Renovations Part 3

Click to see Renovations Part 1 and Renovations Part 2.

It seems as though the renovations will never end at our house. While living in chaos is indeed driving me a little crazy, each project has me more and more excited about how far we've come in this process.

Before I begin to share all the photos (and there are plenty), I ask that you refrain from judging the mess too harshly. As I said, we're living in chaos with furniture and supplies pushed out everywhere. It's killing me. Moving on. . .

Our latest project was painting. And, we painted EVERYTHING! Since we'll be getting new floors, it seemed logical to paint before we put down the flooring. We started at the top - ceilings. This had to be done because the kitchen ceiling (I asked you to make note of it in the last renovation post) was a shade I can only describe as peachy brown. Eek!

Because there were patches in the dining room and the hallway's ceiling was painted in the same beige shade as the walls, Pat painted all three.

It definitely helped!

Next up was the trim - ceiling molding, accents, and doorways.
I quickly learned that gravity is no friend of painting upside down. While this was a tedious task, I'm glad to have it done in those areas at least.

From there, it was time to focus on the walls. While the white in the dining room was fine, we really wanted it to blend with the living room a little more to make a more cohesive space.

The beige in the hallway was just a little too dark.

And, of course. . .there was the kitchen.
So much brown!!

The dining room received the same light gray that we did in the living room.

The hallway was painted a refreshing white.

The same white was used in the kitchen.
Already starting to look better!

From there, we had to tackle those dark brown cabinets. I started by removing all the doors.

As the doors were removed, I used painter's tape and a marker to label each door so we would know which one belonged where. I also separated the upper and lower doors into different piles.
The hinges, knobs, and catches were removed from each door. I placed those pieces in separate baggies that were labeled with corresponding numbers to the labels on the doors. From there, I cleaned each door.

Then, the painting began.

It took FOUR COATS of paint with primer to cover that brown.
And, I had to do each side!

The hardware for the doors was a combination of copper knobs and brass hinges. I knew the mis-match would drive me crazy. 

While these were removed, I took the opportunity to spray paint them a consistent color. I went with a matte black. (They're shiny in the picture because I had just sprayed them.)
We'll eventually get or make something we like even more. This was an inexpensive fix for now. 

We painted the bottom cabinets a separate color that seemed to take forever to dry. Stupid humidity! I failed to get a picture of these as we were anxious to get them done.

Once all the painting was done, we replaced the hinges and catches on the doors, rehung the doors, and screwed on the knobs. 

It's like a breath of fresh air!




And for one final comparison. . .
HUGE difference!

Obviously, the next step is flooring. We've also removed the floor molding in order to install the floors. Those will be painted before we re-install them. That makes it a ton easier in the long run. I can't wait to get through this next step. There will still be a ton more to do, but once the floors get down, I can at least organize some and feel less like we're living in shambles. 

What do you think? Better right?

I'm linking this post up at Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life

Wanderlust 2017: Weeks 1 & 2

My life has been almost completely consumed with the house renovations the last few days. I'm almost ready to give you another update (it's awesome!), but need to edit pictures first. Before I work on that, I thought I'd share the couple of items I created as part of Wanderlust 2017. In my last post, I mentioned that Pat gave me a membership to the classes as one of my Christmas gifts.

Here's the journal page I created for the first week.

For week 2, I made this canvas.

I'm pretty excited about the colors in this canvas and can't wait to hang it just as soon as the renovations come to an end.

The Wanderlust journey has been fun and given me something extra to look forward to each week. As I said before, it's the gift that just keeps giving!

2016 Christmas Gifts

My Christmas Gift post from last year was so popular, that I figure I better share the awesomeness that I received this year as well.

My main big-ticket item was a sewing machine!
This Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine that will replace my old machine that had some bobbin issues neither Pat nor I could figure out how to fix. It was an issue that rendered the machine useless unfortunately and made it hard for me to learn to sew better. I'm looking forward to creating lots with it and have already started. I'll be sharing something soon I hope!

Pat also gifted me these bracelet bending pliers.
They make it easier to bend metal pieces into a curve to fit wrists better. Clever, right?

In addition, the big surprise was this Wanderlust 2017 membership from Everything Art.
It's a year-long mixed media art class membership. I'm smitten with it so far, and there's only been one class! Hopefully, I'll share some of my creations before too long. We'll see. I love this gift as it's one that will keep giving all year long!

Finally, my mom got me a bit teary-eyed with her gift.
Check out the Victrola Turntable and albums. The sentimental part of it was the records. She gave me a selection of nine of my most favorite albums from the collection I grew up listening to. As an added bonus, I had free access to the rest of her collection to pull out some other best-loved ones. I was listening to them before we ever left her house!

So that was my Christmas. How about you? Get anything good?

Renovations Part 2

It's been nearly a month since the renovations started at our house. The contractor's done (for the most part -- there's still an electrical issue to be handled), and the rest is up to us. I guess it's time for an update.

Here's how it looked in the last post.

From there, they took out the rest of the paneling in the living room and half of the studs.
From the kitchen/sunroom - Please notice the color of the ceiling here in the kitchen. It will come in to play in a later update!
From my spot on the couch

After that, there was an awkward temporary wall phase with plastic sheeting that was difficult to photograph. As such, I somehow have no pictures of it. However, here's what came next.
Wow! The headers are up but exposed. You can really see the difference and impact we wanted.

