Avenida Progress

While things are wildly unpredictable in our household lately, it's nice to know (and see) progress is being made on our new house. Sanity is a distant light slowly growing bigger and brighter. Though, I emphasize s l o w l y.

This will pick up sooner than I can imagine, at least that is my bet. Seeing as I have never built a house before, this is just my best guess.

Here is our progress thus far:

Lost cleared and leveled

Foundation lined

Trenched for plumbing

Plumbing! Pipes are visible! 

Crazy as it sounds, these pipes are the first thing put in (beside the already-there dirt) and they are so exciting!

I will be so happy when there is an actual foundation! So go away for a bit, rain. My house needs a floor!

Oh, and just for fun, I took a picture of a spec house in another neighborhood that is the same layout as our house; I then photoshopped in our bay window and our cedar garage door design and added corbels. It is not our brick, stone, paint, or stain, but you get a good idea of what our house will look like. I tend to look at this picture almost everyday.

My computer transformation

Final computer rendering (again, not our brick, stone, etc.) SO PRETTY

In mean time, we are getting our current house ready to list. I am trying very hard to keep things looking as new and clean as possible...very difficult with our 6 month old husky pup. Did I mention sanity being a tiny glimpse of hope far away? 

Life is stressful to say the least, but knowing that I will be in my dream house in a matter of months helps me push forward. Do I have another choice? No, not really. But I could be crying a lot, and I'm not. ;)

Hopefully no more illness, no more dog destruction, and hopefully soon, a quick and flexible buyer. Not too much to ask for, right?

M.LEWIS

Avenida Foundation

Foundation framing!

Designing the Avenida House

Building a house is a long process, but we have completed a pretty big step. The design center, also known as "my happy place," was a 3 week process, but we completed it today!

Major expenses were the wood floors, stone fireplace, blinds throughout, and upgraded carpet. All worth it, especially the wood floors...I am so tired of cleaning carpet in the main living areas.

We went with standard appliances, lighting, and most hardware. Honestly, although they are standard, they are really nice, so I am pleased with the standard options. These include granite countertops, stainless steel kitchen appliances, wrought iron/wood stairs, and brushed nickel lighting.

But enough talk, let's see some pictures! First, to refresh your memory, the exterior of the house.

Upgraded elevation with stone, cedar shutters, and a cedar garage. Front bay window is completely unique to our house to fit correctly on the property. No complaining here!

brick

close up on the stone, level 3 stone that is

exterior trim color, cedar stain color, and stone

  

Ok, now for our more recent choices:

Front door (close enough, I googled the name of the style) Craftsman 8' with 6 panel window and shelf (our stain not pictured)

Wood flooring in main downstairs (kitchen, dining room, breakfast nook, family room)

Trim color (also cabinet color) and wall/ceiling color

In the kitchen:

kitchen faucet

granite counter tops with our flooring and cabinet color, "Swiss coffee." Very fitting.

Not the best picture for the color, but more the style of cabinets

Another picture of the granite and the backsplash tile- subway style (3x6), "greige" laid off-set; light grout. 

Potential hardware for kitchen...will decide with the builder

Bedrooms:

Upgraded carpet

carpet color with trim color and then wall color

Master bathroom:

upgraded tile that holds the "greige" colors I love, with similar colored grout

This will be laid on the floor, shower backsplash, and tub area. We will have the "swiss coffee" cabinets, chrome/brushed nickel faucets and hardware, and white cultured marble countertops.

The other bathrooms (and utility room):

upgraded beige tile for the flooring, 13x13 with similar colored grout

Other tile in bathrooms (shower backsplash) will be standard white square tile and matching grout. These will also have similar countertops and faucets/hardware as master.

The stair railings are wrought iron and wood, the stone fireplace will match our exterior stone along with a rustic mantel (with corbels!), matching wood stains through out. Man, I loved picking out everything.

I wish I could share what everything will look like, but I took pictures of only the non-standard items. Even then, the colors don't really ring true to what they look like in person. You will just have to check back on the progress on our house-building adventure! ;)

Thank you Lord for blessing our family with such a wonderful gift.

M.LEWIS

The 1960's School Desk Project

Around Christmas time I got my hands on a 1960's school desk, graciously given to me by one of Chris' cousins. I have had it sitting in the school room at our house since then. Today I finished my project of cleaning it up, and spiffing it up.

Not the exact desk; mine was in better condition, but I didn't take a "before" picture, oops.

I painted the metal base with a hammered pewter spray paint, then sanded down the chair wood, staining it darker, then I stained the edges of the table, and finally made the tabletop a chalkboard.

All pretty

I wanted it to feel even older, more vintage, more rustic. The table top was a laminate, so there is no staining that, but I think the chalkboard top adds more dimension and functionality to this cute little guy.

Cost:

Desk - hand-me-down, $0

Spray paint - already in garage, $0

Stain - already in garage, $0

Chalkboard laminate top - already in crafts, $0

Total cost of desk makeover : FREE

Ah, my favorite number ;)

M.LEWIS

My Top 5 DIY Tips

Well, my mind is in full "stage mode," meaning staging the house for showings. I understand this might be a silly use of my time considering properties in Plano are in short supply and in high demand. Still, my mind constantly thinks of ways to make certain spaces prettier, cleaner, and more appealing. I then switch to "What do I already have? How little can I spend?"

I do have experience with this afterall; my whole house looks the way it does due my high expectations with design and my thrifty, DIY mindset.

So many people have graciously complemented me, my skills, and my house over the years, and while this is flattering, it is also uncomfortable for me. I do believe that anyone can do what I have done and get very similar results...but maybe they don't know where to start.

