marci lambert photography

You are an heirloom | Memphis glamour & boudoir photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:56:00 +0000

Whenever I meet with a client I always ask how they plan on using the images from their session. Some people know right away and others have to think about it. In my Beautiful You sessions, I remind women that it's okay to display yourself in your home, and I show lots of examples how. For instance, I love the black & white framed version of Karen. It's beautiful and timeless. I can imagine her daughter hanging it in her own home years from now and showing it to her own children. It's not a snapshot; it's a piece of art that can be handed down.

When your children grow up and look through the family photos, are they going to find any of you? What will they lose out on because you didn't take the time to honor yourself, and your place in the family? You don't have to be the perfect weight or have the perfect hair to get a great portrait. I can bring in a hair & makeup expert and pose you in flattering ways (check out the Before & After in the Portfolio) . And you'll enjoy the experience.

Beautiful You sessions are for two and include professional hair & makeup. Reserve your session today by calling Marci at 901-568-0211.

Margret turns 11 and graduates | Memphis photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:18:00 +0000

Yes, Margret turned 11 last week. Then she graduated. From elementary school. But still. I'm not one to wish my babies were still actual babies, but this is all giving me pause. I normally don't feel as old as my actual age, but lately I'm feeling older than I've ever felt. That girl up there is my eleven-year-old child. Yet, look at her. I don't think I looked that good at 11. Or 16. Or now.

After we picked out her graduation dress and tested curling her hair, she sweetly let me do a mini portrait session with her. I'm lucky that my kids don't run when I get out the camera and aim it toward them.

Mine will give me ideas and smile on cue as long as I don't go on for too long.

Yes, I know how lucky I am.

These were the photos that struck me the most: her perfectly poised walk up and back down the aisle on graduation day. She just looked...perfect. And I could get a glimpse of the young woman she's going to become. Whether I'm ready for it or not.

She's still the girl who wants me to kiss her goodnight, and play DrawSomething and take her out for YoLo. I'm hoping I can hold on to that for a few more years.

Beautiful Lisa | Memphis glamour photography

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:11:00 +0000

I have known the lovely Lisa for years and I was very excited to photograph her for a Beautiful You session recently. She is the rare adult who likes having her picture taken. Which just makes my job more fun. But like most clients, she was a bit nervous about seeing the results.

So with her friend, Aimee (who was also photographed the same day) she got to see her images. And she loved them. Really, really loved them. Lisa lives in a house full of boys and I think she embraced the idea of being completely pampered for a few hours. All my clients tell me that the energy they get from a Beautiful You session lasts throughout the day...and sometimes the whole week. They say it changes how they see themselves and how they feel about themselves. For a few hours they aren't someone's wife/mother/employee. They get to be just a woman again. How valuable is that?

Want to experience a Beautiful You for two session? The fee includes professional hair and makeup for two people. Click here for more information. Or call 901-568-0211.

Miss C | Memphis Senior Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:43:00 +0000

This lovely girl was back in middle school when we first met her family. Now she's about to graduate from high school and begin her grown-up life. I've often asked her mother for advice on raising two girls and while she's quick to roll her eyes, she also reminds me what a joy they are. While photographing C and her friend, I could hear the pride in her mom's voice when she talked about her. Raising a girl isn't always easy. But look at the result when you do it right.

Congratulations, C! Go take on the world!

Beautiful Aimee | Memphis glamour photography

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:46:00 +0000

Aimee and her good friend, Lisa, came in for a Beautiful You for Two session recently and I'll have to say that I love, love, love her images. Of course, she's already beautiful; that's no surprise. She also did a fabulous job in bringing in a variety of clothing and jewelry, and she really enjoyed the complimentary hair and makeup. So much so that she may or may not be the owner of false eyelashes now. I'm not sure I'm allowed to disclose that information.

The best part of the whole experience was watching her see her images for the first time. She admitted she was nervous. She doesn't like to have her photo taken (most adults don't). But all that went away when she saw herself in a whole new way. She loved them. Like, every single one. We talked about how these were images that she could imagine hanging in her home. Then she was able to think about how a portrait from this type of session could hang in her children's homes years from now and be shown to their grandchildren. It's pretty incredible when a woman realizes she's an heirloom. When she realizes she matters.

