creative little daisy

Pillow Talk

Are you wondering if I'm going to sew something for Sew Something Month? I am. I did. How about some cute Christmas pillows- tutorial included. I'm so excited, this post can also be found at Life In Grace as part of Edie's 12 Days of Handmade Christmas.

Perhaps the easiest way to get your feet wet in the sewing waters is by making simple pillow or cushion  covers. Once you know the basic construction, you can get as fancy as you wish with embellishments and trim. You can update the look of a room quickly and inexpensively by simply adding some pretty throw pillows or recovering existing ones.

 

For this tutorial, I’m going to show you how I I saved at least $75.00 by making my own pillow covers instead of buying them from Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs.

I had everything I needed so I didn't spend a dime. If you don't have an embarrassing stash a few things lying around, like I do,  I think you can buy what you need for less than $15.00.

First gather your supplies,

 

You will need pillow forms to cover.  You can buy inserts fairly inexpensively at the fabric store, especially when you catch them on sale, or like I said above, you can just recover pillows you already have.  One of the pillows I'm covering today came from Walmart. I was there to buy a pillow form, but noticed that I could buy an 18 inch pillow  cheaper than a 16 inch pillow insert, so I went with that.

I am using a rotary cutter, but you can make your cuts with scissors. If you plan to do much sewing, I recommend getting one and a self healing cutting mat.  You will also need something to measure your fabric for cutting. I have a clear ruler and my cutting mat has markings, but a tape measure or yard stick would be sufficient.

You will also need a few pins, something to mark with is helpful ( I use a water soluble fabric marking pen), an iron  and of course a sewing machine. 

For the first pillow, I used a fabric called osnaburg, it looks very much like linen but is much cheaper. You can find it at JoAnn or Walmart for around $3/yd.  I pre-wash my fabric before sewing to get any shrinking out of the way. 

Measure the pillow or form you want to cover. Cut one piece for the front of the cover the exact dimensions.  My pillow is 16" square so I cut one piece of fabric that size. Normally when you sew, you cut the item larger, taking your seam size into consideration. For pillows I cut the fabric the same size so that the insert will fit snugly into the cover. Otherwise you end up with a saggy baggy pillow.

 For the covers I'm making today, I will be adding a little something to the fronts. I could have chosen a pretty fabric and skipped the embellishing part and gone on to the next step. Since I am embellishing, I will do that first. 

I want to recreate this Pottery Barn pillow, cause I think it's really cute, but I don't have $29 (plus shipping) to spend on a pillow- especially since I really like the set ($29 plus shipping times three- YIKES!)

 

 

To make the LOVE pillow, I took my 16" front piece and found the center  by folding it in half then in half again. I made the little pocket by cutting a pieces of the same fabric 6" x 8". I machine embroidered the word LOVE in the center, but you could just as easily paint the words on using regular craft paint- if you have a nice steady hand- which I do not.  You could stencil it on using regular stencils or the freezeer paper stencil method or use  iron on transfer paper and iron it onto your pocket.  Once you have your word on your pocket, turn under all four sides 1/2" and press.

I bet I just lost half of you didn't I? When I said press? Pressing gets such a bad wrap, no one wants to fool with ironing. It takes too much time. I don't like to iron any more than the next guy. In fact, I think that may be what turned me off to sewing when I was young. My granny tried to teach me to sew and once she got all preachy about pressing after every step and showing me the propper way to press an item, I started hearing Charlie Brown's teacher "wa wa waaa waaaa...."  If I have to do all that, I'm not messing with it! Well, fast forward to today, and I'm probably a bigger preacher on the merits of pressing as you sew than my granny every thought of being. It really doesn't take much time, and it not only makes the sewing easier, it makes what you sew look so, so, much better. Have you ever seen a handmade item and just it just screamed "homemade!" I bet it was because it wasn't pressed.  So please, please, if you are going to take the time to make something, take just a tiny bit more time to press. OK, off my soapbox and back to the tut. 

Find the center of the pocket and place it on the center of the pillow front. To keep this extra secure for stitching I used a little bit of stitch witchery (fusible web) under the sides and bottom. Once it's nice and secure, I used a quilting stitch on my machine and red thread to give it a hand stitched look ( not necessary, you could use a regular straight stitch, just increase the stitch length). You could also hand stitch it if you like.

