McCloskey Corner

Birds and Butterflies

2011-05-29T22:25:00.004-05:00

At the Mueller Plant Fest in early April, we bought a purple martin house that had been donated to raise funds for the Friends of the Mueller Prairie. The three-level, 12-compartment house needed some work, but nothing that seemed too difficult.

The house has entirely too many different types of metal - aluminum roof and floor plates, galvanized steel dividers, painted galvanized exterior panels, ferrous (and very rusted) nuts and bolts, and stainless steel clips holding rebar perches. After too much thinking about galvanic reactions, I probably did not make any significant improvements. The nuts and bolts are now zinc, sacrificial compared with the other metals - though they may corrode away, at least they shouldn't damage the other metals in the process. The perches are aluminum rods.

I also learned entirely too much about how to paint galvanized metal. Almost all spray paints are alkyd (oil-based), which is incompatible with the zinc coating and paint adhesion will fail. I couldn't find a store in town carrying the latex spray paint recommended in this blog, so I brushed on an aluminum primer before spray-painting the top coat.

Finally reassembled, we put the birdhouse up in the backyard in early May, perhaps too late to attract a group of martins looking for a nesting site.

While we were not fortunate enough to have nesting birds this spring, we did host another form of developing life. Long-tailed skipper caterpillars devoured almost all of the leaves of our Texas wisteria, then made cocoons from the few that remained. We missed seeing the butterflies emerge, but here's one preparing for metamorphosis.

From Winter to Spring

2011-04-12T21:54:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since we've posted, and the weather has turned from snowy winter to beautiful spring.

Over the winter, with the help of my friend Kristen, we painted two rooms: a deep purple wall in the dining room, and a really green green in the half bath.

We also hung some new "art" in the bedroom: framed pages of a bird guide to Texas. Now the walls just need to match the pale blue background of the illustrations, and the room will finally look finished.

This spring, we've watched our plants flourish after the lengthy freeze. The peach tree blossomed and now has a few peaches growing.

Native plants purchased at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center plant sale in the fall are blooming, and we added a few more from the spring sale. Giant spiderwort:

Winecup:

And lanceleaf coreopsis:

The Wildflower Center is having a photo contest through June 15th, and I plan to enter a few from my garden!

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

2010-11-21T21:15:00.004-06:00

Timothy and I learned two lessons the hard way this weekend. The first lesson: Listen when your builder tells you to redo the clear coat on your gorgeous new front door after a year in the house. At a year, the door still looked great, and it seemed too soon to need such extensive maintenance. After nearly three years, with harsh southern sun beating on the door every day, the clear coat had started to crack. Our real wake-up call was when a solicitor rudely taped a flier to the door, and the tape took off not just the clear coat but also spots of the stain underneath.

Saturday morning, we decided to tackle the chore. Brian, our next-door neighbor, came over with some coffee. Our first roadblock was when we realized that the middle hinge on the door had a locking pin and was screwed in with security screws. Since you have to be inside the house to remove the pins, this security measure seemed grossly misplaced. All we can assume is that the builder didn't trust the subs not to run off with a really nice door. Fortunately, Brian discovered that Home Depot sells a screwdriver head that will remove the screws, which seems to defeat the point.

Initially, the light sanding seemed to work well enough in removing the old clear coat, but when we got to the more damaged areas, the stain came with it. We quickly realized we were too late and instead needed to fully refinish the door - sand it down to bare wood, re-stain it, and apply a fresh clear coat.

When Timothy got out the orbital sander, I went off in search of the right stain. The sales associates for David Weekley were able to tell me the color, fruitwood, but not the brand. No houses are under construction currently, so there are no builders around to ask. Multiple manufacturers make a fruitwood stain. I wound up buying two different brands and hoping for the best. Zar turned out to be a closer match than Minwax.

What we'd thought would be an easy one-day project turned into our whole weekend, and we're still not done. We sanded all day yesterday, into the evening, until Brian came over with beer. Today, the door came back down for some final sanding. We dusted it off with Brian's air compressor, cleaned it with denatured alcohol, and applied two coats of stain and one coat of spar urethane. It's still drying. Our dog Laika, usually quite excited to have visitors come in the door, is apprehensive of passersby when there's no door. She's been an overly zealous guard dog.

The door should have a second coat of urethane, but we've run out of time and daylight. As soon as the four hours drying time are up, we'll rehang it and finish the project after Thanksgiving. I guess we should return all of Brian's tools in the meantime!

The second lesson learned this weekend: environmentally friendly solvent isn't much of a solvent. At Home Depot, next to the paint thinner, denatured alcohol, and other stuff that will make your head spin are a few packages that claim they won't. When your paint thinner comes in plastic, that should be a clue that it doesn't dissolve petroleum products. It's thicker than traditional paint thinner, opaque white, and a little less smelly. My confidence in it was boosted when it worked fine to clean up the stain. Not so with the urethane. It just smudged the stuff around, into places it wasn't already on the gloves and brushes. Worried I was about to ruin the sink, I sent Timothy back to the store, but they'd already closed. The gunky gloves are drying in the garage and the brushes are soaking what might as well be a jar of milk, waiting for some real solvent. We managed to save the sink and my hands with the last bit of paint thinner from the garage and a splash of acetone borrowed from, you guessed it, Brian. I don't recommend acetone on bare skin. Also, your cleaner isn't environmentally friendly if it means you use more of the tough stuff to erase your mistake in ever trying it in the first place.

Office Chairs

2010-08-15T22:43:00.004-05:00

In her office, my Grandma Pauline had two mid-century Danish rolling chairs, one brown and the other green. The green chair matched her green lateral filing cabinet. They have gorgeous lines, nothing like today's office furniture.

I had hoped to continue using them as is, but their foam had deteriorated to the point that sitting down created a poof of orange dust. Timothy and I started to reupholster them shortly after I moved in, though we quickly became sidetracked by buying our house.

Upon disassembly, we discovered a number of challenging aspects to the chairs' construction. The elastic fabric, stretched from a circle to cover the elongated back and seat, was glued to a plastic ring. The foam was custom cast for these chairs, the appropriate shape and contour.

After moving into the house, we picked up the project again. Unable to locate new fabric with the same characteristics, we settled for a non-stretchy black upholstery fabric. Likewise, we made do with a flat square of foam, and bought spray adhesive in lieu of the now-orange industrial glue.

The first major issue we encountered was underperformance of the adhesive. While it was adequate to secure the foam, the fabric would not stick. Discouraged, I thought I would try a drawstring slipcover instead. Before I got started, the dog, still a puppy, decided one evening to chew the foam off both chair backs, which had been sitting in the dining room of no prior interest to her for days.

We have no other office chairs. For years now, we have used antique rope-bottom chairs for both the computer desk and my sewing table. In the interest of avoiding continued discomfort, I finally picked up the project again. The drawstrings work more or less; the seat is not fully secured because the plastic prongs on the ring won't stay snapped to the black plastic support. We'll devise some solution, but in the meantime, it feels great to type this while sitting in a real office chair.

Side Yard, Finally Complete

2010-06-08T22:15:00.003-05:00

Six weeks ago, while I was in Houston at my agency's annual conference and unable to object, Timothy started digging a trench in the side yard. This past weekend into Monday, we completed the project. With crushed granite, pavers, and jasmine finishing out the space, the side yard has been transformed into a pleasant area. The backyard remains a mudpit, but that's a project for cooler weather.

Paved areas provide easy access to the trash and recycling bins and our new composter, still awaiting its first batch of kitchen scraps. Since we already use the smallest, 30-gallon trash bin, we took a composting class and will receive a rebate from the City of Austin's Green 30 Challenge. Hopefully composting with our Aerobin will be as easy and maintenance-free as their marketing suggests.

During construction, a rainstorm offered compelling evidence for the need for the french drain. The area shown is the midpoint of the side yard, which had no slope from front to back. We sloped the drain line to compensate. This spot is now the site of the composter.

Beyond the air conditioner is an unused area of side yard that we hope to train the dog to use. This component of the plan will become more important when we transform the backyard into a patio.

Outside the fence, we expanded the front flowerbed, with only a strip of granite walkway for the gas meter reader. With the thought that this summer may be as brutal as last, we intend to wait until the fall to plant in this area. At that time, we will convert the front bed from spray to drip irrigation.

By the driveway, most of the area is crushed granite to facilitate wheeling the trash and recycling bins in and out. We did plant a small clump of aloe vera to soften the corner of the garage.

Ooo la la!

2010-06-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

With Mueller homes so cozy, our clay soil has a hard time absorbing water after a storm. Soil between adjacent houses slopes toward the property line, but there isn't enough slope front to back to coax the water out. A french drain along the fence line will hold the water until the soil can absorb it, and if there is just too much water, the drain will channel it toward the front and back of the houses where it can exit.

Here is a list of items we used in our design:

(1) Can of white marking spray paint - $6

(9) 4" x 10' Rigid PVC pipe w/ 2 rows of holes on the bottom - $90

(2) 4" PVC Tees - $5

(2) 4" PVC 90º Elbows - $7

(4) 4" PVC 45º Elbows - $10

(2) 6" square grates that fit on 4"dia. drain pipe. - $7

(4) Small round catch basins and grates - $48

(1) 9" square catch basin kit with grate - $30

(1) 4' x 100' Roll of 30 yr. fiberglass landscape fabric (weed block) - $45

(1) 4' x 50' Roll of 30 yr. fiberglass landscape fabric (weed block) - $25

(2) Boxes of 100 landscape fabric staples - $24

(1) 4" x 100' drain sleeve - $20

(3) Cubic yards of 5/8" - 1" River Rock w/ delivery - $200

(2) Downspout elbows - $6

Total project cost: $523

The drain is not just the pipe, but the rock too. This is a lot of work and I only want to do it once. This is why I used the more expensive landscape fabric and the rigid PVC pipe. Home Depot sells a 4" x 100' black flexible drain pipe that already has a pipe sleeve on it. It is far less expensive than this system; however, the ridges in the pipe are notorious collectors of dirt, making it prone to clogging and hard to clean out. It is also much more difficult to slope it because it conforms to the bottom of the trench. We bought our supplies from Home Depot and the river rock from Organics by Gosh, who will deliver for $100.

