Goodbye Bungalow Bill

A few weeks ago I sold my house.

16 years ago I bought the bungalow.  

At the time in knew exactly zero about home ownership and probably almost nothing about being an adult.  

Over the years this house has served so many family, friends and strangers.  

I counted up 16 individuals that have lived within these walls during this time even more had keys just in case.  

I did many crazy home improvement projects like my shelf-walls and kitchen, refinishing the hardwood floors etc.

I had so many special moments there like bringing home my babies, pizza and puzzle parties, small groups, fajita Friday’s, game night, craft days etc.

I would have liked to keep the bungalow but it was time to say goodbye.  

It’s been a real blessing in so many ways and I don’t regret it.  

It has good bones, simple layout and quirkiness.

I was glad to pass the bungalow onto my friend Brittany who’s been renting it the last two years. 

I know she will enjoy and love it for all its flaws and character as I did.  

And now it’s time to figure out what’s the next thing for us.  Not yet sure if that’s Ohio or someplace new.  

48 - add Photos to photo wall

So I recently discovered the spray paint I have been using has a slightly different hue.  Ugh!  So I took this opportunity to pick out a new color.  I went with a bright red.  I love the new edition and I am still deciding which frames should be red versus which ones to leave the tan.

I also am taking this opportunity to update some of the photos and add more pictures of my babies!  We didn't even have Thea on the wall and the newest jones photo was from six months.  It's starting to come together when it's all updated I will share again.

18 - Baby Thea's Room

I went back and forth on what to do with Thea's room.  Like do we get her a crib or not?  Do we paint or not?  Do we put the rocker in there or not?  Remove carpet?  Do I buy a dresser etc. etc.  we did decide to get rid or the big dresser and full size bed even though room is going to remain the guest room.  My brother and sister in law found us a deal on the bed frame and it came with two dressers that we are going to paint for Jones's big kid room this summer.  We already had the twin sized mattress and box springs.  My sister had a tall dresser not being used it wasn't really my style but with a coat of spray paint it's much improved.  I painted the door and Kathleen did the heart on the wall.  The fans and name were from Aunt Alicia but I did paint them to match.  They fans had a horrible time staying up but I finally  got the push pins to hold them.  And the little gold table was in our living room I swapped the one from the room before because it was too nice to spray paint.  

My sister bought us the laundry hamper.  And I picked up the storage bins for $.50 at an after Christmas sale.  The pillows we actually already had.

I bought the quilt at target it was the right color so I don't feel bad for not making one, especially since eventually Thea will get Jones's crib and we will give him the bed and need another quilt.

I do plan to buy her a rug, make her a headband rack, and perhaps put up curtains but I am considering this project done.  FYI she currently sleeps in our room in the basket bed - so we don't yet have her sleeping in here.  

Bungalow Bathroom After

Here are the after photos of our bathroom, see the before here http://katajone.blogspot.com/2015/01/bathroom-remodel.html?m=0 Our new vanity and reused mirror.  I panted the mirror this olive after nixing the Tiffany blue. I love how it's like a little surprise even though the paint is not perfect note to never spray paint in 10 degree weather.  Doesn't this random tile look great it was also like $48 for the whole room of course that doesn't include installation and the grout etc but still we could have laid it ourselves reasonably (but it looks better when the contractor does it).

We are using hooks rather than towel bars because towel bars are spendy (seriously they are like $30 for a bar WTH?) And honestly I like the look of hooks.  I also really dig the crystal hooks and knob on the mirror, not that you can see them very well in the photos but it's an interesting touch.

I even spray painted the frames and register cover.  The photos are pictures from our trip to Ireland.  I plan to also paint the back of the door but it's still too cold for that. Anyhow I love the end results I think it's completely different and much nicer.

Bathroom Remodel During

When I first started working with our contractor on this project I am sure I drove him crazy pants.  I might have sent him and Dustin this picture and asked them to pick a white.  And then I came home taped these paint chips to the wall and asked them both several times again which of these lovelies?   Meaning of course the whites at the top.  

And then when Ryan (our GC) was like did you pick a white yet Katie we're painting tomorrow?  I in a panic went to lowes without any paint chips and just bought a color called Hertitage White.  Does it ultimately make a difference?  Not really but it did brighten up the room like a 1000x.

