quick!!

so just 2 weeks after i was notified that ncarb was going to finally transmit my application. i received my letter of approval from the state AND the letter from prometric! that is efficient. (ncarb actually sent my record to the state on the 22nd.) the letter from prometric allows me to test.

i am waiting until july when ARE 4.0 releases. but this gives me plenty of time to study.

camping

trooop 55
Originally uploaded by sarahmac74

yep... that's right. i camp!

this weekend we went camping at camp pumunkey in hanover, VA, just past kings dominion. saturday, we had a full day of games, crafts, canoing, fishing and hiking. we even made it back to richmond for a soccer game... (4-1!!).

the rain didn't ruin our campfire plans, as they have a big pit in the dining hall. we were able to make our s'mores and burnt marshmallows (my favorite) without any worry.

the girls were fantastic and are really getting the hang of camping. we have plans for 2 more trips this summer.

check out more photos of our fun...

ncarb

after months and months of waiting... i was notified on friday that ncarb has approved my idp and they will submit my record to the state. i am not sure how much longer i must wait, but there seems to be a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.... time to start to study. yikes.

viewer

IMG_3083.jpg
Originally uploaded by sarahmac74

from the top of the empire state building

chillen...

i have been chillen, and enjoying my clean house!! i have to finish up my bedroom and had every intention of doing it this weekend but that didn't happen.

i will finish the room after next week. there is not much work to do at all....

here is my to do list:

take down curtains and mini blinds
hand new roman shades
get rid of the last of the outbox
install pulls on dressers
install lack shelf
put away the last of the laundry

http://flickr.com/photos/9566101@N06/1394436576/in/set-72157601935270229/

here you will find before pictures... it is not quite this bad... really, i swear.

dining room: after

a summary of my dining room!

before:


after:




with all the books on the shelving unit, the shelf is nice and clear. the major work in this room was the plaster work on the wall. it was the most time consuming and messy part of the room. the chocolate brown paint went on really smooth and didn't require too many coats. my favorite thing in this room is the buffet. it holds my microwave!! it also holds my serving platters, extra dishes, and other utensils that don't fit on the kitchen wall. (i do not have any drawers in my kitchen).

before:


after:




the picture wall!! this is so much harder than it appears. i am pretty happy with how it turned out. (i recently discovered how to nail into plaster. duh!) i used a drafting dot, but any tape will work fine. then hammer as usual. the last time i had to nail something into plaster it just crumbled. i didn't have any troubles at all. i also put my beetle collection back on display!!

before:


after:


this corner makes me happy. you can see a bit of the buffet... (i need to add more pics.) i got rid of the mini blinds and hung new shades. oh, i finally added a battery to that clock... it only took me a year.

before:


after:


this is still my temporary desk but it works well for now. i also hung some more pictures, frame less photos of my daughter.

living room: after

here is a summary of the living room!!

before:


after:


i added the expedit shelving unit, which now holds all of my books. funny it seemed like i had more! my old tv stand is my new coffee table. (it is still in need of a coat of paint). it fine cabinet also holds my knitting basket, my box of photos, my to be filed basket (which needs to be emptied.), and my wireless speakers. i got some little plants for the new vases. the top of the unit is where i have my weekly flowers, since my cat, eddie, hasn't figured out how to get up there yet.

before:


after:


other than cleaning up all the junk... the biggest thing i did in this picture is frame my Matisse poster that i got in Venice, Italy in 1997. it was hung in my last apartment but it has been waiting for about 4 years to have a home.

before:


after:


first i moved the desk into the other room. huge difference. this expedit shelf has been a wonderful addtion to my house. it holds all the extra dvd's, cd's and magazines. the 2 chairs are so comfy!!

they're up!

check out my new photos on flickr....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9566101@N06/collections/72157602200149871/

i added a smaller set that is before and after, but you should really check out the progress pictures that are in sequence in the apartment thereapy cure set.

enjoy!

all in a day's work...

let me remind you of what the bathroom looked like before...

notice the broken mini blinds, boring color, unpainted window sill, and the stack of products over the teeny tiny shelf.



today i painted it!

i also installed a new shelf that has a movable mirror. it also partially hides stuff behind it. i installed new roman shades and painted the window sill. i got rid of the blue circle rug and got another brown one.



here is a close up of the shelf. it is hung low so that me and my daughter can use it at the same time!



the dining room is next.

don't give up on me..

on this weekend's agenda.... update

-paint bathroom
-trip to ikea and purchase - then assemble:
-buffet for kitchen
-tv stand
-book shelf - working on this one
-headboard
-miscellaneous items for the house

next week
-paint dining room
-empty outbox
-hang artwork

-final dust and mop

the invites went out this week and it is locked in for Nov. 9th. i have a lot of work to do.

cd's

in an attempt to purge... i took a big box of cd's that i no longer listen to down to the local record store that typically buys back cd's.

they rejected my entire collection!

big job...

