How I Spent Spring Break

Hallway, original

We are mostly (well, sort of) moved into the new house now, and we're getting situated slowly. The house is "un caos" (as said in Spanish), as we move our stuff in an attempt to move 60 years' of my folks' accumulated stuff out, and I feel like everywhere we turn -- every drawer or closet -- there is still more stuff to be sorted, recycled, tossed, or put into the "sale" pile for next week's Mother of All Yard Sales (the day before Mother's Day!).  

Hallway, sanded

Even though it's un caos, the house still looks much different (and much better) than it did before we moved in thanks to the tireless efforts of Bryan and his folks, who spent 3 thankless weeks patching & replacing drywall, painting walls and trim, and sanding and refinishing all the floors in the house. 

Dining room floor, original (facing south)

Dining room floor, finished (facing north)

Living room floor, original

Living room, sanded

We (what's this "we"? They) removed the carpet and found that there were beautiful hardwood floors underneath them, something I had never suspected -- growing up, the floors were covered by either  the loudest patterned linoleum or the shaggiest carpet on the market.  So they ripped up the carpet, sanded the floors with guidance from the folks at Pete's Hardwood Floors in St. Paul, and refinished them. 

I was prohibited from helping with this stinky, toxic process but was able to art-direct by choosing colors for the upstairs bedrooms and hallways. I chose yellows & greens from Pittsburgh Paint's "Morning Light" combo, which was recommended for an old foursquare house like ours, and it looks great. (I capitulated and recognized that what looks best in this house is not necessarily what I would usually choose, i.e., primary colors or jewel tones.) 

 

Living room, finished

We're slowly acclimating to the house. Wyatt is having a hard time getting to sleep at night (though not for his nap) and wakes up more often than he did before. The cats are happy enough, after a few days of incessant meowing -- they have lots of room to prowl and lots of squirrels to watch through the windows. We are also acclimating too -- I never realized the crucial role that Venetian blinds play in one's happiness and privacy (they have been added to the Menards' list). And since I grew up in this house, I am not having a hard time remembering where things are -- I don't walk into a closet thinking it's a bathroom -- but I still can't find the coffeepot in the morning. This maybe can't be blamed on the house.  

Nursery floor, original

Nursery floor, finished

I feel OK now at ~33 weeks of pregnancy -- I'm tired  lot, but the "Mom EZ" belly belt I got helps keep Baby tucked in and helps ease the pain on my hips/lower back. And my blood pressure has actually gone down since I started getting biweekly massages with my chiropractic treatment. This is covered by insurance! Hurrah Medica!