This Neighborhood Is Being Recorded

I find everyone's stories interesting. On one hand that could help me keep writing this blog forever, until I have discovered the story of every person in every house and every owner of every business. Where people are from, how they got to where they are and why they are in the Heights is infinitely interesting to me. However, it could also be the downfall of this blog. Maybe all of you don't find this as intriguing as I do? Someday we'll see. Someday I'll start diving in to the lives of average people doing mundane things and see if you stay with me...

But today is not that day and Mairi and Paul are not those people. No one who deals with musicians on a regular basis has an average or mundane life. And dealing with musicians is just what this Houston-bred couple does from their metal building on 19th Street.

Nestled between the crazy fire salvage warehouse and Gen's Antiques, the funky metal building that houses 226 Recordings is a cozy and welcoming space for musicians to record. The front of the building houses a recording studio. The back of the building houses a family.

Once you're buzzed in through the gate, you enter through a small reception area. A computer is set up for entertainment while you wait. Another door will take you to the "live room" which can accommodate an average sized band. Knowing nothing about the ins and outs of a recording studio, I was so impressed at all the thought that goes in to each space. The live room has all kinds of stuff to prevent echos and "keep pure sound." From ceiling diffusers to bass traps to an absence of right angles, everything is set up to prevent bounce backs and help the band get only the sounds they produce.

The "live room" can accommodate roughly 8 musicians

Singers may want to stay with the band, but if they want a separate space there is a standard vocal booth or 2nd isolation room for a single person. These rooms have similar features to the live room but also creates a slightly different sounds, giving vocalists options.

The vocal booth with window to keep an eye on your band

I know less than nothing about the recording process so my tour with Mairi was a real learning experience. I learned a lot of jargon and technical terms- things I wrote down in my notebook that I can't make sense of now. I couldn't help but scribble everything down. She was so enthusiastic about it! I enjoyed learning more about the process, but in the end what I really wanted to learn was how does a young family end up building a recording studio in a metal building in the Heights?

Paul and Mairi both grew up in Houston. They were friends in high school and were friends when they parted ways for college. Mairi went to UT, and Paul headed to the West Coast to attend Pepperdine. After college, she came back to H-town and Paul went to LA. He ended up working at the famed Cherokee Studios where he was able to work in the heart of the classic rock establishment.

Like happens to many, though, Paul tired of the pace of LA and decided to come back home. He and Mairi had remained close throughout and when he returned to Houston, their relationship progressed. To get back to Houston, Paul had taken a job doing real estate development but when you have the kind of background he did, you can't just walk away from music. Working full time at real estate, Paul operated a small recording studio out of his apartment. He also worked for Fellowship of the Woodlands, a local mega-church, doing live sound mixing and editing for their tv broadcasts. Eventually having his own studio was always in the plans.

Next thing you know, economic downturn and real estate slump. Paul and Mairi saw this as the perfect time for Paul to jump ship and return to his passion and talent. He was able to get a decent job working for a local studio that also teaches audio engineering. In fact, even after opening 226 Recordings, Paul has remained at that studio teaching.

As career paths changed and a family started, Paul and Mairi searched for a place to settle in. They started out looking for a house with a decent garage. They really wanted work and home to be on the same property. Being natives, they know Houston well and really were set on the Heights. Yes, they love the "feel" of the neighborhood like the rest of us, but for business purposes it's also convenient and central for clients from all over greater Houston. Often people who grew up in Houston have mixed feelings about the Heights. I regularly run across people who still envision the Heights of 20 years ago. Mairi knew better, though. Growing up, her mother's best friend lived in Garden Oaks, and she has friends who settled here over the years. So, they looked and looked for that house that could accommodate their needs. And they couldn't find it.

During the time they were searching for a home Mairi was working in commercial real estate. She came across a lot, a parking lot to the rest of us, for sale on 19th Street and that was it. They decided to start from scratch. It took about 9 months to get all the permits in order and 7 months to build the space. They hired a studio designer to create the recording space and took what was left on the back and created a home for them and their infant daughter Clara. When the house was complete, Mairi left real estate to manage the studio business and care for Clara. It was ideal to have the work and living spaces together.

