Inspiration and perspiration

So now that we’re at the finish line with the bathroom (complete before and after pics to be posted soon!), we need to think about the next big thing. Kitchen? Attic? or maybe Doors? All things I’ve already obsessed about.

Problem is that we’re going to be traveling quite a bit in the next two months- families and holidays are good in that way. So, while we love to travel, we need a project that won’t suffer from us traveling- and won’t break the travel/holiday/(yay)presents budget. So, I’m leaning towards putting off the kitchen until after the new year- but that opens a new can of worms.

Is it getting to be too cold to put in the new doors? Too cold to put in insulation upstairs? Can either one be done by a fiercely determined woman whose husband has been sucked into a textbook while he studies for his last finals ever (yay again btw)?

I need some inspiration….a little help here?

Also- Happy Halloween! I don’t have any funny/scary/interesting Halloween stories to share, but do have plenty of gratuitous autumn leaves pictures to share- hey there’s even a graveyard in this one…

Let there be light- again

The porch light is now up- but with my mind still fried from working on the bathroom shower surround, I forgot to take a picture of the old one while it was up in all it’s rusty glory.

So instead, I flipped the picture of the old light laying on my kitchen floor.  I’m sure you get the picture- old, rusty, buggy, and ugly.  And the new one?  Brighter, energy efficient, and oh-so-bungalow-esque.

Gotta love that.

Rub a dub dub

We’re almost done with the tub.

Just a few final details- like trim- and we’re done (finally).

It was a bit tougher than we though- as usual- but overall not too shabby. A vast improvement over the original. Tomorrow- the porch light.

Before and Afters:

A little luck and a lot of elbow grease.

Wish us luck- we’re getting read to install the bathroom walls and finish up the bathroom project tonight.  Hopefully it will be relatively painless- not counting the half dozen or so minor arguments that will occur between M & I before we’re done…

I kid, I kid…it’ll probably only be 1 or 2 arguments.

Before/after pictures tomorrow!

A retro sucker is born every minute- or about 28 years ago.

Ok, ok.  I think it’s been firmly established that I’m a huge sucker for things with character.  I’m also a huge sucker for retro-style home goods.  And, I’m a bit slow at times to adopt new technology- is anyone really surprised at that one?   But luckily I do have a little common sense stuffed in some dusty corner of my mind that I can pull out when needed. 

My thought process as I looked at the Restoration Hardware Holiday catalog and saw this in the toys:

Oh my gosh…So cute!

That would be perfect for a little boy- or a little girl.  I love the design- and that it’s not a standard ”power wheel” version.  No batteries to charge!

I don’t have a little boy- or a little girl for that matter- and most likely would not have a child big enough to use that for awhile.

But it’s so cute!  And it promotes imagination- and doesn’t require electricity! 

I wish they made an adult size one.

Oh, wait.  The design is based on “the design of Ferrari F2 Grand Prix racers of the 1950s”…so they do have an adult size one.  And an adult size one would be how much?  About a million dollars?

I could totally see my future children scooting around in one of those.  It’s so cute!  The design is so sleek!  Maybe I could get one, and use it as a house accent piece or a planter or something until my unborn children are old enough to use. How much could it cost?

Oh.  $499.  Wow.  That’s like…a new dishwasher…or a skylight for upstairs (without installation)…or a new sink…or (insert another home renovation thing here)….

It’s still so cute.

Those bugs ain’t no ladies…

We’re inching closer to finishing the bathroom- yesterday we actually bought the needed supplies!  Shocking, right?  Only how many weeks in the making?  So this upcoming weekend (how many times have I said that before? Seems to be a recurring theme) M & I are going to tackle putting the shower walls up….

I feel a bit like a slacker by using the pre-formed walls- because it’s not exactly keeping in the style of the house.  We made sure to get one of the more neutral shower wall sets, so I don’t think it’ll stick out- but my first choice probably would have been tiling.  The issues we’ve had with the glue that held up the plastic tiles kind of scares me though, and I’m afraid the compound and new tile would just pull away from the plaster.  And, if I’m honest, I might be a little worried about tiling a vertical surface (but it’s mostly that first one.)

