Hotel Rack

According to Google Analytics, many people who visit DC Rowhouse are interested in the train rack post from a while back. So, I figured I should share some new knowledge. They are also called. . . "hotel racks". Seriously . . . can your mind handle it? Here are some great examples I found for every price range.

A UK store Wild & Funk has this baby for 150 pounds. It's pretty nice and they also show it being used as a coat rack - very versatile.

Sears has this puppy for $84.99. It's a little different with the rounded edges.

Absolute Home carries a lovely model for about $255 (and that's the discounted price). For those of us on with champagne dreams and beer budgets, this one from Organize-it-online has some potential.

Happy Shopping!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Back in March I listed the "phases" of work to be done. Let's see where I am 8 months later. Here is the list with items completed crossed off:

Phase 1: hardwood floor upstairs, new front door, install stained glass house numbers, paint house exterior, new exterior lighting, new mailboxes installed, phone and cable jacks.

Phase 2: re-frame the fireplace, fix hardwood floors, paint interior, washer/dryer closet repair to fit unit, lights in dining room

Phase 3: Kitchen remodel, refinish hardwood downstairs

Phase 4: Exterior landscaping, fence replacement, deck repair, patio correction/replacement, front fence upgrade

Phase 5: Hall & Master bathroom remodeling

It seems there has been a lot of skipping around. That said, only two more items until "phase 1" is done! I think realistically, it would be great to get the rest of the items done in 2009. Which would mean it took 2 years to renovate the house. Oh. Dear. God. Back in December 2007, when we bought the house, I thought a year of hard work would really do the trick. Wrong! The planning and prep and making the projects are done in the right sequence is really the hardest process. Researching how and where to spend your money takes such a long time! It sure does feel good to see all those items crossed off though!

Ring, Ring

So, I have something to confess. We STILL don't have a phone working. Then Comcast called. They, well they offered us a deal we couldn't refuse OK?! Essentially giving us more channels (more, more, more. . . how do you like it? how do you like it?) and rolling in a phone with FREE LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE calling for the same price we are paying now (maybe a little less actually).

Then, the embarrassing part comes in:

The cable guy: I am here to install the digital phone.

Me: Awesome!

CG: where is your phone now?

Me: Oh, Um, it's in the kitchen, but we plug it right into the network interface outside, through the kitchen window.

CG: I see. ::stares at me with a disapproving glare::

Me (standing in front of the sink to hide a pile of dishes): Yeah, so it would be nice to not do that anymore.

CG: Uh-huh.

Later on. . .

CG: All set!

Me: Great! Now I can close the window all the way since it's getting colder out.

CG: Riiiiiiight.

Soon after, I called Dan:

Me: they hooked up the new phone!

Dan: Great!

Me: Well, it's through the internet modem until we fix the phone lines and then they can hook it up through there.

Dan: So, we still only have the phone plugged into one spot.

Me: ::deep breath:: Yup.

Dan: So essentially the same thing we had before.

Me: Yeah, except this time... it's FREE!!!



Another example of a lot of effort with little to no result. Ta-da!!!

End Scene.

I was watching "Generation Renovation" on HGTV, which features a NJ designer's home. Her name is Tracey Butler and she is AMAZING! Here are some photos of her home I snagged from her website. There are many many more on there to browse through. My favorite part was the amazing striped marble floor in one of her baths:

The End of the Tile

I must say, through all the mix-ups with the tile - the company has been more than gracious. Today they refunded my account for the entire payment. So, that's done. Thank god!

Now, it has come to my attention that I have few weekends left before the end of the year. In fact, I only have three. The others are filled with Turkey, Trees, presents and candy. It will be interesting to see if I actually get my ass in gear to get anything done. Ideally I would like to finish painting the fireplace (read:living and dining room) and install the recessed cabinet in the downstairs bathroom. But, with our recent hectic schedules there has been a mounting list of things to get done to, I don't know, function in the real world. Clean undies = good. Smelly dishes = bad. We need to get these down soon.

O.M.G.The Tile

I opened the tile box. Although the color was OK, the tile was broken on the edge. Now, I am up to my ears in packing peanuts and tile I now hate because it has been such a huge pain in my ass. With the weather turning colder, it sure would be nice to strike up a nice fire. With the fireplace unfinished, it doesn't look like that will be happening. Maybe by January?

