• EDIT LEADERBOARD HERE

    • Apr 25, 2011

    by Kevin

    Home SWEAT Home

    3 days at the beach with my bride = Totally. Awesome.

    Coming home to a backed up/leaking sewer pipe underneath our house= Totally. Stinky!

    I felt really bad for the guy who had to go under there and unclog everything. Those old holes in our house (we haven’t got around to fixing yet) actually came in handy for once…

    Apparently Dude on the left didn’t feel too bad for him though. Check him out- all indian-style, just grinnin’ away! Ha!

    Come to think of it, I didn’t feel quite as bad for that guy either after he handed me an invoice for almost $400! Boo!
    On the other hand, I don’t think I would’ve crawled under there for any less than that!
    I found a snake skin hanging under there recently, and I am not a fan of things that slither. Or things that build their home out of dirt.

    (Move your cursor on and off the photo below)

    So glad Lay was there to catch my full-on, there’s-something-flying-at-me flinch on camera this weekend, and that she insisted I include the rollover image in this post. (ha ha)

    After my near death experience the porch was cleaned up, I decided to chill for a second and take advantage of the acoustics in the kids room…

    …but as I sat there and strummed my buggy blues away, I started getting that all too familiar urge to start ripping down the sheetrock on the wall in front of me…

    Once again, Lay came in to document the destruction…

    …and to hug the wood wall…

    …and to help me clean up…

    Slithery, stinky and stingy things aside, it sure is good to be home!!!
    I’ll let Lay tell you what we’ve got planned for the room later this week. It’s gonna be a big project- but we’re really looking forward to it!

    PS- Don’t forget, tomorrow is our April “How To’s Day” link party.

    Lay’s going to blog about how to do the rollover image thing!

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    68 Responses to Home SWEAT Home

    1. Emma@SheGotMarried says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:32 am

      I love the flinch shot, so funny.

      Reply
    2. Ricki Jill Treleaven says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:36 am

      You have too much going on around The Lettered Cottage, Layla!

      Reply
    3. keatsthesunshinegirl says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:41 am

      * Ditto* Emma@SheGotMarried. Am surprised it was only a snake – where are the other creepy crawlies??

      Reply
    4. Luciane At HomeBunch.com says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:45 am

      You guys got to be the most fun and cute couple on the net! Seriously… It’s so wonderful to see you guys working together, building your lives and this beautiful home. It’s a huge blessing!

      I hope you guys have a wonderful week.

      xo

      Luciane at HomeBunch.com

      Reply
    5. Julie Abbott says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:47 am

      What color is that on those walls? It’s the perfect beige? Thanks for sharing! I love your site!

      Reply
    6. ashley @ the handmade home says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:48 am

      HIGH. LAR. IROUS. I know you’re glad to be back!

      Reply
    7. Fairfield House says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:53 am

      Layla and Kevin -

      Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for YOUR child(ren)’s room! I know they are going to love it. I just had this image of a little person saying their bed-time prayers: “Thank you for giving me my Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for this room.” (Yes, tears in my eyes.)

      So glad Kevin is home to tend to the manly man chores – the stinky, slithering, stinging and smashing ones! Also the sun and sea sharing ones!

      Your Friend,
      Deborah

      Reply
    8. Katherine says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 9:03 am

      Giggle, and yuck too…. Layla and Kevin,I’m so sorry it’s been a while since I stopped by for a visit. I always enjoy my time at your lovely blog. Big Hugs!
      Oh I almost forgot, I’m having a giveaway to win a gorgeous dress. I hope you’ll stop by Katherines Corner for a visit.

      (I’m following you from my old blog and now my new one too)

      Reply
    9. Missy says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 9:03 am

      Shew wee!! I don’t think I could have gone under the house for less than $400 either! :-) Loved the poke and flinch shot on the porch….looks like something I would do! lol
      LOVE the wood wall…can’t wait to see what else you’ve got in mind for the room..gonna be some lucky kiddos living in there. (more because of who their parents will be than the sweet room they’ll receive!)
      Love you guys
      missy

      Reply
    10. Diana says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 9:15 am

      I don’t think any amount of money could get me under a house! And when I see any type of flying creepy thingy, I don’t stop running till I’m down the street! You guys are sooooo lucky with all your wood walls. They are just beautiful, just like your home. Can’t wait to see what the project is gonna be.

