Mirror Mirror

I'm a DIY when it comes to doing some home renovations.  My next project on the to do list is to update my master bath first with a new splash of color on the walls.  But before I do that, I need to take the huge mirror off the wall.   This should be an easy task....you would think!  Unscrew a couple of mirror clips and with the help of another person lift and carry out.  Job done!  But no.....the contractor mounted this mirror with glue and no clips just like it was done in my smaller bath.  So, the plan is to removed it the same way as I did in the other bathroom. 

Get clear contact paper and put that over the mirror.  Cover the sink(s) so no small pieces go down the drain(s).  Take a hammer or a rubber mallet, bath towel and start cracking the mirror.  Then using a xacto knife, cut the contact paper the shape of the broken mirror pieces.  This makes the dismantling much easier.  After the mirror is completely down, use a putty knife to scrape off all the excess tacky glue.  Use wall spackling to clean-up the glued areas.  After that is dry, sand those areas to make them smooth. 

I sure would like to know what motivates a contractor to use the tacky glue vs. mirror clips?   Clearly the tacky glue would not be my method of choice.

House on the market

Toured a 1950 cape cod yesterday.  Unbelievable closet space, not typical for this type of home and age.  The rooms were a nice size.  In the kitchen there was a 3/4 circular eating space which was so cute.  All the other rooms except the kitchen, entry and bathroom had hardwood floors which were in good condition.

Now the bad stuff....the kitchen was updated with ceramic back splash and counter top.  I don't know about you, but a counter top made of ceramic tiles isn't ideal.  No one wants to clean grout.  The kitchen floor was replaced with ceramic tiles that were dated and made the threshold higher coming from the dining room into the kitchen.  Ugh!

If you are going to renovate, put the money to good and not dated material and install it correctly.  Do your homework....watch HGTV, look at magazines etc.

After seeing the main floor and upstairs we moved to the so called finished basement. I don't know what was worse....the smell, paneling, stained drop ceiling or the electrical tape on the wiring of the ceiling fixture.

Cute house but has some issues including the tax assessment that keeps young buyers at bay. 

Old and charming

We recently went to an open house on the North Side of the city.  These townhomes date back to the late 1800's and are very charming. In fact, the entire street had lots of curb appeal. The renovations to these units were nice but, I was a little disappointed the contractor/owner didn't replaced the molding/raised panel around the front windows This trim had a fresh coat of paint but, you can see the chipped paint under the new coat.

There are many nice old homes in the area however, some of them are in the less desired areas of the city.  Most of them need major work but they have the original wood work (not painted), pocket doors and stain glass.  The homes have history and charm something you can't find with the newer homes.

Slack Pattern

It's been awhile since I've sewed any clothes for myself....so, I went to the local fabric store to purchase some patterns.  Is it me or what....the pattern sizes don't match the size of ready made clothes.  What's up with that?  So, I took an old pair of slacks that still fit, and took them apart to use as a pattern. After cutting the new slacks out, I put the pattern (old slacks) in a large baggie and marked the bag 'slacks.'