Tools used:

Work gloves

Wheelbarrow

Drain spade

16" round point shovel

Round point shovel

Square point shovel

Hand trowels

5 lb. pick mattock

2 1/2 gallon bucket

Level

Measuring tape

String level

Hammer and block of wood

(4) Large heavy duty tarps

Hacksaw

Scissors

Drill and 1/8" bit

We had a lot of these tools already, except the wheelbarrow and the string level which are both at Home Depot.

Preparation and precaution

First off, we used the white marking paint to lay out the drain. At a couple of locations, we had to jog the trench to avoid utility boxes and fence posts. We made 45º turns in our design to minimize water impedance.

We called 811 and had the city come out, free of charge, to locate the buried utilities. Here is a link to the utilities' color chart. They had everything marked off within 48 hrs. We took pictures of the marks for future reference.

Most utilities are buried 18” below grade; however, I found this unmarked conduit at 12” and Time Warner’s cable at only 2” below the surface. Note the new $50 splice. The sprinkler lines and rain gauge line are not located by the city; they are private property and the responsibility of the owners not to break while digging. We were lucky. They are easy to repair, but I’d rather be working on the drain then fixing sprinkler pipe.

Lesson learned: Dig with caution.

Digging the trench

We dug a 12" wide x 12" deep trench from our A/C unit to the sidewalk and a second one from the A/C unit to the alleyway. Our A/C unit is too close to the fence to dig, so we divided our drain into two separate lines and just left that 3' section between them undisturbed.

Aside from finding sprinkler pipes and cable lines, we mostly found bits of lumber from the concrete forms, framing nails, and a few bits of the old airport tarmac.

If you plan to bury the drain, you'll want to dig 14" to 15" deep so you will have 2" to 3" of soil to cover your completed 12" deep drain. We are building up our side yard by adding 2" to 3" of decomposed granite on top of our existing soil.

Plan ahead what you will do with the excavated soil. We did not and ended up moving the same mound of dirt four times. If I had to do it over again, I would have dumped it directly into the back of my pick-up. We made four trips to Texas Disposal Systems where they charge $3 for a load of dirt, as compared with $35 or more per truckload of trash elsewhere.

Inside the fence, there is limited slope from front to back, so starting from A/C unit we sloped our drain 1" for every 8'. Once we made it to the gate, the grade sloped away from the house so there was no need to dig any deeper than our minimum depth.

Dry Wells

At the ends of our drains we dug an additional 12" beyond the bottom of my trench creating a hole directly under our future catch basins. This provides more space especially at the ends where the water will collect the most.

Layering

Once the trench was finished, we lined each dry well with 4' x 4' squares from the 4' x 50' roll. We used the fabric staples to keep them open while we filled it to the bottom of the trench with river rock.

We rolled out the 4' x 100' landscape fabric along the entire trench, over the top of the dry wells, and fit it to the bottom with fabric staples to hold it in place. The landscape fabric will minimize the dirt in the drain system.

We poured a 3" layer of river rock and dropped in the PVC with the holes facing down. The pipes have a flare at one end so they can be fitted together using the hammer and block of wood. We could have glue them together, but being that there is no pressure in this pipe we chose just to pressure fit all the joints. Using the hacksaw we inserted our 45º elbows and tee intersections.

We added a couple of tees and ran short pipe segments to 90º elbows that turned up to our downspouts. We didn't directly connect the downspout to the french drain, but put the 6" square grates at grade level. The grate will filter from the french drain any large debris, such as leaves and sticks. We then added an additional elbow to the downspout to direct it over the grate.

We used the string level to adjust the slope of our pipe by adding or removing the rock until we achieved our 1" to 8' pitch, then sleeved the entire pipe with a drain sleeve. This minimizes dirt from entering the rock layer though the pipe.

At the ends we installed catch basins. They are big enough to get a hand into so we can clean them out and run a hose into the drain. We drilled several holes into the bottom of the basin for water to drip into the dry well below. This also prevents mosquitoes from breeding.

Once our basin was in place we poured river rock around it to secure it.

We added an additional dry well and catch basin directly across from our water spigot.

Finally, we burred the rest of the pipe with river rock, pulled the staples, and folded over the excess landscape fabric.

With the hacksaw we cut the 4' x 50' roll of landscape fabric in half then rolled and stapled it over the top of the drain.

To finish the project we are adding a 2" to 3" layer of decomposed granite and pavers sloped away from the foundation to finish off the side yard. More photos to come when the project is complete.

Peachy!

2010-04-08T19:47:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, Timothy and I finally got around to a project we've been meaning to do since we moved into the house. We epoxy painted the garage floor. It feels so much nicer underfoot and should be easy to keep clean.

Outside, even more flowers are blooming, including a small pink flower from my great aunt's garden. The blossoms on the peach tree have turned into baby peaches! I doubt they'll grow much, given how small the tree is, but it's still exciting.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

2010-03-28T17:21:00.002-05:00

Towards the end of February, there were a couple of small snowstorms in Austin - not enough to stick, of course. Recently, though, the weather has been beautiful, and we've been enjoying it.

Thanks to my parents, we have a gorgeously repainted vintage slider on our front porch. I spent hours cleaning the aluminum arms and steel base until they shine, and a neighbor recently mistook it for new.

Sitting on the slider with some limeade, we can enjoy all of the flowers. The perennials we bought at the Wildflower Center plant sale last spring and the irises from my parents' house are blooming.

The jasmine on the back fence never ceases to amaze with how many flowers it has.

A few weeks ago, my dad and Timothy dug up the Monterrey oak in the side yard. It was a healthy tree but far too large for the location - only a few feet from the house, it could grow to 35' wide at maturity. Last weekend, Timothy and I replaced it with a dwarf redskin peach, which will only be about 10' wide and tall at maturity. It's tiny but hopefully will grow and produce fruit in a few years.

The pets have also been enjoying the beautiful weather. Even my timid cat has ventured out to roll around in the grass.

Iris!

2010-02-10T22:25:00.003-06:00

We've been in the house for nearly two years now, yet we've never had a housewarming party. This Sunday, we threw a Super Bowl party instead. Not that we cared that much about the game - it just seemed like a good excuse to invite a bunch of neighbors and friends over.

Barely in time for the party, I finished the last set of curtains for the house. The bedroom now has charcoal gray curtains and white Roman blinds. It'll look so much better when the walls are pale, icy blue instead of beige.

Last spring, I transplanted purple and golden irises from my parents' house. They've been struggling to get established ever since. Despite the cold weather, we have our first gorgeous flower.

Sunshine

2010-01-28T23:25:00.002-06:00

Our net meter isn't quite to zero yet, but on a good day, we're making more than we consume:

On the Grid

2010-01-19T18:08:00.003-06:00

Our solar array passed inspection on the first try last Wednesday, and today Austin Energy installed our solar photovoltaic meter and net meter, which replaced the traditional power meter. With net metering, our electric bill will reflect the difference between what our solar array produces and what we consume over a month's time. This is advantageous since power is sold to Austin Energy for less than what they charge for it. In temperate spring and fall months, we should see a credit.

Richard Perry, our project manager with SRE, dropped by on his way home to walk me through how to turn on the system... just in time for the sun to go down. Let's hope for a sunny day tomorrow so we can watch the meter run backwards!

Solar Installation, Days 3-4

2010-01-03T20:35:00.001-06:00

On Wednesday and Thursday, the final elements of our solar system were installed. The completed system was tested and briefly produced power before being taken offline until the Austin Energy inspection.

The solar array looks great! The installation is very tidy, especially after the ends of the rails were trimmed, and I like how the design frames the dormer.

The back of the house has a long conduit run from the panels to the inverter and meters at the alley. DC power cannot run through the building envelope per code, so our brilliant suggestion to run the conduit through the attic was not possible. Had we gone with microinverters - an inverter per panel - the AC power could've run through the attic.

The panels are wired in series as two strings of 10 panels. The wires come to a transition box, then extend through the conduit to the inverter. Next is the photovoltaic meter, the disconnect switch, the main service panel for the house, and finally the electric meter. During the brief test, we watched the meter run backwards! The other box you see contains equipment that will allow us to monitor our solar production once we're up and running.

Solar Installation, Day 2

2009-12-29T10:45:00.002-06:00

It's miserably rainy outside. The crew showed up this morning, got some work done, then decided they need to hold off until tomorrow. They tell me it's really close to being done, though!

Solar Installation, Day 1

2009-12-28T21:19:00.005-06:00

In June, Timothy went to a neighbor's house to hear a presentation from a solar installer. That meeting sparked the Mueller Megawatt Project, with more than 30 households in our development collectively investigating solar systems. Over the next few months, we heard from five installers, who began vying for the lowest group installation price. One neighbor developed a sophisticated financial model that predicted five-year payback periods in many cases. I hired an arborist to talk about our neighborhood's trees and their growth potential. Timothy created 3-D models to help us understand the visual impact of solar and to show where panels would be shaded by our dormer or the trees out front. We obtained quotes from three different vendors and agonized over the decision. Finally, with two other households, we submitted applications to the Austin Energy solar rebate program through Standard Renewable Energy.

The next day, Austin Energy pulled the rug out from under us. During the month of September, the solar rebate program received $4.5 million in applications for the last $700,000 remaining in the fiscal year 2010 budget. Before the fiscal year had even begun, AE had already issued letters of intent for $3.3 million of the $4 million budget. Our chance at a rebate of $3.75/watt and a five-year payback period slipped away, as AE suspended the rebate program, returned all pending applications, and ultimately dropped the rebate to $2.50/watt.

After pleading our case to City Council and urging an increased budget for the solar rebate program to no avail, many neighbors just shrugged their shoulders and walked away. With only $700,000 remaining in the budget and no guarantee of an ongoing rebate program, Timothy and I decided the reduced rebate was still our best chance at obtaining cost-effective solar. We resubmitted our application at the first opportunity, on November 1. With a three-star rating in the Austin Energy Green Building program, our house met the new energy efficiency requirements and quickly received a letter of intent.

