What I’ve Been Up To

Hey all! I’ve been seriously AWOL, and while I have no excuse (people can blog with brand new babies, but I’m lucky if I can get my ass to do laundry :P), I thought this would be a good time to show you all what I’ve actually been up to since January.

I live in an old farmhouse that is, quite frankly, a moneypit. We’ve lived in this run down old thing since I was six years old, and it’s the only home I remember. While my mother did wallpaper and paint a beautiful jungle room for me when we moved in, cats quickly demolished it. My next room had some issues: glue patterning the walls from old hunting themed panelling, exposed plumbing and the back of a shower, a half-finished wallpapering job, and no door.

My parents have sort of agreed to just not even bother with the house and to just get a trailer put up later (since it need all sorts of work… all sorts). But since I’m starting college in less than a month, and will no doubt be living here for the next five (possibly six) years, I’ve decided that I kind of want a real room. Since, to be honest, the idea of spending the next five/six years in that same room was depressing, to say the least. But I’ve never done any sort of remodelling (I’ve barely painted), so it was a bit intimidating. My parents have more than enough knowledge, but they work nights, and aren’t really up to a lot anymore.

Sooo over the course of nearly three months (D:) I’ve accomplished what feels like jack and squat, but here’s the rundown.

Here’s the before, first (there’s no proper before because I took this after putting the door up, when before there was just a blanket tacked up, but still). The room had been serving as a general storage room, too.

My room aka the storage room.

My trashed vanity – I’m not sure what’s with the pose.

I put up a door with my parent’s help.

I took off the wallpaper.

I emptied out my room and closet (and dismantled the thrift store entertainment center that was both too heavy for anyone to lift and too big to fit out the doorway).

Work in progress of emptying the room.

My needlessly large makeup stash, pitifully stowed away in a few containers.

Emptied!

I tried to get the glue off in about a million different ways, then said “Fuck it”.

(no picture, see removing wallpaper)

My mom helped me build a little access panel for the plumbing.

I took off all the trim around the window and closet.

(no picture, see final pics)

I took off the remaining panelling, only to find that it was attached directly to the plaster and lath and not the drywall so…

Love the old wallpaper, yeah? This house was built in 1925, but I found about three layers of wallpaper on top of the plaster. I’m bad at pinning down the decade – 1930s, maybe?

I took off the plaster on the north and east walls.

My mom took this super flattering picture of me. I don’t look chic when I work, dammit! Also, please notice the awesome insulation patch job.

I just finished sweeping up all the plaster like ten minutes ago.

Nothing over the course of three months, but more than anything anyone’s done in this house in about 12 years, so I’m pretty pleased. 😛

Next up:

• Getting the lath off (mom’s going to help me when I finish this post)
• Insulating (getting the insulation the 5th, when I have my college orientation)
• Getting drywall up (mom and aunt will help with this)
• Skim coating
• Putting down the floor (linoleum parquet that I’m not crazy about, but it’s all we have, so hey!)
• Get the door trim up (as well as the closet and window trim)

After that, it’s fun stuff like priming, painting, putting on outlet covers, etc, that isn’t at all intimidating, and will feel like the home stretch. I also learned how to do everything on this list, so it didn’t seem like such a huge scary impossible thing like it had the past number of years. I feel fully confident in my abilities to insulate, drywall, tape, skim coat, put down a floor, prime, paint, patch, etc!

I wasn’t planning on sharing any of this on this blog, but what the hell. 🙂 During this time I also worked on a number of smaller projects when I went crazy from not getting enough big things done. The smaller projects mostly involved spray paint, but I also recovered a few lampshades, made a few pillows, yadda. Again, nothing, but still more craft projects than I’ve ever done, so I’m happy!

Now to get this stupid lawn mowed, put in a few more dog pens, and get this damn room done. 😛 (By the way, I need to review ColourPop’s new Ultra Satin formula, it’s nice.)

What have you all been up to??