One Room Challenge Week Two

It's only week two of the One Room Challenge and I'm already exhausted.  I guess I need to put on my big girl pants and get right over it cause I still have a LOT to do in my guest room.  My husband and I (really my husband) worked like a dog to do all of the crown molding and baseboards this weekend.  He had such a hard time with the angles since, once again, nothing is square.  Somehow (with wood filler, spackle, caulk, and paint) he managed to make it look a-mazing.  And he built the window benches.  They still need a bit more trimming out but I'm super impressed with his carpentry skills right now.  Remember what it looked like before (sorry for my absolute crap photography skills)?

And voila!

 We had these cabinets left over from our kitchen so I'm glad they're getting a home.  It'll be nice to have a bit of storage.

That space is where the fireplace will go.  We bought it two houses ago and we were going to get rid of it, but this seemed like the perfect spot for it.  It just needs a bit of tweaking, which will be the subject of one of my posts.  Next up is the carpet and wallpaper.  They're both scheduled so unless all hell breaks loose next week will be a big one.  In the meantime I've got something semi cheap and cheerful planned for window treatments that I'm hoping to get started on this weekend.  Crossing my fingers that it will look as good as it does in my head.  Now I'm off to see how all the other linking participants are doing with their rooms.  Don't forget to see what the varsity team of ORCers are doing.  Ridiculous goodness.

The Light Is In

I'm going to be slowing down a bit on the craft room.  I'm literally laughing as I'm writing this.  Can I get any slower?  I'm working on another room for the One Room Challenge and that's going to be my focus for the next few weeks.  I'm still going to try to do a few things here and there, like the curtains, but I probably won't have as many updates on the ol' craft room.  BUT, I did (and by "I did" I mean my husband) put up the light and I got my chairs.

I'm pretty happy with both.  So that's it for now.   I'll post a picture of the curtains as soon as I finish them.  Until then I'm off to slave away in the other room.  Why do I do this to myself?  In truth I need the motivation or my whole house will end up like the neverending craft room makeover!

The One Room Challenge-Week One

It's that time again.  Linda from Calling It Home has organized another round of talented bloggers transforming a room of their choice for the One Room Challenge.  I'm going to try to keep up with them and link up a room that I've been saving for this.  A six week turn around may be tough, but I'm going to try to keep up.  Want to see which room I picked?

In all fairness, this is what the room looked like when we moved in.  And yes that's a drop ceiling with a missing ceiling tile.  Why? No clue.  And this is what it looks like now.

I know, right?  Not much improved with the exception of a proper ceiling.  It's been rewired, which is why the baseboards are off and it's had some plaster repair.  I also recently painted the closet which was a scary mess.

It's amazing what a coat of white paint (and a sponge) can do to make a space look fresh again.

So here's the plan.

via Pottery Barn, Shades of Light, Calico Corners, Elle Decor, Electric Fireplace Pros

I know.  My moodboard skills are totally lame.  Whatever!  You get the idea.  I bought that bed frame over two years ago and it's a dirty mess.  I need to upholster the panels.  I also need to learn how to upholster the panels.  It'll all work out I'm sure.  Here's the complete list.

-Crown molding, new baseboards and shoe molding
-Window benches under both windows/ upholstery
-Window treatments
-Carpet
-Light fixture/ table lamps
-Wallpaper (slight snafu with that which I'll talk about later)
-Upholster the headboard (and find bed frame and mattresses and bedding)
-Furniture i.e, nightstands and maybe a chair?
-Art and whatever else I'm forgetting at the moment.

How many weeks is this?  I've got to go.  I'm already about 5 months behind.  Make sure you check out what all of the One Room Challenge bloggers are doing.  I'm sure they will not disappoint.

Another Craft Room Update (Finish The Thing Already!)

This is taking a while.  I know.  Everything I do seems to.  BUT, it really is getting closer.  I finished putting the furniture together.  And if I ever see another cam bolt and lock again I'll scream!  

One of the drawer faces was damaged so I have a new one on order.  Oh joy.  More to put together.

