The 1/2 Bath: Before & After

This room is located on the first floor, next to my office/laundry/pantry. Now my writing cove is complete! Here is the before:






















It wasn't in bad shape, but the wall paper was pretty bland and the toilet seat was cracked. Also, when sitting on the hopper, the tp holder was practically on your knee caps. The room needed a little love, and that's just what I gave it. I spent an hour wrapped around the toilet in order to paint next to and behind it. We're quite intimate now, the toilet and I.

And here's the snappy new after:























In the photo below, you can view some of Pancakes handiwork. Next to the toilet are some plumbing pipes, covered in wallpaper (of course), and Pancake thought it would be cool to make some molding to match the pipes, thereby disguising the fact that the pipes are exposed. He did a fine job. He also put up molding in the corners, which look quite nice, and cut a hole in the wall and installed the recessed tp holder. Thank you, Pancake.

Why I Opened A Christmas Club

Yesterday I opened a $25 a week Christmas Club with our bank. While the account pays only 2% interest, I did it to trick myself into saving extra money above and beyond the regular savings account. First, everytime I visit the bank, I'll be reminded to make my weekly payment, and second, I cannot touch the money for a full year. While I have no intention of spending that kind of money on Christmas presents, I am planning to use the extra savings to fund home repairs.

Drum Roll, Please...

And the grand total for redoing the office/laundry/pantry...

Paint..............................$39.47
Polyurathane........................34.00
Primer..............................13.98
Small Roller (to get behind washer)..6.79
3 Switchplates.......................8.97
Globe Light Bulb.....................6.49
Trim Brush...........................3.98
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Grand Total.......................$113.68

I didn't count the supplies we already had such as paint rollers and nails, etc. Overall, I think we did pretty well for very little money.

Office/Laundry/Pantry Redo

Here you go, folks, the before & after of my combination office, laundry, and pantry.


















The painting above the washer is "Spreading Lies" by Charles Baughman.























Here I am, before we bought the house, trying to figure out how to make the room work.























And here it is after I stripped off all that very 80s country-kitchen contact paper, polyurathaned the shelves, painted, and hung some art. The print on the back wall is "All Used Cars Are Not Lemons," by Mary Werner.























This is the office/pantry shelves area before:























...and after. I've discovered that in tight spaces, neatness counts.

Promises, Promises

I hope you enjoyed the before & after pictures of the desk. We've completed a number of projects lately--all on the cheap--and I'm going to post pictures and costs daily. Also, on Friday, I'll give a financial update. We incurred a couple of late payment fees for the business because we had some delinquent clients, but we're building up our reserves so we can avoid unnecessary costs like those in the future.

Desk Rescued From Basement

Here is the desk we found in the basement of our new house. It was missing one drawer (the other drawers aren't in the photo), so Pancake made a false front using a piece of Masonite and some cabinet magnets. Also, you can't tell from the picture, but the legs were rotted. Here's the breakdown of refinishing costs:

4 Wooden Legs..............$9.96
4 Nuts..................... 2.40
7 Draw Pulls................8.33
Paint......................11.48
Glass Top..................36.00
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Grand Total...............$68.17

I Still Love Technology (or Why I've Been Neglecting My Blog)

Wow, when I looked at my last post (dated August 15th) I experienced pangs of remorse and felt that I needed to post an explanation. I'm still here, and while I've been busy with the new house, that's no excuse for neglecting my blog and everyone who takes time out to read it. Sorry about that. I'll do better.

My office/laundry room is almost done. I'm waiting to get a piece of glass for the top of the desk and for my ultra-cool banker boxes to arrive from Target. I went a bit over budget, but not by much. By the end of the week, I will post before and after pictures along with the total costs. I have to say that I am impressed with my own handiness. The room looks spectacular. I can't wait to show you all.