Small Projects

We worked on some small projects this week.  Last week, I added curtains to the small guest bedroom (my soon-to-be "office"). 

I put a set of blinds in the laundry room last week as well. 

These were originally in the small guest room, but I found that they darkened the room too much.  This room needs as little light as possible.  It gets very hot during the day, and more sunlight wouldn't help. 

I also finished the label design for the office walk-in closet.  I bought some name badge labels from Target, and came up with a label design with Illustrator.  Here's how they look on the bins:

 
I also found a very nice template for my blog.  I was unhappy with my other blog design, which I had done myself.  I think this looks cleaner, and less homemade.  What do you think of the blog redesign?

1 YEAR!

Yesterday, Nick and I celebrated 1 year of home ownership.  It's hard to believe that it's been a year.  We haven't done as much as I had thought we would do in the first year.  I've found that it's quite difficult and expensive to do all the things I want to do.  
These are the 4 big (most expensive as well) we completed this year.

New plumbing in November

New landscaping in March

Master Walk-in Closet Redo in May

Office closet Redo done in September

The Master Suite, Office, and Living Room are the most complete rooms at this time.  

We also expanded our family, with Frank and Dino

As a present to celebrate our 1 year, the Bird of Paradise has flowered for me.  It had me on the edge of my seat all week, wondering when it would open.  I was a kid in a candy store Saturday morning when I saw it finally opened.  Bird of Paradise has been my favorite flower for a long time, and I am delighted to have one in my front yard.

After a year in the house, I'm looking forward to the next year.  I hope you have enjoyed the first year, as much as we have.

Updates: Guest Bathroom & Guest Bedroom

I have been lazy finishing up projects around the house.  I have always been good at starting projects, but get 80% done and walk away.  It's a bad habit, but I have a husband who reminds me of the unfinished projects, so that helps.  Here's what I hope to finish by the end of the year.

Finish This List:
-install shelf in guest bathroom
-redo curtains in small guest bedroom
-install curtains in small guest bedroom
-hem living room curtains
-hem laundry room curtains
-repair or replace living room blinds
-make labels for closet bins
-repair shelf in master closet
-add shelf to small guest bedroom closet
-take concrete to dump
-move dirt to low spots
-replace/move front gutter

I'm sure there's more, but I just can't think of anymore.  Even this list is 80% complete.  Hehe.

This weekend I did get the first two things on this list done.

 

This was a "free" project.  I had the shelf, artwork, and pottery already.  It's not styled the best, but it's what I have for free.  One thing off the list.

Last week I said that the small guestroom will be going through transformation over the next couple of months.  As part of the change, we removed the bifold closet doors, and hung floor-to-ceiling curtains.  The closet houses the litter boxes, so keeping the doors open left a rather unattractive view.  Curtains allow the cats to get in and out, but hide their boxes.  I also added a matchstick roman shade to the window.

 This will eventually be a lounge for us and our guests.  I'm planning on moving most of my "office" artwork to this room.  I have purchased curtains and a rod for the window, but I'm waiting to find the right chairs.  When we need, this room can be converted into another guest room with our inflatable mattress.

Are there any project you have completed lately?

 

 

 

Help me pick a color!

Nick has been on vacation with his bosses for their annual trip to watch some college football, so I had the house to myself.  I usually plan a project during these times, and this time, I decided to paint the small guest room/cat room.  

The original color was Eggnog by Behr.  It was the color that was on every wall in the house when we  bought it.  It bright daylight, it looks like eggnog, but when its cloudy outside, after  dusk or under incandescent lighting it looks more butter/yellow in color.  I don't like the color very much.  I'm slowly going to paint every wall in this house to get rid of this eggnog color.

So here's the eggnog room:

 

So Thursday night, I started to edge out the room with Gentle Rain by Behr, but by the end of the night I was starting to think it looked a little too purple.  I waited until the morning to see it in daylight.  Daylight did not help, it looked like gray and pale lavender mixed together.  That was not the look I was going for.  My options were limited:

1. Live with the purple

2. Buy a new color

3. Mix my own color with left over paint from the bedroom (Harvest Brown by Behr).  

 Since I was looking for brown-gray color, I mixed my own color.  I had about a 1/2 quart of the Harvest Brown, and added that to the gallon of Gentle Rain.  In the can, and as I rolled it on, it looked like a boring beige, but when it dried it looked more gray. 

Here's the hand mixed color:

 

 Depending on the lighting, it's a gray-brown, or a gray-faintest hint of purple color.  This room will going through a large transformation in the next couple of months.  I will keep you posted with all the updates.  

I also finally got a mat for a print Nick's parents gave him about 2 months ago.  As with most of the prints we get, the frame is from Ikea, and the mat is custom ordered from Michael's.  It's a cheap way to get a custom look without the price.  This one was about $30 for the frame and mat, much cheaper than the $100+ we would have paid to get it custom done. 

 Since the paint color debacle in the guest room, I decided to get more paint chips to choose from for Nick's office.  I was planning on painting this room Gentle Rain like the guest room, but since that is too purple, I'm back to the drawing board.  So I need your help, which color do you the most?

So which color do you like the most?  (4 is not the wall color; it's Baked Brie, not Eggnog) I'm looking for a brown/gray color.  These vary from more brown to more gray. 

PS. It's the Week 1 in the NFL! Go Packers!

Pantry and Closet, Again

Yesterday, we were busy with family.  Nick's parents were in town, visiting our niece (their grandbaby #1), so spent the day with them.  Very relaxing, very enjoyable.

This week we bought containers from Ikea to fill and organize the closet.  We also bought handles for the pantry.  

The closet looks great!  This is what it looks like when you open the doors.

This is the tool station.  Pegboard holds commonly used tools.  The toolbox below holds seldom used tools, and the organizers on the floor hold screws, nails, and other fasteners.

This is the tall items side.  It holds the ladder, and golf clubs.

We plan to put nice labels on the front of the containers.  More on that later. 

I added the pantry last week as well. After only a week with the pantry, I love it.  It adds so much storage, without taking over the kitchen. 

The handles were from Ikea, and match the handles in the laundry room.

How was your labor day?