Eat your veggies!!!

We've got another fun little side project going... but it's not going on inside the house - rather the outside... err... on the deck to be exact! We started a small vegetable and herb garden. It's only been about a week, but it's doing quite nicely!




It started with a few potted herbs that my Aunt Marie gave me for Christmas. They were doing very well and we were reaping the benefits on a weekly basis (AKA cooking with them) Then my dad gave us a few small vegetable seedlings from his garden and it sort of snowballed from there. All we had to buy was 2 bags of organic soil for vegetables; we used these flower pots I've had laying around the yard for a year; and VOILA! Instant garden!

Here's what we've got cookin (pun intended):
Cilantro
Oregano
Rosemary
Lettuce
Tomato
Bell Peppers
And a Blackberry plant! (ok, we did buy this one but we couldn't resist! we eat them by the bushel.)

YUM! When's dinner?

The hits just keep on coming...

AHS never ceases to disappoint.

True to their history, they have picked a STELLAR repair man to come fix our heater. As you may remember we had an appointment for 8:00 this morning. (If you don't, that's ok. Just scroll down and take a look at the post and try to contain your laughter.) I went off to work, Dave was going to wait for the guy and go in late to work. About 9:30 I get a call from Dave. The repairman called at 8:15 and said we were "next on the list." (Hmmm... Didn't this guy say we were going to be the first appt of the day? And he might even be earlier than 8am???)

Dave told him to not bother, we'd reschedule. He then of course promptly called the Queen of Sarcasm so I could deal with this genius.
For your pleasure.... Phone conversation #2 with this guy:

Shady Repairman Guy: Hello?

Me: Hi. It's Kristen Wax. I guess I have to reschedule because you missed my appointment this morning.

SRG: Hold on, hold on. *Sounds of him walking somewhere -like down a tunnel. What the ??*

SRG: Ok. What's your name again?

Mind you it's only 9:30, and our appointment was for 8:00. How many appointments could he have missed THIS MORNING that he can't remember my name?? But I digress..

Me: Wax.

SRG: Oh yeah. I remember. Strange name. Ok. (Shuffle) Oh. (Shuffle shuffle) OH! I don't have your paperwork! OH! I guess I forgot it! Geez! Oh man!

Me: Ok, well, do you want me to call you when you're at the office, with the paperwork?

SRG: Oh I KNOW what happened! Your appointment was for NEXT Friday. That's why I don't have your paperwork. YOU got your dates mixed up.

Me: Uhh... No I didn't.

SRG: Yeah. I was talking about NEXT Friday.

Me: Then why did you call my husband at 8:15 today to say you were running late?

Pause

Me: (Very sarcastically) You were scheduled for today at 8am. Remember I called you on Tuesday of this week and I said either THIS Thursday or Friday? And YOU picked this Friday? And YOU told me I would be the FIRST appointment of the day. So how come you called my husband and told him we were NEXT on the list? Then that means I'm NOT first on your list. You lied to me.

SRG: I can be there in 10 minutes.

Me: It's too late. We're at work. Our appointment was at 8 AM.

SRG: Look I'm sorry! OK, so when do you want me out there?

Me: (in the most sarcastic tone ever) As SOON as possible, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. I don't care if it's 5 am. I want to be first on your list. I live in Jacksonville and work in St. Augustine. I can't come home in the middle of the day.

SRG: How about Monday at 8 AM?

Me: Fine.

SRG: Ok. Goodbye -

Me: WAIT! Don't you even want to know what's wrong with it???

SRG: I know what's wrong. It's not working.


So, I guess I am going shopping for an electric blanket this weekend because my heater is obviously never going to get fixed.

My mind is in the crapper.

I can't stop thinking about bathroom colors!

Today I am daydreaming at work about shower curtains. Does this mean I have officially lost it? (On a random side note - How do you know when you've "officially" lost it? Do they send you a certificate with your name on it? But I digress...)

We finally finished priming the walls this past weekend. We opted for the oil based Killz, and while it killed a few brain cells the walls look ten thousand times better. We've still got to caulk some corners that... how you say... don't touch? Yes there are actual gaps in the corners of the room where the walls don't meet. We could have ripped them down and just started over from scratch BUT let's remember, we are trying to same money and keep this to a Trading Spaces-esque make-over. Stay the course STAY THE COURSE! I think we've come along way so far...

What a good coat of white paint will do for the senses! Ahh! So much easier on the eyes than that crazy Garden of Eden wallpaper. So I am still in my paint color hell, but I've also expanded the search to shower curtain hell. I've decided I hate that pink shower curtain. Bummer because I really did LOVE it almost 2 years ago when we moved in. Oh well! At least it was only $11 on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. I'm thinking the new shower curtain should be something very grown up - maybe like a luxury hotel? Hmm....

Hot under the collar.

So by now you're well versed in my epic battle with the home warranty company American Home Shield. Well I am clearly glutton for punishment because I called them to come fix our heater.

