Dating for Houses

Is RealTracs.com like Match.com?

When we started looking for Tara, our fabulous realtor told us that after all her years of experience she could most accurately compare the process of looking for and buying a house to one thing: dating.

Rhett and I identified things we wanted as we searched through RealTracs: more land, a garage, bedrooms all on the same level. Ultimately while Tara had these basic charms, the house had attributes we now love that we didn't even know to originally ask for- and isn't that how it is with dating and utimately choosing someone to permanently share a life with?

For instance when Rhett and I first met I knew he had some baseline appealing qualities, like his commitment to faith, his willingness to go running with me, and a desire to have a family. But what made me want to commit were the bonuses that I didn't even know to ask for (He cooks?! He can fix and build anything? Where do I sign?!)

Well, kids, it seems we're at it again. No, we're not polygamists and yes, after renovating this house we still like each other enough to be in this marriage for the long haul. In fact, we've had so much fun with this house that why not go for another?

That's right.

Although our love for Tara is real (I feel guilty just looking at other houses...) we've been looking around a bit. And, well, I don't know how to say this...

See, it's not Tara, it's us.

We've met someone. It's been going on about two weeks. She's a ranch, too. She has about 700 more square feet and about another half acre. The master bedroom is huge. The closets are too.

*sigh* It feels good to get that off my chest.

You should also know, reader, that's it's gotten serious. We made an offer on the new house last Tuesday. It's now Monday night, and after spending nearly a week back and forth with the owners, it looks like we've got a deal. We'll have a home inspection of course, but we wanted you to know we're pretty committed to the new place. We just didn't want to say anything until we knew it was getting serious.

So are we two-timing Tara? We're not sure what to call it yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Math is still hard.

Q: What do you get when you cross the Pythagorean Theorem with a Post Hole Digger?

A: A very tired Scarlett, mentally and physically.

--

I took Geometry in the 9th grade. Confession: I loved it. I loathed all other kinds of math- Algebra, Calculus, Trig, simple multiplication and division. But for some reason, Geometry made complete sense to me. I think it was the way that Geometry panders to my obsessive compulsive personality. Take for instance proofs. Remember those? You had to prove that something was true, such as the area of a triangle, using a step-by-step method of stating mathematical truths. Confusing for some maybe, but if I had it my way, Will Shortz would run one in the New York Times daily. They're fun!

Okay, for me at least.

I remember my teacher, Mrs. Everley, started class each year asking us all what we wanted to be when we grew up. For every occupation given, Mrs. Everley had an example of how Geometry would be useful in everyday work. Architecture may be a given, but Mrs. Everley had been teaching for such a long time that she could convince you that Geometry would be useful for lawyers and artists. She was truely a pro. I'm fairly confident I told her I wanted to be a mom, and I bet she gave me some answer about how Geometry would help me do laundry or something.

Well, Deborah Everley, 15 years later you're actually right. Moms need Geometry, and not just to cut sandwiches into equal triangles. In fact, I needed Geometrical knowledge this weekend as I continued to work my days away as a stay-at-home mother. You win.

Rhett is building our kids (and himself) a two story shed/treehouse. Remember when I asked you what our next project should be and you emailed me with suggestions (main bathroom! screened in back porch!) as to what we should do next? I'm pretty certain none of you voted for a shed/treehouse, but Rhett is kinda in charge here, so a shed/treehouse it is! Isn't it nice to know your vote mattered?

After clearing a spot for the treehouse, Rhett roughly measured out space enough for eight stakes which he used to mark a 10x10 square which became the footprint for the building.

Apparently, it's not good protocal to just eyeball these measurements (if your contractor eyeballs his/her measurements, you might want to worry), so Rhett insisted that we have right angles at all four corners.

"So," Rhett instructed. "What do we need to do to make sure these are right angles?"

My palms began to sweat. Um...a piece of cardboard that was already a perfect right angle? A compass?Where was my iphone so I could look this up?

"The Pythagorean Theorem, right? Remember that from Geometry?"

It sounded vaguely familiar and eventually, after I'm-not-revealing-how-long, it became familiar once more. Taking a second for you?

