Post your project(s)

[annielinz]

Ok, I really need to get off my duff and get things accomplished. I thought If I put it out there I'll actually get it done.

The weather has finally settled down and hopefully we are done with the rain so I can begin tackling the yard.

Heres my list:
1. Hang up my outside deck curtains
2. Clean off the deck and add the outside rug
3. Spray paint my wicker chair
4. plant some flowers front and back
5. weed (yuck hate that job saving for last)

I'll try to remember to post before and afters.

Whats on your list?

[Gigi]

Duff sitters too :D. Here's my list to help get the house "sale" ready:

1. Organize carriage house garage
2. Straighten up soap kitchen
3. Finish purging attic loft
4. Finish about 5 loads of wash :eek:
5. Million other things to do!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

[annielinz]

So why does an easy project turn into a big project? :mad:
Went to hang my outside drapes which I made from painters drop clothes last summer. I had washed them because they were filthy....well they shrunk. I guess in my haste last year I did not pre-wash, whodathunk. Anyway heres a pic of my high waters and my solution. I had some toile valances I wasn't using so I sewed them together to add length. Now I'm off to do the other side.
Heres my pics: my helper, Pepper the cat and the before:eek: and after:).

[Lisa S]

I think they're better than before! Thank goodness for forgetting to prewash. Okay... I'm headed back outside with the camera. I'm working on the garden today.

[Gigi]

They look wonderful! And your little helper is super purrty too!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Don't you just love mishaps? Think of all the creative ideas that would never materialize w/o mishaps! The curtains look great, Annielinz!

So, I am still enjoying duff-sitting. I've been off work now for 10 days, and have accomplished the following:

1) Naps. Lots and lots of naps.
2) Brought up 3 plants from down the hill and planted them on the east side.
3) Made a bird's nest. Yep, crazy, but it looks really, really good!
4) Planted lavender seeds (inside - still getting below freezing temps outside). I dug up some top soil from the bottom of the hill (everything seems to have to be brought up from the bottom of the hill :p) The seedlings are popping up and I'm hoping they will get past the dreaded damping off problem. This time I shook a little cinnamon on top of each pot (it has proven anti-fungal properties) and things appear to be doing really great.
5) Took more naps.
6) Started making things for my little biz. Today, I made tiny mushrooms out of cotton linter paper. What a blast.

The most amazing thing is that Hubby just smiles at all of my crazy antics, 'cause he knows I'm "in my element" and very, very happy.

Not a bad 'To Do' list, eh?
:p
Zu

[Zuzu's Garden]

Oh, and here's a pic of the bird's nest. The 'eggs' are two wooden eggs that I had painted a couple years ago and were in my stash of crafty goodness.

[yarborough house]

Annielinz- love the curtains. I am taking your idea and bought the curtain zip line from Ikea and will get the dropcloths soon to put on our screen porch. Not that we really need the shade but sometimes we need the privacy from the neighbors children :) It does get very sunny on the front porch so might have to put some there- we'll see.
I love the toile toppers. Zu is right - it is amazing what happens when we have to rethink a simple plan that has gone a bit haywire.

Zu - love the nest so cute. What is the biz you are going to start?

Gigi- okay maybe you need all of us to come help you purge the house- I am sure we could all find stuff that needs to come home with us :)

My to do: hmmm

4-6 loads of laundry
Clean the two little kids rooms - I hate doing that - too many small parts :(
Paint the master bedroom - picked out cup of cocoa from Behr
Clean the craft room - the little tornado's have killed it
Plant some seeds I found that I forgot to plant
Paint the dining room something - gotta find a color
Work on my thrift shop treasures
Get caught up on all of my magazines
arrrghhh and that is just off the top of my head..
well gotta stop talking and start doing

Happy Mothers day to all

[annielinz]

Thanks for the kudos on my revamped drapes. That took me longer than expected and as usual I got side tracked a half million times.:eek:

I still haven't showered and haven't gotten the spray paint or new plants. Its not looking like I will accomplish all I set out to do. I did get some wash done but have to now put the clean sheets on the bed.