I know what you're thinking. Why WHY! would you do that after it took you 4 months to get them to fix the stove??? Yup. I know. I know. But an epic battle takes time, people! With lots of shocking plot twists no less! (Plus we still have 6 months left on this baby and I am all about getting my money's worth.)

The heater says it's on - but I'm not so sure since every fiber of my being is frozen to the core. Oh yeah, and because the vents are blowing cold air. That too.

So. I called Saturday went through the ridiculous automated questionnaire and logged my problem in the system. Then a *qualified* technician (read=cheapest they can find) is supposed to call you back and make an appointment. So of course, this guy called the house phone twice yesterday - even though I gave them my work phone number. AND might I add, this guy left the wrong call back number on my machine. I had to look him up in the phonebook to realize that he mixed up his own phone number. (Oh yeah. This guy is a pro.)

So today I called him at 9 AM. The conversation was too bizarre not to share:

Strange Mr. Fix It Guy: Hello?

Me: Hi, my name is Kristen Wax, I'm calling you back, you left a message on my machine yesterday, something is wrong with my heater....

SMFIG: HELLO??

Me: Uhh Yeah, Hi. I'm calling you back, you left me a message yesterday.....

SMFIG: HELLO? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE MUSIC! WHO IS IT?

Me: *glancing around my empty, hence very quiet, office* Excuse me?

SMFIG: I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!

Me, overly shouting to make sure he can hear the sarcasm: YOU CALLED ME YESTERDAY - I'M CALLING YOU BACK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MUSIC YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE IS NO MUSIC.

SMFIG: Oh ok now I can hear you. Oh yeah. What's your name again?

Me: Kristen Wax.

SMFIG: Ok well I can't come today, I'm already out for the day.

(**NOTE - it's 9:03 am - does he mean he's gone for the day? or he's full for the day? I decide I don't care and push onward.)

Me: No that's fine - I'm actually at work and I'll be here all day so I'll need to make an appointment with you.

SMFIG: Ok, I'll be there tomorrow.

Me: Ok, what time?

SMFIG: I'll call you.

Me: No no no. I work - ALL DAY - I'll need a time when you are coming out so I make sure to be there.

SMFIG: Can't you just leave work?

Me: Uh NO I can't just leave at a moment's notice. I work 45 minutes from home. I need an appointment. Do you have something first thing in the morning? That's best for me.

SMFIG: How about Friday morning? First thing.

Me: Ok.

Pause

Pause

Pause

Me: Hello?

SMFIG: Yeah.

Pause

Me: Well? What time is "first thing?"

SMFIG: I'll be there at 8:00. Maybe earlier. I'll call you.

I thanked him (why, I don't know) hung up, and then realized he didn't ask for directions, what was wrong with the heater, or even get a cell phone number for me.


Oh yeah. This should be good.

Painter's block.

Much like the writer's block that an author (or blogger?) can suffer from... I am now suffering from painter's block. I of course have no idea if this is a real affliction, but I am claiming it anyway. Not only am I still trying to come up with something to paint on a canvas for the dining room... I can not settle on just one color for the bathroom walls. I am having a hard time committing to a gray. Maybe it's because it so dreary looking on that little chip. I've looked at about a million and one "inspiration rooms" and I can see that spa-like bathrooms do have usually light colors - grays, cream, sage - but I just look at all these "muted" paint chips and they just seem so BORING to me. Maybe it's all that white tile staring me in the face too?

Anyway that's where I'm at. Block-ville. I'm hoping to catch the bus to Inspiration-ville soon.

In the meantime I cleaned out my closet and made a huge bag for Goodwill. Amazing I have so many clothes - and STILL choose to wear a t shirt and jeans whenever possible. I would have worn it to my wedding if they let me.

A little Vanity never hurt anybody...

In the midst of the stripping nightmare that would not end, I had Dave take down two things that have been driving me cray since day one.
The first was the vanity light.

Now some people have argued with me over this thing. I've heard it's cute, fun, shabby chic, antique-ie, and lovely. But this thing.... this thing... was SO GROSS in person. Not only was it a dust collector, it was so freakin bright in the morning - I cringed every time we had to throw the switch. So I would agree, yes, it was shabby - but NO where near chic. Thankfully, it's now gone. And I get to shop for a new light. (yea!)


The other thing that drove me bonkers was the vanity cabinet. Not only was it very "country" looking, what with it's scrolly piece up top - it also opened the wrong way. That's right. It opened towards the mirror. So every morning you have to be careful not to smack yourself in the face when you are half asleep and trying to open it.

So that is gone too. I might shop for a new one eventually, but in the meantime Dave sawed off the scroll and will flip it when he installs it after we paint, so it will open the right way. It will at least buy us some time (and save us some money) in case I don't find anything I like. One thing we were curious about when we took out that vanity was the possibility of finding razor blades.

