Mr. Spouse likes to play in mud. Big boy mud. Concrete. He has his own mixer. Actually, it’s his second one, the first having gone belly up a few years back. Because he used it that much. Seriously. One concrete marvel after another.
But until this weekend he never got to realize his big dream…countertops.
It was the one thing he was adamant about when he offered to build the new studio. I agreed, as long as he understood it’s a working art studio. His countertops will not be precious. They will be used. Most likely abused.
He was okay with that.
First he built the forms on the base cabinets. The lower section is my office area. Computer, scanner, printer, stare out the window at the squirrels office area.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early. Too early for me since I’d only gone to bed a few hours before.
My job was to mix the color into the dry cement. I don’t remember how many buckets I mixed. I do remember grasping the stir stick in both hands and feeling like a witch hovering over her cauldron. My lower back remembers it too.
I had black concrete dust in all my pores. On my clothes. Under my clothes. But not in my lungs because I wore a mask. Which in the end was the only part of my face that remained clean.
The first plops buckets of wet concrete hit the forms.
First layer gets troweled.
Then covered with a sheet of steel mesh before layer number 2. The edge is reinforced with rebar. You’ll have to trust me on this.
Lots of troweling. Lots of waiting. This is Mr. Bobby, our concrete friend, with his handy-dandy concrete vibrator. This excited the concrete and allowed Mr. Bobby to have his way with it. ‘Nuf said about that.
By late afternoon it was looking good. Starting to firm up. Forms were popped. Edges repaired. More troweling. Mr. Bobby and Mr. Spouse were both adamant that I NOT scribe into the oh so tempting, oh so succulent, oh so WILLING countertops in process.
So I decided I had better things to do. I headed down to the old studio to photograph art. I’m setting up an e-commerce site and need better photos.
Sunday Update
Show and tell!
Yee-haw and Yowser! Doin’ the happy studio dance, oh yes I am! Because Mr. Spouse is a handy man indeed. The weekend construction man super hero!
And in a couple of days we’ll be coming up on our 30th anniversary. The traditional gift for 30 years is pearls. The modern gift, diamonds. In our family it’s looking like concrete. And that’s okay with me!
Just beautiful! Your space is amazing and getting better and better!
Happy Anniversary!
Every week there’s a new look as more happens, Judy. And every week I go, WOW! Can’t wait to be in there!!!
I am so envious and happy for you!!! I want a weekend construction man super hero! and maybe a handy-dandy concrete vibrator………
Well then start sewing the super hero cape! And a girl can’t have too many power tools, eh Christina? heheheh…
LOLOLOL . . . dirty construction jokes. I Love it! (eh, eh, see what I did there? *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) I’m so jealous. Do you think I could borrow Mr. Spouse? I need some cabinets. He could do them in concrete if he wanted to!
Sorry to disappoint, Leigh Ann, but Mr. Spouse’s cabinetry skills are limited to to IKEA assemblage…which in itself is an art, I guess. š
BEEUTIFOOOOL!!!superwow and wow! enjoy!!!ENJOY!!
Will do, sister mine! xo
Wow! I’m impressed – Give Mr Hubby an award for Ikea construction and concrete! Hasn’t he done well! And congratulations on the upcoming 30th!
Sue, of course you are. Will do. Yes he has. And thanks!
Wow, I’m impressed, too! Big boy mud–that was funny. Happy upcoming anniversary.
Thanks, Galen!
Actually, this oneĀ“s from Perci, but on MargieĀ“s computer, so itĀ“s slow because the jet lag is finally wearing off. Nuff about that, just wanted to say that you two are now cast in concrete, congratulations on 30 years! The counters look great too!!
Hey Perci Kotts! Have a great time in Norway! xo
happy anniversary to you guys! the other margie
Thanks, other Margie!