12 DIY Bathroom Projects I'm Dying to Try

You may remember when I first started looking at houses I shared a list of the 15 DIY Kitchen Projects I was dying to try in my new home.  Things have changed a bit since actually buying a house and having a different space to work with, so I may update that one eventually.  However, today I'd like to share some Bathroom projects I want to try.

My house has two bathrooms currently, one upstairs that is mostly updated (though they did a terrible job when they did it) and a downstairs bathroom which I'm afraid might be a lost cause.  It's so awful I don't even know how to fix it, but I'll talk about that at another time.  For now, here are some projects I've collected for you from Pinterest, enjoy!

1. These Window Box Bathroom Storage Bins would be perfect for holding towels and other things in a bathroom with limited space.  They're small, and they'd fit against the wall or cupboards somewhere to help conserve floor space.

2. Neither of my bathrooms have toilet paper roll holders.  I bought a free standing one, but I'm kind of liking this toilet paper roll holder with a shelf tutorial.  It's not only adorable, but it would be useful too!

3. I found this super basic 2 minute tutorial for a magnetic strip that holds things like bobby pins or tweezers.  I'm forever losing all of those things, so this would be handy!  It's not cute, but I think it would be super easy to make it cute with some thin fabric or washi tape, don't you think?

4. I totally adore these mason jar bathroom organizers.  And how easy is strapping a few mason jars to a board and filling it with your bathroom things like sponges, makeup brushes, Q-tips, etc.?

5. If you have the floor space (I don't, at least not upstairs) an old ladder is a super cute towel holder!

6. Bathroom mirrors can be super boring, but not when you frame your mirror!  Adding some simple molding, an old picture frame, or some mosaic tile around your bathroom mirror will add a lot of charm to that part of your bathroom.

7. Two things you can never get enough of in a bathroom is mirrors and storage.  How about building your own bathroom mirror storage case?  It gives you a nice full length(ish) mirror to admire your outfits in, PLUS the added benefit of storage behind it.  Brilliant!

8. You can totally snag this FREE pattern for this soft knit bath mat from Coco Knits.  Cute!

9. This narrow rope shelf is totally doable, and adorable too!  Plus, you can totally adjust the lengths and widths as needed for your space!

10. I didn't even think about using the space above the door by installing an above door shelf. Usefull!

11. This DIY magazine storage takes up almost no space, and looks so easy to install! It's cute too.

12. Uh, did you know you can turn a drawer into a bathroom shelf and that it's easy?  SO cute.

 What projects do you want to do or have you done in your bathroom?

Confessions of a New Homeowner Part 3: Moving Woes

I confess... I'm exhausted.  No joke-I've worked on the house a ton still and I'm not sleeping well yet in the new space.  It'll get there, but it'll take some time... Also, I'm ready for Fall now. I want pumpkins and cool air and Halloween.

I confess... I'm lucky for all the help I've had.  Moving day rolled around and I was a mess.  I'd been up and packing for 36 hours straight when my little sister called me to see how I was doing.  I started crying, and then I threw up.  I'm too old to go without sleep.  So my mom called in sick to work and beat the boys to my apartment so she could help me just throw the rest of the stuff in boxes.  Then my brothers and my grandpa showed up and helped me move.  I couldn't have done it without them. Now if only I could find the bolts and screws to put my bed back together...

I confess... Appliances have been an interesting experience.  I'd started out looking for used appliances and after a lot of hunting and looking at (gross) used appliances, I decided to just buy new and get the warranty.  I knew I needed a front-loading washer and dryer due to the fact that they're up on a platform in the bathroom (and I'm too short to reach all the way in top loaders even when they're on the regular ground!) and I wanted a fridge with ice and water-since I already have a waterline hooked up.  So I found myself at Home Depot while they were having a 10% off sale and a 6-months no interest promotion, and I bought myself this Samsung side-by-side refrigerator and also a Samsung front-loading washer and it's matching dryer.  The dryer sings to me.

I confess... I had no idea that you had to measure things like doorways.  I just thought doorways were pretty standard.  I was so wrong-and I paid dearly for it.  After waiting a week for delivery, and then all day (because they were late), the delivery men showed up and started measuring.  The fridge would go through the front door, but not the back door or the door to the kitchen.  There was no way around it and it had to go back and I had to start the process of fridge shopping all over.  I finally decided on this Whirlpool side-by-side, 

I confess... While the washer and dryer did fit (barely-it was touch and go there trying to get past the water heater) they were also unuseable at first.  Home Depot sold me a crappy dryer vent and the delivery guy said I needed to go back and get a flexible one.  Also, since my drain for the washer is up in the wall, and the washer door only opens one way, the drain hose from the washer doesn't reach at all...

I confess... Once again, my family is amazing.  My grandfather came over to help me get my washer and dryer up and running, which involved helping me hook up the dryer vent and also helping me jimmy-rig the hose for the washer by caulking it to a second hose and taping it up (ghetto, but at least it works now!).  He also helped me clean up my kitchen a bit (now I can't find anything haha!) and while doing so, realized that the waterline wasn't hooked up at all-they'd just stuck the hose in there and faked it!

I confess... We ran another water hose (I now know how to do it) but the water pressure is really bad in it, and I think I'm going to have to get a plumber to look at it.  Dang.

