Making Some Changes

You have probably been wondering why I haven't published my post on the details of the $6500 bathroom budget.  Some of you have no idea what I am talking about because Facebook only let 250 followers see the link to my budget post a few weeks ago.

The truth is, I am not happy with that budget.  Ever since I came up with the budget and shared the decisions with y'all, I have had anxiety.  I want a specific look and feel in my bathroom and $6500 is not an unreasonable amount to invest in the master but, I just don't want to spend that much.  Period. And it was probably going to cost more.  As I was getting quotes, and realizing some of the prep work we will have to do, it was actually going to cost OVER $7000 and was getting closer to $8,000 everyday.  Um...no.

How to Plan & Budget for a Remodel

This is one of those posts that you have to actually read.  No pictures.  Boring, I know.

For a budget to be successful, you must plan ahead, research and be realistic.  Seriously people.  You can't just make up a number and then think you can actually stick to it.  It might be absolutely impossible to do everything at that price.  Planning and researching will help find a realistic cost.


Here are a few questions I asked myself when starting this process.

Master Bath Decisions

Hi all!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Things have been quiet on the blog but that is because I am super busy with work!

Furniture projects consist of a huge, multi piece entertainment center (delivered yesterday) and a farmhouse table.  This weekend, two dressers and a bed were dropped off to get their update before they go in a sweet nursery.

My other project is planning for the master bathroom.  I am really tired of looking at this....

Our Master Bath ~ Before

So today is the day I finally show you what my master bath looks like.  It is a good size but the layout is not the best.  I feel there are too many doors in such a small space and the closets are pretty small.  As I said in yesterday's post, see it here, we are going to leave the footprint the same.  Nothing is going to move but everything will be replaced, painted and updated.

Here is a floor plan I drew yesterday so you can get an idea of where every thing is located.

And now for the big reveal!

The view from our bedroom.

 Yes, that is blue carpet you see in my bathroom.

The tub & shower unit is a puddy color and it always looks dirty.  It doesn't matter how much I scrub.  

I hate the awkward L-shaped vanity.  We don't even use the sink shoved in the corner.  The blow dryer usually lives in that sink.  :)  Don't you love the seashells with the built in soap shelf?!

Blittle uses the towel ring to hang his belts.  

I do like that the toilet is separate.

This window is the only source of natural light in the space.  We usually keep this door shut so it is not very helpful.

This room needs help.  BAD.  I can't wait to get rid of that yuck carpet, get more storage (there isn't a good place to put towels and the doors are so small on the vanity that most items won't fit through) and I really need a designated space for laundry.  Right now the laundry basket is on the floor of my overflowing closet.  Even when my closet is clean there is a laundry basket taking up tons of room and it feels more claustrophobic than it already is.

I want to build custom shelving for shoes and other storage all the way to the ceiling and change the hanging rods so we can fit more hanging clothes.

There is tons to do.   I am hoping to get some tile samples early next week so I can start making decisions on colors and textiles.  Also, I want to see how much this is going to cost.  We have a guest bath that also needs updating and I would like to do that project right after the master but to do that I have to keep costs under control.

Master Bathroom Inspiration

Hi y'all!  I hope everyone had an great labor day.  The storm in the gulf kept it super rainy and gloomy around here.  Saturday and Sunday I allowed myself to be extremely lazy and it felt amazing.  Monday, the sun was out so we work around the house and spent a lot of time outside.

With being lazy this weekend and spending so much time inside, I finally started planning for our master bathroom makeover.  This space is a challenge for me and I can't seem to get inspired.  I hate the L-shaped vanity.  The closets are small.  There is not enough room to have a large soaking tub or whirlpool AND a shower.  It must be a combo which for a tall girl like me, I might as well not have a standard tub because I don't really fit.

Charleston Food

And it's Thursday already!  This time last week we were flying to Charleston for our last minute extended weekend vacation.  Read about the tours we did and where we stayed here.

This post is all about the food.  Yes, an entire post for the food.  I would call Blittle and myself, amateur foodies.  My family did everything around food and I tried to absorb as much information from my grandparents and parents as I could about cooking.  I am not afraid to try new recipes at home and neither of us are picky eaters.  When we moved to New Orleans, we both started trying new foods and looking for places that offered different dishes.  I have eaten things that I NEVER thought I would.  Some things are delicious, others not so much but I tried them and that's what counts.

Falling For Charleston

Hi!  I hope everyone is having a great week!  Blittle and I are trying to get back into the swing of things after being gone for an extended weekend, mini vacation in Charleston.  I think I fell in love while I was there.

We have been talking about getting away for a while now.  Both of us have been super busy with work and have been feeling very overwhelmed.  A few weeks ago, I finally got fed up with talking about leaving and bought plane tickets.  I was ready to get away and it needed to happen ASAP.

Charleston, South Carolina isn't a place we had on our travel list, but it is a place that has come up in conversation quite a bit in the past few months.  We were told it is like a clean and safe New Orleans.  That the food is great and the scenery and homes are beautiful.  There is also good fishing and beaches there (this was supposed to be a non beach, non fishing vacation but we ended up doing both).

So when I was checking for flights, I just happened to check Charleston, along with Cancun, Key West, and a few other islands.  Blittle kept saying he wants to do something "America" and see more of our country before we go back to the Caribbean.  So that's what we did.

I found a great, super cute rental through VRBO.com on Market Street.  This is a great location to walk to everything!  You could get away with not renting a car if you plan on staying just in the downtown area.  Here are the pictures of our rental and the link to it's page that has more info about it.