Kids Bathroom Tile Reveal

This past weekend we got things done, but not as much as I had hoped.  Saturday it seemed like we were spinning our wheels and couldn't quite get going.  We really can't afford many days like that.  It's crunch time and 3 weeks to move in - hopefully (major crossing our fingers and praying for miracles sort of crunch time).

Despite that, we did make some major decisions for the house in the way of countertops for the kitchen and plans for the master bathroom.  I will blog about those later this week.  I have an electrician lined up to do some much needed work in the house this week so that is exciting.  This house is something we will be working on FOREVER so I hope you all get comfy and stay along for the ride.

We did have a MAJOR project almost completed this last week and it looks SO good.  I'm beyond happy with it.  The kids bath is tiled!!!!  Once we get it painted and the sink and toilet back in, I'm going to call it good for awhile in there.

Here is what it looked like when we moved in:

That sock still cracks me up!

Here was what I chose for the tile to finish it.  The white to go all around the shower, a bubble for the border, and stone for the floor:

 One of the things that had to be done was to replace the window.  It was time.  The old one had a wood frame and just wasn't going to work - especially in a place with a lot of moisture.  I ordered this nice vinyl white one that is hinged at the top and swings out at the bottom.  I love it!  It instantly made the room so much brighter.

We also demoed out the existing floor.  This is what the room looked like after it was demoed and before we stared the new tile.

As you could see in the above picture, the tiling had to start around the window.

The whole bathroom was done in two days.  Happiness!!!  Here it is installed without the grout.

Doesn't that floor look amazing?!?!?  I am so happy with it.  I love the bubble boarder too!!  It is just a fun space.

Here are pictures of it grouted, the tub apron put on (a post about that later this week), and now all we need is a toilet and sink and some new paint.  I had not planned on repainting this but some drywall repairs make it necessary and since I don't have the original paint color, I get to pick a new one.  What color would you suggest?  A greenish blue, another tan, all white?  Let me know fast!

I hope you like it!  I hope it is a happy and great space for my kids for years to come!!

Have a great day!

"The Nesting Place" Review

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Last week I hosted a book club.  The book I chose was "The Nesting Place" by Myquillyn Smith.  I already talked about it a bit HERE but I thought I'd go into a little more depth and share some of my favorite advice this genius of a woman has to share.

In my humble opinion, this book should reside somewhere in everyone's house.  It should be your decorating Bible.  Not because she tells you all the rules of color selection, furniture placement, rug sizes, etc. but actually because she does little of that.  In her own amazing way, she liberates you to make your own choices, take risks, and make your home the amazing place it can and should be.  It is one of the biggest breaths of freshair I've read in a long time in terms of how we should think about and treat our homes.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes/pieces of advice she gives:

*Imperfection is a sign of maturity. "The imperfections play an important role: they put people at ease."

"We put off doing all sorts of fun things 

because to do them perfectly 

would be entirely too much work.  

So instead of having a slightly

 imperfect finished space, 

we live with a space we hate."

*Risk can be priceless.  "Go Forth and Take a Risk!"

*"I realized that making our house a home benefited our family in more ways than one."

*"I made the house pretty for me." (I have a lot to say about how much I agree with this one.)

*Our homes should be places we "...truly love, appreciate, and use...".

*We need to strive for meaningful beauty in our homes.

*We are each a Master Designer because we were created by THE Master Designer.

*Decorating is suppose to be fun!!!

*"Home is heaven for beginners."

We had a great discussion about the book.  I served some yummies for the ladies and then we all headed over to my new house so they could see it in progress.  The great thing about showing people the house before it's done is that it will look that much more amazing when they come again and it's done.  At least that's what I hope.

Like I said, you need this book.  It will change you for the better.  I am just as excited and really looking forward to another bloggers book release the end of this month which I think will be similar in tone to this one.  It's by Melissa Michaels and it's called "Love the Home You Have"  You can go HERE to find out more about it.  Mine is already preordered and I will let you know what I think!  In fact, I submitted a form to be a reviewer of her book.  It would be so fun to get chosen, but I will definitely review it for you no matter what.

Here's what I served the ladies.  It was perfect spring type food.

