Bath Remodel....End of the First Four Days

Bathroom remodel.....beginning of Day 4. 

End of Day 4. New super duper exhaust fan WITH LIGHT installed. 

NEW, CLEAN insulation.  All the blown in and puny batting is gone. 

Here we come winter!  Nice ceiling insulation. 

Even all the cracks and crevices are filled.  Rich doesn't miss a beat. 

Yesterday as I was working on my little sink table project outside, Rich came out and said he had a surprise for me.   Surprises and remodeling aren't a good combination....so I held my breath....until he handed me this.   NEATO, right?!   He found this old measuring stick in the wall!  So what are your guesses?  Original to the house build date of 1918 or the subsequent remodelings in the 1970's?  I'm just going to pretend it's nearly a hundred years old....that makes it more interesting. ;-) 

Wiring and plumbing start on Monday. 

At this rate we'll have an ACTUAL WORKING bathroom  in a flash!

Oh, and how many kinds of love do you feel for the patina on that table?  Loves.

Rolling Down the Road to a Prettier Bathroom

Take it all in.  Isn't this the most stunningly beautiful bathroom EVER?  

I KEEEED, I KEEEED.  Frankly our bathroom has made me wrinkle my nose from day one.  It had been "remodeled" shortly before we bought the house.  In the interest of not offending anyone I'll just say it wasn't "my taste."  A little too oakey oak and brassy.   

As the years wore on (seven to be exact) the bathroom became more than an eyesore.  Mold became an issue, the vinyl flooring was scuffed and icky, the shower started to leak and we were just tired of the giganto Jacuzzi hamper.  So, I did what any smart girl would do.  I called Rich.  My superhero.   

And he got RIGHT TO WORK!!   No more Jacuzzi hamper!  Or moldy drywall!

Goodbye bane of my existence exhaust fan. 

Rich took it down....along with the entire ceiling.  We discovered that the room was about half this size originally, with a porch on the rear.  The fan had been installed incorrectly and was not venting correctly....and was full of mold too.  It's a miracle we didn't all croak. 

Thank goodness all this grossness is gone. 

And then there was the shower.  The leaky, installed incorrectly, yucky teeny shower....with the mauve "privacy" lines.  Goodbye 1993. 

 Hello 2011!  Okay, not quite yet.....but we're making progress!  All the shower bits rode away in the back of Rich's truck....and went to live on a farm somewhere where they will be so happy and can run free. ;-)

Jacuzzi hamper and shower combo....that's a lot of bathing options.  Too many for us.  I found the LAST right hand drain cast iron tub on the planet on Saturday.  It's in the back of my husband's pickup waiting to find its way to its new home.  I should have taken its photo....but now it's dark so I'll wait til tomorrow. ;-) 

Bye bye tub and shower.  (Sorry for the blurry photo....stuff happens.) 

Goodbye Hollywood lights...you never all lit at the same time....and made me sweaty standing in front of you.  There were THREE GFI outlets on this wall.  THREE.  I'm not sure if they made toast in here while blowdrying their hair and playing records or what?  I don't use a blowdryer or curling iron (I have no skills in that department)....or anything that gets plugged into the bathroom, besides my toothbrush....and I have two BOYS.   I had Rich cut it back to ONE outlet on that wall. I mean, for reals?  Three? 

Bu-bye. 

Imagine in your mind's eye two cute little tables with sinks, beadboard, pretty mirrors, shiny chrome faucets, gorgy gorgeous antique sconces and white hex floor tile!! :-)  

More tomorrow!  Maybe I'll actually snap a photo of Rich DOING work....the poor man is in there, with the door shut, with no air conditioning vent (yes, that meant we also had NO HEAT...EVER in the bathroom!!!!).  He's a trooper, this one.

Miss Effie's Annual Ice Cream Social

Is there a more delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon than on the farm, surrounded by talented, interesting people, baby goats and homemade ice cream?  Today was Miss Effie's annual ice cream social, with all proceeds benefiting the North Scott Food Pantry.  Miss Eff is that kinda gal.  She's a giver....and I think she's fourteen kinds of wonderful. 

