puzzle pieces

I've been meaning to post pictures along the way of the nursery progress but the truth is that really it would've been hard to see the changes by just posting these first few pictures. So instead, I've been taking the pictures all along and thought it might be better to wait until there was some noticable differences. It's not that the differences aren't there, but it's hard to see new texture in a picture. It just still looks the same unless you were to be here in the room looking at the change.

It all started with cleaning out my "guest bedroom" and re-doing the window 6 weeks ago. To me, it seems like it went by pretty fast but I bet if you asked Brian he would maybe say different since he was the one up there on the weekends doing just about everything. I've bragged on him about how hard he has worked because I really want him and (all of ya'll out there) to know how appreciative I am that he has not quit working on Ryann's room since he started. I know he's had a major itch to get outside ( i.e., do anything but work) and enjoy the weekends since the weather has just been fabulous lately. So while the kids and I have relaxed and played on the weekends he's been...well you know.

So here's almost all of what HE has accomplished over the last 6 weeks:

I have to give credit to him and Steve for the window- that's definitely a two man job. This window space really never looked that big to me ( It's 6 ft x 3 ft) until it showed up via delivery in my driveway and the frame holding it was towering over the fence. At first the guys decided they were going to install two smaller, seperate windows to span the space, but I definitely think the decision to return those and order this one big slider was a much better move.

So after that was installed, Steve re-did the corners of the window. Notice the plastic, rounded corners? With every window we've replaced in the house, he's been there to round out the corners instead of sticking with the square corners that most windows have in these older homes. We both personally like it much better and it gives it a newer feel.

                          

Next came the texture (Steve again) so the guys covered and taped off all the edges of the ceilings and window so the overspray stayed where it needed to. The texture in the room wasn't bad before but didn't match all the other walls we've re-done. I personally didn't care in this room because I just wanted to get moving but Brian really wanted it to match and I think it was the right decision. The room now looks brand new.

Picking a paint color was fairly simple- kinda. Before we picked this green, I had totally different bedding already bought, different ideas for paint colors (chocolates and light browns) and I wanted a variation of stripes on the wall. Oh man, you should've seen the look on my husband's face when I mentioned painting stripes on a newly textured wall. He just about died. Mostly because he knew it would be him doing it AND he hates, hates, hates painting. It made for a very interesting Saturday morning discussion in which my hormones took over. You see, now, it's funny to laugh about. Not so much then. I was dead set on stripes. I had it all planned out in my head to all go with this bedding I had. And he did eventually very graciously oblidge and say he would do the stripes for me.

The problem was I had trouble finding the right curtains to match what I had and something in my gut just said, " Nope, this isn't working. I'm not completely happy with this. It shouldn't be this hard. It's not girly enough for me..." (and I'm not the kind of person who can settle on something, even if I like it. If I'm not completely happy with it it's not worth it to me). So...the bedding got returned, the decisions on what to do with the room drastically changed, and off we went to Plan B.  I found Ryann's new bedding and my mind was at ease so then picking a different color was simple. It's Benjamin Moore Potpurri Green.

Brian picked up the paint after work on a Friday night and said he was just going to get the edges and corners cut in. Yeah right. Here he is at about 10 PM "cutting in".

I came upstairs the next morning to find he did ALL of it ( I'm not sure why it looks so bright green in these pics but I assure you, it's not):

We had to get new closet doors because the bi-fold doors on there were just old and dingy looking and same with the door to the room. So he spent another weekend painting doors, trim, and woodwork that would go into her room. It took him ALL weekend to get it all primed and painted, and to re-paint the door frames in her room.

These are the 1x8's that we decided on ( in lieu of painted stripes) that would go all around middle of the room.

These were Brian's idea and what a difference they make. He didn't want stripes and I didn't want just a chair rail so he came up with this idea:

Thank you to Uncle Chance for lending a helping hand in his niece's room...we appreciate your help too!!

So once they got it all hung, Brian bought some decorative panel molding and it went around the tops and bottoms of those 1x8's to give it a finished look. You can see it here:

Last weekend he spent hanging crown moulding and installing new baseboards and then had to fill all the holes and re-paint. He did the windowsill too:

So, as of tonight his part of the room is basically done!!! He hung the closet doors on Monday night and then banned me from the room while he put everything together and set it all up. We are waiting on a couple of items to arrive that will finish it and I've got to re-organize her clothes and closet.

I will put the finished pictures up once it's finished....promise. I am beyond thrilled at how everything came together and so glad that we bounced ideas off of each other and ended up going with our gut. And we didn't kill each other along the way.

So a BIG thank you again to my love...and my father and brother in law who helped and worked hard and put some love into her room. This momma is really thankful. ;)