This week the light and drawer knobs arrived! Things have been v hectic, but I was able to carve out 45ish minutes on Friday to replace the light fixture while daddy and baby boy spied on me.
But first! The knobs.
They’re different from the original mood (I was aiming for a geode vibe) but I wanted to go more towards wood. I almost returned these as soon as they arrived because the images showed them with a centered wood bit, but Tano pointed out that it looks like a moon! So they get to stay.
I’ve only “installed” 2 of the 6 so far, but that’s a baby task and I’ll get to it lol. These are the ones I bought.
The big transformation this week was installing the new light fixture.
I love it. It’s much shorter than the chandelier and the room feels soooo much bigger because of that (& the white paint). We need all the spacey feels we can get in here. $40 can go a long way.
When I installed the chandelier dimmer switch 4 years ago, I took a nice deep shock to the arm and I’ve been a little nervous since then. My method for turning off the power seemed foolproof, but it was an amateur move and left me waiting for superhero powers to start kicking in.
But changing out light fixtures or replacing outlets is an easy and affordable upgrade that I was sick of avoiding. I need to be able to do these things myself, without the risk of getting shocked.
Before, my process was to turn the light on then go to the electrical panel and flip the appropriate switch. If the light turned off, we were good! The power is cut.
I swear I did that last time and…. it wasn’t. I was shocked and I’m still scarred (emotionally). So I added a step and now we’re virtually shock proof.
I finally caved and bought a voltage tester. Maybe you think this is an obvious necessity for basic electrical work, but my hard and fast shut-light-down method has worked before so I was happy saving the $15. Maybe you don’t even think about performing your own electrical work, in which case you totally should. I can’t imagine paying someone to install a light like this. My cheap $40 upgrade doesn’t need to get anymore expensive.
Needless to say, this thing is worth the 15 bucks. Not only did I not get shocked, but I can finally work on an open outlet which isn’t attached to a light (and can’t be confirmed to be off).
A few things I learned this week
Time lapse videos are extremely forgiving. I created my first satisfying DIY time lapse and it condensed 45 minutes into less than 1. You can barely notice the 2 to 3 times I almost dropped and destroyed the new light! Or the fact that I had to restart a couple steps because I was installing it without the instructions. 🙃
My point is I’m no longer incredibly envious of those DIYers who look like they really have it all together. Many mistakes can be cleverly disguised in a time lapse.
The chandelier was way overdue for a makeover. Tano would say I’m a hoarder, but that sweet little light has sentimental value and deserves a second shot. I left it up for so long because 1) I didn’t have that voltage tester and 2) I was starting to hate seeing it. But I gave her a fresh coat of matte black spray paint and I cant wait to move her to the big girl room! A full post will come with that experience too.
My DIY stubbornness is completely justified by the satisfaction I get from getting it done. I’m not proud, ok? But whenever I ask my husband to “help” he rephrases it to “do you need my help?” And immediately I’m like NOPE! Help is nice sometimes, but knowing I can truly do it myself makes me happy. Like really happy. And I’m holding on tight to anything that gives me that feeling! Stubborn stigmas be damned!
Next week’s plans
I am hanging on by a thread over here with my newborn, my lapsed homeowner’s insurance (resolved as of 1 hour ago), shelling out $4k for a partial new roof, and an upcoming Halloween Party for my big girl (with a bounce house to boot!). Oh and slapping together “spirit week” outfits every week for the last month along with trick-or-treat bags for baby girl’s class. 🥴
The idea of hiring an assistant is getting more appealing with each lap around the car circle.
But if it weren’t for this project, I’d be losing all this sanity with almost nothing to show for it sooooo….
- Print the art at FedEx (I’m feeling 18×24?)
- Hang the mirror
- Move the rug
- Buy wood for the book ledges, windowsill, and feature wall
- Find the perfect ottoman (!!)
- Locate the jigsaw in the shed 😐
Until then, I’ll be maintaining motivation with a little help from the sweet souls on the same journey as me. If you haven’t checked out this season’s One Room Challenge designers, do yourself a favor. I swear these folks are so creative and ahead of trends, my mind is ready to explode!
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