Almost (but not quite) free room makeover.

Just three days ago this room was a pit of despair.  I didn't think to take
a before picture, just imagine a catch-all, a junk room, a downstairs
attic. The best that could be said for it was that we were able to put
a lot of stuff in it - but really, it was:
The Island of Misfit Home Furnishings.

Keira and I spent all of Saturday afternoon de-crapifying it and then,
using things that were already on hand, putting together a new craft
and sewing space.  And an exercise space.  And storage. And a spare
room. Who knew all those purposes could co-exist so peacefully?



We even hung Art. I am especially fond of a self-portrait that I picked up at
Goodwill.  I'm calling her 'Penelope' (with a nose like that, I sort of  have to).

 Could it have been better? Sure. I didn't bother to fill any leftover nail holes...or paint the walls...or paint the cubes (which are pretty beat up)...but I'm okay with it. It's fine, just fine.

Total cost? Four new plastic bins (the ones with paints and stamps) $16 and one closet rod with hanging hardware $8. If I added correctly, that makes just $24.
Having a multi-functional room instead of a junk room? Priceless.

The Empire Strikes Bath...Reveal!

First of all, there was no way I was ever going to get good pictures of this bathroom makeover - lack of window = no natural light. So just deal with it.

Walls were painted Martha Stewart Living Nimbus Cloud - color matched to Behr Premium Plus paint - flat finish. It's basically a light gray. The vanity was then painted Antique Tin (again, in a Behr Premium Plus) in a satin finish.



How much concentrated Star Wars can you handle? We managed to
fit in the Death Star, Rebel Scum AND R2D2 over the toilet... 



...Obi Wan is flossing his teeth next to the sink...

 

...Yoda and Frozen Han are hanging out just above our very
awesome and functional Boba Fett laundry bag...

Too much concentrated Star Wars awesomeness? I think not.

I've pretty much covered all my projects in earlier posts (which I have linked to)...except maybe the metal pegboard, but it's exactly the same pegboard I used in my office makeover here and here (purchased through Amazon). The silver shelf/basket thingies and the round magnet tins (minus the cool pictures) were purchased from IKEA, the black vinyl-coated wire baskets and assorted pegs were purchased from Home Depot (as was the plastic backed drop cloth used to make the laundry hamper and the round mirrors).

Dirty Laundry...

I'll wager that our household is the only one in this galaxy

(or any other) with a Boba Fett laundry bag. Word.



It's times like this that I'm truly grateful to have the knowledge
and supplies to make my own iron on transfers.



The Empire Strikes Bath is pretty much done now, but I haven't had time to take the pictures...having too much fun (and by that I mean working our tails off) with Keira. I'll try and post pictures tomorrow.

The Empire Strikes Bath...(and I Crack Myself Up).

I stole these magnetic spice containers from the metal pegboard in my office...they held paperclips, rubber bands and binder clips.  I'm going to have to replace them ($5 for the lot of them - from IKEA), but in the meantime, I've been giggling uncontrollably just a little too much.

How's it Hangin'?

I put up the embroidery art that I've been working on...mostly to get it off of my desk.  I'm not done with the wall yet - I'm waiting for some new inspiration. Anyone?

The Empire Strikes Bath...Death Star

That's no moon, it's a space station!

The Death Star plans are not in the main computer, they're right here on yours!

For a better tutorial than mine, see this one. I didn't follow her directions exactly - but
that gal has better pictures and explanations than I do.

1. Find picture you like...put it in Microsoft Word...stop muttering about
how much you hate loathe despise the program,  and add numbers.

2. Support your local Walmart - $3.97 + tax will buy you this little beauty.

3. Take off the back by unscrewing the seven tiny little screws.
Immediately lose one screw.

4. Tape off the hands...then paint around the inside edges and the center.

5. After the paint is dry, slather on some fake Mod Podge (slightly diluted Elmer's glue), then
 carefully slide the paper clock face over the hands. Add more faux Podge to the top and
push out any bubbles (or in my case, leave it alone for an hour or so while you run to Home
Depot and the library and then have to put up with the resulting dried bubbles). Let dry.



6. Reassemble clock.

 Now all I need are the right droids.

It must be Monday...Three Tales.

I got up a little extra early this morning (4:25 am) so that I could spend a bit more time on my seminary lesson.  I had some things that I had printed up that needed cutting out, and I wanted to make up some scripture mastery stuff on the computer (the final verse of the final scripture!!!). I got everything done, drove to seminary and just as I was parking I realized that I had left all that hard work...at home. Aargh.

