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The Weekender: I’m Here for the Cake and the Comments

cabinets | hardware (similar) | wallpaper | flush mount light

As our tiny Libby gets older, her needs get stronger. Libby – our sweet elder kitty – loves a snuggle more than most dogs, and we often joke that she is a dog in a cat body. She’s tail-less by breed, has whisper soft fur and the prettiest green eyes. This photo was taken a couple of years ago, but when I think of Libby, this is her, surveying her kingdom:

She’s more thin now. Completely unable to hear. Has a scratchy rawreow! that makes us chuckle. She’s the love of Lucy’s life (and ours tbh), and every new day we have with her is one that we cherish. With age (we think she’s 18 or 19, but she could be older), she’s prone to tripping over her own paws, and like most cats, she prefers a full day of sleep. To keep her comfortable, her food and litter are upstairs in the laundry room, which is off of our bedroom, which is also where she spends the majority of her time. You see, litter boxes, they do exist! See it up there, in that first photo above? While it was once hidden away, agility is no longer Libby’s strength. So out in the open it is, typically surrounded by training pads for when she misses the mark. It would be more sad if it weren’t for all the joy she brings this family.

I have a tendency to get off topic when talking about our pets, and if you could see my face, I have that faraway look in my eyes… Where was I? Oh, yes! Libby is prone to allergies and has a history of asthma, but we have an aversion to all the smells that come along with litter – especially when it’s in our bedroom. To keep everyone happy, we’ve been using these Bisou charcoal eliminators, which are safe for her sensitivities while being strong enough to work. Bisou was so confident that they’d we’d find them effective, that they sent us a few to try, no strings attached. They were right!

You can find out how they do they thing right here, but in a nutshell, they’re a natural odor eliminator (perfect for pet people), and they can be reactivated for up to 2 years by placing them in the sun. So woo-woo, I love it. Let us know if you give them a try! Bonus: they’re offering up free shipping when you use the discount code YELLOWBRICKHOME.

In Other News, Things Don’t Always Go As Planned.

We recently shared step-by-step guides to install a toilet and a vanity + faucet. What we spared you was the problematic board and batten leading up to those tutorials! Here’s what happened.

Our contractor’s toilet drain install was so exact, that the extra 3/4″ depth from the stile located behind the toilet wouldn’t allow it to sit flush with the wall. Below, you can see how our board and batten looked when it was done, which was, technically, mathematically perfect on the wall. Although it wasn’t centered behind the sink and toilet, we thought, perfect on the wall is better than perfect in the space! Wrong. See how the toilet is resting on a stile and at a slight angle?

Our bad for not thinking about that beforehand, right? Although we grumbled through it, we both agreed that maybe – just maybe! – visually perfect is better than mathematically perfect. So we got to work removing the stiles behind the vanity and toilet, ran to the store to get more trim, made new cuts, re-caulked seams and re-painted. Grumble.

But you guys! Here’s how it looks now:

soap pump | TP holder

Although the space between the stiles aren’t spaced evenly within the pink, it looks so. much. better! It somehow looks way, way more custom. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it in the end! This comment floated through our inbox during this mini setback (in response to this post), and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect:

[Sharing t]he process is the POINT. Sharing the how-to, the progress, the pitfalls and the pinnacles: that’s why I read you. You’re doing what I’m doing (or hope to do) and you’re teaching me how, plus inspiring me. The reveals are great, but of course they’re the icing. I’m here for the cake, big-time!

Let’s all raise a glass… to cake!

What Else?

Weekend Sales

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a happy Father’s Day! xx

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  • Debra6.14.19 - 8:15 AM

    I ended up purchasing a similar charcoal bag at a friend’s Norwex party and I’m very pleased with the results in our kitty litter space. I also upped my  litter rug game with a cool contraption that allows the litter to sift down into a honeycomb type of thing then the litter can be easily removed.  I’m explaining it badly but it has reduced tracked litter immensely.ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.14.19 - 9:11 AM

      Oooh, I think I understand what you mean! Do you have a link?ReplyCancel

    • Kelly6.14.19 - 5:01 PM

      I love this litter catcher pad too and I think it came in two sizes the larger one is great as it provides a larger zone and has kept the litter from getting tracked out of Cleopatra’s room. I know I ordered it on line but it doesn’t have a tag or name…ReplyCancel

  • Ann6.14.19 - 11:26 AM

    Yeah, share your re-dos – it’s how others learn to plan!  The toilet looks better with its own box around it there.  Surprised you left the little divider behind the faucet –  it looks strange to my eye now that the wall is not evenly divided into three.  With it gone, then there would be three boxes, each framing something – the one behind the toilet, the one behind the sink, and the one to the side of the sink.  Come to think of it, a second batten in the corner on the back would complete the 3 boxes idea flawlessly – surprised you didn’t put a second one in the corner there originally, even when the wall was divided into three.  With another one in the corner, then even the little one behind the faucet wouldn’t look so much out of place.ReplyCancel

  • April6.14.19 - 11:41 AM

    We need more Libby videos!  Your audience (me) demands it!  Also, your board and batten toilet complication is the story of my life.  It’s hard to plan all the elements of a renovation when there’s so many moving parts.  I forget where I first heard the phrases eye-clean vs mind-clean, but they come up a lot in our house.  I’ve tried to adopt the mantra of “good enough” when it comes to cosmetic details.  Enjoy your weekend!ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.14.19 - 6:44 PM

      Everything you’ve said – so true. Especially more Libby! :DReplyCancel

  • Sara6.14.19 - 8:31 PM

    So I have been introduced to pellet litter. And let me just say it is the best thing ever. Smells like pine, because that’s what it is. Doesn’t track on kitty paws. Doesn’t do the weird dust up thing when you clean it. My understanding is it is much healthier for the kitties too (because no more dust to get into their little lungs).  It’s the best. 10/10 would recommend. ReplyCancel

  • Kate6.15.19 - 12:06 PM

    Wait is “my wife hates phish his acct”?! …I’m a wife who actually loves phish and thinks that acct is hilarious! ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.15.19 - 2:53 PM

      No, not at all, haha! I just relate to it all too well.ReplyCancel

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Kim and Scott

We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

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