paintstrip.jpg" /><br />Did I forget to mention that we also decided to strip the paint from the trim around the door? The casing and trim around the door had several coats of paint and couldn't really take another. We've been using a heat gun, chisels, chemical stripper, and an orbital sander.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/paintstrip2.jpg" /><br />A closer shot.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-3874321395611644912008-10-03T20:46:00.000-07:002008-12-29T14:03:56.046-08:00Arbor Ailments, Part Three (and Four?)We'll (hopefully!!) conclude our series of "arbor ailments" in 2008. In the beginning of September, we walked outside one morning and it suspiciously felt like April all over again. Our friend the Mulberry lost another (much larger this time) branch into our poor neighbor's yard. Yes, that's right - the same tree lost three large branches in one summer. We again called several local tree services, and this time it was recommended that we remove the entire tree. We were told that the Mulberry (which happened to be one of the few large, healthy trees left in our yard) had been allowed to grow past the point where it could support itself, and would continue to lose large branches (and likely next time into a nearby garage.) We reluctantly agreed to the removal of the Mulberry, and also had a large redbud extensively pruned. Our yard is much less shady now, and we're hopeful that the additional sunshine will contribute to thick, green grass in the spring.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1468.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1489.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />HOWEVER, just a couple days after we were faced with our Mulberry-removal, we exited the house in the morning only to discover the lovely sight you see below:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1467.jpg" /><br /><br />Yes, that's a 5-foot branch sticking up through the roof of the garage. As you might imagine, trees were not my favorite thing this summer. Luckily my very handy husband climbed on the roof (the following day) and had the hole and shingles repaired in a manner of hours. I was pretty upset by this whole string of tree-related events, but also count us very lucky that this was the extent of the damage caused by 4 separate incidents. Here's a look from the inside of the garage - you can see the end of the branch poking through the hole.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1470.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />lastly, check out the massive spider I found on our porch the other day. I don't mind spiders as long as they stay outside - they eat all sorts of bugs that I'd rather not have around. I did some poking around online and I think it's a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_spider">grass spider</a> - the web is quite intricate and contains a couple funnels.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1479.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-41553017945030946232008-09-30T14:01:00.000-07:002008-12-29T14:02:28.686-08:00Who wants a level floor? I guess we do...Neither Nick nor I can remember when he started working on the project in the basement, but we thought it deserved a blog mention. Nick has been removing concrete and dirt and experimenting with different ways to support and level the first floor of our house. After many years of different types of supports in the basement, the floor in our kitchen/dining area is very uneven, and our stairway has begun to slope to an angle. The installation of steel supports on hydraulic jacks in the basement will remedy these problems over time.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1486.jpg" /><br /><br />This one is to be continued...Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-89710664428626920002008-09-08T13:59:00.000-07:002008-12-29T14:01:19.129-08:00Arbor Ailments, Part TwoPhase two of "arbor ailments" reared it's ugly head in August. The same Mulberry tree mentioned back in April decided that it no longer had a need for one of it's two trunks. This time the branches were wedged between our garage and the neighbor's garage. Nick spent a couple weekends sawing away. We had a tiny area of damage to the shingles on our roof but nothing major. Again, more of an inconvenience than anything else. We also had to dispose of the huge pile of refuse we created, so it sat in our driveway until mid-September. Again, to be continued...<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1424.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1425.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1426.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-51751620625589990672008-08-04T13:57:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:59:46.971-08:00Bushes begone!We recently attacked another bush in our yard - there was an awful, prickly, fast-growing behemoth in our front garden area that was painful to prune and blocked views to and from the street. Nick donned a trio of gloves (yes, all at the same time) and went to town. The resulting root ball had scary nuclear-looking yellow branches and wasn't finally removed until weeks later when it started to grow a new bush!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1416.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1420.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-34263176306621163992008-07-28T20:45:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:57:30.994-08:00Summer Travels: Cedar Point and NYCWe headed to Sandusky, Ohio over the 4th of July to meet Justine's family for a weekend of fun at <a href="http://www.cedarpoint.com/">Cedar Point</a>. Michael, Nick and Justine rode their favorite coaster, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Force">Millennium Force</a>, at least a dozen times and also enjoyed the 120-mph <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Thrill_Dragster">Top Thrill Dragster</a>.