Dear John...(Part 3)

Well, she's done.  I can't, for the life of me, get a decent photo in there.  Everything looks blue, or grainy and weird.  You'll just have to take my word that it's much better in person, and better than the nightmare it was before, and for the most part, I'm happy. I don't love the shower curtain, I'm trying to get used to a paint color that isn't a variance of tan, I hate the window blind, and I still need to find a drain overflow cover that matches the showerhead and handle.  #firstworldproblems.  I'm working on seeing if I can get a video off of my phone uploaded, so maybe the colors won't look so weird in video.  I'll probably repaint it when I paint the adjoining bedroom (see previous posts about the paint), but for now, I need to give my shoulders a break.  Those cabinets?  Yeah, those are actually two separate cabinets.  We have a lot of crap, and needed more storage than you can generally get with one tiny wall cabinet.  I found a killer deal on these, and hubs had the genius idea to assemble the bottom one upside down, and attach it to the top one with some bolts and voodoo magic.  He had to install the doors upside down and flip the hangers on the back etc.  So in the end we got a huge cabinet for a third of the cost of one that size.  I'm taking the glass out tonight though.  I'm going to frost it with some etching cream so you can't see all the stuff inside.  Nobody wants to look at floss and tampons.

Now onto the pix!

 

(Frosted glass)

And ladies and gentlemen....behold!  The Glamdelier....

Look, I know that a tiny loo with a big, flaming chandelier isn't for everyone.  A year from now, it might not even be for me. The point is, that it's nice to be able to surround yourself with the things that soothe your soul and make you smile. For me, half the fun is getting there. There's therapy in working with my hands.  My sister just bought her retirement home upnorth, and is filling it with fun log furniture and whimsical cabin decor and is having a ball!  It's what they love, it makes her happy, and that's what it's all about.  Hubs and I work really hard.  It's tough to find downtime and focus on the things that make you happy.  So today, what makes me happy sometimes is shutting off the noise, sipping a moscato in the tub, looking up at a big, ridiculous, twinkly chandelier...

Total project time:  1 week, mostly a couple hours in the evenings and all day on sundays.
Total project cost:  Around $1200.  I'm a big deal hunter so most everything was on sale.  I utilize eBay and surf my little fingers to the nubs.   Next stop - bedroom painting!

If you're doing a project blog- share your link in the comments section, and as always, thanks for reading.

Dear, John (Part 2)

Well, yesterday (tuesday) was like trying to nail Jell-o to a wall, but today was a little bit better.  Hubs is dead tired from not having a day off in weeks, and I'm so over my house being a giant wreck from this project, that everything we tried to get done yesterday was a spectacular fail.  Hubs installed the faucet and drain on the new sink, which looks great except that in our excitement to throw out the old sink, we accidentally tossed the water supply lines with it.  Whoops.  So that project got cut short.

Then, when trying to install a new flush handle (as you do), he muscled the nut too hard and broke it.

 Awesome.

I painted all the base and crown mouldings in the garage, and I was feelin' pretty good about it until I realized, hours later, I forgot about half of them.  It's days like these, I'm considering just peeing in the bushes.

So cut to today.  (Wednesday).  I woke up early, took care of some pending business stuff and then balled my freakshow hair up on top of my head and headed to the garage to finish painting.  Got 'em done, finally.  After hubs got home from work, we drove to Lowe's (our new summer home) and returned the broken flush handle and picked up a new one, plus some backsplash adhesive, some heavy duty hangers for the mirror, the supply lines and whatever other nonsense we needed.   Hubs disappeared inside the vanity like it was Narnia, and several colorful expletives later, he reemerged.  Something about a drain leak in there too.  Of course there was.   Now, though?  Perfect.


                                      

Isn't it funny how old things become new again?  A few years ago, cararra marble was the stuff people would tear out, but I love it again.  It has really pretty veining and once I adhered the backsplash, and swapped out the shiny chrome knobs on the vanity doors, I think it looks pretty good. You can really customize the look of things just by spending a couple bucks on new hardware.  It changes the whole mojo.

I hung the mirror...

Threw the replacement switchplate thingies on...

Vanity light is up, glamdelier is hung (more on that later), dimmer's installed on the glamdelier, and one of the wall cabinets is put together.  That's all for today.  All that's really left for the entire project is nailing up the crown and base mouldings, door & window casings, changing out the doorknob and hinges (Don't judge me), putting up the wall cabinets, and various little doodads and then accessories.  Lucky for me, I know a soapmaker and can access some great handmade soaps.  ;)   If this thing isn't finally done by the end of the weekend, we officially suck at life.   

When it's all done, I'll have pix.  Can you see me lighting a candle and soaking in the tub to the smooth stylings of Kenny G yet?  :p

More soon!

Dear, John..

If you're reading this post, this is not an entry about soap.  There's still time to get out...

I'm remodeling my bathroom.  If you follow me on Facebook, you've no doubt seen me allude to such, with a picture thrown in, here and there, for good measure.  I've since been asked about it several times, so while the paint is drying on some mouldings, I thought I'd walk you through it.  I love a good project blog, don't you?

