Put it on the list!

Upstairs in what eventually will be our walk-in closet off the master bedroom is a piece of furniture I am excited to make new again. This was my great-grandma's vanity. It doesn't look so bad once you clean off a few layers of dust and dirt. It could also use a new paint job. Any suggestions? I am picturing creme or off white.

In order to get this picture, here are all of the items that needed to be taken out of the drawers or cabinet. Some I might just keep for nostalgic value - none of them appear to have expiration dates....

Here are another set of handles that we found in the basement and it took a while to figure out what they were for (they almost were put in the sell pile - oh no!). I think they also sell these at Anthropologie here - so perhaps I may end up changing out for another color.

Granted it is not at the top of the list, because crazy me I think it will be easier to paint outside when it is not 30 below (with the wind chill). But it is nice to have some small manageable projects to tackle in a short period of time when you know you are embarking on a renovation that may/will suck time, energy and money out of you for months if not years to come!

Addendum to previous post

My sister informed me that I left out the ending of my story.....

Yes I was dropped off first.

How's that for keeping my posts short, Mr. Bighead?

Why I love our house/Why I am neurotic...

Inspite of knowing there is a great deal of work to be done (especially inside), our house is actually in pretty good shape from the outside. Like my 13 lb. pup - I'll admit it - I like compliments - which sounds kind of vain.

So how does this relate to our house? Well the thing is that although our neighborhood is changing and younger families are replacing many of the "old-timers" like my grandparents - it is somewhat unusual to 1) be able to afford a decent home in our neighborhood 2) want a home that will require a great deal of rennovation and 3) be under 30. For the unexpectedness and many other reasons, I love getting compliments on our house

I sometimes take a shared ride limo from the airport when I travel for work. If I get dropped off first, I often get the "really, you live here?". I sometimes think because I look so young people assume that I must still live with my parents.

Last night was truly unique because when I got picked up at ORD I realized that sitting next to me in the car was a guy who I had gone to college with and had a huge crush on him. Amy - if you are reading this - remember "dry cleaning" boy?

I was all bundled up in my hat, scarf, gloves. I was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to identify me from our brief friendship more than 7 yrs ago. So I sat the entire car ride pretending to sleep, struggling to remember how I had met him and hoping he would not start a conversation with me. Neurotic, right?

It gets worse. My head than turns to thoughts of hoping I get dropped off first. Even though I am sure he has no idea who I am, I get a great pleasure out of thinking that a "wow - she lives here" thought might cross his mind. Completely neurotic, right? Who spends 45 mins hoping someone will compliment your house if only in there head.

So in summary that's one of the reason I love my house and why I am neurotic.

It's getting more "Real"

So a few days ago I started this really nice post about learning more about our house and comparing the committment you make to your home to the likes of entering into a relationship or marriage. It was all nice and good in my head - but I never finished it. So like any good gen Xer - I will just jump to the next thing and leave it for some day when I have more time to reflect.

The house plans seem to be getting more real by the second. On Saturday while I was off at "Jump Start January" (an all day scrapbooking event) with Jill and Amy, Steve was hanging out with the contractor who came over to draw up preliminary ideas for the house. And I do mean "hanging out" - I don't get the idea that they had nuts and beer, but I believe they were watching dog fights on the history channel while measuring in the living room.

In any case, the house has been measured! Along the way the confirmed my suspicions about our bedroom. There was at one time a fireplace in that room with a chimney that went through the house. It may in fact still be there. Closets were built on either side and it is possible they just covered it up to make it more of a bedroom.

On Sunday afternoon, we got a phone call from the contractor (let's call him Bob for sake of me continuing to type "the contractor" a million times). Bob had some rough plans for us to look at and wanted to get some guidance from us to see if he was headed in the right direction. I was in shock - I expected it to be at least a week before we heard from him again. In his words, "It's like a good book - once you start you can't put it down."

So we treked over and he walked us threw the existing and the potential new plans for both floors. I have opted not to show here since we already know some inital changes we want to discuss with him. Besides - it feels a little weird to put that out in cyberspace.

After discussion, a Portillo's dinner and me walking around the house with the drawings in hand - I have started to put together my list of "5 things" that are important/must haves in the house.

