DIY Edition: Bathroom Painting

Meet my downstairs half bathroom. If it had a name it would be something difficult to say like Rikkitikkitimbo. Why? Because this bathroom has been the epitome of difficult. 

Here's a little backstory... 

Before heading out of town to celebrate Christmas with our families, we purged our well with bleach. Over the course of two days, the bleach sat in our water lines. It ate some bacteria and removed some grime while also loosening the water calcification deposits that had formed on some of our old copper piping. So, when we got home and flushed out the pipes and drained the water heater we ran into leaks in our guest bathroom. 

Friends, I'm telling you - this was no picnic. We were supposed to cook the most extravagant Christmas dinner that you've ever seen. Due to this tragedy, I had to move the whole smorgasbord to my brother's house so that the men could get the pipes fixed and we could get our water turned back on. I digress, let's talk about painting. Awful as all of that was, let's get to the good stuff. When that nightmare ended we got to repaint our guest bathroom!

Here is the color that we chose. I apologize, it really looks so much different in the lights that I chose to photograph. I can best describe it as grey during the day and blue at night. It's a versatile color and I feel that I got two colors in one. I love this since I have major commitment issues with paint.

Twin Cities by Valspar                

Since we don't know what the exact color of our bathroom was, it was a perfect excuse to choose another and repaint. After our contractor came and patched and sanded our walls we were set. 

Here are some before and after photos (guilty, they were taken with my phone :(...) to hold you over through the end of this post. 

This little corner was a bear to paint. We didn't move the vanity, but if you're doing your bath, I'd advise you to do so!

Here is the final color!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! I'll have more on this bathroom as I decorate and hang items on the primary wall. Stay tuned!

Cara

DIY Edition: Recipe Cards

Recently I went shopping for some good ol' fashioned recipe cards.

Now I know that you can get these online through easy and print your cards at home. I also know that you can head over to your Grandma's house and dig around for some extras, circa 1952. But I can promise you that after hitting two Hobby Lobby stores, two Jo Ann Fabric locations, Wal-Mart, Target, and the Dollar Tree that there were only two sets of cards I was able to find. They were not only ugly, but drastically overpriced at $11 for 20 cards.

My fix: hit Jo Ann Fabrics when they're having their annual paper sale and use their scrapbook paper to make my own cards. At seven sheets for $1 you can't really go wrong, now can you?

I chose two patterns that were within the same color scheme and then a textured backing for my recipe to reside. I strayed away from white since many of my cooking experiences have left books and cards covered in meal remnants.

Jo Ann Fabric offered great selection for this DIY!

These 12x12 sheets provided six 4x6 cards. I bought seven flowered sheets, seven chevron sheets and fourteen tan sheets. That equates to (14x6) 84 cards.

It would be unfair to tell you how quick this option is. I spent a good afternoon just measuring and cutting. But think about it - these will be in your kitchen for the remainder of your cooking career. Do you really want to cut corners? Maybe you do and if so, I recommend checking out those etsy options. I just didn't want to spend even more money adding ink to my printer and buying a whole pack of paper. That gets pricey.

I splurged on a stamp for the back (by splurged, I spent $2.99 - full price!) and drew the instruction lines with a ruler. I dolled up the back with a strip of glitter tape from Meijer (this came from a large roll that I cut down for my needs) and called it a day.

Total cost for these beauties was $5.99 and a little DIY time. And now, I'll be cooking in style!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back!

Cara

P.S. - How could these recipe cards be even better?

Finding DIY Inspiration

How do I do it; you ask? How do I know what will go with the rest of my decor? Truth be told, sometimes I don't. If I fall in love with a piece and have to have it but it doesn't go with anything else I have, then I may use it for a gift or start a new space. Here are some images I've snapped over time and the vintage finds they have later inspired. Mind you, these were phases and not violet womanly mood swings that I endured over a weekend [not that you were thinking that...].

Over the summer there was a little festival on the Monument downtown Indianapolis. I snapped this inspiring shot one afternoon and later stumbled across a quaint tin a week or two later. I was obsessed with the Ferris wheel and the symmetry that the monument created behind it. Pretty strange how my subconscious was also drawn to this [now] hair-tie holder, right?

This tin was a $5 find at the Southport Antique Mall.

On my way to a photo shoot one morning I stopped in a small town outside of Terre Haute, IN and caught a frame of this stunning door. A few weeks later I picked up another trending item, the old wooden framed window. I printed some photos on 8.5x11 photo paper and taped them on for the time being. Once I tire of that look I'll add some wall decals that also work on a trillion other things [I'll have another post about that at some point]. I found this window for $15 but talked the antique store down to $10 as I bundled items together at the check out. Bundling is a 'picker trick' that requires negotiating. If I buy a big item and some smaller items for instance, I can haggle the price down a bit since I'm buying more. If the store is comprised of lots of vendors they may not do this, but in my instance the owner of the window happened to be the cashier and cut me a deal. Similar windows sell for an arm and a leg as Pinterest users well know.

Wooden barn window from Peru, IN for $10.

While walking to the post office one afternoon I snapped this cozy shot of one of the coolest buildings in Indianapolis; The Blacherne. I love the sleek black lines mixed with the floral landscaping and the brick. That led me to pop the glass and backing out of an old frame and use just the frame to string some jute [baler twine works great too]. I then added some of my favorite Instagram shots by hole punching the printed photo and hanging with a safety pin. A pretty easy craft [no really].

Recycled frame + photos that cost nothing.

Now this may be the most far-fetched yet! This photo was captured in French Lick, IN on my drive home. I loved the color of the bricks against the sky, and beyond that the shapes of the window frames. I harnessed that shape into this potpourri holder [turned tooth brush holder] and put it into my bathroom. I love the crackled glass look and the imperial look of the holder's top. Such an easy find and it can always go back to holding potpourri. I bought this gem at an antique store that's no longer in business. It wasn't an antique [it was a reproduction] but it still satiated my itch.

Potpourri holder turned toothbrush holder for $5.

This isn't how I find every piece, but it's a great way to find what inspires. Once an item looses it's pizzaz I pass it on. Hoarding is one of my biggest fears so I don't keep things forever. Once I've gotten my joy out of them I help them find another home.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around; do come back!

Cara