Julie's Bathroom: Do You

The worst parts about renting are the things you absolutely cannot change, like flooring, tile, cabinets, countertops, etc.  This fact is something I am reminded of every day when I enter my bathroom and am confronted with pink and blue tile and floors.  I painted the walls a deep, gray-blue to try to trick my eye, added some nice accessories like shelves and canisters, and hung some art to try to distract from the heinous color scheme.

The "art" that I hung is actually part of a Rifle Paper Co. calendar.  I liked that it pulled in the pink of the tile/floor but also had some black and army green to add a bit more style.  Lately, I've felt that the art was a little too "sweet" for my liking, so wanted to add something to make it a little more quirky.

I decided that I was going to use my typewriter alphabet stamps (similar ones here) to add some kind of phrase to the art.  I thought about something in Spanish as a nod to our heritage or a short song lyric, but couldn't come up with something I loved.  When I mentioned the idea to Sarah, she replied: "do you."

I wasn't sure if she was giving me her seal of approval on changing the art or if she was suggesting that I actually use that phrase on the art.  "Do you" is  a commonly used phrase between Sarah and me.  We use this expression as a way of saying "be yourself," "do your thing," etc.  Embarrassingly enough, it is also a commonly used phrase between cast members of the Jersey Shore.

I busted out the stamps and got to work-- I didn't have a black ink pad, so I just used a sharpie.  I tried it out a few times on notebook paper to make sure I got the placement and amount of ink right, and then moved on to the actual print.

I love that it adds a little funny and a little quirk to the otherwise very 80s bathroom.  Now all we need are appropriate Jersey Shore nicknames.  And husbands with blow outs.

Julie's Apartment: DIY Black and White Striped Nook Reveal

Happy Monday!  We've been delinquent bloggers lately, because this little black and white striped cutie joined the family in June.  Pictures of his nursery coming soon!

As promised, here are the "after" photos of the striped nook.  I added the brass bicycle wheel mirror, which I bought from CB2 ages ago, and the cabinet is the Ikea Hemnes shoe cabinet.  I love that when I walk into the house I have somewhere to stash my shoes, so they don't wind up on the dining room floor.  We use the top drawer for keys, iPod headphones, sunglasses, etc.  The carrot painting was done by my grandma.

I love that this little corner of our apartment feels "done."  We've also been making some changes in my living room and master bedroom...more to come on that soon!