I confess... Now that I'm all moved in and back to the regular work schedule, I'm realizing that things are going to take much longer than I thought.  I think you have lofty pipe dreams when you think "I'm just going to move in and fix stuff every day until it's done!" but then you get home from work and you're tired and exhausted so all you do is eat whatever you don't have to cook (because you still haven't found your pans) and go to bed at 7pm.  Wait, that's just me?

In any case, I'm coming to the realization that everything I wanted done before the housewarming party wont be done.  Luckily I'm pretty sure my friends will understand that my house is a total work in progres..

I confess... The walk through with my old landlord went pretty well.  There wasn't much she found that she was unhappy about, but most of it was there when we moved in.  I doubt I'll get much of the deposit back since it's been 7 years, but she said she was sending something.

I confess... My realtor is still following up with the previous owners about the AC.  The day he said he was going to speak with their listing agent they showed up at my house and left me a bunch of paperwork on things in the house (like the furnace, jetted tub, etc.), and they left me a note saying how sorry they were for the big pile of garbage they left and that they thought the next neighborhood cleanup day (when the city comes around to collect large or weird garbage from your curb) was on August 31st and they'd come help me move stuff if I wanted... Nice, but they still did not leave the AC. WTF people.

I confess... I still have pretty roses coming up in my yard.  Guess I need to learn how to prune them before Winter.

I confess... I'm feeling very poor.  I've been charging lots of things and eating out too much (since my kitchen is not in order yet) so my budgeting has been bad.  I need to get a hang of that before I actually have to start paying my mortgage.

I confess... I want a dog.  Living alone is a little spooky and I think it's time I start thinking about getting a little companion that helps me feel safer.  My yard isn't fenced yet, and wont be for a while, which would mean I'd have to walk the dog regularly and take it to the dog park instead of just playing with it in the yard.  This could be good for me exercise wise though.

I confess... I should probably wait until I get some of my house in order before bringing another living thing into it... And I'm thinking maybe I should try fostering first before making the big commitment to keeping a pooch forever.  Good thing I volunteer with an awesome rescue!

What do you have to confess this week?

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Confessions of a New Homeowner Part 2: Updates on The New House

You may have caught my first round of new homeowner confessions when I was freaking out.  That was exactly two weeks ago after just getting the keys to my new home and being able access it for the first time.  A TON has happened since then, and I've had a LOT of help.

I confess... The previous homeowners left the place in quite a state.  That's one of the reasons I was freaking out when I first got the keys and was able to get in there.  There were giant holes in the walls, the place smelled like sour meat, they didn't leave the portable A/C they were required to leave, the door was hanging wide open (they didn't lock it at all), and there was a giant pile of crap they'd left me in the back yard. They'd also almost completely killed the grass in the back yard between the time I looked at the home and the time I gained access. I pretty much hate them, and each project has me cursing their names.  What jerks.

I confess... I've grown too weary of chasing down my realtor to see about the A/C unit.  I'm just giving up I think... Though part of me feels like I should call the cops or something, since they were required to leave it and the fact that they took it should count as theft.  I'll admit that I don't really need it now (I've forked over the money to buy an A/C for myself because it's hot and I couldn't wait!) but that I'd like to get them simply out of principle.

I confess... One of the first things I did at my new place was start thinking about all the updates I had to do, and one of the first ones I did was porch lights.  They had an old ugly motion detector light on the front, and a hole with wires hanging out the back... These little lights I got at Home Depot for about $16 each, so I felt like it wasn't a terrible investment-and they add a lot of character.  So the Sunday after I gained access to the house my dad stopped by on his way out of town (for work) and helped me install a couple new lights, and also my new A/C.  He also helped me fix the front door so it would lock properly.  My dad is so great.

I confess... He's working six-twelves right now, but he said as soon as he's done with this job he'll come down and help me install some new flooring.  They self-installed some laminate in the kitchen and did a terrible job-there are giant gaps in between boards, the boards aren't secured so they slide around, and they never water-proofed or protected the flooring against water damage.

I confess... My mom and my sister have been amazing.  Not only did they rush down when I was freaking out to make me feel better, but they then came down again the following Sunday night to help me start making the place liveable.  They slept on the floor of my new house with me for two nights while we painted, primed, scraped, patched, and fixed the place up.  Plus we had puppy helpers. So cute!

I confess... I didn't get enough before shots, but I did get a few.  I wish I'd gotten more and taken them with my good camera so you could see just how bad some things were.  These people didn't really take care of the place at all.  It looks like they tried to do some fixes on their own, but every fix they did was done really poorly.

I confess... It's amazing how much a coat of paint can change a room.  This house is tiny with a cottage/bungalow feel, but I don't know how they survived with ugly stark white walls over their ten years there.  It had no character.  Maybe they were just cheap-I had no idea how much paint cost-it was so expensive!  Above is a few shots of the living room.

I confess... I went with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt for the walls on the living room, and the two-tone look with the molding in Sherwin Williams Snowbound.  I'm in love with it.  It makes the room feel ENTIRELY different.

I confess... It was SO difficult to paint over where the stairs are.  In the middle of painting we called my grandfather to ask if he had a tall ladder we could borrow and he rushed over with one so we could reach some awkward spaces.  It still didn't help with some of the spaces, so he built some makeshift scaffolding over the space so we could stand on it or put things on it.

