Reflections on a bathroom mirror

Anyone who has tried to take a photo of a mirror knows that unless you're a vampire, you have a tough time getting just the right angle so you or your camera does not appear in the mirror.

But that's not why there will be no photo of my new bathroom vanity mirror to accompany this blog.

And it's not because it arrived broken despite some dire warnings from reviewers on the Wayfair website that it took numerous shipments before they received this particular mirror intact. I think that in the last few months, they must have resolved any packing and shipping problems. My mirror appears to be in perfect condition.

It is not because I'm not as pleased with the quality of my mirror as the evil queen in Snow White was with hers. While I doubt it will tell me I'm the fairest in the land, for what I paid it's still a rare gem. It would have been fully acceptable at the sale price for which it was offered - $57.99 - but I got it for $7.99 with a $50 gift card from Wayfair. The $50 was their thanks for my feedback on a previous purchase. Shipping, by the way, was free.

I'm not withholding a photo because the mirror doesn't fit, either aesthetically or functionally, in the space. I measured it just right, and its silver frame coordinates perfectly with the brushed nickel fixture above it.

Nor is this blog photo-less due to a lack of proper hardware, tools, or help to hang the mirror. I have the proper tools and my BFF to do the heavy lifting if I can't hold it up or reach. The mirror actually is equipped with the hardware to hang it either vertically or horizontally. I have a handy smartphone app to level it.

I also have a camera and the ability to download the photo to my computer, so no excuses there, either.

Left hanging?

The reason is that the mirror isn't hung, and it isn't hung because when we removed the builder's mirror from above the vanity, the wall needed to be repaired where the mirror was secured just above the backsplash. BFF painstakingly re-textured it to match the texture on the rest of the wall and painted over it. But she was in a hurry and the texture did not have a chance to fully dry. When she removed the masking tape, it peeled the paint off with it.

When the mirror arrived, she hadn't had a chance to finish repairing the peeling wall. She wanted to let the second texture job fully dry before repainting it again. So the wall is waiting for paint before I can hang the pretty mirror I bought for $7.99 to give the vanity a touch of class.

Some plans, no matter how smoothly they seem to be going, take a little extra time to come to fruition. One thing I'm learning about DIY remodeling on a tight budget -- deciding on the décor and finding the materials at a price I can afford takes patience. So does the execution. Sometimes it's three steps forward and two steps back.

When I do finally get the mirror on the wall, I might not recognize the woman I see. She has a few more wisdom lines.