Fly on the Wall: March 2015

Hey-O!  Welcome to the March Fly on the Wall Group Challenge. This month, 14 amazing bloggers and I are describing what it would be like if you were to take a peek inside our homes....

Have a "look" around mine, and then go visit the other blogger's pages. There's always something fun, sentimental, or better yet, embarrassing going on. It's like your house, only we're admitting to the craziness. You have our permission. Buzz on over!

Cast:
Me
The man
Alex, the eldest (daughter, 21) 
C., The middle (son, 16)
J., The youngest (son, 10)

First of all, I'd like to explain where in the world I've been for the last few months. But if I did that, I'd actually have to give an answer. The truth is I've been dealing with issues out in the real world that are a bit too painful to blog about. Yet. I miss writing so much. I hope to continue, but for right now, I'm here. Thanks for sticking around :)

Hockey, anyone?
Red Wings forever, I know. But, we are across the country from Joe Louis Arena. For now, the youngest is attending games here in our city. Our team, the Mustangs, are part of the Western States Hockey League. J. absolutely loves it.

Thank goodness the Mustangs also wear red.

Since J. likes to imitate life in LEGO form, this is sitting in the middle of his bedroom:

Check out that audience. Everyone is a fan :)

Here's the zamboni!

The announcer.

...and the "Stanley Cup". 

Love this month was:

1. Getting coffee each morning from the man. He rocks. There's no other way to put it.
2. The middle child giving up Java and Coke for Lent. Someone has to pick up the extra caffeine. I'm happy to help.
3. Sharing something personal with an in-law and getting the kindest response EVER. Seriously. EVER.
4. Getting a text in the middle of the day from the eldest that says, "I love you, mama."
5. Getting funny memes and words of encouragement from amazing online friends.
6. Receiving a surprise gift from my forever friend. 

Thank you, Nick Nack! 

Yep, I'm Asian.

You might have already known that. But, if you had any doubt, check out my red "Mr. Miyagi" painting job. It was the first coat of my sewing room re-do. 

Old room with the dreaded "I don't know what's been on you" carpet.

First coat. Wax on, wax off. Two brushes at the same time.

3 coats later...

Quote of the month: (and a bit of bragging)

To the man and me: "Oh yeah, if you want to come tonight, I might be getting an award."

-said the boy who won First Place in Engineering in the District Senior STEM fair, The Office of Naval Research Award, a Yale Science and Engineering Association Award, and the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Award for Sustainability Solutions. You know those times when life gets you down? When being a teenager is really hard? This night told all that negativity where to go.

While I had nothing to do with these awards, I did give birth to that child. Let a mom hold a certificate or two.

Advice of the month from Grams:

When I asked Grandma what keeps her looking so young:

"Walk around with Jesus in your heart. Let that light shine through. Oh, and always wear a long-line bra. In a size that fits, of course, not one that you WANT to fit."

-Thanks Grams.

Thanks once again for reading. Thanks also to the Fly's AMAZING creator, Karen @ Baking In a Tornado, aka "The Blogging Original", for hosting this challenge! Would you like to join in the next FLY challenge? Click on the FLY button on my side bar. Karen will  take care of you.

Take a look at what the other bloggers have going on inside their homes. Go on! Leave them a comment. You know you want to...

Baking in a Tornado                          

Spatulas on Parade                          

Follow Me Home                           

Menopausal Mother                          

Stacy Sews and Schools                        

Battered Hope                                   

Just A Little Nutty                                  

The Momisodes                                        

Someone Else's Genius                            

The Sadder but Wiser Girl                        

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                            

Disneyland in Kentucky                               

Juicebox Confession                            

Searching for Sanity                      

Go Mama O       

Happy Friday, friends!

-Michele                               

Basement Bathroom is Finished!

Well you know, nothing is ever REALLY finished, but for now, we are "DONE!"

As you know, this wasn't our favorite redo. But, I love the finished product and am so happy that we were able to make even the smallest of improvements. One of my favorite parts of this little room is that it reminds me of something I might have found in my great-grandmother's house. Nothing fancy, but not bad at all for a basement bathroom. I'm secretly in love with the "shabby chic" look; even more in love that the plumbing and electricity are working properly...

Here are some before and after pictures. I hope you like feminine, because there will not be any "seats up/missing aimers" action allowed.  Also not allowed: newspaper reading, toilet texting, or using of the "good towels". Yup, it already feels like grandma's...

Before: Green bathroom with water-damaged floor and soggy cabinets.

After- Pink bathroom with "wood-like" laminate floor and pedestal sink.

Before: Medicine cabinet/ Acrylic sink top 

After- Pedestal Sink ($50), Mirror from Savers 4 bucks, baby!

Before- Water damaged floor, moldy baseboards (gross, I know.)

After- Laminate floor,  bigger baseboards, LOADS of caulk

Before- Sink top, faucet

After- Pedestal sink- Lowe's cheapest faucet. I thought it looked retro.

Before- Hollowed out bathroom. This is the floor in its pre-scraping, pre-cursing, pre-crying state. Peeling up the floor and glue was ridiculous. I almost said "Forget-it, use a glue-stick!" Actually, I know I said that.

After- I do love the new floor. It's water resistant. Woo Hoo!

Before- I can't begin to describe what we scraped off the walls, what we had to patch or how much of that old wax ring was missing.....UGH times three :(

After- replaced green board, wax ring AND toilet handle. How cute is that little thing-a-majig? The man almost suffocated me while he was balancing a sink and I was attaching that meaningless handle. I say whomever uses that toilet won't think it's so meaningless..

Before- Our light, which is about to find it's home in another room.

After- This one took some begging. $39 dollars at IKEA. After the man started to cry and scream about it, I gave in. He can have his fancy lighting. This time. Boys.

Before- another pic of the medicine cabinet and wall lights.

After: I liked those lights! We switched the bulbs to crystal shaped ones. They're supposed to last longer. The candle holder on the wall and the mirror were brass. The middle child sanded and painted them for me. 

So there it is. I still have to finish painting the moulding and hang the curtain on the see-thru door, but for now, I'll kick everyone out and take a bath. Or a shower. But I'll do it upstairs because I am NOT messing up this room....yet.

Leave me your thoughts...

Happy Friday, friends!

Day 33 of Forty- Thankful Five

Happy Sunday, friends.  Here are 5 things I'm grateful for:

1. Neighborhood friends. Let's face it. My forever friends are the people who were my very first neighbors; people I met when I was three. I love them just as much as I did when we were running around playing kick the can after school. The neighborhood we moved from four years ago gave us a multitude of grown-up friends. Even though we live where-ever we do now, many of us are still close. We were all the same age, we all had children that went to school together and we all were struggling with the same issues (paying the bills, working multiple jobs, fitting in). It was a very pleasant place to grow our family. I'm grateful I was allowed to have the experience of getting to know so many great people. I'm equally grateful that my daughter made her forever friends in the same neighborhood.

2. First BBQ of Spring. We were invited by two of our best friends to a BBQ on Saturday. They are also friends from our old neighborhood and I adore them. Our spouses get along, our kids get along... I  don't know how we got so lucky. I'm grateful that we were able to stuff ourselves silly with all things-grilled, laugh about nothing in particular and watch our children do the same. That friendship is such a gift.

3. Peel and Stick Flooring. You know how we've been working on the bathroom downstairs and that it hasn't been one of our favorite re-dos. It mostly had to do with how scared we were to see the water damage that had taken place over who-knows-how-long. What began as a paint-job, quickly became a huge overhaul to find and fix a leak. Everything with any capacity to be water-damaged had to be thrown out. The cabinet was soggy, the floor had curled up and there was more grossness than I care to mention on a Sunday. Thank goodness we found the problem (equally gross). We couldn't put down carpet or lay wood in the basement, so went with this really cool flooring from Home Depot. It wasn't too pricy and it looks like wood, except that it's not. It's this peel and stick stuff that you lay like stickers to the floor. The pieces overlap so the floor kind of "floats". The best part of this pseudo-linoleum is that it is highly water resistant and comes with a 25 year warranty. I do believe it will outlast me. Thank you, Big Orange Box Store.

4. My house. I sometimes am afraid of the outside world. I don't enjoy shopping on Saturdays or going to movie premiers that are practically sold-out. I am just as happy sitting with my family in this aging old brick haven. Scares like we had with the bathroom remind me again how easily something can be taken away. I had nightmares of black mold and sagging support beams; of wet concrete or cracked sub floors. We do not live in a cookie-cutter house. We do not live in a McMansion, or anything resembling "new or shiny."It's an old house with aluminum wiring that badly needs a new roof and windows that don't whistle when the wind blows. I write lots of blog posts on the different ways we try to fix it up, I know. It has great bones and was built by people we loved. People who aren't alive anymore; people I talk to when I'm repairing something. "Oh 'so-and-so, ' Why did you choose to put the wall here and why isn't it square?" or  "Hey, 'so-and-so',  Make sure I don't get electrocuted when I touch this wire..." It goes on and on. The point is, I genuinely love this house; as much as you can love something that doesn't breathe. I know like everything else, that it might not be standing forever. We live in a time of economic uncertainty..We live on a fault line and/or  I run too many appliances all at once... But for now, I put my babies to sleep every night in this home. I read novels in its corners. I watch the sun stream in when it's cold outside from the living room windows. I create down in that silly craft room and sometimes, I cook in its kitchen... I will never take any of it for granted.


5. At this very minute, I am grateful for my five senses.  I'm looking at this screen and feeling the keys as I click out all of my rambling thoughts. I can hear the whoosh of "light sabers" and smell buttery microwave popcorn. I am upstairs in my room and the man and our youngest are enjoying some episode of "Star Wars" down in the living room.

It is Sunday night, and all is well.

Have a wonderful evening, friends.

Day 25 of Forty: What are you doing NOW?

I can't talk long. It's Saint Patrick's Day and the kids are staying overnight at their grandparent's house. I remember the days when this would only signal a great party with friends and spirits..but... well, we're old, people. The man and I have instead decided to gut our basement bathroom.

Good times. Hey, at least the bathroom is GREEN. That counts for something, right?

Wish us luck trying to put it all back together.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends :)

What are your plans this evening?