<br /><br />At the end of July, Justine was headed to New York City for a client onsite, and Nick decided to join her for an extended weekend. It also happened to be Nick's birthday! We enjoyed 5 days of non-stop eating, drinking, walking and gawking. It was the first time either of us had been to NYC and we can't wait to go back.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/NYC.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157611433373499/">Check out our pictures on Flickr</a>.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-41152659948665905292008-06-15T13:54:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:55:28.039-08:00Gutters and bushes... what fun!Later this spring, we realized that we were unintentionally growing seedlings in our gutters so it was time to bring out the extension ladder for the first time. Nick tackled the house while I took care of the garage. Needless to say this was pretty gross.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/gutters02.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/gutters01.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />We also spent some time in the yard - weeding, watering, making sure the grass stayed green. We also tackled the bushes on the north side of our porch. Since a couple were dead and overall they were large and distracting, we tore them out:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0997.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_1001.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-54501567834065106152008-05-28T20:45:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:53:58.696-08:00A little bit of bathroom remodeling...Nick installed the built-in medicine cabinet that we ordered from Lowe's several weeks ago. Although messy, it was a quick project and adds a nice touch to our bathroom. Our "oil-rubbed bronzing" plans continue - we have most of the materials to finish the transformation (paint and hardware) but have not yet purchased the most expensive piece - a new shower door.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/mirror02.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/mirror01.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/mirror03.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-84767438773719381322008-05-15T22:21:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:52:33.868-08:00Arbor Ailments, Part OneAt the end of April, our summer of "arbor ailments" started. We went outside one day to find that the 40-foot Mulberry in our backyard had deposited a large branch in our neighbor's yard. Luckily there was no damage to either properties but the branch was certainly in an inconvenient spot. After a couple tree service quotes, a check was written from the "emergency/house" account and the branch removed. The rest is to be continued...<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0939.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-14228538106071121802008-04-30T18:59:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:52:24.404-08:00We (finally) move upstairs!(NOTE: After originally posting a large entry encompassing April-September in September 2008, I went back and post-dated the entries for archival purposes.)<br /><br />So I guess we fell off the blogging bandwagon, huh?<br /><br />While quite a bit has happened since April, no "major" house projects - and sadly, not much of our ambitious list - has been started let alone completed. After our big tearout upstairs I think we needed a break (mentally and financially) from all of the house work.<br /><br />Our bedroom furniture was delivered in early April, and we officially moved upstairs! The bed and nightstand is from the <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/search.aspx?query=nolan">Nolan</a> collection, and the bookshelves part of <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1070&f=30698&q=sloan&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1">Sloan</a> (from Crate and Barrel).<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/bedroomfurn.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />After buying (and then returning) some pre-fabbed closet organizers from Lowe's, Nick built some custom shelving and we finally moved our clothes out of the pantry downstairs and into the bedroom closets upstairs! The dresser that was in the kitchen moved into my closet as well.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/closetfinished.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-88932075866034673392008-04-17T22:20:00.000-07:002008-12-29T13:51:53.063-08:00Haircut TimeMy mom and sister visited in mid-April, and my sister and I cut more than 8 inches of hair to donate to <a href="http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/index_home.jsp">Pantene's Beautiful Lengths</a> program. We had been growing our hair out for almost two years in honor of our grandmother that passed away from cancer in July 2006. Beautiful Lengths partners with the <a href="http://www.cancer.org/">American Cancer Society</a> and <a href="http://www.hairuwear.com/">HairUWear</a> to provide real-hair wigs to women with cancer. Below is a couple pictures, or visit my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordans-indy/sets/72157607545842979/">Flickr Album</a> for the whole series of photos from our experience.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/hair01.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/hair02.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/hair03.