OK, the mailbox is painted a Rustoleum hammered bronze (which really looks tan brown). After spending a couple days scraping off the previous owners' names (yes plural, and why do people use those awful stick-on letters?), I primed it Friday morning, then that afternoon I sprayed the first coat on. Ten minutes later the clouds opened up and gave birth to HUGE droplets. The thunderstorm didn't last, but I was too afraid to go outside and look at my mailbox. Then next morning I got the nerve to go look at it. The big raindrops really added a really cool effect, creating large blotches of a really hammered look! So, I sprayed another coat being careful not to ruin the big raindrop splotches. It takes about 48 hours to completely dry, so I'm lucky the mailman won't come back until Tuesday (Monday is a holiday, Labor Day).

In the meantime, I created this template for the mailbox paint job. It's going to take some time but I can do it. The dragon is kinda my symbol, since my family heritage goes back to ancient Welsh times. I decided not to do a Welsh dragon, instead opting for something like this gold and bronze dragon. I copied the picture from an artist's website who sells paper crafts of some really awesome dragons, might have to order one. Of course that means I'll have to come up with my own bronze dragon, but I like this style. As an artist, you just don't copy someone else's art work, I'm just using his picture as an inspiration and idea. (I like it so much, I might buy it from him anyway! wink).

Until next time,

Jawa Jaka

lovingly laboring on my mailbox on Labor Day!

The Party

Once again, no camera. And the people who came to my housewarming party didn't bring theirs either. Oh, well. We all had a good time anyway. The day started early for me, about 7:00am. I always seem to forget something at the store for my parties, and this time it was the BBQ briquets. So, off to the store early in the morning, adding chips and guacamole to the list. Once home I cleaned (and I mean cleaned) the grills and smoker. What a chore! I finally felt that summer was here. I got the ribs smoking, turned on the hot tub, and proceeded to my room for some major clean up. I decided to heck with the office, messy as it was. I even through all the empty tore-down cardboard boxes throughout the house into the sewing room for recycling later.

The first to arrive was JDon, at 10:30am, to deliver a dozen tamales. At the last minute he sprung the news that he wasn't staying but instead went to Morrison for some Woodstock show with a bunch of groups he follows religously. He such a groupie! I guess his comment "I wouldn't miss your party for anything in the world" didn't mean much. Without going into detail I'm totally MAD AT him. It will take a long time to earn his trust again. (some friend he is)

Krys came early about 1:30pm to help me set up (not much to set up so we basically just chatted). Sometime that afternoon she tried out my stair handrail. Her verdict, it's really sturdy! I spent about five hours the previous weekend painting the existing ucky blue rail a nice soft flat brown (I had a can of spray paint, so I just used it) and installing seven new bronze brackets (color went well with the brown). Originally it had four useless brass ones, so I made sure I had enough. It worked! If Krys can use it, anybody can.

The rest of the gang showed up around 4:00pm. Fifteen in all, including little Sarah. Now having "Sharkbait" here was worth all the hardwork and planning. She was a little fussy but quite content to be here. The best gift of all: her dad, Scott helping me put my green oversized TV-viewing chair downstairs. Now my back doesn't hurt watching TV. Later the other guys brought in my dad's oversized 1970's couch into the house, now sitting under the front window in the dining room (table had to be pushed against the opposite wall to make room). Eventually, like in October when I have a long vacation, I'll be putting the couch in the garage after I clean out the garage. So, my two favorite pieces of furniture finally got into place for now. Way to go guys! And thanks again...

It's said that the kitchen is the gathering place. I was hoping to gather outside (Drew was the only one who got into the hot tub), but everyone ended up in the kitchen instead. It's official, I can fit 14 adults and 1 little one in my kitchen area, cramped but comfortable. After feasting on smoked ribs, BBQ hot dogs, kielbasa sausage, macaroni salad, chips/salsa/guacamole, and rum drinks, a few of us decided to stay and play the new Battlestar Gallactica game. It's interesting but fun. Krys and I were the secret Cylons. It's fun being the bad guy reaping havoc on the other players trying to figure out who the secret Cylons were. HEEHEE! The Cylons won by the last card drawn, close call. I wouldn't mind playing it again.

