the diy nurse

why we are giving up suburbia for the unknown

2014-07-01T17:16:00.003-05:00

Four years ago, at the ripe age of 23, I became a homeowner. I never lived on my own or even rented an apartment. I went from living at home, to living in a dorm with a roommate, to living at home, to owning a home. I was happy to skip what I considered an unnecessary step and jump feet first into home ownership.

I worked my way up the nursing ladder as far as I could with my associates degree and realized how unhappy I was. How unhappy we were as a couple. Everyone I worked with seemed to be miserable and I felt like I had little control over my job. We weren’t happy with what this small town had to offer us. I had racked up debt, being unfamiliar with budgets and something called “saving.” What’s that for anyways?

Turns out its good for things like home ownership. And life. I got used to relying on plastic for mini bailouts. And although I loved making my home fit our needs, we never felt right about something. A few things that took awhile to put our fingers on. The biggest two things were that we never felt like we fit in in our own town and that we craved traveling in a way we never had before.

via

It sounds so weird coming from me. I’ve lived in the Shenandoah Valley for my whole life and have rarely ventured far. I never dreamed of living elsewhere and when Oscar mentioned living out of the country when we first got married, I flinched. Surely he didn’t expect me to leave all of my family and friends for some questionable foreign country?! Nevermind that he did the same with no complaints.

It was something that sat in the back of my mind. I agreed that this area didn’t really fit into how we pictured our lives but was that really a good enough reason to leave? People stare when we run because physical activity is not a priority in these areas. I’m not trying to fit everyone into one basket here, but I was made fun of by a neighbor for running [not how I did it, just the fact that I was doing such a thing]. Sometimes people stare at what I can only imagine is the difference in our skin color. There aren’t close beaches which is something we both want to live close to and the winters can be harsh. Winter hasn’t been fun since I was 12. There were plenty of things to celebrate about my hometown [gateway to the Skyline Drive!] but we found the negativity and close mindedness we encountered regularly to be stifling. We craved excitement, change, new things, and choices. Choices! Like beyond Chili vs. TGIFridays. Oh the humanity!

Oscar kind of let the whole living abroad [or anywhere else] thing go and I don’t think he realized how much I was mulling it over. Now, I still have yet to get my passport [um I gotta get on that] and even if we want to live abroad, it isn’t on the agenda for a few years. But my attitudes towards it have changed so much. I realized how much I didn’t feel fulfilled in this area. At times it felt the only good thing was my friends and family that lived nearby. I know there’s a lot more than that and I may not fully enjoy those things until I move away. But our surroundings don’t reflect us.

via

So although a life as an expat is our “ending” goal, we have quite a journey until we get there. My career as a nurse offers up the opportunity to travel. I left my local job to travel for different companies. I’ve been in Philadelphia for almost a year at the same job and I just signed on for 13 weeks at a hospital in Virginia, close to home. Our house went on the market a few weeks ago. This is the point where I’m overwhelmed with questions. Questions I don’t always have an answer to.

No we aren’t buying again, at least not for awhile. We are putting some of our stuff in storage and selling the rest. We are going to use my job to travel the country. My company will find places to put us up in or we can take care of it ourselves which I will prefer so that there’s more money in my pocket. Or we can travel in an RV. Ha! We are excited to pick new places to explore, to have control in picking the shifts I work and the amount of call I take.

Its taken a good year of prepping the house and finishing projects. A year of pondering this decision and if we could do it, are we up to it? A year of second guessing and I-cant-wait-until-we-do-its. A year of feeling like we were going nowhere towards our dreams. And now it seems as though it’s almost all in front of us.

via

I have no idea how we will manage to travel with two cats, a dog, and not go insane. I have no idea how we will fit everything we need into one vehicle alone. I have no idea how we will adjust to constantly living life on the go but I think all that really matters is that we are on the same page and we are EXCITED! We want to pay off our debt, save, and put that leftover money towards living experiences instead of collecting things. Things that only seem to clutter life and make it more complicated. We are excited to redefine needs and wants.

I dont know what will happen to this blog. I feel like I’ll be cutting it off right as I had started to get somewhere. But after months of hemming and hawing, I’m over it. I’m over the stress of something that was meant to be fun. We will have a separate travel blog for fun, for documentation of our travels. But I hope to be back one day and I hope you follow our journey and where it takes us. I can only ask that you don’t judge too harshly. I know the lifestyle we are embarking in is not for everyone and is rather alternative. And I hope you can join us for the crazy ride it’s sure to be :)

may #give2014

2014-05-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Please forgive me for how late this #give2014 post is! May kinda sideswiped me and I'm still all 'whha?' I mean really. If life were a car I'd be slamming on the brakes while screaming "noooo I'm not ready. tooooo fast!" Kinda like drivers ed. If you're Jonathan Hudson. Oh yea, Jonathan, I'm calling you out 10 plus years later. When the drivers ed teacher has to use his pair of brakes, it's memorable.

So in celebration of all of my ...unique adventures only being witnessed by my husband, let's get to this whole donating thing. I will admit that money has been tight and that at times, this whole $100 a month thing can get a little obnoxious. Like, do I really have to? But here's the thing, I do. In the grand scheme of things, I make a lot of money. I have a roof over my head and although I may have financial worries, I'm not worried about my next meal. Or in this month's case, clean water. Which makes this whole giving thing way easier. I mean really... what was I bitching about again?

I think it's not totally necessary for me to go into this one much. Clean water is a necessity. Every human should have access to it. Ummm... yeah. I used The Water Project and even went a little over, giving $115 which gives enough clean water for one family. Why not, eh? Here's another site that lists other charities to choose from as well as this one. I hope that one of these posts will tug on someones heart somewhere and that you will be moved to donate to a charity that means something to you. Take care.

weekend review: mothers day

2014-05-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend was another one where few projects in the house were touched. But it's okay because I spent the day with my mom and it was wonderful! Last year we went to Staunton, Va and this year mom picked Frederick, Maryland. It's become a new tradition to hang out all day and make memories instead of buying gifts for Mother's day and I love it. So much easier for the person that has everything too ;)

After picking Frederick my mom happened to do a little online searching and found out that the exact day we planned to attend, there was a Celtic festival taking place. It's like the universe knew we were coming. My family is big into our Irish and Scottish heritage so we felt like it was a sign from above.

It was a pretty typical set up. Small vendors that we ventured through. Celtic games/competitions of super fit men and women throwing things, alternative Celtic bands, and herding dogs that were running around sheep [adorable alert]. I was proud that I tried a new to me food for breakfast. It's a bridie which is basically a flaky pastry full of a meat mixture, onions, and spices. I'm a very picky person and I always have to push myself to try new things so I was patting myself on the back for this one. I eat meat all the time but when its meat in a new form my suspicions are peaked. Yeah... I'm ridiculous. It wasn't bad by any means, but I'm not sure it's one I'd eat again.

