Greetings from Alaska

No, I'm not really in Alaska, but it looks like it. 

We've had a lot of snow. In the photo above, the snow is almost even with the kitchen porch. A porch with 3 steps up from the ground! I'm nervous about what's going to happen in our basement when this melts. But until the, the Beechnuts are enjoying the winter wonderland!

French doors, french fries, french dressing

I had been thinking about french doors for a while. Specifically that I want them in my Living Room. More specifically, I want more french doors in the living room.

There is a wall with a small door between our front entry hall and the living room. Here's the pretty staircase in the front hall, albeit camouflaged with rosy carpet and butter-colored walls.

We want to stare lovingly at the pretty staircase from the comfort of the sofa, but we need to be able to close the doors to stop the draft from coming into the living room and to stop noise from traveling up the stairs to awaken sleeping children.

Our solution? Move the doorway to the middle of the wall and create pocket french doors.
Like this:

No children were harmed in the creation of this photo

It will add some architectural interest to the room, we can show off the staircase and we can catch small children who sneak down to listen to the TV after bedtime. Win-win!

Stretch Goals

December we didn't advance the house projects at all. So, I thought we'd start off 2011 with a list of things I would like to do, in no particular order:

• Family Room French Style Pocket Doors to Front Hall
• Replace the Front Door in the Front Hall
• Insulate / Air seal the Front Hall, so it's no longer 56 degrees.
• Gut the room off the Dining room, so it's no longer 56 degrees and remove the Vermiculite.
• Replace all the cheap trim that doesn't match and air seal.
• Mechanically restore the 16 old double hung windows.
• Find and seal the little leak in the basement that occurs whenever it's rainy and windy.
• Paint the outside trim.
• Finish the attic.
• Replace the rotted sill on the garage.
• Remodel the Master Bath.
• Remodel the two Beachnuts bath.
• Refinish the floors in the Front Hall, Living Room and Dining Room.
  
• Replace the rug in the master area.

Who's with me!!!!!