Master suite part 2

It feels so good to finally say: "It is FINISHED!!!" For the past four months I have been almost single-handedly finishing the basement. It was a HUGE undertaking, and one that required me to expand my skills in ways I never thought I could. Thanks to numerous how-to books and the expertise of friends and families who's brains I picked endlessly, I managed to complete plumbing, electrical, duct work, wall board, tile, refinishing, windowsill, trim, cement board, faucets, mirror doors, light fixtures, vent fan, closet organizer, spray gun texturing, painting, and of course - moving in. This is a picture of my project file. I kept track of virtually everything, because I am just that kind of compulsive person. I also kept a detailed budget and tracked every penny that went into the project. I'm proud to say that we ended up about $1.23 under budget when all was said and done.

This is the room as you enter. It's already cluttered, but in a couple of months when we move baby to the nursery things will be a little roomier and I can focus on actually "decorating." Til then, it is still wonderfully functional. I'm looking forward to having everything I need for night time changing, feeding, and bathrooming in the same place.

Mike and I both wanted to have mirror doors on the closet. Nine years of marriage, and this is the first time we have had a full length mirror in the house. It is so nice to be able to see the whole picture when I look in the mirror! Plus it makes the room feel much larger and spacious.

Instead of installing a traditional shelf and rod I bought a closet organizer. I love having the extra shelf space and three hanging rods. It was a pain to install, but well worth the effort, and surprisingly cheaper than the shelf and rod option.

As much as the kids love the new room, they understand that it's a place for Mom and Dad to relax and be alone if need be. Our own space!

And on to the bathroom... Who knew such a small little room could be so much work? The bane of my spring has been TILE. Everything else was fairly easy for me - I managed to figure out things, or learn things as I went, or just plain logic things out. But tile, OH. It is definitely one of the hardest things I've ever tackled. Having said that, it sure looks nice. Now that it is done I just love the look of it. It was the cheapest alternative for the tub surround surprisingly, which is one reason I resigned myself to it. But if I can ever avoid laying tile in the future, I will!

Now caulk, that I can say I am now a pro at. Give me a can of caulk and a project to seal up and I'm a happy camper.

I'm rambling on like I did this entire project alone. Not so by a long shot. Michael has been so helpful - especially this last month when my energy started to wane. He helped install the tub, install the flooring, install the toilet. He fixed the vanity when it wouldn't fit to our plumbing and rebuilt the drawers. Mike also helped hang the wallboard and install the trim. Thanks honey for lending your muscles when I was tired, and your shoulder when I was frustrated!

I saved a good chunk of money by buying this vanity on KSL. $40 versus $400. It's a little yellow on top, but with a new faucet and refinished wood, it works like a charm and looks pretty good too. Thanks to Carrie, Dad, and Jan for transporting it from Nephi to Hyrum.

Now that this mega project is wrapped up, we can officially say that the house is finished. We can also say that the yard is finished. And all that work in just six years. It's nice to have it done and to know that we haven't acquired any extra debt to do it. I don't know if we will recoup all of our investment if we end up selling, but it sure is nice to have everything done. It's nice to have the space. It's nice to have the skills. I wonder how long it will take till we get antsy for a new project....I'm pretty sure it won't be for a while because this has worn me out! But it is done, and now we can focus on baby. Yeah!