Home Improvements

We've been busy in our kitchen lately. These two pictures show what it all looked like when we first moved in two years ago. Notice the carpet, wallpaper over halfway up the wall, and border all around the rooms near the ceiling. I hated the carpet in the kitchen for obvious reasons. I didn't love having the chair rail higher than my shoulder because it made me feel like a child! And the border around the tops of the walls just made the whole space feel smaller. Even all the outlet and switch plate covers were wallpapered!
















So we stripped the wallpaper and borders off. And threw the outlet and switchplate covers out. Just doing that was a huge difference! We had to prime the walls and trim. After we'd finished that, I was very glad that we weren't actually using that color-scheme. We had to use tinted primer for the trim because the paint was going to be a dark color.


















We painted all the trim and the wainscot boards in a brick redish color. I was using the same curtains because I actually like those. The paint was matched to the curtains. Painting those wainscot boards and trims 3 times was a big pain! Here is Chad putting up the wainscot. She how well he cut that hole for the outlet? I'm so impressed. :)
















Here's Rebekah helping out. Everyone helps in a Collett family!

And here is the finished kitchen. It still needs some touch up, and the ceiling probably needs to be painted now, but we're glad to mostly done. I still have to get things back on my walls. As soon as Chad touches things up, I can get everything into the right places.

Notice the new vinyl floor. We got a good price for it. Now I know if my floor is clean or not!

I want to think of some fitting phrases to put up on the spaces above the counters. Maybe something like "Give us this day our daily bread." or "Kiss the cook" (just kidding on that one). I just can't think of what I want yet. Any suggestions? I know someone who can cut vinyl letters that I could stick up there.

And not to be outdone by the kitchen, the livingroom is getting a little help. There was a sale on furniture here in town. Chad was feeling a little crowded on the biggest piece of furniture we had (a loveseat - thanks for the hand-me-down, Amber...it's gone on to another family now) and decided it was time to get something bigger. So now when visitors come, we won't have to squeeze our whole family into the two arm chairs to make room for them! Do you think that's why our Home Teachers never come?


I'm making throw pillows for them. What do you think? They are green to tie in the rest of the room. I don't think they really match the couches at all. Oh well. I have this pattern with colors reversed, almost ready to put together into a 2nd pillow. I plan for 5 pillows in all. Obviously, this is an Ohio Star quilt pattern, but that's the only part of this pillow I didn't figure out on my own. Yes, I need to repent of my prideful boasting.


Now, before you go thinking that we've won the lottery or something...I feel compelled to say that we've used tax returns and company bonuses for all the big stuff. I wish we made enough money to just fix up the house any old time. I would get the carpets replaced if we did!