Framing a Glass Block Bathroom Window....A Super Easy DIY Project!!

Hello friends!!  How is your week going?  My house is full with family (they are on spring break), so we are having a great week!!  I LOVE a full house :)

The only downer.....my little girl has been sick....again.....blah!  BUT she seems to be feeling better today, so let's hope that she's getting over it :)

I was planning on sharing something else with you guys today, but then something that we did this last weekend turned out SO great that I just couldn't wait to share it instead....

Isn't it cool when something turns out so much greater than what you expected?  Yep.....that ROCKS!!

So....you're probably wondering what is so great....huh......

Well.....as usual these days.....we were working on our Master Bathroom makeover.....and what started out as a little project to make our tiling work easier.....turned out to be an awesome addition all by itself.....

So....let me show you the "pretty" picture and then we'll talk about it some more.....

So...you've seen some of the things in this picture already.....I showed you the tile HERE and the lighting HERE......

But....what you haven't seen yet is the frame that we put around the glass block window.....I was just thrilled when I saw it all together for the first time....it really dresses up this little window :)

And.....Who doesn't have one of these lovely glass block windows in their bathroom?  At least if you live in Texas they are basically a requirement....

So.....why not dress them up a little and turn something bland into something grand (ha, ha....I am laughing at my cheesy rhyme)....

When we decided to frame our glass block window out we did it because we knew we were going to eventually tile on up this wall to the ceiling.....and we were trying to make the tiling work easier by giving ourselves a flat surface to tile up against.....

So....the frame was just a "means to an end" if you will....but once it came together....I was really excited b/c it looked SO great all on its own.....AND.....since I know so many of you guys have one of these types of windows too.....I just had to share!!

The frame we used is also very similar (although thinner) to the framing that we did on our bathroom mirrors that I showed you HERE.....

Which really ties the two sides of the room together.....ummmm....LOVE!!

So....enough with the dialogue.....and onto another pic.....here's one up close.....

I wish the pics were better, but I am still learning about photography....and really don't have a handle on how to get good pics of anything around a window.....So....all you camera geniuses can laugh if you want (but just do it quietly....k.....like so I can't hear you)......

And just so you can see what a big difference it made....here's a before and after pic.....

I LOVE IT!! 

Ok....so this is a super easy project....so.....anyone out there thinking you might tackle this one?  Seriously....I would love to hear about it and see your pics :)

Please do share!

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

I'm linking up here.....

Thrify Decor Chick

Master Bathroom Lighting

Hello friends!!  I hope your week is off to a good start!!  Things are pretty good here....I wouldn't say this has been the best week ever....but it hasn't been bad either.....

So....what have ya'll been up to.....Are you on Spring Break?  If so....are you doing anything fun?  I've got "beach fever" big time with no planned beach trip in sight....sigh....ugh.....maybe this summer.....

BUT....one thing I am happy about....progress on the Master Bathroom!!  So....are ya'll sick of hearing about this never ending makeover yet?  I PROMISE....there will be an end to this.....well.....eventually......

Seriously though....I hope you are hanging in here with me.....and enjoying the ride......

One more thing that we've ticked off our list for the bathroom is lighting!!  Yay!!  We went for several weeks with NO lights in our bathroom.....yes....you heard me right....NO LIGHTS!!  It was awful!!  But luckily we had lights in some adjacent rooms that gave some light for the room, so it was usable....barely.....

BUT....now we have our new lights up.....AND.....THEY ARE GORGEOUS!!

SO....want to see?  I'll start with the lighting over the vanities.....

Here is the light over the Hubs vanity....

And here is the one over mine....

Ummm....Love!!  And the best part.....I got these for only $65 each at Home Depot!!  Yes....you heard that right....$65 each!!  Ummmmm.....I loved them even more once I saw the price!!

And....it wasn't a sale price....that was the regular price.....so....if you love them too....then go get your self some :)

I thought about thrifting some fixtures and making them over....but I just couldn't pass these up.....plus....I really thought it would look better if all the fixtures in the bathroom matched, since they are so close together.....

