Trying to Count Blessings

[One Woman]

I'm feel so low and frustrated, I could just cry (actually...I did). So we've been in our 30+ year old house for 5 years now. We are nickle and diming through a very slow do-it-ourselves remodel which has taken it's toll on my sanity, lol. Not having a single completely *finished* room in our home feels so depressing and I majorly have CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome). I have no idea when we'll be finished as money is always tight. So many projects to do inside, and don't get me started on the outside (the siding, the deck, the fence, the storage shed...ack! Everything needs attention). Our poor house!

So anyway, we live in a very humble neighborhood filled with either the elderly or young families like us who are just trying to get by. Of all people, I understand trying to make ends meet and not having a lot of extra money. But what I can't understand is why oh why to folks can't keep their property tidy? How can folks *not* feel icky about saying their trash strown all over their yard? We have a family that lives next to us who seem to just not care. The have a couple of big dogs (pit bulls) who tear things up in their yard and make huge messes - and it just sits there. A few weeks back, the dogs tore up something that was filled with fiberfill (a big cushion or something like that) and now it's literally all over their back yard and the wind is blowing it through the fence into ours! I really could just spit nails:(

So I'm out there picking it all up out our yard this morning and one of their pit bulls goes right through our shared, dilapidated fence into our yard and proceeds to (playfully) jump all over me for over five minutes. I couldn't get it to go home or leave me alone and kept raising my voice at it to get off me and go home. The dogs are another story completely and the one that was giving me problems this morning is the same one that spends half it's time at our house. My kids are terrified of it. We live on an acre and they are afraid to go outside! The dog practically knocks me over - the kids don't even have a chance. Long, long history with us and the neighbors dogs...we've had to call Animal Control more times than I can count.

Anyway, I'm just trying to count my blessings and be optimistic about living here right now. I feel like just moving away (I want to live in the country so badly), but with today's economy, it's hard to sell even a perfect house. Trying to sell a half finished house that still needs a lot of work, and then throw in the neighbors awful property and their dogs, it would be impossible.

It wasn't bad like this when we moved here. I was always impressed at how they faithfully mowed their lawn and I never noticed trash and such. But it's just all gone downhill over the years. We have not budget for privacy fencing or any fencing right now for that matter. First things first...braces, new mattresses for the kiddos, new tires- essential things.

Just feeling so overwhelmed with everything right now - and *stuck*. I'm sure many Americans are feeling this way right now about one thing or another. I should be grateful that we can make our mortgage payments and aren't being thrown out of our home, etc. But at the same time, I feel like we are pouring money into something that is causing us so much grief and wonder if we'll ever really enjoy being here, no matter how much we fix it up. There are some things we can't do anything about.

I guess I'm just having a negative, bad day so far. Tomorrow will be sunnier and more positive. I would pull myself up by bootstraps, but I'm having a hard time even finding my boots right now....I feel like I have a lot going for me and I need to channel that into something positive.

Thanks for letting me vent and if you have any tips and ideas or experiences to help keep my head out of the negative, please let me know.

[annielinz]

((((Hugs Kim)))

It good to vent sometimes, but you are on the right track, count your blessings. You have beautiful healthy children, a roof over your head and an income coming in and yes you have a beautiful home.

I realized some time ago there are more important things than having the perfect home. You are young, don't worry that your home isn't finished, invite people over and make memories. Take a break from the house. This may not be the home you want to sink your blood, sweat and tears into.
Make your home safe for you kids, fix the fence, obviously talking to the neighbors about their dogs isn't working.

I've been in your shoes, and felt your emotions, my house is still, after being here 23 years, a work in progress. Make it a haven for your family not an anchor around your neck.
Hang in there.
Mary Ann

[Lisa S]

I can relate to everything you say.

It's hard to have so many projects in the air with no end in sight. We've lived in our house for 6 years. I'm thrilled with the work we've completed so far, but there is always so much to do. There's always a project that's almost done, but not quite.

We have crazy neighbors too. Ours have the mental illness that compels them to buy junk and leave it in their yard. They have pots of ancient plastic flowers, piles of cardboard and beer cans, toys (their kids are in their 20s), two goats and a thriving wild blackberry garden. They don't utilize garbage service and have late night garbage burnings. Very illegal. IWe both have very deep lots with our houses set back from the street and that is my only saving grace.