 

This pillow cover will have an envelop closure  so I cut two pieces for the back. I don't have an exact formula for cutting the back pieces, I just want them to be large enough to allow for about a four inch overlap. I also allow extra to hem the outer edges (the pieces that overlap)  That sounds confusing, but it will make sense. For this pillow I cut one piece 16" x 12 and one 16"  X 14". 

On one short side of each back piece,  turn under about a 3/4" hem,  press, and turn it under again.  Yes, again with the pressing. Sorry.

 

Sew a straight stitch close to the edge of the fold on each back piece.

 

Now lay your front piece right side facing up on your work surface. Lay each back piece on top with right sides facing down, lining up the outer edges of the back pieces with the outer egdes of the front pieces. You will be overlapping the back pieces. This creates your envelop back.

Pin in several places to hold everything in place for sewing. Be sure to pin the edges of the back pieces so they stay put while you sew everything together.

 

Now sew around all four sides, I used a 3/8" inch allowance because it looked like enough for the fabric I was using. 

Clip your threads, turn your cover right side out, stuff your pillow in and admire your work.  Take a picture of your lovely new pillow so you can share it with all your friends! 

I also made the JOY pillow (didn't get to PEACE yet, maybe today) and this gift box pillow like one Ballard has for- are you ready for this? $75.00!!!. I used the same construction method, you just embelish the front piece any way you like first. 

Want to know how I made the Ballard's pillow? OK I'll tell you. It was really easy and didn't take very long at all. 

You will need a printed fabric, burlap, ribbon or double fold bias tape, freezer paper and steam-a-seam lite.

Cut your first piece to fit your pillow. Mine was 18" this time. I happened to have a piece of green fabric almost exactly like the print on the Ballard's pillow.

Next, cut a piece of steam-a-seam 9" x 9" and fuse it to the back of a piece of burlap. Do (this before cutting the burlap to size, that way you have less fraying) Cut the burlap 9" x 9", remove the paper backing and fuse to the center of the printed fabric.

 

Go around all four sides of the burlap with a zig-zag stitch in dark brown or black thread. 

With the stitch witchery, (or any fusible tape- or you could use a glue stick) secure a piece of red ribbon or bias tape down the center of the burlap box, turning under the raw edges.

 

To make the gift tag, cut a piece of freezer paper 8.5" x 11" (the size of printer paper) and iron the shiny side to a piece of light weight cotton fabric. Cut the fabric 8.5 x 11 after adhering the freezer paper. Now you should have a piece of fabric that will run through your printer. I had to fiddle with mine a bit, but it worked nicely. I am not guaranteeing this will work in your printer. I simply googled free printable sheet music, found and image I liked and printed it on the freezer paper backed fabric. After printing the image onto the fabric, remove the freezer paper. Next fuse a piece of steam-a-seam to the back and cut it out in the shape of a gift tag.  Remove the paper backing and iron it in place on the burlap box.  Stitch around the edges with a zig-zag stitch.  (sorry for the blurry photos)

 

Construct the pillow following the instructions above, then tie a bow from your ribbon and attach it to the front. I used fabric glue, but you could hand stitch it in place.

 

Stand back and admire your pillow and brag to your husband that you saved $75.00!

A little bonus tip~If you are limited on space where ever your sewing area is, you can make a little portable pressing board instead of putting up a big ironing board. I made one yesterday with a scrap of wood, it wasn't plywood, just some sort of paneling stuff Mitch had that measured 16" x 24". I covered it with 2 layers of cotton quilt batting and a layer of fleece interfacing then a layer of cotton fabric. I stapled it all to the back and now I have a surface for pressing I can keep right next to my cutting area, saving me steps to the ironing board and clearing up some floor space in my sewing room.

I'm linking this post to the I Can Make That party at Just a Girl.

Don't question a mama's intuition

My nephew, Mackenzie had to have surgery yesterday. Emergency surgery to repair a bowel obstruction. Not the way most fourteen-year-olds like to spend a Saturday night.

It started in the wee hours of the morning Saturday. He awakened his mom, my sister Erica, crying out in pain. She went to him and comforted him and asked all the questions a mama asks. She determined the whole bag of blueberries he had consumed was not agreeing with his stomach, but she kept him in her bed the rest of the night so she could keep a close watch- just in case it was something more serious. 

