goose!
And horse.
Apparently my little self-imposed “Dude Get On That Already” challenge has turned into a running joke with the universe: stop letting animals pile up in the playroom. On the bright side, I am finally getting a few things off the floor and onto the walls, where they can be enjoyed instead of hoarded. These two thrift-store finds have been waiting in the wings for over a year, so this week I decided to actually hang them up. No painting required, which made this a quick win.
I had John hold the duck so I could show the trick we used to hang it perfectly with only two nail holes instead of the ten we often make when we fumble around trying to find the right spot. We wrapped painter’s tape around the back of the piece, sticky-side out, and poked holes through the tape where the hanging hooks were. That gave us a simple template for placement.
With the tape in place, we held the duck an inch from the wall and moved it around until we liked the composition. I stepped back about eight feet to judge the placement while John did the adjusting. Once we were happy with the location, we pressed the duck up against the wall so the tape stuck, and then pressed firmly around the back to make sure the tape would stay put.
When we removed the duck, the pre-poked holes in the tape showed exactly where to put the nails and at what angle, so we could hang it without guesswork. The duck was light, so we used small nails and skipped anchors. After the nails were in, I ripped off the painter’s tape while belting out a little Kelly Clarkson for motivation.
Behold the result:
Under Sir Duck sits our concrete greyhound, an old Valentine’s gift from years ago, which proves I have a bit of an animal-collecting problem. Still, I love how the duck is flying toward the front door. Once we clear some space in the dining room and finish a few secret projects, I’ll share wider photos so you can see how the darker wood tones play with the chunky dining table nearby.
Next up: the iron horse. From the beginning we planned to hang this one in the bathroom and thread a hand towel through its ring. A year after rescuing it from a thrift store, it’s finally on the wall. It reads a bit subdued in our big white bathroom, but once we tackle paint and a few other updates, I think it will stand out beautifully.
We decided to keep both pieces in their natural, timeworn state. We debated painting them when we first bought them, but lately we appreciate texture and patina. That said, I’m never opposed to spray paint, so sometimes items get a fresh coat and sometimes they stay as-is. You never know which route I’ll take.
For an entire year we didn’t have a towel hook in the hall bathroom — the main bathroom guests use. Our towel used to be flung in a heap next to the sink. Now it has its own place, presence, and a bit of animal charm.
In short: our bathroom has many issues, but not having a towel hook anymore is one less problem to worry about.
We’re already dreaming about the next batch of projects. Once the long-running kitchen makeover is complete, there will still be countless things on the list. Some of the bigger projects we’re considering include:
- Updating three untouched full bathrooms that desperately need work
- Renovating a sunroom that has been filled with random, unused furniture since move-in day
- Turning the untouched playroom into a proper kids’ bedroom or play space
- Converting the carport into a garage
- Building a sizable walk-out deck
- Refreshing the porch: painting, removing scallops, staining the concrete, and boxing out the columns
- Adding crown molding in several rooms that currently lack it
- Installing wainscoting in the hallway that leads to the other bedrooms
- Refinishing the hardwood floors
- Completing several 30–60% finished rooms, like the living room, bedroom, guest room, and dining room
- Slowly reworking the front yard, side yard, and backyard over time
- Adding outdoor play features for the kids, like a sandbox or playhouse
- Refacing the fireplace between the kitchen and living room
- Possibly changing the roofline in the future to add architectural peaks to the front of the house
So yes, there’s plenty to do — the list never ends. Back to the animal situation: do I need Animals Anonymous? Should I be worried about Animal Hoarders showing up at my door? If they come by while we’re away, they’ll just meet our house-sitters, because we’re currently on a plane to Portland. The joke’s on them.
We’re most likely going to post another update early in the day during a plane change, and we won’t be able to approve comments between 1–6 PM EST while we’re mid-flight. If you leave a comment and it doesn’t appear right away, don’t worry — we moderate to make sure we don’t miss anything, especially when contests generate thousands of entries. Your comment should show up after moderation.
Have you finally hung any artwork or bathroom accessories that have been sitting around for a year or more? Tell me about it — let’s commiserate.