      Reply
    11. Gretta says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 9:34 am

      You couldn’t pay me enough money to crawl under our house….or any house! In fact, our A/C unit went out 3 weeks ago. Last week when the new unit FINALLY came in, the crew was out removing the old unit & pouring a new pad for the unit. As they removed the old unit, a 5 FOOT snake came out from under the pad. They said they put it in the sewer drain but it kept slithering back to the pad. They figured it had babies under there or something. They (and my husband) saw it and said it was non-poisonous and we should be thankful it is under there eating all the bugs & bad things but I was still totally creeped out! I told David if that thing makes its presence known in my sight it is going to meet my shovel head! LOL

      Reply
      • Kevin says:
        Apr 25, 2011 at 9:50 am

        Wow! Snakes creep me out, poisonous or not. I would keep that shovel handy too! :)

        Reply
        • Patty says:
          Apr 25, 2011 at 11:31 am

          Actually most snakes are good and eat other creepy things like rats and lizards. Snakes are scary to me, but my son who is a snake fanatic made me aware they typically want to get away from us as much or more than we want to get away from them. Unless they are the ones that will chase you…..LOL

          Reply
    12. Brooke @ Inside-Out Design says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 9:41 am

      I think the $400 was worth not having to crawl under your house….I can’t stand small, dark spaces so I would have a panic attack under there. I can’t wait to see what you guys do with the bedroom! I love that wood wall; what a buried treasure!!!

      Reply
    13. GinaMarie says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:01 am

      I am loving your site, I have plans for every room of my house, thanks to all your inspiring posts. :) One question though – what do those of us that don’t have awesome wood under our drywall do to get the fun wood walls? We don’t have many options for old, used wood either. But I so want to get that look of vintage, painted wood instead of this boring drywall. Any suggestions?

      Reply
    14. chris from midwest cottage and finds says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:02 am

      I will be posting some how to’s on my new bedroom with LOTS of shout outs to Layla and Kevin–used your closet mirror idea and bedroom curtains–and let me tell you–you are VERY talented…those mirrors and trim kicked me up one side and down the other…as well as removing the carpet tack strip–WOW that stuff is deadly!! Please check it out and I to be sure to tell you I will be linking your posts on the projects I found on your blog…thanks guys for the inspiration–and check out my garbage find move over dresser!!
      hugs,
      chris

      Reply
    15. Lisa@Fern Creek Cottage says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:03 am

      My favorite roll over photo ever! :)

      Reply
    16. Carolyn says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:14 am

      OMG I love that WALL!!!! Hug IT….. HUG IT MORE!!!!

      I did the rollover picture so much I actually got “car sickness”. Can that happen on here???

      Reply
    17. laurie f says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:15 am

      You guys are way to fun to watch! Thanks for making my day and sharing your home with me in RI! My little one loves to sit on my lap and peruse through your pages….she just turned 5 and loves your ideas! Thanks for making my day! Keep up the great work, the super pictures, the creative ideas, and your sense of humor! Happy Monday!

      Reply
    18. aLi R. says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 10:46 am

      Oh how I wish I could discover treasure like that in our home!!! Random question! Did you grow up with carpenters around you..or did your handyman skills just come to you one day!? My husband needs some inspiration! :D Happy day to you!

      Reply
    19. Patty says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 11:27 am

      That really was funny! You’re a good sport Kev!!!

      Reply
    20. carla raney says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 11:37 am

      I am sooo Glad that the sewer thing happened after you were back home Kevin. Even if you didn’t actually crawl under the house I am sure Layla was glad you were there to just handle it . I know it would have been a last straw for me If I was her to sit and cry. :)

      Gotta love a man that sits in a room and gets the urge to take on a DYI home project. And does it. :)

      I love you two together!

