Wires, lights, and frustration.

I hate electrical work.

I just wanted to be clear about this before I start this post.  This project turned out okay, but I did not end up with the result I wanted nor did I enjoy the process.  I love lighting, and I have updated 12 light fixtures in our house.  But Mark has always done the wiring for me.  Last night I decided on a whim to start an electrical re-wiring project, and to attempt to install it myself.  2 1/2 hours later, I asked Mark to do the the last step.  Ugh.  I have no idea why it frustrates me so much - I loved electricity in Physics!  But working with my hands up in the air, in a tiny little space, trying to get those darn little wires into the wire cap, only discovering that I had put the mounting bracket on upside down...  Well, you get the picture.

I wanted to turn this lovely outdoor wall mounted light into a beautiful hanging light for my laundry room.  I even took it out of the box at Home Depot to make sure this was possible.  And I am going to stand my ground that logically, this should have come apart as I intended.  I wanted to remove the side bracket, and rewire it through the top, and hang it from the ceiling.




I think the wider angle is kinda cute:

So I started to unscrew different bolts and brackets.  This is what it looked like before destruction.

Ahhh, the lovely mounting bracket.










See how *almost* everything came apart so nicely?

Except for this one, last bolt.  And I even batted my eyes and asked Mark to use his braun for this last little sucker.  It would not budge.  We used every tool available, minus a saw, to get this thing undone.











It was dinner time and we had to give up on the last bolt.  Caleb and Abby were happily building a fort during our battle with the light.  (a pirate themed fort?  I am not sure...)  But I knew they would start asking for dinner, so I had to give up for a little bit.  If they didn't want dinner every night....gee, I would get a lot done.  But who can resist these cute faces...

As soon as the kids were in bed, I went back to the drawing board.  I remembered a lamp shade I had up in the attic and decided to make a new light.  I took bits and pieces of the light fixture and built this light instead.


















Not bad.  Not what I had in mind, but it works.

























For the next 1 1/2 hours I attempted to wire said light fixture.  I have already complained about my wiring abilities.  I would like to add that the light I was removing was circa 1967.  The paint was completely chipped under the old light so I will have to add a ceiling medallion.

This is how it looks now.  I actually kinda like it.  I still have most of the parts left from my lantern destruction.  I will have to find something fun to make out of the parts that are left.  My goal was to save some money and turn a $30 light fixture into what I wanted instead of spending $75.  Was this frustrating evening worth $45????  I don't know.

Tile coasters

My back went out this past week and I have been a little less mobile.  I have a bad back and every now and then it suddenly goes out.  Don't know why, but carrying around cute little babies tends to make it worse.  But they are worth it.

So instead of tackling the big project in the master bathroom this week, I needed to keep my sanity with a little craft project.  Making these coasters was fun, easy and kid friendly.  And cheap!  Because I used supplies on hand, my total cost was 80 cents.  I found this project, once again, on Pinterest.  (Yes...I spend some time on Pinterest.)  The project had very few instructions but seemed simple.  I did, however, learn a couple of tricks along the way.

I found my tiles (4.25 inch by 4.25 inch) at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for 10 cents each.  They are smooth ceramic which I think helps the paper adhere smoothly.  I found some extra scrap paper around the house, and began cutting it to the exact dimensions of the tile.  If I try this project again, I am going to cut my paper about 1/4 inch smaller than the tile.  The edges were not as smooth as I had hoped.  I think the extra space during the glue stage would help a lot.

You will need Mod Podge adhesive and some kind of clear coat varnish/poly.  I already had this liquid varnish on hand and it worked great.  I think that the spray poly would be MUCH quicker since it drys so quickly.  But you will pay more.  It costs around $7 a can.

Put Mod Podge on the tile and place your paper evenly on top.  I used three different types of paper - foil backed scrapbook paper, card stock style, and card stock style with raised embellishments.  Which is best?  I think the busy leaf pattern was the best since it hid any bubbles from the Mod Podge.  Even if you were to take a little scraper to the top of the paper and try to smooth out the glue before it dries, the foil backed polka-dots showed everything.  Texture and pattern seem to be key.


After it dried, I put liquid varnish all over the front and backs of the tiles.  I did 2-3 coats on the top, hoping that cold wet drinks would not ruin the paper.  Right at this point, the big kids came home from school.  So I decided to let them have fun with some of the tiles.  Can I tell you, they LOVED this project?  Especially being able to pick different papers and punching out the dragonfly shape.  This is the only punch that I currently own.  I will be buying more!

