Glimmer And Grit

DIY Vintage Milk Can Table Tutorial

2014-04-11T07:03:00.003-07:00

Vintage metal milk cans are so cool. I bought one at a thrift store last year, but after moving it several times I just couldn't find the perfect use for it as is so I decided to try making a table and I'm so excited about how it turned out!

The milk can was originally a light blue and a little rusty. So I cleaned it up and then gave it a quick coat of brown spray paint.

The "table top" or round piece of wood was actually a large lazy susan that came with another table I had in my stash, but had no intention of using so it was the perfect re-purpose.

I just took off the swivel attachments on the bottom, gave it a light sand and cleaned it up. To attach the two pieces, I set the table top on the can, centered it and then used a pencil to trace the underside around the milk can top.

Next, take the table off lightly wet just inside where you traced and along the rim of the milk can then add a light layer of gorilla glue on both, center the table top back on the milk can and use some weights or paint cans to press the two together and seal the bond over night.

Once the glue is completely dry and the two are sealed, I painted everything flat white.

Now, use sand paper to distress the edges of the table and raised portions of the can and finally seal with some clear wax.

The final result is a rustic, unique, super sturdy table that I LOVE!

Super cute and easy! Don't pass up another milk can, find one and make this today.

Enjoy,

Double Chocolate No Flour Cookies

2014-04-07T06:05:00.002-07:00

Happy Monday!!! In my world, it's always a good day for chocolate.. ALWAYS! So I'm sharing with you today a recipe that a friend turned me on to a few weeks ago and our entire family is totally hooked. I've made them 4 times in 2 week, yes we have very well documented chocolate issues!!! But these are so good you probably will too, so sorry in advance!

The original recipe is from this great gluten free site, I tweak it just a little but the original is great too. We are not a gluten free family, but the way I do "food math" I figure if you cut out something not so great for you you can add more chocolate or eat three cookies instead of one! Makes sense right??? Yes, I get whipped cream on my non fat iced latte.. don't judge!

Double Chocolate No Flour Delights

1/2 cup softened butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

(or just dump the whole bag in.. food math remember)

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips, it will be thick just do your best to get it incorporated then mix in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the extra thick chocolate goodness onto a baking sheet, bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes.

Because the dough is so dark it can be hard to tell when these are done so watch them closely, if you over cook they are very brittle.. still delicious just a little messy.

Even at 14 minutes, they are still gooey and easily breakable when you first take them out of the oven, so I like to bake them on parchment paper and just pull the whole paper, cookies and all off the tray to cool. Once they cool and set up a few minutes they stay together perfectly and are AMAZING!

See, chocolate on chocolate to die for "ness". I know that is not a condition, but it should be!

And because of the unsweetened cocoa powder and the semi-sweet chips, these are rich and delicious but not overly sweet.

This recipe makes 18-24 cookies depending on how big you make them. It is quick and easy to whip up when you want something sweet. I now keep an extra large tub of cocoa powder on hand so we always have the few simple ingredients for our new favorite treat!

Enjoy,

Q-Tip ABC Painting

2014-02-24T07:01:00.002-08:00

In our house "school work" is a usually a struggle! My little ones are pre-school age and I'm attempting to get them ready for school myself.. I know I'm nuts!!! My little girl likes learning and asks to do it, my son on the other hand begs to be done, there in lies the struggle! I have to scour the internet and pintrest for new ideas to keep things fun and more like games to keep his interest or it quickly turns into a fight!!! And no one leaves the lesson happy ;)

So I tried something I saw on pinterest, it was just a picture and no link so I'm not sure where it came from, but the idea is great. You use a piece of construction paper to write out the ABC's, you could also do the kids names or whatever you want to work on, then I let the kids pick their color of paint from my stash, gave them a q-tip and a wet wipe in case they smeared any paint and let them go!

They loved it! They were quiet.. which never happens!!!

The were so focused, and very proud to show off their work when they finished.

They had a blast, and were learning a little something too!

If you are looking for a rainy day activity, we have a lot of those, or just another new thing to pull out of your mommy bag of tricks! This is definitely a keeper!

Enjoy,

DIY Play Tea Set

2014-02-21T14:58:00.004-08:00

Even since I made some little felt no sew play tea bags for a little friends birthday, (tutorial here) I have been wanting to do a full tea set for my little girl. I looked all over for cute sets, but they were either cheesy plastic or miniature in size. So I decide to give up on the toy sets and just go with the real thing and she loves it! The best part is the whole things cost only a few dollars!!!

To start, I got these little wood blocks from the craft store, sprayed them with white spray paint, white primer would also work great too because the wood really soaked up the paint. You just spray, let it set a few minutes roll them over and spray some more until all sides are covered. Once the paint was dry I used white spray glitter, found right near the spray paint and repeated the process.

The end result, adorable little sparkly "cubes". I put them in a cute short little mason jar, to keep the lid in the ring I used a little glue to help little hands take it on and off without separating. After all the spray paint they did smell a little strong, so I let them air out a day or two before closing them up in the jar and it worked great!

To keep the tea bags contained I found these little wood boxes at the dollar store and gave them a coat of turquoise paint.

I went a little crazy with my fabric scraps and made tons of tea bags so I painted two.

For the no sew tea bags I used the same method as my previous post (found here), but this time I did half in fabric, half in felt.

The tea pot, came from a thrift store for $2, I just used the same 50 cent bottle of turquoise craft paint to paint the wood handle and knob on the lid to tie it all together.

The cups were .29 cents from the same thrift store. They are heavy and ever when dropped haven't chipped or broken yet, and even if they do for .29 cents I figure I will just go buy a few more. The flowers are just dollar store fake flowers, in an old mason jar and the cloth napkins were her great grandmothers, I didn't have any use for them but it makes me smile that she is having so much fun with something of hers.

The wood tray came with another toy, I think it was instruments last Christmas, it also got a coat of paint.

And ta-dah!!! An adorable, unique tea set ready for hours of fun!

And it looks really cute on her little table in her room! We have "tea" daily, even daddy has become quite the "tea" drinker :) It was so fun to make and cost just a few bucks! Way more fun than a $30 plastic set if you ask me!!!

Hope you love it as much as we do!!!

Enjoy,

No Sew No Tie Tennis Shoe Tutorial

2014-02-20T19:54:00.003-08:00

I LOVE all of the cute little kids tennis shoes, especially the cute slip on converse, but I refuse to pay more for kids shoes than my own!!! Mine are twice as big... how can theirs cost so much? Sorry for the rant, it just bothers me because they grow out of them so fast, so I made my own with hand me down shoes, left over tutu elastic and some hot glue... total cost FREE in my book!

These are two pair of generic converse like canvas shoes my little boy wore once or twice before out growing so they were basically new. I found them in the bottom of a kids clothes bin in the garage and was pretty proud of my hoarding ways, for once it paid off!

Because they were cheap to begin with and they had already served one kid I figured I had nothing to lose so I totally winged it and just started cutting. I removed the laces and pulled the tongue forward, then used an exacto knife to make four small slits toward the other edge of the tongue where it would be hidden by the side of the shoe, just big enough for my elastic to slide thru.

The canvas is thick enough that I didn't have to worry about the holes ripping. I just trimmed the elastic so that it reached the inside toward the sole on each side, put some hot glue on the top all four ends, pressed tight to the inside of the canvas until it cooled and sealed and that's it!

So cute, huh??

From little boy to cute little girl in a couple minutes! But these would work for a little boy too!

She's pretty proud of her new kicks!

