A new year, a new list.

I promised that I would post a monthly update on our [ever growing and constantly changing] to-do list. Well, here we are -- one month later, and what better way to start off the new year than by keeping a promise.

Our list has certainly evolved since I posted about it last month; and in retrospect, most of the things we accomplished over the last four weeks were never on the to-do list to begin with; for instance, the louvered doors, wall prep, holiday festivities, etc., etc.. However, here's the list as it stands today:

Kitchen
Strip remaining wallpaper
Paint
Re-finish cabinets
New hardware for cabinets
Back splash
Window treatments
Light fixtures
Install new dishwasher
Electrical
Air vents
Refinish floors

Mud Room
New layout 
New shelving units
Finish wainscoting
Flooring solution
New washer/dryer (being delivered on Saturday!)
Organize / Clean
Paint
Electrical
Air vents

Breakfast Room
Paint
Window treatments
Hang new light fixtures
Rug
Electrical
Air vents
Table and chairs

Dining Room
Strip wallpaper -- almost finished
Paint -- this weekend
Wainscoting
Window treatments -- purchased
New dining room table
Rug
Clean chandelier
Electrical -- this weekend
Air vents -- this weekend

Formal Living Room
Paint -- this weekend!
Window treatments -- this weekend
Book shelves
Rug
Lighting
Electrical -- this weekend
Air vents -- this weekend

Foyer
Paint -- this weekend
Rug
Floor runner
Clean Chandelier
Electrical -- this weekend
Air vents -- this weekend

Family Room
Window treatments
TV
Clean carpet
Electrical
Air vents

Hallway
Clean floors
Finish stripping wallpaper -- this weekend
Floor runners
Paint -- this weekend
Wainscoting
Electrical -- this weekend
Air vents -- this weekend

Master Bedroom
Clean floors
Rug
Molding
Window treatments
Hang fan
Fix holes around fan
Repaint ceiling
Finish painting trim work
Electrical
Air vents

Master Bath
Strip wallpaper
Flooring solution
Paint
Storage
Window treatments
Electrical
Air vents

Guest Bath
Strip wallpaper
Paint
Window treatments
Electrical
Air vents

Guest Bedroom

Fix crossbars on bed

Paint closet
Window Treatments -- this weekend

Electrical
Air vents

Man Cave
Remove old furniture -- this weekend
Electrical
Air vents
Desk for Jeff
Decorate (shhh... don't tell Jeff)

Office
Paint closet

Quarter Round

Rug

Front Yard 
Summer 2013

Back Yard / Pool / Shed
Summer 2013

___________________

Did you notice that we have a lot on the agenda for this coming weekend? Well, it's because - ummm -  I decided to throw a painting party.

We invited a handful of our [most kind and generous] friends to the house on Sunday to help us tackle what would otherwise take us an entire month. I am a little nervous about getting all of the prep work finished; however, I think it will be worth it.

I will be back in class on Monday, so this coming weekend will be our final push on the house before I crawl into a hole for ten weeks. Our primary goal for the month of January is to have the front rooms functional. (By "front rooms" I mean the foyer, the formal living room, and the dining room.)

In case you're curious, Jeff and I also have normal-people-resolutions for the New Year. I resolve to (1) devote every ounce of creative energy I have to school, (2) take Toby on a long walk at least three times a week, and (3) I want to slowly cut wheat out of my diet. Jeff resolves to (1) to save and track each of his receipts, and (2) go to the gym at least three times a week.

I think we can do it.

Good riddance 2012 -- here's to never seeing you again!

Ryan and Jeff

Weekend Wrap Up

Here are a few moments from our last weekend in 2012.

Don't be scared of my mermaid harbor; it's going to be beautiful.

Jeff was none too happy about my interrupting his wallpaper removing nightmare extravaganza on Saturday.

You have to understand that Jeff considers himself a wallpaper-removing-champion, so this dining room has been an emotional and physical challenge - to say the least. 

The steamer was no match for this wallpaper, so we had to buy one of the dreaded wallpaper scorers.

This project is going to continue well into 2013, so you can look forward to that. In other sad news, Christmas is over.

Everything is all packed up; and today, the tree is coming down. I am only slightly depressed, but I can genuinely say that I'm looking forward to the new year.

Oh yeah, Dad gave me his camera tripod (from back in his hipster-camera-carrying-days) -- so, you can definitely look forward to a lot more staged shots in the coming months. Thanks, Dad! Here's our first test shoot on Christmas.

Happy New Years, all. See you in 2013!