18 mos old Clara helps out in the studio's control room

I asked Mairi what it was like living on 19th Street in the middle of a commercial district. I kind of expected an "it is what it is" answer, but that is not what I got. She referred to the store owners as her "neighbors" and said they all drown Clara with attention. She said "When you live in a [residential area], you can't just walk outside and in to your neighbors house" but she can. The merchants on her block were totally supportive, even when construction of the building took up Gen's parking lot. She likes the fact that it's kind of the "opposite of a neighborhood" by being full of activity during the day and then totally quiet at night. Of course, it suits the work they do as well. "Bands can hang out in the [front courtyard] and not disturb anyone." She also loves how she can walk so many places. That, she says, is a "Heights thing."

Spring Has Sprung

The Heights is definitely the most charming neighborhood in Houston. While there are other words that also describe it, many of those words are equally shared with other areas. Example: someone may refer to the Heights as "artsy" and, while true, that term can be applied equally to another neighborhood like the First Ward; it could be called "funky" but that applies at least as much, if not more, to Montrose. Of course we don't mind sharing these attributes with other neighborhoods. Houston is a great city with a little bit of everything. Whatever you want, you can find it here and loving the Heights is loving Houston, too. Whatever positive thing you can say about one neighborhood is even better when you can say it about two or three. But where "charm" is concerned, there really is no match for the Heights.

Clearly the old homes (and even some of the new ones) are the primary reason for the charm. I think the walkable nature of the Heights also adds to the feeling. Now that the weather has become more like Houston and less like, oh, Oklahoma or something, I have been doing my share of walking to absorb this charm before the heat really hits and melts it away. One of the best things about being out and about right now is the color. The Heights is totally in bloom.

The Heights in bloom adds another layer to our little charm cake. Because many of our backyards are small or non-existent, residents put a lot of color right out front for public consumption. This might seem kind of obvious- we all watch some HGTv. It's curb appeal, right? Back east, though, a lot of people's planting is in the back. People keep vining green beans out of the public eye, tidy rose bushes in prim back yard gardens or plant tiger lilies around their back deck. The front of the house is often simple, clean, practical (practicality is a very New England thing). Out back is where they enjoy getting their hands in the dirt and it can be a very personal thing.

So, as I walk the streets of the Heights I am really taken by the color. I appreciate all the hard work it takes for homeowners to offer me something prettier than just grass and bushes. I adore and appreciate flowers planted on the curb and the head of cabbage growing right out on the street for the whole world to see. 

Vegetables grow in a small garden on the corner of my street.

It wouldn't be the South without azaleas. I would guess some of these bushes have been here as long as the homes.

While they're not the most "colorful," white flowers are so crisp and springy to me.

Many residents turn to bright snapdragons to give the yard, or even the curb, a little punch.

Fences are covered in flowering vines (although my own jasmine has yet to bloom).

Another Southern staple, crepe myrtles aren't in color yet but once they bloom we can enjoy their color all summer long.

The Guest Bed Conundrum

For some folks in The Heights, the guest bed situation is not a conundrum. Some of you, undoubtedly, can devote an entire room to the comfort of your guests. Lucky you!

Others of us don't have that luxury. Some of us have kids and/or home offices that fill up any extra bedrooms we have.

What about me? Well, I live in a meager two bedroom, one bath house. As a first-time home-buyer whose income comes squarely from the non-profit sector, my partner and I could only afford a comfy, cozy little place in The Heights. We don't have kids yet, so our extra room houses our home office (and a chair for our bloodhound to curl up in). The room isn't big enough to contain a real bed, and we don't have house guests that often.

However, we enjoy when friends come to visit (our families generally opt for B&Bs in the neighborhood), and when they do, we want them to be comfortable.