She says they make her go super fast! I'm proud that they didn't cost me anything to make :) So does that mean I get an extra pair for me? I did technically "get" her a new pair ;) In my mind craftiness should always be rewarded!!! ALWAYS!

Then again this face is a pretty great reward!

Stay tuned... I used the black pair for her DIY Clown Costume, I know I'm super behind on posting that one, but it is SO worth the wait!

Grab some old tennis shoes and give this a try, I'm going to try some in my size next. Hey, a girl can never have to many shoes!

Enjoy,

Repurposed Window = Rustic Burlap Photo Collage Tutorial

2014-01-28T09:17:00.003-08:00

Getting my family to "sit" for family pictures takes lots of nagging, even more bribing and a pinch of guilt thrown in just to seal the deal. So when it did actually happen I had to find a way to prominently display the pictures, because lets be honest I'm not sure when it will happen again!

Thankfully, I had this old window stashed away in my ever growing pile of treasures and I decided now would be a good time to use it. The window already had great character with lots of white chipping paint from its former life, so I used little cup hooks and picture hanging wire on the back about 1/3 of the way down from the top so I could hang the finished product and then flipped it over.

Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the painting but here's what I did. After wiping down the front and getting rid of the dust and dirt, I lightly sanded the wood to chip off any loose paint then just quickly brushed on a coat of dark brown paint, then a little turquoise and finally some white.

This is meant to look rustic and aged so haphazardly painting it is perfect, I just kept painting and sanding a little in spots until I got the look I wanted. Be creative, there are so many great color combos to try! For this I just used little bottles of craft paint for 59 cents, so it's a cheap, fun way to tie in some new colors without the commitment of buying a gallon of paint!

After the paint was dry and distressed, I cleaned both sides of the glass with windex and then used these inexpensive little photo corners to stick the photos to the window, which you can pick up from the scrap booking section of most stores.

The photo corners are meant to slide on the photo with the sticky side to the back, but for this I flipped the stickers around backwards so the sticky faced the front and then pressed them from the back of the window to the glass.

To finish it off I used a piece of scrap burlap and some thumbtacks to attach it to the back of the window. I was afraid of breaking the glass while hammering or stapling the fabric and the thumb tacks worked great!

The photos look great behind the glass, obviously I am a little biased I sort of love those mugs!!!

Because the photos, which I just printed at Walmart, are attached directly to the glass instead of to the fabric behind, I've had no issues with them falling or slipping out of place.

The window is on my "intial wall" in the living room. It's still a work in progress, but it's getting there. The metal letters and door knobs are from Hobby Lobby. The metal stars I have had for years, I just decided to paint some turquoise on the white ones to tie in the color.

This "W" is a cheap wood letter that I painted with left over paint from the window, added a few antique color upholstery tacks and the stapled on some burlap ribbon to the back, tied it in a bow and hung it on one of the knobs.

It's been a really inexpensive way to fill a big wall in our living room with some personal "art".

We really love how it turned out, I hope you do too! Go grab a window, some paint and a few pictures and make one too ;)

Enjoy,

Kids Art Gallery Wall

2014-01-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I know I'm a little late, but hey better late than never right??? I hope this finds you happy and healthy and enjoying 2014. The holidays were wild and crazy for us, just the way we like it, still somehow time got away from me, hence the lack of posts. But, it's a new year, and with that comes a new dedication to blogging and finally getting caught up on posting all the projects I've been working on. So here goes nothing ;)

When I painted my piano (tutorial here), which was a fabulous messy blast I might add, I needed something to go above it and a kids art gallery seemed like the perfect fit. It was an inexpensive way to fill a large space, it got the "treasures" off of my fridge and the kids are so proud... win, win, win! So here is the quick run down on how I did it.

For the sign I just grabbed a piece of old barn wood from my stash that fit the space, so I settled on this piece which was about 3 ft. long. I was lazy and didn't want to have to cut anything. Working with the stencils I had on hand I used 4 inch letters for the top line, tracing the outline with a pencil and then used slightly smaller 3 inch stick on letters on the bottom.

Then I traced along the edge of the bottom letters as well, removed them and then using a small paint brush and white paint filled in all the letters. I like that the top line is a little bigger and a different font, but you can use whatever stencils you have. Then I lightly sanded the letters to rough them up a bit and then rubbed a dark walnut stain on the entire board, even covering the letters and the outside edges of the wood. The stain works fast so just cover the area and rub it off with a rag, if you want it darker do it a second time but once should be enough. I love how it aged the letter, giving the sign a quick rustic look. I also added a little Annie Sloan dark wax, but that step is totally optional. I use it on almost everything.

The frames I had picked up at a church yard sale for 50 cents a piece over the summer and stashed away in my garage. I grabbed anything with an interesting detail, because once it's painted the frames look amazing. So for this I grabbed a few in different shapes and sizes, took out the glass and backing and painted them. To hang the "art" I just hot glued twine, which you can find in any hardware section or even the dollar store, to the back on most and used a metal clip glued to another to mix it up.

Now you need clothes pins to attach the papers to the twine. I grabbed some of the miniature ones from the office section, which I love to use, but I didn't like how "new" they looked. A great way to fix that is vinegar and steel wool. I've had this old jar of the mix for months and have used it on all kinds of different wood, it's a great thing to keep on hand. To make just fill a jar 3/4 full of vinegar and then throw in a hand full of steel wool, let it sit overnight so it can do its thing and then use it forever. I just give it a good shake and then paint it on the wood.

But, since these are so small I just dropped them in the jar, put the lid back on gave it a few shakes and then fished them back out to dry on a paper towel. It's doesn't take long to give them a great aged look.

Then just hang them up in a pattern that you like and you are done.

Having them over a yellow piano, never hurts either ;)

This was such an easy, inexpensive project and I really am thrilled with how it turned out.

I loved the detail in this small frame and wanted to use it, but I knew it would be too small for "art" so I found this great quote chalkboard image on Google and used it. Messy is always more fun!

Even without my little ones masterpieces I love how the empty frames look.

Twine and clothes pins, in my world you can never go wrong with those two..

no matter which way you string them!

And here it is after the "artists" took creative control of their space!

They are so proud to show off their work to anyone and everyone who walks through the door.

Changing out their work is quick and easy so the "exhibit" never gets old!

Grab some old frames and make one today! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

I Painted A Piano... YELLOW!!! With homemade chalk paint... check out the before and after tutorial

2013-11-14T00:13:00.002-08:00

I know nothing about pianos which I realize is an odd way to start a tutorial about a piano, but to be completely honest and to prove my ideas sometimes do start out as certifiable craziness but somehow, most of the time they work out.. so here goes my confession, I've never owned a piano, in fact I can't play a single song, but when I saw a wood piano painted turquoise about a year ago I knew I "HAD TO HAVE ONE"!!! So I patiently watched the classifieds and craigslist, waited until my husband was overseas (haha), and then this summer I found one... for FREE on craigslist!!!

This old gal, I've named her "Penelope", works great, had recently been tuned and the previous owners whom I'd never met but happen to live just up the road from me, even delivered it all for free, but cosmetically "she" had seen better days.

A couple keys were stuck, the hinges on the top were broken, another piece covering the keys was no longer attached and the board above the foot pedals was missing. But thanks to a you tube video on how to fix stuck keys (where would we be without you tube???), a piece of scrap wood, some sanding, wood fill, more sanding, lots of cleaning and paint... in 24 hours my piano went from junk....

... to a GEM!

