We made four little updates around here, so I thought I’d smash them all into a quick recap post for ya.
First, we have been meaning to convert our bathroom toilet to a dual flush version for a while (we already did it to the one in the hallway and the one in our first house – seriously we LOVE this upgrade!). Sadly when we attempted to use this kit that we bought on Amazon (here’s the affiliate link for ya), it turns out that our new toilet isn’t compatible. Apparently the angle/shape of the bottom of the tank kept it from attaching correctly.
So we padded down the hall to the guest room and installed it there instead. Oddly enough, that tiny toilet that is most likely original to our 60’s house worked just fine with it.
Now at least we can save water when our guests come to stay (and a dual flush button helps that small outdated bathroom feel a smidge more modern – haha).
Another little easy upgrade that we did was that we finally (only 20 months after moving in, har-har) found a place for our shredder, which had been cluttering up our closet forever. The solution? Our built-in desk cabinets. Except we had to figure out how to make it fit in there (we really wanted to keep that storage drawer on the bottom).
So our first order of business was to remove the pull out shelf, which just came down to removing the tracks and the drawer itself with a screwdriver (they were held in with simple screws along the track).
Then we drilled a hole right into the back of the cabinet, so the cord for the shredder could be fed through the back of the cabinet without having to come out the side or the front or anything wonky.
Bada bing, bada plug.
Then we shoved her in there on her side.
Oh and at first we worried that it wouldn’t work well on it’s side, but before we went through all this drawer-removal and plug-drilling trouble, we laid it on it’s side and used it like that for about three weeks before committing to “building it in” to the desk that way, and it worked like a charm. One tip would be to empty it pretty frequently just so the shredded stuff doesn’t build up around the front since there’s not as much gravity to pull things down as there is when it’s standing up. But other than that it seems to work great so far. And the best part is that with the door closed it all looks nice and organized. Hooray for hidden contraptions and fewer messy-looking wires.
Another little update that we finally got around to was rehanging our kitchen mirror on two super strong hooks (they each have 100lb capabilities) since a few kind folks with professional framing backgrounds commented on this post about hanging it on a wire (they said that over time a wire – even a heavy duty one like we used – can slip or lose strength, so two hooks used individually with something strong (like a heavy duty screw & anchor ensemble) would be best. Pardon the weird duct tape (more on that here).
So we just added a heavy duty anchor system on each side of the wall to line up with the new hooks that we added to the back of the mirror…
… and hung things back up. Now it should be nice and strong for the long haul. Oh and you might notice that I got some bird friends from HomeGoods for the mantel. Yes, more animals. Our house is a veritable ark these days.
And our last little thing was that John brought home some pretty yellow tulips when he went grocery shopping. Isn’t he sweet?
I put them at the table in the living room since I see them every time I walk through that room (and also get to enjoy them whenever I’m sitting on the couch and Real Housewives of NY makes me roll my eyes, which is surprisingly often).
Close up. Bam.
There you have it. Four things. What little updates are you guys up to around the house? Any toilet-pimping, shredder-hiding, mirror-re-hanging, or flower-enjoying going on in your neck of the woods?
Psst- We’ve gotten a bunch of questions from people about how Clara’s liking preschool, so there’s a post over on Young House Life all about it – complete with the way we’ll be documenting her first day of school each year. Aw shucks, they grow up so fast.
I feel like we’re always making little tweaks around the apartment. I’m still working on Halloween decor and I’m hoping to paint our nightstands soon!
Wow, genius move doing the dual flush thing. I am ON that idea!!
Thanks for sharing where you got those birds on the mantle. I’ve been meaning to ask since your house tour video. Too bad I don’t have a Homegoods near me. No Ikea, no Homegoods. Total bummer.
Aw man, sometimes Marshall’s and TJ Maxx have the same things as HomeGoods (they’re all the same company) so if you have one of those nearby you might have a chance to grab them). Hope it helps!
xo
s
I feel like I’m all over small projects lately. Most recently, I spray-painted our new coffee table, hated it and figured out how to UNdo the spray paint.
http://www.chrislovesjulia.com/2012/09/how-to-undo-spray-paint.html
Which was actually a pretty big task, but considering we’re back where we started….hahaha.
Ooh I love it now! Hooray for undoing the spray paint! You did an awesome job.
xo
s
Hmm… great idea with the shredder on its side! And, I need that dual flusher! Great for us folks who have a well.
We are in the midst of about a million things, I feel like. A tiny update I just did was move my GIGANTIC nightstand into my closet as a dresser (because, yes, it’s THAT big)and am now using it for shoe/accessory storage. We made a trip to Ikea in Paramus just to buy these awesome clear organizers http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40164947/. They are awesome. I also bought some blackout curtains for my bedroom. Very excited about those as well. Sometimes, it really is the little things that can make a big difference.
