Our Dreamy Bungalow {Upstairs Bath}

Hey there! Remember when I was giving you all a tour of our home? A little ode to our Bungalow of Dreams? Yeah. Well.

I went off on some adventures and then got super distracted and busy by trying to sell said home - STILL FOR SALE IF INTERESTED - but here I am again!

Back in action.

Let's move on.

Let's talk about our upstairs bathroom.

When we moved in, it looked like this.

Ummm. I know, right? Terrible. 

What is immediately obvious is that this bathroom was *not* original to the house. We aren't sure when it was added, but we do know that it.was.added. Fine by us, but the planning for the plumbing and all is totally not how we would have done it if we were planning this bathroom from scratch.

Anyways. Those hollywood style dressing room lights? Bad. The random hanging cabinet around the corner? Bad. Plus - underneath of it, on the floor was a litter box. Which. I mean. Yeah, you gotta have when you have kitties. But, right where you would put your feet when sitting on the commode? No thanks. It is such a narrow space, we didn't know immediately what to do to make it better.

But, we made some surface upgrades to at least make it look like grown ups lived there.

My husband always makes fun of me for wanting a clock in the bathroom, but he is definitely the one who also complains if I am running late!

We painted the same green from our dining room and guest room downstairs (mainly because I had just enough left over to do the bathroom and I was so sick of picking out paint colors). We changed out the lighting to these sconces (mainly because they were cute but cheap and came in a pair at Home Depot). 

I grabbed a bookshelf from Garden Ridge on the cheap that would fit perfectly in the little nook between the end of the shower and the window and would give us some storage for the time being, and there it was. We lived with it this was for quite a while.

After a while, the issues with this bath just kept grating on us. It was fine, but it wasn't great. It certainly wasn't a "sanctuary."

We went back and forth and teetered and tottered on what to do with this space. The mirror was tiny, everything was tiny! It is such a narrow space we felt really limited as to what sort of sink we could put in and still be able to function in the bathroom. We wanted more storage, and storage that wasn't so open, and counter space! There was none. Plus the floors were these terrible peel and stick vinyl tiles that had not been stuck all that well.

Literally the only counter space in the bathroom.

(Please don't mind the dirt in these photos, I took them right as we started demo.)

We knew that while we would love to move the entire bathroom around to function and use the space better (stay tuned for the "What I would do if I won the lottery" post!) - we didn't want to put the cash into moving plumbing when we knew we wouldn't be here much longer.

So we searched and searched and planned and planned. The narrow confines of the space were so limiting! (That sink only came out to about 18 inches from the wall, which is TINY in the world of bathrooms, but still made me feel like I had to stand in the shower to get ready when I was at the height of my pregnancies!)

Finally, we found a sink.

At IKEA! Now, this was before our kitchen renovation, so we hadn't already fallen in love with the genius that is IKEA. We were nervous. BUT. It only came 16 inches from the wall, and was 31 inches long! That was astounding to us, and such a better use of our super narrow space.

So, in we plunged.

Things got worse, before they got better. Much, much worse.

A. Who covers original hardwood with peel and stick vinyl tiles? (Not us)

B. Who then after much hemming and hawing over trying to restore said floors realizes they have to take a circular saw to the original hardwood in order to put in an appropriate subfloor for tiling? (Us.)

This is about the point where we looked at each other at midnight with no floor and said, "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?!?"

But then, it got better.

…and then, it got much, MUCH better.

Ah, so much better than looking at your home's own infrastructure, yes?

We decided to add a tile that had a slight wood grain look that we fell in absolute love with - it picked up on the gray and blue tones that we wanted to bring into the space and still managed to bring a warmth as well. No regrets there.

We added a board and batten treatment to the walls to help brighten the space and give it some of the same level of interest and character as the rest of our home. We brought in new and polished elements, but old ones as well. We also put a treatment on the glass of the window to give it a "haze" which allows in all the natural light, but keeps the privacy as well. Goodbye mini blinds!

I did a bunch of modifications to the cabinet that came with the sink - white laminate was not the look we were going for, and I really, really didn't feel like building my own - and it ended up amazing. As you can see in the mirror (much bigger and nicer than the previous one!) we added a giant hutch that fits perfectly in the space and added so much storage that I honestly can't fill it.