My husband told me the other day he thinks Miss Eff and I are soul mates...I can't argue. 

Not even this crazytown front moving through the area could keep us from the party.  It rained....but only briefly. Mother Nature smiled on Miss Eff's party today. 

My littles got right down to business with the cake and ice cream.  There were no smiles, there were no "look at Mom and grin" photos to be had....this was homemade cake AND homemade ice cream.  Only the sounds of slurping and swallowing could be heard.

French silk chocolate ice cream with Miss Eff's VERY special carrot cake....can we have a moment of silence for this combination.   It was fabulous.  I could have eaten an embarrassing amount of each....

but I restrained myself. ;-)  I should have taken a photo of the cake table....there would be keyboards shorting out all over the world, from the uncontrollable drooling. ;-) hehehe

No trip to Miss Eff's would be complete without checking out the beautiful flowers.  I had to point out the flower supports to my husband....bent cattle panels.  Genius. 

The little goats were adorable.  They make the cutest little noises.  I think they'll all sleep well tonight after being chased around their pen all day by enthusiastic visitors. 

Marsh REALLY liked the little ones...they're just about as big as a puppy.  Picking them up was a different story....not being regular goat wranglers he wasn't exactly sure how to pick one up and not have it shoot out of his arms like a greased pig!  They're tricky little fellas.

 

The flowers were beautiful everywhere we went.  And the garden markers....seriously?  Have you ever seen more beautiful markers?  LOVE THEM.   My friend Becky made them...she does wonderful work, yes?  I need a truckload of these I think.

If I was a chicken I would live here.   

With all my lady friends....and enjoy the view. 

The music was awesome....very "Miss Eff-esque". 

This is one of my favorite spots on the farm.  Everytime I read that sign up there I think to myself, "being a little naughty is good for everyone." ;-)   

We really enjoyed our afternoon and want to thank Miss Eff for hosting her wonderful party.  It is a priviledge for all of us to share in the very special place that is Miss Effie's Country Flowers!!

Signs and Ice Cream

In preparation for Miss Effie's Annual Ice Cream Social, I've spent some time creating a few pieces to be for sale in the Summer Kitchen.  Just delivered these on Friday....gives me a great excuse to visit one of my favorite people.  Of course I will be finding my way back out to the farm tomorrow to actually ATTEND the ice cream social.  Seriously folks, who can turn down homemade french silk chocolate ice cream and 'just baked for me' carrot cake?  Not I.  Not I.  Oh, and I don't think I could keep my kids away from the dwarf baby goats if I tried.  I mean, a goat smaller than a chicken?  Forgedaboudit.

I had to paint an egg sign....the only place I buy eggs from is Miss Eff.  Best eggs around.  I won't even touch storebought eggs anymore....gives me the heebygeebies.  She's spoiled me like that.

And of course we needed an ice cream sign for an ice cream social!  I used a new crackle/layering technique on the signs....worked like a charm....and was SUPER cheap.  Did you know crackle medium rivals only printer ink in per ounce cost?  hehehe.   I need to save every penny right now....my super hero Rich is starting our bath remodel next week.   Can I get an A-MEN?!   

Oh, and we all know how I feel about details.  Love. Them. 

I hope this sign finds a nice home....it's a favorite.  Maybe I'll sneak it back out of the Summer Kitchen tomorrow. ;-) Unless you get to it before I do.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

Let's pretend you could only choose one supper for the rest of the summer....what would you choose?  I'm thinking this might be my vote after trying this recipe this week.  Grilled salmon with avocado salsa, fresh sweet corn and watermelon.  Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. We can all thank Pinterest for this recipe....I trotted over HERE for the full scoop.