I made a Southwest Salad with a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, had various fruits that could be dipped in a tangy creamy lime yum, my betsy rolls (they never fail me and I will post the recipe at some point), and finished it off with these Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies.  It was yum!!

Now, go make those cookies!!

*Kids Bathroom fully tiled!!!  Review tomorrow!

"Mom! Come Quick.......

.....there's a SWIMMING POOL in our backyard!!"

That is what my adorable and excited about life, Kidlet #3 said as he came running around the side of the house yesterday.  He was convinced beyond convinced that a pool was going in OUR backyard.  How I wish I could have told him it was true.  Someday - maybe - when everyone can swim like a Navy Seal.  (Yes, I'm a paranoid mom!  Who isn't?)

The pool he was referring to was the shallow mud pit that will be the base for our new concrete pad.  After the rain that is forecast for today and tomorrow, he may get his wish after all.

Here is what it looked like before we started anything:

I'm gonna miss that burn pile ------NOT!!  I'm loving the greener grass!!  The pad clearly was not in great shape, but still I hesitated to take it up at this point.  I'm so glad we decided to do it.  The boys were out there a week or so ago and with just a minimal amount of effort, were pulling up pieces of it.  It was literally crumbling before our eyes.

Here is what they've done as of yesterday:

Now instead of a burn pile, I have a large dirt pile ;)

We are almost doubling the size of the new patio going in.  I was set to have it be an aggregate fill, but after talking it over with Greg and some friends, we've decided to do a stamped concrete.  It is a bit more in money, but concrete pads aren't something you just change out if you feel like it.  We still have to finalize the stamp we want and the color we want it to be.  It's such a permanent thing that I'm nervous to get it wrong.  I guess I can always hide it with furniture and plants if it looks terrible. 

They won't be pouring the concrete for a few days because of the forecast rain, so I won't be able to show the final product until next week at the earliest.  I can't wait!

LOTS is going on at the house.  We have started some major projects this week and I will hopefully have posts of the kids bathroom and basement floor finished by next week.  It's coming, it's coming!!!

Make your day great!!

Let's Have a Q & A Shall We?

Happy Monday everyone!!  It was glorious weather here which allowed us to release the boys to play outside while we worked hard to get our house ready to put on the market.  We are shooting for the end of this week.  We shall see.

I was so excited a few weeks ago when I got my first question!!!  I really would love it if more of you asked questions.  That way I would know what you want to know more about, what I'm not making clear, any advice I might be able to give you about your own projects, etc.  I did change my blog comment acceptance to allow anyone to comment so please feel free to ask away there or you can also ask on Facebook.  So don't be shy!

The question I got was from Sarah A. in regards to the flooring choice we are putting in our basement.  If you recall, we are putting in a floating vinyl tile floor.  Sarah wasn't sure what that was exactly, so I'm going to do my best to answer that question.

In short, a floating vinyl floor is one that does not adhere to the floor itself.  The flooring I got adheres to itself.  The advantage to this is that it is easy to replace a piece if one gets damaged.  If water happens to get into the basement a few can be taken out and the floor "lifted" to allow for air flow underneath.  It is a good product to use in basements because it holds up to moisture well and basements can be a bit moist at times.  It does need a flat smooth surface so that is something to keep in mind.  It comes in a variety of colors and can look like tile or wood.

As with ANY product you will use in your home there are always pros and cons.  The only con I heard about this flooring type is that it could give me problems if it expands and contracts, thus either buckling or separating.  Two flooring guys gave me two different opinions.  One was concerned of this happening and the other has put it in a lot of basements and hasn't had a problem.  Because this product is recommended for basements I went with the second guy and he is installing it today so I will have a follow up post at the end of the week showing you how it turned out.  Very excited!!!!

Other things happening this week are the demo and repour of the front walkway and steps as well as the back patio, I also meet with a guy today to pick out fascia, soffit, and gutter colors, the demo is done in the kids bathroom so the new tile should be going in there, and the fireplace is being rebuilt and should be done by the end of the week.  All very exciting!!  It's crunch time so we will be moving quickly.  Glad you are all here for the ride.  I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.  Thanks for reading and see ya tomorrow!

