This is what I did this summer (a house update)

So you remember how when you went back to school and your teacher had you write 'This is what I did this summer'? Well, that is what this post is: an update on the never-ending house update saga. It used to be that I hated to even come home, because I couldn't see how I could ever afford the revamp that my little hacienda needed and it made me so so so sad. Well, I probably will never be able to afford it, but we were able to do a few fun things at a great price, so if you wanna follow along with chapter 1, here we go. I'm even gonna be nice and let you see the ending pics without having to wallow through all the rest, just in case that's all you want.

When I first moved into this home, it was a great place to rent. But within a few months, the owners decided that they needed to sell. Because moving blows giant torches of magnacious fire, I (kicking and screaming) put an offer on it. I had lived there long enough to know what I liked and what I hated, but figured with a butt load bit of updating, I could really like it here. For some silly reason, I thought I could roll a bit of money into the loan to jump a decade or two on decorating, but single women barely getting by all by themselves don't seem to qualify for such things. So I ended up the desperate proud owner of a true nineties condo.

I maybe qualfed a few photos from the realtor listing to show you the lovely abode I moved into. Now, credit to my best friends Shanna and Kevin who returned this wall to its normal color before we moved in, thank heavens! The carpet is the exact color that I put in my old house which we built the same year as this little lovely came to be. I LOVED it then, but now it seemed to bring shivers to my very soul every time I walked upon it.

This was a little sitting room right off the entry. It didn't take long to figure out that it was too small to hold any of my furniture, and I could put that puppy to better use if I enclosed it and made it an office. So last fall, I did just that. Here is my enclosed entry way. Don't you just LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Soooo much betta, if I do say so myself...

You will just have to stay tuned for when I actually get to hang my shelf, and put some bling on the chandelier and add a little Linda-ness. :)

I had actually painted most of the upstairs last fall. I had just a little bit of the kitchen left, but somehow wedding preparations took precedence to it getting finished, so for about 5 months not even the painting was finished. Part of the tile was ripped up in the entry way where we put in the new wall. We were in a real mess. If you didn't get an invite to my house during this time, now you know why... 

So here is the before pic of the kitchen. Not so bad, right? I think I could have lived with it, if it wasn't for the dark floor and backsplash. I really didn't think I would mind it, but I sure found myself hating it as time went by. The cabinets were a white-wash oak, which surely was outdated. But who can afford new kitchen cabinets, right?

Okay - enough said. Let's move on to the remodel. When my lovely childrens asked what I wanted for my bday, I did as any smart mother would do and said I didn't want them to buy me anything. I just wanted their time. Oh, hahahaha!, little did they know...

Here is sexy mama Cara painting the upper kitchen wall. You can see the ceiling half painted, as it stayed for those ever-so-long 5 months. We have some pretty good painters with Caramie the cutter-in-er and Brandon the paint pro. I can't believe I didn't get a pic of them painting above the stairs, it was quite the deal-y-oh! Oh, man these guys are my heroes!

So Matt knew what flooring I had picked out last year, but it was way expensive. After killing himself  helping his dad fix up his sis, Steph's home, he brought home a sample of flooring he thought I would like. Well if you know Matt, you know he has an eye for these things, he had found a great price, and then like any son-in-law running to be the favorite would do, he offered to do it. That was it right there. We were off like a dirty shirt and he donned his knew summer job as General Contractor!!

We started by painting the cabinets and adding a backsplash.

The guys started the floor demolition in the kitchen...

(This floor had more nails in it than the hardware store This pile of nails, staples and screws were from about a 6" square of floor. Made for some slow-goin, but you better believe we got it conquered!)

And the girls took care of the entry room tile demolition.

 So long green-go carpet!!! (said with a spanish, get the heck outta here, flair)

Somehow I don't have any pics of us putting in the new floor. My guess is that its because we seemed to get started on it in the evening a go into the wee hours of the morning for several nights. Only once did we get a call from the old folk neighborhood telling us

'This used to be such a quiet neighborhood". 

Haha - we took care of that, now didn't we!! 

You'll have to come see this in real life. It's a grey-ish brown. Just my style - I love love love it too!

Have you ever painted a railing? 31 spindles with 4 sides each and 2 posts. A coat of primer and 2 coats of paint. Boy was that ever a fun job, but whattayathink? I'm in for a likin it! Here's the before and after so you can take your own vote:

 Well, that's about it. I can't thank my general contractor, Matt and project manager Caramie for all they did. All of the kids were sooooo great to chip in, and I think they still love me spite it all. The Toyn's (Janice and Kevin) spent some long nights and days as well and Todd helped out too. I could never ever ever have done it without this great family. It will come back in pay off with the well being of a happy mother (in contrast to what I was becoming). Love you all so much. And for the rest of ya all, stay tuned while all those pinterest pins come to fruition. I better get started now - love ya all!