Weekend Warriors

Hello Everyone!

So we had a lazy weekend around Blue Antler, but we did manage to get some things done.  The hubby has officially gone from novice DIY-er to serious DIY-er, he drilled through tile!  Not a single crack baby!  I've been wanting to install a shampoo and conditioner dispenser in the shower to cut down on clutter and my first attempt of sticking it on the wall failed.  I followed directions exactly and waited 48 hours for the glue to set before sticking the dispensers on the wall... well, you all know what happened next when I heard a big crash about 20 minutes later.  So, off to the our favorite hardware store to buy some drills, anchors, and screws.  

Here is a great pic of Kevin with his whole DIY uniform on (Valli Construction shirt, jeans, and a tool belt).

Drilling through tile requires these steps:

1. Place some masking tape on the wall in the general area where you will be drilling.  The masking tape serves two purposes.  One, you can mark on it, and two it will keep your drill from skidding across the tile.
2. Bust out that level and make marks on the tape with a pen where you want your screws.
3. Kevin started with the smallest drill bit and worked very very SLOWLY.  Don't start that drill too fast!  Once the holes were made he increased the size of the holes one size up until it would hold the ceramic anchors.
4. Once the holes are made, add the ceramic anchors and lightly tap them in (place some cardboard between the anchors and the hammer).
5.  Then place the mounting plate to the wall and with a screw driver screw in the nails.

 Ta-da!  No cracks in the tile and now I have a de-cluttered shower!

What else did we do this weekend?  Well we started painting our master bedroom which means we are sleeping in the middle of the living room for the next few days.  We also installed a light fixture (more on that later), volunteered at a local race, played with the goats (they are doing great!), played with the dogs, and did this:

We ended the weekend with a trip to the local pond store.  Turns out that the last homeowners left us with at least 100 dollars worth of fish!  We can't let those babies die!  So at Connie's Pond store, the guy there told me, "Open up the filter box, you will some sponges, clean and rinse them out every day this week and come back and see me next weekend."  Yes sir!  

The water is so disgusting and nasty you can't even see the fish, but here is a picture of the before so you can appreciate the beauty that will be the after: