Bathroom Mini Make-over

This past weekend, my huband and I decided to tackle a mini version of a bathroom make over. Ultimately, we would like to gut the bathroom and start fresh. Our inspiration for the big renovation came from this fantastic blog. BUT, until we have the time and resources to take on that beast of a job, we wanted to spruce things up a bit. I'm sorry to report that we haven't done a thing to the bathroom since we moved in... 9 months ago. I know, I know, how could we possibly use this room everyday and NOT do anything to make it more liveable?! But we bought a fixer upper house, so other rooms have been the priority. Well now that the other rooms are mostly done (those pics will have to wait for a later post) we can focus a little more attention on the ever-so-desperately-in-need-of-attention bathroom. Now I must start by saying that we still have quite a bit of work to do to make this place shine, but this is only the beginning of making this a more beautiful (and functional!) place to be. The first place we wanted to start was the sink. It was a horrible 70's dark wooden cabinet (not original to the house). When we first moved in, we were at Lowes one day and found this great pedestal sink on clearance for $41! It was originally over $100. So we snagged it for a song knowing that we wouldn't be able to mess with it til much later. Amazingly, the cabinet came out quite easily, leaving the tile on the wall and the floor intact and not too much worse for the wear. It looked pretty nasty, but most o the dirt came up with a wet sponge. Then came the hard part. The caulking that was around the edge of the vanity. After a little research online (thank you Google!), my sister found that if you use a hair dryer to heat the caulk, it will become pliable and peel off rather easily! It worked like a charm!

After all the caulking was gone and we cleaned the tile, my husband, Eric, installed the new sink! It wasn't too difficult really, but I made a huge difference. Before, the bathroom felt odd and claustrophobic. Now it feels like a normal bathroom. Yes, it's a little small, but normal. Love it!

Ok now this is a pic of BEFORE WE MOVED IN, this is not my decor, but I completely forgot to take a picture of before our make over, so here ya go:

And this if after our little weekend DIY:

Not too shabby, eh? Like I said, we still have a lot more that we want to do, but I'd say this was a pretty good start. Any bathroom make overs out there? I'd love to see them! 

Green With Envy

Well, house projects are coming along slowly, but surely. My goodness, it does take quite a while to fix up a fixer-upper! So in the meantime, I am trying to bring some freshness and light into our cozy little home. And what better way to do that than with plants? I have been obsessed with "rescuing" these little leafy friends from their sad, small homes on the Lowes clearance rack (not that I'm complaining that they were on clearance!!). And, might I add, Lowes' clearance plant section is an excellent way to grab some greenery on the cheap. I try to pop by every week or so lately, to see what's new. I recently adopted a couple of sad looking orchids that I am currently trying to nurse back to health. Wish me luck! The rest of the plants I've purchased have been in very good shape, maybe just needing a little water and pruning. But for $1-4 a piece, I will water and prune away! So here's a little glimpse of my new little friends:

These beauties are in our bedroom and add so much color to brighten up the space. I love the texture that they bring and how they reflect off the mirror to look even more luscious.

This one is a Ficus. I just got him over the weekend and decided he would go quite nicely in the kitchen. I love glass on the counters, so having some pops of color really helps even things out. And you gotta love how much color those little nesting tea cups from Starbucks add! Sadly, they have been discontinued, but you can still find them at some stores on the clearance rack. (Have you noticed by now how much I LOVE  clearance racks?!)

Ok, now this one is just too cute. I never really thought about putting a plant in the bathroom (and yes, it is on the back of the toilet), but something about it makes the bathroom (which is in dire need of a makeover) feel a little more homey.

I think this one just might be my favorite... cute, no?

This little guy has defied all odds. He is actually from Ikea a couple years back, and even through moving several times and being sorely deprived of water, he just keeps on goin'! He's a fighter.

I think by now, I have a little bit of lovely, air-purifying greenery in almost every room of the house! (well, the ones that are finished at least) And I've been quite happy with how much they brighten the room! On top of looking oh so pretty, they help purify the air in your home! And who could pass up a pretty air purifier for under $10?

What about you? Where do you find your little bit of green? What are your favorites? I'd love to hear!