Next, we went to a yarn shop that my mom had found online. She's big into knitting so anytime we go to a new place she's all over it. I don't mind because I love to look at the colors and pet the yarn, picturing things I would do if I ever had the patience for such a thing. But this store blew away my expectations. It was set in a gorgeous older home converted to a shop with offices upstairs [I had to go to the "bathroom" and totally used that moment to explore more].

The place is called The Knot House if you're interested.

Isn't that the cutest "sign" ever? Just those cardboard letters from craft stores wrapped in yarn. Genius. I so appreciate a store that has great design. Am I the only one that constantly redesigns an ugly restaurant? My brain never stops.

There was a couch with this huge blanket resting on it. I've seen the huge knitting needles and yarn sold online before to make something like this but it was so awesome to see it in person. There was petting going on.

Now check out that sexy door, hardware, and staircase. Again, petting. I'm such a sucker for a good wooden staircase.

Oh and those built in bookcases! So detailed and beautiful. At first I assumed it wasn't original to the house but then the built in air vent had me second guessing that. I should've asked.

Isn't that scale display the cutest? And the chair is so fun. It was a great way to spend some time waiting for the storm to pass. Which by the way, had rolled in minutes after we got to our car when we were done with the Celtic festival. Fate, I'm tellin ya.

We went to lunch at Magoo's, an Irish pub, which was nice. We then walked the town and I have to share some adorable goodies at a few stores we stopped in. The Muse was the first place and there was a lot of 'oooohing' and 'ahhhhing.'

How fun is that Star Wars door mat? And all of the pottery below is by 'Clay by Laura.'

I love the Frederick postcards that each represented the town in a different season. So sweet and a perfect thing to frame if you lived there. You can find the artist here.

I was in love with this jewelry from Amira Mednick. I found her shop on Etsy and I've been drooling and dreaming ever since. Her lines are organic and earthy but oh so fun.

I was in love with this modern day phonebook! I think you could totally do a DIY version if you were really motivated. It doesn't fit into my future traveling lifestyle so I left it behind.

We also dropped into a rock shop named Earthly Elements. We had to stop. I was big into rock and gem collecting when I was younger and my love for it is still deep. This place had gems galore, fossils, and all kinds of oddities. There was even fossilized poo which I had a fun time looking at. It's the nurse in me I suppose.

We wandered down and found an ice cream shop that we couldn't resist [check out that tin ceiling]. What better way to top off a perfect day before going home and collapsing? It was actually a Pizza and Pretzel shop that happened to serve ice cream. I totally regret not getting the sugar and cinnamon pretzel but I was dealing with a huge milkshake. I ordered the large, feeling confident and saucey. The girl did a double take and was like "okay but that's the large one..." whilst pointing at the largest cup. And I was all like... "yeah, I know." Shameless. Don't go makin me feel guilty, woman!

So how did you spend your Mother's Day weekend? Any fun traditions? Anyone else recently discover a local gem?

homearama 2014, part II

2014-05-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

So I'm back with more of the model homes! Thank goodness these posts were so photo heavy that I had to split them into two posts ;) Read: we had no other house progress so this is it. I spent the weekend doing anything but staying home and doing projects and then passing out from sheer exhaustion. Oh well! That's the life of the diy-er sometimes.

This house had a great kitchen. I love me some dual color cabinets. And I thought the paneling/coffered ceiling was easy to recreate since it was a flat piece of trim. I think the exterior was one of my favorites as well.

Check out that ceiling guys- its stunning! And when we found the bench in the bathroom Katie was literally "but what is it?" I was all like "it's obviously a bench." As I was proving myself wrong she opened the right side which revealed a laundry chute. I literally heard her gasp and worried for a second, wondering if she had any gum in her mouth and if I was I going to have to do the heimlich. Luckily, my nursing duties remained off duty and we went to YHL's house next. But really, laundry chutes sell guys!

It was by far the best house and I'm not just saying that. When we were driving there I suddenly got worried. What if it was a disappointment? What if the rest of the house wasn't as good? I have no idea why I worried. It was stellar.

I wish I could share the rest but Sherry hasn't revealed the remaining parts of the house yet so I won't. But guys, it's gorgeous. It was the only home that took real risks. The one I could see myself living in for real. It screamed hip, young, and modern. There were pops of color and the wall colors were gorgeous but yet they let the accessories do the talking. And I was so happy to see fun pieces of art. I felt the rest of the homes just found whatever from tjmaxx or something. Not that there's anything wrong with that but it lacked personality. John and Sherry made our 2.5 hour ride there worth it [and even the traffic afterwards].

What was your favorite part? Anything you'd do differently?

homearama 2014

2014-05-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we took a break from the mundane tasks left around the house and headed out to take a look at the model homes for Homearama. I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Please forgive any shoddy camera work. It was uber packed and I was happy to get a photo that wasn't blurry or full of people. So settings and perfect lighting didn't happen in the slightest. I'll be back Thursday with more too but for now, here's some spaces for you to enjoy!

The first home was very rustic and reminded of us a fancy lodge you'd pay big bucks to stay in for a weekend in Aspen or something. It wasn't my favorite style but it had such great detail. The wooden floors had little squares embedded within and the double sided fireplace was gorgeous. And those coffered ceilings! Each house had impeccable trim work.

The next house had some cute features too like the reading bench built into the landing of two staircases, separating them. Our animals would never leave that spot. I was blown away with the amount of windows and natural light in each home. I thought the kid's room with the wall of cork was great too. Perfect for the moody teenager and their constantly rotating collection of Hanson posters. Err... what is it these days? Bieber? Sorry... he's banned. Better settle for One Direction while they're still together.

This house was probably one of my favorites. I loved the mix of antiques. These knobs are amazing and reminded me of horns or something worldly. The rugs killed me in every room. And that credenza ... oh how I wanted it! The living room chairs were leather and I wish I had gotten a better detail shot. The texture was like a tortoise shell or something and it was gorgeous.

And check out that armoire in the bathroom. I love that mixed with the claw foot tub. The sliding door done with an antique door was so unique.

I loved this outdoor set. The cane chair, zinc top and live edge bench was a killer combo too. And I think that the settee is a crib that was altered. Did ya notice the sink in the laundry room? Did ya?! It's one of those enamel stock pots turned into the basin part of the sink.

Can't wait to share the rest with you on Thursday. Have a great week!

the wizard of oz party

2014-04-29T05:30:00.000-05:00

So you may remember last year when my friend partook in Taste for Books. It's a local competition benefiting the library. Each group picks a book and competes in food, table decor, and costume. Last year was Peter Pan and this year was The Wizard of Oz. I'm so psyched to share you what they cooked up.