Money is usually tight here too. I usually have three lists going. One is full of free things I can do for the house, the second is inexpensive fixes and the last is full of the big stuff. There is a benefit to having a lack of money: You have loads of time to plot and plan. ;)

Kim, you are one of the most gifted renovators I've seen. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Take a deep breath and embrace the fact that most of us are living in a never ending project.

[Evelyn]

I am not sure what I can say this morning to bring some light to your day. But I will try!!!

Neigbors are a challenge. Always. Even if they are your dear friends (ask me why I know that :)). We have had several dog problems with one particular neighbor. He has very scary dogs behind a very flimsy fence. I wouldn't walk by his house for months. Through continued pressure from the neighborhood, he finally secured them better....not great, but way better. Perhaps if other neighbor's are also afraid of the dogs you could work together in finding a solution.

I get overwhelmed with my home too.There is always something to do!!! Right now I am tucked upstairs and if I look around I only see 5 things that need my attention. From this location, I can't see the yard/garden so I can't get stressed about it!!!!

Sometimes I find that making a list helps. Then when the easy things get crossed off you feel like there is progress.

Maybe you could make a list of what you love about your home, neighborhood etc .....that might help on those days when the list of things to do is way to long!

It will get better!!!!

Evelyn

[Lisa S]

My first post disapeared from my screen when I was typing it. Annielinz is right ~ enjoy your house now. I had two big parties when my kitchen was mid renovation. I put up plastic on the half built cupboards and plywood on the floor. I WANT people to see the "before". Good food, lots of wine and a few pretty candles go a long way.

[chyna]

My suggestion is to network out to family and friends that you are looking for some fencing. I got our fencing completely free because I let it be known to someone at work who's hubby works at a fencing company what kind of fencing I was looking for and when they went to remove such fencing to replace with something else he let me know. All I was out was a few trips into town to bring it all home. I ended up giving the extra to another co-worker who was looking for fencing too. :)

Also you just need to realize that you can't get everything done at once. I've been in my house for 5yrs also and it is finally showing evidence of all our hardwork. Yes I've been working on that house for 5yrs and you really couldn't tell. How depressing is that?!!!

I bugs me too that some of my neighbors seem to be in lala land about their yards too. But most of it is those lawns. Nothing but soul-less green grass, not a bit of color or personality. I swear I live in a retirement village and there are young families there. I also trade or give away stuff to my neighbors. the people behind us we gave some chainlink too, we got it for free from someone (another fencing contractor who is a friend of my dad's) and I detest chainlink so we gave it to them. They gave me a rose shrub that the wife didn't like because it doesn't require pruning to the ground and it bothered her to see those canes.:rolleyes: I give seeds and plants to the people in the battleship grey house (another story there, I'm itching to paint their house) and when they were tearing out the rock landscaping they gave it all to me. I made many a trip from their yard to mine with big sandstone rocks and river rock. All I was out was the aches and pains of hauling rocks.

Guess I'm telling you to get out there and network, you have something someone else could use and they may have something you can use. Don't give up hope, it can be done and thrifty no less. And know that you aren't the only one laying there in bed thinking abotu all that needs to be done and crying about it. It does seem hopeless but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Some tunnels are just longer than others. And if nothing else when it comes to your neighbor, just know how much better your house looks compared to theirs. :p

[Gigi]

First- That's terrible you feel this way- we all have been there...

That's what's great about this forum-vent and others will always be there to listen.

OMGoodness there have been days I felt the same way. It's all too overwhelming- then you listen to the news about the state our economy is in-well- you know what I'm saying.

I DO KNOW that your home is just beautiful- by all the pictures-- and a true friend could care less about something being finished or not. If you try to think one room, one step, one job at a time.

Lordy- we're going to put our house up for sale soon- and I just want to pull the covers over my head at a times.

Now as far as little Rover--- is there a "leash" law? If so, you have rights as a citizen to protect yourself and your family.