Following permit issues and the obligatory wait for approval from our property owners association's modifications committee, we weren't sure if we could still have the system installed in 2009 for purposes of the 30% federal tax credit. With installation occurring the last week of December, we'll just meet the deadline.

For peace of mind, our system has flashed roof penetrations, rather than relying on caulk to keep the water out. After marking the layout on the roof, the crew installed the standoffs, the flashings, the rails, and finally the 175-watt Suntech Black Label panels. In the meantime, our SMA Sunny Boy inverter was installed on the side of the garage, with conduit for the DC wires running along the back slope of the roof.

Standard Renewable Energy has been a pleasure to work with and has come through for us with all of the obstacles along the way. The crew working on our house today was efficient and has done a great job. Installation started this morning, and as the sun went down, the last of the panels were secured to the racking. Tomorrow, weather permitting, electrical connections will be finished and the system will be substantially complete, pending inspection by the City of Austin and installation of a new electric meter.

Giving Thanks

2009-12-02T22:33:00.004-06:00

This Thanksgiving, in addition to being thankful for spending time with family and eating great food, I was thankful for the fluke of an amazing deal for a Danish modern coffee table on Craigslist. The poor guy who bought it off of eBay mismeasured, and it didn't fit in his living room. But it's perfect for ours!

It has drawers that open from either side, and a long, narrow slot for stashing magazines. Finally I can start to see how I've envisioned the living room. Now we just need a buffet/credenza, media console, couple of chairs and end tables, and we're set...

A Little Color

2009-10-12T21:12:00.003-05:00

This weekend, Timothy and I made a floral arrangement for the dining room. Finally, there's a small splash of purple in our purple room.

Laika's growing like crazy. At 8 months old, she's almost as big as her big dog friends Angus and Jet.

She's still not sure what to think of all this rain we've been getting, though.

McCloskey Corner: Now on Google Streetview

2009-10-07T13:51:00.001-05:00

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Holistay

2009-08-16T21:41:00.003-05:00

This past week, I took some time off work to finish projects around the house. Only two small tasks actually got done, but at least I had time to relax during my holistay. (I don't care that Merriam-Webster has formally adopted "staycation," John Hodgman's suggestion on the Daily Show is a far superior term.)

The dining room now has sheers. You can't tell in the photo, but the fabric is a loosely woven grid, appropriate for the square room of square things.

And we finally planted a couple of houseplants in the vintage ceramic pots acquired on our last trip to Abilene.

On Wednesday, I drove to Waco for dinner with my mom, who was there for the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors' Bureaus conference. We saw a lot of bridges and a few historic homes while I was there.

Today was Laika's last day at puppy class. She was more distracted than usual by dogs outside the classroom door and only won two of five contests. Kerbey was better at returning when called, leaving distracting toys and goodies, and musical sit. Laika more consistently stayed, and we're teaching her to read. If you don't believe me, ask for a demonstration next time you're over!

Finally!

2009-08-12T10:03:00.003-05:00

The landscaping is going in for the last house to be constructed across the street from us. The end is in sight!

We've also heard that the lot for the Meritage construction trailer, across from the other end of the block, has gone on the market. Once the trailer is moved and the house built, all of the construction in our immediate vicinity will be complete.

I Wanna Be Sedated

2009-08-03T21:20:00.005-05:00

Thursday was a busy day. Laika got spayed. We went to the last of five presentations from solar companies seeking to do a group installation in our neighborhood. And we attended the opening ceremony for Mueller's solar Sunflowers, public art over a year in the making.

"Sunflowers: An Electric Garden" is a scattered line of 16-22' tall blue flowers with 30 kilowatts of solar-panel petals. The panels are grid-tied, but a small part of the power they produce lights electric blue stamen at night. They are very eye-catching from Interstate-35 and provide illumination for the hiking trail of the Northwest Greenway.

The dedication was attended by Brewster McCracken, former city councilman and mayoral candidate, and head of the Pecan Street Project; Councilwoman Laura Morrison; artists Mags Harries and Lajos Héder; and many of our neighbors. The sunflowers slowly light of their own accord, without timers. When we left, only three were illuminated. We need to go back later in the evening with a tripod for some better photographs.

Laika feels fine after her surgery; in fact, she's painfully bored. We've been feeding her sedatives, but this is going to be a long week. Her favorite outside toy is a piece of wood she dug out from under the neighbor's fence. Look at those big dog teeth!

More to come on solar once we've gotten our first quote.

Gardening, Part II

2009-05-07T23:30:00.004-05:00

After months of obsessing over landscape design, reading books with gorgeous pictures of plants that don't grow here, and generally making no progress on what to do with the front flowerbed, we went to a plant sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in south Austin. On impulse alone, we grabbed an assortment of drought-tolerant perennials: purple coneflowers, bush sunflowers, winecups, yellow trumpetbush, scarlet penstemons, wright's skullcaps, and an array of salvia.

Then we commenced the overly ambitious project of rearranging what seemed like virtually every plant in the front bed. The deer muhly that previously crowded the graceful trunks of the wax myrtle now softens the edges of the front steps. The loropetalum moved over to make room, and an extra copper canyon daisy had to come out. The mondo grass and inland sea oats, neither of which were thriving in the full sun, made way for the wildflowers.

Nearly a month later, we finally finished spreading the last of the mulch on the beds and trees last night. The project is all but done; when my parents come to visit over Memorial Day weekend, we'll swap a couple more of the copper canyon daisies for some iris bulbs.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, our experimental tomatoes are growing! The plants in the sunnier spot definitely seem to be doing better, though there are a couple of little cherry tomatoes on the shadier plant.

Speaking of growing, Laika grew five pounds in three weeks! At three months old, our goofy puppy weighs 18 pounds.

She's learned a lot of tricks, thanks to Timothy's patience. We ought to teach her to pull weeds, rather than eating the weeds I've already pulled and pulling up the grass.

We thought she'd like her own puppy pool to splash around in, especially given how hot she gets with that black coat, but no such luck. Look at her miserable face!

Speechless

2009-05-06T17:08:00.003-05:00

The pendant light in our kitchen - our beautiful, unique, mid-century light - has been reproduced. The folks at Satellite did a pretty good job, but the original is more graceful. I have to say I'm somewhat offended by the idea that "color is where the fun is". No need to meddle with the perfection of the brushed aluminum cylinders.

Wildflowers

2009-04-07T23:01:00.002-05:00

Laika in the wildflowers of the Southwest Greenbelt's restored blackland prairie, because every girl growing up in Texas has to have her photo taken in a field of bluebonnets.

NOLA, ELISSA, Laika

2009-04-05T23:07:00.002-05:00

In mid-March, I went on a trip to New Orleans for the US/ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) International Symposium, Preservation in Peril.

Last weekend, Timothy and I went sailing on the 1877 tall ship ELISSA.

(More to come for both of those albums, we just haven't had a chance to sort though it all yet!)

On Thursday, we brought home Laika, our very sweet 8-week-old puppy. She into everything, but Timothy already taught her to come and sit over the weekend. With persistence, I'm sure everything else will fall into place.

My friend Laura's dad still has eight other adorable puppies from the pregnant stray he took in, so please let me know if you or someone you know would like their own bundle of joy.

Spring is Here!

2009-03-10T22:32:00.003-05:00

Of our trees, the little Carolina Hawthorne budded out first. The leaves start off with a reddish cast and later turn bright green.

The sycamores and other trees are standing free now that we've removed their stakes.

This chinquapin oak, which we feared would die after last spring's hail damage, seems to be doing fine.

Mom and Dad, we've found a new place for you to live in our development. Streetman is building row houses along Berkman, the main north-south artery through the neighborhood. They'll be right on the future streetcar line and across what will hopefully be a small corner market at the base of the tower. The downstairs plans are open enough to serve as a photo studio, and some will have a separate entrance for an office.

The future of the tower is still in limbo. The developer has said that stabilization will come first, followed by restoration of the exterior. Let's hope the new barbed wire fence is at least somewhat effective at deterring further vandalism.

Elsewhere, the Parade of Homes is progressing towards its May deadline. On the left is the Barley & Pfeiffer house, on the right our favorite, designed by Michael Hsu.

The Tomato Experiment

2009-03-01T14:35:00.003-06:00

The backyard landscaping is now on hold until next year, since we recently spent our landscaping budget on a sorely needed new mattress. The weather lately has been too beautiful not to enjoy the yard, though, so I bought a hammock stand and pulled the hammock out of the garage. It certainly lends a sense of scale for our planning efforts - the hammock takes up most of the yard. Many of our big ideas may be too big to fit.

Not only will the delay give us more time to plan the overall layout, we can also assess where to grow vegetables before we build raised beds. Friday evening, we lucked into a couple of cherry tomato plants perfect for gauging the yard's potential. (Thank you, Heather!) I suggested that we plant them in the sunniest area, in the main part of the yard next to the gate, and try some more shade-tolerant veggies in the side yard. Timothy insisted on a controlled experiment, in which we try out both spots. We got a couple more tomato plants, large plastic pots, and potting soil, and planted the tomatoes early this afternoon.

Timothy's pot was in full shade by 1:00, while mine was just starting to creep out of the sun at 2:00. It will also get sun earlier since it's further from the fence. Despite my doubts, I hope Timothy's plants fare well since side yard beds would leave us with much more usable space in the backyard. We'll let you know how it works out.

Elsewhere in the development, extravagant houses are being built for the 2009 Parade of Homes. The first Parade of Homes in Austin was held in 1953 to showcase the work of local home builders' association members. While the houses were more elaborate than the average middle-class home of the era, the ideas they presented were not completely out of reach. By the Parade of Home's 50th anniversary in 2003, they were. (See this analysis by a fellow Austinite.) While this year's homes are still out of the question for most of us at just under $1 million apiece for 3,000 to 4,500 square feet, they are somewhat more modest than last year's $1 to $4 million, 3,000 to 10,000+ square foot suburban homes. And it's a very positive sign that the home builders' association is paying attention to sustainability: all of the houses will receive a 5-star rating in Austin's green building program.

