Cleaning inside and out!!!!

This week I started a new diet!!!! I am feeling great!!! It is the HCG diet.I am on the homeopathic drops. I lost a few pounds already.I am also starting my spring cleaning !!!! I am hoping to clean out my basement and garage . The basement is getting a makeover. We are transitioning the rooms into more useful space. It is a never ending process, clearing the clutter. My boys have been taking their extra "stuff" to the basement so we need to sort it all out. I have my office down there so I have been clearing out old papers,the toys they dumped in my office spot,etc. I can't wait until the next phase ,the painting!!!! That is always my favorite part!!!! I love picking out the colors. I am thinking creamy white to brighten the basement and maybe one of the rooms a light lavender. I love color but in this space we are lacking sunlight so creamy white will open the space,  but I am sure I will sneak in some pink in there somewhere!!!!

Basement stairs part two

I wrote about painting the basement stairs.After they were painted I asked my hubby to enclose our stairs as you could see thru them (you basically saw the ugly brick wall behind them) . Also the stairwell was very cold.I was trying to see if we enclosed them it would solve the draft problem.We did half of them and I really like the look . I don't have a before photo but will take one and show the open steps that are left so you can see the difference.The steps are narrow so you need to get used to stepping properly but I really love the difference. I also finished painting the crown molding in our old dining room turned sitting room. I love the crisp white next to the dark walls!!!!!! I will post the photos later today!!!!

Basement stairs

Today I am in the process of repainting our basement stairs and part of the basement floor.I think this might be the fourth or fifth time doing this since we have moved in!!!!!! We rewired the light going to the basement and now that we can actually see going down the stairs ,I saw we NEEDED to repaint.So I am waiting for the paint to dry to give it another coat.Our weather here in Wisconsin is feeling warm so I have started the outside clean up.I picked up some left over leaves and finally removed the Halloween spider web from my rose bushes!!!! The kids wanted me to keep it up ,they hated to see it go. I am enjoying the weather while it is warm but it is supposed to get cold again this weekend.I reluctantly ordered another face cord of wood to burn .The boys and I stacked it and I hope this will last until the end of the season!!!!!!!

Office

My office walls are complete!!! I texturized and painted!!! I moved my old kitchen table in there to become my desk.I started accessorizing too!! I dusted a lot of my buddhas that I have collected over the years and am displaying them in this room. I need to take a road trip to Ikea and buy a few shelves to finish the transformation. This is going to be the room we keep our school supplies in. I am really trying to become more organized with our supplies. So far I have been hanging out in here on my laptop and the kids are sitting next to me with there computers as well. Finally this room (the bonus room) has a purpose!!!! We couldn't decide if we were going to use this as a media room or playroom. We were waiting to buy a new flat screen but it didn't happen yet so I couldn't take the wasted space!!! I have to say I love it!!! It feels like a perfect place to retreat and hide away (the room was sound proofed for my oldest son who was into music). I will post photos after I get the shelves and more "accessories" oh I mean "office supplies"!!!!!

Basement office

This room used to be my oldest son's room.We kind of rushed building this room since we were going to have my friend live with us for a while.It came out ok but my eyes went directly to the flaws in the room.Mainly the uneven taping and sanding.I found a solution that I could do without having my hubby remud,sand and sand some more.I put a texture on the wall .It gives it a finished look.I love it so far.I just need to paint . This room will become my office/schoolroom. I can't wait to go the paint store and find the perfect color!!!!!! The photo is of the outer wall of the room( also the laundry room) and I added the texture to the dry wall( a few months ago) I really liked the look so I am doing that again!!!!

Laundry Room

We have been working on our laundry room this week.WE waterproofed our final walls!!! Yeah!!!! I am in the process of re painting this room.I have painted this room 2 times already and am hoping this is it!!! It used to be a bright blue but now I painted it a lighter grey/blue. I also have to repaint the floor.I have painted the floor about 4 times already!!!! Every time we waterproofed the walls the cement ruined the floor.I will be so happy when I put on the final floor paint!!!! I am so sore from all this work that we have been doing. Luckily I have lost a few pounds!!!!

Bonus Room

We just built a small room in the basement that was going to be our oldest son's room.He wanted it sound proof for his music so we put a lot of insulation.It is complete except for the ceiling since we have more electrical work to finish.He ended up using a different room as his bedroom so we have an extra room!!!! We are using it as a sitting room but haven't decided if we should make it a media room or have a wine room.My husband and I enjoy wine and want to start a collection. I found really cool crates from World Market if we decide to go the wine room route.Here are some before photos!!! I will post the after tomorrow they are on my other computer!!!!( these photos show the waterproofing stage!!! The walls were in rough shape)

Waiting!!!!