If you live in an old house you know what I am talking about!! If you don't, and you live in an old house - check this out and let me know what you find. **If you look in your bathroom vanity cabinet, there should be a little slit in the back. This is where they encouraged men to "dispose" of their razor blades after they went dull. Of course they don't actually go anywhere - they usually just pile up on a beam inside the wall. I know one of our neighbors found literally hundreds in their wall when they renovated their bathroom. Dave and I were really excited to find the same thing in ours... but alas... we had 1 lonely blade. Not too crusty either. Which makes me think that either the previous homeowner was smart enough to realize the ridiculous marketing schemes of the 40's... or maybe he just wore a really big beard.

Blank canvas.

So here are some before and after pics of the bathroom (as promised!) after all the stripping, spackeling, and sanding. When I was taking these I realized - we pretty much have a blank canvas to work with, especially considering all the white tile too. It got me thinking... maybe I should rethink the gray color scheme? Maybe we should do a really crazy color on the walls??? Or a wild patterned shower curtain and towels??? Any suggestions? This could be fun...

Here it is de-country-fied. There's a yellow hue over everything because we took that hideous make-up light fixture out and now have to use the heat lamp bulbs as a light! (Not that I am complaining... it's been pretty chilly here lately!)

I'd forgotten about those shower doors... and those matching cutains!!! I can't even imagine where you'd find curtains that were the same pattern as the wallpaper.

So sue me.

Well I forgot to bring in the camera to work so you'll just have to wait a little longer for the before and after pics.

But Dave spackled his little heart out this weekend so the walls are ready for a nice thick coat of primer. We are getting soooo close to picking a color!! (My favorite part!)

Even though I forgot the camera... I can show you the inspiration for the bathroom. Here's a picture from the Pottery Barn website...

Ok so right now my bathroom vanity looks NOTHING like this. But! Hear me out... The top of our vanity is a fake marble looking plastic (comparable to the real marble pictured here) and all of our tile is white - like the grogeous looking tile in this picture. Soooo.... I was thinking that if I paint the bottom of the vanity brown, and paint the walls a gray similar to this... I can achieve the same sort of spa-like effect. What do you think?

Dying a slow painful death...

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate wallpaper?


(OK! ok! Stop shouting. I guess I have mentioned it once or twice....... Geez!)


Well then it should come as a shock to no one that I spent 4 (...or 5... or was it 6?) agonizing days stripping the wallpaper off of the master bathroom walls and (yes) the ceiling. If you'll be so kind as to let me lament for a minute.... I tell you it was the WORST stripping job I have ever done. In both senses of the word. As in, 1.) It was the hardest wallpaper in the entire house to get off and 2.) the walls are in the worst shape in all of the house. It was so freakin stuck on there I did gouge the walls in... umm.... several places. Dave will have quite the patch job. Much like in other places in the house, the walls are not plaster nor are they drywall - they are that weird shiny white board which we found in other wallpapered rooms. Odd. And when they get really wet they start to fall apart - making stripping wallpaper nearly impossible.


Mind you I said"nearly."




Of course I did prevail and the paper is officially OFF the walls and in the garbage can!! I then did a quick wash of all the walls and am awaiting Dave's plaster phase to be over before I can start the priming and painting. (Love you honey!! ;)
Here are some pictures from the process...


The walls came done easy enough... but when it came to the ceiling it was a different story. I have a hunch that it started to peel at one point in time and they decided to squirt some super glue in there to keep it adhered to the ceiling...


Which of course created lots of fun for me, future homeowner, 30 years later. I got to strip off teeny tiny pieces of paper, one at a time. See how fun?

Long time, No post!

Ahhh..... How I've missed you, internets!

Yes it's been a long time. No I am not going to apologize.
(What can I say? We've been busy with LIFE. It happens.)

So what's been going on at the House of Wax? Oh a little of this.... a little of that. We had a great Christmas break. Dave had to work for most of it (unlike me who had almost 2 weeks off!!! Yeah that was nice) so we didn't travel this year. It was good and bad... we missed seeing all the fam, but honestly it was NICE to not have to pack anything and be able to sleep in our own bed on Christmas Eve! Santa was good to us... he left us a brand new Refrigerator for the kitchen and a fire pit for the deck. (Amazing he was able to fit all that in his sleigh ;)

I was FINALLY able to start the master bathroom project. I spent most of my vacation stripping wallpaper... and stripping wallpaper... and stripping wallpaper. (More on the exciting details of this project later.)

And last week Dave and I hopped a plane to Vegas to celebrate my downward spiral into old age. AKA my 30th birthday. It was exactly as I imagined, totally chaotic, exciting, fun, exhausting and slightly nauseating. Which I am guessing, is also how it was 30 years ago when my mom went into labor. Although there was probably less cigarette smoke in the hospital and no slot machines...

So expect some more blogs to follow... We've got a lot of ground to cover!
Happy New Year everyone!