1. Re-use the built-in kitchen cabinet from upstairs. I love this cabinet. My original thought was to keep it upstairs as part of a laundry room. It just might not work as well - and if/when we redo the ktichen it would be so great to use it for it's original intent.
2. Reading room. Part of what we are debating right now is how many bedrooms do we need. Do they all need to be upstairs? I love the existing 2nd floor dining room as another family nook area for a couch, tv and a place for kids to play upstairs.
3. Full bath on 1st floor. As a follow on to #2 - we would like to have a bedroom downstairs (where the existing "little bedroom" is) for guests, extended family stay, or possibly a kid who doesn't want to share a big room upstairs. I also want it to have an entry from a hall (no more walking through a bedroom to go to the bathroom).
4. 2nd floor laundry room that is not part of a bathroom. One of our original ideas was to split the upstairs kitchen into a 2nd full bath and laundry room. Depending on how we divide the space - it may end up making more sense to put the laundry room as part of the existing dining room (thus encroaching on my reading room). This one is still not all clear in my head.
5. Toy room off of kids bedroom. Currently upstairs there is a small room (that was my grandpa's bedroom) which I think would be ideal for lots of shelves and toys. The idea of having a space for everything seems perfect to me.

So that's kind of where my head is at. Steve needs to come up with his top 5 as well. We then will take these ideas as well as a million questions back to Bob, so he can than fix up the plans. He will probably also fill us in on the pros and cons of our ideas.

We are still trying to get through to him - that we are more than ok with making a house that isn't "resellable". We aren't going anywhere and any future generations - well, they will be getting a free house...

Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears....

Going to Miami.........

Enough said.

Project Update

I think we are finally getting our heads around how to approach the house project. Steve went and visited with a few of the neighbors who have done similar big house renovations .

One of the neighbors is using the contractor we like for a house a few streets away and have done a huge addition and full upgrade. The other neighbors have done upgrades on electrical/plumbing, insulation, etc. They offered us lots of free advice on getting used to the idea that it's going to take more money and time they you plan for.

We met with the contractor again yesterday and decided to take the first big step and have him draw up some plans and ideas. He is finishing up at the neighbors house over the next 6 weeks - so the idea is to have him start the plans now and then see if we are ready to start in March.

So that's what's been going on. In the meantime, my plan is to use the next 6 weeks to start consolidating our stuff that has taken over the upstairs.....

Maps...

After posting about the Sanborn maps I found yesterday and then doing a little research to decode the map key, I realized how strange it was to suddenly be learning so much about maps in my quest to better understand the house.

It reminded me of a guy I dated (pre-Steve). We met on the train and when I asked him what he did - he said he was a cartographer. I consider myself a pretty educated person - but I had to be honest. I had not a clue what a cartographer was. So I asked. He politely explained that cartography is the process of map making.

I went blank. I had nothing. The only thing I could muster to say was, "well everybody needs maps I guess". It was the best I could do considering in my head it sounded like the most uninteresting profession ever. I am the worst at feigning interest in something I know nothing about.

So the relationship didn't last and before long I met Steve. Fortunately, Recruiter/Career Advisor was much easier for me to make conversation about. But perhaps I could have benefited from listening to the cartographer.....

Note 1: For those unaware (as I was) the Sanborn maps were fire and insurance maps that were used to map out houses, buildings, fire hydrants, etc.

Note 2: An even older map has shown that pre-1900 the house number was 605, but I think we will keep with 108 North - it just has a nice ring to it.

128 North

So I did a little more digging and found the Sanborn maps which show that 108 North was formerly known as 128 North. The pdf is too large to post, so here is the piece that shows our lot with the old number 128 and the new number 108. Based on the maps, it looks like all of the numbers were changed in the 1920s. It also now shows that this was also the time when the porch was added. Now I just have to go into the library and look at the maps to figure out what all the numbers mean.
In my digging in the house, I also found some of my great-grandmas letters/post cards. One did have the 128 address - perhaps others I have seen had it as well and I just never noticed. I also found a few that were sent without a street address at all or just reference the 2 streets the house sits on. In an age where a character in a web address can mean the difference between finding the site you want or not, it is hard to think of a time (especially in this town) where your name would be enough.

One more thing - here is the "Bird's eye view of Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois 1869". It does show a house at our corner, but the style of the house is very different from ours.

Given this is a "bird's eye view" - does this mean that our house was built pre-1869? Or was there another house here before us? More research!

