The Armstrong Bathroom Makeover Catastrophe
UPDATE: If you don't normally read the comments on these posts I highly recommend you make an exception in this case. Holy crap, the nutters have come out!
Two years ago when we moved into this house (a process chronicled here, here, here, and here) we knew that at some point we were going to do an entire remodel of the downstairs bathroom. We envisioned knocking down a wall, tearing out every fixture, installing a luxurious bathtub, and doubling the size of the shower. But like with many remodeling ideas, this one repeatedly got knocked on its ass when we realized that simple things like "removal of a wall" would first require completion of a series of other projects. Like say, the blood sacrifice of the first born child and agreeing to name the second one Wells Fargo.
So we've lived with the cramped space and rearranged our lives so that it no longer seems weird that the one bathtub in the house is not on the same floor as the bedrooms. But then a couple of months ago I got knocked in the head with a bowling ball of nesting hormones and realized we could make the space more livable with just a few small upgrades. This happened to coincide with a trip to Ikea where Jon spotted a bathroom vanity that he loved, and just like that we embarked on a bathroom makeover. Without any preparation or research whatsoever. While I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy. Because we don't hate each other enough already.
Let's start this journey with a few pictures of the bathroom before we used it to dismantle our marriage:
Now, let me just go ahead and point out that Jon and I had a conversation wherein he acknowledged that I was not going to be able to help him like he might need me to, that I was so uncomfortably pregnant and clumsy in my body that having me in that tiny space was going to cause all sorts of trouble, and that he might need to call someone else for backup. That conversation went something like this:
Me: "You know I'm not going to be able to do any heavy lifting, right? RIGHT?"
Jon: "Right."
Me: "No, seriously. I CANNOT HELP YOU. You get that, right?"
Jon: "I get it."
Me: "So when you reach a breaking point and ask for my help, I'M GOING TO BRING UP THIS CONVERSATION. And then I'm going to make fun of you on my website."
Jon: "Heather, there isn't that much to do. It's going to be fine."
This reminds me of the book I want to write about remodeling. It would go, "Nothing will be fine. Now go re-read that first sentence. The end."
The first thing to derail our schedule was the discovery that the previous owners had not tiled underneath the vanity. Yes, we could have special-ordered that hexagonal tile from various places, but the quickest turnaround time we could find was more than two weeks, and HELL if I was going to go 14 days in third trimester pregnancy having to climb a flight of stairs every time I needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. So we compromised, installed a square tile that was similar in color, and have trained our eyes not to focus on the glaring difference:
And then I broke my toe. And while Jon was assembling the terribly constructed Ikea vanity he pulled a muscle in his back and couldn't move his torso in any way for three days. But it looks nice, right?
That brings us to the 700-lb mirror and piece of crap light. I'm going to condense this story into one bite-size paragraph because otherwise I'll get going and next thing you know I'll have used up enough hard drive space to fill a warehouse the size of Michigan:
The wall behind the vanity is in no way whatsoever a level surface, so what should have taken less than an hour sort of snowballed into a three-day expletive-laden tug-of-war between an exhausted man and his basketball-shaped wife. With the man shouting LEAN INTO IT! LEAN INTO IT! and the wife going REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION?! REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION?! And at one point we both wanted to impale each other with a Phillips-head screwdriver. Fortunately, it was at that point that I had to go pick up Leta from school, and figuring we could both use a break I decided to run a few errands while I was out. Except I guess Jon was in no mood for a break, and Internet, I have saved on my iPhone the most desperate set of text messages ever transmitted between a married couple. I would share them here with you, but I fear Jon might not ever speak to me again. And I don't want to raise this baby alone.
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301. Swiper said:
Hey Dooce,
Now tell us what the baby's name will be. I'll bet that you're itching to know what we think of that too. Ok, that's a joke. Sort of.
Your buddy,
Swiper
302. Daddy Scratches said:
First, I was afraid to read all of these comments ... for it felt as though I was losing my grip on reality, and I feared that I might have to go back to the special place—the one with the padded room and the medicine and the jacket with those weird sleeves.
Then I put on my tinfoil helmet and stood in front of my mirror, which I use to communicate with Heather (she talks to me through HER new mirror ... you know, the one that hangs over her cheap/awesome Ikea vanity that sits above those vomitous/charming tiles in her lame/amazing new bathroom?), and she told me I need not be afraid, that the voices wouldn't come back again ... you know, despite the fact that someone cracked open an INDUSTRIAL-SIZE CAN OF CRAZY ALL OVER THIS THREAD.
303. Anonymous said:
Btw, you two couldn't find the blue tile that runs along as a baseboard? This is a shotty job and I think people are 'attacking' you because we expected better. If it's a bad job, why even post pics and open comments.
I really loathe it when you become an internet whore just to get traffic or get people fired up. It really sucks. And you have the audacity to comment back and antagonize people because they are giving their opinions. Your bathroom looked better before you messed it up. Period. Anyone else stating differently is kissing your proverbial ass so you will go to their blog and kiss their proverbial ass.
304. kikibelle said:
Here's the nuttiest comment of all:
Even with reading all that you've gone through, right now in the middle of my second trimester, I'm still thinking it's a FABULOUS idea to do a semi-quick (hahahaha) remodel of our main bathroom. And then retile the shower stall in our master bath.
305. Amy said:
Wow! People do get worked up over the home improvement projects! Thanks for posting the pictures- I think it's lovely, and #261 had a good idea for hiding the mismatched tile, if you wanted to.
306. deborah said:
I think the pictures are confusing me...are there 2 toilets in this bathroom???
307. stacy said:
YOU HAVE TOILET PAPER ON YOUR FLOOR! AND DOGS! AT THE SAME TIME!
In case you didn't know.
308. dooce said:
I wish you would all tell me how you *really* feel.
309. Shiz said:
Hi, Armstrongs! Congratulations on your new bathroom! You did awesome and I hope you enjoy it!
310. Anonymous said:
indoor plumbing is always a plus!
but outdoor showers are the best!
311. YoGabbaGabba said:
OMG DOOOOOOOCE! I totally heart you! Were you one of the lucky 2.4 million americans to buy a Orla Kiely specimen at Target? How? You must be like a decorating genius or somethin'! And then you paired it with a sink from this out-of-the-way storefront named IKEA or somesuch? How do you come up with it all?! And then - BAM -- you leave the walls white! That's some lyrical gansta action right there.
Listen Dooce, I enjoy your blog (even tho I think jon is kinda a dick -- hi jon!) but just who is nutters here. You make this project sound like you're repairing the Hubble and the pictures show you replaced your vanity with an ikea sink. And it took like three weeks. First you broke your little toe and now this first world problem too? WOW! HOW CAN WE ADMIRE YOU MORE?
I really love the comments, but not for the 'nutters'. I love the "YOU TWO ROCK!!!!!!!!!" dooce-lovahs.
312. ecobabe said:
Enjoy your lovely clean, fresh powder room (I can't see a bath or a shower?) You've done a great job on a remodel.
313. Fanny said:
303 is a great example of the totally confusing level of energy people are putting into disliking the bathroom. 303 - go reread what you wrote. Then ask yourself *why* the state of a bathroom renovation for a home YOU DO NOT LIVE IN inspires you to call Heather an "internet whore" and drone on about her "audacity" to respond to some of the truly mean-spirited shit people are posting here. When someone calls you a whore, do you sit there and grin? Does your mom?
Also, the word is "shoddy".
314. Jenny said:
I am laughing so hard, that I am crying...you are wonderful...what a wonderful thing to read after such a craptastic day...cannot wait to hear how the remodel turns out!
315. Katy said:
Also, someone should send that maniac (#93) a copy of The Secret. Thoughts become things, friend.
Also, you got a Lewinsky joke in your comments. You're so retro, Heather.
316. Lynda said:
Well I hope you enjoy that toilet that flushes and mirror that reflects and light that turns on, missy (and mister)! ;)
I've lived through remodeling and repairs I wish you could narrate, and I'm always shocked no one dies during it with all those weapons--I mean, tools. Yeah. I didn't mean weapons.
317. Jo said:
Man, I remember remodeling my bathroom. There was a point when we just gave up on the rotten linoleum (splashy bathtimes) and just carpeted the whole room. Why the heck would anyone carpet a bathroom? I don't know, but we kind of forgot about the inevitable task of ripping up that linoleum until we moved.
318. Kbee said:
All hail, Queen of the Internet.
Tiling and defiling since '01.
319. Tim said:
I had a good friend sort go through a series on contractors in order to figure out who they wanted to use for a kitchen remodel. Interestingly, most of the contractors interviewed them. The guy they ended up hiring told them he had only one question they needed to answer: not what do you want it to look like, not how much is your budget - he asked them how strong their marriage was. Enough said.
320. Amy said:
Comment 93/94 - Jesus Fucking Christ! What the hell are you on?
Seriously, that was crazy of epic proportions.
Dooce - I never read your comments, but now I realize why you make the $$$ you reportedly make (according to the press). Dealing with assholes like that on a daily basis would send me off the deep end. You deserve every penny, girl, even if you won't friend me on FB.
321. Miriam said:
Honestly, I kind of love the different tile - after all, it is the shape of the vanity! It's giving the bathroom character - its not perfect, but thats what makes a house a home. tell the losers to suck it
322. clara said:
lmao #303 "because we expected better." AHAHAHAHAHA...
you really let us down jon & heather :(
c'mon people, reality check! ITS A BATHROOM
323. Jo said:
I forgot to say how I pretty much orgasmed when I saw your acrylic organizers today.
324. Caryn said:
Heather, you are totally trying to induce labor by leaving comments open, aren't you?
Do people not realize there's a *slight* difference between saying you don't totally love it and leaving batshit crazy hate-comments.....
Funny.
also, I happen to like things that aren't all matchy match.
325. Wendy said:
I'd have waited two weeks for the matching tile. But, overall, it looks nice and clean. Did you put the tub in it? And is that a FLOR rug?
326. Wacky Mommy said:
No time for comments, must watch hockey now. Do they all say, You're the kind of dirty slut who likes to have sex with her husband in the new bathroom?
327. ymp said:
Wow! I didn't think a bathroom could be so controversial.
I think it looks great, but what I really want are those texts from Jon.
328. Kate F. said:
Isn't it amazing how fast the crazy comes out during these projects? When we bought our apartment I was sooo charmed by the lovely clawfoot tub. Then we moved in and realized there was nowhere to put shampoo or soap anywhere in the tub. And then we realized the fancy UK-import pipes/faucets weren't the same size as US pipes, so all those clamp-on accessories meant for clawfoot tubs don't *quite* fit. We ended up buying longer screws (also not quite the right size) and using an offset screwdriver (because the screw had to go in from the back, which for us was against the wall, OMG) to attach them, and let me tell you, the air was BLUE. We'd been living here about 2 weeks, it was 90 degrees out and all the windows were open, and we basically stood squished in the tub screaming obscenities for about 90 minutes before we got those godforsaken baskets attached. I still glare at them some mornings while I'm fishing the soap out of the fiddly little things.
Luckily when we redid our entire kitchen from scratch (in one week) I had my brother on hand to be competent and keep the peace.
BTW, I love the Orla Kiely canister on the sink; it looks awesome in a bathroom instead of kitchen.
329. Andy said:
The tile under the vanity looks atrocious. You should have ordered and waited for the right stuff. Typical that its "GOT TO BE NOW..DON'T WAIT".
Are you really all that happy with it now?
330. Andy said:
The tile under the vanity looks atrocious. You should have ordered and waited for the right stuff. Typical that its "GOT TO BE NOW..DON'T WAIT".
Are you really all that happy with it now?
331. Judi said:
Thank you so much for providing my entertainment for the evening by having comments open. Made my night!
332. Corey said:
Honestly, I can't say whether or not I like it because I've forgotten what it looks like after reading all the comments!!
Love all your posts and your comments as well. Now I'm going back to look at the actual pictues. And I will refrain from giving my opinion.
333. Andy said:
The tile under the vanity looks atrocious. You should have ordered and waited for the right stuff. Typical that its "GOT TO BE NOW..DON'T WAIT".
Are you really all that happy with it now?
334. Sundance Kid said:
I'm sorry but I just can't read all the comments (though I'd love to - there are some beauties!)
Personally, I like it. Only suggestion I have would be to get some orange towels - that would really tie everything together nicely.
God, people really need lives (in reference to those who find it necessary and appropriate to be so rude.)
335. Alisha said:
What? Are you serious? Mental note - NEVER make decisions like this while pregnant.
336. Cindy said:
I laughed out loud at comments #110 and #158. I think, though, #244 has the most profound nugget of wisdom in all these comments...EVEN COMPUTERS DIE! Perhaps some should die more quickly than others?
337. A said:
Good gosh, my bathroom looks EXACTLY like your before photos. Same piece of crap vanity and hideous light fixture that we inherited when we bought our flat.
Planning an entire kitchen remodel soon, courtesy of Ikea and it will totally kick ass. Ikea haters can head over to Home Depot....
338. Anonymous said:
The word "nesting" is starting to set my teeth on edge.
And I kinda liked it the way it was. Does that make me terminally uncool? Probably.
339. kim at allconsuming said:
Dude, you've told us the story about how you were once so constipated you had to get in the bath and that Jon then scooped poo out in his bare hands while you recovered on the cold hard tiles of the bathroom floor.
Publish the text messages.
340. Jaime said:
Thanks for opening comments for this one: 'nutters' is right. Funny shite.
Oh and by the way I'm stealing "assholery" because it's a perfectly fabulous word.
341. Blythe said:
Have you ever thought of running a contest, wherein the winners get to come to your house, a la the Pioneer Woman? Because this would be the perfect opportunity. You could just pick a commenter at random and invite them over to use your new bathroom. In fact, maybe they'd like to bring their own hexagonal tile since that seems to be such a problem around here.
This comment thread made my afternoon. Thank you, internet crazies!