BIG HUGS

[One Woman]

I can't express to you how much your comments mean to me - they put a smile on my face! Knowing that others here have been there or are there really does help a lot . You shared lots of good ideas and things for me to think about. I feel for all of you who are going through something similar and for those of you that have survived it, you inspire me - you just don't know! Thank you, thank you for hearing me out and offering such comforting words of hope :)

I was having all these awful feelings this morning, followed by an appointment at school to register my oldest daughter for high school (she starts next fall!) and it was the last thing I felt like doing...I just wanted to stay home and bawl! But after the appointment, I headed to Goodwill to treasure hunt and think a bit. Goodwill therapy, I guess!

I was in a hurry writing my post this morning (because of the appointment) but what I didn't get to write was that while I was outside grappling with the neighbors dog, one of the neighbors came out. I haven't yet figured out the family dynamics - who is the husband, who is the brother or live in friend...but anyway, when he came out the dog ran back over to their yard. He must have seen or heard me. I asked him if he understood English (I wasn't being sarcastic here, English isn't their first language and I wanted to make sure he could understand me) and he told me that understood some. I let him know that the dogs are still being a problem and that they either need to do something about the fence to keep the dogs in their yard or put them on a chain, which I hate the idea of a chained dog. I was holding huge handfuls of fiberfill and I held them up and told him that this was a problem, too - that it was just awful and trashy, blowing all over our yard, and that something should be done about it. He was very agreeable and apologized - I was tearing up and just excused myself at that point.

I was gone for a while this morning and didn't get back until the afternoon. I spent a little while in my front landscaping bed removing dead and dried up foliage from plants that will be blooming this spring and just generally tidying up. Then one of the neighbors ( a different man than the one I spoke to this morning) came out with a garbage bag and started picking up the trash in their yard. Yay!

So I'm thinking, maybe, maybe, maybe if they know just how much we care about keeping things orderly, they'll pick it up a notch and care a little more, too. I would like for them to care for their own benefit , but even if it's just to keep other neighbors happy, that works as well.

On the downside, their dogs are on very short chains now. Ugh.I hope it's temporary until they can get longer ones or find a fence solution. I'm a huge animal lover and it just breaks my heart. But I love my children even more and want them to have piece of mind and to be safe.

Thanks again for letting me vent. When you feel like you're at the bottom, there is nowhere to go but up. Like someone said, when you don't have tons of money, you have lots of time to plan! And there are lots of projects around here that just require paint, and I love projects like that!

Hugs to all...you've helped me so much and I so appreciate it!

Oh, and Gigi, there is a leash law. It's one of the many reasons that I've had to call Animal Control in the past. I don't know why they keep allowing their dogs to run all over. I think I'm going to have to start calling AC again with this relatively new round of dogs they have if it continues to be a problem.

[RoseMary]

Kim, I got in on this conversation late, and I'm so glad that (by your last post) things are looking up!

I know how hard it is living in 'unfinished'. We have been in our house for over 8 years and we still have so much to do. Some of it is just little things, and others are major 'everybody notices' things.

I'm glad that your neighbor is cleaning up his yard!! I wish some of mine would do the same. Luckily, I can't see anyones house from mine, so it's just when I drive past their homes that I see all the trash and discarded items in their yard. Our own yard is nothing to brag on, but it is not full of garbage. Out here in the country, you expect some 'clutter' in yards, due to farm equipment, animals, etc., but I draw the line at people throwing their household garbage out the door~there's just no excuse:mad:.

I hope that things continue to improve with your neighbors!

[Josephine]

I can so sympathize with the neighbor problems. The house next to us has 4 foot holes in his roof. When we get high winds shingles and insulation blow all over our back yard. The city has been trying to get him to fix it for years and are now working on tearing down the house. We are supposed to call the police whenever we see him because he has warrants out for his arrest. He doesn't even live in the house(probably because it's full of mold) he just stores his corvette in the garage. I'm so happy for you that your neighbors are responding to your complaints! That's a step in the right direction!

[Zuzu's Garden]

For experiences to help keep your head out of the negative? Well, you are definitely not alone.

