Its Almost Always Bigger Than You Think...

A project, that is.  ;)

I don't know about you, but whenever I start out on a project, I always think how simple its going to be.  It never quite works out that way.  LOL!

But y'all are going to be happy because not only will I be doing the  bookcase reveal next week, I'll be doing the dining room reveal next week, as well.  YIPPEE! (Not. LOL)

These things happen when your husband gets in on the fun.  :P

Yesterday morning, when Scott came down stairs, I had already drug everything away from that corner of the dining room and started stashing it in the back half of the living room, to give myself more room to work.  And I was just staring at it.

I won't bore you with the ensuing conversation, but it entailed Scott taking a closer look at what I was working with, shaking his head, and breaking out the power tools.  He had a VERY happy wife.

Who knew the top was merely tongue and groove?  PERFECT for my idea!

I could have done without knowing about all the mice poop that is inside our walls.
EWWWWWWWWWW!

Discovered that the side wall is sheet rock.  Well, that's good to know.

All the mice poop, dirt, and plaster chunks that was inside the wall on the floor.
GROSS.

Remember how the bottom stuck out further than the top shelves?
Scott cut them down to size.  LOVE IT!

Scott complaining that nothing in this house is square or level.
I told him, "Might as well get over it, because you can't change it.  Work with what you got."  He looked at me like I had sprouted horns and proceeded to make it level and square.  LOL!

Taking down the tongue and groove.

And lest you think I did nothing but hold boards and sweep up the mess, this was my little part of the beginning of the project.

My job was to take out all the trim nails and prepare the boards for painting.

Considered using chalk paint, but decided I better take the time
now to prime it or I'd be kicking myself later.  :)

Sorry its blurry.  My battery was going dead.
Scott is bringing the top out so that its square with the shelves, instead of being recessed.

And here's the sneak peak I promised last night on Facebook...

So, of course, after looking at what we finished yesterday, it was decided that I would go ahead and paint the room.  Lucky, me!  And of course painting the room entails painting the trim.  And counting the wall beside the stairs, this room has a WHOLE lot of trim!  Goal day:  Thursday night, before we go to Kids' State on Friday.  I'm not necessarily going to hold myself to it, but that's what I'm shooting for.

The biggest challenge?

Doing the entire room with what we already have.  Its actually kind of fun and Scott thinks I'm nuts, but I told him that was the deal.  Luckily, we had bought some trim years ago, that I had forgotten about.  And I've got the original wainscoting that we found hidden behind the kitchen cabinets when we put new ones in in 2009.  I'm pretty excited about it.  Maybe we'll actually get the new front door put in, that we bought 4 years ago.  HA!

So, here's a quick way before, before:

Seriously, the current state is not fit for viewers.  LOL!

So, that's what I'll be up to this weekend...  and next week.  Hopefully, it goes as quickly as I hope it will.  And you know I'll keep you posted!!!  :D