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Pool Repair, Part 2

22 Oct

With all of the pool’s guts removed it was time to start research and buying everything that we now needed to replace. 

  • What we had, most secure
  • Easiest to Replace
  • Easiest to install

We did some research on the liner and found out that it was a unibead style liner, which is supposed to be one of the most secure, but not easiest to install or replace. We measured the pool, and kept coming up with odd measurements that included an extra 1/2″ or 3/4″, but after extensive research and getting familiar with how pool sizes run, we finally felt confident enough to order the liner. The size of our pool limited our options for liner designs with Chris initially only showing me two, neither of which I was totally psyched about.  But when he went back to the results, there was a third which I loved and so we ordered it.

Come shopping with me

I don’t know if it was an option or if he thought about it for the liner, but when it came to ordering the floor liner, wall foam, and cove, we compared prices on Amazon, and thank goodness!  We saved at least $200.  And then it was a waiting game, as the website for the liner didn’t actually say when to expect delivery.

So while we waited for those things, Chris did research on how to address the giant rusted out holes in the side of the walls.  He knew we could address the rust itself with a type of spray paint he’d used in the past, but went to YouTube for advice with patching the hole.  Eventually he found that he could use sheet metal with pop rivets. Those things we could get local, so we got to work.

  • Inside’s sprayed
  • And the outside

He sprayed the major rusted areas inside and out of the pool with Rust-oleum’s Rust Reformer in effort to stop the rust from getting any worse.

Got my arm workout!

And then it was time to cut sheet metal and grind the edges to take off any sharp edges that could possibly scratch the liner once it was installed. And then we connected the sheetmetal to the side of the pool wall with pop rivets. And let me tell ya, using that pop rivet gun is no joke!

Now for everything else to show up and then the real work begins.

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Still Growing Up – Office Style

19 Oct

I was looking back at old posts last week and was shocked by how much Chris and I have grown up since moving into our house. Is that still a thing even after you’re considered an adult? But I had previously cleaned out what was the Craft Room and put my touch on it, turning the room PINK and deciding to keep a lot of the previous clutter out. And now it has transformed again.

PINK and decluttered (compared to before)

He also decided to buy himself an official drum set (he’d been learning on a set of electronic ones), so I decided to upgrade my desk which transformed the entire room with a u-shape desk, bookcases and file cabinets. And with the white furniture, you can really see how light and bright the room turned out! It’s been nice having a place for my computer and to do crafting, with more organization, and room to display all of my keepsakes, like the flowers and cloche display from our wedding. And even a designated place for my official work, without too much adjustment.

YIKES! Before the first remodel

I mentioned that I started working from home at the end of last year, but that wasn’t even the catalyst for it. After our wedding in April, Chris decided to repurpose half of the rooms in our house. Our previous gym became a music studio/theater room, my previous office took on a storage role (the main thing our house is severely lacking) and the Craft Room became my new office.

My new (grown up) office after the wedding

When I started working from home, we really took a closer look at what that would look like. I had office jobs before, but they usually at least allow for opportunities to get up and go for a walk, usually for meetings – but mine were all online now which meant more sitting and less moving. We invested in what we thought would be a decent chair and a riser for my desk so I would at least have the option to stand.

The flexibility with the riser is nice, and it’s super easy to use since it is motorized. But I didn’t think how it might effect things when I am just sitting, which I’ve done more than I initially thought I would. At my previous job, I ended up developing an issue with my shoulder and figured out that it was because my desk was too high compared to my chair making me type with my shoulders shrugged all day. And the riser was starting to have the same effect since it raised my keyboard another couple of inches off my desk even at its lowest.

My chair was also starting to tilt to one side and it allows me slouch too much. So it’s now time for another change – I’m going to try it without the riser and trying out a new chair! We’ll see how it goes.

And for those keeping track of puppy status, the cords under my desk have now been tidied.

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no cost to you! When you purchase through the links provided, you will be supporting Brittany Bower and helping to bring new content to the site!

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Pool Repair, Part 1

17 Oct

Last month, Chris came into my office and showed me a video – our pool had a major leak! He didn’t know if it was from the liner or if a pipe had busted, so he went diving in the pool to find out.

Right inside from the leak he a found a tear in the liner. So, he grabbed the glue and extra vinyl (we had patched a hole last year), and went to trying to do the repair, but as soon as he touched it, it tore even more. And we realized this was not going to be an easy repair.

We already knew we were on borrowed time with the pool once we found a rusted spot at the far end after dismantling the previous pool deck. We just didn’t know what all would be involved with that repair – or if could even be done – but knew that the liner would have to come off and it might not go back on as easy as it came off. Now would be the time to address it though since the current liner obviously had to be replaced anyways.

