Project List 2011

Oh it's that time again.  A few weeks back, I mentioned some of my "intended" projects for the year (read more about that here), but I haven't done very much with the list since then.  So....here I am to discuss a plan of attack:

And to refresh your memory:

2011 House Projects

Re-paint office and guest bedroom
Remodel full bath upstairs
Finish basement (w/ half bath??)
Install new windows (DIY or hire?)
Paint garage doors black
Repair cracks in exterior trim pieces (re-paint)
Re-seed lawn, plant, mulch, landscape front & backyard
Finish molding and painting trim around side storm door
Clean and organize remaining boxes/items in garage/basement
Create built-in bookshelves/bench for living room
New roof for garage (DIY) - might be able to last another year though.....
Clean and repair gutters
Stain or paint deck
Find cheap patio furniture and refinish


2011 Craft/Art/Design Projects
Print maps of places lived/visited to create frame wall
Print photos for black frames in hallway
Refinish (2) craigslist side tables
Refinish (2) thrift store/hand-me-down dressers
Create vintage-looking signs for guest bedroom or future nursery
Make another coffee filter wreath for sister-in-law
Create or repurpose letters for kitchen (maybe "EAT")
Sew curtains for guest bedroom and office
Find/buy/make/distress coffee table (This is starting to inch up the priority list....I HATE our current one)


It's a little overwhelming thinking about all of this at once, so I'm going to narrow it down to priorities and non-priorities for each season (although they are probably obvious when you look at the original list).

Spring 2011
The most important things to tackle once the snow melts away and the temperature creeps up a bit are:

Install new windows (DIY or hire?)
Re-paint office and guest bedroom
Re-seed lawn, plant, mulch, landscape front & backyard
New roof for garage (DIY)
Clean and repair gutters (only if they are damaged from this winter....otherwise put off till next year)
Finish molding and painting trim around side storm door
Stain or paint deck
Find cheap patio furniture and refinish
Sew curtains for guest bedroom and office - AND MASTER BEDROOM....since I keep putting it off!!!


Summer 2011
Although these aren't priorities, I would like to tackle them once the big projects are done:

Repair cracks in exterior trim pieces (re-paint)
Clean and organize remaining boxes/items in garage/basement
Paint garage doors black
Refinish (2) craigslist side tables
Refinish (2) thrift store/hand-me-down dressers
Find/buy/make/distress coffee table

Fall 2011If all goes well and we complete the tasks above, I am hoping to finish these projects in the Fall:

Create vintage-looking signs for guest bedroom or future nursery
Make another coffee filter wreath for sister-in-law
Create or repurpose letters for kitchen (maybe "EAT")
Print maps of places lived/visited to create frame wall
Print photos for black frames in hallway


So you might have noticed that the following items are not listed in any of the categories above, and there are a few reasons for that:

Remodel full bath upstairs
Finish basement (w/ half bath??)
Create built-in bookshelves/bench for living room


First of all, we would love to tackle the full bath upstairs but it's just not in the budget this year.  Plus, its totally live-able at the moment, so there is REALLY no rush to do it (other than I basically close my eyes while I'm in there so I don't scream because I hate it so much).  But since there are other priorities this year (i.e., possible roof replacement and new windows) we decided to put this one on the backburner for now.  As far as the basement goes, and B doesn't know this yet, but I think I'm vetoing his choice to refinish the basement this year.  He is really eager to start it soon (which I think is a combination of desire for a man-room (who can blame him) and withdrawls from his power tools (I mean it has been two months since he's used them) but I'm not sure that is enough reason to throw more money into the house just yet.  We barely use the space that we have now with just the two of us, so I think its a little impractical to add more square footage if we don't need to.  But at the end of the day, we are a team, so we will have to discuss it more so I can convince him that he is wrong.  :)  Er....or I can maybe compromise a little.  I'll keep you posted on that!
And finally, the built-ins were put on the list as a whim.  It is a pipe dream really and we don't need them, nor do we really have the time to do it.  If it happens this year, then great, but I'm not going to put it on my final list and feel accountable for it.  And that's exactly why I'm telling you my list on a season-by-season basis.  I need to be accountable to someone for these resolutions of mine, so who better than you??  You keep me honest!

So instead of wasting more time talking about it, I think I'm going to start making some lists for my next Home Depot run.  Oh yes, I said it, I make lists for HD runs.  Otherwise I forget half of the things that I need and have to run back, which makes for one cranky DIY-er.  I actually do this more often than I write food shopping lists.  I figure that I can always find make something to eat with what we already have in the house, but if we are missing a special screw or piece of wood, then the whole project comes to a halt.  It's no good!  So if I can impart a little wisdom to you other DIY-ers out there, always make a list when heading to HD.  It's as simple as that.  

See ya!