Updated List

Got my haircut for the first time in 11 months yesterday, so figured it might also be time to update on how the house projects are coming along!  As I write, we have HVAC contractors outside working on our crazy-old air conditioning unit in nearly 100 degree South Carolina heat.  We're still within the 1 year of our home warranty so we were hoping it would need to be replaced completely, but no such luck :(  Either way, we've gotten a LOT done since my last update, so this post is really just to help encourage me to keep on working!! Nothing like looking back at your project list and being able to scratch lots of things off!   Thankfully, paint is an inexpensive way to bring about dramatic changes, so it's lovely to walk around and see what all has gotten a face-lift in the last 7 months.  Promise to post less words and more pictures someday soon!  The "public" areas of our house have had their makeovers and hopefully over the next few months, our bedrooms & bathrooms will also get the once-over!

House Project/Purchase List

Hire(d) Professional

Purchase(d)

Inside

Whole Downstairs 

- Blinds/Shutters

Entire House

-          Electrical outlet additions/updates

-          Change out light switch and outlet plates to match

-          Hardwood Floors sanded, stained and finished

-          Paint/Repair/Replace HVAC registers and floor grate

-          A/C Unit & Duct Work Insulate/Update/Replace

-       Paint doors black!!!

 Entryway

-          Repair Plaster &Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Repair/Sand/Prime/Paint front door (Inside)

-          New Light Fixture

-          Coat closet – add stackable storage

-          Entryway decoration

Living Room

-          Sell old entertainment center

-          Entertainment Center table (from Marian & Curtis)

-          Purchase & Install Ceiling Fan to replace light fixture

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Rug

-          Window Treatments

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          End Table

-          Lamps

-          Update Fireplace/Hearth 

-          Replace/update mantle

Dining Room

-          Repair Plaster &Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Purchase & Install Chandelier

-          Window Treatments

-          Buffet Lamps

Breakfast Nook/Butler’s Pantry

-          Find/Purchase Table & Chairs

-          Repair Plaster &Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-       Vegetable poster artwork

-          Purchase & Replace Light Fixture

-          Blinds

-          Sand, Prime & Paint Cabinetry…

-          Purchase & Replace cabinet knobs

Kitchen

-          Remove Wallpaper

-          Repair Plaster &Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Donate existing appliances to Habitat ReStore

-          Purchase & Change out appliances

o   Purchase Microwave

o   Install Range Hood: buy lightbulbs!

-          Sand &Paint Cabinetry

-          Purchase &Replace cabinet knobs

-          Change overhead light for framed fixture

-          Replace/Re-surface countertops

-          Repair glass pellet hole in window over sink

-          Install backsplash

Laundry Room

-          New Washer/Dryer

o   Replace dryer vent hose with flexible hose

-          Repair leaking shut off valves, replace busted frozen pipe

-          Shelving/Storage

-          Backdoor moisture damage repair

First Floor Bathroom/Linen Closet

-          Shower curtain

-          Frost glass brick window...replace glass brick window with leaded bricks

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Vanity/Sink

-          Light fixtures

-          Hot water heater

o   Adjust water temperature

o    Electrical repair

Master Bedroom

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          Window Treatments

-          Closet – add shelves/storage

-          Purchase Ceiling fan w/ light to replace light fixture

- New bedding

Guest Bedroom

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          Window Treatments

-          Closet – add shelves/storage

-          Purchase Ceiling fan w/ light to replace light fixture

Outside

-          Move gate on side of house so dog can go out porch door

o   Install new latch for gate

-          Sand/Prime/Paint & Re-glaze Exterior Windows

-          Porch ceiling paint

-          Paint front door (outside)

-          Porch light fixture

-          Roof

-          Porch Furniture

-          Tame the Yard/ Hire plant expert to advise... Landscape Plans done, taming in progress

-          Stump removal

-          Storage Shed - remove old

-       Storage Shed - build new

-          Privacy Fence?

-          Bigger Mailbox

-          Exterior Storm Windows

-          Leaf blower!

Currently...

Feeling like a major blog slacker, but here are a few snippets of what I'm up to...

Listening... to The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty and Insurgent by Veronica Roth... my obsession with books on CD is perhaps out of control.  But, I love them for the car, and also for while I’m busy painting in our house

Eating.... too much junk!  Looking forward to a lunch out with a few of my girlfriends today atGarden Bistro

Drinking... Hot Chocolate... I normally don’t drink anything hot, but recently I’ve been craving warm & sweet, so hot chocolate it is!

Wearing... RED for Women’s Heart Healthtoday…. Also wearing my new favorite bracelet & scarf I got from my sister for Christmas & my birthday

Feeling... Excited for the weekend!

Weather... Cold, but supposed to be sunny today!

