Lady Goats

FAQ: "What's that on Your Daughter's Face"?

2013-05-10T09:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know that a LOT of people have noticed, but I get asked this question quite a bit.

When I post photos of Baby Goats, it always crosses my mind that someone's going to ask..

"What's that on your daughter's face?"

It's a hemangioma. We call it her "spot", and I love it.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about what a hemangioma is (you can Wikipedia that if you really wanna know), but in short, it's a growth that usually happens in young children that fades during their early years.

When she was younger, her "spot" was really dark and shiny. It was raised a little, too, so she just had a big, red bump on her face.

People would usually say something along the lines of, "Oh, ow, she really scratched herself" and young children seemed really concerned about her "owie".

As she's gotten older, it's faded slowly but surely.

There have been times that I've tried to get rid of it prematurely (thanks to the power of Photoshop).

But then she just doesn't look like her.

As it fades, I realize more and more how I love her spot and, shall I say? I'm probably going to miss it!

I make sure that I kiss it, along with her nose, forehead, chin and cheeks. It's a part of her, just like her big, brown eyes!

And don't worry. It doesn't hurt!

Stain/Finishing Review and GIVEAWAY!

2013-05-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

There's some exciting stuff! So exciting that I get to post twice today!

You guys remember when I mentioned that I was reviewing a stain when I revealed the collapsible potting bench?

Well, it's also the same brand of stain that I used on the book caddy.

These are high-end finishes from Italy that are low VOC and made mostly from natural sources, as far as I've noticed. You can check out the products here, but I will link to the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

I want to start with the Pareo line, which is an outdoor stain.

I've been on the search for a good outdoor stain since I built my cedar shed over a year ago. And this one? I love it.

I chose to sample "medium oak" and after reading the directions, made sure to sand the surface to 120 grit.

After wiping all of the sanding dust off with a tack cloth, Baby Goats and I sat in the garage and stained the boards individually, to make sure that they were protected all around from the elements.

I was running low on stain towards the end, so I didn't cover the bottom of all of the boards, but I figured that I could get them covered with the second step, so I wasn't too worried.

The stain went on really easily. It was thicker than a water-based stain but not nearly as thick as a gel-stain. The instructions said to allow a few minutes for it to penetrate before wiping it, so I would do one "area" at a time and then wipe down the previous "area".

It also didn't make me feel like I'd taken a few too many Benadryls.

Let me explain!

I am really affected by the fumes finishing supplies give off. Even low VOC paints make me feel "off" for the rest of the day. With these, I still stained with an open garage door for good ventilation, but the fumes didn't affect me. They were so uninvasive that I felt okay letting Baby Goats help me!

This was a huge step from my other outdoor staining experiences, which left me light-headed and feeling awful, even when doing them completely outdoors.

Instructions say to do at least 3 coats of the finishing product on soft woods, so I made it a point to do just that. On the third coat, however, it seemed that the oil didn't sink in in some areas and it was tacky when wiping it off, so I don't think I could've gotten a fourth coat in if I wanted to!

It was also fairly easy to clean up, came off the brush with mineral spirits and Dawn.

Now, with all of the praises that I've given, I do want to say that there was something about this that I just did. not. enjoy.

The WAIT!

The instructions say to wait 12 hours between coats.

It killed me. This, coming from the girl that uses one brand of spray paint because it specifically says to recoat within an hour.

Fortunately I was able to get two coats in a day, but with two coats of staining and three coats of finishing, it took three days to get this finished.

All in all, will I buy this?

YES!

Now, let's talk about the Uno/Secondo line!

This is a line that's meant for indoor use and is said to be durable enough for hardwood flooring. It is also made from natural materials and says that it lets the wood breathe.

I chose to use this on the book caddy that I posted earlier today, and it was quite a different experience from the Pareo (outdoor) line.

The first thing I noticed was that there wasn't a wood conditioner available on the website. Having had such a great experience with the potting table, I figured I'd just dive right in and use it. I'd recommend that, if you do use this, you do find a good wood conditioner to use with it.

This time, the instructions say to let the stain sit for at least 5 minutes, but no more than 15.

When it got close to the 15 minute mark, it was extremely difficult to wipe the stain off as it was really sticky. I was able to let it sit for just over 5 minutes and wipe it off with ease, but I had to pay close attention to which part I had stained and how long it was sitting there. This was in 70-80 degree temps with relatively low humidity.

I couldn't find instructions on a second coat (whether or not to do one, how long to wait, etc.), so I did a second coat and didn't notice much difference. It didn't deepen/darken the color at all, so I love that it's a one-coat application.

The Secondo (or clear coat) had similar instructions to the Uno (if you can read through the stain). But you know what? The smell reminded me of bananas!

I was unable to find #000000 steel wool, but I found #00000 and used that between coats. I LOVE the silky smooth finish and that the sheen isn't super glossy. It's a nice satin that your finger just slides over.

Two things about this one that I wasn't in love with.

The wait.

24 hours between coats.

It killed me.

I also didn't find that it was as easy to clean as the Pareo line. I know it's supposed to be more durable, so that may have definitely affected it, but it was something that I noticed.

All in all, will I buy this?

It's doubtful.

I wouldn't question it if I had to refinish some built-ins that I couldn't get outside (the durability *and* low VOC paired with the natural oils make it attractive). But, even with the green aspect of it, it just didn't exceed expectations enough to justify the cost to me.

But hey! There's a giveaway!

Go here to enter for a chance to win a $75 gift certificate good for the finishing oils of your choice! If you try them, let me know which you're gonna pick and the end results. I'd love to know other people's experiences with this line!

* I was provided with a sample of the product to use to write this review, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Worm

2013-05-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have play room problems.

Y'see... Baby Goats loves books. That's not a problem at all, obviously, but I just think that the act of putting books back properly isn't a skill a lot of toddlers have.

So books were just left out.

To cure this, I bought this amazing basket on clearance at HomeGoods to hold the books!

($7, Baby!)

But then she couldn't find a specific book, and we'd end up back where we started.

Source

Bring in the Land of Nod book caddy.

I've been eyeing this for a while, but never knew if it would work for us. After the basket idea failed, I figured I'd just go for it and then asked Ana White if she happened to have plans drawn up.

She did.

Who's surprised?

Nobody? Yeah, I wasn't either.

So I trotted my happy little bum to get wood and got to buildin'!