There's so much goodness I just don't know where to begin. Can we talk about this amazing handmade tornado?! That sentence is totally throwing Google through a loop by the way! I think it's chicken wire and batting with spray paint if I remember correctly. There's a house, bike, and random cow stuck in there too! And do you see Toto sticking out of his basket? And the 'rainbow banner?'

The lollipops were made with pipe cleaners. The yellow brick road was made out of pieces of wood in a herringbone pattern. And that crown is just mindblowing to me. Normal people would've just bought a tiara but my friends are not ordinary... they're extraordinary [I really couldn't help myself there].

Did you know in the original book that the famous ruby red slippers are actually silver but the filmmakers wanted the red to pop since the movie would be in color? There's a few other differences too from what I hear. That's the benefit of having librarian friends in the know.

Now check out this amazing hot air balloon [it's green in the book ... again, benefits yo]. Katie made this with tissue paper cut into circles over a paper mache model. I think its the bomb and want one for my bedroom. I hear Target totally wants to partner with me for that one.

Did you see the badge of courage and ticking heart? And that mean Emerald city worthy of its own badge?! And the witch shoes?! I knew they were made but as I was going through the photos I didn't expect them and they made me laugh. They're just too funny.

I hope you enjoyed the fruits of my crafty friends! I love sharing projects in which I did nothing but resize some photos ;)

shut the front door, no really.

2014-04-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! I apologize for my recent absentness. We're making a lot of progress on the house but it's really boring things like painting doors, trim, and replacing plastic fan covers. Rivetting. One somewhat big [in payoff at least] project we recently tackled was the front door.

We actually have a brand new front door sitting in the garage. But it's a little too large and cutting it to size, cutting out the hardware holes, and routing out a space for the hinges just wasn't on my list of things I wanted to do. It was hard to let go of the 16 panels of light but so much easier to work with what we had.

I'm so in love, guys! It's bright and cheery and just seems to make the house smile. Here's a before and after from the street:

Obviously, once everything blooms things will be better. We still have to mulch the flower beds and stage the front porch. That includes staining the floor where it's been scratched up after not being sealed, adding a planter, new pillows, removing dead brush, power-washing the house, and giving the trim a fresh coat of paint. Still, it's come so far from when we first moved in:

We've managed to really bring the grass back from the brink of death. The renters let leaves sit on it for who knows how long and it had taken such a beating. Three years later and all our seeding and fertilizing has really paid off. Painting the shutters was a great decision too!

We used Valspar's Heirloom Red and I think it's the perfect amount of darkness and cheeriness.

It took about three coats but what took forever was removing the caulk around the window before I could get started. I totally underestimated that part of the project. I used a glossy black paint on the inside of the door. I really wanted white but with Charlie always putting his grimy paws on the door, I knew it would be impossible to keep clean.

Look at that face! And look at that killer hardware. I had my eye out for some cheap but gorgeous hardware for literally two years. On a trip to a Lowes that isn't the typical one I go to I decided to just check the section. I found this gorgeous set originally $180 on clearance for $89. I think I literally gasped and squealed simultaneously. And then held it tightly all the way to the check out line. It wasn't too hard to install considering I've only installed interior door knobs.

One thing I wasn't expecting was for the paint to make the brass inlay pop. Our storm door has brass too. If I was staying, I would do something about it, but since I'm not... I'm working with it.

I'm going to get a planter that mixes both the red and brass [or rather, diy one]. I'm already impressed with how the paint has held up considering we're pretty rough on our doors. And driving up to a red door puts a smile on my face like no other. I love any painted door that pops but I'm such a sucker for that classic red door. I blame it on my parents and the home I grew up in ;)

Anyone paint their door a fun color? Does anyone else swoon over a bright door?

floral ampersand

2014-04-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you remember our recent bathroom makeover, you might remember this pretty little nugget.

I'm totally in love with it although it has given me some issues. I first got the idea via Elise. Her version was alive and incredibly, incredibly gorgeous. But I have a black thumb and new this would never be an option for me. I saw her project and it sat in the back of my mind for a few months.

via

Then, I found the same ampersand sign for clearance at Target. I can never resist that red sticker, guys. So I did what any sane person would do and bought it and continued to spend way too much on fake succulents to fill it with.

I filled it up with floral foam which was incredibly messy! I tried to not leave many gaps although the photo below has some large ones that were later filled.

I bought succulents on sale at Michaels. I also bought a few fake plants [the bushy potted kind] and broke those apart. Those were the best for filling in after I placed the larger "blooms."

It was pricier than I expected and we have to keep the door shut thanks to Lola's extreme interest in it. But it makes me smile every time I see it :) Thanks, Elise!

april #give2014

2014-04-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Just a heads up! This month we wanted to donate our money towards a shoe charity. You wouldn't think it but there are plenty of children around the world that don't have shoes. And they're kind of important. Many schools consider it a requirement and when you don't have money, it makes skipping things like education easy to do.

But as a nurse, I'm more aware of foot diseases than your average Joe. Infections are so easy to come by in the foot department and if you're a kid rummaging through trash for your next meal, it's just a matter of time. If you're diabetic, just forget about it.

I had initially intended to donate to Soles for Souls but after some googling around I was discouraged. There was some charity drama so to speak a few years ago and questions arose as to where the shoes ended up or if people were charged for them. There also seemed to be some kickbacks/tax evasion possibly going on and I just didn't feel good going that route. Instead, I chose the Small Steps Project. It's UK based [so if you pay via paypal you'll have to change the donation to USD] but they help kids all around the world.

There's also TOM's website that gives a pair of shoes for certain pairs bought. But I like to click the donate button and really make sure it happened ya know?!

Feel free to share along in the comments section or on social media! #give2014

Take care!

master bathroom reveal

2014-04-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

We've been busy! I have to say although there were several bumps in the road, we were still surprised with how fast this one went. Maybe, after three years of diy-ing and being thiiis close to selling, we're getting the hang of this thang. Go figure.

Our realtor had the brilliant idea of making the vanity area the same color as the bedroom so that it seemed more of an extension of that than the actual bathroom part. We did have to remove the carpet though due to stains in the vanity section. You can read more about the peel and stick vinyl planks here.

We still have some things to do like painting the doors a fresh coat of white and replacing the brass doorknobs with ORB ones. And there's a vent missing that I need to spray paint. I know between the floor, toilet seat, and bamboo curtain that it's getting pretty orange in there but that's just how it turned out. And that's how it shall remain.

We removed the door to the linen closet and the door to the vanity area. Both were the folding kind. In that small space we had four doors and it was making me insane. I know its not everyone's cup of tea but oh, how it works for us! We would even slap a curtain on the closet door if we didn't plan on leaving. We also have saved all of the closet doors to the house in the attic for the future homeowner. We know not everyone is an open storage kind of person.

