Home Improvement Horrors

I'm linking this post up to DIY day on A Soft Place to Land. It's not a finished project yet, but all about the many things that can and will go wrong during home improvement projects.

Ok, they are not quite horrors, but it sounds more dramatic that way. It's more like small bumps in the road from the before to the after. Isn't that the rule for home improvement that everything will cost twice as much and take three times as long? So here are our current misadventures in trying to makeover our hallway bath. It was all the original builder grade 1994 style and I wanted to punch it up a bit.

The first hiccup came with regards to the paint color. I had another free Glidden quart from their promotion that I was planning to use. Unfortunately when the color was actually applied to the wall I quickly realized it was much to blue and bright. My shower curtain, towels, and bath rug have more of a bluish green color that I wanted to match. So my second Glidden paint sample was also a failure. (Go here to read about my first free Glidden paint disaster.) The color is pretty though so I may use it on something else someday.

So I had to run out to Home Depot at 7:30 at night and buy a new gallon of paint. I like the new color much better and you will see it in the final reveal. (If we ever finish!)


I have officially been to Lowe's 4 times and Home Depot 2 times in the past 6 days. Last night I had to visit Lowe's yet again to pick up a couple things. I was looking for a nail set to use when reattaching the trim so that we don't damage the trim and the nails set below the surface. Well, not really reattaching since we damaged the trim while removing it so now we have to buy new trim. (Grrrr.) Anyways, I had to ask 4 people working at Lowe's until someone had a clue what I was talking about and what a nail set was and where it was located in the store. It took me 40 minutes at Lowe's to find 2 items.

Now I have a set of three nail sets in different sizes. I need a new toolbox, I'm started to collect more and more gadgets and gizmos as this project progresses.

While I was out wandering around Lowe's, hubby was supposed to be installing my new oil-rubbed bronze faucet I purchased from Overstock at a great price. Instead this is what I returned home to:

Ooops. The plan was to keep the old vanity. Now we have to go shopping tonight for a new vanity top because the old faucet did not want to let go of the old vanity top. Hubby's reply was "You wanted a new vanity anyway right?"

I was still determined to complete at least one project last night. So I dragged out the new mirror I bought at Old Time Pottery for $20 and a can of Krylon Oil-Rubbed Bronze. The mirror was originally a dark brownish gold color. I taped off the front and started spraying.

After about 30 seconds the goofy "360 nozzle" of the paint can kept clogging up. I continued to try and wipe of the nozzle and shake the can, but it continued to clog. After a couple minutes, it refused to spray at all. My rating for Krylon's stupid paint nozzle-FAIL.

So now I have to buy another can of spray paint along with a new vanity. And wood putty. And plumber's putty. And who knows what else. Time for another trip to Home Depot or Lowe's.

This is what my parking space in the garage looks like now. Maybe someday my car will make it back in there.

I think it's time for some ice cream. Blue Bunny sugar free ice cream=Extreme awesomeness.