Bathroom Redecoration - on the cheap

My guest bathroom, otherwise known as Tanner's bathroom because I don't get a ton of guests, is tiny.

It's small.

Like 5' x 6'. Small. Having said that, it's still about 25% larger than the bathroom that we ALL SHARED at the little house we rented before we moved here.

I wanted to do something different here, since we're eventually going with a log cabin thing here, I decided I wanted a western theme in this bathroom. It has been fun over the past couple years collecting "things" to decorate the bath. A few days ago, while doin' my bizness.. I realized how cheaply I had decorated this room, so I thought I'd share with you!

This is the wall next to the sink, and the paint color is the closest to the real thing (the color is going to change in a few pics after I set my white balance on my camera). This pretty orange paint works so well with the western theme, the rusts, browns, blacks, tans all look great with this color. It just so happens to be the same color as my sister's entryway, and my lovely little sister was kind enough to let me have the left over gallon. I think it will also end up being the entry color to my back door/laundry room.

Cost: $0.00

This is a vintage printed banner/bill to sell a couple mules. It's marked 1904. I have no idea if it's really old, or a reproduction, or even from 1904, but I have a feeling it's real. Love that it's a local piece! The bill came from a garage sale, and the frame was left over from some old photos no longer hanging on the wall.

Frame - $0.00
Donkey banner - $3.00 (I think)

I used to have a craft store 900 years ago. Someday I'll tell you about it, in the meantime, I'll talk about the cute piece that I bought wholesale. I would sell these vintage feel repro metal signs and did pretty well with them. This was my favorite, and it hung in my *victorian era* bathroom 15 years ago. I was so excited when I realized it would work again!

Cost: $6.00
(which was wholesale. If you wanted one, retail would be $9-$15.00 - If you want one, look for AAA Sign company)

Then I fell in love and died.
The end.

HA.
Good luck with that.

I love architectual pieces. This was one of my favorite finds last summer. There used to be a group of ladies that would do redecorating pieces by taking something old and worn out, and making it into something new. They had a couple garage sale "scouts" that would find cool stuff like this for them, so when I found it the first thing I said was "HA Sonja! I got here first!" LOL.

Aint it so old and purdy?
Dun it fit in so well with mah cowboy stuffs?

Cost: $1.00
(swoon)

Wha?

This is a photo of a mirror. Love it. It only took like 10 pics to actually get something that looked like a pic of a mirror.

With a light growing out of it?

Lemme 'splain.

You see, this bathroom had this super uggo mirror/light fixture/wallpaper (well, pretty much everything). We took it all down, and when I put in the new vanity (and yes, I mean me), it was not centered under the old fixture box. We attempted to move it over and patch the hole but man it was ugly. It looked like we plastered with our feet.

We had another dilemma - we needed something interesting for a mirror. Finally, I came up with a brilliant solution for everyone. Get a large mirror (almost to the ceiling) and cut a hole in it where the light fixture should go, put the wiring through the mirror and mount the light fixtured to the front of the mirror.

Great deal considering that my husband is a glass man, and we got the mirror at cost.

Cost:
$10.00 - mirror
$25.00 - light fixture

A favorite find of this year, and probably one of the most expensive things in the room. An old saddle bag.

Please, hold your fat jokes until the end of the program. Thank you.

I found this goody at an antique store, so I knew I'd pay more for it. When I got home, I tossed it over the door. I love it there, and badly want it to work, but the door is tight - like it should be - and it doesn't shut all the way with it on there, so I'll probably have to move it for guests. I'm perfectly happy with just leaving the door cracked while I do my "thing", Tanner on the other hand, has other opinions.

Too bad they don't count. :p
Love you Tanner.

Cost: $20.00

I made a cute vignette of goodies on the shelf above my toity. The cabinet itself we got at an antique store, even tho it's not antique. It was just a good deal. Under it is a towel rack that I picked up at a craft store somewhere in Branson last year. The picture in the back of the shelf actually says a word, made out of different images. I gave them for christmas last year to my family members. It says "Privy" which is more english than cowboy, but I didn't wanna say "outhouse"

Cost:
$15.00 - Cabinet
$7.50 - Privy sign
$10.00 - Towel rack

Fell in love with these little kid boots I found at a garage sale. I mean, who wouldn't love them. It took me like .0087 seconds to buy them. The little whiskey jugs (sadly empty, hubs already checked), were picked up just last weekend at an antique store that's only open on Saturdays, and has the best deals ever! (It's outside of Savannah Missouri if you're wondering).

