Home renovation do's and don'ts

DON'T pull up the nasty carpet in the back portion of the bathroom until you are sure you will be able to find vinyl floor tiles to match the front.  Even if you are sure Home Depot has them.  Even if said carpet has been peed on and you aren't really sure you got it 100% clean.  Because then you will be stuck with linoleum from 1952 until you can find the right match.  Because actually, none of the big box stores has the right sticky tiles.

DO get reinforcements.  After two days of fierce painting and the kids running around mostly naked looking like little wild animals, the downstairs hall, stairway, and bathroom are painted.  All three coats in the bathroom to cover the nasty mustard semi-gloss.  Thank God for Mom coming to help both days!

DON'T forget to eat during the renovation process, or you will find yourself eating dinner at 11 p.m.  And by dinner I mean a tiny bit of leftover blueberry sauce with the miniscule amount of vanilla ice cream you scraped out of the corners of the carton with Jude's animal crackers he left in the living room earlier today.  Pretty good, actually . . .

DO find an inspiration piece.  Mine came in the form of the fabulous navy and white geometric shower curtain I found at Kohl's and ended up spending $3 cash on after using up a Christmas gift card.  Exactly what I was looking for to liven up my now mostly white on white on white bathroom.

DON'T forget to calculate how much paint you will need for your project.  Even if you bought the paint six months ago and thought you had enough.  Or else you will end up going to the paint store for more trim paint.  And then going back again the next day for more wall paint.  Oy.

DO use scaffolding to paint the super high walls at the top of your staircase.  Or else your mother (who is taller than you are) will end up standing with one foot on the top of the stepladder and one foot on the top of the railing, clenching your hand while she leaaaaaannnns over to paint higher than any human without scaffolding should be able to.  She looked like a painting Ninja!

DON'T forget to bathe your children before starting on a renovation of the bathroom.  Or else it will be more night than you can admit to since they have bathed, and might have small bits of food stuck to random parts.

DO go to bed before midnight.  Or else you will be grouchy.

DON'T "get inspired" after 11 p.m. at night.  The results of that inspiration will not look as good in daylight as they do in the wee hours of the morning.  See the previous rule.

DON'T give a deadline for the "reveal."  It will be soon, though, I promise!