I confess... The scaffolding had about a foot on one side where it rested, but only about two inches on the other... When that shifts and you have a giant bucket of paint sitting on the wood-bad things happen.  My sister accidentally dropped an entire bowl of paint down my stairs!

I confess... The painting of my stair carpet resulted in a lot of tears.  All three of us were going on very little sleep, so my sister was bawling because she felt bad and I was bawling because I couldn't afford to replace the carpet that was now painted white.  Luckily my mom kept a cool head and after an hour of scrubbing with hot soapy water and running the carpet cleaner over it, we managed to get most of it out.

I confess... For the kitchen I chose Behr Planetary Silver.  I don't know what inspired me to go with a grey, but I sure love the two-toned look with the silver-grey and the Snowbound trim.  I still have a lot to paint in the kitchen.  I also bought some pretty grey and white chevron style non-slip cupboard liners that I'll be able to put in when I finish all the painting.

I confess... The kitchen cabinets are kind of weird.  Over the sink there are the original built-in solid wood cabinets that probably came with the house in the 1950s, but somewhere along the line they've replaced the cabinets along the wall and under the sink with a cheaper version.  The replaced cabinets all have newer hinges on them, but the original ones had the original hinges with about 60 years worth of paint over it... It took two whole days to get the hinges off so we could paint.  They'd been painted over so many times that I had to buy a paint stripper, apply it, let it sit 15 minutes before scraping whatever I could get off, and then repeat-for two days.  I did finally get them off, and am currently in the process of painting them and getting new hardware for them.

I confess... In the kitchen there was a random hole in the ceiling that the previous owners had literally stuffed with plastic grocery sacks. Just, what?  What is wrong with these people?  I pulled the grocery sacks out and a bunch of heat rushed down.  We imagine that they must have used the hole to put in insulation in part of the attic space, but then been way too lazy to fix it-they just tried to plug it up so that the heat stayed in.  Above you'll see how they had it on the left, and on the right how I started fixing it.

I confess... I'm learning how to patch walls like a pro.  We bought mesh panels and mesh tape, and a giant tub of Joint Compound and I have patched so many holes and cracks in the walls/ceilings that it's crazy.  But it makes such a difference!

I confess... One thing I was aware of from the moment I put in the offer was the jagged hole between the wall and door frame in the bedroom.  This door separates the bedroom from the downstairs bathroom (worst bathroom ever) and it appears as if they'd cut their own door frame.  It was all jagged and wavy, and they'd just left the whole there without doing anything to patch it.  So my momma helped me nail in a new board that was missing from the frame, and we broke out the joint compound and we started patching the door up.  It's dried kind of cracking, so I think I need to sand it down and put another layer on it.

I confess... The bedroom walls were bad too.  There was paint peeling everywhere (it appears they'd painted directly over drywall without primer or anything) and the molding along the one wall was damaged.  I pried up the molding and voila, found a small piece of mold.  We cut the moldy section of the wall out and tossed the old molding there.  We also spent hours hand scraping the peeling paint off the walls.

I confess... My mom and sister seriously are the best family anyone could ask for. They both had Monday off, and even though I had to work they went to my house and painted my bedroom!  I came home to an almost complete painting job that has saved me SO much time!  

I confess... I originally bought Sherwin Williams Refresh to use to update the accents in the kitchen (which are already a similar-but darker-color) and ended up hating it in the Kitchen.  So I was glad that when it was done in the bedroom I LOVED it there. I'd hate to waste paint or be stuck with a color I hate.  It looked great with the Snowbound trim/accents as well.

I confess... In an effort to make me hate my downstairs bathroom less, (it looked like this originally) my mom and sister helped me paint it mostly white.  It's going to need an entire overhall at some point... It's the most bizarre thing.  The main drain is up in the wall, so they've installed a pump in the floor and have pipes and wires running everywhere.  I think that it's because of all the pipes and wires and the pump that they built the weird platforms and fake walls to hide it... Except they didn't do a great job at that either-they made sliding cupboard doors that are uneven and terrible, and the platforms kind of slide around.  They didn't even have the shower secured into the wall, it can move around... But making it white helps a little.

I confess... My baby sister is pretty much the smaller, blonder, more adorable version of me.  Isn't she cute?

I confess... I am becoming extremely handy.  I'm learning how to do so many things on my own, including patching walls and hooking things up.  I'm also going to make an attempt to change my headlight on my car this weekend (I'm too house poor to take my car in lol) and I need to switch out a few electrical outlets that my dad explained how to do.  I am woman, hear me roar.

I confess... I still have SO much more to do before the house is actually liveable... I mean I'm currently bunkered down in the one room of the house that's mostly done (the living room) with my couches, TV, boxes/bags piled everywhere, and my mattress on the floor.  It's crazy! Also, about 90% of everything I own is locked in the garage currently-it's been crazy.

Here is my upcoming home improvement to-do list, at least those things I know of off the top of my head so far.

• Finish painting cupboards and around them.
• Hang cupboard doors.
• Place liner in cupboards.

• Finish patching the holes and painting the walls in the kitchen.
• Figure out the kitchen table situation-my table is too big for the kitchen. lol
• Re-caulk around the sink.
• Figure out if I want to keep the accent color in the kitchen.
• If yes, touch it up/repaint it.
• If no, figure out what color to paint it instead.

