Switcheroo

Ta da.... The new office(which was the dining room). The color I ended up going with is Clothesline Fresh from Lowe's. While I was painting, my hubby said it looked like toothpaste. Not true. Next to the olive green dining room, it's certainly blue. I lucked out with tonal silk curtains from PB outlet. I think the red chair looks great in the blue room. It just needs a blue pillow.

My desk area. Haven't replaced it yet, but will when I find the right one...cheap. I love using the new office. So nice to be out of the breakfast/kitchen/den room.

The view into the 'new' dining room. For now, I'm leaving the walls painted the Olive color they are. I will paint the space between the crown and picture moulding white and repaint it all to be a more solid moulding like the office is now and the foyer is.

The view from the dining room into the office. The furniture all stayed in those 2 rooms, just switched rooms, and my desk moved in.

The view from the dining room into the foyer. So far no one has noticed there's no light above the table. Once I get a couple of buffet lamps on the credenza to the left, I'm not sure we'll even need one. To get one, electrician, drywall person, painters are all going to be required. There are 6 windows in that room, so daytime lighting is not required.

The large blank space above the sofa has been filled with the large mirror from the old dining room. I think it works great in the den. Now to replace the sofas....It will look sooooooo much better with white slipcovered ones. Not to mention being much more comfortable.

So that's the big switcheroo completed. Of course, I still have artwork and photos to put up in the office, and a desk to find and replace mine with, which is why I haven't moved my calendar and bulletin board in yet. The room is, however, functional. We all love it and truly can't believe how much larger our home feels now.

For only around $300 for new light fixture, paint, curtains and new rod we have a house that feels larger and works so much better for us. I'm sure I could have shopped around longer to find things on sale/clearance a bit cheaper, but the savings would not have made up for the weeks/months of hearing my husband ask how much longer until it was done. I did actually find cheaper curtains, but they were cheaper curtains. Not as nice, ie, not lined, did not have drapery hooks included/sewn in. And they weren't this color.

I've learned that sometimes it's just not worth it to buy something because it's cheap if I don't LOVE it. Because I will replace it sooner and end up spending more money. BIG plus of these is that they will work well in the den, and the ones in the den I think will work well in the office if we find the white slipcovered sofas with the french ivory curtains don't jell too well.

That's the tour for now.

Plans

I have lots of plans. Plans to make things for my daughter, my niece to be, a friend's birthday, another niece, and even for myself. First, I have to find my work table top. It is there, you can see a couple of inches peeking out. It actually is cleaned off now. Thanks to a friend visiting and needing to stay in that room. Here's what my immediate plans are for sewing:

Making a short sleeve version in 3 month size for a niece-to-be.

A dress for same niece to come home in, a plain batiste fabric.

This for my daughter for spring/summer. I really love this fabric...part of the Swell by URBAN CHICKS for moda.

And an apron...for someone...from the same fabric line. It may not end up being the same pattern. I may wing it on the design.

That's what I have immediate plans for, meaning to do within the next month or so. I have several other things I'd like to make and a few things in process with the knitting/crocheting. I'll share those another time. The good news is it's cold and rainy out which keeps me in. I might just get to all these projects!

I hope to be better at finishing projects this year and start fewer. I have enough yarn for a year's worth of knitting/crocheting. I hope not to buy much of that this year. I do know myself well enough to say it won't happen at all. You never know what kind of incredible deal you'll find somewhere. I'd also like to work down the fabric stash a bit. The moda fabrics above are from the stash, almost 2 years old now. The others, I bought recently. It's not the kind of fabric I buy to stash. I buy with a particular project in mind, because it isn't cheap and rarely goes on sale. These are, hopefully, going to be heirloom garments.

Then there are all the house/yard projects that have long been on a to do list. Sometimes we dream about moving, but really, we wouldn't escape a to do list. We have good schools, close to shopping, decent commute for the husband, our church is close, and we have good neighbors and great friends here. There is much to be thankful for. And that is the biggest plan of all: Remember to be thankful for what we have been blessed with and do the best we can with what we are given.

New Year, New List

My resolution for this year is to finish all outstanding projects. My hope is this translates to a finishing of all projects I start. But as I need some accountability...here goes the unfinished lists:
List 1: House/Yard Projects
Repaint master bath(have to do trim on one window and repaint the 3 doors)
Install crown moulding in a:Megan's room, b: new hall, c: laundry room, d: figure out whether it needs to be in stairwell, bonus and master bedroom(funky ceilings in all 3)
Landscape plan for yard,
install landscaping
patio for back yard
Hang new curtain rod in dining room
get rods and hang them for curtains already purchased for office
repaint all trim inside house(dining room, office, foyer, half bath, hall, Megan's room)
Sewing Projects
starting with the oldest project waiting:
re-bind craig's baby blanket
sew jacket for me already cut out
size 4 dress for Megan already cut out (who is now a size 6...guess it will go to someone else!)
finish 2 other dresses already cut out for gifts
finish Megan's easter dress and coat
finish matching easter dress for Elizabeth(AM. girl doll)
Cut off shorts for M and J
pillows for den
coasters for den
Bonus room curtain(we won't discuss that 2 of 3 are finished and HANGING!!!!!)
finish black pull on shorts for under skirts for Megan
megan shirt with pink material
blue polka dot dress me
xmas material aprons
new dress for spring/summer Megan(fabric is sooo already purchased)
2 jumpers for Megan brown and one aqua.
new shirt megan...pink
oh, and some tapestry panels that are waiting to be made into xmas pillows. I've only moved them 3 times. One day.
Sooo...as I've also started knitting...a lot to accomplish this year.
and we won't discuss the scrapbooking that I'm years behind on.
2009 begins the all pics will be put in books...by snappy. Not me.
I will mention that the list was longer...but I did check 2 things completely off the list, and am close to being done with the bathroom paint job!
Happy New Year!