In Praise of Expertise Part 2...Almost Done!

The bathroom reno is nearly finished.
All that is left to do is choose window treatments and accessories.
When I walk in.....I just look around and smile!
While My last post was all about using experts to help choose the components for our bathroom remodel.....
This one will be in praise of the people who actually made it happen.



 I almost feel guilty sharing all about the new space since we really didn't DO anything ourselves. 

It kinda feels like I am doing one of those...."look at me" deals.

So this post will NOT JUST be about how gorgeous the new space is.
It will be about....why it made sense to (gasp) spend money to get this done!

1. Remember that Mr. S just had his ankle replaced less than 6 months ago?  Can you even imagine him trying to go up and down the steps as many times as would have been necessary.
2. Our contractor did an amazing job of scheduling.  Because all of the people that he worked with had a relationship with him, they came when he asked and made adjustments when necessary. THAT SAVED TIME!
   
3. We were able to use the discounts available to the contractor for many of the components of the project. THAT SAVED $$$$ !
4. There were many things that needed specialized skills that we would probably have had to hire done anyway!

ANYWAY.....during the month long process....I don't think a day went by that we didn't say "THANK GOODNESS we are NOT doing this ourselves.  

So in good old renovation show terminology......it's time for the big reveal!

Ahhh....the freestanding soaking tub that I have been dreaming about since we started is every bit as beautiful as I imagined! Taking out the old surround for the whirlpool tub that I never used freed up an enormous amount of room for the shower.  There used to be a soffitt over the shower.  Removing that makes the shower seem even bigger.  The custom glass is seamless.  The "experts" were able to install this in less than 2 hours.  

We found these tilting mirrors on Amazon of all places.  They look just like the ones in the lighting store where we found these great fixtures.  When the contractor actually "complained" about how difficult the installation of the mirrors was....I knew that a DIY session would have been extremely painful for Mr. S.!

I love the squared off under mount sinks.  The glossy white counter is a dream compared to the old molded "marble" that it replaces.  This really big vanity was another reason we were glad we had experts to rely on.....it is 78 inches long and came in one big piece.  Imagine us trying to haul that fro,

We still need to find window treatments and some towel bars and other stuff...and I imagine there will be some DIY with those things....

Less than a month total time....

Little or no hassles..... 

It really was worth the expense to save time, headaches, trips to Home Depot, arguments etc. etc. etc.

But the REAL proof of value....

The Sweetwater Grandboy gives his seal of approval!

Have A Wonderful Day!

When NOT to DIY....In Praise of Expertise! Part One!

Mr. S and I are confirmed DIYers.
Even if it means many trips to the hardware store....and lots of trial and error....we LOVE the feeling of a project well done by US!

A few months ago, we decided that our master bathroom had gotten pretty shabby after 25+ years of hard use.

 It wasn't AWFUL...just outdated with a few spots that were down right worn out!













We considered the option of doing a lot of the work ourselves.
We looked at the scope of the project.
We knew that Mr. S was still in recovery mode from his ankle replacement.
Even though we knew it would be more expensive to let the
experts take care of it...we GULP...decided that the DIY route wasn't in the cards for this remodel.

So....we hired a general contractor and put together a plan and got an estimate for the work.
The sticker shock was a bit hard to take....and then we thought about what was involved and decided to go for it!

It turns out that in this case....spending the money and relying on the experts was not just sensible....it probably was a pretty cost effective way to go.

Let me tell you why!


The first set of experts that we used were the people at the Tile Shop.
We went in....told them what our vision was.....and let them lead the way!

In less than an hour.....with Mr. S wheeling his way through the shop on his tricycle...we were able to choose floor tile, shower tile and all the additional pieces.  The advice we got was superb.  Our "expert" listened to our "wants" for elegant mid-range tile that would stand the test of time.

 Then it was off to find the fixtures.....
We started at the logical spots Home Depot and Menards.  That was not the way to go!  While there were many options...it was too overwhelming to put the package together.  Especially since I had my heart set on a free standing tub that was a good quality.  Many hours of on-line shopping and wandering around in a fog at the big box store....we headed to Fergusens.  This is a bath and kitchen source with a great show room.  We made an appointment for a consultation.  We shared our budget and design parameters and....Two hours later.....our salesperson guided us through the process and we had the whole kit and caboodle selected.  We got EXPERT advice and everything matches!  He even found the perfect free standing tub for way less money than I thought it would cost.


