Small projects...BIG GRINS!!!

Since I have moved into my condo I have been busy with my giant 100 pound puppy and completely overwhelmed by all the millions of projects I need to do in my house...not to mention the fact that within each of these project there are two huge issues...A:  MONEY, B: the fact that I don't know how to do anything or even know where to start.  I felt so overwhelmed with just those two things...then know where to start....because as I look at each project that is the project that is most important, of course till I move on. Then there was the whole issue of not being exactly sure what colors and the fine tuning of what I wanted was not complete.  

But, one day, I decided I knew what I wanted to do in my guess bathroom, so I decide to get started.  I painted it this pretty soft aqua color called Watery by Sherwin Williams...BTW....hands down, best paint, great store, awesome staff!!!  Then I found this really cool way to do faux paneling from a Pin on Pinterest (best website ever!!!) and I already had this awesome antique chandelier that my dad bought me, it was spray painted white and had tons of crystals...it was perfect!  The plan in there is to tear out the tub/shower combo and put in a big fabulous bath tub only!  I love taking baths so I am so excited!

So one Saturday I spend taping painting, I am happy with that... then my friend Jason came over and took out the original light fixture and showed me how to hook up my new one!  Then we went to Home Depot and got all the stuff I needed... Like a hook to hang the chandelier on, and some other random type stuff.  My first project was to get out my drill, which I haven't used yet and drill a hole!  I used the guide on the back of the hook to tell me the drill bit size I needed...I was so excited when I just found the drill bit and didn't need help (small victories, am I right??)  then I actually put the drill bit on..anther big grin!

So then I held the light up to see exactly where I wanted to to hang and drilled my first drill hole....

BEFORE:

 AFTER  (sorry its so dark...but its really not exciting)

 Then screwed in the hook!!!  YAY!  This was so exciting for me, so empowering me!

 Next step....hang up the light and hope it doesn't all come crashing down....but it didn't....BIG GRIN!!

 Did all the wiring....this wire nut was a very interesting thing to me...so easy, each wire just went with the matching wire...Jason told me to make sure the light fixture wire went in the nut first, then the wire from the wall or it would all get messed up.  I was so proud of this...but even more proud........

 OF THIS!!! IT WORKED!!!! and it was so pretty all lit up!  I can't wait to hang another light fixture!

Next came the paneling, I had already measured and done a crude, totally uneducated sketch of what I wanted, then I went to Home Depot and bought the wood, to my surprise, I was very difficult to get assistance, I was shocked and very disappointed that I was struggling with all this lumber and no one offered any help to me at all....Home Depot lost big points from me on this day :(   Oh well, who needs those big stinky men anyway, I can do this ALL BY MY SELF!  So I took the wood to the wood cutter dude, and told him the exact cuts I wanted...of course I was adding all the feet of the wood in total and forgot about the waste that was too big, so I needed some help figuring that out...but the kid that was cutting was a butthead and no help at all, I asked him which size I should get and he thought for about  two seconds and then said, well, you can get whichever one you want.... THANKS DIP!  So I sat down and figured it all out again and got the cuts.  I went home and started putting it up....glue and nailed it all by myself!  I felt very proud!  Made an error in some of the measurements by one inch...so two of the boards are two inches too long and two are two inches too short :(   Oh well...easy fix!  


Something else I saw on Pinterest was the Get Naked in the bathroom and loved it, so I bought letters at Michaels and am still working on getting that all figured out...I just taped them up for now.  So here is the picture of the pretty wall color, paneling (that needs to be painted and my chandelier... small projects that brought big grins and a proud feeling to my soul!