Progress at the Dream House...

It's offically been a month since we started working on the Dream House.....Whew, were did that four weeks go? (Well to be fair it's only been three week.s..we were tending to sick children (& Hubby) with the flu for one full week.) I won't list every detail of what we've been up to.....I'm pretty sure I would loose you half way down my list. Mainly ripping up floors, ripping down wallpaper, painting all the ceiling and walls on the first floor, installing backer board to prepare for our new tile flooring. 

 Room by room we are getting it done! I picked out a green for the living room.

The guys are spreading the morter then putting down the cement board.

 Mr. Semi driver brought our tile (Tuesday). We hope to start putting some down this weekend.

It's looks like antique wood plank flooring, but it is actually tile! I never even knew such a thing existed till I happen to see it on an HGTV show!! Can't wait to see it all installed!! It's going in the kitchen, dining room, 1/2 bath, laundry room, and the front entryway.

Happy Belated B-day!

Since I forgot my camera at the new house this weekend I wasn't able to wish my Sweet Hubby a Happy B-day with some pictures to share with it........so better late than never!

We celebrated with a b-day party at his parents house Friday night. On Monday (his actual b-day) we had super here at home and he enjoyed opening his homemade cards from all of us.

We love you and think you are just the best ever!

My first finished project in 2011

I know this may be hard to believe, but I am doing others things besides obsessing or working on the Dream House.....

The other day I sorted through some my fabric and card stamping things and decided to pack up some things I knew I wasn't going to need before the move. (Don't worry.....pass out.... or start squealing.....those are not all from my quilting/stamping area....some are clothes that are to big for Julia and won't be needed till after we move. Plus some other home decor stuff I had stashed in my closet.)

I had finished piecing this little table runner right after Thanksgiving, and even machine quilted it then. I still need to square it up and put the binding on. So I did that after I finished packing up things I won't need for a while. Here it is....

This is the very quilt that I have machine quilted. I free handed all the pumpkins and swirls myself!

 

 NO....they aren't perfect looking....YES I need to keep practicing. Overall, I am very happy with how it turned out. I also learned several things that I need to adjust next time around.

 Doesn't this pumpkin print with the brown binding SCREAM fall to you? It does me!


After sorting through things, here are the things I want to accomplish in the next couple of months.

1. Finish machine quilting a baby quilt
2. Finish piecing the top on a winter print quilt
3. Make pillowcases to match our new bed quilt
4. Make pillowcases for Julia's new bed quilt

I think theseshort projects are reasonable to accomplish amongst all the other things I have my hands in. The two bed quilts I finished in November are being finished up by the long-arm quilter as I write!!! I can't wait to see the final product....and of course I'll share pictures when I get them back!

Shop Project Pictures

This is the little barn by the house. We call it The Shop. The previous owner used it as a workshop/storage area for lawn and garden equipment. This has been where my Hubby, Lance, and George have been spending some time working.

All the walls on this side of shop were bare studded walls= no insulation, no electricity. So that was the first order of business.

Outlets and a light fixture was added.

They insulated the ceiling, and the walls.

Then they mounted the shop lights.

The finished project with all the trim in place. This is going to make a great area for all my painting projects I am starting in the near future!

CSN Link up....Rugs are the subject this time!

I don't know about you but I like rugs....I don't use a ton of them, but I love that they can be functional and a true decorating focal point all at the same time if you want them to be. CSN stores has tons of rugs to choose from....Modern rugs, indoor rugs, outdoor rugs, area rugs, bathroom rugs...you get the point right? Here are a few I picked out......

 I like the pattern on this rug...and the color...might be a good choice in Julia's room.....maybe.

I love shag rugs and the way they feel...something in this color would look in the master bath.

You can cruise on over and check out what else they have...they also have a clearance section!

Wanna Hear About Our Week?

