Our House...in the middle of the street

Finally!  I am ready to post a couple of pictures of our new house.

We have done quite a bit of work in a short amount of time.  The house that we bought was my parents' house.  They have lived here for the last 10 years so it was not the house that I grew up in but it was very familiar to us. 

The home is 20 years old and filled with wallpaper from the 90's.  We decided to remove all of it. 

Yes, ALL of it.  I thought I would be ambitious and do it myself.  After a whole weekend of removing HALF of the wallpaper from the hall bathroom, I quickly decided this task was best left to the professionals.  This decision probably saved someone's life.  I learned that I just do not have the patience for it. 

Sooooo, here are some before and after pictures. 

This was our family room.  Our major change in here (and through the entire house) was painting the woodwork white.  We also painted the walls a light gray.

Here is it now.

This is really our only room that is "done".  See that TV up there on the mantle.  That thing was a thorn in my side for 2 days, but it is pretty cool up there.

We changed out the fan in the room, and got new a new leather couch and chair (somebody really enjoys the new couch!) 

Ok, here is the front door/foyer before...

And here it is after...

Again, our major change was painting the woodwork white and we change the light fixture.  Oh, and the gray from the family room extends into the foyer and kitchen.

And here are the back french doors leading out to the pool (before)

and after

That is all I am ready to show for now.  We are getting ready for some major changes in the kitchen, so that will be fun but for now we are slowly but surely making this home our own. 

It's Been a REALLY Long Week

We are so close, 2 closing tomorrow and LOTS of moving boxes everywhere.

But, we have moved.  We are living in our new house and getting adjusted.

I will hopefully have some pictures soon, just need to find the USB to connect my camera...

I am sure its somewhere around here.

Where is my baby?

This morning I was getting my littles ones ready for preschool, just me, Big J, Lil J and Spongebob - ya know, the gang.

And then Big J said something that made me look at him as if he was a middle aged man. 

He looked at me so serious and said, "Mommy, as I was saying" (then he continued with whatever he was saying).

HUH? 

Where did that come from, he sounded like a little professor. 

Has anyone seen my baby, because I cannot believe I have a boy this grown up already.

The Hobby Lobby is coming!

I am so excited, the Hobby Lobby is under construction in my area. 

The husband saw a sign on the old Circuit City building and was curious and just drove by and much to my excitement there was a little sign in the window saying "coming soon - The Hobby Lobby". 

I have been so jealous when I see bloggers say, "I got it at the Hob Lob", or "I was at the Hob Lob yesterday". 

My sweet craftiest friends responded to my facebook post, one of their husband's was not as thrilled as we were.  Can't wait until the grand opening.  Very exciting!

The house is coming along, wallpaper removal is well underway.  I took some before pictures today and will have them up soon.  Packing has also started, this move is quickly becoming a reality.  We should be comfortably in our new house 2 weeks from now.

Boom Boom

Just sittin' here watching TV on a Sunday night...not much going on and then...

Boom Boom.

2 sonic booms to let us know that the Space Shuttle is home. 

That is pretty cool.

the enemy

IS WALLPAPER!

Yes, wallpaper.  I am in the middle of taking the wallpaper off of the walls of our new house.  I thought I would be brave and tackle the one bathroom filled with wall paper and 2 bedrooms each with borders (and oh yes borders under the borders) all in one weekend. 

I thought I would just buy the ever so NOT amazing product called Wall Wick (anyone heard of it) to remove the enemy.  Did some research online and lots of good reviews, etc. Well, it didn't work out that way for me. 

Scoring, soaking, peeling, scraping, repeat.  And this is just the bathroom. 

The borders in the kids' bedrooms are a different story.  One layer came off and the second layer is stuck to the drywall and there is some damage underneath.  I am actually considering putting a new border on top of the old one. 

OH, and has anyone seen this paintable wallpaper?  Looks interesting. 

Well, at least my new Make Life by Sweetwater Moda Jelly Roll arrived so I can get back to work on my quilt.  Loving this fabric! 

trying to be a decorator

My friends right now are Etsy and Ebay as I decorate my boys' rooms at the new house. 

If you have an Etsy shop I have probably been to it (at least if it contains vinyl or kids decorating stuff).

This is harder than I thought it would be.  I really want to get it right, make the boys'  rooms really boyish but sweet at the same time as they are still just 4 and 3 years old.  We have plenty of time icky, smelly boy rooms!

Lil J is getting firetrucks (he is going to be my little fireman one day) and Big J is unbelievably on the monster truck kick so his new room will be a newer version of his old monster truck room.

This is their rooms now. 

One major change that is coming is that we will no longer have a little one in a crib.  Lil J is FINALLY getting his own big bed (that one converts into a full size bed, we just need to get the mattress).

I am waiting to get into the new house to start removing some wall paper and painting their new rooms.

Lots going on around here.  The last phase of our home sale is underway, the appraiser came today and I think we just have the closing to do (oh yeah and the move) and we have officially sold our house. 

I would love to hear all of your advice on how to decorate a house.  I have been collecting a bazillion paint samples and printed as many pictures as I can of ideas. 

Part of me thinks it is best to take it slowly (room by room) BUT this house is different as much of the house is an open floorplan so I want the decorating to flow from room to room.

Any decorators, old pros, or just anyone with some good decorating advice out there???  I would love to hear from you!