The {condensed} To-do List...

When we bought our house 3 years ago, it was solid, well-built, but insanely outdated. Everything from the roof to the floors needed an update. We didn't really even have a formal to-do list in the beginning because, let's face it, it just would have been too overwhelming & disheartening! We just started chipping away at whatever we deemed important or needed to be fixed at the time...& that philosophy still stands today, although now I've actually put all of the remaining items down on paper...& it doesn't seem all that long anymore! (After the original list only read - 1.Replace everything in house.) I'll slowly recap all of the projects, & include before and after pictures, but this post is really about what still needs to be done.  Below is a sketch of each level of the house, along with semi-condensed and vague lists of what needs to be done in each & every room.  (The items crossed out are ones that we've completed just in the last few weeks...woohoo for progress!!!) Click on the picture for a larger image.

There Shall be Shelves (finally)

Ok, so this is the ongoing kitchen project...last March we "accidentally" started working on our kitchen.  We had planned on finishing the attic last winter, but because we didn't get the new windows installed before the Minnesota winter came, we pushed it off for later.  I had had it with the horrible, low-hanging lanterny chandelier that was hanging over the peninsula, so I bought a new light & hung it up.  Of course that then got me inspired to overhaul the entire kitchen.  8ish months later, we're still not finished, but it's close (I'll break down the whole remodel in a later post).  Last weekend I finally decided on what to do on our "open shelving" wall.  It involved drilling into the marble backsplash, so I was hesitant to commit to anything for fear that I'd hate it when it was up and not be able to change it.  Anywhooo...here's what I started with in the spring after removing a section of the old cabinetry, moving a base cabinet in, and painting the cabinets white (Benjamin Moore Simply White - love that color).

In the spring I installed a white marble backsplash with oversized "subway" shaped tiles - they're 6'x12" and I LOVE them.  While the shelving was drying, my mom & I (with a little help from my handy helper Grady) painted the kitchen walls in Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray.  (The ceiling is Sherwin Williams Sea Salt - a favorite of mine.)

Last weekend my dad and I drew up a template for the shelving brackets & cut them out of a 2x8.  We cut the shelves out of a 1x10 and used the router to create a little bit of flare on the outside edges.  I painted them the same white as the cabinetry for a seamless transition.  I figured I could add pops of color with accessories - I like a neutral backdrop.

I accessorized with random stuff I had around the kitchen...my beloved stand mixer, glass canisters with dog biscuits, flour, & sugar, my Urban Outfitters letters, a vintage MN metal tray I found at a garage sale for 10 cents this summer, & some white mixing bowls & plates I had in the hutch.

I'm loving the "after" shot...especially since the change was all done in 2 days time!  I'll leave you with one quick Christmas styling shot...!

hello blogland!

I feel a little bit strange and a whole lotta awkward right now.  I'm a bit terrified about this whole blogging thing to be honest.  I've been a blog stalker for quite a while, but it's a heckuva lot different reading about other people's lives than writing about your own! 

I am excited to have a place to let my creative cup run over though.  It's pretty great to be able to have a platform to throw your ideas out where people who are actually interested in listening to them, can!  We'll see where this crazy adventure leads me!

Right now the fam and I are finishing up a kitchen remodel, on the verge of of re-doing the creepy basement bathroom, and a few months away from tackling an attic (soon to be master bedroom) that has somehow remained unfinished since 1945.  In the next week I'll post some before pictures of the bathroom (I was afraid it'd scare some folks off if I put pictures in the very first post - it really is that bad) as well as a recap of where we are in the ongoing kitchen remodel.

Until then!