In January I posted a blog entry, (click the link to read it:http://brendaandtheboys.blogspot.com/2010/01/in-2010.html) and in it I listed several things that I had resolved to do in the year 2010. I left it opened to be continued. So, here I am with a little continuation. See I love making lists. So usually/naturally I make a quick, short list of things that I want to try and do differently or better in the new year and in my life in general. I don't usually announce it or post it for all to see, hear, or know. Its usually just for me. I guess that way if I don't do them all or finish them etc. Then I don't look like a quitter, dork, or idiot for not fulfilling the list of resolutions. This year, I did share the short (and on going list) with you guys. And so far I have really stuck to the list. And I feel really good about it. So, here is resolution #5.
Now, on to my Laundry Room. First of all if you did not know, Orange is my favorite color!! I love orange with all my heart. It makes me happy when I see it!! I love to wear it. See it. Just love it. My cell phone is orange. Wish my iPod was too! Anyhoo, I have always said and wanted something, somewhere in my house to be orange. So, about four months ago I was at Wal-Mart and checked out the "Ooops" paints. You know the paints that get mixed but for whatever reason they are not purchased so Wal-mart sells them for next to nothing. Well, the day I was in there, there it was... a gallon of paint called Burnt Orange! It screamed out to me!! And it was only $5 for the whole can. And yes I reached right over and put it in my cart!! I brought it home and put it away for another day. Didn' t have time to do it, but knew it would go on a wall somewhere. Later I decided it would go in my laundry room. It is a room I go in almost everyday. And so why not have a happy color to greet me every time I am in there! I also spray painted a shelf and a towel bar in there black with left over paint from my kitchen chairs. Found a print of the UT tower and fountain done by Butch Javellana that he gave me a while back and bought a frame and hung it in there, too. Fun! I love this room now. It looks so cool! And new.
5. I resolve to FINISH all projects that I have started in the past and just have not gotten around to finishing and or doing projects that I have always wanted to do and just never did.
I kicked off my number 5 two weekends ago. Kevin was going out of town and so I thought perfect he is out of the house and can't make faces at me while I am in his eyes tearing the house apart with what I simply thought were little home improvement projects. But to Kevin were an Extreme Makeover Parks Home Edition. See my hopes were to get some minor (which some turned out to be a teeny bit major) projects that I had had on hold and in my mind to do and get all done before he arrived back home on Sunday. But. Well, you know how that goes. I, well me and my partner in home project crime, my very handy Mother and I took a little longer than we thought and did not finish until last Friday with my many projects. That is how I ended up with a #5 after all because the list just kept growing and growing. And I put it off and off. So, when I decided to do it I tried to do to much at once. Sorry, Mom! And thanks again for your help. I guess my #6 should be to work on being OK if things don't get done right away and to pace myself. The list is made and on paper. I need to just work on what I can when I can. That is why and how I had so many things to do in the first place. I put them off and just added and added to the list. I don't know. Update: Kevin is now happy with the changes (I think) but, my goodness you would have thought I took a wall out the way he first reacted.
OK. So, let's back track a bit. Most of my projects were/are home improvement ones. Our house will be 10 years old in October. So, it is only natural that things are starting to look a bit tired and or are broken and need to be replaced. So, about a year ago (or more) I started a list of things (not only a list. I devoted a special binder to only house stuff. Yes, I am a list freak. I currently own 3 notebooks for different lists. THAT is another story.) that I wanted to do around our house. And I even started on a few things but, as life goes I just get/ or got busy and put them down and pushed aside until "I could" get back to them. Which I hadn't done until last week. Finally. Also, about a year ago my dear friend Brandi had begun reading and pouring over many blogs about SAHMs who DIY (stay at home moms that do it yourself). She would on a daily basis send me link after link blog after blog with tons of ideas and pictures on things these women were doing to their homes and all by themselves. So, I too began to read blog after blog. And then before I knew it the fire was lit under my belly and I got my list out and started thinking about all the things I had started and not finished and added some new things to my list and last week I went for it!! And thanks to my mom we got so much done!! And I am loving every second of the improvements we have made. AND the good news is that I only have a few more things on my list that I can scratch off. AND then hopefully sit and relax for the rest of the year (or until a new list starts) and enjoy having all these things done! AND enjoy my house without the projects and random piles of crap and procrastination staring at me!
First off, my favorite of these DIY blogs I love to read is The Nester.com. The Nester's motto is, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." So that is what I took as my inspiration to not only finish my projects but to start them as well.
Where to begin? Basically, I went to Lowes and bought a bunch of spray paint and paint and went to town. First on my list was my bright gold brass knobs. Back in 2000 when we bought our house gold was THE accent color for knobs, door knobs, light fixtures etc. So, I painted the kitchen knobs a metallic bronze and wham it looks like a new kitchen. Not only did I spray these knobs but also anything brass in our master/guest bath. For example the towel bars/rings, the toilet paper holder, etc. I then added some bronzed and brown accents to go with the new knobs like some picture frames, sprayed the top to my cookie jar, too. All things pulled from other places in the house. Things I already had. Now the kitchen looks updated. Yay!