As always, Ana's plans are brilliant in their simplicity, so they're really easy to follow. She suggests that we don't cut the rounded edges until after the sides are built, and I loved that! I'd also suggest that you mark where the shelf boards are going to go before cutting them, too. That way they're even, based on the square corner, instead of measuring from a cut/sanded rounded corner that could vary from the others.

I used a random shot glass that I found as a template for the round corners.

And cut it out with my jig saw.

To hide the pocket hole screws, I drilled them into the narrow sides of the boards and made sure to point those downward.

That was a little tricky with the angled boards dividing the legs, but I made it work by using my kreg mini and having it sit outside the edge of the board by just under 1/4" (with 3/4" stock it's supposed to sit flush).

Of course I didn't take pictures of this, so you'll just have to trust me ;-)

What I did take pictures of was the finished product.

Along with the stain I tested for a product review.

I really love how it turned out.

And now that it has books in it, no one's asking if I'm doing a Nativity scene in the middle of Spring....

Baby Goats seems to love it, too.

But not as much as she loves to make stink faces at me for taking pictures of her while she's "reading"....

We get to see if this solves our playroom problems, and so far, it's looking hopeful! I have to thank Ana White for having these plans waiting to be built! Go check 'em out here!

It's Too Hot for This.

2013-05-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

** If you like the finish on this piece, I currently have a giveaway running! Click here to enter, or click here for the product review **

The big kid decided one day, not so long ago, that she was going to have a green thumb.

There was no question! It was, "Mom, I'm gonna have a green thumb and we're gonna have a big garden. I know it's a lot of work, but I can do it!"

Eyes, wide.

Face, sincere.

So I scoffed and walked out of the room muttering something along the lines of, "Yeah, ok! And WHO'S going to pay for this big garden?"

Y'know. What any normal parent does. (right? please don't make me feel bad about myself!)

But then we bought seeds for her, planting them and figuring they'd die any given day.

They haven't. She actually does seem to have a green thumb, but our area for a "garden" is pretty sad. Raised garden beds are on my to-do list for the back yard, but... Well... I have a long to-do list!

Did I ever tell you guys about the first thing I've ever built..?

I have a building anniversary. It's the day after these plans were published. And I made it with a protractor I found online and a jig saw. Oh, and not a single screw in there matches because they're all ones I found in Mr. Goats' toolbox.

Sorry, back to my story. The garden area. Sad. We used my first build. But her hard work made me want to give her a place to do her container gardening.

And then I saw this collapsible potting table on HGTV's facebook page and decided that I HAD to have it.

So I pinned it and then figured it would get tacked into my long mommy-do list.

But it nagged me to see the kid working on the crappy table, and the Pinterest Challenge was coming up! So I figured it out.

source

I absolutely love it as-is, but wanted it bigger so that, if we have guests over, I could turn it into an area to put snacks, dinnerware, napkins and drinks. And I figured that the potted plants would "live" on the tabletop until I moved it anyway..

So I came up with a plan.

And about $30 later, it was built!

Wait, did I tell you it was collapsible?

If my Lowe's had straight 1x6s, the legs and bottom shelf would fit completely inside the table top! Since they didn't, I had to use a 1x4, but it still totally holds everything, and I'm thinking a bungee cord across the top (err, bottom?) will keep everything in for transport/storage.

This is especially great for people who have an "off" season and need to store everything.

Not that I know anything about that. Outdoors is accessed year-round in the desert, except the first few triple digit days where everyone's in complete shock and wondering exactly why they still live here.

Or that may just be me.

I wanted so badly to stage this for a BBQ or cocktail hour in photos, but I don't want to go outside.

It's too hot for this.

So here's what you're getting ;-)

Starting with a fully assembled table, you remove the top. Then the bottom shelf comes off and the legs fold accordion-style to tuck neatly into the top.

And then you do the opposite to put it back together! (actually, I lied, I like to unfold the legs and then put the top on first. It just makes everything easier.)

The opening on top is sized to accommodate (I never realized that word had two "m"s) this painters tray (the big kid's favorite color is blue, so of course that's what she chose!), or two of these plastic containers (which I thought would be deep enough to store juice boxes/condiments + ice).

I've seen anything from litter boxes to diagonally cut boards used as potting trays, so the possibilities are endless!

You know what isn't just a possibility, but a necessity?

The heart.

It has to happen.

I get to tell you about this great outdoor stain I used in a few days. I'll also share plans for the bench. *update: bench plans are posted here*

I hope you love it as much as I do :-)

The Bench Bone's Connected to the...

2013-04-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

Trellis bone!

Tell me that you love the random crap that gets stuck in my head.

Ahhh, the joys of parenting a young'un.

Onto a more trellisy subject.

BAM!

That's one way of getting onto a subject.

Another would be to start at the beginning.

But I'm not that kinda gal....

Actually, I'll try to be. In the beginning, there was a finished bench. That finished bench inspired it's creator. It's creator created trellises from a 2x4.

Ok, ok. I'm done joking around. You cannot believe the chocolate-induced fit I'm in right now. I'll try to push through it.

For you.

The trellises were, in fact, inspired by the bench and created with a single 2x4. But the trellises aren't the only part of this build. If you follow me on Facebook, you'll have already seen my adorbs planters.

They were built entirely from scraps (read about it on my Facebook page). Those were just the beginning (maybe I do start at the beginning?!). After I got the know-how to build the basketweave pattern (from my bench build), I was able to tackle the trellises fairly easily. If you have mediocre wood-working skills (and use this as a guide), you'll be able to make your trellises from this wooden sketch.

That's my cut list. *Warning* Wood-talking babble until the next asterisk! One thing to note (if you do decide you want to build this) is that, for this specific cut list, the big squares are 12 1/2" wide by 12 1/4" tall (I mis-measured, apparently, and didn't make a perfect square).

The wood for this measures 3/8" x 3/4" (I cut a 2x4 into four 1x2s and then ripped three of those into these-sized strips), and the 3/4" is the measurement you see from the front. If you want to build something like this, you could definitely do it from three 1x2s, making sure the thin part is what's facing the front of the trellis. **

This was actually the 6 foot 2x4 that was my first-attempt failure here.

It's grateful for second chances. I asked.

So I got all four pieces built in two days and found an amazing blue exterior paint in the OOPS bin at Lowe's.

And came up with these.

Ultimately, I want to use these for cucumber vines, but in the meantime..

I have thorny pink pixie bougainvilleas. We actually removed a 20 year old bougainvillea bush from our front yard because it had waaay too many thorns, but since they are slow-growing bushes that I've seen be trained to a trellis, I figured I'd give them another chance.