342. Louise said:
I think I read your comments for about 45 min. and just lauged my ass off. Good Times!
343. Corey said:
Seriously, I have to appologize for commenting twice, but I love how most of the haters comment Anonymously. Like we're going to see Bob or Charlie or Sarah and immediatley know who they are! I bet they're wearing their tin foil helmets so no one can pick up their brain waves.
And sorry if I have typos, I'm celebrating my negative preg test with wine tonight!!!!
344. Anonymous said:
#100 makes an observation, albeit mean spirited, that is not without some justification. I think it says something that some people do feel out there. It is difficult to read about someone making such a big f ing deal out of mismatched tiles in times like this. I wish I could remodel my 30+ yr. bathroom sometime in this century. But, alas, I don't write a blog about my navel that is read by millions. It might be nice if someday, the writer acknowledged what is really going on out there in the real world, but I think that is the point of the blog. She doesn't live in the real world.
345. Lynn said:
#334 my favorite number!! I like the difference in the tile, and how the square ones just seemed to almost work as a platform upholding the star of the show, but what do I know. It is all in our perception. Thank God we are not all alike, that would be very boring. Best wishes to you and your family over the next few weeks. I cant help but wonder how often you will blog once the new addition arrives. selfish huh??(sorry)
346. Kara said:
I think the room looks great! I like the difference in the tiles -- just adds texture -- no need for everything in a room to be matchy, at least for me. And the comments - just wow!
My only suggestion is that you might want to add an additional leg under the vanity -- I think I've seen simple metal ones that you simply screw to the appropriate height -- kind of like a classy jack. The reason: It might just be the angle of the photos, but the vanity looks a little bowed in the middle. It's not enough to matter just for looks, but if it gets worse over time, you might have some difficulty with the drawers functioning properly.
Just a thought but, overall -- awesome job!
347. Lynn said:
#346 my favorite number!! I like the difference in the tile, and how the square ones just seemed to almost work as a platform upholding the star of the show, but what do I know. It is all in our perception. Thank God we are not all alike, that would be very boring. Best wishes to you and your family over the next few weeks. I cant help but wonder how often you will blog once the new addition arrives. selfish huh??(sorry)
348. Elizabeth said:
The bathroom is SUPER cute! I'm an architect and give it 2 thumbs up!
349. Fanny said:
Really, 344? really? You're going there?
Okay, then. Please promise to do the following: the next time you find yourself complaining about anything that isn't a) AIDS orphans, b) human trafficking, c) world hunger, d) Bosnian refugees, e) mental illness in vietnam vets, or f) Darfur, kindly flog yourself for your failure to live in the real world.
Or if it's so "difficult to read about someone making such a big f ing deal about mismatched tiles in times like these," don't read it. Easy! Problem solved! Now, let's move on to something tougher, like any one of (a)-(f), supra.
350. lynn said:
LOL yes I am a huge dork, you probably don't even know what I am referring to but I am laughing. Hey love the rug!!
351. waitingforcider said:
As someone who remodeled her entire kitchen in Ikea cabinets and countertops (gasp) and lives in an old house filled with make-it-work solutions, I think it looks great. Sure the modern style isn't everyone's 'bag' and the tiles are different, but it gives it-- what "old house" people call-- character. Congrats on your remodel!
352. Tammy said:
Worth every expletive. No one would probably have even noticed the tile if you didn't point it out.
353. Anonymous said:
First of all, many of your commenters are correct. Your original bathroom was better. Ikea's stuff looks very cheap and this is no exception, and the tile is a real eyesore. That's just an opinion, which we readers are entitled to.
What I don't understand is why you post a blog like this, basically inviting commentary, and then get upset when people say they don't like what you've done with the place. Especially feeling the need to write an update on your blog saying the "nutters" have come out - I read through the first 150 comments and I don't see any nutters. No one is out of line - people are just sharing a variety of opinions. It really bugs me that you and Jon write messages on Twitter scolding your readers whenever they don't sing your praises. I just don't get that at all and never will.
I've read your blog for a long time, and I think you're incredibly funny and smart and witty, which is why I keep reading. But in the past year, the combo of your increasingly corporate site and the way you talk down to your readers who dare voice a contradicting opinion is really maddening. Since your redesign, I've gone from checking your site daily to checking maybe once a month - I can't be the only one.
354. gsdane said:
Here is a thought (and I didn't read ALL of the comments - so ignore this if it's not original...)... if the different tile really drives you nuts after a while - building a little pedestal may fix that... you can use a different kind of tile (or even different color) it could be just an inch higher - to give you a bit of a shadow line, and cover the whole area under the vanity. Just a thought...
355. Kelly said:
husband: I think I'll just stain the old laminate instead of replacing it with new.
me: (using my best femalese because if I don't then I'm being "perfectionistic and controlling") I don't know anything about this and I'm not really sure, but I think that maybe laminate isn't porous and won't take stain.
husband: No, it will be great. I know it will work. Just wait and see. (as he loads ten cans of stain into cart)
me: (trying now to avoid showing my sheer panic) Maybe just to be sure we should ask the guy at the paint counter.
husband concedes.
16-year-old pimply kid in orange apron: No, you can't stain laminate because it isn't porous.
husband: Yeah, I thought so.
me: (silently struggling to remember why it is that I'm heterosexual)
Congratulations on surviving! And I think the tile looks cool.
356. jadine said:
You warned us about the comments, so I, of course, had to read them. Whoa. I have a question for you: so, when/if you get negative feedback, do you then always think of the negative when you're around the thing? Like, will you think of these comments every time you are in the bathroom? I'm not a blogger (or "Queen of the Internet"), but I don't think I have thick enough skin to not obsess over what other people (even if they're in the minority) have said to me. How do you handle it?
357. SoniaBonia said:
And the laughs just keep on coming. Wherever you open comments, I don't even need to go to my Google Reader for entertainment from other blogs. Oh, the funnies! The many, many funnies!
358. Zoe said:
I so very rarely comment on any of your posts, but this is such a bizarrely debated topic I thought I might. I think it does look better because now it is eclectic and colorful, complimenting your personalities well. I mean really, who gives a shit if some tiles don't match? I just appreciate that you shared the process of the project at all.
359. Shawna said:
Whether the bathroom looks good or not, I find it interesting how many people think that the only way to go is "matching". Things can be complimentary to each other without being exactly the same. When you wear a yellow shirt, do you always wear yellow pants, socks and shoes too? (Or maybe your taste is too sophisticated to even consider wearing yellow. Ever.")
360. Sara said:
People, "nutters" does not mean "those who disagree." "Nutters" are those who are fucking cray-cray. And, man, did they come out in this entry.
Thanks for the laugh, Heather. I'm in my first trimester and sincerely needed it!
361. Melody said:
Heather, I salute you for allowing this madness to go on in your space. Who knew that just by redoing your bathroom, you would make the world a better place by giving so many of us this excellent opportunity to laugh at the crazies?
Come for Heather's writing, stay for the batshit insanity!