• Backsplash behind the stove-my mom pulled down their ghetto tin foil that they'd pasted up against the wall and painted instead.

• Repaint the monstrosity that is the yellow bathroom with red accents... 
• Clean up their caulking mess in the said bathroom.
• Replace the faucet because it doesn't actually reach the sink properly.
• Eventually I also need to figure out why the jets in the bathtub don't work...

• Finish painting my bedroom.
• Spray for bugs-there are SO many spiders!
• Figure out how to hook up the washer and dryer properly.
• Unpack at least my clothing.
• Figure out what to do with the closet (which looks like this).
• Figure out what to do with the ugly downstairs bathroom.
• Replace the counters because they are cracked and broken.
• Paint the hallway.
• Find curtains for the living room and the bedroom.
• Try and bring my poor yard back to life.

Whew, I've got a lot of work cut out for me.

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Top Tips for a First Time Home Buyer

Save, Save, Save!
Seriously.  Start saving the minute you think you might want to start looking for a house. Better yet, even if you're not ready to start looking, start saving. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions, stop buying things you don't need, and start squirreling money away.  You'll want as much money in the bank when you go into it as soon as you can.  It took my entire savings account plus cashing out a bunch of stock just to cover my down payment and closing costs.

On top of that, there are so many more expenses you're not expecting.  For example, to paint my house I probably spent about $200 on paint and supplies, and that was with all the supplies the previous owners left me in the garage and what my mom brought down.  If I'd had to buy all of those things I'd probably have spent upwards of $350 or so.  That's not including the stuff I had to buy to fix drywall, molding, door frames, the A/C units I had to install, etc.  It adds up really fast.

Keep Your Credit in Check
This one can be difficult to get a hold on if you're not sure what affects your credit exactly, and it can vary based on the loan you want to receive.  I didn't know, but luckily I had a little help. If you're even thinking about buying a home, start with these NOW:

• Have a few open credit cards.  I know this seems counter-intuitive but having no credit cards really looks bad on your credit report.  Have at least three credit cards approved and open in your name.  If you don't have any, go out and get a couple-but make sure you get them at least a few months before you get approved for a loan so it doesn't' look like you're just shopping for loans.
• Use your credit card for all purchases.  Make sure it's stuff you actually need and planned on buying with cash/check/debit, then pay down the credit cards with that actual money every month.  Don't pay them entirely off, always leave about $30-$50 bucks on your open line of credit.  Empty cards look badly too, so it's better to have a little bit (but not much more than a minimum payment or so) than nothing at all.
• Start paying down old debts. If you have a car payment, school loans, or other old debt lying around, start putting a little extra towards it so you're not swimming in debts with the credit cards and house payments.

Get Pre-Approved For a Loan-Then Figure Out How Much You ACTUALLY Can Afford

Don't start looking at houses until you know how much you can actually get approved for-you may be bummed to find out you can't afford ones you've fallen in love with.  Then take what your lender approves you for and make sure it's actually doable.  My lender approved me for up to $200k and my realtor started sending me houses in the $180k-$190k range to look at due to this fact, turns out they'd be more than half my monthly income each month in mortgage + fees + taxes + PMI, etc.

I then called my lender back and got an actual idea of what I could spend.  He sent me an estimate of what each price range would run me, and I was able to figure out that I should stay around $140k for a house, or $110k for anything that had an additional HOA payment.

Work with a Mortgage Company that Makes You Feel Like a Priority
When I decided to apply for a home loan I decided to go with a company I'd heard ads for on my favorite radio station.  I just decided to email them one day and inquire about the possible option of buying a house-I wasn't sure I was seriously going to do it or not, but I shot them an email on a Saturday afternoon out of the blue.

I received a phone call first thing the following Monday (March 23rd) morning, by Monday afternoon I was pre-approved, by Tuesday I had a Realtor sending me houses to look at. On Wednesday my mortgage guy confirmed that I couldn't afford any of the houses the Realtor had sent me, by Thursday I had a new list of houses.  By the 25th I'd seen five houses, but hadn't loved any of them.  On April 2nd I saw two (almost three) homes and decided on one, and I was Under Contract by Friday, April 3rd.  I received my first underwriting documents on April 9th to sign.  My mortgage company was super speedy!

Find a Realtor You Trust/If You Hate Your Realtor SWITCH
I really wish I'd switched. I went with a Realtor that was suggested to me by my mortgage guy and at first I thought he was great.  But then over time I started to really dislike how I had to chase him down for answers and how he dodged my questions.  I wish I'd just switched to another realtor when my friend suggested hers part way through-because it was too stressful being angry at him all the time!

For example, the first time I tried to close on a house he went out of town and didn't even tell me he'd be gone.  I just got a "I'm in South Carolina" when I tried to get inspector information from him.

After a couple months of looking he started trying to push me into buying something I didn't want.  Like a condo that was basically an apartment-the exact thing I told him I did NOT want to live in when I first started looking at houses.  He also didn't respect my price limit on some of the homes he showed me-instead urging me to just go for things I didn't want for prices I couldn't really afford.

