Some of the smallest things...

So a wise woman told me yesterday, in different yet similar terms, one needs to view your small accomplishments as none other but accomplishments- no matter the size.  So instead of making lists of what needs to be done and focusing on what DIDN'T get done, focus on what did.

Our "Honey Let's Do This" list only keeps getting longer.  I cross things off as we go and it feels good, temporarily, until I look at what isn't crossed off and am literally drowned in house-stress.

So let's do this; let's look at what has been accomplished since we moved into our not-so-dreamy dream home.

• general
• removed all internal doors in the house (that's 10)
• sanded, repainted
• we rid our yard of over 17 garbage bags of debris. holy Buddha that was a lot
• we replaced our roof.  Yes, that's WE. Not a contractor, not a roofer, WE did (with help of course).

Roof compliments of Zimmerman,
Bracken & Brandenburg, LLC.

From pep to, to mud, to pepto-y, to mud,
to a lot of sand to a very beautiful black door
and White Duck paint. (Door idea
compliments of Schmidty). 

• Small guest bedroom: demolished.  Demolished means:
• sanded the walls down to the drywall
• recoated them in mud
• sanded all the mud off
• recoated them in more mud
• sanded flat
• painted
• painted all the trim
• painted the ceilings
• painted the door
• replaced electrical box
• the beauty in disguise: OUR KITCHEN (photos below)
• tore out ceiling and ceiling fan
• redid ENTIRE CEILING - drywall, stucco (kill me if I ever do that again)
• tore out the dishwasher
• tore out counter tops
• removed all cabinet doors
• sanded cabinet doors
• painted cabinet doors
• replaced sliding glass door (right)
• replaced kitchen window
• installed:
• gas line
• gas range
• refrigerator
• dishwasher
• sink/faucets



Sure, let's put a giant hole in our
house in the middle of winter.
Love to my brothers, Mikey and Don.

• garbage disposal
• mastering the master
• tore out carpet
• sanded and filled holes
• scrubbed master bath and master closet
• carpet ordered
• purchased and ready for installation/use:
• master bedroom ceiling fans
• all air ducts
• microwave
• carpet

Final product- stucco work
by yours truly.

SO CLOSE.

I think in the end, what I love most about what we have accomplished is the absolutely ridiculous shit that had to happen for us to get here.

Like... Brian jinxing me, ultimately resulting in this: 

Yes, I stepped on that bucked and fell straight down inside that mud. Both feet, favorite Under Armor's... all I could do was laugh (and of course take photographic evidence).

Then those moments where we think we can we think we can... and probably just shouldn't have... but we did, it worked, and we laughed the whole way home, bent over like the National Lampoon's Home Remodeling Episode 1.

There's always that moment when you find someone's REAL tooth in your new home, right? No?

And then you have that dog. That dog that you love way too much for your own good.  That love is, of course, exacerbated when non-hubs claims his love for her too and you catch him kissing her on the head. <3 But really, this dog: she keeps us sane and keeps us laughing.  Preparing to paint, bright light on a wet coat of mud, drop cloth ready for red paint spills... and this dog found her perfect place to lay: soft padding below, warmth on the face = heaven for a pitty. 

I'm missing a lot from the list above. but what's important is that even what is there is astonishing.  All of this has been completed in less than 4 months.

And for that, I am happy.