362. Jessica said:
Love it! Ikea is fantastic. I live near one and I go all the time! I don't know if I would be able to stand the two different tiles. Very brave of you! ;)
363. Tess said:
Maybe you guys are hiding behind the curtains right now after everyone's opinions on your bathroom. This might of been one of those times that you might of thought about keeping comments closed. Im not into the total modern look that actually looks like the 60's, but Ive liked alot of your decorating. I just have to say that I loved how it looked before the remodel except maybe fixing the door hinge and changing the faucet. The tile would drive me nuts too-maybe you could separate the two patterns with like blue colored thin rectangle tiles? I'm not being a hater-love your site, not jealous, not crazy nuts, just understand that you are human too and make mistakes like the rest of us! :)
364. Jess said:
Ok no it is not my taste but it is your crapper and if you like it that is all that matters.
Holy shit this sure brought the freaks out of the woodwork didn't it? It's a bathroom remodel people not a discussion on world peace.
365. HeatherS said:
I'm envious! The only projects I "get" to do are ones that can be completed (and cleaned up after, too) in the time that hubby is at work and 5 year old is at school. Otherwise they stand around in the way, break stuff and whine.
Oh-and I live with a vanity identical to the one you just removed. Except that mine faces the toilet at a distance of 18". And the toilet is on this weird pedestal a full 2" higher than the rest of the floor. And you're never gonna believe this, but the fact that all of the tile is matched does not keep me from bruising my knees on the drawer pulls.
Your awesome rug is convincing me that I need to quit waffling and just order me some Flor.
366. Elaine said:
My compliments to you for having the guts to continue to open your in-box! Seriously--it's just a bathroom. I remember the nesting stage. My DH came home to a bedroom half-way painted with Martha Stewart "Quince Blossom" (read: Pepto-Bismol Peach). He quietly set down his stuff, and helped me finish painting. Then, a few months after the baby, he very eagerly helped repaint something less awful. Best wishes to you on the new baby, the older one, the hairy one, the fuzzy ones, and your blog. Look forward to it every day!
367. Kara said:
#359 -- Well said!
Personally, I prefer an eclectic look over uniformity. To me, mixing it up says "character" and "personality." If I'm being fair, I guess matching everything is expressing another valid type of personality, but I just don't get it. This (among many other excellent reasons!) is why it's great we don't all share the same bathroom, folks.
368. Doreen said:
These comments make great toilet reading! Pun intended...
369. Melissa said:
Looks cool.....but who has to clean under that thing??? eak!
370. Kaloma said:
Easy fix for the mismatched tile: install mirror tile at the bottom edge of the vanity. To the casual observer, it will *appear* as though the original tile extends under the vanity.
-OR- you could simply store your toilet paper under there in a nice neat row all around the edges of the vanity.
-OR- you could print off these hi-larious comments and stick them down on the new tile with scotch tape until you get around to deciding what to do on a more permanent basis (if anything like my own life, that's probably around the time Not-Maria heads off to college.)
Seriously (all that above is a JOKE, people!) you ARE blessed with a terrific sense of humor, not to mention a healthy mindset about how to deal with all kinds of stuff...thanks for sharing the nutters!
371. Bridge said:
I can't even read any more comments because this is so unbelievable. Heather, you are awesome. And you two are lucky to have each other. Lordy, but the people are crazy.
372. Erin said:
I don't know that you ever read Penny Arcade, but I think we are witnessing "John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory" in action.
It's all I could think of as I was reading these, so much so that I'm surprised no one else had brought it up.
I've very much enjoyed reading your blog: I devoured it in about a week when I was pregnant and I keep coming back to see what's happened next.
373. Stacy said:
I actually think that especially with the throw rug, the tile looks fine. It gives the floor a bit of visual interest, which is something you don't typically get in a bathroom. And quite honestly, the old vanity would have driven me nuts WAY more than the new tile. Love the new vanity.
374. Kartasi said:
First of all, wow! I'm yet again amazed at the absolute crazies that read your sign.
Second, I don't understand the people saying they don't like your bathroom. Do they not read this blog? Did they not read the post? Do they not understand that this was a huge, pain in the ass remodel that you undertook while pregnant and the last thing you need is criticism?
I'm glad y'all are happy with the remodel, after all it's your house, and hope that you're laughing off the crazies.
375. Erika said:
Swiper no swiping!
Sorry, had to get that out of my skin. I, um, like the mismatched tile! It's not like it's just a random strip or something--it matches up perfectly w/ the dimensions of the vanity (which I also like). I've lived in too many apartments w/ the cheap, boring stuff that was in there before.
And to the people who are confounded by the toilet paper on the floor--I'm guessing Utah isn't quite as humid as, say, Wisconsin, and soggy TP isn't a big problem there. And if it is? I'm guessing Heather'll figure out another place to store it.
376. Kayla said:
...*blink blink*
out of hand = understatement.
Holy Molies.
(Give Jon a high five for me)
377. Gillian said:
(a) I do think you are a crazy-person, because did you not remodel your kitchen while preggers with Leta? OR - maybe you are a genius, for the pressure and deadline of an impending child is probably a great motivator to finish quickly.
(b) It looks lovely. I am digging the orange.
(c) I completely love how bitchy that YOU ARE SO LUCKY commentor was on #93. Please. Write a book of your best comments. I would pay. (PS since when is WRITING not a job worthy of pay?)
(d) Are the fixtures IKEA? Because - meOW.
378. Jill said:
We are ALL GOING TO DIE???? WHY God, WHY???
Oh my, what in the world is wrong with her? Seriously, antidepressants. Go get them. NOW! Run! "Time still still for nobody!"
379. Becky said:
IMO, the best comment on here is Harmony at 223. She made me cry.
Your writing is such a gift, Heather.
380. dooce said:
Indulge me for a second because this comment thread is just so fascinating... having looked at the comment IP addresses it's interesting to note how this thread has given so many of my repeat anonymous haters a place to come and again air their grievances all in one place, most of which have nothing to do with a bathroom makeover, the same grievances they have left in the comments section more than a handful of times, almost as if I've opened a room for group therapy. There's something oddly cool and hopeful about that, about the fact that a picture of mismatched tile is prodding certain people toward catharsis. Doesn't mean they are any less an asshole, but still.
381. melissa said:
seriously? i've NEVER commented on your blog before but...
omfg.
these people.
i'm DYING from the comments.
i think the bathroom is just perfect. in fact, after you have your baby, you can come do the bathroom in my house that we had to gut...and then my husband NEVER got around to fixing it...because he sucks like that.
enjoy your new bathroom!! it looks great!
382. Kate said:
maybe its because i'm from the 20-something college-student paying-off-student-loans crowd but... i think the tile looks ok? :) i never thought people worried so much about tiles?
383. Ginny said:
Oh Heather, bless you for putting up with all of these nutjobs leaving you wacky comments. I think you are fabulous. I loved the book, I laughed from cover to cover. I really like your sense of style. The new babies room looks precious. I like the vanity in the bathroom, but I agree with some of the other people about the tile, I would order the other ones and put them in later. Keep on being fabulous and making us laugh everyday (except those assholes who are giving you crap, screw em)
384. Reese said:
After like, what six? seven? years of reading, I'm finally bothering to leave a comment. Wow. I've never read your comments before and I just can't believe what you have to deal with.