But if they suck, I'm breaking up with them for good.

My favorite thing about them is how their colors go with the blue in the trellis.

Maybe that's the reason I gave them another chance.

Have you had any bougainvilleas? Did you tolerate the thorns because of their super pink-ness? Or were they dumped after the first date?

Y'know what? I changed my mind. My favorite part of this was that they were FREE!

Operation Organize Garage: Show Me Your Rack

2013-04-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

We're going back to the garage to finish a few things up today!

Contain your enthusiasm.

For those of you that haven't been around for my garage organizations "series" (can I call it that?), let me show you my to-do list.

~~Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.~~ done here

~~Build a lumber storage rack~~ read about that here

Figure out bike organization

~~Create a mud room system along the right wall~~ (check it out here)

~~Move metal shelving to back wall~~ pics to come!

~~Create yard tool organization~~ done here

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

Let's talk bike racks. I showed my inspiration in this post, and have to tell you that I feel kinda lame for taking so long to get this done.

But done it is!

This is a mucho simplified version of what I was picturing (I was hopeful to create two bike racks at an angle to be able to fit both in that space), but I think I often make things more difficult than they need to be.

Wanna see how simple it is?

It's two 2x4s and a few over-the-door hooks.

Let me tell you that this wasn't exactly a first-try success, though.

My first attempt turned out like this.

I made it 6 feet tall the first time around, but that didn't allow for enough room between the bikes (and my first hooks didn't work!). So I just took the tall board off and put a full-length stud in it's place. Sure, I could've probably cut a foot off of it, but... I'm lazy!

And with this, all of the non-far fetched items on my to-do list are checked off!!!!

Tell me about your organizing adventures? Can you get into your garage? Is it perfectly organized with pegboard on every wall surface and nothing on the floor? If it is, I don't wanna hear about it ;-)

Building a Birdy House

2013-04-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

Anyone with kids that are obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is going to have a song stuck in their heads.

For that, I am truly sorry.

But if you don't, we'll just continue onto the actual building of birdy houses.

These ones, to be exact.

When Ana White posted her plans for the Bird House Kit, the Big Kid and her best friend asked if they could build it.

How can you say no to that?!

I had three kits cut the next day.

To make this more "building" for them than just gluing pieces together, I thought I'd make it like the Lowe's Build and Grow kits and predrill all of the holes so that they could hammer the nails in themselves.

That's a 1/16th bit set to go through the "outer" board and barely into the inside board. It guides the nail into the board and allows it to go in more easily without the boards wiggling out of place.

Unfortunately I ran out of brad nails so most of those predrilled holes were useless. We just ended up using the nail gun, and you know what?

They.

Loved.

It.

Forget my near heart attack.

The only one available to photograph a kid using the nail gun was another kid (I had one hand on the nail gun at all times), so you'll just have to trust me on that..

Ohhh boy, were they thrilled?

I've tried to explain that the birdhouses are probably only going to be decorative (they're too small for many of the local birds to fit), but that hasn't stopped them from dreaming up future inhabitants.

The Big Kid is seven, and I feel now like she's more than capable of simple builds, and this definitely helped her confidence.

You'll be seeing a lot more of her ;-)

Benched

2013-04-03T11:15:00.002-07:00

Phew!

I think I'm officially over my Spring Fever.

Actually, I think that I'm really loving Spring so far, and sitting outside while the girls play in our freshly planted grass is amazing, but.. I really needed somewhere to sit!

While browsing Pinterest, I was led to this adorable little bench.

source

Which may have only caught my eye because it's blue, but I was quickly obsessed!

Upon further research, I found that Home Depot sells a similar bench, but I wasn't sold on it. Or it's $255 [clearance] price tag.

source

Also, it was just too wide for our teeny yard.

So what's a girl to do?

Email Ana White and ask her to draw up plans for the perfect bench, of course!

Which she did.

And I built it.

And it's perfect.

For just under $30 (I used stud-grade 2x4s and spruce furring strips with an outdoor stain/sealer).

If you know me, you'll know that I wanted to paint this blue (actually, you would know that if you follow me on Twitter, too). Mr. Goats wanted it stained, so the deal was that I would stain it, but if I hated it, I could paint it.

Well, the stain's growing on me.

It's the same stain that I used for my shed. Unfortunately I spilled the can of stain all over myself before I could finish assembling the bench (staining before assembly is a MUST with this kind of woodwork!) so I couldn't add a support beam between the legs (without going and spending $25 more on stain that I won't use again). Fortunately, the bench is SOLID, so I don't feel like it's immediately necessary.

Maybe I'll add it when I paint the bench blue ;-)

Oh, and let me tell you, this was surprisingly easy to build! Yes, there are a lot of cuts, but it was really, really easy. The part that seems to throw most people off is the back legs.

I just marked the transition line and traced a 2x2.

Done! Seriously, it's super simple. The not-so-simple part is the cutting, but it's not that bad.

Cut it with a circular saw and finish up that small portion the circular can't get with a jig saw.

Or, if you have steady hands, you can do it all with a jig saw.

And you have major bragging rights.

The back really isn't bad. I promise :-)

And the effort totally pays off..

It adds a ton to the look and comfort of the bench.

Head over to Ana's site to see just how easy the bench is!

In the meantime, I'll just be outside sippin' some sweet tea.

Yuuummmmmm...

So what are your outdoor furnishings? Any Springtime additions? Do share!

Right Now.

2013-04-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is the view from my computer.

Can you see it?

Here, let me get a little closer.

What is that GREEN stuff?

Ok, you get it. We have grass. But it's so much more exciting than just "we have grass."

It's more like,

"We have GRASS!!!"

Ok, that doesn't paint a colorful enough picture.

Start it at 0:22. That excitement? Yeah, that's it...

Seriously, I haven't shown you guys my backyard much for a reason... And it pained me each time I've had to.

This swing transformation photo was particularly painful because it shows a large span of the yard, all the rocks/weeds/spray paint and overall neglect (see the before/after of the now-beautiful child's swing here). We never used the back yard because the rocks were so painful to walk on and it was just so unappealing.

But it's Spring! And Mr. Goats promised me that he'd get rid of all of the rocks by Spring, but he exceeded his promise and got me grass.

So you know what we did?

For the first time in our 3 years here, we had an outdoor easter egg hunt!