The end table is getting a tablecloth.  I thought about painting it and then said nah.  It's going to be for sewing.  I may get something else in the future, but I had it so for now I'm calling it good...with a table cloth.  And notice the rug?  Cheapy McCheap from Amazon, but oh so soft and cozy underfoot.  I really wanted to keep the flooring neutral.  There's enough going on with the walls.  And, the ceiling is finally getting repaired in a few days and then this is going up.

from Amazon

I really wanted a semi flush mount with a lot of wattage and this is the only one that I could find that had a little bit of balls.  It takes 3 100 W bulbs.  I won't need sunglasses, but it's better than the 40 or 60 watters that I found.  I haven't gotten it yet but it's on order.  I really hope I like it in person.

I also have chairs in mind.  I think I'm going with some simple ghost side chairs and a head chair.  I'd like to keep things looking open which is why I think I'll go with them.  I'm picturing draping the desk one in a little sheepskin for a little extra something and maybe adding seat cushions to the other two.

I'm also going to order some of these for a bit of color and extra organization, which I obviously need.

from Amazon

I still need some shelves, a few pieces of art, and curtains (which I'm totally procrastinating about) and I think the room will be about done.  I feel like I'm missing something.  Hmm.  This is getting to be a regular phenomenon.  It really does suck getting old!

A Painting Fool

My post title basically describes yours truly.  I didn't get to the curtains.  Partly because the thought of making them intimidates me so I'm kind of putting it off.  What I did do is paint.  And then paint some more.  And in between breaks from painting, I painted.  Seriously I feel like I should get paid for this.  I'd show you pictures but they'd bore you to tears.  I painted the closet in the craft room and the middle room, the middle room walls and ceiling and all the door molding and window trim.  It doesn't sound like that much but there was a lot of prep and priming involved.  My husband was able to replace the glass in the craft room window which took a while since that needed to be painted also.  Sensing a theme? Besides that  I did order some furniture for the craft room.  I was going to try to piece it together but that may have involved more hunting (and painting) than I really wanted.  Plus we saved a ton of money doing this work ourselves so I decided to reward all of our hard work by just buying what I think will work well.

via Home Decorators

 I ordered some furniture from the Martha Stewart craft space line from Home Decorators.  They were having a St Patrick's day sale which pretty much sealed the deal.  The irony is that I know what I'm in for.  Lots of long detailed instructions that may as well be in Chinese.  So I'll get what I want....at a price.  More labor.

The Pink Desk Continued

I have to say, this past week has been glorious.  We went on our first vacation since 2005.  Yes, you read that right.  Between my school and having kids and this house it just seemed that there was never a right time for it.  Finally we were able to get away for a few amazing days of snow tubing, ice skating, skiing and general relaxation...kind of.  I mean, the kids did go with us so it wasn't totally relaxing, but as good as it's gonna get for a while.  This is a great thing since the rest of the week consisted of slaving away in the craft room.  Don't get your hopes up.  It's still not done.  We're dealing with a room that would make a fun house seem perfectly square.  It took a lot of work to make the molding not look totally ridiculous.

The ceiling molding is straight but there was a gap between the ceiling and the molding that we had to fill in so it looks wavy.  I told you.  Nothing is square or level in this house.  Just gotta go with the flow.

The desk is another story.  It's mostly finished but I didn't realize that one of the drawers broke when my husband was attempting to take the hardware off.  So there's that.  And the pink.  I don't know.  I love it in my inspiration picture, but I'm not sure I love it on this desk.  I may abort and paint it boring white.

One thing I am loving is the little nook.

I just need to touch up caulk/paint and add a pull and maybe a pillow and this is done.  It's shaping up.  Next up?

-Replace window which has a crack in it (of course it does).
-Shoe molding
-Light fixture..still looking
-Make curtains
-Buy rug
-Buy furniture
-Hang shelves
-Organize!

I'm hoping to have this done in 2014;-0

My Ebay Chinoiserie Wallpaper

I'm switching gears here a bit since I haven't done anything to the craft room.  I had some stomach bug all last week and thought for sure I was dying (or at least I felt like I was).  Now that that's over I'm going to take a different kind of break, of the spring variety. So it would appear that work on the house will be delayed yet again.  At least it's for good this time instead of evil.  Seriously,  the rotavirus can suck it.

Instead of craft room progress, I'll share with you something I bought on ebay that I'm pretty excited about.

This is going in that middle room where the desk is being painted.  It was $19.99 a double roll!!  I couldn't resist.  My mind is already going crazy with what to do in that room and I haven't even finished the craft room.  Oh design ADD.  How you vex me!