It was the most stressful fun we have had in our entire marriage.

I doubt that most people actually live in their homes during a reno of that proportion. Every area of the house was affected, at the same time, for a full year. We would come home from work, head to the basement to put work clothes on, then trudge back up the stairs to the PILE of building materials and our GIANT white-board that had our task list on it. 

We do have a summer place at the lake.....and we would escape for the weekend.....but then we would feel as if our renovation was never going to be done if we sat around at the lake in lawn chairs ;)

We plowed through it and we finished on time for Christmas, which was our goal.

Good thing too........because one short month later, daughter #2 came home to live....with newborn baby in tow :p

Ok...last one, I promise! This isnt a DIY....its a craft!

Daughter #4 entered a gingerbread house competition at her school this past Christmas. 

Relax....parents were allowed to help. :p It was massive, we had to get it to the school in the back of hubby's truck. 

This was our....errrrr.....her, creation. 

Yup, she won! 

 

Oh Julie I love your photos...post more!

 

Loving all but especially the bathroom, the colour, the clean lines....heaven to my eyes...just beautiful.

I love to cross stitch Disney characters and here is one of my favourites, two beautiful dogs.

 

Fingers crossed it works.

 

http://www.4freeimagehost.com/show.php?i=PUSH4c6096aae91a.jpg

No....didn't work, no matter I'll keep practising.

Julie All of your pictures are beautiful and that is the best gingerbread house I have ever laid my eyes on!

click the button that looks like a picture on the second row of the editing thing that shows up when you click in the box to type.  and paste the image link there

click the button that looks like a picture on the second row of the editing thing that shows up when you click in the box to type.  and paste the image link there

Thanks Leah....will give it a go after dinner....non egg dinner ;)

Julie All of your pictures are beautiful and that is the best gingerbread house I have ever laid my eyes on!

Thanks Colleen. It was sooo much fun to make!

Hubby was called the architect because he designed and created a cardboard template.

I was the builder/contractor as I did the baking and slapping it together.

Jaymee (daughter) was the designer....she picked out 100$ worth of candy from the bulk store to decorate it.

Great memories.

And one of the ones hubby is most proud of. This was the entrance to our living room......we wanted to create something more open concept. He made all this by hand. 

 

 

After:

 

Julie, your house is gorgeous. Lots of time and energy and it came out perfect. All of you are very talented family right down to your children. 

Aww thanks Lynn :)

this post is great fun ... 

Oooh, I love this thread!

 

I'm getting married in March 2015 and am wanting to do lots of DIY projects. If anyone has any ideas, please share!

I want to bring this with me also it is a taco seasoning mix recipe that I tried and it is pretty good and you know what is in it plus being cheap what could be better!

http://thethriftycouple.com/2014/03/27/homemade-taco-seasoning-recipe-and-many-versatile-uses/

I want to bring this with me also it is a taco seasoning mix recipe that I tried and it is pretty good and you know what is in it plus being cheap what could be better!

http://thethriftycouple.com/2014/03/27/homemade-taco-seasoning-recipe-and-many-versatile-uses/

Probably not something I would eat...(I am pretty plain) but I love those little jars!  

Loving the jars as well!

 

I have made taco seasoning before. I ran out of the packaged stuff and didn't want to go to the store, so I looked up a recipe similar to this one. :)