All these snotty comments just make me want to wrap you in a blanket and feed you ice cream. Sheesh!
About the toilet paper: It's a picture, people. It's not engraved in stone. Just because that's where it was sitting right then does not mean that's it's eternal resting place. Quit bitching just to have something to say.
385. RaP said:
Amazing, Heather... simply amazing! :) Props on the variety of conversation generated by a re-model! :)
386. Kathy said:
Oh god. And you can't even drink while you read these.
387. Lisa said:
Wow, I thought remodeling only brought the crazy out in the people actually doing the remodeling. Apparently it brings the crazy out of the entire internet.
388. Dejoni said:
Dooce,
You're starting a new trend in bathroom tile. Who cares what the haters say? Decorate your shitter how ever you like.
389. popGeezer said:
People take their bathrooms kinda personally, huh?
390. Becky said:
Shit! WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE?!? Why the hell didn't somebody tell me that earlier? Now I'm so sad, I need to go masterbate to make myself feel better!
391. lori said:
had you said that the differing tile was a new and stylish take on bathroom flooring, every lemming reading would have been buying the same. it looks fine, like the vanity has it's own tile rug. by the way, speaking of lemmings - i bought the banana republic ring and it looks amazing! thank you.
392. Lynn said:
I just have to say, the only thing that got me through being away from a computer and your blog over the past 3 days was your book. I LOL'd on an airplane, like an asshole while reading it. Though I think I made a great advertisement for you! F these nutters.
393. Anna said:
Apparently I am (almost) as crazy as you... having decided to wait until I had my first baby and she was 2 weeks old to start remodeling our upstairs bath. Right now the baby is 4 weeks old and the bathroom has NO WALLS OR FLOOR. However that will be remedied this week when the carpenter comes... but of course after that we are going to do the tiling ourselves, because we are nuts, and who can't take care of a newborn and tile at the same time, right? We should have done it when I was in my third trimester... I take it back - I am more crazy than you!!
By the way, my husband and I LOVE your book idea... "nothing will be fine"... we are with you!!! (That'll be an extra $1000 because all your pipes behind the wall are crap and need to be replaced because they are leaking and you didn't know it...)
394. Torrey said:
Wow - the mouth-breathers have really come out in force today, haven't they? And since this seems to be a rich source of masthead material, I'm putting in one vote for "mass market gear for the American Idol crowd."
Now you're getting opinions on your bathroom AND your masthead! ;)
Thanks for being a square tile of sanity in a floor of hexagonal internet nutters!
395. Jen - The Alien Spouse said:
Wow. I bet you wish you'd used the wide angle lens on the after shots, rather than the before.
You may find it somewhat ironic that I just had a 45 minute domestic with my husband because I was reading the comments on this post rather than packing for our 16 hour drive tomorrow. Somehow I intuitively realised that I should not mention that packing is boring, and the comments here are a lot more full of the crazy fun today.
I also hope that you care not one jot what I, or anyone else who doesn't have to poop there, thinks about your bathroom, but I will say it looks far nicer than mine in both the before and the after shots.
Finally you must know this is just a rich vein of material for future comedy and therefore eat it up with a runcible spoon. That'll show them, That'll show ALL of them!
396. Ashley said:
I'd suggest "We will ALL die" as your tagline in June, but that seems like a downer since you'll have a precious newborn and all.
397. Anonymous said:
What is a "proverbial ass" (as per #303)?
Where can I find one?
398. Anonymous said:
Dooce, I just wanted to respond to your comment #380 - I have voiced criticism in these forums before, but I really don't consider myself a "hater." I really, really have loved your blog for a long time, and I think that's why I sometimes feel like coming here and giving you my feedback. Not that I think you should cater to me or any other reader, but as a writer, I like to hear what my readers have to say - even if they're sometimes disagreeing with me.
Just saying - not all of us who come here and more than once have criticized are crazy, or hateful. We just think a lot of you and your talents and want to see you churn out more of the great work we know you can do.
All that said, and yes, I commented earlier, it's JUST a bathroom, and you're still a great writer at the end of the day - even if I do have some complaints from time to time about your site.
399. Anonymous said:
Wow I like it, but I like modern, and I like light, simplistic, modern bathrooms. Having lived in an overpriced city where houses costs gazillions and having suffered through tiny, itty bitty dated old icky bathrooms consequently, I was impressed with the first one. Yeah, it's dated, but it's big and looks this side of 1950. Anyway I love the re-do. Love the vanity and the orange rug. God I hate ikea haters. Europeans do it well, so what if they aren't paving the way. They are taking newer concepts and styles and giving them to us plebians. I'm for that.
People are dying somewhere though, so you shouldn't post about bathrooms. Apparently.
400. Karen said:
Dude, #93 & 94,
You are one bitter fucker. Get over yourself -- you're life sucks --yay for you, so does mine and everyone else's! Did you seriously just use all caps to say she was going to die? Wow, what a newsflash. I mean I know some people hate the mis-matched tile, but you take it to a whole new level there. And if you hate that she gets advertising revenue, stop visiting (you do realize you gave her at least 4 hits just to post that comment?). You fail, man. Fail.
Get yourself some prozac -- you'll thank me later.
401. Jane said:
oh my goodness, I just had to comment on the comments! Maybe because I don't have a lot of experience with blog comments (don't have a blog and don't often read the comments), I'm the person standing across the street giggling at someone who tripped up the curb.
I think the bathroom looks great, congrats on surviving the remodel!
402. Sunny said:
Holy shit, I'm going to die?!?!
403. Anonymous, too said:
I am not going to get into the whole likes it/doesn't like it/has crack-addicted bats in the belfry thing.
However, I do have a vanity that is raised off the floor on legs, so I feel somewhat knowledgeable about this:
You will forever be sweeping under it to remove dog toys and whatever Coco decides to fish out of the wastebasket.
My cats decided that the space under the vanity was where toy mice and used Q-tips needed to be buried.
404. April said:
See - it's not like the OMFGEXPLODEMYMIND bestest bathroom ever, but it's cool. And it's not mine, so whatever. Frankly, I've got mismatched tile in my bathroom too. And two that are broken. So, I mean, do you.
But, though my taste may be a little different, I'm not sure that the WE'LL ALL DIE AND GET IN FIGHTS AND TURN PURPLE in the comments on a website is all that productive, nor does it make a difference. The bathroom remodel is done. The tile is installed and the vanity is purchased. And, again, belongs only to Dooce. Her family is the only one that has to love it.
There are sites on the internet that I don't really like. Some mommy blogs are just drivel, and most anything that spews a FOXNews ticker makes me puke. So, know what I don't do? Read them. Then I don't need to get pissy and comment like a weirdo. I just click the X. I'm sure all the freakies could do the same and save us all a few pages.
