tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85652591730364017952024-02-28T18:44:23.844-05:00Two Broke BrucesA young(ish) couple documenting the everyday trials of trying to remodel, eat, and live well on a very tight budget.Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-50829637891094932142014-08-01T16:33:00.001-04:002014-08-01T16:33:04.844-04:00Junk in my TrunkNo, that's not a reference to my substantial posterior... just a reference to this old trunk I spruced up a really long time ago and am just now deciding to blog about. <br />
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My mom inherited a set of military trunks from her godmother years ago. They belonged to her godmother's father, who was in World War I and had these really cool painted stencils with his name on them. I believe there were originally a series of 7 numbered trunks. Now, I think we have 3 of them... not sure what ever happened to the rest. <br />
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Here's one of the original ones. Sorry about the blurry picture... I zoomed in really far. I use this one as my coffee table. Just wanted to show you for reference as to what they looked like originally.<br />
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Anyway, my mom re-purposed one of these trunks into a toy box for me when I was little. As was the style in the 80's, wallpaper was 'in' and my room was no exception. My room was covered in blue and brown Hollie Hobbie. Remember her?<br />
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Well my toy box was not left out of the wallpaper extravaganza, and so was papered to match my bedroom in the coordinating accent wallpaper. Every inch. Inside and out. She went to a lot of trouble papering that thing. It had to have been a huge pain in the butt. It was awesome at the time. Very 80's chic... not to be confused with 'shabby-chic'. However, after years of sitting in a hot attic, it was just shabby. <br />
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You see, I even had some fun of my own personalizing it with my very own monogram....so that no one would be mistaken that everything inside belonged to ME and only ME. I'm sure I wasn't supposed to be writing with magic marker on my painstakingly wallpapered toy box, but I digress...</div>
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The first step in refurbishing this trunk was to get all that wallpaper off. It wasn't very hard since most of it was coming off of its own accord, so it just took a little pulling and scraping on my part. What didn't come off by just pulling the corners, I just sprayed with a little warm water and scraped off with my scrape blade. It came off very easily.<br />
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I wanted something that would be light and bright for my living room so that I could lighten things up in there for summer. I didn't want to stray too far from its original appearance though, so I decided to stencil on the same thing that's on the original set of trunks. <br />
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I started with a coat of off-white paint over the entire thing and let that dry, then I did my stenciling. I did the same text as the original trunk: "Lt. Col. E.J. Voltz / Pittsburgh, PA." and since it it was a series, (and since I have no idea which ones we're actually missing...my original one is a No. 7) I decided to make this one No. 4. For no other reason than I just like the number 4. I decided to do my stenciling in gray, tan and black. I figured that would go with just about anything.<br />
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Then came the tedious task of stenciling one letter at a time. And I even did shadow text, so I had to go over it twice. <br />
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And then................. realized after it was all finished that I spelled 'Pittsburgh' wrong. Yeah, it's got an 'h' at the end. Duh. <br />
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Yeah, I didn't realize that until it was already in the house, dressed for success.<br />
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I was able to make that correction without too much trouble. Luckily I had left enough room to add the extra letter without having to change anything else. <br />
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Then....... I realized I did the state initials P.A. instead of just PA. So it reads, "Pittsburgh, Physician's Assistant." Why is it so hard to see grammatical errors when you're up close and personal, making stencils that are really hard to correct?<br />
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My sweet little Bob-cat (#kittyheaven #missthatguysomuch) didn't have any problems with it, so I left it as is and it's still the same now. I haven't bothered to fix it yet and I did this project months ago. Maybe I'll get around to it one of these days. <br />
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Anyway, it turned out pretty nice overall... minus all the grammatical errors....and it holds a ton of stuff. Now I have a place for all those old Pottery Barn catalogs, Better Homes & Gardens, and Country Living magazines that I can't bear to part with. Not to mention a bunch of photos, DVD's and other miscellaneous items that were just taking up space under the bed. Now that I think on it, I should probably get rid of some of that stuff, but oh well....<br />
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I have since switched my living room back to the original trunk / color scheme and this one lives in my bedroom. My cat loves it and uses it for his own personal napping spot. It was worth it to be able to keep all that junk in my trunk! :o)<br />
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Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-26663354882757374122014-07-22T13:48:00.000-04:002014-07-22T13:48:53.642-04:00Baby Elephant RockerMy best friend just had her first baby - it's a boy - he's so cute, cuddly, and fat! Meet Gary. He's such a cutie-patootie! See? (I get to call him fun little names like that while he's too little to realize what's going on.)<br />
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Before he was born, my friend was decorating the nursery (which is super adorable, by the way), and she asked me to make her a copy-cat rocker that she had seen on Pinterest as her baby shower gift. It was an elephant rocking chair - baby sized. </div>
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Here's a picture of it from Pinterest:</div>
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I'm always eager to please, so I immediately turned to Daniel: my go-to, can-make-anything-guy - and asked if he could make one. He said, "sure, no problem" and so it began. <br />
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We had some leftover plywood from a previous project, which turned out to be just enough to make this little guy. He made the pattern, cut out all the pieces with a jig saw and screwed them all together with his pocket hole jig. It was only 4 pieces total - 2 sides, the back rest, and seat. I can't take any credit for anything besides a little sanding and painting it once it was all put together. I also don't really know how to tell you how he put it together... he's the muscle and the brains behind most of my operations... I just put stuff in place and make it look pretty once it's done. <br />
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I even put it through quality control inspections. Leon, my inspector, said he loved it. Super comfortable and great for napping. <br />
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Leon said it was great for playing games like 'peek-a-boo' as well. <br />
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Unfortunately, he had to relinquish his seat long enough for me to get some paint on it. It only took 1 sample can of paint from Lowe's Hardware to cover it with 2 full coats.<br />
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And here it is, finished up, all decked out in the nursery after Brooke worked her magic on it - complete with a quilt, pillow, and cute stuffed animal. <br />
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How adorable is this thing?! Still not as cute as this handsome little guy! </div>
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"WAHOO!"</div>
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"My Baby Elephant Rocker is #1!"<br />
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I can just see this guy in a few years, climbing on it, race-rocking, using it as a ladder to climb up on other furniture he's not supposed to be on... the possibilities are endless! He's definitely going to keep his mama and daddy on their toes! </div>
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The fun thing about this project is that you could customize it to your particular nursery theme. Just cut out the silhouette of your animal of choice, add a seat and a back, paint, and you've got a sweet, personalized baby rocker of your own!</div>
Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-48707922984563752322014-06-10T09:09:00.000-04:002014-06-10T09:12:50.448-04:00Paper Flower WreathI saw this image on Pinterest for a paper dahlia wreath:<br />
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I thought it was beautiful. So, I decided to try one for myself. I've been trying to spruce up my front porch and make it a little more welcoming. We have recently pulled up all the shrubbery from the front of the house in preparation of some new landscaping, so it looks a little barren out there. I got some fresh new pillows for our bench in a bright turquoise, a new welcome mat from Target, and a couple pots of flowers to brighten things up. <br />
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The bench is one that my grandpa made years ago. It's been sitting outside for years and needs some major work, but for now I'm just calling it 'shabby chic'. <br />
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That's our new dog, Odie. Odie says hi. He adopted us. He came up one evening around dusk when I was sitting outside on the front porch. He trotted up, lay down on my feet, sighed and went to sleep. It was like he said, "SIGH... Okay, I'm tired of walking so I think I'll live here now." He's really sweet but had no collar, so we don't know if/who he belonged to. He gets along with the cat, so that clinched it. He's a keeper. He's already spoiled. <br />
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Since turquoise seemed to be the main color theme out there, I decided to make my paper wreath in shades of turquoise.<br />
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It was really very simple to do, and Love, Pomegranate House has a great tutorial <a href="http://www.lovepomegranatehouse.com/paper-dahlia-wreath/">here</a>.<br />
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Here's what I personally used for mine:<br />
1 - 8" cardboard cake round;<br />
6 sheets 8.5" x 11" cardstock, cut into fourths, in the darkest shade for the outer row (23 total cones);<br />
2 sheets 12" x 12" cardstock, cut into sixths, in the medium shade for the outside inner row (12 total cones);<br />
2 sheets 12" x 12" cardstock, cut into ninths, in the medium shade for the inner inner row (12 total cones);<br />
2 sheets 12" x 12" cardstock, cut into ninths, in the lightest shade for the inside (21 total cones)<br />
hot glue;<br />
small piece of ribbon for hanging.<br />
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Here are the pictures of the process, it's really pretty self-explanatory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaKniLcRKlEXHfBVWYVhccJoRs1hUiaASCW_Y3rKeyjM5FzDZtlQ4Po_64ORuUkTHFQG7ZuTURyP5e0tcPuq6T73nw1eaGqVLEgG8GjLmMxZUE0daxDNN_wau0bIpx6_-_bI1EVTpfzUM/s1600/6.9.14+179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaKniLcRKlEXHfBVWYVhccJoRs1hUiaASCW_Y3rKeyjM5FzDZtlQ4Po_64ORuUkTHFQG7ZuTURyP5e0tcPuq6T73nw1eaGqVLEgG8GjLmMxZUE0daxDNN_wau0bIpx6_-_bI1EVTpfzUM/s1600/6.9.14+179.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cut your paper into the sizes listed above, roll each piece into a cone shape, glue and set aside. Then smash the ends together and glue those onto your cardboard round.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Nz4xM-08VcBTO0sYuh40WWooG83yR-Z_pqQONbPZ8H0xzHvxrloNx2DxPNIEStZ5EzWKkihBOlAaDSnF5FUAT5r4hm-OQCMfceslBHTwWq53n0n05NYBkSMTxvZ2Rvwv7f85LhL0Dxj7/s1600/6.9.14+180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Nz4xM-08VcBTO0sYuh40WWooG83yR-Z_pqQONbPZ8H0xzHvxrloNx2DxPNIEStZ5EzWKkihBOlAaDSnF5FUAT5r4hm-OQCMfceslBHTwWq53n0n05NYBkSMTxvZ2Rvwv7f85LhL0Dxj7/s1600/6.9.14+180.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Keep layering until the round is completely covered and you have a flower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAGNKt4-1ri9aaX_YNqrm4jnkk1YJnUcsJA_1SEbLTipejXhUNI6_HJq-pAZLmzZDSYSIMOe5Tm8WhCi5nOn5KwDUeDq0Hgxa0231FSE0BT5FQZ-ayGCOkb18qAIzm5PtEQuUM9onAYAL/s1600/6.9.14+181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAGNKt4-1ri9aaX_YNqrm4jnkk1YJnUcsJA_1SEbLTipejXhUNI6_HJq-pAZLmzZDSYSIMOe5Tm8WhCi5nOn5KwDUeDq0Hgxa0231FSE0BT5FQZ-ayGCOkb18qAIzm5PtEQuUM9onAYAL/s1600/6.9.14+181.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ta da! That's it. Pretty simple right? It was a little time consuming, but not bad at all. I'd say the whole process took me about 30-45 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwx6ZiEV50ExHWvPQsGRvCotDRUL0ykNdFZXnUzhQPiYeAZhyLl-rALemZOjcdbhK5VX6TWz3bzlusJ_YRXmvFDByueySPYh3iv3-AoTrareJ-Xn16ytn3Y8zjlFG68beHS9IzrQcLmX0/s1600/6.9.14+183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwx6ZiEV50ExHWvPQsGRvCotDRUL0ykNdFZXnUzhQPiYeAZhyLl-rALemZOjcdbhK5VX6TWz3bzlusJ_YRXmvFDByueySPYh3iv3-AoTrareJ-Xn16ytn3Y8zjlFG68beHS9IzrQcLmX0/s1600/6.9.14+183.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a shot of how it looks from behind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYH0oonR5YJ1hwkyyimR8vXRF-kswp70li105rA1E0XaFxIL4S3Z8k3_JRtSIZIGVsIpYOt0b6PHDkbpV5Pg2mHRYyG8qqFiQNpWu-Lp5pMX9f-PQBKJgvUco6Dcr-Aup8HyLQSeb14vt/s1600/6.9.14+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYH0oonR5YJ1hwkyyimR8vXRF-kswp70li105rA1E0XaFxIL4S3Z8k3_JRtSIZIGVsIpYOt0b6PHDkbpV5Pg2mHRYyG8qqFiQNpWu-Lp5pMX9f-PQBKJgvUco6Dcr-Aup8HyLQSeb14vt/s1600/6.9.14+186.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And to hang, I just hot glued a little loop of ribbon onto the back.<br />