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-44475160184571732922008-04-09T08:50:00.000-07:002008-04-08T21:31:22.445-07:00Upcoming projectsHere are upcoming house projects in progress or on the docket:<br /><br />1. Installing a 9-light antique bronze chandelier above our staircase:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0899.jpg" /><br /><br />This isn't the exact chandelier, but it's close (from Lowe's):<br /><img src="http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/737995/737995343514md.jpg" /><br /><br />2. An ongoing process we've termed "oil-rubbed bronzing" the bathroom upstairs. The previous owners did a complete remodel of the bathroom less than 5 years ago, so everything is brand new, but the gold/brass fixtures just didn't match our personal style. So far we've replaced the shower trim, shower drain, toilet flush handle, sink faucet and some accessories such as a towel bar and switchplates. Left to complete are the clawfoot tub supply lines, toilet supply line, clawfoot tub faucet, shower door, sink drain, and the installation of an in-wall medicine cabinet we got on special order at Lowe's.<br /><br />We found a great online vendor of supplies for older clawfoot tubs and other historic-home remodeling finds - <a href="http://www.clawfootsupply.com/">clawfootsupply.com</a>. Needless to say we've become one of their better customers...<br /><br />The box!<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0833.jpg" /><br /><br />New cast-iron register grills that are nearly exact replicas of the rusty, broken ones that are likely original to the house:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0835.jpg" /><br /><br />Oil-rubbed bronze gooseneck faucet for the clawfoot tub:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0837.jpg" /><br /><br />3. Painting the windows (white on the inside, beige/cream on the outside) and installing new pulls and sash locks<br /><br />4. Creating and installing trim in the bedrooms and hall upstairs (white)<br /><br />5. Painting the upstairs bathroom (green walls and brown trim)<br /><br />6. Painting the hallway (beige)<br /><br />7. Replacing the exterior window trim on the North, South and East-facing sides of the house. West-facing trim was replaced by the previous owners, but the remaining trim is rotted and deteriorated in many spots<br /><br />8. Caulking and painting holes and cracks in the siding<br /><br />9. Replacing or repainting the shutters on front upstairs windows<br /><br />10. Repainting/touching up the front porch<br /><br />11. Installing steel support beams in the basement in order to level out our uneven first floor<br /><br />12. Installing an attic fan to improve ventilation upstairs<br /><br />13. Repairing the very rotted, falling-apart, leaky and scary-looking outdoor cellar entrance<br /><br />WHEW! That's quite an ambitious list... stay tuned...Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-54043290778946655262008-04-08T23:48:00.000-07:002008-04-08T20:02:11.930-07:00Almost one year later...We've been bad with the updating again, but I guess that just adds to the suspense, eh? Here's a short list of activities that have occurred upstairs since the last time we updated:<br /><br />Doorway at top of staircase removed<br />Window restoration completed (no paint yet)<br />Drywall - hung, taped/mudded, sanded and finished<br />Ceiling fans removed and thoroughly cleaned<br />Primer applied to walls/ceilings<br />Paint applied to walls/celings<br />Ceiling fans installed<br />Carpet installed<br /><br />The biggest stressor (for me, anyway) was choosing paint colors, blinds, and a new fan. I've enjoyed making the upstairs "our own" but there are just too many choices out there, and I am indecisive by nature.<br /><br />We're probably going to live for the next year without any trim, jambs or doors - we received a quote from a contractor to complete all the finish trim (crown molding, baseboards, trim around windows and doors...) for nearly $11,000. After running some numbers, we realized that we could buy all the proper tools and materials for about half this. The concession is that it will take much longer for us to do it :)<br /><br />The biggest news of all? We'll finally "live" upstairs almost exactly a year after we bought our house!!<br /><br />Below: Removal of doorway at top of staircase (once we had all the plaster removed, we realized that the doorway/jamb was not original - it was likely added at some point in the 40's when our house was split into apartments.)<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0891.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0894.jpg" /><br /><br />The hallway and bedrooms with drywall in place and finished:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0841.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0844.jpg" /><br /><br />A closer shot of the (primed and dirty, but refinished!) window:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0846.jpg" /><br /><br />Spare bedroom with paint (no carpet yet - enjoy the blue floor while you can):<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0886.jpg" /><br /><br />Master bedroom with paint (again, no carpet yet):<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0889.jpg" /><br /><br />And the grand finale - paint AND carpet!<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0900.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0901.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0902.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-67230793323682208742008-04-08T20:37:00.000-07:002008-04-09T10:49:17.783-07:00Our new petWhile we were working out in the yard this weekend, I found a snail that Nick subsequently became fascinated with. The snail's eyes telescoped in and out of his body and rolled around on the end of the tentacles... video and pictures below! <span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br />You might want to turn your sound down... I didn't realize there was music in the background and some funny noise due to the transitions... thanks, iMovie!</span><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0872.