Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Listy McListerson (Updated)

Psst- For everyone asking what we did for Easter and what Clara found in her basket – check out those details here on Young House Life.

Brace yourself. This post is full of a whole lotta words. So feel free to skim. Or read this in one sentence intervals over the next two years. Haha. This actually came about when people asked how we organize all the stuff we have on our to-do list. We explained that we basically just have one long run-on document, and when folks kept asking us to share it (and update it as we went along), it sounded like our idea of a good time. So it’s high time that we actually updated it (you first saw it here and it has somehow been ten whole months since we revisited it to cross things off). And of course, because you wanted more words (right???) we added a little percentage thing at the end to evaluate how finished each room/space is (we have a few 70%+ guys and a few 0% ones too, haha). So pardon the kind of insane length, this really is just the doc that we use to remember what’s on the agenda and choose what to tackle next!

To Do List

Oh and as for how we keep things straight, we just circle the small things that we want to tackle right away, cross things off as we go, and make a separate section for long-term projects and bigger furnishings that that we want to save for and tackle when we finally have the funds (and are feeling more sure about our approach so there’s no shoulda-woulda-coulda going on later). Looking at those long term things from time to time keeps us excited to squirrel away as much loot as we can to make them a reality down the road. And seeing all the crossed off smaller items reminds us that bite-sized undertakings can really keep you motivated and excited to tweak your house one day at a time. So our method is to basically just write everything down and take on things that are doable and not too intimidating (or expensive) while we save up for the bigger projects/stuff.

That explains why it took us nearly a year to start the kitchen redo. And as for priorities, we generally just do whatever we’re in the mood for (barring anything that needs to be moved to the top of the list for safety or other extreme-urgency reasons). Anyway, here’s the ol’ list now that it’s full of our most recently completed updates (crossed off in red) and newly added projects (also in red):

To Do (But Not All At Once…):

