Another room done: The Teenager’s Bathroom

You remember when I posted something about taking one room at a time, and trying not to get overwhelmed at the thought of ALL the work that needs to be done in my house?

Well, Friday night and Saturday, I tackled our Master bathroom, and I am pretty pleased with the results. I decided to spend the whole weekend working on the house, and figured I could easily take on TWO bathrooms in one weekend. So Saturday night when the master bath was completed, I went downstairs to another bathroom– the TEENAGER BATHROOM– and got to work scraping off the “old people” wallpaper border.

BEFORE:

It was an OK color scheme, for um, OLD PEOPLE. Certainly not a bathroom suitable for a 14-year old.

(

So after I got the wallpaper off, I decided I had had enough for one day, and went to bed. I was determined that Sunday (after church, of course) I would start taping everything off and begin painting.

IN LIME GREEN. LIME FREAKIN’ GREEN, PEOPLE!

Never before have I experienced such a difficult color to work with. Well, at least not since the “Navy Blue Bedroom Extravaganza of 2005” or the “Great Burgundy Living Room Debacle of 2003″. Oh yes, try spending a weekend with your husband painting a 22′ by 13′ living room with vaulted ceilings in BURGUNDY paint, and you will want to stab something. For realz. Dark paint takes several coats when covering white walls. We went through a bazillion gallons of paint, and I ended up hating it after a couple years anyway.

Anyways, back to lime green. It looked cute on the paint swatch. It was quirky and fun looking at the little dab of green paint on the lid of the paint can.

But holy hell, that bathroom– SHE IS GREEN!

I offset the obnoxious migraine-inducing green with some bright blue rugs, and a coordinating shower curtain. It really doesn’t even need the shower curtain, because the shower has a bi-fold door. I just thought it would add some color.

Now we’re going to be on the hunt for coordinating artwork for both bathrooms.   Those bright walls need SOMETHING.  But at least its more suited to a teenage girl, and not an 80-year old grandma.

(Paint from Lowe’s, and bathroom accessories from Kohls.)

The Mom I Want to Be

Random thoughts today:

I want to be more like this mom. I want the prayer basket, the warm quiet place to read, and the opportunity to sit and soak it all in.

I want to be more like this mom, with her quick wit and good heart. She isn’t afraid to admit she’s not perfect, but she will be the first to admit she’s OK with that.

I want to be as creative as this mom, and have her sense of fashion and flair.

I want the strength of this mom, who can make her way through any trials and tribulations in life with dignity and grace.

I want the social skills of this mom. I want to be able to walk into a room and start up a conversation with a complete stranger. I can’t do that, but she sure can.

I want to be more like this mom, who makes the time to take care of her family, but still has time for her own activities.

I want to be as put together and organized as this mom. I want to feel successful as a parent, as a wife, and as a woman.

But the kind of mom I am? I have a to-do list miles long. I take each day as it comes, and if I can get through the day without anyone getting injured or sick, I chalk it up to being a success. I get up, get ready for work, come home, take my kids to the places they need to be, eat when we’re able to, and then it’s bedtime. I go to sleep only to wake up to another day of “more of the same.”

I want to slow down.
I want to make time for God.
I want to make time for exercise.
I want to make time for my family.
I want to need to make time for keeping my house in order.

I want to be the mom that gets up in the morning before everyone else, exercises, reads her Bible, and already knows what we’re having for dinner that night. I want to be the mom that doesn’t act or look stressed from juggling too many activities. I want to be the mom that can take part in book clubs, church Bible studies, and going for coffee with other moms. I don’t like being the mom that struggles with adding one more appointment, meeting or activity to an already overflowing calendar.

I try to come across as being one of those Moms that has it all together. Well dressed and well-behaved kids, a clean house, finances in order, and a good balance between work, home and LIFE. Sometimes I succeed at this, other times I fall flat on my face. More often than not, falling flat on my face is becoming the norm.

You may see me public with my kids in tow, and think I am this well-dressed put-together mom who can handle anything. You may read my blog posts and think I have it all, and everything I touch turns to gold (actually, I’m laughing as I write that.)

What you don’t see is that I am probably daydreaming– thinking the only thing I really want to do is go home, put on my sweats and watch TV while eating a bag of BBQ potato chips.

You don’t know that I feel nervous when meeting new people, and am terrified of starting a conversation with someone I don’t know.

You don’t see that I am a homebody, and would be perfectly content staying home every night and every weekend.

You don’t see me cringe at myself in the mirror every morning, because I am unhappy with my appearance.

You don’t see me panic every time my kids ask me “What’s for dinner?” because most of the time, I JUST DON’T KNOW.

I worry all the time of what people think of me, and how I appear to others.

I worry that people don’t like me.

I worry about the future.

