Master Bathroom Makeover

In the spirit of documenting my recent home projects, here are some pictures of the master bathroom. This was my sabbatical project, but like all projects, it spilled over by a few months and I am just now putting on the finishing touches. I ripped out the linoleum and put in tile, rebuilt the cabinet to be 4 inches taller, put in a new vanity counter top, replaced the vanity mirrors with one big mirror, added some beadboard, and swapped out the lights and faucet. I don't have any pictures where I hadn't already redone the window trim, but here are some (mostly) before pictures:

I managed to save my circular saw blade when cutting the backer board by flipping it around the wrong directly like everyone said to do online, but I'm pretty sure I'll get lung cancer from the experience. My jig saw blade could not be salvaged after a very short cut.


Building the cabinet was surprisingly painful. I always forget how much planning goes into having it turn out to fit when you get done. I invested in a Kreg pocket hole jig so I could screw together the face plate and that turned out pretty well. I have never invested in a set of big pipe clamps, so that was my only other alternative for getting the face glued together.



This was my first time tiling anything of consequence. Apart from sore knees and sore back, and being really boring, it was not bad.

The beadboard actually went up over a period measured in years, but I synced up the completion of the beadboard with this remodel. Here are some pictures of the finished product. Actually, I shouldn't say it is finished, but at least the stuff I started got finished.

If you zoom in you may be able to see the custom baseboard carve-out for the toilet hose. It is junk like that which pushed out schedule. I noticed that the baseboard was going to collide with the hose right as I was installing that baseboard. Ugh.

This stupid jut comes to a "point" with two crazy angles. Fitting all these was a nightmare.

That crazy dip in the baseboard you'll notice in the next picture in because I forgot how tall the baseboards were and if I left it the full height as it ran into the cabinet that wall-side door would not open.

Pampered Chef

I just hosted my first Pampered Chef party. If you want to buy stuff, go to this website and place your orders. The orders will close this Friday (26th).

Wainscoting the Stairs

I took the week off between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Before that all my effort had been going into the stupid master bathroom which I started remodelling on my sabbatical, but I finally got it finished (mostly), which meant I was freed up to do a wainscoting project as I've been wanting to do for a long time. I was going to do the back room, but then I got the bright idea of wainscoting the stairs. Before I could count the cost, I was in knee deep. So, here are some pictures of it.

Funny Faces

Fefe has really turned into quite the performer lately. I've been meaning to get video of the faces she's made up. This was not her best, you should have seen her Sunday, but it's still pretty good.

Violin Concert

I finally got around to rendering the footage from Ephant's concert back in January.

Two Conversations

On Friday I said to Fefe "Do you need a diaper change?" and she said, "No. No thanks, Mommy." I wish I had a recording of her saying that in her cute little voice. (she did need a diaper change by the way)

In the car yesterday we were having a conversation about the time Ephant cut off all of Glen's whiskers. Brother B said "What if you tried to pull them out instead and he bit your hand off. Then he ran to his brother (Rush) and said, "Let's Feast!"" Okay Josh. This further devolved into a conversation about everyone eating Ephant.

Sun + Fefe

I really like the dynamics of how the sun and shadows ran across Fefe so I snapped a few shots. It's pretty rare that I get inspired by this type of artistry. I had noticed it for awhile because this is always where I lay her to change her diaper, but I always figured she would move before I could take her picture.

Now I just need to remember to have my camera in the car next time the town flag looks awesome.

More Wildlife

No wonder we found that dead possum in the yard. The cat must of gotten tired of it eating his food. If it wasn't for that ugly as sin tail I might have mistaken it for a cat.

I Want to Cry

For the stupidity of the people that live in this state. Here we are with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and yet they still voted in tax increases. Is it so hard to understand basic economics? Why does a government worker have more of a right to keep his job than someone in the private sector? Learn to live within your means and the bounds of your income, just like the rest of us.

At least I have this to laugh at.

Wouldn't You Know

My nephew broke his collarbone yesterday so I had to help pick up the prescription for the lovely pain meds. On the way back from their house I got pulled over. I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong (hadn't even been speeding). Turns out my plates were expired. I was pretty perplexed because that's not like me to let something like that go. It wasn't till I got home that I figured out what had happened. When we received the paperwork to renew J's car I thought the second one we got a couple weeks later was a duplicate so I tossed it. Our initial registration had lasted 4 years so I wasn't in the mode of renewing it. Oh well, as long as I get it fixed before my court date it won't go on my record.

Here's the funny part though. After the police woman handed me back my papers she said "May I ask where you got the black eye?" I simply said, "my two year old". What are the chances I get pulled over the one time in my life I have a black eye.