Looking Back To Last Year's To Do List

So many of my blogging buddies has been so busy with their January to-do lists and reflecting on what they've done over the past year that it got me to thinking about what I was hoping to do in January 2012 and whether I got any of it done. I took a look back to this posting - My January To Do List from early January last year. And I was surprised to see how much I actually did do and was not surprised to see what I didn't get done. So let's take a look back and see where we are:

1)     Reorganize My Pantry:

Well, it was organized. Tidied, decluttered, boxed and labelled. What happened? It's a mess again and I guess I better get back at it. So it's back on top of the list for this year too.

2) Create An Area for My Craft/Sewing Supplies:

Life has certainly taken a different turn since last January. Now my main focus is repairing and painting vintage furniture finds. I did create a space for my craft and painting supplies - totally unphotographable however. AND I did move all my sewing materials up to a spare bedroom for the few times I actually sit at a machine. So I guess I could say that that mission was accomplished.

3) Rebuild Alan's Closet:

Oops, didn't even start that project. In fact, I think he has less storage than this time last year PLUS I promised that on one of my treasure hunts I would find a dresser for him. Didn't do either of those things. Sorry, Alan.

4) Paint the Guest Bathroom:

Success!! Finally!! After many hours of handpainting the wallpaper pattern, repainting the cabinets and trim, making a roman shade and hanging new light fixtures and mirror, by mid-March the bathroom had a complete facelift. It went from boring beige:

to this BM Wythe Blue beauty painted out with BM Cloud White trim and cabinetry and a stunning handpainted design. I love our new bathroom - can hardly remember what the old one looked like!

4) Paint the TV Room:

Another job completed by the end of February last year. This is a small room that we usually spend our evening in, so I wanted something warm and cozy feeling. We chose BM Edgerock and I've been happy with the results although in this photo is looks quite dark. The bookshelves were a point of discussion for many weeks. I wanted to take them out to create more wall space but EVERYONE and I do mean EVERYONE said I should keep them. So I did. And once they were staged I was a lot happier with them. Some of you may think that I need to get some window treatments. But since both windows sit behind furniture pieces and there isn't much room between the frames and the shelves, I din't want to take up any more wall space by adding another element. So it's just these pleated pull down shades in the windows.

This year will hope to get new furniture for the room which might mean changing the wall colour. The art has moved around a bit and that big abstract "plate" in the left bookcase sadly crashed to the ground in the summer. That will teach me for dusting the shelves.

All in all, I think we accomplished a lot in the early part of 2012. I'm not sure if we'll be quite as ambitious this year. Especially since January is almost over and I really haven't thought about a to-do list at all. After all the work on the kitchen in the fall, I think we both needed a break. In fact last night we had a conversation about how Alan hadn't been asked to do anything with a hammer all year (remember 2013 IS 3 weeks old).