House Projects: One Year Update

A whole year! It's been so fun.  I can't believe how many projects we've started (and mostly completed). We bought a "move in ready" home, and yet we are always working on something on the house. Tom's collection of tools in the garage has greatly increased.  Here is our post on the house projects from a year ago. We have a lot more on our list, and I can't wait to see what else we can accomplish during year two!

 Living Room:
- Painted
- Installed hardwoods
- Added love seat, moved ottoman upstairs
- Switched out TV stand
- Built some floating shelves
- Hung curtains, removed blinds

New Plans: None!

Dining Room:
- Painted
- Installed hardwoods
- Painting an old entry table to use as a buffet table
- Installed a dimmer

New Plans:
- Hang pictures


Kitchen:

- Painted
- Added hardware to cabinets
- Changed out faucet
- Got some fancy new Fiestaware!

New Plans:
- Update our $100 Ikea kitchen table from our tiny newlywed apartment


Half Bath:

- Replaced Mirror

 

New Plans:

- Paint using the left over gray from Cole's room

 

Master Bedroom:
- Painted
- Hung DIY curtains

New Plans: We just upgraded to a king size mattress, so we have new bedding, a DIY headboard and some painted furniture in the works! Stay tuned...!

Cole's Room:
- Painted
- Hung Curtains
- Added some wall art by Aunt Jean and Uncle Teddy
- We keep raising the owls.  Cole still loves them.  A lot. He likes to help them fly.

New Plans: None...although I am sure we will be graduating to a big boy bed at some point in 2014. Hopefully not anytime soon.

 

Exterior:

- Painted stairwell rail white (so long horrible orange!)

- Planted bushes along garage wall

- Added a gate on the right side of the fence

- Trimmed the crazy Dr. Seuss trees

- Removed some random stone work and garden beds left behind from previous owners

 

New Plans:

- Paint front door

- Extend bushes/flowers around the right side of the house (Isn't it weird that they don't even go around the whole bay window?? Must change this!)

- Add Patio furniture



 

WOW! What a year! The guest bedroom, playroom and bathrooms haven't had much work done. Playroom toy organization is definitely in the goals list for this year.  We are so thankful for this home and are excited for a new year of projects! Will end with a few of our favorite 2013 house memories.

 

 

New Hobbies Around Here

I am almost a year and a half into this stay-at-home-mom thing. And just recently some new hobbies have shown up around here. Besides crafting and DIY projects of course.  Which are about to explode.  More on that later.

The first random thing is helping some friends design their blogs! Which is only half a hobby, because I use other websites designs first, and then make it all fancy. I helped out Courtney and Kelsy's new crunchy blog, Going Granola and Matt and Rachel's blog too! It's so fun.  Whose can I do next?!!

 

 

Then there is this beautiful machine I received for Christmas. Which was $400 OFF its original price during Amazon's amazing sales in November.  I am in love.  It was pretty intimidating to thread the thing, but I had some materials given to me and passed down which helped get me started. I had no excuses! I am going to a baby shower this weekend and made a hooded towel and some burp cloths!! Tom is already asking me to turn some pants into shorts.  And I can always update our throw pillows. Make some curtains. So pumped!

 

Cole the Giraffe/Dino wanted to say hello.

Christmas, Round Two

On Christmas Eve, we drove up to Austin to spend Christmas with my family.  Cole had a blast, mostly with my parents' dog, but also with his Mimi, Pops, Aunt Jean and Uncle Teddy.

Cole shows off his belly.  A new thing.

Helping Pops usher for the Christmas Eve service.

Mimi's job was to teach Cole to slide down the stairs on his belly. (He was always trying to WALK down them.) Success!

Thomas the Train tent was a huge hit.

This face.  Amazing.

A Merry Christmas, Round Two!

Christmas, Round One

The weekend before Christmas, Tom's family came up to spend time with us.  Our first time ever to hose Christmas! It was so fun.  The boys were in heaven and had a great time.  It was also fun to show off our home in its "decked out" state.

 

Used my instagram picture frame to hold Christmas cards! Loved it and don't want to take them down...

Playing Patty Cake with GPegs at Aldaco's. 

The boys played with Aunt Jill and the cars on the couch for a long long time.  The giggling was awesome.

No, we are not dog shopping.  But Cole LOVES pet stores and pretending we are dog shopping!

Quality time with the boys outside.  Cole trying to learn how to swing a bat with Doc.

Cole shows Doc how to check the mail.
 

Cole was hungry so he started the big feast without us.  The big feast was takeout from BJs, by the way.

The mower was a huge hit.

 We had a blast during Christmas, round one! So thankful that everyone was willing to come to us!