My house isn't looking too finished either. There's a box of caulking and paint supplies under the kitchen table. The kitchen cabinet doors are leaning against the wall ready to get their second coat of primer (maybe today). There are pictures leaning against the wall still looking for a spot to be hung, and a stash of garden things next to the French door. The floor is unfinished, and there isn't any finishing trim - anywhere. Family and friends know this is the "norm" for me. I'm always working on the house. :p

As for neighbors, we have the same problems up here in the mountains, so moving to the country doesn't really solve the neighbor problems.

For ideas on how to improve relations w/ the neighbors, this may sound like a bit of a stretch, but perhaps you could take the initiative to turn things around. Maybe bake them some cookies and go over and thank them for understanding. Tell them that you love animals and would like to fix the fence so their dogs can play in their yard freely, but you can't afford it right now. Usually, a shared fence is a shared project where both neighbors pay for and build the fence together - perhaps if this is brought up, your neighbors might help come up with a solution?

Zuzu

[One Woman]

Thank you Rosemary and Josephine. I hear you, Rosemary. My yard isn't picture perfect (I have the brown thumb of death when it comes to plants, etc.I'm trying, hehe!) but household trash? Yes, no excuses for that!

Josephine...ugh, what a pain to live next to a house like that. I'm thinking..."he has a corvette and his house looks like that?!" I guess different folks just have different priorities, but still... *sigh*

Well, last evening before sundown the dog was back in our yard on our deck, yes, right outside our kitchen door. I walked over to the neighbors and the two men that I spoke of earlier in the thread were sitting outside. I took my husband with me and both of them rose when they saw us coming. I told them the dog was back and that though I love animals, from this point on whenever we see it in our yard, we have no choice but to start calling Animal Control. He said he understood completely and was very nice about it.

They've always been so nice with us when we've dealt with them and their dogs - even when one of their dogs had to be quarantined by the county for 10 days when it bit our daughter. It *was* on it's own property at the time and she tried to pet it through the fence. It's the county's policy, though, to do that when skin is broken by a dog bite, if I remember correctly, because of the threat of rabies. Even though the dog was on their property at the time, it was on our property more than it was theirs, and wreaked havoc on our garbage bins whenever it could.

Oh, and then there was the time a few weeks back that one of their dogs was in our yard and knocked my daughter over (playfully) and scratched her face. She was terrified! I actually took my daughter to them to show them what their dog had done.

When we went through all this the last go around a couple of years ago, they finally got rid of their big dogs and just got a chihuahua. I was thrilled! But now, they have two pit bulls and the trouble has started all over again.

We'll see how it all plays out.

They picked up the big chunks of fiberfill yesterday but there are still lots of little pieces left. It was so cute this morning when I got up because there was a little bird that lives in a small evergreen tree right in front my porch - it was sitting on the tree with a piece of fluff in it's mouth. Then it darted inside the tree to work on it's nest, I'm sure!

[One Woman]

Zuzu, it looks like we were posting at the same time! Your place sounds an awful lot like mine! Yes, our friends know that we always have something going on...this is our norm right now!

That's a good idea about making them cookies and trying to work out a solution together. They really are sweet folks and I hate that this has come between us and hope that we can get something worked out soon.

[shabbychick]

Even big dogs are easily contained. Your neighbors could, with little expense, purchase a spacious chain-link outdoor kennel/dog run. My former room mate had two large Malamutes and an Irish Terrier. When we weren't going to be in the yard with them, we kept the Malamutes in the kennel. They had their dog houses in the kennel and had plenty of room to move around but were totally contained and safe. Pit bulls can kill, so you don't want them messing around in your yard when your little girl is out there. Even if they're friendly now, dogs are just not that predictable, and you only have to be wrong once. It sounds to me like you've been more than friendly, gracious, and forgiving with your neighbors, and now it's time to start playing hard ball. I'd call animal control every time the dog even put a paw on my side of the fence. And honestly, if it were up to me, I'd put every other one of my projects on hold and build a big fence. It seems like as much grief as the neighbor's dogs and trash are causing you, and with the potential for something truly awful to happen with a pit bull in your yard, the fence would be the best investment you could make right now. I like the idea, too, of making the proposal of a shared fence with the neighbor, but if he turns it down, I'd put one up anyway. I hear you on the trashy yard. I grew up in a neighborhood where my neighbor had rusting cars (some of them stolen) and trash all over the yard. Now there's just an icky old house across the street from me. I can only see it from my upstairs window, so if I don't look out, I'm okay. I try to convince myself it's "rustic," but in reality, it's probably a crack house.

