Upgrade of the Foundation Planting

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The foundation planting strip outside the front door was full of weeds when we moved in.

Our Sidewalk Supervisor surveys the work that has been completed thus far.

Charlie pulled the weeds. Now what?

Charlie took apart liriope plants and planted them along the edge of the rock border.

While I was working on some little projects in the house — changing a light, putting up shelves in the garage, making a closet where there wasn’t one — Charlie was replanting some stray plants from the yard.  There were clumps of liriope — lily turf — throughout the yard.

The plan is to continue to add plants.

I hung a plant  that I received for Mother’s Day near the end of the bed.

The lights come on nightly at l’heure bleu but don’t detract from the dark night sky.

I added 4 solar lights since the area is very dark at night.

Parsley is a staple of our crab cake recipe — fresh is preferred over dried.

Charlie also planted parsley which he uses in his crab cake recipe.

We had to raise the red-flowered plant because an animal or maybe a bird was snapping off the branches.

Maybe a few more herbs would be a good choice.

Jo

Minor Furniture Zhuzh

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I inherited a little green metal table from my mother.

The tile-topped stand is useful since it fits almost anyplace.

It’s only one tile large. It used to be out on the covered porch but even so the metal base rusted.

Although the green frame looks good in the photo it was actually scarred with rust.

I carefully pried off the tile which I washed.  I also scrubbed the metal stand.

I gave it about 3 coats and let it totally dry in the sun and breeze before reattaching the tile.

The next step was to spray it all over with rust inhibiting primer. After letting that dry I followed up with gloss navy spray paint.

The tile is attached with a schmear of adhesive.

Finally I reset the tile with tile adhesive that I had on hand from another project.

I keep moving the table around.

The plan is to use it in the newly remodeled downstairs bathroom to hold extra toilet paper or towels or a plant or .  .  .

Jo

Another Light Switcheroo

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I bought 2 recycled Bicycle Glass wall sconces.

When these went on sale at 25 percent off and free shipping I snagged 2 of them.

I put one in the primary bathroom and one in the primary bedroom hall replacing the inexpensive sconces I installed here.

The brown sconce was very dusty and had a square metal plate against the wall.

After remodeling the downstairs ensuite bathroom with new lighting I decided the attached bedroom ought to have something better than a brown can light.

The new light will fit on the old bracket.

After taking down the light I painted the area since the new sconce has a round plate and would not have fully covered the area behind the lamp.

Using the fixture from the primary bathroom upstairs I wired it up in the downstairs bedroom.

The Celestial wall sconce by Bicycle Glass looks good from the adjacent bathroom.

I’m glad I thought of it.  Now I need a fixture for the spot from where I nicked this one.

Jo

Storage in the Garage: Shelves and Hooks

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Ever since we moved into The Landing the garage has been half filled with boxes, tools, and other clutter.

I’m tired of the unorganized clutter.

I have at least been able to park my car in there.

The pegboard on the wall made leveling the shelf easy.

There were a pair of shelf brackets screwed to the wall but oddly they were upside down.  I righted them and added a 48″ board to create a shelf.

I reused the short lumber I removed from the closet in the downstairs bedroom.

We had 7 pieces of 12″ wide and about 20 ” long wood shelving left over from removing the closet in the downstairs bedroom.

The Ikea brackets do not come with hardware but the price is right.

I purchased 14 sturdy metal TOMTHULT shelf brackets for $2 each from Ikea since I had 7 short cuts of wood. (Ikea sells a similar plastic bracket for half the price.)

I’m sure the shelves will fill up quickly.

I hung them on the side wall near the back of the garage.

The chairs are hanging to the right of the fire extinguisher.

To the right of the long shelf on the other side of the post I screwed in 2 large hooks about 10 inches apart on which I hung 3 of our folding chairs.

Even with this new storage we have loads of clutter to arrange including about 10 boxes of sheet music and hymnals. (Notice how quickly the shelves are being utilized.)

For the time being we keep rearranging our belongings.  And I can still park my car in the garage.

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: DIY Closet

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Charlie demolished most of 2 downstairs bathrooms and I chose the new finishes.