Zuzu I love the nest, but I really like all the napping...need to add that to my to-do list:D

Heres the backyard rearranged for now, I'm too tired to do much else.:rolleyes: May just get me a cold one and plop down in that chair in the shade.

Of course after seeing the pic it looks like re-staining the spa should be added to the list. UGH!

[Gigi]

Annielinz- OMGoodness that looks so charming & welcoming. You have done an amazing job! I LOVE this setting in the yard!

Zuzu- I laughed :p.... good for you for taking some naps while off work! Ohhhh ten days off--- I will be doing this the week before the wedding in September.

Tammy- How I remember those days of little ones, little things, pick up, mess up, pick up, mess up! As hard as it is sometimes--they grow up so fast, leave home and still leave their little things at "home". :rolleyes:

P.S.
Have done some laundry
Cleaned the carriage house garage- 5 large black trash bags....toss, toss, toss - My motto now

[RoseMary]

Those drapes turned out great! And now you don't have the unused valences taking up any extra space!

I think I'll start taking some of those naps~mine are usually 'accidental' naps. I tend to fall asleep in the afternoon if I sit down to read.

Tammy, you brought back many, many memories of the 'little' things in kids rooms:). There's nothing like stepping on a little plastic cowboy or Indian when you are barefoot:eek:.

Carrie--I am sad that you are having to give up your soap kitchen, but I know that you'll love your new home and being closer to your kids.

My to do list (or part of it):

Finish tin punch backsplash for kitchen

Paint upper shelves in kitchen

Finish pillows for bed

Paint bathroom

Make curtains for bathroom

Sand pine flooring and apply new finish in the kitchen, living room and dining room.

Finish planting garden

Work on herb garden

[Breezy]

Annie - love those outside drapes. What a clever idea - they look great!

Zu - The little bird's nest is so cute.

You gals are so creative!:)


To Do List -

Laundry Laundry Laundry & buy a couple plants for the front porch

Did get the porch cleaned & hubby washed down the porch furniture for me
Put out some pillows and a plant but it needs more greenery

[Lisa S]

Gigi ~ I'll miss picturing you in your soap kitchen when I think of you. I'm excited about your new house though... and being closer to grandkids is a very good thing.

Zu ~ naps sound lovely. I've been fighting off a cold and napping all week too. Your bird's nest looks so authentic! You're such an artist.

I worked in the yard all day and then had my brother and his family over for a BBQ. A very nice day...

Tomorrow, we'll rise and shine early and head over to the lake house. It's our last chance to lay speaker wire before the drywall goes up. I want music EVERYWHERE. We've got about 1000 feet of wire! :p

Tomorrow night, my daughter is going to a tryout for a movie. She aspires to be an actress and this opportunity came up. We need to race to the mall for something "cute" to wear. All of this takes me completely out of my comfort zone, but it's something she really wants to try... She's actually a very talented kid. But she's a kid. I think I'll try another nap.

Happy Mother's Day my friends!

[Lynzee]

Annie ~ Your back yard is gorgeous and the drapes are perfect! It all looks so inviting and relaxing. Enjoy!

Zu ~ I love the bird's nest. So sweet. Naps sound so wonderful. Can you remind me how to take one?

Gigi ~ We spent last weekend purging the beach house. What a job! BPG took five truck loads to the dump--after sorting out things that could be burned or donated. :eek:

Lisa ~ What a great opportunity for your daughter! My youngest son did a couple of TV shows. It was way out of my comfort zone at the time, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience for him.


My partial "to do" list...

