wooohooo!
I was featured in decorhacks.com!
They Looooved my Muchtastic DIY Backsplash!
Dollar store coasters, glass tiles and paint chips! Click to Check It Out!
Category: MIRRORS!!!!
Disco ball Muchness
There’s just something muchy about a disco ball that cannot be denied. Granted, you may not want them as a cornerstone of high concept design in your living room. (see how that might work here)
But adding a disco ball in an unexpected spot ain’t gonna do nothing except make you smile. I was reminded of this as I walked to the bus from my office and nearly got run over by the muchiest rickshaw in the city. By the time I caught my breath and grabbed my phone he was kinda far away. Lucky for you, disco balls have a tendency to stand out against the concrete gray that devours much of manhattan.
It made me smile. 😀
…and while looking online for a better picture if that disco balled bicycle taxi, I found this.
Could u just plotz?? Love!!!
The Backsplash
So much Muchness!
So, I mentioned in the original 30 Days of Muchness that I finally, after 17 months, completed my backsplash!!! Its been a couple of weeks and I’m LOVING it. It is exactly what I envisioned, and the feedback I’ve gotten is super.
So now, I’m just gonna give a little bit of background;
I used mirrored coasters from Amazing Savings. That’s like a dollar store but much more awesome. I’d been looking for almost 18 months for the right material for the backsplash… I didn’t want something ordinary and I really wanted something colorful that sparkled but wasn’t 800,000 gazillion tiny rhinestones glued to the wall (like my wedding shoes.) I saw the coasters, at a buck apiece and knew I’d hit the jackpot. I slapped those suckers on the wall with tile adhesive. Except the ones that had to get cut to fit the edges… took a while to figure out how to do that.
But what to put in the 1.5″ space between them? Tiles don’t usually come in 1.5″ and besides, I couldn’t really decide on a color to commit to. Many months of online searching led me to clear beveled tiles, available in 1.5″. They were about 65 cents a piece. All together that brought me to around $13 per square foot in tiles.
I don’t know where the idea to use paint chip samples came from, but thats what I used to “color” the glass. I swiped a crapload of swatches from home depot and layed them out in a gradient format. I numbered the spaces and numbered the swatches and started glueing the glass to the paint chips. and I glued. and glued. Then I started mounting them on the wall with the tile adhesive. But it was water based and started softening the paper and I started to see air bubbles between the paper and glass. For some tiles, it was too late and I have learned to live with it. No one really sees it but me. But I switched to a highly toxic marine glue that had no water in its base and dried really quickly. most of the tiles used that and they are perfect.
I bought a handheld rotary glass cutter to cut the tiles and was able to snap the glass ones in half with no problem for the edges. But the mirrors were too thick to cut that way. Eventually I brought the mirror tiles to a professional glass cutter who charged me $5 per cut. That added almost $250 bucks onto the total price, which sucked, but the results were worth it.
So, it took 17 months because I can get kind of lazy. I also had a pregnancy (where I didn’t work on it at all) and baby over that time.
I thought I had more pics of the clear glass tiles and the paint chips before they were glued together, but apparently I’ve sniffed so much glue I don’t know what I’m talking about cuz they are nowhere to be found.
Oh- after it was all done I grouted it. With grout. Unsanded. And I had to push the grout up into the spaces with my fingers cuz the spaces were so unbalanced with the the beveled edges, and also I didnt wanna scratch the mirrors with a tool pushing too hard.
Also- the mirrors areall handcut and no two were identically sized, so the grout lines are all unbalanced. I like that because it adds character and meant I only had to keep my tile lines parallel and straight- not perfectly perfect.
Synopsis:
Total time: 17 months, start to finish
Total cost: Mirror tiles- about $175
Glass tiles- about $110
Glass cutting tools- about $40
extra to cut mirrors professionally – about $250
grout, adhesives & glues- about $40
mirrored outlet covers- $10 / pc x 3 = $30
TOTAL: about $645.00 Certainly not the cheapest option available…. but no one else will have anything like it, and that’s, to me, priceless.
Pretty, Pretty Dresser
I got this for free. My uncle had it in storage. I saw it and said “That’s pretty.” He said “Take it”. I did. It sat in the basement till I had a baby and therefore, enough time to refinish it. Then it took me an additional 3 more months to put in the mirrors. The last, easiest step always takes the longest…
What do you think?
Dresser Detail Before
Dresser before, top hutch
Dresser before-bottom
After!
After Door Detail
The mirrors add the Muchness!
THE ORIGINAL 30 DAYS OF MUCHNESS
It all started 30 days ago. Well, not really. It actually started 30 (or so) years ago. When I was born. But no-one is really that interested in the nitty gritty details. So, for all intents and purposes, it started 30 days ago. When I read the line:
I USED TO BE MUCH MUCHIER, BUT THEN LOST MY MUCHNESS.
I thought “Wait- I used to be much muchier, but then I did! I lost my Muchness!” And so started my facebook photo album “30 Days Of Muchness.” My quest to Find My Muchness through Sparkles, Color and Smiles. You can read more about it here.
I’ve assembled this post with all 30 days of my original 30 DAYS OF MUCHNESS.
I wanted to also share the comments- they are half the fun, but it was too hard to figure out how to copy and paste them all. Oh well.
ENJOY!
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“I used to be much mucher, I think I have lost my muchness.” In an attempt to regain my “muchness” I’m introducing my “Muchness pic of the day”… I find my muchness when I wear sequins and happy clothes and ridiculously high heels. How do you tap into your muchness?
MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 1
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 2
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 3
No work today so Im still in my PJs. 17 months ago I put up the first of these mirrored backsplash tiles (actually dollar store coasters). Today, it has finally been completed!! No two colored tiles are the same exact color, and the beveled edges on the mirrors sparkle like the fanciest crystals. It’s a whole lot of Muchness!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 4
A little bit of sparkle, even on the weekends!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 5
Today is Sunday and it is Mollys day of Muchness. She insisted on wearing this dress. Apparently my insanity is hereditary.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 6
If you can’t wear sequin encrusted leggings to work on a dreary, rainy monday, when can you wear them?? I mean, really…
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 7
I’ve had this neon green sequined scarf for two years and never thought to actually wear it. Until now. Daydreaming of ways to tap into my Muchness also sparks creativity and confidence!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 8
Apparently, these are the shoes I (now) concider appropriate for navigating through the concrete jungle.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 9
Giving the sequins a break and going back to the default sparkle of choice, RHINESTONES!!! When Elie asked me to marry him I actually looked at the ring and said “ooh, it’s just like a swarovski crystal only shinier!”
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 10
Some people have commented that they like this “30 Days of Muchness,” but they don’t really “get it”. Is it really just about what i’m wearing that day that sparkles and shines? Not even close. This journey into Finding My Muchness is about being present in the moment. It’s about remembering to see the fun, optimism, beauty and creativity that we so easily start to overlook as we get older. The sparkle is just a tool that helps me to do that. But somedays it’s harder than others. In the spirit of that I present MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY -DAY 10
My old college friend Robert Johnson. Sadly, he passed away early this week from longstanding health problems. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter. Although I haven’t seen him in a long while, I can’t remember him without a big ol’ smile on his face. Robert was in touch with his Muchness. You will be missed, my friend.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 11
Sometimes what sparkles isn’t what makes you shine.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 12
Pre-Birthday Birthday cake decorated by the birthday girl herself. Edible Sparkle. Because everyone knows that muchness starts inside you.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 13
It’s game day!! Can you guess where on my outfit the sparkle is? First one with the right answer wins a smile!! Yay!! Haha!!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 14
When in doubt, go neutral.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 15
Today at work was so busy I didn’t have the time to post my Muchness! But lots of golden opportunities presented themselves and I dressed for the occassion. 🙂
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 16
I had my Muchness all planned out since last night (planning the Muchness is half the fun!) when my co-worker walked in this morning and ruined my plan!! She gave me earrings! Said they made her think of me. Can’t imagine why… Not only do they sparkle, but they make this shimmy-shimmy noise in my ears that sounds like a Lilliputian Party! Guess the original Muchness will have to wait for another day…
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 17
Today I was on the hunt for Muchness while doing my friday errands. Took a while but I finally found success!! Stopped by my cousin L’via’s to help her with some stuff and her 13 year old daughter was reading the very next book on my reading list!! (hmmmm… does this mean I have to start a reading list?…) Happy Friday!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 18
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 19
If I cannot see my Muchness, does it mean it isn’t there?
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 20
Because I can, thats why. Wait? You mean walk in those? Oh no. No I can’t. Small sacrifice.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 21
Something about these sequins makes me thing of sushi. Tomorrow is a Color Splash filming day! You know I’ve been planning my outfit for the last 20 days!!!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 22
Color Splash Filming! That’s right peeps- bedazzled by hand with swarovski crystals… cuz I got nothing better to do with my time. What? Oh… with these and these ..of course.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 23
Wore these boots to pieces when I bought them many years ago. They’ve sat scuffed up and neglected with a hole in their sole till I recently brought them to the shoemaker to have them revived. The ribbon laces just added a little extra oomph cuz some days you need that.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 24
They arrived!!! I <3 them soooo much!!! You can see the million color hologram reflection the best when they’re in motion. They ROCK!!!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 25
What other three year olds get to glitter coat bags for their friends for Purim? My girl’s got Muchness!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 26
How much? THIS MUCH!!!!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 27
Confession: I wore something today for my muchness, but really, I dont like it. Its brown. Blech. And, by extension, today kinda sucked. I’m congested. Im working on 4 hours sleep. It’s rainy. It’s cold. I’m bloated. Just want to go home, cuddle up and wait for tomorrow. But then, I passed the florist. I pass him every day. Waiting patiently since the beginning of sunflower season for him to display those yellow blooms right next to the white daisies. Anticipating that the day he did that, i’d know it was gonna be a good day. And there they were! It’s only 4 o’clock. We’ll see what the rest of the day brings… My spirits are lifted.
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 28
We got a new front door!!!! Three years with a rickity, sqeeky, energy sucking and most importantly, sunshine blocking oooold door- replaced in just a couple of hours!!! Baby, let the light shine in!!!! What? Yes- that is just clear glass looking right into our home. Mr. David “color splash” Bromstad will be addressing that situation in three short weeks!!! 😀
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 29
Today I sorta feel like a disco dancing, construction working lesbian. And I’m OK with that! Happy Wednesday!
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MUCHNESS PIC OF THE DAY - DAY 30!!!!!
It’s the final day folks and my 30 Days Of Muchness has honest-to-god transformed me.
30 Days of Life
30 Days of Color
30 Days of Sparkle
30 Days of Fun
30 Days of Found Joy
30 Days of Healing
30 Days of Happy
… How can I not continue?? Stay tuned for the next stages of Muchness… Thank You to everyone who “liked” or commented… 😀 I appreciate it!!