Here's some close and personal photos. Not the best quality since that room get's zero natural light!

The mirrors are Molger by Ikea. I wanted one large rectangle one with the same ledge but I think that one must've been discontinued. I was really nervous to do one light with two mirrors. We wanted two lights and two mirrors but alas, it wasn't in the cards but we're satisfied. I'm in love with that candle from Target. Forget the scent, the colors are all spot on. The miniature pottery? Courtesy of my awesome uncle that made them for me when I was young. I love finally having them on display.

I wanted to go crazy on styling but I just tried to use what we already have for the most part. I bought the towel holders, floor mat, toilet seat, and candle exclusively for this room. We're missing a hand towel and bar right now. We have options but I'm just not in love yet.

This is the light we used. We needed something long enough for the scale of that wall and it was really affordable. We're surprisingly happy with it and used the reveal lights with it.

Yes, we have a bamboo curtain. We have taken the hippie train to hippie town and we couldn't be happier. We snagged ours on Ebay, and they're harder to come by than you'd guess. You can find the towel holder here. I have to also do a full tutorial on the ampersand sign. But in the meantime, check out the photos I took before we moved in:

That's my idea of editing really yellow non-white-balanced photos. But not enough editing can take care of those shoe decals on the wall. Oy.

unsuccessful diy adventures

2014-03-27T04:00:00.000-05:00

The title post has this sounding quite dramatic and it really isn't. But man things have not gone as planned lately. That's the world of diy, huh? Our first frustration comes with this knife rack we found on Etsy. I fell instantly in love with the fact that it was a warm wood but still magnetic.

We love it but we don't love the hardware it came with. It came with two long screws that are threaded for the majority of its length except the final centimeter near the head. Then the rack slips over top of the remaining screw. But I'm not happy with just a screw. I don't think it's enough to hold all of my knives and am afraid of everything collapsing when I pull one away. But the screws don't fit properly into any anchors we've found. So... we have about ten holes we've had to patch and we've both given up at this point. I just need a breather until I try again!

We have these cuties as well but are waiting for another coat of paint in the bathroom to dry before we can put it up.

We are kind of obsessed! It uses a marble inside to keep the towel up and it's just so sleek. I am a little worried because there's basically a 3M adhesive on the back. Hoping it holds up over time!

There have been toilet woes abounding. We used a wrench to tighten the bolts of our toilet bowl to the floor. Big mistake. We knew you could over-tighten them so we tried to be careful. And everything seemed fine until we noticed cracks in the bottom a few days later. If we would've resisted the temptation [and just screwed the bolts with our hands] we would've been fine. This time around we bought some plastic toilet shims in case we get the rocking back and forth that caused us to re-tighten them in the first place.

Not only that but when we went to replace the toilet in our master bathroom we learned the hard way about measuring. And assuming. And I so knew better. I knew. But ... I assumed. It was a shameful day for me.

Ya see, you're supposed to measure from the wall to the middle of the hole [or to the floor bolt if the toilet is in place]. Apparently, in full bathrooms it's almost always a 12 inch rough-in but for some odd reason, ours is a 10 inch rough-in. So our standard 12 inch toilet did not fit. I was luckily [and I'm stretching the meaning of that word] able to use the base in the other bathroom where it had cracked but it was a big bummer.

A 10 inch rough-in is something that is special order so we ended up looking online. We ordered it and it took about a week but unfortunately it's shipped in multiple packages. So we have the bowl and are waiting for the rest.

Something that's kept me happy in the mean time is this tiny little sign. I found it here for a mere $7. I used liquid gold to paint the top of it and placed it above our bathroom door. It's an iPhone photo but it really captures the contrast of that wall color with gold. I'll never get sick of it! The bathroom area that has the vanity will have the same dark color.

Definitely helps on days when things don't go right! Here's to a more productive week.

new digs

2014-03-25T04:00:00.000-05:00

You may notice a few differences around here! For instance, a bit of a blog makeover! It deserves its own dedicated post since physical home makeovers have been very unsuccessful lately [more on that Thursday]. And if I'm being honest, I'm in love.

Even when I had my previous "new" header I was never 100% in love. And time wore our relationship down as it tends to do. My tastes changed and we were no longer a good fit. I felt weighed down and noticed I was holding myself back from doing certain things out of embarrassment. Ridiculous? Maybe. But this was really overdue and now I feel like my bloggy outwardness matches my human insideness. Picture me throwing out my nerdy scrunchy for a streamlined headband. I'm obviously very up to date on my fashionable headwear trends.

There are still a few things that need to be tweaked. A color here, a photo there. But I have to say I'm so satisfied. I was planning on a really big makeover. But I didn't want to spend $500 and get something I wasn't satisfied with [and I'm painfully picky]. Just when I was giving up I found a template that fit all of my needs - and I wasn't even looking for a template! I used Robyn and I couldn't be happier with the design, customer service, and timely manner in which I was helped.

This is what it looked like before:

And if we really want some awkward silence... here it is all the way in the beginning.

Yikes! Talk about some awkward teenage bloggy years. Even google is happier with the change and my page speed has increased. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Feel free to explore and let me know if you find something incredibly wrong.

peel and stick vinyl plank flooring

2014-03-20T04:00:00.000-05:00

So we've started work in our master bathroom. I want to keep everything simple and affordable but it has a long ways to go. We replaced the faucet and painted the vanity just like the other bathroom but the flooring? Yikes. In the vanity area, there's carpet. Not only did I find it a bit creepy to have carpet in that area but I also managed to drip hair dye on it. Twice.

This linoleum has been curling up on the edges since before we moved in. It was on the list of things to be repaired and it wasn't but we were too exhausted to make a bother out of it.

First, we ripped everything up which included staples and tack strips. We found some white patches that were chipping and falling apart so we scraped those up as well.

After opening our flooring I have to say I was a bit disappointed. While I had been standing at Lowes I remember seeing a sign that literally said: "Step 1, Peel. Step 2, Stick." Now, it goes without saying that I really should've known better. I mean, when is it ever that easy? And it's flooring! But after going through the directions I quickly realized this wasn't going to be the day job I was hoping for or even a one weekender. Womp womp.

We needed a level surface which meant replacing those patches we tore up. We had to get a latex patching compound and fill in any unevenness. Then we waited for it to dry and sanded it. Then we swept and vacuumed really well before we painted. We had to use a special paint as well. You can see why I was annoyed.... right?! I mean, this is no peel and stick job. Shame on me for telling lies to myself and then believing them. I can be so gullible.

