Yay! My Blog is finally uploading photos again! I don't know what the problem has been, but I've tried on several different days, and several different methods, and none worked! I'm thinking I need to send a big THANKS to the Blogger folks- I sent them requests for help, and *I* was the one slow in getting back with the details they needed to solve the problem...I just responded to their questions not 15 minutes ago by email and it's already working!! Way to go blogspot support! THANKS!
So now I can finally post those photos I was trying to last week!! Here are the updated 2nd floor photos...although, there have already been more changes since these photos! These are the worlds ugliest stair railings...yes, they are certainly being replaced. While they may be stable, they are ugly but more importantly, not even CLOSE to child safe! I think *I* could fall through these things!! The section on the end has already been cut out, it will be replaced by the side wall of the new bathroom. The left railing will be covered over with a half wall that will create a storage area, the right railing will be replaced completely.
Can you see the lovely little door at the end of the wall? it's about 5 feet hall, it's the PERFECT little linen closet! Or, on it's way to becoming the perfect little linen closet anyway! Right now the door is in my basement with two coats of primer on one side...need it's paint & a flip over so I can prime & paint the other side as well. Oh but it's the perfect litle door for my perfect little closet! The hardware I found was just ideal for the door. There is a little lock, and I labored over whether it would be better to put the lock on the outside, or the inside. But I had two parallel visions in my head: Fastforward 3-4 years: I put the lock on the inside, and we're running late for something or other, and Sprout has locked herself IN the closet and either CAN'T get out, or WON'T get out. yes, this is a nice early 20th century lock, no "pop the lock from the back" sort of safety on this one! Scenario 2: Fastforward 4-5 years & the lock is safely installed on the OUTSIDE of the door. Sprout has locked her little sister in the closet and won't let her out. Okay- of these two scenarios, rescuing the future meimei from her future Jiejie seemed like the better option...!!! So...the lock went on the outside. On the upside, the lock is a little tough to turn, so I might be well protected from *either* scenario!!

There are also a couple of swaths of color on the walls. haven't decided on any of them yet, but thinking of the 3 Miller paint colors I tried so far...none of them.

This is sprouts room! Okay, still in progress. (as is the whole of the upstairs! You can see all of the paint chips over the window molding. I had some yellow, and purple, and green, and pink, and in the end I couldn't stand it as it looked like a big easter basket!! So...we're going with light yellow walls, and a med/darkish green carpet. It's a nice color, should work out quite well. And we might just paint bright pink flowers on the walls. Or maybe not. (not big ones, just a few little ones here and there...)


Those two big windows let in lots of light at all hours of the day: The sun in the morning (it's south facing, but gets lots of the sun), and my neighbor's driveway light in the evening. (we have a wide shared driveway, and their light is enough for both our driveways and probably half the block!!) Note: This means I will have to find darkening shades!!! (or...never have to buy a nightlight!) Here is the door out of Sprout's room. right behind the door is a little built in bookshelf. since there is no actual closet in the room due to the slope of the roof, I'm considering putting a few bars in this built in bookshelf area & using it as a closet instead of buying an armoir for the room. The room is 9x11, but an armoir, even a small one, will definitely take up some space. I do have a good size dresser I need to paint which will also be going into the room.