Home Projects

Ever read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Not that I want to discuss mice right now (for certain reasons I will leave out of this post), but I identify with the hyper little main character this week after occasional.

Due to the fact that I've been cranking out projects for the store for weeks, I don't know where to begin to regroup my house. Dishes, laundry, and groceries always need to be caught up on, but this week was about bigger issues I've been ignoring for awhile.

First off, I am determined to get going on the main floor bathroom tile project. We've enjoyed the functionality of the toilet and sink, and the beauty of the wallpaper, beadboard, etc., but just didn't quite get to choosing tile for the shower and floor. It all takes time and focus, doesn't it? ...oh yeah...and money.

Here's what I came up with at Home Depot:

Marble subway tile for the walls of the shower, with the little bit of zip of the smaller tiles that contain black, grey, beige, white and a lite green. I'd like some type of detail piece at the top of clean white. Hexagons for the floor of the shower. Bathroom floor would be the tile that looks like wood planking, so it will flow from the kitchen. Only problem is that Mr. Tile Man said the bevel on the subway tile makes it very time consuming to get grout in and clean=more expensive. Guess I need to go out looking for marble subway without the bevel. Any ideas?

I also had to clean the windows of the sliding glass door (in pic. above); couldn't stand the smears. And the beauty of fall and the sunshine is so glorious right now! Which led me to deciding I couldn't look at the dingy, windowpane check curtains I'd had there since forever, but I needed to hang something before nightfall came. Hence, use-what-you have decorating.

  

  

I had a package of leftover clip rings in the drawer and a bolt of olive green and white ticking in the closet. I quickly measured and ripped the fabric and clipped it into the rings, flop-over style. No sewing required. I will probably add some more width, and hence need to do more, but for now...looking good!

I then realized I needed to clear a spot in the dining room for the buffet I'm going to work on for myself. My cool Mpls. Screen Door sign and wonderful green chicken feeder would need to be relocated to the kitchen. Decided the last piece of ceiling tin I hadn't taken to the store needed to stay with me;) Mr. Fix it engineered the hanging system, and my whole little corner is new again!

Perfectly junky, don't you think? I need to paint the supports he built sometime. I also glued a little jumbo rickrack to the lampshade for a fun detail. My chairs are in deep need of slipcovers, re-upholstery or the curb. Will be keeping my eyes peeled for an upgrade. I'm also sick of this side table-too brown. Need a cute painted piece here.

My chrome kitchen stools haven't gotten any attention for at least 4 years; the fabric is tattering right off. I had Mr. Fix-it pop the seats off, now the rest is up to me. I've also learned to upgrade the stuffing in the seat. Carpet pad makes for a little more "cush" for the "tush", that lasts longer than plain, old stuffing.

Since Mr. Fix-it had his drill going, I had him install a cheap, curtain rod above the sink. Once the leaves all fall from our Maples, standing by the kitchen sink on winter nights feels a little fish-bowl-ish. Think I'll be ripping more ticking, and buying more clip rings.

I fall-ed up my industrial shelf in the dining room and added some of my green hydraengas to the clipped sticks:

Cheryl and I have both been scrubbing vintage fans and filling the store with their wonderful-ness, but we each needed to keep one. I decided on the largest, beastly heavy, black Emerson for above my Grandma's cupboard. Love this junky vignette!

Last fall I decided I was tired of looking at the clutter of dishes inside, and stapled some printed burlap behind the glass.

Of course, there's always projects intended for the store that didn't quite get done:

 

But that's just life at my house!

Stay tuned for the boy's room switch-up tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Diane]

Love it all especially the industrial shelf and what's on it!

[Lora Bloomquist]

Diane,
That shelf is a "store reject"! Mr. Fix-it spent a lot of time putting the 100 year old barn board on the back from his brother's barn, and it just wasn't selling. After 6 months in the store, I decided it needed to come home. It's the only way I get cool stuff in my house;)