The directions were clear that you shouldn't seal the subfloor but I think it meant more of a polyurethane sealant. It also stressed the importance of not adding any glues which was really hard for me to swallow. We started in the back of the room so we could get on with the toilet [but that's another story for another day].

We were happy to move forward but even lying the planks down took some time. Cuts were really detailed and time consuming. We used a pair of clippers similar to this to do the cuts when we weren't using a utility knife to cut and break. I'm going to be honest. I had a big day scheduled for the next morning and Oscar didn't. So he continued without me [11pm to 3 am]! I was so proud of his patience. I got up the next morning and added a few more pieces and then used this bad boy...

Another unexpected expense but it could've been worse. This is a 100 lb roller used for flooring. After calling Lowes and hearing that they "have nothing like that" we were so lucky to find it at our local Ace Hardware. I swear, sometimes they don't have what you need but I'm always amazed at what they do have for being such a small store. It was $15 for 24 hours so I used it to press the floor before leaving for the day.

I have to say that we are pretty impressed. Now, we haven't used it enough to really give it a fair review but we're surprised at how realistic it looks. And for $1 a square foot, you really can't complain. We went with golden oak since the rest of our house has a similar color downstairs.

Flooring: $60
DAP floor patching: $7
Latex paint: $17
100 lb roller rental: $15
new quarter round: $25
trim paint: $10
caulk: $2
sharp clippers: $16

Total: $152

**The only thing that I can recommend doing differently is to use a dark colored paint as a primer. We used white without thinking about it and as we were laying the flooring you could sometimes see it when two pieces didn't line up perfectly. It's not noticeable when standing but it still bothers me. **

Since these photos were taken we've added the quarter round molding, caulked, and painted the lower trim. Has anyone else used this kind of flooring before? Any care suggestions? I'd love to hear from you!

restoring dirty tile grout with paint

2014-03-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

For our downstairs bathroom, we used a grout pen to cover up the dirty grout. Although it's chipped a bit within a year or so, it was a decent solution for that space. But our upstairs bathroom was super gross. It was really discolored and I felt like the pen wouldn't really cut it. I went to Home Depot and found this paint made for grout. It sat around for a few months and after seeing the same exact paint over at yhl, I was motivated to get off my arse.

There are other options that I wish I had considered more heavily. You can actually re-grout over your existing grout [or so I've been told] assuming that your original grout is in good condition and not cracked. Or dig out all of your grout and then re-grout. In all truthfulness, I really wanted new tile for that bathroom. I've loathed this tile since we bought the house but our realtor didn't think it would be something we would get our money back on so soon. If we were living here longer, I'd consider it. So I sprang for a $12 bottle and set out with a bulk box of Q-tips. Here's what we started with:

Ugh. I guess it's just years of living but it always gave me the heebie jeebies. I made an awful mistake as well and started off with a gray grout. I didn't listen to that little designer gut feeling I had. In the end it made the white tile pop, which would've been fine if I liked the tile in the slightest. But I don't. So after doing 3/4 of the job, I switched to white and started over again. It took several coats to cover it up.

At this point I was feeling really frustrated. Even with a Q-tip it was really difficult to stay in the lines. I was using a ton of toilet paper to wipe the edges and it was taking forever. I ended up throwing caution to the wind and coloring outside the lines without abandon. I went back later and used a glass scraper to clean up the edges. Obviously if you had a tile that was textured, this wouldn't be an option. And I pity you.

So I can't really say I'm happy. It was more than difficult to apply [or maybe it's just my lack of fine motor skills?]. It needed multiple coats, even in the areas where I didn't go with the gray ahead of time. It looks built up and ugly in certain areas. But I will admit that unless you're really on your knees looking at it, it's not that bad. Standing at five feet up, it looks okay. But just okay. I'd only consider this as a band-aid solution. Something to ease your mind that grout germs aren't going to attack you until you can afford a more permanent solution like a complete re-do. So I hope that helps some of you if you weren't sure what to do!

march #give2014

2014-03-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

For the month of March we will be donating to a cause that's very near and dear to us. Oscar, my husband, was born and raised in Guatemala. Mayans are the indigenous natives of Guatemala. This charity is based out of Panajachel, a city near Lake Atitlan [a lake settled within a volcano crater]. Oscar has talked non-stop about this place and its beauty since we met so when I heard that my ears perked up. You can read about how Guatemala's 36 year civil war hurt the mayan civilization here.

One thing that makes me a big fan of Mayan Families is that they don't specialize in one area. They help with the supply of shoes to decrease diseases associated with open foot wounds. They help replace the stoves in women's homes to make them safer. New buildings, bathrooms with plumbing, mother-baby health services, diabetes education and treatment, medication, micro-loans, education financial aid, and help with food are just a number of things they tackle. It doesn't seem to end. They've also been voted as one of the best non profit charities for four years in a row which always makes me feel better.

I like that I can use paypal to donate. That you can give a flat amount or sponsor a family, child, or elderly person. You can specify where you want your money to go although we just donated to 'general' to use at their discretion.

I love that not only is this something that's important to us but that it's a charity that seems to be really organized. You can check out their site here or their facebook page which has a ton of photos! I think that this is a charity that we may give to more often since it really speaks to our hearts. I can honestly see us going there too in the future to help out. Wouldn't that be something?

You can see how we gave in January and February. And if you'd like to join along in giving to any cause please feel free to link up to your post or to use the hashtag #give2014 on social media. Thanks!

a new loo

2014-03-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

I have mentioned before that plumbing scares me. Electricity? What's a little shock now and then? An outlet tester? How about a poorly placed screwdriver? Oh, I kid. Sort of. But anytime I've ever touched plumbing I picture some sort of massive leak that can't be resolved by turning off the water. Our entire house is soaked and mold immediately sets in. It costs me thousands of dollars and we have to move out. We have to get rid of our animals because no one will take them in. I end up in financial ruin and live in the shed out back. Oscar leaves me for someone who could keep their felines. This is what it's like in my brain, welcome.

Dramatic? Yes. But nothing could seriously quell my plumbing fears. After installing our bathroom faucet my confidence got quite the boost. We had encountered some oddities and managed to figure it out ourselves. We didn't have to call in a professional or the insurance company. So I figured I could give the toilet replacement a go. And I'm glad I did.

I basically used a few guides online and a mix of books I had at home to look at before we got started. Luckily, I've been watching HGTV my entire life so I was pretty familiar with the whole process and went back to the instructions that came with the toilet anytime I was unsure of something.

First off, turn off the supply line to the toilet so when you drain it, it doesn't refill itself. Then take the top off the back and flush the toilet. I removed the little tube as well before doing so.

