Having this website down for a couple of weeks made me realize how much I enjoy this part of the process. Documenting each step and writing about it here has become a part of my life. I missed it.

Progress was made despite the heat and lack of connectivity. Tonight was cool and fresh after having had a big storm so I was particularly inspired to wrap it up by hauling out the parts, cleaning and moving in some furniture. There's still carpet to put down, art work to put up and cookbooks to tuck away but the pantry is done.

The little WC is almost finished but that's another story.

The room is now completely painted and the shelves for appliances installed above the freezer. I'm contemplating putting up one more shelf there as this room can't have enough of them. Now would be the time to do it while I'm still stubbing my toes on all the implements of construction.

The floor in the WC is tiled and ready for grout. This is my least favorite job. Mixing grout is hard work. It's a challenge to put it down without covering me and everything within a ten foot radius. Cleaning off the tile seems never-ending not to mention what it does to my hands but I know once the floor is finished I'll be happy with the choice. I keep reminding myself that I don't have enough of them to do the entire room and that Home Depot won't either. Oh, and they won't be getting any more. It's a convenient little fantasy. Carpeting the rest of the room will be easier and cleaner but in my world the look of saltillo tile can't be matched.

The panels against the wall are foam board to go on the ceiling. It's a bit outside the box but then this whole house is being done from that approach. It covers the damaged plaster giving a clean white surface with insulating properties.

Sometimes I step outside myself and watch as I shun traditional ways of doing a project. It isn't totally out of necessity but because I'm addicted to the feeling of the creative process. My approach isn't always easier as the upcoming installation of the toilet will demonstrate. It's got my mind working overtime.

The little water closet (or WC tucked behind the new shelf wall) is painted, the foam board is on the ceiling and the floor covered with plywood. It's a blank canvas ready for me to tile and plumb. I have a plethora of saltillo tiles left over from the bathroom remodeling project of last summer. Since I'm approaching this job by using materials already on hand, I can't justify going out and buying something different. Anyway, I really like the tiles and they fit with the look and feel of the room.

As can be seen from the two 12 inch square tiles on the floor, it's a very small space. It's time to cut tile and map out where the plumbing will come up through the floor before mixing a batch of mortar. There are lots of little steps to do before moving onto tiling which I'm chomping at the bit to start on.

It's a beautiful summer Friday night so it's time to kick back and watch the tractor being used to dig a big pit. Burn barrels are illegal to use but not acceptable waste at the garbage dump.

The shelves are painted so I spent the better part of Monday morning putting the food back into the pantry. What fun to organize and inspect every item. You'd think I was a Virgo the way I got so much pleasure from this part of the project. I couldn't just stop there. I cleaned out the room in preparation for painting the rest of the walls. I'd been using this room as a way station for all sorts of projects long finished. It was time to put it all away.

It may seem like a lot of turquoise (Sweet Escape from True Value) but the rest of the walls are a rich yellow (Bountiful) and the ceiling will be white so the whole room will be toned down. The Mexican rug and antique serapes will tie it all together.

I had Eric pose with the level because he worked hard to make it so. In 90 degree weather he deserves a huge thank you.

The shelves are completed and waiting for me to paint. We moved out the old shelves and all the food to access work space. Being able to stand in the newly opened up room gave us a better feeling for how it would look by continuing the shelving onto the adjacent wall. We talked it over and decided it didn't feel right. Putting a shelf at the same level as the top shelf and building shelves above the freezer feels better. There's something to be said about negative space or blank walls. It's good feng shui.

I'm not much help in the early phases of this project except for occasionally applying a coat of paint. The design and execution of the shelf building I find ingenious. At each step the level proves this guy knows what he's doing.

After the initial wall surface was painted, Eric cut and mounted 1x1 inch strips to the wall with a spacing of 12 inches. That still gives extra wiggle room for even my tallest food storage containers. He first drilled pilot holes then attached the 1x1 inch strips to the studs of the new wall (16 inch centers), leveling each one. This is the foundation for the rear support ledge of the 12 inch wide shelves. Starting at the base he built a solid structure for the first shelf building upward with each consecutive shelf. The supports between the shelves are 1x2's screwed from the top and fastened at the bottom with L brackets. The shelves are 1/2 inch plywood. It's structurally very sound and will hold all the food I want to store.

The adjacent wall will also have shelves for kitchen gear and appliances. That will be next after the free standing shelves are emptied and moved out of the way. It's a tight space for one person to maneuver so I'm best standing back and playing cheerleader. His job is really something to cheer about!

The ceilings are 9.5 feet high so this wall alone will have eight shelves six feet long! I'm a very happy girl.

When this phase is complete I will be helping by painting and lining the shelves. Sometimes doingitlikeawoman means standing out of the way.

The new wall is painted a lighter shade of turquoise than the foyer. The working space is tight so it's all about accomplishing one small step at a time. Once we put the shelves up on that wall and can empty the free standing ones then it will be easier to move around the room to work.

Even though we had house guests this last weekend and were keeping busy with the fun of entertaining, Eric found time to build a wall for the water closet in the pantry. His precision in measuring, cutting and fitting the wood was a joy to witness.

It's tiny but economy breeds a creative use of space. The wall is only six feet long but enough to house a 4x2x2 stock tank and a marine toilet. I can see shelves for candles to light when soaking in hot water on cold winter evenings.

Last year it was the bathroom project that I documented in phases. This year it's the pantry/water closet/guest room that is going to appear here. It means a wall and shelving being built, plumbing for a toilet and soaking tub installed and the painting and decorating. The ceiling is going to be finished with foam board just as was done in the bathroom. There will still be room for the freezer and all the cooking tools that I keep there. With the shelves going all the way to the ceiling I feel confident that this year's garden bounty will be canned and stored with ease.

My brother-in-law, Mike, was the valued help I had last year on the bathroom remodeling job, this year I have a house mate, Eric, who is very accomplished help on this project. His enthusiasm about having a second bathroom and more storage has motivated both of us to get it done. Right now the room is a terrible mess and a difficult place to work in but we are confident it can be done. So the "doitlikeawoman" team is at it again.

I like this color (Ace's Autumn Sunset) on the bedroom walls but it has become just a bit much. Until I decide whether I'm going to paint it all with a new color I decided to hang canvas on two of the walls. I've done this before and found it made the room cozy and quiet. Like being in a Berber tent.

"...And the night shall be filled with music

And the cares that infest the day

Shall fold their tents like the Arabs and silently steal away."

The Day Is Done
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow