DIY Life

The problem with big box hardware stores like Lowe's and The Home Depot is that (outside of their garden centers) they are still catering to tradesmen when half their customers are actually women. Tired and grumpy women.

Each time I shop at either one (and, no, I have no preference), I leave asking myself: why can't these hardware behemoths be more like Target, Walmart, or similar mega-stores, where shopping is fun ... or at least easier. How so, you ask? Read on! Here's my list of requests for Lowe's and Home Depot execs:

1. Bring in door greeters and maps so we customers don't waste time walking (and walking and walking) up and down the aisles searching for that certain essential dood-ad or trying to locate the bathrooms. Would it be so hard to install mall-style store directory kiosks, stocked with printed store layout leaflets?

Look: I'm completely addicted to those glossy Before and After-type home renovation magazines. But I often scoff at the money spent on those gorgeous refits. There's no way I can sink that kind of money into my, er, sinks. That is, while I can afford one nice (alas, not luxe) renovation job, I can't swing it for both bathrooms. What's a girl to do?

After four years (yes, really) of on-and-off agonizing, I've decided on what I hope is a winning strategy: A fairly major renovation of our master bathroom -- which has the world's tiniest shower stall -- with only minor upgrades to our hall bath. I'll be doing the easier repairs and all the cosmetic stuff myself, but hiring in experts for the bigger tasks.

In the coming weeks, I'll be blogging about my progress. First stop is this new photo gallery on how to repair small holes in a bathtub. Please come back often to see how I'm doing! And don't forget: We love feedback. Post your thoughts and/or suggestions in Comments below.

With thanks to Kelly Smith (DIY Life's Perpetual Remodeling Syndrome expert), I'm going to do a follow-up to his excellent post on floor tile, but change directions a bit, vertically to be exact. Let's look at the procedure for installing tile on a wall; in this case it was for a dorm bathroom, with the usual sinks, showers, etc. I had already done the rough electrical and plumbing and put in the sheet rock, concrete backer board, and bead board, so now the fun began. I frankly enjoyed myself because it was a lot less physically demanding than the aforementioned projects and I got to use my brain to do the necessary layout that would ensure a nice looking result.

But first, the gallery! It will help as an initial guide and you should refer to it at the parts of the project that require a bit of thought and planning.

One of the great things about art is that it is all in the eye of the beholder. One person's eyesore is another person's haven of beauty. Another great thing about art is that is can be just about anywhere and in any medium. Take for instance the toilet lid. While many of us see it as merely a functional aspect of the bathroom, a few view it as a canvas awaiting a vision.

Toilet tattoos are exactly what many a plain toilet lid might be needing to go from plain ole blah to cool and artsy. Created by a woman with a vision for her plain white bathroom, the appliques come in a variety of styles and colors. You can choose everything from florals to holiday themes to cool retro squares. There is a design for nearly any taste. Toilet tattoos use electrostatic energy to adhere the sticker to the lid, this means that if they're properly stored they can be used over and over. This also means you can have enough different designs to suit just about any toilet lid whim you might have.