Back to Reality

A rare photo of the little girls laying down on our Mt. trip

Who knew Mason man would be such a pool shark

A trip to "The Christmas Place" with a stop off at the train

The little ones loved all of the Christmas decorations

They could watch trains all day long

Then it was on to the BIG surprise!!  Opening gifts of PJ's, Christmas sippy cups, popcorn, hot chocolate, and best of all tickets to the "Polar Express Train"

All of the grands had a blast at the train museum before the "Polar Express" ride but Mason was over the top excited by every single display

We drank hot chocolate while we headed to the North Pole

Followed by Christmas carols. As you can see Mason was INTO IT!! He sang along "La, la, la, la" all the way

 Santa himself showed up

 

Giving each boy and girl a Christmas bell

Oh ya, and cookies as big as your head

 

Holy cow am I ever happy to be home!!! Nothing better than being back in your own bed snuggled up with AJ the beagle on a cold morning. Not that we didn't love having all of the grands pile into our bed in the mornings at the cabin but there is something to be said for QUITE!!! Ha.

 

It's official, our holiday season has begun. Every year our family Mt trip gets us all in the mood to start decking the halls and singing Christmas carols. I will have to hold off on the decking of the halls for a bit as it's hard to decorate around paint cans and furniture scattered around the house.

 

While on vacation DD#1 had a neighbor text her who needed to get rid of a living room suite, any takers? Hummm, I had a new sofa for the living room on my wish list for updating but that was going to have to wait until the spring as the money tree is just about bare. Free... now that I can afford!!

 After packing the car, doing all the cabin clean up before we turned in the key, driving home, unloading the car, laundry, pick up AJ the beagle, sort the mail......SIL#2 came by after work to take our old sofa to goodwill. At what age should you be before you give up loading and unloading furniture? Hummm  SIL#2 returned  a short time later with the free sofa, love seat, and ottoman, more lifting of furniture :(  I now have a living room FULL of furniture that won't all fit. Today's job....decide what must go and what can stay of course that means more lifting of furniture, sigh

I really, truly, should get out of this warm bed and get my butt in gear but it is so nice to have some down time I might just linger a little longer

 

 

Before and After

 Holy cow it took forever to tape off the breakfast room so I could paint strips

 Once all the paint was applied I was nervous to take it off. What if it turned out to be a mess after all that work? While on the phone with a GF she encouraged me to pull off one piece assuring me she would "be there for me". The first piece came off, then the second, holy cow it's working!!!

 Here is the before from a week ago, or was it a week and a half ago? I really liked the striped wallpaper but it had seen better days, the natural wood trim and moldings were looking dull and dated. The bottom walls had taken a beating from normal wear and tear along with the grands who can put a hurt on everything! Ha

 So here it is, all bright and fresh. I painted 4 inch strips instead of the 2 inch ones from the original wall paper. The strips turned out perfect!!! I learned a few things along the way. When marking where to put the strips I used a metal tape measure that left marks along the top of the wall that had to be touched up with paint. Next time I now know to use my sewing tape measure! duhhhh. While the new on the market "Frog" tape is more costly that the blue painters tape it is worth every penny on a project like this. I had absolutely no bleeding under the tape. Every strip turned out with a nice crisp line

I know DD#1 is going to fuss that the window treatments should be long enough to meet with the floor but from past experience shorter is better in our kitchen. I still need to paint the grills for the upper windows (what a pain), notice also that the two upper side windows are not painted. Those durn windows are frozen in place :( I know hubby will be able to get then moving again so once he gets home I will go back and paint that small part.

As the little girls say "I rike it!" I like even more that it's done!!!! The big girls will help me hang all the pictures back up soon as I stink at getting pictures straight on the walls. I also still need to fluff the window treatments. Stuffing each swag with plastic grocery bags will give it a nice poofy look, tissue paper would do the same but there is cost involved in that. I put the call out to my GF's that I need plastic grocery bags as I only have a handful here at home. Remember last month we were eating from the pantry for the pantry insurance challenge, which BTW I need to do an update on.

Lets get down to the cost.

2 gallons of paint - $76.00
Frog tape - $7.95
Window treatments - $45.00 (that includes two sets of curtains I will make for the kitchen)
Disposable paint tray's and brushes - $18.00

Grand total - $132.00

The pros cost would have been

$200.00 Labor
$76.00 paint
Who knows what for the decorative strips?
Woodwork, that one is sorta easy as I had gotten an estimate for all of the woodwork and trim for the kitchen and breakfast room from the pro's. A whopping $2,300.00!!! YIKES

I figure using some sloppy math the cost for the pro's would have been $1,300.00. Who needs that! Throw an old tee shirt of hubby's on, slip into a pair of shorts that should never ever be worn in public again, add a pair of hubby's undies as your hair covering and your all set.

Today is clean up day. As with anytime you work on a big project the rest of the house has gone to h... I need to get packed for our family vacation, pay some bills, do some baking and snack making for the cabin, put together a Nanny emergency box for the grands, wash the car (car wash), you know the drill when leaving home for even a few days. We are SOOO excited as hubby will be able to meet us at the cabin!! He is already on his way! We never know for sure if he will be able to get away from the project or not, this time we scored! The poor mans "Honey Do" list is growning by the day as he hasn't been home since September and then only for two days. He will have plenty to keep him busy over Thanksgiving.

Anybody else doing any freshening up around the house for the holidays? Please let us know in the comment section so we can cheer you on and get some ideas to use around our own place!

Elbow Grease

 Paint, paint, and more paint

 It's 70 % done, FINALLY

I have been racking my brain over what to use as window treatments in the new breakfast room. I was leaning towards ticking that would match the fabric on our chairs but the ticking didn't seem to be enough color. Low and behold I ran into this 44x82 drapery panel at the home improvement store for just $14.99. Knowing I can't buy fabric even on sale for that price I picked up 3 panels. Last night I got two of the panels cut lengthwise to use as a swag for the bay window. Yaaa, I had a good excuse to pull out the sewing machine. :)

I do believe I can finish the breakfast room today! All that's left "To Do" is
 Paint the strips on the upper walls
 Slap a coat of paint the bead board
 Finish the bay window swag
 Hang pictures

I dread working with the level to tape the strips off but it can't be any harder than all that sanding that has gone on too long right? Lord I hope so!!

All that's needed on the swag is to hem one LONG side 246 inches to be exact. I should have enough fabric from the second panel along with the extra panel I picked up yesterday to make curtains for the two windows in the adjoining kitchen. I am reusing the old window curtain hardware to keep cost down, they are kinda funky and cool.

I will be so glad to get the kitchen back in order once again. every surface is covered in something. Bonding primer, tray, roller,and paint brush, ditto for trim paint, base white wall paint, and yellow wall paint. Sand paper, screwdriver's, tape, sewing machine, ironing board, vacuum cleaner, the works, it's all in the kitchen leaving me no place to even put a glass of water.

Just as I was running out of energy yesterday morning I realized the white and yellow wall paint were two different finishes, grrrr Back to the home improvement store for an exchange. That's when I found the drapery panels.....it was like a light beam drawing me in. Buy me, buy me. I do believe I have a serious fabric addiction. The spring was back in my step I was ready to take on the breakfast room with gusto. I have a fabric problem people!! Ha

Progress

 It was nice to have a break from all the sanding of walls and trim for some Sunday Peewee football

 Tyler scored another touchdown, yaa. We gave him an atta boy afterwards he says to me "Nanny I told my little feet to run as fast as they could and they did!" Aww, too cute

 I was so darn glad to be done with getting that old wallpaper down, sanding of the walls, and trim. This is hard work!

After the ball game today I got everything primed. On to getting the first coat of paint on the trim tonight, figure it will take at least two coats of paint, hopefully not three!

I know once this room is finished I will like it but tonight...not so much! Ha My arms are so tired of sanding and pulling off wallpaper I can hardly lift them. I have until Tuesday this week to get as much as can be done before I need to get busy packing for our family vacation. I had high hopes I could complete everything before vacation but that's a no go. Days when I have one or more of the grands puts a cramp in the home improvement progress to say the least.

As hard as the work is, it feels good to bring some new life into this ageing house even though I am stuck doing it all, sigh We just can't spend the extra money for the Pros to do the work nor will my nerves hold up to yet more workmen that never show up!

Off to get that trim painted so AJ the beagle and I can get our beauty sleep.

Busy, Busy, Busy

 While waiting for the the family room ceiling to dry I knocked out the downstairs hallway. Still need to go back and paint the trim, all in good time.

 Last wall of the family room was put back together before moving on to the next "To Do"

 The breakfast room. It's been 10 years since this wallpaper went up and it shows. While I do like the shabby chic look, this wall paper has become..... just shabby.

 I started out STRONG..... but then real life caught up with me

 No way was I gonna strip wallpaper and miss out on Halloween with the grands. Mason man was big sisters sidekick by being the "Lion" from the Wizard of Oz. Notice waht a gentelman he is by even carrying "Dorthy's basket

 Dorthy (Karsyn) looks so grown up. They need to slow down!

 Kara as always was going a mile a minute but looking oh so cute as a girlie Zebra

 The toddlers were happy to share their loot with Kody our grand dog

Iron Man (Tyler) as always was looking out for his baby brother willing to share his own bounty.

As of 3:30 today I have been on the sofa with AJ the beagle. After all these home improvements of the past week, a night with the grands Trick or Treating, a full day with the little girls, and a nasty stomach bug while trying to keep my eye on the girls I am DONE!!!

I now know the official age that little kids find gross things interesting, it is three years old. The little girls were quite entertained by my suffering from the BUG.  No need to fear what they might get into while I was doing the bug thing, they were on my heels at every sprint to the powder room. Kara had the nerve at one point to tell ME to move "I can no see Nanny". Holy cow this brought back memories of  the old days when our own girls were wee ones. There is no doubt that I picked up the bug from one of the goblin's running around DD's last night. The next thing to look forward to is a terrible cold all 4 grands have or maybe strip throat that 3 have, oh happy days!! Ha

I can tell you I was one happy Nanny when DD#3 picked the little girls up after work. The front door was double locked! Tomorrow is a new day. I am thinking this might be just a 24 hour bug. Please Lord don't let the kiddo's come down with it. I have Kara again tomorrow, I don't find the results of a bug interesting or entertaining.

I think I have enough water and crackers in the old body to make it over night. I have wallpaper to take down, no time for this crap!!

It's Coming Along

 I ran out of ceiling paint late yesterday afternoon, energy as well :( I only had a small area on one side of the room to complete. First thing this morning I got myself to the home improvement store to pick up that ceiling paint. Thinking I was finally DONE and could put the last area of the room back together I realized at some point I had picked up the wrong paint tray!!!!! Holy cow I put the wall paint in this tiny area of the ceiling!! I should be able to go back and repaint in a few hours once the ceiling is completely dry. If I try to paint over it while it is the least little bit wet the popcorn finish will come tumbling down. It's always something with DIY's.

 AJ the Beagle was so happy to have her spot back last night. I was happy to be almost done!! Notice the window treatments? We haven't had window treatments in  the past but the room was feeling to white without them. I thought I would make simple panels using "Bama" style herringbone fabric but at $24.00 a yard times the 7 yards needed I switched my plan. I found single panels of charcoal tweed drapes on sale for $39.99. Rather than buy 4 panels I went with just two knowing I could do some creative sewing to make it work.

