Day 51: 14 hours, 18 pictures, 3 meals

I took a day off from work and devoted the hours between 7:00am and 9:00pm solely to working on wrapping up this bedroom renovation. I only stopped to eat, tweet, and to take the following progress shots (and food shots, too!).

So here’s what you would have seen if you had been foolish enough to join me for this 14-hour final push:

Above: painting baseboards, some final drywall patching, installing and caulking closet trim, painting bookshelves, breakfast.

Cutting and installing baseboards, lunch, oh crap I broke an outlet cover, creating a support system for the bookshelves (a system which you should not copy, because I’m fairly certain a professional would snort disdainfully if he saw me designing bookshelves that rest on screw heads).

Routed grooves in the bookshelves to hide their screw supports and installed the first shelf, put a bird on it (can you spot Paisley, my lucky little hand-sewn friend? I bought her the week I got offered a new job!), trip to Ikea, two new lamps purchased and set up.

So I now have a tiny little vanity shelf with a wall-mounted adjustable lamp and standing mirror, where I can do makeup in the morning. It’s a sweet set up. Maybe a little too sweet. I keeping looking over my shoulder to make sure I don’t in fact live with someone who would not appreciate purple closets and stuffed paisley birds.

But no, I can do whatever I want. It just feels like I’m getting away with murder here, for some reason. Like, just wait until you see the closet I have devoted to neatly organizing and displaying shoes, bags and belts. It’s shameful. But so awesome.

Anyway, I think I might have this whole project wrapped up on Sunday. I have a dresser to oil and wax, and two more bookshelves to install (these will probably hold actual books and art, not just annoyingly cute Urban Outfitters necklace stands, I promise). I could use a few more art pieces for a blank wall, but that will have to wait until I can thrift some more picture frames.

So we’re aiming for 53 days total. Ouch. We’re at the point where finishing this thing warrants a bottle of champagne. Right? Say yes.