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And voila, you have a paper dahlia wreath. <br />
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It was so simple and I liked it so well, I decided to make a second one for my back door! Pretty, huh?</div>
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I'll keep you posted on how they hold up over time. Thanks for stopping by! <br />
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-30993893601269092212014-06-09T11:14:00.004-04:002014-06-09T11:14:28.241-04:00Bathroom RevealAt long last, the time has finally come... to REVEAL THE BATHROOM. That was actually the heading on our wedding invitations (minus the bathroom part) and believe me, the completion of this bathroom feels almost as momentous. This <strike>simple</strike>, "phase 1" project has been coming together since August - that's right, AUGUST - of 2013. Imagine living in a constant state of chaos for that long! Cray cray, I know!<br />
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We actually had a family get-together this past weekend so they got to preview this space already. (Sorry family, this is old news for you.) It's amazing how having a bunch of people over seems to light that fire under you to get all your projects finished, get your house cleaned, your yard projects done, etc. etc. I need to have those more often. <br />
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Anyhoo, without further ado, here she is: [cue the choirs of angels singing here]<br />
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<i style="text-align: center;">My gorgeous mirror... you can see where she started <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/my-mirror-got-facelift.html">here</a>.</i></div>
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<i style="text-align: center;">My sconces are from Home Depot, and the faucet is from Wal-Mart.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEize8JISkHf_XEQIvQP2abm9PiUIpRcdn5ya3gjA8FExo5x64FjwG34ZFPVEJ9nTZ0pKPMb_kNFiiGUcI1ygePm2wfHMlncRVoyPphDcZWjR7NFEeanhobjE10T0ZVSnbtPAe0x1iebPoH_/s1600/6.2.14+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEize8JISkHf_XEQIvQP2abm9PiUIpRcdn5ya3gjA8FExo5x64FjwG34ZFPVEJ9nTZ0pKPMb_kNFiiGUcI1ygePm2wfHMlncRVoyPphDcZWjR7NFEeanhobjE10T0ZVSnbtPAe0x1iebPoH_/s1600/6.2.14+039.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>My pretty, upcycled washstands with their pretty blue glass knobs... you can see where they started <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/from-nightstand-to-washstand.html">here</a>.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hrJpZX8ikev09ydVcH_gLQPBz7wGVAE_Av9dkYEnYIGu7SWNvoWI0Nluon1MpYRMgPSAN2ZPe7NRISgytoj_k4Bf29aVz9s3eXWweSydJ1vU8yQy2m7ug9ezWIHwNcwq6R9kes9u5OFj/s1600/6.9.14+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hrJpZX8ikev09ydVcH_gLQPBz7wGVAE_Av9dkYEnYIGu7SWNvoWI0Nluon1MpYRMgPSAN2ZPe7NRISgytoj_k4Bf29aVz9s3eXWweSydJ1vU8yQy2m7ug9ezWIHwNcwq6R9kes9u5OFj/s1600/6.9.14+152.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Remember when all we had here was a tiny access hole with Daniel's legs hanging out? Well, it's now bigger and a lot more sleek.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoOX3IpugnCtM1nJqMcZtUvRoFaykcI6FD81dDDnjsI6kwJ7Z0B06cijXvgVsVhthg7CdUDUIVoeIJlgUEg7wHEn81yJLFRXhO5ey3u3H7FrCRsjxqoN-0ZnOeOOsnln67z4JanZRMSyH/s1600/6.9.14+135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoOX3IpugnCtM1nJqMcZtUvRoFaykcI6FD81dDDnjsI6kwJ7Z0B06cijXvgVsVhthg7CdUDUIVoeIJlgUEg7wHEn81yJLFRXhO5ey3u3H7FrCRsjxqoN-0ZnOeOOsnln67z4JanZRMSyH/s1600/6.9.14+135.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfxWDAYt423ekUUazfZDI3pQ4XCwdWTX8i8M3wdooIKLIK_Nh3OZFB16UmmrHIR-21sY6RCkPTO3T2Ty64YyYdK521Q11HTrZKXLzkfwXzHzncnYvrKnzyzA-hm0pH56xXPl9mbmbCa9b/s1600/6.9.14+136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfxWDAYt423ekUUazfZDI3pQ4XCwdWTX8i8M3wdooIKLIK_Nh3OZFB16UmmrHIR-21sY6RCkPTO3T2Ty64YyYdK521Q11HTrZKXLzkfwXzHzncnYvrKnzyzA-hm0pH56xXPl9mbmbCa9b/s1600/6.9.14+136.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4SO70F8PZ16btZAtyC_QBNM1lzsFRa4eCXPJNr3NChPz3ch5XyhscljO9mMZhxU9kmthAFGLbEMQAtv9RBa4mUzfTVyE4JdnEvhoDMTQYKqYN8g8DU48qxW9bwAx51VAlfc7HzJdZP9b/s1600/6.9.14+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4SO70F8PZ16btZAtyC_QBNM1lzsFRa4eCXPJNr3NChPz3ch5XyhscljO9mMZhxU9kmthAFGLbEMQAtv9RBa4mUzfTVyE4JdnEvhoDMTQYKqYN8g8DU48qxW9bwAx51VAlfc7HzJdZP9b/s1600/6.9.14+148.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: center;">For the frame in the pic above, I just took a little swatch of my curtain fabric and framed it in a frame I already had on hand.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSjy3TBXOdMvhWahNR29UBBS-h5nbs9pVzZ5EJ0adxMUu2Xkt7pjTb94SUCkszyeEXaNcXRsw67LvhiiIJpPT8rR2VxfsgYr1IDNH1WfTia6KQaBhd2rmJ0FQBLinZGLMBVQ4pAcRZbjz/s1600/6.9.14+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSjy3TBXOdMvhWahNR29UBBS-h5nbs9pVzZ5EJ0adxMUu2Xkt7pjTb94SUCkszyeEXaNcXRsw67LvhiiIJpPT8rR2VxfsgYr1IDNH1WfTia6KQaBhd2rmJ0FQBLinZGLMBVQ4pAcRZbjz/s1600/6.9.14+158.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokqjZhiUK7KM5eqB5GWLGUT1yJWymZA8GTNnQ4e1edzTmbO9oggJNngRBIWOOsWEXZwFbv627Q0L5AK4rW7NFQ__FCyb6m2JQknVANmxdCu5NOQhKOuu5GoJgLDTUtmSZgzBkRHJJ3csw/s1600/6.2.14+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokqjZhiUK7KM5eqB5GWLGUT1yJWymZA8GTNnQ4e1edzTmbO9oggJNngRBIWOOsWEXZwFbv627Q0L5AK4rW7NFQ__FCyb6m2JQknVANmxdCu5NOQhKOuu5GoJgLDTUtmSZgzBkRHJJ3csw/s1600/6.2.14+042.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDmrxP-NaOiib5ZioCI3XnIYueZvsMDyMKV3CMW1ldzm5ZZDbn2UWrdvPN7TF3V1wYpM7LNTCV5R8wHdoVuFaUsOm503npRUfVJWMUmBKCwfT4j-OEIktQV-FppYk-0bIVMyaJ1UwR23g/s1600/6.9.14+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDmrxP-NaOiib5ZioCI3XnIYueZvsMDyMKV3CMW1ldzm5ZZDbn2UWrdvPN7TF3V1wYpM7LNTCV5R8wHdoVuFaUsOm503npRUfVJWMUmBKCwfT4j-OEIktQV-FppYk-0bIVMyaJ1UwR23g/s1600/6.9.14+140.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd0uhQfQPfDotNP2iv5JcIdG9qNU0htZd8nFrCILwNsj2I5DmTqZDtB1zYWNHHCr3juDMy8-lgGg49a2Dz840uOaAzBg144YAHuJEcUMdOsMmv7Xl-TLXB3QWhx3VRpkmmvSGkd4-0O4Q/s1600/6.2.14+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZd0uhQfQPfDotNP2iv5JcIdG9qNU0htZd8nFrCILwNsj2I5DmTqZDtB1zYWNHHCr3juDMy8-lgGg49a2Dz840uOaAzBg144YAHuJEcUMdOsMmv7Xl-TLXB3QWhx3VRpkmmvSGkd4-0O4Q/s1600/6.2.14+049.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>My homemade curtain... I made this basically the same way I made my kitchen curtains (that tutorial can be found <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2013/07/kitchen-curtains.html">here</a>) and simply added the 3 folds at the bottom, holding the folds in place with straight pins. They're clearly not perfect, but much better than looking at our ugly, cracked window.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhKnsX6Is6Olm3nhPFufvuY3UuUj2R4FAkvV579vYUgvkiIyr2gBW-MTyIE_4pvPuMepOzHGnb97ZEH65Knvg0HX_98cA1IxX450zBurlBTj8UIaQEgLjnMXGGb7N4f6Yk8f-srWpmO-5/s1600/6.9.14+153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhKnsX6Is6Olm3nhPFufvuY3UuUj2R4FAkvV579vYUgvkiIyr2gBW-MTyIE_4pvPuMepOzHGnb97ZEH65Knvg0HX_98cA1IxX450zBurlBTj8UIaQEgLjnMXGGb7N4f6Yk8f-srWpmO-5/s1600/6.9.14+153.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;">Daniel made the floating shelves for me here for extra storage, and the artwork is one I painted in college, complete with a white duct tape 'mat' and spray-painted white frame.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bEnHasD8TfZ6LDzTWflhRzucxoewl_mx49gInM2gYJKFU4Y0itAMItPPQ91mPmNb9nQVxdZJ7JZGdyGcIUFFOuo0OqNOyqqURT4GTTTGJVYrOaX9LKZ9k_984E3vaS0BnuB9PSsKvuAy/s1600/6.9.14+155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bEnHasD8TfZ6LDzTWflhRzucxoewl_mx49gInM2gYJKFU4Y0itAMItPPQ91mPmNb9nQVxdZJ7JZGdyGcIUFFOuo0OqNOyqqURT4GTTTGJVYrOaX9LKZ9k_984E3vaS0BnuB9PSsKvuAy/s1600/6.9.14+155.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvphGcHgj_luM6LEgp7M0WeFiE3S2LmaaTzJc0OYN48bkL4lVZaIKoleTd0vQnM4-J8er-GhcClFvegbUIJaT9d1OHzg_qBNN320oRk1jBBB6pl6X5atfGUz9jgGarVhE3SJY49ESLoMnZ/s1600/6.9.14+157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvphGcHgj_luM6LEgp7M0WeFiE3S2LmaaTzJc0OYN48bkL4lVZaIKoleTd0vQnM4-J8er-GhcClFvegbUIJaT9d1OHzg_qBNN320oRk1jBBB6pl6X5atfGUz9jgGarVhE3SJY49ESLoMnZ/s1600/6.9.14+157.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;">This is just a detail shot of my pretty shell container, purchased at Kirklands for $6, which holds extra razors, and the fabric wrapped box (a lightbulb box wrapped in leftover curtain fabric for extra height and interest).</i></div>
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Now that you've seen it all, let's take a look back at where we started.</div>
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Before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXoUaowfm8LQv7r9DbgBXRxPro_WK5s_7K6pQXYl_P4NCWpFZC1VWAKKIScRxP8JqOcHJn_5-pL9Edp_OBECH71we91B5bFczTWkZjvY7CIhwf7J2ZMSQpZn1M_67CO0CvET4Hvke2MHj/s1600/6.9.14+095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXoUaowfm8LQv7r9DbgBXRxPro_WK5s_7K6pQXYl_P4NCWpFZC1VWAKKIScRxP8JqOcHJn_5-pL9Edp_OBECH71we91B5bFczTWkZjvY7CIhwf7J2ZMSQpZn1M_67CO0CvET4Hvke2MHj/s1600/6.9.14+095.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRgK9JR9EKjazUga93Rd955unZsJBjFzuxA4wW6HhptnNglo03C3NnOXCBxkp6pBOr55J2Am5788FhnPtoWQhY47gpUREns2o6e-ZmABJ2sCI1Xjsw-qrQUKvDQSpRaqKv2iYfERHq1ZI/s1600/6.9.14+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRgK9JR9EKjazUga93Rd955unZsJBjFzuxA4wW6HhptnNglo03C3NnOXCBxkp6pBOr55J2Am5788FhnPtoWQhY47gpUREns2o6e-ZmABJ2sCI1Xjsw-qrQUKvDQSpRaqKv2iYfERHq1ZI/s1600/6.9.14+094.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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SketchUp idea:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSxMFUmxSVkeJwJd8H9AS6cd5EDdKdNWjeQJwThHjPFiIKtPaVyMvvl3iuqcPy1MFKZ8vlrHvXBidMpjOZ0qRJ07BXOdVUzTjp2rlZnLCqqr8nE2n8I8hX1VmEh2A0mAfJ9SAf8KxW8GT/s1600/Master+Bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSxMFUmxSVkeJwJd8H9AS6cd5EDdKdNWjeQJwThHjPFiIKtPaVyMvvl3iuqcPy1MFKZ8vlrHvXBidMpjOZ0qRJ07BXOdVUzTjp2rlZnLCqqr8nE2n8I8hX1VmEh2A0mAfJ9SAf8KxW8GT/s1600/Master+Bathroom.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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After:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxdajIWFfxppR6KAkR_56SAXhvhmtw8f3KlIKyK4BhkrzRhSIlidgLl-JPLbdN9l5Wefkx6utvWH7JMjPeDHfsc2nqnpdHu5svoF6lxC_3J4z-c_lXuXCqbNlMvUTxbb3PfVbHXIUePhx/s1600/6.2.14+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxdajIWFfxppR6KAkR_56SAXhvhmtw8f3KlIKyK4BhkrzRhSIlidgLl-JPLbdN9l5Wefkx6utvWH7JMjPeDHfsc2nqnpdHu5svoF6lxC_3J4z-c_lXuXCqbNlMvUTxbb3PfVbHXIUePhx/s1600/6.2.14+038.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjfwzkx4lkEAOf5ZmeM3-X6BpgXQbzfIHrmtnaYB8aCzd2u3vUixt_j6bwLDzuOzJB5Bg7rQlYv5uFDWJZcntMYs3bxU7VDNUO_GSmh9-uidEdAbSAxbtOQAm4gRh7dLSCGz7kzM89N9L/s1600/6.9.14+104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjfwzkx4lkEAOf5ZmeM3-X6BpgXQbzfIHrmtnaYB8aCzd2u3vUixt_j6bwLDzuOzJB5Bg7rQlYv5uFDWJZcntMYs3bxU7VDNUO_GSmh9-uidEdAbSAxbtOQAm4gRh7dLSCGz7kzM89N9L/s1600/6.9.14+104.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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After:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK0qysTV3gIYl-PVP8gYNN9Sxy5Yn-3FwybwuIqtl3oWOM9b71L5fpgWuuIV4FnCoS1CVrAoIjrDN6mMRccrMpBFVoQKDr9dxv7nX6tI_HzjcCjKSnlgqY30TkqmHgrzo2niVbb1-Cc_z/s1600/6.9.14+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK0qysTV3gIYl-PVP8gYNN9Sxy5Yn-3FwybwuIqtl3oWOM9b71L5fpgWuuIV4FnCoS1CVrAoIjrDN6mMRccrMpBFVoQKDr9dxv7nX6tI_HzjcCjKSnlgqY30TkqmHgrzo2niVbb1-Cc_z/s1600/6.9.14+129.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtggSbXDkDAW1Ww5Km_K1z3rlxTov3b2la78vesOXMpWaa2qCd-H45ZfGY278DYzPEoANKYYHJlGK6VVd0yt4qJ2ozS4W50q6wRoSXJRq48tnglLL1bYDEXI26JlFTaW_6o0dCc6ZgKk9c/s1600/IMG_1991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtggSbXDkDAW1Ww5Km_K1z3rlxTov3b2la78vesOXMpWaa2qCd-H45ZfGY278DYzPEoANKYYHJlGK6VVd0yt4qJ2ozS4W50q6wRoSXJRq48tnglLL1bYDEXI26JlFTaW_6o0dCc6ZgKk9c/s1600/IMG_1991.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Daniel's favorite part of the bathroom - all the details that most people don't notice - like the fine woodwork and trim work that he did in here. I have to brag on him, everything is so well made and he is a perfectionist so he won't let it be until it's perfect!</i></div>
