Hey girl.

I can check "center rug under bed" off my list. I got a new rug last weekend. The bedroom is one step closer to being done. I really want a new light fixture, but haven't found the perfect one in my price range. I was nice enough to take down the rooster picture (turns out John hated it) over the bed. I replaced it with my stick wreath (which John ran into every time he walked through the dining room). I'm so thoughtful!

Ellie started preschool. I've been cleaning, organizing, shrinking the living room curtains, and fixing them. Just the same old stuff. We aren't doing any home improvement right now. Hopefully we'll start up again soon. I really want to get the living room painted before spring as we have some major exterior projects coming up.

I'm in a hurry yet again. There's never enough time in the morning when I have the house to myself.

Keeping it real.

now the bed looks right!

When John made our headboard, he said it didn't look right in the room. I told him it would. I just needed time.

Last fall.

This summer.

But even with the windows painted, new blinds, and the walls painted, I was unhappy with the room. One thing stuck out like a sore thumb. Something I saved until last since I didn't really know what I was doing. Then I got busy with the log cabin blanket. Even once it was done, the room didn't look complete. Finally I got busy on the one last thing.

Gah! I love it. Looks like grown ups live here.

The bedskirt turned out exactly how I imagined. Ten dollars!! Ten! It's half of a twenty dollar painters drop cloth from the HD. And it was so easy to make. I made the gathers using dental floss and a special zig zag stitch on my machine. Then I pinned to to the fitted sheet that was over the box springs and sewed it right to the sheet.

That's it for the projects in this room. I really want to center the rug under the bed though. Which means taking everything out from under the bed, moving the bed (where? it won't come out of there with the headboard attached), and then scooting the rug over a few feet. Even John looked at me like I had two heads when I asked him to help me with it.

At least the bed finally looks right in the room!

Real life happens too.

I was plugging along on my bedroom. Then we heard that our new niece was planning an early arrival! I didn't have a gift. I was planning to make a baby blanket, but thought I had until September. I've knitted and crocheted my little heart out this week. I got almost half way done and hated it. There was nothing to do but start over. So much for winging a baby blanket on a deadline. Now it's done and blocking. Pictures to come when it is dry. I did it in time though, as baby Sarah decided to stay put another week. We're still hoping that she stays put for at least a couple more weeks until she would be considered full term. John's step-dad has also been sick, so I've been cooking and delivering food to them. Hopefully he's on the mend. If not, my stuff can always wait.

I'm down to the details of the bedroom. It seems so slow going. I couldn't get the doorknobs on right. John had to help. He did the hinges too. The bathroom door has always stuck, so he decided (after I'd painted it) to cut off the top. Now I haven to repaint the door. On my short term to do list are: repaint the ceiling (tried to love it, but it's just too dark), make a bedskirt, and make some pillow covers for the bed.

Way before.

During.

Today.

2010.

I made a dash to Ikea Saturday for new lamps!

I shoved most of the junk in the basement.


For Mandy. John's dresser when the room is clean.

Ikea frames with thrifted botanical prints.

As far as rooms go, we are down to the big one. The living room itself isn't that big (but it is so full of junk) but there's no stopping place so both hallways will have to be done then too. I'm waiting at least another two weeks before I hit John up for working on it. (Did you read that, John??? Huh? Did you??)

The four day weekend.

The next time John gets a four day weekend from work, he is going to say no thank you.

Friday morning, he got up and started making the new trim. He got the doors done, and then went to go get more boards and quarter round. He continued to work. Saturday he got all the baseboards in and the quarter round too. Sunday he cut and installed the new trim for the inside of the bathroom door. Last night he got the blinds hung up for me. I know there's more. Oh, like sanding the doors down to be painted, moving the hole for the new door knobs. Endless hours of watching the kids while I filled holes, primed, painted, caulked and painted more.

This morning.

Last night while I painted, I tried to go over what was left to do. I got overwhelmed. I have one coat of primer on the doors. They need another coat of primer, and probably 3 coats of paint. Then I can put on the new hinges and knobs. THEN I can paint the bathroom. THEN I can make the bedskirt. Like the step stool as a bedside table? The actual table getting a make over. That's what I did in my spare time this weekend. Guess what I didn't do? Sleep.

Last night I went into the bathroom to get a cloth wet. I turned on the light switch and waited a minute wondering why the water wasn't coming out yet. I just couldn't figure it out. Then I remembered the faucet needs to be turned on, not the light switch. Yeah, exhausted.

If I work every night (after the kids are in bed), I can have it done in......maybe another week.

The kitchen is not cleaning itself, and I can't imagine the cats are cooking lunch for us either.