Choose kitchen cabinets
Finish kitchen demolition
Plan/shop for/make decorations for kindergarten graduation
Plan graduation party
Choose kitchen cabinets
Do laundry
Finish spring cleaning at the beach house
Screen contractors to replace framing/sheathing/siding along sink wall in kitchen
Put up new walls in the kitchen
Choose kitchen cabinets

Maybe I'll just take a nap instead... :D


Happy Mother's Day to each of you!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Hey Tammy - the biz was started in 2004 and needs a major overhaul. In a mouthful, I make garden and nature-inspired multi-media art and sell it over the internet. In a nutshell, I have a great time getting lost in art and make a little extra spending money. ;)

Annielinz, Tammy, Gigi, RoseMary, Breezy, Lisa & Lynz - OMGoodness! You all are too serious with your ToDo lists! I highly recommend naps. Put them in the #1 place on your list. I've been off work 10 days, but do not plan to return. Color me retired!!! Annielinz's "get me a cold one and plop down in that chair in the shade" should be #2 on your list. Life is short. Enjoy it!

Thanks for all your sweet comments on the nest. I was really trying to make the nest look authentic, but skipped the part of carrying grasses and twigs in my mouth and assembling it while swaying back in forth in a tree.

LISA!!! Drywall?!? Holy Cow, where are all the pictures? Your house is almost done!

RoseMary - loved the plastic toys on bare feet memory. I woke up this morning, remembered it was Mother's Day, and flashed back to the day two-year-old Jeanine bit me in the butt for not letting her talk to Grandma on the phone RIGHT NOW! :eek::p

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Zu

[cheapdiva]

Happy Mother's Day to All!

I am still in living room paint delima! First started painting with a flat paint and thought that it needed a little "sheen" so bought same color in eggshell. It just seems to "suck" the light out of this room though - the color, not the paint type.

Am meeting with the kitchen designer this morning and will probably buy more paint - God help me!!! soon, I'll be like you-know-who! Have to go to my community garden today and throw my wheelbarrows full of fresh topsoil on it or I'll be kicked out of the garden. Spent a large part of last summer just cleaning up the plot I rented because it was so overgrown and weedy.

Divided the plot into 2 with a narrow stone path down the center - one side for veggies and one side for cut flowers. Put down weed blocker and 3" of mulch and planted a few things because it took me so long to clean it up. NOW the "committee" wants everyone to add more dirt to their garden plot and they want it done by today. They bought too much topsoil and they want it off the lawn so everyone has to add soil to their plot. This just makes work for some of us!

Okay - will post photos later of paint and garden progress.

[Heather]

Ahhhh paint, paint, and more paint!
Let's see...

Finish painting my front door and steps (more coats of red on the door).
Paint veranda.
Work on fireplace - I was going to do the layering mirrors idea but that's not going to work. Now I think I need cupboard doors on the bookshelves....
Paint trim in the kitchen - DH is installing more now (cabinet feet) and I will paint it up.
Another coat of grout on my river rock patio.
Sand and repaint kitchen floor - it got scuffed majorly when we moved appliances etc back into the new kitchen.
Re-do all hardwood floors in dining room and living room - bits are coming up inbetween the cracks now!
Paint exterior of house - yup, we got a quote to have it done but DH said, "you like to paint, doncha?" and we'll buy a bigger boat with that money instead.

That's what I'll be up to this summer.
Will y'all help me out with your advice?

[mac78]

Annielinze, I love your patio. It is so inviting. I can picture myself hanging out there for an afternoon nap.

[annielinz]

First off,
Happy Mothers Day All


I didn't quite go get me a cold one and relax.:rolleyes: Ended up repainting the top of DD dresser. She has a mirror/shelf on top of it, that was from my dresser and its still in dark wood. I got some paint on it and said "what the heck" and began painting it white. I figured she's away at college, she won't be home for awhile, she'll be surprisd. Just as I got the first messy coat on, the doorbell rings and DH got it since I was covered in paint. He then says we have a guest for dinner.:confused: Into my DD's room walks my DD!!! She surprised me for Mothers Day.:)
Well, I was just so excited,wordless,crying, hugging and OMG the happiest mother ever!.
Anyway, she is going to come to Mothers day brunch with us and then have to head back to school but I got "my girl" fix.
So I do hope all of you mothers relax today give your kids a hug or talk to them on the phone and remember being a Mom is pretty cool.

