Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Organizing The House When It Gets Out Of Control

That’s me these days. At least I like to think it is. Checking off those tedious and lingering to-do list items that I’ve been meaning to do forever, and taking names. So how about a Friday smorgasbord post? The funny thing is that just a few days ago we got a comment that said “hey I miss your Dude Get On That Already updates – will those ever come back?” Do you guys remember those? Where I’d finally get around to tackling something that had been sitting around waiting to get done (usually just painting or hanging something) and I’d share a little update – like this wall plaque, this box, this coat hook, and this high chair? Well, the funny thing about that comment is that as I read it I was thinking… I have actually gotten on a few things. What has come over me? Is this nesting? Has my body been snatched? So here are those details…

#1: Ding dong, the dining room table is cleared. You might remember this recent house-tour video which revealed that our dining room and guest room were looking chaotic and cluttered (it’s pretty much a promise that when we work on one room, another room nearby pays the price). Here’s a still shot from that video to refresh your memory:

Dining Before

Well, I finally got my act together and found better spots for stuff. It really helped to get a bunch of the craft stuff that had collected there into my newly organized craft closet upstairs. And I tucked the decorative items into the two bottom cabinets in the living room where I store other vases and cloches and stuff like that. It’s nice to see the wood of the table again. (I won’t tell you how dusty it was before I wiped it down for this shot.)

Dining Room Table

A few folks asked if I thought I’d use this table as a workspace if it were clear since I admitted to using the kitchen table until we get the office whipped into two-people-can-work-there shape. But I’ve found that even with the dining table cleared off I still prefer the kitchen table. I think it’s because I can see Clara playing in the living room more easily from there (the dining room is a lot more isolated due to its layout). But it’s nice to know I can run in there if I want a little more solitude. And that we can actually host people for some fancier-than-the-kitchen-table dinner if we’d like to throw a Downton Abbey-ish ball sometime.

The bad news is that the kitchen counter still pretty much looks like this (minus the crockpot full o’ stew), thanks to our in-progress pantry re-org (everything’s painted, so we’re just waiting for it to dry so we can load in some nice new systems). Sigh. It’s a vicious cycle.

Pantry Food On Counter

#2: I hemmed Clara’s comically long curtains. You can sort of see them in this picture below (I usually tried to just curl them under so it wasn’t as noticeable) – but they were about 6″ too long and although I liked the drapey affect, they were borderline sloppy with so much extra fabric going on at the end.

Curtains Long

So last weekend while Clara played with her dollhouse in the middle of the room and we listened to some tunes, I got to work hemming them with some Heat N Bond hem tape. It probably took me about a half an hour to cut them all and then hem them (I still left them drapey, so they skim the floor a little for that casual vibe) and it feels so GOOD to have that done. Seriously, I’ve asked myself if there’s something wrong with me that hemmed curtains make me feel so accomplished – but I think it’s just one of those things that I thought a million times in the last eight months (“I should really hem those curtains” would pop into my head each week as I put away Clara’s laundry), so it feels great to finally check that box.

Curtains

#3: The extra pieces of our sectional have been sent to greener pastures. Remember how our full Karlstad sectional didn’t fit in our cozier living room, so “honey, we shrunk the sofa“?

WDHunt Karl Change

Well, the random extra pieces that we we haven’t been using (the corner piece and the loveseat-sized end) have just been sitting in our attic under a drop cloth for the last eight months. I even mentioned that we thought about craigslisting them, but “we just figured selling the corner and loveseat to a sofa that’s incomplete without another end piece that someone would have to purchase might fetch us $20 tops” so I said we’d rather hold onto them and see if we had a use for them in the future. It was a completely surprise when someone emailed us months later, and offered to buy them for $250! We hadn’t so much as looked at them at all in the past eight months, so… sold!

WDHunt Karl In House

The funny thing is that it wasn’t a blog reader who wanted them. A woman was just googling around to locate these exact Karlstad pieces (they don’t sell them separately, so she thought she’d never find them) and came across our old post about storing those in the attic. She’s not from around here (lives in Florida, actually) but she had items in a storage unit in New Jersey that she was going to be driving down to Florida in her SUV, so on her way down she swung through Richmond and (miraculously) fit them all into the back. So now we’ve got an extra $250 in our pockets and Karl – er, well the unused portion of Karl – is living a sunnier life in St. Augustine!