The only disruption to the day was Smokey disappearing. The guys left the back door open when they brought the couch in, and I seriously thought she had gotten out. 20 minutes later we found her under the guest room bed. Boy is she shy around crowds! Fritz however just enjoyed the show, watching us from a distance under the dining table. I think he had more fun than anybody else! LOL

Rafe and Bella gave me a bottle of extra dry champaigne, which we never opened. I promised that next year, on my one year anniversary, we'll have a bigger blast with a bigger crowed, and open the champaigne then. Everyone agreed. Same time next year! Everyone is welcome to come!!

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
who keeps looking at that bottle of champaigne and wondering why we have to wait a year! LOL

Before and After

Disclaimer: Camera needs professional cleaning, so NO teasing about hair/dust/etc in my photos!

Here are a few before and after pictures of the exterior paint. Everyone in the neighborhood absolutely LOVES it! One neighbor even got the painter's number so he can paint his. CertaPro painters are the best!

BEFORE FRONT

AFTER FRONT

BEFORE GARAGE DOOR

AFTER GARAGE DOOR

BEFORE BACK SIDE

AFTER BACK SIDE

AFTER FRONT SHUTTERS

I found this rose bush in my backyard after pulling weeds.

My soft-side portable hot tub seems to say HI!

Everyone is welcome into my new red door...

...and what happens beyond that red door is the next chapter in my life!

Until next time,

Jawa Jaka

Still Moving

For those following this blog, I'm still moving in. Two more weeks to go before I have to be moved out of the townhouse. In the meantime, the basement has been finished, drywall replaced/repaired, all light fixtures installed, plumbing fixed, new faucets in kitchen and bathrooms, astromech lab set up (sort of), all air ducts rerouted out of chimney, and exterior painted a nice wheat color with bright rusty-red shutters/door/garage door. If anyone gets lost, just find the big red garage door! LOL Next is resurfacing my kitchen cabinets and replacing kitchen counter. It's going to cost $5000 and I only have $1000, so I got to borrow another $4000 by Monday somehow. Anyway, I haven't taken any pictures due to being real busy lately, so next time I hope to show you my big red garage door....

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka

Moving, moving, and more moving!

I finally put in the notice to the storage unit where all my parents stuff is. I have to be out by the end of this month. That's this Thursday! YIKES! I've been moving the stuff on my own almost everyday for a month. All that's left is the heavy furniture, boxes of books, and the all-too-important metal shopsmith and Sears woodworking station. The astromech lab is coming along nicely! A couple friends are going to help me out tomorrow morning, hopefully we can get it all cleared out in a couple trips with the ol' trailer.

In the meantime, I'm starting to pack my personal stuff at home. Boy, I've got too many books, guess I gotta build me some bookshelves! The bar area is almost finished, actually got Dad's bar in the basement today. Now I've just got to fix the legs so they don't keep coming off. Bar glasses are unpacked, and the Schlitz mugs are out. The first thing I'm going to get when I'm done moving is a pony keg! For the bar, of course. (In case you're wondering, yes the bar was a top priority, right after the astromech lab!! LOL)

On Tuesday my dear friend, Uncle Dave, will be coming out to hang some lights, fix/replace some switches, install a ceiling fan, re-work some wiring, and put in the very important 220v plug in the garage so I can plug in the shopsmith (and drill press, and table saw, and.... oh, yeah, the garage is getting a few 110v plugs as well!). The electrical stuff is the last major repair I have to do to the house before it's completely livable. Plumbing is done with nice new sink/bath fixtures, A/C/furnace/etc is done with nice new air ducts, floors are done with nice new carpet/tile, and walls are slowly getting done with nice new paint. It feels soooooo goooooood to walk in with that nice new smell (scent?).

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Enjoying the new home scent. Not enjoying the back-breaking moving....