Me and my girl taken a few years ago

[Breezy]

Annie - great pic of you and your girl! What a wonderful Mother's Day surprise she gave you!

After reading all the "to-do" lists I could use a nap. Tired me out just reading about all that work!;)

[yarborough house]

My goals for this weekend were:

My to do: hmmm

4-6 loads of laundry
Clean the two little kids rooms - I hate doing that - too many small parts
Paint the master bedroom - picked out cup of cocoa from Behr
Clean the craft room - the little tornado's have killed it
Plant some seeds I found that I forgot to plant
Paint the dining room something - gotta find a color
Work on my thrift shop treasures
Get caught up on all of my magazines
arrrghhh and that is just off the top of my head..
well gotta stop talking and start doing

well I pretty much dropped the ball big time.
I did get 4 loads of laundry done but the rest..well it has slipped to my to do list for this week..dang it.

Things we did get done that weren't on the list though -
finished painting the fence,
cleaned out all the watering cans and put them on display on the front
porch.
grocery shopping done
made dinner for everyone for mother's day and had my folks over..Yeah I cooked.
cleaned a bit..

well now I'll have a busy week I guess.
And I am throwing in a tuesday shopping trip to Sam's and Hobby Lobby..oh well that at least is fun :)

enjoy the remainder of the weekend ladies.

[Lynzee]

I didn't quite go get me a cold one and relax.

I did, Annie! I was so tired of looking at kitchen cabinets and trying to decide what I want that I decided to stop off in Margaritaville for a while. Then I dreamed about kitchen cabinets that night. :eek: What a great picture of you and your daughter!

I'm impressed, YH! You got things done that weren't on your list! Laundry was at the top of my "have to do" list and I never did get to it.

CD ~ I thought you were working on your kitchen. I didn't know you were working on your living room, too. I really am behind. How is your project coming along?

Lisa ~ How did it go at the lake house? Sounds like it is coming along if the drywall is going up. Will it be ready this summer?

Heather ~ We are going to paint the exterior of our house ourselves. I just can't see paying that kind of money to someone else for something we can do. The boat will be a very nice payoff for your hard work! :D

Zu ~ I am definitely adding a nap to my to do list--once I get finished with everything else that is on it. :D

[Lisa S]

Good Morning! Today is another day and a new 50 things are on my todo list. It's my husband's birthday, so I want to make a nice dinner and a cake. I left birthday shopping to the last minute, so I'll have to remedy that situation too. I'm meeting with a friend of ours who puts on a Christmas show with about 5 musicians. All of the proceeds of the event go to charity. He wants me to coordinate the fundraising efforts. My head is in a major fog from my cold and I'm sooooo tired from all the weekend activities. I hope I feel more awake around lunch time, so I can talk intelligently. I just want to lay my head on my keyboard and take a nap. I've got no room to moan and groan. Dan was at the Lake House at 4:00 this morning putting up speaker wire (forgot the drill yesterday). He's a good man to get up so early on his birthday.

[Heather]

Busy busy! At least you have time for us Lisa!

[annielinz]

Most of my projects have to wait till the weekend to complete.:( However tonight my DH is out of town so I will take this time to finish painting DD's dresser. I may also run to the nursery afterwork this week and pick up some flowers to plant while its cooler in the early evening.

[shabbychick]

Okay, this isn't much of a project because all it required was some basic cleaning. I've been wanting a dressing table like I had when I was a young teen, but I've never found anything I could afford. I was at Value Village this weekend and found this little thing for only $20. I can see by the holes in the back that it's part of something larger, but who knows where the rest of it is? Anyway, I thought it would make a serviceable dressing table, so I brought it home and cleaned it up a bit. This summer I'll make some kind of fancy skirt for the front, maybe, and hide a few baskets underneath. The chair is one I bought at an antique mall (though it's not really an antique). I loved the material. I've had it awhile but it just looked funny sitting in the room all by itself, and I think it's much better paired with the dressing table.
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[Heather]

Hey Shabby, I love your stripes! Did you do them? Can you show us more?
I was just thinking the other day I'd like to "paint" stripes with glaze just like the size of yours in my living room.