WDHunt Karl In Car

 

#4: I donated/gave back/handed down/consigned a bunch of Clara’s old clothes. There were four large bins in this video that I explained were being sent in a bunch of directions (some items were being returned to sweet friends who loaned things to us, some were being donated, some were getting handed down to other prego friends and relatives, and I wanted to try consigning some things as well).

Baby Clothes

So after they sat there for months, I finally got around to donating and passing along everything I had set aside, and I trekked the leftovers to Once Upon A Child (a little secondhand baby store here in town) just to give it a try. Forty five minutes after dropping them off I returned to get a nice little check for $141!

Consigning Clothes

There were a few things they didn’t end up taking, so I swung by another donation box on the way home with the extras, and finally that Corner O’ Bins in the living room is no more. The funny thing is that I dragged those downstairs from the storage room at around 18 weeks pregnant (in anticipation of finding out if this was another girl or a boy, so I could sort through everything). Which means they sat in that corner for over 10 weeks just waiting to be dealt with. Better late than never, right?

#5: Clara’s birdcages are no longer birdless. That’s right, I put a bird on it. Make that six. I noticed that West Elm was having a huge ornament sale about a month ago and they had these gorgeous little colorful birds on clearance.

Ornaments

So for $20 I got six of them, and when they arrived I reenacted Snow White and put them all over my arms used their clips or their ornament loops to make them cozy in Clara’s birdcages. A few of you guys noticed them in this picture on Instagram/Facebook, and I promised an update, so there you go.

Birds Far

I even added a little wood dowel to the grey birdcage since it didn’t have one and I wanted to create a spot for one to perch and another one to hang. You can just barely make it out in this shot (the cut off bird on the right is sitting on it, and the flying bird under that one is hanging from it). That’s what I get for trying to be artsy with my photography.

Birds Detail2

Clara’s favorite is this one right here. She named him Prince Sam Bluebird, and we say goodnight to him every evening.

Birds Detail

And in other update news, our new washer came bright and early on Saturday morning (some of you guys have been asking about it, which is beyond sweet) and it’s a HUGE relief that it’s finally here. I now sing and occasionally pirouette while doing laundry. I’m sure that won’t last for more than a week, but it truly is one of those “you don’t know how good you have it until an appliance conks out on you and you live without it for a while and then the new one comes and it’s broken so you have to wait another week and a half” things.

Laundry After

So those are a few of those “I actually got on them!” updates, along with a little Washer Status Report. I still have a bunch more should-have-done-that-yesterday things bouncing around in my brain, so maybe I should set a future check-in date with you guys to force myself to attend to them. Wanna get stuff done with me? And then we can all reconvene and attempt to hold ourselves accountable to the internet at large? What’s your “gotta get on that” list looking like these days?

Comments

  1. debi says

    I noticed the little birdies in the pictures around when Clara packed up all her belongings in the middle of her room.
    I almost commented but I didn’t want to be the one going “oh, look! birdies!!” While everyone else was commenting on what the post was about!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I know, isn’t that awesome?! They were about $500 from Ikea so she said $250 sounded right since it was half the value and she couldn’t buy them separately. We were thrilled, and couldn’t believe they fitted so well in the back of her car (my fear was that we wouldn’t be able to get them all in, but John helped her pack them in there nicely).

      xo
      s

  4. Laura @ Rather Square says

    The birds in the birdcages are so sweet! Great idea to use ornaments. And I love that Clara has named them and says good night to them.

    One project we have to get on already is doing something about our need-to-be-painted interior doors, and we also need to make a decision about the current doorknobs. They are vintage glass with old brass backplates, and even though we think they are original to our 1920s house, we don’t know if we want to keep them or go for something more modern. I keep changing my mind, so it will probably be a while before we get on this project!
    http://www.rathersquare.com/2014/02/glass-doorknobs-keep-replace/

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ooh those original ones are so pretty! I totally understand if they’re not your thing though (gotta make your house work for you, not the realtor) but I bet you could get a ton for them on craigslist or even from a local architectural salvage place if you end up replacing them.

      xo
      s

    • Maja says

      Those doorknobs are gorgeous! Maybe a touch of ORB on the plates (and screws) would make them more like the modern doorknobs you like, yet in keeping with the age of the house. On the other hand, it seems like if you decide to replace them, there would be plenty of takers, so it’s a win-win! Good luck!

