Productive Weekend

This weekend I did something that I've put off for at least six months, maybe longer.  I knew it needed to be done but I kept putting it off and off and off because it was overwhelming. Plus I needed someone to watch the kids and....I just kept finding excuses.  But this weekend enough was enough!  I finally did it.  I cleaned the pantry!

Yeah, things must be pretty bad if I'm blogging about cleaning the pantry!  It doesn't take much thought to write about but I'm pretty proud of how it looks now.  I carried out 4 bags of trash, plus have two of piles of unwanted items.  One pile will be donated and the other is to sell.  This is what it looked like before:

A New Floor

When we bought our house four years ago, it had all new floors.  The whole downstairs had carpet as did the two bedrooms on the main floor.  The carpet downstairs got taken up pretty quickly after the washer flooded.  It took us awhile to replace it (but it’s finally all laminate now and looks great!) The rug came out of Munchkin’s room before she was born and we replaced that as well (two years ago!)  So all that was left was the nasty rug in our bedroom.  It’s had cats throw up on it and dogs poop on it.  It was just GROSS.  I really don’t like carpet very much but I dealt with it because well, it’s what was there and was working for the most part.

The House

I was three when we moved into my childhood home.  I remember the first night in the house.  My parents put me to sleep on the hardwood floor in what would become the dining room.  I fell asleep as they carried in box after box, late into the night.

My bedroom was next to theirs so they could hear me if I cried.  There was only one window and really dark.  The room had an eve in it and my grandfather put in a skylight for us.  After that, my room was really bright, even in cloudy weather.  I loved it growing up.   Pink was my favorite color when I was three and of course I picked a pink rug for my room.  I really wanted all pink wall paper but my mother, in her wisdom, refused (she hates pink.)  I ended up with floral wallpaper that had pink in it but also had blue and some other colors.  As a teen I was very thankful my whole room was not pink and it was no longer my favorite color!

I played Barbies and talked on the phone with friends for hours in that room.  I had countless sleepovers talking about the things that girls talk about growing up: nail polish and fashion and boys.  I graduated high school and returned from college to that room.  I moved to Asia and moved back into that room for a year when I returned after three years. 

It’s hard to think that that house will no longer by my mom’s house. I hate that my daughter will not know that house, the house that I grew up in.  Practically I know the house, with close to two thousand square feet is too large for my mom.  I still wish there was some way we could keep it.  I know it’s just a house but it was home for so many years.  I know I will always be welcome in any house my mom has because it’s my mom and NOT the house that is welcoming.

The last night was spent similar to the first, sleeping on the floor.  We had air mattresses this time and it was my mom, Munchkin & I.  I didn’t sleep as well as that first night in the house, but Munchkin did.  The sleep of babes is sweet and deep.  She won’t remember that night in the house but I will.  It means a lot to me. I’ll cherish it as I look forward to making memories with my family in a new house.

An Adult Moment

It was a sunny afternoon, around 3pm.  The Man and I welcomed a Sears representative into our home to talk about heating systems.  I offered him something to drink and he declined.  We sat our dining room table and talked about heat pumps, cleaning the heating ducts, checking the alignment of the ducts, new furnaces and the like.  The Man and I did our thing, listening and communicating through glances and small nods. 

After awhile I started to zone since I had missed my afternoon nap.  You shouldn’t mess with a pregnant lady’s nap.  We had been talking about the necessity of replacing our furnace so this was kinda important.  At one point I started to pay attention again and I heard him talk about financing.  We talked about our options and the specials they were running and blah, blah, blah.

It was in that moment that I felt like an adult. It hit me, out of no where, that holy crap, The Man and I owned our house and are responsible for figuring out how to afford replacing our furnace. 

Don’t get me wrong, at 32 and well aware I’m an adult.  There was just something in this moment though that hit me.  I remembered walking through the dining room as a kid and catching a bit of a conversation my parents were having with a representative for something for the house and they were talking about financing options.

It just came back to me and hit me in a way that graduating college, moving overseas, falling in love, getting engaged, getting married, moving cross country, buying a house and getting pregnant never did.  This was something my parents had done that I witnessed.  It was a little mind boggling to tell you the truth.

Have you ever had a moment like this?

Grown Up Furniture

The Man and I have been married just about two years (give it a week and we're there.)  When we first got married we had to move me and my stuff to WA.  We rented a trailer and most of my stuff fit.  We left behind my table, chairs and loveseat, along with some smaller items.  When we got to WA, we decided that getting a table and chairs was important so we picked something we liked that wasn't very expensive (under $175).  Since money was tight we decided to get a futon instead of a sofa with the understanding that it was temporary.