Here it is with the broken pieces taken off and wood fill drying in the nooks and crannies that needed some repair. That strange black hose in the corner is my trusty shop vac, it got a workout on this project! I did everything right where it sat in my house, which four big burly men placed there when they took it off the trailer, because I didn't want to mess with moving it.

Once the wood fill was dry and hardened, I carefully took out all the keys, lifting them out one at a time, keeping them in order on my guest bed to make putting everything back properly a little easier, because remember me and piano aren't acquainted!

Next I used my shop vac to suck out ALL the dust, and debris that had fallen under the keys over the years. I found $1.14 in change, 7 hair pins, lots of dust, lint and dirt and a matchbox car... no kidding I have no idea how it go tin there! I'm so glad I took the time to take the keys out and really clean it. I knew this piano was a treasure, but never imagined all that would also come with the deal :)

And as a bonus having the keys out made painting really easy. I know originally I said I wanted a turquoise piano and I do, but because of my furniture painting addiction my house is full and this would only fit in one spot on a wall near my dining room and turquoise just wouldn't work, so instead I went for this great yellow, which these pictures don't do justice... sorry about that. The paint I got at Home Depot for $7 a gallon, it was a mis-tint that someone else didn't want... so I grabbed it! It's a great way to save money on paint if you aren't set on one color.. just ask at the paint counter next time you are there and see what mis-tints they have on hand you might get lucky.

If you have read any of my other blog posts you know I love Annie Sloan Wax, its AMAZING! I've recently stumbled across the most amazing antique store and Annie Sloan distributor in Olympia, Washington, Courtyard Antiques (link here) if you are ever in the Seattle area you have to stop in and check out all the amazing treasures! The fabulously talented owner, Mary, has inspired me to finally take the plunge and work with the Annie Sloan paint, and I'm so excited.. so stay tuned.

But this project I did before meeting her, and because I trying to save money anywhere I could, I made my own chalk paint by mixing one part plaster of paris with warm water until it dissolved and then mixed in three parts paint, stirred again to combine and painted away. The beauty of chalkpaint, no priming, just make sure the surface is wiped clean and paint!

While the first coat was drying I cut a piece of scrap wood we had from another project to fit the empty space in front of the foot pedals and then painted it as well.

After the second coat was dry, I put the keys back in and replaced all the now painted loose wood pieces.

TAH-DAH!!! My now fabulous yellow piano. I can't wait for my kiddos to learn to play, they already love "playing" it.

The art gallery wall is in progress, but I couldn't wait to give you an sneak peak. With the addition of some twine and clips, these recently painted empty frames from my stash will soon be the perfect spot for my kiddos art work. Stay tuned for the tutorial!

But back to the piano, not too shabby for about a buck in paint.. well actually I did find that $1.14 in the keys so I guess I made 14 cents painting this puppy!!!

If you have an old piano or just have a burning desire like me to get one, don't be afraid to paint it and give it a new life. This took me less than 24 hours, and even my husband, who wasn't in the car 15 seconds after getting off a plane before my 4 year old totally ratted me out... "Daddy guess what we got a piano!", good thing he likes it or just tolerates my crazy, either way... PHEW!

So instead of that hand me down being an eye sore, PAINT YOUR PIANO and you will be the envy of all your friends!

Enjoy,

No Sew Felt Play Tea Bag Tutorial

2013-11-11T22:46:00.001-08:00

We got invited to a birthday party for a little friend recently and I found a great play tea set to give her, but I wanted to add a little special handmade something to go with it. I plan to do a tea set for my little munchkin for Christmas and I've been looking at sewn play tea bag ideas, but of course I procrastinated and waited until the last minute for this gift so I totally winged it and tried using felt and gluing them and it turned out so cute!!!

I made these all the same just for efficiency, but you could have fun and use all kinds of colors and combinations. I decided to try to make something close to the look of a real tea bag, so I used cream felt for the bag, dark brown for the tea, red for the tag and heart and some cotton string and hot glue to hold it all together.

First using pinking sheers (you can absolutely use regular scissors but the sheers give the fun zigzags that really make these special) cut a long rectangle for the bag, a small rectangle for the tag and some small pieces for the tea. The key to making these simple play tea bags I found is the combination of using thicker felt (the really thin stuff will show the glue) I bought mine by the sheet at Hobby Lobby for 25 cents and not using too much glue.

Fold the long rectangle in half and put a few pieces of the "tea" in the center, then put a thin line of glue along the three raw edges, quickly set one end of your string in the center and then press the edges together while it cools to make sure the sides seal together. Finally fold the small rectangle in half around the other end of the string, lightly glue the edges and press until cool. If you want, use some of the extra red felt to make a heart and glue it to the front.

I made a dozen or so and put them in a simple paper box from Michael's, with a matching red felt heart glued on the lid.

These turned out so cute, I can hardly wait to make some more for my little "aristocrat" and have our first tea party ASAP :)

If you have a little tea party lover in your life or need a quick gift for one, this could not be easier.

So grab some felt and your glue gun and whip some of these up today!

Enjoy,

Reclaimed Wood Horseshoe Lucky Sign Tutorial

2013-11-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Anytime you can do something with a hunk of old wood, some paint and maybe an old horseshoe thrown in for good measure, I'm in! So when I asked my dad, a horse guy, for some old horseshoes I'm pretty sure he thought I had lost my mind yet again, but because he's used to my crazy ideas he got them for me no questions asked.. well maybe a few questions but long story short he got me the goods and I've been itching to use them ever since. If you don't have a horse or know someone who does, call a local farrier (horseshoer) in the phone book, I'm sure they'll help you out.

My first project with my new stash took only a few minutes and I love it, so the questions about my "NEED" for old horseshoes were well worth it!

To make the sign I used a piece of old barn wood cut to fit the four large letter stencils and the shoe, this picture is actually of another sign I made on a piece of scrap wood because I was so excited about mine I forgot to take pictures. These stencils are just inexpensive paper 4 inch stencils that you can find in any craft section. I love to use paint pens for stencils, but if you have a steady hand a small brush and any color paint you have will work great. I have a caffeine addiction to help facilitate my crafty endeavors and I have the shaky hands to prove it, so the pens are more my speed.

Once the letters were dry I brushed on a layer of this great weathered grey stain over the letters on the sides and back of the board then wiped off the excess. It takes a little extra stain and effort to do the sides and back but I like everything I paint to look nice and finished from all sides. I think you will be glad you took the few extra minutes now to do it.

To finish it off I used sand paper and lightly rubbed over the painted letters, brushed on a little Annie Sloan dark wax to age the paint even more and then nailed on the horseshoe using long black carpet tacks. After a long hunt in Home Depot for the perfect nail, the long carpet nail heads are flat, they look rustic fitting with the sign and they were long enough to go through the shoe and the board but narrow enough to fit in the small holes, just make sure you get the long ones.

Ours is just leaned against the wall on top of a dresser, but a few tap-in claw hooks on the back would make this ready to hang anywhere.

If you do have to cut your board to fit, the stain on the ends also helps hide where the new wood is exposed and no one will know that you didn't just pull this wood off of a 100 year old barn as is.

It's a really cute, unique sign and we love it, and who couldn't use a little extra "Luck" around the house???

Enjoy,

Antique Painted Desk Re-Do

2013-11-03T19:58:00.001-08:00

Once again, I really do feel like a broken record, I'm apologizing again for being a "bad blogger"! I'm so sorry for the lack of posts lately, my hubby surprised us and came home early from a long stretch overseas.. it was the best surprise ever, oh and he didn't have a heart attack when he saw the pile of treasures in our garage.. yet another miracle. Then, I did my first vendor show and despite the paint on nearly everything I own it was a big success and I had a blast, but I worked for weeks getting ready and slacked on blogging. SO stay tuned because I promise some fun tutorials are coming!