  5. CohoesMom5 says

    I commented on another blog recently that I need a Weight Watchers for organizing/getting stuff done. A place where I can announce my accomplishments and get a gold star/applause/acknowledgement. An “I got on that” forum would be great.

    Reply

  6. Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says

    Love the birds! I’ve also been doing a bit of “decluttering” lately – selling a few things on Craigslist and Ebay and have been loving having the little bit of extra change in my pockets to go out and purchase the finishing touches for our kitchen renovation!

    Happy Snowy (or now in our case – Icy) Friday!

    Reply

  7. Melissa @ ReThreads Charlottesville says

    My “gotta get on that” list just got a bit shorter thanks to yesterday’s snow day in which I stayed home and dealt with piles of paperwork. My tax paperwork is ready to be mailed to the accountant, I’ve dealt with random beginning-of-the-year business paperwork (now starting my second year of business!)

    As the owner of a consignment clothing shop I’ve got to congratulate you on consigning kids clothes for what sounds like your first time? It’s so fun to “recycle” your wardrobe and get some $ out of it! Beware, it will become addicting! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Melissa! I’ve tried it with old clothes of my own but never with kids clothes. It was really fun. I love that you own a consignment shop. What a fun way to keep things in use and out of landfills!

      xo
      s

  8. Sarah says

    Love this! Congrats on getting all these seemingly “smaller” projects done. The selling Karl story is crazy! How coincidental that all those pieces fell into place to send that part of Karl. And kuddos to you, I totally am the kind of person that would store those bulky pieces forever swearing we’d use them someday only to never see them function again.

    We’re preparing for a new baby (our first!) in June so we’ve been in massive “Dude get on the organization of this house because someone else will be living with us soon” mode. We’ve donated where we can, pitched when needed, and literally have closets full of empty spaces now to accommodate the little one (and all the junk, I mean precious baby gear) that will come along with it. Feels great and now we get to move onto the fun stuff like painting, arranging, and decorating the nursery! Happy Valentine’s Day, and Friday!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That must feel awesome Sarah! You’re way ahead of me! Go celebrate with some cake and a movie or something. Haha! John and I saw a million movies before Clara was born because we knew we’d never get out to the theater again for a while.

      xo
      s

    • Caity says

      Sarah, my husband and I are in the same boat! We’ve done more house projects in the last two months than the last three years that we’ve lived in our house…all to get ready for baby #1 in June! I keep saying that there’s nothing like having a baby to light a fire under your buns and spark productivity :) Congrats to you!

  9. Dona Stone says

    Great job!

    My get on it list is like this:

    Finish my 2013 Family Photo Book
    Paint and caulk the new base boards in 3 rooms
    Gel stain the front door
    Finish projects in my son’s room
    Paint my daughter’s room
    Buy and install transition pieces for the new flooring I installed…….

    I could go on and on. So glad someone asked me. My kids are tired of me randomly listing the things that “just aren’t doing themselves” around here.

    Happy Valentine’s Day to all three (plus one) of you. I look forward to your posts every day.

    Dona

    Reply

  10. lilly says

    parting with my daughter/son clothes was so difficult and sentimental, snif snif..but know that they are better if someone else can get a good use out of it. is that mean #2 is your last one? can’t wait to meet the baby and I bet clara will be his mommy #2!!

    lilly

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It really was hard to say goodbye to some things (I actually kept a few tiny favorite hats and dresses – just couldn’t let them go!). As for if #2 is our last, in this post a few months back we said “at this point we’re both excited and satisfied by the idea of being a family of four (well, five with the Burgs).” This pregnancy has been a bit harder than my first one was – and that coupled with a scary birth complication with Clara has us feeling very fulfilled and grateful if we end up with two healthy children. So assuming everything goes well with the birth of this little guy, we’re most likely done at two.

