He's here!

I have plans to get back to this blog soon now that I am settled in as a mother...which is wonderful!

He is here!!!

Check him out at our new family blog here: www.happysweetpea.blogspot.com

We are still here

Things have been busy around here...I just haven't updated in a while. my bad. I know.

We have been very busy around here - updates are just slow to come. Hang in there with me guys...I will update soon. Also as far baby things go I am due Oct. 11th so projects have really picked up around here. I have even taken photos of the newly remodeled bathroom, front porch/mudroom, baby nursery, and decorated front room that was previously bright orange and is now a relaxing blue. I will post them here soon...promise!

One new update I must share is that HouseBlogs.net is back online and kicking!

Here are few new reads that caught my attention:

The Brick House

Renovating a modest mid century cement brick house in the middle of retirement hell. Trying to make it awesome and do it on a budget.

Jen and Dave's Reno

We're first time home owners. Our house is two-storey semi-detached home in Leaside, with three bedrooms and one bathroom. We're taking on some big renovations and doing most of the work ourselves. We hope you enjoy our story!

The Bungalow Chronicles

After almost two years of discussion, angst, and finally, negotiation, we bought this 1928 Chicago-style octagon-front brick bungalow from our (now former) neighbor, with whom we are still in contact.While in relatively good shape, the house was showing lots of wear and tear, and was in dire need of some TLC. This is where we came in.

SHELTER

Creating a home that heals the soul.

Go read and enjoy!

We have been slow to update you all but it's time. We have a bun in the oven and we are so excited to share the new changes our home is going to undergo! We are painting a few rooms, adding a banister and carpet to our staircase, creating a nursery, and remodeling a bathroom all before October! Rob thinks we can have it done & after his hard work on our massive kitchen remodel I believe him.

Also I must note that it seems that many online ladies have a 'bun in the oven' and I would love to share their blogs here:

Ramblings of a Renovating Couple

Dooce

Making It Lovely

A Brief History of "You"

Psyched For Baby

The Maniacal Mommy

We are back at it again!

Giant Orange Room -Attack!

The chair & couch where left behind by the previous owner, those are the only keepers.

We are back to work on the house and this time it's the largest room in the house. It didn't take us long after we moved into the house to figure out the orange room color just wasn't us. This room has gotten very little attention from me since we moved in. The chair & couch where left behind by the previous owner and I put a cheap table down and a fake plant...I really didn't feel this room at all. So it's time for a change.

The very flamboyant previous owner was a huge fan of bright colors, in poorly chosen hues. We think he painted in a drug-induced state because he missed sections, and globed on paint in all the wrong spots. Needless to say painting in this house is always fun. First we must assess the damage. Sand down his paint drips and globs. Then super prime the the walls. Priming is always fun because every color he left us takes like 3 coats of primer before we can even begin to paint the real deal. I used to love painting. After all painting a room gives you so much for so little. Thirty dollars and you have a whole new room. A new feeling, a new mood. This room in it's current state gives me the Halloween in March goose-bumps. Just like this poor dog gives me the "Oh my gosh, what did your owner do that for?!?"

Well we have a little prepping to do then we will add another layer of primer. YAY. More on this new project soon.

Kitchen Reveal

Hello everyone! We have officially moved into our kitchen & are ready to share it with you!


Here is quick look at what we where dealing with in the beginning:

Here is the new & improved version:

Everything is almost in it's place. The minimal upper cabinets have been so nice. It opens up the room and allows the counter tops to really shine and for us to have "more space" to work. Cooking in here is a breeze and I love to cook now that it's all new and clean. 

We still plan to add a few more decorative shelves on both sides of the windows. The window sill is new and I love it, but I am not crazy about those flowers, I think I am going to buy a few small ceramic vases and maybe off set it with a potted succulent, like this one. We also still need to decide on a curtain or shade but I will leave for another day. Below is my favorite part of the kitchen...my lovely door.

Before, During, and After:

FYI to those thinking of remodeling your kitchen...BEWARE:

All of your other house hold chores are put on hold. You where pajamas to the hardware store daily. You prefer pizza over any other type of food and you know your delivery man by first-name-basis. You stay late at your day job to avoid going home to do manual labor. Your bathroom will become a washroom, coffee station, kitchen sink, as well as the place you take your paint brushes to rinse them out. Not cool. I think my bathroom needs a face lift after all it has seen in the past few months! 

All this is true, plus some, but the reward is much more than all of the above. We love our kitchen and would do it again in a heart-beat...just don't ask us to come help with yours.

We are still here...

Wow has it really been that long since I posted. Sorry for disappearing. my bad. We have had a really crazy month around here. Like many of you we had the holidays filled with family, food, and travel. Loads of work outside the home. We also just needed some plain ole' down time. I know internet you know of no "downtime". hang in there.

We thought that the work was done but it's all the finish work that is taking up our time! I still wanted to post some sneak peak photos, the actual before and afters will have to wait.

{Sneak Peek}

The little birdy door knob is from Anthropologie. Which I so love. I used a copper back plate that I had from another room. Our new window sill that my husband's dad made is one of my favorite parts of the new kitchen. I have never had a place to set flowers or green tomatoes to ripen in the sun. This be used very often.

This is the little gnome and a packet of 'before' photos that we left under the
counter top for future home owners to find.

**edit: As you can see we decided on Hardware set #3!