Saturday, December 08, 2007

Project Playroom-Makeover, Part One

Sit down, people, this is going to be a long one (but totally worth it, I promise).

I had quite the weekend planned. The ex had the kids and I had a list of Honey Do’s (yes, I call myself Honey) longer than Santa’s naughty list; and my list had nothing to do with Christmas.

I had decided, in the middle of the most hectic time of year, to prep the playroom for a makeover. My in-laws recently moved out and the room was nearly empty so, I said to myself, why not paint it while the painting’s good? I know—these monologues of mine are nothing but trouble.

Sooooo, if you’ve ever done a home improvement project you know that before you can accomplish said project you must do 20 other things first. It’s a rule or something.

Here’s my list in reverse order so it makes more sense (stay with me—the good part’s coming):

10. Paint playroom
9. Prime playroom
8. Sand-down baseboards and window casings
7. Empty playroom and put books in my bedroom
6. Move beautified bookshelf into my bedroom
5. Paint knarly pesticide shelving unit in garage
5. Decide I can’t afford to buy a nice new bookshelf for the books I must move from the playroom to my bedroom
4. Realize I must move all my books from the playroom to my bedroom
3. Forget to take a “Before” picture
2. Look disdainfully at dusty, littered playroom
1. Get the brilliant idea to perform Project Playroom-Makeover

So late last night I had cleaned off and primed the knarly bookshelf. I was excited about this pre-playroom prepping task—I felt all HGTV and stuff. It was nearly midnight when I decided to apply the first coat of black spray paint in order to get a jump-start on my long Saturday To-Do List. I went into the garage, shut the door behind me and DIY-ed my heart out. Then I tried to go back inside.

You got it. I locked myself out. After midnight. On a snowy night in Idaho Falls.

I admit it. I panicked a bit. For about 30 minutes I circled the house, pounding on windows and doors as if the cats would open up and let me in. Finally, I broke some screens. Three to be exact. And I wasn’t all clean and burglar-like. I got a little wicked with a screwdriver and bent them past repair. I still didn’t get in the house.

That’s when I decided to scale the roof and try to break in through my sons’ room. Yes, it was snowing. Yes, we have a steep metal roof that was certain to provide no traction whatsoever. Yes, I am a little portly with no athletic prowess. Yes, I am the same person who refused to get on a ladder to hang some Christmas lights for my dewy-eyed children. But it seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. That is, until I stood beneath the roof, yellow rope in hand, and realized I couldn’t easily lasso the chimney. Damn.

I circled the house again, swore a few more times, and decided the garage wasn’t that cold. At least, it hadn’t seemed cold until that thought flitted through my head. It WAS cold and my fingers were numb after all that screen-breaking and failed chimney-lassoing. But did it really warrant waking the neighbors?

Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending to this story (there’s got to be right? I am typing this post – ten fingers intact). I realized my MIL lives just two blocks down (I blame this delayed epiphany on the hyperthermia). To make a long story short (too late, right?), I trekked to her house in my PJs and slippers and then she drove us both to the house where she tore the weather stripping from the garage door and jimmied her way into my house using her Safeway card. I hugged her. And cried. Just a little.

The good news is I can check items one through seven off my list. And I have a sleek new bookshelf in my bedroom. But don’t take my post for it. You be the judge:


Totally worth it, right?

20 comments:

Mrs. Smith said...

Once, after just moving into a little town, I locked myself and my kids out of the house in the snow. I went across the street and asked our new neighbors if they perhaps had been the "spare key holder" for the last owners of the house. Their teenage son (whom I would not want to meet in a dark alley) said, "No problem, I can get you in." He grabbed a butter knife, crossed the street, and jimmied open my basement window. Then he looked at me and said, "The lock on this window has been broken for a long time." I thanked him for his help and did not ask him how he knew the lock was broken. I thought that showed restraint.

P.S. Love the bookshelf! Good work!

Candygirlflies said...

You're a crazy woman... right after my own heart! SEE what happens when people like us get left alone for a weekend??

I can't believe you actually entertained the idea of lasso-ing the chimney, and climbing up the wall to your son's room, a la spiderwoman!!

And whaadaya know, sometimes In-laws DO come in handy...

Your bookcase is beautiful-- let us know how the rest of the playroom goes!!

xo CGF

Rachel said...

This is so like me. I love to do projects such as these.. and I often tdo them spur of the moment forcing me to work well into the night. The bookcase looks great and I am glad that you survived the lock out!

Suburban Correspondent said...

And when did your mother-in-law get so good at breaking into houses? Hmmm?

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that you had your in-laws living with you while you were going through a divorce with their son. Did I read that wrong?

Laura Marchant said...

