Bathroom Reveal

This has been a long time coming.  I have been toiling away and very slowly but surely getting all of the bathroom projects finished and I finally have something to share.

Let’s have a look at what my bathroom used to look like. 

Drab paint.  Horrible wallpaper border.

Huge, clonking, ugly vanity mirror.

Ugly vanity.

Wonderful gaping hole hidden by that towel (courtesy of previous owners – they hid it behind a towel, too).

You can see the cheap flooring here, too.  And T hard at work repairing the walls.

Removing the wall paper border wasn’t as difficult as I expected.

And now…  drum roll, please!

The curtains I made myself – and the hanging apparatus idea I stole from Funky Junk Interiors (scroll to the bottom of her post for her version). (I’ll try to get a better picture this evening, if I remember.)

The lovely new tile.

The warm paint color, new vanity and vanity mirror. (Notice the light above the mirror.  I got T to lower it within days of the initial installation.  I couldn’t handle it all the way up at the ceiling.) I know the cabinet lock is so stylish.  Just keeping it real. 

The view in said new vanity mirror.

I labored over this shower curtain.  It’s one of a kind, handmade with love – and it only cost me $5 in clearance kitchen towels and a handful of scrap fabrics.  (Thanks again to my mom for helping with the button holes.  My sewing machine was trying to eat the fabric.)

New artwork, new towel rods and new clearance hand towels.

The view is no longer the best thing about my bathroom…  though it’s not too shabby either.

 

My dad hasn’t had a chance to make me the shelving unit I want for above our toilet yet.  I’ll leave that wall blank in the meantime, but do have goodies to put on it already (I’ll take the clock and sign off of the vanity at that time, as well).

Our bathroom now has been infused with a bit of personality and we love it. 

Squeaky cheese…

I’ve done it, dear readers.  I’ve gone and made cheese.

During my semi-weekly blog perusal, one of my regulars made some mozzarella cheese.  This is a different recipe than the one I had seen in the past and had originally planned to use but followed it instead.

Do yourselves a favor: If you plan on attempting to make cheese, be sure you have a thermometer that registers temperatures as low as 90.  Mine started working at 80 degrees on the initial run on heat.  When I put the mixture over heat a second time, my thermometer registered “HI.”  Friendly bugger – a lot of good that did me.

Everything I’ve read about making cheese says to not use ultra-pasteurized milk and local milk is better.  I used a gallon of Hood whole milk (it’s not ultra-pasteurized).

Other than the thermometer snafu, it was remarkably easy.  It probably took me closer to an hour and a half to make, start to finish – but for a first time run, I don’t consider that bad (I was tending to the tots at the same time, so I always have to factor in extra time right there!).  Also, I forgot to add the salt but a friend suggested storing it in water and putting a little of my cheese salt into the water.  (I’m going to do that as soon as I’m done here).

A better thermometer is on my list to pick up this weekend.  I will be making this again – probably quite often.

Another thing off of my winter check list…  even though it’s technically spring. 

Enjoy your kitchens!

**ETA***

I’ve linked up over on Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special!

I’m purl challenged!

I started this hat nearly 2 weeks ago now for my brother.  This is my third attempt. 

For starters, it looks huge.  Second, that stitch looks NASTY. 

I guess I’ll be ripping it down and starting my fourth attempt. 

I have finished my first ever hat.  It’s….  weird.  It fits my head in size but is way too short.  So I tried it on both of my kids.  It doesn’t cover their ears either.  It’s been turned into a dolly hat. 

I also made another scarf which I’ve given to my mother. 

Now..  just to figure out this purl so I can complete my first hat for an adult.

Cold Weather Goals Update:

My original goals can be found here.

1) Personal:

• I’m still at 150.  I won’t complain.  I ate like a pig during the holidays.  I ate like a great big smelly pig.  Maintained weight?  I call that a win.
• I have started listing products on Etsy.  Now to keep it up.
• I’ve got a semi-system going on keeping organized.  I use a calendar for when bills are due.  I make a point to sit down once a week to update our checkbook.  I pay bills every other week.  And my house has somehow been really really clean and pretty organized the past few weeks.
• I’ve been blogging 3-4 times a week, with the holidays as an exception.  I was busy, I was out of town, I took a break.  Meh.  Could be worse.

2) Family

• Our outings are not happening as frequently as I would like.  We’ve been snowshoeing together once.  We went sliding yesterday.  We’re hoping to go snowshoe/hike up a mountain this Sunday.  Perhaps we need to start a once a week game night?  That’s kind of hard with a 2 1/2 year old who doesn’t “get” games. 
• I’ve been failing with the Children’s Creative Corner.  I haven’t been crafting with Monkey as much as I’d like (does her sitting on my lap helping sew a sling count?)

3) Kitchen

• Still no progress on the cheese.  I need to do this soon.
• Homemade bagels?  Oh my god, yum.
• I’m undecided if I really want to do the soap.  I have a little time to decide. 
• The new recipes flying through this kitchen are astounding.

