Put Down the Brush

Just a quick entry before I soak in the hot tub - and not paint! I really underestimated how long this bathroom would take to complete. I painted the medicine cabinet, vanity and two wall cabinets this weekend - primer plus three coats! I cut and painted two pieces of the crown molding but haven't installed it yet. I cut them correctly, using my miterbox, and still have to cut the other two longer pieces. I have a bunch of touching up to do too.

Oh! And the hardest part - behind the toilet. Maybe I've said this before, I can't remember now. There's not enough room to paint behind the toilet so I decided I could probably cut and paint a piece of MDF to attach to the wall behind the toilet. Then I realized that's exactly what the previous owners had done - but more like pegboard without the holes, than MDF. That thing was a bear and a half to get off the wall. I needed Simon's help. It was screwed to the wall, no problem, but it was also caulked behind the vanity just the tiniest bit. Anyway, we got it off by breaking it up - to reveal several holes back there. So now I really do need a solution, other than painting it, even if I could reach back there.

MDF comes in 2' x 4' pieces in 1/4" and I need a piece that's 34-3/4" square. A larger piece of MDF was way too thick. I saw a piece of wainscoting that would probably work - just 2" shy of the width I need but I thought I could put trim of some sort over the edges to cover that.

But then I hatched a (possibly) great idea. In cleaning the basement recently, I came upon 3 boxes of self-adhesive floor tiles left by the previous owner. I haven't checked yet but I'm hoping there's enough of one of the colors that I could stick them behind the toilet. At this point, I'm not even sure I care about the color! (They are all neutral colors anyway.)

Any other bright ideas, anyone? I'm open.

So I didn't even touch the bedroom yet, despite that being my major plan for this weekend. I really thought I was going to complete both rooms this weekend! I guess I'll work on that next weekend before Gretchen and I take the boys to the cottage we've rented on Keuka Lake. We're leaving Sunday afternoon, returning Wednesday mid-day so I'll have time to paint the rest of the week. (I took the whole week off.) The bedroom is fairly good sized but it's just walls and windows (and ceiling) - none of this close quarters tedious 3 coats on cabinets stuff I've been doing. As I said to Steve, "Good thing I like painting!"

Before and after pictures to follow when it's all done.

I also spent some time this weekend sitting on the deck, reading, went out to breakfast at Perkins with Steve this morning, took an hour nap this morning - so it hasn't been all work. Just feels like it.

I set out two more bird baths this weekend. The one made of plastic terra-cotta looking pots is the one that I used to have under one of the maple trees, surrounded by Sweet William. The cast iron white one is one I bought last year at the nature store. It usually sits on the deck railing. I brought both into the house to wash them in the sink and carried them back outside like this - and liked them this way. A happy accident. I had the coleus on the deck steps but decided to try this - must have groups of odd numbers, you know! I hope it's not too sunny for it. It was taller, but I trimmed it back on Saturday to promote more bushier growth.

The other birdbath is a hanging ceramic one that I bought at a garage sale a few years ago for $2.00. It hangs out in a maple tree near the deck, along with another sunflower filled tube feeder.

This picture of the cats is significant to us because it's one of the few times we've seen them hang out so close to one another. This is the top of Reggi's dog crate. We put a piece of plywood on top with a piece of carpeting - and this cat carrier. They both love to sleep in the cat carrier or sit on "their deck" watching the birds. We have a window feeder on the glass door right next to this set up. They sit and watch for hours like it's kitty television, one channel only. Reggi and both cats all take turns sleeping in the dog crate too. We stick Verona in there with the door closed when we're bringing in groceries so she doesn't try to make her great escape. And on very rare occasion, we've put Reggi in there for misbehavior but I can't remember the last time we've done that.

Enough babbling, time to sit in the hot tub for a while. Did I tell you I've turned Steve on to the joys of sitting in the tub without the jets turned on? It's delightfully peaceful, watching and listening to the birds, gazing at the flowers.