Ryan

2012 iPhoneography

Here's to another year of beautiful moments. 

Wishing you all the best in 2013. 

Ryan and Jeff

P.S. I'll be back in January with a whole slew of unattainable resolutions and remodeling goals. Just you wait. 

Holiday Spirit

This was Toby after we opened our gifts at the house. He was drunk off the holiday spirit. Can you tell?

Christmas is definitely one of Toby's favorite holidays: (1) because we're home more than usual, and (2) because he gets to go on a car ride. This year, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with Jeff's family, which meant we all got to spend some quality time with Dakota (the one-year-old Glenn family puppy):

Toby is seven years her senior, so needless to say, he was asleep the minute we got in the car to head home. Dakota is all play, all the time. It was actually the first time I really realized how old mature Toby is getting; he was all, "Please just let me just lay here and chew on this bone." -- and she was just like "Play now, chew later, old man." Toby secretly loved the attention, though he'd never admit it.

Anyhow, before Christmas day arrived, we had a few great moments with friends at the house; mainly, we had our annual "latkah night" that I mentioned here.

Our friend Jacqueline takes care of us in the food department always. Not only did she prepare this meal, but she told us the story of Hanukkah while we ate it. She is like the wise Canadian grandmother I never had.

Later that week, I took Jac's latkah recipe and made good ole' fashioned American hashbrowns, turkey bacon, and white chocolate chip pancakes for Lauren, Matthew, and Hudson. It was the biggest meal I have made in the new house, and I was quite impressed with myself -- seeing as I'd never made pancakes or hashbrowns before. Don't judge me.

Here was the scene immediately following the meal:

Even Toby was out.

Honestly, when Toby makes that face, I know all is as it should be.

Speaking of faces; take a look at my reaction when I was opening my present from Jeff.

It was the unicorn of all things magical; a 27" iMac.

That's my "oh-no-you-didn't-but-I'm-so-happy-you-did" face.

I also got this pink Craftsman tool bag. (I am usually not overly thrilled about this level of cuteness, but this was hard to deny.) We bought Dad the traditional red and black one for all of this trips to and from the house. We'll be twins. A little bribery goes a long way, right? 

It was a really great holiday. Jeff received a ton of new tools for the house, and this really hip hand-held console that plays Super Nintendo cartridges from the 80s. (From yours truly, of course.)

Don't let his cool demeanor fool you ... he was pumped.

Leo, on the other hand, was not impressed by the whole holiday experience and tried to escape by crawling into every. single. box. that. we. opened.

Here's to the warm holiday season, and the approaching new year.

Ryan

Weekend Wrap-Up

Our weekend started off with this little gal's first birthday party. Look how pumped she was about that cake. I can't say that I blame her; I dream of eating cake by the fist full.

With the holidays quickly approaching, we are trying to finish up some projects that have been lingering since we moved in -- that way, come January, we will be ready to tackle our normal-every-day-resolutions, like go for a jog, eat a vegetable, read a book, etc.

For now, here are a few moments from this weekend that are worthy of note.

We have been bare-bulbing-it in the master bedroom for almost 12 weeks. However, I'm happy to report, we finally have lamp shades on either side of the bed.

My office lamp now has a shade as well. I know this doesn't seem like a major improvement, but I've been glaring directly into 40 watts for the better half of three months, so it's a big deal.

Our breakfast room is officially without fruit. I stripped the wallpaper to find primed paneling underneath.

Now, understand that I did this room when Jeff wasn't home -- and besides setting off the fire alarm because of all the steam (true story), I managed fairly well. So, feeling over-confident and super accomplished, I decided to tackle the dining room as well.

Never again.

This wallpaper literally disintegrated under the heat of the steam. I was crushed, so I decided to move on to something I knew I would enjoy -- holiday cards.

We also made a great deal of progress on the master bedroom this weekend.

Updates on our bedroom to come soon. Right now, I have to get to work on this disaster zone:

That's the guest bedroom, a.k.a. the dumping ground. Honestly, it's starting to rival our formal living room, which currently looks like this:

How about that holiday-inspired table cloth window treatment on the left? I am sure the neighbors are pleased...

Anyhow, like I said, I'm going to lock myself in the guest bedroom to try to organize the pile of things we don't know what else to do with. For now, here are some shots of random moments from this weekend that ... er ... I don't know what else to do with:

This guy has an appointment with Santa "Claws" next Sunday. This was the look he gave me when I told him the news.

Happy Monday, all.

Ryan