Here's My Elephant.....4 Months of Progress

So here are the things that did get done once Daughter left to move back to Louisiana in May.  We've gotten a lot done in the last 4 months. 
It's been a big old game of Dominoes really. ;-)

*  Daughter's old room gets cleaned(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo the carpeting/clean walls/trim/ceiling/ceiling fan/dressers she isn't taking.)  Then EX-CB moves in his crap and takes that room.  He was planning on moving out within the next few months but then the new job search happened so that's delayed.

UPDATE-- The room got emptied triple quick(can you guess I was uber motivated?!? lolz
What was left in Daughter's room........

Here it is after I finished cleaning in there.......

Then Ex-College Boy spent the next couple of days moving all his stuff into the room and setting it up like he wanted it.

The only money spent on this room was new blinds on the window.
I figure once Ex-CB moves out we'll have to repaint but he'll have to live with purple walls for now.  Depending on wear, the carpet may or may not need to be replaced so I'll keep that possible expense in the back of my mind for another year.

* After Ex-CB vacates his room, rinse and repeat cleaning that bedroom(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo carpeting/clean walls, trim, ceiling, ceiling fan/dresser.  Then I am painting that room(hasn't been painted since 2005).  Once we get the room cleared out we can evaluate whether carpeting needs replacing.

UPDATE--EXCB vacated his room and it looked like this.............

And the closet view..........

After I got done shoveling it out and vacuuming it looked like this........

Then this room got repairs for lots of wall damage...........

 And then a coat(or five for that dark accent wall!)of paint..........

Then the saga of ordering the new carpet and install began with a trip to NH wedged in between this part.

But finally the new carpet was installed in early July to finish off the improvements in here.............

And I could begin to set up my sewing room..........

In July I put the shelving in and started sorting fabric in the tubs

The closet was were the dresser went.  It holds the toiletries stockpile reserved for the family.

A few days later I had the shelves mostly filled(the fabrics I want to use sooner rather than later)and the tub sorting/filling was finished.

And here is how it looks today......

11 tubs of fabric.  2 are stacked by the serger to act as a table for my record player.  I've been migrating my record collection into the room so I can play them finally after having them stored away for 12+ years.
A few of my slug/snail collection sit on the wall shelves too. ;-)

The closet with projects(repairs, alterations, hems, etc.)hanging on both sides of the dresser.  A tub of fabric to sell or otherwise de-clutter sits under neath the to-be finished projects with more projects sitting on top of the tub.  The 2 bins on top of the dresser hold thread, elastic, bindings, etc. for use in my sewing.
Christmas stuff is stored on the high shelf in tubs.

The expense in here were new blinds, sparkle and paint and new carpeting.


*  Once that bedroom(now sewing room)is cleaned out and up I can move all my crap into there-a combination of sewing crap and toiletries stockpile(what doesn't fit into upstairs hallway closet).  

A "before" shot of the man cave holding a lot of miscellaneous crap, books, toiletries and fabric........

And all that fabric now...........

I would have put up a third shelving unit(it's in the garage and was utilized for the stockpile sale)but I ran out of wall space for it so the bulky tubs take up too much floor space. bleh.


*  Once my crap is out of Hubs' room then we clear that bedroom out and rinse and repeat all the cleaning/fixing.  This bedroom will definitely be getting new paint and carpet(original carpet from before the previous owner we bought from in 2000 so very old and nasty rug).
Hubs puts his room back together.

UPDATE--Hubs finished emptying his man cave room and painted it.  I didn't offer to help him paint it because he refused to put a/c in that room and it was August and I wasn't about to do that sort of work in the heat and humidity of August without the benefit of a/c.  So he was on his own.
Hubs DETESTS painting but he manned up with very little whining and got it done in 3 days time(he had a LOT of wall patching to do as well as painting).  We used the same white paint in here as in the sewing room.

Then he went and ordered new carpeting and ordered something in stock so we didn't have to wait ages for it to come in and then get the job on the installers schedule.  It's a tan carpet.......

Here is the carpet we replaced.  This was the original carpet when we moved in circa 2000 and had been the ORIGINAL carpet from when the house was built in 1986..........

It was still "sort of" green in places. lolz  It was like walking on burlap. bleck.

He got rid of a lot of books, the broken blinds and the valance.  One book shelf(which was mine to begin with)relocated into the master bedroom and now holds MY books.  He moved one of the two large bookcases to the wall by the door where my bookcase was and the other one out into the hallway.
Here's the hallway in July after getting rid of a large desk and desk top computer.
Nice dirt spot on the wall where the kids use to put their feet on it while sitting at the desk *snort*.