The potential closet is on the left-hand side of the photo.

Since I can ever have enough closet space we decided to use the back of the bathroom as a closet area.

The hidey hole box has been trimmed with wood that holds it in place so it doesn’t need to be permanently secured.

In the area designated for a closet I have made some inset shelves where the medicine cabinet used to be.

The painted closet (from approximately the same viewpoint as as the first picture.

After the tile was installed I painted the entire room including the closet.

Salvaged wood painted white to freshen it up.

I painted salvaged wood from the closet we ripped out semi-gloss white.

This double board shelf is almost 24″ wide.

Using the newly-painted wood  I installed a deep overhead shelf for storing extra bedding.

I cut the pole with my handy pipe cutter much as I did in 2017 when I fitted out the walk-in closet at our previous home.

After the shelf I added a closet pole from wall to wall.

The Ikea panel curtains are on a triple track and can slide in both directions.

Finally, with Charlie’s help, we hung an Ikea VIDGA track from the ceiling without killing each other.  Thankfully it’s more forgiving than it seemed while we were installing it. (Watch a video tutorial before trying to follow the Ikea directions.)

From the hall entrance the closet panels can be partially seen just beyond the toilet.

From the triple track we hung 3 FÖNSTERVIVA white/beige panels that look a lot like grasscloth to cover the front of the closet area.

I have already filled the shelf with excess bedding — comforters, afghans, pillows, etc. — in flexible zipper containers.

This closet should be helpful for visiting guests using the downstairs bedroom and for overflow from my closet.

Jo

June, 2025: Aims

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It was a year ago at the end of June that we closed on The Landing.

The dock.

We have enjoyed the view and the lifestyle in this community of folks who depend upon the water for a living.

The downstairs bathroom rehab was started the last week of April and it’s almost ready for guests.

However, we have had to make many costly improvements to this 1991 post and beam house not to mention the projects that we took on ourselves.

We’ve started painting the shed.

Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in June:

  1.  Clean the siding on the house to get ready for stain.

    Our siding is a bland camel color.

  2.  Arrange all paint supplies in garage.

    I love having a garage but our clutter is overwhelming.

  3.  Take Dashie to the vet for annual shots and check-up.

    Dash is usually pretty well-behaved at the vet.

  4.  Get rid of 3 boxes of old papers.
  5.  Do something fun.
  6.  Hang shelves in garage.

    I’ll be reusing the lumber I removed from the closet in the downstairs bedroom.

  7.  Make hanging areas for chairs in garage.

    I need a convenient place to hang these chairs.

  8.  Clear kitchen counters.

    I clear off the counters then it happens again.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: PROGRESS .
  10.  Write a goal list for July, 2025.

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Installing the Fixtures

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After the tiling was finished,

Shower walls and floor have been tiled.

and the painting mostly complete,

The downstairs bathroom is ready for fixtures.

the vanity, toilet and plumbing fixtures were ready to be set.

The sink had already been plumbed with a
Champagne Bronze Delta Saylor 1.2 GPM Widespread Bathroom Faucet with Push Pop-Up Drain Assembly and Diamond Seal Valve Technology.

I wasn’t home to supervise the operation but I left written instructions with both the contractor and Charlie about any details that might be missed.

The shower fixtures are also champagne bronze by Delta but chosen by the contractor (perhaps the Velum model).

Likewise the showerhead, hand sprayer, and controls had already been installed.

I requested that my own antique mirror be used and the lighting fixture overlap it to intensify the brightness in the room.

Before the vanity was set in place the lighting fixtures were hung.

Vanity and toilet are on the same wall.

The vanity was set in place. The toilet is a Toto ADA model that came with the house.

My first task after the installation was to hang a toilet paper holder.

I was delighted to find everything but the shower glass (which was not in the original quote) installed when I arrived home.

Jo

May, 2025: Score

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May has been a marvelous month:  lots accomplished, mostly beautiful weather, and tiny tasks taken care of.

Lots of windows on the bay view side of the house.

In addition to the numbered list below I:

  • continued to unpack 3 boxes each day.

