This and That

Things in 'Renovation World' have slowed down.  But that's not to say nothing is going on in the house.  Things are happening in baby steps, people.  Baby steps.

For example:

We were consulting our 'kitchen godmother' (aka Colleen) about where we should put a bookshelf to house Joe's large cookbook collection.  Colleen suggested we install some invisible bookshelves on the wall.  "Invisible bookshelves?  What are those?" we wondered.  She patiently explained to us designer newbies what invisible bookshelves were.  And about how books were stacked on them horizontally.  She told us Umbra made them.

I quickly went on-line to find out which stores in Vancouver sold Umbra products.  I found lots of places.  But we weren't exactly excited to drive down to the city yet again for another spending spree.  So we put the bookshelf idea on hold.

A couple of days later, Joe and I were in downtown Squamish (yes, we have a downtown!) and decided to pop into 'The Hive'; a home decor and gift shop owned by one of my students' parents.

Well, guess what?  There they were.  Umbra invisible bookshelves.  Four of them.  And they were 40% off to boot!

Buy local!

Handyman Joe puts up the first of four invisible bookshelf brackets.

Cookbooks at the ready!

Another example of progress:

The evolution of our stairs (so far)....

The top of the stairs and railings as they were in November.

Stairs and spindles with open view to the basement.

No top railing.

No hallway railing.

No stairs or railings.

New stairs, no spindles.

Framed in.

Walled in.

Yet another example of progress:

Basement wall is framed in and the exposed foundation is insulated.

Entire basement wall is insulated.

Drywall is on!

The ceiling is on!  Pot lights are in!  

Mudding and taping the drywall.

Ceiling and wall are taped and mudded.

The stairs to the basement are filled in and drywalled.  We are planning to tuck our computer in this little corner.  Our electrician installed lights and electrical sockets under the stairs for us.

And that, my friends, is what has been going on around here.  Oh, and freezing rain.

My contorted hazelnut tree encased in ice.

And now for something completely different....

My daughter the flag hag.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!