After I got home from seminary, Steve called me...he had forgotten to take the lunch that Andrew had prepared for him.

Steve told me that he had a little extra time because his boss had to go home - he had forgotten his laptop.

What's up with today???

All Things Slothful

Danny has a big research paper due in Biology on Monday.  Which means that both of us get to become well acquainted with his chosen subject matter.

His chosen subject matter?  The three-toed sloth. 

Would you like to know a few of the fascinating facts that I learned today?

• sloths are the slowest moving mammal.
• sloths body temperatures can fluctuate as much as 10 degrees in a day. I seldom do that.
• a full grown sloth weighs about 8 or 9 pounds.
• during the dry season a sloth can hold 'it' for two weeks, and then make a 2 pound dump! Yikes!
• sloths take care of all of their other business while hanging in a tree.  All of it.

Thankfully, he was able to finish up his rough draft before dinner...another 30-60 minutes and he should be done (and by he, I mean we).

Did you want to know more? Yeah, me neither.

5 x 5, Day 5. Part II



The brown containers used to be green.
And now they're not.



I'm loving the giant brown hook and eyes.



5 x 5, Day 5



This isn't a true 'before' picture - It was the 'I wonder what I can do with
all my unattractive crap stuff that is on full display in my bathroom that doesn't
have a lick of storage' stage.




Time for a little tension.
Rod gazed at the beautiful stranger. He could see her
true potential.




I don't think I'm completely done - but it's done enough for now.
I think I will add some rings to the back so that I can adjust the
length ala Roman blinds.



Ruffle-y goodness.



5 x 5, Day 4

 When I started this challenge, I didn't have a plan of exactly what projects I would do. I knew I was going to finish the R2D2 picture and I was pretty sure that I would do more embroidery, but I DIDN'T know I would end up cleaning closets. I have to say, I'm pretty happy to have clean closets. Not quite as happy as I am with my R2D2 picture, but it's close. Close-ish. In the general vicinity.

lower shelf: cleaning supplies...in a none to tidy arrangement.
top shelf: first aid stuff.  We'd better hope to heaven that we don't need it...

...oh wait, we did.



Question: how many containers of rubbing acohol does one family need? On the other hand, now that I have it all sorted (and thrown away FIVE bandaid boxes), I know that I'll be needing more tape...for that little accident that Danny had.



Another free makeover. 



While I was at it, I decided to declutter the lower shelves too (sorry, no before picture - but
they really weren't messy, just overly full).



5 x 5, Day 3

I actually did The Raven last week (thanks to Suzanne for the idea) - but since it didn't quite earn it's own post, I decided to wait until today to post a picture of it.  I was able to get a decent amount of embroidery done yesterday on the other piece while sitting in the walk-in clinic waiting for Daniel to be treated for a broken finger.

For those of you not familiar with the phrase,"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal" here's a clip from the series Firefly.

5 x 5, Day 2

I was talking to Suzanne on the phone yesterday,  when she decided to clean out Emma's closet.  It occurred to me that I too have at least one closet that was well past its sell-by date.  As you can see, it housed our terribly outdated VHS collection (it wrapped around the back of the closet too...and often spilled onto the floor...possibly knocked down by generation upon generation of monster dust bunnies). The wire shelf was totally inadequate for holding my vast collection of tablecloths, a few odd diapers and our punch bowl.


Before: The Land That Time Forgot.

Wherein I discover a new found love of wire shelving.

Step 1: Empty the closet.  I had Alex bring me up two empty boxes which I filled with video tapes and excess tablecloths.
Step 2: Have Alex install a double hook that he recently took off the wall in his room.
Step 3: Have Andrew install a shelf support in rear of closet.
Step 4: Find the hacksaw. (Yes, this deserves it's own step)
Step 5: Taking turns with Alex, cut shelf to correct length. (The shelf was originally in my office area).
Step 6: Install front shelf supports, then plop the shelf in place!
Step 7: Carefully edit what goes back in.  Andrew considers my old vacuum an eyesore and would much rather see a shiny new one (without all of the frayed sections of cord), but since Andrew isn't buying me a new one, we're stuck with the one I have.


Strains from the Hallelujah Chorus are running through my head.

Cost: $0.00.  Yes, the best thing about this closet make-over is that I didn't even need to go to the store.  Not once. Frankly, I find that priceless.

