Bathtub Breakdown

TMF, "I would really like a new bathtub."
BF, "Are you sure?  This one doesn't look that bad."
TMF, "Not that bad?!?!?  That thing is gross."
BF,"Oh come on!"
TMF, "There is no way I'm bathing your babies or beagles in that disgusting thing."
BF sighs, "Okay."

As you can see, the old bathtub was nasty.  I don't think the previous owners ever heard of "bleach" or "bathroom cleaner." 

After my convincing argument on how gross the old bathtub was, BF agreed to install a new bathtub.

He used a sledgehammer for the demolition and it was insanely loud!

I give BF his props for skillfully installing the shiny new tub.

I think he's proud of himself too.

Inflatable Pool

Can you guess what was once here?

Yup, that's right.  There was once an above ground, inflatable pool.  

I had no idea these things actually existed.  Sure, inflatable pools are great for children under the age of eight, but for adults?  

BF hoped the previous tenants would leave the pool so he could sell it on Craigslist.  I crossed my fingers and prayed the previous tenants took the ugly pool with them.  My prayers were answered!

IKEA: Round #1

Back in December 2011, BF and I took our first shopping trip to IKEA.  Boy, we were in for a shock.

We learned IKEA keeps its prices and liability low by making their customers move the heavy stuff by themselves.  I burst out laughing when I saw the boxes that contained our Pax wardrobe frames.  

The boxes were taller than me!  Then they give you these tiny flatbed carts to maneuver through the European-style roundabout maze of fellow weekend shoppers.  

This was my first time physically breaking a sweat while pushing a shopping cart through a store.  Wide turns, many “I’m so sorry's,” and BF’s looks of death were given to make it to the finish line/cash register. 

It was a Tetris game to see how BF carefully positioned the precious IKEA items on the trailer and Blue’s truck bed.  Did I mention there were heavy thunderclouds viciously pushing their way towards the parking lot?  Did I mention I am completely hopeless when it comes to lifting furniture?  

Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, (A.K.A. fellow IKEA shopper and heavy lifter) all the items were carefully stowed in their correct positions and we were off to buy a plastic tarp.

I can’t wait to show you the IKEA items, but it’ll take a few more weeks before pictures appear. 

Sorry for the lack of real pictures.  During IKEA:  Round #1, I didn't think it was an appropriate time to snap pictures.  Lesson learned.

Puppy Paw Prints

I recently brought Bailey, our little Wonder Beagle, over to the construction site to visit his Daddy.  

BF and Bailey have a great father-son relationship. It's darn right cute.  It melts my heart to see the two of them cuddling.  BF calls this effect, "Barfing a rainbow."

The day after Bailey's visit, I stopped by the house to drop off some tile.  I noticed these little puppy paw prints and it made me smile.

To Slide or Not to Slide...

The question was whether to install a sliding or traditional door for the newly created second floor half bathroom. Because of the slanted ceilings, the half bathroom challenged BF on what type of door to use.

The traditional door’s height would force BF to install the door at a diagonal angle.  I think it looks strange to see a random door sticking out in the middle of the room. 

If we chose the traditional door, it would have to swing open to the outside.  It’s strange, but I have a strong aversion against bathroom doors opening towards the outside.   

I’m scared of accidentally opening the door while someone is sitting on the toilet.  Perhaps if the door swung in, the victim could grab the doorknob before seeing my shocked face?  I have issues. 

Our other option was to use these beautiful sliding doors.  They were another BF Craigslist buy.  

I am worried the glass panels may be too transparent.  The last thing I want to see is a guest sitting on the toilet.  Fortunately even with light shining straight through, the glass panels are opaque. 

After many lengthy minutes of arguing, I said, “I don’t care!  Whichever one will make things go faster.”

We went with the sliding doors.

Walk the Plank

My dad came over to help lay down the tile in the master bathroom floor.  I asked him to start at a specific corner.  I chose this corner as the starting point because it would be the most viewable area of the bathroom.  

After a few hours, my mom and I stopped by to view the progress.  


Mama M, "Wait!  You're tiling yourself into the corner!"
Papa M, "It'll be okay.  I'll use some 2X4s to walk on."
Mama M, "What?  I don't understand."   


Apparently the non-engineering gene is passed through the women on my mother's side of the family.

Fortunately BF knows exactly to what my dad is referring.  He grabs a few pieces of discarded wood and quickly cuts the appropriate length for the walking planks.  Now there are no worries about walking on top of the newly laid floor tile.

