Angie’s 2012 Home Goals

I know you are all chomping at the bit to see my finished Barn Wood Head Board for the Guest Room, but you have to waaaaaait! Unless of course you “LIKE” SeriouslyAHomemaker on facebook. Then you’ve seen it!

You don’t have to wait long though- just until the end of this post! That could be a very, very long time, depending on how wordy I get. And also how picture-y. At this rate, you better just scroll to the bottom and then come back up to talk about my 2012 Home Goals!

(I’ll wait here for you to peek and then we’ll go…)

As it turns out, I always have a project list for my home. It helps me not go crazy with plans in my mind. If I write out a list of projects that are half-finished, half-planned, and/or half-funded then when I get anxious, over-whelmed, or just plain cranky (this is typically due to too much planning and thinking and crossing my eyes when I look at a room so that it begins to look the way I want it to…) I can simply look at the list, pick a project, and get to work.

Do you know what else is nice about a home projects list besides it’s ability to calm my nerves? It’s nice and neat-o bonito to look at the long list and realize that some of those things are DONE! Crossing off feelz goooood!

In September, just before the kids went back to school, I was bursting with big hopes for my post-Labor Day “free time” (how much free time do I really get with a 2-year old boy in tow??) and so I quickly jotted down a “projects to tackle” list and stuck it to the fridge. This fancy schmancy list has been on said fridge since that fateful day. But today, January 18th, the “project to tackle” list is magically turning into the “2012 Home Goals” list.

SEE?:

Look, Mom! I’ve finished painting the bathroom, hung the shower rod, installed new lights in the hallway upstairs, and recovered the kitchen barstools in only 4 month’s time! That’s not very muuuuch…

Wait, some of the projects on the list are not home-related! (It was appear that whilst the “project to tackle list” was making it’s way between the fridge and the scanner somebody got their hands on a brown Sharpie and made some adjustments.) Weird…

Shall we talk about these goals a bit? Yes.

A. Paint the Hallway: We already painted it. But it needs a final coat in some areas and we (read “HE”) never got around to cutting in around the new light fixtures. How hard can this job be? I should do it,  like tomorrow! (But I won’t.)

B. Make Beds for Kids: Not, like straighten their blankets- more like, build actual beds for the girls’ mattresses to rest on. I pinned some photos of my house on Pinterest the other day. This whole pinboard could be very misleading. As in: NONE OF THE KIDS’ ROOMS LOOK LIKE THEY DID IN MAY 2011 (when the kids rooms were both finished and decorated and sooo cute). Charlie is out of his “bathroom/bedroom now.” He shares a room with Logan. Holly moved in with Sam.

Hello, my name is Angie and I have 44 kids. Our girls bedroom DOES NOT really look like this:

The girl’s beds fit EXACTLY end to end along the back wall of their room. But the room is super small for 2 kids and we need some streamlined storage. So?:

I need to build them a big, long storage day bed. (And also repaint the room… shhhh… you know I love turquoise, but I think this shade is too much in this room. Plus the neighbors can see it from outside and it scares them.)

Moving on…

C. Hire a Free Maid: Self-explanatory.

D. Decorate Kid’s Rooms: We no longer have this going on either:

Now that Charlie’s crib is in here, everything is off-kilter. I need to hang some new art and re-hang the lights in better places. This should only take a couple days when I get down and focus on it!

E. Paint Wood Rails and Posts: We have some support beams between the kitchen and family room that I have always wanted to paint white. The railings on the stairs and also at our “landing” at the top of the stairs also are begging to be white. This is their year! (exciting)

F. Paint and Stain the Stairs: HELLO! I am elbow deep in this one right now! Look at how it looked last night at 2 a.m. when I put down the first layer of black stain:

Does that look like stain to you? No? Me neither. It is so thick and opaque that it might as well be paint. I just now put on the first coat of Polyurethane. It looks like the treads will be done when my sister and her family get here on Friday night, but the white risers (and sides) will have to wait until later. Still, these stairs are on my first set of 2012 mini-goals, so they will be done by the end of February!

G. Tummy Tuck: Self Explanatory. Not really happening this year. Or maybe ever. Or maybe it will. Or maybe it won’t…

H. Curtains in the Kitchen: I have the fabric. I’ve had it for 2 years. But if I don’t get around to actually making the curtains (and replacing these crappy mini-blinds with faux wood blinds soon) then I am going to lose interest in the fabric and have to re-think the whole thing!

I. I recovered the barstools in November (with my trusty new Sister-in-Law Sarah) and meant to have the barstools painted within a week of that… but the paint did NOT hold up when I did my trial run. So? I am making my own paint that will cure all ills and change my life forever. It is called “Chalk Paint.” NO! Not “chalkboard paint”… chalk paint. It is paint with “chalk” mixed in. AKA “plaster of paris.” AKA… it DOESN’T REQUIRE SANDING OR PRIMING! Even on laminated wood products. And it HOLDS LIKE A CHAMP! Annie Sloan invented it and it is very expensive to purchase. I shall make my own RED sample of chalk paint and paint the barstools. I shall.

J. Artwork in the Entry: It needs it bad. (note: when I am “elbow-deep in a DIY remodeling project I make big messes.) See this photo for two reasons: a) to see the art need in the entryway… and b) to see the mess that I am tolerating whilst staining the stairs.

K. Lots of New Shoes: Self Explanatory

L. Gallery Wall in Front Room/Office: I’m thinking floor-to-ceiling frames choc full of art, photos, and GREAT quotes:

M. Light Switches and Outlet Covers: It was probably a year ago that my mom and dad and I commenced updating all of our switches, outlets, and cover plates. But… Look. I am a loser. I will finish all of these off it’s the last thing I ever do!!!!!!

Wow, that’s a lot to do, but this whole list excites me! It is doable! And, as I’ve said before, I am taking everything in min-chunks. On 2-month time-tables I can get a lot done. What about you? What are your goals for you home this year? If you don’t have any… come help me with mine?

You should be aware that I fell asleep about 9 times whilst fishing this blog post. LOL! I just did it again, and the sleeping caused me to write, “fishing” instead of finishing :-)

Which leads me to my next topic:

Thanks to the coat of poly that I just put on the stairs, I am heading down to the basement to sleep in OUR NEW GUEST BED….

What do you THINK?! Pin it, baby! Pin away! (Dear Grandma, Pinterest is awesome.)

Details on this head board are on their way, of course.

I am happily linking this post up with The Nester’s 2012 Home Goals Link Party. I am excited to read and see a bajillion other blog-writers’ homes and goals for this year too at this party. Join me?

Tagged as: DIY Hi Hi Hi!!!!, goals