  • Find fun saturated/patterned fabric and DIY some curtains (using this no-sew method and this sewing method) for the living room, future dining room, office, playroom, bedroom, hall sliders, guest room, etc.
  • Paint the living room, the dining room, the office, the big hallway, the small hallway, the en-suite bathroom, the guest bedroom, the playroom, the nursery, the sunroom, the hall bathroom, the guest bathroom, and the main bedroom (this is one of those slowly over time tasks- we’re thinking about tones seen here in this whole-house color scheme post of yore)
  • Stencil the office walls
  • Paint all the dark wood trim (beams, baseboard, crown) in the living room <–in a moment of oh-why-not we gray-washed the beams and love how they balance out the big gray sectional and avoid white overload since we hung a ton of white frames on the wall above the sofa
  • Remove unnecessary bi-fold doors
  • Frost the side door that looks in on the kitchen
  • Remove the shelves next to the fireplace in the living room
  • Prime and paint the paneling in the kitchen
  • Redo the kitchen backsplash (check out overstock.com for tile along with clearance stuff from local vendors)
  • Get all new kitchen hardware (check out local places, online stuff, and big box stores for a deal)
  • Prime and paint the oak cabinets in the kitchen
  • Finally refinish and reupholster the craigslist rocker that we got a while back
  • Hang mirror(s) in the office for dry erase message board(s) to keep posts & projects straight
  • Replace a ton of light fixtures (too many to list) <– we replaced the one in the main bedroom, the nursery, redid the chandelier in the office and added a shade, and added recessed lights & pendants to the kitchen.
  • Remove all the door handles, hinges, and doorknobs in the house and refinish them in oil-rubbed bronze <— completed the exterior sliders and front door but no interior doors yet
  • Frame out the mirror in the hall bathroom
  • Paint the vanity in the hall bathroom
  • Hang a thick drapey curtain in front of our walk-in closet
  • Organize our closet and dresser (and stop piling pjs and underwear on the floor of the closet)
  • Wallpaper or stencil the sink nook in the main bedroom <–we painted it the same color as the bedroom to help it blend in for now
  • Frost or add curtains to the window in the bathroom
  • Turn the area between the addition and the old house with the sliders leading out onto it into a sweet outdoor cutting garden slash alfresco dining room with a nice big deck (it’s near the kitchen, and it seems to get enough light for potted herbs) <– we’re chomping at the bit to start this – just have to do some research, draw plans, and get a permit
  • Make built-ins around the washer and dryer to create mini mudroom function
  • Paint the front door
  • Remove the most awkward mirror in the history of the world (the one on the back of the guest bathroom door that reflects the full body of the person on the toilet)
  • Spray paint or stain the legs of the sectional so they’re not so pale and dorky<– we used oil-rubbed bronze spray paint for a subtle metallic effect
  • Frame out the porch columns so they’re chunky and square instead of ornate and curvy
  • Paint the porch/rest of house’s siding a moody gray color (and the cream trim a nice crisp white)
  • Stain the concrete porch floor to gussy it up
  • Plant evergreen trees around the perimeter of the property for more privacy from the side, back, and even part of the front (waiting for them to “fill in” will be the hardest part, but getting smaller plants will save us money so we’ll hopefully have patience)
  • Pump up the curb appeal with more landscaping upgrades (curved garden beds, plantings along the bare spots of the house, more hydrangeas around the patio, etc)
  • Limb up the magnolia in the front that blocks the entire house
  • “Wallpaper” the big hallway (off of the kitchen, living room, and entryway) with mixed and matched white frames
  • Accidentally kill our beloved ceramic dog by dropping a frame on his head <–every list needs some comic relief, and John got ‘er done
  • Paint the back of the future dining room built-ins something fun and bright
  • Add new hardware to the bottom cabinets of the built-ins
  • Replace the medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom with a charming mirror
  • Remove the annoying off-centered towel bar below the window in the hall bathroom and frame out the base of the window to hide the damage
  • Hang a giant grid of ribba frames above the sectional in the living room and figure out a cheap art solution
  • Hang a ceiling medallion in Clara’s nursery to cover the cracks
  • Update and paint the vanity in the main bathroom <– oops, we still haven’t updated and painted the base, but we removed the chunky granite lip around the backsplash and hung our quatrefoil mirror and painted the walls, so that’s a start
  • Paint the dark brick fireplace in the kitchen
  • Add crown molding to the guest room, the playroom, and the nursery
  • Wallpaper something (we’re down with some fun tone on tone pattern – maybe in the hall bathroom or the playroom)
  • Chalkboard paint something. It’s too much fun to deny the bean.
  • Stencil the inside of Clara’s closet and her ceiling- just for some subtle fun
  • DIY a sandbox/baby pool for Clara
  • Add some fun organizational stuff to the laundry room wall near the door (a hook for dog leashes, storage for shoes, a place for the ironing board, a calendar on the wall?)
  • Make or buy or refurbish a long bench for the foot of the bed (ours is too small and a bit darker than we’d like)
  • Get a vintage hanging chair (from a thrift store or craigslist?) for the sunroom
  • Hang a ton of lanterns or paper pendants from the sunroom ceiling
  • Build a more formal looking compost bin (right now we use the same large tupperware method we used in the last house)
  • Spray paint our rain barrel to help it blend in (and plant stuff in front of it)
  • Create some raised beds for an edible herb, veggie, and fruit garden
  • Make a beanbag for Clara’s room (her closet’s big enough for a little reading nook)
  • Frame out our mirrored bathroom door for a more polished look
  • Get some string lights outside on the patio and over the future deck
  • Hang a swing from a tree out back
  • Retrofit our daybed in the playroom so that a trundle can be pulled out beneath it (so it can sleep two people instead of one in a pinch- good for kid sleepovers I think)
  • Build a play kitchen for Clara
  • Build a dollhouse for Clara
  • Paint a giant canvas or two to add color to the walls of some of our undone rooms (the dining room, the office, the playroom, etc)
  • Hunt down some thrift store or craigslist bedside tables for our bedroom (drawers for some hidden storage please!)
  • Recover or replace the leather parsons chair in the corner of our living room (at the white desk)
  • Add patio lighting (large clear glass bulb lights and maybe even path lights too?)
  • Add a clothesline somewhere (nothing beats that fresh smell)

