Virginia and Charlie

Good News

2013-05-16T05:00:00.001-04:00

You'll be happy to know that I've finally consulted an electrician. After an hour of walking around my house, I came to one, solid conclusion - the wiring in my house is a hot mess.

Here's the good news - it can all be fixed. The to-do list:

#1. Update the breaker box. My box is an outdated, don't-even-make-it-anymore Pushmatic. Translation - scary old. To add in breakers for AC and a dishwasher, we'd either have to add in a subpanel to the current box or replace the sucker. Replacing it is the better, safer option - so that's what we're going to do.

#2. Ditch the sconces in the bathroom. Why you need two sconce, each with it's own switch, I'll never understand. With the board and batten going in, the light switches need to be moved. We're moving the left light switch a few inches up, ditching the right switch and, while we're at it, setting up wiring to put one light above the mirror (goodbye sconces). Part of the reason I wanted this to happen was because I couldn't find any sconces I liked. I'm thrilled that search is over. Sheesh.

#3. Add outlets for AC units. Eastern pa sees pretty darn hot summers. To run window units upstairs, I need a special outlet and separate breaker for each unit. That will be happening in a few weeks, before the heat hits.

#4. Update switches and outlets. Do you see the two screw heads those arrows are pointing to? If you touch those, you will be electrocuted. When my 9 year old neighbor reached up to flip a switch in my house, I literally yelled "Lukey no!" Updating the outlets and switches will make the entire house safer. It's one of those things that I can't pass over or put off - not if I want to be able to sleep at night.

#5. Solve the mystery of the switches. When the outlets are updated, the electrician will be able to tell me what goes with what. Also, the kitchen issue will be fixed. Soon I'll be able to turn on the porch light without turning on the kitchen light. He actually laughed when I showed him that. Gotta love old houses, right?

#6. Add in power for a dishwasher. This will happen when we've made the hole for the dishwasher.

#7. Put in a USB outlet. I'm am STOKED about this. When I make dinner, I'm either watching tv or looking at my recipe - this always seems to be the time when my iPad dies. I'm going to get one usb outlet put into my kitchen. It's not cheap - a standard outlet is around $0.89, while a usb outlet is around $20. But it's going to be so worth it.

In a nutshell, the issue is safety. There's a lot to be done, but if it makes the house safer, it's worth it.

Also, I'm not sure why I feel the need to tell you this, but I'm going to tell you anyway - I'm not going to be flat broke when this is all over. Please don't think that I'm spending all of my money or that I'm going to be house poor.

I know it's seems like I'm just spending money left and right (and that's mostly true), but I'm not being irresponsible or wracking up credit card debt. Part of being ready to own a home was being ready for these expenses.

I'm so thankful to my parents for teaching me how to be careful with my money and how to live within my means. I'm also thankful for the years of seeing people on House Hunters blow their budget for the home - ain't nobody got time for that. If I broke the bank to get my new home, I would never be able to enjoy it.

It's a Reel Mower!

2013-05-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

Nope, that's not a typo. I bought a reel mower. A reel mower is a manual mower that requires no gas, no pulling to start, no getting blades stuck on roots.

In my defense, I had no idea my dad was taking this photo.

I was really hesitant about getting this mower, but the pros definitely outweighed the cons.

Pros:
– At least $80 cheaper than the cheapest power mower
– requires no gas
– don't have to put a cord to start it
– weighs less than 30 lbs
– small, saves storage space
– it's easy to handle

Cons:
– can't let the grass get too tall
– no extra power to help me push it up hills
– might take me longer to mow
– will need to keep the blades sharpened

Again, in my defense, I didn't know he was taking photos. I thought it was a video, so I was talking and not smiling. Anyway, this sucker busted through the tall grass without a problem.

While we waited for the electrician to show up, we decided to put together this mower (I don't usually mow the lawn in Toms and jeans). It's a Remington 16" Reel Mower. It took all of five minutes to get it put together and 5 seconds to start using it.

So far, I've only used it on a flat surface. I'm really interested to see how it performs on my little hills. First impressions - Dad and I were both very impressed. It left behind a few tall stragglers, but I'll take that any day over having to deal with a large, heavy, gas powered mower.

The biggest drawback is the sound this mower makes. It's pretty awful. But, it's not any louder than a regular mower, it's just such a different sound. It'll take some getting used to. So far, I'm loving this mower!

The good news is that if I ever let me my lawn get too tall, Esther's powered mower is right around the corner.

A Reminder

2013-05-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

While I was cleaning out some bookmarks in my browser, I came across this link. I don't remember how I found it, but I'm glad I saved it - the title is "30 Bible Verses about Creativity". Every once in awhile, God taps me on the shoulder and says "Hey! All good gifts come from me! Don't forget!" God has given me this gift and I'm so thankful for it.

That slips from my mind all too often.

There's one verse in that link that really stood out to me - Colossians 3:23

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,"

The rest of that sentence says "knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

What an incredible reminder, right?

Feeling inspired, I created a print out that I now have in my cubicle at work. This is the stuff I take for granted if I don't have daily reminders.

And since sharing is caring, you can download this print out to put in your cubicle, office, bedroom, bathroom or wherever you need it to be.

You can download the pdf here.

Projects on Hold

2013-05-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend several things happened -

1. I moved into the basement bedroom

2. Frank, Char, and the kids moved into the two upstairs rooms

3. The last large load of my stuff went to my house.

Char and Frank close on their new house in June, until then it's going to be like an episode of Full House in this place, minus Uncle Joey's weird puppets.

Even though my life is in a shambles and my belongs are in two different houses, it hasn't stopped me from pinning. Seriously, Pinterest is so bad right now. I have all of these things I want to do, but no where to do them and no time. Moving in and getting settled is going to be wonderful for more than one reason.

This beautiful paper garland was made to be a backdrop for a wedding. I love the bright colors along with gold metallic. It's something you could use for Christmas, parties and home decoration. Something I definitely need to make.

These DIY wood coasters would make an awesome wedding, shower or birthday present.

The captain chair that I bought months ago is now sitting in the basement of my new home. I can't wait to finish that project and add some fun and color to my living room. I love the way this chair is painted.

This fine line drawing is wonderful. It's a simple DIY process that anybody can do. That's why I love it. I can't draw to save my life, so this little tutorial has me excited. I'd love to do this with a picture of my home and neighborhood.

These paper stars are so pretty. I love paper crafts. Something so simple, like paper, can be turned into so many amazing things. Plus, paper projects are almost always cheap! And my mortgage-paying-self loves cheap!

I can't wait to be settled into my new home, but that won't be happening any time soon. Here's what my bathroom and hallway looked like on Friday night -

It's a little scary, but I trust that my Dad knows what he's doing. Plus, if this is what it takes to get updates, then this is what we'll do.

Practice (and a house update)

2013-05-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

After the photo class, I was determined to start practicing. This beautiful tree is located in my neighbors yard. When I saw the beautiful, purple blooms, I made my way over. I took two photos and then I literally ran away. It's like a bee's nest! Scary, scary, scary. Beautiful, but scary.

It's always fun to see people at the sandbox. You can hear the squeals of delight and laughter from miles away.

