Remember these?

My son’s amazement must have impressed my mother-in-law because when she updated and put in a push-button telephone, she wrapped up the dial-up and gave it to Max as a kind of gift. Well, he loved it but didn’t know what to do with it, so it sat in a box in his closet for a few years.

Last spring, I did what any good mother would do. I confiscated it. (With permission, of course.) I had the perfect spot–my basement laundry/sewing room. It had a phone jack a few inches from the floor–good, but not right for the big wall-mounted phone. My idea was to relocate the jack to a higher, appropriate level and put Max’s gift to use.

Where the old jack was...

I immediately went to Google. (Have I mentioned how much I love Google?) I found lots of help, but one site stood out:   Danny Lipford. This site offers an amazing amount of information on all

Where I wanted the jack to be...Use your imagination.

kinds of home improvement topics.  Check out his information if you are interested in doing this project.

It really was an easy project that cost less than $5. All I had to buy was the jack with a face plate made for wall phones. I purchased extra wire but did not need it.

The only thing I really had to purchase.

Before beginning, I took another telephone off the hook. I had read that, though there is not much current in a phone line, there is some current, and that if a call came in while I was touching a wire, I could get shocked. True or not, why risk it?

First, I removed the screws that held the current jack in place. When I pulled it out, I could see that the wire came from above. Yes! I loosened the 4 screws that held the four colored (green, black, red, yellow) wires from the phone line in place.

This is what I found behind the old jack cover plate. I could not get the box out because it was (and is) nailed sideways into the stud. There will have to be some creative drywall patching here later.

Next, I cut out a small square of drywall where I wanted to hang the wall phone. The hole was only about 2 x 2 inches. I just needed enough room to reach in and pull up on the wire. With a little gentle coaxing, and only one bad word (!), the line came right up.

Found the wire! It was about four feet directly above the old jack.

New location with successfully-fished wire coming out of my not-so-neatly cut hole. (This will be behind the telephone!)

Yea! Ready for the fun stuff.

The new phone jack/mounting plate had two parts. The part that fastened to the wall and held the wires that made the connection and the face plate that basically held the wall phone to the wall. I followed the directions on the mounting plate, first separating the two parts; then, I fed the four colored wires through holes and prepared to attach them to their corresponding screws. Everything was color-coded. Easy as could be.

New mounting plate--before wire from the wall is connected.

The wire from the wall has been fed through some holes in the plate. (The wire from the wall is really four wires, bound together.) Match the colors, and you will be fine!

Wire from the wall. See the four colored wires inside the wrapping?

One tip from Danny Lipford (home improvement guru) was to (after gently bending a small hook into the bare wire) hook the wire so that the wire hooks around the screw in a clockwise direction. That way, when you turn the screw (righty tighty) to secure the wire, it doesn’t fight to come off of the screw.

I used wall anchors to secure the back plate of the jack to the drywall. This telephone will not get a lot of use, but it is pretty heavy, and I did not want it to pull the screws out of the wall. Next, I reattached the face plate (according to the package directions.)

Finally, I plugged the phone into the jack, being sure the screw on the face plate fit securely to the grooves on the back of the phone.

Project complete! (Except for that little drywall patch that still needs to be completed to cover the old jack and exploratory hole.)

And yes. I then used my cell phone to call my home. The phone worked! It might not be the prettiest color (red would have been perfect), but it is definitely the coolest phone in the house–as long as you do not need to call someone quickly.

I miss my caller ID. Not that I would ever screen my calls, mind you...

Next, I need to pretty up the wall around the phone. That’s some fun for another day!

Blah. Blah. Blah.

But finally, the piles of snow are gone. (Fingers are crossed that we are done with that.) I am really looking forward to spring! This week, we actually saw some sunshine. That always seems to give me a burst of decorating energy. I had the burst of energy–but little time and money. I looked around the internet and came up with some inspiration.

This is from Just a Girl‘s March 2 post…And this is just the door from her garage into her house! Doesn’t it look wonderful? I am stealing this idea as soon as I have time…Except I might go red.

from j-a-girl.blogspot.com

I love the simple but friendly look of this:

photo by Gideon Strauss

Then, I looked around my house and found a wreath with the beautiful spring green that I love and some raffia.

