House Goals for 2011

I have been on this "decorate my house," kick for about a month in a half. I'm scheming and planning to have it all done and ready so we can move on to more important things, like planting grass this spring. Well..... I know that is an unrealistic goal. I for one, being a woman who likes to change her mind about these things, will never be done with something like decorating.

Maybe I should word it as this...

 I want my house to function for my family and our needs, and look pretty while being useful.

There.... that is my definition for decorating.

The Nester posted last week goals for her home for 2011  and encouraged her readers to do the same. I thought this was ingenious because I have so many goals that maybe if I write them down I will be able to accomplish or at least remember what they were. Also, you all can serve as my accountability partner in this and comment me things like, hey Abby, did you get...blah, blah, blah done yet? So will you do that?

I work well under guilt and pressure, but mostly guilt. (:

As I've stated before we have lived in this house for 18 months and being our 3rd and Lord willing final home. I have decided that it takes me about that long to figure out where everything needs to be to function for my family. I am still, as of last week, re-arranging my kitchen drawers and cupboards to work with me, in unity. Oh, I *heart* my kitchen! (sigh)

Here are a few of my goals for this year:

1. Trim the entire house. ( we have "not-ta" trim in this house except for the bathroom doors) This is what happens when you build a house yourself, you save these little projects for 18 months later. (:

2. Kitchen: Set it up to function for me,  put some prettys' out on the counters.

3. Living Room: Hem the curtain panels already Abby! Find two matching book shelves. 

4. Laundry/Mudroom Room: Paint the bench and shoe cupboard. (sorry Dad, it's gonna be white).

5.  Master bedroom: Closet rods for hanging clothes a must! Paint furniture, hem and hang drapes. Find a king size four-poster bed. (anyone willing to sell one?)

6. Landing: Build a chalkboard, put something up for the girls to hang their artwork. Something architectural on the wall, something modern, but industrial with a hint of "prairie"? Thinking on that one, and please.. no wagon wheels.

7. Family Room: DECORATE! It is a hole right now, my husband doesn't even like to go down there.

8. Guest Bedroom/Craft Room/Office: Make Lillie's room a multi use room.

9. Hallie's Room: Move Hallie into her own room, move Sophie and Lillie together.

Whew that looks like a long list. I have got my work cut out for me. Here is some photos of my looooong to-do list:

Surgeon General Warning: Please be advised I actually live in this house...I've had people comment that my home looks like it is always clean and it is a magazine house....hmmmm with three small children I think these pictures will speak otherwise. Thanks for the flattering words though peeps.


1. Kitchen, this is what mine looks like most of the time.



Baby in the high chair, cups out, computer on the counter with a recipe pulled up.



Again, here is Prairie Mama's kitchen, always doing dishes, cooking and feeding littles.


So my dilemmas; clean the clutter, make it pretty, put crown moulding up on the cupboards, install pull handles on the drawers....

 

My hardware-less drawers.

 

Again, need hardware on the island....oh, by the way I've had the handles since we moved in.

Fix this clutter corner, something is needed to hang our aprons

Living Room:

Our Christmas tree was in the corner this year, so I moved both of the striped chairs out to right side. After I took down the tree, I realized I liked the chairs there and wanted book shelves to take up the empty space. Again, does anyone want to get rid of or sell some? I'm scouring craigslist, the classifieds and second hand shops for a couple. I am now kicking myself for not taking the ones my Mother-in-law asked me about last year. Lesson learned, never turn down storage pieces. Sorry, My Beloveds' Mama! I should have listened.

Laundry/Mudroom Room:

 This is actually a picture from this fall, we do have coat hooks now.

Need to paint the bench and cupboard. By the way my dad built that cupboard in 1993, it says so on the side. *smile*

Landing: 

This is the view down onto the landing. I want it to be an art center of sorts for the girls.

 I also want a clothesline for the girls artwork on the right wall. I've had one for a year and have not put it up yet. *frown*

Master Bedroom:

Oh yes,  you are seeing my master bedroom. I have no shame....

As you can see I need my curtains hung, which are under the bed and have been again, since we moved in. Oh, in case you didn't know...... I found out I was pregnant the week after we closed on our house. Awwwww, all the mothers out there nod in understanding. Thank you!

 This dresser is ugly, but very functional. I hate getting rid of something just because it is ugly. It will be repainted and given a new life with different hardware. 

Can I get an AMEN!

The man that resides in this room thinks we need a flat screen in here, OK maybe that too. One can dream, right?

So that is what I'm willing to show you as of right now. I have so much more but I can post that at another time. So.... now that I have shown you my stuff.

You tell me, what are your home plans or goals this year?

Blessings,