[Heather]

Lynzee, I saw your "make do kitchen" in your profile... brings back memories - we did the same thing last fall. To kid-proof my essential kitchen items I cleared out the linen closet and set up in there. Jeesh!

So, have you picked out cabinets or is that a bad question to ask right now? Are you going white or wood or.....???

[Breezy]

shabby - love the table it's just the right size for a vanity and looks so lovely with the chair and other things with it. Great job!

[annielinz]

Shabby what a darling room - love the stripes- great job with the table!

[Lynzee]

Shabby ~ What a beautiful room! The vanity is perfect.

Heather ~ Isn't it lovely? :rolleyes: The "sink cabinet" is new, but I am proud of it! We didn't have running water in the kitchen until a week ago! :eek: We didn't bother to organize or protect anything--just threw it into other rooms until they were full. I haven't decided on kitchen cabinets yet. Doesn't seem like anything I've seen will work in my strange space. Or maybe I just don't have a clue as to what I want. A local cabinet maker is coming today to see what he can do for us--maybe he will have the answer. Will keep you posted...

[annielinz]

Finished up my "wasn't on the list" project I unexpectedly started on Saturday. I am very pleased the way it came out and it marries the two pieces of furniture together nicely.

Heres a pic before (sorry its not a good one) and after of the mirror that I painted white with some left over paint I had.

[Lisa S]

Very pretty!

[ChapterTwo]

It now looks as if they were made to be together...good job! :)

[RoseMary]

Shabby--I love all the yellow! That little vanity was a great find.

annielinz~they look like they came together! Good job!

[yarborough house]

annielinz- they look great and as if they were married from day one.

[Gigi]

Love the cabinet painted white--- I will be doing a similar cabinet in the near future....

[annielinz]

Thank you guys. I don't know why it took me so long to do it. It's been like that for years.:rolleyes: I guess I needed a little push. That and having guests coming to use the room:p.

[Evelyn]

Annielinz....looks good! Cute cat!

Evelyn

[shabbychick]

Annielinz, that's a beautiful piece of furniture! Great job on the painting! It's just amazing what a difference a coat of paint can make, isn't it?

[shabbychick]

Thanks for the nice comments about my "new" vanity table. I'm enjoying using it, though I need a bigger mirror. Regarding the wall, yes, I did paint the stripes. It took forever, but it was worth it in the end. I do have some more pictures, but they're on my computer at school, so I'll post them when I get a chance. Glad you liked it. The master bedroom was the last room I tackled after I moved in because I just couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do, and then I kept changing my mind about the paint color. I think I'm finally done now, lol.

[ChapterTwo]

Your dressing table area looks so fresh and pretty! I agree - a larger mirror will be the perfect addition. When I cleaned out my parents' home, I had to take my old dressing table/mirror, because it brought back so many happy memories of getting ready for a date when I was younger.

At any rate, I think your purchase is wonderful and I love the way everything looks!:)

[Lynzee]

The mirror really looks great, Annie!

I don't know why it took me so long to do it. It's been like that for years.:rolleyes: I guess I needed a little push. That and having guests coming to use the room:p.

Nothing more motivating than expecting house guests to move a project along! That's when the majority of mine get completed. :D

[Zuzu's Garden]

Your "wasn't on the list" project came out great, Annilinz!

Which brings me to my "wasn't on the list" project. I sanded the kitchen cabinet doors (after 2nd coat of primer) and planned on painting the first coat of paint on Tues. But, our "wasn't on the list" laptop died instead. So after two days of taking it all apart and finding out that it wasn't repairable, we spent another two days purchasing a new laptop and some of the gizmos to get it working. We still need to purchase hardward to upload digital pics to the computer and get the printer to work.

