anthropology fun

last weekend i was running errands and made a quick pop into anthropology & boy was i glad i did!!  check out the cuteness below!  as if it couldn't be better... the vases were only $8 each! (the other 2 items were on clearance for $3.95).  so here is the plan....

i don't know exactly what i will do with the yellow & blue vases.  right now they are on the credenza we built over the summer.  they look really good there though... so that may end up being their new home.  

the other items are going to be accessories for the new bathroom.  the green vase is for our toothbrushes, the cream & yellow dish is for my hair ties/barrettes & well... i'll just have to start wearing perfume  ;)  

more bathroom decisions

so we went to lindeys this year for our anniversary... & what do you think we talked about most over dinner?  their bathroom tile - haha!!  we actually went back later & dj took a picture of the of it (see below).  we both like the black & white hexagon look & agree that black grout is the way to go... (i like it because i'm hoping it will show less dirt & grime + it is a very classic look that will go really well with white subway tile).  the only problem is we can't find find this exact pattern  :(

lately we've been talking about different black & white hexagon tile options & came across this design (see below).  the flower tile is not glazed though (boo)... so we're going to duplicate it by purchasing the all white design & replacing the pattern tiles with black ones - & then have every other tile be a flower pattern.  cute huh? 

upholstery class #3

i can't believe i'm already on upholstery class #3.  i'm very excited to finally work on leggy chair!  this one will be all about learning how to make buttons, diamond backs & cleanly folding fabric around arms & legs.  the fabric i'm using is a japanese print by kokka that i got at sew to speak (my favorite fabric shop ever).   it's so pretty!  this is a tiny sneak peak of just how adorable this chair will look... i will update later when it's complete.  (i'm confident that there will be no tears this time - haha)

i am going to make this quilt...

i've just added it to my list of sewing projects.  reasons:  it's super cute, it will be great sewing practice with my new bernina, we need a new bedcover, & the pattern is free on amy buttler's website!!  now i just have to pick out 11 different fabric patterns :D

ps... amy buttler has all kinds of great patterns on her website.  click here to see them all (free pattern link is at bottom right)

bernina = awesome

saturday i had my monthly craft day with mom & bev - we have it the first saturday of every month.  of course, as always, it was lots of fun & i promise i will post my crafty endeavors from it later -  hint hint... there may be a gift in it for a lucky someone.  

anywho... as some of you know, i've been saving up my pennies for a new sewing machine, specifically a bernina sewing machine, & i finally bought one on saturday... and it is awesome (see photo above).  i don't have it yet... i'll get it this saturday - yay!  bring on the sewing fun!!

framing progress

dj worked alot this weekend on the bathroom framing... & it shows!! check out the progress below.  it's starting to come together more (or at least it seems that way to us).  it's neat to see where the doors & bathtub will be.  yay!!

fun times at the ReStore

well... it was a fun filled weekend in the brant-mangas household.  friday night we checked out the local habitat for humanity ReStore & although we didn't find what we were looking for (2 identical hardwood interior doors sized 30" by 80")... we did score a couple of other great finds (see below).  

the tile is 2x2 inch ceramic & just the prettiest shade of grey.  we found 48 square feet for $20! we're thinking about using it in the bathroom that we're not renovating right now.  i know that's a whole other project, but i'm already thinking a bold pink & grey would be such a lovely combination  :)  

   

the other item we picked up is a gold chandelier i plan on painting white or cream - to go in the 2nd bedroom upstairs.   i'm also thinking of possibly painting the little "cups" that hold the faux  candles a contrasting color.  i don't know which color it would be though... the room is mint green with grey & yellow accents right now.  i know....  grey is my new chocolate brown - haha :D

sorry!!

hello to anyone who is reading this (i.e. mom & dad - haha).  i promise i am not giving up the blog.  we've just been crazy busy with work, vacations & other obligations.  we're still making progress on the bathroom,  i have a craft day on saturday & another upholstery class starting on monday (we'll call this one filthy chair due to all the dirt that fell out when I was stripping it).   so... please keep checking up on us.  there's lots to come :D

ikea list

we'll be in cincinnati visiting family this weekend... which means we'll be stopping at ikea on the way home.  yay!  i heart ikea.  on the ikea list:  

• bookshelves (for upstairs project) 
• potential overhead lighting (for almost any room... we have so many ceiling fans to replace)*

*so... a little backstory:  when we purchased our house we didn't have central air conditioning... what we did have was this ceiling fan in almost every room  - i know :)   so far we've replaced 2... so only 4 more to go!

symmetrical doorways

we realized the other day that the bathroom remodel is a great opportunity to make the 2 entry ways on either side of the tv the same height!  (one goes upstairs & the other goes into the undefined space).   this is great because that was one of the little things that i think eventually would have driven me batty.   the entry way into the undefined space is right beside the new wall we will be building.  perfect right?  we thought so.  this is what it looks like now...

