Holy Renovation, Homeowner!

Our home updates have been going slowly due to recent schedules, but we're getting there (and by "there" I mean, "post-1995"). Some of my new best friends are at Home Depot. The associates are actually in tune with our projects. "Hey, how's that re-paint going?" or "Here for another can of knockdown?" or "See you Saturday for that plumbing job." I imagine by summer time we'll grow closer ("My wife loves your pot roast.").

For any of you updating your homes, don't hesitate to ask questions. Our methods are "Learn As You Go" and "Sh*t. I should've learned more before going."

Our updates to the
Master Bathroom include:
Completing wallpaper teardown
Plastering the wall with "Knockdown texture" underneath the wallpaper to match the rest of the wall (8 cans of texture.)
Priming and painting the master bathroom and water closet
In the pictures, the new gray wall coloring appears blue, but when viewed in person it appears a sort of stone-colored gray.

Still left to do is painting the ceiling, paint the cabinets (next to the gray paint they are now brighter than ever), new hardware, new shower door, new fixtures and probably repaint the trim. This will probably be finished by Halloween.

The National Home Center closed their Bentonville store so we snatched up a bunch of light fixtures at 75% off. Here's Troy putting up his first light fixture.

And then there was light.

This one is also a National Home Center steal.

This gem of a gas range is a Best Buy steal we had to take advantage of.

A woman had returned this stove to the store after using it. We considered buying it because they were selling it with a deep "open box discount" of nearly half the price. But we just couldn't get over the fact that it had been used. So Best Buy offered to sell us their floor model (never used) at the same very low price. We scooped it up and invited our plumber out to reroute the gas line to our kitchen, replacing our electric stove with our new gas one. Gas ranges are excellent selling features for home buyers. Not only do they look great, but "Foodies" love them. This upgrade helps us compete with other upgraded homes in our neighborhood and makes our home more attractive to buyers. Mmm... looks like someone's cooked up a delicious batch of French Toast.

With high ceilings, it's tough to fill the space. We got these at Hobby Lobby during their sale on wall decor. We may relocate them somewhere else when we reach the point of having more money for decorations. But for now, the iron goes with our coffee and side tables.

We also have an excellent store here called Arty Crafty. The long dried stems were purchased during their exceptional moving sale. The vase was chosen by my mama when she decorated my apartment in Birmingham.

Thanks to Dionne Haglund of The Shooting Gallery, we have an incredible wedding photo on canvas. And thanks to Uncle Bob, we have an insanely beautiful gold leaf frame. This is currently the only furniture in our gathering room, but it sets the tone for a lovely formal, traditional space.

Things Hayley Says

Family Shopping Trip to Target:

M: "Hayley, why don't you choose a lunchbox that doesn't have characters on it so you won't grow out of it so quickly?"

H: "WHAT?! How could I ever grow out of flowers and Monkeys?!"

Random Living Room Conversation:

H: "Talk to the booty 'cause the hand ain't listenin.'"

T: "Hayley, we don't talk to the booty in this house."


A Discussion on Girl Scouts:

H: "I get a patch for selling the most Girl Scout cookies."

T: "I sold them to my coworkers. What do I get?"

Hayley puts her hand on Troy's back and gives it three emphatic pats.

H: "You get THAT."

Dear Previous Homeowner

Dear Previous Homeowner,

Thanks for the secret treasures you stashed beneath the oven. That headless paper doll, Capri Sun straw and circa 2004 "Son of the Mask" digital watch are awesome! Can you believe the battery still works?! Looks like your last timed activity took you a speedy :27 seconds. It's a long shot, but I'm gonna guess that's how long you spent cleaning the kitchen before selling the house.

Sincerely,

Homeowner

Meanwhile, back at the bar...

The National Home Center was hosting a massive closeout of their Bentonville location. 70% off most things. And, as luck would have it, our house needs a lot of things.

Here's my favorite purchase.



Getting these home in a sedan was a challenge (Hayley told me that the ride wouldn't be so bad; there was a 'hole' left in the back seat for me to sit in.)

Across from the bar stools, Troy put up our beautifully framed (thanks, Uncle Bob!) Sopranos wedding photo.

The furniture that would go in between the bar stools and the opposite wall will have to wait.