Now, let me tell you a few things out our backyard. If you follow me in facebook or twitter, you heard about finding pavers 8-10" into the rocks/dirt, but there's so much more to it. What we think happened was that the previous owners of this house (who were the original owners) started out with river rock in their back yard, they covered it with a few inches of dirt (along with the pavers that were already laid) and then later added mucho inches of crushed granite. So Mr. Goats took out as much as he could, but when he rototilled the dirt, he amassed more rocks/pavers. It was a huge mess. So this is quite a feat, I should say!

We only added a small section of grass (15' x 15' at the widest points) and were able to tap into the watering system the previous owners had installed to add sprinklers, so this should be little maintenance. Or... much less maintenance than a full backyard of grass!

To fill out the rest of the yard and make it entertaining-friendly, I drew a very sophisticated "plan".

You're allowed to laugh.

When you're finished laughing, here's a version that I hope better explains it ;-)

This is the preliminary plan. We've got an idea on which type of paver we'll be using for the patio, but nothing set in stone (pun ~~may or may~~ not be intended ;-)). Other than that huge project, everything else should be simple. We'll plant a citrus or two (not sure if two'll fit. Unfortunately my drawing isn't to scale), build a couple raised garden beds (and irrigate them now that we know how cheap/easy it is!) and build a retaining wall to hold some greens.

I don't want to plant too many plants because I do live in the desert and am very aware of our drought and the crazy politics concerning our water distribution, but I'll selfishly plant a few to make the yard appealing.

In the mean time, I have to convince Mr. Goats that building a pergola over the paver patio is a good idea. Anyone have suggestions on how to argue with him about that?

How's your Spring coming along?! Any fun outdoor activities for you?

It's About That Time..

2013-03-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

Do you guys remember last year, when I got Spring Fever?

At least that's how I diagnosed myself.

Which was cured by sewing some spring-time skirts

And then resulted in my building of a shed...?

Well, I think I've got it again.

And for some reason, taking pictures of bees symbolizes that...

So, I'm sorry I haven't been around. I don't plan on being around for a tad longer.

I don't plan on building any other structures, but after this goes away, I've got another outdoorsy thing planned.

Forgive my absence.

Please :-)

Operation Organize Garage: What a Tool

2013-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Had a garage sale over the weekend.

Still can't show you my entire garage...

There are boxes the size of the kids' rooms in there.

Don't ask.

I'll tell you what you CAN ask about, though!

My garage to-do list!

~~Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.~~ done here

~~Build a lumber storage rack~~ read about that here

Figure out bike organization (plans mentioned here)

~~Create a mud room system along the right wall~~ (check it out here)

~~Move metal shelving to back wall~~ pics to come!

~~Create yard tool organization~~

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

Are you seein' what I'm seein'?

Because I'm seein' a nearly completed list!

I'd mentioned here that I wanted to take ideas from two retail yard tool organizers to DIY my own. As you can tell, I got most of the [p]inspiration from this guy.

source

with a few mods...

To figure out where to begin, I drew up a design in Sketch Up

The plan was to have PVC pipes on the front and back to hold tools for quicker access. I also didn't want the dividing boards placed on top of each other, like in the inspiration photo, so I figured out how to make a "dado" cut without a dado blade on the table saw.

I figured out where I wanted the boards to intersect quite strategically..

By eyeing it and tracing them with a colored pencil... ;-) (if you're wondering, I am a good chess player...)

Then I had to figure out how to accurately set the depth of my table saw.

Since a 1x2 is 1 1/2" wide, I marked a scrap at 3/4" (half of the 1x2) and clamped it to the fence of my table saw, with the blade completely lowered. Then I turned on the blade and slowly raised it until I saw the cut reach the mark I'd made.

Then I clamped my pieces together and ran them over the blade between the marks I'd made earlier.

Be careful when you do this - those little "shards" can become projectiles. The remaining wood pieces can be removed with a chisel, or probably even a flat head screwdriver and a hammer or mallet.

Dry-fit the pieces...

Get excited because, for your first time, you did pretty frickin' amazing (this step is optional - especially if you notice that the fit closest to us is a hair off).

Glue and nail everything together.

Then forget to take any pictures until you're finished.

Oh, is that just me...?

Crap!

After everything was put together, I realized that I only had enough room on the front for the push broom. Totally fine, especially since it meant that I only had to cut one PVC pipe.

I'm pretty sure this is a 1" PVC pipe, and I cut out a 1/2" chunk on the front.

Drilled into the back...

And screwed it into the middle of the dividers.

I also added a hook on the side for quick access to the dustpan.

Oh, wait! Did I show you the "before" yet? ~~Don't most people do that BEFORE showing the after?~~

See way over on the right? How the tools are sitting haphazardly in a Lowe's bucket?

Look, you can see better here...

Behind the kid.

Yes, that big mess...

Now it's all cleaned up and organized (because we're ignoring all the crap to the right of it for now ;-)).

WOO HOO! The garage is nearly organized!

How's your organization coming along?!

Let's Discuss

2013-02-22T07:57:00.001-08:00

I'm floored by everyone's feedback on the mudroom. Thank you! I'm pretty darned thrilled with it...

Let me paste something that I'd emailed to Ana about this, that I think says all that I can say about it,

"What I love most about this project is that it's just 4 boxes. Four boxes from three sheets of plywood that add seating, storage, accessibility, function (and, of course, style) to my home. This project came in at just under $200 (yes, that includes hardware and paint!) and I spent probably between 10-12 hours putting it all together. "

I tend not to go into a lot of detail on my builds because I feel that the details are covered in the plans and that I'm just being redundant. With that said, I've noticed that a lot of you guys have had a lot of the same questions, so let's talk about it!

Paint Color

I wish I knew as much as you guys do! I found a Valspar Paint + Primer in the OOPS bin at Lowe's.

Door Grooves

The plans call for you to cut 1/8" deep grooves with a circular saw. I do not have steady hands. If I had cut those with a circular saw, we'd be seeing Dr. Seuss-like squiggles in the doors.

I removed all blade guards and the anti-kickback device from my table saw (not recommended!), set the blade to 1/8" and set my fence at 5 1/4". I made one pass on the table saw, rotated the door 180 degrees and made a second pass.

It's probably better if you use a circular saw...

Hardware

These are actually supposed to be for windows!

Umm... WHOOPS!

I got these from Lowe's for about $3.50/each. When I was looking for hardware for these doors, I wanted to have the option to not have shelves inside without the doors being pushed in, and also wanted a way to prevent the doors from swinging open into the side of the car. Sure, I could've gotten a door "catch", but that, plus a pretty knob, would've been more expensive (and not nearly as cool!).

