30 Projects in 30 Days: The Finale

That’s a wrap, folks! The 2017, 30 Projects in 30 Days challenge is over. Here at BHH, it was mostly a success even though we did not get everything marked off the to-do list, and we had to work all the way into the 32nd day of September. How does that poem go?

Thirty-two days hath September…

Before I go more in-depth about our list, I am announcing the winner of the prize. If you recall, I promised a prize to one of our participants, chosen via random drawing. This year, our winner is Laura from the blog, Homespun By Laura. Congratulations! You have won a $20 gift card to Target.

Laura impressed me with her methodical and daily approach to this challenge. She was active on her blog, and she gave our hashtag, #30ProjectsIn30Days, a good workout on Instagram. She is one to follow.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how things shook out here at BHH. The items in bold and linked are 100% complete. Items in bold and italic are in progress, and everything in regular font did not happen at all.

30 Projects in 30 Days Master List

1. Put window film on the basement window
2. Scrape paint off the big window in the living room
3. Put brass door latch on the door in the butler’s pantry
4. Replace light switches and covers in the front hall.
5. Put the doorknobs back on the doors in S’s room
6. Put the trim back up in S’s room.
7. Coat cabinet knob with rubber (Note: This project did not work.)
8. Prime the ceiling in the breakfast nook
9. Paint the downstairs door blue
10. Clean off the porches
11. Meal Plan
12. Plant Perennials in the front flower bed
13. Sew scented liners for my running shoes (prototype)
14. Reinstall Screen Doors  
15. Plan my One Room Challenge room!
16. Replant the kitchen plants
17. Paint door frame in the kitchen pantry
18. Hang hook and art in the downstairs hall
19. Paint the toe kick in the kitchen pantry
20. Install and paint shoe moulding in the kitchen pantry
21. Work on library windows 
22. Caulk in the Kitchen
23. Reinstall handrails on the front porch 
24. Fix rot on the front porch pillar
25. Get rid of the small trash pile on the driveway
26. Clean out the laundry room
27. Plant Black-eyed Susans
28. Fix rot by the bi-fold doors – Defer until the upper roof project is done.
29. Create an About Me widget and page on the blog
30. Polyurethane the library table
31. Repair bottom of the window and replace hardware on the window in the dining room

Project Photos

My list shifted throughout September. Some items that remain very important to me, such as sewing the bench cushions for the living room, were cut right away due to finances and time constraints. Looking back, I also realize that I scheduled too many two-adult projects, and Andy was not around as much as I planned. He traveled for work a lot during September.

A few tasks like #26 on my list, Clean out the laundry room, got added to the list at the last minute. I found evidence of a mouse not just passing through, but cavorting on a regular basis, in the laundry room, and I dropped everything to declutter and scrub the room from top to bottom.

Even with setbacks, we accomplished quite a bit.

It felt good to finally address the small patch of rot on the pillar of the front porch. Each time we find and repair little chinks in the armor of BHH, we feel greater peace of mind.

I probably feel the most satisfied by the toe kick and shoe moulding in the kitchen pantry. The original toe kick was gross. When we restored this room for our first One Room Challenge, the wood floor was still hidden by old vinyl. During the kitchen renovation, we refinished the hardwood floor, and I tossed out the old rotten shoe moulding. This unattractive mess was the aftermath.

First, I cleaned, primed and painted the toe kick.

Then, I cut, installed, and painted new shoe moulding. Cutting precise mitered corners has been challenging for me during past projects, but this time, I nailed it. (pun intended) Practice, does indeed, make perfect.

Speaking of the One Room Challenge, it starts up again this week. The featured designers post about their projects tomorrow, and the guest participants kick off the season on Thursday. Blake Hill House will be joining in again, and we cannot wait to share our project with you. It is going to be a good one.

Thank you to everyone who took the idea of 30 Projects in 30 Days and ran with it. Even though it was a small group this year, I hope everyone who joined in felt inspired and supported. I’m leaving the link-up open through Thursday of this week. Please feel free add any posts that pertain to the challenge.

I would love to hear your feedback about the challenge. Are you happy with your progress? What worked? What would you do differently next time?