Now to begin, I know there are a lot of folks who don't like fish.  Bleck, they say.  My husband is a meat guy.  Fish...well....take it or leave it.  He'll eat it if I make it, but let's just say he doesn't REQUEST it.  After taking one bite of this salmon he said, and I quote, "OMG, this is KILLER!!"   To translate, he thought it was delightful....and proceeded to eat two servings.  It was fresh, it was flavorful....it was awesome. 

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!!

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients (for 4 people):

2 lbs salmon, cut into 4 pieces
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper

Avocado salsa
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
3 mild hot peppers, seeded and deveined, diced or sliced
Juice from 2 limes
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1.Mix the salt, coriander, cumin, paprika, onion and black pepper together, rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and this seasoning mix, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2.Pre-heat the grill.

3.Combine the avocado, onion, hot peppers, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt in a bowl and mix well, chill until ready to use.

4.Grill the salmon to desired doneness.

5.Serve the salmon topped with the avocado salsa

Snazzy Clothes for All

Wow!   Summer is just flying by.....a wedding we've been anticipating for months came and went on Saturday.  Our friends Kara and Dan were married in a beautiful outdoor wedding at a nature preserve.  We shall all say thanks for glorious air conditioning afterwards...and for a minister who kept the ceremony short and sweet. ;-)  

I was FINALLY able to wear a dress I've been DY.ING to wear somewhere....I bought it for $6 at Goodwill...and actually paid twice that to have it drycleaned, but I guess it was worth it. ;-)  Beautiful green silk that flared out when I spun around on the dance floor.  FUN STUFF folks.  I have a confession.....I buy most of my clothes at Goodwill.  The Marion, Iowa Goodwill is possibly the best Goodwill in all the land....brand new high quality clothes ALL THE TIME.  Awesome clothes.  I once scored a pair of $200 jeans there....for $3.  I didn't much care that they originally cost $200....but realized there is definitely a difference in quality between $200 jeans and $30 jeans! 

Happy shopping (and wedding season)  friends!! :-)

Summer Days

Where is the summer going?  How can we be in the middle of July already?  Why can't February go this quickly?  We've been having lots of fun though....so we'll just keep soaking in each day. 

The Fourth of July weekend was very special around here....we were visited by our favorite aunt and uncle, my brother Mike and his wife Michelle.  USUALLY they are hard at work on the farm, J & W Freshwater Produce....but somehow we were able to steal them away for a few days.  We fed them, played, spit watermelon seeds, had a hilarious water balloon fight (the balloons didn't actually break, just bounced off and splattered on the ground...my stomach hasn't hurt that much from laughing in a long time!!!), lit sparklers...just had a good old fashioned time. 

We've been riding bikes....Marshall is on two wheels now...riding like a champion.   

Clancey is close behind....are you thinking what I'm thinking while looking at this photo?  Clown car.  The kid is E.NOR.MOUS.  Grown more than two inches since Christmas....he is eclipsing that micro bike.

Trying to grow teeth as quickly as we can before sweet corn season arrives.  Almost there Marsh!! 

Got ice cream from the ice cream truck for the FIRST TIME since moving here....seven years ago. ;-)  I remembered why we've never chased down the ice cream truck.  I'll just leave it at that. ;-) 

Devoured the treats....or licked quickly, as is the case with no front teeth.  

Licked even more quickly trying to keep up with a melting spiderman. (It was a losing battle.) And yes, it had eyes.  What ever happened to push pops?  I asked Clanc what kind of ice cream his spiderman was made out of.....his answer?  "Blueberry, red berry and white berry."   Interesting.

We roasted marshmallows in the backyard.  The guys built the little fire ring, collected sticks, helped Dad get the fire going. 

Wow, look at that nice fire.  Levi imparts "yeah, that's a bonafide Boy Scout campfire." 

Um....your bonafide Boy Scout fire just went out babe.  hehehe. 

Eventually we got the fire going nicely and the boys decided they liked their marshmallows lightly warmed.   

Me too.  Not much into charcoal. 

Have you seen these puppies in the store?  The bag was seriously heavy...the marshmallows are the size of apples.  Industrial-sized s'mores anyone?  :-)