DIY Plate Rack in the Bathroom.Plumbing issues resolved.

The Big Cover-Up ...

Just before Thanksgiving, we had some serious plumbing issues which resulted in abandoning all the leaking copper pipe in the foundation and running new water lines through the attic. 

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This left us with numerous areas where they had to cut large holes in the walls to get to the connections. We had from two to six plumbers here every day for at least seven days. 


This wall is where they accessed the pipes that service the tub/shower/toilet in the main bath. More holes were cut in the wall behind the toilet. 

This was in our office where they had to access the pipes to the lavatory in this bath. These walls were plastered, so an easy fix.

Putting it all back together ... 

Walls that were wallpapered were the biggest challenge because I did not have any more paper and I did not want to put up new paper. I was able to take some paper from this wall to patch the wall behind the toilet ... (I hope)

This is the entry to the main bath which I wanted to have looking decent for Christmas. The door is off now and you can see the hinges. I had the drywall man plaster up four feet because I planned to put wainscoting or something with hooks to hang towels ...
but scrapped that idea and went with this ...

... a narrow plate rack shelf

My inspiration.    

I had seen this in Bre's kitchen tour at Rooms For Rent
and thought it would work for this space for magazines, art and maybe towels. I printed out the picture and that was my work sheet.

It will be behind the door when the door is open and was made to fit that space without the door hitting it.

(Details at bottom of post)

   

2" wide shelf is just enough space for a few small books 

and a picture.

 

I did this charcoal drawing of a sleepy little kitten in 1973 and she has spent most of her life in a closet. Now she is out to be enjoyed. 

Same height as the door and can still see wall paper at the top.

I printed out a sign "Life is Good ... Hot Water ... Clean Towels" but have not had time to make a painted sign.

Not room to back up and get a full length picture.

The shabby pink piece is an architectural salvage from a cabinet. 


I sat a decorative wooden piece on the top and added some items of interest.  (actually it is the top of a chair back)
 The vintage pink frame makes a nice place to display pictures ... just clipped to the hanging wire.

The Santa graphic came from Karen at Graphic Fairy that I printed it on a sheet music graphic from Knick of Time.

You must visit these blogs ... great graphics for FREE !!!

Standing at the vanity; this is the reflection in the mirror.

Sorry, no natural light for pictures.

Shelf details ...

 Size: 80" tall ... 33" wide ... 2½" total depth. 

2" display space in the shelves.

 

I bought a 4'x8' piece of 3/8" thick unfinished exterior bead-board paneling.  Two 1" x 4" x 8' pine boards for the side and top frame ... and four 1" x 4" x 36" pieces for the shelves. Several pieces of screen molding for the facing on the shelf and the brace across the shelf and used a ¾"x¼" shoe mold that I had on hand to finish off the exposed side.  I cut everything to size and primed and painted them before assembly. Sanded and then re-painted after I had it assembled. Frame and shelf boards had to be ripped to size. This shelf is just screwed to the wall and can be removed if needed. 

Shelves can be spaced to meet your personal needs. 

This little piece was added to hold the screen mold brace. 

If you have any questions or want more details, please ask.

Hope to inspire ... Thanks for the visit and hope you will let me know you were here. 

Blessings and HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Linking to:

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Ivy and Elephants What's It Wednesday

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We Call it JUNKIN
 

 

Christmas Mantel ... Joy to the World ... Nativity inspired. HOPE.

Merry Christmas ...

My header picture of a manger scene was just a teaser for my Christmas Mantel decoration.

This very primitive, hand made, wood Nativity set with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in a manger, was on sale at half-price at Finds Thrift store, and just kept jumping out at me ... I passed it by several times and finally just had to have it regardless of how naive it was.

It sat on the mantel for a day or two before I could get a grasp on what to do with it since I would not be dragging out decoration this year ...

Not really well made ... but has "the charm" and I LOVE it.

I added this vintage window with three glass panes ... just perfect for ... 
JOY ... like JOY to the World ...

 hope you enJOY and are blessed and inspired.

I lined the back of the antique window with old flour sack fabric 

and draped a string of lights behind it in the shape of a Christmas tree. The letters are from the Craft store and left natural. 

I just hot-glued them to the old wreaths.

(Some of the pictures were taken before I got the letters up)

My old green sap bucket with the curly willow limbs add height ... rustic wooden star and rusty bells just add to the primitive theme. 

and on the hearth and display shelves ... 

There is always HOPE ....

  

Santa's socks, my vintage bird bath figure and more ... 

our tree is just to the right ... 

Faux boxwood wreath is just perched on the fireplace screen just below the mantel.

 

 The trees are two-part wooden trees and I love how the light reflects off them.

Hope you have a wonderful, happy and 
God Blessed Merry Christmas.

