Silver Framed Mirror

I wanted a plain, chrome, 24" x 30" mirror for over the vanity in the downstairs bath. Lowe's had a very nice one that was close to what I wanted but it was only 18" wide. I thought that was a little too small so I kept looking. I then found this Southern Enterprise Vogue chrome mirror on Amazon.com that was close but once again it was just a little too small. So now what do I do. Should I just keep searching or

should I settle for something less than what I wanted. I did neither and got creative. I had a 24"x30" inch mirror tucked away in the basement that I never used. All I needed to do was find a silver picture frame. I spotted one at the thrift store for $0.75 but it was still a little too small. I next called around to some of the frame shops in the area and asked if they framed mirrors as well as artwork. I finally found a shop in Lansing Illinois called Van Der Weide's Glass & Mirror that quoted me $68 to frame the mirror. I brought it in, dropped it off and a couple of weeks later I had just what I wanted, a 24" x 30" simple chrome mirror and I love it. There was only one hiccup. I forgot that the light I bought was brushed so I am not crazy about the combo. My son says he digs it but still, it's a detail I missed. It's not too difficult to change down the line so for now I am very happy and satisfied with my custom mirror.  

So today we took down the old mirrored medicine cabinet, installed the light fixture and hung the mirror just to make sure it fit. I still have to paint the wall behind the mirror after repairing the damage done to the wall when we removed the medicine cabinet. 

Well, we are almost there. I can finally see the finished line which is good because I am ready to move on to other projects. All that's left is to paint the wall and buy some new towels. 

Thrift Store Treasure

I've mentioned before that I go to the thrift store regularly. Every Saturday I have two main stops, the Salvation Army thrift store and the Habitat Restore. It's always so fun and exciting for me because I never know what I'll find. I may leave the store empty handed but I always go with an open mind. If you go looking for something specific you are likely to overlook a treasure. 

Here is my latest find. They are 30 x 30 solid wood frames with a white mat and glass fronts for $7 each. Now that's a deal. You could pay more than $7 for the print, the glass, the frame or even the mat so this is truly a bargain.

Since they are solid wood I can paint, stain or tile them, add a mirror, change the artwork or maybe frame a really special piece of fabric. They came with black and white photos but I'm not sure of what or where. Maybe they are old photographs of Italy. 

They are most likely just prints but I really bought them for the frames. I've always liked square frames because they are not as common as rectangular frames and are more versatile. These are very simple and plain which is perfect for color or black and white artwork. I don't really know what I will do with them but I'll figure that out later.

Bathroom Update - Mable Sink

My contractor and I finally got around to the sink. I was so excited about finding this beautiful marble counter top at the Habitat Restore for just $35. I never realized it would be so difficult to modify and install it. 

The top was 6 feet wide so we first had to cut it down making sure the sink was in the right spot because the opening was not centered. 

I purchased a standard size Kohler sink but when I got it home it was much too big. I shopped every home improvement store, including plumbing stores and no one had it smaller. I finally found it through Amazon.com. It was the same model as the first purchase except it was the next size down. 

Our next obstacle was the backsplash. The top came with a backsplash that was tapered on the ends and higher in the middle which was meant to sit behind the faucet. When we cut the backsplash to to fit the length and width of the sink it looked horrible because it was not straight and even. I asked my contractor if we could take what was left of the top and cut two 4" strips of marble and polish the edges. 

                                       

                                              

He cut the new backsplash, did a dry fit and it looked so much better because it was a much cleaner detail. The last step was to install the polished chrome Pfister wideset faucet, caulk the edges and now my $35 marble counter is finished. 

  

I wanted a real stone counter top for my bathroom but did not think I could afford it. I am so glad (and lucky) I decided to stop by Habitat that day. I think it looks so pretty and I could not be happier with it. 

Next up, the custom mirror. 

Thrift Store Nightstands

The last few years I've used a TV stand and a small dresser for nightstands. I used to have a matching pair that I got at an estate sale for next to nothing. They were nice little solid oak nightstands but the tops were too small, it had one teeny little drawer and an open shelf that was barely large enough to hold a basket. They just did not suit my needs. I wanted something with more storage and since I am so opposed to buying everything new I kept my eye out for a pair of nightstands that were decent sized with good storage. Finally, on the day i found my marble bathroom top I also found my nightstands. 

They are made of solid pine, have a large top and of course I'm loving the three drawers. They are a little damaged from someone putting out their cigarettes but it's nothing that a little wood filler and sanding can't fix. I paid about $50 for the pair which is more than I wanted to pay but I waited so long to find them. They were still a good price considering they were solid wood. 

The other thing I like are the lines. The material is traditional wood but the plain square feet, top and detailing make it more contemporary. I think it will be a nice compliment to my existing dresser. 