And that happens every time I have a Beautiful You session. My client suddenly sees herself in a brand new light and she feels confident. Maybe for the first time in a long time. And it's nothing short of incredible. Every single time.

Want to experience a Beautiful You for Two session? Click here for more information.

Last chance for Mother's Day | Memphis glamour photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Need a last minute gift for mom? How about a Beautiful You for two? You both get professional hair and makeup and your own separate portrait sessions. It's a chance to feel beautiful, glamorous, lovely. And it's a wonderful way to show your mom how much you appreciate her.

Call now and you can get a discount on the fee. You can go ahead and schedule your session now, or just purchase a gift certificate. But don't wait; I have a limited number of sessions available!

Call Marci at 901-568-0211 for more information.

Baby L | Memphis baby photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:48:00 +0000

I had a wonderful time photographing this sweet girl for the third time (first as a newborn, and now she's on my Baby's First Year plan). Right on schedule for the second BFY session, she can sit up and she has the most delightful smile. Easygoing, she was very tolerant of clothing changes and new environment. I can't wait to see her for the final one-year-old session!

Baby's First Year includes three sessions from six weeks to 13 months and a gift with the last session. Call Marci at 901-568-0211 for more information, or click here for more information.

Baby Expo 2012 | Memphis baby photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Last Saturday I got to stand in my very own MLP booth at the MidSouth Baby Expo. Before I was a photographer, I worked in marketing and advertising. I have planned and staffed many booths, but this was the first one with my name on it. It felt like a big deal.

John and Liz helped me work it and we were busy the entire time: handing out Muddy's cupcakes, taking entries for the $500 gift certificate drawing and getting to know many, many soon-to-be and new moms and dads. It was a lot of work to get ready for it, and I was more than tired that evening. But I was also happy to see my business take on a new challenge and continue to grow. Looking forward to seeing what's next...

Beautiful You for Mother's Day | Memphis glamour photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Imagine a photo shoot where you get your hair and makeup professionally done. Where you bring your most fabulous clothing and accessories. And you are coached through lovely poses that flatter and compliment who are you. Now imagine that times two and you've got a Beautiful You session. Bring your sister, your mom, your daughter, your friend and let yourself be pampered.
And for the next few days, you can save on the session fee. If you book your session by April 27, the fee for two is just $199. You can go ahead and schedule your session, or just purchase a gift certificate. But don't wait; I have a limited number of sessions available!

Call Marci at 901-568-0211 for more information.

Beautiful You for two | Memphis glamour photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Just a few more days to get my Beautiful You for two special: it's a $149 session fee for both of you and it includes professional hair and make up for both. Tell your sister, your mom or a friend and then plan to go out afterward--because you'll look spectacular. Later, you'll have beautifully finished art for your home: a wonderful way to remember an exceptional experience. Not ready for a session right now? Totally okay. Just purchase the $149 gift certificate and use later.

But call soon. This special offer ends Friday, April 13. 901-568-0211.

Need to see more? Go here.

Beautiful You by Marci Lambert: the movie | Memphis photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:09:00 +0000

Take a look at some of my Beautiful You images. And ring me up if it's time to do yours...

Marci Lambert 901-568-0211

A great idea for Mother's Day | Memphis photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:35:00 +0000

I've revamped my Beautiful You sessions to make them even better. Now they are for two: two friends, two sisters, a mom and daughter, your favorite cousin. And you both get hair and makeup included in the session fee. You still get to bring a selection of outfits, and the "boudoir" part is optional (as it's always been). One of you will get made up while the other is photographed in a separate area.

I'm so excited about offering this that I've created a special just in time for Mother's Day. If you book your session by April 15, the fee for two is just $149. You can go ahead and schedule your session, or just purchase a gift certificate. But don't wait; I have a limited number of sessions available!

Call Marci at 901-568-0211 for more information.

Beautiful You | Memphis glamour & boudoir portraits

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:01:00 +0000

So I've been doing boudoir photography for a few years, and I love it. I love making gorgeous images of women and helping them feel great about themselves. "Boudoir" photos can sound a little unseemly, but I've always emphasized looking glamorous and elegant over looking, well, dirty. I don't do dirty pictures. I don't photograph couples. I don't photograph semi-nude men (and yes, I've gotten calls to do all of the above). I make women look beautiful. Hence the name of my session: "Beautiful You".