Misc.

I used three sheets of plywood for this. There was enough lumber for the frame and one shelf with the three sheets. Luckily I have a on of scraps, so was able to put together a few more shelves, but keep that in mind if you don't have scraps and need to buy more lumber.

Cut Layout

All three sheets were cut into three 15 3/4" strips (referred to as 1x16s in the plans). I didn't figure out the 1x3 cuts because I had a ton of scraps so I used those. But I think for the whole system you'll need two 1x3s.

Well, I think that's it! How weird do you think it is that I used window hardware for my doors?

You know what? Don't answer that..!

Operation Organize Garage: Mudroom Mania

2013-02-20T05:47:00.000-08:00

You guys know how I occasionally get super giddy about something that you probably think, "Yeah..? And..?" about?

Well, I'm super giddy! And if you think, "Yeah..? And..?" about this, then you're more than welcome to come back later.

Because this is freaking exciting!

In my attempt to bring more order to my garage, I created a lazy-girl's to-do list

~~Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.~~ done here

~~Build a lumber storage rack~~ read about that here

Figure out bike organization (plans mentioned here)

~~Create a mud room system along the right wall~~

~~Move metal shelving to back wall~~ pics to come!

Create yard tool organization (plans mentioned here)

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

Let's just get that mud room item checked off, thank you!

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I'd asked Ana White to draw up the plans for me, and oh boy, did she deliver?! This plan was a concoction of the PB Kids Vintage School Lockers, a cubby with a roll-out bench and PB Modular Entryway Lockers (heh heh.. it's like a plan soup!). I wanted so badly to order the nameplates from Pottery Barn, but to buy two customized nameplates was more than all of the other hardware, combined. And it wouldn't match. So I'll have to figure something else out.... I'm also debating putting some bungee cords on the front of the bench for balls... of course I'll share if I do!

A system like this needs to be secured to your walls. The bridge should be secured into studs, and for the other pieces to sit flush with the front, they need to be ON the wall, too. Also, pieces taller than they are wide are more likely to tip when kiddos climb on them, and we want to keep those boogers safe. So... SECURE these pieces!

I'd planned on removing my baseboards and sitting these against the wall since conceptualizing them. Something I failed to notice was that my home's foundation sits above the garage floor, and it juts out into the garage.

To deal with this, I had to cut my beautifully finished pieces. It was a pain. Take note of your baseboards before painting! I had to make four cuts, so for accuracy, I created a template.

(isn't that wood grain beautimus? I almost cried when I first put the paint on)

Nice fit!

After I secured the pieces to the wall, I took the cell pic below and couldn't help but thinking that it just needed something...

So I painted the wall and installed all the hardware.

If you follow me on Facebook, you already got a glimpse of it (if you don't, click over and like me :-)!).

Obviously, there's a handle on the tall locker and hooks attached to a 1x3 (screwed into studs), but these are my favorite part...

(something to note: one of my favorite things about PureBond - the plywood I used - is that there are rarely voids in the plies so the need for edge banding is based on preference, not necessity. Also, a mix of the last two photos is a good representation of the blue. The other pictures are coming out really, really bright! Sorry I can't help with the color - it's from the OOPS bin at Lowe's).

Let's get into some beauty shots. The tall locker has two shelves (but of course I spaced on getting pictures), making it great for storing extra cleaning supplies (or TP - you should always have that in excess!).

The bridge (cubbies) are great for things you need quick access to (sun screen, gloves, extra change for the ice cream man - we don't have an ice cream man, but we. would. love. that!).

One locker for each girl. Heavy coats, back packs and swimming "junk" (vest for Baby Goats, floating toys for the big kid) are in there. And did I take a picture?

No.

You have to try hard to be as awesome as I...

Up next for my garage organization? A yard sale! I can't get a full shot of the garage because I have gone through every nook of my home, finding stuff that I am sure I won't have any use for anymore (and attempting to sell some furniture that I don't love so that I'll just have to build some that I do!). It's all been dumped in the place I'm focusing on organizing.

*sigh*

Back to the lockers! Go check out the plans on Ana White's page and bombard her with lovely comments about the plans. It really is an honor to work with her :-)

**UPDATE** I've added a FAQ post about the mudroom here.

*I am not being paid for this post, and all opinions expressed are mine - even if I sound like an infomercial ;-) I am being reimbursed for some of the supplies I used, but that hasn't swayed my opinion at all. Promise!

Operation Organize Garage: Why is this TAKING so long?!

2013-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Oh. My. Gosh.

When I started organizing my garage, I had NOOOOO idea it would take forever. Or over a month.

Same thing.

Really, I didn't feel like making a huge project out of it, so I made a short to-do list.

~~Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.~~ done here

~~Build a lumber storage rack~~ read about that here

Figure out bike organization

Create a mud room system along the right wall (in progress)

~~Move metal shelving to back wall~~ pics to come!

[NEW] Create yard tool organization

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

That doesn't look so bad, right? My favorite part is checking things off, and unfortunately I don't get to check anything off in this post. Rather, I added something. I also want to share what the plans are for the rest of the "stuff" so that it doesn't seem like I'm in over my head (because I was kinds feelin' like that for a while!).

****

Bikes!

We have four bikes that we need to store. Two of them need to be easily accessible at all times while the other two will only get occasional use. I plan to do something similar to this for all four bikes (in two locations, so I'll have to build two racks).

Will share how I modify the idea into a permanent solution, of course.

Yard Tools!

source

We have more shovels and rakes than I feel is necessary, buuut we're not getting rid of any of them (trust me, I tried... Mr. Goats wouldn't have it). I plan to use the image above for a jumping-off point in creating my own DIY tool rack. I may incorporate some ideas from this as well.

Mud Room!

I'm painting it! Do you follow me on Facebook? If so, you've already gotten a sneak peek! ;-)

Click here to check it out... And "like" me while you're there.

****

I think I managed to make myself feel like there's more to do than there is. But at least you all know the plan, so you can keep harassing me about it... Y'know... when I don't post for 2+ weeks ;-)

How's your garage lookin' these days?

Operation Organize Garage: One Small Shelf for Garage...

2013-01-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

One GIANT leap Garage Organization-kind!

Or I may be overdoing it...

Either way!

I built a shelf!

Remember when I mentioned that I was going to get rid of the cubbies on the wall because they weren't workin' for me? Well, I did. And replaced them with this!

