Walk-In's Welcome

Dad stopped by again to help with some projects.  He brought coffee, a much-welcomed surprise!  I have yet to hook up my coffee maker.  He also brought cereal, and I grabbed the milk out of the garage.  Hey, house-flipping isn't always easy!

Our goal was simple:  Finish the walk-in closet we started yesterday!  We had put it on hold so Dad could bring by the laser level, and what a SMART decision that was.  It kills me to leave projects unfinished!  I don't know when that started, but it seriously drives me nuts when I start something but don't finish it.

The laser level absolutely took the work out of the project.  We probably spent over an hour and a half on the shelves yesterday and only put one tiny one up.  With this level, we had the holes marked, drilled out, supports up, and shelf up within 45 minutes.  So nice.

The laser level was a huge help!

Straight-and-level!

Once the top shelf was up, we started on the bottom shelf.  This house seriously has MAJOR money invested in shelving alone.  It's kinda nice.  I have priced them out, and WOW, these are expensive!  But what a major selling point.  Storage EVERYWHERE!  And a walk-in closet the size of a small bedroom!

The second shelf went even faster.  We were getting good.



Two shelves up!

Then we started on the opposite side of the closet and mounted yet another shelf.

And then we added the two small shelves.

More shelves!

I elected to keep a shelf that was previously installed out of the closet.  I like the current storage, and I like the roominess it has with how it is.  Someone can store clothes, big stuff on the floor, and little stuff.  My sister came by this afternoon was said, "This is just not fair" when she saw the closet.  But she said that the space I left open can even be used for a dresser.  Sure can, sis!  Genius!  I liked that idea.  You can have EVERYTHING clothing-related in the closet and even get dressed in the closet.  Which opens up the master bedroom even more!  I love it!

We had the whole closet wrapped up in 2 1/2 hours.  Nice!  Thanks for the help, Pa!

I had my little helpers come by again today ("to see the progress on the house," according to the six-year-old).  I learned in a VERY difficult way today that my house is not child-proof.  Much to my disappointment, I lost my most cherished Etch-a-Sketch picture today.  I had been preserving it for over a decade now, so it was painful.  It was a combination of my fault (not child-proofing the house) combined with a wild child (touching, exploring everything and being on a floor and in a room she was not supposed to be in), but I'm learning such is life.  Everything fades!

But we at least enjoyed each other and played a couple rousing games of Princess Dominoes in the living room.  Another life lesson:  Children don't care about you not having floors.  Only you do.  They just want to have fun and be loved.

The four and two-year-old won fair and square in our two games!

The rest of the day was spent on minor stuff.  I headed over to the old house to vacuum the newly-installed carpet.  The 2nd showing was cancelled today, and I learned the potential buyer is no longer interested.  Oh, the ups and downs of this home-selling process!  Oh, the ups and downs of this year!  Major, major swings indeed!

I love the look of the old house, though.  It's funny (not funny) how we get homes in the best condition after we move out.  Why is that?!  But it's a very sharp house, and I'm confident it will sell.  We are two days short of six months on the market, though.  Ouch.

I headed back to the new house and cleaned up some more.  I moved my clothes into the walk-in closet.  I started cleaning out the Master Bedroom, packing away painting supplies and organizing the remaining shelving pieces.  I then spent a good amount of time trying to find bills and receipts.  I have a TON of items that need returned, and with the loss of my job this week, I need the most amount of money back I can get!



What a closet!  Room everywhere!

I filled in the bottom of the remaining bi-fold door to the laundry with wood filler.  After the glue dried from last night, there was still quite a bit of play in the pivot hole.  So I'll drill that out tomorrow and should have a working door again!  It will be nice to close off that area.

The glue stuck, but the hole was too big...

Filled with wood glue.

Speaking of which, I did my first load of laundry in this house today.  So that's a success.  I have been wearing the same jeans over and over!  I still don't have the dryer vent hooked up, but I think I figured out a way to heat the house AND make it smell good at the same time!

I also had a small project of staining the cabinet that Dad and I rebuilt.  But what a fiasco that was!  When trying to get the old dried stain chunk out of the hole in the cap, the bottle exploded everywhere!  I had stain all over me, my coat, my jeans, the cabinet, the walls, the countertop, papers, and the floor.  Basically anything that was within three feet of the bottle.  It was yet another frustration!  But the cabinet turned out gorgeous.  It really looks sharp with the new oak stain.  We done good, Pa!

Little by little.  I keep telling myself that.  I've had some nearly overwhelming days, but I just keep moving forward.  Sometimes these days move backwards, but today was a good day with the walk-in closet.  It REALLY turned out sharp.  And what a selling point!

What wife wouldn't like this?!

Little by little...