Sunday, May 26, 2013

Bathroom Mania

So I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, and feeling very inadequate as a blogger, so I figured I should post a couple of pictures to prove that I have, in fact, done a few things in my house since I bought it. Tragically, I lost a lot of pictures when my phone's sd card was "damaged" (which makes me want to use some very specific curse words, but I will refrain).

So here it be:

Downstairs bathroom:

Upstairs bathroom:

 And in other news, I have made some headway on the stains in the carpet in my dining room, something which I never in my wildest dreams thought would happen. I found the solution on Pinterest (where all problems go to be solved). You just mix 2 parts hydrogen peroxide to 1 part Dawn dish soap (I used blue, but I assume any Dawn would work). Then I sprayed it on the stains and left it for a few hours. Then I came back and scrubbed it a bit. Then I basically forgot about it for a couple of days and was surprised when I came back to find that it actually, really, seriously (no crap) worked. Mind=Blown. These stains are who knows how many years old! I still plan on putting in new carpet eventually because green isn't really my fave and it definitely won't go with the wallpaper I have chosen, but at least this way I can leave it for a while and not be totally humiliated whenever anyone comes to visit me. 

This is the difference after one application (I'll probably have to give it another go). Please note I didn't squirt the magic amazingness on ALL the stains, just the big, obvious ones.


 Well, I'll be go to hell! (that is what my dad says).

In other news, I have planted a bunch of flowers all over the place and I shall endeavor to take pictures when they are more than just "meh" looking. 

Until then,
Always,
Becky

Sunday, June 3, 2012

So. Obviously I've not been updating this blog like a good little girl, but in my defense, I do have a job that often requires long hours. On the other hand, some days I just can't be bothered with telling the whole world what I've done with my house lately, especially since I could be using that time to do something with my house. Alas. I shall endeavor to update you on the progress of mi casa over the next few days (weeks? months? I make no guarantees). For starters, I moved in. My heating and air was finished just after Christmas and my brother and I moved in shortly thereafter (like a month after). Turns out everything I own mated with the other stuff I own to create new stuff that I never knew I had. I need to put a stop to that crap. But until then, there are still loads of boxes waiting to be sorted. Honestly, a lot of stuff might end up on my local Goodwill shelf. Sad but true. In other news, I painted my bedroom just before I moved in. Voici les resultes:
Nice, eh? Sometimes it looks gray. Other times it looks blue. And still other times it looks green. At all times it looks lovely. Sadly, I still have yet to change the light switch/electric outlet covers. I'm thinking white. Safe and easy. See you tomorrow!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Hot & Cold

So.

I've got my peeps in my house this week installing central heating and air. I wouldn't need it, except for the tragedy that is my house full of broken radiators.

Apparently the previous owner left the house in late fall last year and didn't tell anyone. When the bank realized it was vacant, they had it winterized...January 30th. And anyone who knows anything about Nebraska winters knows that this was not good for the radiators. So now I have a house full of beautiful but non-functional radiators. It's sad, but there's nothing to be done about it. So I'm paying what seems like a ridiculous amount of money to install central heating and air conditioning (the latter of which the house didn't have before, so I guess this is an improvement). Here's to having heat in my house in time for Christmas! But until then, I guess I just have holes in my floor.


Thursday, December 8, 2011

Hey, it's better than a washboard...but slightly more expensive

Yesterday my washer and dryer came to the house. I bought them on sale at Sears the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Kenmore Elite or something like that. The dryer is a steam dryer, which is supposed to be the last word. I guess we'll find out, won't we? Also, the washer requires high efficiency soap, which I doubt you can make using some sort of pinterest DIY process.


In other news, I scooped my back walkway and my dad brought in the small tractor and scooped off my driveway. Good times were had by all.

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Home for the Holidays

Ok. So. I've decided the previous format of my blog wasn't working at all. Mostly because I didn't care enough to update it...ever. So here I was with a perfectly good blog and no idea what to do with it. Then I realized that I spend half my time on stupid Pinterest, which feeds of StumbleUpon, which is basically a function that sends you to random blogs about things like crafts and food and...design. And I love these kinds of blogs because hey, who doesn't?

