Yep, we still have stories

Perhaps they're not as dramatic as they seemed to be last week, but none-the-less, we still have stories. It seems I'm a bit overdue for an update of any kind these days. And since baby is coming in less than 8 weeks and I'll probably forget I have a blog (or the time to talk about anything house related), I should get on with it.

So first and foremost, we've made significant progress on project hallway: part duex. As you may recall, the husband took care of all of the big stuff. And then I jumped in and helped paint (the no-VOC way, of course!). Then the carpet was installed last Thursday. And since then we haven't bothered to do a damn thing. There is still a lot of paint to touch up, hardware to install, window treatments to be purchased and hung, new light fixtures to be installed, and we need to organize our coats, shoes, hats/gloves back into the space. You get the picture. Busy work.

But let's back track, shall we? Two nights before the carpet was installed, I got started on this little project for the baby's room...

 

 

...spraying this $7.99 Salvation Army find. Every good project starts with primer, right (of which, I've learned the hard way over the years)?

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm here to tell you that this s*&t is for the birds. This worthless crap came flying out of the can like silly string. Then a gust of wind blew through the yard and misted the entire right leg of my black yoga pants. It's a good thing our closest neighbors haven't been home all summer, or they would have witnessed the crazy pregnant neighbor cursing and flailing about the lawn. Also, I'm not getting rid of the yoga pants, so if you see me at the gym and wonder why I have paint on one leg...well, now you know. You're welcome.

 

So, project 'paint the lamp' was officially over for the night (before it really began), and project 'get your ass painting the hallway before the carpet is installed in less than 48 hours' began. Boy, I'm glad we went the no-VOC route so I could help the husband, but I'm not happy we went with this...

 

 

You guys, never again. I think the husband and I spent the first hour bitching and complaining at how awful this paint was. It was like working with liquid enamel, which as you can imagine was all sorts of fun (especially after working all day & coming home to paint all hours into the night). Once we got a handle on how to work with this paint (it wasn't easy) we spent what seemed like another hour debating about who was the better cutter-inner. I'll spare you the agony of having to guess...but it was me. I've taught myself how to cut in with a good brush (totally key!) and quality paint. But cutting in with this paint proved to be nothing less than a challenge...one that's totally doubled while 8 months pregnant. To add insult to injury, this paint required TWO coats (even with the already primed walls), and as I headed back to our local BM retailer to buy another gallon, I couldn't help but think....well, there goes $120 down the drain. I complained to an associate, to not much avail (as I type, I'm still waiting on a response from the folks at Benjamin Moore...we'll see how well that goes). So, lesson learned. I'm still a tried and true BM fan...I'll just never use the Natura line. Like, ever again.

 





Okay, so here you go...some crappy updated shots of the hallway (in it's current state)! It's so hard to take photos in a space this small, but I think you'll get the general jist.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The substituted carpet looks WAY better in person than it did on the sample board. So we're totally pleased with our second choice. We're also loving the color of the walls (see, something good did come out of the whole painting fiasco), and the white moldings totally brighten the space. And the plaster walls also look a heck of a lot smoother in these photos than they do in person...either that or my photography skills are totally lacking (that's probably more like it).

 

So this is the point in my story where you are all thinking, "great Katie...we can't wait to see the finished, finshed space when all your tweaking is done". Well folks, you would be wrong. After the carpet was installed, I headed back to work and found out I got a flat tire from a TACK the carpet guys carelessly didn't pick up in our driveway! Yep, this sort of thing only happens to me, I tell you. The good news is that my year-old tires were still under warranty, so the repair was 100% covered. And after 2 days of silly string-like primer, shitty-ass no-VOC paint, and complete and utter exhaustion...well, that's just about the best news I'd heard all week.

 

With the bulk of the hallway work under our belt, I've been able to dedicate a lot of time to the nursery. Which I'm excited to share updates! I'll be back next week with daily (we hope) updates to show you what I'm incorporating into the space. It's slowly coming together. Now, let's just hope baby doesn't get any funny ideas and come arriving any earlier than she should!