My transplanted rose bush started popping ….

Mamma Bird was busy again, too – on Saturday, she was up to 3 eggs in the nest!

I’m so in love with the color!

Attempting to continue my gardening streak, I cleaned out the containers Jeffrey gave me and re-planted them with some vegetable plants.  I don’ think they will grow in such a small container, but it’s also kind of a test to see if that area of the yard gets enough sunlight to eventually sustain a full garden.

I also spent a few hours digging out the weeds that are overgrowing the curb in the yard.  (the “curb in the yard” being a separate issue that was once a driveway, but will not be used as a driveway by us, so instead is a dividing wall for now…).  The drainage is terrible  from the top of the curb into the flower bed and herb garden, and with all the rain we’ve had lately, a lot of soil got washed away and a lot of new weeds popped up.  For example, above the herb garden was looking like this:

bottom half of photo = all weeds. Curb = kinds mossy ….

I dug out about half the curb and planted some grass seed.  We will see what happens!  The dirt should settle in soon and hopefully we will get some grass along the edge ….

after the weed-digging….

Meanwhile, the Tile Master got half the bathroom floor done!  Not yet grouted, but it’s bold and crazy tile and I’m really excited about it!  (and more bathroom blog posts to follow, obv.)  What do you think?

Modwalls floor tile, gumball pattern, laid by Chris!

But I think the most exciting Father’s Day news is for the Papa Robin, who is going to have not three, but 4 babies ….  Mamma laid one more egg today!

FOUR!

And how was your weekend?

I spent a good portion of my time removing all of that border paper. By the time I had finished, we began working in the utility room where the washer and dryer will go. I had to sweep floors and get it ready to paint.

That’s where I had a lot of fun, as I made a couple of trips out to Home Depot and to Lowe’s as well to pick out paint colors–and countertops. Fun. .. fun!

I also spent some time cleaning out the pool in between breaks or as I need some time away. I ended up with three huge piles of leaves–which I did not end up getting pictures up–I couldn’t believe I didn’t capture that! I have bagged three large black bags of leaves that were put out to the road. Now, we have been battling the weather while trying to get that done. It’s either been raining and the leaves were to wet and heavy to put into bags. Or, the other issue was it had been way too hot! Making it impossible to work in at all!

As you can see it has all been removed! That’s just another thing done. After we did this we also had to remove the flooring. Tile flooring that is, that meant we had fun hitting them to pieces.

Well, this is not the best picture of me to ever so! LOL! A little bit embarrassing too. But, when you work like that, there is too much to be pretty about!  So, yep, this is me breaking that tile to pieces.

My mom called it “Anger Management 101!” I laughed when she told me that. No, I don’t need anger management at all. It was just funny because it was thought of as that!

In the meantime, my dad was busy with the plumbing. Did I mention my dad has many talents that he has been blessed with? He completing redid the plumbing from head-to- toe!

He’s also had a young guy from our church to take all of those extra pieces of brick and stones out of the bathroom. So its been a chore for him, poor guy.

After the plumbing had been finalized then it was time to purchase the tub. Now, we just have to install it. That’s this weeks job.

Between everything going on, dad was able to put up the drywall for that stone wall. Remember the stone wall that I didn’t want? It’s been replaced!

But, the most fun I had in the whole process so far has to be picking out the paint colors. So which one do you think I picked?

Watch for the next post as I reveal all the colors coming up. We are getting close to the finish line!

At any rate, the paint colour is staying.  But after the first coat, I noticed the silicone had not been fully removed near the shower’s edge and someone had wiped their silicone covered fingers on the walls here and there.  So I got out the sandpaper and roughed up the paint, then followed with a thin coat of mud, then more sanding, primer and the second coat of paint.  Of course with all the steps and trying to finish my last week of teaching, it took a whole week.

This morning was spent caulking the baseboard edges and painting the trims white.  While I was at it, I painted the trims and door in the powder room we completed this past winter.  The last steps involve cleaning the floor really well and dressing the bathroom.  The floor is clean but the furnishings are not determined yet.  So I guess the bathroom is in transition for the time being.

While I was painting, I realized that the brownish floors will never look that good with white cabinets we had planned to install.  Drawing inspiration from the Langley bathroom, I am thinking we need to use a darker vanity.  We had chosen medium brown kitchen cabinetry for the bathroom in BC, but I don’t think Ikea offers the same finish in the bathroom vanity.  I’ll have to do some shopping.  In the meantime, the bathroom is ready for use again and I’ll have the summer to think about how to improve it further.