[Lisa S]

I know you're already worried Kim, but I can't help but think a fence ~ very soon~ is a really, really good idea. I'm a dog lover too. I have a dog who is has bitten people coming in to our yard. I've tried my best over the years to find him other home, but he's an old guy now and I'm sure he'll be with us until the end of his days. We keep him away from visitors and my children. I think a dog that will bite a kid when the kid is on his territory is a dog that's unpredicable and therefore dangerous.

[One Woman]

Great advice, everyone. I should clarify that the dog that bit my daughter through the fence has been long gone. That happened about three years ago.

We've secured the fence a little better (plugged the holes/rewired some of the gaps) and now both the dogs are on chains again. We are going to see what we can do about new fencing , but it's going to be tough - our backyard is 3/4 of an acre . I'm hope that they'll just give away these dogs soon like they did the last set. I talked to the lady of the house today and she said that one of them wasn't even her dog. I'm not sure what that meant, if she was just keeping it there for a while or what. So weird.

Anyway, I'll let you know what becomes of them. Hopefully the neighbors will decide just having their chihuahuas is enough.

[chyna]

Far as I'm concerned our fence was the most important repair/addition we have done to our yard. My neighbor would have her grandson walk thru my yard to take her mower to the her front yard. Oh yes she had a gate on her fence but instead of them wearing a path to her gate she would rather her grandson wear a path thru my yard.:mad: And when her dog would dig a hole under the fence she would come to my side and put rocks in the hole so she wouldn't have to mess up her yard. Can't say I was upset when they sold and moved away. ;) The hubby was a great guy and very friendly, she on the other hand decided that she owned the place.

I'm the neighbor who will toss your cig butts back into your yard when you toss them into the street/gutter. Yes that is the new people's offense. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, a fence woud be top of my list of things to get done this year. Check out the free ads, who knows you may find something that will work until the entire thing can be done or whatever. Even if it is ugly you can then just camoflage it with flowering vines or somehting. :p

[One Woman]

Chyna, you sound like me with the cigarette butts. Not home related, but I was in a Taco Bell once and one of the employees was "cleaning" the trash of the tables by throwing it all on the floor. I'm not kidding! He would remove the old liners from the serving trays, too, and just throw them on the floor. I couldn't believe it! After I picked my jaw up off of the floor (and in front of a very long line of people standing at the counter), I went and picked up every single piece of trash that he had thrown down and took it and handed it to him. I told him that this was all the trash he had thrown down - and that if he wanted someone to slip and fall on it, to just keep throwing it on the floor...and if not, to be responsible and throw it in the trash where it belongs! I also told him to be a good example for others. He was embarrassed but apologetic.

People never cease to amaze me (your neighbor...ugh!).

No dog problems since my last posting. Plus, you'll just never believe...

My neighbors have worked on their yard for the last three days. I'm so proud of them! I just wanted them to pick up the fiberfill because it was blowing in our yard and I wouldn't have dreamed of telling them that they needed to haul off all their junk, too. I wanted to, hehe, but I didn't. But this weekend, they raked the remaining bits of fiberfill off their entire lawn, raked up their leaves (we haven't even done that!) mowed, AND hauled off TONS of junk. I passed by yesterday on my way home and the back of their pickup was piled high with junk, way above the cab of the truck. They also had a burn pile going.

They really are nice neighbors and I'm not feeling nearly as hopeless now as I felt on Friday. I'm glad that they really do care enough to work so hard to improve their surroundings. Like I said earlier, I hope that they care enough for own sake, and not just to make me happy.

So just thought I'd share a little update. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and suggestions :)

[Lisa S]

I just want to hug your neighbors!

[chyna]

that is cool!!!!! :cool: They must have needed that little kick in the butt to get going on it.