I knew that I wanted to build this part of my business this year so I've invested in some education and I've hit upon broadening these types of sessions into glamour portraits. Not cheesy GlamourShots of the past, but really beautiful, natural light sessions. Ones that include hair and makeup in the session fee. Ones that have high quality wall art, albums and mounted prints. Ones that are still fun and empowering. If a client wants to go in a boudoir direction, that's fine. But if she just wants some beautiful portraits of herself, I've got that covered.

The image above is from a session I did this weekend with a few of my friends. It's exactly what I'm going for, both in terms of the image and all the fun we had making it. More info to come.

Home: Studio windows

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:36:00 +0000

I was happy to get back to my paint last week, after taking a few weekends off from home projects. The last paint project in the studio was to paint the window trim behind the curtain. I use those windows as a giant light box for some photo sessions, so I wanted to minimize the dark frames.

I taped around the inside and outside on Thursday, then on Friday I was able to prime and add two coats of paint. Each coat took about an hour and I was able to spread the project out during the day. I'm so happy to have it done. And so happy that I can start painting other areas of the house now...

The S Family | Memphis family photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:25:00 +0000

I'm so far behind in blogging my sessions that this family has had their second baby since I took these last fall. What a completely sweet family, with a darling little girl. I'm sure she is thrilled that she's got a little brother now. And I'm looking forward to seeing them all at the studio in a few weeks for a new family session. More to come...

Gone fishin' | Memphis photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:56:00 +0000

My girls' spring break officially kicks off this afternoon and I'm going to put work on the back burner for a few days. I'm truly looking forward to this time with my family to have fun and to rejuvenate. I've got some exciting things on the horizon and can't wait to share.

Meanwhile, hug your family and enjoy every moment with them.

Beautiful Deb | Memphis boudoir photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:12:00 +0000

Here are a few images from a boudoir session with the lovely Deb. I tend not to show many, because of concerns for privacy, but I love these so much and Deb agreed I could share. I recently spent some time watching a photographer talk about glamour photography. Not quite the same as boudoir, but they are definitely related. I realized that I already have an interest in creating beautiful photos of women and now my head is filled with ideas on how to expand this section of my business.

One of the things I hear all the time from my boudoir clients is how great the session made them feel. A glamour session does the same thing: makes women feel beautiful. I can't wait to update you on the changes I'll be making.

Home: the garden.

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:59:00 +0000

In preparation for spring, we hired E Scape to freshen up the courtyard. John and I have hammered away at it since we moved in 18 months ago, but let's face it. We are not gardeners. If you need photography or someone to hookup your electronics, call us. But you do not want us making decisions about what to plant in your yard.

This is what it looked like when we moved in (above). Pretty scary. John and I did manage to remove several plants and add sod in the middle bed. We also added a few things (some worked, others didn't). Then we just hit a plateau where we couldn't figure out what to do next.

What I love about Kalki and E Scapes is that he was able to present us with a plan and then complete all the work within a few weeks, start to finish. He also has great ideas for other parts of our yard that we'll work on in stages. For now, I'm getting excited about getting to use the area for portrait sessions in the next few months.

Glamour Audrey | Memphis photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:46:00 +0000

This weekend I've been watching a webinar on glamour photography and I was able to convince Audrey to let me try a few things. Actually, that's a lie. She only agreed to let me snap three frames. Three frames! But I will take what I can get and got her set up (note: I moved a chair and threw a rug on it. That's it.).

And here's what I got. I love it. All natural light. An expression and posing that I talked her through. Love, love, love. Can't wait to try this out on my clients. Spring is going to be fabulous.

Home: Always painting.

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:58:00 +0000

At the beginning of the year I decided that I was going to reorganize many areas of our home. Our rush to move in meant we had jammed things here and there, and I was tired of spending too much time looking for stuff. We've tackled the laundry room, the garage, Audrey's closet, bathroom supplies, school papers and a place to hang our coats. It's going splendidly. I truly feel like I'm giving myself more time by having an organized home.

For the last few weeks, I've turned my attention to the studio. Which is a constantly evolving space. And since it is a money-making area of our home, ideally we can use the income generated here for other projects around the house (and I have plenty in mind).

