Better Bathroom

My bathroom, hasn't had anything done to it since we moved in 7 years ago. It was time for a little change. Nothing huge, just a change. We switched up the wall colour, and repainted the baseboards, which made it feel fresher instantly.

I've had an old ladder in my stock for nearly a year now. I've had a few ideas for it, but decided to use it as my towel bar in the bathroom. It was a neat pick, it still had the brackets attached at the top. The No.14 stamp, and the 'Eaton's Co. Chilliwak BC' tag stapled to the side.

The problem I faced: my 2 year old toddler, scaling the walls and swan diving from the top at 9' into the bathtub, cabinet, toilet, etc ... you get my drift. I wanted it to be functional, yet safe. I had my husband cut a foot off the bottom, and we hung it about 3' off the ground. Low enough he can reach the towel, high enough we don't have to install a trapeze safety net.

Who hasn't always wished for a rhinoceros in the bathroom? Right?

This was the original mirror, it was a dark brown, with gold fleck. It was really dark. I settled on the Liquitex "Parchment" spray paint, and gave it two good coats and a distressing. It really is amazing what a bit of paint can do.

And there you have it. A coat of paint. Can of spray paint. Old, free, picked ladder, and of course a rhinoceros. A very inexpensive, relatively easy bathroom freshen up. The safety net would have been a fairly costly addition to the budget, so I was glad we could avoid installing one.

~T~

Printable Love

Since there is no tropical beach in my near future,  Pinterest and seasonal holiday decor is all I have to get me through this winter....and it's barely working!  

Just a quick share of a few Valentine projects happening around our house, and the links to their instructions so you can try a little "printable therapy".  

Start by printing yourself a Love Banner, cute and easy! 

Then...spray paint an old frame (or just use a frame you like) and fill it with this Valentine printable.

These candles are a 2012 Pinterest project but I was happy to bring them out again.  Mason Jar Heart Candles instructions found here. 

~A~

Girly and glam nightstand

Sometimes, the best find is the one that someone else has tried to re-new before you found it. Case in point - a nightstand I found while searching Kijiji for a piece for my daughter's room:

I'm sure some little girl really loved this candy-coloured nightstand. She might have even helped paint it {let's just say the finish was less than stellar.} But by the time I got it, that little girl's mama had realized that it wasn't high-class decor, because she sold it to me for $5.

So... my daughter is c.r.a.z.y girly - like, girlier than all of the Disney princesses, dressed up in tutus and sparkly headbands, PUT TOGETHER. But she also has a little pop star side, with a touch of rock 'n roll - she loves to rock out to Lady Gaga and Hannah Montana, but her favourite song is, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey {that's my girl}. So I wanted to do away with the frou-frou on this nightstand and make it both girly AND glam. 

K loves pink (as in, wears it every day, always picks the pink cup, the pink straw and the pink plate at lunch time)--but I am not a fan. And unfortunately for K, I was the one doing the painting, so I got to pick the colour. Since we were going glam, we went RED. And glossy, because nothing says glam like a little shine. 

After an intense sanding session, I finished the nightstand with three coats of Rustoleum's Universal spray paint in Cardinal Red. One can did the whole thing. This stuff covers like nobody's business. 

Before I sprayed it, I removed the handle from the drawer and filled the holes. I wasn't sure what kind of hardware I wanted to use yet, but wanted to keep my options open. After the painting (and a couple of coats of polycrylic) was done, I let K pick the knob. 

The girl has style - she picked one that added just the right touch of glam:

Oooh, shiny - loving how the 'crystal' knob plays off of the bold red, and picks up the finish from her bedside lamp.

 

So, you've probably noticed that the posting has slowed down around here. I actually finished this nightstand almost 6 months ago and this post has been in Draft mode for at least 4. I have plenty of excuses on hand for anyone who is interested.

I have completed a couple of projects since Christmas, but am in the process of selling my house and building a new one, so that HUGE project is kind of taking over my life right now. And I know Anna and Terra have lots of 'to do's on their lists too, on top of all of our normal mommy/wife/employee/entrepreneur stuff.
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So, we have a favour of you - have you done any projects lately? Do you have a picture? We know lots of you are re-newers too {because we've seen pictures of projects that some of you have done - you know who you are} - so show us your stuff! We'd love to feature your projects on the blog. The more inspiration, the better. And you'll help us kick it into gear for another year of re-newing!

Send your pictures and a quick before-to-after story to: therenewgirls@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing your goods!