What's sad in my case is that the neighbor I get along with and like is the one with the stuffed animal guts all over her backyard and I think her dog throws apples in my yard. :p And the old before their time people on the other side with the soul less lawn are the ones that bug me the most. CAn't win for losing in my book huh? LOL

I thought of another idea for you for that fence. Some companies sell or give away their wood pallets, the wood on those pallets are generally pretty good wood so you could pull them apart and make a picket fence of sorts if it gets too bad. ;) Sounds like your little talk with them has got the ball rolling though so you may not have to worry about them and can go back to concentrating on your house instead. :)

[CohenCottage]

I'm glad they've cleaned up their act! We are trying to crack down on dilapidated properties in our neighborhood b/c prostitutes and drug dealers are using them for "activities". Nothing like watching a john pick up a hooker while you are gardening in your front yard...

[Lisa S]

Never a dull moment, right?

[Nikki]

That's great that they are cleaning up!

And wow, I didn't know that so many of you guys had to deal with crazy neighbors/crack houses/trash in the yard, etc...I thought I was the only one!

Apparently this kind of stuff goes on everywhere :(

[One Woman]

Lisa, I could hug them, too! I baked them some cookies today instead!

Chyna - ugh, poor you! I'm sure it's even harder when you get along great with a neighbor other than their trash - it makes it tough to talk about without them getting their feelings hurt :(

CohenCottage, that would be awful. Hopefully things will improve with time, little by little. That's a great fence idea. I've been perusing Craigslist...it seems a lot of folks are looking for fencing, too!

The neighbors are still at it (in a good way!). Today they worked on their landscaping beds, planted flowers, and even a tall plant! I promise I'm not a spy, but I drive past their house every day and can see their yard from my kitchen sink. :) So far, so good! The pessimistic part of me thinks they may fixing their place up so that they can sell to get away from me, hehe!

[One Woman]

Oh, and Niki, I didn't realize so many were dealing with the same kind of issues, too.

[Zuzu's Garden]

Oh, this is very good news, Kim! Neighbors make good neighborhoods. I'm happy for you!
:)
Zu

[chyna]

Cohen

Your neighborhood reminds me of my honeymoon. :eek: My hubby is not one for planning out things and didn't make any reservations for our trip to Vancouver B.C. so we stayed in a hotel in Everett Wa that I swear was a hooker/drug dealer den. Wasn't even sure I was going to wake up in the morning. then we get to Vancouver and again no hotel so I used my Montgomery Ward Auto Club card and get us an room. Fine except apparently my fine auto card was run by comediens. Fine old hotel, steeped in history and also on the outskirts of China town and we had hookers below our windows every night. Well at least it was memborable! :p

What is funny ha-ha (and not entirely in a good way) is that we have a house across the street (the infamous drug house I speak of on ocassion), the lady is a crazy alcoholic, her sis is on probation for having a wild party and they killed a guy by throwing him in the dumpster and her kids are up to who knows what. And yet they are one of the few friendly people on the block. At least they are all entertaining.:D

[Daffodil]

You've gotten great advice so far! I quit reading after awhile only because everyone was saying about the same types of things (and what I would have said, too), but in case no one else mentioned it, when people come over to your house they come over to see YOU--not the chaos. So, swallow your pride, invite everyone who loves you over for a big party, and rock on!

Hugs,
Erin

[cheapdiva]

I think we all need to create our own community - can we build it somewhere warm? I would love to have you all for neighbors! Since we live in a condo (6 units) with only a courtyard and no neighbors who have yards next to ours, this hasn't been an issue for us. And we were very fortunate in our old single family home neighborhood to have only neighbors who made it a contest to see who could have the prettiest lawn/yard!!

BUT we do have 4 units that don't do a thing to help with the landscaping or snow removal. Last year when my neighbor and I took out the last 2 scraggly arborvatie one of the other neighbors gave us a bit of a hard time about it. She was told she could "have a vote" about what stayed in the yard when she did the work. That shut her up!!!

Kim - we are about to undergo some major projects (stay tuned for many before and after photos as we do this) but are still planning on hosting our 2 usual big parties this year. We invited some people we recently met this past fall to our annual holiday open house. In turn they invited us to their annual Superbowl party - which I couldn't wait to go to because we were told most that attend could care less about football - my kind of folks!! Well imagine our surprise to find out they live in a mansion on the lake! Their party was catered with bartenders and the works! This is the second time in the last few months we have attended parties in homes like this.

