Coffee Tealights

This week I was looking at my little writing desk and wondering what I could do to make it less bare. This is what I came up with!

I found this idea on Pinterest.

The planters were at the local dollar store in sets of 4 for $1. 

The coffee beans were the cheapest whole beans I could get at the commissary... $5.

Because I didn't feel like wasting the entire bag of beans on this project, I used a bag of dried black beans that I had in my cupboard as a filler. Yup, there's only an inch of beans in those bowls. Now I have 4 cute tealight holders in my favorite scent!

Take A Guess

What do you think I have in mind for this?

We found this dresser over 3 years ago, minus the paint. The top converts to a changing table by folding down. It's pretty awesome. But we have no need for a changing table after we finished the closet changing station. So I've decided to make use of this dresser by making it a functioning piece for the girls' play room. So for fun, here are a few pictures of the gutting of the dresser. 

And we're saving the drawer fronts for a future project. 

I suppose I should explain why the drawer fronts are so supposedly random and why we can't bring ourselves to toss them... When I was pregnant with Toddler, I spent a few days handpainting recreations of our tattoos on the drawer fronts. Toddler loves them and I can't seem to let them go. So stay tuned to see what happens with the dresser and what I'll be doing with the drawer fronts!

Pumpkin Tutorial and Bragging on Hubby & Toddler

I hate carving pumpkins. I really dislike the feeling of the goo and guts. And even though they're left uneaten every single year, I still feel compelled to dig out all the seeds, save and clean them, then waste Olive Oil and my time by baking them. And I always challenge myself to carve something extravagant and "fun". This year, Pinterest inspired me to try something different and I left the amazing carving production to hubby. 

Yup. I didn't even cut them open this year. We were able to get these amazing pumpkins at a little pumpkin patch only 20 minutes from us (a huge improvement from last year when we drive 90 minutes and payed out the ass for every little thing). Toddler and Baby Girl were free and they each got a free pumpkin. Hubby and I were $7 apiece and pumpkins were only $3 each, regardless of weight! All of the games and activites were free of additional charge except for feeding the animals, which was only 25 cents for each little cup of food. And corn stalks were only a dollar. I dare you to find anywhere as kid friendly and family oriented with those prices!

On the way home, we stopped at the store to get a can of spraypaint and a package of thumbtacks.

Once home, I started by painting the bottoms. Maybe 5 super thin layers of spray paint and that was covered. I let it dry for an hour and then set them upright to paint the tops and sides. For really good coverage, I painted 6 super thin layers and made sure to get the cracks and crevices around and on the stems.

I then took a thick sharpie to the short pumpkin. That's all it took to do the spider web pumpkin. 

As for the spider, I spray painted the tacks with some spare black paint. This is a total of 70 tacks, one package from the store... if you want to do anything more extravagant, be prepared with plenty of them! They don't go as far as you'd think! This design was freehand, I wasn't looking for anything too flashy or complicated. All in all, I'm really happy with how they turned out! When kids are Trick Or Treating, I'll light a tealight or two in front of them so they're more visible.

I cannot help brag on hubby's awesome carving skills though! Look at that Haunted House!

And this is were I admit that Toddler BEGGED me to carve her a ghost. And I conceded. So it wasn't a completely carve free year for me, but that little ghost only took 8 minutes start to finish so I wasn't too upset by it, seeing as Hubby's pumpkin took almost an hour. And I downright refused to save seeds, which Hubby didn't mind at all.

And of course, Toddler's pumpkin! We decided to let her do her own instead of her sitting there bored and watching us carve what she wanted. She had a blast and we didn't have to deal with her chirping around us like an overexcited chipmunk while we were gutting a pumpkin with sharp knives.

Playroom Curtains, Finally Finished!

Toddler is fairly destructive. She's just curious, wants to take things apart and hasn't come to the understanding that I can't always fix what she "disassembles". This went for her cheap vinyl window blinds as well. So I had to come up with curtains she would leave alone. This meant no generic free-hanging gathered curtains (she likes to hang on them and spin in them, not an option). So I found THIS DIY Roman Shade link on Pintrest and had a plan!

