I've started slowly cleaning out one thing a week at minimum. I did 2 cupboards one week in the kitchen. I've managed to keep one of them clean and empty for 3 weeks.
Then I did 4 cupboards in the kitchen, including under the sink because the sink forced my hand. Our house is in fairly good shape, but it's also almost 40 years old. Who knows how much of what is here is original. Last year we had to replace an outlet in the kitchen because it totally died.
This time it was the pipes under the sink. One of the nuts that connected the drain to the pipe totally rusted through and broke, sending water into the cupboard. Thankfully we have a 2 compartment sink so we could still do dishes in that one until we could get the new pipes.
But once that was done, I got to go insane and organize under the sink, get rid of some things that got ruined by the leaking sink, and some almost empty bottles of stuff.
The end result?
I was pretty stoked to say the least. Especially since moving my kitchen towels to under the sink (and away from where they can get water damaged) I freed up an entire DRAWER. Bonus cleaning!
I also decided that since when I cook I usually grab my spices out of the cubes I have them in instead of my actual spice rack, i cleaned out my spice rack and did this:
All because I needed more sprinkle storage. And it cleared out some space in my pantry. For more sprinkles.
My friend Morgan got a normal schedule job in the beginning of 2013, so it has given more time for fun stuff. Like lunch out and crafting. Her working nights put a cramp in that.
I also bought my first power tools. A 7 1/4 in circular saw and an orbital sander. Lets get our home improvement on! I have also been taking photos of things around my house and emailing my dad asking how to fix things. Our basement is unfinished to an extent. There are walls up and doors, but almost none of them have the finishing frames. None of the windows are finished and look decent. The vents aren't surrounded by bulkheads so they are exposed and just ugly looking.
But James and I have agreed on paint and carpeting for those rooms, and hopefully over the next year we can make progress on getting them finished. The first room I am going to finish is this awkward green room in the basement. It doesn't count as a bedroom, it has no closet. It's between another bedroom and the extra bathroom down there. It's just an empty awkward room.
So. It's going to become my sewing/craft room. I've already got small shelving around the house with things like my sewing machine and fabric, then one for my yarn, ect. But it's not all in one place. So, I will make it happen. My mother was kind enough to give me a gallon of paint that she had bought for her bathroom but then didn't like how it went with her other paint.
I'll take what I can get. I'm hoping later that I can do a whole post showing the start and the end results. It's easier to do the rooms in the basement first because they aren't rooms that we live in all day every day. All the rooms up here need work done as well, but its hard to start on a room that we use a lot. Once the basement is finished we will have no choice.
We've also started cleaning out the office room next to our bedroom. It's become the catch all for extra things (mostly books and computer things). There is a lot in there. We spend an hour a week (mostly because we never know when James will work) and go through things. We're making good progress. I think a few more times in there and we should be good and done. But oh where will all the books go...
I'll be real, I can't wait to get all that computer stuff off of the old dining room table in there so I can sand and refinish it for my sewing room.
Speaking of James...he is working and on a totally random schedule. I'm adjusting, but poor Chase is taking it hard. This was him earlier this week:
He waited like this in the window for a half hour after James left. He wouldn't get out of the window.
But I finally got him out. And he pouted like this:
He slept on James's pillow all night. He was very sad. Then I was going to get up early and go to work that morning, but I couldn't. He wouldn't let me.
He stayed next to me until James got home. Someday Chase will be ok with his schedule. Whatever it may be.
Bonus cuteness: He was a total ham one night. He stole my pillow and my teddy bear that I got from my Grandma Yount. It was ok till he started biting it's ear. Then I had to kick him out and away from my bear.
So, that is life. I made a super cute name hanger for my niece Alicen, who should arrive any day now. I can't wait to share photos of it. I also made a name hanger for my nephew Harley who should arrive in April. It's so friggin adorable. I'm now just working on his blanket, making progress every day.
My other niece? She's 3, pumping iron and just being an all around badass.
Love that kid.
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