All women of the Church are invited to join us on June 22nd at 3:00 pm at Pender as we shower Nicole Gunderson and Mack Parrish with love and best wishes!

We are having a tropical-themed wedding shower party, so wear your flip flops and your favorite tropical garb. Children are welcome!

Nicole and Mack are registered at Kohl’s and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Please RSVP to Theresa Carpenter here by Thursday, June 20.

No matter where are you, are you currently sharing a flat with some of your Chinese friends? Or, have you visited a Chinese family before and wondered why is it that the bathroom always wet? Especially, before you take a shower in the bathroom, you would be already stepping into the shower room with a complete wet floor. Why?

From my personal experience, it is unfortunately the case. To me, it was never a problem stepping into a wet shower room before I went to shower. However, as I’ve once again moved to a Western country, during one occasional talk with an exchange student from Czech Republic, he once shared to the class during one cultural discussion talk and said “THAT’S WHY! I used to wonder why my Chinese roommate NEVER dries the bathroom after use!” I therefore asked him if he told his Chinese roommate about this matter and unfortunately, he said “No…” I do agree and can imagine, if this friend of mine happened to tell his Chinese roommate about it, the Chinese roommate would be equally confused as him. How should we solve this Chinese cultural dilemma?

Why wet?

Some conclusions that I personally can think of is the type of water it is that we use in different countries. I am unfortunately not a chemistry expert so I hereby can only share the limited knowledge I have in regards to “hard” and “soft” water. While hard or soft water is another big topic when it comes to drinking, I am now only going to talk about hard and soft in the sense of housekeeping.

Hard water consists of calcium, magnesium and is rich in minerals. In most western countries, water is hard. Therefore, it is relatively important to dry all things (your cups, your plates, your bathroom, your pots, and etc) right after wash. If not, you might have already seen that there will be white stains as leftovers. They are annoying, and they don’t look pretty. Therefore, we tend to try them right after. On the other hand, in Asia, water is normally soft. Soft water does not cause too much of the white stains and Chinese people normally have this idea in mind that the cloth you use you dry your pots and plates might be dusty and dirty, so when you dry them, what happens? Your nicely washed pots and plates would be dirty again!?

Another idea that why bathrooms are always wet in most Chinese societies is that the weather is often hot, so the windows in the bathrooms are mostly open, therefore, the natural fresh air that comes in helps to circulate the steamed air in the bathroom after use. Makes sense? I hope so.

Cultural confrontations:

It is difficult to cross this Chinese cultural barrier but it would be nice to nudge your Chinese roommates a bit when it comes to living together in the sense to keep the bathroom in good use as much as possible. I am sure the Chinese roommates might have just not thought about it and it would be nice to keep them aware of this. No offense and it helps to shape the world a better place.

I washed it in the washing machine. It was clean but then the red mystery continued.

The plumber was here for a leaky kitchen faucet and he checked our water system, we’re on a well, and saw no issues.

He checked out the bath soap – not red. And the shampoo – not red.

Later that week, as I showered, my brain was working and I figured it out. No, I didn’t figure out my brain, just the red bathmat.

So, it was the scrunchy, scrubby thing. Who’d have thunk?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*( This is a re-run, but I thought some of the new readers would get a kick out of this story.)

“Interest rates are at an all-time low. You need to refinance –yesterday!” say the Financial Experts. My husband and I decide to contact a Mortgage Refinance Dude (MRD). Well, ok, I left voicemail.

Two weeks later MRD contacted me. “You need to jump on this now!”  Ok, where do we sign? He emails us paperwork. Sign this, initial that. Make copies of every page of your tax return. Deliver the paperwork to his office.

MRD then informs us that we will need to have an Estimator come look at the property. Yikes!

Two trips to Lowe’s and $60 later, the front yard is full of living flowers. Curb appeal. Check.

Moving on to the inside of the house….

I am the world’s worst housekeeper, and the proud recipient of the Pack Rat of the Year Award.

My teenage son moved out of his room to attend college last weekend. I had to buy paint for two walls, which doesn’t exactly match, but it’s close enough, if you look at it in the right light. Another $40 at Lowe’s for paint, plastic, painter’s tape. It’s good enough. Check.