So, what are some options for comfortably housing guests in cramped quarters? Here are a few we've explored:

1. Air Mattresses: Air mattresses are, theoretically, the ideal solution. When fully inflated, they can be incredibly comfortable. There are even double-decker air mattresses that offer the promise of even more comfort and a more authentic bed experience. Plus, when you let the air out, they are small enough to stow away in the corner of a closet (or a cabinet, if you're not so blessed in the closet department). I say "theoretically" because we have never had good luck with air mattresses, after years of trying. Even after doing extensive internet research to identify highly-recommended brands and models, we still end up with guests who are almost sleeping on our wood floors in the morning, due to constant leaking. Ouch!
2. Murphy Beds: Murphy beds are an interesting solution. They are real beds that fold up into a cabinet when they are not in use. This option is great for converting an office into a veritable guest bedroom in a matter of minutes. The major downsides are cost and aesthetics, although this one from hacked IKEA parts is pretty cool.
3. Fold-Out Couches & Futons: Apparatuses that primarily serve as seating but then swoop in to function as beds as needed can be quite handed. Matt and I looked into the West Elm couch above, as well as some options at IKEA. In the end, we realized we basically don't even have space for a couch/futon with a full-size mattress.
   

So, we opted for a hybrid solution. We decided to buy a futon mattress but store it under our bed when it wasn't in use. We figured it would provide the best of many worlds: affordable, comfortable, storable.

Well, it turns out that a $139 futon mattress from IKEA is quite fluffy. Too fluffy, in fact, to store under our low-to-the-ground bed.

Oy vey.

The search for more storage space in a small house began.

We do have ample closet space, but we don't have a garage, so our closets already store our bikes, lawn mowers, etc. We tried the attic, but a futon really is a lot like lugging around a dead body. It became too perilous too quickly.

Our last resort was to store it under one of the tables in our office. Of course its bulky, beige mass is aesthetically traumatizing under there, but we have a solution. The plan is to hang a suspension rod between the legs of the table and hang some fabric from it. Voila!

Any other creative solutions for making guests comfy in a small home?

Our Historic Heights

There are a lot of reasons to live in The Heights. We've published something like 110 posts on this blog. Since most of our posts highlight positive things about The Heights, we're talking more than a hundred reasons to live here (and we're just getting started!).


One of the things we haven't talked too much about is the historic nature of our neighborhood. Our streets have history. Our homes have wisdom. I take immense pleasure in knowing that my house (built in 1930) connects my family to the families that have come before us and will continue to connect us to the families that come after us.


I live in Proctor Plaza, which is essentially the triangular area east of Studewood, south of Cavalcade, and north of 11th Street. Our neighborhood is a designated Historic District. Our neighborhood association goes to great lengths to maintain the historical integrity of our neighborhood.


I received an e-mail from the president of the Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association about a proposed demolition in our historic neighborhood. I know this house personally because my friend seriously considered buying it after her house was destroyed in Hurricane Ike. My friend said the house was in need of renovation, but she was excited about the restoration process. In the end, she decided to purchase a nearby house that had more space (including an artist studio and a guest house in the backyard).


Here's what the president of the Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association says about it:

If you have driven around the neighborhood lately, you will notice a large sign in the yard of 801 Pizer. This request is for a TOTAL TEAR DOWN! We were friends with the former owner, Gladys Foyt, and have been in the home on a number of occasions and can tell you this house does not meet the qualifications of a tear down. To qualify, a house has to be dilapidated or dangerous. As a historic district, it is imperative that tear downs of perfectly good homes be stopped!

There will be a public hearing on Thursday November 19th, but IT IS NOT THE LOCATION LISTED ON THEIR YARD SIGN. It has changed to be a block away at 611 Walker Street in the 6th floor conference room at 3pm. This is the tall gray building that is located on Walker between Smith and Louisiana streets.

If you are outraged (and I hope you are) PLEASE contact Betty Trapp Chapman or Thomas McWhorter at the following:

e-mail: Thomas.McWhorter@cityofhouston.net

Betty Trapp Chapman, Chairperson, Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission

or
Thomas McWhorter, Sr. Planner
City of Houston
Planning and Development Department
Office of Historic Preservation
611 Walker, 6th Floor
Houston, Tx 77002
Tel: 713.837.7963

All e-mails will be read at the commission meeting. Cover 'em up with paper!!!
--
Kathy Cameron, President
Proctor Plaza Neighborhood Association

Music Is In The House

First, I have to say it feels good to be back at the key board. It was a rough week when I couldn't make my original post and then being out of town. I did think about The Heights quite often when we were on our vacation. Old Quebec was built in the 1600s and the city is gorgeous. It's very regal- big stone buildings nestled in to the sides of hills. Then there was St Johns, Newfoundland- the oldest city in North America. It makes me laugh, thinking what is considered old in Houston and it makes me sad that too often the conventional wisdom is old = bad. What would those other cities be if that was the prevailing attitude? How much history would have been lost? Anyway, I digress...

