Bad Wallpaper, a steamer & Victory

So I know it's been a few days since I have ventured back to sharing my thoughts....there just hasn't been much going on that is worth sharing I guess.

I love our house....built in the the 60's it screams very traditional until you come inside and see our corrugated steel, amazing tile, fun colors and our metal garage door that holds all my cookbooks behind it in our kitchen. If you had seen it when we moved in a few months ago before the demolition you would have thought we were crazy. With Thanksgiving looming in a few weeks and EVD's family coming to dinner we are on that time crunch to get a few more things done. So last week as we painted the hallway upstairs and the stairwell I also started the task of taking down the most hideous mauve and country blue wallpaper in our little bathroom on the main floor. Eric came in to lend me a hand and the section he chose above the shower came off backing and all with no problem. Of course the section that I chose was above the sink where I guess NO steam had ever hit it. So with Dif in hand and the scraper I set in. Not much success as it has sat there for the last week and everyday I walk by thinking..."today I will do it....ya right" So after being a shut-in yesterday due to the cold weather, I decided today was the day. My friend who is like Tim the Tool man suggested I use the handy steamer that we had bought for the store a few years ago that was collecting dust in our basement. I hauled this contraption upstairs wondering how in the world it worked. I guess maybe I don't give myself too much credit on house repair things, but i managed to figure it out. It was amazing that the wallpaper was coming off beautifully with that steamer. I almost thought if the food industry goes south, I could just carry this steamer in my Honda ridding houses of really bad wallpaper. I am afraid my outspoken outbursts about bad decorating wouldn't go over so well with some customers...I'll stick to food. So all was going good until I got to the point where the hose wasn't long enough to hit the pieces above the mirror and closer to the ceiling. Let me back up a little.....for some reason this steamer releases alot of water out the bottom of it when it is in full force so I have a small lake on the bathroom floor. Addison kindly had gotten me towels so at least I wouldn't fall into the boiling water. I am very determined to finish this project and be victorious over the nasty wallpaper. I came up with a brilliant idea to put the steamer on the counter. This way the water that leaks can leak into the sink and the hose will easily hit the remainder of the wallpaper. I am sure if you could see this, you would all think what in the heck is she thinking. The steamer takes up 3/4's of the counter with the remaining 1/4 being the sink....I am supposed to straddle this steamer and the pole that is the nice accessory to hang the hose from. I refill the water and wait for it to start steaming and I climb carefully on to the sink more concerned about falling off onto a wet floor, hitting my head on the way down and my children having to call 911 instead of being concerned about the lock and unlock pictures on the steamer. After practically giving myself a facial, I decide to try to reach the far corner with the hose. Let's just say I now know what the lock and unlock pictures are all about. The hose obviously doesn't reach that far nor do I. The hose flies out of the steamer shooting hot boiling water all over myself and the bathroom. I grab the pole (I have decided that if ever hard up for money a job that involved a pole wouldn't be the best for me) and manage to cling to this flimsy metal thing trying not to break it all the while my one foot is in the sink with more HOT water being released onto it. I manage to get it all under control before it falls to the floor with me on it. SO after this long rambling....yes....all the wallpaper is off and tonite just a little more backing needs to be released via the steamer, but Eric will be reaching that one. I did learn one thing....look at pictures that are on things...like the lock and unlock picture. I guarantee that would have locked that hose in place. However, it looks fabulous and the color swatches are taped to the wall waiting to be approved or not approved. But goodness, my face looks awesome after that facial....who needs a spa. Happy Monday!