My New Scrapbook Room--MEEP!

Moving into our new home, one of my requirements was a space big enough for all my crafting supplies.  My old scrapbook room was much bigger, and all my hodge podge of furniture would not fit in the new space.  Trying to figure that out what would work was very frustrating!  John decided to  suprise me with custom cupboards!  Well, we didn't have them built, but bought pre-mades from Sutherlands--and they were even on sale! SCORE!  In doing so, Megan, a cabinet employee at Sutherlands, plugged our dimensions into her computer, and helped us find out what exactly we needed to purchase that would work for me.  It was fun!  We had the plans drawn up on August 12th. Here are our plans...and I couldn't get the pictures to rotate, so turn your head!

and now the other way...

I decided on the unfinished cabinets since I wasn't fond of any of the pre-painted ones they had in the store. I had to paint them myself and was excited for the project. We bought a cabinet kit when we purchased the cabinets, and off I went! 

It took quite a while to get all the cabinets painted as it was a several layer process, but I finished painting them on August 22nd.

I loved seeing how the counter top I picked out looked with the finish of the cabinets.  It looks so good!  Getting the counter top hooked together and turned the right direction inside the little room was quite a feat.  We had to bring the counter top in through the window!

John and his brother-in-law, Wayne, got the cupboards and  counter top installed on August 23rd.

This tall pantry cupboard was suppose to be at the end of the cupboards by the closet.  When moving around the cupboards as I was painting them, we found that it fit right underneath the ductwork by the door.  It almost looks like it was made to go there.  We decided to change the configuration of the cabinets a little bit and leave it there. I am so happy we did!  This cupboard would have blocked part of the closet and made getting into that side difficult.  It was a happy discovery. :)

This is my room with the install complete.  We put in a dark laminate flooring and it all looks so good together. Yea!!  So happy with how it turned out!  Just a couple of things left to finish.  I have to paint the kick plates for the bottom of the cupboards and we need to get a skin for the side of the cabinet where the pantry was suppose to go. It also needs to be painted. At least now I can begin to unpack boxes and find a place for all my craft supplies.  

Just because I love you day!

Eli brought me this little piece of paper that was covered in stickers, like 1/2 inch thick.  He told me it was because it was "just because I love you day"!  He is always bringing me things he makes.  He loves to be in the scrapbook room working with me.  I love that. :)  2-11-13

 

I love my sister!

My sister, Cassy wanted to come for a visit.  She originally was going to come help me move around my craft room (I got a couple of new filing cabinets that needed a home). But, John and I did that over Christmas break.  So, she called and said that she was coming and bringing all the supplies to do my shelves.  As she put it--"You've wanted to do them forever, so we're giong to get them done!"  We talked about when, and decided that she would come January 5th and 6th. Her kids are in year-round school, and were still off for another couple weeks.  She brought everything we needed--saw, chalk line, drill, screws, paint, and boards. Everything. (All packed around her 4 kids.) :) I don't think it was a half hour after she got here that we were out back painting boards. The next morning we started putting up the brackets.

We got the boards measured and cut--even the tricky angle over the door.

I'm so excited to finish cleaning up my craft room (I was still in the middle of the filing cabinet/closet mess when she came) and put stuff on the shelves.  I will have to post pictures of them all decked out.
Also while Cassy was here, I knew this other project would be right up her alley.  I got a new temple picture from my sister-in-law for Christmas (Thanks Ashley, I love it!), and John gave me a couple of sets of frames.  We recently took the top off our entertainment center and the wall in our living room looked rather bare.  I knew that these frames needed to find a home there.  Cassy helped me trace all the frames onto paper and mark where the hangers were.  Then we got to play with placement as we taped them on the wall.  It took us quite a while to get it looking just right.  We thought we were done at one point and then realized that the left side looked rather boxy compared to the right side that was tapered, so we played a little longer until it looked perfect!

We started nailing our frames up (which was really easy since we marked where they hangers were on the paper).  I loved how it was turning out!  It was fun to see it come to life.  Now all the frames are up, the pictures are ordered, so the frames will be filled soon.  Micah keeps asking who all those people are! 

Cassy, thank you so much for coming and doing projects with me!  It was a lot of fun! Love you!! :)

Jail Bird

Due to Eli's mischeviousness, about a month ago we bought a new gate (that Eli can't climb over) to enter the scrapbook room. It has a swinging door on it that even Morgan has trouble opening. (Micah closed it behind her one day, trapping her in my scrap room and leaving her to yell for me to come get her out--he he!) :) It has been so nice to know that I can leave things out and not even the bigger kids can make a mess in there.

Anyways, Eli has this pair of pajamas that John calls his "convict jammies". We couldn't resist taking a few pics of our little jail bird. He really hates the fact that he can't get in my gate, and usually cries until you let him in.

 He also loves locking anyone else out and shuts the gate promptly behind him and then laughs if anyone is trying to get in behind him.

Mom on the other hand, is LOVING this new installment in our home. It looks a lot nicer than the old gate too!

I've been busy!

I think that Nichole may pass out here--two posts in one day! Go me!! :) She has been on my case the last few days to post something to my blog. So I thought I would share why I haven't posted recently. This is what I've been working on...

We recently moved our computer and desk out of my scrapbook room into the main living area which has been nice, but I was left with this mess. I couldn't even get to my desk! So, I've spent the last two or three weeks just cleaning up in there. I've gone through every drawer, cubbie, cabinet, bookcase and gotten rid of, given away, and condensed my supplies. It felt good to clean! It's not perfect yet, but at least I feel like I can be creative in there again. :) Here is what the same area looks like this evening...


Ahhh, doesn't that look nice??