Monday, July 18, 2011

Wallpaper Removal

In order to remove this fabulous ivy wallpaper in my laundry room, I needed....
two of these..

each equiped with one of these.

How cute are my little laborers???
With their help, we managed to get all the wallpaper down. Now, I am left with the border to tackle. If only I trusted my kids on a ladder. Oh well, I appreciate them getting all the low stuff so that I didn't have to bend over.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Kitchen Remodel and a Little Fun Too!!

So here are some current views of our kitchen...

Entire kitchen

Eating Area (former owners furniture, etc) 

 The wall to the left will be gone and the window will be covered with cabinets and my new double oven. Our island will extend into this area also.
View of current kitchen from the dining room
 The peninsula that can be seen on the left will be gone and the island will run across here into the above eating area. The sink area will stay where it is, but we will repurpose the current oven space and lose the fan. Everything will be replaced or refaced as far as the cabinets and appliances. Now for the fun...
 The cabinets have remained empty since we moved into the house in anticipation for demo/remodel, but it has provided for hours of fun for the girls. Adalyn especially LOVES them!!

 And then here is my dream...
 This kitchen has the same layout (once the wall is removed) that I am trying to achieve. I love the whole thing. The colors, the church pew and table (Neno isn't sold) and the fact that it is a huge open room all appeal to me. I just know it would be perfect for us forever or at least for a really long time!
 Here is a view of the family room that it opens into just because. I love it too. If only I had the budget to achieve all of this. One day at a time; one project at a time. We will get there and it will have our own spin on it. But, this is great inspiration.

 I think I might if start my own spin with a different color on the island. I love green!! I also love these floors.

These too!! I just love the antique pine look. It can just take a beating and look like it has been there forever. We will have something like this everywhere but the bedrooms, laundry and bathrooms. I cannot wait!! I was ready to start the day we moved in here. This is all just another lesson in patience.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Out of touch...

We moved into this house almost three weeks ago...

in Meadow, Texas. It is Neno's great grandparents' farmhouse they built in 1965. It is 3 bedroom, 3 bath, with a basement and closed in backporch.

In this short time, I have been subject what rural life can hold, a scorpion, lots of bugs, well water (the things it can do to your kids - that is a whole other blog), quiet (I love it), hit or miss cell service and no internet for 3 weeks. I think the internet part is where I struggled the most (well, maybe Adalyn's bowel problems - thanks well water). I felt so out of touch - no blogging, no Facebook. Truth be told it was great for me, but I did miss it!
Anyway, in the meantime, we have been trying to settle in. We moved in bedroom essentials - beds; clothes. I am still grabbing stuff, as needed, out of kitchen boxes and we have our living room furniture in the house. We haven't done any other furniture due to the fact that we will soon be under construction and carpet still needs to be replaced, but here is where we are living...
Soon-to-be great room/kitchen - that wall will be knocked out in construction. YAY!

Will-be formal living, front room of the house. Currently serving as our TV room.

Dining room - we do have all the chairs around the table now

Neno on the other hand has busied himself with ALL of the outdoor to-dos (believe me there are a lot). To each there own, but sadly the previous owners neglected our beloved family home. We have heard plenty of what Daddy Barron (Neno's great grandfather) put into this house and now it needs lots of love again. Perfect, for my do-it-yourselfer husband. Here he is tackling the sprinkler system that hasn't been used in 12 years. BTW - he got it working!!! Only after he put a hole in our pressure tank - OOPS! Thanks to family and some welding, it is fixed (at least temporarily).



Neno digging for sprinkler heads

We have a long way to go, but we love a challenge and we love this family house. I never tire of hearing everyone's memories that they made here and I promise to do my best to make it our home, but preserve some of the most precious things about this house. What can I say, I am sentimental. I got excited about finding an old Folgers can that I know was Mother Barron's and the guys found the poles and discs to the shuffle board court that is under our patio. They will be displayed somehow in our home.

Just thought I would share a few extra pics...



Our backyard. Well, not really, but it is Barron family farmland that surrounds our house. Give it a little longer and the cotton will be taller and it will be much greener out there.


Cutest thing I have ever unpacked

 
In blogs to come, I will share about our kitchen remodel and things that I would love to do to this house. I welcome any and all suggestions and comments.Plus, I will do something on our bedrooms since this post deleted what I put up and wouldn't let me get it back (BOO).