He was not feeling much better by morning and wasn't looking so good. He said he hurt too bad to get up and take a shower, causing my sister to get quite concerned. She questioned him some more about the exact location and quality of his pain. Was is sharp, did it feel like cramps, was is nausea??? It felt as though he was being stabbed, he said. Her concern turned to panic when she lifted his shirt to see what she described as aliens trying to get out. He had bumps all across his thin little abdomen. She immediately called 911 and attempted to describe what she was seeing. By this time Mac was not really even talking. He was awake, but writhing in pain. The paramedics arrived and began to ask questions. Erica said it was as if a switch had been turned off. They went from quick! lets help this kid, to oh, he has gas. They've called 911 for gas pains. They went through the motions of doing an assessment, but had made their diagnosis. They tried to persuade my sister to take Mac to the hospital herself. Surely he could make the 30 minute drive, after all, it is likely just gas. She was adamant though that an ambulance come. We live in a rural area and the first responders are EMTs from the local fire department. Once the ambulance arrived the EMT who was certain Mac had a bad case of gas gave them his expert opinion and threw in for good measure, that they should not worry about driving with the lights or sirens, following normal traffic rules would be sufficient.  That was around noon. By five Mac was on an operating table.

Lucky for my sister and for Mac, the nurses and doctors were not so quick to diagnose his excruciating pain as gas. Luckily, one look at the dilated loops of bowel that were visible on his abdomen prompted them to put a tube down his nose into his stomach and drain the large amount of fluid that had no place to go. His bowel had twisted around scar tissue from a previous surgery and wrapped around itself, causing a blockage. 

By the grace of God and a mama's intuition, there was no damage to the bowel and Mac is recovering in a hospital room. The scenario could have been much less positive had they waited. 

In the defense of the EMTs, I'm sure they see more than their share of "emergencies" that are really just folks wanting to skip to the head of the line in the ED. Even I thought she may have been over reacting a bit. She does have some dramatic tendencies, but God gave mamas a sixth sense and her's was screaming out that her baby needed attention right away.  Don't ever question a mama's intuition.

Sew Something in November: OK, lets get started!

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Don't expect to sit down at your sewing machine for the first time and whip up a tailored slipcover for your sofa. It's not going to happen like that. Sewing, just like any other skill requires some degree of practice and patience. That's why so many choose not to. I know that was my reason. I am an instant gratification type of girl, so I never had any interest in learning to sew. Then out of what I felt was necessity, I made some roman shades for my kitchen. Yes, it was a necessity. I wanted roman shades, in my kitchen and couldn't afford to have them custom made so I set about making them myself with a little sewing machine given to me by my aunt. I set up my work on the kitchen table and cut fabric on the kitchen floor. They were far from perfect, but I was amazed every time I looked at them. I made something for my home. Something pretty, that functioned and something no one else had. I was hooked.

My biggest stumbling block in my sewing journey was feeling comfortable with my sewing machine. I would give up on a project if my needle broke or I ran out of bobbin thread. Now I know those are just part of sewing, but at the time, not knowing what to do when these things happened, made them seem like big issues.

My challenge to you, if you are just starting out, is to get familiar with your sewing machine. Take a few hours and play around. I can't tell you how to thread your machine, each one is different. Your manual will show you how and if you've lost your manual, google search, I'm sure you can find one online. Thread and re-thread it until it feels natural. Wind a few extra bobbins. If your machine has fancy stitches, try them out. Just play.  I promise, getting comfortable with your sewing machine is first and most important step. The rest is will come easily. If you are going to be sewing on your great aunt Martha's old singer and it's been in the garage for the past 15 years, it's probably a good idea to take it by your local sewing machine repair shop and have it serviced. It's not expensive and your chances of success are much greater with a smooth running machine.

If you are already comfortable threading your machine and winding bobbins, gather your supplies. Nothing is more frustrating than breaking a needle in the middle of a project and not having a replacement. Get your self some basic supplies.

• Good, sharp scissors. Designated only for cutting fabric.
• Measuring tools- a tape measure, yard stick, a quilters ruler... you don't have to have all, but you will need some type of measuring device.
• Straight pins, I like glass head pins that don't melt if the iron touches them.
• A variety of hand sewing needles. 
• A seam ripper- yep you're going to need one.
• Thread. Get some good quality all purpose thread in several basic colors.
• Extra bobbins that fit your machine.
• Extra sewing machine needles. Spend a little extra and get good quality.  
• A good quality iron- and you don't have to have a Rowenta. Mine is a Black and Decker classic iron. You just want one that has some weight and gives you plenty of steam.

Not necessary, but certainly nice to have:

• A rotary cutter with a few extra blades
• A self healing cutting mat
• An acrylic ruler
• Pinking Shears
• A water soluble fabric marker

I could go on and on, but I think with this is a good basic arsenal to start out with. I will warn you, sewing stashes tend to multiply rather rapidly. You start out with a cookie tin that holds all your sewing supplies, and before you know it, you've taken over the dining room. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I made a little Sew Something in November button, it's over there in the right sidebar. Get yourself one if you plan to join along. You'll notice I also have another super cute button over there. The lovely Edie, of Life In Grace has a series of posts called 12 Days of Handmade Christmas tutorials. I'm thrilled to be participating and will have a tutorial on making some Pottery Barn & Ballard Design knock-off pillows. I think mine will be on day 7.  Go check out what she's posted so far. They are great!

I'm declaring November "Sew Something Month"

How do you like that? Just like that, a public declaration.
Tapping the mic and clearing my throat- ahem... anyone out there?

Squinting at the bright spotlight in my eyes... ahem, like I was saying, November is officially Sew Something Month. 

You can tell your friends, spread the word. Even if you've never sewn a stitch in your life, I want you to do so, this month. If you took home-ec in school but haven't picked up a needle since, this is your month to get your Martha on. If you have a sewing machine hidden in the back of the closet in the spare bedroom and you made your own drapes with duct tape and drop cloth last month (you know who you are, I'm not naming names) this is the month you are going to find out how easy it is to just sew a stitch already!

That last group, that's who I'm really trying to reach.

I started this blog, nearly four years ago, after discovering some amazing sewing blogs. I was fairly new to sewing and trying to teach myself. I scoured the internet for tips and techniques and was amazed by the talent out there and by the wealth of information that could be found with a little searching. I've made lots of friends and feel like the crafty blog community is a family of sorts.  Recently I've been in nesting mode and this has led me to discover another branch of the blog family tree, home decorating blogs. There is some overlap here and there, but for the most part, it's been like visiting two different sides of the family or like high school days, two different cliques. You know, the jocks mostly hang with the jocks and the band folks mostly hang with band folks. 

Where am I going with this and when will I get there??? I'm getting there, I promise and I hope I don't make anyone mad along the way. What I've noticed the authors of these home dec. blogs are some amazingly talented and wildly creative women- here's the part I'm worried may offend- but they seem to go to great lengths to avoid a sewing machine.  There, I said it. I read post after post about using iron on hem tape or duct tape, and while both are great tools to have in your box, I've used lots of each myself, sometimes it's not so bad to just sew a hem.  I can say I've done it both ways, I've pinned and stapled and taped something within an inch of its life and dared anyone to look too closely. Then if it needed to be washed, it was back to square one.  I used to be the very one who avoided the sewing machine at all costs, until I actually took the time to get to know my machine and found she wasn't so bad. I actually liked her. This month I want to challenge some of those amazingly talented women to find out just how creative they can get if they overcome their fear, or dare I say it, loathing, of sewing. I'm telling you, I avoided really learing to sew until I was in my 30s. I can honestly say it has changed my life. I may still duct tape some fabric under my mattress and call it a bedskirt, but I'm not afraid to tackle making my own duvet cover, because I  know it just involves some straight stitching and I can so do that.

This month I'm going to share some easy home dec sewing projects, that anyone with a basic sewing machine can handle, like pillow covers, simple window treatments, embellished dishtowels... November is officially Sew Something Month! Care to join me? 

Rainy Saturday

I've just been tinkering with the blog design this rainy Saturday morning.  I'm not at all knowledgeable when it comes to such things, I just wing it and do lots of google searching. Excuse the off-centeredness, I'm trying to figure out this whole custom css stuff. If you know of any good sites with tips for typepad users, I'd love to hear about them or if you can tell me how to center my photos in this main column. I changed to a fluid pixel format for the main column, but I'd like the photos to be centered.

I also added one of those google friend connect widgets. I may leave it or it may be gone. For some reason it makes me nervous.  I'm not so sure I like the whole counting aspect. Will I feel bad if I only have 1 person sign up to be my friend? Will I be judged by the number of friends I have. It's too much pressure. Like highschool all over again.

