Work weekend

It's Friday night (technically Saturday morning) and I am hopped up on adrenaline, a 20-minute nap and Cracker Barrel coffee. After a week of work (and a few days off) I am so ready for the weekend. Nate and I have off and have grand plans to finish our dining room. I can't wait to show you photos. Some people get giddy about baby's with chubby cheeks or warm desserts with melted ice cream, but I get giddy about taking what seems like impossible home projects and completing them. Of course, babies and dessert make me giddy, too.
Anyway. I spent most of Thursday tweaking our terrible built-in hutch. I am sure whoever built it there had lovely intentions, but it just doesn't fit the room. It looks like the builder of the hutch made a few mistakes and just covered it with flimsy trim. Most of it is covered with laminate, but some of it is beautiful wood. The back splash -- if you will -- is wood panel. I have scratches all over my hands from using the cats paw (I think that is what it's called -- it's the tool you rip things apart with) to remove the sliding glass doors and tracks. I ripped out a funky scalloped trim, which I am sure was cool in the 1970s. I wondered as I was doing this, why I didn't rip the whole dang thing down. I also had a huge smile on my face the entire time because I did this ALL by myself. I even made two trips to True Value and made the right decisions.
But with 75 percent of the work done, I am so glad I didn't. I sanded the laminate and primed it, then used a black flat paint(which by the way hides brush strokes for you crazy painters like me) to paint all but the shelves and drawers. I have to say, it's looking mighty fine. I promise to have before and after photos before the weekend is over..if my hands survive. Nate also promises to have the floor done and the furniture moved back in. I can't wait to see my new and improved dining room.....all by our own hard work!