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0873.jpg" /><br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=877656&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=" height="300" width="400"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=877656&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color="></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/877656/l:embed_877656">Untitled</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user303874/l:embed_877656">Justine Jordan</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_877656">Vimeo</a>.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-86640871983337932842008-04-08T19:43:00.000-07:002008-04-08T20:01:37.389-07:00Sunshine brings outdoor projects...I've always said I have a love/hate relationship with our house - there are some things I love about it (the character!) and some things I hate (little/no/poor insulation means HIGH gas bills!). One of the things that I love/hate is our sump pump. I adore the former owner who waterproofed and installed the pump pump in our basement, but I have always wished that it didn't drain into the middle of the backyard, creating a mud puddle when it rains, an ankle-twisting hazard when mowing the lawn, and a general eye sore at all other times.<br /><br />This weekend we enjoyed some beautiful weather - about sixty degrees and sunny - so outdoors we went! Nick bought some extra PVC pipes and a trenching shovel and we set to work diverting the sump pump drain to a more appropriate spot.<br /><br />The digging up of the original drain and the aforementioned hole:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0858.jpg"><br /><br />A view of the new ditch that heads to the side of the yard:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0860.jpg"><br /><br />The new drain in place:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0862.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0863.jpg"><br /><br />Ditches, both old and new, filled in with dirt:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0864.jpg"><br /><br />The hole filled in!<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0865.jpg"><br /><br />The new discharge spout in the sideyard:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0867.jpg"><br /><br />After we dug up the yard, it was our intention to put down some grass seed in areas where the backyard was a little bare. After Nick hand-tilled nearly half the backyard, we now have a mudpit instead:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0878.jpg"><br /><br />Keep your fingers crossed the the grass seed we put down turns into beautiful, thick green grass!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-71003930331545365522008-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:002008-02-09T16:28:26.717-08:00It's been 3 months!?Much has happened since we last updated on November 24th. I created 6 new entries that chronicle the last several weeks below - they are post-dated in the order that they would have occurred had we blogged regularly. Hope you enjoy!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-65777552280609212482008-02-03T16:15:00.000-08:002008-02-09T16:26:30.408-08:00Treasures in the wallsIt always seems that we find objects of interest in the walls when we start tearing them down. Along with the requisite 40's-era newspaper, we also found several pieces of old cloth and what looks to be lace, more knob-and tube wiring, and a section of wall with several very old layers of wallpaper.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/knob_tube.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/oldpaper.jpg">Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-54946345157000051082008-02-01T15:54:00.000-08:002008-02-09T16:12:13.899-08:00Windows: Restore or Replace?More decision-making came when we asked ourselves what to do with our windows. We knew they weren't in great shape - all had several coats of paint on the sashes, ropes and hardware that allow the window to function, one was painted shut, some had rotten parts, most of the ropes had been cut, etc. Finding people with the skills and patience to restore the windows proved difficult, and after researching replacement windows, we were torn between just tearing the old ones out and preserving the historical integrity of our home. Aside from that, since we reside in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvington,_Indiana" target="_blank">historic district</a>, there is an <a href=" http://www.indygov.org/eGov/City/DMD/IHPC/Certificate/home.htm" target="_blank">approval process</a> to making any modifications to the outer facade of our home. <br /><br />We ended up hiring Robb Ryan to restore the windows. Here are a few shots of his handywork thus far. He hopes to be done with the work by Feb. 11th.<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/windowguys.jpg" /><br /><br />A before/after of the pulley (and surrounding wood) that holds the rope that allows the window to open and close:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/win_hardware.jpg" /><br /><br />The old, iron counterweights in the space between the window frame and the studs:<br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/windowweight.jpg" /><br /><br />While we were only slightly optimistic that Robb would be able to restore the windows to the point where we could re-stain the wood, it looks like they were damaged beyond this point. We plan to paint the windows a nice, neutral shade of white and will post pictures when they are finally complete!