A Master Bathroom Gets a BIG Update With Painted Cabinets & What Is “Priority Theft?”

“It doesn’t matter how good your hair looks if your breath stinks!”

That was me shouting a good ol’ fashioned Mom “truth bomb” to my 8 year old daughter, Maci one morning before school…you know back in the days when kids had to catch the bus?

I remember my words bouncing off the bathroom walls, as I proudly preached from my parental pulpit in the hopes my sermon on oral hygiene would convict my young one to put down her hair brush and pick up her tooth brush. BUT…in true daughter form, she ignored me.  My girl was clearly content with her choice in ordering her priorities for the morning.  

It was in the middle-ness of that hustle and bustle morning this concept washed over me like a fresh revelation. And…I remember feeling convicted. Surely, my daughter could afford to flip flop a few personal care priorities, but my personal day to day prioritizing held a bit more at stake.

A convicting whisper in my ear…

“there is no such thing as priority theft.”

Only, as I wrestled more with this new truth I had been pondering, I began to argue with myself – that indeed there IS such a thing as priory theft.

The hard truth to swallow? The fact that the thief is me.

Priority theft is when I rob myself from the power of personal choice and play victim to “busy.”

As the state of Maryland enters into “Phase 1” of re-opening, I am convicted again that the can of worms is also being reopened to the hard process of my personal priority setting.

There are parts of quarantine life that I have grown to love. I do not miss telling my girls to “hurry up, get in the car…we’re going to be late” on the daily.

I have SO enjoyed the un-rushed opportunity for more gentleness and less harshness that comes with “hurry.”

When things get bananas around here in the afternoon, with my girls darting from the basement, to the outside, to the upstairs, perhaps in a wet bathing suit from running in the sprinkler and tracking all kinds of lovely outdoor accessories into the house…and then the arguing sprinkles on top of the mud and grass…I often call for a “Thirty-Minute RESET!”

Everyone has to go to their rooms and take a 30 minute, device free, chill-time. When I think about this 9 week home stay…it feels a lot like our “30 minute reset” albeit a little longer…but nonetheless, an opportunity to “reset” ourselves.

With so many events, activities and traditions being temporarily taken away from us like our beloved fourth of July downtown Bel Air festivities…God has gently been reminding me that my personal priority setting is one thing that cannot be taken away.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

The only person that can cheat myself out of keeping first things first as we enter into the first steps of resuming life outside of our homes…is me. If I chose to cheat myself out of the treasures of time and unhurried soft, slow moments that have been unearthed in this 9 week reset…I am the one that is accountable.

It’s up to me to call out the counterfeit time suckers and hold in place what is of honest value in the battle for my attention.

Oh and you know that bathroom where Maci proudly prioritized brushing her hair over her teeth? I decided to move that bathroom up on our “Project Priority List” this week and gave it a face-lift.

Want to see?

These are the original cabinets that have been SO neglected for SO long. Needless to say the master bathroom has been way down the priority list for us for a long time because it really is just Shawn and I that use it.

But after last week’s experiment with painting the kitchen island and cabinets…I have become what one may call as…a little addicted to painting and replacing hardware.

It is an IMMEDIATE room refresher!

Especially with THIS paint color.

We used the same can of paint from last week’s island refresh.

This color is The BEST.

It is “Gray Screen” by Sherwin Williams.

I also opted to use the same Champagne bronze hardware pulls to replace the brushed nickel knobs. The handles are from Home Depot, you can find them HERE.

We also ordered new faucets, but they have not arrived yet. We will install these faucets as soon as they are delivered.

The mirrors?

I ordered from Wayfair and they literally arrived the very next day!

My sweet friend, Laurie recommended some pretty amazing tile and grout cleaner. The girls and I spent a good hour scrubbing the tile floor and countertops with this grout cleaner

We also decided to DITCH the blinds in our bathroom. We have two windows around the soaking tub and honestly we really do not need any type of blinds covering the back window because it faces our patio and trees and is obviously on the second floor. The side window however is a different story and definitely needed some type of privacy to save our neighbors from being scared to death. 🙂

I decided to go with this peel and stick window film that looks like etched glass and creates privacy on the lower part of the window. It was super easy to put up with a few spritzes of water.

We are so in love with the color of “Gray Screen” that we decided to also love up on the walls of the bathroom and painted the walls in the same color as the vanity cabinets. The entire bathroom feels so light and welcoming now! I can’t wait for the new faucets and maybe just maybe we might replace the over the mirror light fixture in time.

Right now? It’s not a top priority.

And? I do not feel the need to replace all the things and have all the finishes be “matchy-matchy.” So, I would say if you are feeling the itch to paint and replace just take it bit by bit, decide for yourself along the way..what needs to go and what can stay…you set the priority list in your project process.

We DID decide to give the wall cabinets in the kitchen a fresh coat of white paint with Pure White by Sherwin Williams and match the new island champagne bronze hardware. These small changes have really allowed us to hit the refresh button in the kitchen! And while I take my time pondering new stools, I chose to spray paint our current stools…in champagne pink. 🙂

Me and pink…I just can’t help myself. It may not be for everyone…but I like them…and really? YOUR opinion and how you style your home is all that matters.

Just as in the prioritizing of our new days ahead, we will have the opportunity to prioritize what needs refreshing and replacing and ditching. Our choices do not need to measure up to anyone else’s opinions or standards…we hold the power to chose what will take our attention, time and money.

My hope is that as we re-make our days…we do not cheat ourselves out of the ordinary activities and blessings we have discovered at home right in front of us every day. Some of which are the most valuable, honest and deserving activities of all.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

Dear God,

Please order my day, help me to keep first things first according to your will. Thank you for the gift of time in this season of reset. Please help me to deliberately choose wisely in the battle for my attention and do not let me get lost in the harshness of hurry.

Living on a prayer,

Heather

UPDATE: The New Faucets arrived are the perfect finishing touch!

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