These Are More Long-Term Projects:

  • Create a 300 square foot paver patio on the side of the house <— Woo to the hoo. It’s dizone.
  • Refinish the various wood floors throughout the house (the same shade for a nice cohesive look- mocha? dark brown? ebony? charcoal?)
  • Turn the fireplace in the kitchen into a double-sided fireplace that also opens up into the living room (call the mason who helped open the doorway in our old house just to make sure it’s possible and get an estimate)
  • Create a huge doorway between the kitchen and the future dining room that lines up with the large picture window in the future dining room
  • Build a peninsula to create an eat-in area of the kitchen and add more storage
  • Convert the carport into a garage (and pick out a killer garage door to add some dimension and architecture to our flat little rancher)
  • Add french doors between the future dining room and the office (for privacy and tons of charm)
  • Replace the flooring in the kitchen and mudroom/laundry room with cork
  • Add a trellis arch around the new garage door so it’s all lush and pretty
  • Build a deck, hopefully with the help of John’s dad <— this is on the agenda for spring!
  • Build Clara a swingset
  • Change the roofline out front (add some peaks for dimension and to make it more cohesive with the house’s shape from the back)
  • DIY a pool someday (John thinks this idea is insane, mind you)
  • Build a sunken trampoline that’s flush to the ground (far away from our future pool, haha)
  • Eventually transition Clara into the playroom as her big girl room so the nursery can remain the nursery (a second kiddo is still a ways off for us though)

Furnishings To Slowly Save Up For:

  • A queen sized bed for our bedroom (so we don’t have to sleep on our mattress on the floor anymore)
  • A big charcoal gray u-shaped sectional for the living room (I’ve dreamed about having a big enough living space for a sectional for at least the past three years)
  • His and hers dressers for our bedroom that we can refinish (preferably super cheap on craigslist or from the thrift store) <–we decided we only needed one dresser since the walk-in closet has a bunch of shelves and cubbies, and happily inherited John’s parents’ old one
  • A loooong console to go between the back wall and the sectional <– we built our giant 12′ console table when we couldn’t find something that worked in stores or on craigslist
  • A larger TV stand/media center for the living room (ours is laughably dinky, but we’ll craigslist it and put the money toward something that’ll fit the space better- hopefully something thrifted or even something we can build ourselves) <– gotta get on this!
  • A giant rug to define the new seating area in the living room (8 x 10? 9 x 11?)
  • A giant rug for our bedroom (8 x 10? 9 x 11?)
  • Some kick-arse stools for the new peninsula in the kitchen once it’s there <–we got fun industrial stools from a school supply store
  • A giant round wooden pedestal table for the future dining room
  • Comfy chairs for the future dining table (preferably upholstered parsons chairs so they look library-ish and casual as opposed to hard and wood-heavy) <– got ‘em on Craigslist for $25 a pop
  • New shower curtains and bathroom towels and accessories for the hall bath and guest bathroom
  • New energy efficient appliances for the kitchen and the laundry room (we’re waiting for some killer deals and plan to check out craigslist and scratch & dent stuff).
  • A full sized bed frame, mattress, and box spring for the guest room
  • A big cabinet or console table for the hallway off of the kitchen (thrifted/craigslisted and refinished?) <– we just used the one we used to have in the entryway
  • A new console table for the entryway <– since ours is now in the hallway off of the kitchen
  • Two statement making chairs (preferably matching) for the office <– got those for $35 a chair at an antique shop, but still have to repaint and reupholster them
  • Patio furniture and outdoor planters & pillows, etc
  • A large leggy armoire or some sort of tall cabinet for the weird nook to the left of our bed (as you face it)
  • A large wooden (Restoration Hardware-esque) table for the future deck (maybe we’ll build it?)
  • A giant showstopping chandelier (hopefully something we can DIY) for over the dining table

General Room/Space Rundown And How Complete Each Area Is:

