THE WALL: DONE

They say that an author never really finishes a novel, they just reach a point where they give up.

Well, that's the point I'm at with The Wall.  I give up.  It's done.

There is still quite a bit that I could do, if I had unlimited time and patience.  I could scrub the grout better, I could chisel away at the parts that we got sloppy on while we were applying the grout.  I could use the industrial sized bottle of grout sealant and then gently buff each tile to a shiny finish.

I could.  But I'm not going to. 

I am afraid that if I let my compulsive perfectionist tendencies take over, I'll end up hating this project.  I don't want to hate it.  It's certainly become a labor of love, but I am really happy with how it turned out.  It's not perfect, but hey.  We're not going to live in this house forever.  There's no point in killing myself (any more than I already have) over a project that I'm eventually going to have to leave behind.

It is good enough.   

Right?

I think that I had the foresight to take a "before" picture, but at that time we didn't have a digital camera (that gives you an idea of how long I've been working on this thing), so this picture will have to do.  It's actually the back side of our wall, which faces our neighbor's house.   I felt very sneaky tip-toeing around in her side of the alley snapping pictures, but the internet needs documentation. 

BEFORE:

Nice view, huh?  Want the number of my real estate agent so you can buy a rowhouse in Baltimore?

And, AFTER:

 

Unfortunately our alley is still the same size (that would be NARROW, just like our house, in case you were wondering), so it's impossible to get a decent picture of the whole thing. 

Don't worry!  That just means that instead of one picture, you get lots.

Here's a shot from the other side:

And a few close ups from the middle section:

I am happy with this section because you can actually tell what I was trying to make (it's a school of red fish swimming through some seaweed, just in case I'm the only one who can, in fact, tell.)

Um, this section got a little... jumbled.  But I still like it because it is colorful.  It was supposed to be a coral formation (yellow, pink and blue) with a crab peeking out and another school of fish (made from a plate featuring chili peppers) swimming by.

This also came out a bit jumbled for my liking, but hey: at least those glass marbles from Ikea went to good use.  Even if they do look like fish eggs (that was NOT my intention).

And remembering the whole point of this project, this is now the view from Kitchen Window #1 (left):

and this is the view from Kitchen Window #2 (right):

Both are arguably better than staring at a cinderblock wall, so I'm considering this Mission: Accomplished.

All in all, it took:

• Approximately 150 hours over three years (not including time spent scouring Goodwill, garage sales and The Loading Dock for supplies)
• About $500 for supplies
• At least 5 full boxes of tiles and more than 50 plates, bowls and mugs
• Three mirrors
• One 50-lb bag of mortar
• Three 25-lb bags of sanded grout
• One hammer (for breaking tiles)
• One pair of safety goggles
• A Sam's Club box of scouring pads (for scrubbing grout)
• A crapload of patience

I will be forever grateful that places like Goodwill and The Loading Dock exist, because without low-cost places to obtain dishes and tiles there is no way I could have afforded to do this.  Dude, do you know how much tiles cost?  It's ridiculous. 

I am also very, very grateful that I can officially say that this is DONE.  I did really, honestly enjoy working on it, but towards the end (meaning, this entire year) it became a burden, always in the back of my mind.  Every weekend I felt guilty for not working on it (or not working on it enough).  Whenever I looked into our alley and saw the boxes of broken and yet-to-be broken tiles stacked high I'd have a mini-panic attack about how this was never going to be finished.   I was sure that I'd only complete it minutes before we moved out of our house for greener pastures, and I wouldn't even have a minute to enjoy it in all its completed glory.

And now I can do just that.  Amen.

And if anyone needs an assortment of broken tiles and plates, organized by color (of course)... I've got a basement full.  I couldn't bring myself to throw the leftovers away.  What if I decide to cement slab on the second floor deck?  Or the front steps?  Or the entire side of the house?  I might need those tiles.

Then again, if I do decide to do any of those things, please sit  me down and make me read this post.

Comments

[alyndabear]

Congratulations, girly! Your wall looks fantastic.. and look what you get to enjoy from your wnidows.

You're awesome!

[RA]

Holy cow. The Wall totally puts my knitting to shame. Way to go!

[elise]

OH MY GOSH! How in the hell did you do this? How did you even have the idea? I am blown away. Totally, totally awesome. And super creative.

Muy, muy impressed! Way to go!

[Sara]

Wow, that's so cool! Great job!

I will have to come up there and see it in person one day. ;)

[janet]

holy cow, it looks great! congrats on a job very well done. key word being DONE!

[Operation Pink Herring]

To answer Elise's question: I got the idea when I stumbled upon The Magic Garden while wandering around Philadelphia one day. I'd been trying to find a solution to the glaring view of cinderblock for awhile (ie, since the minute we signed the loan agreement on the house) and when I saw The Magic Garden, I knew that's what I wanted to do. As for how to do it, I googled directions for "tile mosaic". The employees at Home Depot were also very helpful.

I also made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. It took me an entire summer to do just the sun part.

[Lindsey]

Damn you are so artistic! I LOVE the wall--it's gorgeous! I would never have even thought to do something like this. You are amazing!

[Laurel]

Jen, it's fabulous. Seriously, it looks amazing and totally worth all the hard work you put into it. I'm stunned!!

I love the crabs the most!

[PstLyfDiva]

Looks fantastic! You know when you sell the house people will love it.

[Audrey]

It looks SO GOOD!!! Congratulations!

[Isabel]

OPH, you should put yourself on the back. Because dude, this looks amazing. I've loved following along on The Wall progress all this time and am happy to see the final product. I'm not surprised at the amount of time it took, but I am surprised at the amount of money it cost. The Wall must be bigger then it looks.

(Oh, and I know how much tile costs. Ken's cousin works for a tile company and is getting us our tile for the new house for cost and it's still going to break the bank!)

[heidikins]

Fan-freakin-tastic! That is amazing!! Absolutley love it. Congratulations woman!

xox