The futon

Life happens.  Two years later and we still have the same futon.  It's been driving me crazy and the dog keeps  licking it so there are stains all over it.  Thankfully we got our new home buyer tax money so we could buy a new sofa!  We thought about getting a whole set but decided against it...just the sofa for now.  There aren't many furniture places around here so thankfully we found something that we both agreed on.  We agreed pretty quickly cause we're cool like that.

It's going to here!

We had to wait a week to get it delivered.  No biggie but I was pretty excited to get it.

It fits!

Molly's not loving the new sofa...it's a little tall for her and we don't want her on it anyway.  She's been moping around cause she lost her favorite place to lay (the futon is in the sewing room now but since she likes to be near people she won't go down unless we're down there too.)  The kitties on the other hand are LOVING the new sofa.  I've had to get after Ig to not claw at the sofa...he's going to ruin it!  Allen just likes laying on it.  Preferably in my lap but he loves the cushions too!

So we now have grown up furniture!  I mean, not that getting married and buying a house didn't make us feel like adults...it did.  There's just something about a nice new sofa!  I don't really want to get up from it but since the sun is out...I'm going to go take advantage of it while it's visiting!

Dave

A friend of mine asked if I would like to accompany her and her two kids to IKEA.  I said of course!  My only stipulation was that I wanted to eat lunch there, which she was planning anyway.  I love their meatballs and mac n' cheese!  After we ate we checked the kids into the play area and went shopping!

I hadn't planned on buying anything.  I couldn't think of anything I needed.  Isn't that the way it always is?  Of course I managed to find some things that I "needed."  I found some pots for 99 cents.  Great deal and since I've killed the herbs I started I need to try again.  This time in pots.  I have a several pots but I'm not sure I have enough.  I have a hard time paying money for pots since my mom works for a pottery company and I'm used to free pots.  I know that if I lived in MA or even CT I could have just about all the pots my little heart desires.  Since I'm on the other coast I do my best to make do with what I have.  I even brought some back with me when I drove back last November.

As we were walking through the room we passed a laptop table.  I had wanted one before and didn't get it.  It was only $17.99.  I've been putting my laptop on a pillow on my lap cause it was getting to hot for my legs.  I just couldn't pass it up!  I had to have it...so Dave (the IKEA name of the laptop table) got to come home with me!  I was do excited and of course I put it together right away when I got home.


 Dave is a hit!  I love the fact that the height is adjustable.  It's perfect...now if I can only convince an Alleycat that he's too heavy to sleep on it!

Do you have a spontaneous purchase that you can't imagine living without?

*I was not paid to say this...I just wanted to share:)

Flashback: one year ago today

Hello Murphy

Did you have to come and visit so soon?  The Man is barely gone and you're knocking on my door.  I was hoping for a little time before you showed up but I guess not.  Granted it was my fault but still...

A friend picked me up to take me to bunco.  I had put my phone in my hoodie pocket and grabbed my purse on my way out the door.  She has a land rover and that thing is HUGE.  I'm short so it makes it seem even bigger.  I have to hoist myself in.  As we pull out of my driveway I reach for my phone but it's not there.  No biggie but I though I had put it in my pocket.  Oh well.  We get to bunco and have a great time.  I even won some money for having the most baby buncos.  Go me!  As we're heading out the door I look through my purse and realize I don't have my keys.  That's when I remember that they were beside my purse and I didn't get them.  Great.  No phone, no keys and a husband who knows where under the ocean.  Lovely!

Source

Thankfully my friend is amazing.  She called her husband and had him look up locksmiths.  As we drove to my house I remembered that we had given a house key to our pastor & his wife while I was in MA last year and we never got it back.  We call them and ask if they still have it.  They say maybe.  They had a bunch of single keys and they think our is one of them but they're not sure which one.  They don't mind if we come buy and take them all and try them.  We're happy cause we have a plan.

We stop by my house and check to see if everything is locked.  Of course it is cause The Man is gone.  I'm good about keeping windows locked even when he's home but I double check when he's not.  So nothing was open.  We head to our pastor's house about 15 minutes away and I pick up a bunch of keys.  We think we know which one it is but I take them all just in case.  I felt really bad cause the pastor's house is about halfway between our houses.  So she brings me back and THANKFULLY the key works.  We had changed the locks because the key kept sticking but The Man put one of the old locks on the french doors in the bedroom for now.  I can't decide what kind of handle I want on the door we we're waiting while I think about it.  It's a good thing I was indecisive!  I was able to get in through our bedroom.