We measured 3 feet on one side, 4 feet on another, and then...VIOLA! We made sure the points connected on a perfectly measured 5 foot line. After repeating this procedure on all the other corners, we ended up with four right angles. Ladies and gentlemen, we had a square. The first round of this project, however, did not stop with a Geometry refresher course.

Rhett deemed it necessary to put up nine concrete posts to support the subfloor of this new structure- at each corner, halfway on each side, and in the middle. To put in these posts, Rhett needed a post hole digger (pictured below) and asked me, being completely serious, if I knew how to operate a post hole digger. To quote my storybook friend Eloise, "I am a city child." So, no, Rhett darling, I can only guess as to how to operate one of these contraptions.

Of course, Rhett was not at all deterred and saw this only as an opportunity to further my home improvement education, and now I am a post hole digger expert. I have the aching back to prove it.



We dug 9 holes for 9 concrete tubes, and the next day Rhett and his father mixed the concrete to fill into the tubes. And at the end of chapter one of the Shed/Treehouse saga, we have this (without the random tire):

What's on the agenda next for this ambitious project? We'll put down a floor and frame up this little house this coming weekend. I'm really looking forward to seeing Rhett's vision come to life (almost as much as I am seeing how much fun our kids are going to have playing in this treehouse!) but I'd be lying if I wasn't a tad bit hesitant about any upcoming math quizzes or scary new tools to learn to operate.

But learning is what this is all about. Lesson learned here? Playing in the dirt is hard! Almost as difficult as math.

The Emcees: Spring Cleaning

As another award season fades into the background, I am reminded (once again) that I am out of touch with Hollywood. Completely.

I haven't seen a movie in the theater since the James Bond that came out in 2006...Casino Royale, was it? It just doesn't make sense to pay someone to watch your children so you can pay to go watch a movie and not talk to your spouse. There are occasions when I prefer not to talk to Rhett at all, but I'd rather give him the silent treatment at home for free than pay a lot of money to sit silently beside him in a dark theater.

Really though, let's be honest. How many great movies come out in a year anymore? I've heard The King's Speech was magnificent (will rent, I swear!) but there's not much on I want to see. Perhaps it's because I've become so enamored of home renovation as a hobby that the only thing that would interest me is some bio pic of an interior designer? Who knows.

All this to say I did not watch the awards shows (nor did I really pay attention to what the stars were wearing...tsk, tsk) this year but I will give a little nod to Hollywood and begin a tradition of my own.

Starting this month and continuing once a month, I, Scarlett, will bestow my own awards for excellence in all things related to the home (since that seems to be my main hobby these days). Just five awards in each installment, none of this "best supporting item to support the supporting item which you are currently using in place of another item" jumbo. The prestigous awards, henceforth called the EmCees, will also have a new theme each month, and all suggestions for future themes can be sent to renovatingtara@gmail.com.

Due to the time of year, March's theme is Spring Cleaning! Here are the winners...

*Best Overall Cleaning Line*

Meyer's. This stuff is the best thing I have used yet. First, it's budget-friendly. You can pick it up at Target for around what you'd pay for other products. Second, it smells great. The Geranium scent (pictured above) is what we use to clean bathrooms (hand soap, countertop spray, room freshener) and we like the Basil in the kitchen. It also comes in Lemon, Apple and Lavender. Third, it's easy on surfaces like granite and is environmentally friendly. My Real Simple for April even mentioned it (hint: they recommend using the Geranium dryer sheets on beds between the matress pad and fitted sheet- nice idea!). Honestly, best stuff out there.

Available at Target (or similar stores, but warning: you may have to shop around for the fragrance you want!) and priced from $4 and up.

*Best Cleaning Gadget to save you time*

I used to mop. Like with a bucket and water. It was miserable.

I love to clean (really- my grandmother used to give me Comet and a sponge so I could clean her sinks when I was little!) but moping has always been a nightmare. It took WAY too long and was the kind of chore that I couldn't do unless I had a good long time to devote to it. And who has that? Thus, I avoided cleaning our floors at all costs.

