Celebrating the magical and the mundane

I ♥ the Internet. It has given me LOLcats, the broken goat, Damn You Autocorrect, double rainbow, Pinterest, and so much more. I love it today because I’m getting so many good ideas for DIY projects I want to do in 2012. We’ve lived in our home for almost 8 years, and if I have my way, we’ll be moving within the next 2 years. So it’s time to start thinking about making improvements and rehabbing the things that are wearing down. My challenge is to budget all of this not only within our means, but also within a range that keeps our home similar to the comps in our area. And I certainly don’t want to over-invest in a house I hope to sell in the foreseeable future!

Project Get ‘Er Done

Last year my BFF inspired me to find and embrace my inner DIY’er and I redecorated the guest bathroom. While I love the new look there are some loose ends I need to tie off. Most annoyingly, the painters tape didn’t have a good seal on the ceiling so there are lots of paint smudges I want to touch up. Nothing annoys me more than a paint line that is all yucked up.  Also, I’ve been reading about the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation kit and I really want to try it. I think the bathroom provides a great opportunity to try it out on a smaller project as a test before my kitchen project.

Project Drab to Fab Kitchen

Our kitchen is the poster child for builder cookie-cutters with absolutely no character. I hate my kitchen cabinets but not enough to invest in new ones before moving. The counters are a lame, bland laminate that extends up the wall as a backsplash. If money were no object (ha!), I’d rip everything out and redesign the room so it’s not just a long, boring rectangular galley. Alas, money is an object, so my goal is a facelift to freshen the space with a few small touches to  increase functionality. This will definitely be my biggest project of the year.

Project Loft Library

One of my weekend and sickday obsessions is HGTV. If I’ve learned one thing from those shows (besides clean up your mess before you show your house), it’s that things like storage and built-ins can add that bit of value that nudges a buyer over the purchase decision. As I said, our house is pretty cookie-cutter, so I want to add some customizations to glitz it up a bit. My plan is to convert our loft into a library and media room. With my collection of nearly 1000 books, I also want some great book storage space!

Project Grungy Be Gone

Back to the aforementioned builder cookie-cutter design, we have what must have been the world’s cheapest carpet. We also have 3 cats and 1 dog, who have taken their toll on the neutral beige carpet. I want hardwood in the living and dining rooms, and porcelain tile in the kitchen and entry. With the new floors, we’ll also replace the baseboard and give everything a fresh coat of paint.

Project Curb Appeal

The icing on the cake! Now that the inside of the house is looking all spic and span, time to get the outside up to snuff. I’ll spiff up the back patio (with rubber pavers, an umbrella, and a container garden), replant the front yard beds (those bushes are getting out of control!), repave the front walk (so the door is more accessible), and either repaint or replace the front door.

So I’ve got my wishlist of projects, I’ll need to spend some time thinking about budgeting and timing. I’m sure there’s more that will need to be done—but I’ll tackle that in 2013.

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