House update #1

So today I walked around the house with my camera determined to snap some "after" pictures of projects we have completed. To show off a bit. But it turns out I didn't have much I could photograph. That doesn't mean we haven't already put a ton of work into this place because TRUST ME. WE HAVE! However before and after pictures of dirty/dusty blinds/fans/light fixtures/door frames that are now clean just aren't all that exciting. And bathroom cabinets that were dingy white at move-in time but are now bright white...umm not very picture worthy. Or hall closets that have been arranged and re-arranged and re-rearranged and still look messy are not worth documenting. But I persevered and found a few things to share.

Eat-in Kitchen

This is very obviously the BEFORE picture...

because oh-my-goodness that wallpaper! And that daisy light fixture! They hurt my eyes every single time I walked in the room. Which of course is only 100+ times per day. So just a slight pain.

And now, the much easier on the eyes AFTER version of our kitchen:

So much prettiness in one spot! Including that adorable girl in pink:) A fellow resident's wife offered to watch Levi so Joe and I could go on a date the other day (the big kids were at VBS). We quickly and gladly said YES. And promptly went home and wallpapered. Not the most romantic "date" in the world, but wallpapering just wasn't going to happen otherwise. I am so glad we spent our three free hours working on this "little" project. Joe probably isn't. (Wallpapering is HARD. And stressful. And I'm not very kind in those situations.) But its done and I LOVE it and my husband still loves me. So I'm calling it a success. Even if that one area above the door still needs to be completed...meh. I'll get to that someday.

So pretty. Even with a few light bulbs missing.

The kitchen cabinets were in ROUGH shape when we moved in...

I have spent many, many post-kids bedtime hours working on them. Cleaning, sanding and staining. I have done three tedious layers of stain. Oh and the knobs got a little spray paint make over. And all I have to show for that work is 1/3 of the cabinets completed...

And I could just cry. Not because it is slow, tedious work. But because I don't like the results! They just look like I painted them brown. Poopy brown. And I didn't. I stained them!!! Originally I was going to paint them gray. But then I thought stain would look better. Sadly I thought wrong. Very wrong. Painting them would have been so much easier! I am so frustrated. Joe wisely made me take a break from the cabinets. At least the knobs look a little better. 

Main Bathroom

I had to dig deep through Joe's phone to find some BEFORE pictures of the kids' bathroom because unfortunately I did not think to take pictures before my mom went to work transforming this once dingy little space into this...

We are embracing the green counter for now. Because honestly it was the least of our bathroom concerns when we moved in. Take a gander at how far this bathroom has come already...

Those pictures are from the day Joe toured the house. The day he decided this was THE house for us. I shudder a little bit looking back at these pictures. That faucet was broken. And the cabinet was dirty and gross. The towel bar and toilet paper holder were old. I would bet money that they were the originals to this almost 40 year old house!  My mom was a saint to clean and paint that space. I definitely owe her.

And that ends the before and after section.

Now just a few pictures of the house as it looks today in all it's not-quite-all-the-way-unpacked-messy-lived-in glory. Boxes in the corner and toys strewn about everywhere all the decorating rage, right? Right. 

Living Room

the wall above the couch needs to become a picture collage wall

this guy doesn't seem to mind all the unpacked boxes!

And just around the corner is the dining room playroom. Because who needs a formal dining room anyways? Not I.

lots of playing happens here. and a few sibling squabbles too.

Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Taken from this angle because the rest of the room is a DISASTER zone.

This wallpaper gets to stay a little bit longer because I think it is kind of fun. Plus it really shows off that green counter well:)