DIY wall Mural...

H and I redid the master bathroom at the same time we redid the kitchen, because we are crazy people. We added a bathtub, which we both love. Above the tub is a great old mirror, which used to be in the kitchen. The frame of the mirror matches the new cabinets very nicely. I bought this mirror while shopping with my mom right after we bought the house. This is my decorating go-to, a mirror.

The other wall is blank. Totally blank, which I think suited H just fine. He is such a minimalist. He loves white and empty. To me this space above the tub just looked empty. When we went to Michigan I shot some pictures, which I thought might really be perfect for the space. While the photos might well have filled the space nicely, I could never find the right frames.

Before we continue, I have to tell you about a website that I just adore Fab. Fab features curated shops ranging from furniture to jewelry to clothing. Mostly indie and always with a focus on design. I have actually been shopping with them for awhile and I love everything I have ordered and the customer service is outstanding.

The first time Fab featured wall clings, I passed. I did not love any of the designs and I was a little worried about the application process. The second time, well I fell in love with a botanical motif and I decided it was worth trying.

This item took a bit of time in shipping, which was a good thing. It gave me time to talk myself into giving this a try and when it arrived, I was at a place time wise to go for it.

Inside the box was a tub. Honestly, do you want to know what the hardest part of this project was? I mean the one part that I thought I might never accomplish?

Getting the sheet out of the plastic tube. No kidding, I had to work and work at getting the rolled sheet out of the tube, it was in that protective sleeve but good.

The clings are on a single sheet of this special blue backing, covered in a clear cover sheet. They are manufactured in Canada, Montreal to be exact by a firm called ADzif. The designer is Lotta Jansdotter. I love Lotta's sensibility. Very modern and fresh and natural.

The second hardest part and the scariest part was cutting out the clings. You have to cut out every leaf and the two trunks. Cutting is the skill I am lacking in. I am not a good cutter. I had to give myself a pep talk for about a half hour and admit my fear twice on twitter and once on Facebook, before I actually had the gumption to slice into these babies. (I had washed the wall the previous day. The directions do not say this is a necessary step, but I think it is prudent.)

Once I had the leaves cut and sorted by size and the trunks cut, I did as directed and taped the trunks to the wall. Careful to measure and make sure my design would be centered over the tub. (This was easier than one would suspect, because I used the wall tiles as a guide.)

 

I should mention that I found my rotary cutting mat a very helpful tool for this process. It gave me a flat and solid surface to work from. I marked on the wall carefully where my trunks were to go and then took them down from the wall.

Now began the easy but tedious part.

Using a used up gift card, I had to place each decal face down on the rotary cutting mat and apply firm and equal pressure to the blue surface, following the grid printed on the reverse of the blue backing paper, to transfer the decal from the blue paper to the clear over cover. The directions were very clear and concise and this process went very smooth.

I have to say this is an instance where I think one can see the quality of the materials and the care in the manufacturing process. This product performs as it should. 

And there began the slow process. Once you have the decal transferred you remove the blue backing carefully, position the decal on the wall, and then repeat, only this time you are using the used up gift card to carefully transfer the decal from the clear cover to the wall, very careful to smooth out any air bubbles. Once set, you carefully pull the clear coversheet off the wall, leaving behind the white decal.

Each leaf is placed separately. I basically  followed the leaf pattern from the enclosed picture and then decided to free hand the falling leaves.

Instead of a pile of leaves, I wanted to create the illusion of the leaves falling into the tub.

From start to finish, with one short tea break, this took me about two hours. It is tedious. Placing each leaf with care and the stops to transfer the leaf from the blue backing to the clear coversheet and then to the wall.

I think it was worth it. The white design looks great with our white subway tile and the mural really does fit the space well. The design is also minimalist and white.

For the investment of about $35 and 2 hours of my time, I have a custom looking mural. Not a bad investment all around.

It was so worth it. I love the results and it fits the space just perfectly.

The Bomb!

I have created a monster. A clean smelling bath loving monster. L is obsessed with Bath Bombs from LUSH. She discovered these when we went to Lush to get my henna and fav conditioner. The salesgirl showed the kiddos how the bath bombs worked and then L did the same for her class when she was scientist of the week. (hint sodium bicarbonate and powdered citric acid - when they hit the water - bam.... well ok - fizz....)

So the new bathtub is done and we are loving it. (pictures coming soon I promise....) All the better for bath bombs... Wednesday after her brother's Thanksgiving Feast - I took L to LUSH to get some new BOMBS for the new bathtub. For this wonderful occasion she dressed in her Sugar Plum Fairy dance ensemble - complete with three layer tutu... cupcake knee socks... a white turtle neck under the costume and her brown leather riding boots... (Could even I make this up....) the feathers in her hair were the icing on the cake.

We bought the BOMBs and then she used one that evening.. It was purple.

So today, dressed in her angel costume - complete with wings... she is imploring me to let her take a bath and use the flower bomb - becasue in the LUSH magazine (which came the same day as our shopping trip...and it is a newspaper more than a magazine - which she will not put down - she is studying for her PHd in Lush Bath Bombs...) IT said that there is a flower you can keep in the Bomb - after your bath.

What I ask could possibly top that??

Wheat Free Heaven...

Today we were out looking at shower doors, for the bathroom. We are in the home stretch of the remodel. We happened to be near the Raisin Rack and decided to check it out. I used to shop their older location when I worked in that neck of the woods. It was small and crapped back then, but I was willing to check out the new location.

All I can say is I was in heaven. So many things to choose from. While WFs will carry one type of a certain product, or one or two flavors, the Raisin Rack had multiples of multiples. Which was exciting. I still have to read carefully, maintaining an eagle eye for cornstarch - but it was a pleasure to have so many choices. Some items did not look all that great, while others looked yummy.

I found some hot cereal, which I miss. I was a huge fan of cream of wheat and oatmeal and cream of rice is so-so. I also found some flat breads and some tortilla wrap like things for sandwiches or burritos. Needless to say that was exciting.

I doubt I will make it a regular trip, but I might. It is sorta close to Costco and since most of the items I purchased were frozen, I could stock up - I now have ample freezer space. I will wait to decide until I have tasted a number of my choices and see if it will actually be worth the drive.

Just shut up and nod...

Ok I have developed a skill. I call it "Shut Up and Nod..." I have learned that some things are worth addressing and sometimes it is just better to shut up and nod!

For example, the contractor sent someone over to clean today. Just here and there becasue the trim guys got saw dust all over the place becasue they had not hung up the plastic over the bathroom door.

OMG there is so much dust in my house how in the hell did they notice yesterday's saw dust.

I just held my tongue and nodded. Frankly yesterday I was too tired to think straight, let alone argue...

Today they installed a temp sink and counter.... Why? I get that the counter is going to take a week or so before it is ready to be installed and that we are slowly inching to the finish line - but DO THEY SERIOUSLY think I am going to sort of move into my partially done kitchen. Are they insane? I am not moving anything into that kitchen until they are DONE and vacate and I can clean properly...

So I just nodded and agreed that it was SO nice to have my temp sink and counter top...

Really it is just easier...

See what happens...

when you go on vacation and leave the contractors alone in your house!

My bathroom seems so much larger without walls...

This is what happens when you tell the contractor they can just go ahead and gut the bathroom already. Without all the fixtures - it really does look larger!