Our weekend in the woods

I'm going to take a break from your regular programming (which has been, um, quite irregular lately) to write about our weekend.  It's not about a home project or about a DIY project, but it's about a weekend I want to remember.  And, this blog sure is a good way to keep memories around...

So, this past weekend, Colin, Piper and I and Kirk (who you may remember from our trek across country over the summer and from my one and only post with a guest blogger (glogger)) headed deep into the woods of Virginia to the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests.  These two national forests contain nearly 2 million acres of public land, almost 500 miles of hiking trails, and endless opportunities for camping.  So, on Friday afternoon we piled into the car and headed south.  The drive wasn't too bad, and in about 3 1/2 hours we were pulling into the Reed's Gap parking area just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was just about dusk, so we strapped on our head lamps and set off on the 1.8 mile walk to camp.

We hiked to the Maupin Field area where there was a shelter, water source, and a privy, as well as numerous camp sites.  After a quick survey of the area (and a chat with the two thru hikers who were already in their bags in the shelter), we picked our campsite and set up camp. At that point, there were two or three other campsites taken, and things were pretty quiet with people either milling around for firewood or already in their tents for the evening.  I think we were about half way through our amazingly delicious rehydrated dinners when the boy scouts arrived.  They rolled in maybe 15 deep and loud doesn't accurately describe their volume.  They were hollering and carrying on and generally ruined the mood around camp until they finally set up camp and went to sleep.  That was a major downer, but at least they went to bed early.  Or so I thought.  You know the old government saying, "First in, first out"?  Well, apparently that also applies to backpacking boy scouts, because they were up and loud very early.   If there are any scouting families reading this, can we add a little section to the scouting handbook about backpacking etiquette?  'Cause this troop was sorely lacking.

Despite our early wake-up, we didn't break camp until nearly 11 on Saturday morning.  Which meant I had plenty of time to snap some pics of the area.  Here is our campsite- large and flat.

 

 And here is Piper on Saturday morning thrilled to be out in the woods with her people.  She was happy like this all weekend.

So, after the noisy scouts cleared out and we had our fill of instant oatmeal and grits, we packed up and headed out ready for our day's adventure.

 

Our goal for the day was to take the Appalachian Trial from the Maupin Field area south bound up and over the 3 Ridges and down to Campbell Creek.  This was a roughly 6 mile walk full of exhilarating climbs and amazing views.  The first half of the hike was predominantly uphill, but the views at the top were so worth it.

 

 

 

 

To say that we did not rush would be an understatement.  We took lots of breaks, and allowed ourselves to soak in the beauty and vastness of all that was around us.

After the hike to the top and the thrill that accompanied the climb and the views, we continued walking and began the descent to Campbell Creek, where we had planned to spend the night.  The descent proved to be more challenging for me than the climb.  It wasn't too long before knee pain started nagging at me, and before we were half way down, the pain had escalated to pretty severe.  Both Kirk and Colin were kind enough to allow me to use their hiking poles off and on, and we (I) hobbled into camp in time to scope things out, set up camp and enjoy dinner before dusk.

Given the day's challenging hike, my earlier visions of late campfire conversation dissolved into an 8 o'clock bedtime. But, that added up to about 12 hours of good sleep which made us bright eyed and bushy tailed come morning.

 

Sunday's agenda was to continue south bound along the AT for about another mile until reaching the intersection with the Mau-Har trail.  The Mau-Har trail is a 3 mile stretch that connects from this point on the AT back northbound to the Maupin Field shelter (where we spent our first night).  This little connector trail was going to allow us to complete a loop over the 3 days and not have to double back.

Of course, as you can imagine, the AT still continues south from the intersection with the Mau-Har trail, and in 1.7 miles it brings you to VA Route 56.

And so, given my bum knee from the day before and given the fact that some have described the 3 mile Mau-Har trail to be more strenuous than the entire 6 mile section of the AT that we had done the day before, talk moved to potentially splitting up sending me and Colin south on the AT to VA Route 56 and sending Kirk north on the Mau-Har trail and eventually back to the car.  I had to warm up to the idea, but once I heard about the Tye River waiting for me (and Piper) at VA Route 56, I was sold.  Unfortunately, Colin was sold on the idea of tackling the challenge of the Mau-Har trail.  Not wanting to be the one to make the decision, I suggested a round of Odds or Evens to settle things once and for all.  I could describe our conversation, but why do that when I captured the whole thing on video?

So, we said our goodbyes-for-now and went our separate ways.  In less than an hour, Colin and I were greeted by the glorious Tye River.

Since our walk was quite a bit shorter than Kirk's we had plenty of time to rock hop, enjoy lunch, sunbathe on some rocks and throw sticks for Piper.

 

 

 

 

Once we were sufficiently water logged, we moved up away from the river and to a shady area next to where Kirk was supposed to be picking us up, and this was the scene there.  I think it's fair to say we were exhausted.

