Trim Trouble!

Here is a little update about my adventures in painting trim.

 

1.  It has made me cry!

 

2.  Sometimes, 50 year old trim just doesn't want to be painted!

 

3. Seriously, how many coats of primer and paint do I have to do!

 

To start off, I did not know what I was getting myself into. I did some research before I started this project and asked questions at home improvement stores for some guidance. But really, you don't know what is going to happen. How hard is painting trim? IF you have my trim, REALLY HARD!

 

The biggest problem I have is that my trim has old, really stubborn stain on it.  Our trim is also real wood, so the trim is soaked to the bone in stain. Really..... to the bone I tell you!  This is a pic of some trim before sanding.

(Yikes!)

 

 

Now here is a pic of trim after I sanded it.

 



 

The sanding helped take away the orange oak look.

Now, this is where the problem occurred. I took someones advise and used a latex primer on the trim. This is a big no, no when you are dealing with an oil based stain. You need an oil based primer to cover an oil based stain. Well, I learned the hard way! After sanding and priming for 6 hours (the wrong way), I am left with trim that looks yellowish.

This is where I cried.

 All the work I did was in vain!

Alas, I have taken some time off, and am now OK to talk about it.

:)

Sorry for the dramatization, but it really hurt! So this is where the hubs steps in, does his own research, and came to my rescue!  After sanding some more, I used a latex primer on the trim this time, and it seems to be working. I do have a few spots where the stain is still seeping through. But, this is better than an entire wall of yellowish trim. I can deal with a few spots. I am thinking that I may have to sand the smaller spots down again and start over. Trial and error, I guess. I am not an expert, just here to tell you what not to do. :)

 

Here are some progress pics.

 

 

 

 

I know it will look good when it is finally done, but it has been more work than I anticipated. Maybe I should have just did a small piece of trim first, or perhaps done more research. Oh well. I have definitely learned patience with this project.  

 

Changes at the Homestead

I painted our living room an orange color about 4 years ago. I love the color, but it is time for something new. Our living room is very dark and the orange color only makes it more dark. So I have decided to lighten things up with a very neutral grey color. That all sounds great, but I also have to prime and paint ALL the trim before I even start on the wall color. I really love white trim, so to achieve this look I must sand, prime, and paint ALL our trim. Here is a pic of one of the windows in my living room.

 

You can see all the elements in this picture. The orange walls, the dirty oak trim, and the darkness! Well, I already tore down the window treatment. I just want a nice, clean look and the brown floral just isn't doing it for me. (On a side note, I have an identical window on the other side of the living room, so if anyone would like 6 yards of brown floral fabric let me know:))

 

 

Just removing the window box has made a huge difference! The next step is sanding all that oak trim. I am not looking forward to this, but it has to get done. I have seen quite a few other homes where they changed the color if the trim, and it makes such a huge impact. I can't wait!

Another dilemma I have in the living room is the wall with the fireplace. I have some ideas swirling in my head, but not quite sure about the first step to take. This is what I am talking about.

 

 

See all the wood paneling? I was thinking about just painting all of that an off white. Or possibly just tearing it all down. Once the other walls are painted, and the trim is white, I will get a better feel of which direction to go. At least I hope so!! 

 

Nothing like a good DIY project to start the week off!

 

 

Happy Monday!!!



Our Routine

I spend A LOT of time with my children. They are my little treasures, and I see that time as an investment. I enjoy their little personalities, even when some can be a bit......dramatic! Thankfully, most days are productive and we get quite a bit accomplished. So, here are some random pics of our everyday.

 

Breakfast

 

Yummy pancakes!!  

 

 

Homeschool

 

We usually can get a few hours done and then they need......

 

First break

 

You would be amazed at the train tracks they can assemble in the 30 minutes!!

 

More school

 

My instructor guide (to the left) and my pile of books for read-aloud time.

 

Lunch

 

It HAD to have tasted good to get that reaction!

Maybe I can cook after all. :)

 

Midday activities

 

This girl loves her paper dolls!