See what hard water we have?! Although I wore gloves for a lot of these steps, it's not necessary for this part. After draining the top part I used dry towels to soak up any leftover water that couldn't drain. Then I removed the top. It's held on by two screws/ bolt thingies that go from the top down. I used a screwdriver to hold it in place while I screwed the bolt off from the bottom.

Again, my camera died right before all of this and I used my iPhone which actually did better in the poor light. This is what it looked like after I wrestled that off:

I also unscrewed the supply line at this point to get the top off. Next I made sure the toilet bowl was empty. We had some water still hanging out there and I used gloves and a towel like I did in the top part. Gross. Next, we popped off the caps that hid the bolts and screws that hold it to the floor.

We removed those bolts and it was pretty easy after that. We rocked it back and forth and it came off. We placed it in the tub for the time being. I was afraid that the gases would be bad and that it would smell really gross. But it wasn't. Just in case, we covered it with a plastic bag full of towels but it didn't stay on long since we continued to work.

We cleaned up afterward around the flange and cleaned off any remaining wax. Totally gross even though it's just wax, but my mind kept wandering.

We bought the cheapest toilet for $88 from Lowes. We ended up getting a $20 toilet seat although my friend got it for me as a gift. I also replaced the flusher with a pretty shiny version for only $5. We used the wax seal that came with the toilet. I was happy to find that it came with everything we needed although some parts were a bit hidden. You may need a jumbo wax ring if you have a tile floor that was built around the flange and not at the same height. Or that's my understanding. I'm no pro, obviously.

Put the new wax ring with the plastic bit sticking up. Remember that you have one shot to place the toilet. If you have to reposition it you will need to buy a new wax ring. Luckily we did well with this but it's definitely a two person job. We had already placed the new bolts in place of the old ones. Be sure not to overtighten them or you can crack the porcelain.

Next comes the top tank part. You can place it on top and use those bolts to put it in place. Then attach the water line.

Turn the water back on and have towels on hand. Look for leaks around the base and around where the bowl and tank meet. I was really impressed that we had no leaks. Everything took about an hour to do which isn't bad considering it was our first time!

Having a white loo makes such a difference. Not only was the original almond but it had rust stains and it didn't work well. We were always holding down the flusher and it never seemed to fully empty. I'm sure there was a way to fix it but we had just had enough. This one really freshens up the space.

hanging a heavy mirror

2014-02-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

So here's the thing. I don't have the best track record for hanging things on the wall. Curtains, frames, toilet paper holders... not my thing. But I'm learning that you can't always stick a nail in the wall and call it a day. I've found the nail in anchors have really been helping me with heavy objects. But hanging a mirror that probably weighs as much as I do? Nerve racking in my department.

This past summer I took advantage of the route 11 yard sale. Basically anyone who can grab a spot on the side of the road sells stuff and it goes through several towns. It's really exciting. Of course in years past I never had a ton of money to thoroughly partake and the year I had money, I found very little.

We had just eaten lunch and checked out a second hand store. The owner told us that there was a "warehouse full of furniture down the road." This stopped Kate and me in our tracks. We didn't even have to look at eachother. We hauled our husbands down the road [and then back a bit since we passed it]. It was a warehouse full of furniture and I was literally salivating. I quickly realized that it was used hotel furniture and most of it was ... laminated crap. I was starting to get angry that we had wasted our time. And then we saw them... enormous frames and mirrors for insane prices. All frames were $5 to $10 and we're talking about really big frames that would fit over your couch perfectly. Massive pieces that needed to be painted but still, massive and cheap!

I found this mirror for $20 and it fit this space like a glove. Well actually, we didn't have the measurements on hand but I figured I could always sell it on Craigslist and it was such a good deal, I just had to try. Luckily it fit even though we had to raise the height of our bathroom lights. Here is what we started with:

Although I used wooden tones in the bathroom makeover, this shade was just way too dark. So we spray painted it a matte black.

The mirror came with french cleats on the back but no matching part for the wall. So we picked up two different sizes that equaled the length already existing on the back of the mirror. Unfortunately our light is not centered in the middle of the wall. So I found the difference between the middle of the light fixture and the middle of faucet and split the difference.

Next I had Oscar hold the mirror up until I found the height I liked and marked it with tape. I knew that the french cleat was 2 1/4" from the top of the mirror and measured down, marking again with tape.

We started on one end with the wall part of the cleat. We used the anchors/screws that were included with the cleat. They even included some mini levels. I was surprised to find that I didn't need to locate any studs since we were using these.

Start with a screw in the middle so that you can change the levelness as you go. Here's the cleats that we used for this project. Remember that each cleat details how much weight it can hold and to always allow extra room. Better safe than sorry!

It really was so much easier than we expected and I would've done it sooner if I would've known!

bathroom makeover reveal

2014-02-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

So I have a ton of information and I've decided it needs to be broken down into smaller posts. So for now it'll just be the pretty after photos and tutorials will come later. Also, my camera battery died riiiight when I started to take photos. So it's all on you, iPhone. No pressure.

Since we hope to sell soon, the goal was to keep things simple, neutral, and cheap. So my original plans of mother of pearl tile and a new vanity were quickly let go. Instead we painted the vanity, painted the grout, painted, and replaced everything [mirror, lighting, toilet, hardware, tub fixtures].

This room turned out so much better than I expected. The toilet was $88 at Lowes. I replaced the lever with a silver one from Home Depot for $5. My friend bought me the $20 Target toilet seat. Life of a DIY'er right? I'm pleased though :p I had all of the frames on hand already.

The tray and trashcan were also Target [hello, I have a problem]. But in my defense I've been hoarding that $5 clearance trashcan since I found it years ago. I knew it would come in handy but I expected I'd have to spray paint it and rather like the neutral [theme]. And I'm in love with my toilet paper basket. $15 from HomeGoods. I've been waiting to fill that sucker for a long time.

All of the knobs and towels are from Ikea. We love the simplicity. I tried to throw around black, wooden tones, white, and tan. I snuck in a bit of color here and there but was really surprised how much I liked it without a ton of color.

So there it is! I need to do a full run down but I would say that this entire makeover cost me less than $500 and some elbow grease!

And before you go here's the before photo so you can see how far we've come!

You can read more about this bathroom:

replacing faucet

restoring grout with paint

replacing your toilet

updating your shower on a budget

hanging a heavy mirror

moving a light fixture

updating a builder grade vanity

a few favorite things: living

2014-02-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

So I may have mentioned recently that I've been in a rut. It's nothing I like to share because I know I hate reading debbie downer posts. No offense to all the Debbie's out there. It's been an exhaustive, sit on the couch, do nothing and eat crap kind of rut. I even avoided posting on here for awhile. Things that were once enjoyable suddenly weren't.

