After months of agonizing deliberation, I finally picked out the tile for our 2nd Floor hallway bathroom.
Remodeling and decorating decisions do not come easily to me. I feel compelled to weigh every decision from every conceivable angle, over and over again, until vendors begin to avoid me, and my family is ready to have me committed. I worry about making a costly mistake with which I'll have to live for a long, long time.
Once the decisions are made, however, I feel like I've been through a self-discovery journey, and I'm so happy! Here's a close-up of the new travertine tile that will grace the floor once it's installed.
And here's one showing the pre-fabricated niches that are now available to re-modelers. The niches are screwed to the studs, encased with cement board, and then tiled. They will eventually hold shampoo, soap and other bath necessities.
Even the placement of the niches was researched for several months. The wall that we ultimately chose, is an exterior wall, and we had to figure out the proper way to insulate behind the niches. We also decided that, although it would lend an asymmetrical look to the wall, it was better to place them as far away from the shower spray as possible.
My husband, Lee, always opts for cement board as a backing for tile, as opposed to some of the other materials that are "supposedly" waterproof. It's heavy and slightly more cumbersome to install, but, with the number of leaks that the poor man has had to fix over the years, I can't say I blame him. Besides, the cement board adds a really solid feel to the wall that's not often found in modern construction.
Lee goes back to work next week, so he'll continue working on this now and then, as time permits. That's O.K. by me - I'll need at least a 2-month break before the next barrage of decisions, like the vanity, toilet, mirrow, lighting, towel rods, wall color . . .
And then, my son John said I needed a feng shui cure in the "Fame" section of my cubicle at work. Apparently, I needed to introduce more red into the area. Now, I have a bling-y red sign that proclaims how fabulous I am, just in case anyone had any doubt . . .
It's so nice to have a feng shui expert in the family . . .
No doubt about it - those are some hats . . .
They don't live very far from us, but with our busy schedules, months go by without our seeing them. Here's a close-up of cutie-pie Andy.
We played a game called "Apples to Apples" and had a blast watching those kids come up with the funniest answers. And, of course, this troupe loves electronics, and whenever they come over, they bring some of the latest gadgets that have entered their lives. In this next shot: My son, John, my niece, Joy, and a profile photo of Mary Ann.
The mop that shows up next to my son, John, was unfortunately needed to dry the floor because of the leak coming from the ceiling. We think ice plugged one of our gutters and water re-routed into the house. My poor husband already has his first spring job lined up.
Mary Ann has the most infectious laugh, and I think Joy's laugh is beginning to sound just like her mom's. I was smiling simply from the sheer enjoyment of listening to the two of them.
A nice way to start the new year . . .
The sandals were a lucky find in December, unearthed at the local shoe store where we bought the kids' shoes. Whew! Disaster averted!
The shepherd's crook was actually a walking cane that once belonged to my mother. My husband and I remember vividly that cane waving wildly on stage, since this kindergartner couldn't sit still. We kept waiting for "the accident." Thankfully, it never came, but we all breathed a sigh of relief when it was all over.
I lovingly saved the costume thinking that my younger son, David, would be able to use it, as either a Joseph costume, or a shepherd, when his turn came. But in the perverse way of hand-me-downs, David was selected to play the Angel Gabriel in 1996, the pivotal role that required him to stand still above Mary for the entire length of the pageant.
Again, my neighbor rescued me with her own son's angel smock. This angel now only needed wings and a halo.
David didn't like the halo, and we experimented with different ways of wearing it, even buying a glow-in-the-dark circle. That did the trick. Although we can't see it here, it was a smash during the pageant when the lights were off and David's head was glowing in the dark.
Now the boys are men, but we usually still get them a little present on Three Kings Day - except for this year, when both, my husband and I totally forgot! Instead, this morning, they found taped to their bedroom doors the following letters:
. . . at least they stacked it neatly . . .
Going back to work tomorrow after a two-week hiatus, but I'm bringing Christmas goodies for my co-workers because . . . just because!
A little chocolate . . . a few cookies . . . One down and . . . a few more to go . . .
. . . Nine ladies dancing!