405. Anonymous said:
dooce, are you trying to induce labor by opening up comments on this or what? You KNOW that the freaks were gonna come out for this one. There's no way that I'll have the patience to read 'em all, so how about posting a greatest hits? I'm sure there's some choice content here.
Also, please don't share Jon's text msgs. Poor guy. Why is it that males kill themselves with these insane DIY projects? Hire it out!
P.S. My captcha is "bacon in." Hmmmm...
406. Brittany said:
love the bathroom. i also love how freaking ignorant people can be. #66- stop commenting while your shitting. it makes you look like a dumbass. #100- ....what the hell?
407. Beth said:
Wow, old people are LAME. In ten years, if you catch me talking about how "my bathroom tile is so much more sophisticated than your bathroom tile" on someones blog page, please don't hesitate to shoot me.
408. Woo said:
I wish I had seen that vanity before we started our bathroom reno. I'm not even preggers and we STILL haven't finished our bathroom almost a month later. Hopefully we'll be done in the next week. yeah, hopefully.
409. Katie said:
Holy hell. Seriously.
I had to come back and read all this stuff. First off - where did Heather specifically say that everyone who disagreed were nutters? I love how people just step up and volunteer for the title.
Ya know, just because it's a free country and you CAN say what you want doesn't mean you should. Just because Heather "puts it out there" doesn't mean it makes you a gem of a person to come give a critical and unsolicited opinion of her HOME - her personal space. Gah - that's like saying if she decides to throw a dinner party and have 100 guests over that JUST BECAUSE she opened her home to all those people, it somehow justifies them sitting there at dinner telling her how hideous they think her house is.
Rude is rude. And it doesn't make you an ass-kisser just because you're not rude.
I like the bathroom even more now. :) Please make your masthead a closeup of where the old tile meets the new tile. Just so everyone that hates it has to look at it. Good laws.
410. Kim said:
I never read the comments, but this was totally worth it. Totally hilarious! Oh, and I kinda like the tiles. It gives it some personality. Love you Heather!
411. Anonymous said:
***WOW! Comment 351 hit the nail on the head!!!***
I agree with that comment x10000000000000 :)
412. Krissa said:
Rule #1 of posting a comment on a blog should be: Would you say what you are about to say *directly to someone, to their face,* in their living room while you were visiting them?
Disagreeing doesn't make one a nutter - being unconscionably rude does, though. Even on the internet.
413. James said:
Your bathroom used to look better than mine. Now you have mismatched tiles. And I don't. Love the rug though. I could never stop thinking about the tile.
414. Lesley said:
Yes, we will all die one day. But mis-matched tile lives FOR-EV-ER.
I love the bathroom. And I love Ikea. It's a blessing, a frugal, frugal blessing.
415. Janice said:
Nice! We really need some his and her sinks as well... My husband's a total hogger!
416. Nikol Carlson said:
Dooce = win
John = fail
The shopping was done well (carpet, pictures, fixtures) but that tile combo is kind of inexcusable, right? I mean no one could over look that.
There are not many times when I would rip something out and start over. I'm a let it grow on you kinda gal....but that would get ripped out in heart beat.
In fact I think you might be kidding, right?
417. Fanny said:
This thread is so much more interesting than the work I'm supposed to be doing.
One thing I'm noticing is the wide and lovely dichotomy between the people who are rending garments over HOW CAN YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS TRIVIAL HORSESHIT and those who are getting very twitchy about how they could Never Stop Thinking About the Tile. Can we get those folks in a room so they can beat the snot out of each other? Please?
418. Nicole said:
must.go.to.bed.can't.stop.reading.
Nutters. I am going to call my kids nutter from now on instead of stinkers.
The bathroom looks good! We have had arguments over lightbulb changing when I am not pregnant...forget redoing a bathroom! Good for you!
419. dooce said:
Fanny, I want to invite you over for some beers.
420. nikki said:
Dude I totally feel for you. I'm 32 weeks pregnant and we're still building the baby's room, which is 4 weeks off schedule and since I live in a loft, we had to pack up everything we own to do this project. I am sitting on a pile of chaos, trying to get comfortable....
Anyhow I love the remodel - love the colors and modern style. I don't mind the tiles at all. And way cool wall art.
PS my captcha is TINGLED SACKRIDER. HAHAHA.
421. Anonymous said:
I just want to say that comment 353 is right on target. I completely agree with what that person wrote.
Do you all notice how the 'haters' comments are picked apart by some of Dooce's supporters? Like, "don't call her ugly, she's my friend and you need to learn how to spell!"
Such schmoozing on the site, it's actually rather hilarious.
I'd also like to add---most of these comments are Democrats because the Republicans stopped reading long ago.
There was talk of needing a tub; where is the damn tub? You switched out the vanity to a toe-stubbing vanity because you're going to miss the current boot you're wearing? I don't get it.
422. J.B. said:
Looks fabulous! Thank him a million times when your hormones allow you to. The contradiction in tile shows that you preserved the original beauty of the house and then you incorporated your own modern kitchy person twist to it. i love it. again, show jon your love for doing all the work!
love your website and your book!
J.N. Baker
423. Twenty Four At Heart said:
Did you ask any of these people for their opinion? Or do they all just think you want it?
424. KAS said:
I'm not sure how I feel about the total remodel, but the vanity's pretty badass. Hubby and I are working at getting into a house (dear god I hope at least) and will likely be doing some remodel work.
As a fellow 3rd trimester momma, I gotta say, you are HELLISHLY brave. I would probably kill someone if we were trying to do shit like that.
Probably my husband.
Gotta love the comments, by the way .. Quite the fan of 'em. And now, my lazy ass takes itself to bed!
425. Anonymous said:
Awww...COMMENT 351 is love! <3
My thoughts EXACTLY!
426. amaris said:
I follow you on twitter, but this is the first time I've felt led to comment (I know I know, who cares.) Seriously though, it's a place where you shit. And it's not even their shitter. And it's a shitter of a pregnant woman.
What are the rest of these folks thinking?
Thank you for opening comments. I downright guffawed at some of these. Like OMGCOULDYOUKEEPITDOWNPEOPLEAREDYING sort of guffawing. :>
427. Lynn said:
PS The double sinks are a great idea...now you have a place to plop the baby while you pee and you can still wash your hands without risking drowning her!
428. Christy said:
If we're voting for new taglines, then I like "Mass market gear for the American Idol generation" myself.
This is all hitting a little close to home. My husband and I are embarking on our very own bathroom remodel in mere days. Tonight we had an argument in the Home Depot parking lot (yes, Home Depot, if you'd like to discuss mass market gear) about whether the vanity would fit in the SUV (insert reference to first-world problems here). Then we had another argument about whether he could leave the new vanity on my side of the bed until he was ready to install it. I objected lest I break my toe getting up to pee in the middle of the night. The vanity is currently sitting in our foyer, where he dropped it before dropping a few expletives and walking away hours ago. After reading this, I'm not sure our marriage is going to make it. I do know I won't be posting any pictures of the finished product on the Internets ...
429. Danielle said:
Dood, I think you have a full year's worth of mastheads here...