      xo
      s

    • Melissa @ Loving Here says

      So glad for this honest answer! I wanted to ask but was too shy. I know I don’t know you all, but I still look up to you in a lot of ways and even though Hubs and I are still kid-less, I’m already thinking about how many kiddos our future family could be made up of. Just a question—did you and John differ on this at all? I think it may be like a “you just know” situation, like falling in love, but right now I think we might be in two different place on our “magic number!”
      Also, no matter if you are finished at 2, or end up having more we reader-friends will be super super happy for you!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it has been sort of miraculous but John and I have been on the same page about family size. We both came from a larger family (with four kids in the house) so maybe that makes us happy with two and a pooch and lots and lots of cousins (thanks to all of our siblings)? Haha!

      xo
      s

  13. Cynthia says

    I’m so glad I’m not the only one finally getting around to those piles of projects! I think all these snow storms have me in a non-maternity-nesting phase and my little rental is reaping the rewards. Purged closets, rearranged bedrooms, pictures hung on the walls, a repainted end table (inspired by your update on Clara’s little wood bassinet) – it’s been a busy few weeks, but it sure feels good. Maybe this’ll be the needed motivation to get on that curtain hemming too ;)

    Reply

  14. Carol D says

    Unfortunately, the first thing on my “gotta get to that” is to pack away all the Christmas Nativities. I know….It’s Feb 14th for goodness sake, but they’re up on built-in shelves, and well, it’s just still on my list.

    Reply

    • Nichole K says

      We were festive for a couple of extra months this year too, so don’t feel bad. We just finished taking down our Christmas decorations (including the tree) last weekend. I blame it on the fact that my hubby works out of town during the winter and that I’m pregnant with our first and sooo tired.

    • Cate says

      I’m with you too! All the Christmas stuff made it to the dining room and then hasn’t made it back to the storage boxes. Yikes! In my defense, husband rearranged the garage in anticipation of a new baby in May and the boxes ended up where I couldn’t get to them. Here’s to getting it done the weekend after Valentines ;)

  16. Meredith says

    These posts are my favorite! I’d been putting off fixing my garbage disposal (it had been broken for a few weeks)—I was afraid it was going to be super hard. Turns out, I just needed to hit the reset button on it underneath the sink! Thanks Google! I am now claiming mad plumbing skillz, because hey, I fixed that all by myself. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sorry A! We had actually been receiving complaints about our blogroll not being updated and linking to blogs that were inactive or that people didn’t like, etc. It has always been a challenge to keep that current, so we just disabled it for the time being. We noticed a lot of other blogs seem to have been phasing them out as well, so we’ll have to see where we end up :)

      xo
      s

    • Steph Nelson says

      That is too bad. When I am looking for new blogs to read I always first check my favorite bloggers blog roll!

  18. Emylee says

    Have you guys thought about doing a post (maybe over on life) about baby gear? Have you bought more reusable diapers? What kind of stroller do you use? What are some baby gadgets that you cant/can love without? Do you have a baby shower? How do you keep control over baby clothes (not buying or being gifted too many)? I know I would sure appreciate a post like this! My usual routine when I question all things home/baby is 1. Google search 2. YHL search. Seriously. You all save me so much time.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually have gotten a bunch of questions on this, so we’d love to do a post about it soon for you. We covered some of that stuff with Clara on the way, so there are some updates in our archives, but with Baby #2 we’re sure we’ll upgrade/change some systems and items, so when we get a little closer (or maybe after he’s here) we can weigh in on what we love/use the most, and what we’ve done differently :)

      xo
      s

    • Donna Jean says

      Now that you are in a two-story house, make sure you have a small changing station on the first floor, too, so that you aren’t having to go upstairs every time you need to change his diaper. Especially in the early days when you are recovering.
      These snow days have been great for some dude get on that stuff. Mostly just cleaning/straightening/organizing stuff, but it feels so much better (and more functional) in most of the rooms in the house now that some things have been moved/repurposed/donated/trashed. Now if only the things I have posted on Craigslist would sell! But I’m really encouraged by your success at once upon a child and I may have to head there because the entire underside of my king size bed is full of bins stuffed to the brim with baby clothes! Considering we have next to no storage space in our house I’m ready to part with all but a few special pieces that I’ve already put aside.

