April Update

So, where was I?

Ah, yes, the bathroom! A few weeks later...

What a difference!

It took a bit of mental strength for Dad and me to figure out how to cut frame moulding out on the correct angle. Then to hang the frame correctly! In the end, it came out great and I am sooooo happy with the huge mirror! What you can't see here is that the left side of the mirror sticks out further than the vanity, which  means I can stand in front of it without having to lean over the vanity! Let's be honest, I'm short so the more I lean, the shorter I get!

My next project was slightly unnecessary but once I touched it I broke it so I had to fix it... My driveway gate was off-level enough to drag the concrete if you didn't pick it up while opening. So I decided I'd take loosen then retighten the bolts to readjust the gate. That was all fine and dandy until one of the bolts wouldn't tighten. Lo and behold it was stripped!

Makes me wonder if it was galvanized...

Fortunately (unfortunately?) Home Depot is but a few minutes away so I popped over the bridge and picked up brand new carriage bolts and nuts in the proper galvanized steel. Then I was able to raise the gate to a new height so that it doesn't drag! Yay!

See the right gate's bottom how it's worn down?

My next project was the very next weekend while I was bored... My front walkway ends at grass but is sunken to where it holds water after any rain shower. But my newly discovered street drain is but a few feet away! So I decided to dig a trench! But not just a trench, I added a pipe to it!

You'd never know that pipe was there!

Putting this in has been a huuuuuge improvement in water drainage! Before installing this, the water would sit in the walkway for hours, sometimes days. Now, it drains in minutes! Even after a super heavy downpour the water will drain in about an hour. Now if only I could figure out the drainage around the rest of my house...

A "quick" project I threw in with Mom's help was hanging a floating shelf! I inherited a pair of Ikea floating shelves from my friends down the street. So I decided the best place for them was in my laundry "room." Well, if anyone has any experience with Ikea, you would know that 'quick and simple' does not describe their installations...

Worth it in the end!

 I even added a vintage swag lamp!

Dad came in the next weekend and installed the top shelf in 5 minutes...

Remember that cabinet I snagged off the curb? I (mostly) finished that too!

Same yellow as the bathroom!

I disassembled, stripped, sanded, primed and 2-coat painted the poor thing. It went from sad and well-worn to bright and pizazzed! It is currently in the foyer as my new tool storage unit :)

Did I mention my dove? Sadly, she/he didn't stick around long as we have cats roaming the neighborhood :(

My last project of the month I didn't take pictures of. Which is silly of me. I have pictures all around the area but not of the actual project. The transition from the kitchen to the living room has a soft spot in it. To the point where even my slight frame can make it sink. So, after doing some research about adding support joists and such, I got under the house with Mom and discovered that at some point the subfloor had been torn out and replaced with plywood. That plywood was not properly supported by new cross joists, hence the sink. Don't trust plywood! So, we measured once and cut once (because we're awesome) and installed new cross joists! It took some heavy lifting (by the car jack) to lift the new joists enough to level the floor. It also took much contorting into awkward positions to hammer the joists into the hangers. After a few hours of work, we had a new support system that is so solid we can jump on it!

Aaaand that's enough for this month! Whew!

What's in store for next month? Am I ever going to take a break?!