Then finally, I am actually closing on a house and he said he was getting the sellers to fix some things but refused to provide a list of things they were fixing.  I emailed him every day asking for it and got "I'm out of town" AGAIN!   He promised his assistant would send it-and she never did.  I don't know if he lied about asking her to do so or if she was just incompentent but it was really frustrating.  He finally said (word for word exactly as he typed it "I don't have it in front of me but there were some rain gutter issues they repaired, handrail that was loose, some electrical and GFCI fixes. They DONT need to repair anything but I convinced them to do a few items."  I felt it was pretty rude, and hey-when I moved in they did NOT fix a damned thing he said they were going to.  FAIL.

Also, they didn't leave the A/C they promised to leave, and after they moved out he said he'd follow up on it and then just started ignoring my emails.  I mean, I closed, so he must have figured he'd gotten paid and it didn't matter anymore to follow through or keep in contact.  I will never use him again, or recommend his services.

Be Your Own Advocate
No matter how much you like your mortgage guy or Realtor, you aren't going to be their only client, and that means that sometimes you're going to feel like you're not getting the attention you deserve.  This is where you really need to be your own advocate.  Email, call, text, whatever you have to do to get things done.  You're going to have to be pushy to get stuff handled.

Figure Out What You Actually Want & Expect it to Change a Little
Do you want to live in a condo/townhouse?  These have hefty HOA fees technically and you still share walls, but hey-you never have to shovel your own sidewalks in the winter or mow your own lawn.  There are benefits to both, you just have to know what is important for you. When you first start looking at houses, figure out what your deal breakers are, and then go from there.  As you look at more and more houses, what you want will change significantly-but you'll always have those deal breakers to fall back on.

Research the Areas You Want to Look In
When I started looking I knew that I wouldn't be able to live where I've been living.  My rental is super cheap for the part of the city I'm in (it's kind of a yuppie area) and houses on my street go for upwards of $500k.  I figured I'd have to go further away from the city, but I had a wide range of options for smaller towns just outside the city.  There were a few I didn't know much about, but the houses were cheap and they were so close to the city that I started looking... They were rougher neighborhoods but people had been moving into them to gentrify the area.  Two days after I put in an offer on one of these houses a drug/gang murder happened a block away from it... I'm pretty glad I didn't actually end up living there.

Make Sure Your Boss Is On Board
Chances are there are going to be a lot of times you either need to leave work early, or come in late, or even take the day off throughout the whole process, so make sure your boss is aware of what is happening and is okay with a little fluctuation while you work on it.  There were times I had to leave early to look at houses, or come in late because I was dropping off the earnest money, or signing papers, etc.  I'm really lucky I work for such a great company and my managers were so understanding.

Take an Unbiased Friend With You to Look at Houses
You will need someone who's not just going to go "Oh pretty!  Get it!" at everything you love-you need someone who can point out the flaws of a place when you're caught up on one thing you really want about it.  I was already Under Contract on the first home I planned to buy when I took Shawn out to look at the property, and since we didn't have keys we only looked at the outside and peeked in the windows.  He brought all sorts of things like windows that wont open (they had broken cranks that you could clearly see), holes in the trim of the roof, the fence falling down in one area, etc. to my attention.  This caused more stress, but I'd rather know these things than find them out when I'm living there.  Which leads me to...

Get an Inspection
Inspections are a part of the process that are highly recommended (if your real estate agent doesn't insist you get one-they might not have your back as much as you think) and in my opinion completely necessary. An inspector is a third party person who looks over the property and will find every little thing wrong with the place and provide a report to you and your Realtor.  If I hadn't pushed for an inspection on the first place I put an offer in on-I'd be in a world of hurt right now.  The inspection showed that while it looked great cosmetically, it needed a new everthing-roof, plumbing, water heater, furnace, foundation, etc.  It was so bad... And the door had been kicked in so it recommended drug testing-ouch.

I can't stress it enough-ALWAYS get an inspection done by a good inspector, it's worth the money. Pay attention to price of inspections too.  You can find someone to do an inspection for $60 but it might not be a very good one... I paid $290 for my inspection, and there were only a few tiny things that needed to be fixed-but my inspector was amazing.  He walked me through the house and showed me everything he thought I should know about, and then he offered me a bunch of ideas on how to fix things or what not to do when fixing them.  I couldn't recommend him enough and if you're in Utah and need a good realtor let me know, I'd be happy to give you his contact information!

Be Prepared for Buyer's Remorse
No matter how much you love the place you buy, the minute it sinks in that you own it and are going to have to take care of it, and that you paid that much money-you'll feel a little buyer's remorse.  It's natural. The first time I had access to my house after I signed the closing papers ended with me calling my mother in tears and telling her I'd made a huge mistake.  Luckily she was awesome and rushed down to look at it with me.  She was able to help me see what was not such a big deal and explain how easily we could fix things.

Find a Friend Who's Been Through It
I'm not going to lie-buying a house was one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had.  It's likely the biggest purchase you'll ever make, and especially if you're buying a used/old home there are all sorts of fears about what could go wrong.  If it weren't for friends who'd been through the process already (shout out to Kristina and Callie, and also my awesome manager Michael) and who talked me down when I was freaking out, I don't know that I would have done it.

And hey, if you need to talk to someone who's just been through it, feel free to comment or email me. I'm here for you. ;)

Have you bought a house before? Are you looking for a house?  

