I was up until 2am last Friday night and painted some on Sunday and some during the week but it still needs a 2nd and on the bookshelves a 3rd coat! It was hard to get it done during the week with the kiddos plus those bookshelves just sucked up that paint.

Hopefully I can get the painting done this weekend!

For those of you who enjoy painting…. YOU ARE CRAZY!

Mendi

Here is what it looked like when we first moved it.

Yes – I know it is bad and I pretty much just stuck our old decor (even though it doesn’t fit) on the shelves until I had a game plan. I thought about hiring a decorator but didn’t want to spend the minimum $300 just to have someone come out when I am in desperate need of new furniture.

Well 2 yrs later still no game plan. I attempted to paint it a light grey but I really wasn’t feeling it (no picture it is that bad) and was stuck back to square one after spending time and $$ on paint. I have been stuggling with the paint color and what to do with the shelves and fireplace. Plus Big Steve actually likes the dark wood – not kidding. I don’t get it either.

Good News for me that Ashli from Mini Manor  started offering design services for only $25. Yes – $25. Her blog is about design & diy plus she has great taste. Well,  I jumped on it an sent her an email right away with the before picture and  a picture of the couch I just bought below:

A few days later she sent me back this awesome mood board:

Isn’t it perfect!!! I just love how the colors work together and I am really excited to see how the wall color turns out.  She also provided a word document with what to put where, why, and links on where to buy it.  I am so excited to have a plan and as much as I would love to run out and purchase everything at once and be done….. I have to do it over time (aka budget) but this at least gives me a game plan and something to move toward.

I bought the paint last week so keep your fingers crossed we get it done this weekend. I am super excited and can’t wait to get started and show you guys some progress.

Mendi

I have to admit I just love watching people dance especially men but the best part is little boys when they are at that stage where they don’t know how to dance and yet they still don’t care. You know the stage right before they realize white guys can’t dance and stand in the corner next to the bar drinking then entire time!

Here is AJ slow dancing with my Grammy.

  And this is one of his moves!

 

BC was also there but the loud music is not really his thing so he hung back with his Uncle Jeff.

We were finally getting ready to leave and I told AJ we needed to go but he started to cry and said “I didn’t get to hear my song yet” sooo since Big Steve and BC were headed to the car I went to the DJ and asked if he could hear his song – Moves Like Jagger!!  At this point the wedding party and adults were on the dance floor so they cleared a spot for AJ and he got in the middle of a circle of 40 folks and did some jumping jack dance moves and threw in a few half hand stands… kind of reminded me of the scene from the movie Can’t by Me Love.  After the song was over he headed off the dance floor giving his new buddies several high fives.

When we got home I turned on the IPod and told him to show Dad his dance moves and his response – “I can’t Mom I need a large group of strangers around me”. Jeeeezzz

Don’t worry – We are not trying out for so you think you can dance anytime soon.

Mendi

 We always have a party for him over memorial day weekend and this year I tried out a Living Social deal. I typically stick with the Groupon deals but always thought it would be fun to get a bounce house for the kiddos and this was a steal of a deal so I was skeptical.

We got this puppy from Roman Bounce houses and the guys came and set everything up and they were great and professional. They even let us have it an extra 2 hrs.

The kids had a blast and Aiden said he had the best birthday ever which = One happy mom!

Happy 6th BDay to my sweet AJ.

Mendi

In case you want to see how far we have come here is Phase1 and Phase2.

Here I am on the checklist:

1. Dispose of Brick: 

2. Add the Posts

3. Replace door and screen door:  I actually really love the door, window, and lights – (thank you pinterest) below. I am trying to think of how to incorporate some of this look with our updates.

4. Windows: In Progress

5. Strip Porch Concrete:  This doesn’t bother me as much anymore so I am putting this on the back burner.

6. Add Overhead Lights and finish ceiling: I just bought a ceiling fan so hopefully this will be our next step. I really like the beadboard look of the ceiling. Check this idea I found on pinterest.

How cute is this?? I love the ceiling and lights.

7. Landscape, Landscape, Landscape:  Mostly Done!

The pickins are slim since we get no sun in the front of our house so I had to browse through the shade plant section.

I think I might actually throw away the trash on the porch and add more plants or something similar to these from Ballard’s

8. House numbers: I really want to update the dirty and outdated one we have. I shouldn’t look through the  Ballard catalog because they have a lot of great stuff like the numbers below.

