Bathroom Makeover

A few months ago, the State Health Benefits Dept (where I get my health, etc benefits through) sent out a memo to all state employees informing us that the first 5000 people to fill out an online health survey on January 10 would receive a $50 gift card and also be eligible for more prizes to be given out over the year (ie: a Wii, spa vacation, years worth of groceries, year-long gym membership-- GOOD prizes!!). That was enough for me-- Jan 10 was a Saturday and I decided that I'd ensure I was one of the first 5000 by just staying up til midnight on Friday and filling out the survey at the stroke of 12:01am! I told my co-workers about this-- they laughed, saying that since they didn't specify where the gift card would be for, it would probably be something lame. I am of the persuasion that a free $50 gift card for anywhere is better than no $50 gift card, and so I did exactly as I planned. The survey took about 15 minutes and, as an added bonus, informed me that health-risk wise, I was doing quite well! Anyway, that was that and time went on. A few weeks ago I got an envelope in the mail. Inside was my "reward certificate" and a pamplet that instructed me that I would need to choose where I wanted my gift card from...and here's a list of about a million stores, restaurants, online retailers, hotels, airlines, etc., for you to choose from!!! It was the most amazing thing ever. I spent days just debating where to get my beautiful $50 card from. After much hemming and hawing I decided on T.J. Maxx-- depending on my mood, I could blow my money on clothes, shoes, or home decorating...and there was very little chance I would spend it on something practical, like groceries or other boring things like that.

So this weekend I decided to take care of something that had been bothering me for quite awhile-- the guest bathroom. It was decorated with leftover remnants of past decorating schemes, it didn't coordinate with the rest of my house, and I didn't like it! It was therefore the perfect candidate for receiving the bounty of my $50 gift card. And may I report that after only maybe an hour in T.J. Maxx I emerged with everything I needed to make my bathroom an altogether different place-- and got $5 cash back from my card!! An hour of work later (how incredibly annoying is it to change shower curtains??? Ugh!) and I have a lovely little room that actually coordinates with the rest of my house! Yippee!! Guests, you are welcome to use the restroom next time you're over. :) I present you with: Before and After shots.

Before: View from the hallway-- as much as I love the Bulldogs, they are no longer the inspiration for my decorating. The rest of my house is shades of brown with touches of green and blue. Black and red? Not so much.

After: Now the shower curtain is green (not quite as light as it looks in the picture) and the rug is brown. Much more "me"!

Before: Red towels, a random poster that didn't match.

After: Green/tan/brown/white striped towels, paintings Matt and I painted awhile back that I've had nowhere to hang!

Before: Boring!!!

After: Exciting! More striped towels, plus this random $2 faux-snakeskin placemat that I thought would make a nice wall decoration.

So there you have my amazing $45 (free) bathroom makeover. Oh you doubting co-workers, I laugh in your faces!!

(another new post below!)