Packing Peanuts

The first box of tile I recieved was filled with packing peanuts. When the company had to send me another shipment, I forgot to ask them if they could pack it in newspaper (easy to recycle) instead of the peanuts. See, the peanuts suck. They get EVERYWHERE, defy the boundaries when it comes to sweeping (static!) and Nina the Cat is a little obsessed with them. In fact, the new box, which lays in the livingroom, had a small hole in it. Nina pawed a lot of the peanuts out. Bad KITTY! When Dylan the Cat when to play king of the hill on the box - she attacked his tail with a fury I have never seen. Apparently, it's not a big deal if the cats eat them (they are made of starch?) - but I am not condoning it anyway.

Anyway, the point of all this was to let you know you can recycle (or allow someone to re-use) the packing peanuts! Find a location near you here: http://www.loosefillpackaging.com/

More tile

The new tile pieces arrived though I am yet to open the box. This is partially because I don't want to deal with the 4,000 peanuts they use as packing materials, and partially because I don't want to find unmatched tile within.

The great tile debate

I ordered some tiles for the fireplace. They came in. This is what I got:
These are obviously not the same color. The two on the ends being a far lighter shade then the ones in the middle. At this point I can't even deal with returning them. I hope the company will just give me a refund so I don't have to lug 45 pounds of tile to UPS.

Nina!!!

Nina loves house projects! She likes to be right in on the action:

Front lights!

Here are some crappy pictures of the new front lights. I have no idea why they are so fuzzy. But, it will give you an idea.


Oh hey! The new fountain wanted to say "what's up" too...

Shhhh...

Psst. There are dudes moving into an abandoned house in my neighborhood. This house is a shell. I mean, just framing and some wires. You can't live there. I am currently spying on them as they move in mattresses and weird looking couches.

The house was for sale a couple months ago, but the sign left quickly. I don't think it sol. Now there is a U-haul. With stuff. I saw them carry in a roll of brown carpet. Are they going to, gulp, throw this over the rotting plywood? Seriously, there are sheets of white plastic covering the windows of this place. It is not safe. Not to mention, I think that squatters bring down housing values.

I know... it's been awhile.

I am still working on adjusting my camera to take some great shots of all the work we have been doing at casa DC Rowhouse. Though, I have to admit, the last few weeks have been extremely busy with... work. Like real work that I get paid for. It's always getting in the way.

One thing that makes DC Rowhouse so special is that it is in DC. Not, in the outlying area, smack dab in the district. Thus, making this Tuesday an extra snazzy day for me and my neighbors. Standing in line to vote so close to the capitol building and white house (to name two) was a great feeling. Trying to go to bed at a reasonable hour however, was not. I watched the election results until 10:30 and then headed off to bed. At that time, it looked like Obama was going to win and I just wanted to find out in the morning instead of biting all my fingernails off while watching county by county results come in from say . . . Virginia. With the cats keeping me company (Dan was still at work) I settled into bed. I couldn't sleep. I had too much energy from the day. So, I began doing what I always to before going to bed - mapping out my dream house building plans. 11pm - still wide awake. 11:15pm - all hell breaks loose outside. Fireworks shooting, horns honking, people screaming running outside and down the streets screaming. Since 93% of the district voted for Obama, I knew at that point they had called it. Running to the window as the cats dove under the bed for cover from all the noise I saw fireworks and tears of joy from neighbors. It was great. Until the next day when Dan called me at work:



Dan: Hey, do you think you can grab the paper when you see one?

Me: OK, you didn't get one.

Dan: Nope, all sold out.

Me: Oh, crap.

Dan: What?

Me: You know how we canceled the paper to only Sundays a couple months ago, but they were still giving it to us everyday?

Dan: Yeah. . .

Me: Well, they called last week and I told them to stop giving it to us because we don't read it all the time and it is wasteful.

Dan: Oh. So, we could've had the paper this morning on our door instead of running to every store in town.

Me: Yup.

Dan: Crap.



So, we didn't get a paper. That sucks. Wanna give me yours?