So Chris got to draining the pool. It was such a sad sight.

But also eye opening for all of the problems we weren’t aware of. Water pooled in a few areas so he cut the liner to allow it to finish draining disclosing the spots that had washed out. One was around the floor drain, which is what he patched last year. We couldn’t see the bottom of the hole and had no idea how far it would go, leaving us to question how we were going to fix it.

The other spot that washed out was on the inside of where he spotted the leak from the outside and was severe enough that we could clearly see some of the metal framing.

Since we’d already come this far with removing the liner, Chris decided to continue cutting down the edges in sections, revealing tears in the foam wall liner and rust spots behind large sections of it. So it came down too.

Now that basically all of the pool’s trim pieces and guts had been removed, we finally had an idea of what we were up against and it was time to start researching how to do the repairs.

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Expanding Our Family

26 Sep

At the end of last year, I was approached with a job offer that I had actually proposed years before, and had always thought to be a long shot.  But as we all know, COVID changed the corporate landscape and ideas that were once thought to be impossible, like working from home, not only became a possibility, but a reality for thousands. When my chance finally came, I jumped for it.  December was an adjustment period rearranging my office to make it more conducive to accommodate both my work and my personal projects.  But it also brought up a conversation that Chris and I have been having for years – the possibility of getting a dog.

We’ve always been in agreement that we want one, but had two major barriers.  We first wanted to own a house with a yard (especially important since we want a BIG dog, an Alaskan Malamute to be specific) and we needed to be home.  We bought our house 5 years ago taking care of the first barrier, but we had still been working long hours focusing on climbing up the corporate ladder.  Having a remote job finally took care of the remaining challenge.

We began looking immediately and I was excited!  I’d have the new puppy to keep me company while I was home and working while Chris was away at work. We found one that we were excited about but ultimately decided it still wasn’t the right time with just starting a new job in an environment that was so different from what I had been used to.  We thought it would be wise to give me more time to adjust and then reevaluate after a few months.

I continued searching, and finally found another possibility in July, although it still was not the best time due to other circumstances.  But it was the closest I had come so far.  While some of the other searches presented challenges with the distance to travel or their restrictions on where a potential owner could live, this one was not concerned about our living in Florida and had accommodations to make the travel manageable. While it is disappointing that it again did not work out, it did make me focus more on what we need to do to get our house ready for a possible addition – the cords in my office still need to be tidied, things need to be better organized around the house, the yard and pool need some work, and a million other little things.

So a furry addition is still a possibility for us, but it looks like we have some things to take care of first.

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Hi Again…from Quarantine

26 Aug

Hi again everyone. I know it’s been a while, but like many, I now have much more time on my hands than I thought possible this time last year, and even more since my last post and the time in between.

It has now been 2 years since my fiance and I bought our house (I know, I know, we still haven’t tied the knot), but that’s a story for another time, possibly not too soon from now. Since then, we’ve made attempts at revamping parts of the house, but only a few have stuck. I had a promotion at work, then left and started a new job, much like many of you probably have had to do. I’ve reconnected with an old friend and our friendship is now a teenager (haha…things that make us feel good, but also remind us of our age and the fact that time seems to speed up as the years go by). And, also like most others, I have started a new hobby.

I have always wanted to be, and have tried to be, crafty. When I was younger, it was school projects. I tried crocheting but didn’t get very far. I did learn how to hand sew and have continued to hone this ability since, even going so far as to make my own masks during this pandemic. But the things I attempted have never made anyone go “WOW!” until this year’s worldwide Corona quarantine. While listening to a friend’s podcast which reads a Harry Potter inspired fan-fiction, I ran across Deathly Hallows inspired wreaths in the house colors.

Made by CraftVVitch

Thinking something similar might be fun to do for my house, I showed the idea to my fiance. Although he wasn’t as keen on the Harry Potter idea 😒, he still encouraged me to try my hand at it. While I will make one down the road for my own enjoyment, I decided to focus on my favorite holiday, Christmas! This is the first one that I have completed to my satisfaction and while my friends like it (they’re kinda obligated to), I wanna know what you think! So leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts 😉.

Let It Snow in Deco Mesh

If you have any other ideas for styles or themes I might enjoy, let me know that as well.

Stay safe and God bless.

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Beautiful Surprise

1 Nov

I came home to this beautiful bouquet of roses today. When I asked my amazing boyfriend what the occasion was he said “just because.” Talk about the best reason ever!! After going to 2 stores he put the arrangement together himself. Isn’t he crafty ;P And they’re my 2 favorite colors 🙂

Take note boys: girls love getting flowers for no reason.

IMG_1546.JPG

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