Sounds like all sorts of progress! Haha. Congrats!
xo
s
Sometimes it’s these little updates that make me feel more sane in the big scheme of things.
By the way, we having building a big desk similar to yours on our to do list and I didn’t remember that the drawers slide! Now I’m even more excited because that means I have even more room for organizing our stuff!
Clever idea, putting the shredder on its side. It looks like you could put something under the top edge to let gravity help out just a little. Maybe you wouldn’t have to empty quite so often.
Ooh, like a wedge? I like that idea!
xo
s
Just so happens I got a fancy new desk yesterday afternoon! So I put it together and re-arranged our tiny little living room!
Wahooo! Sounds so cute.
xo
s
love the little updates, especially the tulips – so cheerful!
hopefully this weekend my husband and father-in-law will be ripping out our hideous, dying (did i mention hideous?!) boxwoods from our front yard, trimming some trees and pulling out some tree-ish weeds from our backyard (and hauling it all away). i think they are even going to dig up a small tree-ish thing for our neighbor (mostly b/c the majority of the branches keep forcing their way through our fence!) i am very excited for these updates and for the prospect of rebuilding the flower beds along the front of our house and planting some much nicer looking things in there – i think i’ll have to revisit your post about fixing up your flower beds on either side of your front porch for some tips on what to plant.
Ooh, that’s going to make such a difference! I love outside stuff like that since it’s such a big change right away. By the end of the day it’ll be such a new look!
xo
s
Hey guys… a bit off topic, but seeing the yellow bath tile reminded me I had wanted to ask about any plans to update that bath? I have several beautiful-but-outdated baths, with lovely handlaid tile from the 1940’s. The quality and workmanship is top notch, but it really ties my hands in the decorating department. I have such mixed feelings about renovating it, and I wondered if you guys were going through the same torment? Thanks! Bethany
We’re completely with you! Sometimes we want to keep it all original, and sometimes we want to just start fresh because it’s nothing we’d pick today, but usually we’re in the middle (wanting to keep some of it and remove some of it to change things like being able to have a glass shower door instead of a tiny cubby hole that feels like a coffin since it’s all tiled in). Will keep you posted for sure!
xo
s
I didn’t know you could replace your flushers! I am super excited about that. In fact I may rush out to home depot right now to find one of those. Thanks!
Oh yes, they’re usually $19 and you save more money than that in a year (we had one in our first house and saved a lot of money over the few years we had it in there!)
xo
s
One note on those flushers — the button style doesn’t work great for some kids!
Sherry, has Clara mastered pushing them? I recently tried it in our hall bathroom, only to find that the 3-year-old couldn’t push the little buttons hard enough to make it flush — there’s quite a bit of resistance. Not exactly the goal of all that potty training work, so I had to take it out again.
They also sell a lever one and that might be easier for little hands…but if that affects you and you decide to give it a shot, keep the box and receipt just in case!
(And Sherry I really am curious…is Clara cool with them? She may have better fine-motor than our little guy…)
Thanks for the tip! She can do the top one but the full flush needs help (although I’m in the room helping for full flush stuff so it’s ok for now, haha).
xo,
s
Love the flowers! Such a cute thing to do!
Was the problem that the handle didn’t sit flush on the other toilet? I reall want to do this at out house :)
No, it was that the inside parts wouldn’t sit flush on the inside base of the tank (most are flat down there at the bottom of the tank and ours had sort of a raised middle hump). I think if you buy it and it doesn’t work you can easily return it though (at least at Home Depot). Hope it helps!
xo
s
I love your yellow tulips! Those are my very favorite flowers.
We’ve been trying to spruce up the outside before winter hits. In the past few weeks, we have powerwashed the house, repainted our porch posts and retaining wall white, reseeded the yard with nice pretty grass, and cleaned the gutters out.
It’s the little things that make you feel like you are accomplishing something (meanwhile, inside, that second bathroom and soon-to-be nursery are crying for my attention!).
Gettin’ things done…Nice work! We recently installed our own duo flush system and love it! http://ow.ly/dTcmX – Anything to save a little moolah, right??
Have a great weekend =)
They all look great! And while I’m sure you have many “arc’s” in your house, I’m pretty sure you mean “ark” as in Noah’s ark ;)
Hahahahah! Yes. Off to fix that.
xo
s
Nothing better than scratching small things off the to do list!! I really wish I had a HomeGoods by my house, in love with those birds.. you get the cutest things there!!