It's one of those things where I feel like it's only me that this would happen to!  I know it's not.

Has Murphy visited you lately?  

What did he do?

One Year

It's hard to believe that we've owned our house for a year!  My hand hasn't forgotten what it was like to sign all those papers for both of us since The Man was at school.  It was worth it though!  We LOVE our house and have enjoyed making it ours.  We were thinking of all the things we've done to it.  We've managed to do quite a bit.  There's still a lot we want to do but we've made a good dent in the list!

Here's what we've done:

Painted sewing room

~Painted our bedroom, the bathroom, the hallway and the sewing room
~Moved the washer & dryer downstairs and made a laundry room.
~Moved the fridge & stove around and installed another cabinet & 1/2 wall
~Installed a dishwasher
~Installed new French doors in our bedroom
~Removed the two crazy rose bushes outside.  In their place we put in some stairs
~Put in a garden
~Planted an apple tree
~Fenced in the porch area so we could leave Molly outside and not worry about her (we never use it cause she whines)
~The Man built me some window boxes for the windows off the living room
~Installed a ceiling fan in the bedroom

Crazy rose bush that is no more

~Installed a light over the mirror in the bathroom
~The Man waterproofed his outside work area
~Took up the carpet downstairs
~Put shelves in the pantry, laundry room and open area downstairs
~Put a dimmer switch in the dining room

I think that's it.  The only room we haven't done anything to is the living room cause that room is perfect as it is!

New Door Part II

After lunch we decided that we needed to get back to work (if you missed what we did before lunch, be sure to go back and catch up).  Since the frame was out we were now able to put in the frames that The Man made for the glass bricks.

It turns out the the door wasn't perfect so one side was a little smaller than the other.  Fun times for The Man.  I was just there to take pictures.  Once both sides were in, we signed them.  We signed the one the left with our real names and the one on the right with our bloggy names.  We're cool like that.

Once that important business was taken care off, I helped The Man carry the French doors over.  There aren't any pictures since I was busy helping.  The door was a little heavy but I managed.  Once we got it almost in place The Man did his magic and got it in.

Miss Molly supervised

Once the door was in place we were super excited.  We LOVED the way it looked.  We were very excited to get the glass blocks in.  The rest of the day had a high level of excitement because the project was taking shape before our eyes and we were LOVING it!  The Man had to run out to get a few things so we could continue.  Once he returns, project glass block commenced.

 I helped cut out the blue insulation thingies while The Man put the blocks in place and sealed them on the outside with clear silicone.  Iggy Mans was intrigued by the changes and kept sticking his head out when the lower blocks were missing.  I tried to get a picture but wasn't fast enough.  Alley Cats kept sniffing around the door...he was trying to figure out how to stage a jail break.  He hasn't been successful yet.  Give him time though.  Dad's in cahoots with him!

The door isn't finished but there is no draft and we can already tell a difference.  Our bedroom is so much warmer!  We love the way it looks!  We just have some finished touches to do...paint the frame around the glass blocks and put molding around it.  Here's what it looks like at the moment:

From the inside

From the outside

 The Man thinks I'm mean that I made you guys wait to see the finished project.  I apologize for it being so long!  I didn't mean to make you wait so long.  Thanks for being patient!

Wall Hanging

I FINALLY finished a project!  I started it about 3 years ago..or maybe 4?  I'm not sure.  Anyway, It was in the works for awhile.  The top came together very easily.  I made the pattern as I went along.  The ladies were a panel so I just cut them apart and framed them with different fabrics I had in my stash.  I added the 9 patch in the middle to mix it up a bit.  I was very pleased with the way it turned out.

The finished quilt

The finished top sat for awhile and then I quilted it, made the binding and put the binding on.  Then it sat some more.  Eventually I got around to finishing the binding, though that took several months of me doing a little then putting it down, picking it up and doing a little and then putting it down.  Once that once done it sat a little more until I put the label and sleeve on the back (my least favorite part!)

Hanging it up with Molly supervision

The very last part was hanging it up.  I managed to convince The Man that NOW was a good time to hang it up.  I used an old curtain rod that doesn't fit our windows in this house.  It's a perfect fit!  We no longer have a big boring white spot on our wall.