Our favorite is a very modern design by Michael Hsu, and we also really like the house designed by Barley & Pfeiffer (click on House at Mueller). All of the houses have green features we could only dream of in our 3-star home, and they have beautiful views of Lake Park.

We're excited to have my parents come for a visit and see the finished homes this May!

Also, take a look at the Statesman's interactive coverage of the Mueller development! We were at the Superbowl cookout in the Garden Court, though it doesn't seem that we made it into any of the photos.

Update: I take it back, we did make it into the Statesman photos. Or at least my cat did! Check out photo 21 in "A Look at Mueller Today."

Gardening

2009-02-01T14:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. After helping deliver the second edition of The Front Porch Flyer, we spent the afternoon in the front yard, pruning trees, bushes and overgrown plants.

On the smaller of the two chinquapin oaks out front, we were alarmed to discover a cluster of spiny bugs surrounded by unusual black ladybugs with two orange dots. Were the ladybugs eating the spiny bugs? Were the spiny bugs eating our tree?? My mom's advice: take a bug into a nursery for identification. Also, the description sounded like a new invasive species of ladybug.

Upon trying to grab one of the spiny bugs, I realized the cluster was all empty shells.

With some quick internet research, I thought we had a British Invasion of Beatles! We were going to blame our neighbor Garreth for the appearance of kidney-spot ladybirds, Chilocorus renipustulatus, in Texas. Turns out that the British just like their bug taxonomies. It's likely the more poetic twice-stabbed lady beetle, Chilocorus stigma, which is native to the U.S.

There may still be cause for alarm: global warming. On the same tree are larvae, pupae, and newly hatched adults, long before one would expect the previous generation of adults to have become active after the winter, much less produced young that have already gone through all stages of metamorphosis. Most of our trees never fully lost their leaves, either.

Despite their half-brown foliage, the trees look much better after removing the low-hanging branches. The chinquapin oaks are slow-growing but still needed some tidying up. The American sycamores on the side street have undergone tremendous growth in their first year and had some decent sized branches to remove.

We've tentatively identified the tree in the front yard as a Mexican white oak and the one out back as a Carolina hawthorne.

In the front flowerbed, we have a wax myrtle, various grasses, Loropetalum chinesis or Chinese witchhazel, rosemary, and an unidentified fragrant plant that grows to the point of smothering itself out and makes you itch if you touch it.

The wax myrtle can grow to an astounding 15' tall and 10' wide, so we'll have to keep it well pruned. Likewise, the loropetalum is oversized for its placement, and will need to be cut to grow closer to the ground. It's beautiful, though - the only plant I really like of those that came with the house. New leaves are a deep purple, fading later to green and turning bright orange before they fall off. The bushes has stayed mostly green all winter, though, and seem to never stop blooming with bright fuschia flowers.

We're trying to figure out how to transform the bed into something more to our liking. The bushes are established by now, so we won't move them around, but the tall tufty grasses seem misplaced. We're going to fully eradicate the fragrant but itchy weeds, and may move the grasses over to fill in along the sides of the porch where they were. The rest of the grasses are going to go. We like the rosemary but would prefer to transplant it to an herb garden in the backyard. In its place, I may plant some irises, since they're my favorite flower. We'd like more flowers in general, and may plant some low-growing flowers in front of the loropetalum.

The harder planning task before us is the backyard. We wanted a vegetable garden in the narrow side yard, but as late as 9:00 this morning, it was still in the shadow of the fence. A better place may be alongside the garage, which will get sun earlier. Even that spot only gets about four hours of sun, and as the days get longer, it's not likely to ever get the six hours of sun recommended for a vegetable garden.

And that's not the only problem remaining to be solved. How do we configure the patio? Where do we put the grill? Do we eliminate the turf or leave some grassy areas? We're going to build a scale model of the yard to help us visualize our options and go from there.

(Belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-11T22:30:00.011-06:00

You may be wondering where we've been and what we've been up to for the past five months. We've got some good excuses for not posting; here are a few of the highlights.

In August, we watched the Olympics opening ceremony with our neighbors in the Garden Court. Elizabeth had a birthday.

We also got a new roof.

In September, we went to Washington, D.C. - Elizabeth for a workshop, Timothy as a birthday present to himself. Timothy's mom Joanne and step-dad Bob joined us for a few days.

In October, we did our part to help defeat a local proposition that would've hurt the Mueller development.

Over the past few months, we've transformed our bedroom from this...

... to this, with a new bed and bedding from West Elm and furniture Elizabeth's parents found at an estate sale. Fresh paint and new curtains are forthcoming.

Speaking of curtains, Elizabeth made more than a few in time for Christmas. We hosted nearly 20 family members for Christmas Eve dinner: Elizabeth's mom Wilma, dad Steve, Aunt Elaine and Uncle Richard, and cousins' dog Catalina; Timothy's mom and Bob, Grandma Noreen, Grandpa Frank, Uncle Gary, Aunt Becky and Uncle John, cousins Dustin, Jack, Cody, and Riley, sister Teresa, Teresa's roommate Dini, and Dini's boyfriend Frank. Both families threaten that this will become a new tradition. Timothy is looking forward to the new hotel planned for the town center...

Earlier this week, we made a chicken pot pie from scratch.

Have a great 2009!

The Grass Is Always Greener

2008-08-05T22:10:00.003-05:00

Our grass is green. Really green, especially given the half-dead sod we started with. So, what's our trick? I have to warn you, it stinks...

One of our neighbors, Dusty, a master gardener, had recommended spreading compost as an alternative to fertilizing our lawns. We decided to give it a try, and with my parents went out to Texas Disposal Systems to get a truckload of compost, along with a truckload of mulch for the flowerbeds and trees. Their pricing list included Texas Organic Products (TOP) compost, made from clippings, and premium compost. We'd intended to buy the TOP compost, but premium must be better, right? The pricing sheet mentioned that it is used by TxDOT, which sounded like a good enough endorsement for a landscaping product.

The description also included "Class A biosolids." Having no idea what biosolids are, and swayed by the other two points, I ordered the premium stuff. As we transported it back home and spread it over the lawn, I wondered how something presumably made of plant matter smelled so much like manure. The stench lasted for a few days.

Also called Alamo-Gro, the premium compost is made from San Antonio's treated sewage. Gross, but perfectly safe, it has worked wonders for the lawn. Just take a look at the yard of the house under construction across the street and you'll see how impressive the transformation has been.

There's construction on both sides of our corner lot. David Weekley Homes is building on Scales (first photo below), and Standard Pacific has houses on McCloskey (second photo). Can you guess which builder started first?

Just before we moved into our home in April, Standard Pacific already had houses framed, while David Weekley's lots were still bare dirt.

By late May, Weekley had the framing up for the corner lot, with foundations ready to pour down the street. They've gone up in next to no time and will soon be complete, while Standard Pacific's homes seem to move along at a snail's pace. I suppose different builders just have different ways of doing things, but it will be nice when the construction near us is over. I'm looking forward to actually sleeping in again on the weekends. Bad news is that one of the StanPac lots only recently sold, meaning at least 8 more months of torture before they're done.

Further afield, some builders have started houses in Phase 2. We'll have to take some photos to share here soon. And on the northern edge of the old airport, construction has started on the water tower for reclaimed water to serve the parks and green spaces of the development.

On an unrelated note, I wanted to share more photos of the new light, where you can actually see it in context. It looks great with all the stainless appliances in the kitchen, but the light over the breakfast table has to go. Please share any ideas you have for the replacement. We want something understated, that harmonizes with the vintage fixture but does not compete with it.

Also, if you want the lamps we're replacing, they're for sale on Craigslist. So far only one spammer has been interested.

Twinkle, Twinkle

2008-07-30T22:29:00.005-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, Timothy and I went to San Marcos with our friend Kristen to pick up a lovely vintage pendant light for her dining room. As an early birthday present, I also came home with the most beautiful light fixture. (Thank you!) Three milk glass cylinders, each surrounded by a band of brushed aluminum pierced by tiny holes, with a triangle of teak to hold them at the proper distance from each other. The fixture was designed by Gerald Thurston and dates to the 1950s.

Kristen's lamp also looks great! Next time you're in San Marcos, visit Accent Lighting Designs on the courthouse square.

Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-10T21:25:00.008-05:00

Does this look familiar? We'll give you a hint...

Yes, we've finally installed our mosaic glass tile backsplash. We did do it ourselves, though I must say Timothy was better at most of it than I was. I spent too much time obsessing over the details.

We did less than a square foot of tile as a backsplash for the pedestal sink in the half bath, just to prove to ourselves we could do it. That project wasn't difficult, apart from misinterpreting the instructions and letting the grout sit too long before wiping it from the surface of the tile. It took a toothbrush to get it off the travertine squares...

The tiling process is fairly simple. First, you affix the tile to the wall with thinset, then allow it to set up for at least 24 hours, fill the joints with grout, wipe the excess from the surface with a sponge, and buff off the grout haze after a few more hours. Once the grout has cured for a couple of weeks, we'll seal it and caulk around the edges.

The 1"x1" tile is secured to a mesh backing, so spacers are unnecessary. That is, unless you decide the premixed blends just aren't good enough. To answer Kristin's question in the previous comments, we ordered the tile from The Tile Guy, though it was also available from American Tile. I'm not sure of the manufacturer, but the line is Rialto, and the color was something to the effect of "garden blend." It was the best blend we found, in terms of a nice mixture of greens, not too sagey, to pick up the green flecks in our tea leaf Silestone. But with most of the counter beige and the cabinets dark brown, we wanted to tie in those colors as well. We ordered two spare sheets of tile, peeled them off the backing, and individually placed them amid the other tile to achieve the look we wanted.

We had hoped to make the tiling a single weekend project, but after a long trip to Home Depot and extensive investigation of tile cutting methods (you need a fine diamond blade to cut glass, which only tile stores closed on the weekend sell, so we rented a score and snap cutter), we were off to a late start. Grouting dragged on through the week, and we finished just in time to show it off to my parents, who were in town for the Fourth of July weekend.

