We Need a Screen for our Bedroom Window

Since our new/old house has only recently had central air installed,  we have yet to replace all the screens that were removed by the previous owners to make room for window A/C units.  I like an open window in the summer but we've been hesitant to open any of the windows without screens to keep out the insects... We know from living in the condo that if a fly gets into the house, we will have a very agitated dog on our hands.  Barkley just hates the buzzing and will not rest (or let us rest) until he's eaten the offending insect.

So, we've been sleeping with the windows closed and (since I'm a fan of the genre) I've been watching a scary movie before bed over the past week.  Before you think I'm a total glutton for punishment to be watching a scary movie in a creaky old house, keep in mind the following:

1. Watching a scary movie is one of my favourite ways to unwind and clear my head.
2. My books are still packed.
3. I've only been watching about 10-20 minutes each night.
4. Scary movies should ALWAYS be watched in a creaky old house!

Anyway, I was sleeping the other night and I woke to hear a scratching at the bedroom window.  It really freaked me out and I had trouble getting back to sleep but I didn't want to wake Corey so I forced myself to try to clear my mind.  It didn't work:  I let my imagination run wild for about an hour and I became too afraid to check behind the curtains because by then, I was convinced I'd be face to face with something terrible like a creepy clown. 

A week passed and I had forgotten about the scratching...

Then, this past weekend, we discovered the source of the mysterious scratching:

 

Apparently, this little guy likes to chew the wood that supported the old A/C unit.

He even brought a friend.  I call them Alvin and Simon...

Despite the face that Barkley seemed to think this was amazing entertainment, I scared them away.  I didn't want them planting nuts in our evestroughs or getting up to any other squirrely mischief. 

But seriously, they are kind of cute!  I come from an animal loving family so I've grown up with a fondness for all animals!  When I was little, my parents indulged me by letting me hide peanuts outside for "Mr. Squirrel"... I believe we had patient neighbours.  :)

 ... Because I think if my neighbour were actually encouraging these animals to hang out in our yards, I would be more like:

Just in case you're curious, now that I know how to find funny GIFs online, I'll be using them excessively here.  Just wanted to clear that up.

Now we can add "buy window screens" to our list.  I hope you all enjoyed the weekend!

Related articles

• 6 Home Security Tips You Should Read if You Live Alone
• Duct and Cover!
• 6 Plants to Keep Bugs Away!
• Living With Shared Outdoor Spaces
• Your Dream Home: How Do You Know When You've Found It? (Part 1)
• Hello, New Challenge! (Pictures of the House!!)

Corey's The Man

 

Corey's going to be mortified at the title of this post!  I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am lucky to be living with a handy guy!  While I handled the real estate aspects of finding our home, Corey makes our dreams of giving our home some TLC a reality!  I've posted a few of my recent projects but I haven't posted much about Corey lately.  So what has Corey been up to since we pulled the floors?

Here's the short list:

Clearing out the basement to make room for the furnace company.  This included sawing and removing an old boxspring.

Cutting a hole in the wall to make room for our new washer and dryer.  We're actually going to keep the door here and close up the entrance to the basement stairs from the kitchen.  I'll post about this another time.

Bypassing some scary galvanized pipe in the basement water line.  This was a bad one and included several trips to Lowes late one Friday night and a day without water.  I almost cried, so I was lucky that Corey keeps a cool head.  The best part is that we now have proper water pressure (there's a pic of the old clogged pipe below) ... which calls for some sort of water-related celebration!

Here's a closer look... Aaannnnd, that's why our showers have been so sucky!

Miscelaneous electrical and venting jobs.  Honestly, there are too many to count!  They also happened to require that Cor tear down most of the ceiling in the basement.  All in a day's work.  Corey saves us money all over the place!

The venting in our laundry room so that we can have a washer and dryer:

FYI, that window hasn't been plugged yet and I'm terrified of spiders getting in.  I ask Corey if he has sprayed for spiders at least a couple of times a day.  Better get on that, Corey!

Here's a shot of our babies washer and dryer:  Can you tell we're excited to finally have decent laundry facilities?
 

Lovely, right?  Too bad our laundry room is a disaster right now and we have no plans to renovate it for at least a year.  Our pretty appliances are totally slumming it!

We have some big projects ahead of us but some of the high pressure projects (as in, our insurance company gave us a time limit) are done.  We'll continue working on the house but we're excited to finally begin living in it too!

