By "we" I really mean Robert sanded.

Next it was time for a stain.

I found a great idea for a whitewash stain here

but when we went to Lowe's they didn't have "pickling" stain

So we opted for this instead:

And it only required 1 coat!

Fortunately for me, I missed the actual hanging process

And when I got home from lunch and errands, there was a bathroom barn door

please ignore my messy bathroom

At first we were worried that the color of the door (right) was too close to the wall (left)

But I think it actually makes it cool and rustic without being the only thing you see in the room

The mechanism from an old barn:

Ta-da:

Obviously the picture to the left is the beer fondue.

Ingredients: 

16 oz cheese (3 different kinds- I usually pick a goat cheese gouda, and 2 others)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 clove garlic

1 (12oz) can/bottle beer (I've tried hard cider too which is good)

1 dash of hot pepper sauce

Directions:

1. Combine cheese, flour, salt & pepper in a bowl. 

2. Rub cut side of garlic clove around bottom and sides of fondue pot.

3. Pour beer into fondue pot and slowly bring to a simmer over medium-low heat (about 5 minutes)

4. Gradually stir cheese mixture into beer adding small amounts at a time, until cheese is melted and blended (10-15 minutes)

5. Stir hot pepper sauce into cheese mixture. 

To dip:

We usually get a baguette from Harris Teeter

Unsliced pepperoni 

(and last time I even made) Bacon Wrapped potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes:

Found through Pinterest on this site

I made mine without the sauce, since I used it for the fondue.

Ingredients:

1 pound small or medium red potatoes

2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

12 ounces to 1 pound thick-cut bacon

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1-3 teaspoons hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Chop them into 1-inch pieces, keeping the chunks roughly the same size even if they aren't the exact same shape. Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Once the water begins to boil, cook the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes, until you can stick a fork into them without too much resistance. You want the potatoes to be almost, but not fully, cooked through so they won't fall apart during the next steps.

Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the rosemary, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Cut the strips of bacon into thirds. Wrap each potato bite in a piece of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil spaced an inch or two apart. You may need to cook the potatoes in two batches.

Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, then flip each piece. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and as crisp as you like it. Mix the sour cream and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the potato bites on a plate and serve alongside the dip.

It seems like a lot of work but really it didn't take that long at all.

Also, I skipped tossing the potatoes in the rosemary, olive oil, etc mixture

I was hungry.

Honey Lime Chicken Taquitos 

The picture on pinterest looks much more yummy…

But you can find this recipe here

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups shredded cheese

10 soft taco sized flour tortillas

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, lime juice, honey, chili powder, and garlic and mix to coat.

Lay out your tortillas, and divide chicken evenly on the center of each tortilla. Top each one with cheese.

Roll each tortilla tightly, leaving the ends open, and place them on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray or olive oil.

Spray the tops of the taquitos and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 10 minutes, then serve with Cilantro Lime Cream.

Cilantro Lime Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup green taco sauce (mild)

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and pulse until smooth.

Note: this particular recipe for the cream makes a LOT more than you will need. I doubled the taquitos recipe and did not double the cream and still had too much left over.

St. Germains Margaritta

Ever since I first tried St. Germains at the Busy Bee (in the Queen Bee)

I've had a slight obsession with it.

I incorporated the Queen Bee into my wedding

But I've been getting a little tired of it

AND I love margaritas 

So when I found this recipe here, I had to try it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces silver tequila

1 1/2 ounce St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

Coarse sea salt

(optional 1 1/2 ounce of orange juice)

Directions:

1. Rub a slice of lime around the rim of a margarita glass or tumbler and dip into coarse sea salt. Fill with ice cubes and set aside.

2. Combine tequila, St. Germain and lime juice in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until cold. Strain into prepared glass.

3. Sip and enjoy!

I found it a little strong so I also added a shots worth of orange juice to the mix.

And what do you know, it goes great with all of the things I've been eating.

Do yourself a favor and try at least one of these recipes

(especially the bacon wrapped potatoes)

The closet is to the right of the sink and the toilet/shower is to the left. 

During:

We removed the carpet from the bathroom area

And then I picked out tiles that look like wood to put down

I didn't actually put them down, 

I'd like to thank my husband and his friend Roger for all their hard work

I even put tile in the closet! 

A coat of paint on the walls, cabinets, and a few upgrades later…

After:

I redid some of the hanging space in the closet

And even made room for my necklace hanger (DIY project from last year)

The shower area got some new accessories, flooring, and paint.

A close up of the flooring!

And finally a view of a little of all of it! 

The cabinets got repainted, a slight grey white

We replaced the hand towel holder, the light fixture, and the faucet

And I put a mirror in the frame used at my wedding

To use instead of the outdated mirror that was there. 

Here's a picture of the mirror before!