The morning of the Fourth, our neighbors had a parade, with live music, adorable children, patriotically bandannaed dogs, and our next door neighbor Brian juggling!

Late in the afternoon, Timothy's mom, stepdad, and sister arrived for burgers, sausage, and homemade strawberry shortcake. After dinner, we made our way to the greenbelt, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fireworks. The view was surprisingly good, even from better than three miles away.

Thank You

2008-06-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

Two months after we moved into our house, we wanted to say a few words of thanks to the people who made it possible.

Kara, our sales consultant, made the homebuying process a lot of fun. She was always friendly and welcoming; regardless of how busy her day was, she made time for us, even if it was just to chat. At first, we were cautious, but she quickly won our trust and friendship.

Stan, our builder, was happy to give thorough answers to our questions, and never treated them as naive. He addressed all our issues, no matter how trivial, whether an explanation or a change to the house. He put up with our twice daily visits, and often stopped by to talk about the progress. Both Stan and Kara went to exceptional lengths to make sure we were completely happy with our home.

And Matt, our realtor, came to every meeting, whether he was needed or not. He sat through tedious home walk-throughs, even though he technically was only required to attend when we signed the contract. Before we decided to buy at Mueller, he took us to many houses on the market, all of which we dismissed as not quite right. We appreciated his patience and all of the guidance he gave us.

Thanks, Kara, Stan, and Matt! We love our home!

The New Space Race

2008-05-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

We've almost finished putting everything away, and suddenly our house has a lot of empty space that needs to be filled with more furniture. Half our neighborhood is heading up to IKEA with a U-Haul for tax-free weekend, which could be dangerous. We shouldn't stimulate the economy too much with our stimulus checks, since we have an insurance deductible to cover in the near future.

One of the IKEA-going neighbors has a little extra in his pocket from our purchase of this really awesome sputnik lamp. Apparently Aaron (or Mrs. Aaron) thought he had too many. How could such a thing be possible?

After Timothy wired on a new cord, we hung it, took it down, and rehung it three times. That tiny ball in the center is a tight fit for twelve arms worth of wiring, and our efforts to cram it all back in there had created a short. For inexpensive repairs of lighting problems you created yourself, we recommend the Fixture Shop. It's next door to the giant head with the light bulb on top on Burnet Road. The sputnik now looks amazing hovering over our stairs.

In other home improvement news, we've been searching for the right green mosaic blend for the kitchen backsplash. We need to put something up quickly because presently there is nothing to protect the sheetrock and no caulk around the edge of the countertop. Between Timothy's Uncle Gary and the guy at the Tile Guy telling us how easily we could do it ourselves, we're almost convinced. We may attempt a smaller project in the half bath - a backsplash for the pedestal sink - to gain some confidence first.

The cat would like to contribute to the kitchen decor, but she doesn't quite fit in with the vintage coffeemakers.

Severe Weather Advisory

2008-05-16T21:00:00.007-05:00

Late Wednesday, for the third time since we moved into our house a month ago, a nighttime thunderstorm brought hail. This storm made the previous laughable by comparison. We watched out the front windows as unrelenting gusts blew our trees sideways and hail pelted the house and landscaping. This photograph taken after the hail let up doesn't remotely convey how bad the storm was.

Gusts up to 59 m.p.h. and 4" hail were reported in central Austin. Timothy grabbed the largest hailstone in our front yard; though not record- breaking, its 3" girth is nothing to balk at.

With the storm hitting from the west, our house was substantially sheltered by the other homes in our block. We had one broken window, the single second-floor window on the west side, and only the outside pane shattered.

The west-facing portion of the roof over the breezeway and garage has considerable damage, with pock-marks, cracked shingles, and considerable grit washed into the gutters. Most of the roof faces either north or south and may be less damaged, though we've not gone up there to look.

Speaking of gutters, every one is beaten up. Even those on the east side of the house were dented outward.

Our fledgling trees were also hit, though they're healthy and should recover. The wire on the supports for the tree on the alley snapped, though the tree itself is still mostly upright.

This damage report is minor. The morning after the storm, Timothy and I went walking around with two neighbors from our block. Both of their houses had dented and cracked hardiplank siding but no other significant damage. As we discovered, we were all very fortunate.

The blocks further south were harder hit. On two long blocks near the greenway, the west-facing front facades had few intact windows. One street moved in around the same time we did. The other, still under construction, was described by a builder as a "war zone." Damage to homes and landscaping was extensive elsewhere as well. Some street trees were blown over, and smaller trees and shrubs in the parks were also uprooted.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the storm. We're feeling cursed, but I think we should count ourselves lucky.

Oh Hail!

2008-04-27T08:19:00.003-05:00

Yes, we're happily moved into our wonderful new home. After a week of concerted unpacking (thanks for all the help, Mom!), and another week of trying to get caught up on everything else, we're still not fully settled in. And I've not taken a single photograph of the house since it became ours.

Or, at least not until this morning. We were startled awake by the loud, repeated impact of hail on the roof. Our perfect new roof we'd prefer not to replace just yet. The hail storm is supposed to come when your shingles are worn out and you want the insurance to pay, right?

Both cars were parked outside. Yesterday we put the last coat of spray paint on the bed frame for the guest room, and it still took up the entire garage, drying. In the time it took to dismantle the frame, for Timothy to find his keys and pull his truck in, and for me to give up on finding my keys, spew the contents of a box across the dining room, and find my spare key, the hail had stopped. Fortunately it was small enough (mothball-sized) that there was no damage. The keys were in the garage, where I had left them while painting.

There's another menace lurking in the neighborhood, waiting to eat dogs, small children, and joggers on the hike-and-bike trail that winds through the southwest greenway (thanks for the photo, Dad!) Its abdomen is full of iridescent eggs. Soon nowhere will be safe from giant metal spiders!

Two More Days!

2008-04-11T23:50:00.004-05:00

Two More Weeks

2008-03-31T21:55:00.006-05:00

With the exception of trees along the front sidewalk, our landscaping is complete. We have a tree in the side yard that will shade the porch, another behind the back fence, and each street will be lined with a different species of tree. Those in the front are waiting for the root barrier, which, if we're lucky, will prevent complete upheaval of the sidewalks in another 20 years.

Pete was a stow-away in our plants. Timothy says his name is Sparky, but I think it's Pete. We've spotted him one other time, on the fence to the side yard. I hope he sticks around.

Small changes are continuing on the inside of the house. Today we met Jimbo in the attic, finishing the A/C installation. He gave us our thermostat instruction manual, lots of pointers, and promised to pre-program our thermostats the way he thinks they ought to be. Timothy thought he looked like the French actor Dominique Pinon from Delicatessen.

Now that our garage has been cleared of debris and other houses' trim, we've both parked in it. Not yet at the same time, but I think with some maneuvering from the narrow alley to the narrow garage, we should be able to make it work. I guess we'll find out in two weeks.

Closing day can't come soon enough. After four months of commuting from northwest Austin, we're looking forward to living close to downtown again. Our daily routine involves 30 minutes of sitting in traffic on MoPac in the morning, driving to check on the house at lunch, going back by after work, and then heading home exhausted in the evening. This racks up about 40 miles per day on my car, and sometime last week, I missed seeing it roll over 100,000 miles.

Speaking of driving, our neighbor Aaron swerves dangerously fast around the curves! Watch out for his hybrid car, and co-conspirators Toby and Griffin hiding in the back seat.

Easter Bunny

2008-03-23T21:13:00.006-05:00

The front facade of our house is simple; its primary features are box columns and triangle knee braces reminiscent of 1920s Craftsman-style homes. For over a month, we've had the wrong knee braces. They'd be fine on a more elaborate house, but here they were much too small to be attention-getting. Now they've been superseded by much more impressive knee braces, and simplified versions added to the dormer.

We also have gutters and a sprinkler system, and the fence has been finished. Now we just need some grass and plants.

The inside of the house has been covered with blue tape, denoting most problems we'd noticed and quite a few we would not otherwise have seen. We've been watching as corrections are made, and the house moves incrementally closer to being finished.

Timothy actually wrote this in an email to our builder: "I peeked inside the scuttle hole [to the attic] and it seems rather barren, like it needs something... something fluffy, like a bunny, but a bunny you shoot through a tube."

Our pink fluffy bunny came just in time for us to say "Happy Easter!"

We don't need no stinkin' badgers!

2008-03-16T21:54:00.001-05:00

This is the emoticon for my house.

Here is what happens when the landlords find out why you are leaving.

From the first day of signed the contract.

Shiny or Spiny

2008-03-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

Perhaps we were previously unobservant, but Friday we noticed the power turned on in our house for the first time. Shiny kitchen appliances had also arrived.

Installation of carpet represents the last new material to go into the house. Though numerous repairs and corrections remain before we close, construction is all but complete.

As Timothy enjoyed our somewhat spiny carpet (to be replaced in a few years with hardwood or bamboo flooring), he noticed something else spiny on the windowsill. It seems that we will not be the first occupants of our new home!

Elsewhere in Phase I, framing for Standard Pacific houses is beginning to block our view of the park. Behind our house, landscaping of the garden court is nicely underway, though the first resident has moved in before sod replaces mud.

Monday, April 14

2008-03-13T20:59:00.003-05:00

We have a closing date, just a month away, and only four months total build time! Guess we need to figure out how to break our lease...

Yellow? Don't Fret, It's Calumet!

2008-03-12T22:34:00.002-05:00

The inside of our house miraculously changed colors today. By lunch, the windows, trim, and fixtures were taped up, and at the end of the day, summertime had been transformed to calumet.

A couple of pieces of tape were painted over, so you can see the contrast. It's like night and day. Or midday and early afternoon. Or so subtle a change you wonder if it has at first. But really, trust us, it's much more pleasant in our house now. We're really happy.

Mixed media installation in our garage.

Our first casualty occurred today in the master bedroom. We have no idea the circumstances, but we'll be getting a new window.

Usual House Update

2008-03-11T22:13:00.004-05:00

Since the last post, my parents came to visit and see the house for themselves. Despite the fact both my dad and I had cameras in hand, we failed to take photos of anything but the house, so the usual update follows.