430. LG said:
Your TRUE work of art is leaving this post open for comments. I have been in tears from laughing for the past few minutes, and now I can go to bed knowing even if that whole bit about all of us dying eventually IS true (where's the proof?), I'll still die laughing at other people.
431. Fanny said:
Honey, you have no idea how much I would love to come over for beers. And if we ever move back to SLC, I would even bring the beer, because my husband makes it (and I am now wondering what kind of bitchpanic people would have if you put a kegfridge in your dining room like we have...can you hear it now? "I NEVER STOP LOOKING AT THE TAPS!!!")
432. Fawn said:
Hee hee hee! What you needed to do was to put Chuck or Coco on the white rug in the "before" photos so that people could see just how stretched the images were and they'd stop wondering why the old vanity was so much bigger.
433. babymama said:
I think I read all of the comments, and I decided that all of the people with the misplaced sense of proprietary must be somehow related to my in-laws. Are the comments on "Rate My Space" this heated? And did someone actually say that they were disgusted by the positive, upbeat posts of Dooce groupies and then turn around and say that everyone has a right to their opinion but that you have no right to respond with your opinion on your own website? Maybe they meant everyone has a right to their opinion as long as it is the same as theirs? Yes, definitely somehow related to my in-laws.
I read your blog because when I was trying to make it through a rough postpartum depression and no one in my family believed that depression is a "real thing", I could read your site and know that it does get better.
Oh... and because your site is hilarious - people are surprisingly passionate about where they poop. Some people have no appreciation for hyperbole. None.
434. M. Butterfly said:
I think you and Jon deserve some kind of Prize-- like a Pulitzer or something-- for taking on a project of this magnitude when you're so late in your pregnancy. I mean, SERIOUSLY, that is a fucking incredible accomplishment.
I like your new bathroom a lot.....although even if I didn't, I wouldn't give you crap about it (hey, it's YOUR bathroom, MY ass is not going to be taking a dump in there, so who the fuck cares if I don't like it). But alas, I do. Congrats, and best wishes on Baby #2!
435. Chelle said:
dude you are so right! these damn comments are hilarious :D!! funny how hiding behind the screen brings out the asshole in people LOL.
436. ladylivewire said:
Wow. I can't believe what jerks people are. I'm guessing they haven't remodeled a bathroom in an older home. We did it in our old 1949-built house and had similar problems (cracked tiles under linoleum, no tile under the vanity) and it is seriously difficult matching older stuff, especially on a budget!
Anyway, right now I am super jealous because your bathroom is done and it looks so nice. We remodeled our entire home two years ago, but last month we had a bad leak and it ruined the drywall and cork floors in our master bath. And we can't afford to fix it right now, so it's all torn up and ugly in there and even going in to shower makes me sad. And I'm not even pregnant and hormonal.
437. Mary Lynn said:
Holy smokes...what a crazy bunch o' comments!
Funny enough, hubby and I have been thinking of doing a bathroom reno. Now I'm totally psyched to blog about the reno after! Apparently nothing brings the Internet together in peace and harmony quite like a renovation story.
Nice job on the reno and on keeping your sense of humour, Heather!
438. Danielle said:
For a while there I thought you were calling people who didn't like your bathroom freaks but now from your most recent comment, I get that the ones your talking about are people who are haters no matter what.
Anyhoo not that it matters but I liked the bathroom the way it was. Doesn't stop me from loving your blog and your sense of style. I heart you, Heather.
439. M. Butterfly said:
P.S. I would *love* to see what your haters would have to say about the current state of my office right now. I'm too ashamed to even take a picture of the mess in here...
440. a.b. said:
Oh, how I needed these comments. These little rough-hewn gems of hilarious, if bizarre, I-forgot-my-meds-today fuckery.* They have totally made my day.
The IKEA vanity is brilliant. Makes a lot less visual noise and really makes the bathroom seem airier.
*I don't mean _you_.
441. bethany said:
The award for Douchebaggery Most Foul goes to... comment number 93, who shared this tasty angst-filled bit:
"All i can say is-- enjoy it while it lasts...We are all getting old, and will get sick and die. We will ALL Die!"
Party straight up pooped. I was all jazzed about the new tile, but damn--this just in--we're all going to die...? Shit.
Go you, Heather. Your new bathroom is rad.
442. Amy J said:
WTF??? I have a ton of work to do and it will be totally worth staying up till 1 am just to have read several hundred of those comments.
Fanny & Dooce I want to come for beer and I want to use bitchpanic in every sentence for the rest of the week!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for giving me the opportunity and this wonderful forrum to kiss your ass. As a grown woman I really need this opportunity to feel complete. BTW (That was sarcasm crack heads)
443. Beth in SF said:
Haha it's like some people did not read far enough to know that you were unable to find the hexagonal tile. I think the mismatch-ness of it adds a really great quirky factor. A good thing :) Eff the naysayers, seriously.
444. Connie said:
My husband does home remodeling and he is in the process of changing my entire kitchen. He said the builder puts in the cabinets first and then tiles the floor, so all of your cabinets will be that way. They won't have tile under them. We had to match the tile in our kitchen and it does not match exactly but close enough. It took him days of chipping out the old tile in some of the places of our kitchen. Nice remodel you did.
445. Karen said:
I like it. If the difference in tiles annoys you, it can be fixed by going with either tile. If not, no worries. And obviously, this can be done when not so pregnant.
Keep up the great blogging Heather! I love reading it!
Michigan shoutout! yeahhhh!
446. Cathy said:
Why you spoiled, lucky, Ikea shopping husband fucker! You shall not get away with mixing tile shapes! Oh no, this will not go un-noticed! And btw I would kill an innocent just to have your old bathroom, currently my family is peeing in a bucket. I hope you are happy!
447. Christina said:
I would cry if this were my bathroom that I had just worked hard on to redo and people said all these nasty things about it. Especially if I were pregnant- I was so vulnerable to even the tiniest sort of criticism when I was pregnant. I don't know how you do it...I'd be a sniveling, wailing mess reading these.
448. kalen said:
hey heather - with all your "millions" - will you bail me out of jail when i punch these people in the face & spray-paint dolphins + seashells on their bedroom walls when they're not home to mess up their sophisticated decor? :D?
449. Carrie said:
I've read this blog for awhile and have also come across dooce-hating posts on other blogs and never understood the hate. A comment about this post on a hater site was what led me to read the comments on this one. Seriously, so much drama about a bathroom that they're talking about it on other sites! Silliness. I get the sense of humor on this site so I guess that's why I don't get the hate on others.
That being said, I don't understand why commenters put people in two camps: if you like it, you are an ass-kissing sycophant, and if you don't, you are a crazy nutter, asshole, etc. Having slogged through the comments, I find a handful falling in either category, but mostly I find people who don't like it and people who do. Why does it have to be anything more than that? Comments are for opinions and responses so no one should be shocked when those are what are posted. So here's mine, which I would tell you if I was your friend and had come over to see your bathroom, which seems to be the rule for an okay comment.
