Evolution of a Master Bath

Our bathroom started out as a simple project to remove the Pergo and refinish the hardwoods. When we found water underneath the Pergo and evidence of a long-standing leak, we knew we'd have to rip just about everything out and start over. Our bathroom began life as a simple shower (no tub) and one sink. We decided if we were going to do this project, we were going to go big or go home. My former gen-con of a husband decided he wanted to try his hand at building a Roman spa.

So, he reinforced the floor with 2x6s, built the form and poured lots and lots of concrete:

This much concrete takes forever and a day to properly cure, especially in the Pacific Northwest. We were bathing in huge Rubbermaid tubs for a while...oh, and did I mention I was the teensiest bit pregnant during all this?

Then, he sealed the inside and began cutting and laying the tile, starting with the drain. He's a bit of a perfectionist, so each piece was individually dry fit.

Hint: do not step on a plastic tile spacer as you stumble into the bathroom at 4 am. It will hurt.

And added a bead board surround, which we painted white:

 Then, it was time to tackle the existing sink:

We wanted a really gorgeous double vanity, my Pottery Barn dream wasn't in the budget. So, we made one:

You can go here for the cost breakdown and the building process. We added lights above the-ahem- facilities and the spa. The spotlight over the toilet is a constant source of amusement for us...a friend commented that all he needed to complete the experience was a choir singing Hallelujah when he flushed:

Added two mirrors we found at Ross and spay painted to match:

And one more:

Thanks again to our good friends for all the help- could not have done it without you!

Linking with Kristi @ Addicted2Decorating!

And:

2012 Craftsman Home Goals

Well, in a nutshell, our goal is for 2012 to be the year we got completely DONE with the big stuff. The projects for a 1920 Craftsman are never ending, but here's my shortlist:

1. Finish the kitchen...in our defense, we didn't start the kitchen until Christmas Eve, but I'm still ready to be done with it! We moved into this (sorry for the picture quality):

And here's where we are now:

Cabinets and counter tops are in, but we still need to stain the cabinets, install the hardware, and replace the floor. Oh, and this pic is my husband with a slighty wet coffee grounds mishap on Christmas Day. And the stuff on the floor behind him is courtesy of our toddler. Just trying to keep it real :)

I really want it to look like the kitchen I found on Pinterest:

Source: Uploaded by user via Anaika on Pinterest

2. Stop using our dining room table as a catch-all/ dumping ground. Keep it looking like this all the time:

3. Plant a garden again. We used to at least plant a small herb garden, but that's fallen by the wayside in the past few years. I want our children to grow up with a love of gardening, so this year, we're at least going to grow a few varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

4. Last one- Start REALLY living here. My husband is military and for the last 2 years, we've been told to expect new orders any day. Expecting to sell, we've tailored our renovations to what will help sell the house, not what we personally want. There are no personal pictures out and the knickknacks from our last home are packed away in the basement. This is the year that it stops and we actually start living in our own home.

Linking with The Nester!

Free and Awesome Art Printables

Found the coolest thing on Thrifty Decor Chick's blog this morning...Free printable art AND it's actually good stuff! It's the New York Public Library's Digital Collection and you can print it absolutely free. My Dad collects military art and my husband and I have started, too. We are a bit of a military family :) We've been looking to expand our collection, though. We only have two pieces: an Italian swordsman and a lineup of Revolutionary soldiers. We've never hung them, because at their respective sizes, they really need to be part of a grouping and we have nothing to group them with. Check out what I found:

Love this one of a military parade:



Here's a very old school recruiter...doesn't he just look shifty?! Some things never change:



You get the idea. I'm also thinking these would make stellar inexpensive Christmas presents. My Dad has a particular fondness for Civil War era history. I think he'd flip over General Grant's horse:



Go here to check it out!

Clean House- My New Obsession

My new guilty pleasure/obsession: Clean House with Niecy Nash.  I watch it on Netflix.. Wow does it ever inspire you to clean out and pitch out. It's so sad to see how some of the families live- and to hear why. I was struck by how many people collect/horde items from a specific time in their lives. One man was hoarding 1960's memorabilia- it finally came out that the 60's for him had been a great time in his childhood, prior to his parents' divorce and losing contact with his father.

It also struck me that each and every hoarder/mess-maker without fail mentioned that their parents were the same way. Well, that did it for me! I do not want our kids to grow up with any of that. With Clean House playing in the background, out came the boxes and boy did they ever get filled quick! My husband needed a bit more motivation- 3 episodes of A&E's Hoarders did the trick.  Here's the first wave of boxes we filled:

Granted, a couple of the boxes are small, but it's so embarrassing that we let that much accumulate in what is basically a thousand square foot house. What's even more embarrassing is that we aren't done yet.We got rid of about 15 boxes in 3 weeks time. And there is more to go.