Oh my goodness what a night! I onced locked myself out when I got my first puggle. She was only 6 weeks old and we spent the night on the porch from 3:00 am til 6:30 am when the newspaper delivery guy let me use his cell phone to call and wake up hubby. He never heard the doorbell or the loud banging I was doing.

Glad you got warm and safe.

erin said...

Shauna-you are totally my hero! Spiderwoman, indeed (Kaleb and Zack would be so proud!) And 7 out of 10 ain't bad. My list always includes laundry so I NEVER finish my list. It looks great!

Carrie Wilson Link said...

I wish I could get OK with books turned on their sides, but alas, I'm not "there yet."

You CAN get paid to blog! There are lots of freelance blog jobs! Send me your e-mail address, and I'll give you the 411! Also, write your Christmas letter for me, and I'll help you funny it up!

love.

fullycaffeinated@comcast.net

Rhonda Barnes said...

You never told me you got locked out of the house.....you use to be good at getting back in when we locked out of our home. This is to funny...and the bookshelf is really lovely. Yes it was totally worth it. Have to give this story to my supervisor she just loves you!!! Love Mom

Tola said...

which is why i have a spare house key in my car's ashtray. well, that and Mau has lost about five house keys. i found most of them in the lost and found at school. im glad youre okay though! and PS, i call myself T when im running those inner dialogues.

Becky said...

so funny Shauna.

I wouldn't have been so polite to my neighbors....I think I would be in total panic.

Great job on the shelf....I love the black.

shauna said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's locked herself out before. Mom, I once WAS great at breaking in, but this house is secure, I'll tell ya.

Carrie, I'm totally going to emailyou. And I'm generally opposed to putting books on their sides but I was desperate for room (and tired)

SC, Yes, they lived here with me for 1.5 months. It was odd but my MIL is great and she has many skillz (and believe me, on Friday night I was glad breaking and entering is one of them).

Mrs. Smith, I think your story is even better than mine! And Midwest Mommy--I'm so sorry you were stuck outside for 3 and a half hours (Youza!).

Tola, You can bet I'll put a spare key in the garage this week.

And Candygirlflies, I'll keep you posted on the progress of my Project Playroom. There won't be any more news until after Christmas.

lindsey said...

The bookshelf looks really good! You are motivated. I have to drink a lot of caffeine to get that much accomplished.

I totally spotted the Twilight books right away!

karla said...

Hurray for a in-laws that double as James Bond.
Sweet!

But seriously, thank goodness she was close by. Locked out, in the middle of the night, in the cold? Sheesh. I would have panicked for sure.

Anonymous said...

Who needs all those books when you've got stories like these. . .

shauna said...

linds, When I was loading the bookshelf I realized I haven't read the third book yet. Don't tell me how it end, but is it good?

Erin, I bet they would love this story. And like Mommy from the Midwest, I don't think they would have woken up no matter how hard I had pouned on the doors. (laundry kills me too--didn't wash a load this weekend...)

Karla, I'll have to tell my mother she's been compared to James Bond--she would be tickled.

Karen, you're not kiddin'!

Anonymous said...

Here I was so thankful the other day you did not put up the Christmas lights for the kids on the outside of the house. Now I am reading about your trying to be spiderwoman???? It all sounds like a very bad dream to me. A very cold, bad dream. Thank God your mother-in-law lives so close.

I do like how the bookshelf turned out. I see you are a Stephanie Meyer fan too!!! It looks really good, but I am not sure it was worth almost getting killed. Stop watching DYI and HGTV, too dangerous, LOL.
Love ya!

GustoBones said...

Yes, totally worth it! The bookshelf look great! Isn't it funny how it is never just "let's fix up this one room". It spills over into almost every other room in the house. So sorry you were locked out, and in the freezing cold. I am glad that your mil knows how to break in!
One of the times I was locked out of my house, I was barefoot and had just gotten a pedicure. I have had maybe 3 in my entire life, so I was excited about my cute pink toes and smooth feet! I had to run down the street with Kate in my arms to my one neighbor I knew(her husband worked with mine, so I use the term "knew" very loosely). It was Summer and super hot, so I intermittently ran on the grass and the sidewalk. Scott was in the air, so he couldn't come straight home and so I sat and made idle conversation for three hours until he drove home and let me in the house. Gone were my smooth feet from my pedicure!!

PinksandBluesGirls said...

You are just too much! You did a great job. You've inspired me to get going on some of the projects I've been putting off...

Jane, Pinks & Blues

lindsey said...

Oh my goodness! You haven't read it yet? wow! I read all of them in a week.

I must say the second book was my least favorite, the third is more like the first, really good!

Let me know what you think!

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