4) Projects

• Not done
• Done
• 3 of 5 stained
• Not done
• I finished 2 scarves, made one start to finish and am almost done my first hat.

5) Turning house into home

• No progress
• I’ve been looking for something to make curtains/shower curtain with.  So far, no luck.  I “ordered” a hanging shelf which my dad will build during mud season when he’s off work.
• No progress other than “ordering” a book shelf which my dad will also build for us during mud season.
• On hold until T puts in drywall.

Slow and steady, slow and steady.  I’ll get there as long as I keep plugging away.

What do we have here?

A big bowl of what?

 

It must be dough.

Are those doughnuts?

But you don’t bake doughnuts…

Well look at that!  It’s fresh from the oven bagels!

  The smell was amazing.  And they tasted wonderful. 

I’ve recently pulled out my Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day cookbook again and I’m absolutely loving it.  Find the recipe here. 

Enjoy your Sunday!  Personally, I’m hoping to have a lazy one. 

Needles and yarn are flying

I’m really bad at getting pictures of my finished projects.

I finished this scarf I started last year:

It was originally for me, but I left it short and Little Man now has some cold wear for a couple of years.

I also finished this scarf I had also started last year:

I gave it to my mom, though she’s not big on scarves right now. 

I started another scarf before Christmas and was finished in a week.

I gave this one to my aunt.

And look at what I got from Santa.  Circular needles and some pretty cotton yarn!  (I got some white and a pretty teal yarn as well).

I’m working on my first hat!  It’s slow going because I had to unravel it 4 times, but this time I think I’ve got it…  until it’s time to decrease stitches and close the top.  HA. 

I don’t have as much time to knit as I’d like, but I squeeze it in when I can.  The beauty of knitting is it’s easy to put down and pick up a project for 5 minutes.  

T’s Memere also gave me a bunch of her old knitting needles.  She said I’m the only one in the family who has any interest in knitting, so my needle collection grew a bit over the holidays. 

My brother has put in a request for a hat, so that will probably be my next project.

What are you working on?

Cold Weather Goals Update

My original goals can be found here.


1) Personal

• I've made it down to 150. Halloween candy was almost my downfall. But I'm half way there!
• I've lost all my images to my old computer. I haven't heard from the shop about it yet so I'm just working on some small projects and holding off a little longer on Etsy.
• I bought a small blotter to track bill due dates on. I've been updating my checkbook register once a week to track my balance. My house doesn't look like a tornado has just come through. I can live with that for now.
• My blog obviously suffered from the computer crash. The new computer is now completely set up and running (minus Quickbooks which I need to upgrade. Poo!). You should be seeing me regularly again.

2) Family

• We took Monkey to a hockey game at UMO last weekend (Little Man stayed with my GFT because it would have been too much with both kids). We've also been out to eat a couple of times. We need to find some family activities.



• Children's Creative Corner only has one update since the crash fiasco. All of my links and ideas were on the old machine so I have to do some digging. We may not have been crafty, but we have been doing all sorts of food crafts (ie, cooking).

3) Kitchen

• Still only the recipes of the week going on in the kitchen.

4) Projects

• Hanging mirror has been painted



• I have 2 of 5 wine crates stained
• I need 6 more pockets for Little Man's quilt. I found some rustic looking quilter's squares I've had for years. I'm pretty sure I'm going to use them for the front.

5) Turning house into home

• Bedroom: My dresser area has been prettified. T's dresser has been simplified. I painted his nightstand this week (with his blessing, of course). It needs baskets to organize his junk... er... stuff. I need fabric for a bed skirt. I need curtains. I currently have plant clippings rooting to add at least 1 plant to our room (I believe I'll be putting it on top of my dresser where I currently have a candle). I have a painting to hang and 2 wall sconces to paint and hang. I'm making progress.




• Bathroom: T picked up a piece of trim for me on his last trip to Home Depot. I put up a curtain hanger (it's not a rod - it's an idea I came up with and will show you as soon as I figure out curtains). I also need a new shower curtain because T got paint on my nice white one. I put in an "order" with my dad to build a shelf unit for above the toilet. Slow progress but progress nonetheless.
• Monkey's curtains have been put up.
  


• I've also put in an "order" for a bookshelf with my dad for Little Man's room. Otherwise, I haven't done anything in there yet.
• The wine crates are for the stairwell. Unfortunately, I'll be waiting on T and the drywall before I can finish.

Slow and steady. I have no intention of leaving anything unfinished on this list this year!

How are your lists coming?

Edited for an update: I heard from the computer shop after I typed this out. The old laptop is fried but they were able to pull all of my data off of it. Phew!

Cold weather goals update:

It's been a few weeks, so I guess it's time to have an update!

My goals are listed here:

1) Personal

• I'm down to 152 - 7 lbs to go!
• I've taken pictures, updated profiles, dug out business cards. In another week or 2, I'll be listing my first item[s] on etsy!
• I'm getting there on a schedule. It's going to take a few months to turn it into routine, though.
• I've been posting much more here. Again, it's going to take a few months for it to turn into a routine.

