Stairs Renovation Update #3

Welp, I hope this is the LAST update.  Visions of a reveal are dancing in my head.  Nonetheless, here's where we are today.  I wont be able to come home today during the 9-5 lunch break today because I need to go pick up some more paint!  Why?!?  Well, because thanks to Papi and his generosity....the board and batten wall is almost done!  There are a couple of pieces in the pictures below where it's not nailed completely to the wall, and that's because I couldn't use the nailgun this morning because Mr. A2B had the day off, and the Little Monsters were sleeping!!!  But you get the idea.  Think I'm nuts for thinking it'll be done this weekend?  Maybe a little.  And oh yes...busted out the wood filler one last time... :(

Every other step is finished.  I can see the hole in my wall now...it will be......coming soon!!!!!!  DIY burlap runner here I come.  Creativity don't fail me now!  Is it too soon to say we're in the home stretch?  I think the worst part might be taping off all of the steps to paint the rises and spindles....again... :(

BTW-I'll post a tutorial on all of this when it's done!

Happy Friday~!!

Stairs Renovation Update #2

Well my friends, I can almost see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel!  Where should I start?  Ok, here sounds good.  I may have told you before, but I'll tell you again, I. AM. A. PERFECTIONIST!  And I have OCD...honestly.  It's not completely out of control, but it's close.  For example; Santa brought the Little Monsters a play kitchen for Christmas.  (Don't judge...it's STORE BOUGHT!  Super upset I couldn't make it but there are times where I DO realize my limitations...I knew I couldn't get it done...)  I've had to remind myself numerous times that is IS IN FACT...a play kitchen.  The pots and pans, plates, bowls, flatware, and grocery accessories do NOT have to be perfectly in place.  And it is OK for the ice cream to be in the fridge rather than the freezer.  Mr. A2B has reminded me a few times too...it's sad.  I recognize I have a problem and I'm working on it people.  Why am I telling you this?  Because it's not always a bad quality.  Especially when it comes to being a DIYer....  Case and point...I sanded/filled/painted the steps....AGAIN.  When I arrived home yesterday from the 9-5, I notice some "imperfections" in a few of the steps.  Would they have been covered by the runner?  Perhaps, but I wasn't going to chance it.  So....I busted out the DeWalt and went at em....again.  Here's proof...

Then....this a.m. I was up at 5....painting before work...see how nice they look now?

I also glazed the rail.

Then, during lunch from the 9-5, I went home to glaze the steps.

 Left side...not glazed yet...right side...glazed.

See?  It's kinda hard to tell but after this dries, you add the final coat and it blends it together and gives it an added "dimension"...I'm nuts, I know...  tonight, I'll do the first top coat on the rail so tomorrow morning, it will be ready for the second top coat, and so will the steps.  Then, I can get to adding the shoe trim, and finally finishing up the white paint.  See?  There's a rhyme and reason to the things I do....and in my head, it all makes sense.

The most exciting part?  I'm going to mom and dad's tonight to pick up a nice little gift my daddy just happened to "find" in his garage......a compound miter saw!!!!  It's not new by any stretch of the imagination.  However, I think he thinks I'm "responsible enough"...and a small step-up from "beginner".  I can't tell you how excited I am, not only to be getting such an awesome gift, but because MY dad thinks I can do this whole DIY thing...He's a perfectionist...I think that's where I get it.  BTW-he has two compound miter saws, so he is GIVING IT TO ME....FREE!!!!!!  See, I told you, he just gets me!  I love him~!  So, anyway, since I'll have a new toy, I'm planning on finishing up some cuts for my board and batten wall  (OOPS!  SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).....hopefully I'll have this done by Sunday....NOT ONLY because I received the shipping confirmation for my runner....and it'll be here tomorrow!!!!  but also because I'd love nothing better than to be sitting on my couch behind my sewing machine sewing the runner for my steps, while smiling at the gaping hole under my stairs, and occasionally glancing over at the football games!  Oh, Sundays, how I love you!  I promised Mr. A2B I wouldn't cut the hole until the stairs were done....that's where the board and batten came in....trying to determine whether I was going to put open shelving or a club house, or storage in there....but IF I want to put a door there, no problem....I can board and batten one....and it'll blend in.....

I said I needed to cut the hole for storage, but now I'm wondering if I can figure out how to wire it for lighting....hmmmmm.....there is a "secret door that leads to the Kid's closet?!?!  Geeeeeze...I need to get these stairs done~!  Thanks for hanging out with me today!

NOT a Stair Renovation update...but a Pintrest Rant....Hate Mail? Hate Pinning?

Ok, so I'm new here...you already knew that, but by reiterating that fact, you'll further understand where I'm coming from.  If you're just now joining, go back 43 posts ago...get to know me a little and then read this.  Otherwise, you'll just think I'm some Nuts-O-Crazy person.  Which, I totally am, but you can't call me that....until you get to know me, and appreciate the nuts-o-crazy-person-awesomeness!  You'll also find I prefer to make-up words.  No worries.  It's fun.  You should try it.  Okay, so back to the rant.  I'm new here in bloggieland, and for the most part, the world-wide web has been very kind to me.  I posted a special thank you to all of my readers before Christmas.  (so if you're catching up...it's to you as well.  k? k.)  I posted the Thank You because I'm sincere, and have learned so much from all of my readers, and fellow bloggers here in bloggieland.  NOW, with that being said, you can imagine the confusion when I stumble upon blogs such as

My Favorite Hate Mail; Where Mean Comments go to Die!   

