The List

           Truth be told, when we bought this house, I was little stumped. Our previous home inspired me instantly. I knew from the second I jumped out of the moving car, exactly what we could do to make that home ours. A little Craftsman touch here, a little Asian flare there, a boatload of fruit trees and BAM! It became something we were proud to call our own! This home....oh gosh....this home. It actually started with a chain link fence. In the front yard! EEK! Even the neighbors came by to thank us when that came down.

See the ugly fence? It extends the full perimeter of the yard. Nasty, nasty...

      Lesson #1 about Mandy. Mandy loves lists! Truly, I owe it to my dear friend Amanda who taught me how to take my simple to-do list system to a whole other level. So using my super powers, I began to make a list of the immediate projects we needed to address in the house.

1. Take down the nasty fence
2. New flooring on the top floor
3. Terrace the front yard with local boulders
4. Paint, paint, paint the inside  Paint the inside, but use as much recycled less expensive :) paint as possible
   
5. Knock down the pantry and the wall behind it Knock down the pantry and create a pass-through to support
6. Counter tops Live with ugly tile and hodgepodge while researching something less expensive but equally as durable as soapstone
7. Pipe gas into the kitchen for a new kitchen stovePurchase a vintage gas stove
8. Chicken Coup/run must go somewhere-Use deck boards for the frame and the fence in the front yard to ensure the safety of the chickens
9. Fruit trees
10. Reclaimed wood wall in the entryway
11. New lighting in the living and dining room
12. Reface do something to the brick on the ugliest fireplace ever created
13. New Used cabinets from Habitat for Humanity in the kitchen
14. Create privacy between the upper and lower floor (aka a door)
15. Scrape those nasty popcorn ceilings

    Little did I know that our first real windstorm would make a mockery of my plans. Sadly I watched 3/4 of the shingles fly off our roof. Apparently they were only stapled on. The previous owner was truly a roofing genius. Then it rained.....and rained.....and rained. Insert more wind, more shingles take flight and the list began to disintegrate right before my eyes. That's why so much of it has been revised.
     All great journeys begin with some challenges right? Put on your rose colored glasses mine a glued to my face and away we go into the abyss of home renovation! Here's our before pics.

deathtrap deck and some of the yard

deathtrap deck

downstairs bathroom now the master bath

downstairs living area now the master bedroom

guest bathroom now kids/guest bathroom

kruddy kitchen and massive pantry

true master bath now private guest bathroom

ugly ugly fireplace

ugly living room fireplace chandelier that reminds me of noose