Until now. Tara is 95% hardwoods (we ahave some marble in the entryway) and Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner paired with a simple Scotch Brite Hardwood Floor Mop  have made my life so much easier.

Both the gadget and the cleaner are relatively inexpensive, and with a few sprays of Bona and a quick once-over with the mop, my floors are as clean as new. I can easily do sections at a time (entryways, anyone?) so "mopping" takes minutes. As for cleaning? You can snap the microfiber cloth off the mop and throw it in the wash. Hallelujah!

Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaners, available at Home Depot (or online). About $11 for a 32 oz. bottle.
Scotch Brite Hardwood Floor Mop, available at Target for under $7.


*Best Cleaning Gadget for the kitchen*

This is a bit like cheating since I want to focus on kitchen gadgets in the future, but if I don't mention this so you can pick one up the next time you're running errands I'll feel like a bad friend.

Oxo's Soap Squirting Palm Brush is the best thing you can have around when you're doing those blasted dishes. It's easy to use, easy to clean, and makes doing dishes...you guessed it...easy. I think my mom put this one in my stocking, and I bet she'd have wrapped it up with gold ribbon if she knew just how much I would love it! The bristles are nearly impossible to wear down, but if you do, you can buy replacements without buying an entirely new brush. Fill it with Dawn Pure Essentials Dish Soap (no smell, and a drop creates a gazillion bubbles!) and you've got dishes done in no time.

Available at amazon.com for under $7.


*The ONE thing you must own if you have kiddos*

The Splat Mat.

I hardly even had to think about giving this one an EmCee. It should get 2! This handy (reversible!!) mat from one of my favorite stores, the Land of Nod, is perfect under high chairs and art tables. My oldest daughter even used it on the floor under her playdough (or cookie dough!) and it looks JUST a good today as it did when she was born. I'd tell you to buy one even if you don't have kids- you'll need it for something. And the cheery patterns are an added bonus, for sure!

Available at http://www.landofnod.com/ for $39.


*Best Cleaning Indulgence*

Isn't that an oxymoron? Cleaning is no fun and far from an indulgence, right? Listen, kids. While cleaning is something you HAVE to do, it shouldn't be all utilitarian and no fun. Thus, my cleaning splurge is anything by the fabulous line, The Good Home Co.

Their Beach Days fragrance is something I loved the moment I smelled it- really! My oldest daughter and I were shopping in Franklin and we suddenly had to ask a shopkeeper if we could use their restroom. The hand soap was Beach Days, and I was hooked from that second on, sniffing my hands for the next hour. In fact, I asked the store owner where she bought it and ran across the street to get some of my own! Middle Tennesseans, they carry it at The Iron Gate (http://www.theirongateonline.net/) and run out frequently. I am currently using the laundry detergent for all my hand-washables and am more motivated than ever to do my delicates. Moral of the story: you're more inclined to do your chores if whatever you are cleaning with smells delicious!

Available online at goodhomestore.com and priced from $9.

So no more excuses, dear readers- get cleaning! Next month, EmCees will be awarded to the top home improvements under $50. Really! They're out there, and they are, in most cases, instant updates with a lot of wow! All they require is a little creativity, not a lot of cash. Remember, I'm not for spending money unless it's worth it. Movies may not be a great investment, but April's EmCees are! Bonus- No formal wear necessary.

Keeping the Sabbath, or Vacation from Renovation

Around Tara, we usually operate on all cylinders. Even when we're not diving into the latest house project, life is busy. Sometimes, we just need a day off.

Yesterday was one of the prettiest days we'd seen in a long time, so naturally we worked outside ALL day long (I have the sunburn to prove it). As I've mentioned before, Tara lacks curb appeal in a most obnoxious way, so any time we can spend dressing her up a little bit is well needed. My mind immediately goes to some saying about putting lipstick on a pig, but little by little I am beginning to see progress. She looks a lot better than she did when we moved in at least.

As the sun began to rise yesterday morning, Rhett moved a good deal of dirt into the gaping holes left by tree removal last fall. We're ridding our yard of the potholes by evening things out, and I bet our neighbors appreciate that. Rhett moved (and compacted) dirt with a borrowed golf cart, and the area he removed dirt from he later leveled, making space for a shed/treehouse he's going to dig posts for this week. (Yes, he's going to build it, too).

