Intriguing title, huh? Yeah I could stand to work on those. Anyway, let me catch you up with some photos floating around my photo stream from the last month, i.e., I don’t recall where life left off last I posted so I shall rely on that as a refresher.
These two are still adorable. Obviously. And neither are trying to put those jeans on nor did a house fall on anyone in our bedroom.
That dresser went home with a nice couple expecting twin boys over the weekend. Oh yeah, didn’t tell you about it. It was a major pain. As in I had an entire post in my head dedicated to the pains of this piece and addressing issues that might come up on your projects, but knowing how “meant to be” it was for this couple and their twins made it all better. It ended up looking like denim which was cool but not at all planned. The milk paint color was called peacock if that gives you any clue.
The sewing cabinet found a home with a woman in Indy (whose colleague just happened to be in Minnesota and picked it up).
Picked up this cute bench in St. Paul from a guy on craigslist
Only an hour of mostly interstate driving with it on our roof
I’m out of furniture refurbishing projects. There are a few things I could work on (like my idea for a kitchen island, repairing that Jenny Lind bed or the bench above) and sure I could start working on our own furniture that needs repaired, but my excuse is that they could be damaged further during the move so I should wait.
A mess. An organized mess.
I’m not sure where to do the projects so that they won’t be in the way of another project. It’s hard enough finding a place to paint the trim we just received (3+ weeks after ordering it). The garage now houses the car for the cold months so it’s out. Might have to halt those furniture jobs.
We scored this dishwasher from craigslist for $60. It matches the stove and refrigerator!
I got a new hairstyle a little over a week ago. Story goes: I cut my own bangs in March. Had them look good maybe twice, saw myself in a photo over the summer and said “how did I think I looked good?” I started wearing them all side-swepty which was better but they were too thick and with my curly hair…let’s just say I was not reflecting to the world what I wanted-modern, playful, sexy, creative-more like an extra from the film Deliverance or Brooke Shields character on the Middle. On a good day.
After collecting some hair ideas on my Pinterest board and one trip to the metro one night I just went for it. Walked in without knowing more than the salon’s rating and chopped it off. The stylist picked something she thought my hair could do (which ends up, as I knew from my entire life experiences in hairstyle choosing, that my hair can’t look much like anything I really like).
The cut ended up not looking like what she picked but I convinced myself that my new bestie (I really like this stylist) had worked a sorta miracle. The novelty of it thrilled me. Then I, one of the most challenged of hair doers, freaked out wondering how I would replicate it and once the newness wore off, realized it wasn’t quite there anyway. Finally found a better look that involves letting it air dry. Don’t hate me. I can’t believe how “thin” it is with these layers, how much volume I have (which only used to exist about mid-back cause my curls aren’t those awesome curly everywhere types), how little product it takes, how easy it is to comb out of the shower and that even after sleeping on it it looks pretty decent. Never in my life.
I realize I take a lot of selfies in the bathroom but I do not get my picture taken at all beyond this (unless Greg secretly does). This is after I slept on it and that J Crew sweater was $1 at a garage sale (and will look better on me when I lose weight and stop looking like Uncle Fester)
It may not be the exact look I was going for but it’s a million times better. It puts some pep back in my weight loss journey-one reason I wanted desperately to start feeling like me again was a lack of much progress there. I let myself go over the last 5 years, gaining back the 22lbs. (and then some) I lost for my sister’s wedding then no longer doing anything for myself really. I stopped going to a salon and cut my hair myself (which is fine if you have any skill), stopped doing any sort of skin routine, never had nails but they look really awful now, I wear pajama bottoms most days until I get my workout in and my other uniform is a pair of ill-fitting jeans with holes in the wrong place and paint all over them. I stopped buying myself clothes, shoes, anything that was a little treat because I thought I was too fat to deserve it. No makeup. I started to see the old me vanish and at first, I thought good for me because she seemed high maintenance but eventually became more like I had seen the line, crossed it and then ran 500 miles from it. I didn’t know who the person was in the mirror. While I was discovering the career that makes me feel amazing (furniture refurbishing) and pursuing other passions, I let those other areas go and felt I was not projecting the woman I wanted to showcase. I’m ready to hit another level that makes me feel more like the me that tries again. Sorry, that was way too long. And mushy. Gag. On to the bathroom. Where you might be already gagging.
Greg was on vacation last week so we could bust our (mainly his) hump on the basement bathroom. I researched shower rods, thresholds, soldering and anything else that came up a problem. And posted fairly frequently for me on my Instagram account.
This is where the basement bathroom started…thought I had a better picture but nope
Then we gutted it
Blocked up the window and started again with a new design where we picked up a little space in the utility room to make the custom shower bigger. Otherwise, we were facing installing another teeny 32″ x 32″ shower. Not appealing.
Adding a stucco wall was one of many things we did
Floor leveler
Drywall time
Backer board for the shower after some Pex plumbing installation
Mud time
Notice how low the ceiling is in the center of the room? That’s the ductwork and something we tried to remedy but decided that anyone over 6’2″ would just have to live with discomfort in this bathroom. I’m short so yeah.
Greg finished putting the drywall on the outside wall the other night and continues to mud the walls in the evening. It’s a long process when done right. I hope to get some paint and tile up soon. But more floor leveling in the hall and a door jamb will come first. Catch you on the flipside of this bathroom reno.
*Happy birthday to my dad tomorrow!
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