While I was at it, I figured some good old fashioned organization never hurt anyone. It' sort of awesome to be able to find the stuff you need, when you need it.

Now to get rid of it:I've never had any luck with garage sales. Our house is hard to find and I hate storing stuff. I'd really rather just give it to charity. I'd also rather not cart it around. So I donate to Northwest Center. If you are local, you can sign up and request a pick up here. Just tag the boxes, stick them outside, and their nice driver will come spirit them away. Love it! If you live in a larger town, Goodwill and Salvation Army may well offer pickup services. If you have a metric ton of crap, than 1-800-got-junk would probably be a great bet for you. They'll even load it!

To keep it clean: it's certainly not the prettiest solution, but I keep a cardboard box in the kitchen, master closet, and kids room. If something needs donating, it goes straight into the box instead of taking up precious space in our home. Periodically, I'll consolidate the boxes and out they go! My downfall- paperwork. I hate to file so once a month, I have to get a big sack and just purge my desk. What's the hardest thing for you to organize/keep clean?

Super Quick Floral Arrangement

There's nothing like fresh flowers to brighten up a Pacific Northwest winter. I used an old punch bowl and 2 bunches of tulips:

Yup, those are computer components in the background and a tarp. Sigh. The husband's latest project.

But- bright, cheerful, and big impact for the money!

Our Christmas Mantel

It's finally done! I was so inspired by the pictures I showed you earlier. And while our mantel is certainly nothing like those, I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. I like a reasonably spare mantel. Ours typically looks like this:

If you'd like to see the hot mess we started with, you can click here.

I centered this year's decor around the Hereford cow painting. I think it is absolutely gorgeous and I'm not going to take it down, not even for the holidays. My mom-in-law painted it for her father, who was a Texas cattle rancher. And while we're unlikely to ever live in Texas again, it's crucial to us that our kids are raised with the same culture and heritage that we were. So, in that vein I decided that we'd go all green. The fireplace is sage and the painting's framw has hunter green in it, so why not?

We took a quick (ha!) trip to Target and got our stocking holders. I like that they're flat- they'll go with anything I decide to do decor-wise in the coming years. The best part, though, was the price. Each 2 pack was 8 bucks, so we got out of there for 16.

Then, a trip to Michael's for the hunter green candles. Once again, I have to say that I am married to the best guy on earth. How many men would brave Michael's on Black Friday just to keep their wives company?! Mine! And my friend's husband, too. They both rock! And mine got a pressure washer out of the bargain- 69 bucks at Lowe's- go now if you're in the market for one! But he's out pressure washing our porches right now, so I came out pretty good, too :)

 The candles were about a dollar each and the green poinsettias were 98c each. So, everything you see here was achieved for a whopping 24 bucks.

And here it is, almost all done: we made our stockings last year, but I need to make another one for our newest addition. Fortunately, I always buy way too much fabric, so that won't be an issue. I'd love if the picture had them all up, but that stocking isn't likely to get made this week, so I'm just going to go with what we have. I'll update when it's all done and give you the lowdown on making your own stockings, too.

Need more inspiration or general mantel advice? Check out Elle Decor's Making The Most of The Mantel. Gorgeous Slideshow!
Hints, Tips & Tricks:

• Off-the-shelf- candles never look quite right when you place them. Burn them for about 20 minutes to get that rounded edge going.
• A poinsettia in a quart pot will thrive on 1 ice cube per day- it's the perfect amount of water and it melts slowly, so you shouldn't have to worry about leaking.
• Stuff stockings with wadded up plastic bags- they're light and will help fill them out if you haven't prchased the real "stuffers" yet.

Christmas Decor (so far)

Well, we got about a third accomplished of what we set out to do this weekend. We started on the front entry. I had visions of icicle lights and a lush winterscape and it did not happen. First, our door wreath didn't really survive storage. and I was not going back to the craft store this weekend. I stripped the wreath that was already on our door, threw some ribbon on and shoved a couple of peacocks on it. It's okay. Hint: dab essential oil or diffuser fragrance onto your entry wreath with a q-tip. The scent will follow your guests as they walk in.

The leaded glass cut out is in entirely the wrong spot, but it is what it is. We started in on the lights, but they kept shorting out- brand new lights mind you. So, I turned my attention to the tree. it's a magnificent tree and it smells wonderful.

This is what we had at around 10 am. I kept running out of lights, so it took until about 5pm to get this:

burlap tree skirt

There are approximately 1000 lights on this tree, or 7 strands of lights. I am pleased with the "tree skirt" though. It's a bout 8 dollars worth of burlap, strategically shoved under the tree. I'm bound and determined to get it done today, ornaments and all. I will have order Christmas in this house!