And on to the real story...

A couple years ago I heard chatter about something called "house concerts" happening in The Heights. I was really intrigued by this whole concept. "Where have you been?" you might ask, but it was all new to me. I thought it would be a wonderful thing to experience but didn't know how to find them. None of my friends were attending house concerts and I started to think of them as being along the lines of Masonic rituals or Skull and Bones.

I don't remember at this point even how I stumbled across Lindsey Lee and Deb Rouse and their house concert series, Rouse House. I am just glad I did. A few weeks ago I was able to attend a concert at their wonderful home on 7 1/2 St and learn more about the house concert tradition they are carrying on.

Deb and Lindsey met while they were students at South Texas College of Law. These days neither practice and Lindsey like to say, "The best thing I got out of law school was a wife." It has been my experience that marriage introduces you to a lot of new things- your spouse's family will have their own traditions and when they become your family, those traditions become yours as well. Lindsey never could have forseen having musicians set up shop in his living room and opening his home to strangers to hear them- even providing these strangers with dinner. It was Deb who grew up around folk music. Her parents were regulars at the Kerrville Folk Festival, which they started attending in 1974, and they were the original Rouse Housers, holding concerts at their home in Austin for almost 15 years. During that time, they hosted over 100 musicians, including the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gary P. Nunn. So, Deb had really been raised around music but she took her own path and did not have much of an interest in following her parents folky footsteps after graduating from Rice and going off on her own. The closest she got was playing the oboe in highschool band.

Then it was 2002. Lindsey was out of town at a political function and Deb decided she would join her parents at the festival. She came back "raving about how much fun it was and we needed to go back at Labor Day for The Kerrville Wine and Music Festival." They did just that and little by little the traditions of Deb's parents became a passion of Deb and Lindsey's as well.

Deb and Lindsey have lived in or around The Heights since before they were married (which was incidentally Halloween weekend. Happy Anniversary, guys!!) When they 1st started dating, Lindsey was living in an apartment in the Heights and Deb lived off of Washington. This was the late 80s/ early 90s and neither area was remotely like what it is now. When they got married, they lived in Oak Forest in a house purchased from HUD for $40,000. After a decade in that house they were ready to upgrade. The couple "looked for about 2 years before finding the house on 7 1/2." When Deb's father, Bruce, came down to check out the house before they signed on it the first thing he said when he walked in was "It's perfect for a house concert." Indeed!

Our hostess for the evening, Deb Rouse.

After Bruce passed away, Deb and Lindsey decided they would carry on his work of promoting singer/songwriters via house concerts. They had their 1st house concert in January of 2006 with 50 people attending.

Lindsey introducing the evening's musician, KC Clifford. He gave me a nice shout out as well! Thanks again, Lindsey.

On October 3, I attended a performance by Oklahoma singer-songwriter KC Clifford. This was a great night to attend as it was also a food drive for the Houston Food Bank. Lindsey and Deb agreed to let me bring my husband and kids along, which was very nice of them. I'll be honest, I am all about dragging my kids everywhere but if you decide to attend a show, get a sitter. They would never frown on kids, but it's such an intimate venue and quarters are close. Better for a date night. Still, my older son is obsessed with instruments and, before sneaking quietly out the back door during the 1st set, he did sit cross legged on the floor and stare intently at KC's guitar.

My big boy, who at one point was actually tapping his toes.

Included in the price of admission is dinner. Deb made red beans and rice for the 65 guests in attendance. This is extra generous since all the money from ticket sales goes directly to the musicians; none to the hosts. When we first arrived, people were mingling, including KC. Honeslty, I was not familiar with KC Clifford before the show at Rouse House. When I 1st got there, she said hello to me and chatted up my son. I didn't realize it was her until later when she gave me her card. I guess that is the point of the concert, though. Exposure.

Jessica, right, lives in Rice Military and came to the show with her mom, Laurie. Even though Laurie has known Lindsey since they worked together in the late 80s, this was the 1st house concert for both. Like me, Jessica was not familiar with KC Clifford before the show but thought a show in this kind of environment would "have to be worth checking out."

Anyway, people were eating and drinking and chatting. I got a chance to talk to a lot of them and was suprised to find that most of the concert goers were actually not from The Heights. There was a group of friends from Champions area and a couple in from Pearland. These folks did kind of confirm for me that house concerts are part of a secret society. I mean, not intentionally secret, but when I asked how they heard about Rouse House and ended up coming to the shows, their answer was "word of mouth." They almost could have said "secret handshake" with the same effect. Ha! In the end, it can all be traced back to Kerrville. Someone met Deb there or someone goes to house concerts at a home in Spring Branch whose sister knows Lindsey or their niece is a singer and she told them to find them at the festival.

Terry, Kay, Kent and Jim came in to see KC's show from Champions. They have attended 3 or 4 Rouse House concerts after finding out about them via "word of mouth."

Beverly and Jim live in Pearland and know Deb and Lindsey from Kerrville. Beverly sais she really enjoys the atmosphere of a house concert where you get to meet the artist. She also mentioned that a lot of people think "60s" music when they think folk, but Kerrville and house concerts are more about "acoustic music and singers who also write their own songs."

It was definitely an new experience, being that upclose and personal with the performer. KC Clifford played her guitar and sang without a microphone. It was just the pure projection of her voice. The crowd watched and interacted with her between songs. Lindsey says the initmacy of the venue is a perk for the performers as well. I can imagine it's nice to be able to sing your songs and tell the stories of how and why they were written to an audience who definitely wants to hear it.

KC and her partner played acoustic guitars and she sang, unincumbered by sound checks

Yes, Deb and Lindsey did start Rouse House in Houston to carry on a tradition started by her parents. Still, the plight of the musician does resonate with them. They know the life the singer-songwriter can be hard and is rarely glamourous. This type of venue offers a performer an opportunity to gain exposure with a new crowd and make some money, sell some CDs. Word of mouth goes a long way.

KC's cds for sale in Deb and Lindsey's den.

As far as I know now there are 3 series of house concerts in The Heights. Rouse House is one. You may have seen another, Kolanowski House Conerts, in our weekly Heights Happenings. The 3rd is Cortlandt Street House Concerts hosted by Mary Scott Hagle. Lindsey says they have become good friends with the other proprietors of house concerts and that they all work together to support eachother and the musicians. Quintessential Heights, I tell you.

Kim and Greg Kolanowski were at the show and talked about upcoming shows in their own house concert series

What it looks like to pack 65 people in to the living room of Deb and Lindsey's house

The Horizontal Fence Fad

When my partner, Matt, and I moved to The Heights last July, we intentionally bought a house that didn't need a lot of renovation. We knew we didn't have the patience for such an endeavor (but kudos to all of you who do!).

However, our house did need a fence to close off the backyard. Simple enough, right? Somehow it's taken us 14 months to undertake and complete one measly fence.

Even though we had every intention of prioritizing the fence for our beloved bloodhound, life seemed to get in the way. First, Hurricane Ike gave us some other problems to deal with. Then, our cars were stolen and we had to scrounge together some money to cover our deductibles and purchase new ones.

Plus, we just had some general indecision about it. Initially, we thought we wanted a wood and wire fence. Do you know the ones I'm talking about? The wood frames the hog paneling. We got two quotes for the type of fence we wanted, but we were skeptical about how stable that type of fence would be for the ten-foot gate that needed to stretch across our driveway. Additionally, I worried that our bloodhound--who happens to be obsessed with little dogs who pass by our house--would annoy the entire neighborhood with his deep baying. It seemed better to block his view. We were back to square one.

We did what we always do when we want to change or add something to our house: We drove around the neighborhood with a camera to get some ideas from other bungalow owners. That's how we got the idea that we might like a horizontal fence (see above photos).

We got two quotes on horizontal fencing and quickly learned that it's not recommended by official fence builders. They argue that it's just not as effective as a vertical fence, especially in the case of a gate. We decided to prioritize aesthetics over function in this case, since we don't need to open our gate very often.