I worry about how I will keep up with such a hectic pace in my life for much longer.

I don’t want to be this type of mom. I wanna be THAT mom, the moms I read about in my blog reader. Those moms that make me want to be better. Those moms that inspire me, make me laugh and make me admire them.

Cross this one off the list: Master Bathroom

BEFORE:

Black, black, and black.   Wallpaper border from previous homeowner.   When we moved in, we simply bought a shower curtain and rugs to match… mostly because the thought of scraping all that border off gave me the heebie-jeebies.

I liked it when we first  moved in, but now after almost two years… I’ve gotten bored with it.  And my husband was thinking it was a bit too “girly” for a master bathroom.  He wanted something more neutral, and I wanted something with some softer colors.

So I finally bit the bullet and started scraping.   And scraping, and scraping, and scraping. 

I think it’s possible the previous homeowners used Super Glue to attach this wallpaper border to the wall.  Just this little bit of border took me hours last night to get off.   I tried wallpaper remover, I used scrapers of all shapes and sizes.  I finally finished it this morning.

Time to clean up and get ready to start painting!  It took me all day today, but I think the finished product is SO WORTH IT.   All I have left to get is a couple pieces of artwork and maybe a basket or something for the floor.  

AFTER:

This time, we went with a chocolate brown, with shades of blue, sage green and khaki.  The walls are called “Seascape” and are a shade of blue from the shower curtain.  

Next project:   my daughter’s bathroom and my first experience with LIME GREEN PAINT.  Wish me luck!

(All accessories are from KOHL’S. Paint is from LOWE’S.)

Recycling Nazi

I have a confession to make.

I don’t recycle.

I know, I know… It’s good for the environment. Living green, preserving our natural resources, insuring our future generations still have space in their landfills for their garbage.

Blah, blah, blahbiddy blah.

Still, I don’t recycle.

Why you ask? Because in our house, my husband is a Recycling Nazi. And I, on the other hand, choose to rebel against any and all authority.

When I take the last of the Little Debbie Nutty Bars* out of the box, it becomes an obsession for me to get that cardboard box into the garbage can before my husband sees it. Because if he does, he shouts “Break that cardboard down and take it to the recycling bin!” with a possible outcry of “Heil Hitler Recycling!”

I might just be imagining that last part.

Finish that bottle of shampoo? Don’t even think about sticking it in the bathroom wastebasket without checking first to see if it’s able to be recycled. Shame on you! Get it to the recycling bin!

OR, if you’re like me, you will stick it in the kitchen garbage can, as far down underneath everything as you can get it, to avoid getting caught by the recycling Nazi.

The other day I took the last of the Oatmeal Cream Pies* from the pantry, and as I was crumpling up the box to stick it in the garbage can, my husband snuck into the kitchen. He took one look at the box, looked at my face KNOWING I was going to hide it, and said “Just collapse that down and put it in the recycling bin.”

DAMN! Foiled again!

The garbage can in my office is full of empty water bottles, Pepsi cans, and probably more Little Debbie boxes*. God only knows the reign of terror I would succumb to should my husband take a gander in there. My method of throwing paper on top of it all probably will be figured out eventually.

So it has become a game. How dictator-y (yes thats totally a word!) he can be, and how rebellious I can be in return. The kitchen counter next to our sink is always full of items to be taken out to “recycling nirvana” (aka the GARAGE). Spaghetti sauce jars**, salsa jars, tuna cans, Campbells soup cans, ketchup bottles. It’s a competition to see how many things can pile up before someone gets fed up and hauls it to the garage.

Him being the neat freak that he is, makes waiting impossible. It physically pains him to see those things sitting out. Me being a procrastinator and avoider of all things “housework” could wait, like, for-EVAH.

So usually, I win! Viva la garbage can! (with a mighty fist pump in the air)

Marriage is bliss.

* On a side note, why yes. In fact, I DO have an obsession with Little Debbie snacks. We will save that for another post.

** Make my OWN sauce, you say? snort, giggle, snort. You’re funny.

Calling All Central Iowa Scrapbookers:

Interested in scrapbooking?

* Scrapping for the Paws – Animal Lifeline of Iowa
Saturday, March 6 from 10:00am until 4:30pm
Held at the Animal Lifeline of Iowa Thrift Shop (3304 SW 9th St)
$20 tax deductible donation appreciated
For more information, visit www.animal-lifeline.com.

* Scrap for Babies – March of Dimes
Come enjoy a day of Scrapbooking while helping out the March of Dimes. The Heaberlin/Sly families are holding a Scrap for Babies event on April 24.  This event will be held at the Earlham Community Center.  Hours run 9am-midnight.  Cost of $30 includes lunch/dinner.   A Creative Memories consultant will be available.  (If you are interested in going with me, please let me know!)