To Do List Check-In

We are almost 3/4 of the way through the year so I thought I'd check in again on my To Do in 2012 list that I posted here, and see how I'm doing.

1. New Patio:  Yep!  Haven't gotten to enjoy it a ton because it's been so hot but now  that the cooler weather is coming in we'll definitely be using it.  We also built Raeleigh a playset out back. So I can't wait to really start hanging out back there. Next year we plan to surround the patio with landscaping, but for now here is the most recent picture I have of it (from Raeleigh's birthday party)

 

 And here's the playset.

2. Garden:  We did have a garden.  We grew lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and onions.  It was fun but unfortunately didn't last long.  It was SO hot it was hard to get out there and maintain it.  We will definitely do it again next year I just wish our first year wouldn't have been the year of drought and the some of the hottest temperatures on record.

3. Paint:  I've now painted everything I planned to paint.  That includes the entry, living room, halls, stair walls and guest room.

 

 

4. Paint the Mantle: Yep!  SO happy with it.

 

 5. Decorate and furnish guest room:  Hardly.  I've hung blinds and bought a new comforter set but that's it.  Ideally I'd like to get a new dresser for Raeleigh's room and move her current dresser to the guestroom, but that's not in the budget anytime soon, nor is it high on the priority list to get a dresser in there.  Here's a pic of the new comforter before the new blinds were added.

 

6. Shelves in office closet:  I'm holding off on this one right now.  So for now I'm looking for some cheap free standing shelves to put in there as a temporary solution. 

7. Add an outlet in the garage:  Not yet.  The garage is our current project so I'd say this will happen as soon as we can convince Jake's stepdad to come over and help us.

8. Curtain for the kitchen: Yep. Made by my mom and I.

 

9. Toy organization: Yep.  Although her toy collection is of course forever growing so I have an idea I'm mulling over to help fix that.  (it would happen with the revamping of the family room, something I will probably do next year).  Here's her play area, it's been tweaked since this picture though.

 So it looks like the only things left are the outlet in the garage which will get done.  The shelves in the office closet which I'm postponing and the guest room decor which has dropped on my priority list.

Here is the hope list I wrote at the beginning of the year with notes on whats been done.

HOPE

-I don't want to paint the laundry room until we get new cabinets in there.  So I hope to do that, new larger cabinets and paint on the walls.  Haven't done.  I've planned a much bigger overhaul in there including a countertop and tile backsplash so this one will take awhile.

-Garage storage.  I want that place ORGANIZED!  I have my plan of action, it involves getting another set of shelves and a lot of categorizing and labeling.  Yes!  We are in the process now. I'm so excited!!

-Also would like to paint the garage walls and the door to the house from the garage.  I thought it would look nice to do light gray walls and a black door.  Soon!

-Landscaping.  The landscaping design in our front yard is not bad, but the plants are pretty ugly.  I'd like to change some of those out.  Also I'd like to plant a new tree in the backyard to give us a little privacy from the one neighbors yard we can see really well. Nope.  Have had no desire to go out in the heat.

- I finally have the bigger desk picked out that I want for the office.  It's from Home Decorators Collection (my favorite!). Hope to get it as soon as possible.Haven't decided what I'll do with the other desk yet.  I may put it in the family room.  Not yet.

- I would love new lighting fixtures in the house, throughout really.  But this year I hope to at least get a new dining chandelier.  Got a new dining chandelier.

- New fans.  My sister-in-law works for Emerson and can get some great ones for us for free.  I have 2 picked out and she designed both of them.  I just have to be patient if I want them for free because they are show room models. I haven't gotten the two I've wanted but I did get one that will go in our office.

- A lot of my other hopes have to do with wanting new decor throughout the house so I'll just sum it up by saying that.  Done a lot of this lately!  Pics to come.