Domino Effect Projects

We all have them.  Those projects that once started seem to affect so many other areas and make the work drag on much longer than expected.  The projects that (almost) make you wish you hadn't started them in the first place.  Has one come to mind for you?

This seems to happen to me often.  {Okay, so it doesn't so much happen to me as I cause it, but let's not nitpick.}  Another problem with this is I tend to drag bring my very patient husband in on the project.  

My most recent Domino Effect Project?  The kids' new closet.  While I'm glad the 2 big girls now have a closet big enough for them to grow into, it has caused so much more work for us than I thought it would.

Here's the chain of events.

In order to open the closet up to their room we had to empty said closet.  My bedroom when from something like this-

to looking like this-

^Notice the Pack-n-play in the pic?

Once we got the girls' clothes in the new closet, my room looked a little better.  

Okay, so it really isn't that much better, but that closet acted as a storage room for us.  So, now we had to figure out what to do with all the junk stuff we've been holding on to for no good reason.

Enter our basement.  Now, I'm extremely grateful to have this space.  If you don't have a good system of storing your stuff, thought, it will eventually look something like the pictures below.  Especially if you let the kids have free reign.

yes, that is a cabinet laying on the floor 

I've cleaned the space several times.  Unfortunately, my kids, like most, don't care to pick up after themselves, so it continues to get messy.

Another tile in the dominoes - Remember the pack-n-play in one of the pictures above?  In the middle of our closet project, I decided to move our youngest out of our room into a room of his own.  He now occupies what was our guest room.  But, what to do with the guest room furniture?  Yep, move it to the basement!

Sorry the door is in the way, but you get the idea.  It works well for us and our guest - as long as no one visits during the winter.

Previously, we had shelves along the wall the bed is now up against.  See?

 I got tired of cleaning up the kids' toys and took all the shelves down one day and moved all their toys to another area.  See them on the shelves against the concrete wall?

We have a strict rule in our house that the kids are not to go on the other side of the stud walls where my husbands tools are.  So, by default, the kids can no longer get toys out without our help.

Once the holidays started rolling around, so many things/projects were placed on hold.  I could only stand seeing a basement look like this for so long after the holidays were over, though.  And, poor Kevin had a couple of days off to help me.

 This was taken after we started working.  Has to look worse before it can look better, right?  UGH!  There were so many boxes full of books, it was ridiculous!

The shelves that once held the toys got reused in a new location.

Kevin using his hammer drill on the concrete wall.

Starting to fill up!

 Here it is full.  There is even stuff just sitting in front of the shelves because we ran out of room.  (Shameful!)  We put up some vapor barrier we had on hand from another house to help remind the kids not to go behind the walls.

Our basement is looking much better these days.  

 And all the storage space is full.

Wondering what the next domino tile to fall is going to be?  A YARD SALE!!!  We are going to be having one of the biggest 'I'm Not Having Anymore Kids' celebration yard sale ever!  I already have most of the stuff in the basement separated in 'keep' and 'sell' categories.  This decision does cause another domino to fall, though.  While I've gone through the basement, I still have the rest of the boxes in our bedroom, my kitchen and craft room to go through.

Bonus - cleaning up the basement will allow me to draw up detailed plans for transforming it into a functional finished living space.  Won't that be nice?  It should be completed about the time the kids are going off to college at the pace I move.

Do you have some dominoes falling?

Early Reveal - Big Girls' Room

I'm not completely finished with this project, but I HAVE to take a break.  I'm about to get burned out.  Plus, Halloween is right around the corner and I have 5 little kids to get ready.  Can't let them down!

So.  I decided to do an early reveal and let you all in on the current project sucking the life out of me.  :)

Background:
Our home is a new construction.  Another family built the house and then had complications at closing making them unable to finalize the purchase.  {We found it when we came to the Saint Louis area on a house hunting trip 3 years ago.  (Hard to believe that much time has passed!)}  While it is a beautiful home and has lots of space for our family, there are somethings we would have done differently had we been the ones to build it.

Here is a view of our upstairs floor plan.

 Lots of space, as you can see, it just isn't in the best place for us to function well.  So we decided to change it up a bit to help us right now and in the future.

We don't use the 'his closet' other than for storage.  {Here is one of it's transformations.}  Our 2 oldest girls share 'bedroom 2' which has the largest floor space and smallest closet.  A closet that is already full and not functioning well.  Just imagine what it will be like when there are two teenagers using the space!  What else is there to do but reconfigure and punch a hole in a wall?  At least that's my solution, and fortunately my husband was willing to go along with my idea.

Our floor plan now looks like this:

Unfortunately, there is no getting rid of that black rectangle in the middle of the wall - HVAC lines are way out of our jurisdiction.