But, today I am keeping my end of a promise I made when I shared my new reclaimed wood barn light headboard (tutorial here), that I would also show you the desk next to it that really did go from junk to a jewel!!! SO here goes!

This is the rough diamond I scored at a thrift store this summer for $5. Real wood, dove tailed drawers, lots of character but a few flaws. One of the legs was broken, but in a drawer, a piece of trim was broken but also in a drawer, there was water damage on the top in the middle and two of the rounded leg bottoms had been squared off I'm guessing to fit into or out of its previous home. Not afraid of a little work I brought this baby home, and then procrastinated for 5 months before finally tackling it one warm afternoon :)

First, I used wood glue to reattach the trim and let then tackled the water damage. The top layer of wood was cracked and pulling away from the surface so using a scrapper (or putty knife, anything with a sharp edge) I scraped back any loose pieces. Since the majority of he surface was still good I decided to leave it and try and fill in the gaps.

To do that I used wood fill, it is your friend in refinishing scratched, dinged and damaged wood furniture. I like Elmer's but any brand will work, over fill the gaps so you have something to work with, let it dry and then sand until it is even and smooth. Then I used my trusty little jigsaw to square off the other two legs to match the two that had been cut, sanded and rough spots and wood glued the broken leg back in place.

After everything dust free was wiped clean, I love using my shop vac and baby wipes o do the job, then I sprayed the entire piece with flat black paint, used sand paper to distress the edges and finished with Annie Sloan clear and dark wax. The finishing touch was the addition of the great knobs from Hobby Lobby (bought on a 50% off week) a little bit antique, a little bling, perfect for a girly touch to my side of the room. Adding new knobs really is the best easy trick for updating a piece of furniture, especially if you get them on sale!

This super inexpensive project has been the perfect addition to our bedroom makeover and it serves two purposes, it's now my bedside table and my creative space to keep my computer and hopefully blog more often :)

The chair is actually one I showed you before (tutorial here) I had painted it blue, but once the desk was done it fit perfectly so I took off the seat and used the left over flat black paint from the desk to update the chair. I love it when those kind of things just work out! The idea for the wall piece over the desk came from Pinterest.

I found the huge raw wood frame at a thrift store for $2, painted it black then brushed on a light coat of red like the bed side table I did for the hubby's side (tutorial here) and the letters were purchased at Hobby Lobby also on a 50% off week and then using little nails I hung them right on the wall centered in the frame. The whole piece cost less than $20, not bad for something that covers a huge space!

The bedroom still needs some work, window covering are next on the list, but we really love our rustic western retreat! Hope you do too! Now, go rescue some "rough" treasure today and please let me know how it turns out!!!

Enjoy,

Reclaimed Wood Barn Light Headboard Tutorial

2013-10-08T09:50:00.002-07:00

I've been wanting to update my bedroom for awhile now. My husband is a "guys guy" and he didn't want anything frilly or girly, so when we found our beautiful aztec print "Crossroads" Pendleton Woollen Mills blanket (shop here) it started the design. Ours had a small flaw n a corner so we got it half off!!!

Then I saw this idea on pinterest (link here). I loved the masculine and western touches.

And this is how mine turned out! It is still a work in progress, but I wanted to share the work so far. The big star is obviously the barn wood lighted headboard, I'm really excited with how I turned out and the best part, it cost less than $100 bucks!!!

Instead of nailing boards to the wall I wanted something I could move so I made an over sized headboard. To make the headboard you have to start with a frame. We have a king bed so I just measured the width of the metal frame and used that for the width and then I decided on about 6 feet tall for the height.

To make the base I used 5 (you may only need 4), 2x4's that we had left over from another project, but if you have to buy them they are only about $2 a piece. I used one for each side and two as the cross pieces. Just lay it all out flat, measure your cuts, I used a little jig saw to cut off the excess. Then I used the last 2x4 and cut the shorter center piece, and I had some left over so I made two more short pieces to go at the bottom so there are four legs instead of two (sorry I forgot that picture).

To keep it all together I drilled small pilot holes and then screwed everything down tight. While I had the drill out I also drilled holes in the two outside legs big enough for the bolts to secure it to my metal bed frame.

Now for the wood front. I got these 5 old boards (roughly 11 inches x 7 ft) at an industrial reuse store in my area for $4 a piece and they even cut them for me, but ask around you may be able to find some for free. I love that they are weathered and not perfect, to me the knots and uneven edges give it character. I started the boards about 12 inches from the ground, laid them flat on the frame and once I go everything even I wood glued the boards to the frame.

With a little help from my home gym I weighed down the boards while the glue dried. At least those wights got a little use that day, I did have to carry them across the garage :) These days my "projects" trump pumping iron nearly everyday!

The glue gives a little exra support and helps hold the boards in place while you screw everything together. I put two black wood screws in each board, trying to stay in a pretty straight line up the sides and along the edge of the top and bottom boards.

I also did a row of screws up the middle, basically I wanted to secure the boards anywhere there was a frame piece on the back. I chose the black wood screws because I didn't want the silver screw heads to stand out and just in case my line of screws wasn't super straight, which with my skills was bound to happen I wanted the screws to be hidden in the dark stain.

I did sand the edges just a little to smooth them out, but I didn't worry too much about it being perfectly straight I wanted it to be "rustic".

Now for the color. You could totally leave the boards as is, but I wanted a dark wood, so I used Jacobern stain on a nice sunny day brushing it on and then wiping off any excess.

I tried to get the stain in every crack and crevice including the sides, any place that you might see when it is up against the wall.

You could stop here and be done, but I waned lights because I love these Hampton Bay Zinc barn lights that I found at Home Depot for $19.97 (link here) and it solved the problem of finding bedside lamps. After adjusting a bit I decided on mounting the lights at about 5 ft up or about 3/4 up the boards. If you are really tall and like to sit up and read in bed you may want to mount them in the top board, but this height works for us.

Once you get the spot you want drill a hole in the center for your wires, then secure the bracket and light to the front.

Your three wires should come through the back like this.

If you are handy with electrical things you may have a better solution for how to get this wall fixture to work off an outlet, but after harassing several employees in mulitple electrical departments I came up with this appliance replacement cord.

It cost around 8 dollars (and you'll need two, one for each light) but the wires are already exposed and all you have to do is wist together the coordinating wire in the cord with the wire from the light, cover the wires with a small plastic electrical cap and secure it all with some black electrical tape.

Finally, drag this massive beast (by yourself.. no recommended but hey where there is a will there's a way) into your room and secure with the bolts from your frame. Because our bed is so low and the headboard so tall it leaned out just a little at the top, so I put attached some heavy picture hanging wire to the top of the headboard in he center and secured it to the wall with a screw just for a little extra stability and it works great.

Our outlet behind he bed is not connected to a light switch, plus it's in an awkward place and who wants to crawl behind the bed to unplug the lights??? So I bought this little remote off of amazon (link here) you plug the box it comes with into the outlet, plug the cords from the lights into it and the remote easily turns the lights on and off with the touch of a button. Because of the angle and prongs of the plugs on the cords you may need an adapter too, but still an easy fix!

I love the galvanized lights. I will say I put in some regular light bulbs and the metal did get a little warm after awhile, so I switched to the spiral "fancy" energy efficient bulbs and it solved the problem.

