Renovation!!

Some pics of the process and progress...

Painting the Kitchen (in My Dreams)

Several friends and family have expressed interest in seeing our projects and some before/after shots, so, I'm going to attempt to chronicle our progress. Here's a few things for starters, even though we don't own it yet...

We've been pondering paint colors (because it needs it bad) and so I did some digital mock-ups...
This is something like the current kitchen (sans the terrible chicken wall border, rusty porcelain sink, and dingy grout):

The counter top and backsplash are white tile, which, while I'm not a fan of white, I am a fan of tile. It's real. It's not some fabricated, plastic-like surface. So, we're planning to keep the tile the way it is and (being the dark souls that we are) paint the white trim and white cabinets a dark, dark brown. Also the wall color, the salmon, it's got to go. Here's what we're thinking:

We'll see if it ever pans out quite like this. :)


I made my digital creations on Lowe's Virtual Room Designer. It's awesome.
Doing the dark brown with the white tile was largely inspired by this photo.

We're Buying A House! (Soon) (Hopefully)

We have been browsing houses for about two years, looking through everything in our price range (and quite a few that weren't) and only found three that interested us enough to schedule a viewing (although we've done countless drive-bys). To say we're picky may be an understatement. However, we don't mind doing work when we find potential...

That said, we think found what we're looking for--or at least close enough, and as picky as we are, close enough is really close.

The bank says we're good to go, offer has (finally) been accepted, we're anxious to see how the inspection(s) go(es), and closing is scheduled for mid-January. Exciting.

Shooting

This was my first time ever shooting a handgun.

I've gotten better.

You should stay out of my house.

posted from Bloggeroid

Bathroom Cure?

Working on my kitchen so much has inspired me to start working on my bathroom. Sadly, I did not take any before pictures. I have made several large steps, however. I bought a pretty glass shelf to put next to the sink, organized the closet a bit, and started on the plastic drawer organizer.

I think my new motto for bathroom organization (and maybe organization in general?): "If it has a hole in it, hang it up" - Things that are made to be hung, surprisingly, work well when hung on the wall. Even my hair brush. And it makes less things that are just laying about!

Kitchen Cure [Week 3] Round 1

Week Three:
1) Deep cleaning everything that still needs to be cleaned
2) Special project to improve the kitchen
3) Add something beautiful to the kitchen

Well... I am headed out of town for a while and then I have homework and school starts back on Monday (have been on spring break). So, this week will be getting a bit of time crunch compared to the first few.

I've been dreading the deep cleaning phase. My kitchen looks pretty clean most of the time (even if not all that straight), but actual cleanliness? Well, it's not quite up to par there. I don't think my floor has been washed since my Mom did it when I first moved in, 6+ months ago (sorry Mom!) (but does it make it better that I have swept some?). I'm pretty sure there are still cat/dog toys under the fridge/stove from my apartment's last occupant. And there are black tire marks on my floor (partially covered by a rug) from where a friend worked on my bike in the kitchen due to rain outside and no other good location...

Special project? I haven't started thinking on that one. I suppose that could have been one of those things drifting in the back of my mind as I try to go to sleep, but it wasn't even that close to consciousness. The thing that disgusts me the most are the holes that are worn behind the handles on the cabinet doors. I don't know that there is much I could do with that, however. I cannot replace or paint the cabinets and even if I wanted to update the handles/knobs from the late 70s look, there are worn finger holes underneath - gag.

Then there's the question of what should I do/add/hang/place to beautify my kitchen? I feel like I have been doing some of that along the way, so if I don't easily come up with some cost effective solution (that I really like), then I may just cop out of this one. :)

*Sigh* So much to be done. But it is worth it - I already know that. I can find things, and fit things in better locations, and not have stuff stacked in piles that are crawling across my floor...

The joys of temporary housing...

For those who do not know me, I am a poor college student in year number two of living off campus and apartment number two in that time frame. Potentially to move again if I can find superior living conditions.

As much good as there is to my current abode, there is still dark, old, cabinetry.

Cotton and Vinegar Kind of Girl

My parents were in town tonight, saw my place, helped me with a few things and the like. While they were here, my mom and I were kind of 'comparing notes' on house cleaning things. She likes the 'new,' 'high-tech' stuff - windex and microfiber cleaning clothes. I tend to prefer the more 'old fashioned' cotton knit sort of wash things and clean most of my apartment with things like vinegar and baking soda.
She called me "a cotton and vinegar kind of girl" - she didn't really mean it as a compliment or as an insult, but I found it very amusing.

Apartment II

The past four days have been spent in a fog of cleaning and paint fumes. I didn't go to work Friday or Monday. Instead, myself, my mom, my sister, (and my 1 year old nephew) attempted to make my apartment livable.
We have scrubbed, scraped, and peeled in an attempt to get to the bottom layer of all the surfaces. In the case where the bottom layer was no longer in existence or impossible to find, we simply added our own layer. In the words of my sister, "Paint covers a multitude of sins."

Apartment

I officially got the key to my apartment this afternoon.
So excited...