Changing a diaper? Probably not so much fun. But, changing things around in your home? SUPER FUN! That's why I'm featuring two change-a-roos tonight.
Numero uno: The Fox's Drab Laundry Closet
This little peach of a project (dripping sarcasm) turned out pretty good considering our 4ish trips to home improvement stores. It doesn't look like much, but boy let me tell you. This was no small feat. And we didn't even do any major construction! Just goes to show how a small project can turn into a much bigger one by no choice of your own.
It seemed simple enough. The pre-project conversation sounded a little like this:
FGF (Fox's GF - Me); HF (Hot Fox - The Fox, obvs)
HF: I'd like to add a couple more shelves to my laundry room.
FGF: Oh! We should paint it too! We have those two free quarts of paint from Ace we could use.
HF: Ok. I'm not sure I want to do blue, though.
FGF: Ok! Let's go to Ace and find another color. It shouldn't take more than a quart. Yippee, a project!!
{Enter first home improvement store visit to find our paint - one quart should do it, right!}
Like many projects in my mind, the word "just" sneaks in and later turns out to be a jinx. "We'll just go grab a few more boards." "Just take the old ones down." "It's just a coat of paint." That word has proven to be the worst word invented when it comes to home improvement projects. Anyone who has taken on a home project of any kind, can sympathize.
Sure, taking everything out of the laundry closet was a breeze! And sure we had to do a little light cleaning everything came out. So, what could have been so difficult about this simple little "just" project? Turns out, several things.
1. One quart of paint WAS NOT enough to paint that thirsty brick wall. I should have known better, having had experience painting brick before. But clearly my excitement got the best of me. {Enter second trip to the hardware store for more paint.}
I also always tend to get more on me than the painting surface...never fails.
2. I knew we needed a special bit for the infamous brick wall, but I didn't expect to have to buy multiple...we also didn't think of cranking up the torque on the drill, which led to a very, very slow drilling process. But once we figured out the issue, drilling went super fast!
3. Painting just the back and side walls wasn't enough. We had to paint the white ceiling, too. Why? Because I'm a crazy perfectionist when it comes to painting and wasn't going to let a few stray paint marks stand out because of my lack of being able to paint a straight line.
4. Who knew their was a difference between a hammer DRILL and a impact DRIVER? Obviously, the people at Lowes...they also are well aware that we certainly do not know. Ugh, again, should have known better. {Enter 2 more trips to the hardware store trying to figure out what bits to buy and ultimately buying a whole new kit that was "impact ready" --- whatever that means...}
5. Rain + wet paint don't mix. Had to move from the outdoors to the indoors to finish painting the shelves
6. Also, after buying more paint and putting on an extra thick coat, a good 24+ hours of drying time was needed, which TOTALLY ruined my "instant gratification" high I was expecting.
Thankfully our issues were minor. However, what should have been a simple "add a few more shelves to my laundry room" project, turned into a weekend event. Nonetheless, the end result was a winner and of course encouraged us to organize the rest of that room. Once you start one project, it always leads to another. The joys of an old home!
It's very bright and cheery now. And who doesn't need a picture of any owl in their laundry closet? Seriously?
Numero Dos: My Unruly Office Area
It is no surprise that I'm not a super organized chic. I try. Really hard. But it's impossible for me. However, once I reach a point where I can't stand the clutter, I tear into it like a like a fat kid eats cake. For realz. It drives me crazy!
After my very eventfully yard saling morning this past Saturday (43 miler. that's right folks, 43 miles of junkin' heaven), I came back with a mission in mind: ORGANIZE EVERYTHING. I was far to over ambitious with the "everything" statement, but I did attack one of my closets then later my office area. The process was pretty boring, but let's just say it involved close to 6 hours and lots of purging. Once I get going, there is not stopping me. I have many conversations with myself that go a lot like: "Why in the world am I keeping this?" "Do I really need 10 pairs/kinds of _____?" "Ok, seriously Ebonn, we have an issue here..."
Thankfully, there were no hardware store trips involved, but I did put a lot of mileage on my hardwoods walking to/from, back/forth to different parts of my apartment. Sadly, many of my organizing projects involve redecorating little sections of my house during the process. I mean if I move one thing from one area, it has to find a new home somewhere else. Then I have to fill the empty space. It's a maddening and exhausting cycle, but I do enjoy it....really, I do!
The details:
- My inspiration board is actually a metal shelf from a store that's been repurposed into a magnet board. Found this beauty at an antique store in Asheville. Under all the "inspiration" it has a stencil of a bird and the word "nest" in white. It's such a neat piece!
- I stole some vintage photos of my grandparents from my parents house then copied them at Walgreens. I used them to cover up the ugly cord of my Ikea lamp and they give my space a personal touch.
- Finally, I found this 3-tiered metal rack at a yard sale this weekend for a buck! Can't beat that deal!
See! Change isn't bad at all! I love my new desk area and The Fox's new laundry closet. They are both so clean and organized. Now if we can keep them this way...
