To Do List

Here are the things our real estate agent suggested to present our house at its best

Master Bedroom -
Buy fresh white linens for bed - check
Take down headboard and foot board so bed will slide into alcove and make room look spacious - check (really made a positive difference)
Hang picture over bed - check
Clean out closet and clear off counters - check
Change ceiling light fixture - check

Office/Craft room
Clear off desk - check
Edit book shelves - check
Clear off floor and counter - check
Hang small white curtain in window - to do

Pat's room
Buy fresh white linens for bed - check (these are going into safekeeping until the open house - 7 yr old boys and white not a good mix)
Hang simple curtains at window - check
Remove desk and rearrange furniture - check
Touch up paint - to do
Make duvet covers for twin beds - to do
Change ceiling Light fixture - bought but needs to be installed

Caitlin's room -
Take out most furniture - To do when Cait is home on spring break
Hang white curtains - To do
Clean out closet - To do when Cait is home on spring break

Bathroom
Is getting a complete redo - all white - everything is bought and Jim will do in early March

Upstairs hall -
Hang new lights - Half done
Hang pictures - To do

Staircase
Touch up paint - To do
Lights for stainglass window - To do
Hang big piece of art (need to figure this out) - To do

Entrance hall
Take down practical hooks - To do
Add small chair and table - to do
Paint closet door - to do

Matthew's and Devon's room -
Turn into Living room - move sofa, chair, ottomon, and coffee tables and rug in - check
Set up wall unit- To do
Paint "manchester tan" -started
Hang new curtains - To do
Select art for walls - to do
(Devon is sleeping in Caits room while she is at college and Matt is using couch in living room on weekends when he is here)

Dining room
Hang new light fixture - check
Hang big mirror horizontally - to do
Paint manchester tan - to do
Move out extra buffet - to do
Recover dining room chair seats - to do

Family Room
Hang curtains - done
Slipcover for love seat - done
Paint room manchester tan - to do
Paint fireplace bricks white trim colour - Underway
Put up shelves beside fireplace - to do
Hang track lights over fireplace - to do

Kitchen
This deserves a separate post but Devon has done a great job

Front Porch
Set up when weather is nicer

Back Yard
Fix steps- to do in better weather

Basement
This is the big job - Its 95% full of stuff and needs to be 85% cleared out

House
Put up new siding - light yellow - to do

WOW its tiring just writing out the list!!!

The changes suggested that we have done have been good improvements and many are what we needed to do and wanted to do. it just seems funny that the "new people" will get to enjoy them. I have moved frequently in the past and I've been just fine with it. This time I want it to be the last time - I really want to be settled for the foreseeable future.

Happy New Year 2008

I wish everyone a belated but heartfelt Happy New Year - its going to be a year full of changes for our family!! ... Let me explain what a whirlwind has been going on around here.

Christmas was fun but it seems a bit of a hazy fuzzy blur as a result of our decision to move from Toronto to Vancouver which dominoed a lot of other decisions. Very shortly I will be starting a new job and Ian and Pat will join me after Ian finishes his teaching contracts and Pat finishes school in June. Hopefully Devon will also come out with us but he is a little hesitant - inertia is a very powerful force. Cait has found a house to rent with her school buddies and will be using hopefully alot of our furniture so we dont have to pay high costs to move it 3,000 miles Wow it does seem far away.

We had lots of plans for our home here which we have jettisoned and our now focusing on changes that will help resale value of our home. Vancouver is the most expensive housing market in Canada so we will probably be downsizing further. Devon and his Dad are helping us out by redoing the kitchen and bathroom. Right now all the old kitchen stuff is down and out and some of the new cabinets have been constructed for the kitchen.

I ve had dental surgery, new glasses and changes in my thyroid medication so my body feels all out of kilter and so does my mind with all the changes to contemplate - but it is also at peace.

Peace i wish for everyone.