DIY Week 11

DIY Week 11

This Week:

This week was definitely my favorite week working on this project so far. This past Sunday, Sarah, Connor, and I all met to do the painting in the team room. First, we cleared out all of the couches, pictures, racks, and other miscellaneous items that we didn't want to get paint on. Connor and I both brought tarps and laid them out so that we didn't stain the carpet. We finished sanding the remaining spackle on the walls and then got to work painting. We did the job really quickly. We thought that the paint would need another coat but after it dried, it looked really good. It was such an improvement to the room! It looks much bigger now with the lighter and less drab color called Pool Party. 

After, we were instructed by our coaches to make the room livable again. Basically, that means that we had to put the couches back, remove any glass, nails, etc. that could potentially be a danger to someone in a bathing suit or with bare feet. 

We cleaned out the couches and were truly amazed at what was under/in them. We found forks, old 

speedos, money, and lots of food. It was sort of gross but it makes me happy to know that its a little bit cleaner. 

Blue Man Hands

This was a really fun day because we got to get messy and have fun all together. My clothes are covered in paint, my body was covered in paint; I would say it was a success. 

We also learned how to paint "correctly" from Connors mom. Do the edges first, then work inward and in a vertical direction. 

Next Week: 

We arent sure what we are going to do next. We have a few things on our checklist left:

- hanging pictures

- flooring

- couch

- bring entertainment cabinet and t.v.

- curtains

Something on this list will get done by the end of next weekend :) 

DIY Week 10

DIY Week 10

This Week: 

Spackling the wall

This week Sarah, Connor, and I made MAJOR progress with the team room. We all went Saturday morning and afternoon to paint the room. We brought lots of supplies, snacks, and other essentials to get the job done. Connor and I arrived first and lifted the couches out of the room. Then, we began to take the pictures off of the walls. We realized that we had a much bigger job to do than we thought. As we began to take the pictures off, some came off easily whereas others had to by pried off. One would think that pictures would be hung on a wall. However, these were taped with what seemed to be the stickies tape in the world. Some pictures had been up since the 80s and those were the hardest to get off. Some of the pictures even ripped of the wallpaper and some ripped off the wall, creating holes. 

Sarah's hole in the wall

The stubborn screw

After that, we had to patch up the millions of holes on the walls. I was the chief spacklerer. I had to spread the spackle into the hole without taking up more wall and scrape it to fill up the hole. Then, Sarah arrived and she began to sand down the dried spackle. In the mean time, Connor was trying to get the white board and cork boards out from being screwed into the wall. Once the tape was taken off the wall and it was sanded down and speckled, Sarah and I tried to help Connor. He had gotten the entire white board out except for one screw that it was hanging by. So, Sarah got up on the ladder and used a crow bar and go the white board's last screw out by yanking with all of her force. She created a giant hole that we

haven't decided what to do with yet... but we got the screw out so thats all
that matters.

We were quite tired because that had taken about 3.5 hours to do. We all had other things to do that day and we all knew that the paining wasn't going to get done. Therefore, we moved the mess into the middle of the room and we put off the painting until the next week. Sadly, we left the room in worse condition than before, but the walls are ready to be painted for sure!

Next Week: 

We will be painting the walls next saturday, selling the furniture at my garage sale, and cleaning the mess that we have created in the room. Hopefully the walls will be looking perfect in no time! 

DIY Week 9

DIY Week 9

This week: 

Theresa mixing the paint

This week we made another trek back to home depot to buy supplies to continue the room renovation. We knew that our next step would be definitely painting the room. So, we went to buy paint and spackle to patch up and paint the walls. We knew that we would need at least one gallon of paint. However, when we talked to a very helpful worker, named Theresa, she told us that with the dimensions of the room, we would need at least two gallons. We picked the color "pool party". It sort of goes with the theme, don't you think? Its a nice blue color in between baby blue and royal. After, we picked the sheen that would suit the room best. We got egg shell which has very little shine and is easily washable. Theresa then put all the information in the computer and we got to watch how they make the paint. The information in the computer measures how much color to put in the white can and then it goes into a mixer for five minutes. Then, we went and found the spackle and checked out. It was about $60.00 so we split it three ways. 

