Bathroom Sneak Peek...

Most of the bathroom elements are finally purchased, and now I'm just pushing through the dirty work. Wouldn't it be nice to have a crew for all the painting and sanding and just swoop in for a little staging at the end?! Those HGTV showoffs have it made {Kidding! I so LOVE my HGTV designers}! 

But a girl can dream...

Here's a little drawing I did to give you an idea of where the room is headed! I'm even more excited now that I see this! Everything pictured is almost exact, except for the window trim. That will be a crisp white. The toilet flusher is currently bronze, and the vanity hardware and faucet will be too.

What's your thoughts? Any suggestions before I make it all come to life?!

Valentine's Day Mantel

Love is in the air, so I added a little sugar to our mantel...

Isn't this felt garland from Pier 1 to die for?! It was less than $6 too!

To create this simple arrangement, I {mostly} just shopped around the house. The milk glass vases were already there, so I added the milk glass candle holders. Next, I threw in my favorite little repurposed owl {from my Halloween mantel}. Then, I went to Target and bought three packages of those red and pink heart containers from the $1 section. I popped those puppies into two clear cylinder vases, and I was done! That's a $9 investment! Not bad...

I sort of hate that the TV is over the fireplace, because it really limits my decor possibilities. Putting this candle holder on top of the DVD player helps balance the color and helps hide the cords behind. I took it from my bedroom and added some of my red clearance Christmas cinnamon candles inside. 

Aside from this quick mantel job, I also started on my living room photo gallery. This project has been brewing in my mind for awhile, and it's been really rewarding to watch it come together! I still need to fill the frames, but this is what I have so far...

The hanging phase was a two step process. I thought I was done with the "before" picture, and then a light bulb came on, and I remembered I had been saving those vintage key plates. They came from an old door within our house {that was beyond repair}, and I think they balance the arrangement perfectly!

The idea for the picture hangers came from Pottery Barn...

They're asking $24/piece for theirs, BUT I got my curtain tie backs on clearance from Lowe's for $2.97/piece! Pretty sweet knock-off. Don't cha think?!

I have to give a shout out to Pamela from PB&J Stories. She is the fabulous artist behind my little "be happy" sign. If you have to get your hands on your own, visit her adorable Etsy shop and fill your basket with PB&J Creations! You won't be sorry, I promise!

See what I mean...

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And So It Begins {My Bathroom Makeover}

It all started with a leaky toilet...

Well, it REALLY started the day Preston flushed the toilet {while I was in the shower}, and I heard the most awful, indescribable clang and bang I have ever heard. That was followed by a rush of water, a screaming toddler, and a frantic, naked mommy jumping out of the shower pulling at ANY towel and absorbent material I could get my hands on! I don't even remember how I got the water to stop rushing, but I do remember the massive mess. Poor Preston was soaked to his knees and pretty shook up! From that day on, the toilet just did a slow, subtle leak, and we lived with this constantly...

As functional as the towel was, it wasn't practical. Eventually, we were able to buy a new toilet, and my handyman father put it in! I would have never guessed, but it was a pretty exciting day. Yes, girls. I get excited about toilets. Whatever. Don't judge!

Then, the toilet paper holder broke, and I took it all as a sign. It was finally time to redo the bathroom, and it was LONG over due! When we first moved in, almost three years ago, you couldn't even take a shower. We priced claw foot shower surrounds, but they were WAY out of the budget, so we just bent some pipe and made our own!

Other than that, the space hasn't been touched, and we are in desperate need of functional storage! I'll let the pictures do the talking...

As you can see, I stuff toiletries anywhere I can, but that's about to change! I have some storage solution ideas up my sleeve, but first things first. The wallpaper. It's slowly coming down, because my work schedule and a toddler aren't very conducive to that sort of tedious work, but I'll get it done! I've gotten pretty good at being patient, and my New Year's resolution has been to admit, and be alright with, the fact that I am not Super Woman. As a result, I make careful plans and cross them off my list whenever I can! It is what it is, and it's just me now, so I refuse to be a constant stress mess! Blog postings will get done when they get done, and I remind myself to sit down and play with Preston whenever I'm home with him. To be honest, this meticulous, O.C.D., motivated, go-go-go lady is happily embracing this new philosophy! It feels SO good to just let go!

Anyway...back on point! I cannot focus on a color scheme for my new bathroom, but I have decided on TWO pieces...

Eeekk! I LOVE this light fixture from Lowe's. You would pay $118 for it, but I get an emloyee discount. Bonus! Plus, that helps my bottom line. I'd like to stick to a $500, or less, budget for the entire space. I could probably do it for less, but I need a new vanity {my pedistol is cracked and the square footage is a storage oportunity}, and have you priced faucets lately? Those bad boys are NOT cheap!

This is a surface mount medicine cabinet {I like to make things easy}, so it will stick out slightly, but it's another storage option. The finish also matches the fixture, and it's also from Lowe's. I could get a much cheaper mirror, or spray paint the one I have, but we REALLY need the storage. Did I mention we don't currently have any storage?

Stay tuned. Something tells me it's going to be quite the "after"!