We asked AZTEC Castings to build an iron frame for us. After they finished the iron frame, we lived with a gate that looked more like a sculpture for several months (classic dragging-our-feet-on-this-project). Finally, we found a carpenter to add the wood slats. The slats are a quarter of an inch apart, so there is a good balance between privacy and openness.

In the end, we are very happy with our fence.

Front View

Back View

It prompted me to share this List of Advice for Undertaking Home Improvement Projects (which includes things we did and did not do):

1. Ride around the neighborhood with a camera to get ideas. Sure, it looks sketchy, but it's worth it. There are a lot of design-savvy homeowners in our neighborhood. Borrow their ideas and apply them to your own house! If necessary, knock on the door to ask clarifying questions or leave a note. Our neighbors are overwhelmingly friendly, welcoming, and helpful.
2. Ask neighbors for recommendations. A lot of neighbors helped us think through this decision. Some of them had thought through similar decisions, so they were able to provide the pros and cons of different options. Other neighbors had worked with different companies and were able to give us specific recommendations. That's how we found a carpenter to put on the wood slats for only $270 bucks!
   
3. Turn a big project into smaller action steps. If I just write "get a fence" on my action plan, I'm likely to ignore it because it's too daunting. Instead, I have to break it down into smaller action steps: 1) drive around the neighborhood to get ideas 2) call three companies for estimates, etc. Also, it helps to assign specific deadlines for each action step. Our fence would have been finished a lot earlier if I had done just that...
4. Keep a prioritized list of home-improvement projects. The number of projects that we should and want to do to our house can be overwhelming. It helps to keep a centralized list of our ideas and to constantly prioritize and reprioritize the list as new ideas get added.

Any other advice for undertaking home improvement projects?

How to Maintain Wood Siding

Ah, wood siding. It's one of the things that gives our Heights homes their character. It's also one of those things that requires regular maintenance...

I talked with our neighborhood carpentry guru about how to fix small problem areas in siding, such as peeling paint. He gave me this run-down:

Step One: Scrape off loose paint

• This initial step involves two different types of scrapers: a small one and a big one. The bigger one is useful for large, flat areas, while the smaller one helps with the more intricate detail areas. This step is an integral part of preparing the surface.

Step Two: Sand the area

• After all the loose paint has been scraped off, it's time to sand the area with a coarse sandpaper (like 60 grit). Depending on the tools available, as well as the size of the area you're refinishing, you can sand by hand or use a machine. Again, this step is an integral part of preparing the surface.
  

Step Three: Secure the nails

• Another aspect of preparing the surface involves hammering any loose nails as well as re-nailing any loose siding. During this stage, it's important to use a nail set which allows you to apply force to each nail more precisely and prevents the wood from getting dented.

Step Four: Prime the area

• Once the area has been scraped, sanded, and re-nailed, it's time to apply primer. Check the weather before applying the primer to ensure that it won't rain for at least twelve hours. In total, you'll want to let the primer dry for an entire day or two.
  

Step Five: Caulk joints or openings

• This step is not the place to skimp on materials! Avoid being lured in by a $2 tube of caulk. It's worth a few more dollars to ensure that you get a good caulk that won't fail you. You'll want to caulk areas where the siding boards come together, as well as around doors and windows. Pay special attention to the area on top of windows!
  

Step Six: Sand primed areas

• The final preparation stage involves lightly sanding (approximately 120 grit) the areas you primed to give it a nice, smooth finish.

Step Seven: Paint

• The final step is to paint over your repaired area (with at least two coats of paint). And--voila!--you're finished!
  

Don't be fooled by the seeming simplicity of these seven steps. An area that is a couple feet wide by a couple feet tall can take anywhere from 6-10 hours. However, the time and effort is worth it in the end. It's a lot easier to maintain our homes proactively rather than reactively! Taking care of our siding (and especially the areas around our windows!) can keep wood rot at bay.

Yard Art in The Heights

If you were playing trivia at a bar, how would you answer this question: "Which neighborhood in Houston has the most yard art?"

I'd wager it's The Heights.