But first - the news at hand:  Have any of you guys been watching RuPaul's Drag Race? Because ya'll with dubious priorities need to contact your tv providers, order up the Logo channel and watch this mess, STAT.  Hys.  Terical.  The finale was last night, and I rooted my chosen queen on ferociously. While I really enjoy Adore Delano too (Anybody remember Danny Noriega from Idol?  - Totally him in a dress now), I was all-in for her biggest competition and the ultimate winner, my beloved Bianca Del Rio.  Not today Satan, Not today...

Now.  About that bathroom...

So you may or may not know that I moved here 3.5 years ago.  I forget what I blog about and the stories I tell, in my advanced years.  My house sits on an acre of land in rural Michigan.  The "thumb" area of the lower peninsula - because, by order of law, Michiganders are required to demonstrate where we live by pointing to our right palms.  The innards of my home needed some serious szhuzhing.  Though my house is relatively newish (2007), the builder opted for cheaper indoor finishes in an otherwise solidly constructed home.  The important things are top notch, but anything that served the purpose of "looks", sucked directly out loud.  I've remodeled 75% of it, but some of it is still a work in progress.  Don't even get me started on my kitchen cabinets.  The offending 2nd bathroom is located inside of our bedroom.  If you watch those home-improvement shows:  the "on-suite", if you're nasty.

And it was.

One can only describe the distinct heinousness of this particular powder room by just telling you that for 3 years, I shut the door and hoped to God, no two visitors had to pee at my house simultaneously.  I had other more pressing projects to handle before now, and it got put to the back of the pile.

The room itself is the size of a standard piece of copy paper.  There will be no expansive 6 man showers, or "dressing nooks" in this space.  The downside of this, is that I won't be able to install that $12,000 steam sauna in there that nobody in history ever uses or needs- but the upside is that I don't have to walk out into the hall to pee, in the middle of the night, with no pants on.  

Everything in this room cost .43 cents.  That's not to say that things need to be expensive.  'Cause Lord knows I'm a cheapass - from the godawful, builder-grade "oak" vanity, complete with peeling laminate top; to the vinyl flooring that Mary Magdalene my grandmother had in her kitchen.  The cherry on top of the crap sundae, is a 1980's rusty, make-up lighting-type fixture, with those twisty compact fluorescent bulbs stuck in it.  It has 76 cobwebs on it and makes your skin look like you have terminal liver disease.  I didn't get pre-demo photos.  I got carried away.  But you get the gist...

Ya ever see whats REALLY underneath your toilet?  It's not cute.

I already ranted about this on my Facebook page, but what kinda sadist GLUES ugly mirrors to walls?!  "Have fun repairing the sheetrock, suckahssss..."

So there it is....in all it's low-budge grandeur.  The new look I'm going for, is a modern traditional, monochrome, boudoir glam.  Sort of Pottery Barn Meets Adam Lambert.

Heh.  I know. You're just gonna hafta trust me.  I can't reveal too much just yet, because I want my sisters to see it in person before they judge me and tell me I've lost my damn mind....heh.  I will tell you that it didn't start off well.  I taped 3 to 1500 (who remembers?!) paint chips to the wall for a good month before finally choosing a shade of gray that I felt was a good fit for the "feel" I was trying to achieve.  I wanted a serene, airy mood and gray can go sideways very easily.  It can become battleship/purple/brown/blue/trashcan in the right light, so I obsessed at great lengths.  My medication will be in next week. ;)  In the end, in certain light, it has more of a bluish tint than I would have liked, and looks nothing like the paint chip.  I'm blaming the 12 year old at Lowes who mixed it.  I may have to find her car and slit her tires.  I'm resisting the urge to repaint though, hoping that once I install all the elements, I'll be too tired to care. it will all come together.

I chose the color Polished Silver for the walls and Homestead Resort Jefferson White (*side eye*) for the ceiling and trim.  For the flooring, I went back to the same brand of Morning Star strand bamboo I've used in my other bathroom.  This time, in Qing Kobra.  Hardwood is a big no-no in bathrooms because of the high moisture level,  but bamboo works well with a little care.  And it's gorg.  I'm in love with it.  Hubs and I installed it in about six hours.  He's the cut man, I'm the hammer chick. Here's a peek...

Before:

After:

That's all for now....stay tuned for part 2....

WEEKEND FLASH SALE!

Take 10% off everything in the store, all weekend!  Grab up the last of the holiday fare, at a discounted price, before it's gone until next year!

Use code "weekend10" at checkout!

www.alifedeliberatesoapco.bigcartel.com

Sleigh Bells Ring...Are Ya Listenin'?

It's that time again.  While most people are still contemplating turkey and avoiding sketchy in-laws - soapmakers are well into Christmas season!  We have to start making our wares and workin' the mojo in mid-october if we are to be ready for the holiday madness that ensues, the minute the last Tootsie Roll is gone from the Halloween stash.

Every year, I love watching what other vendors come up with.  It's always fun to see new creativity, but everybody just pulls out all the stops this time of year.  Like, just NUTTY talent.  Best of all - we are completely justified in our ridiculous over-glittering, for once.