Anywho, that's what I'm up to this morning. Piddling on a quiet, rainy, Halloween Saurday.

Just a few creepy touches

I'm not one to go all out with Halloween decor, but a spider web here and a scull there adds a nice spooky vibe to the place, don't ya  think? 

 

~ $1store skulls in an apothecary jar

~dollar-general pumpkin in a thrift store sugar dish

 

~vinyl  {glittery} letters to spell boo on plain dollar store white plates on easels anything looks more important on an easel
I'm hoping I can find some Christmas tree or snowman vinyl stickers to use on the same plates for Christmas. 

 

~dollar store crows, spider web, and white pumpkins

I printed the the letters B O O each in a different font and framed them in little black and silver frames.  (inspired by this boo-tiful hutch)

We all love before and afters, right?

Well, I just so happen to have a few to share.  My kitchen has undergone many transformations. Some have been major, like new flooring (from bright white vinyl, to dark laminate, to tile) and  lots of minor tweaks that just involved accessories and some in between changes like paint color and window treatments. Here's a little walk down memory lane to show some of the different looks my kitchen has sported over the years. About the first photo, don't look yet! Did you look? Before you do, just keep in mind, the same way blue eyeshadow was once groovy and parachute pants were so totally tubular, big floral wallpaper was all the rage. Honest. 

I am so happy I don't have to wake up to that big floral wallpaper and those dark cabinets every morning. As bad as this photo is, it could be worse. It was worse. When we built the house, it looked just like this, but instead of the nice warm floors, picture bright white vinyl against those dark wood cabinets. Nice. You can't really tell, but the wall paper on the bar area was green and white check. Every room had some green. Hunter green and a wine/ raspberry pink color. 

It was not an easy task and took me several days, but after living with the wall paper for about 10 years,  I ripped it  down and painted the walls yellow. One of my first sewing projects was to make  roman shades in a pretty stripe that had yellow, red and a little green and I accessorized with red plates. It reminded me of ketchup and mustard so  I never really liked it. No pictures of that phase, sorry.

The next phase just involved minor tweaking to get rid of the ketchup and mustard. Just fabric and accessories, but what a change. I kept the yellow walls but made new black and white window treatments. How freeing it was to be able to sew my own window treatments. If you have a sewing machine and you aren't using it out of fear, get over it. Go get some cheap fabric and practice! It will change your life. I promise.

I couldn't find a photo that showed the whole room, but here are a few shots.

Mitch and the kids call that the evil bunny. They think he has an evil look on his face, I don't agree. 

 

I think this photo of a potholder I made must have been taken in the  beginnings of my blog days. You know, when I was going around taking pictures of any and everything to post on my blog.  It must have also been the early days of my love affair with aqua. 

 

Lots of black and white. I liked this look, and could still live with it, but change is good, right? 

The next change came in the way of wall color. So many people ask about this color. Its Vintage Kitchen, by Martha Stewart from her line at Sherwin Williams. I'm not sure they still carry her paint but Lowe's has a color in her line that is nearly identical called Vintage Map.  You'll also notice the new black fridge. It isn't new, Mitch painted our white fridge black. Love that man! 

Next I painted the cabinets and Mitch replaced the laminate with tile.

 

The black stove and refrigerator are a little harsh against all that white, don't you think?
I can fix that.  Those lower cabinets went black.

In the above photo you can see, Mitch added crown molding to the tops of the cabinets and we replaced the recessed lighting over the bar with pendent lights.  It was getting there. I liked the black and white cabinets, but something wasn't quite right.  It was the countertops. The dark countertops weren't working with the black lower cabinets. I tried not to think about it.  I knew that replacing the  countertops really was not an option. It would be too big an undertaking and be way out of our small budget. To make a very long story short, my friend Kelli wanted new countertops too.  We commiserated about our desire for new countertops and how expensive it would be. While investigating options and sending her links to blog photos, I started seeing refrences to IKEA butcherblock. Upon further investigation I learned it would be an affordable option.  It would be affordable and our husbands could install them. No we didn't ask their opinion about their ability or desire to install them, we just had faith. In retrospect, I may not recommend this method of doing things, but that's a different blog post all together. Where were we? Oh yea, butcher block.

