Work in Progress

The kitchen is still a work in progress....

I have dreams of beautiful subway tile in here. but with the 1000 things I have on my list to do for the house... that just is not in the budget at this moment. So I need to come up with a temporary budget friendly solution for the time being.
So bead board it was. Several people said.  Really? Won't that look bad with all the white. But I ignored them... because I am stubborn and did it anyways.

It is times like this... I am glad I am hard headed.
Because I love it.

These are pictures of projects that are in progress. Please keep in mind they are not final. But I thought I haven't shared what I was working on. I should probably do a post...

This was such a simple project. Cut bead board to fit your area. Use jigsaw to cut out areas for outlets. Nail gun it up. Add quarter round trim to clean it up. doll rods on edges (which I have not completed as of yet) Frame out the window area with some moulding. paint... and voila. about 30 bucks for this back splash solution.

Enough babbling.
Here are some photos of how it is looking so far....
PS. don't mind the crayons all over the island. We were coloring superheroes :)

A while back ago I built this Island. I found the plans on Ana white and just tweaked them to what I needed. I needed something narrow for this space. and I wanted it on wheels so that way I could wheel it out to the patio as a serving cart also.

I have not finalized how this area is going to look yet. So I haven't shared it quite yet.
Here are some WIP photos of this project. I think I have an idea on what I am going to do with it this weekend...

Then there is the gallery wall that I have been working on.
I decided this time I would just throw frames up there and then figure out what to put in them after. I still have a couple of holes to fill in but so far... it is coming along nicely. I cannot wait to figure out what I want on this wall.

This is a sign I made for the kitchen quite a while ago. I love it. It is a FRIENDS reference.
Still to this day... my favorite show. Ever.

I need to finish up trimming out the bask splash. Add corbels under the island and the cabinets. chalkboard paint and trim out the pantry door. Get french doors for the patio. Put something above the island I built. Figure out what should go on that island... what I will need on it to make it use able... and not just decorative. Finish the outlets for the back splash. Some of them need to be pushed out further... so I can get the covers on it. Replace that final boob light in the kitchen.
paint the window (not the trim) black to break up some of that white.
Replace counter tops (someday) put in subway tile (someday)
Replace sink and faucet.

So there is still a lot to do. but it is coming along....

30 Random Things

1. For the past 6 weeks I have embraced a whole foods diet. It has not been as hard as I have thought.

2. I have given up meat and most of dairy.

3. I still need a little creamer in my coffee and I still have goat cheese. I thought it would be a bit more difficult... but so far so good.

4. However once in while.. a grilled cheese sounds amazing.

5. I am hoping to change my outlook on food. Less processed foods and hopefully instill that to Maddux. That is the goal. Lets hope I can keep it up.

6. I have also been running for those 6 weeks. Running is hard. I never like it. Six weeks later... I am still hating it.

7. I think if I could find my Ipod and listen to music while I run, that would help.

8. That is the one thing I miss now that I have Apple Tv. I miss CMT - music videos. A lot.

9. I recently started a new job. I am enjoying the people that work there so much. I feel that this is a much better fit for me. Back to what I enjoy doing.

10. So with all of these things going on I have been busy. But am finding balance.

11. So I can start working on the house again. Thank goodness!

12. Basement project picking back up, painting doors, window moulding, window seat, etc. so much to do!

13. I am still painting trim. Still. this is the longest project of my life.

14. I have been trying to keep track of random conversations with Maddux. Writing a few of my favorites down. I am thinking about adding these to my blog, so that I can create a book of them :)

15. He just finished up his first sport basketball.

16. His last practice he was pumped. Doing the best he has ever done.

17. Then it happened.

18. The coach asked who their favorite super hero was... and I just knew. Practice was over for him.

19. They went around in a circle... and had to say their real name and their favorite super hero.

20. They got to Maddux... and he was shaking and had the angriest look on his face. And the coaches looked over at me... as he started to growl and stand up.

21. All I could do was laugh. The laugh... where you are trying to hold it back so much. That you start laughing so hard you are crying.

22. I knew what was happening. Maddux was turning into the hulk.... and there was no turning back.

23. And... well That was basketball practice. Me trying to tell him no more super heroes and using every bribe I could come up with to try to get him to stop becoming the hulk.

24. But Hulk was there... and he was not going anywhere.

25. Thankfully his coaches are amazing.

26. It is always surprising to me when young teenagers have so much patience with kids.... I never had that.

27. Actually I am not sure how old they were. The older I get the younger people look.  Weird how that works.

28. We start soccer next week. I am hoping all the running helps him sleep more at night.

29. If it works... I might try to find several leagues so we play soccer everyday. Just kidding.

30. But in all honesty. I miss sleep. I sleep less now that he is three... than when he was a newborn. I am hoping its a phase.... crossing my fingers and toes... this is just a phase...

That't it. Thirty Random things.... :)

Bringing the outside... In.

A while ago I pinned this photo on Pinterest...

Source: lisaleonardonline.com via Fawn on Pinterest

I loved the color that the front door brought into the house.

So that got me thinking... I loved the color of my front door. The color seriously makes me happy. So I thought why not put that on the inside of the door.

I plan on painting the rest of the interior doors black... soon.
So maybe the entry door being a different color... would be nice.

So I got bored one night ... and figured why not.