These people had a great time at our home and just keep talking about the fun they had. They don't care that we live in 1,600 sq. feet while their homes are 10,000 sq. feet (no kidding).

I don't care how much space you have or don't have - as long as it is comfortable, clean and you have made it YOURS - that's what I find important.

I have been following your blog for some time (as you know!) and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything you and your husband have done. I am beyond jealous that I don't have a handy husband. And since I went back to work full time - I don't have the time or energy for projects. :(

I'm planning on taking a day off next month when my husband is going to be out of town just to paint our bedroom!!

And so you know - my kitchen, bath/laundry room will be done on a tight budget and if it is done by the end of the year - i'll be thrilled!!

[chyna]

Good I'm not the only one who takes time off from work just to manual labor. :p

[One Woman]

Thanks so much, Daffodil and Chyna! Yes, we do still have parties (had about 3 in December, which included a couple gatherings for grown ups and the week before a party for the kids...lots of company - it's a December thing!). It's the pop in visitors that take me aback, hehe!

Cheapdiva, have fun with your projects - I know you'll do great with your budget and creativity! Can't wait to see!

[Breezy]

You've gotten great advice so far! I quit reading after awhile only because everyone was saying about the same types of things (and what I would have said, too), but in case no one else mentioned it, when people come over to your house they come over to see YOU--not the chaos. So, swallow your pride, invite everyone who loves you over for a big party, and rock on!

Hugs,
Erin

Well said Erin - especially the 'rock on'!:)

[Scrantonluna]

I think the best thing to be said for home renovations is that you really need to go one room at a time - if you have too much of the house ripped up all at once, it just seems like you can't get anywhere with it.

Try to plan things so that you get a break; most people can paint pretty well, and asking friends to attend a painting party is a good way to get through your finish work in a day rather than a week.

Neighbors are neighbors. Get a copy of your local ordinances, and know what they can and cannot do. I'd bet your local cops don't even know half of the stuff that's on the books. If they are just plain elderly, there's no rule that says you cannot offer to plant a few 'extra' plants you picked up, change a porch lightblub, or rake their leaves in the fall.

You can also petition your town to have 'spring cleaning weeks,' where residents can put out bulky items for the trash. This helps to clear out a lot of yards.

[One Woman]

I think the best thing to be said for home renovations is that you really need to go one room at a time - if you have too much of the house ripped up all at once, it just seems like you can't get anywhere with it.

Lol...Um, too late for that.

If they are just plain elderly, there's no rule that says you cannot offer to plant a few 'extra' plants you picked up, change a porch lightblub, or rake their leaves in the fall.

No, these are young and very able neighbors.

Thanks for the tips!

[chyna]

Kim

You and me. :p I think it is an Attention Deficit problem in my case. I work on a room until I can't stand it anymore and I move on to another. Even rooms that in theory are finished really aren't. ;)

[ChapterTwo]

I work on a room until I can't stand it anymore and I move on to another. Even rooms that in theory are finished really aren't. ;)


Chyna,

I think it's a combo of being excited about getting EVERYTHING done with the impatience that everything takes time...


Kim R./Chapter Two

[Daffodil]

Chyna,

I think it's a combo of being excited about getting EVERYTHING done with the impatience that everything takes time...


Kim R./Chapter Two

Amen! I have the same problem!

[chyna]

That has to be it. In my case there was so much to do that I just ran around with my head cut off trying to accomplish as much as possible in one year and it really bit me in the butt on somethings. :o And there were other rooms that we had pressure from the lendor/mortgage inspector type person to have done before they'd give us the money that corners were cut that in the end I'm not happy about. Like the entire bathroom. I'm cheesed that the plaster was all ripped out and now none of the old trim fits and the room is cold now. The floor was put down against my orders or expectations so it needs to be pulled up and started all over again (except this time I'm going to be a real b*tch and MAKE them do it right) and the sink pedastal will have to be re worked. My dh had the base measured out and everything and my dad made him trim it down only to discover it was correct to begin with. :mad: And that chandelier will be moved to where I wanted it to begin with. My dh is not a good project supervisor to say the least.:mad: