The Nursery "Furniture"

I swear that it’s not that the nursery is the ONLY thing on my mind…I promise it’s not…but it might be the most pressing thing. :) Because of that, you’re hearing a LOT about it…and I don’t know if that’s ok with you or if I should say “sorry!”

I mentioned the other day in a post that we worked on acquiring some of the items that we’ll need for the nursery. No, not booties, bottles and onesies…but like a dresser, a room divider, etc. You know, the big stuff! I mentioned here that we are sharing our room with baby Jax for a little while…making the lemonade out of lemons…and we had been tossing ideas about how to “divide” the room to still allow us a little smidge of privacy and give Jax his own space as well for a while. We’ve discussed everything from installing a wall (not in favor of) to hanging a heavy curtain (also not one of my favorites) and some type of bi-folding screen (not the best option either). As you can probably tell, I’m the one holding all of our progress back with my lack of enthusiasm over everything that we could think of doing.

Then the other day it hit me like a ton of bricks…what about a bookshelf? Like a really BIG bookshelf that would go up pretty high and be pretty wide so as to “create” a wall without us actually putting up a wall…hmmm…this could work. I started searching and quickly found several options that I liked on the IKEA website. Of course, when I mentioned the idea to Brent, he wanted to see it all in person and we made plans to visit our local IKEA store over the weekend.

Now, in my defense, I really DID go just to look. I mean, I thought that if we liked it, we MIGHT be coming home with a bookshelf. You know, if things went just right. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would leave the store with a truck-bed full of boxes and a MUCH lighter checkbook! But hey, when you find what you’re looking for, you get it right?
Because if you’ll remember, we were still searching for a dresser for Jax to use as well. I’ve been going back and forth about a separate changing table and then whether to snag Jenna’s dresser (which matches the crib and turns upside down to make a changing table) for a few months now. I’ve been scouring Craigslist and just couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for at the right time. For some reason, I was about 30 minutes too late on more than one listing…and I got ROBBED out of the perfect long dresser last weekend, but that’s a whole other story!

Anyway, to make a long story shorter, this is what we left IKEA with this bookshelf…

And this dresser…

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the dresser and it’s unique finish. Since we hadn’t yet decided on a trim color for our room, we immediately finalized that decision and will find a trim color that will complement/match the finish on the dresser…making sure that it also works with the wall color, of course.

And the bookshelf isn’t exactly what I had in mind…you might have noticed that the shelves are OPEN…but it’s the one that I liked the best and it’s the right size. At just over 6’ square, it’s perfect to divide our room up without actually dividing it up. And the plan is to find some curtains or some type of fabric to cover the “back” of the bookshelf with so that it’s not open on both sides…

What do you think? We’ve got our work cut out for us this weekend, that’s for sure! I’d like to have both pieces assembled before my shower next weekend, so I’m crossing my fingers that it actually happens. Then again, Brent has to work two shifts this weekend…and I know from a friend’s personal experience (holla Lady Di!) that IKEA dressers are NOT the easiest things to assemble. Let’s just say that I laughed so hard a few years back when she told me about putting the dresser that she got from IKEA together that I nearly peed my pants…there was MUCH cussing and throwing of tools, if I remember correctly…so we’ll see.

I’d like to at least get the dresser up so that I can start washing clothes and putting them up…but I’d also like to have the dresser so that I can put up the five BOXES of books that I own up on shelves and not have them in the upstairs living room any longer too. We’ll see what happens!

*source for pictures

Floor Remodel

A few weeks ago, I posted that we were doing some home remodeling. And when I use the word “some” I really mean a LOT of home remodeling. Aggressive might be another way to put it. Taking a really big bite of the pie might be another way to think of what all "we’re" doing. (And when I say "we're" doing all of this in the presence of my husabnd, he gives me THAT look...)

And don’t get me started on the aches and the pains...and those are just mine! I’m not even the one doing the hard stuff...my handy-dandy hubby is the busy one...with some help from a cousin. I can only imagine how they feel in the mornings when they get up!

But let me tell you...it’s SO worth it. If you thought that the paint on the walls was a big step, just wait until you get to the end of this post! You’ll be amazed, and maybe a little jealous that I have such a talented husband...I’m not opposed to hiring him out for your own project though...wink, wink. Just kidding – he’d probably murder me for even thinking those thoughts!

I wish that I’d taken some pics of the carpet...no, then I’d be too embarrassed to post them...it’s best just to use your imagination. I guarantee that it’s probably not the worst carpet even seen, but it was in pretty ragged shape. But we had carpet down over the whole living room and some tile in the entry-way and kitchen/laundry room/half bath.

This is what we started with.

It’s not bad tile. It’s just ugly, in my opinion. It’s not something that I would choose to put down, but it’s something that was here with B bought the house, and it worked.

First “we” ripped it all up...down to the cement foundation, which was in GREAT shape! Great news when you live in Texas, and in an area known for shifting foundations. Then we started with a small section, from the center of the living room. I tried to convince B that no one really started in the center...that in such a big room that it would be ok to start along a wall with whole pieces, but he does things the right way, there will be no cutting of corners for this guy! Here's a close up of the tile that we chose - 20" x 20" - BIG tiles!Once the method was perfected, and “the workers” found their rhythm they moved along at a steady pace. Knowing that our house would be a wreck for a few weeks while everything downstairs got moved upstairs was still not enough preparation for the mess that our house has been for the last two weeks. The work went by fast though, slowing only for inclement weather (you can’t lay tile if it’s under 50 degrees outside) and arranging schedules between the workers so that one person didn’t do it all alone. After just one week, this is what we had. Everything was done except for the edges of the room...Doesn't it go well with our wall/trim colors? All but the cuts were done...So B and I spent a LONG night the weekend before last and put in the grout on what we had down. I really thought that the grouting portion of the process would be easier and something that I could help with...yeah, not so much. I mean, I did it. I sucked it up and dealt with it, but bending down on hands and knees or trying to crouch down when you’re five months pregnant doesn’t lend for a lot of grace. And I didn’t start out with much to begin with...so you can imagine the laughter that we had that night! I have no actual pictures of ME doing any of the work, but trust me...laying grout is NOT easy!

I was also really worried about washing my jeans right away...it was easier in the end to just sit on my butt and slide across the tiles. I tried REALLY hard to sit on the tile squares and not on the grout lines, but I knew that I had not been 100% successful. And since I can’t fit into “work” jeans that it’s ok to trash, I washed my maternity jeans immediately upon finishing. It all came out – never fear.

Once the main section was grouted, it was time to start on the cuts...and finish out the room.

After the grout set and cured, "we" sealed it. And then my participation began again with trying to get it cleaned up and all the “tile dust” off of the tiles so that they were pretty. I lost count of how many times the floor was mopped, steamed, stripped and washed. My back probably knows the number, but my head does not.

On Friday/Saturday, B cut/painted and installed the new baseboards, rounding out the look of the living room. Once those were in, we were able to put our living room back together, which was exciting for both of us! It's hard not having a place in your home for the family to congregate...

Just two weeks after starting it all. Not bad considering that two guys did most all of the work. Two guys who had not laid tile ever, or in a long time. Isn’t it beautiful? Our new recliners will be here at the end of this month, which we cannot WAIT to get, and our new TV console will be here sometime in May. Then the room will be re-organized and “finished.”

They started on the kitchen/laundry room/half bath this week...stay tuned for those pics!

My Man Works Hard!

He thinks that he doesn’t work that hard right now. You might remember, if you’re a long-time reader, that I posted right before our wedding about B getting laid off. We both worked for the same company and we each made it through the first round of layoffs that happened in April of last year. Then B didn’t make it through the second round that happened in August. I’m still here, but sit on pins and needles some months as we’ve gone through two more rounds of layoffs since August.

Luckily for us, the timing hit just right. Well, I thought that it did. B was free to help with the last minute errands and running around that inevitably happen before a wedding, and then he had time off for our honeymoon, our friend’s wedding in CA and the holidays. Right after the holidays, he buckled down and started really searching for a job. He’s gotten a few nibbles, but only one offer and it wasn’t worth taking. So to say that he’s had some time on his hands is probably the understatement of the year.

For those of you that are married, you understand the concept of a “honey do” list. Well, we’ve had one started since before the wedding. B bought his house a few years before I moved in, and had done nothing to it. And when I say nothing, I really mean nothing. And apparently the previous owners didn’t believe in the whole making-your-house-your-home concept either, because when I moved in last year every single wall in the house was still white. Yep, you read that right. The house was about 7-10 years old at this point, and every single wall in the house was still the original flat white. Except that since 7-10 years have passed, they’re more of a dingy white with brown corners...since we have kids who run through the house, grabbing onto wall corners to skid around the corner. Yeah.

To say that the house needed some “love” would be another understatement. We started talking about things to do before I moved in, but realistically with the wedding that we wanted to throw and pay for, we knew that home remodeling (even just painting) would have to be put on the back burner for the time being. That time is now. Ever since the wedding, the talks about what to do with the house to make it our home have turned more serious. Since B is out of work right now, there is a slight cash-flow problem, but we had purposely saved the last chunk of his severance to work on the downstairs of the house. Between that savings and the generous gifts of friends and family from the wedding and/or Christmas, we had accumulated another few hundred dollars to spend between Lowe’s and Home Depot.

We finally started two weeks ago. And let me tell you – there are places that I hurt that haven’t hurt since I started P90X workouts before our wedding. Seriously. Home remodeling is hard work. It’s totally worth it, but totally draining. Add on top of that being pregnant and you’ve got some serious zappage to the energy levels...which could explain lack of posting?!?! Maybe?!?!

So I thought that you might be interested in seeing our progress so far...or maybe I should say B’s progress so far. I’ve helped, but mostly just on the weekends and with the concept of what I wanted and how things could be. He’s the worker bee, the executioner of my grand designs...and he does DARN good work! See for yourself...

Some before shots of our living/dining room...which opens to the breakfast nook/kitchen making the downstairs mostly one big L-shaped room. See those white walls? Yeah. I don’t think that I need to say more...

And the carpet? The original carpet from the house...once again, 7-10 years old. That’s being torn out this week...of course, you can't SEE the carpet...but trust me. It's in bad shape. You'll have to forgive the clutter taking up most of those shots...that's all of our living room crap shoved out away from all walls... So here’s what we did in stages. First comes the painting... And more painting... And still MORE painting...did I mention that it’s a LARGE room? You probably didn't think so since I forgot to take the Before shots BEFORE we actually started painting, so they were all taken from just the side that wasn't painted!We even took the color up the stairway... Next comes trimming out the top of the room with some thin crown molding...a far off shot...

We went with a smaller crown molding because our walls aren't that high. Crown molding comes so wide these days, and it looks great, if you have the wall height to carry it off. I was worried that with our standard height walls, that using a 3 or 4 inch crown molding would "shrink" our room sizing down, so smaller it was...

Here's some close-ups...

Check out the corner work that he did!

B had never hung crown molding before last week...he taught himself with the help of Google...yes, that’s Google-able...I think that he did a FABULOUS job!

And then some more trim work that I did this past weekend on the window sills...

Eventually, all of the trim downstairs will be the darker brown color...And look how lovely our color scheme goes with our Christmas present from Main Britney last year!

Perfect! And it wasn’t even planned that way!

So that’s where we are. We spent this past weekend painting most of the kitchen the same colors as the living room and hanging the same crown molding in there as well. I forgot to take pics of that...so maybe I’ll grab some in the next few days. We didn’t finish the area right around the sliding glass doors, the window above the sink or the space of walls between counter tops and underneath the cabinets...so that’s why I didn’t take those shots yet.

B was in a hurry to start demo-ing out the carpet and old tile floors...hopefully I can make it home today before he gets too much of the old tile out so that I can get some before pics! It’s a constant work in progress, but I’ll keep you updated.