Flashback Friday -- Almost a Year

It's true.  It's been almost a year since we moved here from St. Louis.  I still have the tendency to tell people that "oh, we just moved here!"  But the fact of the matter is that it's no longer accurate.  It was Memorial Day weekend of last year that we came out here for our house hunting trip and finalized the details of our move.  And I'm not gonna lie.  It's been hard. 

I wasn't expecting everything to be easy -- moving never is -- but I guess I wasn't expecting to have THIS difficult of a time transitioning.  I don't know what the deal is, because really -- I like to think of myself as the kind of person who is happy with WHEREVER they live.  You know.  "Bloom Where You're Planted," and all that jazz.  Because I have an overdeveloped sense of guilt anyway, I've spent most of the last 11 months feeling bad about not being truly happy with where we are.  And the guilt was made even worse by the fact that IT'S REALLY NICE HERE.  And EVERYONE is REALLY NICE, too.  For whatever reason, it's just taken me a really long time to start to feel like this is home.  Things are looking up, though, and I can't help but think it's because the weather is changing, too!  This winter was long, cold, and dreary -- and certainly didn't help my frame of mind.

Now that it's warming up and the sun is shining and enough time has gone by, I've been assessing where I'm at mentally with this "move" that happened almost a year ago, and I can honestly say that I'm feeling good.  Making friends always helps and ever since I decided to focus on the things that I really LOVE about living here {rather than dwelling on all the things I miss about St. Louis}, I think my attitude as improved ten-fold.  I'm excited about this summer and having the kids out of school and being able to explore more of our surroundings so that we can all enjoy life to the fullest. 

And as for right now, I have to say -- I'm starting to get the itch again to do some painting and sprucing up!  The biggest problem I have is the tendency to go big or go home.  I'm either doing a million things at once or nothing at all.  I am an extremist.  {Recognition is the first step in recovery, right?}   So what this means for our house is that when we first moved in, I worked like a madman -- painting almost every room, unpacking almost everything, getting almost everything settled in, etc.  But the keyword in all of those statement is almost.  We've gotten ALMOST everything done.  And all that was done was accomplished in the first couple of months we were here.  Fast forward almost one year later and we're STILL not done.  Maybe it's because that 1 year mark is coming up, or maybe it's because I'm beginning to think of this place as home, but whatever the reason I'm picking up some steam and I have a goal to be officially finished and settled in by June 28th of this year -- the one year anniversary of closing on this house.  I need to give myself a deadline, folks!  And if posting pictures of my progress on the blog will motivate me to actually do what needs to be done, then prepare yourselves for an onslaught of photographs.  Hahahaha.  Here for your viewing pleasure is the progress made so far.  {And really, we're SO close to done.  Like 90% there.}

Front of the House

 Before

 After

What we did: Painted the door, shutters, sidelights, and arches over the windows.

Front Hall

Before

 After

What still needs to be done: Painting the walls the same "Antique Bone" as the family room and dining room.

 Our gallery wall.

Dining Room

Before

After {A really old picture from Christmas time}

What we did: Replaced carpet with hardwood floors, painted the entire wainscoting a solid white, and changed the paint color on the top half to "Antique Bone."

{Another view}

Computer Room

Before

What still needs to be done: PAINTING.  There's no "After" picture because the only thing changed is that the carpet has been replaced with hardwood floors as well.  This room is almost always junked because the kids are always in here on the computer and there are even still moving boxes in here that have never been unpacked.  :(

Family Room

Before

After {Terrible shot, but I couldn't find any others in the photo library.}

What we did: Painted the walls with "Antique Bone" and painted over the tile on the fireplace.

What we still need to do:  Figure out the best way to arrange this room.  :(  The layout has been driving me crazy since we moved in.  It's an oddly shaped space with limited options for rearranging due to a set of stairs emptying into the room up there in the corner next to the mirror. 

Kitchen

 Before

 And not quite After.

What we still need to do:  PAINT.  I've tested a bunch of paint colors, but in the end I think I'm going to probably just go with "Antique Bone" and keep the whole main floor the same.  It will be easier when it comes time to sell again.

And just a bonus shot of the house rules that I tried to get the kids to help draft last Saturday.  Let's just say some got more into it than others.  

Master Bedroom

 Before -- Don't even get me started on those walls.

 After

What we did:  PAINTED.  Thank goodness.  I couldn't get a restful night's sleep until those walls were neutralized!  Haha.  

What we still need to do: Continue to figure out placement of things and find some new nightstands.  And just clean it up every now and then.

Another bonus shot!  Scott is working from home today and I have successfully bothered him a couple hundred times already.

Ethan's Room

 Before

 After

What we did: PAINTED.  

What we still need to do:  Finish putting up some shelves over the dresser, rearrange things, and possibly get rid of his bunk beds for good.

Grace's Room

Before

After

What we did: PAINTED

{Another View}

Sophie-and-Jane's Room

Before

After 

{TERRIBLE shot, but I can't find any other pictures anywhere.  And if I were to go and take another one right now, you'd see an even BIGGER mess than this one!}

What we did: painted the walls and put up that tree decal that I got at IKEA.

And that is that.  Or at least that's all I've got for you for now.  Not pictured are bathrooms, the laundry room, the TV room, and Alex's room.  The TV room, laundry room, and main floor bathroom have all been painted "Antique Bone" as well, but everything else is still on the to-do list!  Wish me luck.  :)