New Homeowner Confessions & Freak Outs (aka Confessions of a New Homeowner Part 1)

I confess... Buying my first home has been a trying experience. Since I started looking for a home in March, I have put in four offers on homes.  One fell through due to a terrible inspection (we're talking EVERYTHING wrong with the place except the paint!), one fell through for not being FHA approved, one fell through because they accepted another offer instead, and finally the last one was successful.

I put in an offer on this last house about 12 hours after the listing was put up.  By the next day it had an additional 5 offers put in on it.  They called us, since we were the first offer, and told me that if I'd take it for full asking price-it was mine.  I accepted.

 I confess... My neighbors have a huge half pipe skateboard ramp in their back yard.  Also, nearly every time I've been over there they've been outside drinking beers.  At least they'll never complain about parties right? lol

I confess...  I closed on my home a week ago.  However, the owners had requested as part of the offer an extra week to move out of the home and I agreed.  I will never do that again-the waiting was terrible and I'm convinced that the previous owners were complete jerks.  They didn't leave the A/C as they promised, but instead they left a nice big mess to clean up.

I confess... I got the keys yesterday and an email saying the previous owners were entirely out of the home so I headed straight over to have a look at it.

The front door was wide open.  The house smelled like sour meat upstairs and cat pee downstairs.  There were all sorts of holes in the walls and other things I'd never seen since the previous tenants had so much junk everywhere... They had piles of crap just hiding all of the issues before.  Here are some photos from the listing:

   

I confess... It was exactly then that I lost sight of the potential I'd seen when I first put in an offer.  All I saw were the holes-were they made by water damage? Termites? I saw the crappy carpet, and the "upgrades" they'd tried to do but failed at... Seriously, they cut their own door and it's anything but straight.  They straight-up ripped holes in the closet wall so they could get to the storage behind easier.  They laid laminate flooring in the kitchen with 2 inch gaps filled with nastyness (no covers, no filler, nothing) in between the floor boards.  There was a hole in the kitchen with plastic bags stuffed in it.  Just... What?

I confess... I thought I'd made a huge mistake.  I texted Yoshi and explained how all their crap had covered up the problems.  He suggested I fill it with my own crap to hide them. lol

I called my mom and burst into tears.  I'd made a huge mistake.  I'd bought an awful house that needed more work than I thought it would, and on top of it something was probably dead in the wall because WHY THE HELL DOES MY HOUSE SMELL LIKE SOUR MEAT?

I confess... My daddy called me from Wyoming and talked me down.  He kept telling me it was all "lipstick on a pig" and that the inspector had said it had good bones, a good roof, good plumbing/wiring, etc.  He reminded me that I bought my home for 140k but it appraised for 145k so I'd already made money.  He told me his coworker lived three blocks from my new house, and when he told him how much I bought it for the guy was astounded.  He said "Nothing in Sugar House goes for under 200k!  Her lot is worth 200k!"

He reminded me that even though he's working six-twelves (six twelve hour days) for the next six weeks, when this job ended he'd have some time to come and help me fix things.  He reminded me that he can tear out carpet, break down walls, install appliances and light fixtures... He reminded me tha whatever he couldn't do, we had family members that could.  "Need tile?  We can call Uncle Dan, Cody, or Chris!" or "Need a new door?  Call your grandpa, he'll come over and help."

I confess... My sweet mother grabbed my awesome sister and hopped in the car right then to drive the hour+ during rush hour, when they both had to work super early (like be to work at 5AM) the next day, to come down and make me feel better.  

They arrived with a carpet cleaner and two bags of cleaning supplies, paint, and smell-good stuffs (Febreze, Lysol, etc.)  They picked me up at my apartment and we drove over to the house.  They walked through the house with me and told me all the things they loved, and they reminded me of the potential the place had.  They'd say "Oh that's an easy fix, we'll just pick up some putty and it'll take us 10 minutes to cover that hole." or "This carpet really isn't bad, I say worry about the carpet later and let's start on some of the other little things we can repair."

They stayed until 10PM making me feel better, bought me dinner, and then drove the hour plus home so they could get up for work early.  They are amazing-I'm so lucky to have them!

I confess... Buying a house has been the most stressful experience of my life.  I'm still afraid.  I'm afraid it wont feel like home.  I'm afraid I wont have the skills to do all that I need to do.  But, I'm a homeowner.  This place is mine and I'll make it mine.

Any tips for a first-time homeowner?

Linking up with:

Are You As Stoked As I Am for Amazon Prime Day? + My New Home Amazon Wishlist

Note: Most links in this post are Amazon affiliate links.

Have you guys heard about Prime Day?  I am so stoked for it.  There are so many things I'm going to need for my new home, and I'm really hoping a lot of them are on sale for Prime Day.  Fingers. Are. Crossed.

What is Prime Day?  Well it's a day hosted by Amazon just for Amazon Prime members, and they say there are going to be even more deals than Black Friday.  If you've ever shopped Black Friday on Amazon you know that there are some killer steals, so if Prime Day is even better-I'm all the way in. 

Not an Amazon Prime Member?  Why not?  Seriously.  It pays for itself.  I mostly got Amazon Prime for the free two day shipping (which has saved me as much as my membership costs-seriously) but then there's these added benefits: 

• Instant Video Streaming service - I often find stuff on there I couldn't on Netflix or Hulu.
• Prime Music - Stream music - they even have new albums!
• Prime Photos - Secure unlimited photo storage.
• Kindle Owner's Lending library - borrow books for your Kindle for free!

