We are renovating our master bathroom.

Last night Derick and I saw an add for a big box hardware store that showed how you could redo your bathroom in a weekend, all by yourself!  Well, it looked like all they did was replace the vanity and yes, I believe that would just take a weekend.

Our renovation is taking a tad longer.  We are in week three? four? and so far we have a gutted, insulated and dry walled bathroom.  The vanity, sink and tile are in the garage. The old toilet is now a lawn ornament. The accent tile is on order.  The shower pan is on order. 

The shower pan.  Okay, if you have ever tried to renovate a small bathroom you know my pain.  There is no such thing as a shower stall that fits into a small bathroom.  I mean there are, but not one that you would actually want to spend money on. 

Many, many plumbing companies and online shops will tell you they have a pan for you – they are liars.  Liars.  I have now returned two shower pans that were the wrong size or wrong configuration.  Oh, and contractors will tell you that you can make/pour one yourself, “it’s easy” they say.  Luckily, our contractor begs to differ and I believe him.

The shower stall for our bathroom is going to be the most expensive item in our home. In our entire home. 

It is a custom order and just the pan, not the doors, not the tile, not the fixtures, just the pan is costing over $800.  I kid you not.  So when “they” (and by “they” I mean the banks that lend you money to do a bathroom remodel) say to count on a bathroom renovation costing about $10,000 they aren’t kidding.  They too had to order a custom shower pan. 

In the meantime my whole house has been turned upside down.  Derick and I are sleeping in the our guest room.  Luckily we have a guest room with a really comfy bed so it isn’t a hardship.  But it feels like we are living out of suitcases.

Our garage, my printmaking studio, has been turned into a staging area.  I can barely move out there as all my stuff has been pushed together to make room for equipment, boards and fixtures.

It is driving me crazy.  I am a creature of habit, of routine and, like a toddler, when my routine is upset I am discombobulated and nothing gets done and temper tantrums erupt.  Or things get half done, which is worse.  So if I miss a post or two over the next couple of weeks, please forgive me.  I am weeping in the corner and looking forward to the day when this is done.  And when that day comes, and it will, there will be pictures.