I don't like the tile, it would drive me crazy. I'm worried about you stubbing your toes on the vanity. I liked the idea of putting a basket or something underneath the vanity. I like your style.
For the actual nutters and assholes, you will always be in a lose-lose situation. If you'd remodeled with really expensive stuff from exclusive stores you would be elitist, flaunting it in our face and misusing your resources in this bad economy because we are all going to die. If you go to Target and Ikea, you have no sophistication and are a drone with no taste who buys cheap crap and watches American Idol. So I don't envy you that, but it seems you take it with a huge dose of hilarity.
And that is my contribution to Bathroom Crisis '09.
450. Carrie said:
Holy Crap people! IT'S THEIR FUCKING BATHROOM, THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT!
Heather & Jon, anyone who remodels ANY room in their house, while pregnant deserves an award.
451. Renee said:
Thanks for the tip about the comments! And I thought I dealt with cranky people today...at least no one mentioned imminent doom...(So many good masthead quotes above me!)
My main requirement for a remodeling job is that it be FINISHED, so we don't have a completely nonfunctional bathroom or kitchen, or whatever. Your "taste" is just fine.
452. Jodie said:
My motto is love the house you bought. I live with it.... and ignore the parts that I don't like. There is too much else to do that I do care about more. But the new vanity is nice. Not sure it's worth the hassle to you at this stage of pregnancy, but you and Jon are usually doing crazy stuff so it makes sense in a Dooce sort of way. Praying for everything to be good for the new addition.... boy or girl!
453. AGreenEyeDevil said:
My little dog would have that toilet paper stolen and stashed in about 1 minute....to later appear strewn about the house at her entertainment and my dismay! I'm suprised Coco doesn't do this little trick?!
My only comment to someone who has lived through a remodel - been there, done that and you have my greatest empathy and support.
454. faithstwin said:
I was expecting some crazy stuff like that oddity from the last time you opened comments on week 34 (the one who hit the 'comment' button 1 time too many) because of what you said about 'the nutters' but am surprised to see a bunch of people offering their opinions based on what you posted.
I think your hormones have gotten the best of you.
And why would waiting two weeks for a couple square feet of tile have hurt anything? I was thinking you were going to place a solid vanity over the spot so that was the dilemma.
Ikea isn't bad at all. I don't think people realize that. I mean, it's better than pretending your Henry IV re-creation was made from scratch when most of us have seen it on the wall with the rest of the vanities in Lowes. :/
So, I am on the fence. I think tile could have waited, I don't really care about the rest of it and totally feel ya on the hideousness of climbing stairs at any point past the 6th month of pregnancy to go pee.
(My house had a total pipe meltdown in my 8th month of my last pregnancy causing 2 toilets needing replacment; I had to go to the supermarket across the street several times during that 5 hour period- NOT pleasant!)
I'm neutral unless because I don't kiss ass saying how amazing your design ability is causes me to be a giant asshole. In which case, I am used to your readers misinterpreting shit and am never one to hide who I am.
455. Groovymarlin said:
#449. Carrie: If I'm reading you correctly, you're saying there are other sites/blogs out there devoted specifically to hating on Heather? For serious?
Wow...does the phrase "get a life" mean anything to those people?
THIS is how you tell you've hit the big time, Heather. Not Oprah, not the Today Show, not being a bestselling author. No, having hater sites devoted to hating on you because of your blog and your success - that's when you know you are Queen of the Internet!
456. Anonymous said:
Dooce you jumped the shark with this tile thing. I mean to sayits just one degree too retro cool/ so ugly it's cute. If you were 50 and you did this to your bathroom everyone here would acknowledge that you were just sloppy and didn't care. And yeah that may be an asshole thing to say but assholes are uniquely qualified to comment or take a dump in bathroom posts.
457. Kristen said:
Anyone who does not understand the frantic need to finish a project regardless of matching tile, has never experienced the nesting phase of late pregnancy. Good for you for getting it done.
I think we are married to the same person.
458. Gaby said:
I'll save you people some time if you want to catch up on the comments:
tile tile tile tile tile tile shit fuck that tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile I like the tile tile tile tile tile you people suck at tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile ah! my eyes! the tile is burning them! tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile you know what, the tile tile tile works for me yay tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile gross toilet paper on the floor tile tile tile tile and dogs tile tile tile tile tile
tile tile tile ORANGE ROCKS tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile let me tell you about my pregnant remodeling days tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile my husband sucks tile tile tile tile tile tile count your blessings tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile ikea is so cheap tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile tile we're all going to fucking die tile tile tile tile tile tile...............
459. Aisha said:
The tile reminds me of my great-grandparents tile in their bathroom in Tennessee, from what I fuzzily remember. I think my boyfriend's old house also had hexagonal tile, AND the mismatched square tile under the sink area.
The vanity is better than the one you took out; finding all of the stuff in those cabinets had to have been a major pain.
I don't really understand what has everyone getting their panties in a twist. It's just tile.
460. Emily Weaver Brown said:
Wow, the nutters did come out! You have convinced me to hire out the job of having our bathroom remolded.
461. The Girl Who said:
Wanted to post about your groovy shitter but decided to drink a 6-pack of Provo Girl Pilsner instead because we're all going to DIIIIIIIE!
BOOOOOO!
Holy Jesus do I hate people.
462. Tony said:
I've been up to my eyeballs in way too many renovations and "home improvements" and I SO get what you went through.
You did a great job. I'm not quite digging the tile thing, but if it works for you, that's what matters.
463. Carrie Jo said:
I love how some people feel that because they don't love it, you shouldn't either. I also love how there are others who are surprised that they don't love everything you do. Amazing!
464. Kelli said:
I actually don't think the tile is bad, because of the way it lines up right under the vanity. It looks like it was done on purpose. I'm fine with it. It all looks great.
465. Monkey said:
First off, I just want to say how much I despise the term "haters". It makes me feel like I'm on some bad MTV show. As opposed to a good MTV...oh...wait...shit.
Second, had I known bathroom tile was such good blog fodder, I would have remodeled the shit out of my bathroom like a dozen times now. I wouldn't even care that I rent.
You've turned a very basic, generic bathroom into one that has personality. And the tiles? Unless someone is having dirty slutty spouse-sex on the bathroom floor, who is gonna notice at that angle? It's like a surprise tile-rug. Bonus!
And Ikea is a magical wonderland, bitches! Where else can you get 99 cent breakfast and run the risk of getting disoriented, all while stumbling across amazing shit you didn't even know you needed because it's all in a foreign language?
But I do have to know, how do you keep the dogs away from the toilet paper? Tasers? Forcefield? Harsh language? Are my pets just colossal toilet paper stealing jerks or something?
466. twitter-clinger said:
This must be where the world comes to blog and die.
Great stuff. Great blog. Good work on the ol' bathroom, too!
467. Shannon said:
Hmmm...you've been calling the crazy for years by being frank with how you've handled your own situation. Turns out the best way to coddle the herd is to show a picture of your bathroom. My suggestion, show remodel pictures once a week and the kids will have full ivy league tuition waiting for them. Play the hate!