One Room Challenge: Week 3 - Kids' Bathroom Primed

We are halfway to the finish line, and I am experiencing second thoughts about a-lot of things. Ideas seemingly flood my mind as I try my utmost best to execute former design plans. 

Despite my wavering mindset, I am determined to complete the project in the allotted time frame. Now this is what I managed to accomplish so far...

Wall Primed/Torn Drywall Sealed and Patched

You might notice also the missing light fixture. I need to paint the walls before the new one can be installed. I only primed once, and am thinking I need to add a second coat. Strangely though, I am missing all that 'delicious' pink and green, lol.

A Date with my Tummy

Have you ever wondered what your tummy might be thinking when you consciously fill it with undesirables? I know, I must be the only person who thinks this way. Well, occasionally, the little girl in me resurfaces, and you know what, I just let her be :-) .

Think of a date, specifically, the starting point of a relationship. We desire to please, so we focus primarily on our first impression. Similarly, when we prepare meals, we should seek to make the food desirable to our stomachs, at first bite, lol. 

Lately, I started developing healthier eating habits, only to discover my tummy becoming happier than ever. The food/tummy dates have become relatively impressive :-). Considering my West Indian background, I am often inclined to prepare spicy and flavorful dishes. However, the ability to modify some ingredients, enables me to still create tasteful meals that the rest of my family can enjoy.

Two of my favorites are 

1. Salmon burgers

DIY Felt Play Food Bacon

To eat, or not to eat? That is the question :-). 

 My breakfast appears quite yummy, and because bacon and egg is the most requested meal in the mornings, I just had to set the table...lol.  

I was going through my fabric collection when I came across few unused items made out of felt. Immediately I thought, "I could use these to make play food." 

I quickly gathered my tools, scoured through Pinterest for ideas, and in no time had these cut out. Number one on the list was bacon! I made long, thin, serrated cuts from the red felt, and similar length strips (except thinner), from the white. 

To create definition between the fat and lean sections, I sewed the white strip down the middle.

Now, if there is bacon, there just has to be some eggs to go with it, right!?

The eggs were fairly easy to make as well. I basically cut out some nicely contoured 'egg-looking' shapes from the white felt. For the yolk, I used yellow cotton fabric, which I had in my stash, to cut out little circles. Please note: (yellow felt is best, as it stretches to create a 3D effect for the yolk). I only used fabric because it was readily available, and I was also too excited to wait :-).

Before stitching the pieces together, I made a tiny felt insert to give the yellow yolk some padding. Eggs, sunny side up, always appear somewhat dimensional.

How cute are these!? As a result of being soft and flexible, my kids can actually place them inside plastic eggs and pretend they are cracking real ones. 

Consequently, breakfast is served. I just need to make some pancakes to go with it.  YUM!

My kids were so elated with these, they stayed in the play kitchen ALL DAY. 

Have a great day/weekend!

One Room Challenge: Week 2 - Kids' Bathroom Update

My accomplishment the past week involved painting the vanity white, which was originally cherry-stained. It is still incomplete as I need to apply an additional coat of paint, and also protective sealant. These steps are both necessary to ensure proper coverage. 

My hubby was entrusted with the added task of removing the builder grade mirror from the bathroom. This was no simple job, I tell you :-). The mounting adhesive secured the mirror with such strength that he had to put some 'real muscle power' into it. I assisted by holding the mirror to prevent it from falling.

 He eventually succeeded in his efforts to take it down without breaking it. 

This triggered quite an elation, on my part, because I had plans to use it elsewhere. To see how he/we did it, go here.

Well, that is all I managed to accomplish 'in a nutshell.'

To see what my other fellow participants are up to, please visit Linda's blog. Remember to check in each week for updates on our progress.

Thank you and have a great day/weekend!

How To Remove Builder Grade Mirror with the Hopes of Re-using

Items You will Need

Safety glasses

Work gloves

Cutout wire

Masking Tape

An Assistant {technically not an item, but needful 😊}

• Please protect yourself by wearing safety glasses and work gloves before trying to remove the mirror.  
• To begin, place the cutout wire behind both corners located at the top of the mirror, and try to pull it as tight as possible.
• While pulling downward, slowly work the wire from side to side, separating portions of the mirror from the wall. 

One Room Challenge : Week 1 - Gender Neutral Kids' Bathroom Makeover

I am really happy to be taking part in this exciting Challenge for the 'fourth' time. When I began, I had no idea Linda's 'brain-child' would be the ticket to take me away from my decorating stagnation. Thankfully, I have gained motivation to complete each room in my home, with added pleasure. 

For this Challenge, I plan to tackle my children's bathroom. This space, once occupied by my 7 year old daughter, must now be shared with her brother who is 2 years old. As you can see, it is totally 'girly' in every aspect, and needs to be redone to appear more gender-neutral. My son never accepted the bathroom as his, but constantly refers to it as his sister's :-).

Its Current State

Hollywood Light

Cherry Stained Vanity
Last year, I brushed some white paint on it to gain motivation to start the project...lol.

In preparation for this challenge, I emptied the bathroom of all accessories which had my daughter enquiring as to why it was, "looking like that". My reply was, "...remember I told you I would be doing your bathroom for the next Challenge?" 

"Umm, yeah!", she replied, sounding all excited.

My Plan

I need to change the light fixture, and also replace the accessories. Hooks will be installed in place of the towel bar to make it easier for little hands to manage. To get to the bottom of this, I need to make mention of the floor :-). I plan to upgrade in a very resourceful way, considering the budget does not allow a means of changing it out.  

 Well, good luck to everyone who decided to embark upon this wonderful journey. You will not be disappointed, but in the end feel total and complete fulfillment for all your hard work. 

All other linking participants can be found here.

Have a great week/end everyone!

A New Tab

Happy Spring!!

The days are rushing by rather quickly, and no sooner than we start a new season, than it very abruptly comes to an end. 

"Dear Lord, please help me make the best of each day, to let every moment count, and most importantly, realize tomorrow may never come."

Presently, I am  buried in projects that I so desperately need to execute. I find that I begin working on one thing, but end up moving on to another, and another...You do get the point right? "My brain has too many tabs open" lol. I am yet to figure which ones to close (sigh).

 Tab No.1

My daughter's mermaid dollhouse was on my list of 'to-dos'. I began by ripping the paper off the wall in the kitchen, and creating a banquette to seat all three girls, I mean ladies, ha! I still have a long way to go.

Tab No.2
How cute would my son look in a suit modified from his dad's? Hmmm...I loved the thought of it.

Tab No.3
Window treats are in the making. Well, at least one is complete.

 Tab No.4

O.R.C. Need I say more!? I will be a linking participant for the 4th consecutive time, and I am truly excited. As a matter of fact, I think I will make this my homepage, so every time my brain opens up I will get to see it :-) .

Now, do you notice how easily we can become distracted by the many things vying for our attention? We must fight to remain focused. It is a constant battle of the mind.

Source

Have a great week, and please remember to follow along to see the upcoming One Room Challenge which begins this Thursday, April 2nd. Thanks.

How to Customize Dollar Tree Napkins

My kids needed place mats and napkins for dramatic play. 
I considered going the easy way (little plastic place mats), but during a trip to Dollar Tree, I encountered some lovely polka dot napkins with matching solid place mats. I was so excited, I purchased two napkins of different colors, and two different color place mats. I proceeded to cut the napkins in half (vertically), to make the the striped bottom consistent. I also added a green ribbon trim that I had in my stash, to make them look even lovelier.