The horns were from my dad, he didn't want them so I totally stole them, cleaned them up and gave them a new home. Stay tuned for more on the desk and MR & MRS sign, you won't believe what that desk looked like before!!!

Our new bedroom still needs some work, but it is getting there! Hope you like it as much as we do!

If you too have been pinning all the barn wood headboards for months like me, bu haven't yet tried it... do it! I did this by myself in one weekend and couldn't be happier with the end result, oh and he hubby liked it too... phew!! :)

Enjoy

Dining Room Chair Re-Do

2013-09-20T20:37:00.001-07:00

I love my farmhouse table and bench (tutorial here) but I've been wanting to add a few more chairs for awhile now. My husband really wanted captains chairs for the ends of the table (something with arm rests), but I had trouble finding just the right fit so when I found these heavy, solid wood chairs at a thrift store we compromised because these were just too cool to pass up. The story was they came as part of a large bunch of furniture from an estate and I happened to walk in just was they were being set out for sale... score one for me!!! I love it when that happens!!!

The floral tapestry seats were not my style, but the rest of the chair was in great shape and had tons of really cool character.

And the best part... after a discount they were $12 a piece, so naturally I bought all four.

After taking out the four corner screws underneath the seat, I popped off the cushion, gave everything a wipe down, lightly sanded a few nicks and dings and then spray painted the entire chair with flat black paint.

Then with a little sand paper I rubbed it along the edges and along the scroll details to lightly distress the wood.

Then a coat of dark Annie Sloan wax, I know I've said this before but this step is really worth the small amount of time it takes to apply. This wax is amazing and really finishes a project, I ALWAYS use it!

I also love how flat black turns out on wood, especially if you plan to distress it. To me something really shiny even if it's distressed just doesn't have that old rustic look I love, but that's just my option paint whatever color and sheen you LOVE.

Now for the seat. For the first one I sat for what seemed like forever with plyers and a flat screwdriver and pulled out every single darn (I would rather use a not so lady like term here) staple on the underside of the seat, it felt like a death sentence and I immediately began questioning my plan to do four chair... maybe one would be good enough??? Not willing to give in to my lazy half, I figured instead I would find a way to work smarter not harder and as you can see by the seats towards to bottom of the stack, instead of taking out the staples I used an exacto knife to cut right up next to those staple, removing the fabric without messing with those awful staples. The little strip of the previous fabric and the one million staples will be under the seat and no one will see it... so don't tell, deal?? :)

For my new seats I chose the always affordable and my go to fabric, canvas drop cloth. For less than ten bucks at Walmart in the paint section you can get a huge drop cloth and have enough for several projects. I love that is has the rustic look of burlap without the messy fuzz or scratchy feel.

To attach I cut four squares larger than the seat, set each seat on the square upside down and using a staple gun and pulling tightly I stapled the down the two opposite sides leaving the corners free, turned and tacked down the two other sides then went back and carefully tucked and folded the corners and stapled them in place as well. I'm no upholstery expert I just pull and tuck until it looks smooth.

To finish flip the cushion back over, set it on the now dry chair and tighten the corner screws.

I love how they turned out!

I put one at each end of the table to go with my other flat black distressed chairs and DIY wood bench and then left the other two alongside my buffet that I painted green last year and adore (tutorial here). It's easy access if we need extra seating or if I get a wild hair and want to move the bench and just use chairs. You never know when I girl might just need a change.

It was such a simple, inexpensive project and I hope it inspires you to tackle a project of your own.

Enjoy,

Reclaimed Wood Topped End Table

2013-09-09T10:45:00.002-07:00

I'm in the process of completely redoing our master bedroom and because of this overhaul, which includes a reclaimed wood headboard (stay tuned ;) and a refinished desk that will serve as my bed side table (tutorial also coming up :) I didn't have room for both the older end tables I had and they no longer seemed to "go" with my new more masculine, rustic, western idea so I went thrifting for an alternative for my husbands side of the bed.

Working with a limited budget I couldn't really find what I wanted so I decided to try to make this $6 wood end table into something that would work. It's solid wood which is what I wanted, pressed board stuff in my opinion just isn't worth the hassle.

The end table is pretty plain, nothing too special about it, but it has potential. The one draw back was a crack in the top. I thought I could just fill the crack and paint over it. But once I got it home I realized the entire crack was actually broken off and nailed back on from the underside. Bummed I figure I would just chalk my mistake up to a $6 loss, but then I looked closer and realized that the top piece was only attached with a few screws so I took out the screws and got rid of it and am so glad!!!! The reclaimed wood I used instead worked so much better and made this "plain jane" piece into something way more interesting and unique. I love it when those mistakes actually work out :)

With the top piece off I spray painted everything black. I like to paint the inside and outside of drawers as well, I think it makes everything look more professional and finished even when you open the drawers instead of just having pretty fronts and a splatter painted mess inside.

Now for the red, this is just some acrylic craft paint that I had on hand and a cheap brush.

Just slap on the red to the drawer fronts and the base, giving it a quick coat. Don't worry about covering all of the black because you want some of the black to show through.

While everything is drying, you can move on to the top.

My friend is remodeling her house and she graciously gave me a couple of old weathered boards. They had great chippy white paint and lots of character so I measure and cut five pieces of the board with my trusty little jig saw, leaving just a little bit extra on each end to hang off the edge. Because the boards widths didn't measure out perfectly across the top I used three pieces in the middle that where the original board width and then the two outside pieces I cut in half to fit. To help hold the boards in place I used a line of wood glue along the top of the end table then placed the boards on top and weighted them down to help the glue seal. After about an hour I used my drill to drill small pilot holes all the way around the edge where the boards and the edge of the table top meet, and then went back and secured the boards to the top with small black screws.

To finish it off, I sanded the edges to even up any spots where my cutting wasn't super straight and then gave everything a quick coat of black craft paint. I had originally thought I would stain the top, or leave the chippy white paint as is, both great options, but for this with the red and black I decided the black would tie everything in, but still give a rustic look and match the great inexpensive knobs I found at Hobby Lobby.

Not too shabby for six bucks and a little paint, huh???

I can't wait to show you the rest of the room re-do... so stay tuned!!!!

In the meantime, go save some tossed aside piece of furniture and make it new again!! It is a pretty great feeling :)

Enjoy,

Homemade Frozen Cookie Dough

2013-09-02T15:57:00.003-07:00

First, thank you to those who have hung with me and this little blog this summer despite my lack of posts. I promise I have been busy with projects! The ever present streak of paint in my hair and on every piece of clothing I own is proof, but after the sanding, painting, messing and wrestling the kiddos, actually blogging about it at the end of the day loses out to sleep every time. But as a thank you and a promise that there are some good projects coming, I thought we should indulge our sweet tooth. I mean there is never a reason not to do that right???

This is no ground breaking idea, but it is one that I never thought to do until a friend recommended it to me and I am hooked. In our house chocolate chip cookies are king!!! They are my hubbies favorite and he seems to always request them at the most random times when that is the last thing I want to do. So when my friend told me she makes a big batch freezes them in pre-measured balls and then always has them on hand I thought... GENIUS!!!

So I did just that, I usually use the basic cookie recipe on the back of the toll-house bag plus lots of extra vanilla, but use any recipe you like. Then use a cookie scoop and portion our your cookies on a sheet tray, packing them in as tightly as possible without touching. Then slide this bad boy into the freezer for a few hours so that the dough starts to freeze in the ball then when you transfer them to zip lock freezer bags they won't stick together.