The wall

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New Door Part I

One of the things we love about our house is all the doors and windows.  Before we bought it all of the windows and doors were replaced...except for two.  There are two sliding doors that were old, single pain aluminum doors they they kept.  We think they kept it them because they are expensive to replace.  It's possible they are original to our 1940's house.  One of the doors was in our bedroom and when you stood in the room you could feel the heat leaving the house.  It just flew by you.  Our room tended to be on the cold side.  We countered by cuddling under a microfiber sheets, a down comforter, a quilt and a fuzzy blanket.

Even though it's March we decided that it was time to replace the door.  Thank you tax return!  The sliding door was 8 ft wide.  Most doors in the store are only 6 ft.  You have to special order the wider doors and they get expensive.  So The Man came up with a plan.  The plan included buying 6 ft French doors and putting in glass bricks on either side.  The image was great in our heads so we decided to try it.  He even built himself a drafting table so he could draw it out.

So The Man got what he needed and on Saturday got to work.  He started by making the frame for the glass bricks and then worked on taking out the old door.

The old door didn't want to come out.  It's been in there for YEARS and was quite happy where it was.  It obviously didn't take our hints that he wouldn't be staying around much longer.  The first door came out no problem.  The second one was a bit harder.  This is what happened:

Classic.  It was awesome!  Thankfully we had purchased a 20 gallon shop vac.  It came in handy!  The frame didn't want to come out either but our new yellow crowbar was able to convince it otherwise.

All of that was before lunch.  Once the frame was out The Man took a break to enjoy some chicken soup that I made.  Soup that was delicious enough that he didn't have to add salt to!  That's saying a lot as he adds salt to EVERYTHING.

Stay tuned for part II

Crazy?

The Man ran across some info for the Tacoma Remodeling Expo and wanted to go.  We have several projects lined up in our heads  for the house so I thought it would be a good idea to go to.  So we went.  I'm glad the entry fee was only $5 cause it wasn't worth much more than that.  Most of the vendors were for remodeling kitchens & baths, redoing you roof and gutters.  Then there were the random jewelry people, along with Scentsy & Mary Kay (don't get me wrong, I like both very much, but at a home remodeling show?) 

I was disappointed in the vendors too.  Most of them were hiding behind their tables looking at their phones.  I'm sorry, a show like this is to get leads.  That means you need to be friendly, making eye contact and saying hello and talking to people as they walk by.  I've done fairs and you are there for leads...I even managed to get a few walking around!  Be friendly people!  Ok, end rant...

We didn't walk away with much info.  We did however, walk away with a new floor mat.  Yes, a floor mat.  It's supposed to be a miracle mat and get all the water & dirt off your shoes & paws as you walk across it.  They were doing demos and it worked amazingly well (of course it would!)  You can throw it in the washer & the dryer...and it helps make it more absorbent.  It has a 5 year guarantee and nothing voids it.  After walking by it 3 times and watching and talking, we bought one.  A commercial size one for our hallway that is ALWAYS covered in muddy paw prints.  I'm still in shock about how much we paid for it.  I can't believe I spent that much money FOR A FLOOR MAT! 

They say it should be washed & dried before using it but we couldn't wait.  We just put it down.  Miss Molly liked it and thought it might work as her new bed.  It's working OK so far.  I'm going to wash it today and hopefully it will get more water off Molly's paws.

How much are you willing to pay for a floor mat?

What's the most you've ever paid for one?

Getting Organized

I don't know about you, but I have clutter in my house.  It drives me NUTS.  It builds up until I can't take it anymore.  The paper is what bothers me most of all.  We've killed tons of trees for no reason.  I can't tell you how much mail I recycle/throw away/burn.  Mail is the worst.  So to help organize the mail I decided to make a mail holder.

This is what I came up with:

It's not perfect but it will work.  It took me less than an hour to make.  Pretty good for a quick project!

Of course I had to have help!

I'm not sure if you can see him, but Iggymans is on the table and Molly pup is laying on the floor.  This picture is also showing off the new light The Man put in for me while I was in Portland on Saturday.  He surprised me with it when I got home.  Isn't he the best?
 

How do you stay organized?

How has your husband surprised you?


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Curtains

The main door & hallway

Our main door to our house has a bunch of windows.  I love that it lets a lot of light in during the day.  At night I don't love them so much.  I feel like just anyone can walk up and look in the house.  Granted the door is at the back of the house and that's highly unlikely, it still freaks me out.  I've been meaning to put up a curtain.  When I was home in November, I got some magnetic curtain rods that my mom wasn't using anymore.

