Hard to believe it’s been since April that I’ve posted here. My entire summer, except for one glorious week of vacation on the Oregon coast, has been consumed by home renovation projects. Like 50 of them going on simultaneously. And, as I’m sure any of you know who have renovated your homes yourselves, it has not exactly been fun, although I have enjoyed certain parts of it. We’re coming up on October here real quick and we still have projects left to finish and a couple, mainly one massive one, that we haven’t even started yet. Anxiety? Yes. Some doubt that we’re really going to pull it off? Yes. Sleepless nights and some avoidance of reality? Check and check!


This process has provided me with a lot of “opportunities for growth” in the areas of patience, acceptance, compromise, and letting go. Let me just say that my default when things do not go as planned is denial, blame, and negativity. I have to fight real hard not to let those things overtake me, and I’ve been up and down with this a lot lately.
When we started planning for these renovations back in December we were relying on misinformation from a moron at the bank who over promised on some things. Like WAY over promised. By the time everything was finalized, I had already had to let go of my dream bathroom remodel with a soaker tub, my hardwood floors, my cedar hot tub on the back deck, and later my new kitchen appliances. And as projects started to run over budget, I’ve had to let go of a few more things I had planned to get done. And while I may sound somewhat ungrateful, I really do love what we’ve been able to do so far. It’s kind of amazing to scribble plans out on paper and then see them come to life. There is just a part of me that revolts against having something I want taken away. Maybe that just means I’m a big baby. HOWEVER, I CAN actually reason like an adult, it just takes me a beat or two. So basically, starting in the Spring, I have been going through a cycle of 1. Outrageous excitement 2. Disappointment 3. Acceptance 4. Gratitude. I guess the universe just thought I could use some practice at this? Thanks, universe. Now leave my remodel the f*#% alone!


What we have been able to do so far is:
- Install new wood-look laminate flooring and new custom baseboards throughout the common areas upstairs
- Replace carpet on the stairs and in the downstairs bedrooms
- Modify cabinetry in the kitchen to make it more open
- Install quartz countertops in the kitchen along with new kitchen sink, faucet, and light fixtures
- Remove walls in the kitchen and entry and reconfigure closet in the kitchen
- Tear off and rebuild a new deck and staircase on the front of the house
- Stain front deck and stairs
- Order custom metal railings for deck and staircase
- Modify cabinetry in the living room
- Install new French door from living room to back yard
- Tile master bathroom, paint existing cabinetry, install new hardware and accessories
- Tile new backsplash in the kitchen
- Remove shrubs in front of house and replace with pavers
- New area rug in the living room
- New ceramic planters for front stairs
- New baseboard heaters in living room and kitchen
So yeah, really does seem I’m an ingrate when I look at that list!
Like I said, there’s still more to do, but the inside of the house is basically done and that’s a giant relief for me. No more microwaving shit in the living room. No more having to hang out in my bedroom because it’s the only place we have furniture. And most importantly, no more sharing a bathroom with boys!
Stay tuned for home renovations part two…….