Master Bath Renovation

Our master bath renovation is just about complete, and we are extremely happy with our new space! Built in the the 1980's, the master bath was very outdated and cluttered.  There was an old fiberglass shower stall with glass doors on a metal track.  A formica cabinet with a wall mirror and strip lights on the top.  Tile floor with dirty grout.  I had no desire to even clean it anymore!

We now have a 48" floating vanity made by Nutmeg Stairs and Cabinets.  The vanity top is quartz with an undermount sink by Ronbow.

I chose simple chrome drawer pulls on the cabinet.  The middle drawer is home to the garbage can so I don't have  to have one cluttering the floor.  There is an electrical outlet inside one of the drawers so we can keep the hair dryer plugged in, use it, and put it away.

And a Grohe faucet with soap dispenser.  The tile on the wall behind the sink is from Porcelanosa.

The medicine cabinet (Century) over the sink is 6 inches deep providing more storage room.

 There is a mirror on the inside of the medicine cabinet door, which also opens to almost 180 degrees.

 There is a double outlet inside the medicine cabinet so we can keep our electric toothbrushes charging out of sight! And the mirror has a heater so it will not fog up during those long, hot showers.

I love my make-up mirror with 5x magnification on one side.

Another BEFORE picture:

 We had a towel bar on the wall - the towels were never hanging straight, which bothered me!

The heater extended behind the toilet, which collected all kinds of dust and made it hard to clean.

There was a window shade over the window that collected hair spray and dust.

We have removed the heater from behind the toilet so we could have a beautiful skirted Toto one-piece toilet.

Instead of a towel bar, we now use two modern towel hooks (much neater and easier).
Spare towels are stored above the toilet on a modern train rack from Restoration Hardware.
The window no longer has a shade - nobody can see inside anyways! The white window trim was removed and the window was encased in tile instead.

BEFORE: The area behind the door housed a corner hamper for dirty clothes.  We could never open the door all the way because of the cramped space and the hamper wasn't big enough  - it was always overflowing onto the floor.

Now, there is no more hamper.  Just a stainless steel door in the wall.

On the other side of the wall is a closet with two large laundry bins!  (My idea!)

BEFORE: Molded fiberglass shower stall with sliding glass doors.

After removing the fiberglass enclosure, we were able to make the shower larger because there was empty space on one side of the enclosure.  We replaced it with a tiled shower with a white Synmar base.  There will be a frameless glass door in the opening - we are waiting for it to be made.

The tile is Shine Dark from Porcelanosa.  It is a mixture of browns and greys.

There is an accent strip of greys, whites and browns to break up the large tiles.

The accent tile is repeated in the cutout where the soap and shampoo are stored. (The tile looks more brown in this picture, but it is really mainly grey)

Part of the shower is behind a partial wall for privacy.  The water control was moved from under the shower head to the side wall so we don't have to get wet when we reach in to turn on the shower.  There are also two hooks on the side wall for washcloths.

A small piece of granite was installed in the corner so there is something to put my foot on when shaving my legs!

The floor tile is a matte gray - very plain so as not to take away from the beauty of the wall tile.
The white baseboard trim was replaced by a tile trim.

Instead of a cloth bath mat, I chose a mat made of wood (teak or bamboo) which stays on the floor all the time - no bath mat to hang to dry.

I am sooo happy with my new bathroom.  John Shea of JD Shea Home Improvements did all of the work, including the fantastic tile work.  The electrical was done by Tim Sawtelle of Constant  Power.
The bathroom sinks, medicine cabinets, toilets, faucets, and tub were purchased at Modern Plumbing in Newington.


The main bath is completed with the installation of the glass shower enclosure from CT Bath and Shower in West Hartford.

The Last Laugh is on Me!

There's never a dull moment around this house!

It was a beautiful day today, so when I let the dogs outside I left the door to the screened-in porch open to get some fresh air.  Then I went about my work and forgot it was open.

I came downstairs a few hours later to this...

She was waiting proudly for me to see her latest catch!
I wasn't quite sure if it was alive or dead, so I put my shoes on.

 Maddie wasn't sure either.

It wasn't moving, so I moved in a little closer to inspect it, ready to make a fast get-away if necessary!

