Laundry Room

Yes, I have a blog post dedicated to my laundry room which is really a closet.  Whatev, I know you are dying to see where I get my dirty clothes cleaned!  A laundry closet isn't anything new to me.  BUT a laundry closet that I own and don't see anything wrong with painting or hanging something up in it or just making it pretty...I feel like that is something that needs to be shared.  Especially since my laundry closet at my apartment often looked something a little like this:

(ok, turns out that I couldn't find a pic of a really messy time of the closet) because lets face it...I hate folding clothes.  Oh and the fact that I didn't have a linen closet all those baskets are my bath towels, kitchen towels, cleaning stuffs, and even some place mats are thrown in there.

Aaand some before pictures....very hard to take pictures in such a small space by the way. And yes, that picture shows the half bathroom mostly but you get to see the doors I'm working with :o)

During:

Best picture to see the color difference

After:

Doors

I didn't do a whole lot in this room because there isn't much that you can do in a laundry closet!  I painted the room the same color as the half bath that is right next to it.  Although it would have been wise to have it matching with yellow I had envisioned the green.  I was inspired by this pin I had seen on pinterest.  Luckily the blog that it links to shared where she got her baskets from.  Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find the baskets in any of the Targets that I checked out (3).  I was able to find them on the website but had to buy them in sets.  So when I post pictures of my linen closet, you'll find these baskets at work in there too!

I also switched out the knobs on the doors.  They are a little too small, so that they make it a little difficult to grab to open the doors but I deal with it.  Also, the screw (?) doesn't actually go very far through the hole to fully put the nut...or bolt...nut.

The two pictures were finds on pinterest.  The first one can be found here and it's a guide to the fabric care symbols.  The other one is a laundry stain sheet that can be found here.  I printed them in color and then just framed them in a document frame that I picked up at the dollar store.  Very simple.  I wanted to have a cute picture that said laundry room to go on the wall under the shelves but because of the bar that holds the shelf up, I'm not able to do that.  I'd like to find some sort of art that I can put on that wall just because it looks so dull there.  Well, when it is empty...I tend to have bras hanging on that bar to let them dry.

Paint Color: Concentrated Chromium



"Basement" Organization

I asked Dad a while back if he would be able to build some shelves for the "basement" when he came down for graduation/Christmas.  I found the idea on pinterest of course and sent him the link.  He said it was doable and would work on that when I went to work and Mom was off with Dee. 

We did all the math and figured out that I would be able to have three shelves (based on the size of my largest plastic tote) and how high the ceilings are.  Based on what the website had said, we figured out what materials we (ok really HE) would need.  So while he was doing other things on Sunday, Mom and I went to the store on Sunday and picked up everything.

Then Monday morning I went off to work and left Dad to it.

Materials:

2x4s

plywood, I got the good kind that won't give me splinters!



I didn't take any pictures of my Dad working on the project.  He used both of my garbage cans as his "horse" for cutting the wood.  He had to go by memory on how the shelves were made but all in all he did a great job.  We had talked about having 4 shelves and I was meaning that the floor would be considered a shelf.  So in his head he was thinking that he had to make 4 shelves out of the wood which mean that we were short some wood.  I'm currently in the process of taking down Christmas decorations so some of the shelves are empty because I have the boxes upstairs but here are pics.  Dad put screws into the side to hang my wreaths or whatever else needs to be hung (like duct tape).  I didn't have any duct tape and I think he didn't like that because he went out and bought some!

In addition to building the shelves, he fixed the light that I busted (pulled the chain out somehow so the light was constantly on, unless I climbed my ladder to unscrew the light!) and added another light over near the shelves.  We discussed building more shelves for the other side of that area which would house all the things they have sent down (childhood junk I can't part with).



New Light

Shelves, don't mind the red bag...that's for my tree

I went out today and bought two more totes for storage since I purchased more items for Christmas decor.  Hopefully by Tuesday I'll be done putting away Christmas so I will be able to organize over there a little more.  Not too sure where I'll be able to stick the tree, if it'll fit under the shelves because there are two pipes hidden underneath.

Dad also cut plywood to put over the hole that's in the floor.  He really did it so that he didn't fall into it while he was working but it was a smart idea and will prop stay that way until I move out or decide to splurge and turn the room into a finished room.  Not sure if that will ever happen because with a finished room means I lose storage.  I went into the attic on the 27th for the first time (I'm putting the actual date so maybe I can remember when I have to change the filter) and while its very big, there isn't much flooring up there.  Granted I don't need the storage since I have downstairs and I know if I start shoving things up there I'll have even more junk.  I'll just remember that for when I pop out a kid and need to hide presents!

Another thing he did was find a home for my hose when not in use and organize my tool box.  Although he isn't too confident in the fact that it's a tool box but I legit purchase it in the tool section of walmart.  He claims it's a tackle box but I assure you it's not!  I haven't checked out his organization of it yet so I can't rave about it or not!

Poor Yankees picture hasn't found a home yet

Don't really know what that pipe is to anyway!

So by the end of this summer (yes, I know that is 7 months from now!) I vow to have my "basement"/craft room clean, organized, and useable to my liking!  I swear I do work down in there...apparently nobody else can see the work I've done though :o(

Guest Bathroom

The bathroom isn't really done because I'm having such a hard time finding a hook to hang a picture on.  And I think I should prob get a towel bar but I have "curtains" up in there and who knows when I'm ever going to find that hook.  So here are pictures anyway.