At our photography class, Beira's advice was not to use photoshop actions to change your photos. She said that it will date your photos. It was such a good point and a great challenge. I often use actions to enhance my photos, but they should be able to stand on their own.

I ended up putting a stylet from RadLab on this photo because I love that it made it look like a warm summer day. Plus, this photo didn't turn out to be as exciting as I'd hoped.

I love the challenge of not putting an action on the photos. It was honestly really hard. All I did to this was was up the contrast a little.

Same with this one - just a little boost in contrast. This photo is a little soft and the focus isn't in the right place, but I really love to see the sun shining through. I love winter, but I always miss the sun.

My macro lens is packed away somewhere. I wish I would have had it for this little guy. A spring bud just popping up. He's a little behind his buddies, but he'll bloom in time.

Char took this photo from under our favorite maple tree. This is exactly what it feels like under that tree. Cool and refreshing.

Frank and Lukey moved away from the sandbox for a little one v. one soccer game. Lukey yelled "The goals are the trees!" and Cam ran over to the tree, grabbed it and said "I got it!" It was pretty adorable. He declared himself to be on Frank's team and in the same sentence switched to Lukey's team. We'll work on his understanding of soccer later.

These pipes are important for some reason that I don't remember. We always got in trouble from Dad for standing on them. When we ~~stood~~ jumped on them it made the caps really hard for Dad to get off. When Cam jumped onto them, it was our turn to play parents (well, Char actually is a parent) and tell him to get off.

He decided to play the bongos instead.

Playing with sand and friends is full of lessons - what to do and what not to do. This photo was taken after one of those little lessons. He looks so sad in this photo. One minute later, he was laughing and play again.

House Update:

It seems that as soon as I post an update, it's already out of date! Things happen so quickly. That'll slow down now that my dad is going on his business trip.

This weekend, is going to be a crazy one! Can't wait (minus the moving part). I'm moving into the basement so Char and Frank can move into my two room suite while they transition to a new home. It's going to be a packed house here, but I can't wait. It's going to be a like a sleepover every night. I'm never going to get anything done with Char's cute kids at the house 24/7.

This was the status of the bathroom two nights ago. The board and batten is really getting there! Don't pay attention to the huge hole in the plaster on the far left. That will be getting patched.

This is what the bathroom currently looks like. The toilet is in! Hurray! It's a brand new toilet. I spent a little more money to get the dual flush, but I'm loving it. We did a test flush before the toilet's first true test and it went great. The #1 flush uses such a small amount of water and goes so quickly! The #2 flush doesn't use that much more water, but it's really powerful. The old toilet was practically over flowing with water and would take about 30 seconds to flush and didn't work well at all. This was definitely worth the money!

The board and batten that is finished is nailed to the walls. I can't wait to get in here and finish painting. The thing I'm most excited to see? The crown molding and picture shelf that goes around the top of the board and batten. I just can't wait!

House Update: Moving and the Bathroom

2013-05-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

Being in the outdoors is one of my favorite things. I love it so much that I decided to move the bathroom outside. Ha, right. As much as I like being outside, I'd like it much more if there was no humidity, mosquitoes, and especially no bees. I also wouldn't mind it if the temperature never went about 70. But I live in eastern PA, so that'll never happen.

With the help of some very willing, strong, and wonderful friends - we moved my living room and craft room items to my house. This is the view from the kitchen into the dining room.

Do you see that little doll house on top of one of the many piles? My mom made that for me when I was little. It's awesome. The roof flips up and the one wall zips down. It's pretty amazing. So glad I still have it!

The dining room is packed. I'm starting to wonder whether or not all of my junk is going to fit in this house. Let's hope so.

The living room is also packed! So much to unpack and organize. I usually don't like any part of the moving process - be it packing or unpacking - but I am really excited to unpack and move into my own home.

The craft room is also filling up! Do you see why I'm worried? Where am I going to put all of this stuff? I'm so glad I have a basement.

In bathroom news - Dad has started on the board and batten. Right now he's in the measure-twice-cut-once part of the process. He's putting the main pieces together and then he's going to attach it all to the walls. Once the main pieces are attached, he'll work on the top modeling/pictures shelf.

This is why he measures twice and cuts once. Is he good or is he good? These pieces are ready for paint and that's where I take over. Once they are ready, I prime them and put the top coat on so they are ready for Dad. We are mainly painting the pieces behind the toilet ahead of time. Once the toilet is in, we won't be able to reach.

ps. I got a new toilet. It's awesome. It's not my dream toilet, but hey, you can't have everything. But it is dual flush!

If you follow me on facebook, you saw a photo of my new tile floor. I'm. Obsessed. I LOVE it. It looks like marble, but it's actually porcelain.

For some reason, this tile allowed for a smaller grout line. Not sure if it's because of the size of the tile or the type of tile - either way, I love it. My brother-in-law is a tile genius. I'm in love (with the tile, obviously. Weirdos).

This process would never be happening without my amazing family. I just can't say "thank you" enough.

Photography Class

2013-05-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, Char and I did something fun - we took a photography class! When I stopped by Char's house to pick her up, I had this conversation with Cam -

"Why did you come to our house?"
"To pick up your mom."
"Oh. Where are you going?"
"We are going to a class?"
"Can I go?"
"No. It's just for grown ups."
"What are you going to do?"
"We are going to learn how to take nice pictures of you."
"Oh. Why is it just for grown ups?"
"It just is."
"Why are you going to a class to look at pictures of me?"

Cam's three and that means the "why" age has begun. I must admit, I love it.

The photography class Char and I took was taught by Beira Brown. She's an amazing photographer and an even nicer person. The class was informative and fun at the same time! I heard about this photography class through a co-worker. I missed the first one because I was out of town, so when another came around I was excited to sign-up!

We learned the basics of photography. Everything I knew before the class came through trial and error (and many google searches). Now I know my camera better and understand more about how to make the right changes. Thanks Beira!

One of my favorite things about the class was learning about metering. After learning the basics, we headed outside to practice. This white ball is in the shade - so we had to get the ball and the grass exposed correctly. First attempt - the ball is way over exposed.

Then I went too dark.

Then too bright.

And finally I got it just right. It's my Goldilocks of photos. Now, the grass is a little underexposed, but the ball is exposed correctly. Since I was exposing for the ball, this photo is just right.

I worked on taking a photo of Char, but she kept moving.

And I only managed to get Cam to sit still for about 30 seconds. Not quite enough time to get my settings right. He kept moving (I wonder where he gets that from).

I'm excited to keep practicing and really excited to get better at taking photos!

Happy Birthday Charlie

2013-05-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

Written June 26, 2008:

Its 1:09 am. I'm getting my puppy today. Not in 2 weeks, not in 2 days, not tomorrow. Today. Mom and I will promptly be leaving the house at 8:30 am to drive to Quakertown to pick up Charlie. Then I have four blissful days ahead that will belong to Charlie and me...and anyone else that might drop by. Then work again on Monday, boo. Then I will have Charlie for the next 15 years. This is most definitely the biggest commitment I have ever made.

Today feels like Christmas - I've never had so much motivation to go to sleep, the sooner I go to sleep, the faster "today" will come. Amen to that.