 

She is turning into quite the pianist to her mothers delight :)

 

This little man will fall asleep anywhere.

Much to his mothers delight!

 

Later, we wait for daddy to get home and we eat supper.

Then it is a bath and bedtime.

 

Some days run smooth.

Some days are just off and mommy needs more coffee!

 But, for the most part, I feel so blessed to stay home with these little people.

 

 

Enjoy the day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



I'm Back!

 No, I did not fall off the planet, never to be seen or heard from again. ;)  Although sometimes, a little break would be nice!

To say our summer was busy, would be an understatement.  I think the biggest change, that turned my world upside down!!!, was Dustin's work schedule. I will spare the details, other than to say, he. was. never. home.!! Here is a quick example of what his schedule was like. Dustin has had 2 days off since June 24th!!! And I am one of those wives that enjoys my husbands company, so it has been really hard. But don't worry, he will be off this schedule soon. Can I get a hallelujah??!!

 

We have also tackled a huge project this summer! Our house has new siding! This was no easy task.  First, we had to put insulation in our walls becasue there was NONE there! On a side note: I am very excited to see our heating bills this winter. I know that sounds crazy, but after what we have been paying these past winters, I need to see a dramatic decrease in our usage. We have already seen a big difference in our cooling bill this summer. So, yeah for more money in our pocket! Anyway, here is a pic of Dustin putting in the insulation. We had to rent a machine that blew in the insulation. This was very tedious!

 

Doesn't our house look fabulous? I mean, look at the peeling paint and stripes!

 

Next, came the house wrap. Which, i acutually did help me dad with this job.   A little. :)

 

 

This is the back of our house. I am not comfortable enough to show you the front. Sorry. Kinda creeps me out showing the front of my house. Is that wrong? I don't know. Maybe I will build the courage up later.

I still have to take a pic of the back of the house with the new siding on it. I will post that soon.

 

Another reason I have been slacking on the blog is because, we have decided to homeschool the girls this year! This was a big decision for us, and I know we have made the right choice.  We kept going back and forth, until we just thought about the girls' needs, and homeschooling was it. I plan on doing some homeschool posts, and let everyone see what we do around here. We are in our fourth week and I can truly say, I love it, and I know the girls do too. Dustin and I have done hours of research this summer, trying to find the best curriculum that works for me and the girls.  I will post on it soon, and let you know the details. I am so happy we chose this path!

 

Finally, here a few pics from our summer. Enjoy!

 

 

 A lot of zucchini from the garden!

 

 

A few sleepovers with friends. That wrapped box is a new house for the dollhouse people!

 

 

Homemade slip and slide!

 

 

 

Long bike rides, my favorite. :)

 

 

 





Summer Fun List

At the beginning of summer, I decided to make a list of all the fun things I wanted to do with the kids.  

I decided to display our list, basically for a reminder for myself. (This board once showed our meals for the week.) I like having all our fun things to do in sight. The girls can read and will go check out the list and will decide what they want to do. Some of the activities need a little prep work. If I don't have all the materials needed we will plan for that activity next week and pick a new one. Simple enough.



As you can see, we have already crossed alot off, and as of today we have crossed out 6 more! The joy of this list is that most of the activities can be repeated. I tried to find things to do outside and at night. My girls LOVE playing in the dark! It's probably because they know they should be sleeping that late. :)

I was able to take some pics of the kiddos playing with ice. This was super easy and free!

All you need is an empty cardboard juice container, water, and random objects.

Cut the top off this guy, add water, and have the kids find things to put in.

Freeze overnight and in the morning peel the cardboard off. The kids definitely enjoyed this!

And honestly, the kids favorite object to get out was the coins. The girls loved getting the money out as soon as it melted.

It was funny watching the kids trying to figure out how to get the objects out. This was a great activity for all of them to do. Although, the next time we do this I am going to make some changes. The first being, everyone will have their own! Secondly, I would like to try to layer the ice so that the heavier objects won't all be on the bottom. And maybe, have the kids pick a favorite food coloring to add to their own, will add even more excitement! 