Finally, put this bag of goodness far back in the freezer, hidden from view so no one finds your stash. Then when your husband wants cookies at 10:30 at night, or your get an intense NEED for chocolate (basically every day in my word) all you have to do is turn on your oven pop a few on a baking sheet, add a couple minutes to your normal baking time and presto you have fresh, delicious, hot, homemade cookies without the dirty dishes.

Another plus, if you only make a few at a time you aren't tempted to eat half a dozen in one sitting like me... on the other hand that oven does re-heat pretty quickly if you decide you NEED just a few more :)

Enjoy,

Under Bed Distressed Drawers Become Rolling Shoe Storage

2013-09-01T21:20:00.005-07:00

As a parent you hope that you instill in your children good qualities, like kindness, honesty, humility, those are still a work in progress in our home, but shoe hoarding seems to be something we've got figured out!! Embarrassing, I know and it is all my fault, but little girls shoes (and big girls for that matter) are so darn cute! But what is not cute is the heap that all those cute little shoes end up in making finding a matching pair in a hurry nearly impossible, so I took an idea I saw on pinterest to reuse old drawers and added a little rustic flare and we LOVE them!

These drawers are left over from the dresser TV stand I made a few months ago (tutorial here). The fronts were already ivory, so I just quickly brushed some off white paint on the rest of the drawers, inside and out.

Since my little girls room is turquoise and red, (or at least that is the end goal if i ever get her bedding finished), I brushed a little turquoise on the fronts and along the top edges of the drawers where I thought I would distress.

Now for the red, I covered all areas with it. But since it's going to get a good distressing this doesn't have to be perfect just slap it on.

For the finishing touches I distressed the drawers with some sand paper, covered them both in dark wax and added some cute star knobs from Hobby Lobby. Finally the wheels, I actually screwed these on before painting just to make sure they would fit under her bed but you could do them at any point. These were the smallest wheels I could find at Home Depot, they are easy to attach with a few small screws. Make sure that you get the fixed wheels not the swivel or caster wheels, just really basic back and forth is all you need.

Pretty cute huh?

Roughed up and rustic just the way we like it.

These drawers solve our shoe storage problem...

they are adorable...

and super easy to get things in and out.

Now my turn to pair down my shoes to fit under my bed. Who am I kidding... like that's ever gonna happen ;)

So while we work on those other far more important things (kindness, honesty, humility.. see above) at least we'll be able to find two shoes that match.

Enjoy,

DIY Milk Crate Window Seat or Individual Stools

2013-08-18T21:43:00.002-07:00

This blog started out as a crazy idea and has turned into such a fun part of my daily life. Now, I'm always on the lookout for new projects, the problem is I am becoming a bit of a junk hoarder! I'm always coming home with new "treasures", it's all contained in our three car garage so to the unsuspecting eye there appears to be no problem, but hit that garage door opener and my secret is out. It looks like a thrift store exploded. My poor husband is away working, so my need to rescue even more junk has gotten out of control.

In an attempt to finally tackle some of these ideas before he gets home and commits me.. I'm forcing myself to finish all the projects I have before taking on any more (we'll see how long that last :). And not only that I have to use the supplies I already have, which is plenty and rather embarrassing, I need to somehow get on a not allowed to enter list at Hobby Lobby, they do that at casinos right?? Why not craft stores???

OK, enough spilling my issues. I found these old milk crates, two wood and one metal at my local antique store. My original plan was to turn then on their sides and make a shelf/cubby for inside my front door, but the inside of these crates has metal dividers that made that idea too hard to accomplish without destroying the cool old crates so there they sat in my garage for months. That is until I saw this tutorial to make a little ottoman. I love the idea but I had three and really needed something for an empty spot in my living room under two large windows.

So I thought pushing three together would make a cute window seat or bench. To get started I used some left over plywood my hubby had from building a shelf in his shop. I cut three pieces as wide as the top of my crate, about 12 inches by 15. Then I centered the board on top and used a marker to trace around the little metal feet to give me a guide of where to cut.

Now, with a drill make a hole inside that mark big enough to fit the blade of your jig saw and then cut out the curved triangle shape of the feet. It took a few tries to get the tops to fit, but eventually they all fit flat against the tops of the crate then I used a palm sander to smooth out the edges of the board and rounded the corners.

Now for the cushion. In the tutorial above, she used a piece of foam which is a great idea. The problem is I didn't have any foam (remember the self imposed moratorium on supplies?) and foam is expensive, but I did have three old throw pillows and I wasn't using and some batting.

I tried to just keep the pillow intact and cover the board, but it felt to "mushroomy" or domed, and the batting made the corners too bulky.

So I ditched the batting and cut off the trim around the pillow removing the thick front of the pillow, laying the exposed filling flat on the top of the plywood, but leaving the tan back of the pillow to hide the white stuffing so you couldn't see it through the burlap.

Then with a staple gun staple on the covering of choice. I used pieces of burlap from an old coffee sack, and some red and white ticking fabric for the other. I'm no expert on upholstery, I just staple one side, then pull the opposite side smooth and tight and secure it, then turn and do the same with the other two sides. Finally, fold and staple the corners and cut off any excess fabric so the top will lay flat on the crate.

I am really excited with how they turned out. The kids think they are the "coolest stools ever" and not only do they fill the empty space and give us some extra seats/foot rests they also don't block the view of our pond that sits just out the window.

Blocking that view is what made filling the spot so difficult, but I think we found a solution.

And I didn't spend any additional money!!! Huge Win!!!

But even if you had to buy the supplies this would still be a pretty inexpensive project. Hope you like it!

Enjoy,

Easy No Sew Bow Workout Tank From Dollar Store Tees

2013-08-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm really, really, really trying to be more consistent about exercising, some days I manage to get it done, but not always so to motivate myself (hey bribery works for my toddlers) I thought why not make a few cute new workout shirts because you never know who might stumble into my garage and actually catch me working out.

I've seen a few of these cut out t-shirt tanks online so I though I would just grab some scissors and wing it!!! I found these two t-shirts at the dollars store, one pink and one really dark grey. For $2 why not give it a whirl, plus who doesn't want to cut up a shirt, stress relief in an instant!

To get a general outline I used another exercise tank as a pattern.

I did the same for the second t-shirt, saving the scrap material for later.

For the back I cut in towards the center from the bottom of each arm hole and then angled back to the top leaving a triangle section in the center. Then cut just around the collar to remove the finished edge. You can make that as deep or as modest as you want.

Now for the bow, take one of the sleeves and cut off the bottom hem and then make another cut about two inches up.

Now, move the side seems of the sleeve to the center and use the hem piece wrapped around the center like a rubber band to form the bow.

Next, use a small strip of left over sleeve and slip it through the center on the back of the bow.

Then, use that small strip to tie the bow to the bottom of the upside down triangle section you left in the back of the tank and finally snip off any excess.

I made two, borrowing a sleeve from the other color to make the contrasting bow.

These took just a few minutes, and only cost $2.

The pink version I kept the front and back necklines higher, and for the dark grey I cut out more of the t-shirt.

Since, the t-shirt won't unravel you don't have to sew anything.

But they are still super cute. There is even plenty of left over material to make another bow or fabric flower to add to the front if you want.

Pretty cute, makes me almost want to exercise....

Tomorrow!! :)

So grab a $1 t-shirt, raid your closet or even better your husband's and make one today!