  • Front Yard: 15% complete (we painted the front door, limbed up the magnolia, removed the bushes that hid the house, and are working on garden beds and other areas, but we still have a lot of things to transplant/plant/trim/figure out)
  • Carport: 0% complete (we can’t wait to convert it into a garage once we’re more sure what we want with regard to windows/door/etc)
  • Living Room: 70% complete (we have most big things covered like painting, the sofa, a rug, the console we built, etc – but we have a lot of bare walls and still want to DIY/upcycle a bigger media cabinet and refinish the floors down the line)
  • Office: 75% complete (thanks to our built in desk, green chairs, stenciled walls, and the chair and file cabinet we have going on it’s really functional in there, but some of the walls are bare and we definitely need a rug and some window treatments – and we’d love to refinish the floors eventually)
  • Hall Bathroom: 5% complete (we hung the shower curtain higher and added some window trim for more balance (and to hide a demo hole) but that’s it. We definitely have a lot to do when it comes to painting, framing out the mirror, hanging art, etc)
  • Big Hallway: 90% complete (we’re so happy with our frame collage and the console table that lives in there, so we’re not planning anything major- although laying a fun patterned runner down on the floors that we hope to someday refinish would be fun)
  • Small Hallway: 0% complete (we want to add wainscoting, hang art, paint the walls, add crown molding, switch out the light, refinish the floors, etc)
  • Dining Room: 50% complete (we have the table and the built-ins pretty much worked out, but things like the entryway area that we want to add and a nice big light fixture for over the table are completely undone along with refinishing the floors)
  • Laundry Room: 90% complete (woot! this baby is the furthest along, maybe because it was only 3.5′ wide? haha)
  • Kitchen: 85% complete (we got a ton of big stuff checked off like a new floor and painted cabinets, but we still need to add some floor transitions, add trim to the back of the peninsula, add a message board or chalk board to the side of the pantry, and get two 4 x 6 area rugs that we love to soften things up – maybe from Dash & Albert?)
  • Playroom: 0% complete (it’s probably more like -50% complete since we have a ton of work just to get it back to 0% complete since it’s full of junk to be dealt with)
  • Clara’s Room: 80% complete (there are some walls we never hung stuff on, we want to add crown molding and refinish the floors, and we’re sure things will evolve more – and may completely change if we have a boy down the road and it becomes his nursery…)
  • Sunroom: 0% complete (like the playroom it should probably say -50% complete since there is so much stuff in there we need to clear out and then we can start doing things like painting, arranging furniture, hanging art, etc)
  • Our Bedroom: 35% complete (this room is still looking rough and we’re not sure about a lot of things- just waiting for inspiration to strike – which might involve repainting and rearranging furniture along with refinishing the floors)
  • Our Bathroom: 80% complete for now (oh happy day, we’re getting closer to completing our little update, but still have plans for a Phase 2 project when we want to do things like retile the floor)
  • Guest Bedroom: 60% complete (we painted, added some furniture – mostly leftover stuff that didn’t work in other rooms – but haven’t hung anything on the walls and we’d love to add crown molding and replace a few old furnishings over time, like our scratched old 6 year old malm dresser along with refinishing the floors)
  • Guest Bathroom: 5% complete (we switched out the mirror, put up a shower curtain and plopped down a bath mat – lots more to do!)
  • Basement Workshop: 0% complete (not only have we not touched it, it’s a total disaster with scrap wood and leftover stuff from the previous owners, so it needs some serious paring down and organization)
  • Side Lot: 2% complete (we want to naturalize it and make it sort of an orchard – now it’s just a weed-and-leaf-fest)
  • Deck: 2% complete (still working on research, then we have to draw plans and get a permit before we can start)
  • Patio: 60% complete (the patio itself is finished but the planting beds have a long way to go and we have big plans for a few undone corners)
  • Backyard: 0% complete (ack, we haven’t touched it – and it needs more than a little help)

Of course we’ll do a lot of this stuff over the course of the next few years (our first house took us 4.5 years to finish) so there’s no need to cry for us or anything. Haha. We’ve learned to enjoy the journey and just take things one day/project/victory at a time. And seriously, is there anything more fun than crossing things off? Well, making type red is pretty fun too. As for the method to our “project order,” we don’t really think there is one. We definitely jump around from room to room just to stay excited and not feel too regimented and “forced” into doing something that we might not want to deal with yet (or be in the mood for). After a big project (or a string of big projects) sometimes we’re happy to take a breather and tackle the little stuff for a while. And other times we’re psyched to keep our momentum up and start planning the next big project right away.