I'll post pictures as soon as I get some. But I'm pretty sure I won't be posting any until she falls asleep...haha I'll be busy until then...you know, bonding and all. I have a feeling she might be a spoiled pup for the next few days. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I can still remember the excitement of going to pick up Charlie. I still remember feeling giddy and not being able to sleep. I remember the long drive. I remember picking her up. I remember squealing with Mom in the car on the way home. I remember having to remind Mom to watch the road (many times). I remember the first time she peed that day. I remember taking her to the office to show her to Esther and Dad. I remember her sleeping on my shoulders.

This is what it must feel like for moms. If I'm this emotional over a dog, I can't even imagine what I'll be like with my kids.

Charlie is 5. I don't know why, but this feels like a big birthday. At 5, she's officially not a puppy anymore (I guess that's been true a long time before this). Now, she just seems older, more mature, but I'll still be calling her my puppy.

With all the work I've been doing at my house, I don't see Charlie as often as I used to. That's one big reason I'm excited to finally move in - more time with my baby.

Ya know how there are just some things in your life where you can't take them for granted? You are just constantly reminded about how lucky you are?

I feel so blessed to have Charlie - to have a such a good dog. I'm reminded of this blessing every time I wake up and feel a lump between my feet. I'm reminded of this blessing every time I come home and she freaks out when she sees me.

She's amazing. You've heard me brag about her time and time again, so I'll try not to over do it this time. I just love this dog.

I love having someone to cuddle with at night. She and I have an agreement. She cuddles with me for at least 15 minutes and then, when she's ready to go, I don't make her stay. haha. Unless it's really cold and then she'll stay under the covers with me ALL night. It's rare, but it's happened before and I keep hoping it'll happen again.

Charlie's 4th Birthday

Charlie's 3rd Birthday

Charlie's 1st Birthday

Charlie's first day home

The Latest

2013-05-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, I had a rare night off. My 13 year old neighbor had designed a dress for a recycled fashion show at her school. Of course I had to go! Her younger sister was the model and they both were amazing. The dress was fantastic.

It was wonderful to have a night off. I got home and just reclined on the couch while watching Buying and Selling (def not my favorite HGTV show) until heading to the show. I got home at 7:40 and thought, "Hey! I have time to do something else!" haha Normally, I get home at 9:30/10 and go right to bed after giving the dog some attention.

At 7:40, I looked at the clock, I look at my dog, and decided I was going to go somewhere else. I grabbed the pup and headed to Joann Fabrics. Charlie may be stuck in the car the whole time, but it's better than leaving her home alone! Besides, she loves car rides.

I've been dying to get some materials for birthday presents, but just haven't had the time. Now I have the materials and all I need is the time.

Ok, here's the latest on the house -

Dad and I spent Monday and Tuesday night at the house. Dad worked in the bathroom to update the plumbing, take out that baseboard heater, and trash the vinyl flooring. As you can see, we also got the the old sink out. My oh my. That sucker is heavy.

We got it down the stairs and into the backyard. That was no easy task and I'm thankful we made it without me dropping it.

I wondered how long it would take me to turn my garage into a work area. Didn't take very long! While Dad worked in the bathroom, I primed the board and batten. It's really nice to be standing up and painting instead of sitting on the floor or standing on a ladder. And the weather was so nice that it made painting even a little fun!

Frank is going to start installing the floor on Friday. The goal is to have a new floor and new toilet installed before the weekend is over.

Mom was a very busy lady while we were away. She packed my entire living room! Seriously, it's all packed - down to the dog treats. She also packed Charlie's toys. Charlie is not too thrilled about that.

While I admit, the yard doesn't look amazing, at least the grass is mowed! And the japanese maple trees are looking absolutely gorgeous!! Now if I could just get some actual grass to grow...

This right here, is one of the main reasons I fell in love with my home. Could this street be any dreamier? I just love it. Just wait until the trees get all of their leaves. Just you wait.

In other news, I'm onto my 6th audiobook of this renovation. I told myself I wasn't going to listen to anything scary, but I can't help it anymore. I LOVE the Alex Cross books and this one has not let me down. Can't wait to see what happens next!!

ps. Charlie turns 5 on Friday!

Mowing the Lawn

2013-05-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

First of all, sorry there's no desktop wallpaper today. I just haven't had time. Anyway...

This was what my lawn looked like a few days ago. It was desperately in need of some attention. My dad and I went over on Sunday to mow. He had to come with me so we could get the mower out of the van (that sucker is heavy), but I had ulterior motives. I knew I was going to need some help.

You might be wondering why mowing the lawn is getting it's own post. Allow me to answer that question: in short - it sucked. Here's why:

1. I don't know the right route. When I mow my parent's yard, I have a route I take that gets me great results quickly. Not knowing the right route for my yard made things more difficult and it took longer than it should have.

2. A push mower. I've been spoiled for years. My parents have a very large backyard and I've only ever mowed it with a riding mower. I love mowing their yard. I put on my headphones and relax for an hour. Not so much with a push mower. It was heavy and hard to get up the steep slope of my side yard. My dad showed me a technique that worked really well, but it will take some practice.

3. It. Was. Bumpy. I got the mower stuck several times - one of those times I was completely unable to get it unstuck without Dad's help.

4. It was so public. Having so many neighbors so close is something I'll have to get used to. I get frustrated really easily and the fact that I felt like I was making a fool of myself in front of the whole neighborhood didn't help. Once I know my yard and it's bumps better, I'm confident I won't feel so dumb.

5. I'm not strong enough. As a hockey player, I was always very strong. When you swing a hockey stick as hard as you can for three hours everyday, you have to be strong. I'm not a hockey player anymore and pushing the mower up the steep slope was tough, but strength will come.

So here's what I learned for purchasing my own mower:

1. I need a lighter mower. Enough said.

2. I need a mulching mower. The mower I borrowed was blowing the cut grass onto my sidewalk and the road - adding an extra clean-up step to the process. A mulching mower pushes the cut grass straight back into the ground so it doesn't blow all around.

3. I need a weed whacker. There were many places that I couldn't trim because the mower couldn't reach them or wasn't the right tool for the job. I bought this weed whacker and leaf blower combo. It's cordless and comes with two batteries. Best of all - it's light. I can easily lift it. I've never used a weed whacker before, so I don't think I'll be attempting any weed whacking until I get a few lessons.

4. I need a small mower. The smaller the better, even if it takes me more time to mow. If the mower is small, I'll be able to control it better.

5. Push button start. This would be amazing, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

The most important thing I learned from this experience - not everything about owning a home will be fun. As much as I know I won't love push mowing my lawn in the 100 degree July weather, I'll be proud to do it. Like my mom says, ownership changes a lot. It's my home and I want to be proud of it.

Please remind me I said this in July. I'm pretty sure when I'm sweating my butt off, I'll forget all about this little post and my promise to be proud.

Friends, Family and a Sandbox

2013-04-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

301. That's the number of photos I took on Saturday evening. What can I say, I just love taking photos of these babies. I narrowed the 301 down to 84 for the fam and 30 for you guys. You're welcome.

The sandbox is where we spend our summer. We pull up our chairs and hang out til dinner. It's a happening place, folks.