Well it has been such a crazy week here at our house....not the usual crazy. I mean the kind of crazy that your looking around for the cameras because you know someone must be playing some cruel joke on you. Wanna hear about it? Well here is the short version.....
* Last Sunday night Hubby started the flu bug
* Wednesday Julia continued the flu bug (up all night)
* no school mom can't even think..let alone function
Here is where it gets real good.......
* Sat evening Husband leaves for a bluegrass jam....(6p)
* Sat evening Caleb now shares in the "let's pass the flu" game (730p)
* Caleb FINALLY stops "participating" at midnight husband is now home we go to bed
* 1230 am (or sometime very shortly after we laid down in bed)
* Lance feels left out of the "flu game" and takes his turn....Hubby got up with him that night!
* Hubby leaves for church while I man the house......
* Hubby falls down the stairs on the deck landing directly on his tailbone...lots of pain!
* sometime in the afternoon Zach is instructed to wash his hands in the bathroom......
* 30-45 minutes later I go into the bathroom and see that the sink is OVERFLOWING all over the floor! YIKES!! The entire vanity is soaked along with the entire contents! Paint is now peeling off the front of the vanity, water draining down the register.......
* Clean up mess, dry things out
* SEND EVERYONE TO NAP...even me!
* 630p Zach is now the last one to be hit by the flu (with the exception of me).

SERIOUSLY....COME ON.......I honestly couldn't help by laugh by the time Zach flooded the bathroom......had to be an act of GOD that I handled it so well. I guess I felt like I was being tested the last SEVEN days. I'm not entirely sure if I passed the test or not... I do know, I don't want to do that week all over again.

Hope your weekend was less eventful! Happy Monday!

BEFORE pictures of our unfinished basement

So far nothing has been done in the basement. We did have 3 different contractors come and look at the space and give us quotes on what it will cost to turn this space into additional living area. So here is a quick BEFORE tour....

We have two bedrooms on the second floor...but since we have FOUR kids we need another bedroom. Two boys will be sharing this future bedroom....minus the fireplace and the storage shelves

This huge space will be our home school room! I'm over-the-moon excited about our new classroom! In the nearest right hand corner is where we are considering adding a 3/4 bath as well.

I did not want to waste any space, this spot under the stairs will be made into a little storage space.

This shot would be if you are standing in the school room and turn around this is what you see. The waall on the right will continue across this space (minus the lattice) with a doorway and this will be storage for canned goods, chest freezer and many other things I suppose.

Starting at the support post you see on the far right to the back wall there will be a wall separating the two spaces. The far room will be a quilting studio & office space for Justin. I thought is was a great solution to really using our space well. Whenever I have the chance to quilt he won't be working....and when ever he's working I won't be quilting. 

So now we wait until we hear back from all the contractors and then make the best decision on who to work with on this projects. It sound like each contractor thought this job should move along quickly since it's fairly a straightforward job. I'm not exactly sure what "quickly" will really equate to, but I am excited to know once this project is done we should then be done with our projects upstairs and ready to start moving! One step at a time.....that's how I am rolling!

Some activities the kids have been enjoying.....

While the crowds of adults have been working at the new house, you might wonder what the kiddos have been up to. Here is a little peek into their world at the new house!

If playing inside is on the menu for the day, then we have a basketball hoop inside the garage for some one-on-one playing. (The ceilings are extra high so they have lots of room to toss the ball.) We also have been using a heater when needed to keep them warm.

 It may not look like much here......but it's a wide open space to run, toss a football, or for Julia to ride her new bike. This space has been a huge blessing for pent-up energy!

 It's hard to tell what he's doing, but he's playing LEGO'S. All the boys are total Lego lovers.....they get to be creative and kept busy for hours making great creations to show off to us all.

The kids have also been very helpful. Lance has been helping Justin out a TON on the shop project. Little Miss Julia enjoys being a "happy helper", as she would say, whenever anyone asks. Caleb & Zach have not been so eager to volunteer, but they have been playing well together, which in a way is helpful in itself.

When the weather warmed up for a few days the kids got to run around outside for a bit...The new tree house is a total hit......AND.....

It helps that this tree house is equipped with a zip line......How cool is that?!! Zach was the first brave soul to try it out, with the help of Uncle Nate, and Grandpa Byrd who were on the scene just in case they were needed!

Since we have a forever long asphalt drive they also enjoyed skateboarding and riding their bikes all over....exploring the barn's hay mound.....AND......

Catching critters in the swamp area back way back in the woods. Fish and tadpoles are among their prized critters they brought IN THE HOUSE to show them off to me! Gotta LOVE having boys around....they were so proud of their finds!

The kids LOVE "eating out". Really this means I bring homemade food from home to eat while we work at the house. We do have a microwave so I can leave things outside to keep them cold and warm them up in the house when we are ready for them! The kids have spent hours at the table drawing and coloring. They also play their DS systems, watch movies on the DVD player when they are not busy doing one of the other hundred things I already shared! All this to say they are not bored!

