Exhausting weekend

I'm pooped. But, on the up side, I got a ton of stuff done. See? This is what happens when J doesn't come see me on the weekend. ;)

I'm a bad blogger and didn't take before pics (sorry) but I remembered to take after pictures at least! Here's what I did this weekend:

I painted the kitchen. It used to be a pale orangey-yellow color. Now it's a super pale gray-blue:

I painted the vanity cabinet white and replaced the top/sink. It used to be an oak color cabinet with a (very stained) white top. I painted the base white and changed out the top with a nice light beige solid surface from Home Depot:


A closer look at just the base. I didn't realize until AFTER I bought it that the top was predrilled for an 8" faucet so my 4" wouldn't fit. So, of course, I had to buy a new faucet and install it. Easy peasy:


I replaced the hideous ceiling fan in my closet-room (yes, I have a whole room that I use as a closet. Envy me.) It used to be a hideous dark wood with brass tiny (probably 42") fan with an ugly fluted edge light fixture on it. Ick. I found this beauty for cheap at, where else, Home Depot:

A closer look at the prettiness:


So that's all the stuff I did inside. Outside, I put in a couple shepherd's hooks and hung hostas outside my front window (sorry, no picture) and finally mowed the lawn. Sorry, neighbors. I know it was lookin hoosier and I apologize for my laziness.

I purchased some new solar landscape lights but I haven't put them in yet. When I get those in I'll take a picture and be sure to include the hostas (assuming they aren't already dead).

This is proof that Kristal's post is entirely correct about how to be a handywoman. I've never installed a faucet, vanity top, or ceiling fan but I did all three without too much trouble. The fan was easy because it was just a switch out. Same with the vanity. I looked at how everything was hooked up before I took it apart and then basically just put it back together with the new stuff. No problem, mon.

I hit a small snafu with the new vanity top because the new drain hung down lower than the old one but no big deal: I just used a hacksaw to cut off an inch of the PVC so the P-trap would line up correctly and viola! Problem solved!

The only problem I encountered with the ceiling fan was merely a matter of figuring out how to hold the fan up and hook things up with only two hand to work with. If I'd had a buddy to lend an extra hand or two it would have saved me some sweating and cursing.

Kristal is right: it's possible to do these things on your own, ladies! Don't be scared!