The other night, our friends stayed the night unexpectedly. They weren’t planning on staying, so they had nothing packed. No worries. I’m totally prepared for this situation. I go into my guest bathroom, and this is what I find.
Apparently, I was expecting my guests to be really dirty and have a major case of butt rash! How unattractive! I might as well just throw it at them while they’re preparing for bed and yell, “Good luck with all that!”
Well, we just cannot have that. It didn’t used to look like that. How’d it get that way? Probably because I didn’t have a cute little tray to display it, right?
It’s best to start out with something ugly for $1.99 and turn it into something pretty.
I simply spray painted it (of course) and added a sheet of scrapbook paper to the bottom. I didn’t even adhere it. I might want to change it. Gotta keep my options open.
Next up? Get yourself to the nearest dollar store (love mine!). Throw dollar bills at people because you can’t get over how cheap everything is and pick up some supplies.
I bought a 4-pack of toothbrushes for $1.00. I felt so rich that day that I bought a kids 4-pack, too.
Of course, razors, deoderant and Vaseline are always nice to have on hand. I don’t know why the Vaseline. Rough skin? Makeup removal? It was cute. And little. And bright.
I have lotion, shampoo, etc. for guests, but this just takes it up a notch. For between $5-$10 there’s no panic involved when you have out of town company. Unless your friend walks into a filthy bathroom (that your husband was supposed to clean) and sees a container of soap and butt cream. Sorry, Brad and Teri!
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love the tray. Love the dollar store, and you are so funny! Great hostess you are!
I always thought about doing that, but wasn't quite sure how to pull it off. You make it look effortless! Thanks for the tip!
butt cream…*giggle*
What a cute idea! I love the tray! And I love the dollar store too!
Very cute! I laugh at the Vaseline though…they might get the wrong idea. You could throw some condoms in there too. Eek! Did I just type that?! LOL!!!
That is so great. Love the tray!
A thoughtful and lovely display 🙂
I'm going to giggle about giving guests butt cream for at least a day. It's thoughtful, too, but(t) how does one bridge that topic? And do you mention it in the thank you note later?
CUTE IDEA!!! NOW I JUST NEED TO FIND THEM A ROOM TO SLEEP IN.
I am cracking up! Every guest needs some butt cream! Seriously, your tray turned out sooo cute!
I am a dollar store junkie too. I go there every weekend!
Very cute! I'm sure the next guest will feel loved.:)
Very cute. I am re-doing a guest room and was worried about the decorations and the towels but didn't even think of all this. I guess I will need to go shopping some more. I think I will leave out the butt cream though (ha-ha).
Awesome idea!
Great idea! So-when can I come and stay. We can go thrifting and go to lunch. My two fave things!!
🙂 I'm still laughing over the butt cream – great idea w/the tray and scrapbook paper. I see spray painting on my list of to do's this weekend 🙂 – Thanks for hte wonderful idea!!
What a thoughtful, darling idea!…my guests will thank you!
Oh I forgot to ask you in my last post. I may be over to St. Joseph/South Haven area this weekend do you know of any great thirft stores over there? I used to live in Walker but I am now in Illinois. I so miss Michigan and GR. Thanks.
Linda
great idea! Love it. CUTE tray!!!!
You are SO on the ball, with all this great stuff.
Shelley
Nice!
I laughed at the butt cream. How could I not?!
I can't stop laughing. Had to read it to my husband. I also can't get over the butt cream! Ha! Ha! Great story to go to bed on. Hope my dreams don't turn out to strange :o)
I have to agree with Carmen–GIGGLE, GIGGLE
Butt cream, huh?! …well, I guess one can never be too prepared! LOL!!
Seriously though, this is a cute idea. I love guest trays and have a cute on myself. We also have a little basket with miniature soaps and hair products…some I have purchased, others we collect from nicer hotels on our travels. They are the perfect sizes for guests. Though I only keep the ones that don't have the hotel name advertized on the bottle somewhere!! 🙂
Awesome idea!!
