Oven BackSplash Fancying.

I loved looking at pictures at fun backsplashes behind ovens.  Something beautiful to stare at while cooking.  I wanted that.  I didn’t want to rip out my backsplash though and spend money on a non-essential on a kitchen reno that has gone on months longer than expected.

So I came up with my own clever idea… or well I think it’s clever.  Toot toot on that own horn.

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(I wish I could figure out how to make that slideshow go faster… but I can’t I am sorry.  BOO ME)

 

For those interested, thats a photo I found online of where my husband proposed.  So it’s both a really beautiful photo and a really great memory all in one.

 

I Totally Made This – Easter (And 2nd) Edition

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I totally made that.  And it hung on our door for Easter.

Want to know how?

It’s super involved. and I have no pictures of the process.

How long has it been since I nominated myself for worst blogger of the year?

First.  Supplies-

• A wire hanger
• A bunch of plastic easter eggs (sizes are up to you – I bought different sizes but mainly used the smaller ones) – Make sure you buy eggs that have holes in both ends.  This is very important.
• A hot glue gun
• Ribbon

Second. Directions-

1. Plug in that hot glue gun and heat it up!  I always hate when I start and forgot to preheat the glue.
2. Shape your wire hanger into a shape that closes resembles a circle.  As closely as possible.  It’s important to note that you shouldn’t permanently “undo” the hook.  Leave the hook at the top.  If you look at the pics above you can see that I used the ‘hook’ to hang the wreath.
3. You do however want to temporarily untwist the top so that your circle is open.  Remember those important holes in each end of the eggs? Thread the wire hanger THROUGH those holes.  Mine had a couple holes and so I changed it randomly to use different holes, and to have the eggs face in different directions. (For instance, pointy edge first, then fat end first, blah blah blah).
4. When you are done threading the eggs on, reattach the loop at the top – you must do this now because it’ll be pretty much impossible at the end.  Shoot some hot glue on it for good measure.
5. Start gluing the eggs on to the ones you threaded.  At first, it’s going to move on you.  The eggs will rotate.  You’ve got to be patient and use a lot of glue.  From the back, this thing is a mess, but if you do it right the glue will all be on the door side of the thing and you’ll never be able to tell that you emptied a ridiculous amount of hot glue on it.
6. Continue gluing eggs to the ones already on the wreath, filling in any “bare” looking spots until you are satisfied.  It’s a personal preference thing as to where you think looks like it “needs” an egg.
7. When you are satisfied, cover any place that you can FROM THE BACK with hot glue.  When I did mine, I added the eggs from the front, which is most likely what you will be doing.  So for this step, gently flip it over then load up the cracks with the hot glue from the back.  Better to have more than less – so long as its not that noticeable from the front.
8. Let the glue dry completely (see your glue for guidance on this) and then attach a ribbon if thats your thing.  I recommend a ribbon at the top to hide that hook.
9. Hang and enjoy!

 

Happy Easter in September, people!

 

 

The Sink Tumor that Killed the Concrete Countertops

Sink Tumor

That is probably the grossest picture ever posted on a half-assed blog ever.

(Side note.. google chrome suggested I change grossest to greatest.. so at least I have that going for me)

That’s the picture of the sink tumor that we came home to late one Sunday night in June.

We had both been gone for the weekend on different work trips.  I swung by the airport and grabbed Hubs and we arrived back home around 11pm.  He spotted that 3D swell area behind the sink while getting a drink right before bed.

It almost caused a huge fight.

It was so big you could see it from the front (may be the first time that phrase was used not in reference to a large butt).

I know that the brown is gross behind that faucet.. The main part of it is putty from putting the sink back in that hadn’t got cleaned off yet.. because the countertops weren’t done for that long.  Then some of it is just gross dirt around a gross kitchen faucet.  That thing was so filthy (spoiler alert we’ve since replaced it) that every time I’d clean it more dirt would seep out of it and take the old dirt’s place.  Marinara monster – I swear it.

Anyhow, Hubs touched the sink tumor and it was soft to the touch and then chipped right off.

We resolved right then and there to rip them off and replace the concrete with laminate.

(I have other pics of other holes that developed.  For instance, we had a run of the mill knife block sitting to the left of the oven.  When we picked it up to move it, it ripped a bunch of the concrete off with it?  Don’t know why.  I can post these pics if people like, but it’s truly overkill in my head.  If you don’t get the idea by now, I am sure its just because you are blaming us for it not working haha)

 

Stay tuned.

 

Our Failed Sealants

I’ve shied away from talking about our fiasco that was our Ardex Feather Finished Countertops… if you want to read more about what I have already wrote on that, I suggest looking back through the blog… and here you go here (that’s the post where I burst everyone’s bubble and whine a lot.. but there’s also some progress shots elsewhere in the blog).

I thought I’d share what sealants we used and that didn’t work.

Sikagard 1 Gal. Natural Look Sealer

First off, we tried Sika Sikaguard Professional Natural Look Clear Sealer from Home Depot.  We did NOT try to wax this.  It did not work at all for us.  We put coats and coats and coat after coat of this stuff on and the water would still soak through. We put some MIO in water to make the water colored, and it stained the crap out of it.  I thought I had pictures of these stains, but apparently I didn’t take any while in my blind rage?