Meanwhile, I transfered about 50 bulbs from a section of the yard into the front beds so passersby can see whatever these bulbs turn out to be- daffodils? lillies? tulips? We weren't here last spring so this is anyone's guess- here's hoping it's pretty! Clearing out the beds was a mess- they probably haven't been de-leafed since I was in kindergarten. I also edged the front beds, trimmed back bushes, and cleared the weeds from my pansies.

Later in the afternoon, Rhett fired up his tractor and finished off the day by mowing the lawn. By the time he crawled into the house about 6pm, we were both too exhausted to eat anything other than a frozen PF Chang's meal and go to sleep, especially when we realized we were going to lose an hour of sleep (daylight savings time be damned!).

So, this morning I made an executive decision- today would be a day of rest.

Really!

My friend Julieann said to me once when I was bemoaning being lazy on a Sunday that sometimes we just need to have a Sabbath. Great advice! Our oldest daughter is vacationing in Florida with family, so why couldn't we have a mini-vacation here? And oh, what a wonderful morning it has been.

I had forgotten how much I love the sound of Charles Osgood's voice, and CBS Sunday Morning is always a real treat. Call me a dork, but I would love for that man to read me a bedtime story- is that weird? Even though he's talking about a tsunami, his voice is strangely pacifiying. Love that show, and watching while playing with our baby was heaven. Hot tea with honey and granola with blueberries for breakfast, too.

After a stroll through the neighborhood (Rhett pronounced himself too sore from the day before to go, so he stayed home with the baby) I went to get a pedicure. At 10am. I felt a little funny about it, but I think I am going to be a much better Christian for having had a little pampering so early in the day. When I returned home, I shopped online for shoes (is this day shaping up to be great or what?!) and, of course, started writing all about our little vacation from renovation.

It's a little after noon now, and Rhett has gone to borrow a post-hole digger for the shed/treehouse and head over to Ace Hardware for some tools. I, too, am getting antsy and anticipate an afternoon of playing with the baby, organizing/alphabetizing something, and planning a meal to cook for dinner (no more frozen PF Chang's tonight). Maybe a little racquetball, too? Anyway, like all good vacations it looks like this one is nearing the end, and for my type-A personality, a mini-vacation is about all I can handle unless we are forced to leave our home.

And what would I write about? Pedicures?

So, it's back to business as usual. But keeping the Sabbath, for however long, is surely a nice break from the traditional busy-ness. And please note that I meant to post this on Sunday, but became busy once again as soon as I was done relaxing.

Scrub, scrub

The most interesting place I have ever lived would no doubt be Wellington Arms. I loved everything about our little 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in this historic Clarence Kelley Colley building. I honestly wish I could go back and visit- just to walk in the building and smell the air. What I wouldn't give to turn the key on the lock to my old apartment and hear my feet on the nearly 100 year old wooden floors. The windows were huge, the crown molding was ginormous, and the elevator had one of those little cages that shut as you rode up to your floor- it was saturated with historic detail, and I was head-over-heels in love. The building oozed architectural and historical character.

We lived on the 5th floor of this 7 story building, so we had beautiful views through the treetops. I could leave my windows open at night and hear the traffic, the nearby train, and the ambulences of the hospital across the street. I miss so many things about living in that fabulous building. However, because the building was not renovated and the units could not support any structural renovation, living at the Wellington came without a good deal of the creature comforts we come to expect in our homes today.

For instance, because the building was built in 1919, we had no washer and dryer. Well, to be fair that's not entirely true. The building did have a wash room which was constructed out of some of the servant quarters in the basement of the building (I am not making this up- they still have some of those servant rooms that they rent out for storage). Going into the basement to do laundry with a 2 year-old is not only inconvenient, but going into the basement of Wellington Arms, with its huge furnace and dark, dingy, mechanical spaces, was a bit like going into a scene from Law and Order SVU. This is the room in its best light...