That's the prob with a ToDo list. Mine is extremely long, and all this other stuff jumps in and changes plans. I did accomplish moving more plants to the foundation garden this week, but that's about it. Guess I need to make a "Wouldn't it be Nice if I Could Finish:" list. :p

I'm just happy to be back online and catching up with you all!

Zu

[Gigi]

:)Annielinz~ What a great pic of your daughter and yourself---you two look like sister--beautiful!

What a wonderful surprise that must of been--- :)

[Heather]

Morning! So, I dug up this thread to read what my goals were and to see how it was going and I'm about half way through my list! What about you ladies? How much of your list have you got done - Gigi and ChapterTwo don't count as they get new houses!

[yarborough house]

Morning - well Heather I got all those projects done- guess I set the bar too low. But since then the list has grown considerably.

Now it is:

finish kitchen
hit ikea and get sink and other stuff
get all the furniture done for show in October
get sewing done
get yardsale crap ready for this saturday
get son off to college without totally losing it
ahhh it keeps going and going

[Heather]

Hey Tammy which sink from Ikea? The single or double wide farm sink? If you need help I have pics on how it is installed. Also, what are you sewing?

[Lisa S]

One finished project brings a new one:

Our lake house is finished. Now I need to refinish furniture and move it all in. And make curtains. And do some shopping. It's getting very exciting!

I started a new business of fundraising for charities. At the moment I have four clients, one of whom is in crisis mode. I'm running around like a little chicken without a head. I need to start making lists...

The inside of my trailer is finished. It looks adorable. I had initially hated the apple green color I painted it, but with the cushions, pillows and curtains in place, it looks great. It's up at the lake house, but I'll take/post pictures of it soon.

My yard is in dire need of weeding. I'm trying not to look at it. It's about a hundred degrees outside. We don't have AC, so I'm in survival only mode. The only yard work I'm doing is tramping the grass down by the pool.

[vintage girl]

I am in vacation mode right now. We do not head out until the 13th of September, but we will be gone for three weeks and are taking all 4 chi-wi's, so have a LOT of preparation. Current to do list:

1. New countertop and sink for kitchen
2. Remove wallpaper and crown moulding in master bedroom
3. Paint master bedroom and install new crown moulding
4. Get daughter registered for second semester of college
5. Put wheels on chair in dining room
6. Power wash all bird cages in the birdroom
7. Polish and seal floors in entire house (done once a year)
8. Register my daughters car with DMV:eek: I HATE dealing with the DMV
We have been trying to get this done for 2 years now!! We purchased
car used from our neighbor. Well the DMV showed that at one time it
was registered out of state. Finally got that worked out, paid a zillion
dollars in fees. Well time came for renewal and they did not sent it out.
Went down to DMV, apparently they need more paperwork and $360 more
dollars. By this time the fees I have paid are more than the dang
car!! Paid the fees, got the tags and new plates (again). Well now it
is due again and they have not sent the renewal AGAIN!!! I need to go
down there again. I am off on Friday, but guess what???? They are
closed this Friday due to furlough days. I now have to take a day off
work to do this AGAIN!!! I may need hubs to bail me out of the big
house because I am so over this. I am afraid I am going to flip out.
9. Get my prescription for Prozac refilled;):D

[yarborough house]

Hey Heather-

Well my sink base is 36 inches so I think I am going with the double bowl farm sink. I just don't see me being able to function with one bowl..

Sewing- well I have tons of pillows to make and froo froo up. Aprons to sew and also some gingerbread men out of flannel, wool, and muslin. All of this for our booth.

The cabinet company called today and said my cabinets would be delivered on tuesday the 4th - yeah next week. Oh shit. So, now I really have to get this crap rolled out - can you say crap? Now I am starting to panic...yikes.

gotta go my head is spinning out of control and yes I'd love for you to send any and all pictures you have to me concerning the sink.