Enjoy,

Easy Beginner Chunky Crochet Bow Toddler Scarf

2013-08-15T21:57:00.003-07:00

Procrastinating is one of my many useless talents, and while perfecting my craft I saw a little girls scarf on Pinterest, the blog and tutorial (found here) are great but it was a knitting pattern and I don't knit heck I barely crochet... barely. But I still thought it was too cute not to try so instead of exercising, cleaning or doing anything on my long to-do list I decided to make a scarf. It has a bow, so I'm claiming insanity based on sheer cuteness!

My great grandmother taught me a few crochet stitches when I was 10, but I hadn't picked up a hook since that summer until about a year ago, I won't date myself by admitting just how long that has been but it's safe to say it's been AWHILE!

So I watched a few you tube videos and made a few small things, but I've never tried a scarf. I decided dipping my toe into those waters by making a small scarf for my favorite little diva.

And she loves it!!!

I don't know anything about crochet patterns so I just started experimenting. I'm sure there are great patterns out there, but if you are a newbie like me and want to try something simple this is how I did it.. and trust me if I can make it ANYONE can.

For the scarf I chained 11, then turned and double crochet back through the chains, chaining one at the end before turning and double crocheting back the other way. I just went back and forth until I got the length I wanted for my little one, for her it was about 50 rows. Then I single crocheted around the entire edge to finish it off. For the yarn a used a super soft chunk off white yarn (From Walmart) and a J hook. For the bow I used a chunky grey yarn and the same hook. To make that, you just make a rectangle and cinch the center together with yarn to form the bow. For this bow I chained 15 (because I wanted it wider than the scarf) then turned and again double crocheted into each chain, chaining one at the end and continuing to make rows until I liked the size (5 rows) and then finished the edge all the way around with single crochets.

To attach the bow and hold the two sides together, I used the ends of the yarn I tied around the center of the bow and threaded them through the top scarf piece, then pulled those through a small button directly behind the bow.

Because the scarf is so chunky you don't even need a button hole, you just slip it through a stitch in the center of the bottom side of the scarf.

The yarn cost less than $6, pretty cute for a few dollars and a little tv time!

I can hardly wait for fall so my little munchkin can wear it! We really need to get her to break out of her shell... haha!

If you are looking for a cute, easy project this is a definite must try.

PS.. If you are a REAL crochet expert (unlike this super newbie) I welcome any advice :)

Enjoy,

Old School Chalkboard Desk Makeover

2013-08-08T21:15:00.003-07:00

I found this old school desk at a thrift store for a steal ($5) several months ago, it had been poorly painted and since rusted but it had great potential so of course I bought it and it has been sitting in my growing stash ever since. I finally got around to fixing it up a few weeks ago and it turned out even better than I had planned... I love it when that happens! Much better than the alternative, believe me those happen a lot too ;)

I did this project during a nap time, so in the need to rush before my little helpers woke up I didn't take pictures along the way but it was really simple. I wiped down the entire desk with TSP, a great cleaner that you find in the paint section. TSP cuts through grease and grime and is a great tool to use before painting any furniture.

Next, I painted the entire desk including the top with spray primer, I used the reddish brown primer from Krylon instead of the white because red seems to take many coats to actually be red instead of pink when you use white.

Then I spray painted everything in bright red, also from Krylon. Two coats and then I taped off the top and sprayed two coats of spray chalkboard paint because who doesn't love chalkboard??? In my house, anything chalkboard is an instant hit!

Once everything is dry, remove the tape and season the chalkboard top. To do that rub a piece of chalk across the entire top, up and down and then across.

Finally, use your erasers to dust off the chalk and enjoy!

It turned out so cute, it makes me want to go back to school!

My plan was to put this in my little boys room, but it ended up being too big for the spot I had planned so I sold this little gem, and ended up fixing up a second old desk to match it. It's always fun to make things for my family, but since I'm quickly filling every single available space in our house (much to my patient husbands dismay) it is fun to make things for others to enjoy too! I may have to do it a little more ;)

If you have an old desk, or see one don't hesitate to pick it up, with just a little time it could be a real gem too!!!

Enjoy,

$1 Chalkboard Frame Gift Idea

2013-07-30T19:58:00.001-07:00

I had a few of these $1 wood frames from Michael's left over from my scrabble tile father's day frames (tutorial here) so I whipped up another easy gift for the kiddos to give my mom and step-dad. When I made these months ago (again I'm a bad bad blogger but thankfully you are still hanging in there with me), both grandparents wanted an updated picture of the kids to sit on their desks at work and these seemed like the perfect fit.

I sprayed the front, back and the little wood peg that holds it up.. all with spray chalkboard paint. You don't have to spray the back but I like that it looks finished from all sides. Then to "season" don't forget to rub a piece of chalk turned on its side all over the frame, dust that off with an eraser then write whatever you want or even better let the kids write it!! Since mine aren't quite there yet, I gave them a little help, "Grammy" and Grandpa or "Grumpa" as my kids pronounce it loved their frames.

And, in my opinion colored chalk makes everything better :) If you need a quick thank you or just a fun gift these could not be easier.. it took me longer to decide which color chalk to use than to actually make them.

And since it is chalkboard we can change the message with the pictures as we update them. Maybe someday my kids will actually do the writing... but at the rate we are going I'm not holding my breath :)

ENJOY,

Tiny Memorial Wedding Bouquet Frame Tutorial

2013-07-15T09:08:00.004-07:00

This summer I had the honor of being in my cousins wedding, she was a beautiful bride and it was a great day. I knew that I wanted make her a few special things for her big day, but I wasn't sure exactly what that would be, then while scouring pinterest trying to help with wedding ideas I came across a beautiful photo from a wedding where the bride honored a father who had passed away by having a tiny framed photo on her bouquet. I thought it was the sweetest way to remember someone and carry them with you without making other people sad or uncomfortable on such a happy day.

I found these tiny frames in the jewelry making section at Michael's, but how to get the photos that small??? After a little trial and a lot of error I figured it out! I'm sure there are other ways, but this worked really well and you don't have to have any fancy photo editing software.

I have photoshop, but it is way smarter than I am and I usually end up just using Picasa, a free photo editing program. You can download it for here for free, and it automatically transfers any photo you upload to your computer into Picasa for easy editing. From there you can quickly fix colors, crop, brighten and add a bunch of fun effects. We lost my grandmother several years ago, she was the most amazing shopping partner and grandma we were truly blessed, so when I came across this great old photo of her I knew that is the one I wanted to use.

Once you have the photo ready click print, when this pages pops up choose the wallet option in the top left corner under print layout and then go down to printer set up near the bottom left corner and click on it.

Now click on the tab that says page layout.

Then, click on the "By Percentage" circle and change the percentage to fit your frame.

This took a few tries, but for my frames reducing to 20 percent fit the frames perfectly.

Finally click print...

This is the 20% photo printed on regular 4x6 photo paper on my home printer. I used the photo insert that came in the frame as a guide to cut out my picture.

I made two one of our grandmother and one of her brother, so she could carry them both with her.

A little blue ribbon slipped though the loop on the frame gave her "something blue" and was an easy way to attach the frames to her gorgeous bouquet. I'm so happy with how it turned out and more importantly she loved it!!!

If you are looking for a way to honor a loved one at your wedding, this is a great option. Plus, you could also use this same idea to make a photo charm bracelet even if you aren't getting married :)

Enjoy,

Reclaimed Pallet Wood Painted Photo Sign

2013-07-14T20:45:00.005-07:00

I made these fun photo signs for Christmas.. yes I know it is now July, I'm a bad, bad blogger!!! My procrastination and crazy life aside, I set out to make something easy to hold all the random pictures that I send of the kids. Since we don't live in the same town as any of the grandparents I try to send recent pictures of the kids as often as possible so they can see how they are growing. Instead of just stuck on the fridge or propped against something else, these are a easy alternative. They turned out really cute and I think all the grandparents really liked them.

