Extensions and Breaking Down Walls

Since Ryan is finishing an Office downstairs (YAY!), we decided to also extend the hall on the other side of the basement. Someday down the road there will be a bedroom off that hall. It made sense to get it completed now since we were cutting into the wall for the office. After the hall extension and the office are done, any future dirty, dusty, drywalling projects will be behind closed doors.

Plus, Ryan really wanted a place for his Dartboard.

This is looking down the hall into the unfinished area, which will one day be a Bedroom to the Left and remain Unfinished for the Workshop to the Right.

This is where Ryan started the framing of the Hall Extension. He hasn't torn down the original door yet.



This is inside the Unfinished area where the Workshop is and where the Bedroom will be someday. These are the studs that are forming the end of the hall pictured above. The door closest to you is the door that was on the Right and will be the door to the workshop - opposite, will be the door to the future bedroom, and is the door that was on the Left. When we get around to finishing the space, we will build a wall to separate the two areas.



And here is the new extended hall.

* The first door on your left is new. Ryan cut the doorway and finished the unused area underneath the staircase for new CLAIMED storage.
* The next door to your left will someday go to the Bedroom.
* The first door on your right, where Sonic the Cat is, goes to the bathroom.
* And the Second door on your left goes to the workshop.
* The dartboard will hang proudly at the end of this hall.



Seeing these kinds of projects blows my mind. It makes me realize that you can really do ANYTHING when it comes to redoing and remodeling. We aren't limited by the walls that are around us.

And check this out.

In those first few pictures, where you can see the exterior wall all covered in plastic and insulation. I stood with my back against that wall and took this picture into the Family Room.



In this picture, I am standing in the EXACT same spot, facing the backside of the end of the new hall! CRAZY!

Linked to Met Monday.

A Day to Reconnect, or We Finally did something while the kids are away

The kids have been gone for nearly a week. The first few nights, we were total losers. We were the DUH in Dull. We would eat dinner together and then go our separate ways. Me to the Hearth Room, watching the likes of Top Chef D.C. and Ry to the Family Room watching crap like Hostel II. Then off to bed early to go to sleep. Zzzzzzzz......


Saturday, however, we mixed things up! Ryan had to do actual work-work in the morning, but was able to complete it from home. When he was done we took our Recycling up to the Recycling Center and then headed down to our fabulous City Market to shop for dinner and be the metro-cool couple we once were.


The Market was packed...more so than usual due to the Toyota Farm to Table Tour taking place. It's a great concept. We purchased fresh, and locally grown peppers and onions for Steak Fajitas, which we cooked that night. We also got fabulous peaches, which are destined to become a Peach Pie or Cobbler. (I have been craving peaches since The Big Shamu posted about peaches and pies here and here.) We also got some fresh tomatoes, which are fantastic and will become tomato soup tonight. In that soup will float slices of baguette from Bloom and poached fresh farm eggs from la ferme du bonheur.


In keeping with our "farm to table" theme, we lunched at The Farmhouse, which was great. Sitting outside on the patio, we enjoyed quiche and omelettes and fabulous service.


A stop in at Planters, one of my FAVORITE gardening stores, was fun and smelled great. A stroll down the pedestrian bridge to the Missouri River, which is part of the Missouri Riverfront Heritage Trail, was very cool and educational, with excellent views of the river and the Broadway Bridge (here) and the Heart of America Bridge (turn your head down river). And we even had time to hit the first two floors of the River Market Antique Mall.

Back to the car and our sustainability excursion ends, but not our metro-coolness or our 'localivity' as we hit Grinder's for some brews.



However, this is where our tale takes a woeful turn. In the BK days, we would have remained at Grinder's until the wee hours. But, as our slow and spattered and increasingly boring (even to us) conversation was continually interrupted by Ryan's yawns, we made the decision to head back to the sleepy suburb we call home. Once there, we would eat dinner together and then go our separate ways. Then off to bed early to go to sleep. Zzzzzz....