I'd highly recommend signing up for Amazon Prime before Prime Day-and you can get a free 30 day trial if you sign up.  If you're a student, it's even cheaper-it's like half the price.  Students sign up HERE.

So, since Amazon Prime Day is tomorrow-here are my top new home wishlist items on Amazon:

Frigidaire Energy Star 12,000 BTU 115V Window-Mounted Compact Air Conditioner w/ Temperature Sensing Remote Control, FFRE1233Q1.
My new house doesn't have A/C, so I'm going to have to buy a window unit that will cover the whole upstairs.  This one really looks like it'll do the trick.  I even looked up BTU and learned how they'll cover, so I need at least 12,000 BTU for the 550 sq feet.

Hopkins 2x4basics 90110 Flip Top BenchTable

Instead of patio furniture, I'm thinking two of these adorable things.  How cute is that?  You have benches for just sitting on, and then it folds down into a table.  Sooooo cute!

Gibson Elite Urban Luxe 16-Piece Dinnerware Set-Turquoise

I'm really ready to upgrade from my current dinnerware set.  I've had it for years, it's old and chipped, and it's all country with apples and green-not my style at all.  With my new kitchen I want to move away from mismatched dishes and the red and black theme I've had with appliances and maybe transition to either white and turquoise or black and turquoise... I haven't decided yet.

Intex 18ft X 10ft X 42in Oval Frame Pool Set
I really want a little pool in my backyard.  Not something huge or permanent, but something small I can swim in that will help me exercise (without having to go out in public haha) and cool off during the Summer.  Perfect.

Ogrow Deluxe Walk-In 6 Tier 12 Shelf Portable Greenhouse

How fun would it be to have a cute little greenhouse in your back yard?  You could put some plants in it that are a little more susceptible to the cold and need their climate controlled a little better.  Cuuuuute!

I know I have some lofty ideas here, and half of them might not happen, but here's hoping I can eventually have all the fun things I want.  That's one of the best things (I expect) about owning your own place-you can actually do all the fun things you could never do in a rental.

What's on your Amazon wishlist?

3 Ways to Make Your Home EVEN BETTER

You’ve got the Shangri-La of semi-detached homes. Your living room is bathed in the kind of terracotta hue usually reserved for sultan’s palaces. Your bedroom has more finery than a shop made of silk. And you own enough luxury items to make a gameshow jealous.

But there’s still something missing from your home. There’s still a little bit more potential you could wring out of those bricks and mortar before your masterpiece is complete.

If you can’t quite put your finger on what those improvements might be, try a few of these.

Orangery is the new conservatory

The conservatory has forever been a middle class dream. A quick wander through any suburbia will show you that. But they’re not the only option for your home. For a unique look to your home, why not invest in an orangery?

Orangery styles vary from home to home but you can guarantee that any style you choose will be pretty snazzy.

But what is an orangery? Essentially it’s a conservatory that will give you a more enclosed feeling, allowing you to lounge in privacy.

What’s more,  this simple addition could add thousands of pounds to the value of your home. So nab one today.

Alter that attic

Until you convert your attic, it’s little more than a creepy empty space between your rooms and roof. It’s probably covered in dusty boxes. One or two of those boxes might contain a horrible looking doll. Who knows when that doll will attack! Basically, your unconverted attic is a horror movie waiting to happen.

But if you convert that attic into another room, you’ll have extra space, added value to your house price and more insulation.

You can do whatever you like with your attic – just don’t make it pure horror show.

Find your focus

Focal points are ace ideas for every room in your home, drawing the eye and giving your space a centre that’ll complement everything else.

What will constitute an ace focal point depends on which room you’re refurbishing. Your living room could do with a cool ornament or coffee table, your hall might suit a classy bookcase and your garden might require a stunning water feature.

It’s a fine balancing act between finding something that’ll catch the eye and plopping something garish in your home, but that’s a part of the fun.

Experiment with different styles and furnishings, and find a great centre for your home. It’ll finally make it complete. 

This post was written by John Paul in line with my disclosure policy.

Do You Have Hardwood Floors? 3 Easy Ways to Keep Them Up!

Keeping your hardwood floors looking great is worth the time and effort after you have made such a huge investment. In fact many people do not consider how much of an investment that hardwood floors really are. These floors often times are susceptible to scratches and scrapes and sometimes even can be stripped or damaged if the wrong household cleaners are used. If you are investing your hard earned money in new hardwood flooring then you should know how to care for them.

Natural Cleaning Choices
Keeping hardwood floors clean is really easy. One thing to remember is that you want a hardwood floor cleaner that is really going to make those floors shine. However you might not want something that is going to make them too slick as that could end up being dangerous, especially if you have little ones.

Check out the hardwood floor cleaner recipe here that you can make for yourself. The best thing about this cleaner is that it is completely toxin free and safe to use with pets and small children who might be crawling around on the floors. Some of the hardwood floor cleaners that are sold in the stores are not quite as safe and contain chemicals that could have damaging effects on children and/or pets.

Dealing With Scratches
New flooring can either be composite, think LumberLiquidators. Hardwood Bargains, is probably a better choice for composite flooring, because they are partnered with the American Forest Foundation, a noble cause for re-foresting America. There’s also natural wood flooring choices of course, which is quite a bit more expensive, but either way, the last thing that you will want to see is scratches in the finish. This can be devastating as you might feel as though you just threw away the investment that you made. Do not worry, there are many things that you can do to help you handle scratches in hardwood floors.