Before:

Only had two pictures.  I painted the bathroom one shade lighter than the bedroom.  It's very hard to tell that it's even a shade of purple but being that the room was so small I didn't want the purple to be so overpowering.  I do kinda wish it was a little more purple but nothing I can do about it now.  I really should have put that glitter stuff in there...that would have been awesome...it would match my tissue box holder nicely!  Haha

During:

I think this was just taped, no paint yet.

After:

Can't really see a difference in the color huh?

Hm, I'll have to get a close up of my birdies

Matching "curtain", yea it looks kinda dumb

Paint Color: Dusty Chalk Violet

Holiday Lights

I went out tonight and took some new pictures of the house with it's lights.  Being that the candles are run by batteries and have been running all month, some of them have died.  I started with a candle in every window at the front of the house.  They are pretty fancy because they come on by themselves and then turn off after 8 hours.  But the problem with that is it apparently drains the battery.  Also, they aren't as bright as others (my neighbors for example).

My happy little outcove:

Dad made the tree and the reindeer was a craft fair find

Snowman wreath I made when living at the apt

Looks like I should have turned off the kitchen lights so you could see the candles better (well the ONE that is still working in there).  You can faintly see the light that is working in the top left window (guest bathroom).  I also had lights on the back deck.  Being that everyone can see the deck as they are pulling onto the street I felt it was important to decorate it!  Also if you can kinda see my Christmas Tree from the road (if you know it's there and are looking for it!)

Again, I should have prob turned off the inside lights so you can get a better feel for them but I'm "learning" on how to be a good blogger!

Now on to a New Year!



Holiday Recap

It's been 157 days since I've moved into the house.  My first Halloween has come and gone  As I type that I realize I prob haven't posted any picture of that.  I just checked and that's not true because I posted my fall foyer so I was a little on top of the game.  I do have pics of my pumpkin and the lights I put up in the window.  I also made it a point to roast pumpkin seeds this year and to make sure that I remembered to put some sort or grease/oil/butter on it!  They turned out Ah-mah-zing...actually was craving some of them just yesterday!



Spider web in the kitchen window



Wreath from Karen W.

Charlie Brown pumpkin

Dee-lish!

I slacked on decorating for Thanksgiving.  Well, that's not true....I slacked on taking pictures!  I had a few decorations up.  Turns out that I don't really have to many things for Thanksgiving.  I think Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations fall into harvest and if a pillow, place mats, and one or two other things count then I was decorated!

Went on an Ah-mah-zing cruise to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving. There was 17 of us in the group.  I think I decided that a cruise is the best way to go on vacation when going with a group.  Everyone can do what they want, don't have to worry about renting a car or anything and if you'd like to meet up with one another you can.  I had a great time and can't wait to go on another.  Being that I have over 500 pics from said cruise I'll limit myself to only add 5 pictures.  Now the trick is to pick out my fav 5 haha.

Boarding the ship

Heavy waves that almost took us out!

Our ship: NCL Sky

14 of us

Me, Donna, Mom (?), Mary (?)

Now on to our current month!  Mom and Dad came down for my graduation on the 14th.  I took the day off from work to make sure that I had the place all cleaned up for them and just to enjoy my day.  Graduation was nice, lasted about an hour and a half.  Dee, Vic, and JP had come as well.  M, D, JP, and I went to Helen on the way home and walked around and had a nice lunch.  Later in the evening Dan, Lisa, and Anderson had come over then we all went out to eat.

Now onto Christmas.  Here are some pictures from around the house of all my festiveness.  Hard to take pictures of it all, and most of the pictures were taken with my phone so who knows the quality of them.  Even though I have a new camera, I always have my phone on me which makes it easier  to take the picture with that.  Some have already been posted (guest room) and being that it's the 29th I've started to take some things down already.  Next year I'll try to be better about taking pictures (will this blog still be going?).   I didn't put ANY of my village pieces out with is disappointing.  Had a hard time finding a spot for them, whereas at the apartment I just moved the entire dinning room table to the wall and used that!

Bedroom decor...may end up staying all year round!



Wreath on my bedroom door



Gumdrop bow for the kitchen tree (first bow I ever made!!)

Kitchen Tree (all baking related ornaments)



Guest room Christmas tree



Poinsettia garland in the guest room (one on each window)



Wreath on guest room door

Mantle



Christmas tree on Christmas Eve

Foyer flowers

Foyer.  I made the P canvas!

Garland going up the railing

 Didn't get a good picture of my Christmas lights.  I'll try tomorrow night being that its almost midnight.  Here is what I was able to get though.  I fought with those a little because I have twinkling lights and one set wasn't twinkling and well now the other set isn't all going.  I'll have to play with them when I take them down for the year.  I won't lie, I could let those lights drive me crazy!  If I do get a better picture I'll be sure to post that.

Twinkling lights on the garage and outcoves and candles in the windows.

Had a baking day at my house on Saturday.  We each had our own recipe to take care of.  Christmas Eve was at my house.  I cooked dinner for 11 people and could you believe that I had A LOT left over!  Clearly my Dad has taught me well that having too much food it better than not having enough!  The one exciting thing was that it was my first Christmas since I've moved to Georgia that I got to wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning!  Some years (2) I went home for Christmas and others (3) although I stayed here, I always went over to Danny's house.  Since they were in Oklahoma, Mom and Dad stayed at my HOUSE and we had Christmas morning here.  It was very nice especially since it was my first Christmas in the house.