Here's the hallway in September..........

Hubs moved 1 bookcase out here(covers the dirt spot lolz).  At least now ALL the family photos/albums are in one spot now on that bookcase.  They use to be squirreled all over every corner I could shove something into.  Still need to find a place for a few things....a suitcase, a Xmas tub, a wooden chair(Ex-CB took the trumpet next to the suitcase and will teach himself how to play that instrument too).
We didn't paint out in the hallway due to needing a professional to come due it as this also involves the stairwell walls and we can't reach.  So that is still on the Master List of things to do around here.

Hubs' small metal bookcase got moved into the closet in his man cave since the dresser that use to live in there is now in my sewing room holding toiletries.
He bought himself a proper desk, the daybed got moved into this room and we bought a new memory foam mattress for it.
Here is the man cave now.............

You can't see the one bookcase left in the room as it's to the left and I didn't photograph the closet in here.  He's still got a few things to put away.  He opted for no window coverings in here but I suspect he'll put blinds in eventually because the sun comes right in those windows in the morning.
Costs were for spackle, paint and new carpeting, plus a desk in this room.

* Once all these bedrooms are done we can attack the master bedroom, the whole cleaning deal including the furniture.  We will be getting a new mattress and bed frame(adjustable one). 

UPDATE--I don't have any photos of the master bedroom yet as it's not finished.
We have moved some furnishings out(an etagere holding fabric, my serger and table, sewing machine and table, and ironing board)which all relocated into the sewing room so it's fairly emptied out except for night stands, 2 dressers, a large rocking chair, a cedar chest and an old coffee table sitting under the window that Hubs' refuses to get rid of.

We got the new mattress and bed frame and the old ones went to the garbage man.  We weren't planning repainting or new window coverings in here and the flooring is good(having replaced it about 10 years ago).  I would like to hang some paintings on the walls in here but that's it.  If I ever get it looking respectable I'll share a photo or two then. '-)

I am still rejiggering the master walk-in closet.  The photo albums and Xmas stash boxes left but there are more things to consolidate/move around/de-clutter in there so that will be on the next update if I do one.
Expenses in the Master Bedroom were new mattress and an adjustable bed frame.

The expenses for all we got done?
Paint & Spackle.........$16.39*
Carpet & Install.......$1079.46
Bed & Frame...........$1108.23
Blinds(2 Sets)......................$0.00*
New Desk for Hubs............$50.86
TOTAL SPENT.......$2254.94

*All but $16.39 for these items was put on free Home Depot gift cards earned from cashing in credit card points.

What I consider wins........
* Doing the work we could do ourselves to save money on labor.
* Using gift cards to pay for some of the expenses.
* Replacing one bed/2 mattresses for better sleep.
* Having 4 rooms that now function better(or at all)vs. what they were before.

So that's a wrap on this Summer tine phase of the Home Redos at Chez Sluggy.

We're not planning on any other home projects until next Spring as the weather is getting too cold to replace windows now.
I've also got a main bath redo and a den/kitchen makeover on my list for the future besides windows.
But I am tired...very tired of doing this stuff for now.  This was enough.  ;-)


Sluggy

Random Stuff Lately

Here's a bunch of stuff, nothing substantial enough for it's own post............

*  About that "Eat for Free" Deal at OSJL, here is a pic of the signage I snapped............

I may have to go back for some of that grapeseed oil, salt and energy drinks for Ex-College Boy.


*  I know KIM will find this hard to believe but..............

I did NOT dip into this pond with lots of coins in it at the amusement park we took eldest and GF to last month.
Ok, so Hubs threatened me if I DARED to even think of reaching into that pond. lolz


*  This house down the street was sold and the folks who bought it totally reconfigured it, tripled the size of the garage and then re-sided it.

  It went from a washed out Ivory to this Blue.  I think Urspo would call this Prussian Blue?


*  I've been getting some interesting spam comments lately.  If they don't leave website links I have put a few through just for the amusement level.
Here are some I didn't put through because they go on the advertise a website, but some of this is comic gold I tell ya! lololz

"The author is known by common history of Patsy but large number of misspell the following.  Montana is her birth point.  Dispatching is just how I support my in addiction to it's something I really like.  Her husband doesn't like it the way she does but what she really likes doing is ballet and these days she has time in order to on issues......"

