girl at large

I like to write about life when you have a job, some kids, a fixer upper and a fatal disease.

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Category: Kenmore Place

  • The Old Stuff Is Just Fine Thank you Very Much

    The response at the hardware store when Paul asked for a method to remove the tarnish on our 90 year old window hardware was “Buy new ones dude”. Yes, the vested man said “dude”. I think it was a fluke as usually that store is my go-to for very helpful advice (plug ACE). Replacement is…

  • What a Difference a Weekend Makes

    I couldn’t take looking at the dingy pink sunroom ceiling a minute longer. It was, like most of the walls in Kenmore, a color I once heard described as “dirty girdle”. I had half heartedly started painting it when we first moved in, but gave up during our busy summer schedule. Getting it done took…

  • Wheels Run in the Family

    I drive the FIAT (when I can), Paulie has his speedy GTI and to accommodate the car seat we have of course the SAAB wagon. Not to be left out, Viv tools around the loving room in her Cozy Coupe. We want to reduce our car count to two from the current three. It’s not…

  • What Goes Down Must Come Up

    I had a hunch that there might be wood floors under the vinyl in the kitchen a few weeks ago, and after some prodding and scraping, it was confirmed. Yippee! It’s the same maple hardwood that is in the front rooms, such a lucky break. Paul is particularly relieved that it also continues into the…

  • Because Once is Never Enough

    I love my bright Granny Smith Apple Green, I have used a variation of it in every one of my kitchens for many years, but sometimes I get it wrong. This time it was just a bit too bright, too saturated, too…green. So, after some searching I found a very close match to Farrow &…

  • Great Greens and Great Pains

    Paul spent the day taking snapshots of beautiful cars at the Ferrari Club event at Road America today. I spent the day painting. And painting. And painting. The dining room walls are done (BM Shades of Spring and BM Raccoon Hollow). The more I look at the wood trim—the miles and miles of filthy, poor…

  • Surprise!

    This happened two seconds after I said “Wouldn’t it be funny if underneath was the same classic black and white hex tile that we just special ordered?”     Posted with Blogsy

  • Feeling at Home

    We walked to the coffee shop this morning, sat outside and watched the neighbors go by in the sunshine. Then we walked to Atwater beach, pushing the stroller all the way down the new slopping walk way to the water. It was a shame that the water quality level was “Red” (e-coli levels too high);…

  • Finishing up the Fluff and Fold

    The laundry room is coming together at last! Both machines are working. They hum like an old Chevy; so solid and smooth. I LOVE these machines. When we took the previous “new” washer out to the garage (on it’s way to a new craigslist owner), I was reassured that my choice of 30 year old…

  • Sun’s Out, Roll Your Sleeves Up!

    In true midwestern style, the neighborhood kids were in shirts and flip flops during this early warm spring weekend. We couldn’t stand to spend another day working in the basement on a sunny day, so we tackled the yard. I dug up enough rocks and gravel to fill the freshly repainted flower boxes. Moms old…