so i have this box of stuff to go in the outside storage. however, the outside storage is full.



so i bought this box to put all my stuff in.



but where i want to put it... there are a stack of 16 x 16 concrete pavers. (that i will use on a future project). so in order to get rid of the box of stuff, i need to move them.



i took on this task this evening, since didn't feel like going to the gym, but wanted to work out... this was definitely a workout. i moved each one, one at a time to the other side of the yard. (don't be too impressed, the yard is only about 16' wide). but i did move each one.



i shifted the taller one over and made room for the short one, so there was no obstruction from my kitchen window! stacked the cooler and tied them all together so that nothing walks!



i emptied the box and even reorganized the tall one to fit tall tools in it that have been stored in the house!

aaahhhh

laundry has consumed me! this is what is responsible for my lack of posting. i am one load away from being caught up. yeah!!

week three: landing strip

i love fall. our uncut pumpkins on the porch steps.


our welcome mat!


looking towards the front door. the stack of folding chairs will be painted and reupholstered. i am searching for a shelving unit to go on that wall that will hold our 'take upstairs' baskets and some hooks for jackets. (normally they hang on the banister).


keys and mail. i have a little basket that i put other mail that can be sorted at another time.

new chairs

i acquired 2 new chairs! they came from an old office warehouse in winston-salem, nc.

they have found a home in my living room, but i am not sure that they are going to stay there. i need to make some purchases from ikea for the living room so it depends on how they work with the new shelves. they are also throwing the hard/soft ratio off. one or both may move to my room, but i am worried they will become a clothes hanger instead.

weekend reading(shopping)

my super awesome friend (yeah, you know it) brought me the new 2008 ikea catalog today!!! i can't wait to sit on my couch, in my clean living room and do some shopping.

checking in...

i haven't disappeared... i just have a lot of work to do. i will be continuing with my kitchen/dining area since there is not much of an entry to my house.

i am going to buy my paint this weekend too!

major repair

so the biggest issue that i had was the hole in my bathroom wall. my dad came last week and filled it in. here are the results.

i found a website that demonstrates how to repair drywall. i wasn't here to watch him but have seen it before on a larger scale.

i still haven't decided on a paint color. :(

week two: progress

Bones
okay so this wasn't on my list, but my cat was laying on my bed, and my duvet doesn't currently have a cover on it. i scared him and he jumped and ran and TORE my duvet.... feathers everywhere. it was really quite funny because he thought it was fun and kept jumping on it while i was trying to keep all my feathers in my very favorite, can't live without, duvet. so i mended it!
















i have always used a water filter! i have one on my faucet and the pitcher in the fridge.

Breath
i have painted just about every wall in this house. so i have been very close to every wall. i have a combination of plaster on lath, plaster on brick, and drywall. this makes it difficult, but not impossible, to hang pictures on the walls.

i think my cabinets look great, i did this exercise a couple of months ago. although, i still have a bit of work to do on my kitchen and since i don't have a foyer, but a small basket that collects my mail. i can continue with the kitchen/dining room task. i did get under the sink and organize!!















before
















after

my storage closet, has improved!! here is my daughter sorting out the mismatched containers.















i also added some more hooks to the bar for some pots and pans that are used regularly and additional utensils.



















Heart
we cut new flowers from my garden this morning. my cat doesn't seem so interested, but i had to put the jar in a vase so he wouldn't knock the water over. he is strange little kitty.



















i feel that i know what my style is. how to describe... not so sure. i will continue to post pictures.

Head
i cooked earlier in the week. i look forward to more cooking now that my kitchen is clean.

the part that i am most excited about!! my best friend and i are 5 days apart and our birthday is coming up at the beginning of october. we throw ourselves a party every year. this year we are going to do it at my house, and since we were so late in planning we are going to postpone it to NOVEMBER 2. i am so excited, because there is no turning back now!

i will add more photos to flickr this weekend. i am at my max.

week two: kicthen

this has already been a crazy week for me already and it isn't going to get better.... however, my dad came and got my junk. this is just the first load of junk. i keep sorting through and filling bags with clothes and other miscellaneous stuff. i will be ready again next week.

he also patched the hole in the wall in the bathroom he has to apply one more coat of spackle in the morning then ready to sand and paint. i just need to pick a color... i have been leaning towards blue but i have too many blue rooms...

any other favorite colors for a bathroom?



















he also cut my grass, which just makes him super fantastic!!

getting rid of the junk helped clear out my room a bit, so i am still trying to find the floor to mop, but at least i am getting somewhere! i need to hold off since i will be sanding.

in my attempt to do this cure alone at the beginning of the summer, i did get to week 2, and cleaned my kitchen. which doesn't make this such a frightening task. i do need to touch up a bit, and my fridge is a little unhappy. i need to concentrate on unused, unpaired Tupperware containers and excessive baking pans. (i actually do love to bake). and the storage closet which is in my kitchen and my dining room need the most attention. (you saw photos, yikes!)