I was having a hard time deciding what material I wanted to use to make the curtains.  We're going to paint the hallway and put down some kind of runner in the hallway...we just haven't decided what color.  We (I) keep changing our minds.  So in a crafty mood yesterday I decided to just pick some material from my stash and make the silly curtain.  I think some shade of brown it going to end up on the wall, so I choose a brown and off white material:

 

The curtain is nothing fancy.  I just hemmed the edges, made a pocket for the rod to go through a voila!  I have a curtain.  It's kinda boring but once we have the hallway done I'll make a fancier curtain.

Now if someone does try to look in, they're not going to see much.  I also got up the lace curtain in the kitchen window...that I got when I was at home.  It takes me awhile to get to some projects!  I really like it...it softens up the kitchen.

 Now if I can just figure out how I want to finish the curtain for the downstairs door...

The Joys of Being a Homeowner

We love owning our own house.  We really do.  Then there are the other times.  Last night was one of those times...

Stackable washer/dryer in the kitchen

When we bought the house, there was a stackable washer/dryer in the kitchen.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to do laundry in the kitchen.  Thankfully there was an extra "bonus" room downstairs.  There aren't any windows to the outside in the room so we thought it would make an excellent laundry/storage room.  And it does.  We've put non-stackable washer and dryer in there and The Man added some shelves for me.  I love it.  There's just one teeny tiny problem.  I've been known to flood downstairs.  I've done, oh, three or four times in the eight months we've lived here. 

Sometimes it's because the drainage hose has come out of the pipe and other times it's because the pump hasn't been working.  Last night it was the pump.  I didn't know that The Man had unplugged it so he could plug in his new router to try it out.  I was hit with a bit of motivation to do a load of laundry while he was out last night.  No problem.  Until I go downstairs and see that the furnace room is covered in water.  That water also likes to seep into the laundry room & the sewing room.  It's a big fat pain the behind!  It was great when I told him.  He walked in the door, gave me a kiss and said what's up.  I told him that I did a load of laundry.  He knew right than what happened...I didn't have to tell him.  I let him eat dinner while I sucked up the water.

The second time it happened we took up the rug so it wouldn't mold.  It's not such a big deal now since it's just a concrete floor.  We also bought a shop vac so we could vacuum up the water.  Easy right?  Except for the fact that we bought a baby one and it only holds 2.5 gallons.  It has to be emptied more times that I care to admit.  It's a pain and I've come to hate it.  I think we should use the money from Sear's Hereos at Home gift cards on a bigger shop vac.  What do you think?

I'm concerned about mold and wood rot since the walls keep getting wet.  It's a project that we don't want to deal with but will have to...just not at the moment.  Maybe once I've stopped soaking the floor!  There's one more thing that makes it even better.  We just got an area rug for the sewing room and it's soaked.  I took the shop vac to that too and got water out of it.  If it was a nice sunny day I'd put it outside to dry.  It's not though...it's a normal rainy, chilly, gray overcast day here in the Pacific Northwest.  I'm just thankful that it's not snow!

Are there any mishaps that you keep doing at your house/apartment?

Sewing

I was looking around the living room today and realized I would like some new decorative thingies.  I like to put them on the end tables and sometimes the coffee table, like a dresser scarf.  I have some but they were out for months before Christmas.  I want something new.  This isn't a bad thing because I make them...there is no spending of money in this!  I have TONS of fabric downstairs and I have a hard time buying more until I use some.  So I'm using what I have so I can buy more.  I just love my logic!

I'm totally loving my sewing room.  The lighting is bad but I'm working with what I have.  That may need to be addresses sooner rather than later.  It took me a bit to figure out what I wanted to do.  I had forgotten that I had bought a Dresden plate template and when I was unpacking & organizing the sewing room I found it.  So I decided to use that.  I had started one and never finished it cause I couldn't decide on the scraps I wanted to use.

I LOVE scraps.  I'm always saving them.  Mom laughs at me. Anyway, I wanted it to be a little more uniform that all scraps.  I decided to use some left over material that I had of geisha girls and an old pair of jeans.  It took me about 2 hours and this is what I ended up with:

Front

Back

From the side

It only took me that long cause I did a blanket stitch around the edge (and Molly needed to go out.  She just wanted play..she doesn't enjoy sewing like I do!)  I'm still not that great at doing the blanket stitch on curves so I took it slow.  It came out great.  About half way through sewing it I realized it would have made a great pillow...but it was already to late.  Guess that means I need to make some more!


