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We're on a bit of a home improvement kick. I'm anxious about spending money but we're so excited about even the smallest changes. We finally painted our basement and basement bedroom. It's not a brorange and mustard cave any more and it looks like the ceiling is two feet higher. So much more inviting. I'm delighted!
We are also replacing the light fixture in our foyer. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal but it is because the foyer is 2 stories tall. This requires a full day with two electricians and a scaffold. I priced this out a while back. The seller had these outdated gold fixtures which the realtor made them switch out when they listed the house. Of course, they replaced them with cheap, ugly fixtures that I've been dying to change. Like, I want to replace every fixture in the whole house. The one in the foyer especially bugs me because it's visible from the street. So far, we've done the ceiling fan in the great room and that's it. We got to that because the one that was there was swinging like a pendulum last summer. It's just so hard for me to take the plunge.
Anyway, K1 and I had a little mom/son date and went antique shopping. (So cool that my 6yo is into antiques/thrift/flea markets like I am; DrK doesn't have the endurance or imagination for it.) We saw these three gorgeous cut glass fixtures that were more than I wanted to spend once I figured in the cost of the electrical installation so I passed. The whole way home, K1 was brainstorming about how I could purchase them. ("Maybe your book club could pool their money?" "Maybe if you just got one of the set?") When we got home, DrK was standing on a ladder trying to change a light bulb in the ugly foyer fixture ...and he broke the glass shade that covers the fixture leaving three bare bulbs in our foyer. I reasoned that if we were going to have the electrician come out anyway and spend all that money on the electrical work, we should get some awesome lighting that we really really love. And I really really love these fixtures. And DrK agreed to it. I called the vendor and negotiated a slightly better price for the fixtures and next thing you know, they're in my garage! I just got them back from the lamp shop where I had them rewired with super long chains and the electrician comes in a couple weeks.
We're also having some extra lighting and a light switch added to our storeroom since the electrician is here. I've wanted this forever because I have to walk into the center of a dark, unfinished room to pull a chain in order to turn on the light in there.
Also, we have a retaining wall in our yard that is listing. We knew about this when we bought the house and I totally should have stood my ground and insisted on a credit from the seller. The broker talked me out of making a fuss. So, now we have to have the wall re-done and this is becoming a "while we're at it...." type of repair. While we are at it, we are widening a flower bed at the top of the wall (which is just a natural by-product of rebuilding the wall) and we are planting a boxwood hedge at the top of the wall because I've always worried that someone is going to just fall into our yard because there's about a 4' drop from the top of the wall. And while we are at it, we want to put a rail on the stairs adjacent to the wall. And while we are at it, we are thinking of putting in a fire pit to replace the fountain that we removed that was in front of the wall And while we are at it, DrK wants me to look into having the area adjacent to the base of the wall, surrounding the hypothetical fire pit, paved....And maybe some picnic benches below deck, and maybe some string lights or a lantern....And it would be super-awesome if we could get this done before my nephews visit this summer.
I feel manic.
We are also replacing the light fixture in our foyer. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal but it is because the foyer is 2 stories tall. This requires a full day with two electricians and a scaffold. I priced this out a while back. The seller had these outdated gold fixtures which the realtor made them switch out when they listed the house. Of course, they replaced them with cheap, ugly fixtures that I've been dying to change. Like, I want to replace every fixture in the whole house. The one in the foyer especially bugs me because it's visible from the street. So far, we've done the ceiling fan in the great room and that's it. We got to that because the one that was there was swinging like a pendulum last summer. It's just so hard for me to take the plunge.
Anyway, K1 and I had a little mom/son date and went antique shopping. (So cool that my 6yo is into antiques/thrift/flea markets like I am; DrK doesn't have the endurance or imagination for it.) We saw these three gorgeous cut glass fixtures that were more than I wanted to spend once I figured in the cost of the electrical installation so I passed. The whole way home, K1 was brainstorming about how I could purchase them. ("Maybe your book club could pool their money?" "Maybe if you just got one of the set?") When we got home, DrK was standing on a ladder trying to change a light bulb in the ugly foyer fixture ...and he broke the glass shade that covers the fixture leaving three bare bulbs in our foyer. I reasoned that if we were going to have the electrician come out anyway and spend all that money on the electrical work, we should get some awesome lighting that we really really love. And I really really love these fixtures. And DrK agreed to it. I called the vendor and negotiated a slightly better price for the fixtures and next thing you know, they're in my garage! I just got them back from the lamp shop where I had them rewired with super long chains and the electrician comes in a couple weeks.
We're also having some extra lighting and a light switch added to our storeroom since the electrician is here. I've wanted this forever because I have to walk into the center of a dark, unfinished room to pull a chain in order to turn on the light in there.
Also, we have a retaining wall in our yard that is listing. We knew about this when we bought the house and I totally should have stood my ground and insisted on a credit from the seller. The broker talked me out of making a fuss. So, now we have to have the wall re-done and this is becoming a "while we're at it...." type of repair. While we are at it, we are widening a flower bed at the top of the wall (which is just a natural by-product of rebuilding the wall) and we are planting a boxwood hedge at the top of the wall because I've always worried that someone is going to just fall into our yard because there's about a 4' drop from the top of the wall. And while we are at it, we want to put a rail on the stairs adjacent to the wall. And while we are at it, we are thinking of putting in a fire pit to replace the fountain that we removed that was in front of the wall And while we are at it, DrK wants me to look into having the area adjacent to the base of the wall, surrounding the hypothetical fire pit, paved....And maybe some picnic benches below deck, and maybe some string lights or a lantern....And it would be super-awesome if we could get this done before my nephews visit this summer.
I feel manic.
Exciting. That way we can have the basement door closed and I won't fall down the stairs when I come in the side door. 
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