 The fireplace mantel came out brighter than I had planned, it looks white, but for now it will be fine. I may at some point add a third coat of paint with more tint added to the already tinted paint. It certainly brightens up the room!!

Once I fix my mistake on the ceiling and get the rest of the furniture and fixins back in place I can start looking for an area rug to use this winter. I don't like a rug down in the spring and summer, too much running in and out for a rug, but in the winter a budget friendly rug is nice to have. I go with budget family rugs so I can donate them once we have gotten the wear we want out of it, usually after 3 or 4 years.

So what do you think? Not a huge difference other than fresh walls and ceiling, oh ya and window treatments. We purchased the new couch and chair last month or was it the month before? The end tables were what not tables from around the house other than the one between hubby and my chair that I found at the scratch and dent section of "Pier One".

Here is what I did with the two single panels. I cut each panel right down the middle lengthwise to make two panels from one. A simple double hen on the edge finished them off. The only thing left was to add tabs to the newly hemmed edge and walla they are done. The panels are fully line which is a nice extra if we want to close them in the summer or winter for extra savings on the electric bill. We purshased the wooden southern blinds years ago to cut down on energy loss but and extra layer of lined drapes will up that savings even more.

I had Mason man yesterday morning while DD#1 went to an appointment. Knowing I was going to need curtain rods for the new window treatments he and I went on a search for the best priced deal we could find. We hit pay dirt at the third store finding rods for $12.99@ on the clearance rack that were oh so close to what I found for $59.99 @ at the home improvement store. Score one for the home team!!

Whats the bottom line for the family room makeover?

Paint -  $104.00 (had leftover primer and trim paint from the powder room makeover)
Window treatments & rods - $106.00
Total spent - $210.00

Estimate from painters
Paint -  $175.00
Labor walls - $200.00
Labor Ceiling - $200.00
Labor Fireplace - $225.00
Total cost - $800.00

SAVED!!!! $590.00 I am happy with the room, very happy with the savings, and will be dancing a jig when I'm finished!!!

Lets Get this Party Started

 AJ the beagle is not happy that one of her favorite nap spots is covered in plastic

 It took 2 hours to clear out the STUFF in the family room. Sad part is everything will be going back as there is nothing hubby doesn't love.

 I sure hope painting the mantel will look better than it does now, if not we will be buying a new one

 Where did all that STUFF go? The kitchen of course. The kitchen seems to always be the dumping ground for all things home related.

 There will be no cooking or baking until the family room is complete as the cooking area is covered in STUFF. Thank goodness for leftovers!!

 This family room project needs to stay on budget, seeing as how I don't have a shower cap to cover my silver locks and I refuse to spend money on one, I am using underwear that hubby won't wear. My man is married to his whitie tighties, he won't have anything to do with the nice pack of color undies I bought him.

So what do you think? Good look right? BTW, my head is not as big as hubby's rear end!! I am using an over sized hair clip to keep the undies secure to my head.

It's break time!!!! Holy cow am I ever tired :( three walls are complete, 3/4 of the ceiling is done, and the first coat of primer is drying on the mantle. It has gotten to dark too see well enough to paint this evening so I am switching over to cleaning all of the pictures and STUFF from the family room.

Still to go tomorrow. Two coats of paint on the mantle, finish painting last wall, finish painting ceiling, two coats of paint on the back door.  I have high hopes to finish this room tomorrow but I will be watching DD#1's kiddo's in the morning so it will be a late start on the painting party. I stink at painting!! I have as much paint on my body as there is on the walls but what the heck I'm cheap labor right?

AJ the beagle and I will be hitting the sack mighty early tonight. She is ready to get in a comfy place to cuddle, I am ready to get off my feet and give my arms a rest.

Anybody else trying to do some home improvement/updates around the house before the holiday's?  Having no AC this summer has me way behind on so many things, it was just to stinkin hot to do physical labor without AC.