Signing a Contract

We did it. It has been months in the planning and months in the picking and months in the finagling and months in the budget-adjusting. We found a contractor, had plans drawn up, and we begin in about two weeks.

Ack!

We were out to dinner last night with Pup's ginormous family (just a smallish chunk of them actually) and I mentioned to SIL Penny Lane that we were starting our den soon.

Penny asked me, "Why don't you guys relax and have some fun instead of always working on your house?"

At first I was bewildered. I think I actually asked her what she meant. She simply meant what she said. From her perspective, Pup and I are always working on the Chez Emerson and not enjoying life. From our perspective, we are making Chez Emerson lovely so we can enjoy our life.

Got me thinking though. What is important? Is where you live important? Is your stuff important? Is cocooning the thing you love? Is traveling the thing you love?

Penny lives a simpler life, unencumbered with stuff. So when I looked at the question from where she was sitting it made sense. But where does this leave the question?

I think for Pup and me, we are still finding our way. We've only been married a bit over a year. We had to move into his house, we had to blend our ways of living, we had to blot out reminders of his ex-wife from the house, we had to blot out any residual reminders of my wasband. I'm sure we're not doing it perfectly, but we're doing it.

For Pup, I can see how having a wife isn't always easy. He was a single guy for a while and he was used to not having to ask anyone else if they wanted to attend another Pup-family gathering. He didn't have to ask anyone else if they wanted a recliner in the living room. No one was hogging all the hot water in the shower.

For me, I'm finding I need to say yes to some family gatherings and not feel bad if I don't go to others. I need to listen to a few wants (pool table anyone?) and find joy in the decision.

So . . . the question. Why aren't Pup and I enjoying life instead of working on the Chez Emerson? I think the working and finessing and decorating and incorporating and compromising and nesting is the beginning of our enjoying our life. Our new and tender life together. We're finding our way; tiptoeing through the landmines and coming through on the other side.

How are you enjoying your life? How are you working it with your spouse/partner? Or how are you working it for you?

Remodel Post - Part Three

I don't know how Karen from This Old House 2 does it. The remodel posts are exhausting! Remodeling is exhausting! But she has spiffy posts day after day showcasing her lovely home. Thank you Karen for suggesting I post about the remodel!

Dining Room
In this space the bulk of what we did was simply new table, rug, my china hutch, and plantain shutters on the bay windows in both the living room and dining room.

dining room before

dining room after

Living Room
I've talked about Pup's love-affair with his white, leather, puffy couch.

Exhibit One

I tease him about it, but it was a fine bachelor-couch. It had many recliners, it was soft, and while it had no cupholders, it did have a cubby between two of the recliners to hide his remotes. Very functional and handy.

So I move in with my couch and we parcel out his sectional to various places in the house.

I make it sound like it was a million pieces. Only two pieces were regifted (ha!).

Just the other night I sat on a lovely piece of the sofa in the Dungeon of Fun watching Pup put together this LARGE weight bench he got for himself.

Exhibit Two

Here is how it began looking after I moved in. Lovely couch. I had just bought it for my/our other house. It fit in Pup's living room nicely. But no recliners. That's what started this whole thing.

Ikea Expedit

 

I love how this worked on the staircase wall.

Exhibit Three

Note: Recliner-made-for-two

Tweaking is ensuing, but that's a never-ending process frankly.

The problem with any redecorating is then you start thinking about the next project and then the next project. Until you want to rip out your eyes and love what you have.

But Pup and I love shaking it up I'm thinking. Why else would we be planning the man-den?

Remodel Post - Part Two

While searching for and finding all these pictures (yes, my photo archive is as chaotic as my mind) the contrast between Pup's house before I moved in and after I moved in is startling.

He was very noncluttery. I moved in and the house exploded! The man had NOTHING in his basement. You should see it now. I have serious crap. And I have edited hugely in the past few years. It's a tad scary.

Love you baby! How do you stand it?

Enough guilt. Let's start with this phone-photo I took of our insane cat the other day when I was making a roast in Pup's Ron “Ronco” Popeil's Rotisserie. Pup loves this thing. And it works great I have to say. The kitchen stays cool while it's spinning away.

It made me laugh and laugh that Calvin was so fascinated and assuming that I was making HIM some supper. Ha!

Moving on . . .

kitchen before

kitchen during

kitchen after

 

We LOVE our kitchen. Not the appliances we picked out (LG - you suck and you know it.), but everything else about it.

I am ripping my hair out at the photos I am taking. My little, cheap, Canon was so much better than this Olympus pile.

And - the tangle of cords under the cabinets is now taken care of. Love you baby - again.

Remodel Post - Part One

I moved into Pup's house in November of 2008 after a whirlwind of a remodel.

We both owned houses and had thought that we'd sell them and buy a new house and we could start our new life together.

But the market fell to crap and after a brief foray into becoming landlords (that was scary scary scary) we decided to rent my house to my daughter and her husband and I'd move into Pup's house, but we'd have to do some remodeling.

We did it so fast it made our heads spin. We wanted to get it done before the Minnesota winter hit with a vengeance.

We decided to do the office (we had to squeeze me in there), the bathroom, the kitchen, and enclose the loft for sound.

loft before

loft after

 Not that much was really done in the loft. It probably will change substantially in the next year or so when we do the man-den and, finally, a deck off the loft. I may do a little something up there. You know how it is!

Pup's recliner - or part of them

Don't let him fool you - these are in our bedroom (loft) and he can visit them any time he wants. He does like to sit there and supervise any chores that are going on in the bedroom. He's bossy that way. Ha! Pay no attention to the cat box. There is a long, painful story about that. I will not share. 

loft enclosure

 You would not believe how I had to fight with the contractor to put in the windows and the glass door. He thought they wouldn't give us any privacy. Light comes in from the loft to the living space below. And we can open the windows for airflow. I love how it turned out!

view from loft

nook at top of stairs

Photo disclaimer
Major trouble with crappy camera