The kitchen knobs before were a gold brassy color. The things on the counter were light and natural wood in color.
Kitchen After: New knobs, sprayed the cookie jar lid. Added some picture frames, put a bottle of wine in a metal bronze candle holder I had. A tin fluer de lis I bought for $10 in Natchitoches, LA is now a focal point in the kitchen!
We also took our kitchen table and flipped it. It went from what you see below, a natural wood table that we paid maybe $400 for in 1998 from Gallery Furniture and changed it into a walnut colored wood table top with 6 black chairs and matching black table legs. It looks completely different. My mom spray painted the legs and chairs with Rustoleum All Purpose Paint in a satin finish. She wiped them down with wet wipes. No sanding. Awesome! I used a walnut stain for the top. Sanded the top only. Then rolled/brushed on the stain. We were going to buy a new table. After shopping for one and seeing that I would have to pay anywhere from $700-1000 for a new one. I thought let's just make the one we have work. It was still sturdy. The top had scratches and stains but that was about it. Oh, and the color. This was the only natural wood in the whole house. Next to Matt's bedroom furniture. So, viola! New table for about $150. Nice. And fun to see the transformation.
Table Before
Table After
Next, my bedroom. When we first moved into our house almost 10 years ago. We only had a bed. Mattress and frame only. No mas. Then a year or so after we bought our bedroom set. We bought a comforter and so then with that we painted the room a neutral color. A nice shade of Tan. Well, we finally got rid of that comforter a year or so ago. It was horrible looking. Faded. A whole or two. Threads hanging. But we loved it. KP and I are creatures of habit. Like something keep it forever. Or until we must change it or get a new one. We loved it! I searched high and low, meaning on ebay and amazon and anywhere else for the same comforter to replace the old one. No luck! Waaah! So, we bought a new one last year or so. We ended up with one that had navy and maroon. It did not match the room or colors we had had for sometime. So, I decided to change the wall color to Navy. The drapes were Tan and so I bought some red ones to go with the new comforter. The tan ones are still tucked behind them because they are black shades. (: We never really liked the "new" comforter. And it just did not hold up as good as the other one we had for all those years. So, once I saw a whole in it a few months ago I told KP time to start looking for a new bedding. He of course was not happy. But, we found one at Kohl's last month that we both really liked (when I say that I mean not so much how it looks but how it feels as well. KP is picky like that.). Thank goodness for Kohl's coupons, too. So, once the comforter was home for almost a month. I decided that I was tired of the super dark and depressing navy wall color. So, on my list was to change our room to even an newer color. Gold! Though we found a new comforter to match the already existing colors and things in our room. It was just too dark! I wanted to feel light and warm and cozy. So, my dear sweet mom (who at the time loved to paint!) primed and painted my room the new shade of Laura Ashley Gold 4 from Lowes that you can see below in my after picture.
My room with the new comforter but, navy walls. You can see the old comforter by clicking here.
Our room after with the new gold color. See what a difference some paint can make. Everything just pops now! And it feels so light. And fun. And cozy. Thanks, Mom!!! Can you see my new gold Fleur De Lis over the bed, that my girlfriends, Brandi and Allison got me on their trip to Canton, TX. They did not even know what I was up to but found the perfect accent piece for my new room! Yay!
Now, on to my Laundry Room. First of all if you did not know, Orange is my favorite color!! I love orange with all my heart. It makes me happy when I see it!! I love to wear it. See it. Just love it. My cell phone is orange. Wish my iPod was too! Anyhoo, I have always said and wanted something, somewhere in my house to be orange. So, about four months ago I was at Wal-Mart and checked out the "Ooops" paints. You know the paints that get mixed but for whatever reason they are not purchased so Wal-mart sells them for next to nothing. Well, the day I was in there, there it was... a gallon of paint called Burnt Orange! It screamed out to me!! And it was only $5 for the whole can. And yes I reached right over and put it in my cart!! I brought it home and put it away for another day. Didn' t have time to do it, but knew it would go on a wall somewhere. Later I decided it would go in my laundry room. It is a room I go in almost everyday. And so why not have a happy color to greet me every time I am in there! I also spray painted a shelf and a towel bar in there black with left over paint from my kitchen chairs. Found a print of the UT tower and fountain done by Butch Javellana that he gave me a while back and bought a frame and hung it in there, too. Fun! I love this room now. It looks so cool! And new.
Laundry Room before. White walls. Boring. Same color that was in here from when we moved in the house.
After. Orange you glad to see the after pics??
There you have it. This is just he beginning. I have some other before and afters to show you. I told you we were busy. I will post those next. Here is a list of a few other of my favorite blogs. It is amazing the things these ladies do to their homes. Maybe you too will be inspired to get out your list and get at it. Or maybe you will start a list and just ponder the thought for a bit! Just do what makes you happy and always remember what The Nester says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."
Just a Girl: http://j-a-girl.blogspot.com/
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.blogspot.com/
Shanty 2 Chic: http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/
The Nesting Place: http://www.thenester.com/
These are just a few that I check every week. There are 100s of them out there. Its crazy! But fun.
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