What a great idea! But, I'm going to admit that the Vaseline made me LOL…
Great idea! The butt rash cream made me laugh out loud. hahaha
Love this idea! And as far as the butt cream goes, a good hostess is always prepared!! You just never know!!
I was laughing so hard at the butt rash cream…then I saw the vasoline and couldn't stop laughing. lol. Great post!
Cute tray!
I have a similar basket …I mean of your first photo. LOL! If our guests have butt rash or are extremely dirty they're covered! I just have a blah plastic box thingy that I got from who knows where. I do keep it stocked with toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors…my in-laws usually forget something when they come to visit and I've got them covered! I hate going to a house and there isn't any shampoo or soap in the bathroom. I always assumed that was just something you should provide for your guests.
Love the little silver containers! Dollar Store too?
My tray looks a lot like the first one, butt cream and all. If my guests have a baby and need diaper rash ointment, I've got it covered. I just hope they don't want to brush their teeth. Looks like I need to head to the Dollar Tree.
How nice! I used to be on top of my guest room too. Every so often updating magazines, putting all those little hotel shampoo, condition and body wash bottles in a pretty ceramic container. But, "used to" are the key words here!
Love your tray idea. I did that once (years ago) but decoupaged the paper, which was a pain. Your way sounds much easier and I like that you can change it out with your decor or mood.
You are so freakin' hilarious. I love it! And you never know when a guest may need some butt cream :). I save all the fancy little soaps from hotels and display them in a basket for guests. They all match and look super cute. Great idea!
Oh pretty pretty. That's really a great idea and one I'm sure your guests appreciate. Can I come over??
Your tray is so cute! I like the flexibility of the removable scrapbook paper. 🙂
I'm with you on the dollar store. There are some things that I just hate to buy anywhere else.
Thank you for this idea. I love to have necessities in my guest bathroom, but I've been unable to come up with a good idea of where to put them so that they'll be accessible to guests AND look good. Now I know what to do!
It's lovely .
Like everyone else has said–Cute idea! I'm definitely going to do this. I do have a few questions about this renovation…
1. Where did you find the tray? I stupidly paid $29 for one from Target. I know, I know. Dumb.
2. Where do you get your spray paint? If you've already posted about this before–just point me in the direction of which blog post and I'll check it out. (I'm not to 'Just a Girl,' and new to spray painting (but LOVE it!)
Sorry…I meant to say, "I'm new to 'Just a Girl.'
That is such a great idea!
TOTALLY. INSPIRED. Thank you for reminding me that my home doesn't end where WE live but includes the space for the lucky people who get to visit us! {haha}
Oh gosh, I got such a laugh out of the visual of you tossing the whole drawer of "befores" at your house guests and shouting "Good luck with all that". Totally made my day. I've got houseguests of my own coming in about a month so I'm definatly keeping this idea in the back of my mind. We don't have any butt cream but some toothbrushes and such would be nice.
Ohhh love the tray. I keep a basket (kinda like yours but no Butt cream involved ha) in my extra bathroom for this very reason. And yes, the dollar store is perfect for this emergency. Hey, throwing dollars around only makes it more fun right?
I love this idea! The tray is so cute!
Great idea. Definitely a way to make your guests feel welcome.
Love what you did with the tray. I'm going to have to get started on my own now!
a major case of butt rash.
I love it!
This post made me laugh very hard. I needed that! But I showed it to my husband who thinks I am overboard with all the "little stuff" that I stock our guest bathroom with! Let me tell you that this summer, we have been through 6 forgotten toothbrushes and our guests are so thankful that we have extras!
Cute! I thought at first you hand painted the bottom! cherry
Good luck with all that…I'm still laughing…
Oh that tray is the cutest! I so want to make one now too! LOL
Hey guess what? I just posted about a $1.99 thrift store makeover too. But my idea came from Outer Space. : )
Love, love, love yours!!!