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<i>You can really tell in this picture how much space we gained around the sink area. The pedestal sink and washstands are significantly less deep than the original counter. It was a pretty tight squeeze before.</i></div>
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Sketch-up Idea:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr_Ajh0EDp-T8WZZbgDXprA5B5Kyx0SlGNtNzlFLa3_kL9j_If0hzORrQ44NpykNIfOtk3eH0Sx64xqJ5ZuR2pRglQWwSAQ2OpjJtBUgozrdp8HvAKuPUqiz6RlZ1S42hj2BqT4YoVoWR/s1600/Master+Bathroom+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr_Ajh0EDp-T8WZZbgDXprA5B5Kyx0SlGNtNzlFLa3_kL9j_If0hzORrQ44NpykNIfOtk3eH0Sx64xqJ5ZuR2pRglQWwSAQ2OpjJtBUgozrdp8HvAKuPUqiz6RlZ1S42hj2BqT4YoVoWR/s1600/Master+Bathroom+4.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, I hope you enjoyed my bathroom tour! I know I am enjoying the end result! It's been a long time coming! Sometimes I just stand in the doorway and stare at it, grinning like an idiot. Renovations have that effect on me. :o)</div>
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<i>Note: To see all our bathroom posts, progress, etc., click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/01/sneak-peek.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/03/bathroom-updates.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/my-mirror-got-facelift.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/from-nightstand-to-washstand.html">here</a>.</i></div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-49139796612118355252014-06-03T10:35:00.000-04:002014-06-09T14:44:16.073-04:00From Nightstand to WashstandIn this post, I just wanted to share the process of how our hand-me-down nightstands miraculously turned into super chic washstands flanking our new sink. (It wasn't really a miracle, just handiwork by my awesome husband, Daniel - Love you, Daniel, you're awesome!)<br />
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My brother and sister-in-law gave me these nightstands after they got new furniture in their bedroom. I had been using them in the kitchen, one stacked on top of the other, as a microwave cabinet/pantry. When I came up with the idea of redoing the bathroom, these seemed like the perfect cabinet choice because they had these beautiful marble tops. I love white marble in a bathroom. Anyway, they were perfect except for one hitch - they were way too short. They came to about mid-thigh.<br />
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Here's a shot of them before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgZjJlHGC8NU4o0yFbooUEkYNgf4iDhszFuUuQTk54l9sumK00nYCvr7_pHdWSzcc_bVDtUcyNV0ZKTIzLntxpBthHn_7xVabM2tL3iZnDJeZLPszt7nVRFdIfAg2Q8LAB6k3fMigtj5a/s1600/5.20.14+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgZjJlHGC8NU4o0yFbooUEkYNgf4iDhszFuUuQTk54l9sumK00nYCvr7_pHdWSzcc_bVDtUcyNV0ZKTIzLntxpBthHn_7xVabM2tL3iZnDJeZLPszt7nVRFdIfAg2Q8LAB6k3fMigtj5a/s1600/5.20.14+005.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We decided to take off the existing legs and add longer legs with a shelf for a basket on the bottom. Then, I would paint everything white and change out the knobs. Using his handy, dandy pocket-hole-jig, (which he made me take a photo of because he said it is invaluable if you are going to be doing any kind of cabinetry work), wood glue and clamps, Daniel added the legs and the shelf. Doesn't he make an excellent product model??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3V40qCwFkS7MPGID9nOKMNYOENaGWv_qfxczZziJWmoUFrWjsRLvTnRXoEC_7WG0tbcTBzOlywO45VkPoYoCyw8VE_XxmYXCWyUH3N3oVqXfvpqchPEKh73Zag0xvoT-BHzBfB4j48mB/s1600/5.20.14+121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3V40qCwFkS7MPGID9nOKMNYOENaGWv_qfxczZziJWmoUFrWjsRLvTnRXoEC_7WG0tbcTBzOlywO45VkPoYoCyw8VE_XxmYXCWyUH3N3oVqXfvpqchPEKh73Zag0xvoT-BHzBfB4j48mB/s1600/5.20.14+121.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Seriously, just look at his modeling skills!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOMxk5Ob1DmizkVYjE3NdH1avlJoInByG3LivsEGVXdfjDM9uhHI92hbBoR-b4S00sO5hdV6jyGe8xHBOdWiyfnEVpudi9dIjut9falL2MBr2Ktx5Ep6CZobA-Gz3WMG4Mk6j5EREH0-d/s1600/5.20.14+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOMxk5Ob1DmizkVYjE3NdH1avlJoInByG3LivsEGVXdfjDM9uhHI92hbBoR-b4S00sO5hdV6jyGe8xHBOdWiyfnEVpudi9dIjut9falL2MBr2Ktx5Ep6CZobA-Gz3WMG4Mk6j5EREH0-d/s1600/5.20.14+119.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here it is, after the legs and shelf were added. It didn't matter that the wood was different, since we were painting them anyway, so we went with poplar from Home Depot since you can buy by the board foot.</div>
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Stay tuned for the final bathroom reveal in which you will see the painted, updated, fancy-knob version! See how I keep you guessing? This is like a to-be-continued post in which you HAVE to come back to find out how it ends!</div>
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<i>Note: To see all our bathroom-related posts, where we started, and our progress up to this point, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/01/sneak-peek.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/03/bathroom-updates.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/my-mirror-got-facelift.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/bathroom-reveal.html">here</a>.</i>Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-2919599318517832032014-06-02T14:23:00.000-04:002014-06-09T14:44:38.273-04:00My Mirror Got a FaceliftJust wanted to share an update on the bathroom renovations. The bathroom is officially finished -- WAHOO! YAAAYYY! [Insert angels signing in jubilation here]. Final pics will be forthcoming just as soon as I get them uploaded.<br />
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In the meantime, I just wanted to post about a project that was critical in the whole renovation process. This baby made such a huge impact on the space.<br />
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I'm talking about my mirror. This mirror has been around as long as I can remember. It belonged to my great-grandfather and was passed down to my mom, who stored it in the attic for years and years and years. It was kind of a dirty gold, red, blue, green multi-colored baroque looking thing with years and years of grime all over it. (I wish I had a photo of it then, but I usually lack foresight in these kinds of projects and always forget to take 'before' photos.) I cleaned it up some, but it always looked a little too gothic for my taste. So, I painted it gloss black and hung it in my bedroom for a long time. <br />
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Here's a picture of it in our bedroom at our old rental house:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8WE6qlrevmOk5d-j1VyN1Pi083s7lyyjjd7aewPnfftRXgg7busbS4ho6fOcqShVPcajINFd_Vp3RKTmNPd2N-JJoBNanPFwRCVB51h61XRq2erYjv0S_n73RU_wCIm8tUFu_Pd6ImC1/s1600/100_5163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8WE6qlrevmOk5d-j1VyN1Pi083s7lyyjjd7aewPnfftRXgg7busbS4ho6fOcqShVPcajINFd_Vp3RKTmNPd2N-JJoBNanPFwRCVB51h61XRq2erYjv0S_n73RU_wCIm8tUFu_Pd6ImC1/s1600/100_5163.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we moved to our new house, there just wasn't any good place to hang this gal and so she sat leaning up against the wall in the bedroom for the longest time, collecting dust. When I got the bright idea to tackle our phase 1 bathroom renovation, she seemed like a perfect choice for a statement mirror in the bathroom. [Yes, the mirror is a 'she'. She's too pretty to be a boy.]<br />
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Since I wanted the bathroom to be bright and airy, I decided to paint the frame white. Daniel also pointed out that since it was going to get a facelift, the actual mirror should probably be replaced. The silver on the back had come away in several places, making it pretty distracting when trying to see your reflection. Luckily, we have a glass shop about a mile up the road from our house and they were able to cut a new mirror to size for around $35.<br />
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We had to take the old mirror out of the frame so that they could size the new one, which entailed taking off the old cardboard backing and pulling out all the nails that were holding the mirror in place. (Please excuse my messy, unmade bed / work table.)<br />
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Here's a pic where you can kinda see how badly the silvering was coming off:</div>
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And EVERYONE needs one of these in their house: </div>
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Since this hefty lady weighed in at about 60+ pounds, it had broken it's wire hanger 2 or 3 times at our last house and fallen to the floor. Miraculously, it hadn't broken but was cracked in a few places. Cracks are nearly invisible when painted with black paint, but white shows every little flaw, so we had to do some spackling on the bigger cracks. Once that was dry, I spray-painted her with Rustoleum any-angle spray. It took about 2 full cans to cover it completely. </div>
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And..... drumroll please.... here she is, in all her radiant glory:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKX1K2SOXhtwGDan5XaCt6zBO6BvjGm7qzCrip_VpkJ4Dlpv0Fz9v7wR1mUR1MWWHRy2y784ZiEt47ghL5EE4vGpPeJbtz9oyGLGFK2_ddnV7KG68U21eU74NPDqhwDngi0CgltM1r4Ug/s1600/6.2.14+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKX1K2SOXhtwGDan5XaCt6zBO6BvjGm7qzCrip_VpkJ4Dlpv0Fz9v7wR1mUR1MWWHRy2y784ZiEt47ghL5EE4vGpPeJbtz9oyGLGFK2_ddnV7KG68U21eU74NPDqhwDngi0CgltM1r4Ug/s1600/6.2.14+037.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Isn't she a beaut?!? She made such a huge difference in the bathroom! I love her and tell her she's pretty every day. No, that's not weird at all. ;o) <br />
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<i>Note: If you want to see where we started and our progress up to this point, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/01/sneak-peek.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/03/bathroom-updates.html">here</a>. If you want to see what we've done since, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/from-nightstand-to-washstand.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/bathroom-reveal.html">here</a>.</i>Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-89292679102966495862014-03-03T16:13:00.000-05:002014-06-09T14:45:04.923-04:00Bathroom UpdatesIt's about to get real, folks. This is what a renovation at my house REALLY looks like, in
all its chaotic glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No photoshop
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the real deal - all
the mess, all the clutter, all the chaos, uncensored for your viewing pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, we have been living like this for several
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have I stubbed my toes on
various power tools over that period of time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have I tripped and
nearly fallen over all the clutter on more than 1 occasion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I have, thanks for asking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all part of that good ol’ DIY
charm!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We have managed to make a little progress on the bathroom updates, despite the general disorderliness of the overall appearance. Maybe you'll remember where we were last time, here's a shot of Daniel working on some wiring from the only attic access in the house.</span><br />
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I may have mentioned in the last post that a foot may or may not have accidentally gone through the ceiling and made that opening slightly bigger. Fortunately, "the attic access wasn't really big enough to begin with, so this is really a good thing!"<br />
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Here it is now:<br />
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Much more spacious, no? <br />
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The lighting has also been added and greatly improved since we last met. A new overhead light/exhaust fan combo has been added, along with new sconces.<br />
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Here's a shot from the attic at the fan installation:<br />
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And these are the new sconces:</div>
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Here's a shot of the whole room... it's a hot mess, I know. </div>
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Just imagine navigating all this every time you have to take a shower! UGH!<br />
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Daniel also finished all the trim and molding work, which looks really nice, despite the mess.<br />
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We have also been working on patching numerous holes, dents, and scratches in the wall.<br />
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And check out this awesome window treatment:<br />
