Working underground

Of the three projects we've been chipping away at lately (bathroom, baby room, home office), I'm so excited to say that one is totally done! The home office is all set up and has already seen some major productivity out of this gal.

So, I'm the world's worst DIY blogger in that I was sure I had before pictures of this basement corner when it was the fooseball table's home, but I was sorely mistaken. So, you get a screen shot from our basement before and after video:

And here is the office, all gussied up. I painted a chalkboard wall, got a pretty sweet new desk at Costco, an office chair and (thanks to my amazing co-workers), a Scentsy warmer because this space is still shared with an aquatic turtle and three litterboxes.

Work is so much more fun in a pretty space, don't you think?

The only downside to this home office gig is that the fooseball table had to go. There just wasn't room, so it's heading back to St. Louis, where I can visit it and blow people's minds with my fooseball intensity (not skill, just enthusiasm).

One down, two to go!

Twelve Tidys: Basement Workshop

Get crazy, wicked excited, please: I'm starting a new monthly series on this silly little blog called the Twelve Tidys (ba da ba BAH!). Every month, I'll be tackling one hideous, horrible, very bad mess and whipping it into shape using only my very fragile sense of organization (and Hubs for brute strength and lots of mismatching tupperware).

First up, our junk-filled workshop in the basement. It was crammed with all the left-overs of the basement project because after we finished, we couldn't bring ourselves to do much of anything, especially clear away the debris. So, we worked around it. Hubs brewed his beer and I just kept digging through the mess to find screws, goggles and other random supplies for DIY projects. It was bad.

We needed to find a home for all the tools, materials and brewing supplies. In a fit of domesticity and gender-normative behavior, I told Hubs that he needed to keep all that stuff on his side (the side with the unpainted floor), while laundry and pantry items, plus anything hidden in an old oak armoir we had, was welcome on my side. 

That blue shelf and all the coupon-bought things it holds is my pride and joy. Judge not.

Seedy-underbelly no more!

Not only is it clean as a whistle, but that five gallon white bucket? That's full of homemade wine, suckas! We live in heaven!

A surprisingly small amount of all that clutter was actual trash or Goodwill-able, so I'd say about 80% of it is still here, though you'd never know it.

Want to hop on the neurotic organization wagon with me? Share a link in the comments.

Pack it up, pack it up, you got it, you got it

As a gal who was once known for her tendencies to blow this joint and head for shores unknown, I have long coveted suitcases as decor. So, imagine how stoked I was when I found this sturdy old guy at the bi-monthly antiques showcase, Urban Finds. I nabbed the case and the antique valet it sits on for a cool $25! I topped it with a rad little mercury glass lamp from TJ Maxx and a woodsy candle since this corner is dangerously close to the litter box hideaway.

Perfect for our basement's so-called talking chairs, where I imagine guests sipping wine and discussing the news of the day. This has yet to happen, but these chairs give a great vantage point to the action on the foosball table so I think we are getting close. 

Schoolin' the stools

Remember our ugly hand-me-down bar stools?

Yes. A screen grab of the YouTube tour. Call me lazy. 

Hunter green pleather and cheap bamboo combined to make what might possibly me the ugliest bar stools in town.

Well, two coats of Kilz, three of Martha Stewart's creepy Metallic Bone paint (seriously, Martha!) and one Target shower curtain later, we have these:

Three updated stools and two attention-seeking cats.

In the full-bar shot above, you can also see some of the new decor, including a chalkboard/clock mount Hubs made over the weekend. It might be hard to tell, but the clock and keg taps are chrome, so the gray of the stools really works.

These stools were our first reupholstering job (if you can call remove staples, tracing a circle and reapplying staples "reupholstering") and I'm smitten with the results. 

What magical transformations have you made with a staple gun?

A new seven Ps

Ah, the seven "p"s: Prior proper planning prevents p*ss poor performance. An adage that has steered me through numerous potentially rocky situations and calmed my nerves when faced with the unknown. What would I do if the microphones don't work at an event? If I loose my shoes at a bowling alley? If the priest forgets to show up at my wedding? If the media throws a big, nasty hardball question into a warm and fuzzy interview? The answer is always the same - Seven P that shizzle! The seven Ps have saved my rump time and time again.