Most of this shelf was made with the materials taken from the hunk'a table, so the dimensions were determined by the most efficient use of materials (it is 38"W x 13 7/8"D x 72"H) and was pretty simple to throw together.

I built four frames to the dimensions dictated by the OSB panels (38" x 13 7/8") and screwed them into the studs (using two screws per stud), making sure the top one was 72" high. I wanted it 72" because that's how tall the shelf that we bought from Costco in the pic below is. The plan is to put that shelf right next to this one.

Then I screwed the OSB panels to the tops of the frames.

The frames were screwed into 3 studs each, two on the back and one on the left side. They were definitely secured to the wall, but they still couldn't hold a heavy load because the front right corner wasn't supported by anything. I cut a 2x4 at 72" and screwed it into all four shelves to carry the weight.

Then loaded it up with the stuff that was in/on the hunk'a table and thought, "Man, this is so much better!!!".

Man, that was a lot of words for this little shelf..

What can I say? I like to gab!

OOH! Wait! My favorite part! THE LIST!

~~Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.~~

~~Build a lumber storage rack~~

Figure out bike organization

Create a mud room system along the right wall (just bought ALLLL the stuff for that!)

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

I'm going to add "Definitely put the other shelf against the back wall" to the list which'll clear up a lot of space on left side of the garage. This may just be a small, crudely made shelf in the corner of my garage, but it's a huuuuge improvement in the overall organization in there!

Operation Organize Garage: What Wood You Do?

2013-01-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to my garage "series" y'all! Let me start this by telling you that we will not have daily posts about the garage. Don't want to set expectations that I won't live up to, so I'll get to it when I get to it ;-) On that note!

I'd mentioned yesterday that I was nearly finished with a lumber storage rack, and today I get to show you the HUGE difference it's making in whipping my garage into shape!

I kinda followed the instructions here, so I won't go step-by-step (Ethan actually did a wonderful job explaining how it was done!), but I'll tell you how I made it cheaper based on some stuff I'd already had on-hand.

Let's refresh your memory with the "before"

On the floor in the front of the garage sat all of the lumber that was too big to go into my workshop. There was also an amazing door that I put on Craigslist yesterday (*sad face*), some drywall from when we knocked down the wall/archways in the living room and some large boxes meant to recycle cans (that have been what I use to paint on). As you can see, it was a mess.

Well, it's not anymore.

As I said, I followed the directions here, but instead of buying two new sheets of plywood, I used a 12" wide sheet that I already had, and bought eight 1x3 furring strips. This whole project ended up costing about $15.

I had never created a jig using my table saw, so it took a second for me to figure out how it was done (I'll admit, I was initially a little intimidated and had actually considered cutting all of the angles with my circular saw). Here's a quick run-through (actually, I'd forgotten to take pictures between the second and third steps, but I know you can all infer what was done).

It went much more quickly than cutting all the angles with the circular saw, and now I'm sure I can figure out how to make my own simple jigs. WOOT for both!

I had anticipated the project to take about 3 hours, but I had too many blonde moments (the first and last time I will ever use this phrase on my blog), and I think it ended up taking closer to 6 hours.

I don't have a ton of full-lenght boards, so this totally meets all of my needs. I was able to stand on the angled boards and jump, so it's beyond sturdy. I plan to use the top shelf for the stuff I want to keep but will need minimal access to such as trim or shelving boards ripped out of closets (I'm too short to reach up there, which is why the drywall compound is sitting where it is in the "finished" picture, so anything up there has to be used infrequently). The middle shelf gets my full-lenght dimensional lumber, and the bottom shelf can fit full sheets of ply. There's somewhere for everything!

The best part? I get to check something off of my list...

Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.

~~Build a lumber storage rack (nearly complete, will have a post on that soon!)~~

Figure out bike organization

Create a mud room system along the right wall (plans for that are being drawn up by the lovelyAna White)

Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)

Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

Of course I'll keep you updated on the progress. How's your lumber situation? Can you think of any other uses for this storage system?

Operation Organize Garage: The Plan

2013-01-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, lovelies! I've been doing a whole lotta NOTHING lately (still saving away $$ for my new french doors), but I've gotten a lot of advice lately on garage organization, so I figured I should really get to it!

You see, I've been working in my garage with the door open since I first started on Halloween decorations last year.. Every time anyone would come up to talk to me (I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by lovely neighbors that enjoy chit chatting), I'd be a little embarrassed to let them see my garage.

We have exactly zero organization in there.

Ok, there's at least SOME...

When we moved into the house, the previous owners left us with this hunk'a ~~hunk'a burnin' love~~ table that measures 3' deep by 6' wide with no shelves. It was convenient to just throw crap in there, but when you needed anything, it was a huge pain to get out. I spaced on getting before pictures to depict it's chaos, so you'll just have to trust me on it.

Mr. Goats and I removed the table in under 5 minutes (after seeing how flimsily it was put together, I felt that I'd put myself in danger every time I had stood on it!). I actually moved the TV stand that's next to it into that corner and stole the big kid's cubbies to hang on the wall, but I don't think that'll be staying. You can get a glimpse of that in the photo below.

Clearing that out actually led to a major (and much needed) purge of PAINT (which is what I'd mostly stored down there). You can see in this photo, the paint is filling the boxes and the area next to the door along the back wall.

The paint (and the old, broken steam cleaner) can now be considered residents of the Chandler Recycle Center.

The Pepsi stayed.

What can I say? I love Pepsi.

The metal shelving to the left was bought at Costco over a year ago, and it's been serving us well. Other than maybe moving it (I'll get to my idea in a moment), nothing else needs to be done with that.

As you can see, there is still a ton more work to do with everything else.

Shall we create a list?

Yes, I think we shall!

Build/Buy another shelving unit and maybe put them side-to-side along the back wall.
Build a lumber storage rack (nearly complete, will have a post on that soon!)
Figure out bike organization
Create a mud room system along the right wall (plans for that are being drawn up by the lovely Ana White)
Paint door + trim (a little far fetched, but it's so dirty that I'm thinking a darker color would save my sanity)
Maybe I'll get around to cleaning the floor.... (this one is REALLY far-fetched)

Of course I'll probably add more stuff to the list while I'm working out there, but I think that if I get the first four bullets done, I'll have no reason to be embarrassed by my garage anymore!

Being more organized was not a New Years Resolution for me, but this just happens to be perfect timing! Maybe I'll be finished in time to consider this part of my Spring Cleaning...

