Summer Projects

All year long, I have thought and thought and thought about what I was going to accomplish over the summer.  Then I realized that my summer break was a scant 8 weeks, and I’ll be vacationing for at least two of them.  And trying to start planning and organizing for next year (now that I know what to expect, I’m making some mucho serious changes).

So I quickly realized that I would not be able to accomplish everything I had in mind.  So I’m breaking it down into pieces, and will get back to the rest in the future.

1. Gardens.  My current flower beds look good (thanks to a truckload of plants from Andy’ mom’s garden…woohoo for transplants.  I’ll be honest, I got a bit teary.  I have plants that Andy’s mom and grandma have tended in my garden…how special is that?).  However, our backyard transformation has moved into it’s next steps.  Andy killed off a section of weeds that were in the back around our trees, and we’re creating a HUGE shade garden in the areas where grass won’t grow.  So once he takes care of ordering topsoil and getting it in, I’ll be off to planting again.  Hey Mom or Grandma, do you have any plants that work well in shade that you’d like to give me a transplant?  If not, that’s fine…but wouldn’t that be sweet?  I could have plants from everyone’s garden in mine….mmm, I love that idea :) 

And then we’ll bring our pretty patio furniture home (it’s Andy’s parents’ and they gave it to us but we haven’t picked it up yet because our yard isn’t worthy yet…..I dream of sitting out on my patio in it, sipping lemonade).

2. The kitchen.  Andy’s parents are hoping to come for a weekend, and our plan is to change out the kitchen floor and countertops.  I know exactly what I want here….we just have to do it!  Then we’ll repaint (the kitchen floor will be significantly lower, so we’ll have to move our molding and stuff) and I’ll decorate and all will be finished for now.  I may try to finagle a new microwave out of the deal; our current one is probably my age.  And maybe a kitchen table.  We’ll see.  That might have to wait.

3. The bedroom.  This is a project in which I need my mom’s help.  I ordered a sweet white quilt (completely washable) and shams, and some darling fabric in shades of pink, green, and aqua.  I want those to become pillows, a bedskirt, and window treatments.  Then I just need to declutter that room and rearrange furniture, and finish repainting the last two walls that are still not the correct color after the great paint mishap of 2008.  A quick trip to Hobby Lobby and I’ll be probably be pretty set in there too.  Finagling for that room—a new closet door and bedroom door (the interior doors in our house our UGLY and I want them all changed).

4. The office.  Our office has some serious issues.  Not the least of which is storage and organization.  I want to redo this room, and make it more appealing and workable.  I’m leaning toward a khaki/red/brown color scheme, but I want to paint the currently red walls a neutral color.  This room is too small for such a strong color.  It’s a beautiful color, but I’m over it.  I would like to figure out a workspace situation, because Andy and I both do so much from home (I do crazy amounts of schoolwork and he has a lot of freelance projects) that we need a more functioning space.  I would also like to set up a sweet seating area for the nights when he’s doing freelance and I’m grading papers or reading, so we can stay in the same room and hang out.  This is the project that I think my sister can help with….she is an excellent painting partner and Hobby Lobby trip-maker (second only to Mom and Andy’s mom…though she could give them a run for their money, because she usually understands my ideas better), and I want to find a reason to make her stay with me for several days this summer.

4.5  This isn’t a whole project.  I just need to finish painting a piece of trim in the bathroom, and find something to hang on the wall.  I think I figured out what I want….Andy just has to make it for me.  He’ s going to use Photoshop to transform two pictures from our time in Freiburg (4 years ago…crazy) into a watercolor look.  I have always regretted not buying prints from the street vendor, and he’s going to help me fake the look I want.  It’s only a half project because I could easily take care of it in one afternoon for little to no cost.

Maybe 5.  This is where things start to dwindle off.  I’m not sure this project will happen this summer.  It may wait for fall break or Christmas, but the living room is still pretty high on the priority list.  We need to replace the carpet and start buying our own furniture (since everything in there is a mismatched hand-me-down).  I’d also like to repaint this room.  I love the green, but it shows everything so the walls look dirty.  I know precisely what I want for this room (I drew a picture two weeks ago and it’s hanging on the fridge) but  think it will be too much to finish in one summer.