Open for discussion

This is my attempt at creating a cleaner look and beginning the process of changing things up a bit.

I think I may have to have someone actually create a new look for me, but if you know how and can teach me online (yes, I'm looking at you Martie!), I am ready and willing to learn!

Stacey

New Digs-Part Trois, Progress

To review:

The Preview

The Walk-Through

So when we last visited, I shared the skeleton of the house.  The "before" move-in pictures.

Building a house was, as some might have experienced, a  challenging experience.  A dance, or maybe a boxer's ring at times, of compromises!  But we survived.  Actually, we are still surviving because there always seem to be more decisions that require convincing from one person or another.

The inital process was stressful with many decisions to make.  I felt slightly outnumbered many days with my husband, my builder (male), and my father-in-law all giving me their opinions.  However, even the decisions that I actually did get to make were stressful.  Obviously, designing cabinets can be overwhelming, but I wouldn't have dreamed that considering knobs would make me lose sleep at night!  ;)

In the end, the house is nice.  Some favorites would be master closet overall, cabinet space/storage, slide out pantry drawers and trash cans, glass cabinet doors in kitchen, mud room, laundry room, hobby room (if I ever get it organized so I can actually use it!).  Some things that I would seriously reconsider next time would be glass block window in master bath (I actually think I requested that but nobody else seems to remember that but me!), stained vs painted cabinets through the whole house (Obviously, we needed to make budget considerations and that was one of them.  We chose stained cabinets in living and kitchen but painted everywhere else.  I am not super impressed with the outcome.  Part of it is the color we chose-dark, but i think part of the problem may also be paint quality.  A builder issue we need to address.), my idea of the pull out spice cabinet next to stove ventahood (unforseen dimensions rendered it useless for what I wanted), and not having any trees around the house.

The pictures below were taken before our guests arrived for a church class Christmas party.  You can rest assure my house is never really this clean or pretty!! 

looking from hall with dining on left and living on right

dining room

office

looking from entry towards living room

another dining room pic

looking into breakfast/kitchen from living

extra seating!

kitchen pics

powder bath

master bedroom.  still lots to do.  i decided on green, creme, and taupe so it would flow into the bathroom which already had green accents in the tile.  it has been tough to find curtains to compliment the taupe in the bedspread.  i'm gonna have to take a sham cover with me when i go hunting next time.  i also want to find an old piece that is much longer to house the TV and accessories.  i'm thinking of painting it creme then aging it once i find what i like.

master bath

laundry

mud room.  i want to make one of the side walls a fun place for notes, messages, etc.

brax's room.  still lots to do.  poor guy lived with in his parent's room for 14 months!  he has inherited lots of hand-me-downs like the crib, toy storage, book bench, and rug.  i am still trying to figure out what i actually want to do for him in here.

boys' bath.  i think i may keep the jungle theme and just grow it.  what do you think?

anysa's room.  we are still working on the transition from little girl.  i so loved her dick and jane theme for the last 8 years, but i can live with pink and black.  i agreed to a little zebra and a little hot pink, but not TOO much!  notice we still have the d and j dresser.  we got her bed at an outlet and my mil found her desk/hutch at a garage sale.  it was white and we painted it, along with painting her night stand and a few accesseries that had previously been green.  her gigi passed along the pink chair.  i would really love to try to recover it, but it seems like a scary project!  i am hoping to find things to redo.  we have a lot to do and i hate making decisions!

luke's room.  it was pretty easy because we had everything from previously and we weren't making any major changes.  we added the red shelves above the doors.  i had them in other places before in previous homes.  they are from an original red school house.

FYI, I have had pretty good luck with my orders from Overstock.  We got our living room curtains and rug from there.  I tried to order my master curtains and some bar stools from them as well, but the stools were too short and curtains wrong color.  It was harder to pick a taupe than a dark brown like in the living!  We got our dining room curtains from JCPenney.  We got our two couches, chair with ottoman, and end tables from a wholesale warehouse in town.  Price was great, but not the wait!  That being said, I really love the colors.  Dark brown and a pretty sea foam/aqua.  I am doing red accents in the living, breakfast, and kitchen, then pulling in complimentary colors into the dining room.  I love my buy one/get one red lamps from a discount place in town!  And did you notice the piano tucked in a corner in the living room?!  I snagged that from Freecycle!  Yes, free!  Well, minus the physical labor from me and husband to move it!  Can't wait to get it tuned and start Anysa on lessons!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! 

