Bathroom Renovation - Part 1

Happy Monday All:

Sorry I have been absent these past few days. I am in the middle of a MAJOR bathroom renovation! Yeah and Boo... Plus and Minus!! There are so many ups and downs ALREADY to this project. The yeah... I get a new bathroom... the boo... I have to knock out a WHOLE bathroom! This reno consisted of a FULL GUT JOB!! So guess who thought she was going to have fun with a sledge hammer... ME! Fun... not at all! My house was built in 1964 and things just weren't built the same as they are in today's time. They were built to withstand everything and I think they just mixed stuff up to make thin-set. Because that thin-set wasn't so thin!! It was actually over an 1 inch thick... then it had wire behind that. Oh yeah remember there is a tile you have to bust as well. The kicker the WHOLE bathroom is tiled!! I thought it was only going to take 2-3 hours to demo the bathroom... WRONG... can you say 12 hours... yes you read that right 12 HOURS!! 12 hours of blood, sweat, and tears. Yes there was some blood, a lot of sweat, and I had a melt down when I got done with the bathroom this morning because my body... mostly my hands hurt so bad. And on top of that I got had about 6 hours of sleep in 2 days. So not really my prettiness moment. 


Doing this demolition thought me a lot though. Withstanding pain and pushing through when all of really want to is quit... is really just mind over matter. This morning when I was staring at the floor that I needed to bust out... I really just wanted to call it quits. I had to take a few breaths, say a prayer and just go in! I took each area that I got done as an accomplishment and made small goals for myself. The prize for completing the goal... a break for lifting the sledge hammer! And when I was finally done at 6 am... all I could do was say THANK YOU... I MADE IT... AND I FINISHED!! 


But let me just say I will NEVER bust out a bathroom that was built before 1980's and never had a reno before. Naw not going to do it!! If its after the 80's... I'm all in and I will take on any room that is mostly sheetrock. 


So here are some pics of the before and during pics and will post some more during and after pics and let you know how this journey goes. I can already tell you cleanup doesn't look like its going to be much fun either!!

The vanity area. That mirror was really low... it was like in my chest. This use to be my granny's house and she was 4'11 and she put the mirror up so just she could look in it. Because I sure can't.

The toilet area. This was the beginning of my demo!

The inside of the shower. NASTY!! So happy to see it gone!

The back of the bathtub. See the big crack?!

Got all the tile ripped out of this part. Tedious process as I had to make sure I didn't bust any pipes!! We already had one water issue going on.

See the wire... Yeah was still struggling and really didn't see the end in sight!!

I was actually able to get this wall to come out in one piece, BUT because of the weight we had to break it down because we just couldn't carry it. It would take an army to move it!!

Sarah's Baby Shower

Good Morning Everyone ~


On this past Sunday, I decorated "A Star is Born" baby shower for Sarah and Wes! The party was thrown by Vibrations Dance Company and I had the pleasure of creating all the cute decorations!! We had the baby shower at a place that is very familiar to all of us... the dance studio!! Since we would be having the shower immediately after dance rehearsal, it only made sense to use this space! We used the "meeting room" and front waiting area for the bulk of the party! I told Sarah in the beginning that since she was having a girl... the party was going to be pink, Pink, and PINK!! And that's exactly what she received. "A Star is Born" theme was picked since the party was being thrown by her dance family and we would be inviting other friends who are part of the theatre community. It only seemed appropriate that we celebrate a STAR!!


Let me just say... that I was nervous that the games would not be "stimulating" enough! BUT to my surprise... everyone had a ton of fun playing all the games. I didn't know that grown men would take trying to guess a belly size so seriously! AND we actually had someone be SPOT ON for guessing the mommie-to-be belly size. The "big" game that was played was the funniest of all!! So everyone had to pick a partner... the object was to dress a naked baby (put on the diaper, shirt, and pants)... then put the baby in a shower go down the dance studio around a chair and back across the finish line! The catch though... one person had to be blindfolded and the other had to direct their partner on where the clothes, how to put them on, and get them down and around that chair without killing themselves. And in honor of March Madness... we had a bracket... we went through 4 rounds until we got to 1 winner. Congrats to Ashlee and Will for being the winners!! The whole thing was HILARIOUS!! I have never laughed so hard and actually was able to participate in this game. Who knew dressing a baby without your eyes closed could be so hard. We had babies that got thrown out of their stroller, diapers falling off, people almost running into the wall! There will be post on just this game with a video and photos, just so you can get the full impact of this game!! 

This area was used for the food.

This was the welcome sign. I just love this picture! The mom liked the board so much she took it home! YEA!

On the table are the shower favors.

The mobile over the main table. Tissue  tutorial here. 

Wider view of the main table.  Draped fabric from ceiling to soften the feel of the room. Table without flowers on table. 

A bonus to the baby shower is... Wes the daddy-to-be made a video of the day and here it is!! Click the "here" to watch the video!


MORE PICS TO COME NEXT WEEK!!

