New Adventures of Old House

Annnndddd.......BAM!!!!

2010-03-11T14:13:00.001-08:00

Its gone!!! Since we moved in, this planter has been giving us some trouble. The bricks are all coming loose and the rain pours right into it which eventually drains out the bottom creating a big muddy mess on the patio.

Well, its gone! Jesús couldnt take it any more and took all the dirt out and took all the bricks out. We are now using some of the bricks to line our new garden. We haven't decided what this area will be used for, perhaps a table or cabinet for storage or he is thinking an outdoor sink. We'll see.

Cheap changes

2010-02-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

We have run out of decorating money. So until we can afford to decorate some more Jesús is taking care of our cheap or free changes. Really the only place that we can make free changes is the backyard. So here are a few before and after photos of the backyard. The neighbors have agreed to help replace the fences but not until spring.

Jesús ripped out the Oleander because it is so poisonous. We didnt want to take any chances with the kids. The stump still needs to dug out of the ground but it is not accessible to the kids.

Jesús also ripped out all of the ivy because it was such a mess and all over the place. I think it makes the yard look much cleaner. My plan is to put in planter boxes and plant a vegetable and herb garden to save some money on produce. We are also thinking of planting a blueberry bush since the kids eat them like crazy.

There were a couple of bushes next to the shed that we didnt like the look of so he took those out too. Our plan is to rip out the shed and build a new one that is a little more sturdy and with locking doors. We will probably position it a little differently so we can make the most of the space in the backyard. I think it will make a big difference when the fences are redone. I have a couple plans for the patio but that will also require more money. We do have a small flooding problem and we will need to fix that hopefully this summer.

All moved in

2009-12-04T12:50:00.001-08:00

Well we are all moved into our new/old house and it already feels like home. There is so much space!! The kids run in a circle from the kitchen to the family room and back screaming at the top of their little lungs. Even though it makes me want to pull my hair out it feels good to know they are adjusting.

I do have some before and after pics, dont worry I wont disappoint.

This was the hallway bathroom before, isnt it lovely?? not. I do love the frame around the mirror though, very nice.

I was a little weary of the bathtub but when we were done, it actually fit quite nicely with our color scheme.

Here is the after!!!

It still needs some work, the cabinets need to be painted and new hardware and the trim needs some work. I might also add some stripes to give it a little depth, but for now this is how it looks.

Here is the before of the kitchen with some slightly broken formica counter tops.

Here is the after!! Great isnt it?! We love the granite and think that the kitchen already looks tons better. It does need some paint on the walls and cabinets but we'll get to that later.

Here is the new faucet that I love

Some Before and After Magic

2009-11-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

There haven't been many changes to the kitchen besides the counters.

The counters are gone and granite ones are coming in!! Yeah!!!

Here is how the family room last looked with primer

Here it is with its first coat of paint. I was a little worried that the color wasnt what I wanted but I think I like it and that it will be easy to work with. Besides it really lightens up the room.

Here is the master bedroom before with some green and yellow walls

Here it is now with the color that was going to be Patricks but I like it better in our room.

Here is Elenas room kinda dull but now.....

Look how bright!!! I love the color. I admit I was nervous at first but I love it now.

This is the idea I have for her room. I am now noticing that the green we picked is brighter but I still like it.

Some After pictures

2009-11-16T16:17:00.001-08:00

We have been working hard on the house anytime we can get away from the kids. Here are some before and pictures of the Family room and Patricks room.

Here is the Family room with the red wall up and the wood paneling unpainted.

Here is the red wall gone and the wood paneling with a coat of primer on it. We are hoping to get some more done this week.

Here is Patricks room before it was painted.

Here it is after the room was painted. Its hard to tell in the picture but it looks really good. This was originally the color the master bedroom was going to be but I like it in his. I'm getting a lot of decor ideas.

A little tour

2009-11-10T10:40:00.001-08:00

I took some pictures of the inside of the house before we started the little changes we have done.

This is the front room looking at the front door

This is the fireplace looking from the hall

Here is the door to the family room next to the fireplace. It was once a garage but we are glad that now we have this extra room. Elena loves the stairs and keeps sliding up and down them on her belly.

This is the family room that was later divided by the red wall on the right to create a smaller room.

Here is the smaller room with lots of shelving and storage. It also has this nice built in desk which will make a perfect work area.

This is the dining room looking from the front window

Here is the kitchen

This is the master bedroom. It needs a paint job.

This will be Patricks room

This will be Elenas room, its a bad picture. You cant see much.

This is the family room wall halfway missing. Its completely gone now and we have started painting the wood paneling. The carpet will eventually be replaced and we plan on putting cabinet doors on the shelves to give them a cleaner look. I havent decided whether or not to paint the brick around the wood burning stove, what do you all think??

Movin' on up

2009-11-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Well we found this rental home through some friends and it turned out to be owned by friends. We saw the house and fell in love with it and all of its possibilities. The arrangement was perfect, cheaper rent for us fixing it up! We plan on it being hard work and time consuming but it will be worth it to see the final product. And while we will live here we can save up for our dream home. Stay tuned for some before and after shots!