First of all, the above tutorial was a sew-free project. I'm a sew-er, so I modified the plans to fit my abilities (I just don't feel as capable with fabric tape, I feel like it would just fall apart.) Secondly, I needed fabric. We didn't find anything Toddler and I both loved at all 3 "local" fabric stores. Since we drove 90 minutes to get to them, it was frustrating to say the least. But.... redemption. We were looking for crayons, glue and other supplies at Target and Toddler grabbed a package of Twin Sized Sheets off a Clearance End Cap. I almost told her to put them back because she still sleeps in a toddler bed (or our bed... usually our bed). But a lightbulb clicked. I don't anticipate the need for blackout curtains in a playroom, so why not use this fabric? 

It was a success, we've decided to work the rest of the playroom off the colors of this fabric! And as a bonus, for only $7, I had enough fabric for the curtains and an entire flat sheet of fabric to spare for any other projects I think of for the play room.

Thirdly, I needed cheap vinyl blinds, regular Elmer's Glue and a hot glue gun.

Then I decided I wanted a valence for the treatment as well. So I found two of my old skirts, one pink and one teal, both miraculously matching the fabric Toddler picked out. There was just enough fabric to complete two valences for the two windows. Then, instead of a traditional rod, I wanted to try something a little more whimsical and cut a few small dry branches out of our brush thicket. I spray painted them and used plant hangers to fix them onto the wall. I then custom fit the valence to the branch and tada!

Here is the finished window treatment!

What do you think?

Frame It Up!

I found a terrific little shop in Springfield. The owner attends estate sales throughout the area and sells terrific items! I found 2 completely UGLY frames with a LOT of potential! I didn't take before photos (oops!) but the square frame was aged gold. It is a plastic frame and it was hideous. But I knew there was potential so I nabbed it anyway. Honestly, I regretted the purchase by the time I was driving home. And again a day later. But I went ahead with re-purposing it anyway and I'm very happy with the results! And the larger rectangular frame was antique red wood. Painted a few times with gouges, chips and weathered. I loved it the way it was but had a different idea for the room I'm placing it in. 

Isn't it gaudy? I love it! Honestly, gold was too much. And some would say sunshine yellow is a little much too. I think it's perfect to draw attention to the simplicity of the project we're putting in this frame.

I did decide to leave the original matting alone, it's a little weathered and aged, I like how it isn't too shiny, it adds depth.

I had to share the detail of the frame, I love it! I'm glad the black tones it down a bit, otherwise it would be too busy for the project I want to frame in it.

Oh the miracles of spray paint; I think I'm in love. These are going to house a few projects I'm doing with toddler to hang in the play room when we're done ripping the walls out, insulating them (again, why oh why was this house built without insulation?!?) and redoing the drywall. I'm keeping my ideas to myself until they pan out, but I'll be making a few tutorials throughout the fun filled process! 

And this is a project I did with Toddler. It's a simple wooden craft panel and letter from the local craft shop. We mixed the paint colors from Clementine Art to match the playroom colors. I gave Toddler the paint and a sponge and let her at it. After the paint dried, I helped her glue the letter to the board. She had a ball and I love how personal the finished product is! I especially love the exposed glue that makes it so lovingly homemade looking. She did  terrific job for a little girl!

Someone Needs a New Bathroom...

And it's me. 

We've been renovating room by room through our house. First the Nursery, then the Kitchen. Next is the Living Room. But the bathroom isn't a huge project like these are. It's small and outdated, but we don't need to rip out the walls and replace everything. 

This is what I have to work with... 

A bathroom is supposed to be a tranquil and calming getaway. A 10 minute refuge from everyday life. From cleaning, cooking, laundry and the kids. But this bathroom is solely function. 

I need something light and refreshing. A place I can take a shower and feel exhilarated and revived! I need a room that is still functional, but reflects on our current position in life. We aren't in college, we aren't eating ramen noodles every night.. our house shouldn't look like we do. And since this is the only bathroom in the house, I'd like it "visitor ready" as well. I'd like to be proud of my bathroom (what an odd statement!).