Cam's was just a little excited to be in the sandbox. He gets out there every chance he can get. After church on Sunday, Cam got out of the car and started running to the backyard. Ya know how your voice bounces when you run? That's exactly what happened when Cam yelled "I'm goin to da sanbox!"

He's very serious about sandboxing.

We spotted the neighbors up the hill, so Cam quietly requested their presence at the sandbox.

He was very excited to see them coming and he ran to meet them. This is what he does outside. He runs. He runs everywhere. This boy was made to be outside.

As soon as Lukey and Leia arrived, they got right to work. It's impossible for these boys to play in the sand without burying somebody. Lukey set to work right away.

Leia decided to make our favorite baby girl laugh. All she has to do is look at Hannah and Hannah starts giggling. Hannah loves Leia.

Emily was down visiting for a little until homework called her home. Evenings like this make me forget it's April and that the kids are still in school. On such a lovely evening, it seems like we'll never have to leave the sandbox.

Hannah loves being outside. She especially loves sitting on her daddy's lap while watching the kids work.

Princess Charlie joined us outside. I know my baby well and I knew she wouldn't like the dirt. I brought a blanket out just for her and that's where she spent the whole evening.

Two peas in a pod. They were buried together. They loved every second of it.

Cam escaped and then it was Leia's turn to be buried from head to toe. When these kids are on a mission, don't get in their way - you might be next to get buried.

It's really fun to watch Cam carry a bucket full of water to the sandbox. He went very slowly in an attempt not to spill any water. As his pants show, he wasn't very successful. Take a look at the photo on the right - see that shoe flying above Cam's head? These kids always keep things interesting.

They just have so much fun together. We laugh a lot when they are here and you can see why!

Cam was VERY excited to see Annie on her way down the hill. He started with a double fist pump that ended in a double thumbs up. Hilarious. We'll tell him later that this was super dorky.

The maple in our backyard is perfect for climbing. Cam wanted a turn and Char told him he needed an adult to help him. We were in the middle of a conversation and Cam just couldn't wait any longer. He asked "Is Lukey an adult?"

There's something about feeding this little lady that is just so fun. Not sure what it is, but it's just fun.

I just can't get enough of this little girl. She looks exactly like her mom (minus the brown eyes). Sometimes when I look at her, I could swear I was looking right at Charlotte.

Cam loves riding the tractor even more than he loves riding a train. Mostly because when he rides the tractor, he also gets to steer.

Leia did her best to keep up.

Leia was very determined.

This was my attempt to take a picture of Hannah and myself. Haha, I wasn't very successful, but I love that it looks like she's sticking her tongue out at somebody.

Last but not least - Hannah and her mama.

It's so amazing to see my sister being a mom. She's amazing at it. Frank and Charlotte are amazing parents - you can tell by the way their kids respond to them. It's so wonderful to watch and learn from them.

It's amazing how a little good weather and a sandbox can really make you love life. It's nights like this when I realize how much I'm going to miss living in this house. I think I need to get a sandbox for my new house.

The Zoo with Cam and a Quick House Update

2013-04-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

Before we get to the good stuff, here's a quick house update: The living room and hallway are finally painted and it looks amazing. ALL of the wallpaper is gone. Mom was at the house for two hours and magically, everything was organized. She's so quick! The neighbors helped me move over the first trailer full of stuff and Kelly even scrubbed my floors! Also, Dad and I mowed the lawn (that was rough - more on that later) and we bought all the materials for the board and batten in the bathroom. Hurray for progress!

Now, on to the good stuff.

We've been wanting to take Cam to the zoo and the weather has been so nice lately that we couldn't wait any longer.

Seriously, I can't stand next to this kid and not tickle him. His laugh is just too amazing. I have to hear it all the time.

While we were walking around the zoo, Cam spotted something that Char and I had both missed. We followed his directions and headed to what we thought was a playground.

Turns out there was a train ride in the middle of the zoo! Cam made sure to point out that the red one was the caboose and that was the one he wanted to ride on. For a boy who is obsessed with Thomas, this was a dream come true.

Char had to ride with him because he's so little - she looks pretty bummed about it.

They did several laps, so I traded off between taking photos with my Canon and then my iPhone. I knew I had to send some to the fam. I was proven right when, as I'm texting them pictures, Esther asked "Why am I not getting any pictures from the zoo?" We are so patient in this family.

They had a blast and I had a blast watching them have a blast.

We hit up the monkey house and Cam loved it. The monkeys are always moving and interesting - they never let you down. It's hard for Cam to see some of the animals when they aren't moving because they blend into their surroundings. He can always spot the monkeys.

He also liked this gorilla statue. Cam has a great imagination. He looked at this guy and asked "Can he move?"

Of course I told him to give the gorilla a hug. Why wouldn't I? What isn't cute about a 3 year old hugging a giant statue of a gorilla?

It still boggles my mind that these guys just get to walk around. It's incredible to see them close up. The feathers are truly amazing. God is so creative.

The otters are my favorites. I mean, tigers are my most favorite animals, but the otters are just entertaining. They are always sliding and swimming and standing up at the glass. It was very fun to watch them play!

We all loved it so much that we stuck around for awhile.

Cam was a champ and he lasted a really long time without a stroller or taking a break, but he was ready for some cuddling with his mama when the trip was over.

We had a great time. Can't wait to go back!

Home Update:

2013-04-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Exciting things are happing!

My thermostat was replaced on Wednesday and the new one is so wonderful! Goodbye gold and hello white! The best part is that I can set the temp for weekdays when I get up, when I leave for work, when I get home from work, when I go to bed and the same settings for the weekend. It's great!

I found some fun accessories this week. The two items with the chevron are from Target and the three drawer unit is from Michaels (I got it for 40% off!). These are going to look great in my craft room.

Dad was at the house with me a few nights ago and we worked in our respective spaces on our respective projects. There's really no room for two people to work in the same room at the same time. While I worked on wallpaper, he worked on tearing down the tile in the bathroom.

This was my lovely wallpaper (I'm happy to report it's all gone now). The side on the left that is darker is wet from the steamer. Do you see the white part in the pattern? I think it's meant to look like brush strokes. Anyway, that was the thickest part of the paper and the toughest to get off - in short, I hated it.

Thankfully the wallpaper has been removed. This is the view from the floor - where I was sitting - because I couldn't lift my arms - because I was tired - and hot - so tired of wallpaper - tired of steam - and I never wanted to get up.

I wish finishing this room was as easy as painting, but unfortunately there are a few steps between me and painting.

First step, cleaning up. I've found it's easier to clean up all this trash when the paper is no longer wet. Then I'll need to re-spackle places where the steamer peeled off the old stuff. Next will be sanding, then cleaning the walls and then priming. Lastly, final coats on the trim, ceiling and walls.

By the time I got home, Charlie and I were ready for some rest, relaxation and cuddling. Yes, my Christmas stockings are still up. I always manage to miss one Christmas decoration when packing. This year, it was the stockings. Once I realized I'd be moving in the near future, I just decided to leave them be.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. (Name that song, Mom)

A Completely Random Update

2013-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

Spending my evenings at the house has been much more enjoyable now that the sun stays out longer. I love spring and the weather has not let me down. The grass in my yard is thriving and I'm starting to become "that neighbor". That one that doens't mow their lawn. I think I get a pass on this because I don't own a lawnmower. But I hope this weekend I can take care of it. The sad thing is that I'll have to mow over so many of the flowers that seem to have sprung up in the middle of nowhere.

