Daltile: Degrossifying my Bathroom

 
Hey y'all!  I'm here to let you know about a fun little project I've been working on courtesy of The Home Depot.  They recently gave me the chance to try out some of their stylin' tile, specifically, the Atmospheres Collection by Daltile, so I've been hard at work watching my husband retile our bathroom! Whew!
 
  Actually, there was nothing to REtile, as it was carpeted.  Yes, I stepped out of the shower everyday onto matted, brown carpet. Grody McGrossertons.  And our house was built in 2005.  Who does that anymore? 

Anyway, there will be more info to come in the next couple of weeks, including the big before and after reveal (oooh, exciting) and a $100 gift card giveaway to The Home Depot, so be sure to watch for that!

For now, please feel free to check out my project board on Pinterest or learn more about the stylish and affordable options available from Daltile.

The Home Depot partnered with bloggers like me to participate in the Daltile program.  As part of the program, I received compensation from The Home Depot in the form of a gift card to participate in this campaign promoting the new Atmospheres Tile Collection by Daltile.  All opinions are 100% my own. 

The Home Depot's policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. Winner will be chosen at random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

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Outdoor Outlets

Apparently, some people in other parts of the world actually ENJOY summer.  What an unimaginable fantasy!  If you don't have to wear oven mitts to drive, then consider yourself one of these lucky people and enjoy some of today's outdoor inspiration.

First, a ridiculously lovely screened porch from Linda at It All Started With Paint. Isn't this the most inviting scene?  I wish I could crawl right in.  I call the chair with the pom-pom pillow.

Becky from Reinventing the Ordinary did exactly that, by reinventing her ordinary patio with a built-in barbeque and plenty of plants to liven up the joint.  I also love the outdoor curtains, and I'm totally going to curtain my patio too, but first I should probably get curtains for the inside of my house. Priorities, sigh.

Cece from N Your Dreams had a little outdoor dilemma to deal with when the winter snowplows mowed over her mailbox. Yipes! So her husband installed a big swingy pipey type thing (technical term) so it can now be easily be moved out of the way come snowy time.  Problem was, it was not so cute.  But Cece knew it just needed a little sparkle and so she made the cutest little mosaic mailbox I've ever seen.  Don't you agree?

 

So, are you a gardener?  I try.  I try EVERY STINKING YEAR.  All my neighbors can grow stuff.  But all I can grow is despair. Even my six-year-old is better at gardening than me.  (It's almost mystical how good he is actually.  Anything he plants comes up triple in size to everyone else's.  His little bean in the paper cup at school is always the tallest.  We each planted a tomato plant this year, and everyone's died except his. It's like, five feet tall.  Sometimes I make him go talk to my plants, no lie).  Anyway, maybe if I had a cute little stick-fenced plot to garden in like Wendy from Vintage Fan Girl, things would be different for me.  But probably not.

And finally, Erin from Just Grand recently redid this old shed at her lake cottage.  And by 'redid' I mean she hauled that hot mess far away and built an outdoor shower in its place!  Ahh, it looks so serene! I want to go to there.

This post brought to you by:

 PhotoJewelryMaking.com

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Just Winging It

Some people think wingback chairs are outdated, but those people are wrong.  Wingback chairs can still be totally cool, as proved here by Megan from Make Bake and Love.  You know what else would be REALLY cool?  Actual wings on the back of a wingback chair.  Like the kind the Victoria Secret angels wear.  That would look awesome AND be a funny play on words AND probably make all your friends jealous.  Think about that.

This post brought to you by:

 PhotoJewelryMaking.com

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Kool Tools

There is no shortage of awesome kid kitchens out there, but what about kiddie tool benches?  They really get the shaft.  That was supposed to be a tool joke.  Is there such thing as a shaft-tool?  Oh my gosh, NO NOT LIKE THAT.  Sheesh.  Get your mind out of the gutter.

Annnnyway, here is an awesome little nightstand turned tool bench from Better After reader Shelly. I love the pegboard!

And if you just can't get enough kid kitchen makeovers, well you're in luck, because she made one of those too!

This post brought to you by:

 PhotoJewelryMaking.com

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Bookcase, in your face!

I've heard that there's more than one way to skin a cat, but I wouldn't know, because I've never tried.  Have you?  Of course not.  Who on earth has?  Freaky people you probably shouldn't be associating with, that's who. If you hang out with folks who have skinned more than one cat, you need to rethink the direction your life is taking, that's all I'm saying.

And the other thing I'm saying is that there's more than one way to makeover a bookshelf.  Paint and fabric? Sure! Like Jenn from The House of Wood used when she rescued this old bookcase for her sweet baby's nursery. 

Reclaimed wood and corbels?  You betcha. That's what Better After reader Esther used when she gussied up this $5 bookshelf.  Side note: apparently it's pronounced CORbel and not corBEL, like I had always said.  You'd better get it right, or my brother will laugh in your face, I know this from experience.

This post brought to you by:

 PhotoJewelryMaking.com

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Broken Record

Are you in the mood for something completely random?  I hope so!  Because I have a gramophone makeover to share!  **(record scratch)**  A what?! 

Yeah, you heard me, a gramophone!  Gramophones, for all you young folks,  were how people used to play music back in the olden days, and NO, I'm not talking about CDs.  This spectacularly salvaged relic comes from Luis and company at Restoration Workshop, which specializes in all kinds of restoration work.  So give them a call if you need a gramophone makeover, and if you happen to live in Brazil!