I haven't decided if I want to paint or stain them. It will most likely be paint but picking the color will be the tough part. Do I go neutral or add a little color. Also, should I keep the hardware or replace them with something more modern. Who knows but the answer will come to me. 

Laundry Room Bulletin Board

I recently decided to start my laundry room update. It's not a huge project, I just want to make it a better place to work and also have it double as a workroom and possibly a mudroom. More on that another day. I made a list of projects I needed to do in order to complete the update and thought the easiest thing to do would be just to knock them off one by one. The first project up to bat was a bulletin board. I wanted something I could attach pizza menus, coupons or business cards that me or my son could have quick access to.  

As I've mentioned before I tend to buy things from thrift stores and stash them away until I can find a use for them. I bought this 24 x 36 cork board for less than $4 a few months ago. 

It was made of ugly fake oak wood but a quick coat of primer and two coats of gray paint made all the difference.

 

My laundry is going to be yellow with gray and white accents so I wanted to cover the cork board with at least one of those colors. I had a few sample pieces of fabric to choose from and in the end settled on a this yellow, gray and white striped fabric.

I measured the inside of the board and cut a piece of fabric to fit. I used spray adhesive to adhere it to the cork and carefully smoothed out any wrinkles. 

I wanted to cover up the raw edges so I finished off the edge with gray ribbon and folded the corners back to give it a nice crisp edge. I used hot glue to secure them to the board. My picture has the spray adhesive but believe you me, hot glue works better.

 It was just that quick and simple and now all I needed to do was hang it up.

It's a cork board without a backing so it was very easy to nail it to the door. I just used one in long nails to make sure I got through the cork and into the door. 

Easy as pie. 

Bathroom Update Three

So here are the latest bathroom updates. It's been hard work but we are more than halfway finished. We've painted the walls a medium shade of blue-gray. The paint I originally chose was a pale gray but my son thought it was too light. I disagreed and bought the pale gray anyway and wouldn't you know it, it was the exact same color I had before.

In this case I had to go along with my son and use a darker gray. It's really his bathroom and I didn't want it to be 100% my finish choices. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it) Everything else is so light that a darker gray would add some contrast to the floor and wall tile.

 

The toilet, shower door, shower head and towel bars have all been installed which is great news for me because now I can kick my son out of my bathroom.

 My son really likes simple pieces with square lines so I found a towel bar in my budget that was square. I couldn't get all fixtures with a square detail but I managed to find a few.   

My next update will show the beautiful marble vanity top which I got at a steal from The Habitat Restore for $35. My contractor is working on it now and it looks like it will be gorgeous. Also a custom mirror that I made from an existing mirror that I've had at the house for a few years and simple silver frame. More on that later so stay tuned.

Not Your Grandma's Mosaic Tile

The choices for mosaic tile have really grown in the last several years. Gone are the days when ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite and slate were all you had to choose from. Today you can select from a new variety of materials including glass, metal, seashells, wood, cork and leather in a wide array of colors, shapes and sizes. I'm particularly drawn to leather tiles because it's just so unexpected. The deep rich colors and textures are so warm and would be a sure conversation starter when used in any application. I would buy it in a heartbeat if I found it at the right price. I could see using it as an inlay on a table or perhaps framed with molding on a wall. This stuff is pricey so using it sparingly is the key. Here are a few exiting alternatives to traditional stone and ceramic tile. What applications would you use some of these exiting new products? 

  

Best Tile - glass tile Chestnut Rose

                              

AmCork Cork wall tile

Glass Tile Store - Loft Curve stainless steel and marble

Nappa Tile - Fauna Faux Leather wall tile 

Pedulla Tiles - Mosaic ceramic tile

Glass Tile Oasis Brushed Aluminum Tile

Lyric Tile Sea Shell mosaic tile

Glass Tile Oasis wood mosaic tile

Nappa Tile - Dare Faux Leather wall tile

Best Tile Padua - Sunrise glass tile

Lyric Tile Sea Shell mosaic

AmCork cork wall tile

TileShowroom.com - Glass tile

Best Tile Calypso ceramic tile

Sweet Roxie

My little Roxie is my best friend. She's an adorable little pug that I adopted from a woman who wasn't able to take care of her anymore because of her work or school hours. She didn't like having to leave her alone so much and felt she had to give her up. I don't remember the woman that well but I'll always remember how she cried when she had to say goodbye. It didn't take me long to understand why. Roxie is a sweetheart. I remember that after I got her home I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep her because she shed a lot and I didn't expect that. But by the minute and by the hour it became less and less of an issue. She was so sweet so friendly and so loving that I decided I can deal with a little hair. It's nothing a vacuum cleaner and lint brush couldn't fix. I'm so glad I decided to keep her. She keeps me company, makes me smile and feel loved every day. Here are the latest pictures of my little girl.