When I first planned this room, I met with a painter. I told him I wanted the whole thing Swiss Coffee. Walls and trim. Everything except the beams and fireplace. He looked at me like I was crazy. And it turned out that he couldn't meet my schedule so I ended up not using him. I figured I could do it myself (with John's help).

It turns out that I have, but I have done it stages over the last year. First the walls (below the peaks), then the door, then the peaks, then the fireplace. In between we added new furniture, shelves, lighting and window treatments. Two weekends ago I finally tackled the built-in, above. We took out the smoked glass shelves, painted it and put in new white shelves. I also took the time to organize my packaging, framing tools and marketing materials. The change is tremendous. The white makes it feel bigger and it's so much brighter. I have debated painting the cabinet doors, but the wood is really pretty and I think I would have a hard time covering it up. If the wood were plain I'd have no problem with slapping on some more oil-based primer and three coats of white. It's not completely out of the question, but I'm holding off for now.

I also finally painted all the wood trim around the ceiling and floor. I've put it off because it involves using a ladder (and getting very close to a very high ceiling) and having John's help (I climb and paint, he holds the ladder). It also involved lots of caulking, because once I painted I could see lots of cracks between the walls and trim. But I kept going and finished everything last Monday.

And I completely love it. These were relatively small changes, but they had a big impact.

Keep in mind, this (above) is what it looked like less than 18 months ago.

This is the view from my desk. Beautiful. No visual break between the walls and the ceiling. I feel like the room just got 20% bigger. That look on Margret's face? She's telling me I shouldn't have painted the trim because now it looks like a hospital in here. Dude. You are so wrong. You can't have enough white paint.

The light coming in is even more gorgeous now. Although, I'm thinking I need to paint the window trim. Not the high part, or the beams, just the part behind the curtains. Nice, crisp white. It would just take one weekend of work. And you wouldn't see the dark frames. Just lots of beautiful white. I'm still debating. Let me know if you have an opinion.

Here's one more spot where you can see a difference in the trip, up by the ceiling and around the door. I've also made another great change here: I've added an assistant to help with bookkeeping and other projects. I love having this space for her.

It did occur to me that I have done exactly what I envisioned from the start, but with considerably more work involved. If I were to do it all again, I would do a coat of oil-based primer on everything from the trim down to the baseboards. Then I would caulk all the cracks. Then I would paint three coats of Swiss Coffee eggshell on the walls. Finally, I would put 2-3 coats of Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss on the trim. And it would look just like it does right now. But it would have been less work.

Still, I reserve the right to change my mind during home improvement so maybe I wouldn't have exactly the same room I currently have. And I'm happy where I am.

A Valentine's Day mini-session for the kids | Memphis family photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Cute kids deserve custom Valentine's cards. For just $99 you get a 20-minute studio session and set of 25 cards. Other products also available. But call soon; I only have a limited number of sessions.

Valentine's Special | Memphis boudoir photographer

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Everyone has been asking me about a boudoir portrait special. It's here! These mini-sessions are 45 minutes at my studio and include a beautiful printed folio with your choice of three images. Other products also available. But call soon; I only have a limited number of sessions.

Home: Garage Reorganization

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:14:00 +0000

This past weekend I continued my quest for an organized home. When we moved in about a year and a half ago, I think we just jammed everything in wherever we could. The result is that we've lived in semi-chaos since then. We have trouble knowing where to put certain things, or we have similar things in more than one place. I decided that we needed to fix that this year.

I also wanted to start with projects I knew I could finish in a few days so I'd feel like I'd accomplished something (I love nothing more than crossing something off one of my many lists). After my success with the laundry room, I decided that the garage would be next. Behold, the photo above: an organized garage at last. Let me just say that I'm so glad the garage was painted white before we moved in, because I would have wanted to paint it white. I think it makes it much more of a "room" and it doesn't feel gloomy at all.

I forgot to take a real "before" photo. This one is more "during". All this stuff had lived in the garage and adjoining utility room. Some of it we kept, some went to Goodwill and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and some went on the curb. Most of which disappeared within 24 hours.

We had several things leaning up against the wall, or hanging precariously on random nails in the wall. I had the idea to take some pegboard that was left here and use it to store tools on the wall. John greatly improved that idea by getting a garage rack system called Gladiator. You install the track on the wall, then add various hooks. Above, we have two lengths of track, with the option of adding more if we want. I totally love getting this stuff up off the floor and in one space.