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That's right, some duct tape and a garbage bag - what could be more shabby chic?<br />
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Daniel also hung the new shower curtain rod at ceiling height and I put up the new extra long fabric liner.<br />
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I'm still on the fence about the curved rod since it sticks out into the already narrow space a lot more than I envisioned. I'm going to live with it for a while to see how I like it once all the other elements come together. Then maybe I can better decide whether or not to change it out with a straight rod. </div>
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Well, that's all for right now. I'll post more pics as we get more updates finished and get ever closer to finishing this seemingly never ending project!<br />
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<em>Note: If you want to see where we started, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/01/sneak-peek.html">here</a>. </em><em>If you want to see our progress, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/my-mirror-got-facelift.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/from-nightstand-to-washstand.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/bathroom-reveal.html">here</a>.</em>Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-76134871173458729652014-01-28T14:38:00.000-05:002014-01-28T14:38:45.339-05:00Living Room SwitcherooRemember how a few posts ago I said that I could simply change out a few things in my living room and it would completely change the whole look of the room? Well, I did, and it did. Here's the before with the fall colors and turquoise accents:<br />
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Well, I decided to change it out for Christmas and bring back the red and black. <br />
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All I had to do was turn my decorative doors around, switch out a few pillows and blankets, switch the mirror over the fireplace, change out some artwork, switch out the coffee table (written out, that sounds like a lot more work than it actually was) and add my few Christmas decorations. (Yes, I do realize that Christmas was almost a whole month ago, but what can I say, I'm a master procrastinator.)<br />
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And presto-change-o, it looks like a whole new room! :o)</div>
Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-55805799077081298602014-01-09T15:20:00.000-05:002014-01-09T15:20:43.384-05:00Yarn WreathsI decided to be crafty for Christmas this year. I am lucky enough to have both of my Grandmas nearby and so for Christmas this year, I decided to do these yarn wreaths for them. I figured since they're not holiday-themed, they can keep them up anytime of the year (if they want... they might think they're really ugly and just hang them up so I don't feel bad, but Grandmas are great at making you think all your creations are beautiful, whether they are or not) I not-so-sneakily asked them what their favorite colors were, and they were, respectively: pink and purple. <br />
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I have to give credit for this idea to my mom, who when I asked for suggestions of what to get as gifts this year, she said, "why don't you make them each a wreath?" Great idea! So, I hopped on Pinterest and subsequently pinned about 100 different ideas. I really liked the yarn wreaths because you can make them in any color of the rainbow, so the possibilities are endless. <br />
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Pinterest also has a ton of ideas for fabric flowers, which I thought would make a nice addition to these wreaths. I sort of adapted this idea to my needs using scraps of fabric that I got from.... yep, you guessed it! My Grandma! She has an entire dresser full of scrap fabric from past crafts and sewing projects so I "borrowed" all of it... for "Christmas crafts". Bahaha, I'm so sneaky. <br />
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Anyway, I picked up a couple skeins of yarn in pink and purple, my wreath form, and some straight pins for pinning on all my fabric flowers. Then I went through all my scrap fabric and picked out coordinating fabrics in pinks and purples to use for my flowers. <br />
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Here's the materials I started with:<br />
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I was originally going to do the whole monogram thing, but in the end, I couldn't figure out how to attach the letter and there just didn't seem to be any good place to put it, so I left it out. </div>
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I used a straw wreath form (make sure to leave the plastic on!) but you can use any type. I've also heard that a pool noodle duct taped into a circular form works great. </div>
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Anyway, just start wrapping your yarn around the wreath form... and around, and around... for about a solid hour and a half until it's completely covered. This took about 3/4 of the skein of yarn and did take almost a full 90 minutes to finish. </div>
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Once your wreath is wrapped you can start embellishing it as you want it. I cut out flower shapes in the scraps and layered them and then used buttons for the flower centers and straight pins to attach the flowers to the wreath. No sewing necessary. For the rosettes, I simply took long strips of fabric and then twisted it and rolled it into a circular pattern and pinned it on as well. I just kept adding until it looked full enough. For the leaves, I cut the fabric in a leaf shape, pinched the end together to make it more 3D and pinned them on. Surprisingly, this part went pretty fast... faster than wrapping the wreath. </div>
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Once I had the first one finished, I simply copied the same pattern using different colored fabrics so they would both have basically the same design in the end. </div>
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And here's the finished product:</div>
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All in all, it was really pretty easy and fun. I might get ambitious and make more later on. There are some really adorable Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, and Christmas themed ones on Pinterest. And if you have extra yarn or fabric lying around, it's a great way to use it up. This would work well with ribbon too, and probably go a lot faster. I'm thinking a cute feather boa wrapped around the wreath form might look adorable too... hmmm.... The possibilities really are endless!<br />
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-18292592783196133222014-01-07T17:10:00.001-05:002014-06-09T14:45:27.458-04:00Sneak PeekI want to tell you a little story. It's about an impatient wife, and an exasperated husband. What had happened was.... I came home one day with a bright idea to rip out our completely functional, somewhat dated, bathroom vanity and put in a bright shiny pedestal sink, paint the dingy walls, add new cabinets, lighting and a fancy mirror. Easy peasy! In my brain it was anyway. We already had the pedestal sink from a previous reno that we never finished, and we had two nightstands with marble tops that would be perfect for storage cabinets! All completely free! Easy! Done in a flash! Bahahahahahaha! <br />
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Here was my brilliant idea: (Disclaimer: SketchUp is the devil. You can just bump a wall out here, drag and drop a sink there, and it's all looking beautiful on paper in about 5 minutes. That doesn't really happen in real life.) Here's the bathroom as it was before we moved in:<br />
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The footprint of the bathroom is pretty long and narrow and eventually we'd like to take out that wall across from the sink (which is the back of our master bedroom closet) and turn that into more space in the bathroom. That's waaaay down the line, though. Right now I just wanted to do a Phase 1 reno to make the bathroom a little prettier and more functional. </div>
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The bathroom has always been a little dingy and outdated, which bugs me. As you can see from the pics above, the vanity is awkward (Why is it off-centered? Why are there no cabinets below? Why would you leave the plumbing exposed? Why are the countertops painted?) and it makes for a tight squeeze with two people trying to get ready in the mornings. The sink was originally blue (as was the tile and tub) but the previous owners painted (yes, painted) it all white. They didn't do the neatest job, so the paint is coming off in places and there's a lot of brush strokes and drips clearly visible. There's some really ugly lighting in there and it's dark like a cave at night. </div>
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Changes on my list included a fresh coat of bright paint, new lighting, and some bright white cabinetry and a new sink. I eventually want to get a new tub and tile surround, and tile the floor with some pretty white hex-tile, but that's not in the budget right now, so that'll have to wait on the back-burner for a few more years.</div>
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I sketched up my ideas and it seemed so easy! Did I mention SketchUp is the devil? Here's my SketchUp plan:</div>
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The floorplan:</div>
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View of the new pedestal sink and storage cabinets:</div>
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Some floating shelves above the toilet for more storage:</div>
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And a new ceiling-height white shower curtain to hide the painted tile/tub:</div>
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After one evening of angrily ripping everything out, which almost ended in Daniel divorcing me on the spot, here's where we ended up:</div>
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Yes, those are holes in the drywall, which is so old they don't make the same thickness anymore! Yes, the plumbing is off-centered just enough so that we have to move all the pipes! Yes, the electrical is so old that will all have to be re-done! Yes, there is mold growing on the walls because there is no exhaust in this room! Yes, that's yet another expense to be added to our already over-stretched Phase 1 "free" bathroom renovation budget! Yes, we do have to replace a big section of the ceiling where Daniel almost fell through while trying to re-do the wiring!</div>
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Whew! I'm tired already. And my part of this thing hasn't even really started. This was one of those projects that I think will only take a weekend or so to complete, and then 5 months later, it still looks like the pics above. We have made some progress. We have a working sink. Beadboard has gone up. Some wiring has been completed. That's about it. But I'll be sure to keep you posted on our Phase 1 progress! Stay tuned!</div>
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<em>Note: If you want to check out our progress, click <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/03/bathroom-updates.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/my-mirror-got-facelift.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/from-nightstand-to-washstand.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2014/06/bathroom-reveal.html">here</a>.</em></div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-35491814622374131892014-01-07T16:20:00.001-05:002014-01-07T16:20:18.973-05:00Holiday Home Tour 2013I know I'm running behind on this Christmas post, but that seems to be my theme for 2013-2014. I've been a little slack lately about getting things done and getting motivated over the holidays. Anyway, just thought I'd share our holiday house tour photos... better late than never!<br />
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It's usually a tradition for me to get started with my Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving. No Black Friday shopping for this girl... I would much rather stay home and hide in my pj's. This year, however, I was a little behind. There was a bit of a Christmas light fiasco while I was trying to put the tree up, and long story short, after about four strands of dud lights, I almost ended up not putting a tree up at all. I did manage to get this book tree put up the day after Thanksgiving. This was one of my Pinterest DIY must-dos and for once I actually finished a project I pinned! <br />
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It took every book that I had in the house, but it was really easy. Just stack the books biggest to smallest in a circular pattern until your 'tree' is the height you want it to be. Wrap some lights around it and put a topper on of your choice (optional) and done. I used a cardboard star box that I got at Hobby Lobby for about $3. I thought about cutting out a design in the box lid and putting a light inside, but then I got distracted by something interesting on TV and the rest is history....
