Shed Building Plans: fall

Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts

Into Fall On Three Wheels

As always I love the transition from late summer to fall. Among other outdoor activities I like to pursue Ive gotten out on my Catrike 700 a few times. Other than the Ti-GP bike which I ride to work most days Ive neglected all my other bikes. The trike is just plain fun to ride. I keep waiting for the novelty to wear off but I keep falling further into lust with this sweet ride.

Periodically I make small tweaks and adjustments to perfect my fit to the machine. Im a big fan of Catrikes overall design and in particular the steering system. The grips and wrist rests can be adjusted forward and aft and tilted in or out to suit ones preference. This design is a departure from many recumbents out there that rely on a more or less traditional handlebar setup. After experimenting with the forward and back positioning of the hand grip I tilted them both in with just enough clearance for my hips during ingress and egress of the cockpit. Like an open wheel race car or a fighter jet this cycle is a machine you get into rather than ride on.

I missed the peak of the fall foliage with my camera but still beautiful in any event. Recently I returned to Mt Vernon, Ohio to ride the HOOT trail and take a look from the observation tower in Founders Park.

Later back on the trail I was just riding along and all of a sudden my rear tire went flat. Earlier when I went to top off my pressure the little insert in the presta valve popped right out the stem before I could attach the pump head. I screwed it back in and inflated the tube as usual. When the tire went flat on the trail I just figured the valve was broken so I pulled the wheel with the intention of replacing the whole tube. For shits and grins I tried pumping the original tube back up and it held air fine. I kept checking as I continued on my ride and had no more problems. I have no idea what that was all about.

It wont be long now and the view will be back to cold grays and browns but even that Ill take over the view from the couch.

Into Fall On Three Wheels

First day of Fall! Living Room project sanity ensues

WHOA! I know it has been a while since I have posted anything but I didnt know my last entry was mid-August. WHAT? However, I have been quite busy on a lot of major projects! The major overhaul right now is the living room. And I know what you are thinking - wha??? I thought you were doing the kitchen and the foyer, etc. YES! That is the problem!

When I was a young girl, my parents always told me it was more important to know a little bit about a lot of things as opposed to a lot about one thing. They told me it would make me a much more interesting conversationalist at cocktail parties. Thanks Mom & Dad - it turns out to be quite true. :-)

Unfortunately, I seem to have adopted this concept and applied it to my home improvement projects. I have been doing a little bit of work in a lot of rooms. I need to get one room done and finish it!

This leads me to my current project - my deep dark secret - my dreaded living room! Cue the chilling scream and spooky music. LOL.

Yes - it is time to come clean - THIS is the state of my living room. In its hey day, it was cranberry, mauve and hunter green. You can pause here if your stomach is a little queasy. Being the 1990s it was really a gorgeous room as my parents had custom draperies and furniture but, alas, it has been sitting in a time warp and it became a catch all for all sorts of things. I tore up the carpeting quite a while ago and the pile of stone in the picture has also been sitting there. It was a sweet deal on Craigslist and couldnt pass it up. I always dreamed of a stone wall in this room and it is now a work in progress.

This room needs a TON of work but I decided that I want to have this room done for the holidays this year! A daunting task but I am so motivated. I have all the furniture and items for this room - have had it for quite a while - hence the chair in plastic in the picture above. I just need to paint the walls, the ceiling, the floors, stone the wall, put up molding and put everything in place. Piece of cake, right? YIKES.

I seriously cannot believe I am posting these pictures! I feel so vulnerable right now. LOL I found those room dividers at a Habitat Restore and I am excited to rehab them and put them in place.

The metal lath in place and ready for the scratch coat!

The waterproof barrier and the metal lath prepare the wall for scratch coat and stone application.

Here is the scratch coat complete. I HATE this job but Im glad its done.

Here is the progress so far.... I know I am going to love it! But a long way to go.

So, will I get it done? I am very bound and determined. I imagine watching those awesome cheesy Christmas movies, with my Christmas tree and my cozy furniture as the snow falls outside. It is this vision alone which is my motivation. I saw this sign on Pinterest and I love it. Since I believe I will get this done, I will. I hope to post more progress this week! Happy Monday!

First day of Fall! Living Room project sanity ensues

1st Day of Fall! My 5 Day Foyer Entryway Makeover!

Yes - the First Day of FALL! I love it! Autumn is such a perfectly perfect season. Here in the Midwest, it means warm sunny days and cooler nights. Carolina blue skies serve as the backdrop to Mother Natures glorious show of changing colors. The picture above is me walking on the campus of the University of Notre Dame on game day last year. As I write this, I am once again in South Bend, Indiana as we prepare for the epic showdown of the Irish vs. Michigan tonight. Ponchos are packed and mittens - YES mittens! It is going to be raining and in the 40s in the stadium - I cant wait!!!

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My foyer is in a state of AWFULNESS. Quite a while ago, I went through weeks of removing SO much wallpaper with scrapers, steamers and a lot of blood, sweat and tears and the now the walls are in need of some serious medical attention. I also chopped up the ceramic tile and one layer of underlayment and removed the carpeting from the stairs and upper level foyer.

This project was way down on my list as I still have to finish my dining room and kitchen. But with the holiday season creeping onto the horizon, I have decided to take 5 days and try to complete a foyer makeover and I couldnt be more excited.

I cannot believe I am going to show these pictures but ok - deep breath - here we go...

This is my blank canvas I have to use. After I removed the wallpaper, I sanded some of the walls and I had the primer tinted yellow for two reasons. First to see if I liked the color for the walls before committing to it and secondly to provide a yellow undercoat since I knew my walls would be in the yellow family. The flooring which remains is simply underlayment - lovely, right? :-)

The light was brass and I painted it black hoping to offer some improvement. It didnt work. The light needs to be addressed but I will figure something out.

The 1970s mirrored closet doors arent as reprehensible to me as they are to some people. They are in great shape and they open up the space so I think I will keep them. My plan is to stone this wall but it is a 3 week wait once ordered and I am also waiting for it to go on sale so hopefully by Thanksgiving this side of the foyer will be done. Fingers crossed.

Here is the staircase with the carpeting, padding and staples removed. On a whim, I painted the railing white until I decided I wanted a deep mahogany post and top rail. Which means more stripping and sanding to come. The green paint on the wall is from where my Dad painted stripes underneath each seam of wallpaper in the event of shrinkage - genius at the time, but just more stuff to sand! :-O

Here is the underlayment which is the flooring. I have an idea for this but that wont be until about day four or five (or eight or nine - LOL). My head is spinning with ideas but I must stay focused!

This is the main wall when you walk in the door and it is pretty damaged from the wallpaper. The paint patch on the right is my final color decision. The primer was like lemon yellow and awful.

The most damage is on this wall going up the stairs. You can also see my experimentation with painting the railing white and then black. UGH - all this needs to be sanded and stained. I HATE sanding and stripping. I just have to keep telling myself I it will all be worth the cramping fingers and icky, smelly mess.

This is the view from the front door - LOTS of work ahead of my but I am excited for the result. Even if I just get the walls painted, nail on some molding and fix the stairs, it will be a HUGE improvement!

Check back for my daily diary of my progress. PLEASE offer input, ideas, opinions and criticism - I need all the help I can get. So go enjoy a glass of apple cider as we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox and a most wonderful time of year. Thanks for stopping by today. (and GO IRISH!)

1st Day of Fall! My 5 Day Foyer Entryway Makeover!