I can hardly believe that we have two more functioning rooms and a third just around the corner.  I can't begin to tell you how elated I was the other night when I was able to utilize the linen closet for what it is intended for AND get the guest room situated for our first non-family guests!  The joy of getting rid of bedding, towel and sheet boxes and finding a home for those items either on a bed or in the closet was immense.  As was FINALLY moving the guest bed mattress and box spring out of the family room and into its permanent home.  We also wrapped up what will be the future nursery! It's probably my favorite room in the house because it's colors are so great!  We'll be sleeping in there until we finally have a master (who knows when that will be).  But it's a much nicer place to sleep than it was 2 months ago! Read more for pictures of the before and after and the laundry list of things we had to do to transform these rooms.

Both rooms essentially had the same list of tasks -- so rather than bore you with the same information twice, here's the combined list:

• Scrape the popcorn off the ceilings
• Sand, spackle and texture the ceilings
• Paint the ceilings
• Sand, spackle, sand and prime the bedroom walls
• Some sanding and spackling in the closets
• Paint the closets
• Paint the closet doors
• Hire out the installation of "new construction" windows
• Install new blinds (I'm in love with them)
• Cut out and replace the drywall under the window in the guest room
• Cut out/patch the drywall near the window in the nursery
• Install new electrical sockets and replace the light switches
• Tear up the old floor
• Clean and prep the sub floor -- including laying Acquabar
• Rack and lay the new floor - rooms & closets
• Paint and install the baseboard trim
• Paint and install the closet trim
• Sand, Stain, Sand, Stain, Sand, Varnish, Sand, Varnish, cut and install the casing for the windows
• Sand, Stain, Sand, Stain, Sand, Varnish, Sand, Varnish the jams for the new windows

And just a couple of things worth mentioning before you check out the photos.  The "before" pictures really don't accurately portray just how poor of shape everything was in the day we moved in.  You can't really tell that the ceilings are the nasty popcorn, or that there were markers on the walls, holes, bubbling paint from leaking windows, warped wood under the windows, broken socket covers, corroded aluminum window frames or unpainted closet trim...  So that said -- maybe the after pictures might carry a little more weight. :)

Before & After Pictures of the Guest Room:

Before & After Pictures of the Nursery