Man, it’s starting to feel almost winterish around here already. We had overnight lows into the 20s! That killed most of the garden, although the roses that I covered seemed to make it and I brought the mums inside the garage.
Saturday started off like fall, though. John baked some pumpkin donuts with Bisquick. Here is a link to all their baked donut recipes.
Tasty!
I scored on a sewing cabinet that I wanted to make a vanity out of like in this post. I was sort of half looking around on craigslist to see if there happened to be any sewing cabinets since it is not a project we are going to start immediately. I wasn’t expecting to find one, but not only did I find one, it was only $25 – with a working sewing machine!
Here is the machine:
I can hopefully sell the machine to some of my vintage people. It’s almost a shame to take the machine out, but the whole thing will get repurposed, so it’s all good. We will put a vessel sink on top. But that is a project for another day.
Something that did get started was the basement bathroom. This was the crazy bathroom that had the shower at shoulder level (for me!).
It was designed for kids anyway, but the tub was leaking around the drain, which we found out on accident. John dumps a lot of dehumdifier water down the tub in the warm weather and we noticed the rug in the hallway was wet. Ugh. So, that had to be taken care of after we were done with all the company we have had. I heard John making a lot of noise down there earlier in the week and he was already pulling out drywall and the tub, which was so cheap and thin that he could pretty much break it apart with his hands! See how ridiculously small this is? Not sure if you can see it, but the shower spout is right where his biceps is.
Now we have an empty space:
Here is the view from the other side:
The plan here is we will put a wall in there and the space where the tub used to be will be on the outside of the bathroom and we will have a double utility sink in that cubby (where that box frame is). Then the bathroom itself with get a freshen up, but the first priority is closing it up and getting in the sink. We can use all the existing plumbing lines and drain for the tub, so that is pretty awesome. We only need to lengthen the water lines and put in some shut off valves. I will be making soap again and I need a utility sink for that, so this hopefully will be a really good solution. I tell you, we just never stop. I wasn’t thinking this would happen so fast, but then John started it and how can I not get involved??
On another fun note, we have a new toy. A treadmill! We ‘acquired’ it from my parents since they don’t use it and they can use the space. It was kind of heavy, but we managed to get it up our stairs without any issue and have it in our exercise room.
This room is going to be the last one to be de-wallpapered in the house. Maybe we will get to that some time this winter after the hallway/stairwell gets done. Anyway, I can alternate the treadmill and my bike trainer this winter for variety.
It’s also good because I don’t have to worry right now about getting the bike inside for regular exercise and I can squeeze every bit of outside riding in that I can while still having a way to exercise inside. I don’t like John’s recumbent at all, so this is good for me.
Time for today’s pink item – my phone cover!
That shower looks super awkward. Can’t wait to see how you guys remodel the bathroom. I bet it will look great!
The bathroom will be not too bad. We will be putting in the pedestal sink and toilet from the bathroom on the first floor when we redo that one in the future.
Thanks for the link for the baked doughnuts! Great find on the sewing machine! Can’t wait to see your finished vanity!!
The vanity will be a little into the future LOL. I just couldn’t pass up the cabinet when I found exactly what I wanted.
Wow, that shower was crazy short…and this is coming from a short person, so there! The new configuration will be much nicer – I’d LOVE to have a utility sink in our house (will be a future one, at this point).
Nice find on the sewing cabinet – you guys are still on a project roll! Oh, and that wallpaper in the exercise room looks like a grass skirt – you could just replace the border with something Hawaiian and turn it into a vacation-themed room! 😉
The shower was ridiculous. I know it was made for kids, but that is not to code nowadays.
We are actually kind of going with an adventurer/travel theme for that room with maps and bikes and stuff. Right now if feels like we need hula skirts on to go in that room. It has been nicknamed the jungle room 😀
A treadmill is super nice to have when the whether just doesn’t cooperate. I don’t exactly love mine (and watch TV while on it), but I’m really glad to have it at times.
Yes, now I don’t have to think about bringing the bike inside yet. Even if it rains or is too cold 5 days in a row, I can still walk – and still ride on those occasional 50 degree days in November 😀
that shower is SO SO SO SMALL—even for kids!
I need to know if youre still REALLY REALLY HAVING FUN with the remodel stuff?
It looks like so much fun…to an outsider
Yes, we do love the remodel stuff. Probably me more so than John. Not all of it is fun, but it certainly is rewarding.
om my I cannot EVEN imagine moving a treadmill upstairs! I swore when we bought this one I would never move it because it is so heavy and hard to move! Glad no one was hurt moving it!
It was not as hard as I was thinking and we actually had to go up 2 flights. One bringing it up from my parents basement and then the next one going up our stairs. We just took it up one step at a time and with 2 of us, it wasn’t terrible. Not that I want to do it again, though 😀
om my I cannot EVEN imagine moving a treadmill upstairs! I swore when we bought this one I would never move it because it is so heavy and hard to move! Glad no one was hurt moving it!
That sewing machine looks oooollllddd! I bet your vintage group will snatch it up in no time. The cabinet looks sink worthy. Have fun re-purposing it!
It is a cool old machine and the fact that it works is a bonus. There are many people who love to use the old machines still.
OK, being honest, I kept going back to the donut picture! 🙂 So much home do stuff! You two are amazing!!!! I have my grandmother’s old sewing machine but comes up from the top. I need to take a pic for you!
Well, I never thought I’d see a lower shower head than the one we have in our downstairs bathroom but you win! That’s just crazy.
Welcome to the treadmill owners club. I have to say ours is old and I expect it to break any time now but it is something we definitely will replace when it goes as we have used it even more than we originally anticipated those many years ago when we bought it – especially during these last couple of harsh winters. At 4:30 am when it’s snowing and icy I don’t want to run outside OR drive to a gym.
It dropped into the 20’s here overnight. At least we didn’t get 9 inches of snow like they did in Mexico, NY. I’m pretty sure any flowers I had left on the patio are done as of this morning – I just didn’t have a chance to check. Maybe I just won’t look and let Mr. Helen take them down. If I deny winter will that stop it? 😀
That shower was just ridiculous. I am glad we didn’t get a lot of snow. When it started flurrying yesterday – I just said “Stop it!” Not ready just yet LOL. Normally I like the first snowfall, but then I was outside in it and not dressed too warm.
I had to laugh at the picture of that bathtub. Sometimes I just don’t get what people were thinking. Our house is a lot newer but I’m finding some head-scratching things too. I need a few drops of your handy/fearless DNA to tackle some of these things by myself. Alas, they are waiting until we save the $$ to hire someone.
I am going to pretend I didn’t see those donuts.
Never thought to use Bisquick for donuts – yum!
And I wish I had your expertise when it comes to remodeling, etc. You need to teach classes!@ 😀
Woah…quite the “before” shower. I can’t wait to see what you and John do with it! I love the sewing machine!!! And the cabinet! (they don’t make ‘erm like that any more – I sound old… LOL) Have a good week Lori.
That is a really small shower for very short people. Look forward to see what you guys are going to do with it.
There was some snow here in Holland last Wednesday in the south which is ridiculous early. No idea what kind of Winter we will get here.
The shower pic with John is funny. And great buy on that sewing cabinet!