Hey there everyone!  I’m excited to announce that after all the votes are in, the winner of the Boost Your Roost Contest sponsored by House Logic has been chosen as the worthy Smith family.   House Logic has awarded the family a $20,000 renovation which will include building them an accessible backyard the family can enjoy together.  

Throughout the next five weeks a portion of the backyard renovation will be revealed and readers who watch the video documenting the makeover will have the chance to enter to win $1,000.  To enter, readers watch videos and answer quizzes, and after all of the videos have been revealed, a winner will be announced.  All the details can be found over at House Logic.

Hop on over to House Logic to meet this sweet family and see the beginnings of the remodel, and enter yourself for a chance to win $1,000!

*This post is sponsored by HouseLogic, a website for homeowners from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. HouseLogic offers solutions to help you enjoy, improve and maintain your home while connecting with others who also value homeownership.

.

A few weeks ago, I showed up at the shelter kitchen we revealed earlier this week to make sure the mosaic tile backsplash was getting installed by a skilled volunteer, but unfortunately the tile guy never showed up.   We never got an explanation as to why he didn’t show, he just didn’t.  With an inspection looming, Warren (our partner at COTS) and I looked at each other and decided we would just get ‘er done ourselves that day.

Installing a tile backsplash is not difficult, and it involves following just a few steps from prepping the wall to applying the thin set adhesive, cutting and setting the tiles, and then grouting and sealing.  The more challenging part is tiling around a window with mesh tile so that the grid stays perfectly aligned.  At first glance you’d think it all lines up easily (basic math right?) but we learned that’s not the case – here’s how we got it just right.

First, I’ll apologize for the quality of some of these in progress photos!  I had no idea on this day I’d be tiling when I showed up to the house so I didn’t bring my good camera.  Many are shot with a cell phone in bad light, but hopefully they will be illustrative.   The project took two days, with me working one side of the kitchen, Warren working on the other, and then we paired up to tackle the feature wall together.

There are plenty of detailed tutorials online for installing a simple glass mosaic tile backsplash, including this one from This Old House, but I’ll do a quick review.  What you’ll need:  paper or drop cloth to protect countertop, tile, thin set mortar, V notch trowel, tile saw, grout, grouting sponge, level, acrylic caulk.

First, prep your walls so they’re smooth and ready for tile and double check you have enough tile to complete the project.  (It’s good to have 10% more than your square footage for horizontal or mesh installation, more like 15-20% extra with diagonal installation due to all the cuts.)

Read the rest of this entry »

We made a change in the kitchen last week, something I’ve been wanting to do for months now.  A couple of years ago, I found a free fixture at Habitat ReStore, brought it home, rewired it, and painted it white.  That free fixture hung in our kitchen for two years and it was really great (especially since it was free!) but I’ve been dreaming of something a little more snazzy.  I wanted to mix it up and bring in some lighting that was bigger, bolder, and modern. 

I’ve been fixated on statement pendants over kitchen islands lately, so I finally decided it was time to upgrade ours.  Say hello to the two new polished nickel lantern fixtures that now hang over our kitchen island!

Ba da bling!

We splurged on two polished nickel and linen shade lanterns, purchased from one of my sponsors, Shades of Light.  With a 10% discount, they were $288 each but my oh my what eye candy they are!  

They’re really gorgeous in person but do you notice the slight problem?

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello everyone, I’m excited to announce we’ve completed another space remodel as part of our Alma Project!  I hinted a few months ago that we’ve adopted a second house in partnership with our local COTS (Committee on the Shelterless) and a team of volunteers has been working on this home to prepare it for the families that will be moving in shortly. 

This home serves the purpose of helping families that are in immediate danger of separation because the parents don’t have a place to live, often they’re sleeping in cars.  This house helps keep homeless families intact so that CPS does not separate the children from the parents.  It’s a place for families to reside temporarily while our local COTS helps them obtain more permanent housing.  We couldn’t be prouder of this hall bathroom remodel!

This could not have happened without the support of some very generous sponsors and a team of volunteers.  Just like with the kitchen remodel earlier this year, Home Depot was a very generous donor, supplying us with the new vanity, toilet and faucet, and we are extremely grateful for their support!  Glidden provided the paint, and with some money raised from our Alma Project fund, we were able to add the extras.  

When we started, this shared community bathroom was a complete disaster, and in desperate need of upgrades.  Here’s a peek at the space two months ago before the remodel began.   The tub and flooring were dingy, discolored, and in very sad shape.   The vanity and toilet were really bad too, so we removed everything in the space except the tub and started over. 

Here’s how it looks two months later!

Read the rest of this entry »