We’ll admit it. We’re a little relieved that the holiday season is over. As fun and exciting as all of the hoopla is, December can be a stressful month with all of the last minute shopping, long distance traveling, family gatherings, and weather madness that come along with it… which is probably why lots of people called us certifiably crazy for adding moving-into-a-new-house to the mix.
It definitely was a bit crazy of us, but it just dawned on me and Sherry that this wasn’t the first year that a major project fell over the holiday season. In fact, it’s happened for the past FOUR YEARS IN A ROW. Update: Five years in a row – see the bottom of this post. So it seems that we’ve got a chronic case of making Christmas-time more complicated. Observe.
In the last month of 2007 we were at the tail end of our kitchen remodel. By Christmas we had already lived sans kitchen for two months and our new cabinets were installed, but we were still waiting on our counters to arrive and officially make the room functional again.
Oh yeah and did we mention that we didn’t have a kitchen sink, so we were washing dishes in our tiny bathroom vanity. Yeah, that got old real quick.
In 2008 it was our floors. Right before leaving for a family Christmas out of town we shoved all of our belongings into the kitchen and den so the rest of the hardwood floors in our entire house could be professionally refinished.
It was more than a bit “disruptive.”
Then 2009 welcomed the bathroom remodel, which commenced the weekend after Thanksgiving. So by New Year’s we found ourselves in the midst of tiling. Which meant that our only full bathroom was still a few weeks away from being functional again.
Let’s just say we did our fair share of showering at the gym and at my sister’s house. Sherry even hosed me down in the backyard after a particularly dusty day of work (she wouldn’t let me get in the car and drive to have a proper shower for fear of getting the car all dirty). Brrr.
And we had more than a few adventures when it came to this year’s mid-December move, which involved packing up every last possession and loading it into a UHaul…
… which then slipped into a ditch about .05 minutes after beginning the journey to our new house…
… which ended up looking a lot like this while we unpacked…
But now that we’re more settled, in hindsight it wasn’t so bad. Which is kind of how we feel about all of our other annual end-of-year adventures. So I guess we’ll just have to wait about 11 months to see what crazy project we’ve got going on at the end of 2011 to keep the streak alive for a fifth year in a row. Maybe we’ll be in the midst of a simultaneous kitchen remodel, floor refinishing project, and bathroom tile job. You know, just to put the other years to shame…
Update: Looks like this wacky tradition of ours is still going strong since we tackled a major kitchen reno just in time for Christmas in 2011 and were in the middle of a pretty chaotic book tour along with hosting Christmas for the first time at our house in 2012.
Amanda@Longroadset says
You guys aren’t insane just yet. At least you’re living in the new house before gutting and remodeling it. Although now I can’t wait to see what December brings!
Relevant Notes says
You guys are definitely brave! Just looking at those pictures stresses me out a bit!
Jen F says
Clara is SOOOO cute in this picture!
Harinee says
Totally nothing to do with home-improvement, but I love grammar nazis(really, I aspire to be like them) and so I actually went back and read to see how you fixed it.
And… I think it should be “…Sherry and me..” rather than “..me and Sherry..”. Apparently it’s polite to put the other person’s name first, but I don’t know if it is an actual rule..
Feel free to block the crazy-grammar-lady from any future commenting…! :P
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, now the order rule, that one I’ve never heard. Please forgive us for any and all grammar sins that you guys catch!
-John
Kristen says
That’s crazy that you’ve been so busy in December the past few years. We also moved into our house about two weeks before Christmas back in 2006 – and hosted a Christmas party the DAY AFTER moving in. It was hectic and crazy but lots of fun! :)
Megan Fenno says
Wow! I thought my husband and I had it rough moving across the country and mass house renovations but you guys haven’t had it easy!It’s nice to know we are in good company with other young ambitious home owners :)
Shelly Joseph says
Oh My Gosh.. I thought it was just me.. I don’t know what does it but when Christmas dawns I want to finish or start all of my projects too.. I have been telling myself it has something to do with the days being longer… But honestly I think its hereditary I get it from my dad.. I can’t even go there with the stuff that he has done during the holidays.. LOL thanks for sharing
Virginia says
Your pictures remind me too much of my daily life! We don’t have a garbage disposal so we flush things like cereal down the toilet…. ewww I’m embarrassed just to say it! Hopefully we’ll look back on these days with great affection. Until then, here’s a toast to white trash dish cleaning…
suki says
:) You can’t let snow or the holidays slow you down when it comes to working on the house!