There are a ton of possible reasons why but I'd like to focus on the fact that I'm making my way out of my rut and am so happy and thankful that I'm doing just that. It gave me a small taste of what depression must be like for others. I'm not trying to compare my rut to depression. But if you know me you know that I'm an extremely chipper person who is always looking forward and dreaming big. And when I didn't have the energy to do that I hated it and myself. I hated not being me. But alas I feel like I'm on the upswing and feel motivated again. I wanted to share a few things that make my life easier in general or more exciting. Like this post but instead of home goods, I'm talking life goods. Are you still with me? You deserve an award.

We're big self improvers and love anything self help or teaching ourselves to do something. I've been meaning to learn Spanish. You know... those 7.5 years I've been dating or married to a Guatemalan. I somehow just picked up basics like cuss words, food, and where is the bathroom? I can order food like no one's business. But that's the extent and that's really sad. Especially since we want to live in Central America and have bilingual children. He learned English as we were dating [talk about learning to communicate in a relationship!] and I feel like I really owe him a solid.

But here's the thing. I'm an impatient and not a good student. It's like however he tried to teach it to me I just wasn't receptive to it. I wasn't open. Enter Duolingo. You can learn Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and German. It's crazy user friendly. There's the website but I find I like the app a lot more. It's free guys and promises to always stay that way.

Every question is different. Sometimes you are translating from English to Spanish and then the opposite. Sometimes you have to upright translate and other times you can choose from the words listed. Other times you have to record your voice and see if your pronunciation passes. I like it because it will tell you that you got something right but forget to add an accent. It takes things from past levels and integrates it into the new ones. It makes you go back and brush up on weak words from past levels if it's been awhile. I love the app and have noticed my understanding and vocabulary have really increased lately.

Books on tape. I never thought I'd like this. The thought of listening to someone tell a story always weirded me out. But something about driving 8 hours a week can really change your perspective. I've thought of doing a book club but right now I'm only doing audiobooks and I really like two genres: self-help and comedy. I don't like fiction because I tend to let it affect my mood and get in a funk during the down part of the story. It's ridiculous. If you know of a fantastic book I'd love to hear your recommendations. There are apps for this but unfortunately my up to date car does not include an aux cord which blows my mind.

Humans of New York. I've recently been digging and craving for more stories. For stories of people who lead very different lives than I do. There's just this fascination and wonder. Maybe it's this whole growing older thing but I've been drinking it all in. The more I travel and meet people I'm just amazed at stories and can't wait to work on my own story. There's also this story that warms my heart. We bought the HONY book. It's a perfect way to pick up your spirits and makes for a great coffee table book as well. Similar to Post Secret in a way.

And lastly, you have got to follow this lady on Instagram [@mommasgonecity]. She shares photos each day of her boy and their new rescue dog napping. If this doesn't make your heart melt there is no help for your kind.

So any audiobook recommendations or different apps out there I should know about?

rejuvenate review: refresh your engineered and wooden hardwood floors

2014-02-18T09:02:00.000-06:00

We're in the process of getting this show pony house of ours up to par for the spring market. There's a lot of training, treats, and general degrading expletives. "No one will love you with shutters like that. Pull yourself together!" On a whim I decided we needed to spiff up our floors and remembered seeing this post comparing Rejuvenate to Bona.

So we splurged for Rejuvenate only realizing we had to go back and get the specific mop head since it specifically called for it, advising against using cotton. We cleaned our floors really well after clearing everything out of the kitchen and dining room. This is what we had before:

Nothing particularly bad or good. Well except for the area around the dining room. I remember touring the house when the renters were there [they refused to leave although it was in their contract]. I looked down and one of the chairs in the dining room was tilted due to a nail head stuck in the bottom of the chair leg. I was so angry. Who does that?! And I was already attached to the house and knew I wanted to write an offer. I wanted to take it off then and there but the damage was already done:

Rejuvenate claimed to fill in scratches but I was pretty skeptical. Those are really big promises. We tested in an inconspicuous spot before going full force ahead.

We applied it with the special mop head stuck onto one of the cleaning mops we use [it didn't fit onto the swiffer sweeper]. You just throw it down on the floor in an 'S' motion and evenly spread it. No walking on it for an hour afterwards so we corralled all the animals in our bedroom while I dyed my hair ;)

Here's the after:

If you don't visit often you wouldn't notice anything different but it really revitalized them and brought them back to life. We just keep explaining "so shinyyyy" when we walk in. There's no sticky aftermath and we feel like it's a nice layer of protection which is appreciated with three animals in the house. The scratches though, I think the promises were too great. Dear Rejuvenate: please remember... under promise, over deliver.

It is harder to notice but erm... yea still there. But we're just pleased to have our floors brought back to life!

Also in blogger news... [and shameless self promotion]. Vote for me! I'll fight poverty, lower taxes, and institute a mandatory crazy cat lady funding program. No? We'll talk about it after the campaign mmkay?

martha's driftwood gray in the bathroom

2014-02-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

I've been pondering what color to paint our bathroom for the longest time. I'm working with an almond tub and countertop and white vanity and floor. I really wanted gray but was afraid of it clashing or being too dark. So Kate and I went around Home Depot with white and tan swatches until we found a gray that went well. Lo and behold, Martha Stewart's Driftwood gray fit the bill. We have this color in our living room and love it. As the light changes during the day it shifts between gray and blue [and green if you're my Uncle Jeff].

We noticed that there's much more variation in color due to the lack of natural light and two types of artificial light but we don't mind. It seems much greener in here than our living room:

Can you believe that's the same color?! We're still very happy though considering this is what we started with [sans the border we had already ripped off]:

Not the biggest transformation obviously. We are still working on the grout, I need to hang the mirror, replace the toilet, touch up trim, and then little things like a new shower curtain and hooks. I'm so excited to be making progress though and can't wait to play with pretty things!

kitchen updates

2014-02-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday was my 27th birthday. I'm already wincing when I say it. It's not that I think that it's old it's just that I never pictured me at that age. Or any age past 24. 24 was grown up. 27?! Past grown up. But I don't feel it. I could go on and on but we have a kitchen to get to. And as my birthday present I asked my cousin and bestie to come over and tackle our to do list. The best gift in my opinion. We didn't get everything accomplished between an under the weather cousin and an overly ambitious list [I never disappoint in that area] but we are so happy with what was finished.

In the kitchen we finished painting the underside of the upper cabinets and the toe kick. I'm happy that I didn't go with a crazy color for the toe kick and went with plain white instead. You just can't go wrong with white.

We also changed all of the switches and plates from almond to white. I had started this task literally years ago and it's finally complete. This is what we were working with for way too long:

Ack. But the biggest before and after in the kitchen happened above our cabinets. We have a soffit that I had originally painted the color of the wall. Then I painted it white hoping that keeping it white between the ceiling and the cabinets would help extend the cabinets and keep the eye going upward. This is what we had before [although I can't find a photo of the soffit green]:

In an attempt to make the whole thing look more finished we decided to add some crown molding. We were blown away with how more 'built in' everything looks. It's like this is how it was meant to be.