Fast forward to Tara, 2 residences later, where we now have our own little laundry room. We did have a washer and a dryer at our last house (hallelujah!) but we didn't have our own wash rom, and let me tell you it's particularly nice to start a load of wash (or just throw dirty laundry on the floor) and close the door.

After a weekend like this past one, it's absolutely necessary.

THE BUG caught hold of our oldest daughter on Sunday night, then my husband, then me, and finally our youngest daughter. Everyone in our house has had the yacks within the past 24 hours, and very few bedsheets, stuffed animals, carpets, and articles of clothing have been spared. I've done 9 loads of laundry since yesterday morning, and I couldn't be more grateful for a front loading washer and dryer.

When we bought Tara and started construction, the washroom looked like this:

Charming, no? There was a heaping amount of water damage, which luckily was easy to fix. In demo, we found- wait for it- FIVE layers of linoleum, subflooring, and rotted wood. Gross.

The good news is that as construction went on, the laundry room got better...

...and, with some basic tile, new appliances, fresh paint, and a pre-made cabinet, Tara's washroom now looks like this:

Please note the stuffed animals hanging to dry:

Though the laundry room isn't large by any means, we've made it work. And just in time for THE BUG to invade our house. Hopefully the washroom will be used for daily laundering only and no more emergency midnight washes, but with two kiddos I can anticipate a few more of these in our future. Again, thank goodness for a front loading washer.

I get frustrated with Tara sometimes and am guilty of saying that it has no character or is completely devoid of any architectural detailing. True as that may be, Tara is more functional and easy to live in than anywhere I have ever rested my head. I miss the character of the Wellington, yes, but when it comes to practicality, I'll take something a bit more up-to-date.

These are a few of my favorite things.

I feel like a lot of what we do with Tara is focus on the negative. Granted, that's what happens during a renovation, and that's why you get "fixer uppers" for such a steal- there are a lot of things that are wrong! As renovators you find the biggest problems first and tackle them one at a time until the house is nearly perfect (or at least a whole lot better than it was to begin with).

Here's the thing, though: no one wants a fixer upper that doesn't have its charms. The best kind of houses to renovate are the diamonds in the rough, because that's frankly where there is a profit to be had. Words like renovate, restore, and renew all imply that that there was something good to begin with that needs to be brought back.

When looking for a home to restore value to, some redeeming qualities have to be present. And every now and then you have to remind yourself of the things you love about the house, or it's easy to get overwhelmed by what you want to fix/replace/paint/forget existed. (Sidenote: this works really well with your spouse, too.)

As we keep a list of the things we'd like to do to Tara before we get her ready to sell in the next few years (which, yes, means that we start another renovation!), it's nice to keep two more lists handy as well. Being the type-A lady I am, I thrive on lists. So, along with your list of potential projects, make sure you keep a list of things you've accomplished (or a blog- to each his own), and a list of what you like about the house. For the latter, put on your realtor hat (and channel Oprah) and make a list of your favorite things. If you had to sell your house today, what are the best aspects? If you moved today, what would you miss most? Why did you originally place an offer on the house? By the way, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens do not need to be on your list- this is about your house only, friends.

Without further ado, I give you...My favorite things about Tara.

Location, location, location! I've said it before, and I will say it again- the location is arguably the best location we will ever live in. We are not even a hop, skip, and a jump (more like a hop only) to everywhere we could want to be. 2 miles to a state park and 2 miles to Publix. A mile to our oldest daughter's school and a mile to the YMCA. 2 miles to Vineyard Vines and Kate Spade and about 4 miles to Rhett's office. Really...it makes the 5.45 miles to church look like a trek. While our driveway is steep, our street and neighborhood are relatively quiet, which makes jogging and bike riding easy.

The classic ranch floorplan. The Ranch isn't for everyone, and if it was it would not have run its course by the end of the 1960s. For our family, however, a house on a single level is nothing less than a perfect fit. No stairs for little ones to fall down, no stairs for me to run up and down with laundry (I prefer to run at the gym, thankyouverymuch), no stairs, no stairs, no stairs. Whew. Additionally, the fact that all the bedrooms are next to each other is a plus, and the open flow of the rest of the house is genius. Love the ranch!

