Scenes from a DIY Rennovation...

We CLOSED!

I was so tempted to start a bonfire with these signs.

Finally, after what seemed like a year (but was actually about 2 months) of back and forth over this house, Mike closed on Friday, the 20th. With NO incidents, which was amazing. Considering that closing had been pushed back twice already. If he hadn't closed, we would have to file a second extension, but thankfully we avoided that.

So, as soon as today came, Mike (who had the day off) got started on the DIY renovations. First step: Paint.

Mikey and his paint sprayer.

 Since we had to prime a LOT of walls with Kilz, Mike bought a paint sprayer (this one by Wagner) and got to work. He started with the strange dark green accent wall in the master bedroom.

Things were going well. Really well. He managed to finish the whole wall and spray the trim before it started making this ridiculous sound. Almost like it was choking to death. It completely died right around here...

The wall that killed the sprayer.

 We decided that since we were new in the neighborhood, it would be easier to make friends with people if we DON'T keep them up all night wrestling with a dying power tool.

So we moved on to another project. Taking down all of the awful wallpaper in the kitchen and half-bath.

How awful you ask?

Green cheetah print has always inspired me to cook.

And images from the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock have always inspired me to... nevermind.

So we started tearing it down. Using a sponge, warm water, a box cutter (my tool of choice) and a putty knife. The kitchen was a piece of cake. It all peeled off with little effort.

Our new trash pile.

Working hard.

 Oh, and by the way... did I mention that the AC unit stopped working as soon as we started work? Yeah, it was blowing ice cold every time we toured the house before closing, but it's almost as if it new that we had closed, and it no longer had to perform. So it was near the temperature of hell in this house the entire time we were there. Which is evident in Mike's shirt. But despite this, we finished!

Goooodbye green cheetah.

After that triumph, I felt pretty ballsy. So I decided to tackle the half-bath's (terrifying) wallpaper. Piece of cake, no? No.

Is that lead?

This wallpaper may or may not have been applied around my date of birth. And under it? 4 more THICK layers of paint, that may or may not predate the birth of my parents. Needless to say, this was not easy. And I gave up. I tried, really hard. Got about 3/4 of the wall... but after peeling away a new color of paint every time I tore the paper... I was over it.

We're both off during the week... so maybe Nicole v. Pilgrims will continue tomorrow.