This Messy Business

So I got the idea to compile a gigantic list of all things my house from one of every home decor bloggers favorite sites Young House Love. Such amazing smart people. This list includes all the things I have done to each room and still want to do and is styled similiarly to the one on YHL. I think it helps me with prioritizing and knowing where to go. I know I've made a lot of lists lately but budget restraints have kept me from really starting any major projects. Hopefully this helps me decide what I can do. :)

Exterior/Porch:

(50% complete)

To-Do:

Fix step into house
Remove ramp (it's rotting and collapsing)
Rebuild steps in back yard
Pot plants
Repaint porch
Grow more grass
Build new back porch
Replace exterior doors
figure out a new carport situation (former roommate drove into a post so it's on it's way out)
organize sharage (shed+garagey thing=sharage)
add more motion sensor/security lighting
new gutters for the whole house
enhance privacy in back yard either with new fence or just slats

Done:

The yard has finally started to grow grass again...
Repainted the lawn furniture
Got a grill and lots of pots.

Entryway:

(75% complete)

To-Do:

Maybe get a runner rug somewhere down the line
Keep updating accesories
Paint walls
Paint back of door a fun accent color

Done:

Replaced the floors in the whole house
Got a fabulous vintage vanity
Hung some art

Living Room:

(50%ish complete)

To Do:

If you have seen my recent post about the living room you know the list is pretty long. I say "50%ish complete" because it's fully decorated and pretty I'm just in the market to go Beyonce on that room and "upgrade ya."

Consign glass end tables

Fix 50" TV from rents

Sell IKEA entertainment stand

Build entertainment wal

make a decision on wingback chair (reupholster? Sell? Give away?)

New sectional couch

New flat weave area rug (more durable than fluffy shag rug now)

Paint ceiling (white, durr)

Paint walls (either Revere Pewter by BM or Moonshine by BM)

paint moding and beam to match beadboard (white)

replace interior doors (the holey 80's hanging off the hinges doors suck)

Done:

replaced coffee table

upgraded wall art

upgraded lighting

love my curtains (hehe)

Dining Room:

(20%ish complete)

To-Do:

This is sort of the same deal as the living room. I want to upgrade the dining area and make it more "my style" within the next year or so. Right now I have the same furniture in there I've had since I was 18. So it's totally done remodel wise.

Buy new table (this one from IKEA)
New chairs that don't have fabric seats
Jute rug for under table
Upgrade wall art on "big wall"
Figure out how the heck to make window wall function/look good.
Paint walls to go with living room and entryway
Find a new fabulous light fixture. (sort of feeling a drum shade chandelier)
paint the ceiling/molding (white o course)

Done:

love my curtains
painted the ceiling fan so it works well enough for now
upgraded flooring through out the house

Kitchen:

(75% completed)

To Do:

replace painted countertops with a new laminate (love solid surface-but it's a trailer ya'll)
repaint cabinets with more durable paint (been a year since I've painted em and they chip)
frame out doors to create shaker style
replace hardware
paint ceiling/molding to match rest of living space
paint behind fridge (hehe)
frame out wallpaper after new countertops are in
install new faucet
get prettier cabinet support sticks
make bar counter out of wood for a butcher block effect (Like this blogger did here.)
Make range hood less homely.

Done:

repainted the cabinets
repainted the hinges/existing hardware
upgraded dishwasher/fridge to energy efficient
upgraded art work
added wallpaper tile backsplash

Master Bedchamber:

(90% complete)

To-Do:

upgrade tiny nightstands to small dressers upcycled from thrift store (I have lots of clothes)
switch living room rug to bedroom and jute rug to dining room
new headboard/footboard set up
smaller pillows (brown ones)
upgrade ceiling fan to pretty light
paint the molding around bathroom entry, upgrade to prettier trim? maybah?
upgrade to double rods
new bedroom door
replace mini-blinds

Done:

upgraded all the flooring
removed crazy scary sliding closet doors
installed closet organizer
revamped filing cabinet
painted ceiling fan so it's prettier for now
took down uglio I-wish-I-was-French-doors
put up curtains for closet/bathroom doors
turned cheapy bookcase into magical shoe display land
upgraded desk area
added new/pretty artwork

Master Bathroom:

(95% complete)

To-Do:

replace/fix shower stall (at least the door, it pops open. Sebastian likes it. I don't.)
take down cheap over the potty thing and install something prettier (only if there's studs)
recaulk around the vanities/tubs/shower/wet places.
upgrade the hardware (just painted the original stuff when I did the redo. heh.)
add second shelf under little shelf that has been in my trunk for 3 years... no rush yo.
work around garden tub area to add new tile or something. It's ugly.

