Wish List

Even though I asked for work clothes this year - because well we all know how good I am at buying work pants - I still felt it necessary to look around and pine after a few home necessities.

Like this West Elm beauty. If only she were tufted



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 Or what about this super cute bath mat



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  isnt he a hoooot - I know typical but I do think he sure is a cutie 

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I saw these and my first thought was : "I COULD MAKE THOSE" and then I stored them away in my mental file folder labeled "Things I saw and should make but wont get around to"

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  this (colapsable) laundry basket could really come in useful - especially since I dont have a ton of extra storage space lying around.


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Okay, I'm off to try and be productive. We'll see how far that gets me. I promise more update pictures soon... well as soon as I can actually get into my house



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Stained

This is one of the only times I will ever be excited that something is stained. Most of the time with stains come curse words and a tide to go pen. This time there is joy and excitement!

I give you stained hardwoods!

(note these were all taken from the doorstep - can't disturb the drying stain!!)

Today and tomorrow will be the finishing stages of Project hardwood upgrade. A few coats of finish and I can walk around my house again.

Since I couldn't work at the house this weekend I spent my time creating on a different front

Lets just say I was one popular little girl this morning at the office

I also found my new love - sparkly goodness that doesn't shed its sparkles

and look at these beauties I found at Marshall's. All under $50 - seriously. If I wasn't a girl on a SERRRRRIOUS budget I would have scooped them up in a heartbeat.



center lamp with the gorgeous base - please come to mama



Hopefully this is a short week for the masses - for me its a 3 day week (praise that sweet little baby jesus) I dont think I could have managed a full week

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Floors - again

Sanded and Gawgeous

These guys are awesome and really work magic. Not only have they sanded the floors down to perfection but then they put wood-filler ALL over to fill the gaps and nail holes that were once there.

Holy floor beauty, batman



I went with the second stain from the left. Dark Walnut to be exact. Whaddya think? I am feeling a dark bronzed beauty in my future.

See yah on Monday with stained floors - fingers crossed

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'Nough Said

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Floor Plan

I realized today that I have never shown the floor plan to the house. There isn't much to it but this will give you a better idea as to how its laid out.

There are four doors of entry: Front Door, French Door, Garage Door, and Side Utility Door

You'll see I pointed out where some things have changed - hopefully this gives you a point of reference

Today the floor guy is coming out to start working. I get to go by tonight and pick out a stain color - hello happiness. I told him I was looking for a "dark chocolate" color - hopefully that's descriptive enough.

Some inspiration {pinterest is blocked at work or I would have done better on the inspiration side}

This will be the first weekend that the house is "off limits" due to the floor refinishing. I am so excited to be able to sleep in and not wake at 7 am on a Saturday worrying about all the things that need to be done at the house. It  might be my birthday weekend but I see some Advil PM in my future.

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Progress

There is a reason I don't blog professionally - case and point - I went to the house at lunch yesterday to do a little work and take some pictures during day light hours only I forgot the memory card to my DSLR and my point and shoot battery was dead. Thus I was left with the good ole IPhone.

Any good blogger would walk through all this progress step by step explaining and filling in the details. Not I, I think pictures speak a thousand words (no matter the quality) and I like them to do a lot of the talking.

Starting off: Kitchen progress.

Counter tops are on and secure but need a few coats of tung oil (waterlox) before they are complete. Can we all take a moment and admire the butcher block beauty? I have a strong intuition that I will be a water/stain nazi about them but their beauty makes up for it by far.

Cabinets have been painted - below you can see them with a coat of primer. Thank the good lord above you can pay people to do this because I have no desire whatsoever to try and paint those myself.

The sink is in its rightfull home and its a beast of a sink I tell yah. That thing is massive but good thing I am into the big boned types.

Next we have the Bathroom:

Paint is on the walls and the tile is nice and fresh. I dont have any "look how awesome the bathroom looks finished" pictures because well... it was late and dark by the time it was all done. So, those shall come later. Instead, you get the "what a difference a second coat of paint makes" pictures.

I decided to paint the frame of the bathroom mirror a bright yellow. I think the grey from the floor tile with the bright while of the wall/tub tile mixed with the navy walls will look fabulous with the pop of bright color.

that little bug took the spray paint plunge

And finally the Walls:

They have been painted. I now have carpul tunel in my right hand - also known as the claw. The paint looks AWESOME - the trim not so much. It has only been primed and will get a nice coat of expensive (thank you Sherwin Williams) trim paint in the near future.

To me, its so amazing how much of a difference paint can make. I feel like the house is so much more fresh now.

The carpet in those last pictures has since been removed and the floors are getting refinished on Thursday. Progress I tell yah.

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Trim

Trim and molding have rapidly become my best friend. Never have I really noticed trim around doors and windows or crown molding at the ceiling but times are a changin'.

Over the weekend the carpenter was out and after he finished installing the countertops I had him hang a new door off the utility room and also trim out the kitchen, dining room, and a few doors/openings. The change in the rooms was unmistakable. Those select areas went from unfinished to face lift in a matter of hours.

I decided to go with a large crown molding with not much ornate detail and a pretty standard door trim. For the utility door we stuck with the original wood trim and I will just paint it to match. Outside both doors (utility and french) got a nice finishing touch with a very simple and subtle trim.

This post could easily become a drinking game - ready drink after every time I say "trim" - right now you should be at seven drinks. Gracious.

Back to the topic at hand - TRIM.

I havent given the full down low on the countertops yet - but thats coming I promise. However, I wanted to show you this neat little customization the carpenter made with installing the trim around the utility room entrance (from the kitchen).

The trim needed to be fairly large to cover the opening where the old trim once hung but the magnitude of its size cut into the countertops. No fear - my carpenter is here! Customization at its best!

I can't wait for paint to go up in these two rooms and get the final touches in place. It's going to be gawwwgeous I tell yah

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So Fresh and So Clean

Blogger is making me write in the center only. Cool.

This weekend was a house overhaul extravaganza.

I'm tired. And sore. More sore than tired

The living room is now painted

The carpet has been pulled up

All ceilings except for one room have a fresh coat of paint

The bathroom looks completely new and got 3 coats of navy paint

Wallpaper out of closets

Two out of three closets primed

Guest room painted

Appliances have arrived

Counter tops installed

Crown molding in the dining room and kitchen has been hung

New utility room door hung and trimmed

Back french doors finished with trim

Bathroom vanity painted

plus other odds and ends

just typing all that wears me out.

Some of that was done by a carpenter - none of it could have been done without my mom. She will also answer to Wonder Woman

Check out the new fresh tile in the bathroom. Since these pictures its been painted but we will go one step at a time.

Enter: the smelliest paint job around - refacing bathroom tile

 I am off to take more advil and maybe find a dark corner somewhere.



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