Antique table turned chessboard

I am a planner. 

I like to think things through and do research early if I can. 

Therefore, I start sorting out Christmas gifts in the summer. Yes. I am THAT person. 

If it makes you feel any better, I typically lose motivation and then have to rush before Christmas to get things done. So it's not like I am ready for Christmas months in advance or anything. 

This year, Jake and I decided to give each other a very strict budget for our gifts to each other. Jake was all for not buying gifts at all but I love Christmas way too much for that. As a result we concluded that $50 would suffice. And since this decision was made back in July, we had plenty of time to think about what would make the perfect gift for each other. 

A dream come true... and I still don't even know if it actually works!

For a few years now, I have been obsessed with Heartland ranges.

Have you ever heard of Heartland?

They. Are. Gorgeous.

They are also disturbingly expensive.

Now that the year is over, how did we do?

Spoiler alert!

I will probably end up giving certain things away in this post about projects that have gone on this year but about which I have not yet written. 

So... you know... you have been warned!!

Last January, Jake and I created a list of things we wanted to accomplish throughout the year. Big things, little things, all kinds of things. 

A shameful year-end review.

How many times have I said that I'm the worst on this blog?

5?

10?

A million?

Well here is one more...

I. Am. The. Worst. 

The Front Door! (Staircase & Hallway - Part II)

The front door leads to the staircase, which leads to the hallway... so this counts right?

I don't care if it counts. I am way too excited not to share this with you.

After owning the house for 2 years, we have finally made the front door functional.

AKA there is actually working hardware on it! WHAT?!

As a reminder: The Before

When we bought the house

Staircase & Hallway - Part I

As you know, when Jake and I moved into our house we moved in to the room that will one day be my closet.

This was because the master bedroom was not finished. And we really didn't want to permanently move in without the trim being installed because we are lazy. Which basically means that we knew if we moved the furniture in, we'd never... ever.... ever ever... install the trim.

(Practically) Finishing the bathroom vanity

If you follow me on Instagram you'll have seen that we're picking up a bit of speed with regards to projects around the house.

I would like to talk about those projects.

But instead, I have been a lazy bum who is still rambling about a vanity that was started in December... DECEMBER!!!!!!!! (And consequently was finished - a term here used loosely - in April)

So today, I came to the conclusion that I must get on with it and become a relative writing machine.

All in the hopes that I don't lose steam and can fill you in on the banister project upstairs (yay!).

Yay for something going right on the first try!