Side note – this was the ONLY concrete sealer I could find at my local Home Depot.  I thought that was odd.  The sales associates looked at me like I was nuts when I told them what I was looking for.

Sakrete Gallon Cure’n Seal Concrete Repair

Next, I tried a sealant I got at Lowe’s instead.   This time I picked up Sakrete Concrete Cure N’ Seal.  I flipped over my ‘test’ concrete (As previously mentioned, I applied some to an old MDF shelf), applied more feather finish and then again coated until I thought for sure anymore would be overkill.  Around eight coats if I remember correctly.  THEN I waxed it..twice.  I spilled everything all over the tester and it didn’t soak in.  Everything was great.

As for the wax, I just bought kit carnuba wax from Amazon.

So what went wrong with the main installation?

I have no idea.  We did exactly to the countertops that we did to the tester shelf.  The only thing I can think is that these countertops were actually used, not “tested.”  We prepped meals on them.  We sat dishes down on them.  No matter what we did, we had to do whatever the equivalent is in this situation as “walk on eggshells” with them.  Don’t let your glass sit too long.  Don’t let your raw veggies touch them lest it comes off on the veggies.  Do not let grease splash on them because it’ll stain before you can even exhale.

I’ll post some aftermath photos asap to show the damage.

In the interim, does anybody know where we went wrong?  Or did we do everything we were supposed to and these were just an absolute disaster in the making no matter what we did?

The Ceramic Womb

…is what we call our “master bathroom.”

Here’s a funny anecdote.. if you google image search “Master bathroom,” this is what you come up with:

Don’t believe me?  Go ahead, click it.

For the record, most of those gigantic bathrooms are actually bigger than our entire house.  Who has that kind of space?  Also, what are these people doing in their bathrooms?  Hosting parties?  Exactly how many people are in this bathroom at any given time? The entire Duggar family?  I digress.

Here is our “master bath” from our first tour of our home —

“Master” Bath

The wood on each side of that picture is the molding framing in the sliding pocket door (can I just say I love pocket doors?).  Then, following the picture in from the left, you see the glass shower door the pink wall of the shower, and the grey toilet.  In the far right of the picture, just before the pocket door molding for the other side, you see the pedestal sink peeking out.  It’s a little hard to tell in two dimensions, but between the shower wall in the middle of the picture and the edge of the sink, is just enough room to slide through sideways to the toilet.  It is cramped to say the least. In the almost year (holy smokes) that we’ve lived here, we’ve both showered in this room one time each.  It is very cramped.  Also, I am sure you’ve noticed by now that the entire thing is pepto pink.  I want you to be assured that the inside of the shower is as well.  Every surface inside that shower – floor, ceilings, and every wall – is also this pink tile.  Thats why we call it the ceramic womb.  It is awful.

We have big plans for this bathroom, but I’ll get to that soon, this post is already getting huge just enjoying the sights.  Let’s just say, hubs went all hulk smash! on the thing and it no longer has a shower or 4 walls.

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Stay tuned!

Ghetto Photoshop

Yes I am serious.

I have found that really really quickly done terrible quality photoshops are really helpful.  I don’t like to put more work into them as necessary because usually the quick stitch is all I need to convince myself.  My half-assed photoshopping skills suit my purposes well.

So our office… It’s an office work area. To the right of the door when you walk in is a long double desk with our computers on it.  On the wall across from the entry door is a giant window and a huge double work station desk.  I craft on it.  Kevin builds and takes ebay photos, etc.  It’s really suiting.

I want our office work area to be fun and fresh and inspiring.  I want to come in and feel awake.  I work everyday out of this office.  It needs to feel good.  SO I went to IKEA and bought the brighest funnest curtains they have and I am obsessed with them.  Even tho, I bought them MONTHS ago and only have one pair hung up.  Reason?  (1) I really needed the one pair hung up (it blocks the closet full of printers) and (2) I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to hang the other set, so the 3rd set fell victim as well.

Blank Window and Wall

So that’s what it looks like.  Thats basically what it has looked like and still looks like since the beginning.  See that random stuff under the desk?  That’s the dogs’ lair.  They love it under there.  See the random shelves leaning against the wall to the right of the right bookshelf?  Those are still there.  More stuff is actually leaning in there too.  It’s okay.. Things take time.  Also see how empty that workspace is?  That’s a lie.. I cleared it all off so I wouldn’t have to photoshop with it.  Right now its full of half done Christmas gifts, my sewing machine, and a bunch of stuff Kevin is working on as well.

So back to photoshopping… I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to hang the curtains here.  I figured I had two choices – long on each side of the desk OR short over top of the desk.  After photoshop, I realized I had a third, kinda strange option that was exactly what I wanted…

Long Curtains, Short Curtains, Combined
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As you can see, I even fake photoshopped in a curtain rod on the last one. I’ve decided to go with that.  The plan is to cut the two panels in half length wise.  Then sew in the cut edges so I end up with 4 half panels. Hem two of the half panels to floor length and the remaining two to desk length.  The floor length panels will basically just hang there like art and not move, but the short ones can close then to cover the window.  When I say ” in half” – I don’t mean 50% each side.  It will probably end up where the floor length panels aren’t as wide as the window ones, since I never plan on using them.  They are just decoration.

I also want to make rods out of pipe since a rod that is that wide (~100 inches) is ridic expensive.

Thoughts?