    • Stacy says

      Something else to think about with a 2 story home is a pack and play down stairs to keep for the baby to sleep in so you can keep an eye on both kiddos at once. I did this with both kids and it was wonderful. Also, the changer on both floors is a life saver. And another thing is once the 2nd child is crawling you may want to invest in a play yard to keep baby from crawling up/down stairs if you don’t want to have baby gates everywhere. With my first the house was small so we just gated her into the living room but now we have a 3 level open concept and gates just won’t work. Definitely worth the investment.

    • Katie says

      Random thought…I know you will deliver via c-section so are you planning on sleeping downstairs in the living room the first couple nights? Stairs after a c can be difficult.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I have to be in the hospital for an extended amount of time due to the complications from Clara’s birth, so I think by the time I’m home I should be ok with stairs. If not I will definitely sleep downstairs as long as I need to though! Great thought!

      xo
      s

    • Sandra T says

      Totally agree on the extra changing station and pack and play. I had a new baby in our first 2 story house, and those two things are necessities! Also, if you do have a c-section (so sorry I forget, didn’t you with Clara?) the doc will warn you about stairs. and not driving. and not lifting anything heavier than the baby. Ha ha

  19. Beth A. says

    I hope you really did reenact Snow White and put the birds all over your arms first — love the image! (Halloween costume for this year?)

    It’s always so nice to get to those unfinished tasks – I participated in Apartment Therapy’s January Cure this year, and I felt so good throughout the month and when it was over.
    Always nice to give your home some extra love.

    Reply

  20. Jill says

    My little type A heart loves this post! Nothing feels better than crossing all those little things off your to-do list. Makes me want to get on mine!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I know, it really was incredible luck all around. I emailed her back asking if she was local and when she said she lived in Florida I thought “well this will never happen” but when she said she was passing through I was like “is this for real?” – so lucky!

      xo
      s

  22. Linda says

    Love the birdies! And what a great story about Karl – so nice that a good home was found, and it’s so frustrating when you’re looking for no longer available pieces. Win/win for both of you.

    Me, spending part of a day off recaulking my master shower. I did find that using a hair dryer for 30-40 seconds to warm a section of silicone caulk makes it way easier to get the old caulk out! One of those jobs that you never want to start, but feels so good to be done.

    Reply

  23. Steph Nelson says

    There is nothing better than checking something off the to do list that has been lingering. And if it takes minutes to take care of….well, you definitely go “Dude, why didn’t I get to that already?”

    You and John have a Happy Valentines Day!

    Reply

  24. Dana Sheridan says

    Oooo! I love update posts! Please don’t hate me for asking this, but how’s the “no more blue trim” project going? :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Alas, I am uncertain if that battle will conclude before this baby comes. I have about 9 more weeks to conquer all of the blue trim in the office (where I have something like 144 window panes) and the dining room (where there’s not only crown and extra trim but two large corner built-ins) – so we’ll have to see how it goes…

      xo
      s

  25. Bailey says

    I absolutely love Once Upon a Child! That place is the best!

    Also I bet your feeling to “Nest” is kicking into high gear and that is what finally gave you the push to get some of these things done! We moved into a home that was a foreclosure a little over a year ago and even though it was in pretty good shape, we still have a ton of items that I would love to get done before our new little one arrives in July! I was inspired by you guys not too long ago to create a to do list and we are slowly chipping away at it!

    http://ticestidbits.blogspot.com/2014/02/nesting-and-my-never-ending-to-do-list.html

    You inspired me to finally tackle a bigger job this weekend which is painting our master bedroom!

    Reply

  26. sarina says

    I actually got a few things done myself.

    I finally painted the terra cotta pot I was using to keep my brushes in on my vanity. I got some gold and rubbed bronze paint.. now it looks so much better!

    I also moved around some of my cabinet contents. I put my food into the cabinets that I can easily see into and put my serving pieces and extra glasswear in the upper corner cabinet that is roomy, but not particularly easy to find things in!

