tool time

for christmas, i got a couple of gift cards. usually the gift cards i get are either for restaurants or clothing stores, but this time, one was to bed, bath & beyond. i was instructed to buy something that's been needing to be replaced for a while. whatever we felt we needed. i had to stop & think about that for a bit because a few years ago i realized that i can't afford (and generally don't have space for) both pretty & functional things & since function is necessary, i had to relinquish the pretty.

ever since then, i've tried to stop noticing how my house looks as long as it's not filthy dirty and then i don't feel frustrated. i try not to see the ripped up bedspread (thank you, cats) or the faded, bleach-spotted towels that are fraying around the edges. i am instead grateful that my bedspread keeps me warm & comfortable & our towels successfully dry our skin. (yes, my standards are very low)

i decided to use the gift card to buy a new shower curtain. we've been using all the same bathroom stuff that we got as wedding gifts 12 1/2 years ago & they work, but i'm so ready for a change. i tried to stick with the same color theme so as to be able to still use some of what's already in there, but i fell madly in love with this brown & aqua shower curtain. i looked through hundreds of options in 2 different stores & this was the one that called my name. i wasn't sure chris would like it, but it was such a rare thing for me to get out with no kid (sleepover, delight!) and with money to spend that i declared myself the decision maker & just got it. then i raced around 2 stores picking up every possible thing i could need for the new arrangement - towels of every shape & size, curtain liner, bath mats, memory foam rugs (angels sing when i stand on them). i was almost giddy as i carried my 2 fat bags in & ran up the stairs with my coat still on to rip down the old & install the new goodies.

my plan had been to keep the tags on things so that if chris detested it, i could return it all & let him help pick. he's not one of those guys who just says, "yes, dear. whatever you want, dear." and since he lives here as much as i do, it only seemed fair to let him have a say. but once i got the stuff set up & arranged, i knew that i couldn't bear to take it down or put the old junk back up. so without a second's hesitation, i grabbed the scissors & started chopping the tags off every single item & then i threw all the towels into the washing machine.

it's strange to me that i was once the girl who could shave her head & wear silver vinyl pants, but now i feel like i'm living dangerously when i cut the tags off towels before i got the hubby's stamp of approval.

anyhoo, once i got the stuff all in place, i realized that my new colors looked pretty bad against the old cheap wooden cabinets that are in there. this is a 30+ yr old rental & it was low end stuff when it was put in & it's never been upgraded at all. i decided that it needed to be painted white & thankfully my landlord is a young guy who knows nothing about decorating or colors, so he's told me i can paint whatever i want in here. it was 10:30pm by then, but i raced out to walmart with a stupid grin on my face to buy paint & the other necessities for the job.

the man who helped me find all my stuff in the hardware section told me that he was impressed that i knew exactly what i was looking for & would need for the job. i think he was also rather surprised to find that i own a toolbox & some power tools. yeah, i was feeling like heidi from tool time.

since brooke was sleeping over with a friend & chris was at work till the wee hours, i didn't have to worry about noise, so i cranked up some 80's tunes & was shaking my groove thang to def leppard and george michaels while i spackled, sanded & painted. i finally washed out my roller & brushes at 4:30am & crawled in beside my slumbering honey. the next entire day was spent working in there also. who needs food or showers?

i didn't think to take pictures before the frenzy began, but i did get pics of the cabinets that i painted before i started sanding. and i took a pic of the old software that i've had forever, so that you can fully appreciate the change.

i couldn't bear to put the nasty old handles back onto the one that had handles, so i bought new ones today to spruce it up a bit. and i decided to put handles onto the lower cabinet too since it'll make it look more modern. top one, using the old holes, no problem. then i got out my drill & marked the spots where i would put the new holes. it's been a while since i've drilled, but i felt confident that i could handle it. almost as soon as i cranked that bad boy up, i snapped the bit in half. crap! it made a gouge & ripped off some of my fresh, pretty paint. dammit! then i discovered that it broke because there was already the broken end of another bit in there. ok, get over it & try a bigger size. oh yeah, and put on safety goggles so that if another one breaks & flies into my face, at least i won't go blind. umm... i don't own safety goggles, so i settled for a pair of old sunglasses. cuz i'm cool like that, yo. that one started smoking & smelling like it was on fire, but finally popped out the other side.

safety goggle chic

on the next one, i snapped another drill bit in half because i actually had it going in reverse because i'm a dumbass like that sometimes. another gouge & scrape. more adventures in potty mouthery. (thank goodness chris had taken brooke to the grocery store)

ruination of paint job



drill bit cemetery



eventually, i got all 6 handles installed, but i've got to putty & paint the rotten mess i made, so i don't have pics of it totally completed, but overall, i think i've done well & i'm really happy to have one room in my house that's fresh & lovely.

contented sigh....