Our New Old House

Among other little tasks I did around the house today, I decorated for Halloween and got candy for beggar’s night!

We went to a couple of GREAT Halloween parties in Chicago this weekend. Here we are all dressed up!

Spoooooooky!!

Hey there! 

I know sometimes you want to get straight to the pictures without having to read my endless drivel, so I’ve done a massive update to the photo gallery pages (to your right).  They’re all up to date now, for your scrolling pleasure.

 Enjoy!

We were delighted that our good friends Gianfranco and Colleen could come all the way to Des Moines from Chicago to help us work on our house! The pictures tell the whole story:

Caution: Men at work!

Brandon went medieval on the kitchen cabinet…

While Gianfranco pulled staples out of the ceiling. “One… two… three…”

“Oy, Mah-gerie, these staples! They’re killing my back already!”

“No I will NOT put this lampshade on my head even though it looks like a sombrero! It’s dripping pig fat for crying out loud!”

What IS that stuff anyway?

Contrary to popular belief, Colleen does not whistle while she works.

We had a great time and the work certainly did go a lot faster having eight hands pitching in.

Today I came home to find our dear little mantis friend dangling by a foot, deceased.

RIP, mantis.

And a dramatic parting shot…

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A mantis who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” -apologies to Mark Twain

Ha!  As if house bloggers would be that snobby.

(Fanfare please…) I am thrilled to announce the first meeting of the Des Moines Rehabbers Club!

And the best part is it’s going to be at my house!

Steve Wilke-Shapiro, late of the St. Louis Rehabbers Club, recently moved to Des Moines, and noticing the lack of a Rehabbers Club, decided to start one.  Shortly after he launched his website, RenovateDSM.com, I got in touch and we’ve been brainstorming ideas about it ever since.

So here are the details about the meeting.  If you’re in the Des Moines area and want to take a look around my little house in person, this is your chance!

(Here is a printable Flyer for DMRC Kickoff Meeting with all the details. Feel free to print copies and share with anyone who’s interested.)

When: Saturday, Nov. 3  9:30-11:00 AM

Where: 1622 York St., Des Moines, Iowa, 50316
View Google Map

What: Tour my house, meet other people working on house projects of all kinds, and enjoy some donuts, coffee, and juice!

For more information, visit RenovateDSM.com.  The site is chock full of tips and resources for home improvement projects of all sizes.  You can get on the Google Groups mailing list and interact with other members.  The site is constantly growing with new articles, photos, and resources added all the time!

I hope to see you there!