Here's a closeup of the hooks. They are awesome. It's a much cleaner look than pegboard and also much stronger.

We used to have recycling and items to be donated in two different areas. So I set up a dedicated recycling station. We recycle so much stuff every week that the city gave us an extra bin a few years back (I get a lot of cardboard boxes shipped to me and we cut those down to recycle). John splits up the plastic and paper/cardboard each week. The boxes on top are for future Goodwill donations. Just below them are trays for old ink cartridges and other items that need special recycling. The doors to the left are the utility room, which will be getting its own makeover down the road. We were able to clear out several things that don't belong in there, though.

Sadly, we moved the left-behind refrigerator that was in the utility room (it was plugged in via an extension cord and we wanted it closer to the outlet) and inadvertently did something to it that caused it to stop cooling. RIP, beer fridge. We will look for a replacement soon. Once you have that second fridge, it's hard to not have it anymore.

On to the next area. We had these racks on the right in the garage already, but I didn't like the way they were organized. We also had some of the kids' outdoor stuff in the utility room, in such a way that they couldn't get to it. So all their stuff is now on these shelves. Please note the bottom two shelves on the right: my painting supplies. It's my favorite part.

I also love the part to the right of the main door. We had no real place to put jackets, umbrellas, the dog's leash, sports shoes and baseball caps. Now we do. I had John add two sets of coat hooks on the wall. I also set up the tall shelving unit (last seen in the laundry room) with blue and green fabric bins to hold scarves, gloves, hats, etc. Now we have a place to grab a jacket--or leave one--that doesn't take up room in the house. This is major. I used to hang my coat on a closet doorknob. The girls' coats wound up in a different place every day, which does not make for smooth school mornings. We have a small coat closet but it's not close to the garage. It's a good place to store coats, but not the ones we are currently using. Now we know where the coats are supposed to live.

One more thing: the dresser on the right was mine when I was a kid. We don't have a spot for it in the house right now, but I think someday it will be Audrey's (it has a matching full-size bed). I have visions of painting it a funky color. That thud you just heard was my mother dropping over in horror from that last sentence.

Our favorite part of the whole effort is the work bench we created. These old metal cabinets were in the utility room. I thought they would make a great place to store tools, and to serve as a work surface for the projects I dream up. So I painted them white. I truly think they were the original kitchen cabinets (there's another in the laundry room that I also painted). The girls were just horrified to imagine that these were in the kitchen at one time.

Originally we had talked about different options: buying a work bench, looking for a set of old kitchen cabinets, building something. Ultimately, I'm thrilled we could use what we already had.

I bolted them together and used oil-based primer first (after spending quite a bit of time scrubbing them clean). Then I painted them Swiss Coffee. One of the handles was broken and I've ordered some new ones. Nothing fancy, of course. It is still a garage. The cabinets had a thick piece of plywood on top of them, which we've decided to keep (we talked about getting a piece of counter cut, similar to what is in the laundry room). Although it needs to be trimmed down and sanded. I'll get to that soon. Still looking for a best friend with serious woodworking tools.

John added a set of shelves above the bench and clipped a work light on them. We haven't really used it yet, but we both love it. We also love how easy it is to walk through the garage now. It's a big room, but now it feels big. And I know where everything is.

We spent a bit more on this area than I thought we would ($20 for coat hooks, $28 for blue and green fabric bins, $60 for track and hooks, $35 for shelving materials and $15 for cabinet handles for a total of $158). I already had the paint for the cabinets and used various containers that I already had.

I know that if I had done this early on, I probably would have tossed those cabinets and bought something new. Now I'm glad I waited and thought things through. I love my garage!

Home: the $25 Laundry Room facelift.

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:32:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've posted a Home project. Mainly because it's been awhile since I've been able to work on house projects. The fall is my busiest time of year, and despite my original intention of getting everything in this house painted by the end of 2011, work and family came first.

I had hoped to take off a good two weeks or so around the holidays, but ended up working right up until Christmas Eve and a little the following week. Meanwhile, unfinished projects swirled through my head, making me absolutely nuts. I hate unfinished/half-finished projects. We don't have a ton to do this house, but I have more painting and lots more organizing to do. It seems that in the rush to move in, we threw piles of stuff here and there and have been slow to figure out where everything really goes.

