A baby, a simple dress, a bathroom floor, and roman shades!

What do all of these have in common, and why are they all addressed in this one post?  Well, its a recap of what I have been doing the past week and a half.

First, and foremost, I am one lucky grandma!  I was able to head to a sunnier climate to visit this cute family...

...who just welcomed this sweet new addition.

  

Yep, I certainly feel lucky!

In preparation for my little "vacation," I decided to do a quick refashion that would work well in the warmer weather.

I started with a size 18W dress that was purchased for $2.50.  

I really liked the black and white pattern.  Plus, the top portion was t-shirt knit, and the bottom was a lightweight cotton.  Perfect for warmer weather.  This was really a simple alteration to make it wearable, but here's a few photos to show you the steps.

I detached the waist on both sides to allow for my new side seams.

I pinned the new side seams, making sure that the top would still fit over my head...I didn't want to mess with a zipper!

Trim and finish the edge.

Now its time to reattach the skirt.

And that's it!  Just add a belt and you have a super simple, super comfy dress!

I really like the fullness of the skirt.

It even has pockets...a bonus!

My vacation time was spent approximately as follows:

Countless hours of this...

It just doesn't get much better than this!

I also had fun watching her talented mother doing her photo shoot...

 And then there was some roman shades that had been put on the back burner about a year ago.  My daughter had already measured them, cut the fabric, and began construction, but then got a little overwhelmed. I figured it was something that I could tackle while I was there.

And, last, but not least, an unsightly concrete bathroom floor that was in desperate need of an update.  So, with grinder in hand, I sealed off the bathroom door with tape (to keep the dust away from the rest of the house), placed a fan in the window, donned a mask and went to work grinding and leveling the floor. Let me say, it was one VERY dusty job!  I have to say that I started on the floor before my hard-working son-in-law got home from work.   When he got home, he kept knocking on the door wanting to take over, but I figured there was no need for both of us to be covered in dust!

Once the floor was level, tiles were put in place.

Then the first step of grouting.

And finally, grout clean-up, baseboards, new toilet (installed by my son-in-law), and the transition piece between floors.  Much better!

I also had enough time to make curtains for my granddaughters' bedroom windows, but forgot to take a photo.  Also board games, xbox, laundry, dishes, organizing, movies, doctor appointments, and just hanging out with family.  It was a great vacation!

I like to link to these great parties!