Sunday, June 26, 2011
painting cabinets
the cabinets dad built. just waiting to be painted by me. once they're done they will live above my nub/fridge area. i can't wait for more storage so i can get my pots & pans off the floor of my pantry closet!
i painted them with a high-gloss white with a roller so they would be super shiny and easy to clean. dad's idea.
the finished cabinets and doors, hangin out in the garage, drying.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
check your check valves
as most of you know, i have had major plumbing issues for a few years now. and after much research, talking with expert plumbers (even having a few of them at my place), plus snaking my drains more times than i can even remember, we finally figured it out!
dad finally resorted to renting a video camera sewer snake so we could see what was going on down there (i apologize in advance for my lack of technical lingo).
basically, there is this section of pipe called the check valve, there in case the sewer backs up and starts coming back into the pipes. if that ever happens, this backflow valve will stop it from making its way into my place. the valve has two parts, and the back part (a rubber, circular piece) had somehow detached itself from the front piece. long story short, it was too big to get through the rest of the pipe, so it would just sit there, clogging up the drains!
once we figured that out, we had to tear up my floor and try to figure out where exactly that section of pipe was. then it was a simple walk down to ace hardware, buy the new parts, and put it together. i wish we could have figured this out a few years ago! it would have saved a lot of headaches, but better late than never!
dad finally resorted to renting a video camera sewer snake so we could see what was going on down there (i apologize in advance for my lack of technical lingo).
basically, there is this section of pipe called the check valve, there in case the sewer backs up and starts coming back into the pipes. if that ever happens, this backflow valve will stop it from making its way into my place. the valve has two parts, and the back part (a rubber, circular piece) had somehow detached itself from the front piece. long story short, it was too big to get through the rest of the pipe, so it would just sit there, clogging up the drains!
once we figured that out, we had to tear up my floor and try to figure out where exactly that section of pipe was. then it was a simple walk down to ace hardware, buy the new parts, and put it together. i wish we could have figured this out a few years ago! it would have saved a lot of headaches, but better late than never!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
breakfast bar
because there's no formal dining room table, i decided i wanted another seating area to eat at besides the bar. so i invented "the nub." it's basically a breakfast nook, an extra countertop in the kitchen for help with cooking, a place to set my laptop while i look up recipes, or a place to read the newspaper (star tribune of course!) while i eat breakfast.
although it wasn't our original plan, dad and i took a stroll through ikea to spark ideas for the nub. what we could make it out of, what color it should be, etc.
we were originally hoping to find a similar counter-top as my main bar, a rectangular, dark wood counter-top that dad would then round off one side. but as luck would have it, we came across this half rounded, half straight-edged white counter-top. it was exactly the length we needed, and only off in width by 3 inches!
of course dad still had to create the bottom cupboard and paint it white to match. but soon enough, he installed it!
luckily when i bought my adjustable-height bar chairs, i bought six. i had the other two stored at my parent's. dad brought them over, and voila, perfect height for the nub! i absolutely love how it turned out, and i love the extra counter and seating space in my condo.
next up is the upper cabinets to frame in the fridge and the hanging pot rack (also from ikea) to hang over the end of the nub...and maybe a pendant light to hang above the rounded end of the nub.
although it wasn't our original plan, dad and i took a stroll through ikea to spark ideas for the nub. what we could make it out of, what color it should be, etc.
we were originally hoping to find a similar counter-top as my main bar, a rectangular, dark wood counter-top that dad would then round off one side. but as luck would have it, we came across this half rounded, half straight-edged white counter-top. it was exactly the length we needed, and only off in width by 3 inches!
of course dad still had to create the bottom cupboard and paint it white to match. but soon enough, he installed it!
luckily when i bought my adjustable-height bar chairs, i bought six. i had the other two stored at my parent's. dad brought them over, and voila, perfect height for the nub! i absolutely love how it turned out, and i love the extra counter and seating space in my condo.
next up is the upper cabinets to frame in the fridge and the hanging pot rack (also from ikea) to hang over the end of the nub...and maybe a pendant light to hang above the rounded end of the nub.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
17" is the new 60"
i know what you're thinking..."why are those monitors so tiny?!"
well, when i got them, freshman year of college, they were the best you could buy! years later, after sitting almost unused, i decided to finally set up my computer desk in my dining room. i figured i could use it as a fake tv to watch movies from on my futon.
well, when i got them, freshman year of college, they were the best you could buy! years later, after sitting almost unused, i decided to finally set up my computer desk in my dining room. i figured i could use it as a fake tv to watch movies from on my futon.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
uptown style art
for christmas this year santa bought me a completely one-of-a-kind piece of art...an illustrated version of uptown. and to make mine 100% unique, an "S Girard Ave" street sign was added to the bottom center of it. i love it so much, my parents...err...santa...did an awesome job at choosing a gift! it's from the uptown art fair, which i went to with them last summer. i fell in love with the print instantly, and must have made it obvious enough for them to notice :)
even though christmas was months ago, i finally got it hung over my exposed-brick wall. i plan on filling the wall with artwork, but for now i just have this print and a watercolor flower painting my grandpa painted years ago.
even though christmas was months ago, i finally got it hung over my exposed-brick wall. i plan on filling the wall with artwork, but for now i just have this print and a watercolor flower painting my grandpa painted years ago.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
after green comes red
just another update on the little jalapeno plant. even though it's winter, the lil fella is still chuggin away. in just over a month, he went from a fresh new green from bright red!
so now i have succeeded in growing tomatoes, jalapenos, parsley, oregano, cilantro and chives. if only they would have all been around at the same time so i can finally make some homemade salsa! maybe this next summer. only time will tell.
so now i have succeeded in growing tomatoes, jalapenos, parsley, oregano, cilantro and chives. if only they would have all been around at the same time so i can finally make some homemade salsa! maybe this next summer. only time will tell.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
keep your quarters
say goodbye to my old washer that didn't even work. well, i take that back, it did work if you stood right next to it and opened and shut the top every 30 seconds. literally. and even then who knows if the entire washing cycle would have EVER been completed.
and say hello to my new washer, delivered by the nice home depot delivery dudes today. unfortunately i can't try it out because of the ongoing plumbing issues in my condo (like..umm...hmmm...maybe the fact that my place flooded yesterday). oh well, maybe some day...
and say hello to my new washer, delivered by the nice home depot delivery dudes today. unfortunately i can't try it out because of the ongoing plumbing issues in my condo (like..umm...hmmm...maybe the fact that my place flooded yesterday). oh well, maybe some day...
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