Mom and I spent four hours at Ikea on Sunday. Four glorious hours. I loved every second of it. This fabric was one of the first things I spotted when I walked in and I'm in LOVE. Now I just need to figure out a room to use it in.

This is my future bathroom faucet. It's going to look lovely in my updated bathroom. I can't wait.

This is the vanity/sink I purchased at Ikea on Sunday. I had originally planned to go with the the 40", but when we saw this one we liked it better - which turned out to be a great thing because the 40" wouldn't have fit centered under the mirror. The vanity has two large drawers and the top one even has dividers! I can't wait to organize my stuff (No, Esther, you are not allowed to mess it up when you come over).

Getting everything in the car was quite a challenge. The 96" laminate counter tops barely fit. They stretched from the back of the van all the way up to between the front two seats. Far enough up to be my arm rest. It didn't make things any better that I found the most wonderful dining table on sale in the As Is section. With the help of a very strong Ikea worker, we got it all in the car (including the kitchen sink).

Mom very patiently attempted to remove the wallpaper in the smallest bedroom with a mix of fabric softener and hot water. It did not work. I originally went to Lowe's attempting to rent a steamer, but they don't rent. Instead, I walked out with one of my own. Totally and completely worth the $50.

At this point, almost all of the painting is done. I painted both bedrooms the same color and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I mean, why wouldn't I be, right? It is my favorite gray and it always looks good and I picked it - of course I'm happy with it. Moving on...

Oh that closet door. There are many home projects I'm saving until after I've moved in and settled. This closet door is on the top of that list. Every person that walks into this room does the same thing - 1. Look around the room and compliment the floor. 2. Notice the closet door. 3. Make a funny/confused face. 4. Go over to said door and take a closer look. 5. Try to scratch off the design. 6. Proclaim it as ugly and wish me good luck.

It's the weirest thing. It's not painted on and it's not a sticker. I can't figure it out.

So this is where the steamer has come in handy. This little room, that I usually refer to as the "closet" because that is it's destiny, is covered in a very thick and very stubborn wallpaper. After 4.5 hours of hard work and lots of smelly fabric softener, Mom had cleared about a 6'x4' section.

With the help of the steamer, I did this entire wall in less than 2 hours. The steamer is amazing. I really love that it's chemical free. Just good old tap water. One thing I learned - when you scrape off the wallpaper and it falls onto your pants, it will stick to them. When you go to your house the next day and put on those same pants, it will be impossible to get the dried wallpaper off. The end.

On Tuesday night after work, Frank and my dad drove the van over to my house to unload all of the Ikea goodies. It's fun to see some of the new things actually in my house instead of in boxes in the garage or my room or the trailer. I'm really excited about my new sink for two reasons - a) I love that it has a smaller and larger section and b) I've been treating my current sink like the redheaded step child. A new sink is a must.

When I moved out of my old apartment, I parted ways with the white set of dishes Esther had gotten me for $7. I bought two sets of these white dishes at Ikea. I could probably get by with one, except for the fact that I hate doing dishes and there are 6 members in my family (and two mini members).

While the guys were at the house, they talked over the plans for redoing the bathroom and adding a dishwasher in the kitchen. I listened, chimed in when possible and tried not to ask for too much. I can just see my entire family shaking their heads as they read this. "Tried not to ask for too much" is what did it, I know. But! It's true.

While the boys talked, I marveled over my new table. A few months before moving out of my apartment (before I even knew I would be moving) I bought a new dining set. It was great for one or two people, but I wouldn't be able to have the whole family over for dinner. Plus, it didn't take me long to realize that my 5'4" body is too short to enjoy a counter height table.

When you go to Ikea, always go to the As Is section first because you never know what you might find. Mom and I headed there first and I'm so glad we did. I got this baby on sale! She'll easily seat six and there are two leaves on top of that - all for $179. Now I just need to find chairs.

ps. If you find something you like in the As Is section that you can't carry out, push the doorbell by the employee entrance and someone will come help you. It took me 5 minutes of hunting someone down to learn that little trick. They even load it onto a cart for you.

After the boys measured the bathroom, they handed me a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it. The only thing I had to remember was that I needed at least 42 ft² for the floor and...well...some other amount for the shower area. Ok, so I don't remember that second one, but I have it written down! I went to a local liquidators to find a good deal and spotted these babies.

They are 12x24" and I plan to use them for the floor. I know it's a risk using tile this big in the bathroom, but I really love them. And by "love" I mean that I want to marry them and cover every floor in my house with them. So we'll see. It could be a waste of money since I can't return them, but I couldn't walk away without them. I also couldn't walk away with them because I didn't have the strength to lift the boxes. Thankfully, there are many young men with large muscles that work at Heeby's. You should have seen the tail end of my car sink lower and lower with each box that was put in the trunk.

ps. I hate math. 2 ft² per tile, 8 tiles in a box, 16 ft² per box, I need 42 ft², so I need 3 boxes, that gives me 48 ft², $40 per box, $120 total, divided by 48 equals $2.50 per ft². (If you see a flaw in there, don't judge me. I had it right as some point today)

After spending more money (which apparently is my new favorite hobby), I headed back to the house to tackle another wall. This room is slowly getting there.

Last, but not least, two big things are happening today (Wednesday).

1. The oil company is coming to fill my tank and, as a perk of signing up with them, they are also installing a new digital thermostat! Hurray!

2. I'm having a painter come over to give me estimate on what it would cost to have them paint the scary part of the hallway and the rest of the living room. Hopefully he doesn't read this blog because what I'm about to say would be good for him and bad for me - at this point, I almost don't care what it costs. I can't even tell you how sick I am of painting and cleaning brushes and taping floors.

Since I'll be having strangers in my house for the first time, I tried to straighten up a little. That lasted for all of 5 minutes and then I realized two things - they don't care and I don't care. Guys are guys and guys never notice. There will be a day when the house will be clean, it just isn't today...or tomorrow...or the next day...or the day after that...

This is Happening...

2013-04-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Welp, my dad settled it - we're updating the bathroom.

As excited as I am that this is happening, I'm also really - well, not nervous, but something along those lines.

The bathroom is in need of some serious love/updating. When my mom first mentioned the idea of updating before moving in, I wasn't too fond of it. I'm anxious to finally move in and this just seemed like another thing coming between me and finally living in my house.

Now, I can't totally blame this idea on my mom. Her sisters were quick to support her. So basically, I will be blaming this on all three of them. Luckily for them, this is a good idea.

When my dad was at the house on Saturday, we stood in the bathroom for about 30 minutes and talked back and forth about what to do. Seeing that he was on board and not at all apprehensive about it got me really excited. We're going to do this. As my dad would say - we're going to whip this bathroom into shape.