Some Spring Green

I flipped the Welcome mat around, (snow shoveling had caused us to welcome ourselves), swept a bit, and ta-da! A perkier, slightly more welcoming front door. (I’m going to have to do something about that gray color if we don’t replace the whole thing before long…)

Mini Make-Over with a Berry Wreath

Notice the lovely green magnet? I cannot get it off! Beware of super strong magnets…Ah, well. At least, it adds a little color.

Wreath from Inside, Looking Out

Front Door--Slightly More Welcoming--Pots of Pansies to Come!

Hope your coffee and your day are delicious! Thanks, Rachel Anne, for hosting through www.homesanctuary.typepad.com.

Good morning! I have a riveting post about caulk but my award-winning (I need the new sarcasm mark) photos were too bad to post…Hope your Friday is fabulous and your coffee robust! (www.homesanctuary.typepad.com)

Coffee Mug

Who cares about caulk? you ask. Everyone should care about caulk. We should more than care. Without caulk, our windows would be even draftier, our back splashes would have unsightly gaps, and we would constantly be yelling at our teenagers to get out of the shower because the water is pouring into the family room. Epiphany:  Caulk is ultimately responsible for family harmony.

Caulk can also protect you from the evil mold, born when moisture seeps into places where it ought not to go.

I have tried many different kinds of caulk, usually from a squeeze tube. I thought a tube would be easier. It isn’t. This go-round, I used a two dollar caulk gun. It is not complicated, and there is no clean-up. Go for the gun. Also, I used a caulk recommended by Gary Sullivan, home improvement guru. Polyseamseal. It is awesome. Easy to use and looks great!

Caulking is not difficult, but it does take a bit of time and patience. Here’s how:

1. Remove old caulk. I used a putty knife and plastic tool that looks like a citrus peeler. Since the old caulk had crumbled and was pulling away from the tub anyway, it was fairly easy to remove.
2. Clean area thoroughly. I used a mildew removing spray. A bleach and water mix would also work. Be sure there is no mold or mildew in the crevice you will be caulking. And be careful with the fumes. All of the mildew removers seem to be pretty nasty stuff.
3. Let area dry thoroughly.
4. Cut off the tip of the caulk. Start small; you can always cut more off, but you cannot put more back on. (Profound…I know.) My $2 gun came with a secret cutter in the handle. What will they think of next?
5. Practice squeezing the trigger, pushing caulk onto a paper towel. Make opening larger, if needed.
6. Apply caulk to the gap between tub and tile walls (in my case). Use even trigger pressure, holding the gun at about a 45 degree angle.
7. Most tubs will have three sides that require caulking. Do a short side first, applying caulk end to end. Release caulk pressure so caulk doesn’t continue to ooze out while you lay the gun down (on paper towels, please!)
8. Get a couple of wet, but not dripping, paper towels. Using a damp finger (long pretty nails are a bad thing–:) ), run your finger along the bead of caulk. This forces it into the gap and gives a smooth, finished look. Carefully, clean up any leftover caulk from the tub or tile with a damp paper towel. It must be cleaned off immediately.
9. Continue the same steps for the other two sides.
10. Read the directions on the caulk you chose about how many hours or days should pass before showering. Follow those directions. I speak from experience…This isn’t the first time I’ve caulked this tub.

***TIP: Start in a corner. I am not sure why, but it is easier. Somewhere I read to fill the tub about 1/2 full of water, to weigh it down…I tried this once and found it to be a pain. And a mess. And I hurt my back since I wasn’t able to be inside the tub while I caulked. Please excuse my whining.

***Another TIP:  When you are finished, put a heavy duty nail in the end of the caulk (if it didn’t come with a cap), kind of like a bottle stopper.

***Last TIP (I promise):  After you wash your hands, be sure to put on a good quality lotion…Why is it that home repair products are so hard on your skin? I have it! Caulk with Moisturizing Lotion! I am sure it would sell.