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What Dreams May Come

July 21, 2010 by Crafty Teacher Lady +

One morning back in April I had a dream (seriously, I really did)…well, I think I was somewhere between sleeping and fully awake when the thought came to me “I should buy a house to flip instead of getting a summer job”.  So, that’s exactly what I did.  During April vacation I saw several short sale houses and foreclosures and settled upon one in particular.  My realtor said since it was a short sale, it could take several months to get an answer back from the bank.  I thought “wouldn’t it be nice, though, if we could get an answer and close in time for my summer vacation?”…and that is exactly what happened.  We closed last week and it has been full steam ahead every since!  It is a cute little 3 bedroom, one bath ranch in a really great family neighborhood.  It has a mudroom and a partially finished basement with lots of potential.  Here are a few ‘before’ shots:  

The plan in the kitchen is to replace the cabinet doors, add matching stainless ‘look’ appliances, add a dishwasher, replace the counter top & back splash, and replace the sink & faucet. 

 
Luckily there are nice hardwood floors in the bedrooms and in the living room.  I will have tile installed everywhere else.  The wood paneling above has already been ripped down and will be replaced with white beadboard.

The bathroom needs work!  Tile will be installed in the floor (to match the rest of the house), red walls will be painted Rainwashed by Shirwin Williams, vanity top and sink will be replaced however, I am going to keep the bottom and paint it (stay tuned)! I like the tile that is already on the wall so I will just give it a nice scrub down.  I am having the tub (which is currently yellowish) professionally glazed white.  

As I already mentioned, I have been hard at work this past week.  I’ve painted all three bedrooms, including the ceilings and the baseboards, heaters, and closets (shout out to my cousins Rebekah and Nathan who came to help me paint one day) and today I painted the ceilings in the remainder of the house.  Here are some ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots (click on the images to make them larger):

Paint color in the room above is called Pussywillow by Shirwin Williams.
Paint color in the bedroom above is called Dusty Miller by Glidden.
My brother did an awesome job knocking out the wall between the kitchen/dining area and the living room:
Yay Jon!  I really like open-concept living spaces, particularly for entertaining!  I think I have accomplished a lot for one week.  Here are some more images, for your enjoyment:
I feel really lucky that the dream I had last April has come into reality and will keep plugging along to the finish line!  Thanks for coming along for the journey and stay tuned for more pictures!

Filed Under: decor, DIY, home, life, Uncategorized

Hello! I’m Kelly-Anne!

I’m an avid DIY and home decor enthusiast, wife and new mom, teacher of 15 years, and a Mainer now living on a farm in Virginia. Here you’ll find creative endeavors of all sorts!

Now offering Interior Decorating Services at  Dirigo & Dogwood

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Little glimpses of pattern mixing around our home! Little glimpses of pattern mixing around our home! 😍💗

Please don’t be fooled, though…these are close up shots for a reason- the house is FULL of moving boxes, piles of stuff to be organized and put away, and the DIY project list is LONG! 

But finding small little pretty corners is bringing me a little bit of joy and I hope they do the same for you, friend! 💗🙂#
I’m nowhere near unpacked or ready to “properly” d I’m nowhere near unpacked or ready to “properly” decorate,  but we needed some functional storage and a “drop zone” near the entrance we most use so I threw together this little area with things I already had…and the best part is, everything is thrifted! 😍 

Eventually, I’ll put wallpaper above the beadboard and will give the fireplace a makeover. But for now, just trying to tackle the endless boxes to unpack and breakdown (peep that pile of cardboard at the end of the video)!!
Life Update: I bought a house! This has been in th Life Update: I bought a house! This has been in the works for a while but I wasn’t quite sure how/when/what I wanted to share. If you’ve been here since my Maine days, you know just how much I enjoy sharing all things DIY and home decor and I’m looking forward to doing just that. 

I know questions will inevitably arise about the circumstances of this move but I will likely keep those details private. We are still in Virginia, not too far from the farm, and are settling into our new routine. 

In true ‘Crafty Teacher Lady’ style, this house is a fixer upper, just like most of my previous homes. It’s in a lovely neighborhood in an adorable town and I’m excited to make some happy memories here as I turn this little house into our home! 
 
C requested pink walls (which I obliged) and Stanley has also already come to visit a few times during family movie nights and he has given his ‘seal of approval’ to the fenced-in backyard! 🤣🥰🐕 

More to share soon (likely in stories) as I continue to tackle my very long list of home projects! 💗
🎨 Virginia parents + teachers! The Virginia Lotter 🎨 Virginia parents + teachers! The Virginia Lottery Thank a Teacher Art Contest is officially open! It’s such a fun way for K-12 students to show appreciation for the amazing teachers who make a difference every day. Submit your child or student’s artwork now through February 2 at ThankaTeacherVA.com! 💌 #VALPartner

As a former classroom teacher, some of my most treasured keepsakes are the thank-you notes and student artwork I’ve received over the years. There’s something so special about seeing gratitude expressed through creativity, and this contest celebrates exactly that. 🧡

Here’s what you need to know:
✏️ Who can enter: K–12 Virginia public school students
🏆 Prizes for winners from elementary, middle & high school:
 • $200 Visa Gift Card
 • $2,000 credit for supplies for their school’s art department from The Supply Room
 • Their artwork featured on thousands of thank-you notes sent across Virginia

🎨 How to create: Use 8.5×11 in. paper or digital! Colored pencils, crayons, paint, or even graphic design.

And did you know? 100% of Virginia Lottery profits support public education. This contest is just one of the many ways they give back to our schools.

Let’s encourage our young artists to create, celebrate teachers, and spread a little gratitude! 💫

#ThankaTeacherVA #VALottery #ArtContest #SupportPublicEducation #CreativeKids
I’m so grateful she gets to experience the magic t I’m so grateful she gets to experience the magic that is Maine at Christmastime, just like I did growing up! ❄️❤️🌲
She’s doing it! 🥹🥹🥹 If you’ve been following our She’s doing it! 🥹🥹🥹 

If you’ve been following our journey since the beginning, you know just how much time, effort, dedication, sacrifice, prayers, cost, and hard work has gone in to getting her here. 

There’s still a lot of work to be done but I cannot believe the progress she has made and that we’ve gotten to this point! We are so very hopeful for her future as an independent walker!! 💗💗💗

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