I mentioned in my original post that I would be covering various "themes" this week. I had originally planned on writing about what I cleaned out in our entire house, but that has changed a bit. After the little snafu we had and the fact that I didn't anticipate needing Jonathan's help with so many of these projects, I have decided that the 'entire house' post is going to be one about our bedroom instead. There have been a bunch of chances that have happened up there in the past few days and I figured that you guys might appreciate that more than one about the small changes I have made throughout the rest of the house.

It all started when we decided to clean out the guestroom/storage room and make it usable. I wanted to put the bed that we were using upstairs--into the guestroom, and the bed that was being stored in the guestroom--into use upstairs. So, that switch occurred. But, while we were at it, I decided to do a bit of moving around. If you remember, our bedroom looked like this.

But now, it looks like this.

I decided to move the bed down to the far end of our room. This would allow space to be used more efficiently. I felt like there was too much space on each side of the bed, but it wasn't enough space that we could do anything with it. So now, right when you reach the top of the stairs, there is a wide open space that we can use for a future seating area and dressing area.

Harlie's chair, a mirror, and our dresser are currently arranged there, but in the future I would like to get an area rug and maybe configure the space a bit better. We will see :)

Another thing that I worked on was cleaning out our closet. This space has been a constant battle for me. With the exposed shelving, it is a challenge to keep everything looking good. Sort of like with the open shelving in our kitchen.

So I went to work organizing our clothes a bit better and getting rid of a few things. I also decided it was about time we unpacked Jonathan's box-o-shoes and get them out where he could grab them and go. I sorted, put a few things under the bed for better storage use, and arranged in an attempt to make things feel more open and airy. When I lay down to go to sleep at night, I don't want to be overwhelmed by chaotic shelving. I want to enjoy the organized chaos we have going on. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't sleep when there is something unorganized staring me right in the face!) Anyways, its a whole lot better now.

In the end, our bedroom is starting to feel much cozier and more like a retreat. I still would love to get the baseboards in, but we are waiting because we would like to install carpet first. It's all a process people...patience.

And with that being said, the official Geiger Cleaning Week is coming to a close. We never did get to our garage and we still need to finish cleaning out our yard, but that will happen in due time. It has been nice to get a bunch of things crossed off my list, though, and maybe now that stuff is done, and I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I can take a break.

Doubt it, that to-do list still has a bunch of items on it, but you know how that goes :)

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Geiger Cleaning Week: Day 3

Are you ready for it?!?!

Are you ready to see our beautiful (well, now beautiful) guestroom?!?!

Your going to have to wait.

Yes, you will get to see it in this post, but first I need to do a little backtracking.

Let's go back to the beginning state of our guestroom.

Since day one, this room has been our storage space. We never really needed a guestroom because, let's face it, visiting us would be like staying in a $20-a-room motel--you would be scared for your life. A "fixer upper" isn't really a great place to welcome people to. :)

So, we just used the room as our storage space. We don't have an attic or a basement that I trust to store stuff in, so the guestroom has always been the logical choice. Plus this allowed for easy access to things that we may need on a regular basis but didn't want to have sitting in the middle of, say, our living room. It was easy to just throw something in and close the door.

After doing the open-and-throw routine for the past four months, our space was slowly becoming full. I decided that this week was the perfect time to get it cleared out once and for all. I wanted everything in the room to find its permanent spot in our house. I also wanted to create a space that could be used for guests if someone dared to venture a stay in our humble abode.

First, I emptied everything out of the room. I figured that this would force me to find a space for stuff. We are hosting our Bible study group this coming Monday, so I knew that having all of the stuff in my dining room would force me to put it all away before they come. This was strategic planning on my part.

Then, after moving it all out, I cleaned the room from top to bottom. The floors needed a good scrub. Can you believe that the previous owner, we will call her Fran, covered this beautiful floor? (p.s. we removed the rug when we purchased the home back in January, but never did anything else. So when we started throwing things in this room, it was on top of all of the dust and grime that was there after that process.)

After I cleaned up the dust leftover from Fran's unnecessary rug, I thought the next logical thing to do would be to bring in the bed frame we were going to use. You read about that whole ordeal in yesterday's post. Long story short, with the help of Jonathan, the beds were switched and then yesterday afternoon I worked on putting the guestroom together.

So, let's get this show rolling shall we?

Without any further ado, here is our new guestroom? Would you like to come and stay?

I have to say that this is definitely the most traditional-feeling room in our house. It wasn't entirely intentional. It just so happens that the stuff, we had leftover after decorating the rest of our place, seemed to have a traditional-vibe to it. I don't know if you can tell, but I was also going for a cozy cabin feel too-the pictures above the dresser, the sled, our skis in the corner. Though, when Jonathan saw it yesterday he referred to it as a "old farmhouse bedroom." So, maybe its style identity is hard to decipher, but nonetheless we really like it.

The only things that I purchased for this space were the rug and the curtains. I picked it all up at Big Lots for a total of $48. Not to shabby for a total room makeover adjustment. In the future we have huge plans of gutting this space and completely renovating it, but that is our goal for next winter--stay tuned. :)

Well we have come to the time in this post where I ask you for your opinion. Come on guys-dish it! Do you know the design identity of this room? Would you be comfortable staying here? Anything you would add or subtract?

