Our Master Bath

November 18, 2009 AT 10:22 pm 46 Comments

Last year, my husband and I renovated our master bath.

Unfortunately that was before I started blogging, so I didn’t take any “before” pictures.

But to me, it was the ugliest room in the house. Our house was built in 1968, and the bathroom had never been renovated.

It was the typical square-shaped bathroom with the tub/shower on the left, and the vanity and toilet on the right.

The vanity had a very ugly tan and white marbled sinktop.

The toilet and tub were a “flesh” color that I thought at times looked pink.

Okay, I did have this picture, and I just had to share it. (Someday my boys will probably kill me for this.) The tub looks more brown in this picture.

The shower walls were covered with white tiles.

IMG_4212

I used this picture for our family Christmas cards several years ago. However, I could not get my littlest, Adam, to put the bubbles on his chin.

So we busted out a wall, and used what little space we had to make our bathroom a little bit bigger.

IMG_2985

We bought two marble top vanities at Lowe’s. Everything you see was included, including the bowl sinks and the oil-rubbed bronze faucets.

It was actually cheaper for us to buy these two vanities than to have a custom vanity built to go all the way across the wall, and then have a sinktop made to go with it.

You can see our walk-in shower in the mirror above.

IMG_2961

My very talented husband did this all by himself! We found the 12 x 12 square tile and trim pieces at Home Depot. It was on clearance, so we got a great deal! You can see a snippet of the smaller travertine tiles on the floor that we bought from a local tile shop.

IMG_2966

The oil-rubbed bronze shower head and knob are from Lowes. (We had hoped to add a glass shower door, but the budget hasn’t allowed for that yet.)

To the right of the shower was a narrow space that we were going to add some built-in shelves….until I found the perfect piece of furniture to put there. Do you see it in the picture below?

IMG_2986

I got this tall black cabinet at Hobby Lobby, on sale, of course!IMG_2963

IMG_2962 I got the little rabbit at Goodwill for $1.50, the towels at Walmart, and the fleur de lis plate and candle at Hobby Lobby.

IMG_2964

In our old bathroom, the toilet was about a foot from the vanity, providing no privacy. So I asked my hubby to add a privacy wall, and I absolutely love it!

IMG_2982

My husband also tiled the floor with the same tile that is in the shower. I love the look of the darker grout we chose.

IMG_2989

The double light fixture, towel rack, and toilet paper holder all came from Meijers! I couldn’t believe it when I found them there. They were exactly what I was looking for.

IMG_2986

For a punch of color on each vanity, I took an old arrangement that my mom had in her basement and wasn’t using anymore, and separated it into two “bunches”.

Then I got two clear vases and filled them with some clear “stones”, all of which I got at Walmart. Then I just added Mom’s flowers to each vase.

I always love a touch of red in a room. It’s my favorite color.

IMG_2988

Do you see me in the shower? :) You can see a glimpse of our bedroom f
ireplace in the mirror on the right. I’ll share our fireplace re-do this week too.

Well, there you have it! My small, yet bigger than it was, bathroom.

Completely renovated by my amazing husband!

Blessings,




Wednesdays with Wanda

November 18, 2009 AT 6:00 am 25 Comments

If you have read any of my other posts about my mom, you know that she loved collecting inspirational stories, poems, and letters. She has a file on her computer labeled “reflections and poems”. When I clicked on it, I found the letter below, “The Best Day of My Life”. I smiled as I read it, because it sounds so much like Mom (though she didn’t write it).

And I thought it was appropriate to read during this Thanksgiving season.

*************************************

The Best Day of My Life

Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I’m going to celebrate!

Today, I’m going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart. I will marvel at God’s seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.

Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I’ll make someone smile. I’ll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don’t even know.

Today, I’ll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I’ll tell a child how special he is, and I’ll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don’t have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I’ll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

Tonight, before I go to bed, I’ll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.

As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank Him for the best day of my life.

And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be…..the best day of my life!

*********************************************

I pray we will all have an attitude of gratitude today and every day!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of His wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1

Have a blessed day,

(This is a weekly post that I am doing to honor my wonderful mother, Wanda, who passed away on September 22, 2009. It is a place for me to share precious memories of her…for myself, for you, and most importantly, for my children.)






content and images copyright © 2009 - traci, beneath my heart

Designed by Chena Designs Development and Hosting by Evenpar Solutions
Web Hosting By RFE Hosting
Counter
Free Counter