Top 10 Projects Of 2010

This has certainly been a year of projects! We moved here in November 2009. I was immediately thrown in to unpacking and preparing for the holidays mode. Once 2010 started the projects then began. It has been a hard road because of our very limited funds. Basically if I wanted a new (when I say "new" I nearly always mean vintage/antique from Craigslist, Yard Sales or Thrit Stores) piece of furniture I had to sell an old piece to fund the new purchase. When I wanted paint...I had to make a sale. When people would ask our "budget" I laughed, there was none, and this nearly 100 year old house was in desperate need of some love. I found fabulous chandeliers at yard sales and the Goodwill Outlet, each for next to nothing. That was one of the first things we did. Chandeliers in every room downstairs where the ceilings are high. The entire house has hardwoods (except for the kitchen...it was down to plywood floors when we moved in) that I rarely show in pictures because they are pathetic. That is on my list for 2011. We will have to sand them all by hand and give them a nice clear coat. Nor do I show the outside of the house very much because someone painted the trim a "terra cotta" color. I started over the summer painting them a light cream but we didn't have a ladder to reach the second floor windows. Then I ended up in the hospital with heat exhaustion because the house does not have air. I really dislike the terra cotta.
But I love this home. It's got it's quirks...but it is home. I'm actually looking forward to 2011 and all the new challenges and projects that will come with it!
I am linking up to Southern Hospitality for Top Projects of 2010 http://southernhospitalityblog.com/top-projects-of-2010/


My first and favorite is probably the fireplace I dug out of an estate sale. We had to actually dismantle it to get it out and it came home with me in ugly brown with a bad mottled faux paint on it, but the scroll work was just lovely. I sanded it down, gave it a nice clean white coat of paint and some really shiny gold. 

This was the "before" Ewww wow.

The second would be my "office" and bedroom re-do. Even in this large five bedroom house there is limited space. My desk had to stay in my bedroom so I took out a window seat to put the desk in a good spot. Painted the walls a blue, replaced the bed, added a window "thing". I am starting to love the blue!

"before" another scary before!!

Pics of the progress on the desk area 

 

 

Third would be my youngest daughters room. It went from frightening Cosmic wallpaper left by previous people, to pink and chic.

"Before"

"After"     

4th is definitely my lamp make over. It went from a cute but somewhat drab lamp to a shabby chic candle holder.

5th is my sons still not quite finished bedroom. It was grey-ish. We painted it blue and made him a pirate boat bed for his 6th birthday.

Before

  






6th was the Rainbow Birthday Cake for my oldest daughters 10th birthday. Sooo much food coloring but it turned out perfect!

The sprinkles melted some in the heat! (We don't have air in our house and it was mid August!)

7th was all of the gift tags I made for Christmas. They were so much fun! 

                                                                

8th is the kitchen. It was really bad when we moved in. The floor was striped down to plywood. We didn't have any money to do it so we worked with what we had. I sold a few things so we could buy some laminate tile.   

"Before"

Some progress

Before

9th is the downstairs bathroom. It was grey. I painted it white to make the space seem more open. Took down the leaning cabinet and replaced it with a vintage mirror.

Before

10th is my oldest daughters room. It was part bad green, part wall paper. I painted it pool blue and crafted a chandelier for her.

Before