Psst- Check out this floor plan post which might make some of the major layout changes & renovations that we’ve listed above a bit more clear. And check out our Current House page to see a lot of the crossed off projects mentioned above.

Psssst- Adorable “I heart lists” stationery found here on Etsy.

Comments

  2. Michelle says

    Sherri – Have you thought about marking down the date when you complete something? My mom keeps telling me I have to do that, so we won’t forget. My mom is the ultimate queen of lists. She actually has one of how much she has spent on groceries every week since my parents got married in the 70’s!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      True! That I can do! Although these update posts give me a great idea about the year since anything in red is something we’ve accomplished recently (aka: that year). Yay!

      xo,
      s

  3. Laura says

    We totally do the same thing, except we created one in an Excel file, and maintain a price point criteria (low, med, high). Of course, my computer geek husband likes all the addred computing capabilities of doing it this way. Nerd.

    I say go for the pool. We have one and completely love it. Of course, you may not get anything else done all summer.

    Nerd wife,
    Laura

    Reply

  4. Tiffany says

    Thanx for sharing your list. I happen to love list!!! Also I received my Pier 1 catalog yesterday and I thought of you guys. I’m not sure of what your color scheme will be for your outdoor furnishings but Pier 1 current items totally remind me of your house. It’s a lot of blues, greens, teals, and yellows. You should check it out.

    Reply

  6. heather says

    Oh my gosh. And you said we always seem busy?! Ahhg haha. I love that this is so organized though. We have our big stuff and then once that’s done I think we’ll get into the smaller stuff though. The hubs is hopefully finishing up the barn this weekend, I’ll be tilling the garden and that’s about where my list stops. *Maybe* we’ll start the deck. Oh, wait, and day dream about my chickens/cattle/christmas trees. I may or may not have Storeys Chicken book in my bed for nighttime reading plus highlighter, and may or may not have ordered Grass-Fed Beef Cattle & Storeys Beef Cattle for some light reading.

    I’m having one of my “I’m tired of waiting for my farm” days haha. Just. Want. Cattle.

    Reply

    • heather says

      Haha you might be waiting a while, but at least we have the beef cattle farm next door, and the hayfield in our back yard. The neighbor just told me he got a cattle chute which I am ridiculously excited to go see and I helped convince him to calve again next spring. EEK. He had about 30 head when we moved in and now it’s down to 10. I’m pretty much trying to let him let me take it over hah.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, I try to do that too for work stuff (meaning posts to write, pics to size, giveaway folks to email, etc) but I’m so bad at judging what I can do in a day! My to do list for one day usually takes 3-4 days to do! Fail.

      xo,
      s

  11. Sherry from BC says

    You guys are amazing. I am on a few days off from work tacked on to the Easter Long weekend and haven’t really accomplished much. I do want to redo my to do list and refocus. I find it very difficult to get things done cause I am often wiped from work and my fun time with my grandchildren comes first and gettin’ it done takes forever. I have asked for help from my sister a couple of times as it is easier to get stuff accomplished with help. I do try to do small things a couple of times a week. Lists do help though. The feeling of achievement when you cross something off is amazing. Can’t wait till your book comes out.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Sherry! It totally goes faster with a person or two to help! We have hard of folks having painting parties and providing drinks and pizza in return for help painting- isn’t that funny?

      xo,
      s

  12. Ariel says

    Hey guys, do you have a game plan for how you ORB your interior hardware? I stare at my polished nickel every day and desperately want to spray paint it ORB but I’m afraid it’ll chip and I’ll regret it…would love to know if you have any tips or methods that you plan on using.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Here’s a post about that (the exterior stuff we did still looks mint) – I would rough things up with high high high grit paper just to get the spray to stay on even better, but this method definitely worked for us thus far!