Belle says
Yes. You guys are crazy. But you’re crazy with style and that is why we love you!
susan says
Life is generally a mess and under improvement until company is coming and then watch out at what can happen. Thanks for showing us your mess and company ready house! susan
Amanda @ Out of Square says
My husband and I have the same sickness! We started renovating our bathroom on New Years Eve in 2009 and we spend Thanksgiving of 2010 renovating our kitchen. They truly were family bonding moments and isn’t that what the holidays are all about? :)
Nancy Shirley says
My husband once started taking the living room walls down so he could insulate. He barricaded the Christmas tree into the corner with sheetrock then he ran out of steam. He finished (and took the tree down) when I informed him his parents were coming up Easter weekend! Maybe that is why I like your blog so much! Don’t keep so busy that you forget to have a life though!
Anita says
We do the same thing! It’s always over holidays that we have major things done to the house. It just seems like the only time we get a break. Winter months are great anyway since we have to stay indoors, so we might as well work on something, right? 2009 new year’s eve, we came home from my MIL’s birthday dinner and immediately I began to tear out the built in bar that was in our dining room. Our family and neighbors thought we were crazy!
annabelvita says
I’ve never heard of the order rule in English but when I was living in France I got told off a LOT if I didn’t put the other person’s name first. It’s a big no no over there.
Do you think you used to do stuff over Christmas because that’s when John had time off? I know the move was when you were both self-employed but you kinda had less control over that one.
My mum’s favourite Christmas was the year she hosted the whole family in our house that we’d moved into three weeks prior and was a disaster zone.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Annabelvita,
Yes, that’s a definite possibility. The trend was that we started things around Thanksgiving though (the kitchen, the bathroom) so I don’t know why that was the magic time for us? Maybe we squirrel money away for the first part of the year and finally have enough to get into bigger projects by the end? Who knows!
xo,
s
Rachie says
This made me laugh! Blimey you guys really like taking on projects!! Have been putting off doing the floors in our house for a while but need to get on and do it!
Rachie xo
renee says
There is NOTHING wrong with you guys! You’re young, energetic, ballsy, and adventurous! I love your “nothing can stop us” attitude. Wish all of you a great 2011 in your new home!
Anna says
Oh my gosh, it sounds like our house. It seems my husbands decides EVERY year that the living room/hallway needs to be painted a week before Christmas. I beat him to the punch this year and did a mini makeover just before and during Thanksgiving, which we had to move to my mom-in-laws house.
Sara says
I bet taking on a big task could be somewhat therapeutic amidst the Christmas Chaos. Takes your mind off of fruit cake, tinsel and Christmas shopping! I might try it out next year!
Amanda says
In the last 3 months of 2010 my husband and I moved from California to Maryland (which involved one of us quitting our job), bought a house, and gave birth to twins. We have a crazy picture of me painting the nursery 1 week before delivering my girls (and let me tell you when your belly gets that large you touch the painted walls with it a lot on accident). One of our new years resolutions was to have a quieter 2011. Glad to see you two are still up for some crazy end of the year challenges though! Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
carolinaheartstrings says
Yep, you will have to come up with a MAJOR remodeling project in this new house commencing after Thanksgiving and carrying over into Christmas. It wouldn’t be the holidays without it.