Then I realized: I just bought a house. And it needs some lovin'. Hey! I could post updates on my home lovin' on my blog and then people would get to see all the fun stuff I am doing with my house and maybe they'll get their own ideas...right? Right.

So I bought this house. This house is beautiful. A little worse for wear perhaps, but beautiful. It was once owned by a former art teacher in my town and he LOVED that house. I mean LOVE in the verb form. The man brought in antiques and woodwork from other old houses and incorporated them into his abode. There is a shelving unit (although those words do NOT do it justice) that came from an old mom and pop store in town. He even found some old woodwork from my family's farm and used it in the house.
The downside is it has been lived in. And by that I mean there are holes in the walls, crayon all over the walls (and some of the woodwork...ouch!), stripped wallpaper, and the like. Oh, and also, it's a foreclosure. That is good in that I got the house for a good price (if I told you how much, you wouldn't believe me). That is bad in that the previous tenant left the house in the fall of 2010 without telling anyone (like oh, say, the bank) and it wasn't winterized until January 30th. This means that the beautiful (I'm talking gorgeous) radiators are all cracked or weakened because they all froze (Thank you, Nebraska winters). Which I didn't know when I put in the offer. Alas, they are not kidding when they tell you about all the nasty surprises that come with home ownership. I am in the (super fun) position of having to install heating and air.
But this house needs me. Yes, I am aware that it is wood and stone and plaster and not human in any way shape or form. But this house needs me. And I need it.

I was once told that we humans are all renovation projects. The older I get, the more I am convinced this is the truth. We are built beautifully (or not) and trashed to varying degrees by the life we all share. So we renovate. We fix a pipe here and there. We paint a wall once in a while. Some of us are extravagant. Some of us are plain. Some of us aren't really sure where we fall in that spectrum. But we are, all of us, renovation projects. And so is this house. Which got me to thinking...maybe we can renovate each other.
Here's to the daring adventure of home ownership.
-B-

Monday, February 15, 2010

BFD #10

"'I know her insolence but it is futile,' declares the Lord,
'and her boasts accomplish nothing'"

Jeremiah 48:30

Ha. Haha. Hahaha. I kind of feel like this verse is about me. But I really shouldn't be laughing about it. And I'm going to share a secret with you. I flipped to several verses in my Bible before this one, but I wasn't feeling any of them. I kind of feel like God is getting even with me with this verse.

Here's the thing. I'm pretty sure I'm right. Like, all the time. You know what I mean, don't act like you don't. Because most people are like that. But I take it to a whole new level. I will argue with anyone about anything. Even God, which probably isn't wise. You know, since God is omniscient and other inconvenient things like that. I mean, when I argue with my friend Andrea about non-smoking policies, I have a shot at being right, or at least making a solid point. But when I argue with God about my future? Or the world at large? Yeah, right. But still, I argue with the creator of the universe like I know something.....

When really I don't. *Collective gasp*

I admit it. God wins this one. I'm reminded of the quote, "Young man, young man, your arm's too short to box with God," by James Weldon Johnson. Amen, brother. As much as I hate to admit it. My arms are short and stubby and God just puts his palm to my face (you've seen how they do it in the movies) and shakes his head whilst I swing impotently.

Obviously I took this verse out of context, but just roll with it, kids. This is important (and believe me, I'm always right;)). AS IT TURNS OUT...God knows a little something about the world. And we're impatient, and arrogant, and boastful, and argumentative. And we're pretty sure we're right. But we're not. And God is waiting for us to stop swinging so He can show us what he's got in store.

I picture him singing like Belle from Beauty and the Beast: "For once it might be grand, to have someone understand, I want so much more than they've got planned." Maybe not in a dress, though. And I'm not 100% sure that God twirls, either. But you get the point.

So hang up those boxing gloves, guys. Our arms are too short and life is too short to spend all your time fighting with God. In the end, we all get KO'd anyway.