Now would someone please come help me make decisions!!  :)

Stacey

http://www.achconstruction.net/index.html

Here's the plan

I decided to tackle some posts that I had previously started but never finished. 

If they keep sliding down the post list then I will never see them and forget again.

So, it could look crazy around here for a few days.

But then my plan is to get back on track with the following:

Fall 2010 Trip/Alamo and Sea World
Job
December
Christmas
Resolutions
Anysa
Luke
Brax
plus much much more!

Let's get started!

Stacey

All for you...but mostly for me.

The big kids are attending evening VBS at the park this week, so I have a few hours each night that I am using to desparately try to catch up around here.

Last night, I completed the following:

downloaded and organized a bunch of pictures on my computer

prepped 8 posts with pictures (waiting for words)


labled 9 posts with ideas (waiting for words)

labeled 1 post that will never be thanks to the kick-in-the-gut realization that the pictures were mistakenly deleted before downloaded to the computer.  :( 
(maybe I will get lucky and find them floating around somewhere on my computer...sigh.)

Hopefully, I can finish most everything in the next 2 evenings!!

Stacey

The Big Backup of 2010

 I can't stand being this far behind.

And that even includes the scrapbooks from June 2004 and May 2009 that are still waiting patiently to be started!

You are reminded even more of all the things you have been meaning to do when you are packing up the meaning-to-do stuff!

So, last we looked at my previous accountability list, I was almost caught up.

But, then life keeps happening.

Like a broken computer and packing boxes.

So, here is my updated listed for when time allows:

• Food
• Friends
• My new technology
• A supposed birthday
• B's 9-month pictures
• B's 10-month letter with pictures
• A's 8 year old pictures
• Selling, renting, building
• Any other random things I can find to talk about

And in anticipation of things to come, why not just save myself some time:

• My first garage sale
• Girl Scout stuff
• Spring Break
• Visiting friends
• Visiting family 

Theoretically speaking, of course

So, if theoretically, you knew someone that had just sold their house, and theoretically, was needing to pack up their stuff by the end of the month, and theoretically, would be living in a rental situation until the new home could be finished, and theoretically, this person had a huge desire to purge stuff instead of packing it and moving it, twice, and theoretically, this stuff would likely be sold to the highest bidder at a huge beating garage sale, then theoretically, what kind of stuff would you advise that person to rid oneself of?

Theoretically, this person was considering the following:

• ALL clothes and shoes that do not currently fit, nor will fit anytime soon, any member of the family.
• ALL clothes and shoes that lack style, comfort, and flexibility with other pieces in the closet.  (Theoretically, it would be really cool if Stacy and Clinton showed up at any moment for a $5000 family makeover!)
• ALL toys that are never played with nor will be appropriate for future use.
• Most fake plants and greenery.  Theoretically, there is a feeling of wanting to be surrounded by what is real versus what may look pretty but just fills up space and collects dust.
• Any kitchen items that are not used frequently enough to be labeled anything other than space hogs.
• Anything broken, not useful, or does not fit the overall feeling or look desired for the new home.

Any other theoretical suggestions?

Stacey

Proverbs 22:6

I was so proud of my daughter when I found this in her room that I could hardly contain myself! She had it perfectly placed on her night stand along with the pen she used to write.



I am a list-maker by nature.

Or by compulsion!

She has done me proud by following in my footsteps so young.

Training by osmosis has gone well, don't you think?!

Stacey

The Plan

Well, I started off great with my cleaning schedule.

Then I got tired! :)

Then I had to start the whole laundry cycle again.

Laundry is my nemesis!

Only not as cute as Anakin. (We are working our way through the Star Wars series, remember!)

I keep chanting "a load a day", but it never fails somewhere along the way that a load ends up sitting in a chair. And then another. And then another.

And then we are picking through clean laundry for underwear while dirty laundry taunts me!

Back to cleaning!

Now I know perfectly well that my house is going to get dirty again before the baby comes. But I just feel the need to do that deeper cleaning and organizing anyway.

I am secretly hoping that my husband will let me find someone to do a one-time cleaning right before our trip to the hospital!

I mean what better 10-year anniversary present could we ask for. Me giving him another child and a happy momma with a clean house! :)

So far, this is what I have accomplished:

* Upstairs and Downstairs Bathrooms- the basics plus shiny baseboards and light fixtures, along with clean and organized cabinets and drawers. There is so much nastiness I could talk about when it comes to bathrooms, but not going there!

* Laundry Room- sweep, mop, and organize cabinets. Thankfully, a relative small job!