Geiger Cleaning Week: Day 2

For the second day of our busy, busy week, I decided to tackle our kitchen. Lately it has been bothering me. The lack of storage space, plus too many things that we don't need, plus unfinished counter tops makes the kitchen one nonfunctional place. I like to feel inspired by the world around me and when in the kitchen, I always felt inhibited. Who wants to whip up a culinary masterpiece when you have no space to do so? 

Enter stage left our cleaning challenge and I was all over that space like fleas on a dirty dog. It was time to make some changes, clean out the old things that we never use, and bring out my cookbooks that have been packed away in a box. I also wanted to be more intentional about where I put things. This space needed to be really functional and organized in a way that allowed for easy access to things and plenty of prep space. 

Why don't we start by looking at some of the before pictures?

As you can see, the counter space was limited. Due to lack of cabinetry that fits tall small appliances, my mixer and coffee maker were out on the counter as well as all of my cooking utensils, paper towel holder, and a small basket where we put odds and ends produce.  All of this limited the space I used as prep area. 

So, I decided that my main goal would be to clean off some of the counter space and organize the open cabinetry--it was looking a bit cluttered. In the end, I ended up bringing down the white bookcase, that I was using beside my bed, to use as storage for some of those taller small appliances. This also enabled me to move my cooking utensils, have a place for my cookbooks and recipe box, and, bonus, it filled up the empty space nicely! Jonathan came home and wondered allowed why it has taken us so long to utilize the space. My thoughts exactly. Now for a bit of before and after side-by-side action for you. 

The kitchen feels so much more....open...if you ask me. I know it is hard to tell, but I also organized our pantry. Instead of having things all over the place, I have organized all the items into various categories. It will make finding something a breeze. Plus, I was able to get rid of old items and do a mental inventory of what I have. 

Here are the after pictures by themselves so you can get a closer look. Doesn't she (she? he?) look wonderful?! 

Now I'm ready to whip up a fantastic meal! Plus, with it being a rainy kind of day around here, I may just have to bake something yummy. I will keep you posted.

Oh and please come back tomorrow! Wait till you see the transformation I have for you. You might just pee a bit. I know I will...once its done that is ;) 

Geiger Cleaning Week: Day 1

As promised, here is our day one post of

   

Today, I will show you some of the yard work we did this past weekend--and let me tell you, things are looking pretty shnazy around here.

On Saturday, Jonathan and I had a majority of the day to work in the yard. Our goals were to:

        -clear out all of the garden beds
        -take out all of the bushes along the right side of our house
        -clean up the side yard tree
        -any general trimming or clearing that needed to be done

To give you an idea of what we started with, I will share with you some before pictures. But, first, I want to explain a few things. When we purchased this house, outside work was really the last thing on our priority list. We figured that we would get to it eventually and that is why we haven't done anything before now. Doing yard work at the end of the the summer may seem a bit counterproductive, but our goal is to clean everything up so that next year we can start off with a fresh slate.

Let me tell you, we had a lot of work on our hands. Both of our neighbors have told us multiple times that the yard has not been touched in "years." And I can attest to the fact, that this has got to be true. After working in our yard for 7ish hours on Saturday, we definitely need at least one more full day of work, if not two. The amount of dead leaves, rubbish, and overgrown bushes will never cease to amaze me. To be honest, I was a bit naive to believe that in one day, we could have everything cleaned up.

We did end up doing a bunch of things, but also decided to cut a few corners. In the interest of  time (and to contemplate if we want to keep them or not) we just cut back a majority of the bushes that surround the house. We will decide next year if they will be ripped out or not. We also worked on getting rid of all of the ivy that has overtaken our house. I will forever hate the stupid stuff. Why people plant it is beyond me. Lastly, we also took out the old lamppost that didn't work anymore and made sure to trim up a couple of trees that were starting to look worse for the wear.

Without further ado, here is our spruced up and clean yard!

Stay tuned tomorrow for our kitchen reveal! The Geiger Cleaning Week: Fall Edition is in full swing people!

Geiger Cleaning Week: Fall Edition

Welcome!!! This is the week where the carpenter and I prepare our house for winter and the weather that is to come. This is also the week where I finally clean out every square inch of our house. Let's just say, it's about time. It's time to get all of the stuff we have hanging around, put away in a permanent spot. The guestroom will be emptied out, the kitchen will be cleaned out, and everything will be sorted through to rid us of all the excess we have.

For some of you, this may be a bit repetitive--I love to organize and purge useless things. Yet, this has been a constant thing around here for a reason. We are still trying to figure out how to fit into 1,000 square feet. Definitely not the easiest thing. I'm not complaining, just adjusting :) 

So, this week, you guys will get a post everyday (instead of the three-posts-a-week thing we have been doing--dad Geiger, this is for you! haha). There will be a different "theme" each day. We will be tackling our guestroom, the gardens, our garage, the kitchen, and then there will be a post about the rest of the house in general.

Are you READY?!?! 

Prepare yourself, invite your friends, and let's get started--well tomorrow we will get started. 

See y'all then!