Money Talk

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When I first thought of starting this blog I actually intended to share much more in terms of expenses.  I actually had someone ask if I was going to break all the renovations down and give you exact cost.  In fact, that was my original intention, and at some point I may end up doing that (baby steps).  But here's the thing.  We are a judgemental sort of lot us humans.  While the majority of you reading would most likely be unfazed, there are always those who would see the numbers, no matter how big or small, and pass judgement in one of two ways, "Wow, they are just a pile of money over there." or, "Well no wonder it looks so terrible, if they'd just had more money to spend it would have looked a lot nicer."

What people choose to spent their money on is really no ones business.  None of us should ever judge the spending choices of others unless those choices immediately impact ones life, and even then one needs to be careful.  For example, if I have a relative that is asking me for support/help every month, I'm going to judge them as I watch them eat steak every night and I'm eating Ramen because my budget has been diminished by helping them.  But if I'm not helping said relative and they choose to eat steak and I Ramen, no matter what I think their financial situation maybe, I don't have the right to assume it's one way or the other.

A friend and I were chatting one time about money and how people can be judgmental.  She said something that I have taken to heart when I have been tempted to judge others spending habits.  She said, "No one knows your financial obligations."  So true my friends, so true.  Sure, if you have a friend who is a neuro surgeon you can know he is probably making pretty good money (but you could be wrong there too).  What you don't know is how much he has to pay in insurance, staff salaries, equipment debt, building debt, school debt, mortgage, the amount he's committed to charities, etc, etc, etc.  You have no right to judge what he chooses to, or not to, spend his money on.

The other day I saw a video of a young teenage boy in a major city standing out in the freezing cold asking for help.  He stood outside for 2 hours before a gentleman finally stopped, asked him how he was doing, and then took off his own coat and gave it to him.  The ironic thing was, that as countless individuals in warm coats carrying bags of new clothes walked by and ignored this boy, the one who stopped and ended up helping was a homeless man.  This man knew the true meaning of life.  In many ways because he had nothing, he was willing to give everything.  

The lesson here for all of us is that we need to be generous.  We need to be kind.  We need to give much.  And that is true if you are a neuro surgeon or a homeless man.  The only person we are truly accountable to with how we decide to use our money is the God above who knows our real intentions and motivations.  If we are aligned with Him and do His will, no dollar amount will matter because His blessings are based on obedience to His will and if you recall, it was that obedience that mattered most, not the money given, that blessed the widow, who gave her mite.

Lofts Reveal

I think we should continue with a reveal of the house today.  Shall we go upstairs?  Watch yourself, there's no railing - yet!

One of the things that really sold us on this house (other then the fact that we felt like this is where God wants us to be) was the lofts.  There are actually no upstairs bedrooms which is often puzzling to people because the house looks a lot bigger from the outside then it actually is.  It's a long house, but it's actually not very deep.  There have been times in this whole process I have wished they had built it just 6 feet deeper, but no house is perfect so you work with what you have.  That's part of the fun.

Let's go up...

When you reach the top of the stairs there is a loft to your left and right.  The loft to the left is the largest on and it is a really good size.  I have yet to take someone up there who doesn't comment on what a cool feature it is.  This loft will end up serving as our family room.  This is where we will have a sectional and TV.  It will be the hangout place.  This loft overlooks the kitchen.

For now, it serves as a great place for Kidlet #3 to have his airport.  

As you go up the stairs to the right, there is a smaller loft which overlooks the living room.  This will serve as a craft room/office.  The best picture I have is with the previous owners furniture in it.  

I am so excited about these spaces.  They are going to be so fun for our family.  I just wonder how many of those airplanes will find themselves on the lower level.  I just hope none of them find themselves in a pot of soup some night.

E & M Have Wed!

Hello!  Remember me, that lady who is redoing a house?  Well, I think I am "starting" to recover from the wedding I did last weekend.  I came down with a nice cold starting Monday night and yesterday I dragged myself and the kids around trying to get somethings done.  Today my hubby stayed home so I could rest.  He really is the best thing that ever happened to me.  I had to drag myself out of bed this morning to go over to the house and meet with the plumber and talk to my contractor about a few things.  There are days I feel like a circus performer in charge of the juggling act.  There is a lot to remember and keep straight and in order.  It's coming and so far, so good.  