2) Family

• We've gone out for breakfast a couple of times in the past few weeks. And we've had a couple of trips to Treworgy Farms. We also participated in the Alzheimer's Memory walk together. Small activities, but we're doing them together as a family. That's all that matters.

• Monkey and I have been crafting up a storm! Children's Creative Corner was born from our craft sessions. Are they perfect? Of course not. The point is to have fun with my 2 year old, not make my house beautiful. :-)

3) Kitchen

• The Recipes of the Week keep us trying all sorts of new things.

4) Projects

• I've got one coat of paint on the hanging mirror. It's my Procrastinator's Project, so I'd better hurry up and finish. Our projects are "due" tomorrow! EEK!
• I demolished a pair of pants T was throwing away so I could have the back pockets for Little Man's hanging quilt. I also made a couple of squares out of the leg portion of the jeans, but I don't know if I'll use them on his quilt or not

5) Turning house into home

• Nothing to report on here. Yet. Give me time. I've got 2 kids to wrangle and 1 of them recently quit taking naps. I'll let you guess which one.

There you have it. I'm slowly working on things and checking items off my list. I'll get there. I refuse to leave an item unfinished this year!

Have a great day!

How's this for procrastination?

Melissa over at The Inspired Room is doing it again. She's hosting another Procrastinator's Party. You may remember last time I participated, I finished the top half of my basement stairway.

She started on October 5. Today is October 16 and I'm just taking my before picture and linking up. I've got 4 days. I can do it! I know I can! (I need to convince myself. haha).

One of my goals for this winter is to paint a couple of mirrors I've had hanging out in my basement for... well.... a few years.



This mirror in particular I found at an antiques store for $5. I couldn't pass it up. All it needs is a cleaning up and a quick paint job. So why is it still sitting in the basement?

I even have a home ready for it once it's complete.

Here's to hoping Monkey helps since she's no longer taking naps in the afternoon!

Cold Weather Goals - 2009

It's that time of year again. The air is turning crisper. The leaves are changing from a beautiful green to a beautiful array of reds, oranges and yellows. Furnaces are being turned back on and windows are being closed up tight. You know. Fall.

While we've been doing some random winter preparations around the house over the past weekend, I did a lot of thinking about what I want to accomplish this coming winter. This year, I've broken it down into five categories.

1) Personal

• Lose 10 pounds. At 10 weeks post-partum, I've lost the entire 28 lbs I gained during pregnancy and found myself 155 (yes, I just told you how much I weigh. It will keep me honest. ha). Technically speaking, I lost all of the weight in about 3 weeks. As of yesterday, I've already lost 2 of the 10 lbs I want to lose. My ultimate goal is to get down to 135, which will bring me to a healthy BMI for my height. But I've found breaking it down into 5 or 10 pound chunks makes it much easier to attain - and maintain (I've already lost 30 pounds from my heaviest, non-pregnant weight, so even if I stay right here, I'm already much better off than I was.).
• Start using my etsy site. I did all of the paperwork last fall and even have supplies for a couple handfuls of projects. Now I need to actually list items. No more talking about it. No more dilly dallying. Just freaking do it already!
• Get myself on a schedule. I've been getting overwhelmed with housework and bill paying. I can handle taking care of these tasks, I just don't have an efficient system in place. Need a system!
• My blog. I am aiming for 3-4 posts a week.

2) Family

• Institute a bi-weekly family outing. It can be as simple as spending 2 hours in the back yard playing with the chickens (NO WORKING) or going out for a hike. We had been doing this before Little Man was born, but we haven't done it in some time (other than all of the little day trips we had right before T went back to work). Our family is our top priority. We need to act the part now.
• Weekly craft projects. I want to set aside 1 afternoon a week for random craft projects with Monkey (and Little Man when he's old enough to participate). We will start this week by making our own clay - and then making a nice big mess with it!

3) Kitchen

• I will make cheese this winter.
• I will make bagels from scratch this winter.
• I will learn to make soap with the 20 pounds of pig fat we received with our pork.
• I will continue my kitchen experimentation. I considered a new recipe a day for a year, but I think that's a little much. We do enjoy take out every now and again. Or just a plain ol' pizza. Then I'd feel like a failure. So I'll just continue on with the new recipes as I have been doing since the beginning of the year.

4) Projects

• Paint frame of full length mirror
• Paint frame of hanging mirror
• Stain wine crates
• Make hanging quilt for Little Man (like the one I made Monkey)
• Knitting

5) Turning house into home

• Our bedroom has not been finished. The walls are still empty, we still have no curtains, we need a bed skirt, you get the point. Finish.
• Our bathroom has not been finished. The walls are still empty, we still have no curtains, random trim has not been put back, you get the point. Finish.
• Hang Monkey's curtains. Hello. It's been since January. Just do it.
• Little Man's bedroom isn't finished. Deck it out for a little boy. Need a bookshelf (hopefully I can talk my Dad into building one like he did for Monkey).
• Complete the stairwell. T will be putting up drywall. I want to finish this.

I like having something to work towards. And I love having a list to scribble on. It feels so fantastic to cross something off!

Have a great day!