Basement bathroom and hallway remodel

After 5 years in this house I finally got around to the basement hall and bathroom. 

It has been a long time in the making. I have hated the brown square floors and the tan tub, toilet and sinks. Every time I went to the basement they were a constant reminder of what year the house was built.  Of course I decided to do the this while our master bathroom was in remodeling too. Sean was not too impressed with my timing. The new plank flooring went in easy! If you have a basement where you can't put real wood floors these are a great fix! Love them. I can't believe I didn't do it earlier. 

 Now on to the bathroom... This tub is what got me started. I know it looks gold here but it is really very tan. I find tan to be very dated. It drove me crazy. When we moved in it had tan tub, toilet, sinks. The girls did not want this to be there bathroom, but it was pretty low on my list. So it waited for other things to come together. I started watching DYI videos on painting tubs and I wanted to test it out. Sean and my mom tried to talk me out of it, but I couldn't be swayed. So I ordered Tub and Tile paint from Amazon... Again let me express how unhappy Sean was that I was taking this on while the tile guy was upstairs doing our walk-in shower.

When the first coat went on I was terrified! Not only was the paint SUPER thin, it wasn't going on smoothly. I was absolutely high on fumes. They weren't kidding when they said it was toxic. It was nuts. I was high as a KITE. Sean wouldn't even come in the basement. The second didn't go much better but then things got better. My roller broke and I got out a new one and then it was magic! 

Things I learned while painting the tub
1. use a SMALL foam roller

2. Don't use a paint brush use a little foam square brush for the corners. 

3. PREP PREP PREP. I spent as much time prepping as painting. I got all the caulk off, then cleaned like crazy, then I sanded. I learned after painting the tub that you have to get everything off the tub or else you will have bumps in the paint. Before doing the surround I had to sand over the newly painted tub to get ride of the bumps. That sucked. So I was way more careful when I did the surround. 

4. wait an hour to apply the paint after activating. 

5. don't be afraid when it isn't perfect the first coat. 

6. change your roller every single coat!

 Painting the counter top and vanity was super easy. The paint didn't smell as bad and it was easy and came in 16 colors this one is pewter. I had a great time doing the counter top. I loved it. 

As you can see I am still missing the shower curtain and bath tub fixtures. I am SO SO happy with it. Who knew paint could be so awesome.

Dear 2014,
Where did our time go? We did so many amazing things: snowboarding, hiking, traveling, new jobs, new friends. I am so grateful for the growth that came with you. I learned a lot from you; that I never thought I would learn. We had some hard moments that came with a lot of tears, but you pushed us through. It was a challenging year for a lot of reasons. Sean and my relationship blossomed under the pressure and the kids seemed to become little people with your time.  2014 you will not be forgotten anytime soon. I'll miss and look back on you fondly with a large heart that you helped open. You gave me the courage to open my heart and see things that I didn't even know were there. Thank you!

Dear 2015,
I envision great things for us. I see us making it through 365 days with out hardly blinking. I would like to be more intentional with you than I was with 2014. (Not to compare) I will respect you and the gift that you are. We are going to see a lot while you are here and I am looking forward to all those moments. I feel like we will be fast friends and we are going to continue 2014's growth. I plan on being more open to everything! We are going to work harder, because I want to help people. We are going to love more than ever before. Our relationship is going to be about the moments. Let's take advantage of our time together because it is way to short. Looking forward to getting to know you 2015.

       

Small upgrades... make big differences

The house is under going massive face lifts! With Sean's new job; he has been traveling a lot. Which has left me with a lot of time to work on the house. I have been walking through the house for a couple of years now wanted to make a some changes. 

First up was the front entrance. It has been very dark and gloomy. When the past owners painted the house they didn't cover anything up, so over spray was EVERYWHERE. I painted the brown and the doors. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. 

Second up was the fence! I have wanted a fence forever, but as you know fences are ridiculously expensive. It has taken a few years to be able to afford one. 

The door down the hall were never finished. I had been terrified of finishing them, however it went really well. Two coats later the doors were done! Re-hanging them was horrific without Sean, but mom and I got it done. Love the new hall.

My great Aunt gave me the hutch. It was in horrible shape. It had been white, then green, then someone had decided it should look like wood again. Why people? why? We painted it red! I am in love with it. 

The front of the house has these four windows that show into the garage. They have been a mess for years. Over the past couple month I have been working up to them. I am appalled at my self sometimes for my ability to make a project so much more complicated than it is. I got this done in under an hour. 

love her.

a little bit of San Fran

spring is here

Friends

Sometimes you just find a friend that makes you happy. Corbynn hasn't had the easiest time making friends. She struggles with peer communication and doesn't deal well when she needs to compromise. This year she found Ryan T. he has been the dream friend. I heard him comfort her numerous times over her party. He had an almost brotherly protector vibe going. It was so amazing to see her truly connect with another child. 
I couldn't have pick a better kid for her to be friends with. He is sweet, nice, and all around a good kid. He makes her silly and that girl needs some silly in her life. 

It has been so hard watching her struggle with friendships. It almost seemed like she didn't even want them. I was SO worried last year when we made it all the way through 1st grade without a friend.  I am grateful for this young man and his amazing family who has also encourage their unique friendship.