Wanna see it in 'Before and After' format?  Of course you do! :)

Before:

Only picture I can find, so ignore the mess.

After:

Where closet use to be.

Inside.  See where the door to Master was?

View into closet from girls' room.

As you can see, I have still have some finishing to do.  However, the kids are now back in their room and the closet can be used.  We do need to get a step stool for Girl #2 so she can reach her clothes, poor thing.

Last things to be finished up.
-Paint
-Wall decor
-Bed reveal
-Closet shelving reconfigured

We'll get there.  Any suggestions on closet configuration?

**Linked to Somewhat Simple, Sawdust and Paperscraps

Professional Drywallers - Look Away

I'm in the middle of finishing up a huge project.  DH did all the major reconstruct and I get to do the finish work.  I actually enjoyed putting the mud on the wall.  Then, when it came time to sand, I realized just how much compound I shouldn't have put on the joints. I feel like kicking myself, too.  I grew up with 2 uncles that made a living doing drywall and I never once thought to take any lessons from them.  Oh, the sanding I could have saved myself!  Well, live and learn.

My deadline for this project is Friday.  Crossing my fingers that I can do it!

So, what are some projects you've done that are really out of the usual for you to attempt?

Sneak Peek

I have about 10 different projects going on at once right now.  I don't know why I do this to myself, but that's just the way I am.  Here is a little peek into the biggest, most time consuming project (for me and hubby) currently in the works.

(This is a good man, here, people!)

Blinds!!

Very excited to share our latest big purchase for our home.

Okay.  So it may not be all that exciting, but it is an improvement.

A little dark, but you get the idea.

Just like any other homeowner, we are constantly wanting to make our home a wonderful place in which to live.  We have a little added pressure of making sure all home improvements add value and aren't too individual.  Even thought we are very content in our current location, there is always the potential for movement.  (Something that is always in the back of our minds.)

Today my husband has taken the day off for another project I've been nagging him to do.  Hoping to share that with you all soon!

New Wall Calendars

I seem to be on a never ending (trial and error) mission to get organized.  Not too long ago I made a little message board to put next to my wall calendar.

It worked, somewhat, but it really just look horribly cluttered on my wall once it was filled up.   Plus, I need to have two months up so I can see easily what is going on in our lives: everyday, school and work trips.
Did I make something?  NO!  I sold out and headed to the local Wal-mart for these dry erase boards!  (Something similar to this.)  My craftiness only goes so far, people!

Click on picture to view larger.  Sorry for the glare!

I also had to figure out a way to rotate the boards.  I didn't want to constantly be rewriting on two boards each month.  Grabbing some Command Picture Hangers as an impulse purchase, I figured it was worth a try.  They work brilliantly! Now, I only have to erase one board a month and can still have them in right to left order (for my poor little anal-retentive mind).  I do need to grab some different colored markers so I can have everything color coded.  I am DETERMINED that I will not forget about pajama day at school this year!

Kids' Closet: Part 1

This is just about 1/3 of the way done.  When will it be complete?  I have no idea.  So, instead of waiting to show you the finished project, I thought I would go ahead and get this part up.  I can always post as more parts of it are completed.  Plus, I'm pretty stinkin' excited about it and wanted to share!

As you have seen from other posts, my husband is quite handy.  If you haven't seen any projects he has done around our place, click on 'hubby projects' on the right side under 'Labels', and you can see just a few.  Let's face it, though.  There are only so many hours in a day and Kevin spends roughly 12 hours of the day away from home.  He can't do every project my crazy brain dreams up.  *sigh*

I needed a fix for this closet.

We took the doors off several months ago to keep them from getting broken and to save little fingers from  getting smashed.

The clothes where up way too high for a 4 yr old and 2 yr old to use.  Plus, the clothes (summer and winter) were packed in and hard for me deal with.  There needed to be a lower rod and some shelving/drawers of some sort.

My first attempt was a flop.  My faceframe split on me and I had trouble getting the joints right.  So I took a break.

The kids HAVE to be able to help out around here and that includes being able to put clean clothes away.  So I got the bug again a couple of weeks ago.  Round 2 went much smoother.

I took over a small part of the basement and got to work.  I had the MDF cut from Round 1 and decided to confiscate a couple of 1x2 pine boards from another project.  Once it was all put together, I painted it white.

It then fit like a dream in the closet!  Now both kids can put clothes away and get dressed all by themselves.  A huge help for me and a huge boost in confidence for them.  Win - Win!

I secured the shelf to the wall using drywall anchors and screws.  The lower rods are left over from a Closetmaid purchase made last year.  It's lacking a top, but I'm still trying to decide what I want - painted white or stained wood.