 

Once we were reunited with the Mighty Hiking Kirk, we hopped into the car and headed just up the road to check out Cascade Falls.  We opted against the 2 mile each way trip to the upper falls, deciding that the lower falls were falls enough for us.

 

 

So, there you have it:  our weekend in the woods.

And, you know maybe this entry is about a DIY project after all- my biggest and best project of all times.

xo,

Emily

A New Washer of Dishes

Mama got a new toy!

Several months ago I started wondering if a new dishwasher might be in my immediate future.  Our old one was still working, but I would describe its performance as mediocre.  I don't think it was a top of the line dishwasher when it was brand new, and at 7 years old, it only did an okay job.  It would run through a cycle with no problems, and it seem to get nice and hot.  But, it was very loud and required pretty thorough pre-washing if you wanted your dishes clean at the end of the cycle.  So, I started the process of researching dishwashers.  For a purchase of this size, I am usually pretty thorough with my research.  I started browsing the websites of the two main home improvement stores to see what the popular features were (and how much they would set me back), and then I moved on to Consumer Reports.  First impression from my dishwasher shopping:  these things are expensive!

From almost the very beginning, I knew I would go with a Whirlpool dishwasher for one main reason:  the silverware tray is in the door.  I mean, come on.  How is it that no other manufacturer does this?!  Having the silverware tray in the door means that I can use the entire lower rack for plates and bowls without loosing any space to the tray.  So, once I determined that Whirlpool was the only manufacturer that has the tray in the door, it was really just a matter of deciding on which Whirlpool washer.

Ultimately, I decided on this beauty:

It's a Whirlpool Gold.  I felt really good about my decision and about all of the features like a stainless steel interior, hidden control panel, adjustable upper shelf, and energy star rating.  What I didn't feel good about was the price.  $750 was a hard pill to swallow.  But, since I still had a working dishwasher, I knew time was on my side and that I had the luxury of waiting until the appliance went on sale.  So, fast forward from mid-August until Labor Day weekend.  As I had been hoping would happen, Lowe's was offering 15% off of all appliances over $399, so that took the price of the dishwasher down to just over $600.  And, when I combined that offer with the 5% off Lowe's offers for using their credit card, the price of the dishwasher came to just under $600.  Still, that was a lot of moolah, but it was an investment I was willing to make.  So, I bit the bullet and brought it home.  So, at that point there was only one thing standing between me and my beautiful, new, quiet and efficient dishwasher:  installation.

Lowe's offers installation, but at $165 a pop, I really wanted to see if this was something Colin and I could accomplish.  And, we were ready to try, but thankfully he and I didn't end up having to attempt dishwasher installation on our own.  Instead, a dear friend's husband and their 4 year old son came over to give us a hand.  Here the men are assessing the project.  (Note the handyman uniform!)

And, here they are a couple hours later with the new dishwasher all installed!  They're looking mighty proud of themselves (as they should be!), aren't they?

I didn't ask for too many details, but from what I could tell, the installation went pretty well.  There were no late night trips to the home improvement store (I had already purchased several add-ons like a new water supply line and some hardware- just in case!), so that's a good sign.  And, the dishwasher has been installed and functional for nearly a month now, and our basement is still dry!

Since we already had a stainless steel dishwasher, the change doesn't make a huge aesthetic difference, but it is miles ahead of the old one in functionality.  I put the dishes in dirty and they actually come out clean!

So, I'm wondering:  did either of my readers actually already notice the new dishwasher in these pictures from the chalkboard post?

Oh, and I almost forgot:  after we got the dishwasher installed and I made sure I liked it and it wasn't a lemon, I posted my old one up on Craig's List.  I was honest about its age and limitations and was able to sell it to a man with a couple rental properties for $50.  So, that thrifty little moment brought the total cost of the brand new top of the line Whirlpool to $550 down from an original price of $750.  Me likey savey money.

My parents were visiting this weekend, and I managed to keep my dad very busy with my Daddy Do List.  Stay tuned to find out what he tackled.  I will give you one picture clue, though, because it's fun and because I know that some people who know me in real life think my house is blog-picture-clean at all times.  So, without further ado, I present to you Evidence A:

xo,

Emily

Fun with chalkboard paint

Remember back when we removed the top half of the wall between the kitchen and dining room?  In doing that, we exposed the side of one cabinet.  See it there just past the sink?  (Yes, it's the one with the missing crown molding.)

In the height of the remodel, a friend commented how fun it would be if I painted the side of that cabinet with chalkboard paint and used it for a menu board.  I immediately loved the idea and vowed to do it.  But, as I thought more and more about it, a nagging voice kept reminding me that I should be considering any future owners of this house with every change I make.  And, what if a future prospective buyer hated that I had permanently altered a cabinet?  So, I brainstormed ways to use the side of the cabinet as a menu board without permanently painting it.  I got the idea to cover the cabinet with some thin plywood, which I could then paint.  So, that's just what I did.