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Leon was a big help in putting up the lights. :o)<br />
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I really wanted to put up my big, fancy, pretty tree in the music room this year, but our house is just too small for a full-size tree. Instead I put up this mini pre-lit tree that was a hand-me-down from my Grandma. It's midsection lights had blown out so I still had to wrap some lights around it, but it ended up working out okay. Since this room is all lime green, turquoise, and blue, I thought my usual red & green ornaments would be a little clashy in here. I decided to use all my white, crystal, and beaded ornaments instead and it turned out all sparkly and shiny and it was just the right amount of ornaments for the size of the tree.<br />
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I also put up my Christmas village in here, complete with my favorite decorations of all time - the Clothespin People. These have been around since before me, and I've loved these ever since I was a little girl. My mom and my Grandma made most of them, and then I added to them growing up. They're still my favorite to this day. </div>
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All this was done, but I still wanted a tree in my living room. We have to keep the music room closed off most of the time because of a couple mischievous cats, so I wasn't able to see my Christmas decorations in here too much. The big window is in here though, so I like to have a tree in front of that, and our living room set up is pretty full, with not much room for a tree. <br />
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I decided to get a tall, skinny tree that I could fit in the corner of the living room to make it a little more festive in there. I got this 5' Alpine pre-lit tree at Hobby Lobby. I think it tucked away quite nicely in there and didn't take up too much space. (Please excuse the eerie blue glow coming from the TV, I forgot to turn it off before snapping this pic.) And it turned out to be just the right size for all my favorite traditional red & green ornaments. <br />
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Turned out pretty festive after all. Daniel says I do way too much decorating since it's just the 2 of us and we don't really have anyone over, but hey, I like looking at it even if no one else gets to see it!<br />
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Since I have about a gazillion jars lying around the house, I decided to take another idea from Pinterest and make some of these village-in-a-jar things. I had a blast doing these and ended up with a ton of them scattered all over the house. I used cheap laundry detergent as my fake snow and got some little pipe-cleaner trees along with some extra greenery I had lying around to use for my evergreens, and then just used some old ornaments that came in an advent calendar for my miniature scenes. <br />
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I also made this Christmas card 'tree' on the side of the refrigerator. In the beginning, I got mad at my luck with Christmas lights and said, "I'm not even going to do a tree this year!" and then in the end I think I ended up with at least a little tree in every room of the house. What can I say? I'm a sucker for Christmas decorations. <br />
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And then, just for cuteness sake, I have to throw in some pics of my Christmas kitties. :o)<br />
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All this Christmas decorating wore them out! <br />
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Well, I hope you enjoyed my Christmas Home Tour, 2013. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!<br />
<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-22040490784229939592013-11-11T15:24:00.000-05:002013-11-11T15:24:19.317-05:00Slow Cooker Pork & ApplesI just wanted to share this super easy recipe that I recently tried at home. It turned out so delicious and was a big hit at our house, so I thought I'd share it with all of blogland. <br />
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INGREDIENTS:<br />
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1 Pork Tenderloin<br />
<br />
4-5 Granny Smith Apples<br />
<br />
Cinnamon<br />
<br />
Honey<br />
<br />
Poultry Seasoning (or other seasoning of your choice)<br />
<br />
Salt & Pepper to taste<br />
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1/2 Stick Butter, cut into slices<br />
<br />
Chicken Broth<br />
<br />
Slow Cooker<br />
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I apologize, I don't have exact measurements on this, but in this case I don't really think exact measurements are all that important. It will turn out good no matter what. I didn't measure anything and it was delicious.<br />
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Start with your pork tenderloin, slicing it (but not all the way through) making grooves to put apple slices inside. <br />
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Slice all your apples into fairly thin slices. (You don't have to peel them unless you just really don't like the skins.)<br />
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Take the apple slices and dump some in the bottom of the crock pot. Drizzle these with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. <br />
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Stuff the grooves of your pork tenderloin with apple slices and place that on top of the 1st layer of apples in the crock pot. Drizzle this with more honey and more cinnamon. <br />
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Top your tenderloin with whatever apple slices you have left, your butter (cut into pats) on top of that, drizzle more honey and sprinkle more cinnamon on top. <br />
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Sprinkle with a little poultry seasoning and salt & pepper to taste.<br />
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Pour a little chicken broth on top of everything. (I just put a little... just enough to keep it moist.)<br />
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(NOTE: I thought I had waaay too much cinnamon because at one point it came out much faster than I was expecting and dumped a huge pile of it into my crock pot. It tasted wonderful anyway. Not too cinnamon-y at all.)<br />
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Cook on low all day or on high for 3-4 hours. <br />
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The result is tender, sweet & savory deliciousness that will literally melt in your mouth! <br />
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It was a big hit with the hubs. (That's his 'big hit' face)<br />
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This is an awesome dish for fall. I love comfort food this time of year and the slow cooker is my best friend! It's so nice to come home to the smell of something delicious and ready to eat the minute you walk through the door!<br />
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Enjoy! I know I sure did!Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-76154596011823247952013-11-05T17:08:00.001-05:002013-11-05T17:08:08.120-05:00It's Fall, Y'allWell, it's officially fall... gaining rapidly on winter. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the beautiful colors of the autumn leaves, the crisp, cool air, the sunny blue skies, breezy days, the comfort food, pumpkins and mums, bonfires, hayrides... the list goes on and on. Fall makes me want to just drive around and gaze at all the beautiful colors and watch as the landscape changes into an array of oranges, yellows and reds. <br />
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Early-on this fall, we decided to go on a quick trip to the mountains to see all the beautiful autumn colors. Of course, it rained the entire weekend, but it was still pretty. <br />
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I love all the barn quilts up there... makes me want to build a barn just so I can hang a barn quilt on it.</div>
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We had a great time, despite all the rain (and our icky motel, but that's a whole other story....)</div>
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We even had some amazing pizza at a little hole-in-the-wall wood-fired pizza place located in a tiny town near Roan Mountain. This place was just behind the owners' house, in a little barn of its own.</div>
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Mmm... so good. </div>
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Autumn wouldn't be complete without mentioning Halloween. I have been super slack this year about holiday decorating... I usually go all-out with crows, bats, pumpkins, gourds, etc. This year, however, I managed to put out a few pumpkins and a jack-o-lantern on Halloween day at about 6:00 p.m. just in case we had a few trick-or-treaters. We didn't. Not a single one... boo. Daniel even got out the leaf blower and blew all the leaves out of the driveway and off the porches. They were all back in about 30 minutes...</div>
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We even dressed up this year for Trunk or Treat at my church. I went as Rosie the Riveter and Daniel went as Willie from Duck Dynasty. His joke was that all he had to do get into character was tie a bandana around his head. Mission accomplished. </div>
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That's Daniel on the left in his "costume" just in case you were confused... along with another Willie lookalike. "OOooo...I got double vision!" *singing* </div>
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Along with the changing seasons comes a change in weather and it has been pretty chilly at our house so far. We've been avoiding turning on the heat so we can put off paying those crushing gas bills for a few more weeks. We have been using our gas logs, which heat up the house nicely with a lot less gas. </div>
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Back story on the gas logs: I was convinced we were never going to get to use our gas logs because ever since we remodeled the fireplace they haven't worked. womp womp... Daniel fiddled with them numerous times until we finally decided it was a bust and we were gonna have to buy new ones. Finally, he took them apart and found out that while they sat on our back porch during the reno, a dirt dauber had built a nest inside them which was keeping the flow of gas from doing its thing. He got rid of the nest, and voila, they work like a charm. The first night we turned them on I was insanely excited... picture me like Tom Hanks in that Castaway movie: "I...have made... FIRE!" (even though it was all Daniel... I didn't help at all, and basically we just turn a knob and the fire comes on...) </div>
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Bonus: it's super cozy and I get crazy excited each and every time we turn them on. For example, that first night we turned them on, I made Daniel wait and go to the store with me so I could stock up on hot chocolate. I then had to put on my coziest pj's, cook up some cocoa and sit cuddled up with the hubs and a couple kitty cats while catching up on episodes of 'The Walking Dead'. I'm telling you, fire + cocoa + pj's + hubs + kitties + zombies = a super exciting night in my world. Plus, a cold house is a great excuse for cuddling up with your sweetie. *wink wink*</div>
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The kitties are fans of the fire too. :o)</div>
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It took a little longer for the leaves to catch up in our neck of the woods, and then, one day... BAM! Color everywhere!</div>
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The tree below is in my parents' neighbor's yard. It's got to be the prettiest maple tree EVER. Like the prettiest maple tree in the history of maple trees. I want to clone it and plant one in my yard. <br />
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As with all good things, they must come to an end. It seems to me that fall goes by much too quickly. All too soon those pretty leaves will fall and it'll be winter. </div>
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On that note, I'll leave you with a quote:</div>
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"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." -F. Scott Fitzgerald</div>
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Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-37144745875396315812013-08-06T11:42:00.000-04:002013-08-06T11:43:23.426-04:00PabbiefestWe recently went on a trip to NYC via DC for the wedding of our dear friends, Abbie & Pat. <br />
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[ That's not Abbie & Pat... that's us...just thought I'd throw in this pic :o) ]
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Our friends Caleb and Kenisha were kind enough to let us crash with them for a night in DC on the way up and it was great to see them and their new house (and their new puppy, Sadie). <br />
