My baby is 12!!

I hope you enjoy the latest "before and after" photos. It's hard to believe that Seth turned 12 yesterday. Is it possible that I will have a teenager next year? Well, since I had him when I was 17, I guess it is possible. :) We are very proud of Seth and all he has accomplished in his 12 years. We couldn't ask for a nicer son.

Guard Dog

Every house needs a guard dog. Ours comes in the form of a 24 lb. grey ball of fur. Tyler takes his job very seriously. If you've ever walked through the front door, you may have witnessed this first hand . He has taken up his watch duties in the guest bedroom where he has a great vantage of his domain.

The House is Still Standing

The hard work paid off getting the house ready. We had a great time at our company party. It's always fun getting together outside of work and the party didn't get too rowdy. I think we all look pretty smashing in our new fleeces. Thanks to everyone at Blakeway who made this such a great year.

Family Room

The biggest(and by biggest I mean 19ft. ceilings) challenge was the family room. The main part of the house was painted a very dull shade of grey. We knew the living room would be a task because of the height of the walls. Steve, bless his heart, was quite the trooper and painted into the night on a number of occasions. The frustration came when the next morning we would awake to find a few missed spots somewhere around the 18 ft. level. It all got done and we even managed to decorate a little for Christmas. I hope Santa likes his new landing pad.

Dining Room

The dining room project was another testament to the value of a $25 gallon of paint. This was another "what were you thinking" room. Your eyes are not deceiving you, eggplant purple on the bottom and peachy/taupe on top. Did I mention the 1980's chandelier in the house that was built in 1996? Where is Candice Olsen and Chico when you need them?
One gallon of paint - $25
New Draperies - $80
New China Cabinet - $60(Thanks Target 75% off)
New Chandelier - $125
Escaping the 80's - Priceless

Kitchen

Call me crazy but lime green walls with purple window treatments may get you nominated to be on Extreme Home Makeover. Although we would like to completely renovate the kitchen at some point, it was amazing what a little paint and some new hardware can do. You did have to actually see the kitchen to appreciate the full effect of the lime green.

It's Always Good to Have a Deadline

As you may know, Steve and I recently purchased a new home. I'll spare you the months and months of drama and just say that we feel like we got a great deal thanks to the market. We are truly blessed. You may also know that we left a house that we spent nearly 8 years renovating. Let's just say that it may take us another 8 years to fix up the new house. Yes, we are crazy. Yes, it's a lot of work. Yes, if you can paint - come on over. We have been in the house a little over a month, so there's nothing like having a party to get you motivated. This weekend we will host our annual company Christmas party at our new digs. I snapped a few photos before anything can get "trashed". (You know how those engineers and surveyors are.)