Kitchen Counter: Rust-Oleum Redo

The sneak peek at the kitchen counter redo doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. The paint-based product we used is the Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations (on this website); there's also one for cabinets. The kit comes with three-fourths of the total materials you need; additional purchases include paint brushes, small paint trays, mini rollers, dropcloth, gloves, and painter's tape. Some of these extra purchases we already had, so it makes sense that they not include it in the cost of the kit. (Anything to keep costs down is a good thing!)

An instructional DVD was included, and the same videos can be found online. We viewed the DVD three times: Once straight-through to see the overall process and to get a sense of the timing; again straight-through to note the finer details; and again, short chapter by chapter, before each stage. We found the DVD to be helpful and clear.

The process took 7 to 8 hours of actual work, and we did it over the course of three days. There's basically 4 main stages.

First, the prep work: clearing off the counter, cleaning, and some sanding of the metal strips on the edges. Using the sanding tool, there's a full round of sanding/de-glossing, vacuuming, and wet wiping. We did this in the evening and it took about an hour. Here's what she looked like after the sanding:

Saturday morning I did some more caulking so we had to wait until lunchtime to get started. So, after taping and sheeting, we dove into the next main phase and applied the base coat and chips, which took 2 or 3 hours.

This second phase was the one that had us most concerned about doing it right. Even though we could do touch-ups afterward, we felt compelled to be careful the first time around. You roll on a thick even coat of a medium-brown paint, doing the backsplash and edges first, then all the flat parts.

And you have to keep it wet, no dilly-dallying! There's a wetting agent that you spray on to keep everything wet. We were quick but could have been quicker, and we probably should've used more of the spray than we did.

Sneak Peek: Kitchen Countertop

When I watch all those design shows on HGTV, the best part is the Big Reveal! and not necessarily how they got there, which is of course interesting, but doesn't provide the "wow" factor. Well, here's the Big Reveal on the countertop! I'll do the in-depth analysis later on.

Here's the Before:

And . . .

Bathroom Update: Fixtures

The previous pics of the bathroom (here) highlighted the changes in the floor. You may have noticed the gaping hole for the drain. Well, it's now all sealed up with the fixtures! Over the weekend, we installed the sink, vanity, and toilet. What do you think?

The new window's in . . . now what?

The old wood window in the bathroom would barely open. There would be struggling and muttering and all sorts of upper-arm strength needed to force it up. Seriously, a window right in the bathtub---not the best idea. The warped wood probably needed to be repainted, and I think there may have been some rust around the hardware. Not pretty.

Of course, the best solution to this problem was to start fresh and buy a new window. Great idea! So, three contractor bids, research into replacement-window lingo, placing the order, special measurements, and a professional installation later, I'm thinking the problem's solved and we can move on with other projects. Wrong.

Look at this window and tell me if this seems anywhere near "finished" to you . . .

Shhh . . . Our Secret Flooring

We installed a product that looks and feels like true walnut flooring. It is a thick, durable, water-resistant vinyl and we're incredibly pleased with how it turned out. The installation proved all it was hyped up to be: Not difficult at all, just a little time-consuming in terms of all the cutouts we needed, due to fixtures in the way and some not-perfectly-square walls.

The resilient product was designed to work in wet places: bathrooms, mud rooms, kitchens. We're using it in the main bath and entry hall. You don't have to nail it or glue it: the adhesive is built right in (photos after the jump).

The devil's in the details . . .

What makes a house a home? This age-old question makes the distinction between mere building materials and a sense of place. Not including the to-and-fro during college semesters, I've gone through five major moves and each time I've pondered this question. What exactly are the conditions or factors that help to form the sense of grounding and familiarity and security in a structure to create a home?

Think about where you are right now. When you live in your home, the one you've been in for awhile, there's no question that it's your home. It's not just a place where you eat and sleep---it's your home. There's no doubt about it. It just is. And it only exists in the now.

Before and After: Poodle Edition

Miss Sheba paid a visit to the canine salon today. Here's the pup before she went, in all her fluffy, fuzzy, scruffled glory. She's just been rough-housing with a raccoon toy, catching it in the air and whipping it around, growling with ferocity. She's all rough and tumble at heart. But, she put on her princess airs, in proper poodle manner. She pointed out to us that her coat was a mess and demanded we take her to the spa posthaste.

"Do not spare any expense," she reminded me.