Jackpot!

In decorating our giant tree a few weeks ago, I realized that we did not have enough beaded chains. I investigated upstairs for some that were my grandparents and found not only chains but a few boxes of pictures that I have yet to go through. And now that I have a scanner - I can share a few.

It started with this picture in an album. I didn't recognize the name, but the stone on the church looked vaguely familiar. I also knew that my family at that time attended the Methodist church across the street from 108. Bingo - yes Ls - this is the church you were married in. If you look very closely, you can also see the side of 108 (it is easier to tell in the hard copy version).



I had seen this loose picture of a church and realized it was the same one and with a much better shot of the house! My guess is that this was also around the same time. It is hard to tell at first because the porch was not there yet and it looks like there were shutters.


This one is actually a much better shot of our neighbors house, but still very interesting to see the front door.
Finally, these last 2 show my Great, great grandparents and my great grandfather on the front steps. I dismissed these as being at someone else's house for several reasons until I had pieced together the others. Now my only question is finding out why 108 came to be the address. This picture shows 128......128 North? just doesn't sound as good to me either.....

It is a Wonderful Life

One of the benefits of living in an our home is that I get to relive Christmas memories from years past including a real, big tree. I tried to explain to Steve that "the house" required a real tree of 8-9 feet. Anything else just didn't seem sufficient. That is part of why we ended up with "Frank".

Granted in the last few years my grandparents celebrated they switched to a slightly smaller fake tree - but most of my memories here include a real tree that took up most of the bay window.

We were also fortunate enough to incorporate some of the older decorations. This included the tree mat which used to be stored under the rug and has Santa Claus on it.

I also found an ornament which my grandmother had bequeathed to me. Her exact words written on the box "My will - Fred blue clown, Katie and Jill pink clowns". Unfortunately one the pink clowns didn't make it, so instead in the box for Jill was her absolute favorite decoration - the glass teddy bear. When I showed this to my sis before she left for her holiday in Costa Rica, the ornament brought tears to her eyes. And the to me is what the holidays are about.

Since I started this post pre-Xmas and it is now 3 days after Christmas- somehow I have lost the nostalgic feeling when I started this. Steve and I did end up watching his favorite holiday movie "It's A Wonderful Life" one night, which will be added to the list of Grosskopf family holiday traditions.

Happy Holidays from 108!

Introducing Frank the Tank

I think the pictures speak for themselves........

Change of Scenery

Since we haven't exactly gotten around to decorating the house for the holidays or being even remotely close to having all of the gifts bought, it seemed entirely appropriate to spend some quality time yesterday updating the look and feel of 108 North.

So here it is...... I am still trying to figure out how to make the picture at the bottom less life-sized.

In other news we bought a giant tree last night (around 9 feet). I guess this is what happens when you have tall ceilings and a bay window.

Frank the tank (as I have just named him) is resting peacefully on the front porch wrapped in a plastic tree bag, which probably looks like a plastic scarf seeing as the bag is made for "normal" trees.

Pictures to come when Frank makes his debut later tonight. In the meantime, I will leave you with the thought Steve and I both had as we drove off the lot with Frank strapped on top of the Jetta, "Since when did we become grown-ups capable of making decisions about buying Christmas trees?"

Making the fat hurt....

I am not one for making new year's resolutions (or having any expectation of keeping them). I also wasn't one of those brides who was fasting or living at the gym the weeks before her wedding. In fact, I distinctly remember thinking that changing my diet or exercising would not allow me to "maintain" the size I was when I was fitted for my dress.

Let's just overlook the fact that during my engagement I had been traveling for work and probably had put on a few pounds. Needless to say, my dress fit perfect.

Post-wedding, since I was going to be in town for at least a few months we made an investment to join the Y which happens to be 2 blocks from our house. I say investment not because of the cost, but the mental commitment to actually....dare I say it....work out.

So we are on our 2nd month and some weeks we do better than others, but I am actually really enjoying it for a few reasons.

1. Steve and I get out of the house together and although talking on the treadmill is somewhat limited - the walk there is usually a nice "catch up on the day" time
2. They have tvs with closed caption where I can watch the shows I would watch at home anyway - but I am not really into (ie Office, Grey's Anatomy and few others must be watched in the comfort of my home).
3. The facility is older and hence does not attract the more serious workout freaks - a few high schoolers and NCC kids but for the most part it is people like us who are definitely not training for the Iron Man or anything. This alone makes it easier to go and feel like less of a sloth.
4. And of course the obvious health benefits of exercising.