I love the door now. Maybe its just the color teal?  Either way. I love it.
It looks awesome against the newly painted hallway.  I went with the color Museum Piece by Benjamin Moore. And it might be my favorite paint color in the house yet.  Don't mind that unpainted bit in the bottom left hand corner. I had to repaint the trim there and well... yeah I should paint that this weekend and stop making excuses... :)

So I am actively working on this are of the house. I plan on painting the closet doors black and adding moulding to get them more... character. I guess that would be the word.

Then I am working on a gallery photo wall which would be across from the chalkboard wall.

Then sometime.. I am hoping to refinish our stair case. I am thinking about stripping the banister and staining that dark. Then painting all the spindles white. But Im not sure on that yet. I would really like to find someone to pay to do that. Is that possible? Anyone know of any local painters looking for a side job?

There is that weird area above the door. I am not sure what to do with that...

And I need a larger rug. Bad. I have a hard time committing to rugs though. Seriously. Its a problem.

I like the way you roll.

It has been a busy few weeks here. Trying to get into the routine of a new job... running more... and recently made some pretty big adjustments to our diet.... oh and I am STILL painting trim. If you could believe that!?!?!?

This week is Valentines day... so I thought I would share a quick pot on the Valentines we made this year.

I saw these packages of skateboards in Target the other day when I was there and thought they would make cute Valentines. I believe they were around a dollar for a package of 4 of them. So I bought a couple of different packs... printed off a tag that said. Valentine, I like the way you roll.... filled them out for Maddux's daycare friends. Then had him sign his name below :)

These ended up being really cute. And were really simple to make. 

Hope you all have a fantastic Valentines Day :) 

Out with the green...

The dining room has been some what of a mystery to me. It has the possibility of becoming the most fabulous room in our house. but what to do with it... has been challenging.

I did put up these green shelves because I thought I should add in some bright color somewhere. And I tried liking it. I really tried. for months. well i hated it. and took it down. And wondered what the heck I was ever thinking? I am keeping the shelves I think I can eventually use them in the basement.

So I decided to plank the walls instead. Take that Vintage mirror from the bedroom and place it above this workbench console. I decided to be daring in another direction and spray painted the frame Gold. I have been seeing some Gold things on Pinterest... and I kinda like it.

Well I put the mirror on the planked walls and .. I liked the girly mirror mixed in with the rustic piece of furniture. I don't know. it just works for me :)

I still need to add some trim on the corners of the wall to finish off the planked wall.

And you can see under the table... in that last picture. If you saw on facebook. I dropped the entire can of paint right there on the floor (Thank goodness we are ripping up these carpets) I truly painted the wall from the paint I scraped off the floor. I am that cheap.... I could not stand the idea of wasting that money on the paint!

I am still debating on if the wall needs something else? I was going to put photos up there... but we have plans for a gallery wall somewhere else... so i figured I could try this instead.

So that is one major update to this room.

our plans include.
floor to ceiling book cases in the front sitting area (cannot wait)
wood floors to match the rest of the main floor. (goodbye disgusting carpet)
white trim.
New wall color (not sure on this one yet....)
some sitting in between the book cases (do i keep the chairs i made over? or should i find a different spot for them?)
Build a larger table
buy new chairs.
and upgrade some chandeliers - get an electrician to add another spot for a chandelier so we can have two of them above the table.
change out those curtains.

This room will take a while... I am hoping to slowly work on it throughout the year and hopefully have it done by the end of the year. But we still need to finish up the basement and I have some outdoor projects planned. So this will come in after those...

Organization Step 1 of 2013.

One of my resolutions this year is to organize the mess behind closed doors. Because... I am terrible at it. Especially in certain areas. I have gotten better in kitchen. that is fairly organized.... well organized for me. But my hall closet was scary. It was honestly a place that everyone just threw their junk.

So here is my embarrassing photo

Seriously... its bad.
And I do not feel like that shows just how much junk was in there.
So once it was all out... Here is another photo.

Yep true story. all of that... was thrown in there.

Ps. Emily has still not picked up her fireplace. Someday ;) Just kidding Em. Take your time :)

The giant rack across the closet seemed a tad pointless for what it was being used for. The lockers in the laundry room holds coats and shoes and all that stuff. So this has become more of a cleaning closet.
So I moved an ikea bookcase into the closet to place cleaning supplies and other odds and ends on. added a rack to hang mops and brooms on.. and then on the other side There will be coat hangers screwed into 1x3s (I still need to do this) . So that way when company is over in the winter there is still a place to hang coats. I am thinking three rows... just in case and that should hold enough.  I also have some shelves hung up on the far left side and then some hooks to hang extra bags on.

There are some extra blankets folded on top of the bookshelf. I am considering putting some higher shelves in above to hold more blankets and sheets but I thought I would wait until I reorganize other linen closets in the house. Hoping to re-organize one closet a month. Otherwise I will get burnt out. :)

This cost me 3.50 which was the amount for the wire rack to hold the mops and brooms.
Everything else I had around the house. so not bad for a practically free project.  Ideally I would love to have all of these in woven matched baskets. But I think it will be easier for me to have the supplies on the shelf. That way I can grab what I want without having to do dig through any bins. I will have to see as time goes on. And make some changes here and there... I am sure.f

Next up add some moulding to these doors and paint them black. Yep. Black doors. Adding moulding to all interior doors and painting them black is on my February to do list. :)

I need more organization in my home. However... most of the time to organize .. you have to spend so much money to do it the right way. Luckily this time it was practically free.
I am a huge fan of working with what I already have.

How about you... any organizing projects on your list?