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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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Absolutely gorgeous afternoon making memories with Absolutely gorgeous afternoon making memories with my sweet girl! We picked the best berries, then went home where my little sous chef practiced her fine motor skills by cutting the strawberries for homemade shortcake- my all time favorite dessert (and quickly becoming C’s favorite, too)! 🍓 

The last couple of months have been super challenging regarding some unexpected health challenges for me, resulting in an emergency surgery 4.5 weeks ago, and getting back to feeling good enough to go on outings like today was at the top of my priority-list! I felt good and had a wonderful time with my best little bud!! 🥰

Also shout out to @browdersfreshpickins for allowing us to pick all along the outside rows so that C could easily use her walker in the field!
Happy Easter from our (reluctant) Bunny Stanley 🐶 and our happy little Reese’s-loving gal!! 🥰
It’s always such a wonderful start to the weeken It’s always such a wonderful start to the weekend when a visit to @cafe_davina is on the agenda!! If you haven’t been, this adorable coffee house and crêperie is located within the beautiful grounds of the @thepinnerhouse, a boutique inn with cozy rooms and cottages! Both are a must visit in downtown Suffolk, VA!
Some adorable Valentine’s Day printable cards an Some adorable Valentine’s Day printable cards and decor from my @littlecpaperie Etsy shop! Head to my profile @craftyteacherlady OR @littlecpaperie for a link to download any of these cute items and spread some love! 🥰💗🥰💗🥰💗
I added some sweetness to C’s room for Valentine I added some sweetness to C’s room for Valentine’s Day! 💗 Even the little holidays are so much more fun with a little one here to celebrate! 

💗 This heart garland is easy to make using the printable I created for my Etsy shop @littlecpaperie…just print on card-stock, cut out the hearts, punch some holes, and thread onto some cute string! Make as many garlands as you wish, in any length! 🥰 Now go spread some love! 💗💗💗
And just like that, she’s 4!! ❤️🥰🍓❤️🥰❤️

We had a small family party while in Maine and I had so much fun putting together all the details! My favorite part of the decor was making the cake toppers to put onto a plain white bakery cake (I also added some fresh strawberries). I printed some strawberries and flowers on card stock and glued them to wood skewers. I made the pennant flags and bunting out of fabric from Joannes and used the same gingham for the table runners. It brings me so much joy to put together a little birthday party for my sweet little girl! Watching her grow and seeing her personality blossom is the greatest privilege of my life…she’s the best thing to ever happen to me! 

And on that note, Happy Birthday, C, and Happy New Year to all of you!

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