Needing.... to find time to re-cover my dining room chair seats… I have the fabric and I just need to buckle down and get it done!

Planning… to paint the dining room red this weekend!  Be on the lookout for some before & after shots soon!

Thinking... I need to get back to running… my running buddy Jennifer & I have put two runs on our calendar for next week… and I’m considering this race in June

Enjoying... our new neighborhood.. ultra convenient to work and church… great streets to walk & run on… and a brand new tree planted for us by the city!

2013 Year in Review

So much happens in the course of a year.  I love to throw together a list of some of the major events that occurred so I can look back and remember them.  It feels like a REALLY long time ago that I ran in the Charleston Half Marathon and it was still less than a year ago.  Of course, we did lots of other stuff in 2013, but here are some of the highlights.....

January 2013
Made some resolutions... more on how things went in a later post
Completed the Charleston Half Marathon with a personal best time!
Spent lots of time visiting my niece in the NICU

February 2013
Hosted a Supper Club Super Bowl Party!
Celebrated my niece coming home from the NICU
Celebrated Ryan's 29th Birthday
Got together with friends to start Nooks & Grannies book club
Found some lovely fabric for re-decorating our den

March 2013
Ran in my first 10K - Get To the Green St. Patty's Day Run
Discovered Thursday night jazz at Hunter Gatherer

April 2013
Spent a long weekend at the beach!
Trained & ran in the Heart & Sole 5-miler
"Ran for Boston"
Celebrated my sister & niece at a belated baby shower
Helped with my JWC's Annual Yard Sale
Played Ultimate Frisbee for the first time (my team was awesome!)

May 2013
Served as a guest speaker for a group of nurses state convention
Spent Memorial Day Weekend at the Beach!

June 2013  
Quit Monthly Menu Planning
Began serving as the President for JWC of Lake Murray
Attended Brandon & Mary Kathryn's wedding!
Went Kayaking with friends... got inspired & bought our own kayaks!
It started raining... and it rained and it rained and it rained.  Longest streak of rainy days in history.

July 2013
Celebrated my nephew's 3rd birthday & my niece's Baptism
Ryan started a new job... I went on vacation to the beach
I completed my PHI Pilates Instructor Certification
Hosted Nooks & Grannies book club at my house!

August 2013
Went on a weekend trip to Greenville
Started training for Georgetown Half Marathon
Taught my first Pilates class
Talked about and decided to put our house up for-sale-by-owner....
Were completely shocked when it was under contract in a quick 2 weeks
Packed liked crazy & searched for a new home

September 2013
Quit training for Georgetown Half (too busy moving!)
CLOSED on the Sale of our first home
Shopped and shopped and shopped for a new home
Moved in with my parents
Put a contract on our new home!

October 2013
Completed lots of inspections & paperwork for our new house
CLOSED on the purchase of our new home
Helped to host a baby shower for my college roommate Elizabeth
Attended Heather & Jeff's Wedding

November 2013
Ryan started another new job... a much better fit!
Moved into our new home!
Celebrated 10 years together (we started dating in November 2003)
Made a big long list of things "to-do" for our house & got started working

December 2013
Volunteered at our JWC 2nd Annual Tour of Homes
Celebrated our 4th Anniversary
Celebrated Christmas & New Years with family & friends
Celebrated my 29th Birthday

House Progress!

Wow.  It's been more than a month since I posted here... So much has happened in that time period, below are some things that I've gotten to "scratch" off the list!  It is definitely nice to see all the things we've completed in writing since some days it feels like progress is slow-going!  Looking forward to more exciting updates in the coming weeks & months!

Whole Downstairs

-          Blinds/Shutters .... I couldn't stand the mini blinds any longer!  They were so dusty from the floor re-finishing and I had originally planned to wait until we painted all the trim to replace them.  However, they were SO nasty that I went ahead and ordered 2-inch faux wood blinds and we installed them all over the downstairs.  Even though they don't currently match the color of the trim, they block out the sun much better and look WAY better than the minis.  (For anyone who is wondering, we still haven't replaced the blue minis in the stairwell... those are a real gem and will likely be in place until we finish all our downstairs updates.)

Dining Room

-          Window Treatments.... Went shopping with my mom and sister last weekend and found fabric for dining room draperies that coordinates with the fabric I'm going to use in the living room for cornice boards.  Since you walk from one room to the other, I wanted it all to have a good flow!  Also the fabric and the cost of making draperies was amazing at Interior Resolutions of Richburg.  If you're in SC or NC, you should totally check them out.  

-          Buffet Lamps...Christmas gift!

Breakfast Nook/Butler’s Pantry

-          Find/Purchase Table  Chairs... Found the COOLEST reclaimed wood kitchen table at Nadeau, and paired it with metal cafe chairs from amazon.  Looks AWESOME with our dark wood chandelier.  Definitely a more modern look than my usual style, but I'm loving it.  

