The Writing on the Wall

 You might remember this gem of a bathroom from my first before and after post a month or so back.  To see it in its original condition covered in hunter green and maroon wallpaper check out the pics from the before and after post (and prepare to be frightened). Well, it is almost finished and ready for final details...

Primed walls. Finally. After much spraying with the miracle of vinegar and water (more on that absolute genius liquid later...) and scraping by my dear friend in all things home improvement and blond moments.  

My husband  "happily" assembled this medicine cabinet that came in about 100 pieces.  I am no longer permitted to put furniture together after the move.  It seems several pieces of furniture in our old house that I had put together looked like they were assembled correctly, but, alas, they collapsed when he tried to move them into the truck.

The blank spaces on this wall is what I'm getting my hands on next.  I hung up some art work next to the mirror, but wanted something a little different.  I always love a little irony in my art and decor so I am going to take a cue from the scribbled on stall walls of restaurants and bars to decorate this spot.  Equipped with some lines quoted from my favorite authors and a few different stencil fonts I'm going to get some writing up on these walls.  Stay tuned for more after pics. And if you think of any quotes that just scream "put me on a bathroom wall!" let me know :)

To Begin at the Begining...

Two monumental things began this weekend.  Our little man started teething and the renovations got underway in our new house. A few other things happened too.  I downloaded a fantastic virus onto my new laptop so I am back to writing on my giant dinosaur computer for now, and somewhere in the past two weeks it seems the entire contents of my house has exploded and now looks like a war ravaged zone had a baby with a looted toys r us.  But back to the two big things.  Both my son's teething as well as the house renovation had me thinking about before and afters.  And since I'm pretty sure little man will have nothing to do with me getting any before and after shots of his gums, I thought I'd share some before pics of the house.

Plantation shutters in the sitting room. One of my favorite details in this house, but desperately in need of a white washing.

The dining room.  The bottom half was primed this weekend. It was a lovely shade of 'ketschup.'

Fireplace in the Sitting Room.  Probably the least offensive color in the joint. Still on its way out though.

Master bedroom. Mustard, Again.  Or as a friend called it 'burned butter.'

Wallpaper removal int the sitting room. How many layers does it take to get to the plaster...

3rd floor office space. More plantation shutters which I love. Baby blue walls and carpet, which I do not love. Buh-Bye.

Main floor bathroom. Where should I start here...plaid wallpaper, plastic mirror, lampshade randomly sticking out of a wall. Enough said for now.

Getting Organized...

I’m a real organization junkie. Not like you would be able to tell from the current “I have a six month old son” condition of my home, but just because my home’s current status is “newborn-chic” it doesn’t mean I don’t have a deep craving to always have a place for everything and everything in its place. As a person whose mood is extremely affected by her surroundings (My family and I are mid-move from a city trinity to a lakeside spot partly because of this...) I find myself to be  much more relaxed when I am not surrounded by clutter.
I actually credit my son with giving me the strong desire to be more organized. Anyone who has realized while they are one foot out the door, baby in hand, that they have forgotten something, can probably relate to this. Babies only allow you a certain amount of time to get them out the door for errands. If you miss your window, sorry mom, but your ears are in for a treat. In these moments I always think, “This wouldn’t have happened if I just had a place for X by the door so I could grab it on the way out." Inspired by this, I decided to make the entryway room in our new house into an organized mudroom. My idea book so far...

I’ve been digging up some really functional (AND attractive) organizing projects lately, for large and small spaces. I'll share them here as I test drive them.


What would be your mudroom must-haves?