I saw blood on the floor (there must have been a fight!) and also in the scales of the snake.
Its eyes were open - do snakes close their eyes when they die?

I got the kitchen tongs out to nudge it and grab it if it was alive.

It just flopped.

 So I got brave and took some really close pictures with my macro lens.
The scales look really cool!

Then I flipped him over and checked out his belly.

I was amazed at how shiny it was!

I also saw a few puncture wounds at various points along its belly.

I felt like I was doing an autopsy!

When I saw the blood around his mouth, I felt a little bad for him!
I decided he was dead.

I used the tongs to pick him up and put him in a ziploc bag.
I didn't throw it away yet because I had to show Vance - he LOVES reptiles.

When Annie got home, I showed her the bag.  I noticed there was some black slimy stuff in the bag in addition to the snake.  I wondered if snakes poop when they die!

An hour later, Vance got home. 

I went to get the bag and noticed the snake was in a different formation - all coiled up.

Interesting.

I picked up the bag and the snake stuck its tongue out at me!
OMG!
Vance laughed at my reaction and I cringed thinking back to how close I was to this creature - my face only inches away taking those close-up pictures!

He told me that snakes play dead when they are being attacked.
He took the bag outside and let the snake go in the woods.
He said it slithered away like nothing ever happened to it!

So the last laugh is on me!

 (For those of you interested in photography, this photo (creepy though it may be) is a great example of a shallow depth of field.  Notice there is only a thin band of the photo that is actually in focus (where the eyes are).  The rest of the photo is blurred.)

My Expressive Daughter - Again

I told you a few posts ago that my secret goal at track meets
 this year is to capture Annie's facial expressions. 

Here are a few from the last meet!

And the winning expression of the day...

In case you're wondering, Annie really does participate in the track meet -

when she's not talking!

In-Bread Meme

Meme: An internet phenomenon or a meme is an image, video, phrase or simply an idea that spreads from one person to another seemingly for no logical reason at all.
 
Last night, my daughter Kerry told me lookup "cat breading" on google images.
I said "Don't you mean breeding?"
She affirmed she really meant "breading".

I did, and I couldn't believe what I found!

So, today Kerry and I set out to "bread" our cats.

It's not as simple as it sounds.

Our initial attempts on Maddie failed horribly.
The bread broke as she tried to get away!

So we decided it would be better to toast the bread.

She REALLY  didn't want to have anything to do with it!
The toast fell to the floor and Sami ran off with it, followed by Halle
close on his heels!  She wanted him to share!

After she tasted the toast, Halle asked to be breaded too!

We succeeded in breading Momo (or I should say "toasting")
but Maddie was too jacked up to try again.

We waited until she was taking a nap.
Then,

Another successful breading!

Did you know there is an APP on iTunes called "Breaded Cats"?

I tried it out...

There have been many other internet "memes"
such as

Oolong the Pancake Rabbit

Nuts the Squirrel who stepped into a couple's vacation picture.


And my personal favorite, Maru the cat in Japan who loves getting inside bags and boxes!

In My Dreams

Watching the Amazing Race always makes me yearn to visit far-away places.  It gives me glimpses of the vast and varied beauty of the world that I will probably never see with my own eyes.

If I had the chance to visit just a few of these places...
If I had to narrow it down to a five...
Where would I go?

(not in any particular order)

The white buildings and blue waters of the Greek Islands have always seemed appealing to me.  Watching "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" clinched it.  I want to go there someday!

Isn't this photo amazing?  Japan has serenity and gracefulness that I would love to capture with my camera.  Not the cities.  Just the smaller villages and countryside.

Africa is so different and breathtaking.  Serengeti National Park, the animals, the landscapes, the people.  Another photographer's dream!

The French countryside would be so romantic and picturesque!  The Loire valley, castles, flowers...

I have always wanted to visit Ireland too.  Maybe it's my Irish heritage.  Maybe it's the novels I've read which make Ireland and the people come alive.  And of course it's the beauty!

These are just dreams.
Maybe I'll get to a few of them.
Maybe not.

However, I am so fortunate that I have already been to the most breathtaking place on earth.
This place has been a part of me all of my life. 
This is where I am most at peace.
No matter where I live, it will always be home.

 
Vermont!