February 1st is Good Enough

Happy New Year! Oh wait, that was January 1st... I'm way behind, huh? A month ago I was supposed to come up with resolutions as per the usual tradition. We're no different than most in that our goals stay roughly the same. Here goes nothing!

1. Lose weight (told ya, not original) & general better health. - I successfully gave up chocolate & soda for the month of January. I'm back to my vices now, but going without helped me to realize that I could do without and be okay. Yay for not being a slave to my cravings.
2. Buy a car - Now this is definitely a familiar goal. Kyle's truck died some time ago leaving him with the car that was to be mine, so we're now back to still needing a car. We're torn between getting a sedan, an SUV & a truck. Kyle wants a truck, I still want an SUV, but a sedan would be best. If we get a sedan it will be Kyle's to use for work and I'll get Sydney back.
3. Make & stick to a budget. - I've made budgets before, but we never stick to them. That needs to change.
4. Keep up with the family blog more often - We don't lead the most exciting lives but there are plenty of things that I'd like to mention and I've been doing a not-so-good job of posting.
5. Speak Up - I have an awful habit of not saying the things that are on my mind or that bother me. I always fear hurting people's feelings. I'm so cautious to avoid confrontation that I end up with resentment.

I'm sure there could be even more but those are the main things we concerning ourselves with.

One Day, One Day

Now for the list of things we want to do around the house. Le sigh.

• Paint the dining room
• Replace the globe in the dining room
• Paint the buffet
• Paint the ceiling fan blades in the dining room
• Paint the short bookcase
• Paint the ladder bookcase
• Repaint the kitchen
• Install tile backsplash in the kitchen
• Replace the flooring in the kitchen and laundry nook
• Replace countertop in kitchen (not likely)
• Replace kitchen sink (not likely)
• Repaint Isaac’s room
• Paint vanity in half bath
• Repaint master bedroom
• Paint Isaac’s bookcase
• Paint doorknobs
• Paint front door
• Replace screen door
• Replace medicine cabinets in all baths
• Replace light fixtures in all baths
• Paint light fixture in kitchen or replace
• Replace light fixtures in hallway

Dead in the Bank

My Thrifted Home is pretty much dead. Which I’m sure you could tell (or probably not since I don’t really have any readers, but if I still do I love all of you dearly) by the lack of posts. There hasn't been much activity on the thrifty home improvement front. After four (shameful) months I did finish my plant stand, now I just have to decide where to keep it. I’m pretty sure it’s going to live in the front yard, but I've yet to decide whether to use it as a table or a plant stand/outside entry way /dumping ground table. The Hubs finished painting my roll top desk (which no longer has the roll top) a shiny black that I love. I've already replaced 4 knobs, now it just needs 2 drawer pulls to be complete. And that is pretty much the end of our finished projects.

We have so, so many unfinished projects in the house. Ready for the incredibly long list?

·         Touch up ceiling in kitchen
·         Touch up wall and trim in guest room
·         Touch up wall in Isaac’s room
·         Paint trim in stairway
·         Touch up or repaint the kitchen cabinets
·         Finish painting countertops
·         Pull down wallpaper in the dining room
·         Finish spraying texture in dining room
·         Paint dining room
·         Repaint the coffee table legs
·         Stain coffee table top
·         Finish painting old nightstands
·         Take down wallpaper in half bath, then paint
·         Mud walls in full bath
·         Put up cabinet door in full bath
·         Paint art on canvases
·         Take down wallpaper in master bath, then paint
·         Paint banister (has overspray, 1 year old overspray)
·         Repaint laundry nook

Later on today I'll be posting another bulleted list of one day hopeful things to do in the house. Our financial life is in such disarray right now that they are all things I look at wistfully.

February... You Know the Drill

Well it happened again or not happened as the case may be. By that I mean home design projects. However there is one little project that was started and completed in February. Now if I could only get you some pictures.... There's every good chance that I might (unlike last time with that yard sale furniture). I have finally gotten a cell phone so pictures should happen on a more regular basis, at least once I figure out how to send them to facebook or picasa.

Since you know all too well how I tend to be regarding posting, I'll go ahead and spare you the suspense about my recent project. It was a little kids chair that has since purchase been painted and recovered and I must say that I am awful proud of my first recovering project. It was a really simple job, just pulling the fabric and stapling but I am pleased with the outcome. Pictures soon (fingers crossed)!

The Best Yard Sale Ever

I know that is a mighty, mighty claim but there's a reason I say it. Last Saturday we decided to keep at our new weekend activity and look for yard sales. After a few in town we decided to meet up with my sister-in-law, Katelynn since she said there were lots of signs for sales out her way in Portsmouth. Portsmouth did not disappoint. we went to one that was in the backyard of the home and what did they have but a good deal of furniture. Sadly this was at the end of our yard sale day and Kyle and I were down to 6 dollars. The amount of money we have never stops me from asking about price though and I asked about a solid looking (and sitting) cane back chair. Imagine my shock and surprise when I was told $5! The nice people running the sale told us that they hadn't had much business and that the things that didn't sell were being given to a thrift store. They even gave us a small suitcase full of things for Isaac.

Now this is where the awesome comes in...We had to leave and get our car so that we could get the chair (Kyle, Katelynn, Me and baby Emily already filled the car). On our way back Kyle mentions that if they're just giving things away maybe they'd give us something. Well he was righter than right! When we got back it was just the lady of the house there and she loaded us up on free (!) furniture. The haul....

• an armchair and ottoman
• a kitchen table
• 3 chairs (for the table)
• a secretary desk
• a long bench
• another armchair
• a small deck chair
• a small side table
• a round side table
• a dresser mirror

The craziest part is that we could have gotten even more! As it was we had to call in my mother to haul everything to our house. *Thanks bunches, Mama!!* I almost forgot to mention that Kyle's mother was called and she came out and got a armoire and  coffee table.

That woman (Carolyn) really blessed us and I hope we can bless someone else......but I still don't want to give Kate the bench (she wants it bad!). But you never know....:)

Also everything needs work, I'm talking sandpaper and coats of glossy white paint are in our future, but we're still extremely excited.

The Month of May

Sorry, blog readers for another long stretch of no posts. There hasn't been much thrifting, decorating or projects going on in my life. The thrifting that I have done has been of the non-home variety.

What is going on however, is the opportunity for our little family to move into a much larger (and not much more costly) place. We're talking apartment to townhouse, two bedrooms to three, one bathroom to two and a half. We're also talking about moving to Virginia Beach from Chesapeake. That last little bit is the sad part. When I first moved to Virginia from Texas many, many moons ago, Virginia Beach was were we lived. These last 11 years though I have become a Chesapeake convert. All the friends I have I met while living here and I am sad to move 30 minutes away. It's just that this is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The coolest thing about the move is that we'd be moving into a house that I used to live in! It's the place I was living when I moved out to Chesapeake. Now though instead of living with my parents, I'll be with my husband and stepson. I never lived in the master bedroom before!

So, sorry for the month of May, but cross your fingers that this move happens and smoothly too.