So....these were perfect because they were part of a collection of fixtures.....the Alexa Collection....so there were several different types of fixtures with a similar look......

Here's a look at the box.....

AND....this is what totally sealed the deal......

White linen glass.....I just thought it was so divine.....and different.....

SO....we went all in.....and we got this to go over the shower.....

And......I saved my favorite for last!!  I got a chandelier to go over my spa tub!!!!  :)

I've wanted a chandelier to go over the bath tub forever for a long time since we started the bathroom makeover....but the Hubs was really NOT feeling it....

Not that the man has EVER set foot in the tub, but he just really wasn't digging the chandelier idea.....but his big concern was putting something up there that was just too big for the space.....

SO.....luckily this collection of lights also included a small chandelier.....yahoo!!  And....once the Hubs saw it.....he agreed that we should go for it.....double yahoo!!

So.....here it is.....

I am SO going to enjoy this beauty while I'm soaking in the tub.....ok....maybe too much information....but it's SO true :)

And here's a look at the fixtures all lit up.....

I'm SO happy with how they look in our space!! 

The funny thing is.....it took us a LONG time to decide on these fixtures.....although they were some of the first ones that we looked at.....you know....that whole concern about "what if there is something better"....."what if"....."what if"......

You know....eventually I will learn not to second guess myself and just to go with my gut.....that would have cut down on a lot of driving and looking....and looking....and looking.....

SO.....what do ya'll think?  Gorgeous huh?  Well.....at least I think so.....

And just for fun.....so you can remember where we've been........here are a couple Before and After pics....

Yep....definitely looks a LOT better!!

And there's still SO much more to talk about in this space :)

But for now.....it's way too late.....so gotta get to bed.....

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

I'm linking up here.....

Thrify Decor Chick

Framing Contractor Grade Mirrors

Hello friends!!  How are you guys doing?

I was sick ALL last week....I know....what the heck.....I'm so tired of getting sick all the time!!  BUT....I am feeling good now....YAY!!  And the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here the past couple of days, so that has really lifted my spirits :)

But....sick or not.....we've been BUSY around here trying to make some major progress on some of our ongoing projects!!  AND.....I am SO thrilled to be able to share one today that we just finished up!!

Some of you may be able to relate.....do any of you have those lovely ugly plain jane boring contractor grade mirrors?  We have had them in two of our bathrooms.  And for years I've wanted to do something about them, but it just never happened.....

UNTIL......This past weekend we FINALLY transformed one of our contractor grade mirrors to a beautiful modern framed mirror!!  YAHOOOOOO!!  I am thrilled!!

So.....I can't wait....I've got to show you!!  Here you go......

And just to so you can compare.....here is the Before and After pic together.....

Ohhhhhh Yeah!!  I love it!! 

Doesn't it look SO much better?  I knew that it would.....but then when I saw it.....I was still surprised at how much better it looked.

Very cool....because this is a pretty cheap and relatively easy change to make!!

BUT....we did run into a few difficulties.....primarily because I had my heart set on this.....

Source: fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com via Kristal on Pinterest

And.....you might be thinking that we ended up with something pretty similar....and we did.....but it took a few workarounds.....

SO.....what was the problem with my inspiration pic......

Well....the first issue was the 3D crown molding at the top.....I REALLY wanted that with the new frame....but there were two problems 1) The light fixture next to one of the mirrors was so close that the molding was going to almost touch it and 2) one of the mirrors is wedged between two walls and the other one isn't.....so I was afraid that the 3D molding would really highlight this difference.....and look weird.....

Ok.....so problem #1 is not insurmountable....but we really didn't want to have to move the light (lazy) and we didn't want to move the molding down b/c we didn't want to cover up too much of the mirror....and there really wasn't must we could do about problem #2.....

SO.....ultimately the Hubs came up with the idea of using a flat molding on the top of the mirror frame....which essentially eliminated the problems with the first issue.....So super kudos to the Hubs for coming up with a great solution.....

Here's an upclose pic....so you can see the molding.....

And then there was a second issue with my inspirations pic....once we started looking closely at this design we realized that it had the potential to impede our electrical outlets that are located REALLY close to the mirrors.....ugh!!

So.....we adjusted some more.....and we ended up with this.....

And the Hubs is still going to have to "shave off" the side of the electrical outlet cover to make it all work......but the good news is......the plugs all still fit.....it's close....but they fit!! 

So.....it took a bit of thinking.....but we made it all work!!  And as usual the Hubs did an awesome job making my ideas a reality......oh how I love that man :)

So....ya'll want to see a few more pics??  I hope so, because I just can't help myself.....

Here's one that I took during the daytime....so it gives a little different perspective (ooops....ignore the green tape at the bottom and my lack of staging).....

And here is a couple more pics from the left side.....

And a couple from the right side.....

Seen enough?  Yeah.....probably.....LOL!!

Well.....we've still got another mirror in this bathroom to do.....so I'll take some detailed pics while we work on that one, so I can share some step by step "how to" directions with you guys.......

BUT.....I'm wondering.....have any of you all framed out your mirrors?  What did you learn?  Any tricks of the trade or words for the wise?  Please do share.....we can all stand to learn a little something!!  :)

I guess I better run....

Until next time.....

XOXO-
Kristal

I'm linking up here.....

Thrify Decor Chick

Master Bathroom Update & How to Tile a Bathtub Backsplash Part II

Hey guys!  I hope your week is off to a great start!!  I'm tired, but it's because I only slept a few hours last night....totally my own fault....but still.....ugh....it made for a hard day today!!

So....I'm hoping to get in bed a bit earlier tonight.....hmmmm.....we shall see how things go.....

But anyway....enough of that.....

So....the Hubs said I was "mean" to leave everyone hanging at the end of yesterday's post......linked HERE.....

SO....as a peace offering (ha, ha!).....I thought I would go ahead and give you all the conclusion of our little tiling project :)

SO.....let's start with the fun stuff first......here is the "After" picture with our bathtub backsplash looking so modern and fresh with its new glass tile :)

And yes.....you may also notice that you are getting a little sneak peak on our big Board and Batten project too :)  Much more to come on that very soon.....I will just say that it turned out even better than I expected!!  Yahoo!!

But....back to the new tile.....

I have to say that I do love it!!  There were a few times during the process that I had doubts....especially when the tile was all up on the wall, but we hadn't grouted it yet....I was wavering....thinking we might have made a mistake......

BUT.....once the grout went on.....I got really excited.....it is SO cool!!

So....if you are first time tilers (like we were).....I'll say to you.....jump on in......the water's just fine....LOL.....

But seriously.....we were pretty intimidated by the idea of this whole project.....and actually laying the tile was a big part of it!!

AND.....I will say.....it does take a lot of work to get this all done.....BUT.....it is totally a doable DIY project.....seriously......trust me......you can do this if you want to!!

So....first.....pick out your tile.....we are really loving glass tile right now, so we decided to go with the glass tile that they sell by the sheet.....we bought ours at Lowe's....

Then you need to take careful measurements of the area where you will be placing tile.....and then lay out your tile somewhere (we used the floor) to make sure that you know where you need to make your "cuts" on the tile......

You will also need some of these tile spacers to make sure that you account properly for the spacing between each tile sheet......

Once you know where you need to cut the tile, then go ahead and mark it on the tile (see the red line on the tile in the picture).....this will be your guide while cutting the tile.....

Next....."cut" the tile.....in truth you cannot actually cut the tile.....what you will do is score the tile and then break it using this handy little tool (they cost about $20 at Lowe's)......

Here's a pic of the Hubs in action.....

Once you've got your tile ready to go.....then it's time to mix the mortar.....

And you'll need a Floating Device to put the mortar up on the wall......

And now the magic begins....time to put the mortar up on the wall.....

Please note....for all you first time tile layers....you've got to drag your floating device across the mortar to created a striped sort of look....this will give the mortar somewhere to go when you press your tile onto the mortar.....I hope that makes sense....it's a little hard to explain in words....