Page says
I just want to say—I’m a grammar nazi by profession, and I love your blog. I’ve thought many times what a great job you guys do at editing. How you can do all you do AND catch grammar/spelling/punctuation mistakes is amazing. Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Page! Feel free to comment or email us about anything that you do catch though. We love our little team of proofreaders! Haha. Really, it doesn’t bother us at all. Anything to make our blog baby look better. It’s like telling someone if they have something in their teeth- real friends do!
xo,
s
Michele says
We’re gluttons for punishment too. We gutted our bathroom and kitchen when I was 7 through 9 months pregnant. (Imagine running down the street to the McDonalds for their bathroom every hour! Luckily the plumbing was only off 2 days.) By the time we were ready to sand our floors, I was already OVERdue. We usually DIY but this time hired a pro. Of course I went into labor the night before. We forgot to call the sander, and he arrived bright and early. He offered to come back but nesting must have settled in big time because I chose to labor upstairs while he ran the sander downstairs. (He kindly offered up the fact that he is trained in emergency delivery since his wife tends to have super-short labors. We told him we hoped to just need him for the floors.) The great thing was, I came home from the hospital to find the floors and the rest of the kitchen done!
Katelyn James says
LOVE your blog!!! so fun! We’re re-doing our first home too and we’re LOVING it!!! Here’s link to our bedroom BEFORE and AFTERS! http://katelynjamesblog.com/home-decorating-before-and-after-master-bedroom/
Caroline @ The Feminist Housewife says
I’m pretty sure this must be some kind of disorder.
I have it too. Luckily, we re-did our master bedroom, so the entire house wasn’t completely in turmoil. Ok, no, that’s a lie.
I guess its kind of like a Christmas gift to ourselves…a DIY project.
Mike @HA says
Well, you have to be a little crazy to be a DIYer so doing projects over holidays isn’t that weird :) We bought a house and did renovations while we planned a wedding, I don’t recommend it!
Jordan (the2seasons) says
Way to not let the holidays stop you. If you are always waiting for the perfect time to do something you will be waiting a long time. Also great way to add more excitement to the holidays!
Kristin Dennis says
I know I don’t have to tell you guys this but I’m pretty sure you have the cah-u-test kid on the planet!! ;) That picture of her lovin the duvet – the face – priceless!
Thanks for letting us all into your fabulous life of DIY-ing, when Clara & Burger make it into a post it’s like an unexpected bonus! and who doesn’t love a good unexpected bonus!? ;)
bridget b. says
wow! i just realized that i’ve been reading your blog for 2 years now. i came on right around the time that you were doing the floors. time flies!
Lauren @ Meet My Ugly Baby says
And elsewhere, families are trying to distinguish between the last 4 Christmases where they watched Love Actually & ate too much. Cheers for ringing the changes.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that made me laugh out loud. Especially because every Thanksgiving we watch Rocky and eat until we burst. So we can relate. Comment of the day awarded to Lauren.
xo,
s
Oona says
Can’t wait to see what crazy thing you guys are up to next year! Heck, I can’t wait to see what you are up to next week!
r8chel says
@Harinee: Yes! Others first – i.e., “Sherry and me.” With all due respect, I always think that people who say “me and X” sound like they’re four years old. Cute, but wrong. :)
Jenn(ifer) says
@Harinee & r8chel: Absolutely! In Germany we even have a saying that goes something like “the donkey always names himself first…”
bridget b. says
aaand, the grammar nazi conversation continues…funny thing is that i’ve heard of the test that Sarah (@ 11pm mentioned), but i trust you two so much that i was second-guessing myself “if John and Sherry say it that way, it MUST be correct.” keep up the great work you guys!
Robbins Landscaping, Inc. says
I love the inspiration to work hard despite the busy holiday season! As a landscaping design/build company, we have to take advantage of the slower times around the holidays to do some serious strategic planning for the year ahead; we always get a lot of work done and implement great new ideas, but it is reassuring to see others starting new projects this time of year, too!
Keep it up- I love watching the progress of all of your projects. Congrats on the new home!
-Sarah
Diana says
A few years ago my husband and I found ourselves in the middle of changing our kitchen during the holidays. We did it ourselves with 24″ granite tiles from The Tile Shop. In the middle of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas we managed to set the countertops and tile the backsplash. On New Year’s day we were doing the flooring. It looks great! Our enthusiam kept us going. Gotta do it when the mood strikes you! Would love to be able to add pictures of our before and after.