Audrey Z.

Thanks for your visit.

Linking to: One More Time

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A Bouquet of Talent Linky Party

A Bouquet of Talent Linky Party

 

The story of the Sad ... Scraggly ... Skinny Little Christmas Tree

First of all, I want to wish everyone a 

Blessed and Happy Christmas

Like everyone else ... I am way behind in getting ready for Christmas but I wanted you to see my sad ... scraggly ... skinny, little Christmas tree ... 

I know how busy you are and don't have or want to take time to read a long story of how the Grinch (Plumbers) stole my Christmas decorating time ... in short whole-house re-plumbing, wall repairs and re-decorating. (More on that later) ... but maybe you can quickly scroll through.

Picture overload ...

I just did not have time to dig out all the stuff to decorate our large Christmas tree, let alone time to pack everything away after Christmas.  

I told my daughter that no one pays attention to the tree anyway ... 

she said I DO !!! and sounded so disappointed, that I just had to do something. 

Bad knees would keep me off the ladder so I could not put up the nine foot tree 

that I have in the attic. 

... so off to the Thrift store to find a small tree ...

Well, I found this one on sale for $10.00 ...

  a little scrawny ... unstable on her feet ... missing a few limbs ... well, maybe a lot of limbs. 

So ... we attached the top to the middle section as best we could, actually put a screw in it ... pulled and tugged on the limbs to straighten ... took her in the house and started adding lights.

Bought two additional strings of lights. $7.00

    

 I had some limbs from another tree ... nothing like what was on her, but stuck them in the bare spots to give her some shape ...

 

 

I usually do a traditional tree with lots of antique ornaments ... so, not wanting to or having time to get out all the old ornaments, I decided to do a simple decoration without ornaments. 

 Our normal traditional tree.

 

I told my daughter I had bought a ugly little tree and did not know how in the world I would be able to decorated it. 

She replied ... you will make it look beautiful ... so I HAD to.

You have seen the before ... and here is the after ... 

all fattened up, taller and pretty.

I had bought ten, two for a dollar, gold glitter reindeer from Dollar Tree Store to make a garland.

Pretty ... yes !  $5.00  

I decided not to make the garland but use the deer on the tree ...

and painted them Dover white ... 

Years ago, I dismantled a pip-berry garland and had a lot of red berry picks that would help reshape her.  I was trying to make her fatter and ragged.

 

That is a rusty metal bow I used as a topper because there was not much up there to hold a star. 

I added the three white birds from the Dollar Tree Store and some bunches of berries I had on hand.

$3.00

I also bought two Magic Springs ... and since I like to put something on the coffee table for the grandsons to pick up and examine (play with) ... I decided these Magic Springs (slinky) might be fun.  Hey, they are in college, but they still like fun things.

(Last year, I put a lot of old metal toys on the coffee table and that was a lot of fun.) 

Well, actually these were toys they had played with when they were young. 

I was playing with the silver magic spring and stretched it out and it made a very interesting garland. 

See the curly white loops throughout the tree ... that is the Magic Springs with sparkle.  

Ten Reindeer were not enough ... so sent Mr. Z. to get ten more and one more silver slinky.

$5.00

Two silver Magic Springs (slinky) 

$2.00

She wears this pretty, white, vintage half-slip or petticoat for a skirt.

 
She wears and antique mercury glass tree topper for her crown. 
I left the rusty metal bow there. 

 At the base of the tree is my cute little snowman with his antique wagon full of yarn snowballs. 

I think he plans to make himself a snow-woman.

Snowman $15.00

I glued some white, lighted twigs I bought several years ago to a piece of picket fence from the yard.

So cute ... LOVE that bent carrot nose topped with snow.

 A Santa helper ... my antique bear sits atop a large wood carved horse that is behind the tree.

 I made a candle ring with a small slinky so I will challenge the Grandsons to see what Magic thing they can create with the large slinky.

2 small Magic springs slinky ... $1.00

(are you keeping track of the dollars spent?)

HAVE FUN ... Enjoy Christmas 

 

All the presents are MINE ... yes ... really!!! 

It's my birthday too.

Sorry, my tree looks a little blurry ... not much light in our living room.

Thanks for staying with me with this long post ... hope you enjoyed it and will let me know you visited.

$10.00... tree
$10.00... 20 deer
$3.00...  3 birds
$7.00...  lights
$15.00... snowman
$2.00...  slinky garland
$1.00...  2 small slinky  (one for candle holder)

Total:  $48.00   ... not bad !
What do you think?

God Bless ...

Audrey Z.

Linking to:

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The Romantic Home ... Show and Tell Friday
The Charm of Home ,,, Home Sweet Home #150

Knick of Time ... Tuesday