This Full House Archive

Tag: #NaBloPoMo 2011

  • Bathroom/Library Redo, Done, For Real (I Think!)

    So, remember how I decided to redo the bathroom/library a few days before hosting a houseful on Thanksgiving?

    Aaaaand, then I was just sitting there, minding my own business and preparing a mental list of things to forget….GASP!!!!

    Bathroom Before 5
    When I realized that, after taking the poor beat up old pantry (up there) out to the garage….I mean….storage area….there was absolutely nothing to lean on while, you know, thinking.

    Then, my husband Garth (NHRN) had a brilliant idea.

    "Why don't you just take the door off and put those basket thingies in it?!?"

    [blink, blink, blink]

    BRILLIANT!!! 

    So, on Thanksgiving Eve, I repainted it (pistachio) then sponged it (golden rod) for good measure.  Now we have a place to lean on AND store our unmentionables and stuff.

    Although, someone swiped my brand new magazines and cut 'em all up to make a collage for a last-minute art project [cough-cough-Holly-cough-cough] DAGNABIT!

    So, I "borrowed" two baskets from someone's cubby (thanks, Holls!) because, parenting IS all about give and take, you know?

    NOW…I feel content in officially calling the bathroom/library redo…done (I think!) and you're welcome.

    © 2003 – 2011 This Full House

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

      Feed me, see more!

  • #NaBloPoMo Day 28:
    Old Country Fiddle

    Todays Prompt:  describe an heirloom that has been passed down through generations of your family. What is its significance to you personally?

    Old World Violin

    This is my grandfather's fiddle.  Although, my father doesn't remember his father ever playing it (then again, my dad escaped Hungary when he was 19) as the family genealogist, he passed it on to me.

    Violins play a prominent role in Hungarian folks songs — especially, gypsy music. 

    One of my favorite childhood memories is going to see Gypsy Joe and his orchestra play at the Hungarian Club and dancing the Csardas (ch-ahhr-dahh-sh) with my grandmother, on New Year's Eve.

    Although, the appraiser didn't seem very impressed by the fact the stick is fashioned with real horse hair (or wild hog, I forget) considering all the miles this fiddle has traveled and the stories behind the hands that lived its music, in my eyes, it is a true treasure.

     

    Aaaaand, I like to imagine my grandfather, playing it, just like this and (at about 2 minutes, 30 seconds in) start twirling like it was 1974, all over again, because violins do that to me. 

    I guess it's in my blood, you know?  Hoop-pah!!!

    © 2003 – 2011 This Full House

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

      Feed me, see more!

  • The Big-ish Reveal

    12 cups of coffee, 6 trips to Home Depot and way too many potty stops I'd care to mention, at the moment (you're welcome!)

    Bathroom Before CollageBefore:  last Thursday, when the wallpaper fell on my head and I vowed, before the bathroom gods and my neighbors, "NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!"

    Having spent most of Friday, Saturday and today working on it, I am proud to confirm that my spontaneous bathroom makeover is indeed FINISHED. ON BUDGET.  AAAAND, ON SCHEDULE.

    Wanna see?  To quote my friend Busy Mom, it's time to "move that bus!"

    (more…)

  • Under the Wire (Alternate Title: Nearly Forgot to #NaBloPoMo)

    Well, my spontaneous bathroom makeover is finished (mostly) and I keep suprising the heck out of myself, by achieving a whole new level of tired, from when I first started this project 3 days ago.

    Bathroom Redo Sneak Peek
    This morning, I posted a sneak peek on Facebook.  The color is actually a lot less yellow in person and looks more like lightly toasted, um, toast.

    Here's the really cool part:  being pressed for time, I came up with a way to cover up all the imperfections (i.e. wallpapering over sheetrock is NOT a good idea) I texturized (yes, it's a word!) the wall to make it look like stone.

    In fact, my husband Garth (NHRN) was SO impressed (okay, more like shocked) that he treated me to a new light fixture.

    BONUS!

    Quite frankly, I am very proud of myself.  Not only did I actually finish a home project (for once) it looks REAL gosh-darned good, too.

    Also, I'm considering submitting my name to the Guinness Book of World Records for person with the most paint stuck, in places a person shouldn't have paint stuck.

    Slightly related:  My youngest daughter has a friend sleeping over tonight who, during dinner, seemed a bit alarmed at the amount of paint still splattered on the back of my hands.