      Reply
    21. Ami w/AliLilly says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 12:21 pm

      OK, I totally just played with that roll over pic for a good 45 seconds….maybe a whole minute! HA!! I love it! :)

      Reply
    22. Flower Patch Farmgirl says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 12:22 pm

      Nice to meetcha, Kevin. :) And Cory is totally scared of spiders, so don’t feel bad!

      Reply
    23. Allyson says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 12:27 pm

      Ooooh, what I wouldn’t give for those wood walls! White paint and beach theme, here I come (or I would if I had those walls!). Ha!

      Reply
    24. skye says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:00 pm

      OMG! i love your blog but let me just say that my husband hates it. i mean he loves it too really but you guys scare the crap out of him. i showed him the video of when yall were up at 2 a.m. ripping off sheetrock to create the wonder wall and he nearly had a panic attack. he admires kevin’s bravery but he is so scared that one day he is going to come home and find me with a reciprocating saw (which i didn’t even know what that was until i found this blog) ripping the walls apart and chanting “TLC! TLC! TLC!” while i am doing it. so if i come a’knocking at midnight with my bags its because my husband has told me “if you want to rip walls down, go help kevin!” hahah! :)

      Reply
      • Kevin says:
        Apr 25, 2011 at 2:54 pm

        Come on over! We could always use some help tearing down sheet rock and then trying to figure out how to fix it! Thanks for stopping by and saying hello!

        Reply
    25. Leah says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:05 pm

      Ke-vin Pal-mer had a farm
      e-i-e-i-o
      and on that farm he had…..some creepy crawlies…..and super stingers…..and scary small dark spaces
      e-i-e-i——–EEEW!!!!!!!
      : ) Love you guys!!

      Reply
    26. Shelly says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:09 pm

      you guys are at it again, lol!! love it!! i think it’s so amazing that you guys unkowingly bought a house with all that uncovered planking and have done so many amazing things with it. (i wonder if you guys will whitewash the wood walls this time? can’t wait to see what you will end up doing). you guys are so much fun. i thought i was being reckless when i started removing the popcorn ceiling in my kitchen on a whim. (sidenote: it was a ton of work and next time i’ll just beadboard or plank right over).

      Reply
    27. Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:22 pm

      total bummer! :( PS- you two are totally adorable!!!

      Reply
    28. Jennifer says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 1:59 pm

      So good to head a post from you! We’ve missed ya!!!

      Reply
    29. Melody says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 2:05 pm

      Brutal about the sewer pipe. We had that happen in a house back in Illinois but it was out in the yard. We ended up having the yard dug up so they could completely replace it.
      Eeeek on the snake skin. And the dirt nest.
      I’m looking forward to watching the project. I love the wood walls. Glad you two got some time at the beach, you deserve it.

      Reply
    30. MommaHen says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 3:01 pm

      You guys suck! The only thing I find behind my walls -are bugs. yuck.

      Reply
    31. Tara says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 3:42 pm

      I almost died when I saw you ripping that perfectly nice wall out — that is until I saw what was under it!! Can’t wait to see what you guys have planned!!!!!!

      Reply
    32. Susan says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 3:54 pm

      Kevin, that wall looks awesome! It’s gonna be beautiful when you guys are done!

      Reply
    33. Kacey says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 4:07 pm

      LOVED the flinching photo, Kevin! Very cute. My husband is actually the same way. There I am, expecting my big strong man to take care of a creepy bug, and he’s almost more freaked out than me! Glad you got your sewer problem taken care of – sounds expensive but worth it!

      Kacey

      Reply
    34. Melinda says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 5:17 pm

      My hubby is terrified of spiders! They don’t bother me, but I HATE snakes. Love the wall you uncovered under the sheetrock. Can’t wait to see what you all have in mind for the room. Sorry you had sewer problems. Not fun! Have a wonderful week. Love & blessings from NC!

      Reply
    35. Amy of WhisperWood Cottage & Junkologie says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 6:59 pm

      So appropriate! April 25 is Hug a Plumber Day. Seriously, it is!