Wine Bottle Arrangements

So I drink my fair share of wine and have friends who drink their fair share as well.   So when I saw this project on Hostess with the Mostess I knew that I would be trying this out and knew I had to share this project!! DIY projects work for me!! Wine bottle arrangements are simple to make and inexpensive. Plus... someone has to empty the bottle and that may be the best part of the process!!

Materials Needed:
– 5 Green Wine Bottles... Clear bottles will work as well.
– Adhesive Remover... Goo Gone!
– 5 Wine Corks
– 18 Gauge Floral Wire
– Floral Pick
– 1" Sheer Green Ribbon
– Scissors
– Floral Knife or Floral Shears

Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. First of all, enjoy that wine! Once those bottles are emptied soak them in hot water and scrub off the labels. You may need to use adhesive remover (Goo Gone) to get the more stubborn labels completely off.

2. Fill the wine bottles 3/4 of the way full with room temperature water. Mix in a little "flower food" to each bottle. This usually comes in a powder form in little packets with each bundle of flowers you purchase.

3. Choose your flowers. Make sure you have a variety of heights, textures, and bloom sizes to create interest within the arrangement. Keep in mind that the openings of the wine bottles are small so make sure the stems of the flowers you choose are not too big. There will be about 5 stems in each bottle.

4. As soon as you get your flowers, cut the stems at a deep angle with either your floral shears or floral knife to allow maximum hydration once they are inserted in the water.

5. Make your floral arrangements. The flowers are intended to look like they are spraying out of the wine bottles as if you just corked a bottle of champagne and BOOM the flowers started shooting out instead. Achieve this by staggering the heights of the stems, leaving enough space between each bloom, and angling the stems slightly outward.

6. Next take your floral pick and pre-poke a hole in each cork. Then insert your 18 gauge wire and place in your arrangement so that it looks as if it is shooting out of the bottle along with the flowers.

7. Wrap each wine bottle in your choice of ribbon by using this "wrap & twist" technique: Cut 4' lengths of ribbon. From behind each bottle take the center point of the ribbon and wrap the bottle once around. When the ends meet in the front of the bottle twist and wrap around the bottle again only twisting in the front. Repeat this step up the whole base of the bottle. Knot and trim the ends of the ribbon on the backside.

8. Cluster your group of wine bottle arrangements in the center of your dining table at a wine and cheese party or use them as decor on your food display table. The great thing about these arrangements is that each guest can take one home easily at the end of the night.

All photos from the blog Hostess with the Mostess

Love Organizing?

I must say that I am a little OCD when it comes to everything having its place in the house! Well I have found a great blog that shares numerous ideas and tips on how to organize your life. I want to put a spotlight on the blog IHeart Organizing! Jen, the writer of the blog, posts a new blog Monday-Friday and I have found numerous posts that I can use in my house.  She gave me the inspiration to get my crafting area in order.  I must say that I did take a moment this past weekend to get my crafting area a little more organized, especially after this baby shower. Spending less than $40, I was able to buy some storage containers and baskets that work perfectly to hold my crafting items!!  And I have learned that decorative paper is a tool I will be using for the rest of my LIFE!! It is cheap and can really dress up things!!


Need to know how to make labels? You can find it on this site... just need some inspiration on how to organize spaces in your house... You can find it on this site!! Definitely check out this site. She has free printables as well!! 

You Don't Just Have To Drink Out of Them

WINE GLASSES... You can do more than just drink out of them!! If you find yourself with a mismatched collection―or without bubbly―flip thick-walled glasses upside down to create a beautiful grouping of candle stands for a shelf or a mantel. Use heavy wineglasses for table centerpieces, as the wider mouths will provide more stability to withstand bumping. 

I know MANY (and you know who you are, including myself) friends that have various types of wine glasses and all we do is drink out of them! Nothing wrong with that... BUT... wine glasses are beautiful to use as decoration. And because you may have mismatched glasses, the varying heights and shapes make an interesting tablescape. You can also use wine bottles as candle holders. I did a post last week on how to cut glass using household items and this would be a great project to work on. 

How To Make Inexpensive Favors

 

So for the baby shower this past Sunday, we had a limited budget, so doing DIY projects and finding items on sale was a MUST! Creating these party favors was not only fun, but friendly to the budget!!

Here are the labels before I hot glued them on the bag.  They were layered. I used a craft bunch to cut out the labels, which made them the perfect shape and size every time.   I used large 12 x 12 sheets of paper to cut out the labels. The sheets of paper were on sale for 16 cents!! I got extra sheets for future projects. Just could no pass up that price!  Craft punches are a great little investment! They come in numerous shapes and sizes and at  Michael's and Hobby Lobby they are usually on sale and both stores offer 40% coupons, so getting some of those is a MUST! For what I used inside... chocolate of course. What woman doesn't love chocolate! 

So these bags I got from the DOLLAR STORE! They came in a pack of 12 and all I had to do is put them together and that was pretty simple. I actually put them together one night before dance rehearsal, while sitting on the floor talking to friends.

On the inside of the bags I put a little  of the plastic grass! It's around Easter and got the grass for 1.33 a pack. I got two packs, but really only needed 1.  Those packs were able to pill up my bags, but have a TON left over! If  have green in your color scheme... the green grass was only 33 cents! 