Welcome to 2012. It's time to get it all figured out.

I started with a notebook. I have written down a project or room, one per page, and have started listing the tasks involved with getting it completed. The first thing was my gift wrap station that John gave me for Christmas. I've found that I have been keeping related items in more than one place which is time-consuming and just plain dumb. In 30 minutes I had all my gift wrapping stuff together and ready to go. Check one project off the list.

For my next project, I wanted something that I didn't have to spend much on, but would get a big bang for the buck. The laundry room has been a source of incompleteness since we moved in. It was the very first room I painted (Valspar's Water Fountain in eggshell). Like, I drove from the closing directly to this house with paint supplies in my car. It originally looked like the left:

Really? I would cry if I had to do laundry in that room. It is the saddest laundry room of all time. So I quickly pulled down the ratty metal cabinets (slightly visible, far left) and got to painting. It was a nice cheery blue and I quickly moved on to the kitchen after just one coat of paint (I had planned to paint five rooms in five days. I didn't make it). Later, John took down some cabinets on the opposite wall and installed shelving for me. It helped. So did the outdoor rug I picked up at Lowe's. That floor is just plain nasty.

But I didn't take the time to redo the paint back then (look closely and you'll see some areas where the paint looks thin). Margret told me she didn't notice the white parts of the wall. Um, I did. Also, the ceiling and laundry chute were painted in what I believe is Dingy Gray. My least favorite color. So the first thing I did this weekend after prepping the walls was to paint the ceiling and chute (Valspar's Swiss Coffee in eggshell). Ahhh. Much better.

I had also moved a cabinet in to help me with sorting laundry. I evicted it this weekend. Wasn't working for me. Sometimes you have to try and see.

But the biggest change was this side of the room. There's an old metal cabinet (maybe original to the kitchen?) that was beige on the front and aqua (the original color) on the side. And a piece of laminate countertop just lays on top. I had thought about getting rid of the cabinet but didn't have anything else to put there, plus it's convenient for John when he gives Lexi a bath in the sink. So if you can't ditch it, paint it, right?

I used (oil-based) Kilz to prime the sink base and cabinet, then painted them both Swiss Coffee (satin finish) a few times (the cabinet isn't mounted to the wall so I was able to pull it out and paint the sides). I also took a stab at cleaning the old stickers off the sink. I assumed that they must be difficult to remove after all these years, otherwise someone else would have done it. Nope. A little 409 and a paint scraper and they were history.

The effort was well worth it. Even better after I bought a can of stainless steel finish spray paint and sprayed the countertop (it is also not mounted; I just picked it up and moved it to the garage). I looked for new cabinet hardware, but these handles are 3.5" on center, which is tough to find. I decided that I can live with them. I've certainly seen worse. The cabinet now houses my sewing supplies.

I touched up the unpainted areas of the wall, then gave everything a fresh coat. Much, much better. Above the sink I organized all dog-related items. Yes, Lexi gets purple towels. Across the room I organized all laundry, cleaning and paper products. Again, we had these things in a few different places but now they are all together.

I also made several other small improvements: I spray painted the ceiling vent and outlet covers in Satin Nickel, I hung a clock below the long shelves, I added a doorstop so the new doorknob (that I installed -- my first!) wouldn't hit the countertop, and I spray-painted a coffee can to hold the plunger. The previous owners had left quite a fancy little homemade plunger caddy, but I opted for something more simple. You can see the old one above next to the sink base. A new light fixture had always been on my list for this room. Lucky for me my dad bought me a new one and installed it on a recent visit. The room is anything but dingy now.

I started this whole thing on New Year's Day (Sunday) and finished Tuesday. I had everything on hand, except the stainless steel finish spray paint, the doorknob, doorstop and some hooks, all of which I picked up for $25 at Lowe's this morning. And I did all the work myself. John was thrilled to be mostly excused from this one.

I still need to get him to hang those hooks and a paper towel holder. And eventually I'd like to get a tall faucet installed on the sink. But for now we are considering this room completed. Next up? Garage organization. I can't wait until Saturday! Ready, John?

Happy New Year 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (marci lambert) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hope your year is wonderful! Check out what we made just for you: click here.