* Pantry- Just some basic organizing and tossing of old stuff.

* Kitchen- As simple as I tried to keep it, I still stretched this one out over several days. While I didn't go completely crazy and take everything out of the cabinets, I did do a lot of shifting of dishes so I could wipe out the insides. It felt great to throw some old food stuff and meds away and clean off the top of the fridge. I even rearranged a few things so that my cabinets made more sense. I thought they made sense the first time around, but now it is better! For some reason I had 2 officey-type areas in my kitchen, but after rearranging, I now have 1 central "office" location and a whole cabinet shelf for baby stuff!!

* Living Room/Hall/Stairs- The basics along with clean baseboards and window sills!

* Dining Room- The basics plus a little organizing and cleaning the 2 fake trees.

* Office- Just the basics because this is the point that I got tired! I still need to go through papers and junk and do some organizing.

I still have the 3 bedrooms, my hobby room, and the garage on my agenda, but like I said, laundry has invaded again!

We did deal with the yard last weekend. That felt great! It had grown out of control and then the rain made it worse plus kept him from mowing. While he attacked the yard, I actually worked on the 2 flower beds. Nothing fancy, just basically getting all the weeds and junk out. I don't have the energy for planting because just that about killed me!

Then I let the kids "help" me wash the winter grime and spring pollen off all the toys and stuff from the porch. They got to get some water play in and I got clean toys and a clean back porch! We were all happy!

The most fun for me last week was finally ordering my fabric! I can't wait to share once it comes in!

Stacey

Cheep Cheep

This was my husband's way of making fun of me the other day, so you can give him credit for the title.

I can't help it if annual spring cleaning just happens to coincide with my nesting privileges!

I would rather do it now when I can still actually move around.

So, I made my plan and it is going pretty well.

I used the monthly calendar page in my day timer and gave each room in my house either a day or two days to thoroughly clean. Not every day is filled, like the days I work. And I already missed one day's room, but I am not stressing about it. I like this plan because I can devote myself to just a small area and still have time to take care of other things around the house or hang out with little man.

I also enlisted the adult male in the family for jobs like ceiling fans, bath tubs, air vents, and blinds. He has completed 2/4 of his jobs so far!

With Spring Break here, I am hoping to get through some of the more challenging rooms like the bedrooms and the office area!

I even added "Sewing" to several of my nesting days so I don't wait until the last minute!

So, if you are in the area and want to sip some tea in a room with clean baseboards, come on over!!

Stacey

Inside Outside Upside Down-The Tour, Part Deux

I have spent the last 6 weeks "tackling" everything that comes along with moving into a new place. There is still plenty to do, but here is a peek at what has occurred so far! You can go here to view yesterday's part one of the tour. It was the inside tour which was a much cooler version, especially here under the hot Texas sun!

Back:







Front:



Overall, the yards are in good shape with mature grass and trees. We will wait until the fall to plant some more and do a few landscape things. It won't take much.

My Room:





Eventually, this little room inside the garage will be my escape! It receives heat/air and has electricity! He painted the walls blue, the floor brown, and installed shelves. Actually the brackets were already set up, we just needed to add the shelves. This will be my sewing/scrapbooking/general hobby/gift center. I have a lot of work to do in there to get it organized and am trying to apply the "use what you got" philosophy for storage/organization as best I can. If I am lucky, I may have it ready to actually use by the beginning of the holiday season!

Upside Down!


We actually had room to park one car in the garage when we first moved in. However, as I unpacked more boxes and rearranged a bit, I managed to squeeze my car out of its spot. We are hoping to have it back in there in a couple of weeks!

That concludes today's tour. You may drop your mouse in the box as you exit.

Thanks for visiting and come again!

Stacey

Inside Outside Upside Down-The Tour, Part One

This weekend, we got a few more things done around the house, including cleaning! It was the perfect time to take pictures before my little destruction crew came through again.

There are a LOT of pictures! By the end of this, you will either be in the middle of a good snooze or completely giddy by getting your voyeur fix today!

The "before" pics were taken by my husband after he purchased the house.

Before I ever saw it!

Many were amazed at his fearlessness! It turned out OK in this case, but he certainly was playing with fire! We really didn't have much choice around here. The housing market was slim and overpriced. This was a steal compared to the many others he looked at over the last year.

The house is about 30 years old, but was completely redone on the inside by the previous owners. It is only a few hundred square feet smaller than our other house, but the 30-year structural differences are significant. I tried to purge prior to moving and more so after we got here, but some days it still feels crowded. Thank goodness I sold some furniture before we moved.

