First, an important update: The pie was indeed delicious.
We’ve been busy this weekend! We’ll start small and work our way up. Take a look…
Before
After
*In case you’re wondering what the bejeezus that hideous thing is, it is one of many stains all over the upstairs carpeting in our house. The stains were there to begin with when we moved in, but every time we cleaned the carpet the stains got worse and we couldn’t figure out why. Finally, we got smart. We think the industrial strength carpet cleaner we were using to spot treat was too strong and was actually pulling up the wood stain coloring from the hardwood floors beneath the carpeting and dying the carpet. We’ve switched to something less harsh and while the stains aren’t gone completely, they’ve definitely diminished. Our carpet looks much better.
Before
After
*Our kitchen is now fully functional and I love it. We finally have plenty of counter space to prepare food (without having to place ingredients on the floor because that’s the only place they’ll fit when the cutting board is out), counter space to set dirty and clean dishes on (so I can quit breaking our wine glasses in the metal sink), storage space for all the utensils, appliances, French Corningware, bakeware, storage containers, and pots & pans (in neatly organized cabinets and not on the floor), a floor to walk on (that’s not littered with random kitchen things – no more hopscotch!), new stuff we can actually enjoy using now (because it isn’t stored in a box in the basement), and now, somewhere to sit and eat together (not in front of the TV) next to a warm fireplace! Pure Heaven. I think it looks awesome!
Before
After
*I think this one is Ted’s favorite (it is pretty cool)! We upgraded from a 20″ tube TV with failing speakers that Ted purchased when he lived in Philly six years ago to an energy-saving 46″ LED Sony flat-screen he’s had his eye on for quite a while. We also needed a stronger and bigger TV stand to hold it. Between the exact TV we’ve been planning to purchase being on sale that week, price-matching, and some negotiating between stores as to which one could give us the best deal on a stand if we bought the TV from them, we took the plunge. It’s nice to be able to read words on the screen again!
We also got a great start on building the shelving system for the basement and Ted built sawhorses this weekend as well so we can work on this and future projects.
Despite all that we got done, we were still able to relax and enjoy our 3-day weekend together. We went out for dinner and a movie on Friday night, watched the NFL playoff games, ordered Chinese takeout while we watched some of the Golden Globes, ran a bunch of errands, went to Ted’s doctor’s appointment, and played card games. I wish every weekend could be so relaxing and so productive at the same time!