In other news, we also picked up a new porch light that IS keeping in the style of the house.  That too will be put up this upcoming weekend- so lots of pictures coming soon.

Finally, the fake ladybugs are back.  For those who may not be blessed cursed with this minor infestation, don’t be fooled…They’re not your friendly every day garden variety of ladybugs- they’re Japanese biting beetles.  Beetles who seem to take a malevolent glee in getting into your house and flinging themselves at any bright light fixture they can find that happens to be near your head.  When they tire of that game, they proceed to either bite you, leaving strange little fake ladybug teeth marks on open surfaces of your skin- or prostrate themselves at your feet so you step on them and trail their gummy orange bodies all over your clean floors.  Heh…Yeah.  Fun.

A blow against the mighty paint conglomerate…

Here and here.

Love it, love it, love it. Just found this online yesterday- and it got my imagination revving… Cute designs- and they’re removable.

Let me say that again.

They’re removable!

No having to paint over (multiple coats) when you move- or want to change up the look! Just peel it off. I would be worried about them peeling off on their own- or looking kinda plastic-y- but I’d be willing to try it out first.

Can you tell that my world’s just been rocked a bit?

Whatisblik.com also has a program in which you insert your own words- and voila!- instant art. Definitely going to try it out when we are finishing up the kitchen. I also like the Insomnia one so much at whatisblik.com- I might have to get it to have on hand when we have a kid’s room some day in the future to decorate…

Holy Halloween, Batman!

I’m so glad these monsters didn’t show up in our garden. The pic below is from an article in The New York Times.

All I can think of is hernia. (And how many Thanksgiving pies do you think you can squeeze out of one of those?)

Danger (and hard work) lurking in the mailbox

Or the Power of Suggestion.

Advertisements are dangerous, dangerous things. Especially dangerous are the home improvement mailings that land weekly in our mailbox. Somehow- I’m still figuring out how exactly- they know my weaknesses and prey on my vulnerabilities. Ooooo…look at the pretty colors, and their matching trim!….yes, my walls are looking kind of drab, and white really isn’t a good background for our artwork…we could really punch up the look of the room….(and the clincher) And it probably wouldn’t take that long.

If you hadn’t guessed, our Home Depot is having a Ralph Lauren paint sale…sigh…pine…lust…

Right before we moved our furniture in, M & I spent a day painting the dining room a warm vanilla bean type of color- it was fun, and didn’t take that long (of course the room isn’t that big)- and with no furniture, it was pretty easy.

The blue paint in the bathroom was tougher- the room was a lot smaller, and the pole for the roller kept hitting walls and fixtures as I tried to get the ceiling done…and yeah, if you look closely, you can spot the original white showing through in a few corners. It also served to remind me that time has a way of erasing the hard work associated with painting, and leaving the “oh that’s so cute- he/she has paint in his/her hair!” memories.

Which is why I’m strugging with this advertisement…The paint is just short of luscious, and they used these cool glazes with names like candlelight and river rock, that catches the light just so. The walls look SO nice that it’s hard for me not to think of how great that would look in the living room- or even just as an accent wall in our bedroom.

Of course, the need to apply the glaze with a 9″ roller is doing a good job of grounding me (Can you imagine using just a 9″ roller for an entire living room? OMG) but I’m still tempted to try it out first in the bedroom…

Haven’t even mentioned it to M yet- I can imagine his reaction…Um, don’t we need to finish that bathroom you’ve been complaining about first?

Yeah, yeah…but a girl can dream in color, can’t she?

Slightly maimed by the lawnmower…

…but still worthy for Halloween decorating.

Congrats also to my parents on finding a new house! It sounds great- I can’t wait to see it, and enjoy some of that beautiful Nashville weather.

More to come on the shower & window issues in the next few days!