The Finished Product........

Look closely this is the GOD AWFUL acoustic (popcorn) ceiling.



This is my new B-E-A-U-tiful smooth painted ceiling.

Sunday, September 16th as Phil's sister was driving out of our neighborhood, I was taking everything out of the living room. For the next two weeks, we scraped and sanded the ceiling to prepare it to paint. We painted the ceiling and walls. I painted inside the windows while Phil framed in the windows. We mounted stone on the wall. We found a sawmill, picked out a cedar tree, had it planed down and sealed it. We washed the floors and baseboards. Finally, we moved the furniture back in Wednesday September 26th. Just in time to pick Phil's step-mom up from the airport Friday.

I LOVE this mantle, solid cedar, 8ft long, pure beauty.

This stone wall was almost the death of me. I love it but would not do it ourselves again.

This dresser/buffet will be repainted in the months to come to match the living room.

There is art missing from the wall behind the sofa. It will be mounted in the coming weeks.

It will be so much better when my prints are back on the wall.

I LOVE the framed windows. This was a last minute addition.



This family tree is one of my favorite things after
the mantle and stone wall of course.

This living room update was long over due. There are not enough words to tell you how much I love it. Everyday when I come home I feel like we scrapped all old ugliness away. I was so pleased with the finished product, the Monday we took Phil's step-mom back to the airport I jumped on the dining room. We still have to frame in the dining room window and I have a photo display to finish. Once these are done I will share dining room photos too.

Phil was very burned out once the dining room was finished. We decided to take a break and start again after Christmas.

Throughout this process I have learned several things. Most days Phil and I work very well together. I laughed and joked and smiled more. I won't lie a few of those days I was very stressed and overwhelmed. What I learned about myself was to step back, regroup and work on what I was good at. Every time I did that I suddenly turned around and more and more or the room was coming together.

If you ask the kids what they remember.....eating meals on the floor in the hallway and living room, helping mommy wash the floor and baseboards and living in the upstairs of the house for two weeks.

For all the memories we created, I hope the new rooms create many more.....

TTFN~