But, there is a new seven Ps in town: Prior proper purchasing prevents p*ss poor pouring.

Yes.

We, who have no bar built and lack even a finished basement, bought a dual-tap kegerator. 

Logic went as follows: 

• We need to know how big the kegerator is so we can build the bar snug around it. (see the seven Ps at work?)
• Overstock.com might not have it if we wait until we're at the point construction-wise wherein we really need the kegerator. (yep, I said and meant "need." Do you know how grumpy homebrewers get without proper beer equipment?)
• My sad attempts at Craigslist stalking and Twitter pleas did not lead to a used kegerator.
• It has two taps! Two homebrews at once!
• Shiny!
• New!
• Bigger!
• Better!
• Best!

Makes perfect sense.

Busy Bees

Our basement, once a decently finished space, suffered a bit from this summer's rains, if you recall. Well, after a lengthy demolition phase that uncovered some less than awesome results (turns out, we were sharing our home with a bit of funky mold - not too great for a gal with major allergies!) - we're finally moving on to reconstruction!

But first, I must call attention to our awesome clean-up crew. Of course, I hauled the carpet and padding out myself (pat on the back!) and Hubs started on the drywall, but the real stars were the mold remediation guys - Baker Interiors. They were clean and quick and took our basement from damp to scoring a near-perfect number on the post-cleaning air test. If you are ever unfortunate enough to find some mold lurking in your home, give these guys a call. We were so happy to get an excellent indoor air quality test that we just might frame it.

So, now that we are mold-free (it is the way to be), we've got the basement waterproofers coming in to work their magic so we never have to deal with this again. They'll be digging a trench around the basement perimeter and installing pipes that will drain right to the sump pump. Soon, we'll be right as rain in the basement, no matter how cruel Mother Nature gets.

Once that is done, we've got to wait two weeks for the concrete to cure before we get into the nitty-gritty (aka fun) portion of the rebuild. We're going to have a pro come in to do the studs, windows and the vapor barrier since we aren't up for futzing with the elements that keep the basement warm and dry. But, then it's time for us to roll up our sleeves and finish the drywall, lay the floor and put up some trim - as well as get crazy by building a new bar and creating a more cohesive, less basementy feel to the rooms.

Stay tuned, it's going to be a busy winter! Like little DIY squirrels, we have totally stocked up on nuttiness and projects to sustain us until it's time to get back outside.

What are your winter projects?

The tale of the soggy cellar

Oh, my dears. I was so pumped for this week. I was like, wicked jazzed about a week to do as I pleased (you know, before I start my new gig) - knitting, laying in the classiest blow-up pool in the 'hood and tarring the driveway - what lady doesn't look forward to these things?

Sadly, it all came crumbling down (ish) this morning, when the Hub-a-rino (eyyyyyy!) woke me up and told me I needed to get into the basement. Now, I was in such a sleepy stupor that I actually thought he was about to surprise me. My brain said, "There's a present in the basement! I hope it's a kitten!" Silly brain, you were WRONG.

Nope, the basement was soaked. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to spare. It had rained about 5 inches last night in our area, but it seemed like our basement berber had soaked it all up. Hubs and I had a harried conference in which we decided that I'd spend the morning cleaning up and calling water damage specialists and he'd come join the fun after lunch (what a rock star - taking PTO to wet vac a basement!).

So, we're waiting for somebody (anybody!) from the water damage pros to call us back so we can get started on the real work. Since err'body and their brother seemed to have a wet basement today, we're on waiting lists that might leave us low and wet until Wednesday! That means our carpet is likely unsalvagable.

And you know what that means - awww yeah, dudes - new carpet. We're about to start rocking a basement re-do waaay earlier than planned. A few wet spots of drywall that need to be patched is enough to get us thinking about a new paint color, too. So, there is a spot of silver lining in all this mess.

Anyone else have a soggy cellar? How about a direct line to Mike Holmes?