An interior window awning...

I'm the vision on our diy team.  I could see this piece before it was built.  Sara's window needed a bit of visual interest, and I knew that adding this striped awning would give it just that.

Travis started out using 1/2 inch cabinet grade plywood.  He measured the window and decided to come out 8 inches from the wall for the lower part of the awning and 3 inches out from each side of the window.  We wanted it to hang out a bit, but not block a lot of light from her room.  The side pieces were cut four inches at the top and eight inches at the bottom to give it a slope.

Travis used a 2x4 on the top piece (brace) to give it a bit more support in hanging it.

Once the sides were attached to the front, he cut another piece of wood for the very bottom of the awning front.  Then used a template and his skillsaw to cut the scallops.

The entire piece got a good sanding...

Then it was time to tape and paint.  We wanted to give it black and white stripes, so Travis taped off each piece lined up with the 4 inch scallops...

And this is the result...

Travis used four inch screws to secure the awning to the rafters.  He wanted to be sure that this piece didn't come crashing down...

I may add a fun little rug to her room, but for now this room is "finished"...

Window woes, pink eye, and a monsoon...

Sounds like the perfect recipe for finishing up a renovation, right?

I swear this renovation is going to either provide excellent material for my stand up comedy act, or lead me down the dark road of alcoholism.  I'll keep you posted.

So the window installation was yesterday.  Let me preface all of this with the fact that the store manager called me early to let me know how sorry he was for the delays in our windows, and that he was going to make sure we were made happy by Lowes.

Apparently, this is what happy looks like...

They were two hours late and upon unloading the windows I heard a "uh-oh".  One of the windows was two inches too short.  Another window cannot be ordered until the original window is returned to the store.  Then it will be another 2-3 weeks until the new, new window comes in.

The installer broke off the brick ledge outside the upstairs window while getting the old window out.  No problem, a neighbor has extra bricks and I have mortar.  Crises averted.  Yeah, until the installer coordinator calls me from Lowes to let me know that this "repair" will cost us an additional $175, but since we have had so much trouble with them, she will split the cost with us.  My response?   "Like Hell."  That's the abbreviated version of what I told her.   Needless to say, they are covering the entire cost.

I have to sand and repaint all of the window ledges.  I also need to caulk and paint the exterior hardboard where they had to remove it to put the windows in.  Add to that list that the windows need to be caulked and cleaned.

There is a pile of window trash sitting in our living room.  I guess I will be hauling that off to the curb on Monday.

To get the two bathroom windows in, the drywall in between them had to be removed.  New drywall.  Removed.  Now we need to figure out what to do with that area on the wall.

So, in short- was I made happy?  Not so much, Lowes, not so much.

In other news, I woke up with a roaring case of conjunctivitis- or pink eye, as it is commonly known.  I am rocking a swollen pink eye and it burns.  I look like an angry toddler.

Also, rain.  Lots, and lots of rain.  Drought all summer, until the week that windows and floors go in, and then the heavens open up and monsoon season begins.

But you know what?  It's all good.  In the grand scheme of things we are all healthy, we have jobs, we are going to be changing our lifestyle for the better.  I'm excited about that, and even the window debacle cannot get me down.

However, the pink eye might...