A quick jaunt around the 'hood unearthed these gems:

This piece of yard art is located in the spacious yard at 18th and Harvard.


This piece of yard art is actually a bed turned into a planter (with a flamingo? added). You can check it out near the intersection of 12th and Harvard.


This piece of art can be found near 14th and Cortlandt.


It certainly feels hot enough to sustain cacti in our neighborhood. This one is located near 15th and Cortlandt.


This piece is near 8th and Columbia.

Have you seen any other pieces of yard art in your neck of The Heights?

Do-It-Yourself: Heights Home Improvement

Matt and I are not the house-fixer-upper types. When we bought our house back in July, we intentionally bought a "flipped" house because it had a new roof, updated electrical/plumbing systems, new hardwood floors, fresh paint, and new cabinets and granite counter tops. We just moved our boxes in and unpacked. Easy-peasy.

But now I find myself seeking out Do-It-Yourself projects that will beautify our little bungalow. I like the idea of putting time and muscle into projects that we will benefit from for years.

I decided my first project would be redoing our front walkway.

Now, please understand. I know nothing about redoing a walkway. I have no tools that would help me redo a walkway. I just decided that it needed to be redone. The front walkway was comprised of uneven and jagged flagstone embedded in sand. Although I liked the flagstone well enough, I didn't like that the sand constantly washed up over the top of the flagstone. Also, our grass was starting to grow up through the sand and flagstone.


Here's what I did to take the project from start to finish:

Step One: Decide on the Vision

• I decided that I wanted to minimize the cost of this project by reusing the flagstone. I then visited San Jacinto Stone on Yale Street just south of I-10 to get some ideas about what to put in between the flagstone. While scouting out everything they had to offer, I came across some 1/2" to 1" moonstones that I thought would look nice next to the flagstone. Also, I thought they would be heavy enough to sit tight and not get washed about during hurricane season.
  

Step Two: Make a Plan

• I talked to the staff at San Jacinto Stone about how exactly to do the project. They told me I should dig everything up, lay down about two inches of crushed granite, pack everything down with a hand tamper, lay the flagstone, and fill it in with the rocks. I gave them the precise measurements of the path, and they were able to tell me exactly how much granite and how many rocks to buy.
  

Step Three: Get Started

• I slathered on the sunscreen, donned a sun hat, and got to work. I dug out each of the flagstone pieces (using a shovel borrowed from our neighbors). I then dug into the sand to loosen it, so I could start digging out piles and piles of it.

Step Four: Ask for Help

• Luckily, I have befriended a very handy (and extremely helpful) neighbor. He gave me the idea to shovel the old sand into our trashcan and then roll it to the backyard to fill in low spots. He also volunteered to pick up the very heavy crushed granite and rocks in his pick-up truck. He helped me shovel all the granite into the hole I had created.

Step Five: Keep Going

• I had to set aside several hours to work on this project, which required pounds of sunscreen and water. I smoothed the granite into the hole, and then rented a hand tamper from Home Depot to pack down the granite. I also learned that you can rent pick-up trucks from Home Depot for $20 the first hour and $10 each additional hour. Next time, I won't have to bug my neighbor.
• Once the granite was packed down, I placed the flagstone back into the path, and moved it around until I had achieved a pattern I liked. I then tried to even them out and stabilize them as much as I could by scraping out some of the granite. Next, I used some of the remaining granite to fill in some of the space between the flagstone. Finally, I placed the moonstones in between the flagstone.

What a huge accomplishment! No, it's not perfectly level or smooth, but it is the culmination of my own persistence and determination. I have immense pride for being able to take a project from vision to completion. I'll continue to feel that pride for years to come!

Now Matt is saying he wants to use the leftover granite to make a Bocce Ball court in our backyard! We'll see...

What home improvement projects do you want to take on?

Pond Passion

Stephanie showing me how the fish in her pond like to "kiss" her finger

It started small.

In fact, it wasn't really a pond at all; it was a pot with water.

To Stephanie, however, it was pond, which explains why she decided to add fish and plants to the fiberglass pot that her friend gave her.

It worked beautifully! For two weeks. And then the fish were gulping for air.

And thus began Stephanie's adventure with backyard water experiments.

