Pantry Redo!

The pantry space has been on our to-do list for a LONG time and we are excited that it is finally a usable organized space. When we purchased the house, the washer and dryer were located in the pantry and we knew immediately that they needed to go. They were moved into the garage, but then we were left with an open space with only a few cabinets for storage. 

We decided to use what we had on hand - random bookcases and DVD racks - to create a make-shift pantry until we could invest in a more permanent solution.

Our pantry is a little unique in that it has a mess of water and power lines running through the back wall. In order to reduce the chance of hitting something during installation, we decided that the Elfa shelving system with one track that mounts at the very top of the wall was the way to go. 

First things first - demo time! We removed the cabinets and built in shelves from the wall, sanded, puttied, and prepared for paint.

Thank you mom for painting our pantry while we were at work one day so that we could get it installed in one night! As Kyle said "Elfa is like legos for adults" and we had fun putting it all together.

Luna even has her own treat drawer so we are all happy with the new pantry space!

Winter Projects

Cleaning gutters ranks right up there with one of my least favorite activities. Especially at our new house, where the gutters on one side of our house are 20' and next to our main power line. I don't mind heights, but I am not fond of the idea of climbing on the roof like Santa. Little did I know that Kyle does not mind this task! 

So - off to the Depot to get a 16' extension ladder and 200' of gutter guard to hopefully reduce our gutter cleaning events. 

I have to say that I was a little surprised when Kyle volunteered to climb on the roof to install the gutter guard and while he was up there - the Christmas lights. Major husband brownie points!

I worked cleaning the gutters and Kyle installed the new gutter covers. I was hoping this project would take us a few hours, but as you can see from the fading light in the last picture, it took all day and into dusk - but it is DONE!

My mom also crafted up a winter evergreen basket with cuttings from our blue spruce, oregon grape, and pine tree and we created the JOY letters with scrapbook paper on  painted paper mache letters. Lastly - forcing paperwhites - my favorite winter flower.

Overall - 2012 was full of change, new challenges, and adventures. 
Now off to start the New Year!