Was being organized a resolution for you? Or are you just conveniently organizing something major during the new year? Any garage updates? C'mon, spill!

Closing Up Shop

2012-12-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

**I can't share a holiday project that I wanted to in wake of Friday's tragedy. My heart is still clenched and thinking of celebrating right now feels so unnatural... May share when I return, or it may wait until next season.**

Hey everyone! I'll be leaving to visit my sister in the next couple of days, and will have no time for any projects until close to or after New Year.

Now, that's not saying that I won't get any projects done while I'm visiting my sister. Let's face it, my step-dad and I have taken on projects that past few times I've been up there.

We did two beds in 3 days....

A PB inspired trunk.

And there are talks of shelves right now.

I'll be back up and blogging shortly after New Year, but if you want to stay informed, click on the feedburner symbol to the right (or just click here, it's easier) to get an update when I'm back.

Until then, Happy Holidays from the Goats family!!!!

It's Christmas [Tree] Time in the City

2012-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

When I first saw this ornament holder from crate&barrel, my first thought was, "I need that!"

Then I remembered that I have a teeny house and not a lot of places to stick that... especially if I wanna display any of my other holiday decor, soooooo... what's a girl to do?

Make a christmas tree with absolutely no idea what you're going to do with it...!

Luckily Mr. Goats and I were just saying that we needed something else to decorate the front of the house because it's lookin' kinda "blah", so I decided I'd make an lighted decoration with it.

It got a coat of green spray paint and an extra string of LED lights stapled to it.

They were just stapled to the side - nothing precise (we already know I'm not that kinda girl).

But this whole thing was starting to look like an arrow.

Who sees this with a "Please Use Other Door" sign?

A festive "Please Use Other Door" sign....

To remedy the arrow... ness... of it, I figured that a star on top would define this as a Christmas tree. I traced a random star I had laying around the house (oh, the joys of having young children!) and rearranged the remaining lights on the strand so that the orange and yellow ones were closest to the top of the tree. Then I drilled holes in the star (without bothering to paint it yellow) so that the lights could shine through.

It had to go inside the widow (didn't wanna drill into the stucco just for this decoration), but I really like the little added detail it gives to the house.

(note to self: go move the wire out of the way)

If you want to make a super quick/easy lighted tree decoration, here's a quick guide to help (I ripped a 1x2 in half on my table saw, creating two 1x1s, but you could easily do this with a 1x2 with beveled cuts)

The best part of this decoration is that it'd be super cheap to make (was free for me). You just need a 1x2, and strand of lights, some staples and spray paint.

What holiday decor projects are you knockin' off your list?

Dooo Dooo Dooo, Lookin' Out My Back Door

2012-12-06T08:33:00.001-08:00

I wish I loved my back yard.

Heck, I wish I LIKED my back yard...

Alas, my back door is the way to this...

And this...

And a lot more nasties that you're better off not seeing (why can't anyone spare ME of it?!)...

But that doesn't mean that I have to neglect my back DOOR, does it?

My builder-grade slider that gets stuck if tiny gravel gets on the track.

That's usually covered with cheap IKEA curtains....

Well, I want to point something out to you guys that gets me giddy...

source

Look. At. Those. Doors.

Don't you just want to stroke them..?

Well, they're only $650.

Let me say that again..

They are only six hundred and fifty dollars.

Take a second.

Let that sink in.....

Doesn't it feel good? Ahhhhhhh.

There's a problem, though, but this girl that likes to tear down arches and walls isn't afraid of it. You see.... This doorway is 24" wider than my current rough opening.

Know what that means?

It means major structural work on an exterior wall that could possibly result in my roof caving in. Minor detail...

But my step-dad (mentioned here, here and here - an amazing carpenter) reassures me it could be done. So I am putting this out into the blogosphere that I WILL be getting these doors. I've been saving and have just a "little" left to go to cover the doors + taxes + delivery + supplies to widen my rough opening ($250 - not exactly a drop in the bucket, but... I'm SOOOOO close).

So I'm warning you guys that a lot of little projects are being put off so that I can get these doors. Trust me, it's going to be worth it.

Do you die over these doors too? Or am I just nuts for even entertaining the idea of major structural work? Or both...? Probably both...

The Hall

2012-11-02T07:59:00.003-07:00

*pssst! The winner of the Cutting Edge Stencils Giveaway has been announced! Click here to see if it was you!*

Know what I realized after living in (and trying to decorate) my house?

I like hallways with doors at the end!

In the picture below, the hall on the far right leads to Baby Goats' and my bedrooms, the middle one leads to the hall bath, laundry/garage and the Big Kid's room (and, obviously, the left is the den).

To the right looks like this

(without the laser lines ;-))

There's a door on the right, a door on the left, and a too-tiny-to-do-anything-with-area at the end. There are 6 inches between the back of the wall and the opening to the master bath (3 1/2" to get to the door casing).

See, you didn't believe that there was too little space to do anything with, did you? It's been so hard to figure out what to do here.

This is where some DIY magic comes in. See that board on the floor in the picture above? I used that to gauge what size console table could fit without us bumping into it as we left our bedroom.

Then I built this narrow, 3 drawer dresser out of 1x8 scraps (so there are no plans, made do with what I had).

Painted it.

Hated it.

Painted it again. (x2)

I settled on Valspar's Hubble House Golden Maize. And it's perfect..

Does anyone know why there isn't more of a market for super narrow console tables? I'd think they'd be extremely handy for a lot of people! This one's only 7 1/4" deep and I'm thinking about making at LEAST one more. But could think of plenty more spaced it'd work..

When Emily from Cutting Edge Stencils contacted me, asking for a review/giveaway (check it out here), I knew immediately what part of my house could benefit from a wall stencil. The added texture brings this little area to life, and the decor brings it from an ugly step-sister to a welcome part of our house-ily (house + family? Ok, YOU do it better!).

My favorite part is that the squares resemble the texture at the back of the plant ledge without being too matchy-matchy.

(crappy cell phone pic, sorry!)

So is there a dark, scary hallway in your home that could benefit from enlightenment? How did you deal with yours?!

Stencil Me This... & a Giveaway!

2012-10-26T06:59:00.001-07:00

Did I just type "giveaway"?

I did.

I need to just get over the fact that I'm going to do giveaways, don't I? Too many awesome companies want to give my amazing readers a chance to get something for free. I can't say "no", I'm sorry!