      And I am completely jealous that you can just rip down some drywall and have those amazing horizontal wood planks. Can’t wait to see what you do with the space! :)

      Reply
      • Kevin says:
        Apr 26, 2011 at 11:06 am

        I didn’t know that there was a “Hug a Plumber Day” I didn’t want to hug him after he came out from under the house, he didn’t smell very good! :)

        Reply
    36. Jenny B. says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 7:39 pm

      Love that wood wall! I wish I had secret treasures like that hidden in my house! Of course, I wouldn’t be as happy about some other “treasures” you’ve found in your house, and I think having a house with treasures means you have to take the good with the bad. :)

      Reply
    37. Stephanie says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 7:56 pm

      Happened across your blog and LOVE! IT!

      My husband and I are renovating my childhood bay front home that was built in 1904. The majority of our house is on pier and beams which was totally handy because one of our first projects was completely tearing out the old, corroded plumbing and re-plumbing the entire thing! My fear, however was the whole creepy crawl, slithery bit and because of our location copperheads and water moccasins are always a possibility, I decided to do a little research and found out that as a means to deter such creatures you can make a formula that repels them….cedar oil, moth balls and cayenne pepper. Apparently nothing will venture into the areas that you apply this formulation too! Sounds perfect to me! I like my hubby in one piece! :)

      Reply
    38. Brooke says:
      Apr 25, 2011 at 8:33 pm

      LOL! I just had the same problem except it was more than $400! It’s on my blog as well under http://beeinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/04/guess-what-i-did-today_12.html

      I was out in the garage redoing furniture when the plumber walked past and said with laughing sarcasm “Gee, that looks like fun!” To which I responded, “I bet it’s more fun than what you are doing!” He had to nod in agreement and grinned:)

      Reply
    39. Brittany says:
      Apr 26, 2011 at 9:18 am

      I TOTALLY feel your pain. My husband and I bought our first home at the end of February and we were married 2 weeks later. Within those 2 weeks, our sump pump failed (which caused our basement to flood – we ripped out all the carpet and hardwood floor), then two days after that our well pump failed and we weren’t getting any water in the house. That same week, we had French drains installed and the backyard regarded because we were still getting too much water around the house. Insurance didn’t cover a dime of any of it – everything all together cost us close to $10,000 to repair – I tell you, I was standing on the altar wondering if our house was under water! So $400 for a busted sewer pipe sounds sort of fun compared to that hot mess! :)

      Reply
    40. liz says:
      Apr 26, 2011 at 9:55 am

      You two are adorable!

      Reply
    41. Tina K says:
      Apr 26, 2011 at 10:50 am

      Although I love reading Layla’s posts, it is nice to hear from the other half every now and then. Nice post!

      Reply
    42. Lisa Lyons says:
      Apr 26, 2011 at 11:55 am

      Great post! Glad there are pople out there willing to get paid to crawl into stinky stuff!

      Lisa

      Reply
    43. Tiff says:
      Apr 27, 2011 at 5:13 am

      Too funny :)
      I reckon plumbers deserve every cent! Really, who’d wanna work with yuk every day for nothing?!
      Love that you get inspired while playing music to rip your house apart!!

      Reply
    44. Kim in MD says:
      Apr 27, 2011 at 7:09 am

      I love that roll over bee image- I hate bees, too! Welcome home, Kevin! I can’t to see what you do with that room! You and Layla are amazing! :-)

      Reply
    45. Midwest Magnolia - Melissa Lewis says:
      Apr 27, 2011 at 8:38 am

      Y’all are one of my fav blogs. But it’s so bittersweet coming over here. My hub and I moved from TN to IA last fall. We are waiting to sell our Memphis house before we buy here, so we are renting. It’s so hard to not be able to do anything to this house. Argghhhh! But I could never stop coming here, always lovin’ what y’all are up to:) Can’t wait to see the finished room. I know the excitement that decorating your awaiting kid’s room brings:)!!!

      Reply
    46. tammylee says:
      May 3, 2011 at 9:14 pm

      RE: holes in foundation of house. don’t fill them in. they probably once had grates in them to let air through and circulate in crawl space. maybe you could find replacement grates at a salvage place?
      just my opinion. maybe someone else could chime in with their thoughts….

      Reply