1965 and holding...but you can only hold it so long!
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"... When we first looked at the house I saw potential with this bathroom. The original sink and counter top is in mint condition and the fact that it is a rectangle is totally cool, and I actually dig the floor. SIX hours of stripping and scrubbing later, (my son even tag teamed on this one) we are almost done restoring it to it's original color. (Still have a closet to do) I highly recommend Armstrong's New Beginning floor stripper and restorer for vinyl flooring. A neighbor shared this info with me back in the early 80's...it's still available at the major home improvement stores, although I only had to pay a BUCK for mine from our local Helping Hands Resale Shoppe in Chillicothe, IL!
Thanks to my Groom whom I love so much, that cast iron bathing bowl has gone down the drain | (Yes, that is a pic from our wedding. I had to include it because as in any renovation, a couple needs MUCH prayer! We were covered in it that day, so I believe that is why no lives were lost while redoing the bathroom.) Well the tub and it's original tile (little white tiles are no longer hip to be square) had seen better days, so it was time for a gut job. That cast iron tub was a doosey getting out of the house, but hubby used a wee bit of aggression (I hope I had nothing to do with that!) and a sledge hammer and sure enough, it is so OUTTA THERE! (with prayer) Because the new tub was wider, we had the plumber come in and re-plumb so everything would fit. The plumbers decided to set the tub for us but had a bit of an issue choosing which corner should be square. When it came time for the cement board...the hubs tucked in some cozy insulation, invited a friend over for a little cement board calibration and application, and soon it was time for the fun part! AFTER we rebuilt the corner & mudded and feathered and sanded and primed and painted... |
all those years as a paste-up artist back in the 80's, finally paid off!
Shower curtain from TJ Maxx, of course; where else?! And if you've never had a CURVED shower rod, GET ONE! They make the shower area incredibly SPACIOUS and make you feel like you are in a luxury hotel! (side note: the new tub is a soaking tub with a ledge for your arms to rest beneath the water...SIGH...we elected not to convert to a shower only, so future homeowners would have a bathtub for little ones. You gotta think ahead & of future buyers, when you renno.) | I am in LOVE with it all...SO glad we kept the vanity and I added my special touches with paint, hardware, faucet and the tile back- splash encapsulated with metal trim. |
And FINALLY...the REALLY FUN PART ! The search for the perfect decor..there is MORE to this than meets
your pretty little eyes of blue...
THE WREATH: I had been COVETING (please forgive me, Father) a similar wreath from Pier One Imports for quite awhile. What kept me from making the purchase: EMPTYING a bank vault for a moment of grandeur is NOT my style! And I'd have to ROB the bank vault FIRST, in order to do it and then what good what prison do me as I'd be forever separated from my spa-like retreat of a beautiful bathroom!
Darn cute but so not worth Prison!
This is where my secret shopper spirit guides me...HOLY SPIRIT, of the HIGHEST POWER, that is! So I decided to stop at a yard sale just at the end of my street and what do I see laying on a table for like $1.50 but this darn cute wreath in a clear bag. Upon further inspection the grapevine wreath looked a GREAT DEAL like the P.O. wreath I had LONG admired, but in miniature version and the PERFECT SIZE FOR ABOVE MY TOITIE!!!! IRONICALLY, the VERY DAY BEFORE, I happened to purchase this little turquoise spray of beaded things that I thought was a small roll of garland, but was actually a mini-mini circle of splendor. I didn't know what I was going to use it for, but as soon as I purchased my trove of a treasure-wreath, I KNEW WHY! I proceeded to RUN to find my white spray paint and lightly turned the brown twigs to match the P.O. wreath, then I wove in the little beaded piece and WHALAAAAAAH....Pier One Imports eat your heart out!!!! MINE IS WAY PRETTIER THAN YOURS....so THERE!!!!!!! Aint' GOD good??????? AND to help balance out my little jewel of the sea: these two adorable pictures that were given to me by a dear client who was redoing her bathroom! I was painting a mural of Sanibel Island at her home when I noticed them in a pile for the thrift store. ANOTHER BLESSING from ABOVE...that cost me NADA!
TRIPLE Darn Cute! RIGHT?????
Ezekiel 34:36 "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing!"