True to family tradition - we took measurements, made diagrams, and wrote out a list. Allow me to share our plan –

1. add board & batten to the lower half of the walls
2. tile the floor
3. retile the shower area
4. new toilet
5. new vanity
6. replace lighting

This vanity is definitely not cutting it for me. There's no where to put anything - there's especially no place to put the awesome stuff Esther got me for my birthday last year. This is most definitely on the to-go list. Char, we'll save it for you :)

There has been some progress in this room - the wallpaper is almost completely gone (thanks to mom). Other than that, we've done nothing in here.

The white tile is not actually tile - its metal formed to look like tiles. Interesting.

We were going to try to rip it out, but we are opting to cover it up. I can just imagine someone ripping up this bathroom in 30 years and going "Why would they cover it up? Why wouldn't they just rip it out and do it the right way?" I don't want to be the homeowner that leaves messes for the next people, but it's not worth the time and trouble to take it out. Maybe the next person will be rich and can pay someone else to do it, but since we are doing it ourselves, we get to pick.

This bathroom is very, very close to what mine will look like (my layout is not changing, however). Oh how I love Pinterest - you get to see the finished outcome before you even start. (ps. I really tried to find a link to the original image, but I can't find it!). White tiles in the shower, this vanity/sink combo from Ikea, blue on the walls and a brand new toilet - just what my bathroom will have.

There are two big differences between this photo and my future bathroom.

Difference #1 - we are going to do board and batten and not wainscoting

After our little pow-wow in the bathroom, my dad and I headed to Lowe's to take a look at and price our options. We checked out wainscoting while we were there, but the more I browsed Pinterest, the more I liked the look of the board and batten. I really love how they did it in this bathroom.

Difference #2 - My bathroom will have a chandelier

While touring Ikea many months ago with my best friend, Katie, she spotted this chandelier. She said "Wouldn't that be awesome in a bathroom?" And from then on I knew this lovely lady would live in my bathroom. I cannot wait. This may be what I'm most excited for. Best idea ever, Katie.

So there you have it - the plans for my "new" bathroom. I can honestly say, I can't wait until it's all over. Can't this part be like one of those movie montages where all the hard stuff happens quickly while fun music plays in the background?

My montage music would be Yakety Yak, by The Coasters.

Switch on, Switch Off

2013-04-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

There are many mysteries in my new house. The chief one being the crazy amount of light switches. When my mom was with me last week, we set about figuring out what each one does. This is where things get weird.

The two switches on the right turn on the outside light - no, that is not a typo - there is only one light and both switches operate the same light. Weird.

The far left switch turns on the sconce, but if you plug something into that outlet the sconce goes off. The switch next to that is a mystery.

Did you know that if you turn on the outside light, it's impossible to turn off the kitchen light? Weird, but true.

These three switches are also in the kitchen - current total: 7. Thankfully, we solved these mysteries.

These three switches are in the kitchen as well. Kitchen total: 10. Ten switches in one room. Three of which are a complete mystery.

The dining room makes much more sense with only three switches. Can we just talk about how scary those switches look? Whenever I use them I feel like I'm going to be electrocuted.

Current total: 13

We have the living room all figured out. With one additional switch for the side porch, the living room beings our current total to 18 switches.

Add in three for the bathroom, two for the hallway and four more in the bedrooms...

Grand total: 27

And that doesn't even count the basement. 27 light switches for eight rooms/spaces. Seems like a lot right?

When I told my Dad about the issue of turning the kitchen light off when the back porch light was on, he thought for a moment and then said "Maybe you should call an electrician." Maybe I should, but I'm too afraid of what they will find.

I wonder if I'll ever figure out what they all do. Would it be weird to email the old homeowner via her realtor to find out?

Even with our best efforts, we could not figure out how to turn off the outside lantern. It wasn't on when I bought the place, but now we can't figure out how to turn it off. I bet my neighbors are probably getting a good laugh - I can just imagine that somewhere along the way I found the right switch, flicked it a dozen time and just had no idea. Maybe they just think I'm sending out morse code.

Maybe they are right. :)

My Motivation

2013-04-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

Aside from really wanting to live in my house and park in my garage every day, the only thing that keeps me motivated is progress. I'm at the house every spare minute and I'm starting to wear out. I'm tired, but I'm almost there. Or so I thought...

Then my mom convinced me that I should update the bathroom before I move in. Dang it. Sometimes, I hate it when she's right. More on that later.

I'm much faster at prepping and painting than I used to be. I'm also not diddling around like I used to. My audio books keep me focused and so does the goal of moving in.

The white bedroom is finally done. The curtains have been trashed. The ceiling and trim have gone from yellow to white. The partially painted walls have gone from a blotchy cream to my most favorite gray - Gray Ghost by Olympic.

As I move around the room painting, I'm up close and personal with all the mistakes in the room - the uneven plaster, the painted on dust bunnies and the grooves left from switch plates (that had apparently been overly tightened). But when I step back and look at the fresh paint and the clean, white trim, all of those little imperfections go away.

Did you know this room had crown molding? I sure didn't. I had no idea it was there until I started priming. What a fun surprise. While it added an extra step to my already multi-step painting process, it was well worth it.

I also discovered something else - a lighting fixture I actually really like. Ok, while I'll admit that I plan on making a few changes, I do actually like this. The finish on the metal is really nice. In the future I'd love to switch out the fan blades and update the glass, but other than that it's very nice.

I'm so thankful to Mom and Katie for coming over this weekend to help me paint. Mom scraped wallpaper with unending patience. She volunteered to do it and I am so grateful. She had seen online that you can mix fabric softener and hot water, spray it onto the wallpaper and speed up the process. Unfortunately, this was not the case for us. We'll be renting a steamer this weekend.

Katie rolled on primer while we talked of her wedding plans. Best painting topic ever. She rolled on primer in the bedroom and hallway. We decided to leave the scary parts in the hallway to my dad or Frank - you know, the parts that you can reach without putting a ladder on the stairs. I don't think I want to be in the house while they do that.

I had originally planned for this room to be my craft room, but over the weekend I changed my mind. While I was working in the house during the day, I made sure to pay attention to the natural light in each room. The front room gets much more sun throughout the day. Also, both windows in this room have trees right outside that will soon block the light. Thus, this will be my bedroom.

Before starting the prep work in the green/front room, I needed some motivation. I pulled back the paper to get a glimpse of the wood with the new trim and wall colors. It really turned out lovely. I'm so excited. Now I understand why people love wood floors so much - they make everything look so much better.

This is another one of those situations where I need to have terrible short term memory. I'll try not to remember the splinters I got while dusting along to edges before taping (while the wood looks in good shape, it's really not). I'll try not to remember the holes in the floor or random cords sticking out of walls. I'll really try not to remember how my body aches and how tired I am.

What I will remember is all the hard work it's taken to get here and I look forward to finally moving in.

I See Green!

2013-04-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night, we had a crazy storm. It was windy and there was lighting and don't forget the thunder! When Charlie and I got home from another night working at the house, it was pouring down rain. Holding my pup, I ran the ten steps from the car to the garage. I was soaked.

Though the wind, lighting and thunder aren't my favorite things - the beauty of spring makes it all worth while.