And now she's back to being her dainty, delicate, gorgeous self! When she comes back home, she prances around---she knows she looks good. Sheba doesn't hesitate to show off her new 'do, and she even sometimes does that high-stepping march that horses do in parades. (Is there a name for that?)

And now the queen wishes to be given some alone time, so she can properly sit and admire herself. A day of beauty is exhausting!

Before, Middle, and After: Bathroom Floor

Check out this bathroom. Not only is this some awful looking tile, and thick, but it's also adhered to the floor in the worst way possible---jammed right in the original cement subfloor. Brilliant.

Before we moved in, we worked on the house for a solid week, driving out from the apartment to the house, bright eyed in the mornings and whooped by nightfall---and in typical Mass traffic to boot. So, during this work week, Chris spent two long days tackling this floor tile (and wall tile, which you can see here as brown adhesive remnants). His hands and gloves (and hearing) were pretty much destroyed, along with three masonry chisels and a grinding stone. Gone.

Here's the bathroom floor further along the process, with the tile removed. All that hard work! You can see the pattern leftover from the tiles.

And here's our beautiful new floor. Huzzah!

(And remember it's a work in progress; please ignore the hole!)

Cauliflower Two Ways

Cauliflower happens to be one of those vegetables where, when we eat it, we say "Why don't we eat this more often?! It's so good!" We love it. It tastes great raw on salads and crudite plates, and makes a great take-along snack because (unlike a banana!) it won't get smooshed in your work bag. Just chop it up, throw it in a baggie, and grab it the next morning. Yum. (Dip it in some light ranch dressing. Double yum.) Lately it's been touted as a great ingredient to chop finely and "hide" in mashed potatoes and lasagnas. Cauliflower provides a good dose of fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.

In breaking down a huge head of cauliflower the other day, it ended up being more than 10 cups of florets, perfect for two recipes. Let me know how these dishes turn out, if you try them. Enjoy!

Fireplace Mantel Design: Tale of a Lonely Clock

When we moved into Poodle Cottage, it was just about one week before Christmas, and since we were so excited to have the new house plus the holidays to celebrate, I immediately draped the fireplace mantel with dark green garlands, green and white candles, and a string of white lights, not to mention our stockings. It was lovely! Fabulous. . . . But, alas, the beauty did not last.

Spice Rack: Chinese Five-Spice

The term Chinese five-spice powder is similar to how we use the word curry: it's more about the idea of a spice blend, than the actual singular flavor it produces. This definition lists the five spices in a typical blend as slightly different than mine.

The jar from my spice rack is comprised of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger. It's probably the case that mine is a more "mainstream" version, to be sold to the masses, as opposed to a more genuine blend, such as would be sold in an ethnic market, which would likely contain a more peppery aspect.

"This imperial blend of five spices brings rich, warm, spicy-sweet flavors to inspire a host of exotic dishes," says the label. "Add to stir-fry dishes, marinades, and meat sauces."

It provided a wonderful flavor base in the Five-Spice Slow-Cooker Beef from yesterday. Not overpowering at all, and that was 1 Tbs. for 2 lbs. of meat, plus veg and broth. I'll keep my eyes open for other opportunities to use it. Maybe in a marinade for grilled chicken?

Takeout Fakeout: Five-Spice Beef

Like many people, I love setting aside Sunday to be a day of good food done right. Yesterday we made a slow-cooker meal of beef with onions and red bell peppers, flavored with cream sherry and Chinese five-spice powder. I followed Rachael Ray's recipe (here) quite closely. We made the meal as a "do it early in the day, then forget about it" kind of meal, but were also given the added bonus of it being a "takeout fakeout."

Here's Chris's "takeout" lunch container for today, sans garnish. It is slow-cooked beef with red peppers, red jalapeno pepper, and onions, on a bed of wide egg noodles.

And now with a garnish of crisp green scallions and crunchy sliced almonds.

It isn't obvious in the pics, but it turned out to be a saucy dish. The original recipe called for serving it atop rice, which would have nicely dealt with the saucy factor, more than egg noodles. However, I wasn't sure as to when we'd be actually eating the meal, so egg noodles were a quicker item to make right before plating. It also gives a nod to my mom's Hungarian goulash, which I always think about this time of year!

What slow-cooker winter dishes do you love? Tell me in the comments!

Drafts Begone!

"Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window."---Steve Wozniak
     So true. All those sci-fi movies that show the AI taking over society were right. If you're feeling panicked about the computers and server farms and clouds in the world managing without us, and you're feeling the urge to chuck some of them out a window, it's already too late, they're too embedded. You should have thought about that ten years ago.

So, why all the windows imagery today? We are the proud owners of three brand-new windows. All this computer and AI talk is a tangent, of course. I originally thought about how the "eyes are the windows to the soul" and then wondered if there were any good quotes out there about windows themselves, as opposed to things being like windows. I didn't find too many about windows themselves, but this one's funny, so I used it.

Here's the photo sequence for the two kitchen windows. The new ones are after the jump. I think they look pretty sharp!

Old windows:

Home Sweet Home

Hello, humans, let me finally introduce myself: I'm Sheba, and I live at Poodle Cottage, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. You know, that's funny, about Massachusetts, that it's not really a state, and that people say the U.S.A. has 50 states, but it really doesn't, because Mass technically doesn't refer to itself as a state. Nor does Virginia. Nor 2 others. Can you name them? Or, rather, can you name them without using the InterWebs? Bet you can't! I could, no problem, but I'm awesome, so you shouldn't be surprised by that. Top of the class, that's me.

OK, back on point. I live in Mass with my two human companions, Chris and Sheila, and apparently we've just moved into a new place, which they call Poodle Cottage---an appropriately named domicile since it's after moi, of course. Yes, I just said "moi" because I'm French, and Chris likes to make jokes about my French heritage, though it's kind of silly, really, if you ask me, since Sheila's heritage is kind of French, too. He's silly sometimes.

What is home? What does home mean?

"Home is where the treats are!"

"Home is where you hang your leash."

"A man's home is his Bouncy Castle."

I agree with all of those sentiments, truly. To me, home isn't a brick-and-mortar location, nor does it have a fixed geographic designation. Home is anywhere and everywhere, and nowhere, all at once. When we're riding in the car, and I'm with my people, that's being "at home" with them. When we're on the road traveling to see friends or family, we're at home once we get there. And we're home again when we're, well, home again. As long as we're all together, I am home. I love it here with my people!

I Heart IKEA

IKEA, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . .

Even with all of the smart storage solutions, clean-lined Swedish design, and tasty meatballs notwithstanding, IKEA would still be one of my favorite stores, for the sheer fun of it! Imagine walking into the largest building you've ever been in (on the same scale as a convention center!) and NOT being dealt an overwhelming blow to your five senses. You head upstairs on the escalator and the entire upper floor shows tons of room-sized displays of all types of items put together in ways you'd actually use them at home: living rooms with couches, pillows, rugs, lamps, art work, decorative items, bookcases, and all the electronics storage you'd ever need---and every item has a handy tag on it with the item's name, price, and where in the store you can find it! You're able to walk into (and touch, and sit, and open cabinet doors . . .) dozens of fabulous and fully laid out kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, home offices, and on, and on. The massive store retains its ability to provide you with an intimate, approachable, charming shopping experience, even among hundreds of other customers shuffling along the singular arrow-painted floor path. Sounds as if it could be awful, right? Far from it.

IKEA (or Pi-kea, as it's referred to in my house, per Futurama) provides a plethora of reasons for why it's a great store; for today, though, I'll mention the BEST reason: flat packs! On the phone the other night, my hubbs mentioned to his mom that we purchased a 60-inch-long console table, a huge wardrobe for the bedroom, a coat rack for the entryway, and a small kitchen cart. Her response was along the lines of "wow! how did you get all of that home?!"---a great question. Enter IKEA's genius solution: flat packs. Most items (including the 4 mentioned above) are sold in a not-yet-assembled state. A flat cardboard box comes with all the parts and hardware (and sometimes tools) needed to re-create the furniture at home (which usually is not too frustrating a process). One more thing: having all the items packaged in flat containers helps not only our sanity in packing the vehicle, but also the environment: more items can be sent in each shipment, so less fuel, less pollution, and less packing-materials waste when it's all said and done.

It's amazing, really, when I think about it, that we were able to bring home all of those pieces of furniture, all in one shot. And financially speaking, too, if we were to go to a standard American furniture store, we'd have been unable to buy more than one at a time, let alone even fit a huge wardrobe in the car. So thank you, IKEA, for putting some great new furniture in my house and leaving some green in my wallet.