SO... Here's my plan. 

We already have light, neutral tile for both the floor and the counter-top (we bought enough to do the bathroom when we bought for the kitchen floor and counter tops). It's just a matter of hubby having a completely free week to do the labor.

I'd like to repaint the vanity and replace the faucet.

And for extra storage, I'd like to put an above toilet storage cabinet. 

I hate how the medicine cabinet isn't framed, I'd like something with a light frame.

I like my current curtain, but it makes the room feel extremely small. Something lighter in color would open the space a lot. 

I'm thinking 2 Small Sconces to the left of the toilet.

 

And to pacify my need for soft scent and my artistic flair, 2 Medium Floating Picture Frames with pressed leaves on the wall next to the door and a few candle holders on the vanity.

A gallon of paint in a lighter shade of sand that compliments the curtain and all in total would come in at under $300! Talk about a simple yet drastic makeover!

Eventually that sink needs to be replaced. (The previous owners must have dumped something extremely corrosive down that drain because the porcelain is eroded away!) But that can come later. 

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday AND DIY Project 5/1-5/7: Completed the Nursery!

After a few weeks of intense remodeling (including ripping walls out, replacing drywall, refinishing hardwood, new light fixture, paint and and installing all new trim), I am proud to present our nursery!

My cozy nursing corner! This rocking chair really needs to be reupholstered, but it's so comfortable! And the "Sweet Dreams" wall decals were a terrific giveaway win from Smile A Day Blog and Curly Cue Decals!

That dresser is something we picked up at a goodwill when I was pregnant with toddler. I handpainted my husband's and my tattoos onto each drawer. It's a very beloved dresser. The blanket on the sofa was made by my grandmother's friend. She made it for my mother, who passed it to me and now I'm using it with my girls! I love Holly Hobby!

This was my pet project! This closet started off bare and there were holes in the walls. I patched it, gave it a fresh coat of paint and installed the shelving. It also didn't have doors so hubby graciously installed those. I then turned the random awkward 3'x3' box at the right into a custom changing table complete with storage for my cloth diapers and changing pad. Tap lights give enough light at night for changes without waking baby!

Weekly Project 4/10-4/16: DIY Laundry Line

It's officially warm and sunny out! Which means it's laundry line season! 

This week, I'm going to brag about how we save (a lot of) money each year by line drying our laundry! 

This is my list of clothesline benefits: 

1. Cost Savings in electricity over using the dryer

2. Energy Savings in electricity over using the dryer

3. Significantly less work at removing stains (the sun is a natural bleach)

4. Laundry off the line smells so fresh!

5. The sight of a fully loaded clothesline makes me smile

And the benefits are doubled by the fact that we cloth diaper and use the laundry more than the average disposable diapering family. There really isn't a comparison to a clothesline full of fresh, clean diapers!

I'm sure I'll be posting a cloth diaper clothesline photo for wordless Wednesday as soon as baby is born and we have laundry up!

When we moved here, we were lucky enough to have laundry posts already installed in the backyard. However, my husband has made and installed laundry posts in the past. He's a DIY carpentry guru and I couldn't tell you exactly how he made the posts, but... I watched him do it and it's almost identical to this tutorial I found by Krista on her blog: Life, In A Nutshell

Amazing Photo by Krista at Life, In A Nut Shell

The only big difference I found was that we cemented the post, which made the project run about $25 total.

It never fails, I have to replace the clothesline each year, regardless of the "quality" of the line we buy. So instead of buying vinyl coated wire and the hardware and spending 10 minutes installing it, we get 200ft of 1/4" All Purpose Clothesline from Lowes. 

It runs about $18-$20 each year. Yes, it sags a bit, but the great thing about a simply knotted clothesline is that it's easy to unknot and tighten without using any tools. I run a sudsy washcloth down the line to clean it once a week, which gets rid of collected dust and dirt.