I let Charlie out onto the deck to look for squirrels and noticed the new bugs on our favorite tree. Side note - Charlie came within two feet of a squirrel that was running along the railing. She flipped out, started barking and chased the squirrel off the deck. She was running so fast that she almost slammed into the railing. Pretty hilarious to watch.

After watching Charlie flip out, I ran in to get my macro lens. I wanted to grab a few photos before I left for work. There was even a little rain left over from the night before.

I took my camera's life into my hands to get these photos. Sans camera strap, I leaned far over the deck railing to get these photos. Someone please convince me to start using a camera strap. I know it is important and all, but it really just gets in my way.

One of my favorite things about this macro lens has been photographing water. Look at that perfectly round drop on the top of this bud. I mean seriously, how wonderful is that? I love that God thought out his creation from top to bottom and didn't skip a thing.

When I look at nature and see the small details, I often think of one of my favorite hymns. It's a simple song with such deep and unending truth.

"This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise."

The Craft Room

2013-04-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

The battery on my laptop is at 34% which means two things - a) since I started at 60%, I've obviously been browsing blogs/pinterest for quite awhile and b) I better write my post before I get distracted again.

Planning out my craft room in my head is something I've done for a long time. I used to think that I would always have my desk/computer in my bedroom. Then I grew up and realized I dont want all of that mess where I sleep. My bedroom is messy enough as it is – it doesn't need any help from another room's junk.

This room is really good inspiration for what I would like to do in my own craft room. I will only have a small closet, so I'll have to find ways to keep everything organized, but not cluttered.

I started a Pinterest board so that I could collect all of these ideas and keep them organized.

Lately, I've been looking for open shelving ideas I can utilize in my space. I love the organization in this space- even though there is a lot there, it doesn't feel unorganized or cluttered. I really love the way this person hung the art. Cute and clever.

The things I pin on Pinterest are often pinned because I see one thing I love or it gives me a good idea. In this case, it's the shelving. Obviously, this isn't a craft room, but that shelving is from Ikea. It's a realistic inspiration because I know I can actually get that long, open shelving. Often times, what I love about a pin isn't easy to find or it's way too expensive. This shelving is well used here and I actually know what it is!

This rolling cart from World Market would make such a fun and cool addition to my craft room. At $130, I'll pass, but I still love it. I'd love a more rustic feel in my craft room. That's something I know I want, but I'm not sure if I know how to successfully put it together. We'll see.

This potting bench is also from World Market. I know it's for gardening, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming of it in my craft room. It's price is a little more reasonable than the rolling cart. It's $120, but still something I'll pass on. I like it, but I think I'll look for a more affordable option.

Some things I pin for my craft room are practical, some things are more for the fun of it. It's a place that is supposed to inspire creativity, so it needs to be fun, colorful and lively. This pin is the "fun" part. Now that I've been to many different parts of the world, I'd love to add a wall to showcase some of that travel.

This pin is the "colorful" part. The walls will be light gray. My desk is white. My storage drawers and shelving are white. I plan to add color to the room with some fun accents and hopefully in the baskets and bins I use for storage. And most definitely, neon. I just need it.

Last, but certainly not least, this pin represents the "lively" part. This little bear from West Elm is an iphone speaker that will add lively music to the project I am working on. I know my computer will be in there, but I buy all my music via my phone and often dont transfer it to my computer. Plus, he can travel so he can follow me all over the house. I will name him Grizzly and he will be mine.

Correction, he is mine. When I first saw him, I sighed and clicked past him. Fifty bucks is more than I would spend for ceramic speakers. When I started writing this post I clicked over to West Elm just for the heck of it - oh the joy to see my little Grizzly on sale for $25. Yup, already ordered it.

That's all for now, folks! Have a nice day!

So Fresh

2013-04-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

and so clean, clean.

Out with the old....

And in with the new...

The blog needed an update. It was dark and cluttered. With spring finally here, I thought I'd switch things up.

When I look at blogs like Fellow Fellow, How About Orange, and Yellow Brick Home - one thing they all have in common is a light, uncluttered design.

So that's what I did. This is my blogger style version of uncluttered design. I hope you like it!

Women's Retreat 2013

2013-04-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

Encouraged. Challenged. Full. That is how I feel after this past weekend.

Along with over 100 women from my church, I spent the weekend at Sandy Cove for our annual women's retreat. It was wonderful.

The weekend was very relaxing and a much needed time of rest. As much as the retreat is meant to help the women of our church grow closer together, the main goal is to bring us closer to God.

This year, we had the privilege to be hear from Larissa. An introduction from me won't do their story justice, so please go to her blog and read about her and her husband, Ian.

During our weekend, Larissa spoke about suffering, love, hope, prayer, marriage and faith. I have learned so much. What was impressed upon me the most was, when faced with a difficult time, Larissa ran to God and found comfort in him. When faced with a tough situation, Larissa made decisions through prayer and faith. God is wonderfully at work in Ian and Larissa's lives. They are a great example of God's love to us.

You can't read their story without being changed. From their blog -

"Ian you know what makes me really sad?"

"what?"

"I wish we could dance together."

"I wish we could too."

"will you dance with me in heaven?"

"the first room that we get to, I'll dance with you."

In between sessions and meals, Mel and I got to spend some quality time with each other and our cameras. We headed to town for a little shopping and sight seeing, but mostly it was our time to snap some photos and talk.

Fellowship with this woman is always uplifting. Mostly, though, we just have fun together.

It's a cute little town, with quite a personality.

Signs of spring were everywhere. It hasn't quite come to eastern pa yet, but it has to get here eventually, right? The weather is changing and finally getting into the 60s, but there isn't much green outside of my window.

I loved this sign outside of a local restaurant. I've been thinking of adding a chalkboard in my kitchen. But that's quite a ways down the line.

Now, this? This is a sign I never want to see. :)

Sandy Cove is right on the bay and we enjoyed every second of it.

Mel and I had a wonderful weekend. I hope you did, too.

Two down - Five to go!

2013-04-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

The kitchen and the dining room are done...sort of.

This is what the dining room looked like when I bought the house. The color - not my favorite. The curtains - had to go. The border - oh my.

Things are really looking up! What a difference a little paint makes! And by "a little" I really mean, several gallons. Everything was primed from floor to ceiling. Then I moved around the room painting white semigloss onto all of the trim. Once the trim was done I painted the walls.

I will need to go back through and paint the windows, but I plan to do that after I move in. So while both of the rooms are done for now - there is still some painting left to do.

I spent all day Friday and Saturday at the house painting. This is what it looked like when I got there Friday morning. It's so nice to see the house during the day and see all the light that comes into the rooms. It's lovely.

Oh, hey Charlie. Do you plan on helping today? Or do you just prefer to lay around? Yup, that's what I thought. Go about your business.

The paint turned out beautifully. I used to make fun of Char when she said gray was her favorite color. That was in my younger days when I had no idea what I was talking about. Sorry Char! Gray is the most beautiful color.

Taping is my least favorite thing to do in paint prep, so I usually just don't do it. Plus, this house being so old, nothing is really straight anyway - taping would just be a huge headache. I'm not too shabby at cutting in, so I'm fine with doing it sans tape.