Great idea!! As I was reading, I asked why the vaseline? Then you made yo vaseline comment…funny! It's the little things that make me smile.
OMG! this post is why I am so happy I follow you..Great idea,and thanks for getting me laughing this morning!
You crack me up! "throw some dollars" LOL Very creative.
I am wondering where you keep this tray? I have thought about doing this over and over again but didn't know where to put it. We don't have a guest room right now(it is currently the playroom) so I am at a loss as to where to display such a cute sentiment?
Great tray!
I'm amazed at the stuff you transform even if it as simple as a tray!
Hi there, I was wondering about a post you did a while back, I was wondering where you bought your Benjamin Moore Metal and wood enamel? I can only find it in high gloss, you used the low lustre right? I need to paint my kichen chairs and that might be too glossy, any suggestions?
Moontastic10@msn.com
Hi Chris,
Love this project. You inspired me to create two trays, one for each kid. I think I'll use them like "mailboxes" for the kids…
Thanks!
So cute…I made one of these too {not as cute as yours}.
My guests love it 🙂
I love your tray and it is a great idea to line it with paper that you can change. I have drawer that I keep guest "stuff" in and I lined it with the leftover wallpaper from the bathroom. I could easily change it though because I didn't attach it.
Another fun thing for a guest bathroom? A one cup coffee pot. Everyone who uses our guest room feels like they are in a hotel and they love it. It has one of those tall travel cups and I lined it with the wallpaper too so it matches!
Love the butt cream though… hey, you neve know!
You crack me up. Thanks for the cute tray idea and a good laugh at the Butt cream
I also very, very much love my dollar store!
Cute idea Chris! You've set the bar high fr yourself now…when I come to visit I am also going to want chocolates on my pillow, flowers in the room and a paper at my door in the morning. What thread count sheets do you have? Hmm…I might need a parking spot for my walker too..by the time I ever meet you we'll be 87! Ha!
Oh, I love the idea of the removeable paper on the bottom in case you want to change it out – and how clever, all of it, to make your guests feel welcome.
I have a couple of those trays too!. What I did was glue four 1 inch wooden balls to the bottom and that made it extra cute with some little feet.
I copied and linked to you today! Thanks for all the inspiration!
Hugs,
Sariah
http://enchantresses3.blogspot.com/2009/07/giant-pair-of-silverware.html
Too, cute!!! and hillarious.
WEll, you are so sweet and i love that little tray… fun times!
your guest will fell so welcomed! great ideas.
LOL! Butt cream….:)
Love you and your hilarious blog!
~Great ideas. 🙂
Hilarious! Darling tray! Any guest would be pleased!
Just like a hotel 🙂 I do this, too, and it is amazing what ends up there when you haven't checked it in awhile!
A guest tray. What fun idea that is…, it looks great!
simple, yet BRILLIANT idea. Oh, how I LOVE guests! (and DIY DAY!)
Tried to read your post to my post teen kids and was laughing so hard I cried. Couldn't read it out loud either! Thanks for a great quickie prep for guests, I always love to have stuff on hand too.
This is a great idea! I am totally adding this to my project list. (Scary list…but this one looks so fun, I have a feeling it is going to trump the projects in line ahead of it.)
HAHA I love it!! You're hilarious 🙂 Butt cream has yet to make it's way into my household but I know the time will come, when we have kids I suppose… I'm a huge dollar store fan, and you have displayed it so perfectly! I also re-did a tray. They're so fun, versatile, and they don't take very long to do so there's some instant gratification when it can be completed in one sitting.
This is such a great idea!! We have a lot of people in and out, so this is def. something I could use! Thanks for sharing! Love your blog 🙂
You are so funny! Thanks for making my day with "throw dollars at them" and "I felt rich so I bought more for my kids". Hahaha. P.S. Love your crafts, too.