I have compiled my top 5 tips for aspiring do-it-yourself-er's, in hopes to inspire some projects, and create a place you love to live in.

1. Spray paint
It's uses are endless. Change outdated brass doorknobs to contemporary nickel or bronze. Paint that old light fixture to new beauty. Refinish furniture, chair cushions, outdoor playsets, candle holders, the sky is the limit, and the difference is amazing. For $6 a can, you can transform most anything to something trendy, new, and pretty.

entry light, looks so much better!

2. Contact paper
Yes, it lines your shelves and drawers, but it's so much more. Cover countertops, add detail to painted walls, change the look of something with ease. You can purchase it in wood grain, granite print, chalkboard or dry-erase finishes. For less than $10, you can update something with a simple peel-and-stick application...also, easy removal for touch-ups or change in style.

background shelving in pantry, simple strips makes a dramatic look

3. Polyurethane
This is a great finisher. It seals your stain job, paint job; it gives things strength and sheen. It's easy to use, and easy to clean up. It comes in small 8 oz cans, and large gallon sizes. Finish your projects with this and you will have a clean, professional-looking product that you will love.

combination of contact paper and poly here, great look, always loved this simple update

4. Caulk
Seems easy and simple, and it is, but the overall look makes a huge difference. Touch up countertop seams, fill in baseboard edges, sharpen doorway moldings, and seal your shower/tub. The clean, sharp line will stand out, and make things look surprisingly new. Some caulk even comes in small, self-squeeze tubes, meaning you can ditch the caulkgun...I hate caulkguns.

Not my picture, but the look speaks for itself

5. Grout paint
This is an amazing product. It's really a tinted sealant that you just paint on over your existing grout. Wipe a simple sweep and wipe down, you paint on the sealant over dry grout and let dry. No amount of scrubbing is worth it when you know this stuff is just $20 and can cover your entire kitchen/bathroom/entryway with plenty of paint to spare. The difference is dramatic, and lasting. I love this stuff.

Again, not my personal tile, but the change is amazing

There are more tips and tricks I have discovered over the past few years, but these 5 are my favorite, hands down. Start with these, and you will have amazing results. Yes, there is always the stand-bys like paint and wood stain, but these bonuses will complete your transformation. Anyone can do it, you just got to know where to start!


M.LEWIS

The Beginning of Our Journey Home

2015 is starting off with a bang. Chris and I signed a contract on February 1 to build a house! Somehow, all the stars aligned and we were able to find a builder in the area we wanted, within our budget, and who can have a move in date before fall!

Building a house was always our dream, but due to financial restraints, location, and lot sizes, we never thought it would be possible. We would walk into open houses in the area and be less than impressed. I tried to give myself a pep talk, trying to rally up some excitement and energy to not only move out, but move into a house that needed new paint, flooring, light fixtures, faucets, etc...you know, a lot of what I just got done doing to our current house. I was having a hard time getting excited about this, as you can understand.

We walked into model homes to gather info for the builder and we would instantly fall in love. I know, I know, that's the point of a model home. It's new, it's pretty, it's expensive...who wouldn't love it? But this transition from drab, old, "eh" houses, to new, pretty, custom, pricey houses made my heart ache. I felt I couldn't never have the experience of building my dream house, and that really bummed me out.

We then went back to a new, builder neighborhood we had visited before. We loved the area, the price point, and the builders, but one builder only had 2, not great lots left, and the other builder was out of office. Well, if one builder had only 2 small lots left, I assumed the other builder was in the same boat. My enthusiasm sank again. We learned their "phase 2" would start soon, I was encouraged. We then learned "soon" meant at least a year...down I fell again.
On a whim, I went back during the week to show my mom the area. I got info on the other builder and we went home. I was browsing through all the papers, and I found a neighborhood map of their available lots. Would you believe they had over 6 lots that would work for us?! My heart jumped with hope.
I scheduled a meeting with the builder representative and Chris and I talked with her about things further. We could build a 5 bdrm/4bthrm house on a premium lot (nice backyard!) within our budget! The tricky part? She could only sign 4 client contracts a month and she was signing her 4th later that day...but they did not want our lot, this is where things got good.
 Just a week away would be the start of a new month, and we could sign then. We set up a meeting with her when she opened on Feb.1 to claim our land and house. We learned later that others were trying to sneak in front of us before opening to steal our lot, but the rep wouldn't have it, and she said they were out of luck, that we were her first appt on the first day of new contracts. We signed the contract, we got our lot, we are building our dream house! (She even came down in price a bit!!)

Oh man. I am so excited!

Of course, there is the whole "put house on market and move out" thing we have to tackle, but that is a different post, for another time. Right now, we are thrilled to say the least! :D


M.LEWIS

The Blanket Ladder Project

I have always loved the idea of a ladder for extra blankets. It is practical, charmingly rustic, and easy to pull in and out depending on the season. I had been shopping around for them a bit online and was shocked on how much they cost.

I loved this one from Pottery Barn:

But it's base price is $179 and it is only available online, which means shipping and handling fees on top of the already bloated price.

I studied it more and decided not only could I make one, but I could alter the dimensions to better fit my needs. So...that's just what I did.

I thought I would need to go buy lumber, but I found 2 old spare fence slats in the garage, along with a random 8' square dowel.

I sanded down on the wood, cut angles to fit snug on the wall, and cut the dowel into 16" long "steps."

Glued and screwed pieces together and applied stain and sealant.

It fits nicely next to my end table and nesting baskets, plus it conceals that ugly outlet from kids, puppies, and my OCD eyes.

No big deal really, AND I got it done in half a day for FREE! Why did I wait so long to get a saw?! I love it, and the ladder is pretty awesome too. ;)

I'm telling you, DIY is the way to go!

M.LEWIS