We also have a dual flush system in our guest bath, and with our first guests coming tomorrow, I’m wondering how you “mark” your toilet so that folks who may not be familiar with options when they flush know which button is for what (ours aren’t labeled in any way).
Ours has one droplet of water on the small button and two on the big one, so people usually can figure out which one is the big flush and which one is the small. If we have new folks over we usually explain just in case (we had a teenager once emerge and ask us for help so we try to keep that from happening by warning folks beforehand).
xo
s
Pretty tulips! I love getting a bunch of little things done, because I feel SO productive!
P.S. I think you meant to say “ark,” not “arc.”
Hah, yes! All fixed.
xo
s
My husband bought a screen window replacement for our back security door. With the cooler weather is been nice to have a breeze floating through the house.
That sounds nice!
xo
s
We just returned home from a trip to Europe and it was dual flush everywhere. I didn’t know you could buy kits to retrofit existing toilets. Thanks for the tip – we may need to look into this!
OH I did updates this week too!!
http://barnesdailycircus.blogspot.com/2012/09/art-updates.html
So cute!
xo
s
That duct tape would drive me crazy, whether you can see it or not, I would take it all off and make a board or cardboard cut it to the size of the back of it and staple or glue it. It would clean it up alot!
John you are the best! Sometimes it amazes me what a good house husband you are. You cook, do laundry, change diapers, go grocery shopping, you Clara tend. And build a deck! Oh, and buy flowers too…
Yes, he’s the best! I think it comes from him being in a family of four sisters – he’s thoughtful because he knows what girls can be like. Haha. I don’t know how I managed to snag him but I’m forever grateful!!
xo
s
Four sisters? Are you counting John as a sister? hehe ;-)
Haha! I was! I mean three sisters and his momma, so four girls in the house :)
xo,
s
Dated or not, that is really nice yellow tile. Just sayin…
Yes I know! It’s totally the source of much flip flopping! Haha. We love it but we hate the tiny shower cubby (it’s so boxed in with tile it almost feels like a coffin in there) so we keep hoping we can work with it to make the shower more open (by removing some and adding a glass door maybe?) and making it feel more loved/updated with some great color on the walls, art, etc. Will keep ya posted!
xo
s
I feel like sometimes it’s the tiniest tweaks that make the biggest difference!!
This week I took about 2 hours to hand stamp the inside of our tv stand (it’s open shelving) and it made a WORLD of difference! http://sandpaperandglue.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/sponges-the-anti-stencil/
Cute!
xo
s
Nice and simple fix-its! Question: How did you line up the hooks to hang the mirror evenly? Eyeball it or measure?
And I hear ya with the RHNY, rolling my eyes over here too … Aviva, take a chill pill!
We measured down from the top of the mirror so they were straight and just measured down on the wall to line things up. And yes. Aviva has gone loco. Haha!
xo
s
I love cranes! My husband was looking for a crane for me for our anniversary and mentioned it to our school secretary. She brought in two brass cranes that she had for about 15 years and gave it to him to give to me. I just love them!
Aw, that’s so sweet!
xo
s
I pre-ordered my Young House Love book today! I cannot wait to get it!
Wahoooooo!!! Thanks!
xo,
s
I LOVE the shredder cabinet! What a brilliant idea to put the shredder on its end…so good
Cheers
~ Jillian
http://www.hersplitends.com
I work for the company that distributes those shredders! Funny to see it here…made me smile. Ah the exciting life of the shredder business…
So funny!
xo,
s
Funny story since you mentioned toilets – my Dad came to visit and I was showing him our diaper sprayer (he use to cloth diaper so I was showing him how “technology” has improved) – he thought I was subtly telling him that he needed to use it and that they toilet had been getting too dirty because he didn’t use it! Still laughing!!
I finished painting the woodwork/trim in the living room! Woot! It, along with finally finishing the curtains in the living room, hardly deserved a “finished” post so I just mentioned them in a couple other ones.
We also did a hole in our tv console like the one for your shredder – we love not having to see all the cords and giant outlet thing on the floor! http://29ruehouse.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-mid-century-modern-love-story.html
I have replaced all the interior door knobs in my house. All the old ones were gold-tone, covered in paint and scratches, and not working as well as they could. All bedroom, closet, and bathroom knobs were replaced with matching brushed nickle knobs, and I think it gives my house a more polished feel.
That sounds awesome! I love hearing what you guys are up to!
xo,
s
Three recent little tweaks: (1) printing out wedding photos and framing them with frames I already had and rearranged, nearly 18 months later, (2) some fall-colored mums from the grocery store are now on my kitchen bar, and (3) trying out a new scented candle from Target when my usual one was out of stock. Turns out the new scent is really good! It’s amazing the impact little things can have!