Have you gathered what the giveaway is yet..?

That's right, Cutting Edge Stencils is giving you guys a chance to win a stencil up to $50 from their site. But before we get to the giveaway details, I really wanna tell you about my experience with stenciling.

After watching the how-to videos and reading the instructions, I grabbed a piece of chipboard to perfect my stenciling technique. It was pretty straightforward; leave very little paint on the foam roller, use spray adhesive on the back of the stencil so that it would stay on the chipboard without moving and then lightly roll the paint onto the stencil.

When I got that all figured out, I moved into the hallway. Here's what the instructions said I needed

I realized that I would be wasting a lot of paint by saturating the foam roller in the paint then painting the excess off, so I ended up with this set-up

I lined a paint tray with a grocery bag, put a tiny bit of paint in and then used the grate (is that what it's called?) to get most of the excess paint off before wiping even more of the paint onto cardboard. Remember, practicing told me that I needed to get most of the paint off of the roller and then roll it gently.

After moving onto my textured wall, I realized that all of my practicing was a waste of time.

Now, I don't think that my walls have a deeper texture than is typical (for textured walls, I should add), but there is no way that lightly rolling a nearly paintless foam roller was going to get into the texture. I looked at the FAQs on Cutting Edge Stencils' website and found this tutorial (by Lindsay at Makely) for stenciling textured walls, and I think that Lindsay may have been onto something with using the nap roller.

I couldn't go get a nap roller, so I had to try my best to make do with what I had. Made sure to use spray adhesive, press the stencil firmly onto the wall, and roll from the outside in, doing my best not to push the paint under the stencil.

It still didn't look very pretty, and it was very obvious that I wasn't getting the paint deep into the texture (especially near the outside of the openings), so I grabbed a 1" foam brush and brushed from the outside of the openings in toward the center so that I didn't push paint under the stencil.

This is a pretty typical shot of the wall. Most of the edges are fine, but there are definitely spots where there is seepage. Embrace the seepage, it's going to happen on textured walls. Fortunately it isn't very noticeable in the grand scheme of things. And I'm very thrilled with the turn out.

I plan on writing another post on the hallway itself (*psst* it's done! check it out here), so for now, let's get to the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Witches Broom (cheap to free!)

2012-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween decor is worse than a candy store for me. I go in wanting one thing, get distracted and look at ALL of it, and come out with waaay more than I expected.

Except it's more that I make more than I expected.

My TV console needed to be brought into the Halloween spirit, but all of the decorations I had were lacking either the scale or the "oomph" that I wanted.

So I made this witches broom out of tree trimmings and an old broom that I saved from certain death (a.k.a. the trash can).

The broom was found in a closet when we moved in, and it's somehow managed to stick around nearly 3 years. It was falling apart, nasty looking, and (it's worst trait) short. Like, a kid's broom. If you have an old, decrepit broom such as this and a tree with an extra branch, you can make this broom for free. Otherwise, I'm sure Dollar Tree has some crummy brooms (branch is still up to you).

To start, I cut all of the twine that was keeping the bristles orderly. This project becomes really messy really quickly, so you might want to keep a good broom on-hand.

After the twine's cut, find the end of the wire that's holding the bristles to the handle. You'll need to use some needle nose pliers to pull that out. Once it's out, it should be simple to unwind.

It goes through "layers" of the bristles, so you'll have to make sure all of the twine is off before you start this, otherwise it holds the bristles together, making it impossible to unwind the wire. ~~Not that I know from experience.~~

You'll wind up with this.

To stop this from getting out of hand, I tamed the bristles with some painter's tape. Maybe the coffee and cell phone helped.

I forgot to take pictures, but the wires were held onto the broom with two small nails. I just pulled those out and reused them for the witches broom. Wrapped the wire around the nail and hammered it into the branch, securing the wire.

Then wrapped it around the branch once before holding a thin layer of bristles around the broom and securing it with the wire.

I think I did three layers. When I got towards the end of the wire I wrapped the end of it around the needle nose pliers, creating a tiny loop. Make sure you keep the wire taut around the bristles.

Then stick the second nail into the loop you created, and nail that end of the wire down.

As long as you kept the wire taut around the bristles, they should be held securely in place. Mine are mostly secured (doubt I'd be able to use the broom to sweep without making a bigger mess from the bristles falling out, but it makes for a great decoration). I'm sure hot glue could be used to hold the bristles in place if you don't feel like fiddling with the wire.

And when you're finished....

Put it on display!

A little more on the set-up:

The skulls in the glass were yanked off of the 16" skeletons from Dollar Tree, and the moss is from the floral section of Dollar Tree. I just put corks in the other jar because the color went. Couldn't find anything creepy that I already had.

The skulls were like $0.98 from Wal Mart, but what's behind them is my favorite part. Remember when I posted the PVC pipes with hot glue on 'em here? Well, this is the finished product.

All in all, I really like what the DIYd witches broom adds to the console-scape, and I'm glad I took the few minutes to do it (my favorite part? FREE!). This little touch really brings the holiday indoors!

Any cheap/free Halloween projects goin' on in your home? I'd love to hear about it!

A Quick Collage

2012-10-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

Won't bombard you with a lot of words today.

Trying to work on a couple things that aren't Halloween related. In the meantime, here's my graveyard :-)

Eeeeeeerie Skulls

2012-10-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

My skull archway at night was a big flop.

Nothing more you could say about it, really. The only time you could see it was when the motion sensors turned on the lights at the front of my house (which stayed on for a minute), and that pretty much destroyed any attempt at creepy that I thought a catacomb-like archway created.

Womp womp wooommmmmmp!

So I asked you all for some advice, and asked around Halloween Forums, and the most prevalent (and seemingly simple) response was to back light it.

Since I already had a few extra strands of lights, it was also the cheapest, so I decided to try that before anything else.

I think I kinda love it. Like... a lot.

The sign itself still isn't illuminated well, so I don't know that I'm finished with lighting (still have a lot of awesome ideas you guys threw my way that I want to try!), but I am beside myself now that you can see the skulls from afar.

Awe. Some.

The picture above was taken when I'd turned the motion sensor light off, giving it this great eery glow, and below is with the motion sensing light on.

I think it's a little too bright, but the motion sensor takes candelabra bulbs, so I'm thinking that changing them to orange or purple would still illuminate the cemetery entranceway well while still leaving it creepy.

So we shall see!

How is Halloween decorating going for everyone else?! Any semi lighting solutions?