Inspiration Workshop: D.I.Y.

Finding our {rental} home in Scotland {my reason for missing last week's Inspiration Workshop} means that we will be on move #11.  We have been married for just over 10 years.  Someday maybe I will tell ya'll why we move so much.

Well, maybe once I figure it out myself.

So we have lived in a few places, owned a few homes. And done just a few D.I.Y. projects.  So this week's inspiration prompt {D.I.Y} was perfect for me. Gussy said "Maybe you've remodeled a room in your home, or you refinish furniture, or you make tote bags (*ahem* ;] )."

Remodeled a room?  Nah, we remodeled the whole house.

Lets take a jaunt into the past, shall we?  And please forgive the photos.  We are stepping back in time.  To 2003.  Photography wasn't a hobby for me in those days.

This is the house.  We didn't do much to the outside (you can't do much with stucco), but I just wanted to give you an idea.  

First thing you should know.  I didn't even want to go look at this house when we saw the photos on the internet.  Mostly because of this room.

This is AFTER we took down the awful wood paneling {don't get me wrong, I don't hate ALL paneling, just the paneling that was in this house} that made my brother and I {allergies, anyone?} start sneezing and sniffling after about five minutes.  

But J#1 convinced me.  And the work began.  Blood, sweat and tears.  Literally.  

Not even completely finished, but SO much better, right?  We {mostly J#1} did EVERYTHING in this room.  Carpet tiles.  Genius. 

Why am I glad he convinced me?  One of my favorite rooms ever... 

Again, this isn't completely finished...but considering where it started?  Much better.  All our handiwork, except the carpet. 

Here is where it started:

Yeah, more paneling.  

And another favorite "spruce up".  The kitchen. 

 This isn't even the worst.  The "before before" photo would have had apple wallpaper.  So, um, yeah.

and last, but certainly not least.  My extremely talented husband {have I mentioned that he was working this entire time?  at a desk job?} created this next room.  It went from this: 

to this: 

We had desks on either side of that red wall.  Like we were at work.  Ha. 

And this isn't all.  We did something to every room in this house.  Made it ours.

These photos?  Total inspiration for me.  Even if we are renting in Scotland, I'm sure that we will find things to do to make that house a home, just like we did with this one.  

We had to sell this house when we moved to New Jersey in 2007.  This is the house we lived in longer than any other during our marriage and will always have a special place in my heart.  You want to know the "kicker"? 

It was for sale at the exact time we moved back to Minnesota about two years later.  Fate, right?  Nope.  The folks who bought it made too many changes.  That family room with the charming wood burning stove and stone wall?  {I know, its not for charming for everyone...but it was for us.} They took that out.  Covered up the stone wall.  

But we'll always have the photos.  And even better?  The memories.  And the inspiration we will be able to do this again.

Linking up again with Maggie at Gussy Sews, check out some more D.I.Y. inspiration over at her place.  This is gonna be a good one.