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!~  People wouldn't do such a thing?!?!

WRONG!!!  WRONG!!!  BIG. FAT. WRONG!

Today, I am a Pintrest Victim!  Actually, not so much because I understand that just as in texts, emails, and "pins"......you can't interpret the "tone/reasoning" behind it...and, Hey, it's my fault for putting it out there.  However I'm new....when I have a project that's pinned....I get butterflies in my tummy!  Every morning I JUMP out of bed....run upstairs....and check my email for new comments.  Literally, because I personally find it rewarding when someone likes something I do.  As far as rude comments on blog posts....I'm still a virgin.  Thank goodness.

HOWEVER....not on Pintrest.  Here's what happened....I was so excited to see so many visitors to my teensy-tiny space here in bloggieland....from Pintrest.  So, I took a gander through to see what's been repined.  WOW!!!  My Bears Lamp.  (That. Was. A. Gift. For. My. Little. Bears-loving. Nephew!!!!!!)  He loved it!  When I saw his little face light up at Christmas when he opened it, I felt the most rewarding feeling!  I can't even explain it.  It's not like he only liked it because he's a little kid that doesn't know better, he loved it because I MADE it for him.  I thought it was cool.  I'm going to do a Steelers one if I come across another helmet.  My brothers both liked it, Mr. A2B liked it, and my parents liked it.  That's all that should matter.  I guess I'm not so disheartened because someone didn't like it.  I think I'm more taken-back because someone went out of their way to pin it to one of their boards titled....Uh, No!

It's one thing to dislike something...but do you have to go out of your way to tell everyone that you DO. NOT. LIKE. SOMETHING.???  I'm not 100% sure, but I can almost bet that you've never visited my blog.  I can almost bet you don't know me, and I can almost bet you have no idea how I made this, how much time I put into it, or how excited I was when I finished it, but most importantly, I KNOW without a doubt that if you could have seen the expression on the little boy's face when he opened this lamp on Christmas, it would have brought a smile to your face, and much needed warmth in your heart.  Even if you're not a Bears fan...fine, why don't you say that?  I'd also like to say that I expect honest CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM....from my family, and FRIENDS.  You.....are not my friend.  I wouldn't be friends with you, because you're not nice.  Grandma taught me long ago...you are the company you keep.  And, I'm NOT. KEEPING. YOU.

I have stairs to finish so I can sit back and enjoy my latest accomplishment!  Enjoy your day Ms. Littlejohn Wallace!

Stairs Renovation Update #1

Hey there!  It's almost been ten days since we've spoken.  Well, I'm sad to announce that my bloggie/9-5 vaca is officially over.  As. Of. 5. a.m.!!  So, I'm back in the swing of things and wanted to start my 2012 blogging year off with a bang.  Welp, remember when I told you that I was bored, which in turn forced me to give into the temptation to tear-up remove the carpet from my stairs?  Yep, you remember now.  Wow...it really has been a while.  Ok, so I'm not going to have finished photos today, because well, it's the project from hell, it's not finished.  BUT....it is coming along.  Here's where we started.......

 Yes, carpeted insides?!?!?

 Yes, I still put the snowman kit on the stairs...lol!

They seemed to dig em'...

And here's where we are now....after a trip to Home Depot...and lots and lots of cuts later...

Ran into yet another huge problem...

Huge Problem...three inch gap!  Awesomeness!

Three coats of killz later....three million gallons of latex caulk....three episodes with wood filler later...three episodes with the palm sander later...here we were....

I believe the exact text to my dad went something like this..."Dear Latex Caulk, I know it's only been a few days since we first met, but I am in LOVE!!!"  Thanks to Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformation kit, we have tons of paint to paint the stairs....and today...during lunch from 9-5....I took my dad's advice and started with the banister too...just for craps and giggles!  Why not?!?!?!  BTW...I am NOT within my budget, but not too far off...thanks to dad coming in BIG time for Christmas with some power tools!  More on that later.  I just love him...he "GETS" me.  Here's where we are today...(before I went to work this a.m.)....yes, I know...lots of touch-ups!

He seems to dig it!  NOT!  He actually is really mad....he was screamed at quite a bit...thank goodness the paw prints came off the tile!

New trim...new floor!  I'm awesomeness!  All by myself....and wait till you see what I have in store for the wall!  and UNDER THE STAIRS!!!  Yep...I'm cutting a giant hole in my walls when these are done!  Aren't you so glad you don't live with me?!?!

And after my lunch escapade....(painted railing.....geeeze!)

Mr. A2B is against "hardwood" stairs....so we compromised and decided a runner would suffice.  So, since the cheapest I could find was about $350....I decided I am going to make one.  Thank goodness the material hasn't arrived yet because I have more painting/sanding to do before we're ready for that.  And, yes I am aware of the gaping holes at the bottoms....that's where the quarter-round shoe trim is going to go.  Well, although it has been great catching up, I must go....until tomorrow!

GUESS what I'm using for my runner?!?!?!?  YEP!!!  That's right....BURLAP!!!  mmmmm...yummy!  Talk about wingin' it!!!!

Yes, yes, I know.  You're just as excited as I am to be back in touch!