HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE HOUSE!

When this time of year rolls around, it feels like it's my house's birthday. At least, that's what I call it.

Two years ago this week, we moved in and called this place our home.

Two years ago, Morgan was in my tummy and Bella hadn't come into our lives yet, either. So, it was just Senore and I. Before we moved in, we cleaned, painted, put new light fixtures in, turned the wash room into the dining room, put new flooring in and had tile and countertops put into the kitchen and entryway. We worked late, late, late each evening for what seemed like weeks and weeks, making frequent preganancy-craving runs to Subway, listening to bad country music on the radio, and laying on the bare floor when we got tired. 

When the work was done, we moved in and set up house, but it wasn't until we had our little bundle of baby that it really felt home to me. I suppose that's how it's meant to be.

Here's to two years, sweet little home. Thanks for being mine! 

  

{OUR FAMILY ROOM, BEFORE}

{OUR FAMILY ROOM, AFTER}

{OUR KITCHEN, BEFORE}

{OUR KITCHEN, AFTER}

 {DINING ROOM (WASHROOM), BEFORE}

 

{DINING ROOM, AFTER}

{OUR BEDROOM, BEFORE}

{OUR BEDROOM, AFTER}

{ME, THIS ROOM AND MORGAN, "BEFORE"}

{MORGAN AND HIS ROOM, AFTER}

{THE OFFICE, AFTER}

{OUR ENTRYWAY}

THE END!

{Revealed}

It was about two months ago when I first showed Jared this lovely blog. The Lettered Cottage. Layla and Kevin are from Alabama and they are DoItYourself rockstars. Their lovely lettered cottage is both gorgeous and inspiring. When I showed Jared that they had pretty much done everything themselves (including redoing their kitchen cabinets), he was immediately enthused. Revived. The old "jar and holl" fix-it team was back in the game! We haven't been fans of the oak-ed-ness theme of our kitchen for quite some time now - well, ever since we moved in, to be precise. So, while I was in Oregon, Jared began the perilious adventure. He took all of the doors off, lightly sanded them, primed them. And over the next few weeks, him and I spent our evenings painting, and painting and painting. We argued. I cried. Because I hate messes. And clutter. And stress. And this project was all of that. But this Friday evening, we put on the hardware - the long awaited finishing touches. And I clapped! And squealed. And danced. And we opened sparkling bubble-E to celebrate the closing of this HUGE undertaking. We high-fived. Kissed. Toasted. Then we collapsed in bed. We've been resting (sort of) ever since.

Now, of course, there are other finishing touches we still have to do. We still have to paint the wall (the color white behind the antique-white cabinets just doesn't cut it anymore). We need a new light fixture. And I will be forever repositioning and adding to the decor. But, for now, we're feeling quite accomplished that we made it through. Alive. Whole. Most importantly, still married.

Here are some pictures:

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

{OUR BUBBLE-E TOAST - FRIDAY EVENING}

ps: yes, Bella is still alive.

After the cabinets were painted (one coat of primer, plus three coats of Antique White), we glazed them to enhance the grains in the wood and to make them more antique.

We certainly aren't pros, and our finished project definitely isn't perfect. But if any of you have questions, feel free to email me at swissarmy.romantic@yahoo.com, and please, please visit Layla and Kevin's FAQ page to see their step-by-step instructions here. They painted their cabinets black, then distressed the edges, but it's essentially the same process.