Flip This House

Remodeling has started! And it's not pretty! I'll break this into different subjects so the blogs won't be too long. We'll start with the bathroom, always a great subject to raise your blood a little. The tile is Terrazo Gold. It took over a month to get tile that was supposedly in stock. The contractors laid it in a vertical grid. I made them tear it up and put it in the diagonal grid as ordered. Then they put in white grout. I made them tear it up and put in matching gold grout as ordered. Twice they had to tear it up and start over, and twice they tried to charge me for extra work that they messed up on. I was on the phone with my interior decorator at Floor Trader a lot! Weird, though, the contractors got the front hallway right the first time...


Original vinyl linoleum in bathroom. Very 70's.


They dug up the old linoleum only to find more linoleum, from the 60's. I kinda liked the pattern, for quilting maybe.


The new tile, put in wrong. Had to tear up again.


New tile put in right, but wrong grout. It now has grout that matches the color of the tile.


The new front hallway was a breeze! Perfect alignment and grout.


I LOVE my new hallway, much better than carpet! Makes it look homey now.

Up next: the furnace/AC/water heater debacle!

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka

And it BEGINS!

Today I signed a contract for ClimaTech heating/AC to replace all the old furnaces, water heaters, and A/C. All of them were in very bad shape, some with missing/chewed wires, mold, excess wires that go nowhere, and rusty falling-apart parts. So, after handing them half of what's left in my inheritance, they started to tear it all apart. Tomorrow they'll replace the stuff. A BIG junk of my budget, but at least I get a government rebate and another rebate from XCEL energy, our utilities company. So all told, I should get back about $2000, in a few months, maybe, if Obama's deal holds up, let's all pray....

Also, I've hired the exterior painter. For about the amount of the rebate I might get in a few months, the painters from CertaPro will power wash, fix and caulk cracks, prime and paint all exterior siding, shutters, trim, and fascias. I've chosen a pretty wheat (Sherman Williams Milky Toast) and a deep rust/terracotta for trims and shutters (Sherman Williams Flower Pot). They'll start work on March 30th. I even let them put a lawn sign out front for their services.

Monday is the BIG DAY! CARPET GOES IN!! FINALLY!! All carpeting and tile are here, and it's finally going in so I can move furniture.

Speaking of furniture, my two-car garage all of a sudden looks very small. I'm storing most of my parents' and brother's stuff in it, including 90% of the pool table parts. I might be able to get it put back together with a new slate in a couple years. For now it's holding up one of the garage walls. I still have to clear out the rental storage unit, so having the flooring done will help. I can finally clear out the storage unit, maybe, if Obama lets me.....LOL

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Spending Obama's money....

My Little Present

OMG!! I'm a homeowner! And now that I've had a good talk with my realtor about the repairs I have to do (versus what I want to do) and added up some totals, I've come to the conclusion that I'll be forever in debt! In case you're wondering what I'm blabbing about (I get the feeling this post will be all over the place because I'm way too excited), this morning I closed on the house! YIPPEEEEE!!

At 1:00pm this afternoon the house officially became mine, ALL MINE! Broohahaha! If you noticed, I'm using a lot of exclamation points!!!! It seems to be the key for the day! As soon as I got into work I called my dear brother to let him know. It was one of the longest messages I've left him yet! I was just to excited I couldn't stop talking! Well, because I really am still speechless I'll just make this post short by saying, once again, I'M A HOMEOWNER!! With a big backyard and a big basement and a big kitchen and...... (see previous postings)

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Who's way to excited!!!! Exclamation point!

Blank Canvas (Pics)

Here are some pics of the house. DON'T SCREAM, YET! I'm getting new carpeting, tile, and paint throughout the house. I've even picked out a 52" LCD TV (Sharp Aquos) to go with my Dad's home theater speaker system. Ultimate Electronics is hooking me up to the 21st century! They also have a great recliner couch on sale I just might pick up along with the TV. That is, if we can get it down the stairs...


Front of the house. Will be repainting wood siding with beige paint and shutters with rust paint. It's mostly brick, so not much painting until the back side of the house.


Another view. Large two-car garage. Eventually will be adding a tool room behind the garage.


BIG Backyard! Colorado Home and Garden Show is this and next weekend. Getting ideas for a small pool and hot tub with flagstone patio...less mowing I have to do the better!!