These are just scraps I had left over from a pallet project, but any scraps you have laying around would be perfect. I don't have a fancy cricut machine or special stencils, I just used the cheap paper ones from the craft section at Walmart and grabbed some craft paint in a bunch of different colors while I was there.

To get the distressed look with several colors peaking through just go to town and paint a few different layers. I wanted the sides of the board to match the lettering to tie it all together so I painted the entire board that color first then a few quick layers. I did a black/tan, a light brown/blue/dark brown, a black/tan/red and brown/turquoise. There are so many combinations that would be great, just go with whatever you like!

I did the final layer with the lightest color. This picture makes them look really white, but it was a really light layer.

For the black one I painted on the white and then wiped most of it off to give it a different look. Then I just centered my paper stencils, and used a little painters tape to keep them in place. I spelled out grandkids, but family or memories would be cute too!

To fill in the stencils I used a painters pen, you can also find these near the craft paint and stencils. These are a few bucks and they make stenciling so quick and easy.

Once the paint is dry, rough it up a little with some sand paper.

I also added stars on each end of "grandkids", and some silver upholstery tacks for a little rustic western touch.

I added a simple claw hanger on the back, a piece of twine from the hardware section tied in a knot under the tack in each star gives you a place for the pictures and tiny clothes pins from the office supple sections hold the pictures on. The tiny clips are adorable ad make it so easy to switch out when I flood then with yet another card filled with new photos :)

For a quick, personal gift on a budget with no fancy equipment required, this project is for you!

Enjoy,

DIY Boys Play Kitchen and Bistro

2013-07-05T19:34:00.003-07:00

I'm at it AGAIN!!! I know it's crazy, but after my first play kitchen (tutorial here) and then another smaller version for my niece (tutorial here) a year later, I still had another idea I wanted to try out. My friends little boys love to play with ours when they visit, and usually all four kids end up playing "restaurant" taking turns being the customers and the waiters so I decided it would be the perfect gift. But I wanted to make one that was not girly and more manly for these cool little dudes so I decided a "Boys Bistro" would be the perfect challenge.

To get started I found this old entertainment center on craigslist for $5.

To move this easier when it's done and to help support the play kitchen I added four wheels to the bottom. The wheels I had weren't tall enough so I cheated and used four small pieces of scrap wood screwed to the bottom of the entertainment center to make them tall enough.

Then I took off the bottom right cabinet door and used wood filler to fill in the holes from the screws. The door is moving to the other side to become the "freezer".

The tv area is now going to be the sink and stove top so I used the metal mixing bowl I bought to trace the circle for the sink, and marked the spots for the faucet and the stove knobs (that I got off a broken stove at a local thrift store) and then used my cordless drill to drill holes for each. For the sink I used the hole I drilled just inside my circle as a starting point for my little jig saw to cut out the circle.

This is what it looks like cut out. Because this entertainment center was not solid wood, I painted it first with primer then the turquoise so the paint would stick. Under the sink I painted black for the "oven".

For the "oven" I used a tension rod and a piece of fabric to cover where the "sink" bowel drops down into the shelf area and then used the shelf as the top of the oven and a drawer front from an old end table as the oven door. A couple hinges and a magnetic closure help keep the door closed (some light chain and hooks on the corners are a good idea as well to keep the door from slamming down and breaking).

Under the little curtain is also a perfect spot to store dishes. I got these green cups, plates and bowls as well as some baskets (and a bunch of other accessories) at the dollar store.

For the "fridge" and "freezer" I mounted the other cabinet door that I took off early above it's mate on the left and painted then both with chalk board paint, perfect for the daily special at the bistro!!! Since it's their birthday I thought cake was the perfect first special!

The sink is a large metal mixing bowl and the faucet is a cheap bathroom faucet from Walmart.

The "burners" are no slip coasters from the dollar store that I glued down. I used old mason jars as containers for the utensils and some flowers that along with the salt and pepper shakers all came from the dollar store.

Since it's a "restaurant" I thought they should have menus so last minute I cut up some card stock I had on hand and added some sticker letter to the top of each to spell out menu.

Sticky 3M hooks hold the measuring cups, pot holders and towels on these inside walls.

The same hooks also are perfect on the outside for hanging these cute little khaki kids aprons that I found at JoAnn's for a few bucks.

And no play kitchen is complete without food!! So I got a good mix of play food in a cute basket and used the left over fabric for little matching napkins for the customers!

The last little basket, I put on a shelf over the freezer and filled with an eraser and colored chalk for future "daily specials".

The sign is just a scrap piece of pallet wood that I painted turquoise and then tan. For the letters I used cheap paper stencils and then distressed it all to let some of the turquoise show through and tie in all the khaki towels and curtains.

Behind the sink instead of using a sold piece of bead board like I did on my daughters, I used a long tension rod and two pieces of a drop cloth to make curtain panels and then the last of the green and blue fabric for a little valance.

I hope our little buddies like their "Bistro", it sure was a lot of fun to make.

If you have a little guy in your life, don't hesitate to make a play kitchen for him.. the boys love them just as much as the girls!!! Just call it a "Bistro" and the dads won't fuss too much :)

Enjoy,

Best Chocolate Cake EVER

2013-06-25T15:30:00.004-07:00

I love chocolate!!! I can't deny it, so I freely admit it. My husband on the other hand claims he's not a "sweets guy" but then sneaks into the pantry or freezer for just a "little something sweet" every night! MEN, ughh! It's not fair, how do they eat like that and still look great??? The one time my wonderful hubby will admit he wants something sweet is his birthday and it's always the same request.. chocolate cake with chocolate icing. So for years I have tried different recipes, and while they were all good (I mean it's sugar, butter and chocolate how can they not be?) a little over a year ago I stumbled onto one that with only a few minor tweeks got rave reviews from the "not a sweets guy" and everyone else I've made it for. It's dense, but moist, not overly sweet but so good you will want to lick the plate and sneak a second piece when no one is looking :)

The original recipe is from Ina Garden (Food Network's Barefoot Contessa) here is the link to her recipe. Ina is a stickler for sifting everything and only using fancy specialty store quality ingredients, but I'm not really that picky so I made the cake using good old generic and store bought chocolate and skipped the fuss and it was still fantastic. I also added extra vanilla and a little bit more sugar to the frosting because I used semi sweet chocolate baking squares from the grocery store instead of a fancy bar, but I think the less expensive version is too good to mess with the other :)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup hot coffee

In your electric mixer or large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on low slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, then slowly pour in the hot coffee just to combine. Pour the batter into two greased and floured round pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

For the icing beat two sticks of room temperature butter on medium high for a few minutes until fluffy, then add one egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat another three minutes. Now with mixer on low, slowly add 2 cups of confectioners sugar scrapping down the sides of the mixing bowl to make sure it is all combined. Next, dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee crystals in 2 teaspoons of hot tap water. Finally add the coffee and 6 ounces (or 6 squares) of melted semi sweet baking chocolate (using a bowl over boiling water works best so you don't scorch the chocolate or a microwave if you do it slow and be very careful) into the other ingredients.

I'm no baking expert and as you can see my cake decorating skills or lack there of are pretty sad, but it still tastes AMAZING!!! Thankfully, that makes up for my poor presentation, or at least I hope so ;)

Enjoy,