Close Up

Honestly?  I had SO much fun with this!  I'm ready to get Kevin's shop set up in the basement and start busting out some woodworking projects.  (Have you seen www.ana-white.com?)  The table saw is truly intimidating.  I'm sure I would get over it with practice, though.  Also, I'm thrilled I purchased a Kreg Jig over a year ago.  (Just wish I had gotten around to using it sooner.)  It made putting this together quick and easy with no noticeable nail or screw holes to fill.

I'll let you know when I've decide on a top and if I'm going to make drawers or just get baskets for storage.

Total Randomness

On wish list:

wool felt

Latest project:

For the kids:

Most recent predicament:

Family pictures:

Mother's Day:

 From oven to freezer:

Hubby project:

Something red (almost):

Greens in the garden and on the table:

Lettuce

Spinach

Decorating My Home: Stairway Window

This blank boring window has been taunting me since we moved in.

It's a very visible window.  You can see it  from the kitchen, living room and every time you walk up the stairs (duh!).  I've had such a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with it.

Last week (while Kevin was gone), I decided to just pick something out and get it done.  2 years is a long time to have something on a 'to-do' list!

I finished some window treatments over the weekend and then Most-Wonderful-Husband-In-The-World put it up for me Monday night.

He had an audience while hanging them.
A small casualty while hanging.  The 60" 1x3 board that the curtain is stapled to decided not to stay put while he was reattaching the L brackets.  (Looks like we will be replacing the 'temporary' accordion blind sooner than later.)

 A little closer view.  Like the beaded fringe?

A little color on that big, white, empty wall is nice.  I must say, I'm VERY pleased with the finished results!

Making Progress

I hope you all had a wonderful family filled Thanksgiving weekend.  Our time was spent with Kevin's side of the family this year.  It was such a fun time and the kids loved getting to play with their cousins they haven't seen in about 15 (?) months.  Of course it was crazy with 8 adults and 9 kids, but it was a great, albeit short, visit.

As for the progress part of my post?

I've been able to get the craft/office room emptied and move the furniture around a bit.  It's amazing how much really useful stuff was in the room (do you feel the sarcasm?).  I'm slowly getting things sorted and put back into place. Very much hoping to have this room situated by tonight - at the very latest tomorrow.  We are having company Friday evening and my parents are coming for a visit this weekend, so the pressure is on!

Biggest Project of All

Have you ever gotten a quote for having someone come in and do any sort of contracted service?  Yeah?  Um, have you ever seen the amount listed on the line for labor?  Wow!  The bigger the project, the more zero's there are on that line of the quote.  I know it is well deserved money for their time and effort.  And, IF we couldn't do the job ourselves, we would gladly have that work done by someone else.   So, when we started looking into getting a deck on the back of our house, 'sticker shock' is a mild way of stating our reaction to the quote given to us.  

Fortunately (or unfortunately - depending on how you look at it), my husband and I are 'cut from the same cloth'.  We really needed wanted a deck.  Perfect time for the 'I Can Do That' Monster (?) to enter the picture.  (Even my practical husband suffers from this illness on occasion.  :)  So, plans were drawn up, permits requested and granted and products purchased.  My dad was even nice enough to help in the project since I was once again pregnant and just overall a huge wimp.

It wouldn't be a true project if there were no unforeseen problems, right?  Like - 1.  The ground breaking started during the hottest week of the year in MAY! (Temps above 100 F - Who'da thunk?!)  2.  We sit on one huge pile of rock - limestone, I believe.  And, 3.  Kevin had several business trips that were made between start of the project and winter setting in.

We Kevin resumed the project this spring and has finally finished his biggest project to date.  I'm extremely proud of him and his hard work.  We've even had a final inspection and passed with no problem!

I can't believe how nice it is to have the extra space and the access to the back yard from the kitchen.  The kids are loving it too.  Here are a few pictures of the deck project, start to finish, for you to enjoy.

The back of the house (pre-purchase, I believe).

Jackhammering the rock out to get to code depth.

Isn't it lovely?  Not much dirt in with all that rock.

Taking a break.  Notice all the Gatorade?

Filling the forms.

Various stages of the support structure going up.

Taking another break.  Kevin had a sinus infection during this week, too.  He could barely breathe.  Poor Baby. :(

There is about a 12 foot drop at outside edge of the deck and those pressure treated boards were wet and heavy.

The last day Dad was here to help.  So much done, but still a lot of work to do!

Look!  Decking!

View from one of the upstairs windows.

Railing!
There is a big jump now to the work that was done at the very end.  Even our oldest got in on the action.

The big finish!!  An extra 325 sq ft of usable outdoor living space!

We keep waivering between staining this fall or waiting until spring.  It will probably be done this fall leaving the stairs to weather and then be stained in the spring.

Now,  to get Kevin started on his next project! Mwa hahaha! {laughing evilly and rubbing hands together}