Kitchen update!

We love our kitchen.  But, it was missing something.  We had been talking about doing a backsplash for a year and had the 12x12 sample since January, of 2011.  Thanks to Lowe's gift cards via credit card rewards and Christmas, we got the rest of the tile and supplies and did this a couple weeks ago!  See, told you I was busy with things this last month and couldn't do a post.  That and the motivation didn't embrace me.

I don't know where my recent picture of the kitcen is, this is from when we first moved in and I just threw things here and there.  You get the jist though, the backsplash was boring.  We didn't even raise up the granite with a small backsplash because of the intention of doing a backsplash sooner.

It was worth the wait!  The best part is, we did this ourselves.  It is so rewarding and fullfilling to do these things ourselves.  Part of it is probably because it makes it feel more like home knowing that our sweat and blood was put into it.  We cleaned it up of course. 

Continued over by the fridge.  Sorry, I can't find a before picture of this area.  It's so pretty isn't it?  See that right corner by the ovens, down by the floor?  We finally put in baseboards too!!  Woot woot!  Handy Hubs and his handy dad did those a couple months ago.  (Amazing how baseboards can make it complete!)

Down in the Bathroom...

I am the first to admit it, I suck at my blog.  But.... I have been busy around here doing this and that around the house, so I have a good excuse.  Not a over a month long excuse, but an excuse.  My most recent and much anticipated re-do was the bathroom/guest bathroom in the basement.  It wasn't that it was horrible, it just wasn't me or us.  The tile was the biggest issue, it was just plain ick.  Blah, ugly, ick.  See?

So, my first order of business last Thursday was to just take all that crap tile out.  All.  By.  Myself.  I couldn't lift my rght arm that night.  Pulling up tile and dried mortar is HARD but very satisfying work.  I suggest doing this when you have some anger issues to tackle.  Satisfying!

Friday was just cleaning the rest of that up when my arm was able to. 

Saturday, I painted!  And the best part was, I only need 1 quart for in here  One!  I only did from the ceiling down to about 34 inches from the floor  You'll see why...

Sunday I layed the tile and Monday I grouted.  I have to say this:  I did it all by myself!  Laying it that is.  My hubs cut all the tile for me.  I'm scared of that saw. But I layed every tile and spred out all the grout.  Proud?  Yes, very.  In a good way, I never saw myself doing that myself.  Yay me!

Isn't it pretty?!  I LOVE this tile so.  Texture and colors and movement.  LOVE!

And then, on Monday evening, up went the baseboards and WAINSCOTTNG! I love this stuff.  Love.  I want to do it in the upstairs/kids' bath and in my daughter's room too.  Love! 

So, after cleanup, touch up and decor adding, it is ready to show!

 I forgot to get a picture, but on the Tuesday prior, I painted the vanity!  That set things in motion to get the tile done.  The mirror is the same color, but wants to look orange.  And, the tile has been in the garage since January waiting patiently to be placed.

 Wainscotting!  Lovely, isn't it?

The tile, the wainscotting, the paint.  I've had this shower curtain for so long and I still love it. 

So, that was my project as of late.  We did the laundry room in January.  I think I may need to post that room next.  It's pretty too.

The Master

Ya, I need to get to this more often.  October was the kitchen post?!  Geez.  In my defense, I've been painting, putting tile in the laundry room, putting up baseboards everywhere, crafting, raising children, etc.  But, yes, I should do this more often.  So I will continue with the Master Bedroom!  Woot!

It took almost a year to figure out what I wanted to do in the master.  I really did not like the faux paint on the walls.  Hard to tell by the pictures, but it was really too yellow for me.  The hubs didn't mind it and thought it was fine.  Um, no.  Plus I couldn't stand that comforter.  From the day I bought it I regretted it, but the choices were limited where I got it and I had to get something there because I had a ton of store credit from a return without receipts.  *taking breath*  I knew I wanted red, but not a whole room of red.  Let's face it, red is hard to paint, it soaks in horribly and you end up doing 8 coats or so to get every, last, inch.

Ick.  I started painting before I thought of a picture.  Oops!  Oh that comforter is bad.

I LOVE red walls...  I carried the red into the Master bath too.  That was the big reason for getting red in my Master.  I love red bathrooms.  My skin likes red bathrooms.  :)  The bathroom is in need of gutting, but I had to at least paint it until we can do that.  I'm getting off track..

We made the headboard when we switched to a king years ago, but the plain brown didn't cut it against the red.  Found this lovely fabric and recovered it.  Perfect!  Just had to get a comforter or something.  The blanket wasn't going to cut it for the winter.

Then I found a duvet.  I wanted solid and simple and I found it on clearance! 

Then I needed to finally pick the color for the rest of the walls. 

The color matches the other brown from the headboard.  I so love my Master now. 

My bed making skills are slacking however.  And I need a different skirt.

This is the opposite wall from the bed. I have that opening above the door (I've got to take that plant down!) that carries into the bathroom.  And I should have closed the doors to the Armoire...  Man!

So. Much. Better.

The red paint is from Sherwin Williams and the taupey/brown is from Lowe's.  I've got the names if you'd like them, I am just being really lazy right now.  =)