She frantically set up a real pond to save her fish, which entailed digging a hole for a 60-gallon pond and installing a pump. This lovely pond boasted rocks, plants, and even a water lily--alongside the fish she managed to save from her first experiment with the pot.

Then the raccoons came and she realized that fish are too easy of a target when they are in a 60-gallon pond. The raccoons killed 1-2 fish a day. Stephanie began digging again, this time trying to create a hole large enough for a 100-gallon pond.

Around this time, her doctor diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis, and digging her pond became her way to battle her diagnosis and to prove to herself that she could still accomplish everything she set out to do.

After she successfully installed a 100-gallon pond, she realized the raccoons could still get in, and one of her fish--Smarty--could easily get out. He would do "acrobatic tricks" and land outside the pond. Miraculously, Stephanie managed to find him three times and throw him back in before it was too late.

Then she undertook a 3-month long project to enlarge her pond to accommodate 800 gallons of water. No, that is not a typo. She really dug a hole in her backyard to hold 800 gallons. Her friends joked, "Why not just make it a swimming pool?"

For Stephanie, a pond "pulls you into your backyard" and makes you "interact with your yard more." She describes a backyard pond as "refreshing and cooling." She says, "life finds your garden."

Stephanie also bought a rental property in The Heights with a pond, and, during our interview, she called over there to see if we could stop by for a tour. When the woman didn't answer, Stephanie left a message and continued gushing about the benefits of having a backyard pond. A few minutes later, the tenant called back and said, "I'm sorry I didn't pick up the phone; I was in the backyard sitting by the pond."

Backyard pond at Stephanie's rental property

If you're interested in creating your own backyard oasis, consider these tips from Stephanie:

1. Read information about how to set up a pond before starting. All the books pretty much say the same thing, so read up about the basics of creating a pond. You could even reserve one from the Houston Public Library and have it sent to the Heights Branch like we talked about last week.
   
2. Don't start with fish. Give your pond a chance to settle and get acclimated. Fish add an element of difficulty, since the water has to be conditioned before it's suitable for fish.
   
3. Start bigger than you think. That way, you won't have to constantly upgrade your pond and dig bigger and bigger holes. Stephanie's convinced that once you start with a backyard pond, you'll quickly become addicted to the "wildlife eco-system" in your backyard.
   
4. Buy a quality liner. Avoid pond liners that have different pieces glued together. You want to avoid leaks!
   
5. Make a plan and commit to getting it done in a weekend. The longer you stretch out digging your hole, the more difficult it will be.
   
6. Make friends with the folks at Nelson Water Gardens and Nursery. They offer everything you need to get your pond up and running, and they're very helpful!
   
7. Put in a bog for natural filtration. A bog is basically a natural filtration system made from gravel, rocks, and flowing water. The plants and gravel purify the water as it come up into the bog and flows back out into your pond.
   

I'm pretty convinced that my husband and I should take the plunge and build a backyard pond (or maybe a creek?). All of the potential downsides that Stephanie mentioned (potentially dangerous for small children or dogs and about $20-$30 extra bucks a month in electricity bills) don't seem bad at all. And Stephanie assures me that it's easy to keep the raccoons away by making sure not to leave out any cat food.

Frankly, I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all the home improvement projects on our docket (and we bought a house that had been recently renovated!). Maybe a prioritized list will help:

1. Finish fence
2. Close off bottom of house so bloodhound cannot shimmy himself under the house and escape out the other side
3. Reupholster two chairs
4. Buy a used leather couch to help us better manage the dog hair and bloodhound slobber
5. Stain or paint our front porch
   
6. Redo front path (by resetting the flagstone and filling in the spaces with gray rocks)
7. Build an herb garden
8. Build raised beds for a vegetable garden
9. Plant stuff between the street and the sidewalk (and build a little path through it)
10. Landscape our entire backyard. Oy vey. It's a perfect canvass, but I have very few ideas. Anyone want to volunteer to help me come up with a vision (or earn Time Dollars through the Heights Time Bank)?

My big, blank backyard in desperate need of some vision

Aaahhh! I just need to remind myself that a home is a work in progress. It's about the journey, not the destination--right?

Maybe staring at a pond in my own backyard might help me relax...