5 x 5, Day 1

I actually started this on Saturday - and spent much of the day on it.

 I was surprised at how long it took...

 But, good golly Miss Molly!

I. LOVE. IT
(It seems a bit of a waste to put it in the hall bathroom...)

The Weekend in Review

We'll have to trade in the mini-van soon.

Saturday: It was sunny enough, in the morning, to get a wee bit of gardening done...and then the rains descended...again. I spent much of the day helping Danny with his history class and painting.  Painting what? You'll see (maybe today).
Sunday: Alex gave his first 'farewell' talk in church.  Next week he'll be giving another one (in the singles branch). He still doesn't know what the topic is supposed to be on, but hopes to be able to re-use some of yesterday's talk - after all, the audience will be completely different.

Doctor Who Junkies, represent!

In my continuing series of embroidery efforts, I now offer...

My favorite design...so far.

5 X 5 Challenge Plus, My New Best Friends.



Stuff I've made in the last week (that didn't earn their own post)
 embroidered "W",  embroidery needle pincushion, and a scale model of a
handcart (from a kit).
New Best Friends? My Dollar Tree reading glasses and my needle threader.

 Lately I've been celebrating the completion of TUJD (The Uncrushable Jersey Dress). Reading and reviewing one book a week for sixteen months was satisfying in one way - Keira and I did exactly what we set out to do in our 'mission statement' - which did give me a sense of accomplishment - but there were unfortunate side effects, most notably, the lack of time/energy for more creative pursuits.

I've been making up for lost time (creatively speaking), and really enjoying myself.  So here's the challenge. Next week, Monday-Friday I plan on making OR organizing at least one thing each day and blogging about it.  I've roped in a few of you - the only real rule is that I want to see a picture (before and after if you can, but at least after).

Who's in? Leave a comment on this blog, so we'll know which blogs to watch next week.

Not so long ago, in a galaxy not so far away...

While browsing around the interwebs this week I came across a painting tutorial on Lil Blue Boo (she does a great job at explaining the process).  I thought to myself, 'Self, you could do this technique.' And so I did. I'm trying to gather up all the stuff I need to tart up my upstairs hall bath (the only room in my house that hasn't been painted at least once!). Anywho, I have a totally awesome theme (does it help if I mention that it's my 16 year old son's bathroom?)...

Let's get started on the painting!

1. I thinned down some Elmer's glue with water, and basically decoupaged torn telephone book pages onto a 12x12 canvas frame ($5.00). I'll never be able to call anyone whose last name starts with an 'l', but that's a small price to pay.

2. I covered the entire canvas and wrapped the paper around the edges.  You might notice the canning jar rings...I didn't want to glue the frame to the counter, so that's what I use to give a little height to my project.

3. I painted the entire canvas True Blue.

4. I printed up my phrase on the computer (using a free downloaded font - from www.fontspace.com/category/Star+Wars), then cut the letters out and traced them with a pencil.

5. Two coats of white paint, then I dry brushed some Leaf Green paint on the bottom and part of the top.



6. Allow paint to dry, then take some sandpaper to it to give it a distressed appearance.

 

7. I mixed some Bittersweet Chocolate(paint-not the stuff you eat) with water and then started the business of making the picture look even older. After applying the antique wash, I periodically wiped it down slightly with a damp papertowel (thus, the streaky effect).



8. Do I stop now? I think I will...

 I think my end product has a sort of Dagobah vibe. 
Total cost? Maybe $6.00.

Did I forget to mention the theme for the bathroom?  Wait for it...wait. for. it....

The Empire Strikes Bath. (With special thanks for the idea from a blog of the same name.)

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Organized.

First of all, I know I don't have the smallest master bathroom in the world. Second of all, I'm grateful that I don't have to share my bathroom with anyone except my husband. Now that I've got that out of the way...I really do have storage issues therein.

Or at least, I thought I did.

before

I don't have any drawers in my vanity, except for the wire pull-out drawer that Steve installed a couple of years ago.  As you can see by the 'before' picture, it wasn't really doing a very good job.


during



So, I pulled everything out and started over. I picked up some containers at the Dollar Tree...and then proceeded to purge and sort.  Or maybe it was sort and purge? Whatev - I managed to trim down most of the excess (except for the dozen-ish containers of dental floss...does it ever really go bad?), and organize what was left into the totes I bought. Hoo. Rah.



after

I didn't really plan on organizing under my bathroom sink today - it's just that I had some time to spare while waiting for some glue to dry. You heard me.