Basement Job 4...Plumbing

So I know these aren't the most glamorous posts, but you have to get through the dirty work for the beautiful results right!  And hopefully this information will be helpful for people who want to be their own general contractor!  Here pretty soon the basement posts will be a little more exciting to look at (not that plumbing and electric aren't fascinating though right!) 

The plumber can come around the same time as the electrician for any work that needs to be done.  We have a small bathroom we are finishing with the standard tub, toilet and sink.  We hired Austin Headrick (801-209-4879) and recommend him!

The first phase in finishing a bathroom is called a "rough in".  I can't list all the specifics, but they get everything ready to be hooked up.  The tub is also installed at this point. 

It only took Austin a couple of hours to get everything done.  Once we've finished the rest of the bathroom he'll come back and install the toilet and vanity.

We also had him run hoses for a soft water unit.  If you ever have plans to install one, it's best to have it done while you are finishing the basement.  Even if you don't plan to buy one immediately, it's ready to go when you do!

McKay and I are working on the insulation right now!  Info about that to come!  (PS...we passed our first inspection with only a few quick things to fix!)

Basement job 3...Electric work

Boxing and wiring the basement for electricity is the next step after framing.  Making sure you have plenty of light in a basement is important...nothing is worse than a dark, drab space!  We decided to go with canned lighting for most of our basement.  Two of the bedrooms will have light fixtures but otherwise it's canned lights!  This is what they look like before the drywall gets put up!

There are a certain number of outlets you have to install for each room to meet code.  Each room also has to have a smoke detector and each floor has to have a carbon monoxide detector.  The electrician will install boxes that look like this...

...wherever light switches, outlets and smoke detectors go.  With the way televisions are today, its also smart to plan out where you will hang flat screen TV's and have outlets installed wherever they'll be.  It prevents lots of wires hanging down your walls! 

We were fortunate to have a friend help us with our electric work.  It's nice to have connections with people who live closeby and are willing to come help!  

Fun Find...Scrapbook Substitute

I used to be a scrapbooker...until I found other things I liked to spend my free time doing (which is much less these days!)  I am impressed with the talent some ladies have for it, but I just decided its not for me anymore.  However, I love to have our pictures around to look at instead of hidden on my hard drive.  So I bought the Costco photo albums and love them!

They fit about 400 photos so you can get six months to a year's worth of pictures in one depending on how great of a photographer you are!  They also come with a coupon for 50-100 free 4x6 prints so at $20 for two albums it's a great deal!

I also like that I can write a few things about the pictures. 

I've given these as gifts to grandparents and organized their stacks of grandkid pictures lying around which has been a big hit!

If you're overwhelmed with a large pile of pictures to scrapbook, make your life easier and put them in a nice album for family and friends to look at and enjoy!  The book with the most recent pictures makes a great coffee table piece! 

The Perfect Valentine Treat

 Thanks to Family Fun magazine for this great Valentine treat recipe.

 

 

Ingredients

 

• 12 mini candy canes
• 6 (6-inch) paper lollipop sticks
• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil
• Red, white, and pink nonpareils or sugar sprinkles

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 235°. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange the candy canes as hearts and bake them for 10 minutes.
2. Slide the hearts, still on the parchment paper, onto a work surface. Quickly pinch each heart onto a lollipop stick as shown below (an adult's job).
3. In the microwave, melt together the chocolate chips and the oil in 10-second intervals, stirring between heatings.
4. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the center of each heart, then top with nonpareils or sugar sprinkles. Cool the pops before serving or wrapping them.

Tips:

We packaged our Sweet Heart Pops in lollipop bags purchased at a craft store.

Artwork on a Budget

Art.com is a great place for inexpensive artwork for your home.  I got this set of 3 prints for under $20.  The frames came from The Village Quilt Shop at Gardner's Village.  Although they were more expensive at $50 a piece, I loved the look and they are worth the investment.  They make such a statement on that wall in her room and can be used later as she grows.

Quite the bargain!

The Top of a Dresser

 The top of Khloe's dresser is another place in her room I love. The mix of objects, textures, and shapes came together.  The green balls on silver cake stands came from TaiPan.  Again, the glass jar with ribbon is the perfect touch.  I wrote my own version of "You Are My Sunshine" for her and framed it.

Thanks to Kallee for finding the lamp at Finders Keepers.  It is Davy's favorite piece in the room, and that's saying a lot.  It has a pale white polka dot on the base.  The lamp shade would be so easy to replicate on your own.  It would also look darling with a pink boa glued around the bottom.  Hope this gives you some ideas of how to mix and match a variety of objects to create a unique yet cohesive look.

Upon a Shelf

 This is the shelf that adorns Khloe's beadboard wall in her room.  Davy built it for about $30 with supplies from Lowe's.  We bought an 8"x12' piece of wood and glued a 1" x12' piece of trim to the front.  Then we used decorative wooden corbels to hold the shelf in place.  Between each corbel, we placed a chunky chair rail to finish off the top of the beadboard.   We placed the shelf about 18" from the ceiling and did the beadboard up to plate rail height.  It is a great statement piece for that side of the room.

 To decorate the shelf, I created miniature vignettes with my favorite pictures of Khloe.  I got the silver frames from Ikea for around $6 each.  The pink ceramic vase came from Tai Pan.  The glass vases also came from Tai Pan and the darling ribbon from the Emporium at Thanksgiving Point.

 When I was on bedrest in the hospital, my sweet friends decorated Khloe's nursery and added some great touches.  Lindsay found the big letter K at The Emporium and simply Hodgepodged scrapbook paper to the front.  She also made the big wooden frame by buying an unfinished frame from Roberts antiquing it and adding the flower.  The little pink glass jar also came from Ikea for $5.  I love to display photography of my kids in their bedrooms and this shelf provides the perfect spot to show my favorites.

Lastly, our dear friend Kallee found the darling pink vase from Finders Keepers.  If you haven't been there, you must go.  It is on Main Street in AF and has some great items.  The pink ballet slippers donated by one of my favorite YW of all time adds the perfect touch. 

We completed this shelf and beadboard wall in a weekend.  With a little work, and the help of a mitre saw, you can create a similar look in one of your bedrooms.