Question- did you buy your faucet from them also? I notice the sink only has one hole in it? hmmmm

tammy

[Lynzee]

.9. Get my prescription for Prozac refilled;):D

I am right there with you, vintage girl!

So where am I? Let's see...

The cabinets and countertops are installed. The cabinet doors fall off when we open them, so we're contemplating a total open cabinet look. :rolleyes: Thus far, nothing has been moved back into the kitchen.

The flooring is here somewhere. Hasn't been installed because we bought two cabinets from Lowe's to go on either side of the refrigerator, so the breakfast bar had to be moved back two inches into the dining room to accomodate those. We completed that last weekend.

Half of the kitchen has been painted. Really bad news is that since the house is a giant L, and every room can be seen from every other room, all of the rooms now have to be painted.

The subway tile is also here somewhere. May have to toss that idea though because the genius cabinet maker cut the hole for the cook top in the wrong place, so the cooktop will not even be close to being centered beneath the tiled backsplash I designed.

None of this is a priority anymore, as it would now seem that our septic drain field has failed. :(

The good news--as soon as the kitchen is back together and the septic lines are repaired, this little cottage in the woods will be FOR SALE!!!!

[Heather]

Oh Lynzee, how come you're going to sell your house?
Hang in there girl - it will all get done.

[yarborough house]

It will be for sale? I know I have been inhaling a lot of paint fumes but did I miss something?

[Zuzu's Garden]

Eeeeek, Lynz! For sale? After all that work?

I can't deal with the long, never ending scrolling list thing. Living in the moment, today I paint.

Zu

[Lynzee]

I know these two projects will get done, Heather, but I just can't hang in there through any more and they just keep presenting themselves--almost on a daily basis.

I think I must have been breathing too many paint fumes when I wanted to buy this place, YH. No, you didn't miss anything. It is a recent decision.

Yep, Zu ~ For sale! I don't have any grand illusions that it will sell anytime soon--if ever--but it is definitely for sale.

[Lisa S]

Did the septic system act as the final straw?

[Gigi]

Lynzee- When we put our house up for a sale we thought---a year to sell- BUT it only took 9 days- took us for a loop :eek:

I have never given sooo much to goodwill, family, friends and alot of furniture and tools are going to Habitat for Humanity... so I feel good about that. Also I feel good that I don't have to worry if something happens to my husband and myself the kids don't have to pack up this home of 23 years...

With all the work you are doing- don't be too surprised if it may sell quickly-- do you have a place yet to move to?

[Lynzee]

It really did, Lisa. Even though it was just one small part of the big picture, the timing and the enormity of the problem--and the solution--was enough.

We do not expect to get that lucky with the sale, Gigi. The previous owners had abandoned the house five years before we bought it because it hadn't sold, and they continued to try to sell it for a few years afterward. The realtor who had tried to sell it for them told us that many of the potential buyers loved the house but couldn't live with the location. In the end, the previous owners just gave up. We may very well end up sailing the same boat. The decision is so recent that we have not thought about where we will go but, because we have custody of the little one, we are confined to this county so that will narrow our search considerably. :rolleyes:

[CohenCottage]

Well, the walls are finished and the tape has been removed! DH is touching up a few spots on the ceiling, and then we are done! The trim is going to have to wait for another day b/c the walls aren't dry enough to tape. Now we need to sort everything that was on the shelving, clean the shelving, and paint chalkboard labels on the metal bins. Front door is done and back door is about to get final coat...Will post pics soon.

[CohenCottage]

Here is the dog room in all its cluttered, dusty glory...

[Gigi]

Wow~ it's great! You must be so thrilled... :)

[CohenCottage]

We still need to sort, purge, and clean the things that are going back on the shelves, but we are done for tonight and the back and front doors are done too!

[Lisa S]

Wow ~ You rock! What color did you use on the walls? Very pretty.

[Gigi]

Wow! Love the blue with the black door.

[mac78]

I love the blue too.