I obviously have some touch ups to do with the kitchen paint and some caulk here and there but we are so pleased. The photos don't do it justice and seem to shrink the size of it. We don't have anything fancy. We used a saw box guide to cut the angles. Even then the inner cut wasn't perfect, but man, caulk can fix practically anything. And I got double the dose of flowers from my brother and hubby.

We did so much more on the list but you don't really think I'm going to share it all at once? I'm gonna milk the hell out of this last weekend! In the kitchen we only need to touch up the walls and trim, replace the missing microwave part, replace the sink and faucet. ...and I think that's it!

february #give2014

2014-02-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

So if you remember I started this series #give2014. Last month we donated to the human trafficking cause. We split our money between Fight for Them and Not for Sale. And I was super proud that we stuck with it and kept our promise. I know, one month in and I'm celebrating. But this is something we really wanna stick with and motivate others in the process. This month the choice was pretty easy. Not only is February 25 'world spay day' but our little Charlie will be going under the knife this month. He was supposed to go this past weekend but due to snow it was cancelled.

And honestly, it's a pretty easy choice for us since animals are a big deal around here. Two cats and a dog and a lot of love to go around. We're pretty booked this month already so I'm not sure that donating our time is an option but we will be donating more than just money. We're planning on bringing in some food but I also always end up with extra towels from the OR. Anytime a case is cancelled and we opened a table set there's usually towels and other goodies that will just end up in the trash. So they aren't sterile anymore but they're still plenty good for cleaning.

We also have an ASPCA thrift shop and we gave a ton of things to them when we purged. So that makes us feel like we can add another checkmark to the donation list. Remember if anyone wants to join along use the hashtag #give2014 on instagram or link up in the comment section! I'd also love to know if anyone knows of other animal friendly charities.

update your shower on a budget

2014-02-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

So this weekend was spent mostly prepping [I'll tell you more about that next week]. But basically this weekend was spent doing boring things like spending 5.5 hours at hardware stores. However, we did manage to get a few small fixes done this weekend that have me super happy.

When we moved into our house I already despised our tubs. They were almond. It just looked so aged and dirty. I even bought a kit for changing up the color. But I couldn't commit. I feared it would look bad or obvious and figured that there's a lot of people way less picky than I am. So almond they remain. But there were plenty of other gross things to tackle.

First, we cleaned everything with CLR. I knew we had some built up but man, I didn't know how much this stuff would work. Whenever I cleaned the shower before I felt like it was never truly clean. Now I know what I was missing!

So immediately I left a few things that I had originally planned on getting rid of. We did replace this faucet though [grrossss- and we don't even use this shower].

This is what was left after I unscrewed it from the wall. Some screw on and others kind of push on I think- there's universal ones for the screw on kind too. It took me a minute to figure out that my new one didn't fit because that gold piece in there needed to be removed since the original was still in place on the wall.

Hope you can forgive the iphone photos. It was too easy to resist. Next is one of the biggest things that made a difference. The shower handle. This was the guest room. The master was way worse but I must have forgotten to get a photo of it.

You can take a flat headed screwdriver or paperclip in a small hole along the edge and pop the top off. I feel like this is one of the biggest things that really age a shower. It's like the crow's feet of the bathroom.

This is what you will see inside. You can use a phillips head screwdriver to unscrew it. The handle should just fall off. With our one bathroom this was the case, but this one, not so much. 20 plus years in and it was pretty complacent.

Something really important to remember guys. I am by no means a plumber. But I did watch a lot of youtube videos. Commence professional plumber eye rolling ... now. But please please please don't force it. If you twist it so much or something you can apparently break the pipe that's within the wall. And that's no easy fix. This was not a twist off though, you just had to pull straight. It did take more muscle than I wanted to use since I was nervous about damaging pipes but Oscar didn't have a problem manning up to the job.

You can buy these replacement knobs in the bath/plumbing section. I find that a lot of the older knobs have a piece of paper that has wilted over time due to moisture. So a new knob made it look so fresh. This one was about $12 but I got mine on clearance for $6. For about $7 I got the little drain stopper thing. We were always missing them in this house so it's really nice to finally cover up that little hole.

As for the showerheads we switched those out too. We bought one for about $12 at Lowes for the guest bathroom. We also picked up a new flange [the round piece of metal against the wall] since the originals were in rough shape.

We took off the original and placed plumber's tape around the threading. I was pleasantly surprised to find the tape supplied by the showerhead manufacturers. I had bought in preparation but didn't need it.

I loved how much more substantial it felt. And here's the master bath one... I'm sorry but I have no idea where I got this. It was before I even owned a home and I found it on sale at Gaiam or something like that. There's a filter inside. Maybe that will help with our hard water!

I hope that helps someone who has an older but not necessarily geriatric bathroom. It's a good way to wake up a room and update it without going crazy.

valentines giveaway

2014-02-01T07:22:00.000-06:00

Recently a friend shared a link to the site of another friend's new store. A stationary store. I'm not sure if it's the old scrapbooker in me or what but I instantly got giddy. I likes my paper. Add good design and my eyes dilate a little. I have a thing for cards too. Oscar has received a few cards that I ask to have back after he's read so that I can frame it. Romantic, I know. I love to do this for holidays too because it's a two birds kind of deal and hello instant art that didn't cost me an arm and leg.

I'm lucky enough to not only share this great etsy shop but to giveaway these three V-day cards so you can pass on the love. How is that for paying it forward? You can thank me later. But for now, here's more about this awesome shop from the keyboard of its fantastic artist, Heather:

"My name is Heather Crujeiras and I am the woman behind the pencil of One Sharpened Pencil. My company, OSP, is adding an element of style, satire, and wit to traditional greeting cards, stationary, and paper products.

OSP greeting cards are hand drawn starting with one sharpened pencil. I then use pen and ink, watercolor, or other mediums to define the design. After all the elements are created, I use the computer to manipulate the design's color and size.

OSP has also taken the time to handpick the most eco-friendly materials so you as the customer can feel good about your purchase. OSP greeting cards are printed on 100% recycled and sustainable cardstock and shipped in sturdy recycled cardboard mailers to prevent bending. OSP purchases from companies that believe in post-consumer waste, are FSC® certified and 100% hydroelectricity processed."

Obviously for nursey reasons, that one's my favorite. So enough chit chat. One lucky winner will be picked Monday night so that these cute cards can make it to you soon enough! And if you have an account on Etsy please feel free to "heart" her shop so you can see future cards!

a Rafflecopter giveaway