This post brought to you by:

 PhotoJewelryMaking.com

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Your Roots are Showing

Betsy's kitchen was firmly rooted in the '80s.  Pukey pastels, wallpaper borders; heck, it would probably rock a set of teased bangs if it could.  (I personally never teased my bangs back in the '80s.  Oh, wait, that's because I wasn't capable of doing my own hair and made my mom do it for me.  This business carried on well past the age it was socially acceptable to tease your bangs AND for your mom to do your hair. Don't be jealous of my coolness). 

But now, thanks to a dying dishwasher, I'm doing my own hair for the first time in my life!  No, wait.  What I meant was, thanks to a dying dishwasher, Betsy had to redo her entire kitchen, because you know how one thing leads to another. And now she has a super cool streamlined space to enjoy for years to come!

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Parking Spots

So, it was my 31st birthday yesterday! Man, I'm really getting up there in years.  I told my son that from now on I'm going to start counting backwards. Next year I'll be 30. I know 31 is not really that old, but ... its kind of starting to feel like it.  I had to go to the mall to fix my cell phone today, and it was taking the Verizon people so long that I pooped out just from standing there!  I actually had to go sit on the benches among all the little old men holding their wife's shopping bags.  I'm just old and feeble now, I guess.  

Anyway, speaking of malls and benches, this little 'Park It' bench by Meghan used to be a display stand at a store in the mall!  Ok, I'm not 100% positive if that's true or not, but I can totally see it stacked with folded jeans in The Gap, can't you?  See more from Meghan on her blog Styled Savvy.

And if you wanted an even drastic-er (real word, trust me, don't look it up) chair makeover, check this sweet seat out.  You'll never guess what it used to be.  Unless the before picture tips you off.  That's right, Linn recycled this old box spring (which, surprisingly, was made with zero springs) into an adorable little table and chair set.  After she had built a custom bed, she didn't need the box spring anymore, but couldn't bear to let all that good wood go to waste.  Way to save the world Linn!  Check it out on her blog The Home Project.

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Unbeiging the Bathroom

Teresa is the kind of host who wants her guests to pee in comfort and style.  How thoughtful!  I know I always appreciate it when people provide more than a slimy sliver of soap and invisible hand towels for my bathroom experience.  So her overly beigy bathroom had to go.  Her beveled mirror was already pretty glam, so she went with that vibe and added a fabulous damask wallpaper and lots of pretty accents.  See the whole space on her blog Unbeige My Heart.  (ha!)

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Shabby Apple Giveaway: $100 Gift Card! (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)

 

(now closed)
I'm a huge fan of online shopping for many reasons.  One: you can do it from the comfort of your own home, any time of day or night while eating a bowl of cereal and paying your kids to rub your feet.  Try doing that at the mall.

Two: You could either go to the mall and search for hours and find maybe a couple cute dresses that probably aren't even in stock in your size, OR, clickity-click right over to my favorite online shopping destination, Shabby Apple, and be confronted with such an expansive panorama of adorable dresses and accessories that you may never go to the mall again.

 

 Sorry, mall.

Shabby Apple offers literally HUNDREDS of dresses, tops, skirts, accessories and shoes. Well, I don't know actually, I didn't count, but there are SO many.  All fantastic.

All of the items seen here are just a few of my favorites from their newest collections,  

Lighthouse, Twin Palms, The Block, and Mad Hatter.  

Plus, you can now use the code betterafter10off to receive 10% off your Shabby Apple purchase!

SO! Want to get in on some sweet Shabby Apple action of your own?  Enter to win a $100 Giftcard to Shabby Apple right now!  Entering is easy!  The hardest part is making up your mind...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Random winner will be selected Monday, June 25. Giveaway open to US mailing addresses only.  Good luck, I hope you win!

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Fashion Friday: Home Edition

Hey funky friends, are you ready for a Fashion Friday fix?  I love Fashion Friday almost as much as I love alliteration.  (PS: That reminds me, you should come visit me on Facebook for Throwback Thursday. It's a groovy good time).

Today's fashions are extra cool, because instead of old duds being made into better looking duds, these are all made from home decor items!  Ha!  What fun. 

First, check out how these outdated curtains got transformed into a pleated skirt of prettiness from Laura at Trash to Couture. 

Ack!  So cute.

And do you have a tacky old table runner lying around?  I would have put this thing in my "Take to Goodwill" pile, but Laura tossed it into her "Sew Into Adorable Pair of Shorts" pile, and then that's just what she did.  See more HERE.

Hmmm, what else can she dig up around the house to turn into an awesome outfit?  How about this old lace pillowcase?  Yep, just like that, Laura transformed it into a chic little mini.  Doesn't hurt that Laura is basically a supermodel.  I personally would require several more pillowcases before I would be allowed to leave the house.  See the process HERE.

 

And while we're on the topic of bed linens, here's a vintage sheet project from Better After reader Rita.  She found this 1970s butterfly bedsheet at a thrift store for $3 and whipped it into matching dresses for her daughters.  The cost of the whole project was $3, at least, until a ribbon shortage snafu ended up costing her $20 more.  Still, two vintage dresses for $11.50 a piece?  Can't beat it.

I hope you enjoyed today's Fashion Friday, and if you just can't get enough fashiony fashions, guess what?  C'mon back later today for a $100 Shabby Apple giftcard giveaway!  Woo!

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