On to the Master Bedroom: One wall is has chipped paint, and stains where someone threw, er, spilled, coffee. There are scrapes from last year’s boots. Back to Lowe’s for another gallon of close-enough-to-the-real-color paint. More tape, more plastic, just charge it; we don’t have any more cash. Come home. Tape the woodwork. Put plastic on the rug. Paint wall. When it dries, I see every mistake.  Well it’s close enough, if you look at it in the right light. Check.

There’s the matter of cleaning the main bathroom, but first we need to re-paint it. The towel rack “fell” down, leaving holes in the wall, and there was that mold problem.  I re-spackle, sand and paint. Now the woodwork is covered in dust and paint chips, and needs to be cleaned. Don’t forget the bathtub and shower.  So three days, a few aches and pains later, the bathroom is impeccable. DO NOT USE THE MAIN BATHROOM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Check.

Moving into the Family Room, there is dog kibble build-up behind the bookcase and on the floor. I begin scrubbing. My joints are aching, but I push through.  It doesn’t look too bad, when suddenly…..

A shriek is heard coming from the back yard. MY DOG JUST GOT SPRAYED BY A SKUNK. Don’t even think about washing him in the main bathroom! The dog endures a tomato sauce bath in the back yard. More shrieks. My dog now has orange fur.

We also had to call “Animal Control” to come get the skunk that was staggering around the backyard like a drunken sailor. Another $150 check — made out to “Cash” — thank you very much.

Take another trip to buy air fresheners of every shape and size. Put that on the credit card too. Fans are in every window, blowing air in from the front of the house and out the back of the house.

My husband, who has just worked a full 8-hour day, painted the living room, and given the dog a tomato sauce bath, announces he is taking a shower.

Twenty minutes later I find him passed out on the bed. My side of the bed is still filled with crap I threw there so I could paint the wall. I decide it’s easier to sleep in the guest room.

The guest room! I need to pull everything out of the closet and re-fold; especially those darn fitted sheets, which are rolled up tumbles of cloth.  Please, oh, please, let me sleep tonight.

No work will be done on Saturday due to a major family event. Sunday we madly scurry about, throwing everything into large Rubbermaid containers and stacking them in the garage…..

Estimator Dude shows up on Monday. He asks, “Should I remove my shoes?” Whew. Good question. The house must look clean. We passed that hurdle.

Now I sit next to the phone waiting for MRD to call with our closing date.

Easy-peasy.

So refinance now, while the rates are low!

This room follows the same rules with a grey base and artwork which greets you like a confident handshake and a Mona Lisa smile.

Again, the balance here is perfect. The pale grey provides the perfect backdrop for an eclectic mix of interesting textiles and art without it being over bearing.

This wall gallery shouts “KAPOW” on an otherwise bland space.

This industrial space is pretty homely despite its vast wall space. The huge dark sofa, mix of cushions and artwork give it plenty of personality.

Nikki Tibbles home is a feast of colour. She bravely mixes big chunky wool cushions and florals and it works.

Patricia Urquiola works the hotel look here beautifully. If this W Hotel Retreat and Spa could talk it would whisper in your ear “I’m awesome”.

If you shit yourself when you are drunk I will call you out. It’s not like you are pregnant and trying to push a baby head out your private area and accidentally shit yourself (yes bros, that happens sometimes). Dudes that shit themselves are unfortunate and/or weak. And it’s def different than upper-decking (shitting in the water pressure top part of the toilet making shit-water rain from the heavens/ceiling). Sometimes that shit is funny (pun intended). But shitting on a couch, the floor, or a wicker chair is fugging disgusting. If you do it on purpose or not, defecating on someone’s property is lewd, crude, and straight trailor-park. And waking up the next day and dipsetting without a heads up of any kind is even more unfortunate.

There are many unfortunate events that make bros, and guys in general, assholes. But these kind of hi-jinx take the cake. Intent and unconscious bodily production are completely different from each other. However I refuse to believe that homeboy wouldn’t know what the fuck is going on. If you happen to do something distasteful as such or have a friend that is unfortunate enough to do something like this, do a bro a favor and kick him in the balls. And make sure he fesses up, apologizes, and pays for being a dick.

got well pissed at there house, ended up banging one of the girls who was around 5 years older than me and then said i was going to the toilet but instead crept out the yard and never saw them again. left my socks and underwear.

I thought I felt a nibbling on my nuts…

As REM once sang, Everybody Poops.  When we go into the bathroom to do our business, we take for granted that other than a couple billion microscopic specks of bacteria, there isn’t any other living thing between us and the blue water.  Of course, that doesn’t stop people from being paranoid that a snake or even an alligator is going to suddenly emerge from the water and nip them in the buns.  The last thing we’d expect to find emerging from our toilet is a squirrel… but that’s just what Angela Campbell of Winnipeg, Manitoba discovered about a week ago.  Seriously!  Here is a link to the story from CBC News.