And clothespins are cheap as well. This year I snagged a 100 ct package of wooden spring pins at Walmart for only $2. I call it a yearly expense because we always seem to lose or break a fair amount of pins. 

I honestly have started believing that birds or squirrels are stealing them. I'm really curious as to what they use them for. 

So for an initial cost of $25 and a yearly maintenance cost of $20-$22, I save energy and money in electricity!

Weekly Project 4/3-4/9: DIY Nursery Valances

I love recycling in the home. I can usually spruce up a room or change the way something looks without it costing a fortune and without throwing away perfectly good items!

This week's project is a simple set of Nursery Valences. Our nursery has 2 very large windows. I need 2 valances to cover the 2 separate 76 inch wide window spans. Sounds like a lot huh?

A girlfriend and I swap items occasionally. It's our way of clearing out things we no longer want or need without throwing it out. In this case, she had a random single panel navy curtain that I was definitely able to use. I forgot to snap a photo of it before tearing into it, but here's what it looked like in the beginning: 

To start, I took my seamripper to the curtain, quickly demolishing all the seams and removing the tabs from the top. After running it through the wash and ironing the kinks out, I had a full 76" x 57" piece of fabric to work with. Using my own pattern below, I cut the fabric into 4 pieces. 

 

I seamed together pieces 1&3 and 2&4, length-wise. I don't have a serger, so I had to roll the seams and stitch them down to get a good finish that wouldn't fray. I then rolled, ironed and seamed 1 long outer seam and the 2 short outer seams. This left the top seam which needed to accommodate the curtain rod. I double-rolled a 5/8" seam, then folded the edge over 2.5" to create a clean pocket. 

This left me with a 14" valance at just over 111" long. Which leaves me with a perfect mild gather when spanned over 76" windows! 

The fabric and thread cost me nothing, the simple (and cheap - may I emphasize simple again, I wasn't going for très chic) metal curtain rods from the local dollar store cost $3.50 apiece. So for a whopping 7 dollars, I was able to add the perfect window treatment to our nursery!

Melding new products with ecological and economical alternatives. (wet mops)

Wet Mops.
I flat out refused to buy a Swiffer Wetjet. I used to be in LOVE with my old one. But the solution bottles are made so you cannot reuse them and are forced to buy more Swiffer Solution. And I've grown to dislike Swiffer scents, they trigger migraines if I'm not careful.
What I really want is a Rubbermaid Reveal. Sold as a unit with no pre-packaged solution, a competely refillable solution container and cloth mop pads instead of paper! Eventually. But for now, I've found a decent solution!

The Clorox Ready Mop runs a little cheaper than a Swiffer Wet Jet by $0.50-$1.00. It does come with pre-packaged solution. However, the Ready Mop solution bottles are designed to be sturder, thus lasting longer. The bottle also screws into the mop, instead of clicking, which means I can refill an emptied bottle and refill it with whatever solution I choose. And while the Ready Mop line sells paper mop pads, they aren't necessary. The Ready Mop is designed so you can attach cloth easily (unlike the Swiffer mop pads which attach with very thin, week hook & loop, thus making it difficult for economical/ecological minded individules to find an easy alternative to their wasteful, costly mop pads).


So what did I do? I bought a Clorox Ready Mop Starter Kit for under $15 at the PX. I found scrap cotton linen from an old sewing project and an old terry cloth towel. Then, using the paper mop pads that came with the starter kit as a rough pattern, I cut out and sewed together a few easy, sturdy reusable mop pads! One side is cotton linen, as a sort of liner. The second is the terry. I could double the terry to make it more absorbant so I can use a single mop pad longer if I wanted to as well.


And here is a solution recipe I'd like to share!


50/50% - Water & Vinegar
Add 1-2 tsp Olive Oil for Sheen
Add a few drops Essential Oil for scent if wanted. Tea Tree Oil is great as it's a natural disinfectant. Other great oils for a clean scent include Lavender, Sweet Orange, Lemon and Eucalyptus.


This is completely my sole opinion.