Installing Light Fixtures, Take Two!

So I got out of work early yesterday and it was gorgeous outside!  It’s been so long since it’s been 60 degrees and sunny.   I fucking loved it!  I headed over to the grocery since my bread was buy one get one free and at $3.99 a loaf- I was all over that sale!  It really is the simple things people.  While I was on that side of town I also had to return the Liquid Nails that I bought last week and swap it out.  Apparently the “Heavy Duty Construction Grade” LN that is meant for every kind of surface doesn’t work on mirrors.  Maybe I should have looked at the teenie tiny small print that says “not recommended for mirrors.”  Whomp whomp.  So the $1.99 that I paid for that turned into $4.97 for one specific for mirrors.  Lesson learned.  Ugh.  This shit better work or mama’s gonna be pissed.

Once back at the palace, I opened the windows and got some fresh air and sunlight into the normally dark and gloomy house.  Since I was home early I decided that I would add to my to-do list for the day and install the remaining two bathroom vanity lights.  Ya me!

But don’t get too excited.   That “ya me!” didn't last too long once I took down the old fugly light fixtures to reveal huge holes behind the wall.  Boo.  A couple of days ago when I started this project in my master bathroom, Jon recommended that I get a 1 X 2 and put it behind the wall to drill into so that I’d have some support on the light fixture- as he had to do when they replaced their light.   I lucked out with my master bathroom because there was a stud behind the wall (I hide him there for rainy days- haha I crack my shit up!) and I could screw directly into that.  However- the other two bathrooms didn't have that so I had to whip out the miter saw again SWEET! and cut a few pieces to put behind the drywall.

Then I tested out the base of the light that gets mounted haha I said mounted to the wall to see if it covered the hole in the wall.   BARELY.  But since I had just put screws into the wall for the brace I needed to cover those up with some hot pink spackle as well as the ridiculously huge holes in the wall left by the anchor screws from the original light fixtures.  And yes, I did say HOT PINK SPACKLE!  Shut the front door!  It was like it was made for me!  Unfortunately it dries white.  But still.  Pretty flippin sweet.

Once the spackle dried I had to sand it down and then repaint the now exposed area.  And this is why I don’t paint behind mirrors.  Now I have enough leftover paint for touchups like this.  Yes- I’m a frickin genius.

While waiting for the spackle and paint in the bathrooms to dry, I flipped over the backsides of the molding for the mirror upstairs and gave them a good coat of the brown in case you can see a little of it in the mirror once it’s attached.   I also went upstairs to re-caulk around the sink since I removed the old stuff before painting the walls blue.   It was kinda getting crummy and cracking in places and since the house has shifted a little bit, the marble was starting to move away from the wall, leaving a bit of a gap.  So I took a few minutes hours before painting to scrape as much of it off as I could.   Now it’s all sealed up and looking pretty again. 

Since I guilted Jon through my last post, he and Wendy came over tonight to help me put the mirror back up.   Now that it’s back in place I can start installing the frame I cut for it which you can see here I’m so excited to have my bathroom back in working order.  This morning was ridiculous trying to get ready.  I've been showering in my bathroom then going into the other bathroom upstairs to get ready since it  A) still had a working light and B) has a mirror.   Well, since I took the light in there down last night- I couldn’t see anything in the mirror.  So….. I probably look like Cheri Oteri’s pill popping character from SNL today.  

People HAVE been looking at me funny today, now that I think of it.    Hmmmmmmmm.

After they left, I started installing the light in the downstairs bathroom.  Annnnnnnnd just like I originally thought- it doesn't fit.  Of course it doesn't.  In that room the ceiling is a foot lower than the rest of the downstairs for the air conditioning ducts.  Well that foot of ceiling space would be great to have right about now.  Because while the light fixture technically does fit, the glass covers literally butt right up to the ceiling.  So if I ever wanted to change out the light bulbs I would have to take the entire light off of the wall to replace them.  Never mind that there wouldn't be any space to allow the heat from the bulbs out so I could burn a hole through my ceiling.  Therefore, I won't be using that light in that room.  I'm sure I will find something this weekend for that room.  And I will have to wait until after work tomorrow to install the upstairs bathroom light when it's still light out since turning the power off to that bathroom turns all the power off upstairs.  But again, safety first, my fellow bitches!