Fantasia Beige

I enlisted the help of my friend Courtney to pick out tile for the master bathroom floor.  I needed help because after staring at so many samples, they all started to look the same.  


We wandered up and down the aisles at Floor & Decor.  I stopped...

TMF, "Oh, here's the Fantasia Beige.  It's the tile I picked for the master shower stall."

Courtney laughs, "The tile is called Fantasia Beige?"
As I answer her, I realized how ridiculous it sounds, "Yup, Fantasia Beige."

Courtney nods towards the price signs, "It's not to be confused with Fantasia Almond."

I laugh, "Nor Fantasia Pecan."

I wondered to myself, "Where do they come up with these names?"  

Also shouldn't Fantasia Beige's name follow the pattern of nuts?  Fantasia Pine Nut, Fantasia Peanut, Fantasia Hazelnut, Fantasia Cashew or Fantasia Macadamia?*


*I'm sorry if you haven't seen the mockumentary Best in Show.  It's one of my favorites :)

Sneak Peak: Bathroom Tile

BF, "Your tile choice is boring."
TMF, "What are you talking about?  What's wrong with the tile I picked out?"
BF, "It's boring.  I thought we were doing something modern and contemporary."
TMF, "It's neutral and less expensive than the modern and contemporary choices."

BF, "Whatever, it's still eh." 
TMF, "Do you want me to return it and pick out a new one?"
BF, "No!  That'll take you another week."
TMF, "Then stop complaining!"


After BF's complaints about my boring tile choice for the master bathroom, I decided, "I'll show him!"  

I selected a completely different and unusual tile for the guest bathroom.  

It's called Metalic Linen Iron and I think it's beautiful.  At certain angles, the tile looks as if it's shimmering.  It's not boring, right?

Shower Installation

We now have a new shower!


What was once a half bathroom has now been converted to a shower stall by BF.

There was the rerouting and soldering of pipes, jackhammering of the floor, mixing of concrete and much, much more.

This project took up a huge chunk of time, but it will be well worth it when we move in.

At the start of the renovation, I thought we would have to hire a plumber to complete the shower stall project.  Nope.  

BF completed the shower installation all by himself.  He never ceases to amaze me, except when he poses for the camera like this...

Raise the Roof

We have a beautiful new roof!

We decided to go with a metal roof for practical and aesthetic reasons.  Although the metal choice was a little pricey, it'll last longer than a shingle roof.  I think it looks awesome.  

To save some money, we chose to have the roofing company place the new metal over the existing roof.  I was told it will add an extra layer of insulation.  BF is also happy because the roofing company let us keep the nifty skylights. 

As I was admiring the carport, my eyes drifted toward the second story.  I remembered how BF plans to use the paint sprayer for the exterior of the house.  How on earth is he going to paint the second story? 

Spackle Pox

My walls have the Spackle pox.  The Spackle pox shouldn’t be confused with the chicken pox, small pox or any other infectious pockmark disease.

The previous tenants left an insane number of nails, staples and mysterious holes in the walls of every room.  In an effort to make the home look very nice, we are taking special care to prepare the walls before painting. 

This type of joint compound applies with a soft pink color and dries white. It reminds me of children's disappearing purple colored sunblock.

This is one of the few tasks I can complete without BF regretting the reasons why he married me.  Then again…

BF, “Um… when you Spackle the ceiling, can you be careful?”

TMF, “Huh?  What are you talking about?”

BF, “Some spots look like they’re dripping.”

TMF looong sigh, “Do you want me to stop?”

BF slowly and wisely backs away, ”No, no. You’re doing a good job!”

                                                                                            

Side note:  Did you know Spackle is a registered trademark of the Muralo Company?  I bet you were wondering why I capitalized the “S” in Spackle.  As I was typing this post, Microsoft Word pointed out my misspelling with the red underline.  I should refer to the product as “spackling paste,” but it doesn’t sound as fun. 

Paint Sprayer Splurge

BF purchased a paint sprayer. It was a bit of a splurge, but it’ll pay for itself by the time we finish the house. 

Instead of hours using rollers or a paint stick, the sprayer cuts the paint time to a few minutes per room.  That's right, MINUTES!  He can use this bad boy to paint the exterior of the house too!

 

I consider myself a decent painter.  A few years ago I painted several rooms in our current town home rental.  Some of the rooms include lovely stripes.

After a few sad attempts with the sprayer and BF's guidance, I regretfully relinquished the spray gun back to BF.  Apparently my stripe skills didn't transfer to the paint sprayer.  Surprise, surprise.