Redecorating Continued....

Over the past few weeks we've been pushing forward on updating the house.  As you all probably know, nothing goes as planned and there are always surprises around every corner.

We were able to scrape together enough money to install carpet upstairs.  That means paint.  So we did.  It also meant "clean out the closets".... another ugh.  I was pretty proud of the amount of stuff we cleaned out and donated.  Seriously, who else has boxes (and more boxes!) of VHS tapes??

We decided to also have the tub refinished in my daughter's old bathroom.  It looked terrible.  We kind of expected that after almost 13 years it would need work... but not that much work!  The tub guys took a look at it and asked if it had been refinished before.  Huh??  Turns out that the builder installed a tub that had been damaged and refinished.  Sigh.  More than we expected, but it had to be done.  We purchased a new toilet as well (on sale at Home Depot) because the one original to the house constantly ran.  (If you'd like to see the bathroom budget makeover, the link is here).

We pulled the wallpaper off in the laundry room and the guest bath downstairs.  Wallpaper is great until you have to take it off.  We had had some water damage a few years ago when a pipe under the slab had broken.  Water seeped into the drywall which needed to be replaced.  This affected the downstairs bath and although it was all fixed, there's always something left over that needs to be addressed - even years later.  Ugh.  We decided to replace the light fixture in that room as well,  and when my husband removed it, there was a huge hole left by the builder where the wire came out of the wall - no electrical junction box.  Hold the paint, time to patch.  We of course ran out of paint (it needed more coats than we anticipated) and wouldn't ya know, the guy gave us two cans of the same thing rather than 1 each of two shades.  Another trip to Home Depot.  I will post pictures of how these two rooms look when we're done.  I have to paint the cabinets, because, as you know, when you paint the walls, everything else looks run down and then you end up doing more than you originally planned.  Yep, that's the situation here as well.  Sigh.

A trip to Home Goods today though was amazing.  I had a set amount I could spend and I think I did pretty well.  First up, a clock for the family room.  I had seen them at Hobby Lobby (around $200) and at SteinMart (around $100).  Home Goods had one that was just the right size and color for $39.99.  Perfect!!  I also picked up a shower curtain, rod, liner and hooks for a total of $40.  Now my daughter's old bathroom, the guest bathroom, is done.

Step by step we're getting things in shape.  I've been keeping an eye out for those few things left on my wish list.  I'm still looking for something to put on the top of the armoire in the living room and a large mercury glass bowl.  I'm not willing to pay full price, so I'm keeping my eyes open!!  (Living room budget makeover is here ).

It's amazing how some paint, some bargain shopping, and a whole lotta patience can change the look of a room and create some excitement again!  Enough excitement to at least get you through the next unexpected glitch in the plan!!

My $40 clock from Home Goods and my (love 'em!!) blue canning jars

 

Cynthia Rowley shower curtain ($15 at Home Goods) which finished the upstairs guest bath

$15 curtain rod and $6 hooks at Home Goods