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2010 in Review

As 2010 comes to a close, I thought it was be a good idea to do a year in review (like everyone else).  So without further ado, I present our Top Ten 2010 Moments:

1.  We completed one full year of marriage.  We were married in August of 2009, so 2010 was our first complete year.   I'm very much looking forward to celebrating another New Year's with my love.

New Year's Eve 2009

2.  We bought a house.  There are times when I'll just stop and look around in amazement that we actually bought a house.  We love it.  It's perfect for us and we love being homeowners.  We changed some things and are looking forward to continuing to leave our mark on it.

3.  We added Miss Molly to our family.  Before buying our house we lived on base and were only allowed two pets.  We had Edgar & Allen so we couldn't get a dog.  We picked up Molly the day after we completely moved into our house.  She fits in perfectly and feel like she's been apart of our family longer than 7 months.

4.  Time together.  I love spending time with The Man.  It doesn't matter what we do I like doing it with him.  From hanging out at home to exploring the Pacific Northwest, we've had a great time. 

5.  Creation Northwest 2010.  For our anniversary we went to Creation.  It's a huge christian music festival and I have wanted to go since I was in high school.  I thought it was only held in PA but nope, they have one in WA too!  Our favorite bands that played were The David Crowder Band, Toby Mac & The Newsboys.  Both Toby Mac & Newboys played Jesus Freak...take me back to my teen years!

6.  I got my car back!  I had been driving my mom's Jeep and so I drove it cross country so she could have it back.  I got to drive my car home.  I miss having the Jeep for it's size but I LOVE my car.  It's saving us a ton of money for gas too!

7.  The Man was home in time for Christmas!  He was truly the best Christmas present I got.  I did get some others that were pretty good too!  The Kindle tops the list...although I'm very much enjoying the new clothes and the new iPod speakers.

Christmas morning 2010

8.  The Man became a friend of Bill's.  This is going to have a lasting impact on our lives and marriage.  We're both happy about it.

9.  Exploration.  Neither of us have lived in this area so it's not unusual for us to take day trips to explore the area.  We've done some fun stuff in Seattle, like the aquarium and a harbor cruise and we've driven 101 and spent time in Ocean Shores.  We've also been to Eugene, OR a few times and we like to stop at different places along the way.  We love making random stops and finding new places!

10.  Thanksgiving with my family.  The Man wasn't able to be with us for Thanksgiving, but I loved being with my family.  I hadn't seen my Aunt, cousin & her family since my wedding in August 09 so quality time together was long overdue.  It was great.  I'm blessed by an amazing, supportive family.  They are the best!

Nieces & Nephew playing with Molly at Thanksgiving

What are some of your best moments from 2010?

#54. Paint the Sewing Room

I'm happy to report that #54 of my 101 list has been completed!  The sewing room is our third bedroom downstairs.  When we bought the house the room was painted white.  Boring.  It used to have carpet but when the washer machine overflowed the rug got wet and we removed it so it wouldn't mold.  It wasn't the best carpet and we were going to replace it eventually.  We're actually pretty happy with the bare concrete instead.  The was also a mess since I never really unpacked.

From the doorway

The closet

The doorway

It took me a while to pick out the colors.   I had hoped that The Man would help me paint but I did it myself (thank you duty day).  He was amazing and put up the crown molding.  I love crown molding.  I think it has to do with the fact that my parent's house is at least 130 years old and full of crown molding.  It adds a nice finishing touch to a room.  If I have my way there will be crown molding in every room in the house...except the bathroom.  We'll see if The Man agrees to put that much up!

Bye Bye boring white!

Miss Molly keeps me company

Putting up crown molding

Iggymans supervises from the window

Anyways, we still need to put down flooring.  The one we really like has to be special ordered and I want to make sure that that's the one we really want.  At some point The Man is going to build me some more storage and after that we'll put in better lighting...thank goodness I have two true lights for extra lighting!  I think this is going to be the never ending project room.

And now for the finished (for now!) product:

The door

Repainted bookshelves

My cutting table

My sewing table

It's been painted since mid-October.  I just got the motivation to get it organized and stuff put away.  It's not perfect and still a little messy (you should see the closet!) but I'm able to do stuff down there now.  I have curtains, pillows, table runners and place mats to make.  I'm so thankful that I have a sewing room!  I'm a little spoiled by it.  I know that I'll have to give it up someday as it is our third bedroom.  I'm going to enjoy it while I have it!

Where do you do your crafty stuff?