A light dusting in time for Easter...

We didn't get a lot and it was gone before Easter Sunday.

Bathroom

Our bathroom is very small but it suits our needs and it's cozy. I sewed the shower curtain. I found the print at Wal-Mart; if I'd had any sense I'd have bought enough to make curtains for the window too. We had to have some plumbing work done in the shower and unfortunately it caused more problems than it solved. You see we had a small leak coming from the shower head so we asked the plumber if there was a way to stop it and he said we needed to replace the stems, an inexpensive part, so we gave him the go ahead. Well, it turned out that he had to bust out some tile to get to the stems and then he needed to bust out some more tile to replace the pipe to the shower head. He told us it wouldn't cost much to repair. It turns out it costs a lot to repair... $750.00 worth. So, we paid $15 in parts to get the shower fixed and it will cost us $750 to get the tile fixed. Aye charumba Ironic thing... the shower is leaking again.
This wall is adjacent to the shower which is to the right. I bought this really cool frame from Collections as well. It had a mirror in the center of it but I broke that, so I found a woodland print with little bears on it and used the mirror as a frame instead. Hey, it works. I got the nightlight at Kohls along with a really cute bathroom set that has a moose toothbrush holder, a log cabin lotion/soft soap dispenser, and a canoe for bar soapThis wall is adjacent to the shower which is to the right. I bought this really cool frame from Collections as well. It had a mirror in the center of it but I broke that, so I found a woodland print with little bears on it and used the mirror as a frame instead. Hey, it works. I got the nightlight at Kohls along with a really cute bathroom set that has a moose toothbrush holder, a log cabin lotion/soft soap dispenser, and a canoe for bar soap.

At some point we want to replace the tile in the shower and the counter top and change to a new sink. I'd like something a little more neutral maybe some granite. It shouldn't cost that much because it's such a small countertop.

I got this really cool, oval mirror with the antler accents through http://www.collectionsetc.com/. It's such a cool website and the stuff is really nice and really cheap.>



The entire bathroom is done in pine beadboard, which is really quite pretty, and it definitely has that rustic feel to it. The only thing that doesn' t fit is the tile and the pink sink. I think one of the people who has owned this house has really had a thing for pink...I mean coordinating way beyond Martha Stewart. I took this picture by using the huge mirror on the wall. It goes the full lenght of the bathroom.

Another exciting view, but the last one. Here's why I said I should have bought more material...no curtain over the window. I was afraid it would look funky from the outside of the house. The way it looks now only the shutters show out of the windows. I put some of that frosted decal stuff on the top of the windows and it gives us the privacy we want without the curtains. The shutters have a Betsy Ross American flag on them in Americana colors. I have them in all three windows and it looks really cool from the outside of the house.

Bedroom - After

So, what do you think? How'd I do?
I found the wallpaper border at WallUSA and I bought the beadspread and pillow

shams from http://www.cabellas.com/. I bought the lamps on line too but I can't remember where. I just googled for them. The furniture we bought from a local dealer. The curtains and rods came from Lowe's.

I found this beautiful print , which compliments the theme, at Allposters.com. The name of the print is Wilderness Song and the artist is Alan Sakhavarz it's just breathtaking. Well, that's on the wall opposite of the bed and it's the first thing I see when I wake up. The carpet on the floor is called Sand.

Bedroom - During Renovations

Summer 2005 We knew we had to replace the carpet so that was the last thing to go. First we painted the room and then I put up a border that shows a pack of wolves running through the snow. It's very pretty.






We had a closet with mirrored wardrobe doors built. There is a window in the closet, but we had the guy cover it up with drywall board. We made it so we could remove the drywall if we needed too. From the street it looks like we have a white window shade drawn. The mirrors gave the illusion that the room is really bigger than it actually is.
Next we removed the wall heater. Usually the living room would be cold and the bedroom would be like a furnace. It was one of those dual sided jobbies, and it was useless. With the cost of propane it was a very smart move. We left it plummed for gas and the thermostat is still in place should someone want to install another wall heater. Another feature that gives the illusion of size is the vaulted ceiling with natural wood and beams made of pine. The extra height makes the room not feel so cramped.

Bedroom - Before

When we first saw the bedroom this was what it looked like. The whole room was this hideous teal green color, and there were ducks on the curtains. The room was divided by a sheer curtain that was hung by a long pole attached to one of the ceiling beams that goes across the width of the room. There was about 3 feet behind the curtain, and this is what they used for a closet since the room didn't have one. The bed was on the opposite side of the curtain, and was crammed up against the wall. There was another bookshelf like the one pictured here on the other side of the window (to the right of the one shown). A workout bench was against the last remaining wall, which I might add was the only one in the room without a window; it had a wall heater and the door on it instead. There were large windows on three of the four walls. The floor was covered by a worn rose colored carpet. You literally had to squeeze by everything in the room, and it was a cluttered mess.

Kitchen Renovations Completed

So how did I do?

Someday I’d like to replace the kitchen countertops with something a little nicer and I’d also like to swap out that hideous faucet. It’s like those ones you see in an old laundry or mud room, and I'd like to get a new sink. I’m sure we can find something nicer when it comes time to replace the backsplash.

This is how the kitchen cabinets turned out; no more Tyrolean cottage now. I went shopping and found some real life-like fake pine branches, complete with pinecones, for a really good deal, so I bought them and I put them up on the ledge over the cupboards that are over the sink. It sort of carries the pinecone branch theme all the way across. There is a fluorescent light fixture above the sink that I’d like to swap out eventually, but you can’t see it because it’s behind a plastic panel. The cup hooks are gone. I don’t feel the need to display my matching coffee mugs; I keep them in a cupboard where they belong. Some of the things in my kitchen have sentimental value: like the rooster on top of the cupboards, over the stove, and the pie tins over the kitchen sink, and the bean pot on top of my hutch. They all belonged to my mother.

These are the dishes I purchased to go with the kitchen/dining decor. I'm so Martha Stewart (as my daughter likes to say) that I couldn't just stop at the plates. I bought the whole set including silverware and the cute little salt and pepper shakers that are shaped like the chickadee on the plates. These are my everyday dishes and I love the way I feel when I can share all my efforts with friends and family. The unfortunate thing about this pattern is that Pfaltzgraff only sells it at Christmastime. I have been fortunate to find it on other Internet sites when I can't get it through them.

The flooring is made by Congoleum and it is really practical for where we live. We have two dogs and in the wintertime we track snow and dirt all over the place. This stuff is easy to mop up. The accessories on the table and hutch match my china. It's called Winterwood and it's by Pfaltzgraff.

This is how the whole thing turned out. I want to replace the ceiling fans with track lighting. They don't work anyhow and they don't give off much light. I put some of the same film on the dining room window as I put in the bathroom. As you can see it lets plenty of light in but provides a lot of privacy, plus I don't have to have curtains that would dwarf the window, and hide the beautiful border.

Kitchen Renovations - Day 3

What a diffence the trim made. It seemed to tie the whole thing together. It was a pain in the butt to put on though.


Today we started putting up the border. It's called Pinecone Branch and you can find it in the Livin' Lodge book on page 162.