Bye, teal counters!

Our kitchen got a little update! Nothing too drastic, but updated. 

What's kinda funny is we were originally going to granite countertops. Those were quoted at $4,000. Uh, no. Plan B... Laminate & butcher block, plus doing it ourselves. The grand total of the entire kitchen update - new counters, new fridge, new flooring, new sink, paint, and one VERY exhausting weekend -  $1,500. 

The new stainless steel fridge was off of Craigslist (thanks random lady who bought a brand new fridge, made her husband move it in, and then decided she wanted a different new fridge instead. !!!). Worked out for us! :)

Lessons learned:
1. Glad we were able to do it ourselves, but it's worth it to have a professional install counter tops. No house is perfectly square. Ours was built in the early 90's and we only have the one L-shaped counter top... and that still took ALL DAY with that so-called 90 degree angle. If you're installing anything other than laminate or butcher block, absolutely pay a professional. Most places won't let you purchase natural counter tops without an installation.

2. Butcher block is super easy. If it's done throughout the kitchen though, do your research on how to finish it. It's very important, especially if you're installing it where it'll have exposure to moisture (sink). Ours is only around the stove, so a little food-safe mineral oil worked perfectly. We used Howard's Butcher Block Conditioner (Home Depot), which is a food-grade mineral oil/beeswax. It works great. 

Before:

After: 

And some durings. Smashing tile at 7am was almost better than coffee! Almost. 

Bear was shunned from the kitchen for the weekend. He did not approve.

The Lightening Bug

30mph at max speed, downhill, with the wind at your back is not quite fast enough to be named the Lightening Bolt :)

I told Jerrod that I missed my scooter and I wanted another one. I came home from work the next day, put the garage door up, and this little red scooter (with about 5 bows on it) was in my space! It was the BEST surprise and I definitely screamed. The black flames (which were done in nail polish) were kinda awful... But I kiiiiinda loved them at the same time. Jerrod's new awesome paint job definitely wins though. 

Jerrod was wondering why someone would write "MINE" on the side. My thoughts - it's a push button start... No key. So you'd know for sure that it was yours if someone stole it and was riding around town. Hah! Luckily Jerrod fixed it up a little better so that's no longer an issue/concern. 

The guy who owned it before (Bob) gave the moped to his daughter (Maggie), and now it's mine (Emmy). I like it. 

The 48hr bathroom project

We weren't planning on redoing our bathroom this last week. I was going to finish one single shelf in the bathroom - see that one above the toilet? That one. - and that was it. Things escalated quickly... 

The old floor was a stick on tile that was coming up at the corners. It always looked like it was dirty since it was so scratched up. The floor is what started the whole project. 

The new floor is a click and lock bamboo flooring from Home Depot, which I would definitely use again. It was inexpensive, easy to install, durable, and it's so nice. I love it. The mirror was $38 dollars from Homegoods. Everything else was paint/stain, plus a toilet paper holder. Not too bad! 

Before and after: