PINK? Recycling and repurposing pink...

When I got my first semi truck...I imagined all sorts of colors...yes, I even wanted to decorate it!  I stood in line at the lease department with all the burly, large guys that were waiting to get keys and be on there way to making a living...when it was my turn...I caused a little bit of a ruckus...I asked for a specific truck...and color...and interior...the guy behind the desk? he looked at me like I was ridiculous....and gave me the ole "you get what I give you...unless you would like to buy your own?" and he gave me the keys to a truck...he wouldn't let me ask any more questions...just shooed me outta line and told me to get on it...With dread, I hiked out to the tractor lot and looked for the space that held my appointed vehicle...

In my space...was a brand new burgundy tractor...it had bright yellow pinstripes with silver and gold...it had my grey interior...it had...EVERYTHING I asked for! I just gaped...when I opened the door, I got in and rolled around on the brand new bed laughing at the show the lease guy had given me...he couldn't show favortism...and he sure as heck wasn't gonna give in to a "girl" in front of all those truckers...but the guy had a definite heart! Later,  he waved and smiled at me in the restaurant and promptly hightailed it away so I couldn't thank him...

I went to several different stores picking out things to out fit my rig...pink shabby chic sheets from Target...a pink rug from K-mart....feather pillows and white down comforter from Ross...red tubs from Wal mart...and so on...lol! MY truck was gonna be a "Girl" Truck! and if I had to live in the thing then it was going to be nice!  Soooo...you all know now that I like pink...lol!

As you all know...I got off that truck and bought a home...with no bathroom...but I had a pantry...and guess what? It was pink...god awful, 1950's Mayme Eisenhower pink...pink sheets...yes...pink rug...yes..a pink bathroom? NO!

At least it was when I scrubbed all the grime off of the walls...and hauled off the appliances and the food...

The blood stains from the frozen/thawed meat from the freezers...

Even thru the dirt and filth, I could see a bathroom in here, albeit a small one...I had no idea at this point how I was going to get a tub, toilet and sink much less plumbing parts but I would deal with that after the mess, huh? 

The window in this room was so cute...single pane glass but truly adorable...all original molding, large and it sure made the room bright...this is the room I spent the most time in at first...it was the key to being able to move in...I scrubbed and scrubbed and tried many things to get the ick off of the floor...even Super Clean didn't want to take it off..

.so I put off the floors for a moment to figure out a solution and did the walls...I don't know what these people painted it with? but holy cow...it was some nasty stuff...It took 3 scrubbings with engine degreaser/deglosser and 4 coats of primer and 3 coats of Kilz paint to cover it! Think it was trying to tell me something?  I didn't know it yet...but Mayme Eisenhower Pink was STAYING in this bathroom...

When I first got to the UP...we hadn't found the house yet...I couldn't help it, I had to go find all the thrift stores...in one St. Vincent DePaul...I found a platter for 25cents...I had to have it...it went under the bed at Mom and Dad's house...

The platter...

During my first two weeks in the house, I had several people walk by and gape...I do believe they were in shock and awe that someone would buy this place...but one neighbor...actually was brave enough to knock on the door..."Hey...I am your neighbor! two houses down!"...as I was standing in the door way with absolutely no manners...I was not going to invite him in and have him see my horrendous mess of a house! He came over several times with information...and a genuine interest in what we were doing...I would tell him bits of information...but one day...I asked him straight out..."know anyone with a sink and toilet for sale?" Well...yes he did!  He just happened to have a sink and toilet in his shed...he had just removed it from HIS bathroom and replaced it with a white set he found at a garage sale..."but it's pink..."  "well, not exactly what I was looking for" I said...and I let it go...I had visions of an all white bathroom...during this time...I had went for a drive to the local gas station...the LONG way around and perused the neighborhood...in one person's back yard was several piles...collections...and...a CLAWFOOT TUB! It was upside down in the weeds... We stopped and got out...knocked on the door..."would you by any chance want to sell that bathtub?" "Well, yes! We took it outta my Mom's house when she passed away and just never did anything with it"..."Whatcha want for it?"  "Hmmm...make an offer"...Hundreds of dollars danced thru my head and he noticed my hesitation..."Real cheap..." said his wife..."Well, how bout $25 dollars?" And I felt like a jerk offering that...I just knew they would laugh...clawfoot tubs in great condition often go from $300 to $500 bucks..."Deal" said his wife! I paid her with a 20 dollar bill and 5 bucks worth of nickels, dimes and quarters...It was everything I had...we loaded it up, took it home and parked it in the living room on a tarp...a week later, I ground off all the paint with a grinding wheel (it was green and yellow) had my Honey paint the feet bronze(Walmart 3.99)

and primed it with spray primer...what do you paint a bathtub with? Well, I looked and finally decided on white epoxy appliance paint that Wal mart carries...two coats...it has worked very well and is as hard as a rock as well as being durable and washable...but my living room? wow...the first wire wheel exploded and sent millions of little wire bristles everywhere...for two months, I picked them out of my rear end whenever I sat down, when I painted, I picked them out of the wall...don't ever use one of these in your house! I opted for the solid grinding wheel after that...and it worked well, if not better, than the wire one...these grinders are 30 bucks at Wal mart...and an indispensable tool! You can use them on wood, metal and just about any surface where you want globbed on paint removed. I have about worn mine out...they are light and easy to handle...

Well, more on the bathroom tomorrow! I have to get outside and finish cleaning up the mess Mother Nature made in my yard... Hope you all have a great day!