Lots to report!

Ooops, the week got away from me and I forgot to update everyone on what Charles brought home for me! Sorrrry!!

Ok, so here it is! My very own pink tool bag! Complete with all sorts of tool-goodies. I've already used it to hang pictures and do a few little odds and ends around here :) Thanks Babe! ;)














































I also need to update about a few other things that have happened here lately. We have gotten some 'finishing touches' done a little around the living room and kitchen/dining room area.

First of all we sold our dining room table on Craigslist, so we're tableless for a bit until we find another one..maybe this week. But in the corner of the dining room we wanted to put the main computer that the kids use but we were just so tired of the clutter and mess that collects around it. We found this wood corner unit at Ikea and it has been the perfect thing!

Now you see the mess.......























Now you don't!




























I hit the Pier 1 75% off sale recently and found this super cool...thing...to hang above the fireplace lol. I wanted something simple ...and cheap and it was both! Only $12 :)











































Also this week I finally completed my latest furniture re-finishing task. We had our old entertainment center that housed our old tube TV and the matching end tables. We bought another TV so this until became useless to us. Charles told me to put it on Craigslist but one day it occurred to me that it would go GREAT in the guest bedroom. But the finish was wearing thin in places and was all around worn looking. So I go the bright idea that I'd refinish it and the end tables and we'd stick it in the guest room so our company has a TV and when there are no guests, the kids can have a movie/video game room. And, during the week it also serves as our classroom. I sit on the futon, I have a kids sitting on each side of me at the side tables, which doubles as their desks and I teach. When we're done w/ the work, we store all the books in the entertainment center where the stereo used to go so books aren't left out and spread everywhere. It has worked perfectly this week! Here is was and is! We bought a black stain (I thought the room would be black/a but no matter how many coats I applied, it came out this...espresso finish, just like all the other wood in the house lol. Oh well at least it matches.



Pieces before:


























Walking in the room... you like the tables?























































































Sitting on the futon directly in front of it:











































What a PAIN that was, but worth the effort I think! It looks pretty nice in that room.
The only thing left to do in the guest room is the crown molding, hanging a few pictures on the walls and getting some guests in there! lol



We've had our furniture in for a while now but I haven't taken pics b/c some of the living room and the breakfast bar area has been used for storage of anything from tools to unpacked boxes and I couldn't get around it all to get a good angle for pics. But I did today and here it is!


Couch: (DUH? right lol)
























































Charles' Chair. He had this type of chair in mind all along and we were able to find it!























This is sort of a panoramic view from the front door..seen as you walk into the house. Living room to your right:























french doors straight ahead





















kitchen up and to your left,






































Looking from the kitchen out to the living room
(back splash (where the cords are) being done this week)





















We finally got my curtain rod/curtains hung on my french doors. I wouldn't normally have bothered since the privacy fence in the back yard goes high enough so that no one can ever see in, but the afternoon sun comes through those doors and blinds me daily so we put something sheer there to cut the sun out. I love it!




















And the latest as of tonight is the handles we have FINALLY put on the kitchen cabinets. We got these at Ikea too and at about 1/2 of the price anywhere else, which makes me HAPPY :)
















It's starting to feel HOMEY and functional around here! YES!

Ok, so there is STILL lots to do! This week Charles is taking a few days off to do some stuff and then this next weekend we'll be working hard too. We will be doing:

1. The back splash in the kitchen to include the whole wall behind the stove.
2. The roof in the kitchen needs to be repaired where the cabinets came down and retextured, painted.
3. The kickboards all around the bottom of the kitchen cabinets need to be done as well as the molding along the top of the cabinets.
4. There is still some tile that needs to be grouted.
5. All tile needs to be sealed.
6. Kitchen counters need to be sealed.
7. Living room and dining room need crown molding.
8. Charlie's room needs the crown molding finished ..we started but stopped along the way.

Then this weekend, the kids bathroom will be gutted and the work begins of redoing it. ARE WE DONE YET!!!!????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

My Pantry-Full-O-Joy

If you read this post before the VASE O HAPPINESS post, it isn't going to make much sense. But if you read the Vase post first, you know I"m excited about the recent progress and finishing touches and here is a biggie!

I have named this recent development, my Pantry-Full-O-Joy........

In the original makeup of the house, you might remember, you walked into a tiny kitchen, or you could opt to get around the kitchen through a hallway running alongside it. We closed in the hallway and made the livingroom side of it a coat closet since it's right by the front door, and the backside of that hallway became my walk in pantry. It is steps away from the kitchen and I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed using it. It has been finished for about a week, but just yesterday Charles hung the door for me. I originally wanted different shelving, but after pricing the shelving I wanted, I quickly decided that since we are leaving this house in 3 yrs or less, this is fine for now lol.

Ok..........before..well after it's drywalled in........ (forgot to get pics of it as a hallway)



And now!
Doors up..........drum roll..........




Complete w/ an apron on the left LLLOOOOL. It's black/leopard and says, "Never trust a skinny cook". lol Sorry ..it's dirty, tomorrow is laundry day ....sigh......

So, what-cha think? All you cooks, moms, ladies of the house, organization fiends, feel free to comment! I'm an avid couponer as most of you know, so you know that I also get to stockpile a ton of freebies. There is a TON of space and LOTS of stockpiling room to go! Feeeels like a dream.... is this really happening?

I WUV IT!


While we're at it, let's do befores and afters of the coat closet that shares the wall w/ the pantry.

Before



After:

Like my brown accent wall and clearanced 3-drawer entry table..and my 7.xx pc of art above it?





The only thing I don't like is the color of that door against those browns. It looks very...motelish? Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do here? I'm thinking of framing that door with 1 inch molding to dress it up and maybe changing the paint color on just the door. But ..that's too many colors there. ????

And can you believe we decided to keep that groovy mustard yellow window pane?



It still DATES the house right now, but after we're all done, we think it's going to look pretty good since there is an underlying 'circle' theme going on here (more details later) and this is actually more of the golden color in real life that matches our colors. Confusing, currently ugly, yes. It will all be obvious later.............and if later it doesn't end up looking nice, we'll just sheetrock it in.

Oh well...what about ONE more bit of progress? We just got the gas/logs insert installed into the fireplace so it is now fully functional! Tonight is going to be pretty chilly here, so we plan on lighting it up after dinner, all 4 of us, cocoa in hand! Gotta see the BEFORE to fully appreciate this one...........




After (the green is NOT that bright...)






Not letting the grass grow under our feet!