The last few weeks I have started pushing myself towards a goal, which I now feel compelled to document as a way of keeping myself on track. The goal is to run 3 miles in 30 minutes and while that may not break any records it is big deal for someone who started walking 3 miles in just under 1 hour.

So Tuesday night I got my time to 38 m 40 s. Unfortunately I am sort of negligent on the whole stretching thing so by the next morning I was very sore - especially my stomach. I expected the legs to hurt - but this was weird.

Last night when I got back on the treadmill, I figured it out. It was from my stomach bouncing when I run....it was official "my fat hurt". Although I was not able to beat my time from the previous night, it solidified my drive to reach my goal.

My hope is that in time there will be less fat to hurt...we shall see.

and the first car stuck on our street...

First Snow Fall

Because I am lazy and I already spent 45 minutes shoveling the drive this morning, pictures of the first snow will all be shot from the comfort of inside the house.

From the little bedroom......
















From the front door.....




















From the back door....

So far...so little?

Well we have some homework to do - we met with Contractors 2 and 3 and now have to figure our next steps. First we have a few large numbers but no specifics on how much it is going to cost us to renovate. Also, we aren't positive on what the next step is but we do know a bit more about what the future holds.

Now its time to decorate and try to insulate the house for winter - even though the last few winters have been mild (global warming?) we want to be prepared for cold.

The Next Steps?

As Steve mentioned last week, we are on to the talking to contractors phase. Until we decide who we are going with let's just call this guy #1.

#1 seemed very laid back and is currently working on one of the homes a few streets away. We got his number off the sign - so this isn't exactly a referral at this point but we figure it is good to see what else he has done.

#1 walked the house as we jabbered away about the "character" of the house (cloth wiring, lead paint, etc) and what our rough plans are for the next phase. He didn't seem shocked by any of this and even complimented how much better the structure of the house (as seen in the basement) was than he expected. He also confirmed that the floor boards in the dining room are the originals.

Overall a positive review for #1. He was able to figure out a good plan for efficiently using the upstairs space to create a hallway into the kitchen and the dining room. The plan is to divide the kitchen into a laundry room and full bath (for the kids). We also discussed the ideal spot for putting a staircase up to a 3rd floor (obviously this is not part of the next phase - more like phase 27).

One other revelation - our dream of 2 staircases may not be possible. A little history - when the kitchen was remodeled in the 1950s, they took out the back staircase which went up to the back hallway to expand the kitchen. Having been a Cosby fan in the 80s - I always thought it would be so cool to have 2 staircases. The contractor pointed out that without expanding the space, the stairs would be very steep and not up to code.

#2 had to cancel for tonight so we are hoping to re-schedule for this Saturday. It will be nice to hear his perspective as well. #2 re-did the B&B in Naperville and the owner speaks very highly of the work they did.

More to come when we starting getting numbers and deciding what we can afford. The good news is that #1 said that we would save a ton by doing the demo upstairs ourselves. And of course the male in the house thinks that would be a ton of fun...

Next step - the contractor.

We have a couple of appointments set up with contractors this coming week. This will help us determine the size of our project. I haven't asked anyone how much it would cost to add a second basement. A second basement? That's right. Well not for 108, but my dream is to have 2 floor basement. How cool would that be, "Oh, that's right, we keep that in our second basement..."

This is a random photo for possible ideas for landscaping next spring. That is a project in itself. We are going to be taking some ideas from Conservation at Home.

A start?

Well we had our first appointment with an Architect! He reaffirmed that we needed to be talking to a contractor to get the real overall project scope. So back to the drawing board. We are going to visit a few of our neighbors (one of which turns out owns the The Naperville Running Company) to find out who they used. Again the key is finding a contractor with an eye to keeping the house historic.

Katie is still working at ripping down some of the wallpaper and scraping some paint in the bathroom (possibly our first project).

One step for us, one giant leap for 108

It has begun. We have appointments with a few architects next week and we should start getting numbers on what it is going to cost us to get 108 fixed up. It sounds like there will be some things that I will be able to do (our town is a bit permit heavy). More to come...