I’m not good about “before” photos.  In order to get a good “before” shot, you have to clean up the room and show how it looks in it’s intended, former state.  Around here projects don’t go like that.  The room to be redone slowly gets prepped. 

In this case, the projects started in the weeks leading up to 3/11.  I knew I had that Saturday off from work and could paint the dining room and the powder room then.

John and Nigel moved the china cabinet mid-week.

This is as close to a before shot as I have for the dining room.

and living room.

And I can’t find any of the powder room.

The blue is for the dining room and the green for the powder room.
Those both got started on 3/11 and “finished” within a few days.

 

I had been looking for a couch for the living room since November.  I wanted another print sofa b/c prints do a better job of hiding dirt, etc.  Prints are exceedingly hard to find and usually come with a custom-cost.  I decided comfort, shape and cost were my new goal, instead of –oh-I-love-that-couch!- and I quickly found some at Big Lots that would do the trick.  Except – they were grey.  I was afraid grey would be boring.  My friend, Diane, assured me I could make grey un-boring… and she was right.

I visited lots of carpet stores looking for a nice remnant, figuring an area rug the size we needed would be cost prohibitive.  I couldn’t find any in an orange I liked.

I found this rug, that I love more and more each time I see it, on the Home Depot website for less than any remnant I’d found.  Awesome.

I couldn’t decide on paint, and ended up back at the store for even more cards.  Diane came over and helped me pick my color. 

Meanwhile, curtains were the bane of my existence.  I had started a Pinterest account at Diane’s suggestion and between that site and, oh, you know, the thousands of stores available online I got a little crazed in trying to find curtains.  I also visited as many brick and mortar stores as I could fit in as I ran around.

The living room was easy to paint and it was the first time I had painted this room!  We’d had it hired the other two times.  With the “baby” of the house FOUR now, it was easy for me to do the job.

More looking at art

and curtains

I visited stores I’ve never visited before.  It’s been fun.

I finally narrowed it down to two pair and hung them both until the furniture came.
I realized I was maybe going a little nuts with the curtains when I went to pick up Johanna from Pioneer Girls one night and her leader told me Johanna’s prayer request was for mommy to be able to pick curtains.

Nice.

It’s not done… Not sure when it will be.

But I am having a lot of fun working on it.

Because these decorations are too much fun not to remember!

I was delighted to be part of the team for the cast party again for the third year. 

I only did the cupcakes.  Other people were the creative geniuses.

It was a day of major rehearsal and some serious driving for me.

The kids spent seven hours at Finney practicing for the show.  I helped at the school, drove to two different Walmarts, three different Dollar Trees, Party City, Michaels, and I can’t remember where else.  OH!  To get “Toto”!

It was worth every moment.

Nan helped with the little girls, again.

Why blog this?  Because it will help trigger the memories in later years.  And it is worth remembering.  Stewart had asked Monday about parental involvement. 

Yeah – I’m into this motherhood thing 100%.  I am SO GRATEFUL to be full-time mom.  I’m blessed to have the support of my mother.  God gave me a big (beautiful) van.  We’re all in.

The CBS study this year is I and II Corinthians.  One of the lessons I am really getting from Paul is – “So what if you are (weary, suffering, vulnerable, unacknowledged, etc.) – just do it anyway.”  Move to the back.  Just die to self already.  And do it gladly.

I’m glad today.  Very, Very glad.

(And a little tired.)