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-1192216711013135852008-01-31T15:36:00.000-08:002008-02-09T16:13:50.918-08:00And so it begins...After we finished hemming and hawing our options, checked out how our savings account was doing, and called in some drywall and window pros, we got to work. We called in a bigger dumpster than last time and researched the best way to tear out plaster. Nick devised a plan which involved rare earth magnets, our shop-vac, a circular saw and cable ties. He used the magnets to locate the studs in the walls (which lathe was nailed into), cable-tied the shop vac to the circular saw to suck up some of the dust, and started making vertical cuts in the walls. This actually led to the relatively tidy removal of large chunks of plaster and lathe tiles.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0750.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0749.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/tiles.jpg" /><br /><br />As you can see, this still left the plaster and lathe that remained on the studs, which was easily knocked off and collected in buckets to be hauled down to the dumpster. Once work was complete, we found some more interesting things in our walls, had exposed the beauty that is the brick chimney that runs through the center of our house and made a really, really big mess.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0804.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0778.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0779.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/IMG_0790.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/panorama.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-53087625888338345842008-01-05T15:26:00.000-08:002008-02-09T15:34:58.498-08:00The source of our coming insanityAs we (or Nick, really) attempted to prepare the upstairs for the installing of carpet that we bought in October, we found ourselves patching plaster, attempting to remove wallpaper, exploring paint colors and wondering if our windows were salvageable. <br /><br />Below are examples of Nick's amateur plaster craftsmanship:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/wall1.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/wall2.jpg" /><br /><br />And here was the icing on the insanity cake:<br /><br />x<img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/wallpaper.jpg" /><br /><br />Once we realized that the hallway (and likely most of the rest of the upper level) was covered in multiple layers of paint over old wallpaper, we tried to strip it (and then tried to hire someone to strip it)... only realizing that the wallpaper was likely the glue that held the decades-old plaster together. <br /><br />After getting a couple quotes for contractors to come in and strip the wallpaper and repair the plaster, we finally decided that it was worth the time, money and effort to <span style="font-style:italic;">gut the entire upstairs<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> (save the closets, which we already gutted and drywalled, and the bathroom, which the previous owners remodeled) and replace all the plaster with drywall. <br /><br />Why we didn't do this when we did the closets is something that we'd change in hindsight, but live and learn, I guess!Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-62990059346903910532007-12-05T15:23:00.000-08:002008-02-09T15:25:01.926-08:00Fire and IceEarly in December we had our first big snow in our new home:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/snow.jpg" /><br /><br />Which called for us firing up the cozy gas fireplace:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/fire.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-45448973300853477672007-12-01T15:05:00.000-08:002008-02-09T15:19:48.851-08:00Hardwood HallwaySometime near the of November, we had Brazilian Cherry hardwood installed in the hallway upstairs. Isn't it gorgeous? I (Justine) was really conflicted with all the choices available - light, dark, red, brown, laminate, engineered, exotic... while the Brazilian Cherry doesn't exactly match the other woods in the house, it has a beautiful warmth, and we can always stain the wood downstairs to match - or install the same wood there, as well. It will darken and richen as it ages and is exposed to light and we're pretty happy with it.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/hallway.jpg" /><br /><br />Here is a close-up of some of the grain:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/wood_close.jpg" /><br /><br />We also installed some shelving in our brand-new hall closet:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.justine-jordan.com/house/closet.jpg" />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29377977.post-51622679860277557032007-11-24T22:06:00.001-08:002007-11-24T22:16:35.229-08:00Closet Update!I know, we haven't updated in a long time. We've been busy! The first bit of awesome news is that the closets are 95% DONE! We hired <a href="http://www.brandoncookdrywall.com/" target="_blank">Brandon Cook</a> to mud, tape and finish our drywall and it was the best money we've ever spent! Brandon did an awesome job and we highly recommend his work. So far, we've primed the closets and they look great! All that is left is a coat of paint and some sort of organizational/hanging system.<br /><br />I am honestly amazed at the transformation and very proud of the work we've done. I pulled together 20 photos of the closets from start to finish and they are represented in the slideshow below. I hope you can enjoy the transformation as much as we have!<br /><br /><br /><object align="middle" height="550" width="400"><param name="FlashVars" value="ids=72157603285084032&names=Closet&userName=meladorri&userId=70644798@N00&titles=on&source=sets"><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"><param name="scale" value="scale"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" flashvars="ids=72157603285084032&names=Closet&userName=meladorri&userId=70644798@N00&titles=on&source=sets" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle" height="550" width="400"></embed></object>Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04330206514561661076noreply@blogger.com3