Our house has its beautiful new front door and the beginnings of a nice cedar fence.

When we first saw the fence posts, we were amazed by the generous size of the side yard, but didn't it seem odd that the fence posts were right on the sidewalk? Apparently the developer also thought so, as they've insisted the builder move the fenceline in two feet.

Yesterday was a miserable, rainy day. So rainy, in fact, we had a river running through our garage. Though the threshold between porch and garage will be properly sealed soon, there's no reason to have so much water standing on the porch any time it rains. To divert the current from three converging roof slopes, we've decided to get gutters. Dad, we promise you won't ever have to clean them out!

Repairs large and small are underway on the interior. In the upstairs bathroom, we noticed that the ceiling and tile were not parallel, with a half inch discrepancy from one end of the narrow room to the other. Surprisingly, our builder discovered that the problem was not the tile but the ceiling. The sheetrock was cut, the framing corrected, and the resulting sliver patched. It now looks perfect!

Elsewhere, sheetrock repairs have been completed and the walls retextured. Later this week we should expect to see a new coat of paint on the walls. Yes, despite assurances from my mom, my aunt, Timothy's sister, and our neighbor Will that summertime is not that bad or not that yellow, we decided to repaint now rather than later.

Plastic Coated

2008-03-03T19:51:00.003-06:00

They've finally taken the protective film off the windows, so we can actually see outside from inside. What a concept! We'll have a nice view of our little yard from the living room.

Our countertops were installed today. Too bad the workers covered them up with protective plastic as soon as they finished, before we could take photos.

The sinks in the master bathroom are overmount sinks, with openings cut on site, because we spent entirely too much money on the custom-colored undermount sink in the kitchen.

Later this week, our sunny home will get even brighter...

What's Missing?

2008-02-28T22:40:00.001-06:00

Bummertime

2008-02-26T21:56:00.004-06:00

We've got front steps, interior paint, and tile.

The paint is... yellow. When we first saw it, we thought surely there had been a mistake. We didn't expect "summertime" to be so... summery. Following a trip to the David Weekley Design Center and the Pittsburgh/Monarch paint store, we were certain it couldn't be the color we'd chosen. On the color swatch, summertime was a pleasant, light beige, cooler than some of the tans we'd picked up for comparison. Hold it up to the wall, and it disappears.

Looking at other houses currently under construction, the color we had envisioned summertime would be is "calumet" (not to be confused with Calumet). We've asked our sales consultant to price what it would take to repaint the house. But I don't think we're going to do it, given how much it likely will cost, especially since the tile floors have gone in.

In choosing what we thought was a light, neutral color, the idea was to have a backdrop for various accent walls and minimize the amount of painting we would feel compelled to do after the fact. As it is now, we may wind up repainting nearly every surface, ceilings included, before we move in. It's really depressing.

At least we are happy with the tile, even if the tile guys think I'm crazy!

Lines and Borders and Trim, Oh My!

2008-02-19T21:54:00.006-06:00

Today, sidewalks down both sides of our house were poured. Near the front corner, it seems a rather large bird ran in a curving line, permanently memorialized in the hardening concrete.

The driveway was also poured. As soon as all the trim is out of the garage, we may have to see if both vehicles will fit, and just how little storage space we'll have left over. I think I need to buy a Mini.

Speaking of trim, it's all but finished. (The trim presently in the garage must be for another house in the block... ?) It looks nice!

Sheetrock and Cabinets

2008-02-16T13:10:00.003-06:00

Quite a bit has happened over the past 10 days. The sheetrock was installed, taped and bedded, and textured. I'm glad Timothy talked me into the rounded corners - they look great!

On Thursday evening, our garage door had been installed. Inside the garage were all of our cabinets!

By lunchtime yesterday, the cabinets had been installed. Since then, the trim guys have been working on our stairs.

Fiberglass Subconscious

2008-02-05T20:49:00.000-06:00

Surrealists rejected modern architecture's "overrationalized technological realism" and "right-angle past" in favor of the "soft tactile depths" and "umbilical cords" of "circular, spherical, and irregular houses." (Quotes by surrealists Tristan Tzara and Matta, and theorist Anthony Vidler, from Stephen Phillips's contribution to Surrealism and Architecture.)

For a short while, the womb-like subconscious of our house is exposed.

The soft, visceral id of the fiberglass is soon to be suppressed by the rigidity of the sheetrock ego. Perhaps when we go into the attic, our house will still dream.

¿Hambriento?

2008-02-03T11:02:00.000-06:00

The Voice (and Smell) of Color

2008-01-31T23:32:00.000-06:00

Our house has been painted!!! The siding is prairie dust with flint gray shingles and china white trim.

First, the large expanses were sprayed with impressive speed, then the trim finished by hand.

With the painting mostly complete, the shingles went on next.

And we weren't the only ones to get a roof...

We also had our pre-drywall meeting today. We made a few requests, asked a lot of questions, and learned about the innards of our house. This weekend, we plan to systematically photograph every square inch of wall for future reference, before the insulation goes in early next week!

Graffiti

2008-01-28T23:27:00.000-06:00

Our house is covered with graffiti.

Some of it refers to unfinished projects, others to minor corrections or repairs that need to be made.

And few hold exciting surprises, such as a light in the closet under the stairs. Well, we get excited about the little things...

Projects on the interior of the house are winding up as we near our pre-drywall meeting this Thursday. Building inspectors have been visiting, and in some cases requesting strangely inconsistent changes. All the Willies built before ours have 2"x4" studs for the tall wall in the living room. Ours has now been reinforced with 2"x6"s and is rigid enough to withstand a tornado!

In addition to the pre-drywall meeting this week, we have our first sit-down meeting with a mortgage broker tomorrow morning. It's months until we close, but it will be nice to have one less thing to worry about.

Water, Wires, and Wit

2008-01-23T22:54:00.000-06:00

It's been bleak, cold, and rainy here lately. Although we have tar paper on the roof, it's not exactly water tight, so the inside of the house has gotten wet and muddy.

Despite the puddles, electricians and low-voltage wiring technicians have been working indoors. We’ve got a lot of copper, and Timothy’s amazing plan for surround sound and hidden electronic devices is going in.

It's been awhile since we posted photos of the pool and bathhouse at the pocket park down the street. Actually, now that I look back, there wasn't much of anything there in November. The bathhouse, designed by Studio 8, has exposed concrete walls and a butterfly roof over part of the interior. You can already tell it's going to be a really great looking building. Timothy works for the engineering firm that designed the structure, and we recently dropped by for a site visit during one of our lunchtime trips to the house.

And while we’re promoting firms, how about this clever slogan? This is for you, Dad.

Movin' on up to the East Side

2008-01-17T22:38:00.000-06:00

The roof, the roof, the roof is on... well, it's not on fire, but our builder is. We're a week a head of schedule.

The plumbing is connected to the main.

Power and lighting

Even the mailbox and neighbors have been installed. They thought of everything!

Our Evil Twins

2008-01-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we met our evil twins. (Or perhaps we're their evil twins... ?) They're a young couple without kids but with three cats. I think my cat is enough of a handful to count as three. And they're buying a Willie down the street from ours, with eerily similar design choices. Same ebony cabinets in the kitchen with a glass tile backsplash. Similar living room wiring set-up, with a spot already designated for a projector and conduit to take care of the TV in the meantime.

Speaking of evil, the black glass windows on the non-functioning dormer have gone in. I've never noticed that similar windows on other houses are not clear glass - it just looks like a very dark attic. Likely the only reason we now can tell they're different is because we know they are.

Also, cladding on our window seat bump-out has been completed. All that remains on the exterior are a few pieces of trim, roofing, and some paint!

The other houses on our block are progressing nicely, with the exception of the two affordable homes. We're hoping work starts on them soon so we don't wind up moving in immediately adjacent to a construction site. Also, it would be nice to know who our next door neighbor will be!

One Month Later

2008-01-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

Our house has been under construction for a month now, and we've got a week's worth of photos to show you at once! We really have to stop slacking, because so much has happened - the last of the framing, roof decking and wall sheathing, hardiplank siding and shingles, windows...

Meanwhile, on the interior, most of the plumbing, air-conditioning ductwork, and air handler have been installed. Deviating from the earliest Willies constructed, they've moved the air handler from the highest part of the attic - above the second floor hallway - to outside the guest bedroom, where the water heater will also go. I imagine it will be much easier to service this way.

Briefly we thought that maybe, just maybe, we'd have a view all the way from the University of Texas Tower on the north down to the State Capitol and Frost Building on the south. Since this photo was taken from the guest room window, framing has gone up for the two-story at the end of the block, and the Tower is no longer visible. The Standard Pacific houses across the street may block the Frost Building (no big loss there), but I think we'll still be able to see the Capitol when all is finished!

We've Got Wood!

2008-01-06T22:40:00.000-06:00

We'll let the photos speak for themselves. The first was taken Friday morning, and the last this afternoon.

The walls going up in more detail:

Don't Blink!

2008-01-03T23:12:00.001-06:00

Today at lunch, the forms had been removed from our foundation.

By the end of the day, we had walls!

Our garden court neighbor Aaron caught them in the middle of the action. (Thanks for sharin', Aaron!) Apparently, we need to start taking mid- afternoon breaks as well, or the framing will be done before we know it.

2000 Year Old Technology at Work

2008-01-02T23:13:00.000-06:00

Our concrete pour happened this morning, rather than Monday as previously mentioned. Apparently concrete contractors, like the rest of us, don't want to work New Year's Eve. But, 7 AM means 7 AM! When we arrived shortly after 8 this morning, most of the foundation was already complete, leaving only the porch, garage, and a small portion of the house to be poured.

We waited for the arrival of the sixth of seven concrete trucks, and then watched as the last of the house and front porch were poured.

Overeager homebuyers that we are, we came back at lunch to watch as the finished surface of the slab was prepared.

After work, our builder Stan saw us yet again at the construction site. When we asked if we could walk on the slab, his response was that if we didn't sink up to our knees, then yes.