So, to summarize in the style of Lonely Island, Corey has worked like a boss and accomplished the following:

Disclaimer: If you don't "get" the reference, I suggest watching the (NSFW... Seriously, this video is not appropriate to watch in public.  It is a joke but the language is crass.) "Like a Boss" video.  ... Unless you're one of my aunts who reads my blog.  If that's the case, please don't watch.  If you did watch, I assure you that I have no idea how that foul video got on the internet and yes, I agree that someone should monitor these things.

Bought a new saw.  like a boss
Cut a bed in half.  like a boss
Cut some holes in walls. like a boss
Did some hammering. like a boss
Sprayed for spiders.  like a boss
Installed some laundry ducts.  like a boss
... And some electrical work.  like a boss
AND some plumbing.  like a boss
Found a spider.  like a boss
Don't tell Taylor.  like a boss
Sprayed for spiders again.  like a boss
Vented laundry.  like a boss
Tufted a headboard.  like a boss
Should I cut down that tree?  like a boss
Nah, I'll do it tomorrow.  like a boss
Found another spider.  like a boss

That's all I've got for now but I'm sure there will be plenty in the weeks to come. 

Oh, and my other boy is adjusting very nicely.  I think having a house gives him more confidence!  He likes to guard the house but is also totally relaxed in the yard!

Related articles

• Gift Idea: A Simple DIY Scarf
• Getting our DUCTS in a Row.
• Backyard: Round One
• From Agent to Seller: Ready to Move
• Moving by Numbers

I Can't Kill An Air Plant... Right?

 

I am notorious for having a brown thumb.  I kill indoor plants (usually not on purpose...the one time that it was deliberate is a secret I will take to my grave!) and I remember once, as a child, even managing to kill a cactus!  A CACTUS!  In spite of this, I love what plants do for indoor air quality and I've had my eye on both a dwarf banana tree and a fiddle leaf fig. 

Note: Right now you're probably thinking: Dwarf banana tree??? .. what the heck?  I talk a lot about liking "functional plants" and most of my outdoor garden plants are edible.  I like to play it off like I'm some cool, organic granola eating girl, but this isn't actually the case.  While I love the idea of growing my own food, I think my obsession with edible plants is partially due to some deep rooted paranoia that one day we will experience a zombie apocalypse (Or I suppose it could be some other disaster but most likely, it will be zombies!) and I will be holed up here for years, sustained by all my edible plants.  There's enough liquor in the cabinet to make some pretty lethal Molotov cocktails in defense against the zombies and Corey and I could be stuffing our faces with garden tomatoes, kale, chives... and (if all goes according to plan) dwarf bananas while the rest of the world is in chaos!  You can make fun if you like but then I won't give you any of my bananas!  Mmmm... delicious dwarf bananas!  Corey's probably reading this and shaking his head right now.  Don't think I'm too nuts though- I'm mostly joking!  It's good to be prepared!

Before I invest in a larger plant, I thought I'd try something small, cheap and easy.  An air plant seemed like a good bet but I also didn't have the first clue of where to put it. 

I found these vertical gardens (below) online and thought it was a great idea to keep the plants out of the way.  I didn't love the size so I decided to make my own using things we already had around the house.

I started with an Ikea Ribba picture frame.  These are great because they're so deep and I have tons lying around for staging.  I used a hammer and nail to create small holes around the inside of the frame.  I then screwed in little eyelet screws from a picture hanging kit.  I wasn't worried about measuring the spacing since I may interlace more wire or add another deeper wire grid at some point if I feel the plants need more stability.

I then ran picture hanging wire between the eyelets.  I kept my spacing large to start with but may add more wire in the future.

I ended up discarding the backing so that my plants will have a little more air circulation.  I purchased some cheap plants in a variety of shapes during a day out with my mom.  A couple of them look like they may flower for me soon.

Then I painted the frame and wire with white non-toxic paint.  I could probably get away with regular spray paint but the plants absorb everything through their leaves so I didn't want to risk it.

Once it was dry, it was ready to hang.  Notice how the wires are almost invisible against my white wall?  I think I'll try to match the paint on the frame to whatever colour I end up painting the East room.

And here's the final frame with the plants.  I do think it may need a few extra wires for security but I'm going to wait to decide.

And since these little suckers need to soak in the sink a couple of times per week, the arrangement is constantly changing.  I also think they're looking healthier now that they're hydrated!

Related articles

• Bring the outside in with a living wall
• Sneak Peek: Best of Indoor Plants
• Is a Green Thumb Something You Can Learn?
• Balcony Gardening Q&A with Isabelle Palmer
• Pallet Vertical Garden