There are some steps that you have to take. First you will have to look at the scratch and see if it goes with the grain or against the grain. Then you can determine if wood putty will work to fill it in. Next you can use a small brush or cotton swab to apply a finish that matches what is already on the floor. After the finish dries you will need to rub the floor with steel wool and then determine if it is too deep and if the process needs to be repeated one or more times.

Want to Make Your Hardwood Floor Shine?
Many people love that look of shiny hardwood floors. If this is the look that you are going for there are a few things that you should consider. One is that your floors might need to be refinished. Finish will not last forever on the floors so if your floor needs to be refinished it will not have the desired shine that you are looking for. Next you will want to check to see if wax has built up on the floors. If you have floors that have been around for a long time then it is likely that the hardwood has a layer of wax on them that needs to be removed.

Mopping dirty floors will also keep them from having that shine that you are looking for. There are many ways that you can solve this. One is to make sure that you are always sweeping prior to mopping your floors. Another is to work in small sections of floor and to hand scrub them. Using a dust mop will help to pick up loose dust particles that you could not pick up with the broom and dust pan.

You might also want to talk the manufacturer of your hardwood floors. Some companies recommend different products or procedures based on the specific type of wood and finish that you have. Doing this can guarantee that your hardwood floors are being taken care of properly.

This post is in line with my Disclosure Policy.

15 DIY Kitchen Projects I'm Dying to Try In My New Home

Many of you may know by now that I'm am UNDER CONTRACT (whoa) for a house right now.  It's a cute little starter home, meaning I recognize that I'm not going to live there for the rest of my life but instead make it work right now, and it has a tiny little kitchen.  The kitchen is pretty, but very very small and there is no pantry...

UPDATE: I am not longer getting that house, but these tips are still ones I want to try when I find one!

So while I can't start on anything yet (you aren't supposed to spend money while under contract plus I don't have keys yet so I can't get measurements) I've already begun pinning projects to help with small kitchens.  For some reason all the pinning is actually easing my stress levels-probably because I'm just getting so excited!

1. I wont have a pantry in my new place, but I'm thinking I could make this cute little pull-out pantry for my kitchen!  Though the walls seem smaller so I might want to adjust the measurements, but it seems pretty doable!  I also found this version without the backing as well, though I like the first one a bit better.

2. I think these slide-out cabinet organizers for under the sink are a brilliant way to keep everything tidy and accessible under there, don't you? I'm not 100% sure I have the woodworking or carpentry skills to do this one though...

3. Another fabulous idea is to utilize the space above kitchen cabinets and I love the idea of putting wine up there, but instead of buying one, I'd totally try this DIY wine rack instead.

4. I've seen a few different versions of this, but hanging measuring spoons inside your cabinet definitely saves drawer space.  You can also add nifty vinyl conversions to your measuring cup cupboard for an easy chart to refer to when cooking or baking.

5. This is another that I'm not sure I possess the skills for, but a hidden slide-out knife drawer?  I'd love to get my knife block off the counter!

6. I have a pretty spinning spice rack I intend to keep, so while I love these fancy magnetic spice rack options, I still don't know what to do with some of my other oddly shaped bottles.  This super easy and inexpensive magnetic spice holder option looks like a great way to store them without stealing space from my cupboard.  Goodness, you can even make a magnetic spice rack inside the cupboard!

7. Adding a Lazy Susan to your fridge seems like a no-brainer.  I mean check out this Fridge Butler.

8. In case I can't pull off the knife drawer, I'm probably going to make a magnetic knife strip.  I'm not entirely sure I can pull off this lovely rainbow wood magnetic knife strip, but I'm feeling like I could do something similar... With maybe fabric that's removable for washing?

9. When in doubt, defer to Martha Stewart.  Always.  Easy-peasy add some tension rods to a cupboard to separate boards and pans.  Even more simple?  Re-purpose a desk organizer to sort those cutting boards and shallow pans.

10. Along the office-supply line, re-purpose some CD organizers to hold Tupperware lids.  I mean what else do you use them for?

11. Put your garbage bags on a roll under the sink.  Out of the way and easy to access!

12. I was already thinking I'd need to use a hanging rack to store pots and pans since I wont have space for them otherwise, why not save some money and make a pot rack out of a bicycle wheel? Brilliant!

13. The new house doesn't have a fridge, meaning I need to find one quick, and I'm not sure I can afford a really nice one off the bat.  There was some talk of my brother buying a new fridge and giving me his old one, and at first I was like "Ew, it's white and all my other appliances are black!" (I know, I know, beggars can't be choosers), but now I think I'll paint the fridge with chalkboard paint and love it!  It'll basically match, plus it'll be a lot of fun.

14. Another great use for the inside of your cupboards-use a curtain or towel rod to store pot lids! Genius!

15. Okay, this wall attached picture table is to die for-but soooo expensive.  I mean if you can afford it, go for it, but I can't.  It looks like wall art until you fold it out to use it as a table.  Seriously, why didn't I think of this?  I honestly think this could be made pretty easily with the tools and hinges... Or you could pick up one of these cute fold out desks and just put a picture on the bottom of it.

Have any tips for a future small kitchen owner?