DIY...

It's a good feeling knowing when you make a good team. For the past 8 months, my husband and I have been tirelessly working on refinishing our basement, and the fact that we can do it together with limited bickering has definitely made the process that much more enjoyable.

When my husband bought the house (prior to us dating), the previous owners had done a sloppy effort of 'finishing' the basement with that nasty wood paneling that throws back to the 1980's. With the help of some good friends and a few beers, that was torn down over a weekend. The week after this past Christmas, the hubs took a whole week off and his dad (who has literally been a handyman Godsend) put in the new studs and framework for what would become the 'Dan-cave' as we decided to name it.

From step to step, through sheetrocking, plastering, choosing paint and trim colors and carpet, we kept making progress and with each step, the basement took on even more resemblance of a usable space.

This past weekend was probably one of the most triumphant, since we made our first really big purchase together - our sectional - and also installed the last bit of baseboard in addition to finishing up the installation of the cabinets and mini fridge. Thankfully, we'd done some research ahead of time in regards to the sectional - I think we'd both learned our lesson in the past that trying to shop together without prior discussions of what we're both thinking usually ends in disaster and more than likely tears. With the Massachusetts tax free weekend as the fire under our butts, we bit the bullet and financed a pretty fabulous sectional that will fill up the basement space perfectly and offer plenty of seating during family parties, get-togethers, and most importantly - football games.

(don't be too impressed - this isn't our basement, just a sample picture of our soon-to-arrive sectional from the manufacturer's website)

But the point where it was most gratifying to know what a great team we are was at the end of the day yesterday, when we could stand back and look at this space that was literally concrete floors and walls 8 months ago and see a completely different space....and for the most part, we did it all together. We had put in the last of the baseboard, and I was walking around with a paintbrush and three open cans of paint making touch-ups on the walls, and for a moment, we both just stopped and looked around and smiled at each other. This was a huge accomplishment. And soon we'll be able to enjoy this space and share it with the ones we love.

So as difficult as some tasks can be, as frustrating as deciding on a paint color, installing ceiling tiles, measuring out baseboard, and everything else can be with a significant DIY project like this can be, it's so much fun to be able to look back and think 'we did this...together!'

And no one got strangled. ;)