Next Week: 

Next week we are going to paint the room. We will need to take all of the pictures, racks, and shelves off of the walls. We will also need to clear the room by putting everything in the center and cover it with a clear plastic sheet so that the paint doesn't get on anything. Luckily, we have brushes and other necessary materials at home. We are going to do the painting but we are going to ask around to see if any other team members want to help. 

Connor modeling our paint cans

DIY Week 8

DIY Week 8

This Week: 

Sick at home over spring break

I had such high hopes for what I was going to accomplish on the team room this week. I was going to get paint samples, try them out on the wall, clean the room, organize the coach's room, and the equipment room. Sarah called me the day she returned from Germany and asked what I had gotten done and if we could work on the room the following day. I sadly had to inform her that I didn't have a very productive spring break. I got sick. Again. This is the second break this year that I have come down with something. This time it was a double ear infection and a sinus infection. I didn't even stray from my bed hardly at all. Therefore, I didn't make any progress on the room... :( Good thing the deadline isn't next week! 

Next Week: 

Next week I will go buy the paint samples for the room. Then when everyone is back we will paint them on the room and decide which we like best. Then, the following week/following monday we can paint the inside of the room and patch up the holes in the wall (once we clear out furniture of course). After, we will need to get the steam cleaner and clean the carpets. After, all we have left is the cosmetics. :) 

DIY Week 7

DIY Week 7:

This week: 

This week I haven't done much for the project. I have been really busy and since we went to Home Depot last week. We had two meets this week, Sarah left for Germany, and Connor is leaving today. I have mainly been planning what day I will work on the project over Spring Break next week.

Next week: 

Next week is Spring Break and I will be on the pool deck quite a bit since we have practice every day. Since i will be there so often, I can definitely begin to make some headway in the room. First, I will buy the paint samples to test out what color looks best inside the room and what my coach will want. Also, if I can get Mr. Farrow to help, I would like to patch up the holes in the wall. Next, I will start to clean the room. My plan is to dust, vacuum the floors, just to make some progress.  After break, Sarah and Connor will be back and we can get the paint they like and complete that step of the room. 

This link shows the colors we are planning on testing out...Behr Paint Samples

DIY Week 6

DIY Week 6

The Trek to Home Depot

This Week:

This week Sarah, Conner, and I all set out to complete the task of picking what paint we will use for the room. Our only limitations were that it must not be lead based, which wasn't really a problem because there isn't much paint in the stores to buy today that is made of lead. So, we went out to Home Depot to find the perfect shade of blue to either match or change the wall color of the team room. We decided that we would want paint that has primer already built in and that we should get indoor/outdoor paint because the room is a portable, not an actual well-insulated room. We looked and looked at samples and decided that the two best brands would be Glidden and Behr. Behr seems to be less expensive but Glidden had better colors to choose from. Here are the paint swatches we chose: 

Next Week: 

Next week I plan to go to Home Depot and pick up the paint samples and test it out on the room. Connor and Sarah will both be gone over spring break and some parts of next week. So, its up to me to make some progress. After I get the paint samples I will probably measure the room and find out how much paint is needed. Ill purchase it and wait until they come back to do the painting. I will also be looking for cheap sofas we can buy, an area rug, and a company or call around to friends to see if anyone has a steam cleaner for the floor. 

DIY Week 5

DIY Week 5

Santa Barbara Travel Trip

Progress this week:

      This week we were busy, busy, busy! We had so many practices this week and three meets! This took away from manual labor and planning with the project. However, we began to organize all the new equipment my coach ordered in the shed that some of the people on the team helped to put together. Also, we had to plan for our project pitch. We were going to our Santa Barbara travel trip on the same day of the pitch so we had to figure out if we were going to make a video, FaceTime in, or pitch it another day, since the deadline was approaching, we had so much practice, and we didn’t know if we could FaceTime in on the bus. My coach informed us that we would be on separate vans to the meet, so the FaceTiming option was out. Also, we didn’t have time to make a video so Mr. Z told us to present on monday. We made a powerpoint presentation with the pictures of the pool and each divided up who would say what.

What’s planned for the next week:

We still need to finalize the prices of the flooring, paint, and shelves. All of which we will take care of next weekend when we all can get together before Sarah leaves for Germany for two weeks. Then, while she and Connor are both gone, I will continue to organize the rooms and start to clean the team room since i’ll be here over spring break and there won’t be as much traffic in the team room.