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We also got to go see the Sunset Parade, in which Caleb performs in The Commandant's Own United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps... which was O-MASING. Seriously, it was awesome. And free to the public, so if you're in the area during May - August, it's every Tuesday night at the Iwo Jima memorial in DC at 7:00 p.m. Check it out. You won't be sorry. We had a great time chillaxin' with them, eatin' ribs and buffalo chicken dip. :o)<br />
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We then forged on to the Big Apple to meet up with our friends for Pabbiefest, which was a week-long celebration complete with good friends, good food, fun times, the sweetest wedding, and a very detailed itinerary...which we didn't follow...at all. But it was a great idea! It's the thought that counts!<br />
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It was great to see all our friends and to see everyone come together from all over the world to celebrate with Pat & Abbie on their big day.<br />
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Their wedding was so beautiful, and so <i>personal</i>. That's what I loved about it the most. It was so true to them, from the bridesmaids and groomsmen dancing, (yes, dancing) down the aisle, an amazing speech by Abbie's father, poetry readings, beautiful music, to the most touching vows I think I've ever heard, written by the couple to each other. <br />
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Daniel and Abbie's sister Claire played 'Over the Hills & Far Away' by Led Zeppelin on the guitar and violin and did an amazing job... seriously, there were people on the street cheering them on! <br />
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Overall it was just such a happy occasion and so filled with love. After the wedding was over and everyone was saying their goodbyes, Abbie started crying because she was so happy that everyone had come out and so sad that the week was coming to an end. That's the great thing about Abbie, she feels things so passionately her heart just can't hold it all in! And Pat is such a genuinely nice person, and so easy to talk to, he instantly makes you feel comfortable and as if you've known him forever. So great to see such a wonderful couple in love, makin' it official!<br />
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We got to do a little sightseeing while in NYC as well. Times Square, the Subway, Central Park, the Subway, Grand Central Station, the Subway, the Freedom Tower, the Subway, Brooklyn Bridge, the Subway, The Highline Park, the Subway, the Statue of Liberty, the Subway, and various other sights around Brooklyn and NYC... did I mention we were on the Subway a lot? Oh, and we did TONS of walking. In 100 degree weather. Our ice-cold, air-conditioned hotel room sure felt nice after walking all day in that heat!<br />
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Incidentally, this sign was on the building right next to our hotel... yikes...</div>
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It was a whirlwind, but fun. After getting cheated in a major way at a parking deck on our last day... [boo parking deck]...I was ready to come home to my quiet house in the country. <br />
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We got to see some pretty countryside on our way home. We took the long way through Lancaster, PA and saw some beautiful farms in Amish country. It was nice seeing all that open space after being in the city all week. <br />
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Finally, after 16 hours in the car [did I mention we took the long route?] we arrived back at home sweet home. Back to reality at Casa de Bruce. Although it meant I had to go back to work [boo work], there really is no place like home! <br />
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Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-78697276488400904732013-07-09T10:41:00.000-04:002013-08-06T16:56:42.079-04:00Kitchen CurtainsOur kitchen still has the original cabinetry from 1941, complete with a scalloped wood valance and super unattractive florescent light fixture with bare bulbs mounted underneath. Okay, so I'm not sure if the light fixture is from 1941, but the unattractive part is true. I wanted to make a curtain to hang across the span to tie my laundry and kitchen rooms together but mostly to hide that ugly light. <br />
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I purchased a remnant piece of ikat fabric from a local fabric outlet a while ago, liking the pattern and colors, but not having anything specific in mind for it. Well, turns out the colors are almost exactly the same as the colors in my kitchen/laundry area, so I decided to use it to make my curtain. <br />
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I started with my curtain "rod"... I used 2 yardsticks that I purchased in the paint department of Lowe's for $0.69 each. I didn't measure before I bought them but luckily, my span was exactly 6 feet, so the two together were the perfect size. I duct taped them together in the middle (I know, you're staggered at my highly technical process of joinery) and then laid my fabric across it. It worked out great that these were yard sticks because it made it much easier to find exact measurements for where I wanted to put my pleats.<br />
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I want to preface this part by stating that I am NOT a seamstress. I am very inexperienced with sewing machines and sewing in general, so I only attempt the simplest of sewing tasks. So if I can tackle this, anyone can. <br />
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I started by cutting a width of fabric from my remnant... long enough to be a little longer than my yardsticks so I'd have enough to do a few pleats and sew the hem. I sewed a bottom hem along the entire length of the fabric.<br />
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I started from the middle and worked my way out 3 inches on either side to find my pleats... and did the same at the halfway mark on each yardstick, folding a small section inward, so there are 3 sections of pleats all together.<br />
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Once I had them pinned, I sewed them down a little bit so they'd stay in place so I could attach the curtain to my yardsticks.
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Once I had it all measured and sewn down, I got all technical again and started attaching the curtain to my yarrdsticks with duct tape. I started with the edges and simply folded them over and taped them to the ends.<br />
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Then, I just started adding duct tape all along the top edge to attach the entire length to the yardsticks. </div>
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The next step (and this is very critical to your progress) is to have your work thoroughly inspected by two very curious kitties.<br />
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["Ikat? Me-cat!"]<br />
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Once the inspection was complete, I finished taping. <br />
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Next, I just folded the taped side under so all you see is the fabric side. <br />
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My plan was to then attach it to the back side of the scalloped edge of my cabinets with screws to hold it in place. However, when Daniel put it up there, the fit was so tight that it stayed all by itself with no support. So, we said 'all's well that ends well' and just left it up there like that. It may come crashing down on our heads one day, but for now it seems pretty secure. </div>
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<em>*Update: The curtains came crashing down on our heads. More than once. So, I finally got Daniel to put a couple nails in it and it has since held fine. </em></div>
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No more ugly light fixture! </div>
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You can kinda see in this picture how it ties the colors of the two rooms together nicely. And I'm still seriously thinking about painting the kitchen again (for the 3rd time) the same blue that's in the laundry area.</div>
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Bob & Leon were exhausted from all their inspecting. They needed a nap after such a hard day.</div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-26183901984437716302013-07-08T09:50:00.000-04:002013-07-08T09:50:38.417-04:00Mousetrap/ArtrapAlthough I wish I were this creative, I can't take credit for this idea. I saw this project on a blog called <a href="http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2013/02/diy-gallery-wall-art.html">Ella Claire Inspired</a> where she turned mousetraps into cool vintage-looking clips for an artwork gallery wall. Her tutorial is much better than mine, so check out the link above to see how she did it. (She also has some other great ideas on her blog... so crafty!)<br />
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You saw a sneak-peek of the finished product in my <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2013/07/funky-junk-part-2-junktacular.html">previous post</a>. This project was super easy and didn't take long at all. All you need are some mousetraps, spray paint, a pair of pliers, and some craft paint and you're pretty much set. <br />
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I took a 4 pack of mousetraps and removed the mouse-killing hardware with a pair of pliers, leaving only the spring-loaded clip at the bottom. <br />
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Then I spray-painted them with some oil rubbed bronze spray paint.<br />
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(The "Victor" impression is a lot less noticeable in person than it is in these photos.)<br />
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Then, I used some craft paint to paint numbers on each one.<br />
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I got some vintage coral prints offline and mounted them on some thicker craft paper to mount inside the clips. By a stroke of luck, the print numbers actually match up with the numbers on the mousetraps. <br />
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Once the paint was dry, I had Daniel nail them to my door and then simply slid the artwork under the clips. <br />
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I think this would look better with larger prints or more of them. Because my door was so large, the scale seems a bit off to me. But these will work until I find the perfect size prints. <br />
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So easy and such a creative use for an everyday item!Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-67595439961774890492013-07-08T09:43:00.000-04:002013-07-08T11:26:37.047-04:00Funky Junk Part 3 - Bootlegged Beauty For this junk-filled installation, I used a piece of a moonshine still. We found this buried under the floor of the smokehouse at Daniel's grandma's old place (his Grandpa was a bootlegger). Even though it was beat up and most of it was gone, the patina on the copper was beautiful and it was a nifty piece of Daniel's family history that he wanted to keep. <br />
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It's been sitting in the garage ever since, but always in the back of my mind. I love the turquoise color on it and have been wanting to use it in my house for a while now. The idea finally came to me while searching Pinterest for tablescapes. I came across <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/844493653049147/">this image</a>. I liked the tin bucket they used as a vase to hold the sunflowers and the tool caddy with the dishes and other dining room stuff inside. And then, this happened:<br />
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BAM! Tablescape.<br />
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I used some old baskets that I've had stuffed in a closet since we moved in and then just added some dishes, a fruit bowl, and some flowers from the yard.<br />
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I've been stumped since we moved in on what to do with my dining room table. Everything always looks too small and nothing has ever felt right for that space. This worked so well and I can't believe I never thought to use it before. <br />
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[And now, for your viewing pleasure, here's way too many pictures of the same thing. Just because I like taking photos of stuff from every angle imaginable.]<br />
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Isn't that patina just gorgeous? I realize some people might look at this and think 'trash' but I like a little elegant junk in my life. The fact that it has family history just makes it that much cooler.<br />
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:o)Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-42578804348097200302013-07-05T13:43:00.004-04:002013-07-05T14:28:07.449-04:00Funky Junk Part 2 - Junktacular Old DoorI've been on a junkin' kick here lately, so there'll be lots of junk-related posts coming up.<br />
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For this project, I used an old door out of Daniel's grandmother's old house. I like using old doors as artwork, as you can see from <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2012/05/inexpensive-ideas.html">this post</a>. I already have those two hanging in the living room and I flip them back and forth depending on the season. Old doors just have so much character. <br />