Mitch and my cousin installed the cherry  butcher block (purchased from Lumber Liquidators) and did an amazing job- as I knew they would.  We ended up going with Lumber Liquidators instead of IKEA for a couple of reasons, most importantly because they offered 12 foot lengths, and IKEA did not. The counter tops we purchased came unfinished.  I've read about many finishing options but we chose to use  Watco Butcher Block Oil. I think I've put on about six coats and will probably do more. It's an easy wipe-on application. 

I installed a subway tile backslash behind the sink- my first time working with tile and it went better than I expected.

I used Mitch's grinder with a diamond blade to cut the tiles. Not the best method, but for the cuts I had to make, it worked.

 

 

For the rest of the back splash, I used beadboard wallpaper. Love that stuff!! I can't speak highly enough for beadboard wallpaper. If you haven't tried it, you must.

It's so easy to install, looks great and is much cheaper than the real thing. It does tear if you bang something into it, so it probably isn't  the best option for  high traffic areas, but should be safe for a backsplash.

We still have a couple small things to do- a shelf to put up and some corbels under the range hood, but it's starting to feel like my dream kitchen. If I dreamed about kitchens, that is. Is it wrong for someone who doesn't really enjoy cooking to have such a pretty kitchen?

 

 

 

There will be one more shelf above that one,

and corbels beneath the range hood- but Mitch deserves a break from hammering and sawing.
Oh, I almost forgot, we are going to get the bar top covered with either stainless or galvanized steel. Then it will be finished. For now. ; )

Notice anything different?

I'm going to do it all by myself...

That was the plan anyway. I was going to give my bathroom a sprucing up and not only do it all myself, I was going to do it secretly while Mitch was working and surprise him. You know, just to show him I could. To prove how capable I am. Yep, that was the plan. I was going to jump on the board and batten bandwagon, put down new floor, paint the vanity and switch out the light fixtures. I did some research and had no doubt, I could do this. As for the board and batten treatment, I would only be painting and installing the wood. My friend Kelli was also going to be doing a hall in her house and her husband was going to cut the wood for my bathroom  when he cut hers. So, into the bathroom I went and started taking down light fixtures, removing baseboards and towel bars, patching holes.

All while Mitch was working, blissfully unaware. I was so proud of myself, tackling this project. I was rolling paint on the walls and writing blog posts in my head. Then I gave myself away. He was home and watching tv, so I decided to take a peak in and see how the paint was looking. I had just a tiny bit of paint left in the tray and rather than pour it back in the can, I thought I'll just roll another coat on the wall. Then I heard him outside the door,  what-ca doin in there?

Busted! Still, I was going to proceed as planned and do it all by myself. He was off the next day, but I wasn't going to bother him. Nope. I got up  bright and early ready to tackle putting down the floor. All by myself.

You know where this is going, don't you? Yea, MItch did too.  He ended up doing the floor and board and batten installation. I did do everything else, all by myself.

Like putting up this light fixture,

  

 

and painting... lots and lots of painting.

 
And accessorizing, or course.

 I'm not loving the formica, but I can live with it for now. That cord on the other hand, that's gotta go. 

I'm a very bad blogger and didn't get a proper before photo and my afters aren't that great. It's tiny and very difficult to photograph, but trust me, it looks so much better now. 

This was a quickie budget friendly re-do. The floor is vinyl two boxes totaling about ($100.00). The price on the Home Depot website is $70 a box, in the store it was $49.00. The paint was oops paint from Lowe's ($10.00). The wood for the board and batten treatment was a trade for a chair (free). The mirror was in the living room (free). Shower curtain, on sale at WalMart ($16.00) I replaced the hardware on the vanity with knobs from Hobby Lobby purchased when they were on sale for 50% off. I don't remember the total , but I think the five knobs totaled less than 15 dollars. The lamp and shade I already had. I just covered the white shade with some jute twine(under $3.00) . The prints are from My Inspired Heart Imagery (three 5 x 7 prints with shipping less than $40.00) They are beautiful. So peaceful and serene. I had the frames and just covered the existing mats with some burlap.

 

The light fixtures were from Lowe's. One outdoor sconce and one overhead (just under $50.00).

A brand new bathroom for around $250.00. I think that's a pretty good deal, don't you?

I won a yummy-yummy prize!!

Cookies!!

Two Dozen Cookies!!

From the Dough Nut.

They were big and soft and chewy and yummy.

Did I mention how big they were? 

And Yummy?

And now they are gone.

Sigh...