how to install floating flooring

as part of my neverending bathroom remodel, i finally installed trafficmaster allure floating flooring; supposedly "the easiest floor ever!"  ummmm welp i'm here to say, kiiiind of.  if i'd been installing the flooring in a perfectly square room with nothing in it, yea i'm sure it would have been cake.  but a 6'x6' bathroom with a vanity, round shower, toilet, two pipe penetrations, and a hallway with a bracketed guided barn door is another story entirely. 

materials needed:

• utility knife [with new blade]
• speed square
• straight edge
• tape measure
• heavy duty pliers [i misused my lineman electrical pliers..]
• pencil
• dremel or other fine sanding tool
• tracing paper
• scissors
• tape
• unending patience and a will to finish

bathroom status: 95% done!!!!

MERRY FRIGGIN CHRISTMAS TO ME!  the bathroom floor [sans molding/trim] is done!!  nothing says christmas-eve-fun-time like my mom and me crawling around the bathroom floor cursing, flailing, and chasing my cat around with the vacuum.  my dad was wisely in another room for the duration.

feliz navidad a couple days early

welp the christmas tree has been up for... 2 weeks now.  pics are now finally as well.  i got a significantly smaller tree than the beastly one i had last year, and probably will shoot for a happy medium next year.  but damnit, it was cold and freezing rain in the christmas tree lot, and my christmas-tree-hauling-friend-with-a-truck was rather displeased at being present.

i bought some tacky tinsel garland this year, and i think it looks pretty friggin nice if i do say so.

I FINALLY SEWED SOMETHING

seriously.  its been almost a year since i managed to do anything productive with my sewing machine... and the last thing was my loveseat.  but in the glut of black friday/small business saturday/cyber monday/taco tuesday emails... i managed to get one for go to patterns, and bought the casual lady pattern for half off! 

pickle all the things?

along with all the prep for thanksgiving goodness, my parents brought a ridiculous amount of produce from their winter CSA.  what do i do with 3 pounds of carrots now?  i dont even like carrots.  well... pickle them of course!  and dump them on other people as "thoughtful" homemade christmas presents.  or something.  but what about the overabundance of other produce i already had from before thanksgiving?  well i'll pickle that shit too.  also 2.5 pounds of beets from the CSA.  it was closer to ... 2.7 pounds but i managed to lose one in the disposal while i was rinsing and didnt find it until well after i was done.  oops.  and now for your viewing pleasure:  no words.