Go have some fun with your kids! 

Cedar Point & Castaway Bay!!

We had a great time on our mini vacation! This was the first time Dustin has ever taken off more than one day of work. The kids and I really enjoyed having him to ourselves for a few days!

Anyway, we went to Cedar Point first, not really having a plan. Dustin and I have not been to Cedar Point since high school, and this was the first time for the kids.

Emma was able to ride some of the 'big' rides. She is right at 48 inches tall so Dustin and I took turns riding with her.

Allison, however, was just shy of 46 inches, which means no 'big' rides. There is a huge difference between 46 and 48 inches when it comes to rides. We know better next time we go, and hopefully Allison will grow a couple more inches! :)

Asher enjoyed himself in the Camp Snoopy area. There were quite a few rides he could go on with the girls. Cedar Point also has a  Kiddy Kingdom. It is similar to rides you would find at a county fair. He was able to ride all the attractions there.

Cedar Point also has a new attraction this year. It is Dinosaurs Alive and the kids loved it! The dinosaurs moved and made sounds. Some were much more frightening than others, but it was still a good time.

I was only able to take pictures of the kids from the Camp Snoopy and Dinosaurs Alive attractions.

(Dustin and the girls are in the front seat)

(Dinosaurs Alive!)

After Cedar Point, we stayed at the Castaway Bay. This was much more enjoyable for all the kids, because really, what kid doesn't want to stay in an 80 degree environment with unlimited swim time?!

These kiddos swam and swam for hours!! I was really surprised at the bravery of these little girls! They went on the water ride and slides all by themselves!

I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

Unfortunately, I didn't capture any of these moments. I was too busy chasing a two year old in the toddler tide pool....for hours! These are the few pics I was able to get.

(Those two heads bobbing in the water are the girls)

(This is the view from the toddler pool)

(Emma trying to cross the pool using the rope)

This is where you go to get on all the slides and rides. By the bucket, on top of the red roof, is where the biggest raft ride was. The girls went down that ride ALONE!    Still in shock over here!!

We really had a great time. It was nice to get away as a family and have fun together.

It was SO much fun, the girls are now asking when we can go back and stay longer.

Maybe we should have planned this trip for the end of summer.

I have a feeling I will be hearing this alot.

:)  

  

   

Summer Break Is Here!

This was the girls' last week of school and I am probably more excited than they are. Just to have them home with me is so comforting. And Asher is definitely making up for lost time with his sisters. He will follow them around the house and stay with them for hours. Which means this momma gets a little bit more free time.     :) :) :)

On their first day of summer vacation, what do you think they played?   School!  I am taking that as a good sign that they enjoyed the past year.  That makes me happy!

It was a short lived school day when Asher wanted to join in, though. He tried his best to write on the calender and help but, it didn't work out. He wanted to take full control of the classroom!

When this sort of thing happens, the girls will usually find something else to do. And then Asher joins them in that activity.  :)  He loves his big sisters!

Another reason I love the girls' being home is...... they help me cook!

Well, Emma is usually my big helper. She loves the prep work. I can't wait until she is a little older and I can give her more responsibility in the kitchen. Hopefully she can teach me a thing or two in the kitchen. I am not the greatest cook by any means, but I can make a pizza that everyone enjoys!

I really want this summer to be different with the kids. Usually we have lazy summer days. But I need a change. I have a lot of activities already lined up and a bunch of places to go. I know we will have some down days, but I want to try to keep them busy. I want them to have something they look forward to every week or twice a week. And they are all at an age where it is possible to do this. So I am taking advantage of it and we are going to have a great summer! One of the first places on our list  is coming up next week. It is called CEDAR POINT! Now this is one of the bigger places we will visit. But we are in need of a small vacation. We are celebrating Dustin's graduation and need some fun family time! I will post some pics from the trip when we get back.  

Enjoy the weekend and Lord bless!



Kitchen Reveal!!

