2013 Dreams

I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions but I definitely come up with a list of projects for my home each year.  And, much to my husband’s dismay, I never have a shortage of projects! Lucky for him, I only recruit his muscle once in awhile. (Smile.)

Here’s a quick run-down of what’s on my radar in 2013:

• Figure out a solution for my back entry/laundry area.  Problem:  no place to put keys, purses, sunglasses, the usual stuff that we bring in the door and set on the kitchen counter or island.  I’m tired of the clutter in my kitchen!
• Updates to my kitchen.  This one gets a little expensive.  We need new double ovens and we’re talking about replacing our cooktop and microwave as well.  I also want to paint my kitchen cabinets (still working on hubby on that one…he likes the stained oak).  So a mini-makeover is definitely on my radar!
• Add beadboard to bathroom off my kitchen.  This bathroom is a “pool bath.”  Translation:  a bathroom with a door to the outside.  It gets a lot of use in the summer with wet kiddos and grown-ups coming in and out from our pool.  I want to add long row of hooks on wainscoting to one wall for wet bathing suits and towels.
•  Remove wallpaper in kids Jack and Jill bathroom.  The wallpaper in the kids bathroom has never been my favorite (it was there when we moved in) and it is starting to peel and is faded near the window.  It’s time to take it off and do something different up there!
• Finish updating the dining room.  I posted about my dining room table that I found on Craig’s list and I talked about making slipcovers for the upholstered chairs.  With the hustle and bustle of the holidays I never got the slipcovers done but they are definitely still on my radar.  I also want to add curtains, tweak my china hutch (that I re-did with Annie Sloan chalk paint) by adding legs to add height and maybe paint the insets on the doors for added interest.  I also want to replace the existing chandelier.  I go back and forth on this one…I either want a big lantern or a pretty iron chandelier…I can’t decide!  I created a dining room idea board and posted about it, but I have since updated it and am still tweaking. Here is one of my recent versions: 

This is definitely subject to change and I will absolutely be posting about it!

• Finish the update on my daughter’s bedroom that I started last year.  My 7-year-old was tired of “pink princess” as she called it.  I painted her room a light lavender and we bought some fun bedding.  We still have some space on the walls that need to be filled and I want to replace her bed that belonged to my husband in his bachelor days with something more girly.  Here’s what her room looked like before we painted:

• Update my son’s bedroom.  A few years ago, I bought a bedroom set for my son’s room on Craig’s list.  It’s an old Cargo Kids set (raw wood, very sturdy furniture if you’re not familiar).  It was well used and I sanded it and re-oiled the wood to make it look better, but there are a few pieces I want to paint and just give his room a general refresher.  Mostly, we just need a good case of purging and organizing.  This kid likes to collect stuff!  Main problem:  Legos!
• Organizing and purging.  I guess there’s a reason why all the stores start putting bins and organizers on sale right after Christmas.  All the new gifts coming in to the home start making me itch to purge and put everything in a neat and organized place. I love an organized space!

So, those are the biggies.  Of course, I always have a lot of smaller projects that I do each year…painting furniture, making crafts, etc.  And, I’m always on the lookout for new recipes for my family.  And, with each project, I hunt for bargains and try to keep everyone’s tastes and styles in mind.  It can be challenging but that’s part of the fun!  I am anxious to get started!

Happy New Year to you all!