Would you look at these?! I am pretty much a failure at gardening, so when I plant something and it grows, I get darn well excited! I actually grew these little paper whites. So cute. (Really funny smell though. :)My sweet husband, has finally decided we need new carpet, kitchen and bathroom tiles and paint in every room. The bathroom floor are finished and so is the kitchen. Waiting for the grout to dry. My sweet son-in-law is doing the work for us which really pleases me because he always does things perfectly! He is not a tile layer, he is a mason (BC Masonry) but he does a beautiful job with tile.
I was elated when I learned work was to begin and the carpet I had picked out a year and a half ago was going to become a reality, off we went to actually order and not just look. And yet...
...this apathy hangs over me. This sadness. I visit blogs, look at the pretties and wait for the joy in the simple pleasures of life to return. I'm sure it will...I never stay down long. *smile* I just wish things like the horror of Haiti didn't happen! We did what we could...but it's difficult to watch the nightly news.
*******************************
Son-in-law Brock begins tiling my bathroom. Choice was off white tiles with pure white grout.
Finished bathroom floor. Now for the paint. Decisions, decisions. 
Would you look at this tile?? :) Are you jealous?
Brock starting on hall bath. The tub and toilet (rose porcelain) and the tile is from the late 50's or early 60's. Actually, the house was built in 1958. Can you imagine the original fixtures and tub surround tile still intact..and in good condition. The wall tiles and tub are staying. The toilet also if we can just get it to flush consistantly. Got a mind of it's own! That cabinet may just have to go. We are still deciding. Paint? Maybe.
All done! Now for the painting. Since the tub and toilet and tiles a shades of rose.. what paint? HELP!! White is all I come up with.
Tiles have been chosen. Now, which way to lay them...this?
Or...this?
I chose this pattern with Netmeg grout.
The darkest one. On the back of the tile it says RIALTO TERRA made in Italy.
I hope you like it.
I am off to watch the 5:30 news. Don't watch? No. Everyone needs to know what is happening. I wouldn't want you to turn away if it were us. So. California is on a massive fault that run within a very short distance of where I and my family live. My son is right on top of it. I will watch. As much as I hate to, I will watch.
Love to all,
Mona
Nice floor transformation in the bathroom. How about a very pale green wall color? I think it will go the pink. I like the terracota tiles too....Christine
ReplyDeleteMona~~~
ReplyDeleteIt is a nice feeling to have all the things you want in your home become a reality...and it sounds like you have really waited. I love your tiles. I am not good with paint colors. Cream for me...everywhere!! It looks clean.
It's okay to watch what is going on or read about it. Do all you can do. But within limits. Don't become obsessed. You have happiness in your life and you deserve it. God knows you have had your share of pain. Be happy for all of your blessings!!
xoxo
Jane
When I was a bity girl the only bathroom in our 900sf home was salmon colored. The sink, toilet, tub and surround were all this amazing color. My mother struggled for YEARS trying to get something to go with it. Pink made the fixtures look dirty and peach made them look too pink (for my father's alpha-male taste).
ReplyDeleteThankfully today we have amazing colors to choose from. I picked a paint for my dining room that is fairly neutral that you might look into trying. It is called BUNGALOW WHITE and you can find it at Lowe's. It looks amazing with cottage white and white as well as soft pinks and roses. I LOVE IT!
I also have to tell you I can't grow anything. It is soo depressing. Other than an ivy plant I kill all I touch. It is just terrible.
Love the new tile!
