A Year of Progress

I knew when Christmas had passed and our families hadn’t showered us with gifts of Home Depot gift cards or cold hard cash to work on house projects, that we had made some progress this year. I think we may actually be entering the realm of holiday gifts that don’t have to do with Home Depot. It’s an odd feeling, a bittersweet feeling. Because, truth be told, I love change. I love transforming things around me to become more beautiful and then stepping back to look and enjoy that work that has been done by us, with our vision, to make our house home. I also know that no matter what, demolition or not, we will always find ways to keep our creativity flowing, to keep our lives busy, our hearts filled, and our home lovely.

I look at a space that looked like this 3 years ago this Christmas. If you aren’t sure what you are supposed to be looking at, I mean the fake wood paneling and the avocado green linoleum floors. You know, if they don’t stick out like a sore thumb for you the way they do for me.

and I am so proud of us when I see where it is now.

It isn’t perfect by any means, and fortunately that has never been our goal. The goal has been to make it ours and to make it home.

Here is a year of house projects. A show of progress. And inspiration to continue making it home in the coming year.

Photos are all before pics, click the links for the after.

Perhaps my favorite project of the year, adding subway tile and making the kitchen finished. It was one of those projects that hubby rolled his eyes at. Wasn’t the kitchen good enough? This took it from a place to do dishes to a place to feel inspired, and enjoy cooking and my family.

kitchen makeover. In addition to that project, I did a few other little projects in the kitchen, like adding another chalkboard and making over the kitchen island, that can be seen here.

for $15, I made over our totally blah and uninspired entryway. entryway makeover.

In my opinion, the bathroom was the worst room of the house. And sadly, the before picture was after hubby had already ripped out the old and redone it once. A whole history not worth going through, we decided to finally tackle the demons that resulted in that bad bad bath and made it a space I would blog from

bathroom makeover. Also, a little bit later, you can see how I used what I already had around the house to decorate the bathroom.

Just recently, my lovely and supportive been there done that we know how much this can drag on parents gifted us with the painting of our home. So it was all one color. Can you imagine? I was weepy.

it was all yellow.

Not exactly on the scale of these other projects, but lovely and inspiring and beautiful additions to our home that make a difference for me everyday nonetheless, here are some of the smaller DIY projects I did this past year.

turned this wall into a family photo wall.

added this frugal curtain.

I used a stool as a nightstand at the cottage.

I made this easy DIY wall art for my kids.

and last but not least

the epsom salt candles that have made their way around blog land this holiday season.

It’s been a fun year. A wonderful year full of inspiration, sweat, love and yes, some tears. Thank you for being here along the way. Here is to another fabulous year ahead of progress.

Shared with Kimba’s DIY Day and Melissa’s Best of 2009. Also adding to Rhoda’s Best of 2009 Party. Check them all out for lots of inspiration!!