      xo,
      s

  13. samantha says

    There are ads showing up in your post feeds now. Not sure if you know this or not as they’re not attractive almost bordering on tacky.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the heads up Samantha! We’ve had a Google ad on the very bottom of each feed post for the last few years (I’m assuming you mean YHL posts that you read on an aggregate site like Google Reader, right?). I wonder if Google is just running some especially cheesy campaigns that are grabbing your attention now? Different ads show up for everyone – what we see isn’t what you see – so sometimes they’re actually targeted (ex: you search for dog food and then your google ads are geared towards dogs, etc). Maybe that explains it? Hope they get better soon! Mine are for ZGallerie and Amazon.com right now. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  14. Kimberly says

    When you are ready to tackle your raised bed garden, definitely checkout the book All New Square Foot Gardening. It is THE raised bed book! We are using it as we graduate from an herb container garden to a full fledged raised bed veggie garden and we are loving it! Especially the guidance it provides on how to get the perfect soil/compost mix.

    Reply

  15. Mandy W says

    I, too, am a crazy list maker! Have been since I was a child. I think it’s a sickness. And it was getting completely out of hand with things to do in our 45 year old house we bought last year. Little lists all over the place, emails & texts & reminders set on my phone, because even though I am in love with my technology, I MUST have my lists written down on paper. So, I bought a super cute notebook & in just a few days filled up 7 pages with things we need to do. I’ve started emailing my husband lists of about 10 things per week (some small, some a little not-so-small) & that has helped us to get things done faster. Otherwise, I speak & it just goes right out of his other ear & then nothing gets done. Then we get to have this conversation: “Honey, did you….?” “No, I didn’t know I was supposed to.” “I asked you last week, remember?” “That never happened.” :)

    Crazy-List-Ladies UNITE!!

    Reply

  17. Janice says

    You can almost do a 2 birds/1 stone thing too. One of your list items is: “Chalkboard paint something. It’s too much fun to deny the bean.”, while you mention in the kitchen progress note that you’d love to paint a chalkboard on the side of the pantry (which could go low enough for Clara to draw on as well).

    Reply

  18. ilana says

    I was interested to hear you say your bedroom is so far from done. Are you not liking the current set-up?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Something is off. Haha. It just hasn’t clicked yet. So we might end up remixing things a bit. Not sure what we’ll change yet, but we’re sure as time goes by the light bulb will go off! Haha. Here’s hoping!

      xo,
      s

    • Casey says

      Maybe the bedroom just needs some more architecture? It’s tough to make a square feel non-stark. Your old bedroom, while smaller, felt so custom with the built-ins. What about doing the board and batten thing like that one reader redesign did for the entry way? Or maybe you should do another build out around your bed? I know you’ll figure it out. I love that you recognize it’s a process!

  19. donita says

    You guys are amazing. That is a very impressive to do list. I need to make a to do list. I had one, but it was too overwhelming, so I threw it away. Hee hee Have you ever thought of using a chest of drawers, painted and new hardware, for your TV to sit in???

    Reply

  20. kate says

    Man, I love a good list!
    I had to share a few things:
    1. I grew up with a daybed/trudle combo and it was fantastic for sleep overs!
    2. My parents neighbors built a pool that was 75% diy when I was in middle school.. it can be done!
    3. Dash & Albert rugs are the best, 4 years old mine look brand new!

    Can’t wait to watch your next projects!

    (Whoops, that was a lot of exclamation points! :))

    Reply

  23. Kaileigh says

    Love the stationary, reminds me of this book I once read where the girl loved writing lists. One of her lists was:
    Things I like to do:
    -write lists….
    My parents call me list girl so I should probably get me some of that paper!

    Reply

  24. Rachel says

    Wow that is one doozy of a list! I can’t wait to see what you start next; I nearly cried tears of joy when you started on the kitchen. My fiance was *disturbed*.

