February 2012 | Kate's Point of View

Month: February 2012 Page 1 of 2

Before and After: Bathroom Remodel

On February 22, 2012

Last year we remodeled two bathrooms. Due to some issues with contractors and a very extended timeline, I lost focus on the rooms and have only added finishing touches in the last week or two. Here’s how one of the bathrooms turned out.

The Before
The bathroom was, at first glance, totally passable. We lived with it for 5 years. But there were definite issues that needed to be rectified.

Our starting point included:

Peel and stick tile
A textured ceiling that was looking very rough, no pun intended
Minimal insulation on the outside (as in facing the outside part of the house) wall
No ceiling fan, which when combined with a textured ceiling means a funky ceiling
A shower surround through which you could feel the crumbling walls beneath
A shower and bath that periodically leaked in such a way as to baffle all plumbers
Wall tile that was technically in okay shape but had seen better days
My favorite part: a desk lamp sitting on the medicine cabinet doing a very poor job of pretending to be a proper lighting fixture

Here are some Before photos. I don’t think the pictures do justice to how bad the room was.

The During
I’ve done my best to block out the time during the remodel but here are some shots of things midway.

The After
Our goal in improving the room was to create something clean and functional that maximized the small space. We had to gut the room in order to make some necessary improvements. This allowed us to properly insulate the room, recess the medicine cabinet and install a ceiling fan. Our improvements include:

We have a new vanity and modern sink and hardware
Adding some space to the room, we have a recessed medicine cabinet
One aspect of the old bathroom that I sincerely loved was the recessed tissue holder (It’s like being in a hotel!) so that made its way into the remodel
Our house was made in 1900 and there is a definite lacking of storage, so we put another cabinet above the toilet, but got one that maximized the space
We replaced the toilet with a dual flush one that sits high for tall folks
Our caulk-less bathtub and surround is hard and doesn’t leave bathers scared of what lies beneath and the shower / bathtub is free of all leaks
We tiled the walls in subway tile and went with an older style design for the floor
The biggest improvement is that above the medicine cabinet there is a proper light fixture – goodbye desk lamp!

Here are some pictures of the finished product. You’ll notice I really didn’t accessorize. I have some framed photos I’ve taken on the wall and that’s about it, but I think it’s enough for the small space.

This wasn’t a hugely dramatic remodel. As Wonder Boy says, one of our goals was simply to “not go totally insane during the process.” (Fail.) We didn’t change layout or do any crazy design. But for a room used daily, the improvements were dramatic for us.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody

By Kate

On February 13, 2012

In family / friends, rock

I listen to some people talk about their past in such detail that I’m envious. I remember the past like short movie clips that are only part of the whole. Certain things I remember as sensory experiences – the smell, the touch, the way it made me feel. Other things I remember as if I’m filming a scene and am removed from what actually occurred.

One thing I remember fondly from growing up is dance routines. My sisters and I, along with other kids on the street, would choreograph dance routines to our favorite songs. We’d get dressed up and perform for our parents, friends or a mirror. I think we just lip synched but maybe we sang along, too. If we sang, that would explain our small audiences.

I’m certain I did a very uninspired routine to Young MC’s Bust a Move. I suspect I got down to a little Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis and the News and some occasional Debbie Gibson. The music that most accompanied all of our dance routines was Whitney Houston. We had the albums Whitney Houston and Whitney on cassette and played them a lot. Those albums were packed with hits, with my personal favorite being I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). Do you remember just how big that song was? How good?

When I learned that Whitney Houston passed away this past weekend, I was sad because she left a lot of people behind who have got to be struggling with losing her so young. Selfishly, I was also sad for the finality that gave to some of my memories. I know it doesn’t matter. I’m probably never going to do a dance routine again, and it’s even more unlikely that I would do a dance routine to some Whitney any time soon. But thinking back 25 years about dancing around my house never seemed that long ago. Now, with her gone, it solidifies the fact that my past is indeed past. But every time the opening notes of I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) come on the radio, you can be sure that I’ll turn it up and sing along. I won’t dance, but I’ll be remembering when Whitney inspired me to do so.

Here is a photo of my sister and I, along with a neighborhood friend, right before or after one of our dance routines. This picture is awesome for so many reasons. Do you see our make-up? We look like clowns. I loved that peach dress I’m wearing. The skirt was layered ruffles and I would pop the collar and accessorize with a turquoise-colored bead necklace. On the fireplace mantle behind us are a bunch of Lego creations my brother made – a house and a tower. My sister’s sock a and show choice is terrible but so much funnier since she’s also wearing a white anklet.

What I’ve Been Clicking On This Week

By Kate

On February 11, 2012

In animals, rock

I’ve been a lot busier than normal over the last few weeks. One the one hand, it’s great because time flies and I feel really productive. On the other, I really miss downtime. Here’s what I’ve still been managing to distract myself with:

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here is an easy craft you can try – felt heart bookmarks. I made two and they were pretty easy and definitely cute.
I read I Can Has Cheezburger every day. Not all of the posts are funny, but enough are that I stay loyal to the site. This post just made me laugh.
There is a new issue of Time Magazine coming out soon that I’m going to be checking out for sure, and think you should, too. It’s all about animal friendships. Cute pictures guaranteed.
Guess what I got to say to Wonder Boy the other day? “Yoda Best!” I said it with this awesome card.
I was shopping online for some vintage-looking shoes and saw this horrendous bathing suit. The thing is, it’s so bad that it’s almost awesome. Almost.
Finally, I want to leave you all with a little rock. My dedication to The Features never wavers so I’ve been really excited to see them getting some good press. Their song was featured in an Asics commercial:

They were also in a recent Express campaign – both their music and the actual band members:

Hoola Hooping

By Kate

On February 7, 2012

In uncategorized

When I was younger I participated in a hoola hooping contest at a local water park. You know I was younger in this story because it wouldn’t occur to me to hoola hoop in a bathing suit now. I try to retain some amount of dignity. Anyway, I won the contest! My prize was a stuffed Yipes Stripes gum zebra.

This weekend I hung out with some friends and I was feeling pretty good. Someone pointed out a giant hoola hoop in their living room and said its what Beard and his wife use for exercise. What?!? I was, and am, so entertained by this for two reasons:

The image I have in my head of Beard hool hooping makes me laugh.
You can hoola hoop for exercise? Sign me up!

I was feeling good enough that I started hoola hooping right in the middle of their party and had a good ole time.

This particular hoola hoop was weighted, which is part of why it was good for exercise. Yesterday I ran right out and bought my very own hoola hoop. And last night I did a very strenuous workout of hoola hooping for 10 minutes while watching TV. I can only image what neighbors thought if they walked past our house and could see in the front window…

Biggie with my hoola hoop.

Stitches

By Kate

On February 6, 2012

In 100 List, classes

It’s taken me a few weeks to get started, but I’m making progress on my 100 list. I’m taking online sewing lessons through Home Ec Online.

My wants with sewing are pretty simple. I’d like to be able to make curtains, napkins and do basic alterations on clothing. I’ve done this stuff in the past but I was winging it and it showed. These online classes are great because each ones builds on the last so your skills accumulate over time.

For lesson number one I made a small drawstring gift bag. It was basically just a petite pillowcase before I added the drawstring, so I think I know how to make pillowcases now, too!