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Anyway, this door was just propped in one of the rooms, gathering dust and not actually hanging up, so it was practically begging for us to take it and give it a home. <br />
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It was already painted, so I didn't feel bad about painting over the old wood. I am trying to lighten up my living room for summer, so I wanted a light background. The plan was to hang the door over the couch and use it as a backdrop for artwork. </div>
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I started by removing the door knob and hardware and then going over the door with a dry rag to clean off all the dust. I then dry-brushed a light coat of off-white paint to give it a shabby-chic/distressed look and show off all the imperfections in the wood. </div>
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Once the paint was dry, it was ready to hang. Daniel made some brackets to hold it in place on the wall (this sucker is solid wood and very heavy!)</div>
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[We almost had a CAT-astrophe getting this thing hung on the wall. Apparently Bob was inside the couch cushions (which we didn't know) and Daniel had been standing on him as he was hanging this thing. We finally heard a faint 'meow!' after it was hung and searched until we found him. He was pretty scared and I was worried sick thinking we'd squished Bob, but it turns out cats really do have 9 lives. After much cuddling and special treatment, he's back to his old self and completely fine. He even cuddled up with Daniel most of the day yesterday, so I think he's forgiven.]</div>
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Anyway, I attached some vintage coral prints that I found online and mounted on craft paper for some instant artwork. I think I'd like something bigger, but until I find the perfect artwork, these will do. </div>
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Spoiler: check back for the how-to on the numbered artwork clips in the pic above. </div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-21788828690687590362013-07-02T11:25:00.001-04:002013-07-05T14:28:49.274-04:00Funky Junk Part 1 - From Junk to JunqueI've been blog-hopping lately and I stumbled upon this blog called <a href="http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/">Funky Junk Interiors</a>. She makes some of the coolest stuff (you can find everything she does under her 'projects' page) and the best part is that most everything she does is free. She finds things in the garbage, on the side of the road, at yard sales and flea markets, and turns it into the coolest decor. Seriously, her house is amazing. <br />
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With that inspiration in mind, I decided to do a little junking of my own. We have lots of junk lying around [or as my Grandpa used to say, "J-U-N-Q-U-E" to make it sound fancy] so I knew it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to find some things to work with.<br />
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There was an old sewing machine in Daniel's old house that had seen better days. The top was pretty much destroyed and the sewing machine itself was long gone, but the drawers were still in pretty good shape, so I saved them. They make really cute display containers for all kinds of uses. For example, put silverware, flowers and napkins in one and you have a cute storage container for the dining room. Fill it with remote controls and odds & ends, and you have a smart storage solution for the coffee table. Office supplies are stored perfectly on a desk... you get the idea.<br />
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Anyway, I had 2 drawers and one was in pretty good condition, while the other was missing the handle and didn't look as good. I decided to paint the worst of the two to give it that shabby-chic look. I used a dry brush technique in which you basically put very little paint on your brush so it goes on thin or not at all in some places, making your paint-job look distressed. <br />
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Once it was dry, I decided to use it in my dining room on my hutch. I added some wine bottles from our wedding, a jar of silverware, some toothpicks (you know, dining-roomy things) and lots and lots of flowers from the yard. I paired it with some flea market finds such as an old silver tea set and platters, some wine glasses and various glass vases and accessories. </div>
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Check back later for more "J-U-N-Q-U-E"!</div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-78803579269744226702013-06-27T10:39:00.000-04:002014-01-28T14:55:09.219-05:00DIY Litter BoxWe all know it's a part of life... everyone does it, all creatures, big and small, but that doesn't make it pleasant and certainly doesn't make it smell any better. That's right, folks, I'm talking about poo. And those two kitties of ours are like little poop factories. <br />
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How many of you out there despise dealing with a litter box? I mean, is there really anyone who <i>enjoys</i> dealing with kitty litter? I think not. That scoop is so gross, and you have to go in there, stirring up all those disgusting smells, digging for buried <strike>treasur</strike>e, i mean turds...ick. Then you have to try and find a place to put them where they won't smell up your entire house...it's just nasty business. <br />
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Well, I came up with an idea for a self-sifting litter box that negates the need for a pooper scooper. It makes kitty litter a little simpler...still not very pleasant... but simpler. My idea was to have three nesting trays with holes punched in different spots on all three trays (so that none overlapped) so when all three trays were stacked it would make a solid bottom where no kitty litter could escape. However, when only one tray is lifted, the litter is able to sift through to the next layer, leaving behind the clumps which you can simply toss in the trash. Then you simply take the empty pan and rotate it to the bottom of the stack, so you have a continuously rotating litter pan system, free of scoops.<br />
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I've seen similar self-sifting styles but there's only 1 sifting pan and 2 solid pans so you have to sift your litter, then empty the clean remaining litter into a new pan, then put the sifting pan back in, then transfer the clean litter back in to that pan... just seems like a lot of extra, unnecessary trouble that could be easily remedied. Plus, those models are between $20-$30. Way too much for a plastic tub that holds poo.<br />
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Here's how we did it, Two Broke Bruces style:<br />
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I started out shopping for plastic containers but soon realized that those wouldn't work because they don't sit flush with one another due to their shape. I almost gave up until I walked through the kitchen aisle and saw those throw-away tin lasagna pans. Those sit flush to one another, were super cheap, and I figured they'd be easier to punch holes through anyway.<br />
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Then, I purchased an inexpensive plastic bin with high sides and a lid to put the tins in so that when the cats scratch and dig, the litter doesn't fly out all over the floor. <br />
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We started by laying out a grid pattern that would be divisible by 3 so that we'd have an equal number of holes in each pan, color coordinating them so that no pan would have holes drilled in the same place.
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We then punched small holes in the top/guide pan, with the pan to be drilled underneath. These holes were small enough that no litter could fall through, it just gave us a guide so we'd know where to punch the bigger holes. </div>
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Next, Daniel matched up a drill bit to the same size hole as our pooper scooper and started drilling bigger holes in our pre-punched pans. <br />
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That made the edges a little ragged, and I didn't want our little kitties scratching around in there and getting cut feet, so we found that the hole punch worked better. It pushed the tin out toward the bottom so the surface where they'll be standing is nice and smooth and all the jagged edges are on the bottom where it won't matter.<br />
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Once we had all the holes punched, we did a test to make sure that: A) the holes were big enough for all the kitty litter to sift through; and B) that when two pans were stacked together the kitty litter would not escape.<br />
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Bob was very interested in this part and actually jumped in to take full advantage of his shiny new loo... We had to transplant him to the old one so we could finish the project.<br />
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Success!<br />
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The next step was cutting a little kitty door in the plastic bin so we could keep the lid on and it would be like a little enclosed 'outhouse' for the kitties. It also makes it a lot easier to move. Daniel simply drew a door on the side with a sharpie and then used his multi-tool to cut the opening. <br />
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Ta da!<br />
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The kitties were very interested in our progress. They took right to it, investigating every inch of it once it was all finished. <br />
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The next day we tried it out after the kitties had been using it all day, and it actually works really well. Bye-bye pooper-scooper! It's just like panning for gold, except in this case, instead of getting shiny gold nuggets, you just end up with a pile of crap. Tee hee hee! I crack myself up...<br />
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Simply throw the clumps in the trash and place the newly emptied pan on the bottom of your stack and start the whole process over again... a self-sifting, rotating system for under $10.00!Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-60770699477199662102013-06-21T13:57:00.000-04:002014-01-28T14:53:22.802-05:00Bob & Leon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello everyone, I'd like you to meet the two newest additions to our little broke family: Bob & Leon. Or I could call them Cautious and Curious. (Leon is very skittish and cautious, while Bob is into everything and wants all the attention) We have never considered ourselves 'cat people' but since getting these guys we are totally smitten with these kittens! [Ha! I made a rhyme!] Anyway, we decided we needed a cat because we were having problems with mice and we also have squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks outside that eat all my flowers (arrg...). </div>
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After more investigating we decided we couldn't just get one cat because it would need a friend to play with. We went back and forth trying to decide and then Daniel's sister called us one day and said that she had a friend with 2 kitties who needed a home. That sealed the deal. She brought them down and they've been entertaining us ever since. </div>
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LEON:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJoUnf3JEsaCcxjrniR8KOIGN36pm_uSn526_FeYx8ypNDRtpI8iYlNl2dudrRKCmDx2OiiaccTRypro1FqpXLyWHdB_iWqt9cDKPp4x5dx2AsEjQoFyrWkKi7mFfW9pKJ5lA4VK1ZCpT/s1600/6.21.13+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJoUnf3JEsaCcxjrniR8KOIGN36pm_uSn526_FeYx8ypNDRtpI8iYlNl2dudrRKCmDx2OiiaccTRypro1FqpXLyWHdB_iWqt9cDKPp4x5dx2AsEjQoFyrWkKi7mFfW9pKJ5lA4VK1ZCpT/s400/6.21.13+013.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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BOB:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c1pmN-h9Ww0b_rpvZV_ualHvdDU3Am8tFhEdiPVusRE4zEYmlQpUuv3mAI0UW0I6vrzj8HSUrP7BkAUSBEcti3lnsiOO3uiKwFJZhokku7jru2A1OQSF-eSkpuqhnBXwJ4KgP2zGpGmr/s1600/6.21.13+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c1pmN-h9Ww0b_rpvZV_ualHvdDU3Am8tFhEdiPVusRE4zEYmlQpUuv3mAI0UW0I6vrzj8HSUrP7BkAUSBEcti3lnsiOO3uiKwFJZhokku7jru2A1OQSF-eSkpuqhnBXwJ4KgP2zGpGmr/s400/6.21.13+012.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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How did we come up with those excellent names, you ask? Well, Daniel liked Leon because it was like Leo/Lion and Leon's look and personality is like a little wild cat stalking around and hiding in the shadows before he pounces on his prey. I think he'll be the hunter. It was a little harder coming up with the second name, we went through a few before we settled on Bob. I was thinking of actual cat breed names and I thought of a bobcat... and so that's where that originated. But then I noticed the coolest thing. Bob's markings actually say "BOB" so it seemed it was meant to be. It was like he was born with his name printed on his side.