Lessons learned:

• Do your homework....so you can tell those experts what you do like and what you don't like. This does mean lots of looking on line to see what is available.  That time pays off when you are actually making selections.

• Set a price range and be willing to tell your expert what it is.  There is no shame in sticking to a budget.....but....if you fall in love with something see if there is something less expensive to be found.

• Don't obsess....the choices were overwhelming....but really...once we decided on the gray marble look and the subway tile we could really shop price because the high end and low end aren't all that different.  As long as you talk quality....you can find a mid-range product that will work.  Making the decision to stay with one tile source and one fixture source saved us not just time....but money.
• Listen and Learn...we found out so many things from these people about all the little things that were necessary and available...and how to save money as well.  If we had set out to do this without the advice we would have been making lots of trips to fix our mistakes.  Instead...we were able to have everything ready for the project to begin and stay on schedule.

Speaking of SCHEDULE....my next post will take you through the actual construction and demonstrate how using experts made sense for us!
Would you believe that the whole project started a month ago and we are only waiting for the vanity counter to be completely finished?


 I can't wait to show you how it turned out!
Stay tuned....



Have A Great Day!

Simple Almost No Sew Custom Shower Curtain

A Long Long Time Ago.....
I posted about the no sew shower curtain in the guest bathroom.  The complete tutorial for how to do this can be found on the link.
This curtain really doesn't look bad.....but heavens....it has been hanging around for over 7 years!  GASP!

 The dark brown walls will be staying for awhile.  We are redoing the master bath later on this month....and energy and budget for the guest bath just won't happen.

My challenge:  Find some way to freshen up the room with out spending too much time and little or no money!

If you are a regular reader, you know that for me, many projects start with a fabric inspiration!
Fabric stores are my happy place!
Speaking of happy....don't these little birds just make you smile?

I love the clean white background.
I love the multiple colors on the birds.
The green is bright and cheerful.
We can pretend the branches are brown...until we have time to paint!


 Here are the simple directions for an almost no sew shower curtain:

To make a shower curtain you will need 2 Lengths of fabric (typical drapery fabric is 54-60 inches wide).
1.  Four yards of fabric will give you enough fabric for a full looking curtain.

2. Cut the fabric in 2 pieces and seam them together (straight seam on the machine or fusible webbing will work...never tried to glue gun....but why not)

3. Cut a piece of fabric that is 8 inches wide from each of the pieces.....I cut this from the long sides of the fabric.  You will have 2 pieces that are 8 x 72.  Fold the strips to make tabs.  I don't sew these...it has never seemed to be necessary.  Cut the folded strips into 8 inch pieces for use as the tabs.

4. Turn both of the sides of the big square in to make a smooth edge.  You can stitch or use fusible web for this.

5. Fold the top of the square down to make a 2 inch "hem".

6. Fold the tab pieces over and pin them to the top.  Space them 5 inches apart with a 3 inch "loop".

7.  Stitch across the top of the curtain at 1/2 inch down and 2 inches down.  This will secure the tabs.
I imagine you could do this with a glue gun too!

8.  Measure your curtain to make sure you know how long you want it....then turn up the bottom for a nice hem.

9. Hang the curtain by the tabs on a tension rod.  I have a regular shower rod with a liner behind the decorative one.

There you have it!

Then it was just a matter of "shopping the house" for some art and accents to fit the new decor.

I changed the mats on these little pictures to white for a brighter look.

This canvas has just the right color scheme for the new room.

The ceramic birds look right at home with their "friends"!

The new update was worth the couple of hours spent.
Even with new towels...I think the total cost was around $50!
My kind of decorating!

Have A Wonderful Day and Stay Warm!

 

Link Parties

Around Tuit

Dropped Ceiling Panel Update

The latest project here at Sweetwater is a cosmetic update of the lower level bathroom.

This turned out to be one of those projects that reminds me of the book If You Give A Mouse a Cookie. 
If you aren't familiar with the storyline....it goes something like this...
"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw. When he's finished, he'll ask you for a napkin.
Then he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache. When he looks in the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim. So he'll probably ask for a pair of nail scissors...."  and so on and so on.

The Sweetwater version goes something like this!

Dawn and Vinegar Magical Cleaner

Do those Dawn dish soap commercials tug at your heart the way they do mine?