    I really liked your post on the trash can. I would like to try that.. but in my last house, I had it under the sink and that would be great, but the only side it would work on butts up against the corner.. so to the right inside the cabinet is a huge amount of space that isn’t really all that useful for daily things.. but would be great for rarely used items.. and if I installed a trash can there.. I couln’t get to them. The only other lower cabinet that would really work is beside the stove and I use it for storing pots/pans/baking pans and I am not sure how I feel about trash sitting in the same area.. unless I blocked 1/2 of the space off somehow.

    Reply

  27. Ellen says

    Love love love the bird cages with the birds! really completes them!!! wow how cool about getting 250.00 for your odd pcs of couch that were no longer needed. I guess you hung on to them for a reason!!!!
    Nice score on the once upon a child! I use a local conginment shop here.

    Reply

  28. Sunnie says

    I wannnnnnnnnnt those birrrrds!!! I’ve been planning for about a year to redo my Kenley’s room with a bird theme (complete with a tree painted on the wall with birdhouses hung on it and a diy birdcage chandelier!) Good job gettin’ stuff done!

    Reply

  29. Eileen says

    I can appreciate your washer excitement. Our Dishwasher stopped draining correctly right around the holidays. We kept trying various google’d unclog methods to no real success. Finally broke down and called an appliance guy. Imagine my surprise (and dismay) to find it was a small square sticker from one of my tervis tumblers (that I failed to remove) that perfectly covered the drain opening. It was one of those holographic, plasticy stickers because it had a NCAA logo on the cup. Ugh! Anyway, $100 later my dishwasher is working again and I feel like I’m no longer on Little House on the Prairie! It’s amazing!

    Reply

    • Marianne in Mo. says

      I had a similar experience back in the dark ages. You know those discs you use in baby bottles when you want to transport them? (You don’t? That’s how old I am! Old time bottles! ) Anyway, one got stuck in the drain of the dishwasher. Took the guy about two seconds to find it, and cost me $60 and a red face from feeling so stupid!

  30. lori says

    ohhh i love those little birds!!! Her room is so cute!!! Filled with color but doesnt look like chaos in there! I WISH i can get my daughters room like that.

    On another note…did you guys happen to see the groupon out there for my publisher photobooks?

    Reply

  31. Erin @ The Impatient Gardener says

    Isn’t it amazing what a feeling of accomplishment comes from just crossing off a bunch of these little projects? I need to remember that. So often I want to tackle a new big project but sometimes it feels equally good (if not better) to just get these little annoyances out of our lives.

    Reply

  32. betty says

    its so funny how a little cleaning or de-cluttering can make such a difference. on my snow-day off yesterday, I cleaned out countertop/toaster oven (since its only 2 of us, that’s where I bake most stuff) and it needed a cleaning bad (since it has a glass door). i finally did it yesterday, and every time i walked by, i was like ‘WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG!” such a small difference made the whole kitchen feel cleaner!

    Reply

  33. Julie says

    Ugh, there are so many things I need to get on! Baby #2 is due to arrive in early June, so we need to move our daughter into her big girl room before he gets here. Which means we need to clean out the former “office” of all its collected junk and turn it into said big girl room. But I want to do things right and find homes for all the stuff in that room, even if it’s not in our home, instead of trekking it to a different spot in the house to be forgotten about. We’re running out of stash spots! All of this is compounded by the fact that I’m pretty tired after working a full day and coming home to family time in the evening that once C’s in bed, I don’t have the energy or motivation to tackle the room! Soon. It must happen soon.

    Reply

  34. Cecile says

    Hi there, I am just curious, did you gift/return all Clara’s clothes or did you keep some more unisex stuff? Full disclosure: it is not unknown for my son to wear pink slippers or a flowery t-shirt on occasion :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, everything that was unisex we held onto! We actually had a lot that could cross over since we didn’t only dress Clara in pink or ruffles, so that was nice :)

      xo
      s

  35. threadbndr says

    my Get on THAT list includes:

    Taking the FIVE boxes of ‘to donate’ that accumulated during the great January de-clutter (mostly kitchen, but also some clothes) to the thrift stores. With all the snow and ice, I haven’t been doing any driving that isn’t absolutely necessary, but I’m SO tired of those boxes sitting in the entry!

    Installing the countertop over the new! diswasher. I’m reusing the old counter, but the old cleat is just a bit too low – less than a half inch, so I need to reposition it or shim it or something and reinstall the counter.