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Here's a better picture where you can see how his side spells out "BOB":</div>
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It's a lot more noticeable in person.</div>
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The original plan was to have them outside but the day we got them we had horrible thunderstorms with torrential rains that lasted for about a week. We didn't have anywhere dry outside where they could stay, and they were so little and cute, so we kept them in their cage in the laundry room for a few days and would let them out to play when we got home. They hated going back in the cage after getting to play (understandably) and would cry and cry, so I felt bad and started letting them pretty much have the run of the house while we were at work. (Yes, I realize this means that they have officially trained me to do exactly what they want.)</div>
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Getting very sleepy...</div>
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Sleepy kitties</div>
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Hungry kitties</div>
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Unless you look at their faces, they're hard to tell apart because their markings are so similar. </div>
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Once they get big enough for shots and flea/tick medicine, (and big enough not to get carried away by hawks) we're gonna try to get them used to being outside. They've already gotten noticeably bigger in the last week. We've let them hang out with us outside a few times but they're still pretty wary of the great outdoors and don't like to stray too far from the front door.</div>
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This is Bob, he jumped up and managed to claw his way halfway up the door mewing loudly as if to say, "LET ME BACK IN! I DON'T LIKE IT OUT HERE! THERE'S NO PILLOW! AND NO AIR CONDITIONING!"</div>
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Once they were out there for a few minutes, they got over their fear and started exploring.</div>
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They were glad to come back inside and be lazy kitties.<br />
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They're getting much more <strike>destructive</strike> adventurous the bigger they get and I noticed last night that they've managed to claw my curtains to shreds and tear up the dining room chairs with their little kittie claws (grrr). It's hard to be mad at them since they're so cute and cuddly, but I think I'll be happier once they're bigger and they can live outside and start (as Daniel likes to say) unleashing carnage on our mouse population. AND we won't have to deal with emptying a litter box... I most definitely won't miss that. </div>
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They certainly have distinct personalities and they have managed to become a part of our family right from the very beginning. They're so fun to watch as they pounce and tackle each other. We spend lots of nights just sitting around watching them play because they can be so hilarious. (I know, sounds exciting, right?) </div>
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Could we be turning into crazy cat people? </div>
<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-46238151527167006982013-05-10T16:14:00.002-04:002014-01-28T14:51:23.417-05:00Music RoomA few posts ago, I reupholstered a couple <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2013/03/dim-did-it-myself-reupholstery.html">chairs</a> for the music room in our house. Well, I finally got the rest of the room painted and put together for the most part. Daniel plays a plethora of instruments including guitar, mandolin, dobro and drums, and I play the piano, so yes, we have a whole room just for our instruments to live in. [Except the drums... they're not allowed inside.] <br />
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Here's the room before we moved in:<br />
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And here it is before we did anything to it besides cram everything in there. A hot mess, I know. It drove me crazy so I'd just shut the door and try to ignore it. <br />
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I wanted it to be like a little sitting area/lounge where Daniel could go and play his guitars either by himself or with a friend. I already had those chairs and I had some other things designated for the room like a rug, coffee table, and the <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2013/04/flower-table.html">flower table</a> from my previous post. Daniel had collected concert posters over the years that I wanted to hang in there to keep the whole music theme going on. <br />
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First off, we cleared out all the junk and I painted the room a pale lime green which I really like. Because of all the natural light, it always seems really bright and fresh. I know, green seems to be a theme in our house, but lime green is Daniel's favorite color and since he spends the most time in there, it seemed fitting. Of course, if he had his way, our entire house would be drenched in day-glo slime green so it's a bit of a compromise. <br />
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I purchased some fabric for curtains (on the piano bench in the picture above) and sewed some simple curtain panels. My mother in law made some pillow covers for me out of the same fabric to dress up my chairs. The curtain rods came with the house so I didn't have to buy those. Since the windows are such a prominent feature in the room, I raised the curtain rods to make the windows appear larger, hung my new curtain panels and filled in with plain white sheers. Just hanging the curtains made the room appear so much bigger. I also like that the sheers keep things a little more private but still let in a lot of light. <br />
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Then came the fun part. I had Daniel paint some frames that we already had (they were black, he painted them white) so I could do a gallery wall with all the concert posters. I also thought this was a good place to hang the portrait of Daniel's Uncle John, who taught him how to play guitar. <br />
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Then I got to "dress" the room. I brought back the chairs and pillows, placed the rug, coffee table, and side table. I tried to hang my DIY Cupcake Liner Orb Light from <a href="http://www.2brokebruces.com/2012/07/cupcake-liner-orb-light.html">this post</a>, but unfortunately, it made the room waaay too dark, so it wouldn't work in there like I had planned... womp womp. I guess I'll have to find someplace else for it to live. <br />
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Ahhhh... so much better...<br />
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The music room also serves as an extension of our living room. Since it's now fixed up and clean, I can leave the door open which is nice because it lets in a ton of light from all the windows in there. (While it's nice to leave the door open, it's also nice to be able to shut the door when Daniel gets a little too loud on the electric guitar while I'm trying to watch TV in the living room.)<br />
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There are still a few things to be done in there, like refinish the floors, paint the trim, change out the ugly fan for a more attractive light fixture, add some electrical outlets (there's only 1 in the whole room) and get some brackets made to hang all Daniel's instruments [which was supposed to be done already... not naming any names...coughDanielcough...hint hint] but overall it's sooo much nicer in there. Now I can walk by without cringing or slamming the door in frustration. <br />
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All those instruments probably seem extravagant for two brokies like us, but we were talking about it the other day and realized that we have only ever purchased 1 of the instruments that we own... the rest were gifts. We are so thankful and lucky to have such generous family and friends!<br />
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-64743428004993866682013-04-30T11:15:00.000-04:002014-01-28T14:50:53.975-05:00Pinterest Challenge: Flower TableI was inspired by this <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/11/reader-redesign-the-stain-game/">post</a> I saw on a Young House Love Reader Redesign called "The Stain Game" where another blogger couple, Beth & Nick from Sawdust & Embryos, (the post from their blog can be found <a href="http://www.sawdustandembryos.com/2012/07/burn-pile-buffetpart-2-using-stain-to.html">here</a>) transformed an old dresser into a beautiful work of art using stain. I subsequently pinned <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/844493651581183/">this image</a> below to my Pinterest DIY board. Well, the Springtime Pinterest Challenge just rolled around, sponsored by <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2013/05/spring-pinterest-challenge-boxed-up/">Sherry</a>, <a href="http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2013/05/double-size-double-u/">Katie</a>, <a href="http://www.sparklemeetspop.com/pinterest-challenge-reupholstered-parsons-chair/">Emily</a>, and <a href="http://redbird-blue.blogspot.com/2013/05/pinterest-challenge-reversible-painted.html">Renee</a>, so it seemed like the perfect time to tackle this project.<br />
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I thought when I read their post how cool it would look to do a stained flower on a round table. I had an old side table that someone had given us, and while I liked the form of the table, it was in really bad shape and needed some TLC. It was the perfect candidate for this kind of a project. <br />
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As you can see, the finish was horribly scratched and marred, and the base had lost a foot.<br />
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First off, I had to sand off that awful finish on the top of the table to prep it for staining. I used Daniel's palm sander to sand off the entire finish down to the bare wood. This took me about 2 hours total. It seems like it would be easy, but you really have to put your back into it and my arms were actually pretty sore afterward. I had to be careful not to sand down too far because then you end up sanding through the veneer.<br />
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The next step was fixing the broken foot. I had also broken another one of its legs when I was sanding the top from all the pressure I was putting on it, but luckily it was a clean break and fairly easy to repair. Some wood glue and clamps was all it needed for the breaks to disappear.<br />
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I then used some leftover paint that I had purchased for the bathroom to paint the bottom portion of the table. I unscrewed the drawer pull and gave it a couple light coats with a brush so that the design in the legs would show up and contrast with the light color paint I used. Once the paint was dry, I just reattached the drawer pull and got to work on the stain. </div>
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The only materials I needed for the stain design was stain (duh), a pencil and eraser (for mapping out your design), paintbrushes, and a rag for blending. I found a flower I liked on Google Images. Daniel helped me to find the center of the table (I'm no good at math and drew a total blank when he said, "do you know how to find the center of a circle?" uhh.... apparently "eyeball it" wasn't the correct answer...) Anyway, once we had found the center, I sketched my flower on the table and got to work staining. Well, almost... first I opened the stain, which EXPLODED open and got stain all over me, my favorite pj's, my dining room table, my hardwood floors, my dining room chairs, my art box, etc. (Sorry, no pics of the stain massacre.) So after cleaning all that up, I started with the center and worked my way out to keep smudging to a minimum. Stain a little, blend a little, etc. till the design was finished.</div>
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Voila:<br />
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After my initial design was finished, it had to be sealed with some type of polyurethane. We had some wipe on poly leftover from some other projects that I was going to use, but Daniel told me to wait and buy the spray-on kind so I didn't wipe off my design. I should have listened. [Daniel, if you're reading this, I am NOT admitting to being wrong, as I am NEVER wrong, ever.] Anyway, I tried the wipe on poly and while it didn't completely take off the design, it did make it soak in so you could no longer see hardly any of the details-- BOO. Anyway, short story long, I had to go back over my design with more stain and darken it up so you could see it again. This time I waited and purchased spray on poly. After 5 coats of semi-gloss, the design is sealed. I think I might want it to be higher gloss, so I may end up buying more. But for now, I love my table and it works great in my newly finished music room (pics coming soon). </div>
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-82531637112186821672013-04-25T09:46:00.000-04:002014-01-28T14:49:06.574-05:00Spring UpdatesJust wanted to post a few simple updates that we've done since the weather has turned warmer. Something about springtime always gets me in the mood to change things up and go lighter and brighter inside the house. We had a family get-together a couple weeks ago and there's nothing like having people over to make me want to get projects finished. <br />
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This bare wall in the kitchen has been bothering me ever since we got the shelves put up. I'm also thinking of repainting this room (for the 3rd time) but that's another story...<br />
Anyway, I decided to do a quick-fix and make a gallery wall using some frames I already had lying around the house and printing off some kitchen-related free printables I found online. <br />
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Before: (the bare wall to the left of the oven)</div>
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For anyone who wants to know, those free printables can be found <a href="http://www.goinghometoroost.com/2013/free-downloads/home-sweet-home-printable-art-2/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.overthebigmoon.com/fun-kitchen-printables/">here</a>, <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/1kr4s_peRauuI-zVLTNzUk30ewZUVdHe-sM1y2qV3MSQ9x9p5gftitg67hxr6/edit?pli=1">here</a>, <a href="http://www.designeatrepeat.com/2012/05/my-strange-addiction-free-wall-art.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2011/09/freebie-of-the-month-kitchen-printables/#13668962737452&{"cmd":"destroy","appId":"1366896271596"}">here</a>. The frames started out black, but a can of white spray paint took care of that. The room feels a lot more finished now.<br />
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The second project was my 1/2 bath. I hadn't really done anything with that room besides hang some towels, but everything in there was brown and I wanted it to look bright and fresh. I wanted a small side table to showcase the beautiful glass bowl that was hand blown for us by our very talented friends Suzanne Ririe and Nick Fruin. Daniel's mom and dad scored a pair of stools at a flea market for $1 each, and gave me one, so I bought a can of bright turquoise spray paint and Daniel painted it for me to use as a little side table in there. It worked out perfectly to show off our bowl and hold other necessities like towels and toilet paper. Then I purchased a couple brightly colored lime green and turquoise hand towels and just added some glass bottles in greens and blues that I have collected over the years to brighten things up. The painting on the wall was one my grandpa painted years ago that was in my mom's attic that I swiped one Sunday. It fit well on the wall and the colors in the painting were perfect for the little bathroom. Those few changes made such a big difference.<br />
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Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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I still plan to paint in there, change out the light fixture (I dont know if you noticed, but the placement of it is weird... it's almost impossible to change a lightbulb because the bottom of the globes are about 1 inch from the top of the medicine cabinet so all the light shines down directly on top of the cabinet), and eventually I'd like to turn this 1/2 bath in to a full bath. But for now, these little quick fixes satisfied my spring fever. Anyone else making any Spring updates around the house? </div>
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Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565259173036401795.post-1287262063210017082013-04-18T10:37:00.001-04:002014-01-28T14:48:15.472-05:00Spring has SprungA poem:<br />
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Spring has sprung<br />
the grass is ris<br />
I know where some flowers is<br />
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Well, Spring is in full bloom at casa de Bruce. Daniel has been hard at work grooming the lawn, raking the trillion-gazillion leaves that fell this fall from all the oak trees we have in our yard, trying to do some landscaping with the overgrown hedges and bushes that were planted by the previous owner, and tediously trying to get out those pesky, ugly nandinas (i.e., "weeds") that seem to be EVERYWHERE and multiply like crazy and are next to impossible to get rid of. But it's coming along and looking better every day. We have a really big yard so it's a lot of work and kinda hard to keep ahead of. The good thing is that the yard has good bones and every day we come home and have some kind of new, surprise plant or flower coming up that we didn't know we had. <br />
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And daffodils. Did I mention we have an entire yard full of daffodils? When they first started popping up, I was like, "Yay! I'll dig all these up after they bloom and transplant them in better locations for next year!" Well, I didn't anticipate that they were literally EVERYWHERE. It would probably take me all year just to dig them all up. I love them, don't get me wrong, but seriously, they are all over the place. We also have a ton of irises springing up, tiger lilies, day lilies, and other mystery flowers that I have yet to be able to find on Google.<br />
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We actually spend more time walking around talking about what we want to do to the yard than we actually do. Our dialog usually goes something like this: "This can go... you can cut that tree...we can take out this, this and this... I really like this bush... should we move it over here? Oh look! A Flowering Quince! I love those! I'm so happy we have one! Wonder what this is? Think it will bloom? We need to get the tractor over here...", etc. <br />
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It's really pretty this time of year because everything is blooming and our yard is full of dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas and other mysterious flowering shrubs.<br />
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I love these flowers below. I have yet to be able to find out what they are, so if anyone knows, please tell me. I think I've asked Daniel about 10 times, "What are these flowers? wonder if they're perennial? Do they bloom?" and he responds, "I don't know. I've already told you I don't know every time you've asked me. I still don't know." So now that they've bloomed he said, "Did you see your flowers? Now you know."<br />
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Our yard is full of so many varieties of plants that I can't keep up with them all. I just wanted to post some pictures because it's so pretty this time of year and I wanted to share it with all of cyberspace. After a long winter inside doing housework I'm excited to get my gardening gloves on, enjoy the nice weather, and get my hands in the dirt! Anyone else as excited as I am to be doing yardwork? <br />
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<br />Mistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557186725808860495noreply@blogger.com1