Wednesday, October 29, 2014

So many accomplishments in one short year

To commemorate Ellie's first birthday,  I had our wonderfully talented photographer design a little "chalkboard" with all the fun accomplishments Ellie's has had over her first year.  We didn't really talk details before and it was just perfect!  We used it as a prop for our family photos where Ellie was wearing black and gold, I guess great minds think alike! It took all week but I decided to hang it in the hallway right off the foyer, it blends wonderfully with the decor!

Monday, October 27, 2014

That was so 1970!


I finally got around to re doing the back entry.  It has been on my "list" since October 2013, but just keep falling behind.  I was really really dreading taking down the wall paper, but thanks to my new wallpaper steamer it was not the disaster I was dreading. 

I tried to find an actual before picture, but I realized I never took one, I guess I was trying to hide it.  It was full of the same wallpaper that was in the kitchen, and that still lives on in the laundry room.  The one on the right is the best I could find.

It took about 4 nights of 2 to 3 hour session to remove the wallpaper and all of the glue.  It must of been unpasted wallpaper so the glue had to be scraped off the walls too.
You can see the laundry room in the background.  For the time being I am planning on leaving the laundry room wallpaper as a little memento to the original owners. And because I really don't want to take down more wallpaper.  When we have the basement framed out next year I do plan on moving the laundry room door back behind the powder room.  It really bugs me that guests have to go into the laundry room to use the bathroom.



 
I painted the area the same blue as the family room, I believe it was Ocean Breeze or something to that extent. I'll have to double check.  I already had the paint and that way the space flows into the family room. 

Here is my "free" light fixture makeover.  It was one of those "old lady" frosted glass blubs so I had taken off the bulb and was going to try and find a clear open bottom glass shade and an Edison bulb, well first problem the opening was too wide for any of the glass shades at home depot, and problem two I broke the current glass blub on the way into home depot.  So we did end up buying a new fixture, but I really didn't like it and figured I'd spend the money when I found something I really liked.  I had an idea about a shade, so I went looking for one in my surprising large collection on lamp shades.  I found the right size and color and it even had a bulb clip and everything! So its better than before and it was free!

My next project is the doors. Right now the wood really stands out, and that is what they look like over the whole house.  It's on the list to redo the doors, I want to either nail on trim or install new panel doors and paint them either black or white.  I was looking at slab doors and they are only like 25 to 30 bucks for new ones, and molding will cost over half that per door so if the sizes line up, I'm totally getting new doors.
As for the color, lets get the doors up first.

And a new chalkboard.  This is my biggest one yet, who knows maybe next time I'll do a whole wall.  I'm on a chalkboard kick.  I like location as a welcome to the house.  Most of our friends and family come to the back door so it gets a lot of traffic, plus I can change it with ever season to decorate!

 
I have a post to do about different types of chalk, its more complex that you would think. I took these pictures at night so I plan to get some updated day time ones.
 

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

2015 - The Year of the Curb Appeal

Before
After
I know 2014 has yet to end, however this weather is just too cold to work outside, so all curb appeal updates have been pushed back to next year. So with that being said, I have a number of months to change my mind before settling on a plan of action.  We did get a new front door this year.  More by need than choice, but regardless we still love it. It's by JELD-WEN from Home Depot.  It's a big start in the overall curb appeal update, and it also did wonders for the foyer (to come later).  The door at some point, next year, will get painted a color, along with the flower boxes I want to add, updated the landscaping, painting the garage and shed doors, a new window trellis, oh and maybe painting some of the siding.  The list keeps growing and they say it's going to be a long winter.

Art Class

Back on Mother's Day, Ellie made some cards for her Grandmas.  It was a shot in the dark about the end results, but I have to say they turned out pretty well! 
 
 
We started with some card stock cut into hearts, and some Liquitex acrylic paint (trust me about Liquitex, its light years ahead of the cheap little bottle that come in a hundred colors at the craft store, this brand dries with a really nice sheen)
 
A few blobs of 3 different colors, and I put the card into a Ziploc bag.
 
 
 Then I gave it to the artist, and she went to town.




 

 
To remove the card its easiest to cut the sides open on the plastic bag and peel off the top layer or else paint gets everywhere, which defeats the purpose of the project.
 
TA-DA!
 
 

Monday, October 6, 2014

Checking off the to do list...

I have finally got around to removing the rest, okay more, wall paper from the house.  If you remember the original pictures of the house there was a LOT of wall paper.  I decided to add this little tool from Amazon to my collection.  You know you have a lot of wall paper when you have to invest in a wall paper steamer. I must say it works great for being less than $50.00, and considering each 24 hour rental from the hardware store is 25 bucks it pays for it self, right?


I hope to have the back entry and half bath finished by the end of the month.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Happy Happy Birthday to You!

Ellie turned 1 a few weeks ago, and of we had a big celebration! In the Korean tradition the first birthday is quite a celebration, and we kept with tradition.
 
 
More pictures to come!