    Still loads to unpack and put away.

  • met with my new PCP who told me to start lifting light weights.
  • whitened my teeth with Crest strips.

    Only halfway through the pack and my teeth are plenty white.

Here’s the numbered list I worked on in May:

  1.  Celebrate Memorial Day.  It snuck up on both of us.  During the entire weekend we ate delicious Maryland crabmeat and roasted vegetables.

    We hung our flag on a bayside balcony. We need a bigger flag.

    We hung our US flag and remembered our friends and family who proudly served.

  2.  Work on setting up my studio.  This has been a slow process while waiting for Charlie to clear out his stuff, making room for business and design projects, and finding time to fit it into the month but I’ve done a little organizing everyday.  My plan is to move all paperwork out of my bedroom and into the studio. Yeah!!
  3.  Decide on a name for the new house.  I’m calling our home on the bay: The Landing.

    Sunset at The Landing.

  4.  Begin to design a new kitchen layout. I measured, I drew a plan, I looked at appliances, cabinets, and countertops.

    Can’t wait to get rid of this island.

  5.  Get ready for overnight guests. Charlie and I set up the downstairs bedroom while we’re finishing the ensuite bathroom.

    My job was the DIY closet.

  6.  Paint a wall.  In fact I painted an entire bathroom and a wall in the adjacent bedroom.

    The downstairs bathroom is ready for fixtures.

  7.  Pick up stain samples to try on exterior walls.  I bought a can of Cabot’s solid stain for fences and siding in Spruce Blue which I tried on the shed first.

    For me it’s always fun to try a new color on an old thing.

    Turns out Spruce Blue is a little too gray for the house but will work fine for the shed.

  8.  Get new tires for my car. I called a local tire shop that had been recommended by new friends.

    Tire World is efficient and friendly.

    They usually only take drop offs but made an exception in my case.  I waited in the coffee shop 4-tenths of a mile away (which I walked both ways) while they changed my tires.  Win-win.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: HOSPITALITY.
  10.  Write a goal list for June, 2025.

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Paint

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For some reason applying joint compound to the bathroom walls seemed to linger on and on.

Seems like a tremendous amount of joint compound for such a small space.

The original mudder called out for a week then the contractor took over on what started out as a sloppy job.

Before the contractor began I tested the color, Natural Tan by Sherwin Williams, on a large section of wall.

In the meantime I’m waiting to prime and paint the entire room before the fixtures are set in place.

I added some pale yellow (I had on hand from the primary bedroom project) to the Sherwin Williams Natural Tan to lighten it up just a bit and make it a little warmer.

From the start, painting the bathroom project was to be completed by me.  I have always done all my own painting.

The downstairs bathroom is ready for fixtures.

I started with the wall that would house the vanity and toilet.

I ran out of steam but painted along the bottom of the walls so I wouldn’t have to cut in the baseboard when it was applied.

Then I moved to the space toward the back of the room that will be a closet.

The entire room has been painted my amended version Natural Tan HGSW7567 Eggshell.

The room will look much smaller when all the fixtures are installed.  I can’t wait.

Jo

My Spare Tire

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When I last had my car’s oil changed I was informed that I needed new tires.

Tire World is efficient and friendly.

I took my car to a local tire shop where they usually only take drop offs but made an exception in my case.

I had avocado toast and a cortado at the nearby coffee shop while I waited.

When the car had 4 new tires I went in the office to make payment.  At the same time Charlie called the technician and asked him to check my spare tire.

Good thing I never had to use this spare tire.

The tire tech found it under the car.  When he pulled it out to give it some air he was afraid to pump it up because it was in atrocious condition — rusted, dry rotted, and just in bad shape.

My order from Ebay came within a week.

The tire shop does not carry spare tire assemblies so I ordered one from Ebay.

The original tire assembly on top, new one on the bottom.

I never thought of checking my spare tire. Duh!

The old tire has been sent to the dump.

Charlie replaced the old tire with the new one in the rack under the car.

The tire in its rack under the car.

I couldn’t lift either of them so if I get a flat I’ll be calling  AAA.

Jo