Michael and I purchased the farm that we live on over 4 years ago. The farm and views are wonderful, bu the house had some issues. The house is a basic 1970's ranch style house. It was built solidly and with good materials. However the year after the home was built, the wife left and the house was left in the hands of the husband. He lived here until his death a few years before we bought the home. Needless to say, the house was in major need of cosmetic updating. We have spent the last 4 years continuously working on some house project while still trying to build a farm. It has been a tremendous amount of work, but it has been well worth it. We are getting close to being finished with the inside of the house. Our kitchen is 80% complete and all that is really left is our bedroom and our 2 small bathrooms. We have put off redoing our bedroom because there is always something more pressing for our time and money. However Michael and I both miss having a sanctuary that we enjoy coming into. Our gift to one another for our anniversary is a bedroom makeover. I promised myself I wouldn't start another project until he finished the kitchen, but I just couldn't help myself!!

Here are a few pictures of our bedroom before the project started. Notice the lovely paneling and the beautiful rose colored carpet. I have never liked paneling and I hate rose colored carpet especially with all the stains that come with children and dogs !! Our quilt has been around since the beginning of time and there are large holes throughout.

I always try to keep our bedroom neat and orderly, but we needed more than neat. We needed some new paint, bedroom quilt and new flooring. I had purchased a quilt and shams along with curtains right after Christmas when all the sales where going on. I have kept them tucked neatly away in our closet until we decided to paint. I can't wait to get them on the bed! I started painting yesterday. It takes awhile to paint paneling, but I like the outcome. We have paneling in every room of our home, and we have painted them all except our room. Michael REALLY wanted to rip the paneling off throughout the whole house and dry wall it. I would have liked that better too, but the cost would have been a lot. It would also have taken a lot of time because he would have had to also buy new trim and trim out the whole house. Did I mention that was going to be very expensive?? So we settled on painting the paneling.

Here is our biggest challenge to redoing our bedroom....

When we purchased Missy she was a cute SMALL little thang. Michael was working 3rd shift and I missed having a snuggle partner. I stuck the cute little thang in bed with me at night. What was I thinking??? The cute Little thang grew into a 160 pound beast that still likes to snuggle in OUR bed any chance she gets. She always waits until Michael starts snoring to sneak up onto the bed. We have spent the last week trying to prepare her that our bedroom is becoming off limits. We are encouraging her to go to the basement and sleep with the kid that BEGGED for us to buy her. He has a nice camouflage comforter set and she had already chewed a hole in that when she was just a puppy. I think it will be easier to hide her hair and paw prints on camouflage than my new ivory quilt. When I showed Michael our new ivory quilt, he asked me, "What were you thinking???"!

I am hoping by the end of this weekend our room will be completed. I will post pictures as soon as I have something to show!!

grace and peace,

julie