Well, renovation woes aside, I have finally rearranged my home into the oasis I want it to be. So, as promised, I have some before and after photos for you! They are slightly overexposed as I am not very familiar with my camera yet, and I haven't had a chance to install Photoshop on the laptop. :)

Let's start with a look into my front hallway and porch:



This is the hallway looking out onto the "foyer" and the "front door" which really was an interior door. Safe, huh? :)



Here, the front porch served as an extension of the living room creating a fragmented flow in the room and leaving very little floor space in this small area. Stinky is lounging on the sofa, hehe :)Ready for the after shots?



Through the old front door which is now used as an interior door, you can see my brand new steel door. I feel so much safer and warmer!



Now the front porch is a little haven with an armchair to sit and read or daydream in. :) You can see one of the folding doors that have been put up. The other door is still in its package.


Just as a bonus, I thought I would include a photo of my hallway bookcase that is filled with so many goodies, and is the temporary home for some painting gems by Danette Relic, Rowena Murillo, and Steve Emery. I am in the process of finding, making appropriate frames for them and hanging them up on the hallway wall for all to enjoy.

Now, let's move on to the once living room...



There is Stinky again, lounging on "his" sofa. This used to be the living/office room, but as it was set up, it wasn't conducive for inclusive and comfortable discussions. Below is my old desk that was against the wall opposite the sofa.



The desk was only good for the computer and had no space to grade my papers, write or paint.

Now, the room is my bedroom with plenty of morning light and space to walk around the bed, and dust under it. I no longer feel like I am sleeping in a crypt!:)

The table used to be under the hanging lamp and pretty much took up the whole small room which is in the center/heart of the house and was hardly ever used.

This photo gives you a better idea of the floor space in the room... Now the room has been transformed!

Into a living room! I got rid of my old coffee table and bought this leather storage bench to take its place. I moved the sofa table from under the window to accommodate my TV.

Now, my guests and I can sit together, watch TV, share a snack...

...and some conversation in my new cozy living room! Now the heart of my house is being used daily! Whoop! :) Last, but not least is the final transformation...

This small, west-facing room used to be my sleeping crypt with barely enough room for my bed. The blinds were almost always closed and the headboard was at the side of the bed. Making the bed was challenging, to say the least...

BAM! Look at the light, the blinds open to let the sun flow in and me to sit at my new spacious workspace and stare out at the garden! The pine dining table I bought is big enough to allow me to spread out and breathe! Isn't it lovely?

Plenty of room to grade my papers, write, work on my laptop, make collages and paint.

I am so happy and, yes, proud, for creating a brand new environment to live, play and create in. My small house has become more functional and enjoyable. I can live with the renovation setbacks, because I have the satisfaction of knowing I have made a visualization come true.

Whoop! Whoop! :)

Being a single, independent woman can have it's perks. Making repairs in your home is not one of them.

Before I begin my renovation saga, let me preface this by saying I have made the decision to take home repair classes. Because in this, as in most everything, I have learned a valuable lesson: If you can't do it yourself, you better have deep pockets.

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have been in the process of renovating my home, inside and out, to suit my needs and abilities. The garden cleared and ready for some beautification next year, I turned my attention and limited budget to the inside of my home. My very tiny bungalow which is the size of a small condo. It's cozy and I love it, but it's spatially challenged, so I decided to do away with the dining room and make the most of my space.

I went about the long and arduous process of finding someone able to help me make my home more energy efficient, by putting in a solid front door (I had an internal door) and cutting the cold air flow into my home by adding and rearranging some doors in the house. I also bought a better kitchen tap to conserve water and stop the incessant drip.

Finding a handyman was like looking for the Holy Grail. No one I know was particularly helpful, so I was forced to use directories. I made a lot of calls and finally went with a company that gave me a reasonable quote for all the jobs that needed to be done.

I was ecstatic that I would achieve all the changes on my limited funds.

Boy,was I naive.

The day of the appointment came, and I took a day off to be around for the repairs. I had decided not to purchase the door in advance, and go to Home Depot with the hired hand to pick the right door with the right measurements. I thought that would have been the most efficient way of dealing with the problem.

Life has taken a hold of me in ways I only imagined. Through the many wonderful visualizations and wishcasting lead by our incomparable Jamie Ridler, I have been able to start achieving the things I have been dreaming about.

is Genie Sea?