The Desert Gift Boutique is coming!!!

Please join me!

$75 bathroom remodel ~ before and after...

On the bright side...moving into a house that was built (and decorated) in 1970, is that you have lots of opportunity for improvement. We did quite a bit of remodeling when we moved in: installed lots of recessed lighting, removed nine (yes nine!) different wallpapers, removed arches in the living room and replaced with an entryway pony wall, and painted the whole place. The bathrooms were more of a challenge. In the kids' bathroom, we've done two rounds of remodeling - the first when we moved in two years ago, and the last just this week. Here's what we did:

Here are the Before Before pictures - note the lovely wallpaper and dark tile:

For our first go-round we removed the wallpaper, resurfaced the walls, painted, removed the medicine chest/mirror (which hid a huge hole in the wall), replaced the light fixture, towel rack and toilet paper holder:

Last week I (yes, just I, by my little ol' self) pulled out the old baseboards, put down new flooring, put in new baseboards, painted the vanity and changed out the vanity knobs:

The new flooring is kind of the same color, but so nice and clean and - even though it's peel and stick vinyl planks (better for a bathroom as it is water-tight) - really looks like wood and feels like real wood under the feet.

Note the lighter vanity and new brushed nickel knobs.

Pretty new baseboards make such a difference! Chiseling out the old baseboards and mitreing the new ones was the most challenging part of the job...but fun!

Paige likey!

when it rains it pours...

Ok, sorry...one more thing to share:



HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

bad blogger...

OK OK...I've been a slacker blogger lately. And I don't have anything exciting to post right now (but stay tuned for pics of my "remodeled" bathroom!). So I'll leave you on this lovely Fall afternoon with some images of aspen leaves from around the Flagstaff area. We don't get much a "Fall" in Tucson...and the leaves changing in Flag are so beautiful...

for granny...

These pics were taken a long time ago...like maybe last Summer. An eternity when you're four. Mom was babysitting, and here's the email I got from her:

"You will, of course, want specifics on how P and I got on while T and M were at the dentist. She appeared to be taking requests so I asked her to draw a picture of me, which she did. Notice the hair, ears, hands, slender legs. When it was done she said she forgot to put in my smile (notice smile, added)."

{Editor's note: Granny also appears to have boy parts in the portrait above. Just sayin'.}

lunch for dinner...

I hope my DH isn't reading this...

Last night I packed lunch for my DD and DS. DD stayed home sick and DS forgot that he'd brought his lunch and bought lunch in the cafeteria instead. Both kids have short days for the rest of the week (with no lunchtime) so...what to do with their uneaten lunches?

LUNCH FOR DINNER!

i {heart} friday...

...this Friday I {heart} Nie Nie the most. Just saw a portion of her interview with Oprah. Missed it on Wednesday, and there's only a tiny snippet on You Tube. With Spanish subtitles, and a comment from the poster sending her love out to Nie Nie and family in any language. So cute.


I'm afraid that Harpo may ask You Tube to take it down soon, but just in case...here's the link:


Nie Nie on Oprah


She is, I think, a hero and an inspiration!