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to see them! Feel free to share them with everyone over on our Facebook page!
xo,
s
Ashleigh says
Found your blog about two months ago, and I love DIY projects, but after three years in my house, I was starting to lose steam. We don’t do gigantic projects like you guys, but thanks to your inspiration, I just finished removing all of the popcorn ceiling in my house! Hopefully, you keep us motivated to work on projects. ;-) Great work, and I love your new house!
Megan says
Haha- I was actually thinking about that the other day. I was thinking about when you re-finished your hardwood floors – but I didn’t realize it was 4 years in a row! Looks like you have started your own family Christmas tradition :)
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
Five bold r(emodel)ings!
Four hauling (love)birds,
Three (not) drenched humans,
Two room hurdles,
And a new fridge (and kitchen) for John and Sherry!
(Ok, I had to fudge #3 a little. Clara was still in utero…but still). :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- love how remodelings turns into rings with some clever parentheticals!
xo,
s
Laura says
I think you guys just get stir-crazy in the winter. I know I do. I’m totally in the mood to start a project as soon as we are stuck indoors. It gives me more time to stare at the carpet that needs to be ripped up & the kitchen that needs a pick-me-up! So I don’t think you are crazy, just bored and stuck in your house!
Jyl says
Alright everybody hold hands and sing it with me now…
“You are not alone, I am here with yoooou, though we’re faaar apaaart, you’re always in my heaaaart…”
Since thanksgiving we have:
Moved a doorway
Widened a doorway
Laid hardwood floor
Painted and spackled
put in new light fixtures
Assembled a bunch of IKEA cabinets…
And today we ripped out the kitchen. Is crazy like misery? Does it also love company? It must because your blog eased my mind that I wasn’t the only crazy person at the Home Improvement store on Christmas eve. Hang in there, Petersiks!
Mndy@FindingSilverLinings says
Hmmm. I think my husband and I are on the same pth as you two! We bought a house,got married, came back from our honeymoon, and moved in all in the same month! I guess excitement breeds more excitement! I work better under pressure anyways ;)
xo
Mindy
Chelsea in Richmond says
Haha. You’re not crazy. Or, if you are, so are we. My husband and I demolished our laundry closet right before Christmas. The very next day after returning from our trip, we made a run to Lowes for the tile and tile supplies. Just finished the grout last night. The new washer and dryer will be here on Saturday.
AND BIG thanks to you guys because we ended up buying the Whirlpool Duets and saving ourselves $500 from the set we originally purchased for the space!
Claire @ LTR says
There’s something about the holiday season and a typical abundance of time off that stirs up the home improvement itch!
thecraftytulip says
I moved at pretty much the same time that you did so you are not alone :) It is so fun to follow your blog as you settle in and make your home yours. It encourages me to pick something and just do it, if I don’t like it, ill re-do it later. I have just started blogging about my home adventures too however I am a full time teacher so mine are much more sporadic. :)
Izabela says
WoW you guys are ballsy (is that a word?) Just wanted to let you know I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now, and not only do I have a project list, I am checking things off faster than I’ve ever had :) Thank you for being awsome.
Shannon says
We didn’t go too crazy but I did have to temporarily move my Christmas tree to put in a wood floor that we hadn’t planned on doing right away. It felt like a good day to do it lol. I also repainted my studio and turned it into my daughter’s playroom while her room gets completely re-done. Love it.
I will admit though that I saw that first picture and got excited for a second that 1) you started the kitchen already and 2) that you chose white again! I LOVE white kitchens but I can’t have one here :( At least not for like another decade lol. But then I read the post. Oh well! :)
Shirley says
you guys are nuts. I LOVE IT. Don’t ever change!
Thanks always for the inspiration.
Ginette says
You guys inspire SO many! As far as kitchen cabinets go you may be interested in this tidbit.. Purusing Home Depot today I noticed a new product “Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations” in the paint section. It’s a do-it-yourself refinishing system that requires no stripping, sanding or priming! If you’re like us, we were excited to see it. All the work has made us reluctant to go for it. If we can cut the process down with as good of results…we’re up for the challenge!
claire says
i guess you guys look for challenges? after reading this, i realized that i don’t know anyone who has started projects in december. i only hear about it on here! you guys are a little crazy!
http://inspiringpretty.blogspot.com/