Before I start with the before and after pictures, let me first give a quick background of our house story. We purchased our home 6 years ago and were well aware we were buying a fixer- upper. Before we moved in, there were some rooms that HAD to get a little TLC. So the bathroom came first, the bedrooms next, and then we stopped for a while. Keep in mind, everything in this house was from 1954. Everything needed to be updated. The house itself was in great condition and we bought the house from the original owners daughter. Fast forward a few years, and were able to update a few more things. Then one Sunday night I was on Craigslist and found a complete kitchen (19 cabinet units, solid surface countertops, a kitchen desk, and an island) for $500!!!!Yes, I said $500!! I emailed the seller and we purchased the kitchen the very next day. I was so thrilled to have this kitchen. It was everything we wanted at a fraction of the cost of a brand new kitchen. I know the kitchen is used but it is brand new to me!  I love it! And when you see the before pics of the old kitchen, you will probably forget all about the used kitchen part ;)  So...... here we go.....

You are now entering a very dark and scary kitchen......

I know it is creepy but stay with me. This is the view standing from our garage door. This kitchen had a massive peninsula that was so awkward. The sink faced the stove. I could literally pour water standing from the sink into a pot on the stove. How weird is that! The cupboards were beyond salvageable. It's not like I could have slabbed some paint on them and called it a day. They were done! They had a full life of being a cupboard and wanted to quit. The countertops were..well... let me put it this way. If you rolled a marble on them it would roll back and forth over the 'hills' on the countertop. No joke. They were anything but flat! And the flooring... I am sure it looked fabulous in 1954 but really, it was time. So just from this photo you can see nothing could be saved and used later.

This is the view from the opposite side of the last picture. I literally had a 6 inch gap between the stove and countertop. This was sooooo annoying! I am not sure if the space was for enormous stoves back then but, it was huge. 

This massive island thing (I am really not sure what to call it) was very.....in the way. I think the previous owners wanted some type of bar/island area, but really this thing was just too big.

This is another view of the island thing from the dining room.

I will give it credit that it held a ton of stuff.

And that is the only nice thing I can say about that.

Onto the demo of the old kitchen.

  

We had to move the window to fit the space where the new kitchen sink would be. This required removal of a door, moving wiring, and lot of stuff my dad did. By the way, I am very grateful to my dad for helping us with this project : )  Thanks dad!!!

Here, the window is moved and the holes are boarded up. This took well over a week for my dad to complete. Sorry Asher, the demo is already done!

Alot of things are going on in this picture. Dustin and I removed the cabinets that were attached to the ceiling, as well as the massive island thingy. My dad added soffits around the corner of the kitchen and installed the cabinets where he could. I started to prime the walls and ceiling because I was getting very antsy and HAD to help!

The awkward sink/stove combo is gone here and we were able to install the appliances. At this stage we were already two months into the remodel. The following weeks were finishing installation of the cabinets, flooring, painting, and new lighting.

And now I am happy to say we are DONE!

You seriously can not appreciate this kitchen unless you knew what it was before. The best part about this kitchen is that it is a debt free kitchen! Everything is paid for, which makes me love it even more. :)

The old kitchen was more like an obstacle course. Seriously! With this new floor plan there is a nice traffic flow, with room for more than one cook. ;)

I never thought I would fall in love with a kitchen desk, but I have. I keep all the girls' coloring supplies, bills, recipe books, our bottles of vitamins, and whatever is needed on a daily basis goes here. I love having that stuff close by and out of sight.

Of course, I can not go without introducing my newest bestest friend! I have never had one of these wonderful machines before, and I don't think I can ever go back. I just love this dishwasher! This thing has freed up so much time for me.

One of the features I had to have on this dishwasher was hidden controls.
I don't think I need to explain why, but his name is Asher and he LOVES pushing buttons!

Overall, this was a HUGE project.
It was not easy and there were times I cried out of frustration, let alone my poor dad who had to figure everything out! I just kept telling myself to stop complaining and be happy. I really have nothing to complain about.
And as Charles Ingall's would say, "All's well that ends well."