Mod Podge was coated everywhere.  I also let them use some glitter paint to put letters on the tile.  I was curious how well it would work and graciously let them use their tiles as the test subjects.

The last step was adding felt footers to the coasters.  You could use cork as well.  Again, I used some furniture pads I had on hand and adhered them with a hot glue gun.  Even though they have a sticky back, I didn't want them to come off.

This was fun, easy and has endless possibilities.  This will be a Christmas gift for someone next year!  I can't wait to get to the craft store and find more fun paper.  I loved that the kids got into this project.  They insisted on using their coasters at dinner last night.  You can see Caleb's neat and orderly layout of the dragonflies:

Abby wanted to put as many as possible on her coaster.  I had to convince her that they couldn't stick off of the edge:

All in all, it was a perfect project for a rainy day.  And I didn't go crazy laying on the couch, waiting for my back to stop hurting.  Watch out grandparents, a few of these coasters are coming your way.

A ruler to grow by...

Have I mentioned that I am not very good at measuring?  I blame two things - my impatience and my metric education.  If I was measuring with the metric system, I think I would have more success and less mistakes.  And yes, I could use the other side of the ruler but I get frustrated when I shop in inches, draw plans in inches and then try to convert as I measure and cut.  But I digress.  Last week's project was not intended to help me with my measuring handicap.  I am just darn proud of myself for it's completion because it took A LOT of measuring and patience.

I saw this item for sale online, via a Pinterest post.  I loved it - but did not want to part with my $69.95 plus shipping.  http://dearlillie.bigcartel.com/product/oversized-ruler-growth-chart

So I decided to make it myself.  It cost me $10.  Granted, I had a few things on my paint shelf that helped me out.  But I am pretty proud of myself.  I have to share the end result first.  Look how beautiful this is!!!!

It is going to hang in the kid's playroom and we are going to start measuring our children.  In a dream world I would love to keep it for when I have grand-kids.  Wouldn't it be fun to have everyone's measurements on one board?  And for the grand-kids to see how tall they are compared to their parents at each age?  And if I move, this sucker is going with me.

Here are the supplies you will need:

-1"x10"x6' - I choose to do it a little wider than the one found for sale online.  I thought it looked more proportional.

-black paint - I used a Behr sample jar I had on hand

-permanent marker - not too thick

-masking tape

-sand paper (medium grit)

-wood stain (I used an old container I found in the garage called English Chestnut)

-Clear poly (again, I found an can of satin finish poly in the garage - I wouldn't do anything glossy if you want to write easily on the growth chart)

-yard stick and small ruler

-number stencils (I went to Michael's first and didn't really like the number stencils they had on hand.  Home depot had these stencils by their mailboxes)

I took my board home ($7) and sanded it.  I tried to smooth some of the corners so that it wouldn't get nicked in the kid's playroom.  Choose your board wisely.  Make sure it is not warped.  Mine had a few knots in it and I like it that way.  I tried out a few stains from the dark and dingy paint closet in the garage.  I didn't want a dark ruler so I rubbed it on lightly.  

Next came measuring.  I was really nervous - knowing my skill level when it comes to measuring.  I used our dry wall measuring tool - which is a glorified yard stick.  I started the ruler at 6 inches since it will hang up off the ground.  I also measured only the feet, and every 3 inches at first.  I made the feet marks longer and 1/2 foot etc smaller.  I eyeballed it in proportion to the number stencils I had bought.  I tried to make it as balanced as I could.  I think my stencil is for 2 inch numbers, my foot line was 3 inches long, 1/2 foot 2 inches, etc.

After very carefully measuring each of these place for 6'(!!!), I used masking tape to tape about 1/4 inch wide area for each mark.  **I only taped off the lines for each foot, 1/2 foot, and 1/4 foot**  Then I painted away.  I wish I had spent $2 more and bought nice painter's tape.  When I pulled off the tape for the lines, they were a little bumpy.  I wonder if painter's tape would have had made a nicer edge.

Next I taped down my stencils ($3).  If I were to do this again, I would use a stencil brush instead of the same brush I had used for the lines.  And I would very carefully do 2 light coats.  I found the paint to bleed a little and made my #6 a little messy.