BUT, today I wanted to share the wedding results with you.  I spent almost my entire day Friday setting up and then all day Saturday as well.  To say my feet were hurting at the end of the whole thing is an understatement.  They were KILLING me!!!  I think I'm going to book myself a massage this weekend.  

It was 100% worth it though.  Two moments from that evening will stay with me forever and really made all the work melt away.  1).  When the father of the bride walked into the reception room he was overcome with emotion.  He sought both my friend (aka "Partner in Crime") Erin and me out and with tears in his eyes, thanked us for making it so lovely.  His wife was crying as well and told me that the bride said it was perfect.  You can't get much better of a compliment than that.  2).  The second moment was at the end of the night when the bride and groom left and everyone went outside to say goodbye.  Unfortunately Erin had gone back inside, but as "E" turned towards everyone before she got in the car, she looked for us and when our eyes met, she mouthed, "Thank You".  It was like out of a movie.  The icing on the cake.  I will remember it forever.

Enough of the mushy stuff, so what did it all look like once we had it together?  I wish I had a picture of the room with no decorations so you could compare.  We did have a girl come in while we were decorating who is having her reception there and she said we did a great job of making it look cozy even though it was such a big room.  She could not have given us a better compliment.  Cozy is how a wedding should feel.  It's intimate and close, shared with friends and family and it should feel like a warm place to snuggle but still be beautiful and elegant.  It's not unlike how your home should feel.  I will welcome anyone into my home who says it's cozy.  Then I will know I've reached my goal.

The brides colors were creams, golds, greys, and a touch of deep red.  I will admit that I was a bit skeptical at first, but it all came together and looked great.  There were 20 tables, plus 2 tables for the bridal party, and a head table for the bride and groom and best man and maid of honor.  

For 10 of the tables we used white milk glass vases tied with a gold and white ribbon with branches coming out that were sprayed in gold and then we glued pearl and silver balls on them.  

Here is a close up of one in my house before we took it over:

Here is one on a table at the venue:

For the other 10 tables we used white chargers with bowls turned upside down to create a cake plate like look.  We then topped them with ramekins and filled them with flowers.

Here is what all 10 looked like at Erin's before we took them over:

They were filled with white hydrangeas, spider mums, white roses, and a red berry that starts with a "G" and I can't remember off the top of my head.  So pretty!!

Here they are on a table at the reception:

In order to save cost, we used a lot of tulle.  We draped a piece across every table and then tied small pieces of ripped fabric at the edge of the table and then close to the centerpieces.  We then wrapped a small pearl twist through each piece of fabric.  It was just the right touch of homey elegance.

We also tied fabric with this pearl accent around each of the white linen table clothes that were placed on every dinner plate.

As you can see in the above picture, we also placed paper doilies under each plate that just gave it a little added touch of elegance.

The venue provided all the tables, chairs, and table clothes.  The table clothes only came down a foot on the sides of the table.  To draw attention and add a little more sophistication, we rented floor length table clothes for the head table and the 2 bridal party tables.  It really looked nice.  

You will also notice on this head table that we did a two long platters with flowers and then did taper candles to set it apart.  The Mr. & Mrs. signs ended up being attached at the front of the table when the reception started.

To set the bridal party tables apart we got taller glass vases, filled them with rocks, tall gold sticks with pearls, and then had seeded eucalyptus coming out of them.  I loved these.

At each table we also placed boxes with pieces of paper for people to write their advice to the bride and groom.  We did this instead of a guest book.  You can see one in the first of the above three pictures.

The mother of the groom also put table numbers at each table that corresponded to the years in the bride and grooms life.  So instead of tables #1-20, it was #1995-2015.  Each year had corresponding pictures of the bride and groom from those years.  I cool twist to make it different.

It really was a lovely evening.  Many people commented that it was one of the more fun weddings they've been to.  The bride and groom were so happy and I know they will have a great life together.

Thanks E & M for the opportunity to do this!!  

After we recover, we will probably want to do it again for someone, so put your requests in now!

**Sorry some of these photos are a bit blurry.  I didn't take one picture of the evening so I had Erin send these to me.  I need to see if I can have her send them in a higher resolution.  You get the idea though, right? 

Make it a great Wednesday and Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day.  We didn't do a thing for it since I was sick.  Oh well!