Inspirational Attic

I have recently begun dabbling in the daunting task of organizing the attic space. After coming across this amazing attic and am feeling more motivated and inspired to get things ship shape up there!

Playful bathrooms

A friend of my mother's was recently in her homeland of the Netherlands, and she gave her this item upon her return. It really got me thinking about a few things... 1) how in the heck do you use it? (we brainstormed and got it figured out) and 2) wow, it is really time to do something about my bathroom!!

I don't want to do too much... no changing fixtures or anything, because I know someday we will make the bathroom bigger and then I can do a big overhaul. But I need to do something for the interim to spice it up and make it a bit more pleasant. As much as I long for a chic spa-inspired bathroom where I can languish for hours in hot bubbles watching Oprah or reading Jane Austen, I have to come to terms with the fact that my life just isn't like that. I haven't taken a bubble bath in more than four years and it would be a little tough with "Bathtime Buzz" staring me in the face anyway. I share a tiny bathroom with a grown man and two four-year-old boys. So, I've decided I want the bathroom to be a fun place that gets us energized in the morning and won't look silly with a few rubber duckies strewn about.

I could definitely paint the vinyl linoleum in the bathroom to replicate this look:

There is definitely something that is simultaneously fun and classic in this look:

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" is a much more pleasant thought when the raindrops are rainbow-colored:

Although I can't fit this in now, someday I would love to have a little toilet nook in the bathroom:

The Short List revisited

Paint trim for the boys' room
Paint stripes in the boys' room
Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room
Clean and turn on the heater
Buy area rug for living room
Strip and paint trim in master closet
Strip doors
Hang succulent baskets on front porch
Build compost bin
Paint dining room walls
Begin door repairs
Strip door frames

I managed to complete a fair amount of stuff on my short list before my parents arrived. It is raining in Los Angeles now, and might be for most of the week, so we might not get too much done on this visit, but it is the holidays, so I'm happy to have some relaxed family time!

Four months: Video update

Here is what we have accomplished in four months of home ownership. I feel like it doesn't look like much has been done since the last update, but I feel like I've been working like crazy!

The Short List

Here's what I hope to get done before my parents come to visit/work again in 2 weeks:

Paint trim for the boys' room
Paint stripes in the boys' room
Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room
Clean and turn on the heater
Buy area rug for living room
Strip and paint trim in master closet
Strip doors
Hang succulent baskets on front porch
Build compost bin
Paint dining room walls
Begin door repairs
Strip door frames

And yes, I am laughing at myself as I type this. There is just no way. But one can hope!

The List

We're plugging along, but the multi-tasking is getting a little overwhelming.

I'm going to have to get a little organized... (this is the short list)

In the boys' room:
Strip and paint window and door frames
Paint stripes on the accent wall
Chalkboard paint the wainscoting on the accent wall
Strip and paint the baseboards
Install roller shades
Make and install curtains
Purchase and install ceiling fans
Paint and install crown molding and chair rail

In the grown-up room:
Strip and paint baseboard in closet
Install closet organizer
Paint and stencil ceiling
Strip window trim
Paint walls
Paint and install crown molding
Strip and paint baseboard
Select, purchase, install ceiling fan/light fixture

In the dining room:
Paint ceiling, walls, trim
Strip and paint window trim and baseboards
Paint and install crown molding
Purchase secretary
(Buy a piano?)

In the living room:
Select paint
Paint ceiling, walls, trim
Strip and paint window trim and baseboards
Make hall tree from old door
Purchase flat panel TV stand and additional DVD storage
Rug

In the entryway:
Select paint
Paint ceiling, walls and trim
Stencil frost and hang mirrors
Rug

In the front yard:
Break up the ground
Plant wildflowers
Hang plant baskets
Make porch swing

In the back yard:
Finish assembling playset and put in wood chips
Make composter
Finish clearing out dead vines
Make raised garden bed

That should keep me busy until my kids graduate from college.

All moved in

After 6 1/2 weeks and two working visits from my parents, this is where we're at!

Nearly one month after closing

I have been working mostly single-handedly on the house for the last couple weeks. Luckily for all of us, my mom and dad are back in town now and we've been getting so much done since this video was shot. I'll be posting another one soon when we're all moved out of the apartment!

And now it's up to me!

With the incredible help of my dad and mom, we accomplished a huge amount in just 11 days... and only one trip to the Emergency Room (dad got a splinter from some plywood that went clear through his finger! Yikes!) I'm taking over from here and things will be much slower going, but I'll be plugging along!

What a difference a week makes

We're one week into home ownership, and this is what we have accomplished so far. I'm very lucky to have a super helpful family and a licensed contractor for a dad!

I see the light...

I am completely smitten with this unusual antique crystal chandelier. I'll have to hop on down to Olde Good Things here in Los Angeles... they have two LA locations!

Faux Pas

The house we have our fingers (and toes and legs and arms and eyes) crossed in hope it will become ours comes complete with an unfortunate, added-in-the-1970s, faux stone facade on the fireplace wall in the living room. Fortunately, this page offers three very simple steps for removing it. This should be a fun undertaking and I'm actually excited to see what lurks behind it. Assuming the house becomes ours, of course!

Popcorn

A lot of the houses we have been looking at have been graced with popcorn ceilings. And if we ever get to move into one of them, one of my first orders of business will be to get rid of that texturing! I came across this excellent resource for DIY popcorn ceiling removal, each step complete with its own instructional video! It looks pretty labor intensive, but I don't think it is something we can't handle doing on our own. So, bring on the popcorn!

If you can't stand the heat, remodel your kitchen

I stumbled upon Webinetry.com, a company that offers custom-measured cabinetry in a huge variety of styles and finishes at a really great price! As much as I want my new home (whenever I get it!) to be a sustainable as possible, it is hard to say no to such a wise use of resources (financial resources, that is!)

A friend just pointed me in the direction of Rejuvenation Hardware. Yes, this whets my appetite.