The next project...

Well...the bathroom is finally done! I think it looks like a bumble bee exploded in there...but it's done. And while I don't care for it too much Dennis likes it, and it looks alot better than with all that wallpaper in it! Think for our next project we will be doing the bedroom walls. They are all a neutral white, except one. Wall paper from ick. With matching wallpaper border. Ew. I'm kinda nervous about doing the bedroom. Think the color will be fine and I hope it tones down, and seems to compliment, the bathroom. I'm worried about these guitars. D is going to get some of the cases down, and we are just gonna put them on the dining room table...but keeping 8 guitars safe from 4 kids and two dogs won't be easy while we are doing the room. I'm worried about the carpet too. I'm not the neatest painter ever, but God willing it's gonna look great!!! I'm so excited that we've finally been able to start changing stuff on the house. We're not able to do some small stuff (like getting rid of the gold faucets in the bathroom) or major stuff like doing something with the pond ( no clue what to do with it anyway) but it's starting to get a bit more personalized. I was thinking about doing the kitchen absolutely last, but I don't think so anymore. It feels like I'm in there more than anywhere else ,so maybe sooner rather than later...after our room, I think we are going to do the kids' rooms (anyone have a really tall ladder I can borrow?) then the kitchen. So, bumble bee yellow in the bathroom and upcoming Garden Katydid in the bedroom. Wish me luck and this time I'm going to remember to take pictures!!

The end of the bathroom tunnel!

Oh Lord, thank you! I can see the end of the bathroom wall tunnel!!! After peeling the wallpaper, scraping off all the paste, priming, and lastly today painting...it's almost done!!! Dennis picked out the color (which I am still on the fence about), and we had some oopsies...(had to go to Lowe's twice to get stuff for the potty cause we broke it), and spray painting all the light fixtures (cause I'm kinda over all the gold) has got my nerves all messed up. When you have as many people in the house as we do...a bathroom that's not usable is not a good thing. BUT! Last coat of paint is drying as I type and then peeling the tape, put potty back together, hook lights back up, and then clean. Whew! It will be done tonight and I can't be more excited to not have to look at that crappy wallpaper anymore!! Makes me even more motivated to move on to the next room...which will be our bedroom...eek. I am a little nervous about picking out the color..even though we already agreed on one, because like I said I'm not so sure about the bathroom color. But Dennis picked it out, and I'm holding out final judgement for when it doesn't look like a catastrophe zone. :) I am kinda upset that I didn't take a before photo, for before and after pics..but I am for sure going to everywhere else!

Diving into home improvement!

Shortly after New Years, I decided that it was time that my middle boy learned to go "big potty". Since it has been a while since I have dealt with that (10 years) we did some research. No diaper weekend. And Landon has done so well with it! I'm so proud of my pumpkin! So, Saturday when he was going big potty, I was getting restless. Carol got me some wallpaper scraping stuff and money for paint for Christmas, and spur of the moment....wallpaper started coming down in my bathroom. At first when I decided there was no way this money was going for anything else but paint, I got excited. I've lived with this ugly ass wallpaper everywhere for too long! I knew going in it was going to be hard, but was Dennis and I kept peeling away the top layer, leaving the paste layer, I was getting more and more motivated. I am scared though, I do not have patience, and want to not try to rush it or get in over my head too much. And I totally did not plan on starting in the bathroom. I am in scraping hell right now though. But with every little bit that comes off I am happy that it's coming down. Seriously....WHO PUTS WALLPAPER ON THE CEILING??!?! We not only have it on the ceiling in the bathroom but also in the kitchen. All the top layer is off in the bathroom, and about 1/4 of the paste is down. It does look like we are going to have to fix some holes and smooth some places out before we can paint, and I am so not good at that, but honestly (and if you have seen this wallpaper, you know) that even with TONS of bumps, waves, depressions, and other issues...it's still going to be alot better once it's painted!!! I'm hoping to have the bathroom done by the end of January (Mom's birthday). I'm trying to be realistic about when it gets done, and I'm working on it whenever I get a few minutes or Dennis is home and can watch the kids...especially now that Landon is sans diapers. My plan is to attack our bedroom next, the Jessica's room, Brandon's room, then the kitchen. I'm hoping to be to the kitchen by April or May. On top of keeping busy...this project is also making me realize that there are muscles in my back I had no idea existed!

New Year Resolutions!

While planning our New Years party, resolutions kept creeping in my head. Should it be lose weight this year? I haven't ever been extremely motivated to lose weight. Should I try to quit smoking this year? Last time I tried that, I was horribly mean to everyone and don't really want to go back there. Be more positive. YES! Let's write that down somewhere! Maybe a post it on the mirror. The more party planning I get into, the more stuff comes to me...try harder to keep the friendships that are slipping away? Those that were once good friends slip into friend then into acquantaince? That one I've got to think about some more. Why put more effort into something that isn't getting any in return? Yep, let's think on that some more. Spend more time with my daughter!!!! Ooooo, that's a good one!!! Although she's here and I'm here, we are both mostly in two different worlds. She's always "plugged in" to something..IPad, TV, IPhone, whatever. I'm either cooking, cleaning, changing a diaper, or dealing with the little kids. I need time just for my girl, so I'm going to make it happen. Teach the kids to play canasta. YES! Found another good one! This one might take the help of Mom, cause I don't have a super amount of patience, but the big kids are old enough to learn. Let the competitiveness begin!  The card. There's my number one resolution. We are going to get as close as possible to paying off this card. I have played around with all of the numbers and it's possible. IT'S POSSIBLE. I can have this card that is killing me paid off by New Years next year. That is so exciting to me I can't even describe it. The sun, moon, planets have to align just right it seems, but it's possible!!!  We might have to eat Ramen two nights a week or something, but I have got to get this thing paid off. I can do it!!! And it would be such a stress reliever on Dennis and I want that for him. SO!
1. Pay off credit card.
2. Spend more, alot more, time with Jess.
3. Teach the big kids to play canasta.
4. Be more positive. Already started (I've edited most of the neg out of this blog already! Twice.)
I hope everyone has a great New Year's and a fabulous (super sparkly) 2013!!!