inspiration: boys' bath

My brain is a bit out of practice. Two pregnancies can do that to a gal, even a smart one. But given the time crunch we've created for ourselves, I'm forced to think about the design and materials for the whole house all at once. It's fun, but exhausting. Don't worry, friends, I won't overwhelm you with a picture of what's in my head when I can't sleep at 3:30 in the morning...

I'm getting really close to having the boys' bathroom put together. I want it to be super functional and clean since they're little, but masculine and mature enough to grow with them. It's gut-wrenching to think about, but they won't be babies forever and someday they'll be inspecting their first chin whiskers in the mirror I choose. Here's a little peek at what we're working with...

And here's my inspiration for a new clean, masculine but with a little whimsy bathroom... Can you see where I'm headed? xo

1. Big charcoal floor tiles, via Pinterest. /  2. Love the trough sink idea in a small space, via Pinterest. / 3. Simple maple vanity, via Houzz. / 4. Nice texture, Ronbow Sophie vanity. / 5. Colored Wall Sconce by onefortythree. Love this guy's stuff. / 6. There's that nice charcoal tile again, via Houzz. / 7. Plenty of Fish in the Sea shower curtain. From Land of Nod, of course. / 8. Gorgeous subway tile, via Lonny. / 9. Love the look and the herringbone tile, via Houzz.

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snow white

The best shades of white. xo

thanks, mom

After several failed attempts at submitting out permit application, my mom was finally successful! I sat in the office two days in a row and was thwarted, first by a minor correction and then because I ran out of time when the guy who was supposed to help me next decided it was time for lunch. I couldn't wait any longer because I had to pick up a kiddo. It's very frustrating to try to achieve all of your life goals in 15 minute time slots. Enter Super Mom/Grandma to the rescue! She very graciously offered to give it a try and she DID IT! WE'RE SUBMITTED! A darn good thing since two days from now they're changing a bunch of codes that would've required piles more paperwork. I might've jumped if they'd turned me away to get more documentation. So we squeaked in before the deadline and are somehow 4 weeks AHEAD of schedule. AHEAD of schedule?! YEAH! Oh, wait... 4 weeks AHEAD of schedule? CRAP...  Gotta go. xo

good riddance

While we wait and wait and wait to hear back about our permit for the kitchen and stairs, we're going to try to get the cosmetic stuff upstairs finished. There's a pretty good chance we're going to be living in this beauty before it's finished - yes, I know that living in a construction site with 2 little boys and a terribly behaved dog is not recommended, but we might not have a choice if the remodel starts to drag. We're trying to get the upstairs looking great so that at least one part of the house might feel "normal" even if we have to eat cereal and frozen waffles in the garage for 2 months because we have no kitchen.

So, we're ripping out all of the nasty old carpet and preparing the sub floor for beautiful new hardwoods and tile throughout. My husband (A) and my 4-year-old son (B) spent the better part of last weekend cutting and ripping up the carpet and tack. B was so thrilled about his brand new big boy work gloves and he would gladly do anything to help daddy, so they were actually incredibly efficient. Today we went to pull up the stray staples and start tackling the gross 25-year-old linoleum in the bathroom. Yuck! Our sweet crew put in some serious sweat equity, even the baby (R), who helped sweep up and was thrilled to be wielding tools. It's pretty satisfying work and feels good to be under way, even if we have to do it ourselves. We're not scared. xo

permit? what permit?

Ok. So, to say that we bit off a bit more than we can chew might be valid. A remodel sounds fun, right? Pick some tile and cabinets, thumb through a few magazines, narrow down some paint colors and voila! You have a new house... right? No. Not right. I'm sure most of you will find it no surprise that that's not actually how this all works.

We've spent the days since we closed on the house in mid November trying to select the right contractor (please please please say that we did...) and furiously trying to meet every one of the 92 requirements on the checklist set forth by the City of Boulder to apply for a building permit. During the holidays. With my sister and nephew visiting from Australia for nearly a month. While keeping our marriage and sanity intact. Mind you, we knew we would need a permit, but had NO idea what was involved in actually obtaining one. And, we could've chosen a house that just needed a little love, but instead we chose one that needs the removal of an exterior wall in order to create a fantastic kitchen and the restructuring of the interior staircase to create a coat closet and proper entryway. I know the City's regulations are part of what makes this such a beautiful and desirable place to live, but OMG the things they make you document is mind-numbing. Seems like it would be much easier to invite the surveyor, contractor, engineer, architect (my mom, who's not actually an architect, but a creative and talented visionary) and city planning guy all over for coffee one morning and just walk through it. Maybe I'll leave a note in the City's suggestion box. I'm sure I'll hear back...

Of course, these aren't real problems. Not the kind that should keep you up at night or garner any pity, but it's a little stressful nonetheless. When I get overwhelmed I remember these 2 little words... WALK-IN PANTRY (or is that 3 words?) It will surely all be worth it in the end, but oh my... Right now 5 months sounds like a million years away, which is the best case scenario for getting the house move-in ready. We're looking at 6 weeks for word on the permit, which we are desperately trying to get in this week + 3 months for the remodel, assuming that mother nature (and our contractor!) cooperate so we can dig the foundation in the dead of winter. Keep your fingers crossed, would you? xo