The HUGE windows on the back of the house and the monstrous bay window in the front. I was reminded of this today as the sun came in! The back of our house has three windows that are nearly floor to ceiling as well as a glass back door, so when it's pretty outside the prettiness comes inside! As for the bay window, I thought it at first to be a decorating disaster. However, I later realized that this is an ideal spot for my olsdest daughter's ever-growing Lego collection. And really, with young children does anyone dare dream of decorating with anything other than America's favorite building block?

The dining room corner cabinets. Tara doesn't have a great deal of whimsical detail (that we'd like to keep, anyways) but these little cabinets are a treasure. Before we moved in, I painted the back walls Benjamin Moore's Wedgewood Gray, which picks up the tinest detail in the china. They now display china and glassware, and instead of looking like storage pieces they come off almost as art.

Four small items on a list that doesn't get looked at very much. During a renovation, though, it's easy to lose your mind, so keeping a list- however small- can be a pretty great asset.

When a pipe breaks, when the roof leaks, when I'm feeling sad...go ahead- sing along...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.

Exhausted

Yesterday, I learned that the word 'periodontal' is synonymous with pain, swelling, and bruising. How? Yesterday, I had a gum graft on three teeth. A gum graft is basically necessary plastic surgery for your gums. A section of tissue on the roof of your mouth is removed and transplanted to your gumline in order to give a little lift to receeding gums.

Sound like fun? I didn't think so.

Truth is, I needed the surgery so my smile can be healthy for the next 80 years. And...to be fair, my peridontist is a wonderful man with absolutely sugar-sweet nurses. However, rational explinations and fabulous personas aside, periodontal surgery is nothing to smile about.

Although my mother says no one notices that I, albeit temporarily, look different (she flatters me), I notice. I notice that the sides of my face do not match when I smile. I notice that my face is beginning to bruise and it appears as though I have taken quite the punch to my left jawline. I notice because I am living with the condition and the pain.

When you live with something, be it for a day or for a year, you notice the flaws better than anyone else. You may have a front row seat to what looks right (my abs look gooood today!) but you also have a bird's eye view of what's wrong (can't even talk about my need for a tan). No one else notices these things about oursleves, but we do. Our pastor told me when Rhett and I got married that even though I had a front row seat to Rhett's mistakes, it was not my job to point them out (really? I thought that's what wives did best?). Marriages aside, when it comes to things you live with, like your health or your home, you are allowed to point out (and correct) the flaws. While the process may be painful (pass the Lortab), the end results are always worth it.

While my jawline, cheek, gums, teeth, face, and ego are healing, I want to take this opportunity to highlight another quick-fix correction from our main bathroom (you didn't want this entry to be ALL about me, did you?). I wrote an entry last October called "Seeing Stars" in which I told of the light fixture in our bathroom when we bought Tara. There wasn't a great deal that was original to the ranch that we hoped to save, but the light fixture was something special, and I haven't been able to part with it. However, apparently in the 1950s no one took hot showers, so the fab light fixture had to go to make room for a dual light/exhaust fan. Fortunately, the original light fixture only went as far as the laundry room.

As for the main bathroom's new fixture, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have to live with something functional in place of the quirky statement piece I'd had before. *sigh* But wait- much to my surprise exhaust fans don't have to be utilitarian- they can actually be functionable and fashionable! Sure, there are the small white plastic versions we've come to expect in bathrooms, but there are also other options- see below!

Would you know it was an exhaust fan? Me neither. It masks its real purpose (keeping the bathroom cool under the hottest conditions) and instead masquerades as a relative of the designer piece that lived upon the ceiling before. Let there be light...(and a fan). Another bonus? Rhett did all the work to make the finishing touches happen. If you're not as handy as Rhett, you're going to need to hire someone to take the light to a light/fan combination...apparently, it's tricky business.

In the end, while I am sad to tell you that Scarlet is under the weather this week, I am happy to report that our main bathroom is finished. Really! I think the main bathroom is the only room in the house that might be completely "done." I'll post the requisite before and after shots in the next post so you can see for yourself.

In the meantime, I am hoping my smile will be finished and back in working condition as soon as possible. I'm exhausted.