365 Photos in 2013 - Week 1

I have a ton of blog catching up to do - more Hawaii and definitely Christmas posts to be done. Instead I'm starting 365 photos in 2013 before I get too far behind on that.

1.1 - Spent New Year's Eve taking down Christmas and spent New Year's Day putting the finishing touches on our living area.


1.2 - The reaction I got when I told her she has special visitors coming for her 5th birthday.

1.3 - Little man snuggled in "Mama's bed and watch a show".  He loves to be cozy and asks me to snuggle with him all day long.  I can barely get him out of his pjs each day and he loves to just roam about the house playing and wreaking havoc.  It's my favorite.


1.4 - I needed profile pics for my silhouette project and she made me take several so she could get hers just right.
 

1.5 - We took the kids to see Monsters Inc. in the theater and let them play in the arcade section afterwards. They loved the motorcycle game. I love them.


1.6 - Halfway done with another Pinterest project!  Good bye huge, blank townhouse walls, you've been conquered!

Big Changes

I've been a horrible blogger, I know. I feel terrible about it because there have been lots of things I want to make sure I remember from this spring and summer and I just haven't been blogging about them. I am emailing notes to myself though so eventually I'll play catch up.  For now, we are thankfully all healthy and happy and enjoying our summer break.

Speaking of summer break, I spent exactly 2 days after I finished work relaxing before I realized not running a daycare with 6 kids under the age of 4 leaves me with a LOT of extra energy. So instead of laying on my couch every evening watching DVR'ed reality TV I started tackling cabinets and drawers, purging and organizing as I went. Productivity was a satisfying feeling.  Yay me!

Then like any good DIY junkie I needed a bigger fix than clean cabinets (crazy?) and in 24 hours, with about 9 hours of sleep in there I went from this...when I asked TG "Hey honey would you care if I start ripping up this nasty carpet?"
 

to this with some help sanding from my gorgeous hubs.  Did I mention I LOVE having him home over the summer?


We took a break to let the little man run free at the park in this beautiful weather and had frozen yogurt with friends before I came home and did this.

While every other painted stair dried I grumbled and groaned as I taped off the second bannister, angled spindles and all.  Good-bye 1980s oak color (thanks a lot for that super modern finish by the way Pulte).


After a quick family dinner and little man's bedtime routine I came back and diligently worked until the view from the top looked like this.  WHOA!

It's that good, but even with 11 solid hours of work I still have to:

1.  Polyurethane everything

2.  Give the white trim a fresh clean coat to match the shiny new CARPET FREE! stairs.

3.  Come up with a solution for the risers which remain unfinished.

4.  Convince the floor guys that are coming to finish the landing for us.

So much work and still so much more to go - this is not for the faint of heart DIY'er.  You will probably look at the mess and want to quit halfway through (I asked TG if the project magically finished itself overnight), but if you're an instant gratification/results now type of person like me it's worth the sore hands and aching back.  The change even in it's unfinished state is insane!

Oh, did I mention we also had this happening today?  Big changes around here people, I'm telling you, and personally I'm thrilled.  


Exhausted, but thrilled.

 

OTC: Major Bathroom Design Sneak

I've been working on prettifying our full bath. No, you didn't misread that. In our sweet little home we only have one full bathroom to share between 4 people, 2 of which are rapidly growing.

So it was important to me that it was functional and beautiful. It's been weeks of chaos up there that my family has been quietly tolerating, but we're moving in the right direction and here's a sneak peek for you...

Hello Liquid Nails, it's nice to meet you. I am in lurve.


About 8 coats of semi gloss later. Kilz I will never forget you again.


FINALLY putting my coffee filter wreath in it's spot. This is an OTC all on it's own.


I've got two semi large projects left to tackle (and some touchup - did I mention I hate painting bathrooms???) as part of this redo and then I can do the big reveal!

**HELP! See inside those little picture molding boxes? To stencil or not to stencil? Anyone?**

I've Been Working

on the paint chain gang.

Don't worry, it's completely self inflicted and I do strangely enjoy it.

We were able to close on our house this past Friday. YAY!

So on Friday night fresh off the closing high and with the help of my parents Camden and I went to Home Depot and got the paint and all the fixings so I could finally paint my own house.

You're probably thinking what's the big deal about painting your house? The big deal is that I've painted at least 30-40 rooms...in houses that don't belong to me and I've been waiting a long time for this moment.

I've got the base coats done in all 3 bedrooms. It took me 2 1/2 days. I know this seems like forever.

But have you ever tried painting?

How about painting with a 2 year old underfoot?

How about painting with a 2 year old underfoot and an 8 week old strapped to your chest?

You haven't? I didn't think so. Moving on.

The rooms look great and I'm so in love with the colors. So, it's onto the faux treatments. Camden's room is getting 8 inch wide stripes around the entire room. Bless my ambitious and perhaps clueless heart. Even armed with my AWESOME vacuum seal laser level I only got 3/4 of the room taped off today. I blame it on the many corners and weird angles of the room. That and the sweet 8 week old strapped to me.

The plan for Riley's room is to paint diamonds on one the biggest wall in the room. It's going to look so cute when it's done. As long as I can brush up on my math and measuring skills in the next 24 hours. Otherwise it might look a little more mad hatter than cute.

Tired of my rambling yet? Ready for some pictures? Because someone else has been working.

On the railroad that is.