Done:

repainted all cabinets in a two tone fashion
upgraded artwork
painted the walls and ceilings
added accessories
installed jewelry cabinet
added changing chair

Cube Hallway:

(60% complete)

To-Do:

Paint the walls to match the living room space
Paint ceiling/molding
add beadboard wallpaper from Lowe's to bottom to make it match the living room
upgrade switch covers
remove drywall strips and texture
replace/repaint light fixture
replace both bedroom and bathroom door and handles

Done:

added storage using old microwave stand
upgraded flooring along with the rest of the house
painted furnace cover (gotta love trailers)

Bedroom #2:

(10% complete)

To-Do:

This is when my unique situation comes into play. Right now in order to afford the mortgage (just graduated college-seeking new full-time job) I rent out bedrooms #2 and #3 for extra cash. Meaning I can't do much in this room. My goal time to "reclaim" this room is by the end of 2014. So a year and a half. This list will read as the future office I want it to be.

since this will be my office one day, I want to repaint it completely.
replace bedroom door and knob
add custom desk with lots of storage. ((sort of like this)
add more to the existing closet organizer for files/paperwork/craft supplies
get a wonderful amazing rug
texture the walls
upgrade the curtain rod

Done:

flooring is all replaced with the rest of the house
upgraded the light switch covers
new water heater (it's in the closet in there, again, trailer weirdness)
painted the ceiling and molding
added closet organizer for max storage space
took down crazy ugly closet doors and replaced with curtains

Bedroom #3:

(50% complete)

To Do:
Again this is a similiar situation to what's going on with bedroom #2. I rent this room out also because I need help with the mortgage and such. Back in the day it was my office but in the future it will be a guest room. If my life follows it's current path that should be by the end of 2013. Yay!

upgrade night stand and dresser
add headboard
buy a second curtain for the closet (currently has desk on one side, roomie clothes on the other)
add more shelving to closet organizer so can be used for seasonal shoes/clothes, etc.
replace bedroom door and knob
replace mini-blinds

Done:

upgraded all the flooring with rest of the house
purchased a full-sized guest bed
upgraded the curtains
added new curtain rod
painted magnificent stripes
already own bedding for future guest
have a good grey IKEA rug
have a TV for guest room
added closet organizer
upgraded ceiling light

Guest bathroom:

(90% complete)

To-Do:

upgrade to energy efficient white potty (bye-bye bisque)
add trim under countertop
replace mirror
touch up paint

Done:

painted all the walls Dolphin by Home Depot's Martha Stewart collection
replaced countertop
replaced faucet
tiled shower and flooring
replaced bathtub
fixed faucet/showerhead
added storage cabinet
upgraded light fixtures
upgraded cabinet handles
upgraded towel bar
added new art work (see the reveal for the whole thing here)

Laundry Room:

(68% complete)

To-Do:

lighten up the paint color, it's pretty dark
add tile wallpaper backsplash on space under cabinets
replace exterior door with an outswing insulated door with dead bolts
fix electric... :/
upgrade light fixture
added microchip pet door for Sebastian (little spendy but I don't want Pouka and Lucy going outside)

Done:

new energy efficient washer/dryer
build countertop
added storage for kitty area
added shelf for storage baskets
painted ceiling/trim/molding
painted cabinets
added cabinet hardware
upgraded outlet covers

All in all, I have definitely done a lot since I've owned the house. (it'll be 5 years in May. craycray yo.) Some of the things I want to do just are reflective of where I am in my life and upgrading from the free college furniture to stuff that I would like to have for years to come. Some of it is to just keep up with the trends. At this point I think some of my redos are going to be a little sporatic. So for example, replacing furniture might be 6 months to 2 years depending on what I decide to get.

The first five things I do plan on doing are:

repainting the living room (pretty sure Revere Pewter by BM)
painting the ceiling in the kitchen/living room/dining room area
paint laundry room
upgrade countertops
replace back exterior door

Hopefully some of those other nit-picky things get knocked off along with the ones listed above. I think it will be great! Besides I get my first paycheck in March for substitute teaching so I'll finally be able to do things! (thank all holyness everywhere.)

This weekend I stayed home pretty sick. Even took Monday off of work to recover. One nice thing about being a sub? I get to take days off no problem. Love it. I have recently decided to try to follow the Dave Ramsey budget planning action (more on that later) but in order to do that I want to try to save money in different ways.

I've tried some natural cleaning ideas that I found on Pinterest! Brave right? (Check out my board here.)

I have my magnificent front-loaders (owned them for two years, can't get over it. love em). However keeping the washer from getting that icky mildew like smell is super hard.

So on Pinterest I found this mix of baking soda and vinegar. Seems like those are my two new best friends. Plus they are way cheaper than I thought.

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Pin recipe: Once a month, add a cup of Distilled White Vinegar and a cup of baking soda during the HOT cleaning cycle. pour them directly into the drum. Then, add about ½ cup of vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda into the detergent dispenser.

Verdict: It works!

For the dishwasher:

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Pin says: "Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle. The vinegar will help to wash away the loose, greasy grime, sanitizes, and helps remove the musty odor. Next, sprinkle a cupful of baking soda around the bottom of the tub and run it through a short cycle. The baking soda will help freshen and removing stains"

Verdict: It works! Smells way better now.

For the bathtubs:

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For this you can put it in a squeegy like in the picture or in a spray bottle. I went spray bottle route because I didn't want to spend money on anything. I think the squeegy would have worked way better because the spray just got the surface gunk off. Or maybe the tubs were just that dirty. Could be. I'm going to try it again..

Verdict: Kinda works, operator error?

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Pin says: Unblock your drains without pouring harmful pollutants into the water system by pouring down 1 c of salt and 1/2 c of baking soda mixed together, followed by a kettle of boiling water. Can also use baking soda and white vinegar and boiling water.

Verdict: Works surprisingly well! Just make sure to do the boiling water bit. I added a tiny bit of bleach to mine for the drains to help extra kill any mildew/mold smells. My hair is down to my hips now so that crap can get all kinds of stuck up in there. ew.

I'm going to work on a few more things now that I'm feeling ambitious. I love the combo of these natural cleaners! Here's to saving money! And the planet! And stuff!