    Speaking of the dishwasher, I need to install the kickplate; hope I haven’t lost the funky plastic bolts.

    When I moved the base cabinet to install the dishwasher, I cleared out the “junk” drawer. Some drawer dividers in there would be welcome so that the flashlight stops migrating to the back of the drawer…..

    How come the last stages of a project take so long? LOL.

    Reply

  36. Tara G. says

    When we lived in Eastern Europe we had a front loading washer that held about 4 towels and cycles were forever long…I have three kids. It’s been 1.5 years since we returned to the States and I still look down into the washer and marvel at all the space! Same with my oven. American appliances are glorious! So pirouette away- I get that!!

    Reply

  37. Maureen says

    My whole house is on my “get to that” list. We have lived here for 9 years and haven’t done a ton of things to make it our own. When we moved in, it was spotless, and even the colors on the walls were quite agreeable, so we just went all lazy about it. Lol. 9 years later I am just getting to making things our own. Pretty bad.

    Reply

  38. Sarah MC says

    We’re on Snow Day #3 here in NC, but alas, my “get on that already” list hasn’t gotten any shorter! I need to:

    Comment on 20 student paper drafts
    Grade 20 quizzes
    Grade 18 in-class essays
    Grade 18 research papers
    Write a dissertation prospectus
    File my taxes
    Finish painting the baseboards in my office

    But instead I am playing with my new iPad…

    Reply

  41. Ashley says

    My “get on that already” list is quickly turning into a “don’t even bother now” list. Like, for example, Christmas cards that never got sent out. I thought about turning them into Valentine’s cards (since the color scheme was red and blue), but oops! Missed that holiday also. I’m absolutely terrible at accomplishing anything.

    Reply

  42. Christy says

    haha, good work putting a bird on it Sherry!! Very Portlandia of you :)
    Loved the post today, sometimes its the little things!

    Reply

  43. Kaija says

    Man, Karl just keeps on giving! What a deal!

    Just followed some link to a blog with Ardex-treated countertops. Any plans for that? Pre-baby? Can’t wait to hear your comments on it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, we’d still love to do that, although we’re not sure if it’ll be pre-baby or post baby. We’re trying to track down some new stuff of theirs. Will keep you posted!

      xo
      s

  45. Lisa Waller says

    Your intention was for me to read #1: Ding dong, the dining room table is cleared.- as the doorbell saleswoman from SNL right?!

    Reply

  46. Helene says

    Big projects may be exciting but I find it just as fun to read about these pesky smaller jobs that are getting done. Keep ’em coming! And enjoy your snow!

    Reply

  47. JoniB says

    I am so glad to hear that I’m not the only one who just lives with stuff forever before finally “getting on it”. Just last month, after 10 years, I rearranged the kitchen cabinets so I don’t have to stand on my head to get a leftover container out of the lower cabinet. Why did I wait so long??? And don’t get me started on the linen closet. But both look so much better I now go to the closet and just stand there and admire it’s loveliness. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that give the greatest joy!

    Reply

  48. Mindy says

    This is the just the post I needed on this “snow is melting and I can get out of my house” day. Thanks for the motivation to hem my ridiculously long ikea curtains and take care of other random little projects around the house. You guys rock!

    Reply

  49. Leah says

    I got new laundry machines last summer, and I’m still excited to do laundry in them. We went from a laundry “center” (could only use washer or dryer — not both at the same time) to full machines. Still blissful.

    My “dude, get on that”s are:
    – a scrapbook I’ve been meaning to finish for, um, years (the trip was in 2006 . . . ) I just have 4 pages left. I’ve done other scrapbooks since! Argh.
    – cleaning out the last bit of stuff in a room, like magazines I’ve been sorting and an old desk, so we can paint, fix the flooring, etc to get ready for a baby room

    Hopefully, #2 will happen this weekend. I’m hoping to finish the scrapbooking at some point before the baby comes in June.

    Reply

  50. Beks says

    I feel you on the broken appliance. Our dryer was broken for about a month, and when it got fixed, the washer conked out, and remained that was all summer, because we weren’t sure how expensive it would be to fix. Thankfully, they’re both working well now. :-)

    Reply

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