Friday Night Must-See T.V.

My eyes have been glued to my T.V. screen every Friday night for the last few weeks.  That is unlike me, because with the exception of "Downton Abbey",  I can't think of many shows that qualify as must-see T.V. for me.


The reason for my interest is admittedly biased.  My little brother is on T.V. !  It is true.  He is one of the cast of a new reality TV series called "Bering Sea Gold" on the Discovery channel. 

Like most reality T.V. shows, there is plenty of drama and conflict.  There are some rascally characters who have a hard time keeping their language family-friendly.  So I recommend it with those caveats.

The weird thing about having someone you know really well on television is that it should feel really weird, but it doesn't.  At least not to me.   Maybe that's because I love and respect Ian so much.  For once, someone who is actually a good person can be quasi-famous.


Which is not to say that anyone has shown any interest in keeping up with our family anytime soon--which is a good thing.  Unlike my brave brother, my idea of hell would be to have someone filming my life for weeks at a time.  I have too many moments I'm not proud of.


I am proud of him--not so much for being on T.V., but for being secure enough with himself to let all of America into his life--the good, the bad and the ugly.  He didn't do so lightly.  He has been  a little worried, hoping that the way he was portrayed on the show would accurately reflect the Christ-like person he is trying to become.  That speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.  


Although to be honest, as a big sister, I somehow always remember him as a little kid (he's the one on the far right in the picture below).  You've gotta have someone keeping you humble, right? :)

Busy, Busy, Bathroom

We are busy, busy, as usual.  We also started having our master bathroom remodeled this week.  I wish I could brag that it is me and my husband sweating it out, but I have to admit that we have hired a contractor and it is nice knowing it will be done soon, with minimal stress on our parts, other than enduring the noise and mess that comes with remodeling.

So I've been able to concentrate on the fun part: the design.  I want to feel like I stepped into a sunny day at the beach every time I go in my bathroom.  I also want a more contemporary look than I normally go for.  I just like a bathroom to feel (and hopefully be) clean.  Here are some inspiration photos I pinned:

Via Decorpad

via Google Images

I love the open vanity and beachy feel.  

Love the outdoor tropical shower

Here is a sneek peek of what we are doing:

Shower tile (Silver vein-cut travertine for $3/square foot from Craigslist)


Floor tile (Grey limestone, $4 a square foot, another Craigslist find)


Vanity--just waiting for cute baskets of towels, etc., on the bottom:

Showerhead:



Paint Color:



Right now we have a hole in our kitchen ceiling, and everything in our bathroom is gone except the floors and the wall.  We had our rusty, galvanized pipes replaced as well, and we are loving the water pressure in our one working shower.  They installed the Hardiboard in the shower, and we are now living in a house that looks basically normal except for the light coating of drywall dust that has settled over everything.  I never thought I'd say it, but I just really want to be able to clean my house....  Right now, there is no point.

But man, am I glad that we can afford to remodel our bathroom right now.  It is going to function and look sooooo much better.  I'll post some more progress pictures in a few days.