The inside of the bags with the candy inside. Just so you know... You can't put too much candy inside of these and it close correctly. :-(

And here are the bags completed! I decided to use black ribbon because more pink would of been too much!! So in total to make this treat it cost roughly 25 cents per bag!! Can't beat that!!

SNEAK PEEK: Sarah's Baby Shower

Today was Sarah's baby shower and I can say it was a success!! Everyone had a great time and the mother-to-be and father-to-be really enjoyed it. And pleasing the parents was my goal! Because it's late and I am dog tired... here is sneak peek of the decor!! 

Enjoy and Good Night!! Where did the weekend go?! 

GO GREEN

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!! 

Here is a little treat that is quick to make and definitely goes well with the St. Patrick's theme. Make a fruit rainbow!!

Everyone Be Careful and KISS ME I'M IRISH!! ;-)

Oh yeah side note... baby shower tomorrow and I have been taking various pictures of the things I have been creating over the past week. Can't wait to share with everyone!!

Oh So Happy

So my friend's baby shower is on Sunday... and I can't wait!! I definitely need to take some pictures. I have been a little slow on posting as I have so much that I need to get done by Sunday and have been riding all around Columbia getting things. This has been so much fun. On top of that... I will be doing another wedding by the end of the year! YEAH!!! I just wanted to just say hi to everyone today and will TRY to get some pictures up of the things I have created, so far up tomorrow. I also want to say I have the best mother in the world because I can always bounce my ideas off of her and she will tell me if it's a BUST or GO!!

Cutting Glass

So I experimented today with trying to cut glass... specifically a wine bottle! Let's just say it didn't go quite like the directions said. Here are the directions on how to cut a bottle.

How to make glass from a glass bottle: wrap a piece of cotton string 5-6 times around the item you want to cut and tie it. Slide it off and soak it in acetone. YES... the stuff that takes your nail polish off! Place the string back on the bottle where you want the break to happen. Be near water, just in case! Ignite it. Yes it will flame up. Let it die down. After that, the place where the cord, immediately under cold water. Smooth the edges with sandpaper. If you don't get it the first time, don't despair. Just drink a lot of wine so you have extra bottle to practice on. I wouldn't recommend drinking and doing this project though! 

Sorry I don't have a pic of the blanched attempt to cut the bottle. It really did work, I just think I let the flame burn for too long and the bottle cracked around the rim. That was my second attempt at trying to cut the bottle. I tried 3 times and then started to make the house stink. So I will make another attempt in a few days and not let the flame burn for as long. But I promise to myself that I am going to get this to work as I have some get ideas for what I work like to do with the glass!

Cupcake Toppers

So it just donned on me yesterday that the baby shower I am helping to plan happens NEXT SUNDAY.... Yikes!! No sweat... I am on top of things and actually function a little better under a time crunch. Well I was back on my PINTEREST hunt today and found some more FABULOUS ideas on games and whatnot. The best thing I stumbled upon... I AM GOING TO MAKE THE CUPCAKE TOPPERS! I am so excited and want to run out to Michael's right now. Oh yeah about Michael's... we just got a new one in Columbia and it is GREAT!! I took my boyfriend with me (big mistake) and he practically had to drag me out because I just kept walking in circles and finding more things that I wanted to purchase and crafts I wanted to do. Plus how can you NOT LOVE Michael's when you can almost always get things at 40-50% OFF! #winning  So here is a pic of the cupcake toppers that I will be attempting to make this weekend!! Definitely come back on Sunday for a tutorial on how to make these!!

CIAA 2012

Hope everyone is having a great Monday! I had a great fun filled weekend in Charlotte, NC at CIAA!! Saw lots of friends and partied the nights away. So a little behind on posting... but will definitely have a great post up tomorrow!! Be on the lookout!!

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

I am ALWAYS browsing on Etsy looking for various creations, especially earrings and bridal/party items. I get a ton of ideas from just looking at what vendors have to offer. I am just in AWE over some of the items that see on this site.  Well during my hunt one day, I came across "Will You Be My Bridesmaid" cards. I think this is the cutest idea and adds a special touch to asking someone to share your special day with you!!  These cards can be personalized to state what their role will be in the wedding... maid of honor, junior bridesmaid, matron of honor, etc and come in a variety of colors and shapes. Here are a few that I really liked:

These are really cute.

I thought this card was funny!! And hopefully BRIDES you will pick out a dress that does look fabulous and your ladies want to wear again, so you don't have to make them feel guilty!!

I really like this card. You have to have your girls around to celebrate your day!!

I love the layers on this card. The dress is actually a 2-D shape and not just flat on the paper. 

Mad Lib Card - This card is simple to make. 

1. Create card using Microsoft Office or PowerPoint. It should only be a half page card. And I would hand write in the answers or use a different font than the other words. Once you print out the card.

2. Use colored card stock paper and cut it to be slightly larger than your card.

3. Use a little glue to seal the two together and POOF you have your card!!

On a budget? Most of these cards are really easy to make. You just have to have a little time, patience, and good paper!! Good paper can make a world of difference!