I am still waiting for my package of loveliness to arrive.In the meantime I have been tidying up our basement.We have a room that was to be my older son's room but he is using a different room now .So now we have a bonus room.We are deciding what to do with it!! It might become a small media room or a wine room.For now I put one of my favorite pink dressers in there and was styling it with all my "stuff" books,lamps,candle holder ,etc. It is only temporary but it a sweet room to sit,have a cup of coffee,and look at favorite books!!!!

On a roll!!!!

This past weekend we have been super motivated to finish my son's room.We installed electric outlets,insulated and put up the drywall.Also installed the door and taped and mudded ( my least favorite job!!!!) Tonight my son is going to sand the walls and start painting.I will probably end up finishing the painting as usual.We want to add the carpet tomorrow!!!!! A lot has been done this past week and we are anxious to just finish the job !!!! On the decorating front today I got a quote for my victorian sofa to be reupholstered!!!!! I am going to look at fabric tomorrow!!! So exciting!!! I originally wanted chocolate covered velvet but the guy said it was not practical for my lifestyle(4 kids and 3 dogs) He is right but I said I still wanted a chocolate color!!!! Well see,also he said he had some Victorian furniture if I was looking for some.I am looking for a love seat so hopefully I will like what he has.I will write more tomorrow.....I am exhausted!!!!!

Studs!!!!

We started putting up studs for our "last" basement project!!!!! This room will be my son's room.We are going to soundproof it because he is into music and we don't want to hear it anymore!!! I am hoping this room will go quick!!!! It really all depends on our schedule since we have been very busy these past weekends.We are done with the other sections in the basement but now the hangout room is full of the junk we took out of this space to start construction!!! I will feel so grateful when this is all organized and functional!!!!! Hopefully this will make life easier in the end!!!!!

Carpet tiles

Last night my sweet hubby installed the carpet tiles in my daughter,s room.Her room is in the remodeled basement and hers is the second room to be complete.The carpet was pretty easy to install.You basically peel and stick!!!!! We need to buy a carpet blade to cut off a few tiles where there was excess carpet.I have to say it looks pretty good and was inexpensive!!!!! I also have peace of mind knowing that if a portion gets ruined we can tear off a tile or two and replace!!!!! I will post pictures of her room soon.She is working on finishing a wall that she wants to add cork and make her own bulletin board!!!

Little Boxes!!!!!

We finally bought the flooring for the basement!!!! We first wanted wood laminate flooring then switched to carpet then back again.The deciding factor was the price!!!! The carpet squares were on sale this week at Menards so we went with carpet.I have stacks of little boxes in the living room at the moment. Before we install,we will have to finish one wall in my daughters room and add a door.Fun!!! We are hoping that the dogs will not be hanging in the basement once the carpet is in.They are mostly upstairs . I have a dog gate so they won't go down but the teenagers (not the smaller two) always manage to leave the gate open!!!!! That will be the beauty of buying the carpet squares if a spot is ruined You Can Replace Them!!!!!

Projects have started again!!!!!

Since we have been back we have eased our way into finishing up projects from last year!!!! We have installed a door to the basement bathroom,we finally finished the subway tile wall.The only thing left in the basement bathroom is to grout the tile,mud one part of the tile wall and paint the portion above the tile.We also have to trim out the door.later when it warms up again we will change the super old window with a new one. Since we have a low basement height we had to cut part of the door to make it fit!!!! Everything in this house is a challenge,nothing is just bought and installed there is always drama when you think it will be easy!!!!!I will post a few pictures later after I clean off the tile .

Subway tile!!!!!

I have loved subway tile forever even before it became trendy!!!! We just put up some in the basement bathroom.On the wall in the very back of the tub.The kids get water everywhere when they take a bath.That is why I am Loving having the basement bathroom.I don't have to worry about water on the tin ceiling that is under the upstairs main bathroom!!!!! I don't know how we lived before our second bathroom .It was 4 very long years of kids pounding on the door when you were trying to take a relaxing bath!!!!! Next year we are adding a master bathroom!!!!! It won't be huge but it will have a claw foot tub w/ brass feet. Here are photos of the subway tile wall,we ran out of tile when we where almost done(of course!!!!) So I will have to buy more next week!!!!

Not quite done!!!!

I have to say I got my hopes up too soon about painting.There was more sanding to be done and a few spots needed to be re-mudded.I am so over this basement project!!!! It just keeps lingering on!!! I was able to paint a closet and one wall, so that was cool!!! Now I have a cold and feel like crap but over all feel better than last week.I didn't write about it but I sliced my finger open with a knife.It was pretty nasty but it is healing nicely!!! I probably shouldn't be painting but this needs to get done and I go back to work on Sat. so I have to get used to using my thumb again.My camera ran out of batteries so I can't post photos until this weekend!!!

Basement update

This past weekend was very busy.My hubby decided to work on rewiring the basement.We pulled old wires and put new ones in.He made a lot of new outlets(always needed) My teenage son helped with putting up some insulation.i am hoping we can start closing up some walls and then start the fun stuff!!!!! I love to paint so I am anxious!!!!!