I picked up a sheet of the thinnest plywood I could find, cut it to size using my jig saw, painted it, and used several small finishing nails to attach it to the side of the cabinet.  I know I will be leaving nail holes behind if I ever decide to remove the board, but I figured that is better than the alternative.  The tiny holes can be patched and stained/painted to match the rest of the cabinet pretty easily.  Once I had mounted the board, I trimmed it out with some molding.  I used a simple miter box and hand saw to cut the trim.  I left space at the top for the crown that needs to be cut and re-installed in case the molding fairy ever shows up.

But, as I worked on the new chalkboard with visions of my weekly menu posted there, I reluctantly admitted that I didn't actually need a spot for a menu board.  Because, you see, this is the view from my kitchen sink.

See that there menu board right across in the dining room?!  You can read how I invented that chalkboard from an old broken door here.

After I admitted that our menu board needs were pretty much already met, it didn't take me long to figure out another use for a chalkboard in the heart of our home.  Considering the amount of time I spend in the kitchen every day, I decided it was a perfect location to post a weekly Bible verse.  My goal is to memorize the verse each week, but even if I don't it's great to have an encouraging scripture (or a humbling one!) posted in such a visible location.

This week's verse is from James, and I have been both encouraged and humbled as I have meditated on it.

So, there you have it:  the simple and temporary addition of a chalkboard in our kitchen.  I love it because not only does it provide me a spot for an uplifting message, it's also a fun and interesting design element!

xo,

Emily
**linking to

Basement shelf organization

Have you guys ever stumbled upon Jen's blog IHeart Organizing?  Well, um, let me tell you- I heart it!  It is an organizer's dream blog!  Jen is what I would call an extreme organizer, and her blog is chock full of great organization tips and ideas.  One my favorite parts of Jen's blog and her ideas is that she bring beauty to the world of organization, which is an area in which I am trying to improve.  I think, basically, she is my organizing hero.  Call it a crush, if you want.  I won't disagree.

I am a faithful reader of her blog, and she inspires me almost daily to try to improve upon my systems of organization. So, recently I decided that my basement storage shelves needed some help.  Desperately.  I'm almost embarrassed to show you this picture, as it's pretty bad.  But, here is what I was living with:  a messy shelving area with stuff just thrown onto the shelves.

 Not only was it a sight for sore eyes, it simply wasn't functional.  I couldn't fit everything I needed to fit in the space that I had.  I couldn't find things, and I had absolutely no system for where things were.

And now, the space looks like this:

Oh, be still my heart!  Does anyone else hear choirs singing when you see this picture?!  So, let's see: what did I do?  The first thing I did, which I cannot stress the importance of enough, was to de-clutter.  I got rid of the broken pop-up tent.  I set aside some light fixture globes to sell at next weekend's yardsale.  I truly evaluated the importance of each item on the shelving unit.  And, once I got rid of some stuff I didn't need, I found that I had plenty of room for the stuff that I do need.  **happy dance!!**

My main partner in crime for this makeover was a bunch of clear plastic lidded bins.  I picked up a bunch from Ikea, and the shoebox sized ones were from the Dollar Store.  I think they all ranged in price from a buck to maybe 3 bucks.  And, once I had those, it was really just a matter of grouping like items.

Some of the containers and their labels were fairly straightforward:

While for others I had to get creative:

But really it all came down to identifying what items often get used at the same time and putting them in a bin together.  And, let me tell you, this bin in particular has been a game changer for me:

I mean how long did it take me to figure out that I *always* use the drill and the drill bits at the same time?!  And, it's so much easier just to grab a bin with everything I need for a little project then it is to guess the drill bit size, and then realize I don't have the correct size, and then I don't have the screwdriver bit, and so on.

And, usually when I grab the drill bin, I grab this one, too.  Because this is where all of the hardware and picture hanging supplies live.

So, once I had all of my bins filled, I started to organize them on the shelves.  I grouped like items.  So, we have the electronics section:

And, the painting section:

 

 And, most everything else sorta just got put together:

 

But, back to the painting section for a moment.  If you don't already do this, do yourself a favor and label the tops of your paint cans.  You'll thank yourself on Patch The Walls Weekend.  Trust me.

So, yeah, that's about it.  I created the labels out of cardstock, and I adhered them to the bins using packing tape.  I just slapped the clear tape right across the homemade labels, so not only does the tape adhere the labels to the bin, it also sort of laminates the labels.  Perhaps Jen would have come up with something a little fancier, but this is the basement, people!  And, besides this project didn't exactly have any money budgeted for it, so I had to go with what I had.

So, now when I go to the basement for a tool or some paint, I am welcomed by tidy, organized shelves where I can easily find what I need.  Does it get any better?

And, because no redo is complete without a side-by-side before and after, here's mine:

If you need me, I'll be in the basement!

xo,

Emily

**sharing with the girls at