    Anyhoo, I was wondering if you’d given any more thought to the science lab stools in the kitchen? IMHO it seems like they need a little somethin somethin to fit in with your crazy ridic gorge new kitchen. Srsly, the penny tile keeeels me.

    I saw those exact stools at a restaurant near me where they’d been painted black (or charcoal) then distressed, which was awesome. I was also thinking that painting the seat and back “pads” a fun color could be totes legit also. I’m sure you’ll keep us updated!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Always a possibility down the line! It might be how they “translate” in pics (vs. real life) but in person they gleam like the penny tile and tie into the shiny stainless appliances on the other side of the kitchen, so they add nice balance and feel nice and industrial. At least for now. Who knows where we’ll end up…

      xo,
      s

  26. Liz M says

    I noticed your point to plant some evergreens around your property for some privacy. We’re in the process of building and looking for cheap saplings to do the same. A friend suggested a membership to the Arbor Day Foundation. For $10 you get a 6 month membership that includes 10 free trees found in your area. You choose the trees!

    Reply

  27. Alexis says

    As a list-maker, I am surprised I haven’t made myself an official home list like this. Maybe it’s intimidating? But this has inspired me to create an official list. Much like the site has inspired me to be more of a DIY-er at home!

    Reply

  28. deena says

    Good Lord! I swiped down the page and it almost didn’t end!!
    ps I LOVE Clara’s bunny. I’d totally sleep with that.

    Reply

  29. Kara says

    You guys inspired me…I’ve been planning to “move without moving”…an idea borrowed from a book I love…and I knew I needed to start with just one big long list of things to do. After reading this post (whose name I love) I put this together tonight – http://goo.gl/QFdzp. Thanks for always oversharing and giving so much inspiration. I love your site!

    Reply

  30. karla says

    I love that you have a huge master list. I totally need to do this. I have little things jotted down here and there but to have it in one spot is great. I also love the feeling of crossing things off a list and looking back at it to see your accomplishments. I’ve even been guilty of writing something down on my ‘to do list’ that I have already done, just to get the satisfaction of seeing it crossed off :) That’s probably not something I should admit! haha

    Good luck with working on your projects, you’re so fun to follow!

    Reply

  31. Anna says

    I love a good list. Very satisfying to see what you have done all crossed off.

    I had to laugh at the second-kid disclaimer. You do realise that you are now entering the zone of pregnancy-watch – people have been polite about kid no. 2 up until now but will one by one decide in their heads that it’s now time for you to reproduce once more.

    They will gradually get more and more upfront about it…every little tummy bulge will be analysed. If you mention having to randomly get up in the night to pee or feeling a bit sick they will give you a knowing look. Every time you mention something baby related you will have to preface it with a disclaimer…it’s kinda hilarious but also kinda irritating…

    If you don’t plan on no. 2 for a while (or at all…but sounds like you do) you can have fun with it. My MIL seems to think it is her business to tell me when to have her next grandchild (and even though my husband is an only child it has never entered their minds that we may only want one). I have a great time saying “we have some exciting news” at dinner with the in-laws…then telling them about our new rug/painting/bike etc. Keeps them guessing :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, that’s so funny! We definitely get the “are you prego?!” question a few times a week, but we’re not quite there yet. Someday we will be, and when it’s time to make that biiiig announcement we’ll do it so joyfully (first to our family and friends, and then to the internet at large, haha). But you’re totally right about Clara getting to a certain age and folks being a lot more sure that I’m knocked up. I’m like “hey, I’m not even medically allowed to try for a child until Clara is two! And even then we have to decide we’re mentally ready for that after such a scary birth!” – I’m not gonna lie, I’m still skeeered!

      xo,
      s

  32. kris says

    Are you familiar with workflowy.com? I just discovered it and it’s basically a wonderful, searchable to-do list and it works exactly like the list you already have. You might want to check it out!

    Reply

  33. Stacy says

    Yet another list maker chiming in. I’m not as neat about though. My “To-Do” lists end up on Post It notes which clutter up my desk.

