Framed Bathroom Mirror

Hi Everyone! Well, we're down to the last couple of weekends, and we will be listing our house with the Realtor this evening. To say we are glad all the work is almost over is beyond an understatement. We've had to be working on this house every weekend for the last six months, and we're so pleased at how it's turned out. We've invested lot's of money in updates, and extras to hopefully give us an edge in the market. Home sales in our area have finally turned around, and last month was the highest volume of homes sold in the last quite a few years. Not only sold, but prices are rebounding, so good news for us as sellers!

Hall Bath Makeover February 2012

We still won't recover all the money we paid for it back in 2003, (highest prices in forever) and on top of that we've put over $25,000 into it in updates. But it's still much better than it would have been even a couple of years ago. We lived with some issues that we should have tackled over the years. But you know how it is...you're busy, and all the little things and repairs take a back seat to the more important things in life.

When we moved in I was pretty unhappy with the condition of the mirrors in a couple of the bathrooms. We had removed one humongous wall mirror over the bar, only to have problems with covering up the mega holes, torn wallboard, and gouges. So we just lived with the mirrors. Problem was that over the years, splashed water and humidity had caused the silver to disintegrate on the outer edges of the mirrors. Now, I love that look on antique mirrors, but in an updated bath?...not so much.

So we explored options for removing, covering up, repairing etc, and during one of my "Google-ing" sessions read this blog post from Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality. She had successfully "framed" a few of her bathroom mirrors for a very modest investment, and a little elbow grease.

We found our MDF white molding at Lowes in the 2 and 1/2 inch size, and some corner rosettes that we needed to paint white to match. I had to do a light coat of white trim paint to cover up some problems that taping caused, but we love how they turned out. 

Rhoda used a glue gun, but we had some of this DAP Sealant that worked perfectly. We just put some masking tape up for 24 hours to make sure it held.

We started at the bottom and worked our way to the top of the mirror.

Sorry I can't get a good photo. This was at night and no natural light.

So thank you Rhoda! we followed her instructions and found a wonderful "fix" 

on something that definitely had had us scratching our heads for all these years.

love it!!!

If you want complete instructions,

 please check out Rhoda's great DIY post for the details.

Hopefully, I'll get the "after" shots. and the listing on the house soon to share them with you all. Thanks so very much for all your encouragement and prayers while we've been going through this. Now please just pray for a quick sale. We're heading to St. Louis for my doctor's appointments soon, and we need to focus on whatever is waiting for me there.

joining in at these get-togethers:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Show and Share at Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

xoxo,

Sunroom Ideas for the New House

We've been busy packing and cleaning and updating this last six months at our old house, but I've needed to allow myself some "dream" time to think and gather some inspiration for what I'd like in our next home. I loved my little sunporch; it was a place I expressed myself and had fun. It was a place I could play and decorate and change up for whatever holiday and when the mood would strike. Color and pattern and lots of vintage goodies made it my own special play room.

May 2013

(Following images can be found on my Pinterest boards,

Planked Walls and Potting Benches.)

I know that I'd love to have a bigger space in this next house, but it needs to be a sunroom. Not just a porch. It was often too cold in the winter months to fully enjoy it, so I really want this new space to be part of the house, and hopefully right off the kitchen like before.

These are inspiration pics of what I'd like to do with the shape of the room and the planked walls. I love the look of an old home, maybe added on to over time, and think that the "cathedral" or arched ceiling with planks and beams would be perfect for that vintage vibe. My first love has always been vintage garden goods, so I thought it would be fun to have the sunroom also have the look of a potting or garden shed. 

LOVE those beams! These pics are just to get an idea of the ceiling and walls. I want a white or neutral backdrop for all the vintage pieces and elements to show.

This sunroom space would serve as a sitting room,

 and a place to relax and watch tv or read.

But I want it to be rustic and garden-y, too.

And of course a chandelier or two would be perfect.

with a set of French Doors.

A cupboard for pots and vintage garden goodies...

I always love Kathleen's wonderful inspiration!

A place to display old garden tools...

  I'm the biggest fan of Mary's wonderful Potting Shed.

http://homeiswheretheboatis.net/2011/03/28/gardening-rules/

I love all the light in this wonderful greenhouse,

but wouldn't want glass roofing...

not with the hail we get in this part of the country.

and I'm hoping there's a way to include a brick or stone floor...

or maybe just a "look alike".

This may be where my big armoire in the kitchen ends up,

if so, I'd love to paint it a weathered gray.

My favorite wicker pieces from the old sunporch would be there, 

and I want to find a white slipcovered loveseat for more seating.

and make room for my potting table...

then put my little window conservatory on top.

OK, just sharing a few ideas that are rattling around in my head.

We haven't made any solid plans as yet, but it's not too soon to start dreaming.

Hope you all are having a great week...

We're making real progress at the home front.

We worked on the two decks last weekend, painting and repairs...

I only have one word for that...

YUCK!

I'll be joining in on these parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

From My Front Porch to Yours

Mrs. Olson's

French Country Cottage

Jennifer Rizzo

xoxo,

Pink Flowered Dishes

Hi Everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Can you guess what we did? If you guessed painting walls, ceilings, and closets then you're right!!! We're getting there, but wow, are we bone tired. Oh, I forgot about pruning dead shrubs and rose bushes...and going to Lowe's three times and Wal-Mart three times. No matter how hard you try, you just can't think of all the "stuff" you'll need for a marathon working weekend. And also finding the paint you had mixed that looked perfect on the paint card is actually waaaay too light so you go back once again.

OK enough whining, something pretty to look at... A couple of weeks ago we did the attic clean out and I found two boxes of this oh so sweet Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose China. It had been my maternal great grandmother's. Most of it was well used, so some is chipped, but other pieces like a few of the plates were pristine. I found a few old "rose" postcards to add in for a little vignette in the sitting room.

There were two varieties of cups,

 this one on the bottom looks like a little newer version.

I was looking through some of my books last week, and realized the roses on the cover of this edition of The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady had the same pretty trailing roses.

Here's another pattern of Homer Laughlin hiding behind the first plate. It has a little green band on the edging. My Peonies are blooming out front and they are fabulous! covered with ants... but fabulous! Click Here if you'd like to see last year's post on my Peonies and pink dishes.

Dog roses?

Sort of like a shrub rose bush to me.

(I see they're native to Europe)

I found this little metal wheelbarrow a few months ago, and it was just waiting for something fun to haul around. And of course, every little wheelbarrow needs some gardening tools!

When I finished playing with the dishes, 

I nestled them all in my white basket tray on the bottom shelf of the baker's rack.

When I started packing dishes back in February I had to decide what to keep or try to sell. I just couldn't part with any of my old china pieces, so they were all packed away. Now finding these, I'm so glad I didn't let them go and now I want to locate all my other "pink rose" china. (boohoo, they're in a storage unit until a house move...) Can't wait to put them all together for some fun vintage place settings.

One of my vintage embroidered tea towels...

Hard to believe it's this close to Summer. Often, Memorial Day is cool and rainy here, but we had hot and rainy instead. Our Realtor is ready to get the house listed since we have the pool. I was tempted to just jump in this last weekend, but resisted. Painting with wet clothes didn't sound like a lot of fun.

I miss you guys...I'm hanging in there just counting the days until I can see my new doctors. In the meantime I'm trying to not overdo it and rest alot in between house duty. Sending each of you a big hug!
joining in at
Savvy Southern Style
From My Front Porch to Yours

xoxo,