Backyard Summer Updates

Last weekend we finally tackled the massive junk pile that was slowly making its way up the side of our garage. 

 It was definitely a scene straight out of hoarders.

Apparently grass can't survive under a massive heap of carpet waste and scrap wood.

Who knew...

So we decided to put in a small patio.

And a garden box that will hopefully house some shade living plants and vegetables.

When I say "WE put in a patio", I of course mean the Hubs did, and I sat back while C napped and drank beer.

It was quite the process and I very easily understood the stink eye that I got when I mentioned that it should only take a few hours to install.

I clearly have no idea the amount of work involved in anything, and I have zero concept of time.

So here it is, all pretty and level.

Note the trailer full of junk to the left.  

A quick trip to the dump and $300 later and it should be nothing more than a vague haunting memory.

And my new sun loungers that I scored off Kijij for $40 each.

Next up...

actually plant some living things in that garden box

get a small fire pit

catch a sweet tan

find a deal on a couple of free standing hammocks

enjoy many Kraken and Cokes

Operation Income Suite: Living Room Complete

     We have finally put the finishing touches on the living room of our basement income suite.  After the sweet carpet install that happened this afternoon, we're all set to start work on the kitchen ... it really is a never ending project.  

More Kraken please...

Here's our progress since we began renovations, about a month ago...

The only thing left to do is build a hidden door where that random bed sheet is.  

That's the electrical panel.

and here's the bedroom with the new carpet installed...

here's what it looked like before... yikes!

Good times.

next up for the kitchen...

Electrical & plumbing

Drywall & mudding

Priming & Painting

Laminate flooring install

Trim & baseboards

Install Ikea kitchen

...eff...

Before & After; Small Bathroom Upgrade...Big Difference.

Eventually we will be knocking out a closet on our main floor in order to expand our teeny tiny main bath, which also just so happens to be my least favourite room in our house.

Since that won't be happening for another five years or so, I made some small, inexpensive changes that will hopefully keep me from cringing every time I used the bathroom.

Here's how a small can of paint and some new hardware created a clean and slightly more modern space. Lime green 70's tiles are not easy to work with.

But for now here it is...

Soon we will be painting the walls a charcoal colour and adding a crisp white shower curtain and accents.

...next up... new floors.  Yuck.

Before & After - Income Suite Bedroom & Bathroom

As mentioned in my previous post, we have finally completed the bedroom (minus carpet installation) and bathroom of Operation Income Suite.

We started gutting the income suite in April of 2012.  We were a little a lot more delayed than we expected due to unforeseen electrical problems, i.e. we had to completely rewire the basement and main floor, and not to mention all that baby raising we were doing.

But here it is all nice and pretty...

The Bedroom

All that's left is the finishing touches...

 carpet, closet doors and baseboard.

Paint Colour:  Benjamin Moore - Woodlawn Blue

"Man Cellar" with the shelves removed and a coat of masonry paint.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is our first 100% completed project.

I will probably add a few manly accents at some point.

I'm super jealous of this space.

Paint Colour:  Olympic - Quaking Grass

New Playroom & Reclaimed Sanity

     This past weekend we worked our butts off to put the finishing touches on the bedroom and bathroom of Operation Income Suite.  We have officially reclaimed our entire main floor and we're starting to feel more like a family of three.  As much as we love Grandpa, we've been missing the perks of having our own home.  We forgot how much we really enjoy being able to walk around in our underwear, and I specifically love not having to close the bathroom door when I'm in there, although, the hubs isn't a huge fan.  For the first time since we bought our house, we have privacy and peace and quiet.  It's so so so nice.  I've been jumping for joy all week.

     We transformed the "dining room", or the room my Dad was occupying, into a much needed playroom for C.  It's a safe place for her to explore, and practice crawling and standing.  With C being extra curious and mobile lately, the room also doubles as a baby jail so that I can do really important things, like catch up on my missed episodes of Girls.

This is what we were working with before...

C looks contained in this pic showing how her playstuff took over our living room.

That probably lasted 3 minutes max before I was chasing her and pulling her away from the coffee table.

This is our living room now...

This will be the next room to get a makeover, but at least for now we have a place to hang out that's not cluttered with baby crap.

This is C's new playroom...

We ripped out the disgusting carpet, just like we did in the updated office.

Reading nook... what a fun word!

I scored this awesome baby gate off Kijiji for $25.

Sorry C, but the bathroom and stairs are off limits.

Updated Office on a Budget

     It was a typical Monday evening when I convinced the hubs to rip out the carpet in our main floor office. We had planned on chucking that hideous carpet since the day we decided on the house. I'm not sure exactly why we kept it for as long as we did. I guess we wanted to torture our eyeballs for a little longer.

Ew

     We tore that horrible mess up and kicked it to the curb, literally. That night, I jumped (on the newish looking hardwood) for joy. Actually, it created a spiral of weeklong renovations and upgrades that eventually made for a pretty exhausting weekend "off".

     After ripping out the hideous wallpaper, slapping a coat of paint on the walls and rearranging some furniture we're left with a mostly finished product that we love.

C loves it too!

I big time approve of the organized closet, which was beginning to make my right eye twitch.

Office To Do List:

Rip out hideous carpet

Tear down disgusting wallpaper

Prime & paint

Hang pictures

Tear out shelf in closet

Clean up & paint window sill

Print calendar

Thrift a home for printer

Buy desk lamps

Buy reading wall lamp & install

Install floating shelves & wood letters

Spray paint chalkboard paint accents

Okay, so there's still lots to do.  

I don't think we'll ever be able to look around and say 'we're done'.

Thank god (or whoever created it) for wine.