    Since you guys are handy-build-it type people ( I wish hubby was) if you decide to build something to use a TV console, be sure to check out Ana White’s site. http://ana-white.com/

    She has all kinds of plans on her site that can be built according to plan or modified as needed. I’m going to have a friend of our build me a headboard and probably a few other things as he’s a carpenter by trade, but has gotten into building furniture as well.

    For Clara, there are doll house plans and plans for furniture to go in the dollhouse. http://ana-white.com/search?keys=doll+house

    Reply

  34. Courtney says

    DIY a pool?!?! That IS crazy! If you ever do tackle that project, it will be epic. Expect to quaddruplegazillionmillion your readers because the world will be watching. Ha!

    Reply

  35. Laura says

    Loving the honesty when it comes to your master bedroom. I think some rooms really take a while to come together and go through lots of changes before you can totally be happy with the finished product. Definitely think you guys are on the right track. Still love the white mirror over the window. It was one of the first things you guys did after moving in that I was totally all about. Question… Did you guys decide to nix the patterned West Elm duvet? Noticed it’s been M.I.A. for quite some time.

    Keep up all the fantastic work!! I LOVE what you guys do!!! Can’t wait for your book to be released! yea!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Here’s that post for ya. It was fighting with the botanical art and John was never really that into it. Sniffle. I did like it though! Haha. I’m sure we’ll find another spot/purpose for it!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Tom! During the day one of us runs the blog while the other one is on Clara duty, then at night when she’s sleeping or on weekends when she’s napping (and the blog is slower) we DIY til the cows come home! Sometimes it feels like the to-do list is always growing (the site one always is since we have so many things we want to change about layouts and code and pages and pics and stuff) but when you look back it’s amazing how you can sneak a few things in and slowly inch towards the goal! Good luck with everything.

      xo,
      s

  40. Krystal Lee says

    Unbelievably, I literally just said to my partner (while he is plastering up a doorway) ‘i’ll just pop onto young house love to see if i can find out how they organise their to-do list’ Could NOT believe it when I saw this post, just what i need! we have being doing a few odd jobs around the house for a while now but are sitting down tonight to work on an action plan so we can really get stuck into it. thank you for you coincidental helpfulness and inspiration! x

    Reply

  41. SoulandGrace says

    I LOVE your list. I have had a running to do list since 2006. Not just for home stuff, that gets its own lists, but for my whole life. I will not do something unless its on the list so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off! I don’t really know what that says about me but I am ok with it!

    Reply

  42. Amy says

    I love that you still have so much to do, because that means you’ll be blogging for a long time, right? :)

    Reply

  43. ashlee says

    this is so refreshing to see. i have a horrible habit of wanting everything done RIGHT NOW, so it’s nice to see such a humble approach to things coming from someone as inspirational as yourself :)

    the majority of my home is unfinished. okay, the entire home is unfinished. soooooooo many projects we’d like to do. my to do list would also be a mile long. it’s unfortuate that my husband doesn’t share the same passion and enthusiasm that i do :)

    Reply

  45. Bethany Annechino says

    I am SO EXCITED to see all the work you guys do in the house. It’s inexplicably thrilling to check something off on a to-do list. I’m kind of addicted.

    P.S. Don’t hate me for this, but you should change “chomping at the bit” on the part about building a deck space to “champing at the bit”.

    One of the funnier (I’m a snarkmonster sometimes.) explanations about if is here: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/I_hear_people_say_chomping_at_the_bit_and_champing_at_the_bit_are_both_correct

    Reply

  46. John Manross says

    I think this is one of the most entertaining posts I have ever read today. I love the “remove the most awkward mirror in the history of the world” since I have the second most awkward one in our patio. It’s my first time here and I just know I am going to be a daily visitor.

    Reply

  48. Melanie says

    I’ve been crazy busy at work lately, so I’ve missed A LOT of your posts in the past couple of weeks – so time to catch up! But this is one heck of a list!

    Reply

  50. Taya says

    I love your giant list! My fiance and I just bought a town house and now I think I must start an epic list of my own!

    Reply

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