I did make a buncha seasonal soaps this year.  Can't remember how many kinds.  8?  9?  They are already almost gone.  Even so, I wanted to make up some higher end gift boxes, to supplement my usual fare.  I found some great gift boxes, that were really sturdy (reusable!) and sparkly without being cheesy.  I really wanted to avoid as much cheese as possible for this project.  I enjoy a dancing M&M in a Santa suit as much as the next guy, but I'm going for more of a Tiffany's-Meets-Ruby-Slippers, upscale look.

Ya know how you can get sucked into buying overpriced boxes of items offered by a vendor, and it ends up being mostly dollar store tissue paper and sample sized crap you really don't want or need in the first place?  (I'm looking at YOU subscription box services).  Or worse yet...a box full of tiny samples and 47,000 coupon codes for 10% off.  Yeah.  Just go ahead and light your cash on fire next time, and save some steps.  My point is that I'm making a serious attempt to stuff my boxes to the rim with full-sized, customized, genuine ALDSC products with lots of attention to detail.  

Totally cute, right?

So let's get to what's in the box...

The obvious anticipated items are the goat milk soaps. What's a goodie box without the soap?!  In each box, I have included a bar of Topper The Christmas Penguin soap, scented with notes of rich grape and raspberry blended with sugar and sparkling soda:

Twas The Night Before Christmas soap, scented with a gorgeous blend of cherry wood, sweet raspberries, creamy vanilla and the most AWESOME hint of pipe tobacco. 

A bar of Whoville Vanilla Chai.  Warm & comforting with masala chai spices:

And lastly...one for the purists...Mrs. Kringle's Double Butter Bar.  Unscented, colorant free, and made with rich organic cocoa and mango butters:

Next inside the box, is a full 10 oz.  bubbling Sugar Whip Body Scrub for gentle cleansing, exfoliation, and kissably soft skin.  You''ll either receive my dupe for Merry Mistletoe by Bath & Body Works - or Fresh Baked Gingerbread!

Also in the stash is my 12 oz. hand poured christmas candle - Silent Night.  I've triple scented them with a seasonal blend of creamy vanilla, sweet strawberries, freshly shaved coconut, frosted raspberries and sugar-sweetend blackberries.  It is made with my own special blend of waxes and topped with a beautiful glass, twinkling Christmas star. 

The next item in the box is a full-sized aluminum pump bottle of my Timeless Hydrating Skin Complex (with hyaluronic acid).  All made from scratch and formulated to combat moisture loss, replenish softness and smooth fine lines and wrinkles.  Not that any of you sexy beasts have wrinkles.   I'm totally talking about those other trolls.   ;o)

And speaking of candles....to go with your container candle, I've added four hand poured votives.  Two scented in Mulled Cider & Chestnuts, and two in Brandied Holiday Pear.  The perfect home scents for the holidays.  Put them in your prettiest glass votive holders or sconces for a little magical holiday mood lighting.

Next up - is a full-sized, 4oz jar of my (customer favorite) Apricot Facial Scrub.   AKA - Face Crack.   If you like the product manufactured by a company that rhymes with Paint Jives - you'll love my version.

I have also added a single use tube of Christmas Chamomile Goat Milk & Oatmeal Bath.  Milk baths nourish, soften and make your skin feel like silk. Just pour it in your bathtub full of warm water, and soak away your crocodile skin and the stress of avoiding the beat-down that lady had comin' when she took your parking spot at the mall.  ;o)

For all you tart hoarders (you know who you are), I have also included a single Brandied Holiday Pear wax tart for your home melters:

Oh nooo...we aren't done!  Included in your goodie box, is one full pound of soothing bath salts (of the non-face-eating variety) scented in a Christmas Candy blend of cool peppermint and dreamy vanilla.  Enriched with dead sea and himalayan sea salts.  Packaged in a resealable pouch with scoop.

Lastly - no good treat box is complete without chocolate.  For an added touch of decadence, I have included a box of Mrs. Fields White Chocolate Peppermint Bark and one large Peppermint Crunch Dark Chocolate Dipped Bavarian Style Pretzel.

Best enjoyed with wine milk. ;o)

Incidentally, I opted to ship these UPS Ground.  Now ya know I appreciate me some USPS, and I know they all work hard, but they sometimes like to play dodge ball with fragile packages.  These will be delivered via big brown truck to your doorstep.

There are many great gift sets, gift packs and gift boxes out there this season.  One trip around Etsy.com and you'll see lots of $15-$25 purchases to make.  However, if you're looking to splurge a little more on someone extra special - even if that someone is YOU - I hope you'll take a peek at these fun, luxury boxes this year.  On sale 11-15-13.  Limited availability.

If you are interested in any of A Life Deliberate Soap Co. goods, please visit me at http://www.alifedeliberatesoapco.bigcartel.com or swing by my Facebook page for updates on sales, coupon codes, and a preview of what's coming in the shop!  http://www.facebook.com/alifedeliberatesoap

Have a wonderfully, happy holiday season.  Be grateful, count your blessings and look forward to an amazing 2014.

xo-

~Lori