Garage

Back to Toad: There is a good sized garage in the back.

There is a little bench with a big, scary vise. The mitre saw is courtesy of Kilgore. I'll return it someday, I swear.

Garage door openers are really great when they work. Very annoying when they don't.

This is the loft space above the garage. 500 sq ft of unfinished potential. Anyone wanna live above my car?

This hangs above the garage doors on the outside. Usually, the eagle carries arrows in one talon to symbolize power and the potential for war while other talon holds an olive branch to represent peace. But not my eagle. With this guy, it's either arrows or a patriotic shield. So the message seems to be: Yo, we can either come after you with our pointy sticks or you can break yourself running into our shield. Either way, your eagle food.

Happy Halloween

Carla's first Jack O' Lantern.

Is this creepy or what?

New Additions

Back on the family farm, the feline population has nearly surpassed the Bovine. I was able to ignore this problem as a renter, but within a month of losing this convenient excuse, I felt it necessary to do my part. You know, because I was totally given a choice in the matter upon my latest visit to the homestead.

Leon

Ada

They are about six months old and despite the eight hour drive, seem to enjoy it here. They certainly like my bean bag.

 

Milk bribery doesn't hurt either. After a couple hours exploring every nook and cranny in Toad, they both settled in nicely. 

Confused?

The upper section of the house here is technically the roof. They chose to side it.

What you are looking at here is the side of the garage covered in asphalt roofing shingles. So, the roof of the house is sided and the sides of the garage are roofed.

Next post, I'll begin showing off my attempts to improve Toad.

Odd Ends

I haven't posted pictures of some of the rooms yet, but I want to take a moment to tribute some of the odder little touches left in the house by the previous owners.

An albatross dangles from the ceiling fan in the master bedroom. I think that's an albatross anyway. What is that poem about the guy at sea who shoots an albatross and his ship sinks . . . Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner? . . . well, I haven't dared to take it down yet.

Doc of 7 Dwarves fame hangs from a rafter in the basement. 

From the back porch, one is presented with two possible entrances. The door on the right goes into the sun room; the one on the left opens to the kitchen. Remember, the sunroom was an addition to the house. While the kitchen entrance has an obvious transition from the outdoors complete with a closet to hang coats, the sun room door dumps you straight into a carpeted room. I don't know why they felt adding this door would be even a little useful, but seeing them one foot away from each other every time I come home annoys me (more than it should, probably).

The sun room entrance. I haven't even bothered to take the key out of the deadbolt (which you'll notice requires a key even on the inside - more on that later).

This floral knocker is nailed to the outside of the bathroom door. So you don't hurt your knuckles, I guess. It has become a running gag as I never think to take it down until I go to brush me teeth at night. Since I don't feel like going downstairs to get the hammer and don't want to just rip it off the door, I say "one more day, knocker, one more day" brush my teeth and retire. Every single night.

Bathroom

The third bedroom was turned into a bathroom so it's a decent size. 

When one globe is not enough, use three and dangle two from chains. You'll notice that the pink curtains continue to the upstairs.

At least the curtains match the tile. And the tub matches the sink. And the giant safety handles  . . . actually I like those. They make me feel secure.

Window seat. 

I'm pretty sure this is a kitchen sink. 

Bedroom

Closet light is off.

Closet light is on.

View of the walk in closet and 50 foot cable in case I feel watching TV on the roof.

Carla tries out the window seat.  Notice the two outlets. You're never in want of a plug in this house.

Stairs

I'm hoping to match the floor to the banister. It's one of the few parts of the house I don't want to change.

French front doors made moving in easy (though it might have been the three guys I hired to do all of that actual labor). 

Move in Pictures

Kitchen floor ain't bad.

So I can show off my elegant Chinaware.

Mega cabinet.

Faux stone with office window backsplash.

Pictures from the Real Estate Listing Continued

That chandelier is heavy. And nothing says classy like acrylic crystal.

The office. Pro: that window is actually a Greenhouse window. It juts out of the house a fair bit and is a perfect place to start tomato plants. Con. That big hole in front of the desk shows onto the kitchen. In fact, rather than a backsplash behind my stove, I have an office.

Kitchen. My favorite room. I like the island and the over abundance of cabinet space. I barely even notice the wood paneling.

The big entryway between the living room and the dining room.

Pictures from the Real Estate Listing

The dining room. 
I call this the sun room. Notice the angle of the wood paneling along the roof. Also, the red, white, blue and black blinds. 

The stairwell in the living room. Sadly, they did not leave the organ behind. 

The living room. Also sadly, they did leave behind this giant, plug-in faux fireplace. Oh, and those heavy pink drapes. 

More pink drapeage. Also notice the border at the top of the wallpaper. We'll come back to that later.

Introducing Toad, The House

You'll notice that the second floor is larger than the first. Even before I actually visited the house, I declared that it looked like a mushroom. A toadstool, in fact. 


Come on. You see it too, don't you? I've threatened to paint dots on the roof. So far, it has been an empty threat.