Shoestring Theory

Currently documenting the house that is eating our lives, we will return to regularly scheduled programming in a couple of more months

Shoestring Theory header image 5

A blast from the past – Our house in the 70s

January 9th, 2010 2 Comments

This would have been the front of the house circa 1970. The siding and several windows had changed by the time we bought the place. We got a surprise gift just after new years, a letter and pictures from the previous owner of the house. In case I haven’t mentioned this before, the house was […]

Tags:   · · ·

The kitchen and DIY Copper Countertops

January 5th, 2010 18 Comments

Welcome to our kitchen! Let me introduce you to our kitchen, in it’s very nearly completed form! We took several months off from doing any serious work on the house after finally getting the lady’s office and the kitchen mostly done. But as we were hosting Christmas this year, we realized we really needed to […]

Tags:   · · · · ·

Happy Holidays everyone!

December 27th, 2009 2 Comments

Click to see a bigger pic of this winter wonderland. Hope you all had a safe and fun holiday weekend. The snow made things a little rough around here for a couple of days, but the view is worth it.

Tags:   · · · ·

For your viewing pleasure, an actual house update!

August 8th, 2009 5 Comments

I don’t have a ton of before pictures of the back bedroom before the remodel. It’s one of the smaller rooms in the house and my camera doesn’t do hat groovy wide angle thing that lets you photograph rooms well. The kid now arguably has the best view in the house from those two windows […]

Tags:   · · ·

A photo essay on the death of an American kitchen table

August 3rd, 2009 No Comments

Update: Okay, so there has been some confusion about the origin of this table. It isn’t our nice kitchen table, it’s the table that was abandoned by the previous owners. It was all ready in bad shape, and we furthered its demise by using it as a workbench and tool holder during the remodel. It […]

Tags:   · · ·

The most adorable thing you’ll see today

July 30th, 2009 2 Comments

Isn’t it cute! A pic from our recent trip to New York (from the Central Park Zoo). I’m hoping that an adorable picture of a baby animal will keep any of you from noticing that I haven’t updated for like, days, maybe even a week or two. I promise some updates on the house are […]

Tags:   · ·

Houston, we have a bathroom

May 12th, 2009 3 Comments

One last reminder about what the old bathroom looked like. Click for larger image. and the complete unit. Sexy. Click for larger image. We finally have our first room that is capable of fulfilling its destiny. The main bath now includes a bathtub, vanity with sink, toilet and hot and cold water. Yah! I’ve been […]

Tags:   · · ·

Beaver!

May 7th, 2009 No Comments

This ain’t your Scott City High Beaver. I’ve been stalking this little guy for the last month trying to get a picture, finally got lucky yesterday. He either lives, or routinely scavenges, in the ravine right behind our house. I got this shot from the window of the littletheorist’s bedroom. Needless to say, she’s thrilled […]

Tags:   · · ·

Ohdeargod, I’m on FIRE

May 5th, 2009 No Comments

Everybody put your hands in the air and wave them around like you’re not on fire! The warning labels on my new water heater just cracked me up. Whoever has to make these must just love their job. More to come on the new water heater later, that post will just take longer to put […]

Tags:   · · · ·

OMG! 2 posts 1 day…and paint

April 25th, 2009 1 Comment

Click to make the room look bigger. I can’t remember the last time I updated this place twice in one day. Anyway, it’s not an exciting picture, but it is the first room that has had any paint put on it, and that is terribly exciting! We got good work done today moving a couple […]

Tags:   · · ·