Rose of Sharon Update.....

Since we are nearing the end of summer, I wanted to share a quick update on my Rose of Sharon bushes I planted last year.  You may remember them from this post Rose of Sharon Post.  I got them on major clearance at Lowe's and I planted them in the hopes of stopping teenagers from walking through our yard last October, and I must say it worked.

The bushes have really grown in this summer despite the drought Indiana has been suffering.

Close-Up

It's amazing how many blooms the bushes have had the last few weeks.  The bushes are looking a bit leggy, and I will trim them up in a few weeks once the blooms are done.  I am so happy they have grown in so well. 

Nursery Update: The Crib

The crib is in.  Well, sort of.... You see, the furniture store misordered the crib we ordered.  Somehow, this mistake was not caught until the crib arrived the other day.  Man, I was not happy.  I waited 14 weeks for this crib, and was very displeased that it is not right.  The crib they brought is beautiful, it just isn't "my" crib.  After some discussion with the store manager, the store manager decided that we could keep the wrong crib until "our" crib arrives.  The manager is expecting our crib to arrive by the end of September, but I am not holding my breath since we were suppose to get our first crib within 6 weeks.  Without further adio, here is the crib for now..... So here sits the Young America Built to Grow 2600 Panel/Spindle Crib.

Luckily, the dimesions of the above crib are exactly the same as "my" crib the Built to Grow 2000 Slat crib (see below- my version is the cotton finish).  Therefore, I will be able to set-up the room around this crib, and will be able to switch out "my" crib when it arrives in the coming weeks.  I am not freaking out as much about this mix up now that a few days have passed.  Baby N is not due until the end of November so we should have the right crib by then, and if we do not, Baby N will be sleeping in a bassinet for a few weeks anyway.

Therefore, I must day dream what "my" crib will look like for now.  I am hopeful it comes sooner or later, but at this point it is out of my hands.  More updates on the nursery to come... I am currently working on figuring out some artwork options for the space.

Outdoor Lighting Update.....

Let's face it.... Our outdoor lighting had seen better days.  After 13 years of 365 days out in the elements, the brass fixtures had begun to wear away.  In some places, the finish on the lights were blackened. 

Close-up Before

Side of Garage Before

Therefore, last weekend, the time came to update the jewelry on the house.  It took some time to find a replacement.  We wanted to find an option that would allow for the lightbulbs to be easily changed.  The old brass model were a bit difficult becasue there was a piece you had to unscrew two screws before you could access the lightbulbs.  Also, because I have a height disadvantage, I always need a chair or ladder to access. 

On a trip to Menard's, we found the above option.  The look was right on, and the lightbulb access was through the bottom of the light.  They were also a decent price at about $35 a piece (this was important since we needed four for the garage, and one for our front porch).  Luckily, we were able to find the five lights we needed: Score!

Once we got home, my husband got to installing them under the direction of our neighbor.  This was my husband's first go around with installing lights, and he completed like a champ.  After about 2.5 hours, all the lights were up.  They are now ready for their close-ups.....

Now, that is so much better.  Instant update.... It is so refreshing to pull into the garage now, and this wonderful bling hanging from the house.

Master Bath Reno: Part 8- Towel Bar Progress....

Let's just say, I was hopeful to have more to update you on this week than towel bars, but let's just say I am starting to slow down now that I have entered my third trimester of pregnancy.  At any rate, I don't want to rush through finishing the space so it may take a little longer to accessorize than I thought..... As I weed through figuring out how to complete my space, let me remind you of the desperate towel bars we once had in our bath....

It is a bit embarassing to admit this, but these towel bars have been hanging out of the wall for at least nine months.  Because I knew I would be replacing them in the future with brushed nickel updates, I just couldn't bring myself to fix them.... Therefore, they just sort literally hung around..... Until now.... I spent about a hour replacing them, and let me just say I am so excited to have towel bars that are brushed nickel that do not hang out of the wall...I went with the Moen Glenshire towel bar line.  They were on sale for 20% off at Menards last week resulting in a bit of savings.  The template that comes with these towel bars is wonderful.  It makes installing the hardware a cinch....

Before

After

The towel ring took less than 10 minutes to put up... Easy Peasy, and boy is it conventient to have a place to hang your towel again.

Installing the towel bars by the shower took a bit more time.  I needed a place to hang three towels.  Of course I require two towels myself, and my husband needs a place for his.  Before, we used to have a towel bar on our glass shower door, but we went for a more seamless option without a bar.  Therefore, the Moen Glenshire double towel bar and single towel bar fit perfectly (well almost perfectly).  You see, the double towel bar comes in a 24 inch length, but my wall space would not allow for this which meant I needed to cut the bars down to size.  I went with the 18 inch length as the single towel bar was already this size, and the template that came with bars would be perfect for this (no customization needed).  Therefore, I marked my rods for 18 inches, got the hack saw out, and cut them to size.  I must admit, the cutting took a bit more time than I thought it would, but I think I got both rods cut in about 20 minutes or so.  Once I got the rods cut, then it was time to get the templates on the wall.

After drilling a few holes in the wall, I was able to get the hardware up.

I am just over the moon with the completion of this project.  Before the update, we only have one towel bar on this wall, and the other one was across the room.  It is so nice and convenient to have our towels an arm length away.  Makes showering that much easier...