Project Procrastinators: The Reveal

Two weeks ago, Thursday, April 29, 2009, I joined The Inspired Room's Project Procrastinators Party . Melissa gave a challenge/encouragement to tackle a project we are procrastinating on (thanks for the push Melissa!). I declared that I will take on a bathroom flooring and replace the carpet with tile, something I have been procrastinating on for the past two years.


After I posted my declaration, I started feeling overwhelmed realizing I have so many other things to do including helping my DD Isabella on her California Mission project. I kept reminding myself: "baby steps" but I couldn't find time even for baby steps. Not to mention that the baby steps on this job required some help taking out the toilet and ripping out the carpet. I am very grateful for the supportive comments I received that gave me the push I needed. Then there was the ultimate and precious encouragement from my darling son, Phil, who said to me: "Don't worry mom, I will help you. It will be my mother's day present". Ahhh heavenly to a mother's heart.


Here's the "Before" photo




So last Saturday, May 9th, after Isabella's performance, Phil and I headed to Osh to buy our supplies (perfect timing...it was "no sales tax" weekend:)). As soon as we got home Phil started taking out the toilet, and together, we ripped out the carpet. (He even remembered to take a photo, something I almost always forget...what a sweetheart).




Then we started laying out the tumbled travertine tiles we have leftover from the kitchen job (a combination of 4x4 and 6x6). We tried several creative ways of layout so that we won't have to cut (we don't have a cutter:)). Try as we might we couldn't do it without having to cut; and worse, we were short a couple of tiles. So the next creative thing? mosaic! I've been wanting to do a mosaic project for the longest time. And this is the perfect time for it! Mosaic is the answer to our dilemma. It eliminated the need of trying to make sure the layout is straight and even, thereby eliminating the need to cut. Best of all, the mosaic method allowed for maximizing the tiles we had, and so we ended up having more than enough to cover the area.


So on to the fun part...breaking the tiles...even Isabella joined in the fun. Then we started laying them out like a jigsaw puzzle. By this time it was late. That was our baby step for the day.


Sunday would have been a great day to make a major dent on the project but it was that "time of the month" for me. I was not feeling well to a point that I couldn't even make it to church (that says something about how bad I was feeling...I look forward and love going to church...I watched an archived online sermon instead). So I stayed in bed and I had another perfect mother's day present...a breakfast in bed from my DD, Isabella (with the help of DH of course; daddy said she was crying when she woke up thinking she won't finish preparing in time before I woke up). I may have been feeling bad physically, but I was in heaven. And come to find out, Phil continued until past the dead of night working on the mosaic. So in the afternoon, it inspired me to continue the mosaic past the halfway mark.




We finished the mosaic on Monday; and on Tuesday, we grouted.

I still have to seal it and caulk the sides and Phil has to put in the new Kohler toilet. Other than that, our bathroom floor is done!...We did it!...I am so grateful!

Here it is...

And a closer look....hopefully the sealer gives it a bit of shine when I apply it tomorrow:)