(He took the pics with my KodakEasyShare. I took pics with my NikonD60. Again, I am amazed at the difference!!)

Welcome to the tour today! Grab your mouse and please follow me!

Living Room:


(The BIG black box was a house warming gift from his parents. My husband was pretty disappointed with their efforts! HA! My poor TV armoire is now lonely in the garage!)



(I found some curtains 1/2 price this weekend and can't wait for them to arrive!)



(We only had to purchase an area rug for this room. My husband finally got his new fake leather recliner for Father's Day. I made him "suffer" without one for a few years since throwing out his atrocity from college!)



(This little alcove is between the living room and kitchen. I am putting up a mirror and little black curtain rods from our old bedroom. The rods have clips which I will use to hang the kids' art work/school work. I am also thinking of doing a small magnet/chalkboard space using paint. No outlets, so lighting is the only issue.)




(Those pictures you see are some of my favorites of the kids. The four series are of each of the kids as newborns-face, belly, hands, feet. The 10x10 is of her 6 year old face. I am going to do the same with his 4 year old pics once I get them done. I did the newborn pics myself and the faces are courtesy of Target!)

Dining Room:


(For the last almost 2 months, I have had PILES of STUFF on the table and floor surrounding the buffet! I just shifted stuff around for us to eat! You can see I have a very small pile left in the back corner under the buffet. Such a relief!)


Office:



(The doors go out to the backyard patio. I didn't have the energy to clean the office before taking this pic. The bookshelves are housing both our books AND our framed pictures until we can get them on the walls! The built-in will hold my Willow Tree figurines and our filing cabinet is tucked away under the red tablecloth.)

Kitchen:






(The kitchen has all new cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances. There is a lot more cabinet/drawer space than my last kitchen. I like this long countertop. I can fold or iron while watching tv or the kids play.)



Laundry/Pantry:


This room has two tall cabinets for my pantry items. And as you can see, I still rely on my trusty "shoe" holders! I finally have a place to store dirty laundry and hang clean stuff.)



(Overhead laundry cabinets-PTL! Don't you love how I am not afraid to "air" my dirty laundry for y'all!)


(HOW DOES ONE person collect THIRTEEN FLOWER VASES! It was not from 13 boys, I can assure you!)

Kitchen Drawers:

(My coffee bar!)


(The kids' self-service cabinet which includes the many activity books I have collected over the years.)


(I have 4 kitchen drawers allocated for all the kids' crafty/activity supplies. They have easy access and I can watch over their creativity! It rocks!)

Our Room:
The house has a tiny bedroom with adjoining bathroom downstairs. It has a small bedroom and hallway bathroom upstairs. Also upstairs is the HUGE "master" bedroom with a HUGE closet and vanity area. Before we moved in, my husband mentioned to my daughter that she would have the big upstairs bedroom. That meant the tiny downstairs suite for us! It all worked out, but she wasn't too happy about storing all our extra clothes and linens in her closet!

We used all the bedding and decor that I had made for our previous guest room to do our new master bedroom.



(We still need to hang the window valance!)







Up looking Down:
Eventually, a lot of my pictures will go along these stair walls. For now, they are stacked up in the office!


Sister's room:





(We actually designated her room as the playroom also. That means we keep a good bit of shared items in this area and she has to let her brother play in the room most of the time. I know we will have to deal with it differently at some point, but at their age, it works out ok for now. A word about the television. I am NOT really an advocate for tv in kids' rooms. We did not hook up the cable and they can only watch their movies upstairs.)





(She loves this vanity area! I set up her kitchen and dress-up bins under the counter top and she has a sink on the other side.)



(THE closet houses all her clothes (all seasons!), his AND our off-season clothes, some of her toys, AND all our extra linens!)

Brother's Room:





(He got a bed for his birthday! I found it on sale with free shipping and it matched his dresser perfectly! We are waiting to put the trundle in until we actually need it. Plus we don't have an extra mattress yet. We figure it will come in handy around the holidays! I love the storage under the bed w/o the trundle!)





(Lest you worry, I am not depriving my son of clothes! I keep some in his drawers. Plus, the kid loves to change clothes and I could not stand to find tons of clothes and empty hangers on the floor all the time. Minimal clothes means minimal mess! Well, not really, but I can dream! He has two big empty wall spaces in his closet. I eventually want to create an art/activity center on the walls so he won't have to be in sister's room all the time for activities.)

Thanks for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Come back tomorrow for a MUCH shorter continuation!

Stacey