Spray Paint

First of all, I think it's funny that you have to be 18 to buy spray paint and super glue.

Second, I love spray painting things. Who knew it could be so much fun? I have refurbished two light fixtures so far. I'm getting better with more practice. Not as many drip things on the second light.

I forgot to take before shots, so I don't think the afters will be as impressive. Maybe when Bryce takes the fan in our room down I'll take some photos

Hooray for spray paint!!!

The Dead Bird in the Drawer

There was a drawer in our kitchen that wasn't easy to open or close since we moved into our house. I put off fixing it just because I haven't felt like taking care of it. I decided a few nights ago that it was time to tackle the sticky drawer.

I opened the drawer to wipe out the old owners' *spit* crap. So I could line it and put it back in.

Much to my horror, I saw a silverfish in there. In case you were wondering, silverfish are the most vile and disgusting of all the bugs on the planet.

I threw the drawer down onto the rug and took a few minutes to stop dry heaving and put on my big girl britches to go and take care of my yucky bug problem.

Upon closer inspection, it was not a silverfish. It was a feather. Now that I notice that feather, I see a whole bunch of them that have been smeared down the side and back of the drawer. I look into the hole where the drawer fits and see a feathery mass stuffed between the track and the side of the cabinet.

This is the part where I freak out. There is a bird carcass in there that has been decaying for months! My stomach is turning violently as I think of how many times I must've run that little bird's body over trying to get that drawer to open and close. My stomach is turning violently because the old owners didn't miss their bird. How the crap did the poor thing even get in there?

I waited until Bryce got home. My knight in shining armor. I know he has a weak stomach for these kinds of things, but I'm pretty sure I would've blown chunks for a week if I had to clean that bird up myself.

I turn my back while he is elbow deep in drawer and feathers. After a few minutes, he starts laughting at me. "Rachel, are you serious??" This is the part where my brave husband pulls out a very beaten up looking pen.

A pen!

I was worked up over a tacky pen with feathers glued to the top!

Masta Bathroom after and before

The Kitchen before and after

Kinda of a before and after shot. I didn't do a very good job of the after shot. Mostly because I have yet to clean the paint, repairing supplies, and tools off the counters. It's looking way better.

But Becky and I installed the chair railing ourselves! She did the work, I supervised. That's how we roll. It looks dang good.

We're still not done, but we're another room closer to being finished.

The Ceiling Fiasco

My lovely front door....and the gigantic, gaping hole in the ceiling right above it.

It all starts in the laundry room. It is right above the hole in the ceiling.

A really great washer and dryer were found on craiglist. The Clarkes were good enough to ruin their Saturday and spend it going to get the washer and dryer and setting them up in my house.

It all should've been pretty fool proof, but I just had to set them up. That was my problem.
I left a hose disconnected and then because I did that it caused a few...hiccups in everything working correctly.

Any leaks that I may have been responsible for should've been fine if I just pushed the water down the drain because drains take care of excess water. Except when the drain drains into your ceiling.

There was a few inches of drain pipe missing!

I found this out right before I had all the Clarkes and a plumber come back to my house to help me figure out what the problem was. I took my husband's wise advice and poured some water (ok, so about a gallon) down the drain to see if I could tell where it was coming out.

I heard the water rushing down the wall and splashing onto the ground before I ever saw it. Wish I hadn't used so much water to find the problem.

Wesley saved the day and connected the pipe together with a lot of glue and some piping. Now that Bryce is home, he is fixing the washer. Hopefully we get everything working properly and I can start to do wash at my own house without worrying about what part of the walls or ceiling is going to be trashed next.

Looking on the bright side, I am getting dang good at repairing walls. Becky actually is, but I make a great project supervisor!

So...We're going to have another one.

We are expecting number two sometime mid-September.

My family knows now. So we aren't being so hush-hush about it anymore.

I wanted to wait until they came out for a visit over Easter, but the ugly winter weather has given them so many snow days from school that they don't have an Easter break anymore. Lame.

I broke the news to them the same way I told Bryce. I e-mailed them a picture of the little stick with pregnant written on it and then followed it up by e-mailing the picture of Elias after I told him. He didn't have too much to say on the matter.