Little House Process

{click post title to view all photos} Well, here we are, day after deadline day. It's close but clearly we aren't done with the Little House just yet. John from MNH worked all day painting. He got the kitchen and the living room walls nearly finished. I was meant to be there helping today and yesterday but I wasn't there. Here is why... July 10th was my deadline date because a group of special children and dear friends were going to be in the area a few days later. I hadn't seen them in years and if there was any chance of seeing them I wanted to be sure it happened. I offered to let them stay in my Little House if that would make a visit from them more possible, knowing we *could* get the house finished in time if need be. They were able to make it but ended up coming the day before my deadline day. Thanks to the hospitality of other dear friends the His Little Feet children's choir and staff were able to be hosted in a fully finished and

 {click post title to view all photos} I had my little sister and brother come in early with me and together we did deep cleaning in the upstairs. Lots of sweeping, dusting, window washing and bathroom scrubbing. They didn't want to be there but they worked diligently anyway and I was encouraged by their help. I was tickled pink to use my Swiffer for the first time in my Little House. When the kids went home I bought outlet covers and put those on, put all the doors back by their proper doorways to be hung back up soon, and put out the curtains and rods. I couldn't help but put out a few decorative things as well once the bathroom was tidy enough. Downstairs the guys were hard at work finishing so many jobs. The wiring, sheetrock sanding, priming, trim hanging, crown-molding hanging and spackling and priming. They prepared the kitchen floor for the vinyl and cleared out as much their tools and piles of trash as was possible. Everything was prepared for p

{click post title to view all photos} Five crew members. 6:30am-5:00pm. Things are getting checked off the list like crazy. When I popped my head in in the morning they had removed the hot tub from my front porch and were hauling it away to wherever my Dad wants his new hot tub. I was thrilled beyond words to have my front porch empty. The back door had been taken out and prepared for the new, correct facing one. Sheetrock and wiring was happening and I was a happy camper. Still looking for a couple pieces of furniture I went around town looking for a side table or two that I fancied. Flea market for the win! On top of my perfect little eight dollar table I found mason jar glasses with handles, some skillets in good condition and an old ice cream scoop. So great! Got back to the house to check things out and my custom closet space had been sheet-rocked and trimmed, the gunk around the shower and tub had been scraped away and the old doors hauled away, the back door w

@chelsea_pea // #littlehouseprocess The Little House Process isn't only being chronicled here. It's happening over on Instagram too!

{click post title to view all photos} It's the weekend, and it's stinking hot out, but I felt the pressure and I couldn't let the day slip by without making some sort of progress at the house. My family had plans for their day and clearly the MNH crew was off duty over the weekend, but thankfully a friend and neighbor was willing to come and help me out. Together, we were able to haul all of the old cabinets and other piles of stuff out to the shed. It only took about twenty minutes and, though I was literally dripping with sweat after, it felt so good to get that done! So good to have friends who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves... even on a Saturday. After the grunt work was done I swept the floors and wiped down all the trim, removing the layers of dust, to prepare the trim for primer. I intended to prime all of the base boards but only got the front door done. My little brother showed up when I was about done and pulled nails out of t

{click post title to view all photos} The kitchen has been transformed in only a couple days. The house as a whole though hasn't come far lately. Part of the remodel process is the getting-worse-before-it-gets-better, dust everywhere, always a little more paint to be applied, and long days. But there is another part of remodeling that I'd like to draw your attention to and that is: piles. Piles of supplies, piles of tools, piles of saved trim, piles of new lumber, piles of garbage, piles of piles of piles. For the most part they save you the trouble of having to stop your work to deal with odds and ends. Sometimes they're just a hassle to work around though. I mean, I even have the kitchen sink in the pile growing in my living room. Being a holiday week and all, no one has been working on the house. The last patch jobs and coats of mud, sanding and priming, painting and rehanging trim... This and much more needs to happen before our deadline of July 10th.