All those little things definately add up. I love having fresh flowers in the house…just something about it that makes me smile.
Have a great weekend!
Re: your bird friends on the mantle….they remind me of a larger pair my Mom mounted on top of her mailbox years ago – I don’t know what she used but it must have been heavy duty, because someone wanted to steal those birds, and the next day all Mom found was their poor little feet and about two inches of little legs sticking up….poor birds. Yours will be much safer.
Oh no!!!
xo,
s
My living room has been undergoing a series of small changes for the last two months – and we’ve lived here for three years! We bought a rug, finally hung some curtains, rearranged the furniture, brought in two new pillows that actually go with the rug instead of old shiny weird Ikea ones, and BAM! whole new room. It’s amazing. I look for reasons to hang out in there now.
Love the little tinkers! I’m excited to do some small stuff in our mountain house this weekend – lay down a new fluffy gray IKEA rug, add some pillows to our new couch, hang some Grundtal shelves in our kitchen (with hooks for coffee mugs and my vintage measuring cups, yay!), hang mirrors and put bathmats in a few bathrooms…just fun stuff :)
Lookin’ good! We finally planted some bigger shrubs in our new flower bed that we originally planted back in April. We’ve been waiting to find “the ones.” We picked a plant similar to a burning/flaming bush so they’re already getting their pretty bright red fall colors on! YAY
http://lifewithacrazypup.com/2012/09/21/fall-into-action/
Of course, it’ll look more “complete” once everything gets a little bigger :) HAPPY WEEKEND!
Wahoo, it’s fun to hear about your updates guys!
xo,
s
Little upgrades are the best! I love the idea of turning the shredder on the side.
By the way….my manfriend told me last night that he wanted to sell our office desks and put in base cabinets and DIY a desk. I immediately knew he had been reading YHL, which is so exciting because I feel like now he will understand when I tell him I want to DIY a deck, or buy more ceramic animals!
Those tulips are gorgeous too.
Hahaha I love that!
xo,
s
I was also going to suggest putting a wedge under the shredder. I’d imagine you have plenty left over after all those angle cuts from the deck project!
So smart!
xo,
s
We got a fancy whisper close toilet seat. Don’t be jealous, I know, we are living the dream. I did not know you could convert an existing tank to dual flush so I will put that on our to do list. Painting our entry way wall an accent color this weekend, along with the inside of our front door, so hopefully that will be a little more impactful than our new toilet seat.
Haha!
xo,
s
I am loving all of it!
Do you have a tutorial for this white table too in the living room? or thats just how you bought it?
We do! It’s on our projects page for ya.
xo,
s
I need to find a way to hide my shredder but we don’t have a single inch of space to give up. Boo! I just re-organized my overflow pantry in the basement after putting it off for like 8 months. Woot!
Whoa! I had no idea you could convert (almost) any toilet to a dual flush. It looks pretty painless too – I’ll have to check that out.
I like the little upgrades! I feel like I’m constantly changing little things to my home. Much less commitment and stress :P
Random question but how did you clean up the saw dust behind your desk built-in after drilling that hole? Can you pull out the desk?
I just stuck the vacuum hose back into the crack behind the desk and got it (the desk can be pulled forward if we need to though).
xo,
s
Good to know the dual flusher will not work on the Glacier Bay toilet! We remodeled our bathroom in July and I had also procrastinated with putting mine on the GB throne!
Believe it or not, I still have boxes to go through. I moved in 4 months ago and I still have boxes to go through. BUT, it’s only 2 boxes! I will hopefully do that today.
Now I’m in the “figure out decorating” phase. I’m planning a couple frame walls, inspired by your hallway. And I’m trying to decide on paint.
I just want to say, as much as I love Friday’s, it makes me a little sad that I’ll have no YHL to read until Monday morning. You guys are the best. Can’t wait for your book to come. :)
Aw thanks Stephanie!
xo,
s
Totally un-related to today’s post, but I just saw this on the web and my first thought was “YHL loves bees and this looks like a bee-hive!” I guess it’s not suppose to be a beehive, but do you see what I see?? (Naturally I had to share):
http://www.landofnod.com/between-a-rock-lamp-base-gold/f10706
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!!
So cute!
xo,
s
A couple weeks ago I switched out an old plastic flush handle for a decorative ORB flusher from Lowe’s… looks soooo much better! Love those little fixes.
Amazing what fresh flowers can do for a space, isn’t it?! Especially yellow-how beautiful. Are those curtains new? The ones over the table and chairs? I love, love, love that fabric. Maybe you made them? I don’t remember a post about them. Anyway, they’re fantastic.
Thanks! Those are from Ikea a while back on clearance!
xo,
s