Home improvement in a new home

I've mentioned before how it's pretty cool to build a house (having done it three times) because you really do get a blank slate to start with. But also, you have a blank slate to start with. Every wall is "agreeable gray," and because you don't want to pay a grand for some crappy light fixture that costs the builder $40, you have a lot of round plates covering electrical boxes on the ceiling.

At this point, we've been in the house for about seven weeks, and while the volume of work (and the crushing blow to my wallet) isn't what it was at first, I'm still not finished. If there's any tool that was worth every penny, it's the DeWalt drill I bought about six years ago. I thought it would be fun to tally up the stuff I've installed so far:

• 8 light fixtures
• 2 ceiling fans
• 4 shelves
• 1 Ring doorbell ($50 off right now!)
• 2 Nest E thermostats
• 1 24v transformer (to power the doorbell and address number sign)
• 10 curtain rods
• 1 window blind
• 3 towel rings
• 1 WiFi light switch
• 2 ceiling speakers
• 10 Philips Hue bulbs (OK, so you just screw those in)
• 1 removed door (laundry room)
• 1 5-port network switch

Still not done:

• 2 curtain rods
• 2 light fixtures
• ~75 cabinet handles (kitchen and all bathrooms)
• 1 kitchen faucet to replace the cheap piece of standard crap
• 4 under-counter lights because the ones the builder installed get very hot
• Lots of picture frames
• 1 rug to tie the room together, man

We haven't really begun to decorate, beyond the curtains and some pictures in my office, but it does feel more or less like we live here now. I think with all of our moves, this was probably the most gradual settling process. In fact, since it was all out and didn't have a home anyway, Diana went to the Christmas decorations within a week of moving in, early November. We might not have pictures of my kid on the wall, but we've got three Christmas trees (acquired over the years). We can finally start to enjoy it without the anxiety about the previous house, also, since we've got a sale contract, finally. Having two mortgages is still gonna sting, even for a month.