    "Is it going to stay like that forever?!?"

    Yes, I will be forever classic taupe.

    "I'll just connect the dots and tell people it's a Henna tattoo."

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    BURRRRRRRRP!

    "Good one, Mom."

    Parenting Tip #29,188,299:  When all else fails, burp REAL LOUD!

    What?!?  Pictures?!?  Oh, yeah, I'm going to post the AFTER pictures tomorrow, when Garth (NHRN) promised to mount my prettiful new light fixture.

    Heaven knows I could do with some more blog fodder:  stupid #NaBloPoMo!

    Until then, I remain forever yours,

    I.M. Tired

    P.S. I said mount (HAH!)

    [Progress Report:  having nearly painted myself into a coronary on Friday (stupid #NaBloPoMo) it's the big-ish reveal!!]

    © 2003 – 2011 This Full House

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

      Feed me, see more!

  • Painting Myself Into a Coronary

    Yesterday, I spontaneously started de-constructing our bathroom and, even though we've used other people's half-bathrooms that were WAY BIGGER (hrmph) when it comes to prepping walls for paint, size does NOT matter.

    Every part of my body, even the parts that I forgot I even had, hurts.

    About halfway through I was all, like, what was I thinking?!?  I should of used a little Elmer's glue, some duct tape, perhaps sprinkled a little holy water and called it a day. 

    Showerhead (I think!)

    Look, it's Frankenshower!

    Playing with painter's tape, however, IS AWESOME!!!   In fact, I may or may not have been a little overzealous with taping the shower.

    Bathroom Primed 2

    3 cups of coffee, 2 coats of primer (ceiling and walls, each) and 4 trips to the OTHER bathroom later, I've spent a total of 8 hours on this last minute project and was totally excited about being "this close" to being finished.

    Bathroom Primed

    Until, all those little imperfections previously ignored (ahem) started bleeding through.

    I have until this weekend to get this finished and seeing as I've pretty much painted myself into a corner (bah-dum-bum) a 3rd trip to Home Depot (today) and I'm pretty sure I've come up with a solution.

    Tomorrow, we paint (and by we, I mean me) and, hopefully, I'll be able to show you the results in a lovely side-by-side, before-and-after shot, with my next post.

    Only if it, you know, comes out good, of course.

    In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs, avoiding HGTV, the DYI Channel and fending off a coronary.

    Stupid old house, dumbass wallpaper.

    [Progress Report:  coming just under the wire, late Saturday night (stupid #NaBloPoMo) my spontaneous bathroom makeover is complete!!]

    © 2003 – 2011 This Full House

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

      Feed me, see more!

  • NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!!!

    So, there I was, just sitting, reading the latest issue of Cottage Living and minding my own (ahem) business, when, all of the sudden, RRRRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPP.

    Bathroom Before 1

    Aaaaaand, at about 10:30 this morning, something snapped and I went all Mommy Dearest, right there, in the middle of, well, you know.

    Really?!?  As if the crumpling ceiling and leaky walls in the living room, not to mention the mysterious black hole, forming on the ceiling above the washer and dryer, as we speak, weren't enough (stupid Irene) then again, who the heck wallpapers a bathroom, right?!?

    Riiiiiiight.

    Facebook Capture

    Bathroom Before 2

    4 hours, 2 cups of coffee and 3 trips to the OTHER bathroom, later.

    Bathroom Before 5

    A good day's work, eh?  Tomorrow, we prime (and by we, I mean me) and I hope to be able to wrap up my extreme bathroom makeover by this weekend.

    Why, yes, of course I remember that Thanksgiving is only, like, 7 sleeps away.  Because, we're hosting an intimate dinner for 12 (so far) and, although the rest of the house maybe a shambles (stupid Irene) the bathroom/library is going to look mah-vuh-luss, dagnabit.

    Oh and NO MORE WALLPAPER, EVUH!!!

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go and find Garth (NHRN) because, I seem to have lost my ass somewhere in between the hallway and dinner.

    Stupid wallpaper, dumbass Irene.

    [Progress Report:  having nearly painted myself into a coronary on Friday and then coming under the wire, late Saturday night (stupid #NaBloPoMo) my spontaneous bathroom makeover is complete!!]

    © 2003 – 2011 This Full House

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, this month (first time NaBloPoMo-er) feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

      Feed me, see more!