Ugly Boob Light

I finally got so sick of our ugly entryway boob light that I HAD to do something about it.  I bought some spray primer & satin nickel spray paint a while ago, meaning to just spray over the bright shiny fake brass to tide us over till we bought something we liked.  That was more than 6 months ago and this is what the light has looked like since then -

Light, light everywhere! Well, in the kitchen..

Hi!!!  I'm super excited about this post!  A good friend of mine down the street (I'm going to call them the Winos, because they always have wine and I love it) has started to jump on the DIY bandwagon updating her kitchen, and wanted an assist with the lighting situation.  It was ug-ug-ugly.  Classic early-90's brass horror -

Fabulous, clever AND handy!

That's how I felt this morning at about 11:10am. 

I took the Little Boy to preschool then went to Orange to look at some options for a project I've been mulling over for a few days now (you'll see...eventually).  I didn't find what I really wanted, but I did figure some things out, so yay for my big brain.

Knocked-off Pottery Barn Eagan Mirror

There's a blog that I love checking on about once a week, just to see what she's up to and get some inspiration from (which usually just involves me thinking about it, because her style is SO not something the Husbeast could live with, but which I like).  Recently she had this post and I said 'oooh, we could both agree on that!'.  My in-laws were in town, they had taken Little Boy off to St Louis for a couple days, so I figured I could knock it out while they were gone. 

Bathroom exhaust fan timer

I needed a break from building a Pottery Barn knock-off, so I decided it was time to finally install a bathroom exhaust fan timer switch!  Previously, it was a regular switch like so -

From left to right it went 'Light above the shower', 'Light above the toilet', 'Exhaust fan which is part of the light above the toilet'.  Like most people, I'd either forget to turn it on while showering, which eventually does Bad Things to your ceiling and walls, or I'd forget to turn it off, which eventually does Bad Things to your electric bill and the environment.  So, I went to Orange!

Bathroom - DONE!

Oh wait, what?  Not the Little Boy's bathroom, the half bath on the first floor huh?!    A YEAR ago we reno'd the half bath.  I can finally call it done today.

It was dire.  Dangerous, ugly, and crooked pedestal sink. Horrible taps that weren't connected properly.  Drain you could pull out of the wall.  Pipes that were visible.  Hideous light mirror from 1993.  Ug-ug-ugly.  I worried every time LB would wash his hands that the sink would finally pull away from the wall and smash him flat.
 

Suck it, Fancy!

That is what I want to yell into the phone to the man who condescended to me the other day about fixing my washing machine myself.  ('Suck it, Fancy' is defined at the Rants From Mommyland MDR).

So, a few months ago the clothes started randomly coming out of the wash waaay wet.  So, I'd re-run the spin and they'd be fine.  After a while I'd have to run it twice or three times...But not every time.  This past week it was every time.  So, I consulted Dr Google and he thought it was either the drive block or the clutch assembly.  Found the fab dudes over at Repairclinic on youtube, watched the videos for both part replacements and it's totally doable by anyone!  I figured the worst that could happen is I'd try and fail and have to call the repairman...Rather than just calling him to begin with. 

Dad's Table - DONE!

And virtually gone, too!  It's packed into the most full car I have ever seen, waiting to leave in the morning to continue its journey west.  It was a near thing, as I procrastinated for so long that I was doing the last coat of Polyshades (Classic Oak) last night after everyone went to bed.  I really hate oil-based stain/poly, hence the delay.

Little Boy's Bathroom - Update 3

I forgot I'd said I'd do a pre-done update ;) 

Nothing exciting going on.  It's the final push before it's done!  Mudding went well, primer went on, vanity is coming along.  I've currently got 2 of the 4 walls painted.  The vanity box is stained & polycoated.  The drawer fronts are all in progress and should be done sunday evening (2 more coats on the backs saturday, then 3 coats on the fronts sunday, if I push it).  The toekick and new end-piece are all stained & poly'd, ready to be put back up. 

Little Boy's Bathroom - Update 2

So!  Where was I?  Oh yes, I have finished the bulk of the stripping.  All of the doors & drawer-fronts (and backs), and the vanity case itself.  I've removed the dried up old caulk from above the shower/bath, taken down the popped-off tape & joint compound (mud) from the front of the shower (where the shower & drywall meet, above the shower head), re-taped and mudded that.  Finished off the mudding and sanding the hole where the old TP holder was, spackled & filled the holes from the old towel holder.  Cut back the popped drywall tape above the light.  Haven't retaped and mudded that yet.

Little Boy's Bathroom - Update 1

So, as of sunday night I have the backs of all the drawers & doors from his vanity stripped.  I'll do the fronts tomorrow.  Found a GREAT water-based low/no VOC indoor use stripper at Blue, saturday - Motsenbocker's Lift Off.  I was at the Build & Grow with LB and afterwards decided to look at strippers because the sanding & stain test I did last week resulted in NO CHANGE to the damned wood.

The Little Boy's Bathroom - Before

 Vanity is a medium ugly oak ;)  Heading for a Java, with new hardware & faucet.

Looking from the door towards the tub.  We replaced the shower rod ages ago, I'm keeping the curtain & hooks.

Looking from the tub towards the door.  Currently heavy cream walls, white trim

New year, new project!

Sooo, I checked my wood pile, went to Orange for some 1/2" dowel and some decent 1x12 and 1x10 (the scrap pile there wasn't helpful, so I bought 4' lengths of each) and got started on that crazy magazine rack doohickey my Dad requested.  He's moving to his new condo in a warm clime 'some time real soon now...maybe Jan, maybe Feb!' so I need to get cracking!