…and I have a LOT of bathroom stuff.

We changed out the mirror and the sconces to better take advantage of the space that we did have, but everything is much more flush to the wall. These sconces project an entire inch less than the previous ones, and draw the eye upward. Same with the mirror which is twice as tall as the previous one, but doesn't project out as part of a medicine cabinet - we recouped that storage, and then some, in other places.

One of my favorite projects.

I found this toilet paper roll holder at a local antique shop and I am absolutely obsessed with it. 

As I said before, we really didn't change the layout of this room, but we did recoup some of the breathing room with very intentional choices, and really improved the storage and function.

Let's take a look at how far we've come.

Theirs / Ours

Evelyn is 3 (!!), Liam is almost 18 months

…and is it weird if the bathroom is now one of my favorite rooms in our home?

Round Three.

Welp, it's official.

We are insane.

…and having another baby.

WHAT?!

Let's back up.

My cycle has been doing weird things to me since I weaned Liam. I used to have a super normal, albeit long, schedule after I went off the 28 day prescribed pill cycle. Like 30-32 days. Since even approaching weaning Liam, my cycle was running at more like 26 days, even 24. Super weird. But then the last few cycles have gotten progressively longer.

My period tracking app does not allot for that and the averages are all whackado since I had to get a new phone, the old information didn't save and transfer to the new phone, etc. So, when it said I was a few days late, I was all, "Eh, whatevs, I bet this is my cycle going back to like 30-32 days"

But then.

Day 34 came. Still no Aunt Flo.

I thought back to the one time that something could have happened. It shouldn't have been a "good" day. So it was one of those times that we decided the odds were in our favor and that we would roll the dice. Knowing full well of course what can happen.

And.

It did.

I took a test last night, and there is was - Positive.

{We are like a walking ad for Sex Ed class - "It only takes one time, kids!"}

We looked at each other, over that plus sign and we just started laughing. We laughed for about an hour. We are so happy, and so excited, and so overwhelmed.

Somehow, this newest development seems to make all the other stresses in our life right now a whole lot smaller. House? It'll work out. Moving? Guess we will hit that weight limit after all - break the baby stuff back out! Travel and weddings and 30th birthday? It will all be just fine. We are having another kid!

Welp.

Baby G Number 3. Here we come.

Evelyn Rae is just 3, Liam is 17 months, I am 5ish weeks pregnant with Baby G #3

…and here we go. Again!

Our Dreamy Bungalow {Liam's Room}

Onto Liam's Room!

I have, of course, given a tour of this room when it looked very, very similar to right now, over on this post when I first made it into the nursery. If you want to see more detailed shots of my pride and joy, first triumph with a sewing machine, crib bedding - look there.

When we bought the house, this room seems like a tiny afterthought to us. It is in between the other two and is definitely smaller than the anchoring rooms on either side of the floor.

Though, let's be honest, it was probably an afterthought to us, because it was styled as one? Random sofa and two arm chairs…no lighting or decor. Definitely an afterthought.

When we first moved in, this room became the "Man Room"

…and I have no photos of it? Or can't find them in any case. We painted the walls some dark tan color, and accented with navy blue and we had a TV, an Xbox and a Lazy-boy recliner in it…and that was essentially it. A place for the husband to play his video games in peace.

Naturally, when we found out we had kiddos coming along…his room got nixed.

Sorry, hubs.

The room looks fairly similar to the first version of the nursery, though I changed a few things when Liam arrived, and we have added more storage to accommodate the growing amount of toys from two kiddos.

One of my first projects after Liam arrived was this mobile above the dresser (at the time it was a changing table as well, though he got moved to the floor for diaper changes pretty early on because he was such a wiggly thing). When this was Evelyn's room, I had a flower wreath mobile hanging above the table that my friend Lisa had lovingly made for her girls and delivered to me when Evelyn arrived.