The commercials  prove what a great grease cutter and cleaner this amazing soap is!

Everyone also touts the effectiveness of vinegar as a cleaning agent.

It only makes sense that if you put the two together they would work even better.

So after reading about this a couple of months ago....I decided to try it.

I imagine that many of you are sitting there saying "what took her so long to discover this?"
Who knows....but I do know that this stuff is truly magical....

The recipe is simple: 

How Sweet It Is-DYI Sugar Scrub for Winter Skin!

It isn't surprising that at Sweetwater we like SWEET THINGS!

One of those is Homemade Sugar Scrub to slough off dry winter skin!

Before I share the recipe....take a look at the results of my search for all things sugar!

Sugar, ah, honey, honey
You are my candy girl
And you got me wanting you
Honey, ah, sugar, sugar
You are my candy girl
And you got me wanting you

Lyrics from the Archies hit Sugar Sugar

"How sweet it is!"

Tagline made famous by Jackie Gleason on his 1950's television show.

 Sugar in the morning
Sugar in the evening
Sugar at suppertime
Be my little sugar
And love me all the time

Lyrics from the McGuire Sisters 1958 hit song "Sugartime"

Source

If you read this ad from the 1960's.....you are sure to get on the sugar band wagon!

The "POLAR VORTEX" has taken a toll on my skin....there must be a Below 0 amount of moisture in the air!

 I came across this bag of  Turbinado Sugar in the freezer during one of my organizing frenzies....

There isn't much else to do except organizing when you are stuck inside because of the "POLAR VORTEX"!

I decided to stop organizing and make some Sugar Scrub.

There are countless recipes out there for Sugar Scrubs.....but the basic idea is:

Some Sugar
A Carrier Oil
An optional Fragrance


Since we are in a "POLAR VORTEX", I wasn't going anywhere to buy ingredients for my Sugar Scrub.  Using one of the basic tenets of Sweetwater Style, I just used what I had!

I got out the VitaMix.....

This baby has sooo many interesting uses!

Since the Turbinado sugar is pretty rough....too rough for my tender skin....


Grinding it with the VitaMix made for a much smoother consistency!

 "What I HAD" for oil was some Baby Oil and some Coconut Oil.


I figured that a combination of these two would work fine...

I didn't have any fragrance oils on hand and of course, the "POLAR VORTEX" kept me from going out to get any!

The sweet fragrance of the Baby Oil took care of the need for additional fragrance...

It was a simple process to mix the oil and sugar together.....

Then I got out the little $.49 jars I bought at GoodWill last week....

(I knew when I saw them that they would find an interesting use!)
I packed the Sugar Scrub in the jars!

And there I had it.....an almost free version of the spendy products that you can buy...but then again why would you buy something this simple to make!
Besides....because of the  "POLAR VORTEX"...the temperature in our house means that the shelf life of this will be reasonably long!

This homemade beauty product is a nice addition to the "Thrifty Homemade Bath Soak" that I use all of the time.


 Would you believe that the post with the recipe for this has had over 12,000 visits?  Go Figure!!!














You might also like to visit these links that have lots and lots of recipes for Sugar Scrubs.....maybe you will find a way to make one "Using What YOU Have"!

A Resource List for Sugar Scrub Recipes

The Dreaming Earth Botanical Recipes

14 Sugar Scrub Recipes from the Tip Junkie

 Are you as tired as I am hearing about the POLAR VORTEX?

The temps today are going to hit ZERO by noon!

I am going to get out of the house......it's a HEAT WAVE....A Tropical Heat Wave!

Have a Great Day!

 

Link Parties

Blackberry Vine   

Almost No Sew Shower Curtain!

 I wrote a post this summer about loving Marimekko Style Designs.
There are examples of how Marimekko inspired designs seem to be in lots of places in the house!

Check out this post to see how these fabrics in our house!

A couple of years ago, we painted the upstairs bathroom a very deep chocolate brown.  The shower curtain that I put up right after we painted was made from this fabric. 

(I don't have a picture of what it looked like because seriously....BEFORE I BLOGGED I don't take pictures in my bathroom! Go Figure!) 

 Now this is nice enough fabric....but then on a trip to the fabric store....

I fell in love....(well in like anyway) with this print!

I used one of my trusty "Almost No Sew"  techniques...