"Reggie had plans, big plans..."

Anyone know where that little title came from? Anyone? Probably not...it's from one of my favorite children's books of all time, Ira Sleeps Over. (We have the very well-worn copy from my childhood and a fresh, new copy on the bookshelves and AG prefers the well-worn copy every time.)

Anyways, I've got plans, big plans! For the house that is. Over the last few weeks we have been talking at length about some larger projects that we would like to tackle. Not on the same scale as say completely overhauling the kitchen but bigger than repainting something. So here is a few of the things we've been discussing:

Outside
~New Fence--we are in need of replacing the existing one. However, we are pretty sure that our property line is beyond the fence on all three sides. The first order of business will be to have our lot surveyed so that we can see the correct placement of our property flags. Since our lot is quite wooded, due to the age of the homes in our area, we'll probably need to take out some trees in order to move the fence out. I'm quite excited about the possibilities of some more sunshine in the backyard so that I can plant some different things.

Den
~Semi-Makeover--We are planning to replace our sofa, chair, and ottoman this summer. We are also getting a new tv for the den since the old one needs replacing. I'm planning to order a new sofa and ottoman...I'm leaning toward something slipcovered so that I can wash it if need be and when it wears out/I need something new I can easily change it out. Our den is very casual and comfy so I think it will fit perfectly. As for a chair, I already have one and am planning to get it recovered. I just need to find a fabric I like for it. By the time we finish I'm sure it'll look completely different but we are not starting from scratch hence the 'semi-makeover'.

Laundry Room
~Completely overhauled--Oh, the joys of a long, skinny, old house. I had an absolutely AMAZING design for the laundry room remodel. And then we realized that if we did what I had planned we wouldn't be able to move our furniture out one day when we move. (Sigh!) To say I was bummed would be an understatement BUT I'm extremely grateful that we thought about that before we did anything. My dad jokingly told me we could just offer the house as fully furnished. Ha. Anyways, since my first plan is out the new plan will actually be much cheaper/won't take as long. The plan is to paint, put in cabinets, a countertop for me to fold laundry on, new appliances...I'll need to have front loaders for my design, flooring, and crown molding since the ONLY room in the house that doesn't have it currently is the laundry room. This project will be BIG but not HUGE because the room is a blank canvas. We have some wire shelving to take down and an old linoleum floor to pull up but that is it. And the hardest thing we'll do will be moving the location of the washer and dryer. Nothing like the bathroom remodel or the kitchen. Now to just get everything out of it! It's been our catch all place while we've worked on every other room. I'm looking forward to having it cleaned out and fixed up. I'm not sure when exactly we'll do  this but we'll just say that it is finally on the To Do Docket. Hooray!

Furniture
~Dining Room Table--Needs to be finished. Andy started it forever ago and just hasn't had time to finish it and when he does the weather hasn't cooperated. Since the pollen is falling so early we are hoping he might be able to get some stuff done in the next few weeks before the summer heat really sets in.
~End Tables--We were able to snag two bedside tables from my grandmother's estate and they need to be refinished. They are really simple and it shouldn't take Andy long to paint and distress them the way he likes to.
~Bookcase--Lives in our bedroom and needs a coat of paint so that it will match the rest of the room.

Currently
~A week ago we went to Atlanta to claim what we wanted out of my grandmother's estate. We came home with lots of furniture! Well, in order to bring furniture home you have to get rid of furniture. Two of our students are getting married later this year and so they are taking lots of things off of our hands. Needless to say, my house is total chaos right now. I'm cleaning stuff out, spring cleaning, and reorganizing! Over the weekend I redid the kitchen cabinets. I'm slowly making my way around the house. It just takes longer since I'm having to juggle normal mom duties and then the extra work. I'm making progress...slowly but surely. I'm planning to do some before/after posts to show what we changed. I just need to finish redecorating things. Stay tuned.

Like I said...plans, big plans! We'll see what we end up working on and when. I also have several ideas for art for the walls/things I want Andy and I to make. We just need to find the time. :) Photos to come as we tackle things off the list.