This, again, was one of those awesome free projects that just sort of came to me. I had wire, an embroidery hoop, this neutral yarn to wrap it in and precut squares of card stock that had colors on both sides. So, during nap time one day, I turned all that into this mobile. The pinwheels actually spin, which is the part that gives me the most pride…because I am a dork.

We added this shelving unit not too long ago, shortly after Liam's birthday. This one was a hard choice for me, because I loved how open and clean the room felt before and I was sure that putting something like this here would wreck that feeling - it totally doesn't. Still tons of open floor space for playing and all his fun toys are within reach. We bought the shelf that matches the bookshelf that was already in the nursery, and we may buy another piece before we head to Japan as we think they might come to live in our living room.

My lovingly handmade crib bumpers have a new life these days as teething guards. They get the job done, though it causes me so much sadness to see them abused this way. If only my little pregnant seamstress self had known how destructive kiddos actually are in real life. Sigh. The crib skirt is also totally hidden now that the mattress is down as low as it can go. Oh, the sadness.

Perchance there will be some other sweet baby to enjoy my sewing skills…and subsequently help destroy them further.

I also made this little hook system for Liam not that long ago. When Evelyn switched rooms, the shelf that I made for her went along with her, so this space was strangely empty. I didn't know how to style a self with a mason jar for Liam, and then this idea occurred to me. It cost like $10 to whip this guy up one day in the garage. I did it while I had stains and brushes and such out for the kitchen counters anyways, so it was a nifty side project.

It hangs right over Liam's fantastic little PB Kids Anywhere Chair. We love these dang things, and the kids do too. I also love coming up the stairs and having my little man sitting in this chair, reading a book as the very first thing I see.

I just love his little room, too. I have spent so much time in this room rocking and cuddling and changing and reading and playing with my sweet babies.

This afterthought of a room, may be the room I will miss the most of all.

Theirs

Ours

Evelyn Rae is 2, Liam is 15 months

…and I may have just shed a little tear thinking about this room. Sniff.

Our Dreamy Bungalow {Evelyn's Room}

I still have a few rooms to show you from downstairs, and meant to complete those before moving upstairs, but alas, the photos are nowhere to be found on my computer - and I am currently mid-flight on my way to Atlanta (blogging from the sky! We are living in the future! Woo!).

So, I shall share the upstairs with y'all. Starting with Ev's Room.

Her room was at first the "master" bedroom (though all our bedrooms are roughly the same size because master suites didn't exist in 1927, y'all), and when we bought the house it looked like this:

…it was sort of a random storage/guest room/office? The Joes clearly needed a LOT of office space as there was also a huge desk with computer down in what is now our guest room as well.

In any case, I fell in absolute l-o-v-e with the windows in the front of the house. Three windows? Swoon. I could just picture myself waking up every day to sunshine coming in slowly through those beautiful windows, reading in front of them…ahhh. Perfection.

And for a while, this was our room for just that reason.

It had many configurations and a spinning wheel of furniture in it, but this is what it looked like last, right before Evelyn moved into it.

..and then, well and then this Momma went a little Pinterest/crafty/sewing crazy when it came time to make Evelyn a big girl room.

Her bed was made by my dad for my sister and I when we were little (there is a matching one stowed underneath her bed right now), the dressers were also in our room growing up, and used by my dad and aunt growing up before that. I fitted them with new antique handles from a shop right outside of our neighborhood.

I sewed the curtains and pillows, painted the carpet and made the fabric shades.

I made the "chandeliers" for her and sewed the poof ottoman - I definitely need to make Liam one of his own because it is a fan favorite.

A little girl's room, filled with all of her favorite things.

Ok, maybe filled with her favorite things, and my favorite things.

"She had a lively, playful disposition which delighted in anything ridiculous."

Pride and Prejudice

"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship."

Little Women

I made the "window" for her kitchen from the old bathroom vanity door that we were discarding after renovating the bathroom. It was a quick project and pretty much free. My favorite kind.

My Norfolk print for my Norfolk girl.

Theirs/Ours

Evelyn Rae is two and three quarters, Liam is alllllmost 16 months

…and I love her room. Love it.

*note - midair wifi is like the slowest thing ever so my pictures didn't upload in time. I am actually publishing this from the ground. Whomps.*