Nothing unusual about a squirrel on a toilet.

The photo of the soaked black squirrel trying to get out of the toilet looks like it was taken straight from some cheesy horror movie.  I mean, come on…. it honestly looks like a turd came to life, sprouted limbs, and is emerging from the bowl for revenge on the person who tried to flush it.

Howdy ho!!! Prepare to be hung sideways!

This story teaches us an important lesson that when faced with a surprise squirrel in the toilet situation, we should all remember to have a pair of barbecue tongs handy.  That’s what Campbell used to extract the sewage-covered beast from her commode.  Tongs are always a much better choice than using the dog’s teeth for such a delicate operation.  Not wanting to send a stinky squirrel back out into the wild, Campbell took the turd burglar straight to the tub for a quick bath.

A nice, hot bubbly bath I hope.

Once again, the overwhelming kindness of our neighbors to the north shines through in the way Ms. Campbell handled this squirrel turned sewer rat.  Most Americans in this situation would have likely hammered the flush handle or picked up the plunger and used it as an epee.  But this squirrel is lucky to have tunneled his way into the right bathroom, so that he was rescued, de-fecalized, and is now back to scampering around in beautiful downtown Winnipeg… and will hopefully learn his lesson not to go looking for nuts in septic tanks.

Those are dingleberries, dumbass!

So remember two things, folks!  Always check the water before you sit down, and be wary next time you are invited to a barbecue….

Ummm, those tongs look a little funky, Mr. President….

You don’t need to leave your home to get a fix of well–being and relaxation – bring the spa to you. Follow expert Vinny Lee’s tips (taken from his book Bathrooms) on how to incorporate spa style interior design into your bathroom, that will create a sanctuary of peace and calm in your home.

History

The term ‘spa’ originally referred to the sites of curative mineral springs where the water was used for bathing and drinking in an effort to heal and detoxify the body. Nowadays, spa culture is still founded on these ideals but has expanded to include ways of releasing stress, with the focus on both physical and mental well-being.

Colour and Materials

To bring the holistic feeling of a spa to a domestic bathroom, you need a design that gives a sense of peace and calm. Neutral colours help achieve this; these shades have an affinity which gives them an easy harmony so you will rarely go wrong with beiges, browns, greys and greens. And also use natural materials such as wood, bamboo and stone to create another link with nature and the outdoors. For inspiration, look to the East where meditation, contemplation and simplicity go hand in hand with oriental spirit.

Via Kohler.com

But sometimes we want things, we don’t need them, but I see no harm in getting stuff we don’t necessarily need as long as it doesn’t cause harm to anyone or our checking accounts.  (that said…I’m the first one to admit I don’t always follow the rule of not harming my checking account…that’s another story entirely, though)

Nonetheless, I LOVE repurposing.  I have a donation collection, for instance, that I keep around for a good long while because I want to make sure I’m not going to want to repurpose the items before I actually donate them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone down to my basement to search for something I decided I needed, not found it and then recalled I donated it the prior year.

There is one collection of items I have never considered donating and will never donate, and that’s my collection of curtains.  This collection is the result of several residential moves and a hefty financial investment in top-quality curtains. So I have these nicely folded and stored on a shelf in the same closet I store my towels. Consequently, I get to be reminded of these curtains every time I go get fresh towels…obviously quite often.

I was in that closet a few weeks ago, looked up wistfully at my unused curtain collection and a light-bulb went on over my head…literally…because I put the light on in the room for a better look.  I reached into my curtain collection for one panel of long sheer curtaining, went into my dining room and created a curtain-rod cover for my double-windows.  I happened to already have a panel hanging on either side of my window, but this curtain-twist idea can be done without curtains hanging already. In fact, it might even look better that way.

Very simple thing to do: just take one of the long curtains and twist around the curtain rod. Create a knot of sorts on the ends around the rod, fluffing it up nicely and tuck in behind the rod so that it doesn’t show from the front.  There you go!!  Now make some coffee or tea, sit down, sip, look out the windows!  Enjoy!

Sent by Locked

For this Modern Vintage mix, we use a modern paint choice in BM Wrought Iron. More modern elements include crisp white towels, teak accessories and striped shower curtain. On the vintage side, we use hex tile (keep the grout white for a more traditional choice, or dark to keep it more modern), traditional mirror, and a pedestal sink.