All the trim in the room was previously yellow and so was the ceiling. So when I say I painted from top to bottom, I wasn't kidding. I don't regret a single bit of it, because the white trim and ceiling have made all the difference. I'm very excited to take to brown paper off the floor and see the new color with the wood flooring.

The kitchen is also finished - but this photo doesn't show that! It was pitch black when I finished painting on Saturday night, so I didn't bother taking photos. Next time I'm there during the day, I'll get some updated shots for you.

The kitchen used to be a shade of yellowy brown, so it's been wonderful to see none of that yuck! I picked a light gray for the kitchen (shocker, I know!). It's nice and bright, but it might not be dark enough so I may be repainting. ha! I say that now, I have a feeling by the time I get around to it I'll be sick of painting.

The current state of the living room - it's primed, but that's it. I have another gray (are you sensing a theme?) picked out for the living room that I plan to carry up the stairs and throughout the hallway. I want to wait to paint until the hallway and stairs are prepped.

This is where I ran out of ceiling paint. That stuff goes fast! It's funny to look at the old ceiling color and remember that I thought it was white. I got the ceiling paint that starts purple and dries white, so you can easily see where you've painted. I obviously didn't need that in here! But I'll tell you what, that stuff is AMAZING when you are on your second coat.

I spent 3 hours at the house the other night cleaning off the stairs and getting them ready for painting. The banister and spindles are definitely on the to-paint list. Though I was starting to lose my patience while taping, I know it will be worth it when the painting starts.

And since I know you're all just dying to know what Charlie does, I'll tell you. She does nothing. She goes outside, pees, comes back inside, sniffs, goes in the basement (where I'm pretty sure she's peed several times - marking her territory), lays on her rug, sniffs, sighs, lays in bed, sleeps, repeat. I bought her a few toys to keep at the house; one of which has a treat in it that she never touches.

She doesn't quite understand why we are there. I can tell she's confused. I could leave her home, but it's nice to have her there. Even if she can't do the work, she might as well keep me company!

Esther asked me "Are you enjoying all the house stuff or getting tired?" Such a good question. While I do get tired each night that I spend there working, I'm so excited to get back the next day. When I know a task I'm about to start is going to be big and take a long time, I usually put it off. Once I dive in, it's full speed ahead! I've really been enjoying getting to the house as much as I can and making it mine. Plus, now that I have a couple of rooms done, I have a sense of accomplishment that is keeping me going. And audiobooks, lots of audiobooks (you know, since Charlie can't actually talk back to me).

House Tour

2013-04-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

The day has finally come - the day when I get to add a "House Tour" tab to my blog. So many of my favorite blogs have that tab and I've always wanted one, too. But, go figure, you actually have to have a house to add that tab.

Now that I have one, I've finally added the before pictures to the tab. Now you can see the whole house in one post. I'll try to keep the photos updated as I move around the house making changes.

Go check it out! Charlie makes many appearances.

April Desktop Wallpaper

2013-04-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

Fifteen days ago, I bought a house. Since then, I have spent all of my time at that house painting and painting and painting.

Because of how busy life has been, I don't have any new photos for you or a desktop wallpaper with calendar. Since there's nothing fresh, let's take a look back at some of my favorite wallpapers.

This photo is from one year ago. I took this photo in my neighbors yard during my golf cart tour of the neighborhood. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to photograph spring. This is still one of my favorites.

This photo was taken on a tour of some very beautiful gardens. A tour that I need to go on again. The color of the plant with the color of the leaves are just beautiful.

This photo was from the same garden tour. The depth and richness of color is the thing I love most about this. I'm so ready for this warmth of color to return to our gorgeous earth. Where is spring? It's definitely not in eastern PA.

While I patiently wait for spring to arrive - while I patiently wait to be able to enjoy sitting in my backyard - I will continue to paint my house and get it ready for moving in.

I've finished two room! Hurray! The kitchen and the dining room are done. It feels so amazing to have them finished. The colors turned out perfectly and I'm very excited to rip the brown paper off the dining room floor to see it all together.

The kitchen will probably need some touch up after we add in the dishwasher. Also, the space above the fridge needs to be cleaned because it. is. disgusting. Because the gross factor is off the charts, it hasn't been painted yet.

I keep forgetting to take over cleaning supplies. Believe it or not, I'm not kidding. I keep forgetting! The house is disgusting. At first glance, it's fine, but when you get up close and personal with a baseboard things change. There's dog hair all over the house and it's teamed up with spiders, dust bunnies, and people hair. It's disgusting and I often find myself gagging.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend!

A Bed Fit for a Queen

2013-03-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

The queen, of course, being Charlie.

As the home preparations have begun, I'm starting to take stock of what furniture I need. There are a few storage items I'll need to buy (shelves, clothing storage, etc.) but for the most part I have everything I need.

Next up - things I want for my new home. The very top of the list - a bed frame and headboard. I want a bed frame. Really. I want one so badly. I know I don't need it, but I want it. I'm sick of staring a boxspring and using three pillows to relax in bed. I tried using just two, but I kept hitting my head on the wall.

click photo for source

For that very reason, I want an upholstered headboard with some cushioning - preferably tufted. You know where I'm running into a problem? The price. I know, big shocker. Seriously, are these things made with golden thread or something? The headboard you see above would set me back $1200. Yikes and no thank you.

click photo for source

This headboard is beautiful. I love the deep navy and the wings on the side. The nailhead trim adds beautiful detail. Regular price - $912.50. Sale price - $519.95. I say again, yikes. It's beautiful, but that price doesn't even include a frame. It's just the headboard.

click photo for source

The bed is a great color and has the wings and frame. I'm not crazy about the frame being upholstered, but I'm not afraid to compromise a little on that. However, I'm not going to compromise on price - $725.46. Dang it.

I shared my woes with my mom who said "Can't you just make that?" Yes. I can. Dang it.

There are many tutorials out there for making your own tufted headboard. My favorite is this one from Sarah at Sarah M. Dorsey Designs. It's absolutely beautiful and it only cost $140. This is the reason I can't spend $800 on a headboard. When I know there is a possibility of making a beautiful headboard for such a great price, I can't possibly pay 5 times that.

So here's my rant - I don't want to do it myself. I have hours and hours of painting ahead of me. After I'm done painting, I have hours and hours of moving/unpacking ahead of me. After I'm done moving, I have many other projects I'd rather be doing. Can't I just buy it? Really, I just want to buy it.

Also, I'm not sure that I have the skills to complete such a project and have it turn out perfect. It would drive me crazy if something was crooked or wrinkled. So this task is a little too scary for me to handle by myself.

I'm a little frustrated that IKEA doesn't have better options. I'm not expecting a tufted headboard, but some new options would be nice. They've had the same designs for the past 2 years. I know this because I've been looking for that long.

Are you feeling my frustration yet?

All of this frustration has led me to several conclusions:

A) Suck it up. Save the money. Pay the big bucks.
B) Suck it up. Ask for help. Be patient. Make it myself.
C) Suck it up. Make the best of what I've got.

For the time being, I'll be going with option C, but not without a little heartache. I really want a headboard and bed frame, but I'm going to suck it up and make the best of what I've got. When things slow down and everyone's got more time - I'll go with option B.

A question for you - do you have a bed frame? If so, where did you get it?