Let's back up--being a homeowner has given me opportunity to tackle all sorts of tasks I've never done before. And every time I do something on my own--like turn on the gas and light the water heater--I feel a great sense of empowerment. Today was chock full of those moments! In fact...I toted my camera around the house with me to show off my handy work.
First--and this wasn't really "handy" home improvement but I'm so happy I have to share--I finally found my perfect Salt & Pepper shakers. I'm so excited about this its embarrassing. But when you've been searching for affordable--yet perfect--salt & pepper shakers for four months...you've got to celebrate the find. Thank you Ross!!
Okay, on to the "handy" stuff. I vacuumed out my furnace and A/C unit and changed the air filter. This required the use of a tape measure to figure out what size of filter I needed, and then a trip to Lowe's to track down the 14 x 20 x 1 filter. It fits SO much better than the cheap-o crap one that was in there before. This particular brand of filter even came with a Reminder Sticker, so I'll remember to perform this routine maintenance every 3 months. Good call. Here's my happy--and clean--unit now.
At my Housewarming party, Erin gave me a fabulous home decor gift that's been sitting on my counter ever since. My trip to Lowe's also provided the necessary hardware to hang the sign above my sink. A tape measure was involved--to make sure the sign was perfectly centered over my ugly window coverings (that's a job for another day)--as well as HAMMERING. Really. With all that in mind--Isn't it awesome!!?
My bathroom door has been opening too far and slowly creating a dent in the wall opposite. This is...not good. The helpful man at Lowe's pointed me in the direction of the Hinge Pin Door Stops. Just what I needed! There was hammering, unexpected grease, and one or two missteps, but I got the piece installed on my door--making the walls safe from doorknob dents for one more day!!! 
There are 5 smoke detectors in my little pad. I purchased the 9V batteries today at Sam's Club and systematically climbed on and off a stool to change every single one. This wasn't actually that hard. The hard part was making myself push the button to test each one. Man those suckers are PIERCING!! But I guess that's the point, right?
The final task was a little more involved, so I enlisted the help of my best Tool Girl, Catie, to help me out. The key rack was the very first piece of "decor" I purchased for my house...and its been sitting unused in the office/nursery for a while now. I bought the screws at Lowe's, but we needed Catie's know-how and her dad's Stud Finder (So many jokes...so little time...) to make it happen. But happen it did! And here's the final product with a big Thank You shout out to Catie!
All in all, these are small tasks and small additions. But I love my little house, and I love taking care of it and all its little details.