As soon as tomorrow, we may have walls on top of our shiny new foundation! The prefabricated tilt-up walls and floor joists also arrived today, and are presently sitting on the vacant lot across McCloskey Street.

Remnants of the Old Airport

2007-12-30T22:25:00.001-06:00

This afternoon, Timothy and I went on a walk through what remains of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. The former entrance was on the southern edge of the airport, off Manor Road across from E.M. Franklin Ave. The entry road, with directional signage and canopy waiting structures, extends up to the control tower and former site of the terminal. Beyond, all remnants of airport structures and runways have been obliterated in the desolate, lunar landscape of Phase II, where utility work and new roadways are being prepared. Eventually all but the tower will be removed for new construction.

Although the master plan calls for the retention of the 1961 control tower, it has deteriorated considerably since the airport closed. Plans for its reuse are up in the air, likely to be decided during a later phase of construction. The small building footprint and numerous levels will make adaptation difficult. Although the tower does have an elevator for accessibility, fire code would require a second stair for certain uses, which would be impossible within the structure. However, the master plan does have promising suggestions for use of the ground floor:

Additions or modifications that detract from the tower’s original form are discouraged. While adaptive reuse of the tower for other activities is desirable, modern-day life-safety and exiting requirements may prevent it from being used as a public assembly building or viewing tower. Opportunities should be explored for retrofitting the ground floor of the building as a small interpretive center; the first two floors of the tower were originally within the terminal building, and
as a result will need to be enclosed and clad in a complementary manner. Interpretive elements and displays that recall the history of aviation at Mueller and in Austin are encouraged at the base of the tower. (Mueller Design Book, Nov. 2004, p. 101)

To go off on a tangent, I like to imagine the vastly different form the Mueller redevelopment might have taken, if its design had been left up to an idealistic architecture student, not a developer. Comically misleading signage would remain, runways would become roads, new houses and commercial buildings would intermingle with renovated terminals and hangars, and the whole site would have a layered effect where its history and evolution would be clearly legible. At least Catellus is making an effort to retain some of the most important structures and incorporate them into the development.

Monday!

2007-12-27T19:12:00.000-06:00

Upon returning from our Christmas trip to see my family in Abilene, we were relieved to find out that our foundation had not been poured in our absence. According to our friendly builder Stan, who we saw at the construction site today, the pour is scheduled for 7 AM Monday morning. It will take 7 concrete trucks, each containing approximately 10 cubic yards of concrete! After the concrete has cured for at least a week but less than a month, they will pull the cables - hence the term "post-tension."

Hey, We're Famous!

2007-12-25T16:14:00.000-06:00

Or, more accurately, our soon-to-be-neighbors (and Mueller) are in the New York Times!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-25T16:07:00.000-06:00

Looking over across Phase II, the old airport tower has a lighted "Noel" sign. Happy holidays!

PTSD: Post Tension Slab Deduction.

2007-12-21T15:42:00.000-06:00

It looks like we'll be out of town for the big pour. Stupid Christmas. It's only been nine days since they started. I think there may be one more inspection right before the pour and then the framing starts. We might have walls before the new year. Woo Hoo!

Construction Progress Photos

2007-12-18T17:45:00.000-06:00

From this past Saturday until the house is complete, Timothy and I plan to take the same two photos every day to show the progress of construction. In order to get the shot framed properly, we used another Willie further along as a model, and then discretely marked the same position for the tripod in front of our house. The marking is so discrete, in fact, you can't see anything if it's not midday.

For the time being, the photos will largely consist of the houses behind us and sky, but you'll be able to watch the transformation...

from this...

to this!

Yes, that's right, we've got plumbing! Or sewer pipes, at least. Construction is also progressing on the other houses in our block, but ours is by far the furthest along.

A few blocks away, they've started the row houses on Zach Scott, a major street with bike lanes that connects to Airport Blvd.

Good Things Come to Those Who Whine

2007-12-15T11:19:00.000-06:00

While Elizabeth was on vacation in Houston, I was left to attend to the beginning stage of construction, namely placement of the form work for our foundation.

The layout of our floor plan is such that the backyard is pushed into the northeast corner of the lot, so to maximize our lot size upgrade from 37'x90' to 44'x90' our foundation needs to be off-center favoring the west side, thus giving our backyard an extra 7' in width.

Last Wednesday, while I was on my way to visit my sister, I thought I'd swing by and view the empty lot one more time before the start of the construction on Friday. Much to my surprise they started early! The batter boards were already in place. And much to my dismay the foundation was centered on the lot, adding 3' to the already unusable side yard to the west of the house.

A phone call to Stan, our builder, led me to confirm a fear that the developer, Catellus, who dictates the overall look of the development, wouldn't want the house to deviate from the original plan. But Stan managed to talk them into letting him move the foundation. Much to my vindication.

An Inconvenient Move

2007-12-15T09:04:00.000-06:00

My parents and their two little dogs came down to Austin for a visit the weekend before Thanksgiving. We had a great time, and showed them around the rapidly progressing construction at Mueller, where my talented photographer father tried out the new camera he'd just bought.

Unfortunately, almost as soon as they'd left, we started having major electrical problems. We'd been renting this adorable 1950s, asbestos-clad house from a couple of old women with little interest in maintenance. Despite its small size and deteriorating state, it had a lot of charm - an abundance of windows, hardwood floors, original cabinets and countertops. It also had the original wiring.

After a small electrical fire, two visits by an electrician, ongoing shorts and an exploding light bulb, we realized the problem was not going to be fixed, or at least not easily. We'd lost multiple electronic devices with the first big surge, and, more importantly, were worried the house would burn down if we turned the power back on. Both times the electrician came out, he gave the house a clean bill of health, and during the second visit, he checked wiring in the attic. If the problem wasn't there, it had to be in the walls, and the landladies made abundantly clear they had no interest in rewiring the house.

We had no choice but to move. We really appreciate the help of family and friends, who put us up over Thanksgiving and the week thereafter while we waited for December 1 to come around. Our new apartment is up north, with a 20-30 minute commute fighting traffic on Mo-Pac in the mornings. It's a nice place (with working electricity!) at a reasonable price, but I'm sure the quasi-suburban lifestyle will make us that much more grateful we're buying a place so close to downtown. We're certainly relieved to be buying a new house, and to know we'll never have to rent again.

Wandering Around Phase I

2007-11-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

Phase I of residential construction is at the southwest corner of the old Mueller airport, near the intersection of E. 38 1/2 St. and Airport Blvd. It's bordered on three sides by expansive parks - the Lake Park to the north and the Southwest Greenway. Additional phases of residential construction will follow to the east and northeast. Some commercial development along Interstate-35 is already completed and open, and a town center and market district will be built to the north of the residential areas. Unfortunately the master plan is out of date, but the Mueller website should be updated soon.

Six builders are involved in Phase I: David Weekley Homes (163 houses), Meritage Homes (52), the Muskin Comany (6), Saldana Homes (6), Standard Pacific (84), and Streetman Homes (37). Different plan types include row houses (63), yard houses (273), and garden court houses (12). David Weekley is building both affordable and market rate row and yard houses, with the affordable homes seamlessly interspersed with the rest.

Although our lot is still as barren as can be, construction is underway around it. The block just to the north contains garden court homes, constructed by two different builders - Muskin and Saldana. The garden court consists of two rows of houses that face an open interior courtyard rather than a street. We'll share an alley with the Muskin homes.

Standard Pacific and Streetman are building the largest, most expensive homes in Phase I. StanPac has 45' x 90' lots, while Streetman has 55' x 90' lots. Both builders fill most of that space with the houses, but they're generally near the various parks. Meritage and David Weekley both have 37' x 90' lots, but with the extra 7' as a corner lot, ours will be just about as big as the StanPac lots across the street! We ventured into one of the Streetman homes recently, and they have some really impressive interior features.

Speaking of parks, work is underway for the pocket park that will serve our portion of the neighborhood. There's a huge pit where the pool will go, and the plumbing and foundation are being laid out for the poolhouse. Sizable trees have also been transplanted for this park and the larger Lake Park to the north.

The sidewalks say "Mueller"!

David Weekley's Construction Progress

2007-11-03T11:33:00.000-05:00

Residential construction is moving along rapidly at Mueller. Although David Weekley got a later start than Meritage Homes, they're beginning to catch up. David Weekley has three block faces of homes in various stages of construction - some with exteriors nearly completed, others where they're preparing to pour slabs. The staggered building keeps the various sub-contractors busy at any given time.

David Weekley is rushing to complete their two model homes. They have nearly finished exteriors and rapidly progressing interiors. All of the Willies under construction presently, including the model, are Facade C. Ours will be a B, but we have to wait until they start work on the other side of the streets to see what one will look like.

Wednesday, the insulation was installed in the Willie model. By the end of the day Thursday, they'd already put up the sheetrock!

As construction has moved along on the models, David Weekley decided to make some changes to Willie plan. They're enlarging the two upstairs bedrooms, which is great since they were fairly small before. In reconfiguring the closet space to make the bedrooms bigger, the designers made some questionable decisions. One closet is half the size it was before to accommodate an existing location of a/c ducts, and both rooms have attic access doors in the rooms rather than concealed within the closets. While of course it's vital we be able to get to the water heater, it would be nice to have more flexibility in furniture arrangement than we now will. Not to mention it doesn't exactly look nice. On the plus side, in the master closet we'll have access to storage under the stairs, a change we thought we'd have to do ourselves later.

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

We had a few trick-or-treaters this evening, the most memorable of which were a pair of penguins. I'm sure we'll have an overabundance next year at Mueller, given how many families with children are moving into the neighborhood!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I must say the idea definitely looked better on paper. Tonight we made a House-o-Lantern:

Have we gone too far?

New Kitchen and Bathroom Schemes!

2007-10-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

Update: The photos below now include images of the materials themselves, in addition to the computer renderings. We've finalized our selections and are very relieved to be done with the decision-making process. More to come soon!