I also must have exchanged 100 texts with them about the tile.  I really really wanted penny tile.  It's so pretty and trendy.  And the room is tiny so it wouldn't be terrible to install.  Dustin was like yes yes.  Sadly even with only needing 40sq feet the penny tile was going to cost me about $300 without grout tile board etc and I was going to have to order it which would take about 4 weeks.  With my bathroom already out of commission waiting 4 weeks wasn't in the cards.  But look at the amazing potential...

I think the contractor secretly rejoiced when I went another route too.  But once I finally made a decision then I needed to pick a grout color.  I think he had the tile about 3/4 laid before I decided on grout.

And then there was the new vanity which proved to be the most annoying of my purchases.  I really wanted a vanity that was taller.  That had a bigger sink and that was not just boring orange oak (this is what all the cabinetry in te bungalow was).  We'll once I made the decision Ryan picked it up and tried to install it only to discover that the drawer was bumping into the plumbing.  This was going to cost more than the vanity to move the pipe.  So back that one went.  Then we got another one which was defective back it went only to discover no more in stock and finally I ended up with like my 6th choice because it fit in the space and it's virtually the old vanity with a new top, different stain and like 1 extra inch.  Whomp whomp!  People when building  bathrooms think about where those stupid pipes are especially in relation to the bath tub and toliet.  Seriously though I never want to look at vanities again unless it doesn't matter where those pipes are.

In order to save a little money I repurposed the mirror for the bathroom which wasn't horrible just needed some updating.  I again was on the struggle bus with paint colors. I finally found a winner.  But painting in fridgid temps don't help the paint dry.  

Oh and just to record it originally my floors looked like this. Ack. I almost wanted to preserve them.  

Crafty Project - Homemade Crib Skirt #babyburf Nursery

The nursery is almost done.  Which I consider a accomplishment since it's been drawn on for the last 4 or so months.  We just need to get him a hamper and pick up the dresser Kathleen is giving us.  Final photos coming soon.  But in the meantime here's a little share of the crib skirt I sewed from $5 worth of clearance houndstooth fabric from hobby lobby's. 

I made it simply by sewing four rectangle panels.  Adding ribbon to attach it and then tying it onto the crib.  The rectangles are 50x7 and 25x7 and I merely sewed the hems to make them washable.  I didn't even bother with ironing and making sure they are perfect retangles since you can't tell when it's in the crib.  A simple project with nice results.  Kathleen thinks it's a little busy since the crib sheets aren't solid but I think it's fine.  I don't mind having an extra pop of pattern.  And with that as well my #26 4 crafty projects are done.  And no doubt I'll make another 4 before the end of the year as well.  

#babyburf Nursery Paint and Floors Done

Feeling very acomplished to have finished painting and the floors in the babies room.  Dustin is much more on board with the hardwoods now that they are done (he actually asked if we could rip out the carpet in Troys room next).  

I originally was going to go with black and white only on the walls but then Dustin wanted Blue and we got to the store and green was added too.  

We had seen on Pinterest this technique for potato stamping and thought it looked cool.  Turns out it's waaaaay harder than it looks.   We ended up tossing the potatoes after like 8 imprints and just freehanding our circles.  It was a major Pinterest Fail, but we saved it.  However we stopped with one wall only.  

There is one blue, one green, and one white wall, and then the circle accent wall.  I love that it's not perfect.  

The floors are the original oak hardwoods.  I scraped off the old paint drips with an extacto knife. Then I cleaned them three times with ammonia. There wasn't any sealant on the floor so I didn't sand them.  Dustin then applied several coats of a high quality polyurethane letting it dry in between.  I think they look great for floors over 60 years old that have been hiding under carpet for the last 30+ years.  I found remenants of both a weird green carpet and a sexy red shag both such lovely options when I ripped out the carpet.  The room also has been a pastely Seafoam, a peach and yellow, plus our former colors tan and chive through the years. It's fun seeing the history of this house.  

Anyhow I am now excited to get his crib set up and move in his other furniture so the room is ready when he comes.  Oh and if you didn't notice I also need to replace the outlet covers and register - I'll get there.  

#15 Build a Kitchen Table

2 years ago I remodeled my kitchen, getting rid of my overly large table replacing it with a temporary folding table.  Today I replaced that with a table built by me only took two years.  I built the table from steel pipe, screws, and scrap wood.  This project was relatively simple the hardest part being removing the stickers that come on the pipe (they are resilient to even goo gone) and dealing with a piece of crooked wood.  I also had an issue with a t pipe that was Mis-threaded throwing the balance off.  I basically sketched my plans, bought the pipe and revised my plans and followed these instructions - http://homemade-modern.com/ep03-wood-iron-table/ 

I built it counter top height intentionally because I want to utilize it as extra counter space when cooking and really honestly nobody sits in the kitchen and eats.  Anyhow I love it already.   And next time I will not wait two years.