Here's an upclose look....

And soon you'll have this....

If you use this type of tile, then you will most likely have a few places to fill in at the edge, so we just "cut" some tiles into small pieces to fill in the gaps......and then we turned some tiles sideways to give a really clean edge.....

Here's an upclose look (this pic is actually after grouting too).....

Yahoo.....we're on the home stretch now!!

The mortar will need to dry at least overnight.....and then you'll be ready to grout!!

You'll need to get some of this (grout)......

And then you literally just smear the grout onto the tile until all of the void spots are filled.....and then you use a wet sponge to wipe of the excess grout that is on top of the tile.....it will take several wipe downs to get all of the grout off of the tile.....

Not sure why, but I didn't get any pics of this step.....

AND.....then you are finished!!  Yay!!  And you'll have something really awesome like this.....

I was SO excited with how this turned out!!  I've said it before, but I'll say it again....my Hubs did a GREAT job!!  He is truly amazing!!

So....what do you guys think?  Anyone inspired to start a tile project?  Anyone already tackled a major tile project?  Please do tell!!

I guess I better run.....so much for the early bedtime :)

Until next time....

XOXO-
Kristal

Sharing With....

Thrifty Decor Chick

Master Bathroom Update & How to Tile a Bathtub Backsplash Part I

Hello friends!!  Let me just address the obvious first.....yep....that's right....I'm still alive....LOL!!  Ok....so I've only been off the grid for a couple of days.....but....seriously.....it seems like a lot longer!! 

I SO miss chatting with you guys when life get's crazy and I can't post for a couple of days.....

I think I mentioned last week that my baby girl was sick....and boy was she ever....she ran 102+ fever for 5 days....it was awful!!  SO.....I basically didn't do anything for those 5 days but take care of her.....and although I hated that she was sick....I LOVED the snuggle time! 

Then this past weekend....my folks were in town....and they agreed to watch Kali, so that we could make some progress on our Master Bathroom makeover.....and we made some major progress!!  Yahoo!!

SO.....speaking of the Master Bath.....it is really coming along......one of the things that is now complete is the makeover of the bathtub backsplash.....and it looks awesome!!

I have to give the Hubs all the credit!!  Neither of us had ever tackled a tiling project before.....but he figured it all out and did an amazing job!!

SO....here is what the bathtub and backsplash looked like before we started.....

And here's a couple up close pics....

It was OK....but not great....and I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture, but the backsplash is a creme color and the bathtub is white....it just looked weird.....and sort of boring....

SO.....we decided to jump off into the deep end and do a little demo and then some tile....oh boy.....here we go.....

So first the demo....

Yep....no turning back now :)  Even our bulldog, Drako, had to come and take a look.....

And soon we had this.....



As you can see....the wall was pretty torn up after we removed the panels.....but we expected that....and it didn't matter anyway, because the drywall needed to be replaced with a concrete (water resistant) board before the tiling could start.....

SO.....next we had to cut out the bad drywall....

And soon we had this.....



Pretty ugly....huh.....no worries....I promise.....this turns out well in the end.....  :)

Next we had to install the concrete (water resistant) board.....but first the Hubs decided to buiild in a little extra protection, so he stapled up some plastic sheets.....we weren't sure if this was necessary, but it couldn't hurt.....right?

And then the concrete board.....

So.....a couple notes on the concrete board.....

It is a bit difficult to work with....you can't really cut it like you do drywall....you actually have to score it and then break it....so it can be a bit difficult to get exactly the size that you need....

And you need to leave a small gap at the bottom....between the board and the bathtub.....which will later be filled in with caulk.....

The gap looked like this.....



And then you've got to apply a patch to cover the seam between the new concrete board and the existing drywall above.....and it looked like this.....

And here's another up close look......

And here's a big picture look......

Whew......ok....now to move on the the pretty stuff!!  YAY!!

BUT.....to keep this post from becoming like War and Peace.....I think I'll stop here for now.....but I promise.....a post with the pretty stuff is coming......probably tomorrow :)

Until next time.....

XOXO-
Kristal