1970's Bathroom Makeover!

I love "before" and "after" photos. So I could just kick myself for not taking adequate photos, prior to starting our bathroom makeover this past fall. Sure I have a few pictures, but they were taken after the wallpaper had been taken down. And trust me, if only you could have seen that peeling, yellowing paper, with the giant brush strokes stamped all over it, in a muted terracotta, gold and teal . . .your jaw would have dropped open in amazement!


We did not have the budget to change out our toilet fixtures, and so our original almond coloured toilet, sink and tub would have to remain. We worked around what we had, with the goal of creating a modern and serene space.

The new colour, a steel blue, is light and airy, but still grounded and calm. Perfect! A few black accents (including no-paint artwork* I made myself) would add the modern edge I was looking for.

And for an unexpected wow! factor, we said "goodbye" to the window shutters and "hello" to a large-scale floral valance, in a bright pop of orange!

* I stumbled upon a fabulous idea for no-paint art work on the Make Under My Life blog. I knew right away, I wanted to use this technique for the artwork in my new bathroom. So easy! Over a primed blank canvas, you simply wrap black twine, on which some dimensional fabric element (I used sheer black ribbon) is threaded. Voila!

http://makeundermylife.com/no-paint-artwork-in-15-minutes/

iPad ...finally!

My husband and I have birthdays that are two days apart; December 5 and December 3, respectively. This year we agreed, since Christmas is right around the corner...no birthday presents! So, you can imagine my surprise when on the eve of my birthday, I turned on my heels to head out of the kitchen, only to see Otto in Darren's arms, coming toward me holding the most distinctive of all packages. I knew immediately what it was.

I mean, who else could set hearts racing with the sheer simplicity of a stark white box? With the promise of some of the most titillating technology inside, Apple has cornered the market on Sexy Tech. Sure, I had hinted*. But did he really? Could he have actually?

He did!

An iPad. And not just any iPad. But the top of the line, 3G model with a 64 Gig memory, in white, of course. He even engraved it with a message that made my eyes tear. It couldn't be more perfect!

And so I have had my handy little surprise gift for 15 days now. It is almost fully integrated into my daily routine. I take the iPad to meetings with me, instead of a notepad. I do my monthly budget on the iPad, instead of on the laptop. I cook from recipes on the iPad, instead of out of a cookbook. It doesn't leave my side. Indespensible. I am very intrigued at how this device is actually changing how I live and how I work. But even moreso, as time goes on and I discover more apps, I am curious to see how else this little 7"x10" wonder, will work it's way even further into my life...and my heart!

* Truth be told, I did a little more than hint. Just a little.