xoRebecca
How exciting to be doing updates to your home! My floor tile is only 7 years old but I would like to change it. It was selected by the original owners of the house and I would like a larger tile and to lay it on the diagonal like we have had in our previous homes. But shame on me for even worrying about it when those in Haiti have no tile left, no floors, ceiling or walls. I think of them constantly. It's impossible to turn away from it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Sunday sweet, Mona.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
Your new tiles are just gorgeous. You did a great job with your choices. I love a pretty soft cream white color or maybe a very pretty green as Christine suggested. I can't wait to see what you pick. You do know that you can have the tub and tile surround reglazed and it really is only a few hundred dollars. Much less than replacing and it is fantastic and very permanent. Just another suggestion to check out. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeletethis is fabulous! you should put those paperwhites in FF!!! I can't grow those ...yep...I said it! lol
ReplyDeleteI have missed blogland so much...but have been so stinking busy that I have no time or energy to blog this year so far...but...I have been taking photos of what I have been doing...so when things slow down...LOOK OUT BLOGLAND! lol
Good evening my friend...Girl I'm late as always ha ha!! Now I love your new tile and your SIL did a wonderful job on it...Now Marty mention the reglaze and I had that done to an old sink and tub it costed me too much for what I got girl...everything that hits it will crack the glaze and chip it...I think you should go with a soft blush color...just me thinking out loud again ha ha!! Girl I'm sick to see the news right now and I'm also feel so blessed...I was in the 89 quake and its not a fun ride...Many Blessings to you Mona...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria
ReplyDeleteI like the new floors! I too need new ones in my kitchen and bathroom, thankfully a friend of mine is a carpenter so he´ll do it for me when I finally get around to buy them :-)
ReplyDeleteSo You call those flowers Paper whites, we call them Tazetter in swedish. Nowdays they are really hard to find, just because of the scent they have :-) I feel they smell a bit to close to cat pee to be honest, so I avoid them if possible :-) :-) :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.
Mona,
ReplyDeleteI hope the sun peeps soon into your windows, and the breezes are balmy. January is a bit dreary, but your lovely home and family are always so welcoming and warm, it's SUCH a pleasure to see your name at the top of the list. THAT means that I get to visit and see what you're doing WAY out there in CA.
Hugs from the Heartland!
rachel
I grew paper whites this Christmas and had to move them out to the garage when they bloomed...I couldn't stand the smell!
ReplyDeleteLove your tiles...they look great!
love the redo's Mona. It is so fun to start tht new year fresh. I am working on the master bath and laundry room now too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful breath of spring in your paperwhites! Enjoy them and lets all look forward to what is to come in the garden!
Oh how wonderful to have long-awaited decorating, happening! I'm so happy for you!
ReplyDeleteYes, there are always horrors happening somewhere in our world. It's just the way it is. I like to take comfort in Joseph Campbell's words of; "Go joyfully, amid the sorrows of the world."
Since we can't fix all the ills of the world ourselves, these words help me.
Since you mentioned living on the CA fault line... I will ask what I've wanted to ask, of people living there... How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteHow do you send children off to school in the morning, and husbands off to work, and etc. - knowing that the big one could happen, at any time?<--Not a pretty question, I know. But one I have wondered and wondered and wondered.
You can ignore my asking it of course. It was probably way too intrusive.
Hello dear Mona! Oh, I am loving your choices for tile! Soooo pretty! I would go for the staggard look with the terra cotta. We are in the process of doing our kitchen and bathroom also. My dear son-in-law did the floors for us too! Aren't we lucky? Saves so much money. He has his own contracting business, and he is so busy working 6 days as it is. But, he had some time off, and did it for us. Our home was built in 1922, and had the pink cast iron tub also. It is a hard color to match. We are here 30 yrs, and have made many improvements, including covering our tub and tile with Bathfitter. Instead of ripping it all out, they make a mold, out of some type of acrylic, that fits right over your existing tile, and tub. I love it. Of course you can just get the tub or tile done. it transforms the bathroom, and isn't that expensive. I don't know if they have that where you are located. I agree a soft creamy white or a light green would be nice for your bathroom color. Let us know what you decide. I am always changing my mind. lol
ReplyDeleteDebbie from NJ
Love your tile choices! They both look wonderful -- Can't wait to see what you come up with when you paint.
ReplyDeleteHi Mona...well you are one lucky lady to have such a nice usband suggesting you needed all this new stuff...My kitchen is in such need of a remodel and I think my husbands logic is..."you can get a new kitchen when we win the lottery".....and your paperwhite comment on how they smell funny....I laughed at that...When daughter got married 8 years ago in January (I forgot her anniversary on the 12th...I don't think she will ever forgive me!!) we were deciding on flowers for the tables at the reception....Luckily it was at Tavern On The Green in NYC and the people there had more sense then we did....We thought it would be fabulous to have Paperwhites on all the tables and little votive candles all around each plant....I just love the way they look....They informed us how bad the whole room would smell with this particular plant and we went with their choice of red roses....I have since smelled the plant and boy am I glad we listened to them......