Cost:
$2.00 - boots
$5.50 - both jugs

This saddle is SO CUTE. The perfect size to fit on my cat. Sadly he doesn't think it's as funny as I do. I wonder what a chicken would think of this? The ducks only say QUACK and run like hell so I have no idea what their opinion is.

Anyway, Tanner's grandpa gave this to him, and he brought it over here. It fit in the bathroom so perfectly it just stayed.

Funny thing happened, my mom, who is a rabid Roy Rogers fan, stopped by the house one day and saw it. Here's how the conversation went:

Mom: I like that little saddle, where did you get it?
Me: Tanner's grandpa gave it to him.
Mom: I want it.
Me: Tough.
Mom: I want it. Give it to me.
Me: Um. No, it's not mine to give, and if it was, I still wouldn't let you have it.
Mom: But I want it.
Me: *holds back a smacking for her back talking me*

*head desk*

Cost:
$0.00
(however I do have to check the bathroom every time mom uses it)

Holy cute!
I've been wanting a pair of spurs for a long time. Found them at that cute antique store last weekend too. I don't think they are the real thing, they are little. If they are, then they are for a kid about the size of those cowboy boots.

Cost:
$2.00

This is the "entertainment wall". I call it that because it's what you read when you sit on the toity, or turlet depending on how gutteral you wanna be.

One of my favorite things in here. It's the lid to an old metal biscuit box. My finger is there because it opens, and it always stands open a little bit. I still haven't figured out how to keep it shut without putting tape on it or a hole or something. I was going to use it for a shadow box, but a couple pics got stuck, in there for now. One of a few girls with a horse, and the second of a cow someone is quite proud of.

Cost:
$12.00 - biscuit box lid
$1.50 - Girl horse pic
$.50 - cow pic

Yeah, he'll kick my butt, but since he never reads here. HAR TO THE HAR. He'll never know. A few years ago, we went someplace and I talked him into this photo. I can't even remember where we went! All I know, is that I had this when we lived in town, so that's been almost 3 years. BTW, the cigar is real.. he chewed on a damn cigar while quitting smoking for like 6 months! Otherwise that's exactly how he looks on a Saturday night.

Cept he drinks crown and not jack.

Cost:
$15.00-ish - Photo
$2.00 - old frame, random scrapbook suppplies

Two more architectual pieces found at a garage sale. I believe they are pieces that go around door trim. All I did was add a hook to the back. Suhweet.

Cost:
$2.00

If you are from Iowa (and maybe someplace close to Iowa) you've probably heard of the Sidney Iowa Rodeo.

No?

Well. It's a rodeo. It's been around a looooong time.

The end.

So anyway, I found this at a garage sale and super loved it.

Cost:
$4.00

OK, I belly laughed at this. I gave it to hubs for Christmas a couple years ago. Thing is, I got tired of kicking his ass at Texas Hold'em, so I stopped playing. I think he wants me to enter the big tournament and win him a bracelet.

I'd rather make things out of glitter.

Found at Michaels. Loved by me, hubs? not so much.

Cost:
$9.00

Toity paper holder!
Duh.

Bought when I bought the towel rack

Cost:
$5.00

And lastly, I have 2 of these, but they are not put anywhere. They are unfinished cast iron, hence the rust. I really want to hang them on the back of my door for a robe hook, but I don't want to put holes in my brand stinkin' new doors. I considered handle knobs for my vanity, but they are too big. I'll think of something. I lurve them too much not to.

Cost:

$1.00 each

So as you can see, I have a thing for cowboy stuff. As you can also see, I have filled almost every available space on my bathroom walls. This is a highly technical decorating skill I learned from my mother. I'm not looking forward to cleaning out her house when she keels over.

oh.. btw.

Hi Mom!

Overall cost for decor for the bathroom... Loto' stuff for only $155. Not bad considering I spread it out over about 3 years! I like it so much, I've decided to do our other bathroom in that theme too. No fish and seashells for ME!

What's in your bathroom (besides dirty towels on the floor and a brush full of hair)?

Why do I have the sudden urge to tinkle?