"Greetings. The authors name is Santiago Vos but he doesn't like people today use his full logo.   Colorado is her birth place but she can have to move one day or just one more.  He is really fond of body building and now he has time to battle new facts.  Meter reading is my employment now but soon I am on mine...."

"I want to have to introduce myself to you, I am Kristy Magdaleno.  To climb is the things I do obtain.  Indiana is where he as well as the wife live and his family loves it.  In her professional life is actually an interviewer......"

"Hello dear visitor.  I'm Valentin.  My wife. i choose to exist in New York and I've everything when I need at this juncture.  Auditing has been his employment for your time.  Acting is the hobby she is never going to stop doing..."

"Nice fulfill you, my name is Jaime and my wife doesn't take pleasure in at.  Montana is her birth place but could have to hold one day or another......"

Hubs finally got his room emptied enough that he could go order carpet for that room.  I told him to get something in stock so we weren't waiting a month+ for the rug to come in before we could get this scheduled to be installed.
Here's what he got...a nondescript brown/tan thing... and it's getting installed on Friday.
Now he is under a deadline to get the room painted and of course it's going to be the worst temps of the Summer here the next 4 days.  I hope he doesn't ask me to help him paint since he refuses to put an a/c in his room.  That will show him......lolz


*  I noticed something when we got those boxes of cereal on Thursday for .48¢ each.............

Box Tops for Education have gone bye bye!  Or rather, they have gone digital/electronic.
No more clipping box tops.  Now you scan the thing and you have an smartphone app account.
Bad news for those of us who clipped BTFE and sold them on eBay.  *sad face*

*  The garden is starting to produce frequently now...........

While the cauliflower is done and the broccoli is almost finished, the tomatoes are ramping up.
No yellow squash this year(the one squash that formed withered on the vine)and only a few cukes.
This colander weighed in at 61.8 ounces of yummy veggies.  A green tomato because a storm this week knocked it off the vine.

Maybe I'll hit the farm later this week(after the heat breaks)and get a load of tomatoes to can if the prices are reasonable.  I've got to dig out my quart canning jars to see how much I can put up without having to buy jars.


*  The morning glory vines have taken over the deck railing and the back garden..........

And the shot of the other end of the deck.

*  I finally had my appointment at the HS Clinic down at Hershey Medical.  It went well.  They classified me at Stage II right now(of course I stopped flaring the week before the appointment....isn't that how it always goes?  Your symptoms get better right before you see a doctor. lol

Anyway, I don't qualify for a clinical trial they have going now since I'm not Stage III(sigh)but the doc did put me on Humira.  Boy was THAT an ordeal getting my insurance to pay for it!  Much too long of a story but the Cliff notes are I was on the phone with insurance, prescription plan and their specialty pharmacy for TWO FREAKING HOURS, each one telling me to call the other to get answers.
I got approval and with the Humira card as well my $50 co-pay went down to $5 per month so that was a big win.  Once I am on Medicare at age 65 costs will be much higher, if I am still on this drug.  At present, depending on which Part D Rx plan you opt into(and pay for)Humira could run me $700 a month but that's a can better kicked down the road 4.5 years and we'll deal with it at that point in time.

*  Speaking of Hershey Medical.........this is what I spied leaving the building............

One of those nasty used dental picks in the flower bed(it's the green blurb in the photo).  Honestly, I see these things everywhere!!  At the nasty dirty Weis(PMITA)Markets parking lot at the store West of here, in the handicapped parking spot at my Rite-Aid.....just about every place I go.  Come on!, have a little class people!  If you insist on flossing in public at least throw your nasty ass pick in a garbage can.


*  From the annuals of  "how to waste your money", I got this great offer *cough* in the Sunday paper recently..............

A Disney themed duffle bag.  18"x12"x9" with officially licensed Disney art for the extra low price of $129.95 + sales tax adn $14.99 shipping.
I am no fan of Disney to begin with but you could just speed down the interstate and throw fist fulls of dollar bills out your car's window instead of paying that sort of money for that sort of item. 8-)

*  I need to sit down for a few hours and clean out my inbox.  I also need to sit down and start writing posts about my road trips.

 Good Gawd I just realized I am TWO years behind since I haven't posted about the trip out West two Summers ago.....Geez!

*  And to close here is a meme I got a chuckle out of and posted on Facebook last week.  I am an equal opportunity hater when it comes to politicians and their parties so don't go getting all pissy at me if you are Clinton lover.  . ;-)

And that's a wrap for Sunday.  I am off to organize my pantry/stockpile.
What are you up to today?


Sluggy










Sluggy