9. Paint and Rehang Shutters.

10. Patio Furniture: Need more chairs, different pillows, and I am thinking of spray painting the wicker bench white. I might just leave it for now and change it next summer but I would really like some bright colored funky pillows.

I am just happy we are still moving forward and it does look a lot different from where we started.

Before

 In Progress

I actually think we won’t have it finished for another 20 yrs but we are getting closer!!

Mendi

This is the starting point where they were giving us instructions and we couldn’t hear a thing.
 

 This is our we can’t hear you but we are very serious about golf faces.

The annual 19th hole at Elmer’s tavern with some of our other friends that came and met us out. 
 

 

Good times ladies. Can’t wait until next year!!!

Mendi

It has been a busy few weeks. Work travel, school ending, summer starting, house stuff…busy doing nothing. Since the work travel I got into some books. In the last month I read both the Hunger Games and Shades of Grey series and loved them both. (Curse you Kelly for making the suggestion of a book I couldn’t put down).

So to catch up- Happy Mother’s Day which is the day I headed to the airport for my work trip and when my hubby  got me a wonderful mother’s day gift the Kindle Fire, hence why my reading frenzy lately. I thought I wouldn’t like the e-reader but I am loving it. Highly recommend because it was perfect for my trip and soooo much easier to travel with because I just stuck it in my purse.

Another thing I am excited to share is my little Mother-In-Law gift.
I have also been trying to challenge myself to use Pinterest for more inspiration than an exact copy and I am very happy with the end result. The grand-kids call her Nana so I had the perfect 4 5X7′s pictures and I just sent it to Kinko’s and they printed off the N and A on poster print.

It turned out better than expected and the hubby said she loved it.

I know it is a month late…but ….. Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Aunts, and Grandmothers.

Mendi

Phase 2: We had a few big $$ items so I tried to offset that with some cheap updates.

Back to my checklist.

1. Dispose of Brick:   We had a debate about this one but we just rented a dumpster for the weekend and got rid of it.  I looked for places to recycle and tried to talk the hubby into keeping it BUT it was heavy and without a way to transport it.. I forked over the cash - $300 and gone.

2. Add the Posts: This is the big dollar item. We hired a local contractor and he finished the first part of the posts. Adding the trim is going on today. This is where I wish we would have made a plan because then I would have looked and tried to find something for inspiration vs. what my hubby and the guy discussed the morning before he was putting it up. Not sure the $$ but he is putting the bill on my porch today ~ gulp.

3. Replace door and screen door:  I tried to paint the screen door from the puke color to a black using the leftover spray paint from the shutters. For me the jury is still out and I am not sure if I am liking it but it will do for now.

4. Windows: Nada

5. Strip Porch Concrete: Nope

6. Add Overhead Lights and finish ceiling: Not even close

7. Landscape, Landscape, Landscape:  Forget about it

8. House numbers: What?

9. Paint and Rehang Shutters. Let me first say that I know I am not great at picking/coordinating colors/decorating. Period. I was thinking about corrodinating the shutter with the door but ehh so went with good ole black…. for now.

10. Patio Furniture: We had the wicker bench in our sunroom of our old house AND I found the little side table in my garage sale pile. I might change the pillows but I just want to enjoy the fact that this is a FREE update.

I am hoping that once we have plants the greenery will make a difference because right now I am staring at the door and and windows thinking how awful they look.

Hopefully this weekend we can check out the plants and keep moving forward. If you have any suggesstions or comments send them my way because I always need help!!

Mendi  

He actually did really good at playing defense and goalie but a funny thing happened this season ~ he cried when they lost. He played last fall and really didn’t know if they won or lost.  I also had everyone play goalie and when it was his turn he cried when the other team scored a goal.  Anytime my child cries it breaks my heart so it was hard to give him tough love and pry him off me and stick him back in the goal.

Aside from the crying, it was actually a lot better than I expected considering I didn’t grow up playing soccer.  The hubby has better soccer skills but doesn’t have the patience for this group so I went for it.

The one thing I did learn ..that a 5 yr old boy doesn’t have a 15 min attention span -it is actually about 2min!!

Mendi

Guess who is not there…..

This guy!!

Scott had a friend that had tickets available but they were $375 a piece plus hotel rooms were running at $250-$400 a night sooo I had to pass this year. I have always wanted to go but I didn’t budget $1,500 for a weekend. AND you know that I have to get a hat and a new outfit. 

BOOOOO

I will go in the next 4 years!

Mendi