Doors...Paint...Cabinets...Oh my!!

I have 3 big things to get to tonight, but no pictures. Sorry!!
1.) Velvet and I finished painting this week! That was a good job done! I will still have a few touch ups to do as I find them but the major painting is done. My closets still need painted but I can do them at a later time. I'm just relieved to get it done! It looks fantastic!
2.) This week I went on an adventure to get a couple new doors for my kitchen and my mudroom. I had heard about a discount place in Centerville and I decided to check it out...twice. The first time I went down there they didn't have what I needed and informed me that on the next truckload there would be something that I liked. So I went down there again this week...still nothing. So I ditched that place. I also heard about Allen's Outlet in Ottumwa. They are also a discount door, window, trim place. So I headed down to Ottumwa with high hopes. As I pull up to the front door of this HUGE warehouse I figured they have to have something that I like. I walk in, find help, go to the door section, and come up empty...again. So after 2 of my ideas being shot down, I just decided I would go to Menards and get my doors. Luckily, Menards has the doors I wanted but they are on a shelf 10 feet high. So my next mission was trying to find help. I bet I waited 45 mintues to get decent help. I would have to track down employees and when I got somebody's attention, they would pass me onto the next person. I bet I got passed on 3 times! I finally got the help and got checked out. It was quite the experience. After leaving, I now know why I decided to shop local for the HUGE majority of the things I need for my house. Yes, you may have to pay alittle bit more but when you buy local you are supporting your community and the people that helped you actually know you and seem to care more. When you meet these people on the steets; see them at ballgames; meetings; and other community activites, 99% of the time they will ask how your project turned out. I don't know about you, but that means alot to me! Especially when you are pouring so much heart and time into a project like I am. So there...that's my lecture for the day.
3.) I met with my new Amish cabinet maker yesterday. The one I had lined up turned out to be alittle bit of a weasel and passed my name on to Levi Yoder of Countryside Cabinets. I was kind of hesitant at first but after meeting and talking to Levi and looking at his samples, I'm glad I have a new builder. His work is absolutely amazing. The only bad things is that I won't be able to get Hickory cabinets so I am going with Ash. He had a sample Ash door that had it's natural finish and it looked gorgeous! So I think I will be super happy with it! Also, he told me that he could have them installed during the first week of May!! Exciting, huh??!!
Sorry about the book but there was just alot of things that went on this week! I also want to say thanks again to Velvet for the amazing paint help and to everybody that made the time to come and see the progress I have made. It means the world to me! Thanks again! You all have a great week and BEHAVE!!

Paint Paint Paint Paint Paint

Sooo....good news...Velvet and I almost have the upstairs painted. The only thing left to do is touch ups and some trim work. It looks better than I imagined! I couldn't have done it without her. She is awesome at trimming! I know I don't have the patience to do it. Thanks so much Velvet!!! I am very pleased with the paint selection I choose. My red is perfect and my tan goes great with the red and also my dark trim. If I was going to change something, I would have gone one shade darker on my tan. But I'm not complaining, it looks great!
So what's next you ask?? Well I'm going to start re-finishing all my wood trim that is around the doors and windows and also my baseboard. This is going to be a very slow process. After my woodwork, I will start on my wood floors. Again, another very slow process. But I know for a FACT that both are going to be worth the wait and the work when it's all done!
The pictures tonight aren't very eventful. I just want to show you the upstairs and I also decided to paint a couple walls in my upstairs bedrooms red just to kind of liven it up alittle bit.
I hope you all had a great week and remember...keep the shiney side up!

CODE RED!!

Some pretty neat stuff went on at the house this past week!! First, I want to thank Jer and Velvet Buckingham and my Mom for helping me paint this weekend. We managed to get the downstairs done. It looks terrific!! It's all coming together so nice!
Travis got my new front door in and new steps to my back porch built. The new door is 100 times better than my old one. Mainly because it opens and you don't have to wiggle the door knob and kick the bottom of it to get it to open. Another thing that I had Travis do was to put up some old barn boards on the header between my kitchen and the dining room. There used to be an old barn that set just south of the house and it was in pretty bad shape so we tore it down a few years ago. Luckily, Craig and Shirley managed to save some old boards from the outside and told me that I could use them if I had plans for them in the house. Well I had been thinking about this idea since they got my headers up...I wanted to take old barn boards and box the headers in to make it look kind of like an old beam. So Travis and Daryll did exactly what I wanted and made it look like an old beam. It took alot of measuring, cutting, more measuring, and more cutting to get them to fit. It looks incredible. I'm also going to do this to the header between my living room and dining room. So to keep going with this idea, I took an old board with red paint still on it and Allerton Lumber paint matched it and I got a gallon of paint that matches the old paint exactly. So to tie in my barn boards, I painted the walls that they are on my new red color. It all ties in beautifully. I have wanted a red wall from Day 1 and thought this would be perfect! These boards also go great with my tin. This is something I'm really excited about! Travis will hopefully be back this week to finish my other header.
I'm crossing my fingers but I'm hoping I can get the upstairs painted this week and then all my first coats will be on. I will be doing a 2nd coat in the mudroom, kitchen, and bathroom. I am also going to be getting ahold of my cabinet maker and letting him know that he can come and measure for cabinets anytime! I still have a boatload of work to do after painting! I will be re-finishing my woodwork and also my wood floors. That will take DAYS and DAYS!!
But all in all, it's coming together better than I had ever imagined. Enjoy the pictures and everybody have a fantastic week!!

Rinny Tin Tin

I've been waiting for this day since I got this idea clear back in October...

Hello, Yellow!!

The house is looking pretty amazing!! I had some help on Saturday and Sunday to get the kitchen, mudroom, and bathroom painted. Thanks so much to Lee Peck, Heather Hitt, and my Mama!! It's amazing how much can get done with alittle bit of help. For my kitchen, mudroom, and bathroom I picked out "Pineapple Delight" by Valspar. The Allerton Lumber Yard has a huge selection of paint and that's where I decided to get all my paint and primer from. I have learned, however, that priming is probably the most BORING job in the world and that I HATE priming and painting ceilings! But I know that it has to be done and that it's going to look spectacular!
I will include a couple of pictures of the kitchen, bathroom, and dining room. I am really happy with the shade of yellow I picked. It's a really soft yellow and it looks good in all types of light.
Travis will be back tomorrow and will get my tin hung in the mudroom and ceiling. This is probably the thing that I'm most excited about. I will update again after it is hung so you guys aren't missing out.
Enjoy the pictures and everybody have a great week!!