[CohenCottage]

Thanks! It feels so much cleaner in there... The blue is 'Phillipsburg Blue' by Benjamin Moore and the door is 'Urbane Bronze' by Sherwin Williams. It's a dark gray/green/brown color...We used it on the inside of the front door too.

[Gigi]

Lisa and Rosemary~ Thanks for mentioning my soap kitchen ( :o )--- I have spent alot of time in there during the last several days- packing it up. This makes me very very sad- but so thankful for some wonderful memories.

On a good note- we are making a "soap studio" at our beach house- as soon as the wedding is over- my soap supplies will be brought down to our beach house. The double garage is being made over for my studio--- and it will be wonderful to make soap --- waterfront view--BUT nothing will replace my soap kitchen under the willow tree... Lisa I'm glad we were able to visit there.

Okay now I'm sad- but memories of seeing my grandbabies everyday are making me smile.

[shabbychick]

Cohen Cottage, that's a lovely shade of blue! There's just nothing more satisfying than successful room makeover, is there? :)

[shabbychick]

Oh Gigi, a work studio where you can look out on the water sounds just wonderful! I'm afraid I'd spend all my time sipping tea in front of the window rather than working.

I always find moving sad even when I'm looking forward to the new place. I'm very much a nester, and I hate having to leave a place I've worked so hard to personalize even when there's something new waiting for me to leave my mark on it. I know that if the day ever comes when I can sell my condo and build my own little house, I'll still hate leaving the condo.

However, if my own little house ends up being on, say, the Oregon Coast, that might go a long way toward easing my sadness, lol.

[Heather]

CC that looks fantastic! I love the colours you chose!
Now, that colour (blue) goes great with your wood floor in the picture but are those the floors that you want to change?

[Lisa S]

Rosemary ~ your soap kitchen is beautiful! I've never been in a place more condusive to creativity. You have every right to miss it like crazy. I have a sneaking feeling that any place you inhabit will be transformed into a place to die for. You've just got that talent.

[annielinz]

CC, love the blue it looks great!

[CohenCottage]

Heather, those are the floors I want to change...you are right they look pretty good in the photos, but in real life, they are much more orangey yellow in color. That room has the most natural colored floors, but I think they put less poly on them. The other rooms are much more orange. Also, that room was added on when we bought the house, so it has settled and there are lots of spaces between the boards that need to be filled. I also noticed when we cleaned it out that the finish has really worn down (probably b/c of the dogs). So we need to refinish that room even if we don't change the colors b/c it is our highest traffic room.

Do y'all want to hear something gross? I mopped with a microfiber mop before we painted, but then we got paint splatters on the floor. My idea was to loosen them with the steam cleaner so they came up easier. That plan worked, but I ended up going through 3 clean rags on the steam mop b/c so much dirt came out of the floor. It was GROSS! I learned my lesson...no more slacking, I need to steam the floors regularly instead of being lazy and just regular mopping.

[CohenCottage]

Do y'all think I should spray paint the dog crates? If so, what color? We have some antique bronze leftover from spraying the plates on the front door. It's similar to the color we used on the back door...

[Breezy]

Cohen - the color you chose looks great - well done!

ps - I'd not bother to paint the dog crates - they look fine as is.

[CohenCottage]

Ok, ladies...primer then two coats of paint (with an 18 hour dry time) seems to have worked. The paint is still wet but the tape is off. I need to go over the big bins with a detail brush later b/c you can see some primer at the edges.

On the smaller bins, I'm thinking that I should have painted the label above the handle rather than below...what do you think? Please excuse the photo quality...I was using my camera phone.

[shabbychick]

I think the labels look great painted just where they are. Good work!

[chyna]

I spray painted my dog crates at home but that is mostly because they are under the stairs in my livingroom and since the stairs are open...... :o I just painted them a dark brown to hopefully blend in a bit with the woodwork and floors.

It's just spray paint, you can always paint them some other color if you decide to. Do what makes you happy. :)

[CohenCottage]

Chyna, did your crates look better after you sprayed them and did they scratch or peel?