Argh! to Ahh...

And now, Ladies, and possibly, Gentlemen, my first installment of "Argh to Ahh..."

Where I bring you my real-life home decor transformations messes somethings.

From the downright frightening (Argh!)

to somewhat (I hope at least a little) better (Ahh...).

Argh!

Really, seriously, truly.  THIS was our Living Room AND our bedroom!  There was a queen bed behind the kids.  The kitchen remains behind you/me - also a bathroom and laundry room -to your right.  At the time of this photo, the laundry room had a twin trundle bed for our Little Miss.  We were stuffed in here!

That carpet?  Original 60's.

And now you can see why the blinds were burned.  (Which were real, working Roman shades-no hot glue involved!  Made by me, myself and I before I had all your awesome tutorials!  I used a *gasp* pattern!) 

And I thought adding "fun stripes and prints" (and lots of junk) to it would help.

Hmmm.

Ahh...

Better?  Better.

Still carpeted - but this from this era!


The door (on the right - one of maahhhny in this room) goes to my office/laundry room).   


I do love that radio cabinet - and it loves that spot in our house.

Argh!

At the time, things your kids do are so cute - Like this spring animal "stage".  

While the house is a disaster.  :)  

Ahh...  Now, where did those kiddos go?

Argh!

(My niece and nephew - they're teenagers now!)

That IS our house!  Do you see all the "add ons" - the slanted porch is gone (which used to be the entry - right into the kitchen- we've since relocated the "entry" door.  

My husband also rebuilt the entire left side of the house, (with a smidge of help from my brothers, my mom and dad).  He began by jacking each basement wall and replacing them with new concrete (they were the original sandstone).  He entirely gutted and refinished the inside to create new bedrooms and bathrooms.  The siding is the gooved preprimed sheets - because The Plan has always been to tear off the current kitchen/bathroom/laundry/living room and add on a new basement/kitchen/living room to the left (bedroom) side.

Ahh...

Our kids, our house...our home.  We've certainly come a long way!

I get terribly nervous thinking of all there is to do and looking at this picture of our kids.  

They are growing up so fast - and in the grand scope of things - they and my (sweet) husband are so much more important than "stuff".  

They are my home in my heart.