Taking Doors Out

Are you tired of my basement remodel pictures?  

Me too - but they won't stop because we are far from finishing.  Dan has been at a new job the past few months and just hasn't had time to finish some small details up.  

We have workers here today taking care of the atrocious painting job that was done by yours truly. 

 We had also taken off the basement door over a year ago and just had the frame in. The two doors were always banging into each other and just awkward in that small space.  

Today we are doing this:

I saw "we" as if I am doing something other than writing the check - ha!
*UPDATE - painter just left the downstairs and mentioned that certain parts of the paint job were "ghetto."  I had to break it to him gently that *I* was the one who did it.  He was embarrassed but it was really funny...clearly painting is not one of my talents!

Basement Bookshelves

It's been a looong road to get the basement to where it is so far...

Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

 Two years ago this month...Dan's first wall of framing.

 Fast forward a year to drywall and paint.

 Dan painting shelves

 Assembly

 Will they all fit?

 Maybe?

 They fit!  Just need the middle section for the flat screen now!

 A few last minute touches before carpet.

My super cute handyman Dan!

And here it is this morning!  

I love that I showed Dan a picture and DONE!  He's SO talented - it's just what I was picturing and it he did such a fantastic job on it!

Thanks baby!

Dan will be building some doors for the bottom shelves this summer as we get all the tools moved up from downstairs.  

This week is touch up painting, waiting for the projector to arrive, hanging doors and moving lumber out of the laundry room!
Linking up to SAS over at JAG!

The Carpet is IN!

We finally had our carpet installed in the basement on Friday.  It was like Christmas morning for me, I was so excited!  We let everyone write their names on the steps before it went in that morning. 

 Dan and I were up until 2:30 that morning doing all the last minute touches, cleaning the floor and getting the bookshelves in so where the carpet could be laid up to it. 

There is still the finish trim on top and in front and of course doors to put on the bottom shelves and then some trim painting to do, but I love them!  Dan built them just how I wanted them and they will be so nice for extra storage space. 

The hallway

Split stairs going down

Dan's office

Carpet!  

The kids literally ran around in circles like this for a good 30 minutes.  SO exciting!

See - EXCITED!!!

The "let's pile on Dad" sort of excitement.  Wait, where is he?

You can see the space behind him where we put extra carpet.  Some of that will be pulled back in a few months to put in a modified galley kitchen, a half sized fridge, sink, microwave and a large buffet bar for PARTIES!!  

YAY!

The boys of course wanted to watch a movie right away.  I thought we should watch something EPIC for our first film - like Gone With the Wind or Casablanca.

Majority ruled and "Cats and Dogs, the Legend of Kitty Galore" won. Maybe I can pick the next one, I have a feeling we will be down here a lot! 

Basement Bookshelves

These are our inspiration shelves.  I saw this fantastic unit that Sandra over at Sawdust and Paper Scraps built and told Dan it would be perfect for our basement. 

He said "Sure....someday."

See how it would great in this space behind the drop down screen?  So I scheduled the carpet and told Dan he had TWO WEEKS to build it.  I have been a very very patient girl (in between not so attractive temper tantrums) about waiting two years for this basement.  

I thought two weeks to get these in before carpet comes was reasonable enough.

And what do you know?  He got right to work!  He made a very detailed plan for the specs and dove right in!  

He's been a priming, painting and cutting machine!    

I mean, it's not like there were a lot of shelves to prime and paint.....

Okay, maybe a few!

Did I mention Dan hates to paint?  But he's also a perfectionist so he won't let me do a rush job in helping him.  Hey - I offered!

He took some time off tonight to spend with Graham....but he's moving right along!  Did I tell you that the carpet will be here next Tuesday? 

 

Get your tickets ready - The Olsen Family theatre will be opening this spring!!!!  Popcorn is on us as long as you give Dan a big high five for all his hard work!

2010 Top Projects - Finishing a Basement!

I can hardly believe that this year is already almost over!  

It seems like the older my children get the faster time flies.  

It's been a busy year here!!! 

I don't have millions of pictures of organized drawers and cabinets, fabulous new furniture or anything like that to show you.
  It feels like a year where I've lost control of some things and learned a lot about other things.  Mostly me. 

Here we go:

 I painted a bathroom...

 We grew our first garden (and I canned salsa for the first time - muy bueno!)

 I made the coolest Popeye costume that you have ever seen....(or maybe it was the cute boy in it that made it so cool!)

 We have worked on a major home improvement project (uhhhh..Dan has done 95% of it all by himself) 

and gone from this....

 to this....

to THIS!!!

 The laundry/craft/flower room is almost done except for a few minor details.  And upper and lower cabinets.  Those will come soon enough...

And my once sad little food storage room that looked like this:

 Is now the home for my couponing stockpile!

 Sweet!

 

 The best part about this year is that I feel like I keep falling more and more in love with this cute guy here...

and I am filled with more and more gratitude for this little family of mine...

I hope your 2010 was amazing in more ways than just a few Saturday projects to be blogged about.  

I'm excited for what 2011 has in store! 

(Carpet for SURE! Right, Dan?!?!)

Linking up to the party at Southern Hospitality and Savvy Southern Style!