The New Front

Here are a couple of shots of our new entry. We really like it. The steps are 14 inches deep and just easy to walk unlike before. The landing by the front door is seven feet wide. I've walked people out more in the last week than in the last five years when I would hang my head out the door and say goodbye. We've received so many compliments from our neighbors.

The new patio coming up.

Transformation

I only post the above picture so you notice the terrible window coverings, the too small rug and the red couch that my parents bought for me in 1994. The cute boys are just playing Wii. This picture was taken in September 2009 of our 'front room.'

I'm excited to announce that I think our 'front room' is almost complete...FINALLY. We have lived in our house about a month shy of five years. Hard to believe. Last November, we finally bought a nice couch for the 'front room.' It really is the front room of our house. We don't have a foyer. When you walk in the front door, you are in this room. The kids watch TV in here and Alex plays Legos and Wii in here. They eat snacks in here. This room is used a lot!
In January, we had all the windows replaced and trim put around the windows. We even had two windows removed and now have a whole wall in the front room. Sounds strange, but there wasn't a single full wall in the room. Now there is and it is wonderful.
Late spring I found a rug with red in it. Red is my favorite color and I want to accent the room with reds. My awesome "H" find goes along with the red idea.
Recently, I got wood blinds for the windows and am so pleased with how they look. And, we moved the giant armoire that has stored games and toys, took the doors off and are using it for the TV. There is a little work left to be done on the armoire, but overall it is great!
And, just last week, my $8 craigslist ottoman find was back from the upholsterer in a great red leather. Here are a couple of views of the room.
For 4+ years, I despised this room. From the day we made an offer on this house, I wondered how we would use this approximately 400 square feet of our home. Now, I go in there & sit and hang out, and it just makes me really happy.

It's Cold Outside and warm in our house!

This little girl was my cookie making helper this afternoon.

It's cold outside, but we wouldn't know that inside. Our new windows have changed our world. No more running from cover to cover or needing a fire in the fireplace, we are comfy just walking around.

Tonight: Family movie night, James and the Giant Peach. It was a little scary. Campbell left the room, but Conleigh & Alex shared a chair with me and we made it through.

Holding Pattern

No work was done on our house today. Wednesday the plan is to paint. Then the vanities will be all that is left on the project. I've got spring cleaning fever and organzation on the brain. I have to keep reminding myself that it always gets messier before it is better because it doesn't look like I'm trying to clean and organize.

The shelf that had been on this wall of the family room is gone (yay), and I'm going to make it a wall of family pictures. Hopefully I can get my rear in gear and make that happen during this week.

Progress

Our laundry room feels so much bigger all of the sudden. Today our washer & dryer became a stacked unit and a cabinet that had been in a corner was removed. Wheels were added on the bottom, so we can store it in another part of the room and roll it out if it is too cramped. The new picture windows also went in today. It took them all day long. Getting the glass out was easy. I missed them lifting the big upper windows. They had to make a scaffolding run. The windows were too heavy and needed to go too high to just use a ladder.
Metal everywhere.
Cute kids on scaffolding.
Ahh. Success. The windows have a reflective tint and look terrific. Finishing touches tomorrow.

Destruction

The end of the windows that face the front walkway of our house: The mess it made on the front walk.
Progress. Awaiting sheetrock and paint. Then we'll have a whole wall in that room. Wow!
The end of the sliding glass doors in the back of the house.
Framing the former sliding doors to make way for three new windows.
Our family room is pretty dark this weekend. It rained all day Friday which was window day, so they boarded up the wall and we'll get new windows throughout the house on Monday! Yay!