They finished covering the headers just before Christmas. In the chaos of the holiday, I didn't get a photo with the cleared room. So here it is with all our post-Christmas debris. Pardon the mess!

In the rush to get pictures taken and work started, I completely failed to mention the doorway we also had closed in. Even in scrolling though my initial tour of the house and the one year later post, it's not shown. However, if you watch the video tour of our new home, you can see it around the 4:30 mark. In any case, with opening up the kitchen - the doorway would have been a useless and a waste of space.
That new wall, drywall patchiness area was once a doorway.
Here's the best visual I could create for you in a pinch.
I know. . . I totally rock the graphics. Ha!
After all the wall-taking-down-and-filling-in was complete, we were left with a large, open kitchen and dining room area with two different floors and paint jobs. Pat started with the floors.

Over the course of a few days and a few new tools, he removed all the ceramic and terra cotta tiles.

He even cleaned up the mess on the floor. I took care of the sweeping, mopping, and dusting after it was done. Teamwork yo!

Here's the pile of flooring from the kitchen, dining room, and hallway (had to be done too) piled up in the back yard.
We'll find some way to re-use these tiles later in a mosaic project or something like that.
So, this is where we stand now . . . no flooring. The next step is painting the walls and ceilings. We've actually already started on those, but I'll share that transformation in another post.

It's such a relief to have such a wide open space. We've got all kinds of plans from here other than the paint and flooring. There are bookshelves and an island to be built and installed.

Oh, and then there's the new corner that was created by filling in that door.
Those cabinets stacked up in the corner were some of the old ones along the wall that was removed. 
 Look at all that space! I'm hoping to either use the old cabinets or get some new ones and have a little more counter space. We considered putting in a pantry there, but I think it might be awkward. We're still in talks and negotiations over if we'll move the fridge or what other options we might have. If you've got any ideas or suggestions - bring it!!

I'm ecstatic over the progress and happy that we're moving forward so quickly. Hopefully, it won't be another month before you get another update.

What do you think so far?

More CraftyHope Straight to your Inbox

If you came directly to my page, you may have noticed something a little new. It should have been a popup signup for a newsletter.

If you didn't get or ignored the popup, there's a new signup form to the right -> -> -> ->

Or you can use this handy-dandy one




I thought a newsletter/mailing-list might be a great way to send out updates on blog posts you may have missed, what's new in the etsy shop, any sales/coupon codes that are available, or any other little thing I think you might be interested in.

I'm just going to try this out and see how it goes. The first newsletter should be out in a week or so and will likely be including a coupon code. So please sign-up and join me on this new venture!

And, I'm looking for tips as well. What's the most valuable thing you find in newsletters like this?

Easy Button Bangle DIY

Making jewelry doesn't have to be hard or intricate. Having a fun accessory can be as easy as wrapping some buttons on a bangle.
jewelry making for beginners

I'm a sucker for using what I have. If you made a resolution over the last few days to not spend any money, use what you have, and be good to the environment; this simple project is perfect for keeping those goals.

Making these bangles takes only some buttons (with holes), wire, and a bangle. Most crafters should have the buttons and wire on hand, and old bangles are easy to find at thrift stores. 
Wire cutters and flat nose pliers help the process. However, with this thin of a gauge of wire, sturdy scissors should cut just as well. And, the pliers could be supplemented with firm pressing of a fingernail (and care not to poke oneself). Also note, that we're using holed buttons for this bangle, NOT shank buttons (ones with a loop on the back). Those just don't work the same.

Start by wrapping a small section of one end of the wire tightly around the bangle. Secure the end by pressing it flat against the bangle.

Insert the free end of the wire into the back of one of the button's holes and pull the button flush against the bangle. Push the wire end into the hole diagonally across from your starter hole. Pull the wire tight toward the bangle. 

Wrap the wire around the bangle, and insert it into the hole on the other side. If you are using a 2-hole button, simply insert the wire into your starter hole. Pull tight. 

The wire should be coming out the top of the button now. For a 4-hole button, insert the wire end into the open hole. For a 2-hole button, simply pull it through the other hole. 
You should have formed an X on a 4-hole button or . . .

a double slash on a 2-hole button.

Your wire should be coming out the back of the button, toward the bangle. Wrap the wire around the bangle several times. This will help secure the button and add some space for the next button on your bangle. 

Repeat the above steps, making sure as you add each new button that it's sitting next to the previous one and not on top of it. (Unless that's the look you're going for).

Continue adding buttons until you cannot add any more. 

Wrap the wire around the bangle several times next to your final button.

To finish, weave the wire around the bangle, in between the buttons for several buttons.

Trim and secure the end of the wire.

And, that's it. Now you have a beautiful button bracelet!

I actually made the one in the title image at the top as part of a video so you can watch the process for yourself if that works better for you. As well as these basic instructions, the video includes information on what to do if you run out of wire and how to fix it if there's too much space between the buttons when you finish. 

 
These bangles are quick and easy to make once you get used to the process. They're so easy, you'll have an armful made in no time. . . and one for every outfit. Enjoy!

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about the process. I'm happy to help.


I linked this post up at Coastal Charm's Show and Share & The SITS Girls' Recipe and DIY Linky.

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