Also Julia loves reading princess stories to us when we get home and are really tired (or not feeling well). Each day the kids ask "can we go to the new house" so for now I guess they are having just as much fun as we are.

IDEA BOOK

Do you have one? Ya know, an IDEA book? At first I thought this was a "sickness/fetish" that I and a few other women might have, but I have soon discoverd that LOTS of women have them. Do you?

Here is my BIG OLE' binder, my large paint swatch book, and two of my favorite books ( I got them off Amazon for super cheap a couple years ago.

In case you don't have an IDEA book/binder you might wonder what is in it. Everyone is different of course but in my binder it's a collection of things I love. I tear pages from magazine I get and hole punch them, then file them accordingly. If it's a book I have I use sticky notes to mark pages with the things I like. By the number of sticky notes in these two books I think you know why I love these books!

My IDEA book has pictures this one of peices of furniture I like...

A cozy chair in a style I like......

I love this idea to store quilts! I also love the finish on the cabinet (note: little sticky note).

My book also has gardening/landscape ideas, how-to instructions on projects, curtain ideas, plus several other categories. It has been so immensely to me. Up till now it has just been a fun thing I liked to do...kinda a "dreaming" book...a "maybe some day" book....Boy I am glad I have it! 

Old Barn Siding.......

Do you know what this is? Well if read the title then you do....it OLD barn siding. I know it may look like junky old wood to some. If your me.......it makes my heart flutter, I get weak in the knees, and then I gotta have it! Why you may ask? I have a deep love of old stuff....you can't buy new stuff with this kind of character in it. I can't wait add some of this old siding to the new house.

Here is another shot of the amazing patina of the wood...ohhh the red.....I'm in love with it! What are the odds that when I came up with my ideas to use old barn siding (and I specifically wanted RED) that I could get some only a mile from my house and not have to order off the internet!!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!

Well have you figured out what I am gonna do with it yet? Here is a hint...I'm using it in the new house.......So leave me a comment of what you would do with it, or how you think I might use it. If I've already talked to you about how I'm using it, your not aloud to tell....I am planning to measure today for how much I need then go pick it up sometime very SOON!

Okay let's hear your suggestions or your guesses!!!

Dream Home Before pictures...

We officially started a list of remodel projects after Christmas. We went to the house one day, which  wasn't really a planned work day, but it went amazingly well!! I thought it was just going to be 3 or 4 of us and it ended up being 8 adults and 3 yr old happy helper. In about 3 hours we stripped all the wallpaper in the 1/2 bath, laundry room, kitchen, dining room, master bedroom, master bathroom, and the living room!!! Not only did we accomplish that, but we also removed the trim in the dining room and pulled up the carpet! I never imagined in my wildest goals that we would accomplish so much in just THREE HOURS!!!

Here are just a few before shots....

Wallpaper must go!

 Laminate flooring needs to go as well.

 Now they are both GONE!!

BEFORE: Dining Room
I am not a fan of this wallpaper either, nor do I think carpet in the dining room is a good idea.

AFTER: Dining Room MINUS the wallpaper and carpet

This is part of the wonderful work crew that showed up to help out! Not a great shot, but they were all to busy working and I hated to bother the help!

I have to say I will endorse the wallpaper remover DIF till I no longer have breath in me! We scored the wallpaper with a scoring tool, rolled on the DIF gel, let it sit 15-20 minutes....peeled off like magic! AMAZING STUFF!!! (It's also odorless, the spray bottle concentrate is not and I did not think it worked as well.) All I can say it that it really pays to do your homework before starting a project!

Stay tuned for more projects to come!

Really 2011.....Happy New Year!!

It is just me, or does time seem to be moving at an unreal pace as I get older? I mean come one 2011! It's hard to imagine another year flying by me faster than the last....but it's true. 2010 was truly a magical year for our family in so many ways I can't even begin to tell you all the details. What I can tell you, is that I am looking forward to where the Lord will take us in 2011. I am excited about my ministry as a mom, and my children's school teacher. I am passionate about serving my husband and being the best helpmate to him as I can be. I am thrilled with becoming an aunt again in July 2011!!! I hope this holiday season has brought you as much joy as mine has. I look forward to blogging about our adventures in the new year ahead and invite you all to join me along the way.

Blessing to you!

Danielle