Timothy and I spent Saturday afternoon in the Design Center, rethinking our kitchen. Our designer had created two great schemes, as we showed you below, but we couldn't come to an agreement regarding which kitchen we wanted. Rather than one of us compromise, we completely redesigned the kitchen and now have a scheme both of us really like:

We've kept the black cabinets from Option 1 but swapped out a much brighter Silestone countertop, Tea Leaf. It's mostly tans with splashes of green. For the backsplash, we'd like to use green mosaic glass tile, with hints of turquoise to tie in with the fabric on my couch and chair.

We're all but convinced that we should do the tile ourselves. The cost to have the builder upgrade the countertop is far cheaper than we could do it after the fact, in part because a fairly nice counter was included and also because little labor is involved in the installation. Upgrading the tile, which has labor-intensive installation, is far from reasonably priced. Another advantage is that we could do all glass tile, rather than the tile listello band offered by the builder. (I'm sure they would offer more than just the band, but if the price is already steep... !) But, I've been warned by a reputable source (my mother) that glass tile is a do-it-yourselfer's nightmare since the tile is translucent.

After redesigning the kitchen, we got carried away with countertops! In picking the new counter for the kitchen, we found another we love but that wouldn't go with anything we own. It's similar to the Tea Leaf, but rather than flecks of green, it has large pieces of bright cobalt blue! So, why not put it in the master bathroom?

Here, the cost of the countertop is at least competitive with doing it later, despite only an inexpensive faux-marble counter coming standard. We are also considering not having the builder tile the tub skirt, but instead doing blue mosaic glass tile there as well!

These are by far our most exciting choices. Flooring throughout the house will be standard level carpet and tile in beige and more beige. We would love to have hardwood or bamboo flooring, but again the cost to have the builder do labor-intensive installation is exorbitant. So, we'll let the carpet wear out and then replace it later. We've also done some wiring upgrades - for ceiling fans upstairs and on the front porch, and for Timothy's amazing technology-free living room. (Well, not technology free, but also not DVD player et al front and center!) We're going to get rounded corners on the sheetrock since they look so much nicer. And then there are a few frivolous upgrades, like a really great front door, but we've surprisingly managed to stay within a reasonable budget!

Our final Design Center appointment is this evening! Hopefully you love our kitchen and bathroom ideas - or you might want to tell us now before it's too late!!

Street Names

2007-10-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

The names of the streets at Mueller "honor a diverse cross-section of Austin leaders and legends symbolizing the city's great history and distinct culture." (From Mueller Street Legends, pdf file.) Our house will be at the corner of McCloskey and Scales streets:

McCloskey Street: John McCloskey

John McCloskey, a professional baseball player, brought professional baseball to Texas by request of Austin businessmen and baseball fans after his Joplin, Missouri team challenged and beat the New York Giants in two games. Mr. McCloskey founded the Texas League in 1888 and managed the Austin team The Austin Baseball Club, later renamed the Austin Senators, which consisted of professional players he brought to Texas as the Joplin Independents.

Scales Street: Normal Scales

Norman Scales grew up in South and East Austin and was the first African-American pilot from Austin. In 1940, Mr. Scales enlisted in the United States Army and in a few years was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in class of the U.S. Military Single Engine Fighter Pilots of Tuskegee, Alabama. He flew more than 70 missions engaging in enemy fighting and was in charge of installation and maintenance of wire and radio signal communications. Mr. Scales was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross presented at Bergstrom Air Force Base.

Architects and designers are well represented, accounting for two of the 53 new street names. Timothy and I were excited to find Page and Taniguchi streets.

Charles Henry Page established the firm of Page Brothers Architects in 1898, which would ultimately grow into the internationally acclaimed practice Page Southerland Page. Among C.H. Page's most prominent works are the Littlefield Building and Travis County Courthouse in downtown Austin.

Isamu Taniguchi created the beautiful Japanese Garden at Zilker Botanical Gardens from 1967 to 1969. His son Alan served as dean of both the University of Texas' and Rice University's School of Architecture. He established Alan Y. Taniguchi Architects, continued by his son Evan.

Decisions, decisions and only 12 days left.

2007-10-17T14:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our kitchen options.

This is option one and Elizabeth's favorite...

I'm favoring Kitchen Option 2...

Neither of these models do the selections any justice, but either of them will look great.

Model Home

2007-10-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been tinkering around with SketchUp to get an idea of what our house will look like since we are buying it "site" unseen.

This is a pretty close representation of the shape, size and paint of our Willie.

As we make decisions in the Design Center, I'll up date the kitchen and other option in the model to reflect them. Right now this is just a sample, but the appliances and structure are pretty close to how it will actually look.

I may even add some furniture to help give it some scale.

Panic! (First Design Center Appointment)

2007-10-11T12:12:00.001-05:00

Yikes! The Design Center coordinator just called to schedule our first of two appointments. They request that you schedule one during the week, I'm sure because everyone wants the weekend slots, but they don't make any appointments starting after 5:00. So, rather than take time off during my first week at the new job, I'll be ending my last day of the current job early, with our Design Center appointment from 3:00-5:00 TOMORROW!

We still have so much planning to do! We've been gathering magazine and catalog clippings of home interiors we like and have a good assortment already. Tonight, from the end of the work day until they kick us out at 10:00, we'll visit the Architecture Library at UT to find (and scan) more images. Then we've got to arrange all of this in a coherent presentation to show the designer.

We also need to prioritize which options we absolutely can't do without, and what we might be willing to cut in favor of something else. Our budget is tiny, our taste is expensive, and we're planning to make some cosmetic changes later since we can't do it all now. Perhaps I'll post some of our ideas this evening once Timothy and I have had a chance to discuss everything and pull our thoughts together!

Model Homes

2007-10-11T00:05:00.000-05:00

David Weekley is building two model homes at Mueller, the Willie and the Antone, their largest plan. All of the houses under construction have gone up in no time. Once the foundation is poured, the prefabricated walls are put into place in a single day, with the roof trusses and framing following not far behind. Then comes the sheathing and roofing... These photographs are from a couple of days ago, so I'm sure it already looks vastly different.

The best thing about the Willie is the vaulted ceiling in the living room! It will make the house so much more bright, airy, and spacious feeling, and it reminds me of my parents' house.

Another great feature is the breakfast nook, complete with window seat. I know where we'll find the cat!

One small disappointment is that the dormer window on the front of the house will be false. Although the model home is a different elevation than ours, with its large front gable versus our side gable and dormer, the wall of the bathroom will still be too far back to be the front of the dormer. On the plus side, maybe we'll be able to set up a darkroom!

The Big Willie

2007-10-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

Robert Mueller Municipal Airport served Austin from 1930 through 1999. With growth of the city and increased air travel, the airport had long since become a nuisance to surrounding neighborhoods, and a new airport was opened at the former Bergstrom Air Force Base southeast of town. Given the old airport's proximity to downtown, the vast, 711-acre tract provided a prime opportunity for redevelopment, with many different schemes considered. The final, mixed-use plan was created by Catellus Development Group, in cooperation with the City of Austin and citizens groups. It incorporates single-family homes, condominiums, apartments, live/work houses, small to large-scale commercial buildings, a children's hospital, and an elementary school. (More to come on this later; in the meantime, take a look around here.)

Catellus selected six homebuilders to participate in the first phase of residential construction. In anticipation of high demand for these initial homes, the developer set up a Pioneer Program, in which participants would select a plan type (row house or yard house) and a builder, then enter a lottery to obtain a priority number for that builder. Timothy and I heard about the development and decided it couldn't hurt to put our names in the hat. At that point I don't think either of us seriously thought we'd wind up buying there! Then Timothy got number 36 for one of the first 100 houses from our builder, and we started considering our options.

Our initial selection in the lottery locked us into buying from David Weekley Homes. Along with Meritage Homes, they had houses that were within our financial means (in other words, the cheapest that weren't part of the affordable housing program). We really liked the flow and openness of David Weekley's plans better than the more compartmentalized plans from Meritage.

The house we first thought we would get is the SoCo, the smallest plan provided by David Weekley at 1,387 square feet. But we really liked the Willie, a pretty big step up at 1,751 square feet.** It comes with a whole array of useful added features: a mud room off the back porch, with a half bath and laundry room right there rather than in the kitchen; a breakfast nook in addition to the dining room; two bedrooms out of the way upstairs; and all around bigger rooms downstairs.

Call us crazy, but we also decided to go for a bigger, corner lot! The "yard" houses have only 37 x 90' lots, which leaves all of 7-8' between houses and a tiny back yard. With the corner lot, we'll get an extra 7', meaning a nice if modest back yard, usable side yard, and neighbors only on one side.

Mueller has been planned, down to the minutia, in advance. The builders had to comply with strict design guidelines and a green building code set out by the developer. In order to give a varied appearance to the streets, houses of different sizes, with different plans, elevations, and paint colors, have been prearranged. In choosing our plan and lot, we were essentially assigned our elevation and exterior color scheme. The elevation wasn't our favorite, and the colors are drab to say the least, but it's not like any of the options were bad.

And speaking of options, we're presently in the process of selecting our interior features at the David Weekley Design Center. The choices are overwhelming but our budget isn't - especially after the bigger plan and lot. We'll be posting about our design conundrums soon!

**Everything at Mueller, namely all of the house plans and streets, have been named after iconic people and places significant to Austin. SoCo is the nickname of South Congress Street, full of trendy shops and restaurants, and Willie is short for Willie Nelson. More to come on street names later!

Welcome to McCloskey Corner!

2007-10-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

Timothy and I recently signed a contract to have a home built in the Mueller Airport redevelopment in Austin, Texas. We're really excited, and I've created this blog to keep all of you informed about the house. We'll be sharing photographs, posing questions regarding looming design decisions over the next couple of weeks, and providing updates once construction starts in late November!

I have lots of posts already planned in my head - about the New Urbanist development, progress of construction on other houses, the model home of our plan, and photos of our lovely but currently barren corner lot.

Timothy is building a detailed 3-D computer model of the house, we drive out to the site almost every day, and I spent hours matching the color scheme of this website to the paint colors for the house. Should we be diagnosed as OCD? Perhaps. Or maybe we're just thrilled to be buying our first home and eager to watch it appear from the ground up. At any rate, there will be no shortage of content, so check back soon for new posts!