WIP Wednesday - Purging, Nursery, Spareroom

So the flu got me after our return from our trip.  Which makes the progress on things around here sloooooowwww.  But things are happening: 

+ Dust's building a new gym which will share space with my garage studio so I have been trying to purge a little out there.  I got rid of about 95% of all random school books, papers etc I had done dating back to my freshmen years of high school.  Seriously who wants to read my flash cards about the French Revolution? Not me.  I kept only things I truly thought special.

+ I am also working on consolidating my crafting/art supplies.  While it's nice to have a mini supply store I have found much of what I have I am not actually actively using, nor do I really love, nor will I use it.  So supplies like floral arranging, beading, art journaling knicknacks, purse/belt making supplies will soon be sold or moving on to the local goodwill. 

+ I am very torn about what I want to do with my rubber stamp collection.  This is a very expensive part of my craft supplies but honestly I am not using a good deal of these and they take up a massive amount of space.  I am especially partial of my alphabets which I easily have over 100 sets of.  They get used more than the images I have; but they also take up a huge amount of space and will I ever stamp 100 different letter "b"s not very likely.  For now I am keeping them although I did pair down a few sets of stamps that just aren't really my style to purge.  I still need to decide what makes the most sense with these.

+ In addition to all the action happening in the garage the Babyburf's room now has two walls painted one blue and one green.  I am hoping Kathleen wants to help me finish with the other two this week.  Especially since we'll be buying the crib and maybe dresser this weekend!  

+ We also are clearing out some space in the guest room too.  As we have other news in that we're getting a new roommate starting next week.   Even though Dust and I had discussed that the next person to room with us would selfishly be our child and that we would stop having the random revolving door of roommates/houseguests.  Sometimes God has other plans, we recently had the opportunity to help out a friend.   And we both felt like it's the right thing to do, so he is coming to live with us for a little while and so that's also a new project in the works.  

WIP Wednesday - Babyburfs Nursery

No progress on quilts while we were out of town but right before we left Kathleen and I started painting in the babies room.  A few before shots.  This room was our guest room with my office/sewing room.  It wasn't really this messy before but when you think you can paint without emptying the room this happens.    

We put up the primer on all the walls (never mind our crappy job of it) and now comes the fun stuff.  I hope to get the paint up in the next week so I can move the guest bed back in and the big shelf from our room too because that's where my new work from home space will be.  Until then I am bouncing from the sofa to the kitchen and back.  I am also super jazzed because we found a friend who can seal the living room floors and the still carpeted bedrooms for a super reasonable price.  SCORE! 

Oh and if anyone has any suggestions for if I should cover the mirrored closet doors, remove them or just leave them let me know?  I was thinking whiteboard or chalkboard paint could be fun, or maybe a stripe of some sort.  

#6 Add Lo to the Wall

In addition to finishing some quilting goals I also accomplished a simple one #6 Add Lo to the Wall this weekend.  I added my almost sister in law to the wall.  I have been meaning to do it for a while but it was too cold to spray paint frames in the garage and too much snow outside. But I was super excited to get their engagement pics and so I got a few printed as well as one from our pie baking and she's now on the wall.  I can't believe it took this long to add her.

Plains vs. Midwest Pizza-Off

On Friday I challenged my brother and Lolo out in Omaha to a little Pizza-Off - you might remember we have done this before but never remotely.  They instantly accepted because who doesn't like homemade gourmet pizza? Game was on it was the Midwest versus the Plains.  
The Plains Dwellers - Jono and Lolo decided to make a pesto sauced veggie packed pizza with Feta Cheese -  See all those veggies, Onions, Tomatoes, Spinach, Peppers...  Check it...

It seriously looks yummy right?  according to the eaters (Jono and Lo) it was "Yum Yum in my Tum Tum".  Obvisously the looks are not deceiving.

Here in the Midwest - Dustin and I went a little different route.  We made an Egg and Bacon Pizza, with some onions, scallions, homemade crust, homemade sauce, pepperjack and garlic mixed in.

I cooked my eggs prior to putting this in the oven (I am not a fanny of runny whites).

The Final result was really really good - Dustin more than half the pizza so he really liked it.  I liked the egg yolk with my homemade tomato sauce, but wished the crust was thinner.

In the end it was impossible to select a winner but really we both were winners right because we enjoyed ourselves.