The kitchen, obviously. Won't be doing anything with this for awhile. Maybe paint the cabinets, and definitely replace the frig with Dad's ultramegafitanypizzaboxwithwaterdispenser side-by-side frig.


The basement fireplace area. Will be drywalling the open area on the left and covering the whole fireplace wall with fake/faux stone. This will be my living room. Upstairs living room will be my formal dining room. Great to have enough space to make those decisions.


And the ultra movie theater entertainment area, right next to the fireplace area. All open for casual living. The TV will go on the wall with the window, the bar on the left wall, the cats' litter boxes under the stairs out of the way.

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Showing you my blank canvas....

Measuring for Carpet

Today at noon I met the carpet person at the house so he could measure the rooms. He also brought the samples with him. I was a little nervous that the dark rust I picked out would be too dark in the basement, but boy did it look sensational! Even he loved it! The mocha colored carpet for upstairs will also look stunning, not too dark, not too light - just right! We also had a brainstorm to tile the entry from the front door to the kitchen door, a straight shot making an entrance hallway. We're looking for a nice fake terra cotta tile (less maintenance). I'm also thinking of putting up a half-wall to divide the hallway from the living room (which will be my formal dining room). Nothing fancy, just a little bit of architecture in the house.

While I was there, I measured the fireplace and it's surrounding wall. I've already started looking at fake/faux stone to cover that wall, making a dramatic fireplace. I'm thinking a stacked slate look in a light goldish (or tannish) hue to compliment the dark rust. Maybe some accent rust slate here and there. It's a small wall so it shouldn't be too expensive.

I've been a busy little jawa today! I also stopped at Home Depot for some parts for AL and picked up a couple backyard ideas books. "Backyards" by Sunset magazine (always a great resource) and "Outdoor Entertaining Idea Book" by Natalie Ermann Russell ended up in my shopping cart. Both have great ideas, even for small spaces.

Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Devouring and drooling over backyard ideas...

Start of My New (Old) House

After 3 years of forclosure and working super hard on my credit rating, I was able to purchase another forclosed house with a VA loan through Wells Fargo. It has a very large living room, big kitchen, four bedrooms, 2 baths (OK, one bath and one shower), nice breakfast area, oversized 2 car garage, and did I mention the astromech lab? It's in the basement as an unfinished bedroom, right next to the finished bedroom (and the one shower). Speaking of basement, aformentioned guest room and bath, laundry room, and a HUGE open area with a fireplace. The fireplace area will be my den/living area and the other space will be my home theatre (to watch all those Star Wars movies) and built in bar with sink (if the plumbers can put a water line in). And new carpets and paint to make it my own.

Lots of backyard for the cats and AL to play in, too. I'm planning to make a lot of winding sidewalks in the yard to test my R2-AL (see his blog at r2-al.blogspot.com), along with the outdoor patio. I hate mowing lawns, so I'm trying to design it with minimal yard work. Definitely a tough shed for more storage (lawn mower, I guess), a BBQ queen's grill and work space, and maybe a small hot tub (later, after I've fixed everything, like a new water heater and some plumbing leaks that aren't that bad).

Today I started with the carpets. Last Friday my roomate took me way north to The Floor Trader, a subsidiary of Carpet One. After looking at several other carpet places in town over a two week period, I've decided to hire them because of thier gracious and kind customer service. I have to give a big thanks to Sonja who helped me pick out carpet and bathroom tile. She listened to what I wanted, what my needs were, and came up with perfect low-cost solutions. Bob was also very helpful in explaining things to me and coming up with a very good padding for my basement with my asthma in mind. We'll be meeting him this Thursday at the house so he can take measurements of all the rooms, not just the carpeted ones, so that if in the future I want to do some more tiling or wood flooring I'll have the measurements.

So, to put into perspective, my colors for this house will be wheat walls, mocha/tan carpet main floor, rust carpet basement, natural gold-hued tile in both bathrooms, and Sonja is coming up with something to tie it all together in the entry. I'll use rust and cobalt blue for accent pillows/furniture/whatever with (I hope) a cobalt blue bar in the basement. I can't say enough about The Floor Trader. Please visit their website....

Until next time,
Jawa Jake
Happily transforming a house for my little friend, R2-AL