new fun fabric

last weekend i went fabric shopping with my mom (so much fun!).  we visited my favorite fabric shop in columbus - sew to speak.   not only is it chocked full of beautiful, unique, affordable fabrics, but the woman who owns it is genuinely nice & super knowledgeable.  our purpose for visiting was to grab some fabric samples for another project i'll be sharing in the near future.  in the meantime i got these great prints!

ps... this is also where i got the awesome leo fabric for the fancy chair

upholstery class #2 (part 2)

here are pics from my first week of class (which was only 2 nights).  believe it or not, i'm a lot further along than i was at this point in upholstery class #1.  hahaha

i did think i would remember more from the first class.  oh well... as a friend of mine says, repetition is the mother of all learning  :)

for more pictures click here

hip hip hooray for sub-flooring!

the sub-flooring for the bathroom is now down, so no more risk of falling in the hole on the way to the kitchen!  things to be grateful for #29:  neither dj, cheddar or i are sleepwalkers :)

bathroom shopping

dj & i took a trip to lowes over the weekend to look at bathtubs, toilets & sinks... and it was one of the best shopping times we've ever had together!   it's reassuring to know we share similar tastes in at least 1 area, even if that area is toilets  :)  

seriously... we like the straight, clean, classic lines of the pieces below...  & pretty soon i'll have enough compiled to share our "vision" of what the new bathroom will look like.  

memoirs toilet (kohler)

i like the idea of having a flat top on the tank.  i think a nice tray on the back will provide a place to keep pretty things while keeping the bathroom looking tidy & organized.  

memoirs pedestal sink (kohler)

this sink comes in a 24, 27 & 30 inch version.  the 27 inch has the 3 extra inches added directly to the basin - which is nice & deep.  originally we thought about getting the 30 inch, but decided it was unnecessary & might look out of proportion in our larger - but still small by most standards - bathroom  :)

archer bathtub (kohler)

honestly... there are not a lot of great tubs to choose from out there.  we like this tub's simplicity 


oh... & all of these items will be white

fancy chair is now black!

woo hoo!  the fancy chair is now black and glossy (after 2 days & about 7 or 8 coats).   i must say, he's looking mighty fine  :) 

 i imagine there will be a couple of spots to touch up (after transporting to & from class + my skills with a staple remover have yet to be honed) but i can do that with a tiny brush (& left over spray paint maybe?)  yay!  

updating wood frame with glossy black paint

so... for a plan with only 3 steps there is much work to be done.   on the agenda for this weekend:  

• sand.  the wood on fancy chair is covered by a really thick coat of polyurethane or lacquer.  ugh.  it will need to be roughed up a bit so the new finish will really stick.  this is my least favorite part.  it is also the most time consuming as i'm only able to focus on sanding for about 10 minutes at a time (before getting bored, whiny or distracted).  

• spray.  because i've only given myself one weekend to do this (haha), i've decided to use all spray materials.  the positive - spray paint will help ensure thin coats.  the negative - if it rains all weekend i will cry  :(
  

1.  primer = 2 coats

2.  black gloss paint = 2 coats

3.  poly-acrylic top coat = 3 coats

upholstery class #2 (part 1)

i start my 2nd upholstery class at fabric farms on monday (before & after photos from my 1st upholstery class can be found here).  i'm super excited to revamp what i've dubbed the "fancy chair", which was given to us by dj's great aunt helen.  when i removed the fabric i found a card stapled to the arm that said the frame was made in 1959.  i find that kind of stuff really cool.  

so here is the plan: 

• update the wood frame with glossy black paint
• update the fabric with super cute & whimsical "leo" fabric (by Alexander Henry - below)
• scotch guard the hell out of the chair when complete

this is where i really wish i was a photoshop pro... then i could "recreate" the chair with it's new look.  fyi... if anyone knows how to do this, please share :)

     
 

seriously...  how great is this fabric?!?  i think it's going to look quite lovely. :)

pile of trash

this is the pile of trash formally known as our bathroom... & this is AFTER craiglisters raided the salvageable wood.  i have no idea what we will do with this stuff.  maybe host a bonfire party?  yummm..... smores :)

bathroom hole smells

there is a horrible horrible odor that hits you when you walk past the bathroom hole (like a mixture of mildew & dead animals rotting).  i think it is the smell of our basement (which is directly under the hole).  but i don’t understand why we haven’t noticed this incredibly offensive smell  when IN the basement.  weird. 

more bathroom destruction

just when you think you can’t have any less bathroom... we now have a big gaping hole where our bathroom once was (the demolition is 90% done - yay!).  big thanks to dj’s brother cory for helping us get this far so quickly … & for helping us figure out what to do next   :)

bathroom destruction

so... shortly after i gave dj the "go ahead" (to start bathroom demolition), our bathroom disappeared (like magic).   i'm amazed at his speed of destruction!

floor plans for new bathroom

we are starting our bathroom renovation project this weekend (big yay)!!  above are our "before" and "after" floor plans.  we are basically making the bathroom bigger so we can replace the standing shower with a bathtub shower (& rearranging the layout of the bathtub, toilet & sink in the process).   more to come on how pretty it will all look when complete :)

ps.. click on each image for a larger  view