Checking my list...

For some reason I've had the Christmas jingle "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" stuck in my head all day. We JUST had Christmas so I don't know what's going on but, I thought maybe using part of it for my title would make it go away.

So, I promised I'd post some pictures when I finished some of my projects. Remember my list post? Well, I'm finally knocking it out.
#2. Build Ottoman. DONE! Here's some pictures!

I know it's nothing fantastic, but it was my first build using nothing but wood boards and screws. I did take pictures along the way just in case anyone was curious how I did it and wanted some kind of tutorial... or if I decided to do it again and needed reference. Oh... and that pillow in the background? I sewed that as well. The blue looks really deep and royal but it's just a darker turquoise. I haven't finished ALL of them so I can't check that off the list, but I do have step by step pictures for that too :)

#7. Sunburst Mirror. DONE!

This beauty is hanging right as you walk in and will be above the entry table I'm building next. I'm still not sold on the location, but I think it's because the white blends in too much with the light wall. Guess I need to start shopping for wall paint for the entry/hallway? Like the ottoman and pillow, I do have step by step on this if anyone is curious how I did it, but you can also check here and here. They both have fantastic instructions on how to make it, and one of them even offers a downloadable template to make it even easier!

As far as #5... Hemming and painting curtains... I've given up on that. I've tried twice now and both were huge failures. The first time I painted the curtains, it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. Except for when I went to admire them in the light and realized I let them dry (paint and all) to the cardboard I was using and it wouldn't come off. Lesson's learned... use plastic :) The second time I decided to try a spray fabric paint and it was just an epic fail. The spray can kept sputtering and spewing paint out, so it was really blotchy and uneven. It seeped under the painters tape... it was just a mess. So, I've decided to just order some pretty chevron fabric online and hem it and hang it like a curtain. Easy enough.

This wasn't on my "to-do" list but... anyone remember the post with the pictures of my gallery wall and the office? Well, my next step was to finish the chevron print. The chipboard ended up not working out so I just used some contact paper I had laying around to create vinyl lettering. It took FOREVER to finish but I love it now that it's done :)

By the way... those are our wedding vows in case you can't tell. They weren't personalized, but when our pastor gave us a choice between this one and the more traditional one, I almost cried I loved it so much. There have been so many times I've said these words to Daniel, before we even got married. It's a nice reminder to walk by everyday :)

One man's trash is another man's treasure

Well, I promised myself I would keep up with this blog and here I am almost a month later writing a new post. Sorry! Life took over and it's been a little crazy in the Ortiz household.

Daniel got a promotion! YAY! I'm so proud of him :) Many of you probably don't know the Daniel I knew in high school. If you did, you'd know he's a completely different person... in a good way. He's really come far and has accomplished so much in just the past few years. I could really get into it, but I'm just going to leave it saying I'm extremely proud of him and proud to have him as my husband and best friend :)

My last post was a loooonnnggg list of to-do's around the house. I'm happy to say I've finished 2 of those things. Well, ALMOST finished. Yeah... I'm at the 99% and having a hard time pushing through. The ottoman is built and covered... I'm waiting on the fabric I ordered to come in so I can completely finish it. The mirror is also done, but I have yet to hang it. Why? I can't figure out where to put it! I had this great idea of it going in our living room on one of our grey walls (once I paint) and it just looked absolutely FABULOUS! When I finished, I went and put it up against the wall and HATED it! So now it sits on our dining room table just waiting for a home. Oh, and I WILL be posting pictures (and maybe some step by step photos since I took them) once I figure it all out.

I know it's been a while since I've posted about this, but does anyone remember the photography project, Lets Do 52!, I've been blabbing about? Well, this week's theme was "Pretty Ugly"... finding beauty in things that others perceive as ugly or less than desirable. Years ago my mom acquired these older 35mm SLR camera (I won't get into HOW she acquired them) and they have been sitting in her need-to-sell eBay pile. Since I've recently decided to dive into photography, she brought them out the other night to show me. I fell in LOVE! They're old, dirty, scratched, and probably don't even work but I love them. Honestly, the only film cameras I ever played with were disposable ones or the cheap plastic kind from Wal-Mart. I never even knew lenses existed and there was a such thing as changing the settings on your FILM camera to create any kind of special effects. I always just thought "point, shoot, take it to walgreens to have them printed, and laugh at all the bad pictures you took." What fascinates me about these cameras is you really had to have an eye for photography and KNOW what you were doing. You couldn't lean on Photoshop and post processing as a crutch if you screwed up.

