2012 Project Recap

One of the things I like about New Years is taking stock of the year that is past and seeing how it went and what improvements should be made and goals should be set for the new year.  Now that 2012 is drawing to a close I had a look back at my project list (which you can see here) to see how I had done and was pleasantly surprised.  I was more productive than I remembered.
Let's see how I did:
SMALL HOUSE PROJECTS (defined as anything I can accomplish myself in a day or two and that costs less than $100):
1. Tidy and paint the front hall closet. DONE (you can read about the closet makeover and organizing here)
2. Edit and tidy the china cabinet and add paper to the back of the cabinet so the dishes stand out more. DONE (I did get this done as you can see in the photo below, but I never posted about it because the wallpaper wrinkled and warped in a terrible way so I have to fix it and then I'll post about it.  I love how much brighter it is though)
3. Edit and sort the craft things in the basement and the trunk. DONE (you can read about the one thing that helped me once and for all get the craft materials under control here)
4. Organize the spices. DONE (you can read about the spice cupboard makeover here)

Yay me!!!  Fist pump for getting them all done.

BIG HOUSE PROJECTS (defined as anything that involves getting my husband to help out, costs more than $100, or takes more than a weekend to finish):

1. En suite bathroom - frame the mirror, install new faucet, add a new counter, and a new light. FAIL
2.  Master bedroom - finish painting the walls, lengthen the drapes, fix the eyebrow window cover-up, edit the furniture, purchase and install a new overhead light. DONE (see photo below)
3. Kid's bathroom - add a new light, new taps, and a new counter. FAIL
4. Half-down bathroom - add a new light, new taps, and a new counter. FAIL
5. Paint/stain dining room table. DONE (see photos below)
6. Make a picture collage on the family room wall. FAIL
7.  Add beadboard to ceiling in family room. FAIL

Master bedroom makeover

Dining room table makeover

Accomplishing two out of seven big projects is pretty good in my books.  Most of the other projects will be rolled over onto my 2013 list. I also completed one project that wasn't on my list - and it was a big one.  Go me!  It took the help of most of the family to complete it, but we finished putting in a new front walkway and garden beds in September.

Front walkway makeover

PERSONAL GOALS:
1. Finish the France photo book. DONE - it took until February, but I finished it (you can read about it here)
2. Finish our son's wedding photo book. FAIL - hanging my head in shame
3. Learn to use my new camera that I got for Christmas - finish listening to the DVD, and take the camera off the auto setting which is all I have used so far.  FAIL - nothing, nadda, not yet
4. Visit Ottawa/Hull to see some of the places that my husband's ancestors founded PARTIALLY DONE (I was in Ottawa for one day when I went with my son to visit the university there on the March Break.  You can see a photo of it here).


OTHER CRAFT AND GIFT PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2012: I made good headway on some of the goals I had set for myself back in January, but I also completed a few other craft and gift projects during this past year that weren't on any lists.  In fact I finished more crafts and special gift projects than I had remembered - ten in total!  These included the following:
1.  Bed slat mantel art board (you can read about the Christmas mantel here)

2.  Beaded snowflakes (you can read about how to make them here)
3.  Carrot garden carrot cake (which you can read about here)
4.  Mason Jar Matchbox (you can read about how to make it here)

5.  Sweet dreams pillowcases (you can read about them here)

6. Easter-in-a-box (you can read about it here)

7.  Recipe Book (you can read about it here)

8.  Map Wall Art (you can read about it here)

9. Snowman Lab (you can read about it here)

10.  Date Basket Gift (you can read more details here)
I feel like I accomplished a lot this year - for me anyway.  I'm not the fastest at getting things done and I do work full-time so I'm happy when I get anything checked off the lists.  I'm working on my project list for 2013 which should be out soon.  
How did you do in 2012?  Was it a productive year or one of those years that got derailed?

Linked to Top DIY Projects at Southern Hospitality