-          Repair Plaster, Prime & Paint Walls

-          Prime/Paint Trim

-          Sand, Prime & Paint Cabinetry

-          Purchase & Replace cabinet knobs

Kitchen.... Aside from finishing the paint on the walls & trim, the first phase of our kitchen re-do is almost done!  Check out this before & after!  

-          Repair Plaster, Prime & Paint Walls

-          Prime & Paint Trim

-       Install Range Hood

-          Sand & Paint Cabinetry

-          Purchase & Replace cabinet knobs

Laundry Room

- Replace busted pipe from freezing weather.... Here's something we had to add to our list... but luckily our laundry room is on the back porch, so there was no water damage to the inside of the house!

First Floor Bathroom/Linen Closet

-          Frost glass brick window.... Hooray, I can no longer see my neighbors while I shower!

Outside

-          Leaf blower! Christmas Gift!

An Update & A List

Beaufort Enjoying the Front Porch

Well, more than a month has gone by since we closed on our house, and unbelievably, we moved in 3 weeks ago.  Time is flying!  I thought it would be cool to publish here my “list” of things that I want to work on in our house.  They are by no means in priority order, just organized by room.  We are knocking out everything a little at a time, and obviously some things are more costly than others, so we will need to save up before we actually tackle them.  It feels really nice to draw a big fat line (I imagine myself marking it off with a sharpie!) through each thing.  Having it all written down helps me realize that we have already accomplished a lot, even though we still have a long way to go.   I’m excited that with every new project we finish, the house is starting to feel more and more like our home.  Can’t wait to continue to show you the progress! 

House Project/Purchase List

Hire(d) Professional

Purchase(d)

Inside

Entire House

-          Electrical outlet additions/updates

-          Change out light switch and outlet plates to match

-          Hardwood Floors sanded, stained and finished

-          Paint/Repair/Replace HVAC registers and floor grate

-          A/C Unit & Duct Work Insulate/Update/Replace

 Entryway

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Repair/Sand/Prime/Paint front door

-          New Light Fixture

-          Coat closet – add stackable storage

-          Entryway decoration

Living Room

-          Sell old entertainment center

-          Entertainment Center table (from Marian & Curtis)

-          Purchase & Install Ceiling Fan to replace light fixture

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Rug

-          Window Treatments

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          End Tables/Coffee Table

-          Lamps

-          Update Fireplace/Hearth 

-          Replace/update mantle

Dining Room Chandelier...... one of my favorite additions so far... ignore the crazy mini blinds

Dining Room

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Purchase & Install Chandelier

-          Window Treatments

-          Buffet Lamps

Breakfast Nook Light... now if only I had a table...

Breakfast Nook/Butler’s Pantry

-          Find/Purchase Table & Chairs

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Purchase & Replace Light Fixture

-          Window Treatment (to hide laundry room)

-          Sand, Prime & Paint Cabinetry… in progress

-          Purchase & Replace cabinet knobs

Progress Painting Cabinets... only the doors left!

Kitchen

-          Remove Wallpaper

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Donate existing appliances to Habitat ReStore

-          Purchase & Change out appliances

o   Purchase Microwave

o   Install Range Hood

-          Sand & Paint Cabinetry… in progress

-          Purchase & Replace cabinet knobs

-          Change overhead light for framed fixture

-          Replace/Re-surface countertops

-          Repair glass pellet hole in window over sink

-          Install backsplash

Laundry Room

-          New Washer/Dryer

o   Replace dryer vent hose with flexible hose

-          Repair leaking shut off valves

-          Shelving/Storage

-          Backdoor moisture damage repair

First Floor Bathroom/Linen Closet

-          Shower curtain

-          Frost glass brick window

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Vanity/Sink

-          Light fixtures

-          Hot water heater

o   Adjust water temperature

o    Electrical repair

Master Bedroom

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          Window Treatments

-          Closet – add shelves/storage

-          Purchase Ceiling fan w/ light to replace light fixture

Guest Bedroom

-          Repair Plaster & Paint Walls

-          Sand/Prime/Paint Trim

-          Blinds/Shutters

-          Window Treatments

-          Closet – add shelves/storage

-          Purchase Ceiling fan w/ light to replace light fixture

Outside

-          Move gate on side of house so dog can go out porch door

o   Install new latch for gate

-          Sand/Prime/Paint & Re-glaze Exterior Windows

-          Porch ceiling paint

-          Paint front door

-          Porch light fixture

-          Roof

-          Porch Furniture

-          Tame the Yard/ Hire plant expert to advise

-          Stump removal

-          Storage Shed

-          Privacy Fence

-          Bigger Mailbox

-          Exterior Storm Windows

-          Leaf blower!