Anyway.... here's the picture I took of my "pretty ugly" trash.

I'm making some pretty hefty promises here, but I WILL be posting my projects and maybe the to-do's if its worth it. If there's something specific you're curious about, I'll post it. 

A lonnnggg list...

I thought I would break away from the photography project and write about something else. My house, maybe? I gave you guys a sneak peek earlier into the office... which I know is probably the least interesting room in the house. Wanna know why I haven't posted any other pictures. Here's why.

My House To-Do List:

Living Room

1. Finish pillows

I have been on this DIY kick for quite some time. It doesn't matter WHAT the project is, I think I can do it cheaper if I just do it myself. (Thanks Pinterest!) I had a bunch of fabric laying around that I had bought years ago to make pillows. I don't know why because, up until a few days ago, I didn't even know how to sew. My mom let me borrow her sewing machine (thanks Mom!) and now I'm on a rampage to finish these pillows.

2. Build ottoman

And again... enter pinterest. Not only do I think I can DIY everything, but I'm pretty convinced I can BUILD it too. So, I'm going to start by building a storage ottoman for our living room. You'll notice while going through this list that the builds get bigger and bigger... I have already enlisted my Dad in help with this department since he's the builder.

3. Drop speaker wires and run electrical to hide TV wires

I think my eye is twitching just thinking about it. On to the next.

4. Paint

5. Hem & paint curtains

Again with the DIY. I think my husband MIGHT have a DIY intervention on me soon... if he invites you, please decline... I don't have a problem :) UPDATE: after numerous failed attempts at painted curtains, I decided to go a different route. I'll post when I'm done :)

6. Art

7. Mirrors

More specifically... sunburst mirrors :) Like these! 

If you're following me on pinterest, you know I have plans for these in my own. I've had my eye on these for YEARS. Specifically since 2009 when Daniel and I were looking at apartments and I saw one in the model. I've loved it since but I do NOT love the price tag on these babies. Mine WILL be cheaper :)

Bedroom

1. Build my bed

Remember when I said the builds got bigger? Yeah... I'm ambitious to build my own bed. From scratch. With my own two bare hands... and the help of some power tools :)

2. Window seat cushion/pillows

Our bedroom has this cute little bench seat area by the window. Daniel REALLLYYY wants cushions and pillows for that area. Yes Daniel... not me.

3. Pillows for the bed

4. Mirror

5. Art

6. New dresser

I love Ikea... but... I've come to realize that unless you buy the big bulky stuff, their furniture looks like dollhouse furniture in a house. Sure it may fill an apartment nicely, but when we moved into the house, I felt like our furniture was miniature size. Besides... this dresser has been falling apart for years.

7. Organize!!!

8. New fan

Has anyone tried painting a ceiling fan? The fan is in perfect condition minus the ugly gold/brass. Let me know how that works.

9. Fix the bathroom doors

10. Patch the holes in the ceiling

This sounds WAY more dangerous than it is. Simple fix... but yet, WHY haven't I done it?!

11. Nightstands

Again with the IKEA furniture...

12. New lamps

13. Paint

I get REALLY lost here. I know I want dark brown. That's about it. I can't decide if I just want to paint an accent wall so I don't make my room look smaller with such a dark color? 

14. Rug

15. Figure out WHAT to do with the extra space

I'm not implying that every corner has to be filled with something, but it also needs to have some flow and something other than a bed and nightstands. I've seen where people put chairs and a small table, like a reading area, in their bedrooms. I'm not sold.

Rest of the house

1. Clean out the guest bedroom

2. Entry table

3. New dining room table

4. Fix the french doors to the office

5. Backsplash in the kitchen

6. Hardware for the kitchen cabinets

7. New disposal

8. Frame the bathroom mirrors

9. Dining room shelves

10. Sand and stain patio table

I know it looks like I haven't done anything in that house, but I promise I have. As a matter of fact, the living room is almost done despite the list above. A lot of things we're waiting until we have everything put up and decorated... like painting and some of the new furniture. Daniel is only letting me do one room at a time so I don't overwhelm myself. He's right... I do that and then I don't finish anything at all. Once I'm done with some of these things I'll start posting pictures. If anyone has any ideas on ANYTHING above... they're always appreciated.

Oh... and sorry for the long post. I can't help it :)