ReplyDeleteWell my dear, who are you kidding? I have seen your gardens and they are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job picking out the tiles. I love the retro look of the pink bathroom. I would go with white walls too. I think with the pretty tile color it would look great!
Hugs,
Joanne
I love all the changes you guys are making. Looks wonderful. We are STILL "working" on our Master Bathroom. For over a year. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is hard to allow ourselves to feel joy when things are so tragic in Haiti. One day at a time.
HI Mona ~
ReplyDeleteI love your new tile - can't believe you didn't keep that ol stuff, LOL !
Hope you are feeling great :o)
Kammy
What a great job; you must be thrilled. You are lucky to have found such a good worker and they are hard to ge hold of around here. We have been trying to have someone come to remodel our kithen cupboard to make it easier for me and it seems everyone is too busy. Happy to see it worked out for you
ReplyDeleteGreat post; thank you.
Rita
Yep, I'd try a light celery green with the pink... have your SIL paint a large piece of poster board and tape it to the wall so you can have a good size view of what it might look like; then make a decision.
ReplyDeleteGo see what I've done with my sofa and chaise lounge today!
How great is your new tile and I'm so excited about your carpeting. I know the feeling when it finally becomes reality! It's like your biggest and best WOOHOO!!!
ReplyDeleteI know, Haiti is such a tragedy. We have given, supported and prayed. I may not watch as much anymore. I saw something on Sixty Minutes last night I just cannot get out of my head and it is affecting me in a negative way. It's horrifically sad and it could happen to any of us but we have to do what we are able to and move on with our lives the best we know how.
You have a good day sweet lady and may God grant you many blessings!!!
Re: Your comment in my blog... Yes Mona, I got your words about the earthquake thing and about the Haiti issue. And they must have Published. Unless I thought you were writing a private e-mail, and I simply replied to your private e-mail. And if I did that, you'd have gotten my reply e-mail.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do have Comment Verification turned on, in all my blogs. Always do. I read the comments first, and then Publish them, and that way, no SPAM gets into my comments. And also, I do not have to make people do Word Verification, when commenting in my blogs.
But please remember, sometimes I don't get to check my blogs, as often as other times. So it may take a while, for people's comments, to show up, under my blog posts.
Thank you for replying to my question about living in an earthquake zone. I did read it. But as I said... By now, I'm not sure if it was in a Comment by you... Or if I thought it was in a private e-mail to me.
Hugs........
Hi Dear Mona! Oh, I'm so happy for you getting the beautiful tile work done. How very sweet of your son-in-law to do it! It's gorgeous! Your paperwhites are so pretty. I've never tried to grow them. Now about paint color, I'm not sure. What do you think of a very soft green? It might just look so nice with your tub. Oh, my goodness...don't tell anyone, but we have avocado green tub and toilet in one bathroom and harvest gold tub and toilet in another! The sad thing about them - they're in terrific shape! I dream and beg, but they're still here~! :P
ReplyDeleteThank you for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Beautiful! I am not good at picking colors, takes me forever to decide..You are off to a good start..
ReplyDeleteThere was a collection at Mass yesterday, and we are all praying. It is very sad..and so sad the government there is so corrupt..and SD right across the border is so much more advanced. Let us hope that there will be improvement in that poor country.
Oh Mona, what a nice difference your new white tiles make! I am with you on the paint decision...white, or a pale shade of rose that matches the tub and tile there...or what about a pale mint? I know that everything seems so minimal in the face of the events of Haiti...I'm trying too.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Dena
Everything is looking so so pretty. I love your tile choices. Beautiful. And...I happen to LOVE white in a bath and a kitchen. Whatever colors you choose, you will love and that is what matters.
ReplyDeletexo bj
Hi Mona, love your new tiles. So happy for you.
ReplyDeleteBarb ♥
What a difference new tile makes in a room! I love what you've chosen...and made in Italy is the best! Thanks for the sweet comments and birthday wishes! They mean so much to me! HUGS! ♥
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