I’m thinking of adopting this plan for my unfortunate looking rental bathroom. We’ll see…

via interiors porn

via desire to inspire

via alt for damerne

via interiors porn

via alt for damerne

via almond essence

via queen organic

via bassica-l

via the design hunter

via house beautiful

Product Description

Broan Sensaire technology is a hands-free solution to fighting excess humidity and possible mold problems. It detects rapid increases in moisture levels at the ceiling, where steam do humidity naturally rise, and automatically turns the fan on. With a fan this quiet, we included automatic shutoff to save worry, and money. Broan Sensaire technology is a perfect solution for high traffic bathrooms, the kids’ bathroom, or for anyone who leaves the house before humidity is properly vented. Detects a rapid rise in humidity. Humidity is sensed at tea ceiling level. Shutoff timer factory set at 20 minutes. Fits 2-Inch by 8-Inch ceiling construction. UL listed for use over bathtubs and showers when connected to a GFCI protected branch circuit. Includes hanger bar system for fast and flexible installation for all types of construction. Energy star qualified, HVI certified. 100 CFM and 1.5-Sones, designed for 90 square foot bathroom.

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Product Description

Perfectly suitable for both residential and commercial applications: Bathroom walls and floors, kitchen countertop backsplashes, column wraps, swimming pool interiors and other decorative surfaces.

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Slowly I turned my head around and heard the cracking or air-bubbles in my neck – first on the right, then the left. I cracked my knuckles and stretched out my hands. Once I felt a little better I stepped down onto the cold floor and looked at my puffy face in the dresser mirror. My hair had been messed up and looked like a bird-nest. I took off my hair-band and wore it on my wrist before tying my hair up in a bun and supporting it with the hair-band. I walked towards the bathroom, leaving my phone blaring behind me with Owl City half way through singing about ‘Fireflies’. I flicked the switch and waited for the flickering light to turn on before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind me.

Although I didn’t stay in there for a long time, it seemed like eternity. I emptied my bladder and stood in front of the mirror with the basin at my waist. I leaned in closer to take a look at the pimple-like lump forming on my forehead. I have sun-allergy, I know, what a thing to be allergic to! If I stay in the sun for more than half an hour, these tiny dotty things formed all over my face and the only way to get rid of them is to push out all the sebum collected there using my nails. That is what I did. It pinched onto my skin and got rid of the mini-pimple. I took a step back and looked at my face – I looked so sick! My face was swollen and my eyes puffed up; there were dark circles under my eyes and my face shone in the mixture of oil and sweat that had formed in the past 5 hours.

I could hear the murmur of the songs being played on my phone – it sounded like a radio playing an old station at a distant building. A few cars passed the street every now and then, zooming away on the empty roads. I turned on the tap and cold water started running down into the basin almost instantly.  I washed my hands and splashed my face with the spine-chilling cold liquid. I shivered a little before taking another two or three splashes and cleaned my face thoroughly. I hadn’t realised how my whole body was literally emitting heat until I washed my face.

I walked over to the silver rod which had my towel hanging on it and wiped my face with the cloth-piece. On walking out of the bathroom I heard Avril Lavigne singing ‘I Wish You Were Here’. I walked over to my overflowing bed and pushed the things onto the table and stool before climbing in and spreading out the sheets evenly. I pulled the pillow I call ‘Sno’ and placed it by the wall. With another pillow under my head and two cushions in the place of the head-board, I tucked myself in. I hugged Sno like I do and turned off the lights. My phone was still playing music. James Blunt told me, ‘You’re Beautiful’ and I smiled. I remembered the times I had with the guy I love and then the sick girl in the mirror. I didn’t know who I was anymore.

With the thoughts of my recent past, battered present and invisible future, I took comfort in the words James Blunt uttered into my ears and closed my eyes. I don’t know when I fell asleep but when I woke up this morning I was alive, feeling a lot better. As I walked to my bathroom again I saw the broken girl in the mirror once again. It seemed like she had cried last night. Poor thing… I don’t know where I am anymore – in a web of self-pity? Or just falling back into my depression? The only thing I know is I am the broken girl in the mirror and although I smile and laugh, I am hurting. Each smile is faked, each laugh forced. I want to help the girl in the mirror, I want to help me. All that girl needs is Love, she told me. Can someone not give her something as inexpensive as Love?