Inspired.....or crazy?

My newest obsession is decorating blogs. It started when I went to One Pretty Thing one day and there was this dresser makeover. Well, I clicked on that blog, then another, then another. I landed on a blog called Nesting Place. Suddenly, I had ideas! One of her suggestions is to "shop the house" to makeover and decorate when you can't afford new stuff. Huh. Well, between that and another new obsession with spray paint, I was ready to go. I made a list of things to paint. Then last night I went to town. I have some random things to paint, but mainly I wanted to make over the top of the bookshelf in the living room.



Before: some mismatched pictures I just threw up there when we moved in almost 2.5 years ago. The vase looking thing, hmm, I'm not sure I ever really liked it. And the basket was a gift that I want to keep, but I just can't find a place to make it fit in.


Stuff to paint:

1. Vintage cats. From Mom. They've been packed since the move.


2. Vase thing I wasn't thrilled with, but like the shape of it.



3. Picture frame. It was on my dresser. Not my style anymore.




Then while I was at it, I grabbed:
1. Another frame which was stuffed in a drawer




2. A little basket--guess I didn't get a pic.
3. The little metal heart shaped hanger pictured above. It was in the box with the cats. I swear I've never seen the thing before, but clearly we had it before we moved.

I'll be using those three things later when I find a use for them.




Here's the top of the bookshelf after. I grabbed some other things and put them up there. The painting above was done by John's Grandma and was hanging on a different wall where I wasn't thrilled with it. Cost of this makeover: $3 for two half cans of spray paint. I'm pretty proud of it.

Of course now I have three more areas of the living room that need help. 1. Top of the way too big for this house TV cabinet. 2. Wall where I stole the painting that I placed above the bookshelf. 3. little table behind the oversized chair. But, I'm out of ideas. For now. I assume there will be more shopping the house and spray paint involved! Before this week, I was frustrated with the living room because the furniture is too big for the room, I want to repaint the walls, we need new windows, I want a smaller/shorter TV cabinet and a flat screen TV mounted to the wall (hey!!! I can dream, right???) and I'd love to have less toy clutter. But I realized something reading the Nesting Place blog. I need to do the best I can with what I have (aka, a $10 budget) and enjoy our home even if it isn't perfect. I'm going to keep thinking on the three areas that still need help. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon. Stay tuned!

Basement

Finally some pictures! It looks so fresh and clean. John had the lumber for the shelves delivered today. I think he's putting the washer and dryer back tomorrow after work if it isn't raining. He's getting started on the shelves this weekend.

Yippie!!!!!

Small update

We've (er, I mean, JOHN) painted the basement floor!!! I wish I could remember exactly what John said (way) before we painted it. Something like "think we need to do anything with the floor before we paint it?" Turns out, yes. First, we patched some minor cracks and holes. Then we scrubbed the entire thing with a tiny wire brush. That alone almost broke our spirits. No kidding. Then John etched the floor so the paint would stick. The paint said it covered in one coat, but I've never had luck with just one coat. It took 3. Which fits in perfectly since I always say home improvement takes 3 times as long and costs 3 times as much as originally planned. Anyway, it's done!! We're letting it dry. I think we'll put the washer and dryer back over the weekend. Next, John gets to build his shelves!!! I know he's super excited. He has it all planned out. He's going to see if the lumber yard will deliver since he needs several 12 foot long 2x4s. Pics to come, if the sun ever comes out and once I can walk on the floor.

Of course, in true DIY fashion, I got bored with the basement and started something else. John didn't even complain!! I'm doing this one all by myself. In Mary's old room (aka "the green room") I've taken down the closet doors, taken out the clothes bar and shelf, patched the holes, and am getting ready to paint. The current color is some icky, old sorta tan/pink/orange/blah. I'm painting it medium pink.


The color chip in the middle is the one. And it's the middle color. Once it's all painted, that dresser in the foreground will be moved into the closet. Then I'm making a new shelf and painting it lighter pink. I have some green storage bins that will sit on top of it. The entire project was sparked by the dresser. John's Step-Mom gave it to us. It's a beautiful old dresser so I couldn't say no when she offered. But we had no space for it. That closet was full of junk anyway. I'm hoping to paint it in the next week or two.

Hmm, this is turning into more than a small update. More to come when I can get some basement pictures.

If I had time.....

I'm feeling the need to organize. I think it's something I feel in the fall. I know I'm going to be trapped inside all winter, and I hate the clutter of every drawer/cabinet/closet. Plus we've lived here over 2 years and the stuff is accumulating. I'd love to get some stuff organized and cleaned out before we put the Christmas tree up. That would be so nice. Then Christmas, then spring when we'll be outside all the time again.

If I had time I'd:

1. Clean out our closet, and take everything that didn't fit or I didn't like anymore to Goodwill. I'd go through the little side shelf thingy and see what we shoved in there in June 2007 that's still sitting there untouched. I'd get some storage shelving/closet organizers/something/anything!!! to go up over the hanging clothes bar. There's a shelf there now, but I just throw stuff up there and the piles fall over and it's too high for me to reach or see and now it's a huge mess. Then the stuff (clothes mainly) fall down and we think they are dirty laundry. They get washed, and I see them again as I put laundry away. I wonder why on earth maternity shorts or a top that fit me before I had kids got washed. Then I realize the closet is caving in on itself. Then I want to kick my own ass. So, I've asked John for ALL DAY on the 24th to start working on it. Including a trip to Goodwill instead of making a "Goodwill pile" and shoving it up on said shelf and having it all fall down and get washed AGAIN.

2. Organize the girls stuff/clean out the green bedroom closet. This is the place I shove too small/out of season/worn out stuff. I need to figure out what's done and needs to be donated and what I want to save for Ellie (and you know, for when we have a third girl). Right now, I open the closet and throw things in and shut it before more stuff falls out. It's awful.

3. Clean out my craft closet. I'm not even sure what to say about it. It's BAD. really bad. There's this HUGE tangled up "thing" of yarn. I have no idea how it happened. maybe one of the cats got a hold of it? I keep telling myself that I'm going to try to untangle it. I hate throwing things away. But I think I am going to. Then I dropped my bobbin box, and all my bobbins unraveled! Fun. I shoved the door shut before Ellie got to it. I think that's a theme around here. Shoving things in before Mary or Ellie sees. Well, I've reached the breaking point.

4. Organize the linen closet.I did this hmmm, 18 months ago? Another place I shove things. Ugh.

So, If I can get all that done before Thanksgiving weekend, I'll be so happy!! Of course, we need to work on the basement too. We haven't given up on it yet. Still scrubbing the floor. It's my turn to work on it tonight. I'm excited about it as I love scrubbing dirt. If I scrub for 45 mins tonight, and we each scrub for 45 mins tomorrow night, Weds, and Thursday.....hmmm....can we have it done? Maybe. It will be close. I'd love to get it painted this weekend. We already have the floor patched.

Ellie's waking up. Back to work:)