Once it dried, I used a permanent marker to do the "every inch" lines.  They are 3/4 inch long.  I was so nervous that I would slip up and have to sand the wood.  Then stain again.  But I was slow and patient.  So was my hubby.  This project took over the dining room for a couple of days.

Once everything dried, I put a very thin coat of poly.  I watch for dripping on the edges, since I made that mistake with my laundry room cabinets.  Then I flipped it over and added a picture hook exactly 6 inches down from the top.  I wanted to make it easier for hanging it at the right height.  Again, since I started the measuring at 6 inches, I need the base to be hung 6 inches off of the ground.

That was it!!  This could easily be done in a day - if you don't have kids and if you are a great at measuring.  But I needed to space it out and not rush.  End result - the hubby and kids love it.  And so do I.

You "melt" my heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I have to be honest.  This is not one of my "favorite" holidays.  Granted, it has become a nice holiday after meeting my hubby 14 years ago.  Sadly, I don't even like hearts that much.  But it is Valentine's Day and my kids did need valentines to take to their class parties.  So after looking through tons of ideas on Pinterest, I decided to give recycled crayons a try.

I have always wanted to make fun crayons.  For Caleb's 5th birthday, we did a Star Wars themed party and I ordered amazing Star Wars character crayons from Etsy.  They were a big hit.  So I decided to try my hand at crayon making, using some ice cube trays from Ikea.  Yep, brilliant.  I had another sick kid - this time my baby, and getting to the store was looking a little tricky.  So I was trying to be resourceful.

First, peel off the paper.  I can see why Crayola cost's more - they use more paper!!!  Seriously, the crayons from restaurants were twice as fast.  I am letting me kids take home every crayon from now on.  I sprayed the pan with Pam and turned the oven to 275 degrees.  With the first batch, I let the kids pick their color choices.  It is best to mix light with dark shades.  We filled the cute star and puzzle shaped trays with broken crayons and stuck them in the oven for 12 minutes.

If you decide to be "resourceful" like me, and use a soft flexible ice cube tray, please know that it will not be easy to pull out of the oven without spilling crayon wax everywhere.  (lesson #1)

I stuck the trays in the freezer, and the crayons quickly set.  Sadly, the cute star and puzzle shapes were more difficult to remove then I anticipated.  My idea of "you have a piece of my heart" or "you make my heart shine" didn't quite work.  Did I mention I needed to make 36 of these things?!

Luckily my hubby gave me the afternoon off, and I quickly ran to Michaels and bought a heart shaped non-stick pan.  It cost more than my Ikea counterparts, but the non-stick surface was a life saver.  (lesson #2)

We broke a lot more crayons, and I helped the kids with color combinations.  (lesson #3)  I am really happy with how they turned out.  And the kids were really proud of their creations.  I wish I had found a pan that had smaller hearts.  I think the ones we made might crack easily when the kids use them.  But the shallow heart form in the pan made it really easy to pop them out after cooling.

We had a lot of fun!  If I hadn't had a sick baby, I would have shopped for cute confetti to add to each bag.  Oh well, maybe next year.  I wrote "You melt my heart" on each of Abby's bags.  Caleb didn't like that idea so he went with "I heart (drawn heart) you."  This was a great winter's day activity.

Fun with chalkboard paint

We just found out that Abby is allergic to dust mites.  Those darns suckers are everywhere.  The doctor suggested putting almost everything in plastic bins.  Good thing I like organizing!  I wanted to put her closet items in bins with lids, and be able to change the labels as her needs began to change.  So after 3 trips to Target, I found the right sized plastic bins.

Chalkboard paint is "in".  Everyone is doing it.  So, after looking at beautiful pictures on Pinterest, I decided to give chalkboard paint labeling a try.  I have painted wood before, and it does great!  My kids love the chalk areas on the cabinets in the playroom.  But I have never tried to create labels on glass jars or plastic bins before.  So instead of starting simple, I of course painted 10 different things at once.  It was fun, and educational.  There is a right and a wrong way to do this.  Here are a fews tips:

Paint choice:  I had an old can of chalkboard paint from 2006 laying in my garage.  Guess what?  It worked just great.  Just give it a little shake, and it is as good as new.  I know some people like to mix their own chalkboard paint so they have fun colors.  I like it in classic black.  And sometimes I am a little lazy.

Plastic:  This is trickier then I thought.  Granted, I didn't read any expert's blog posts on the subject.  But I had seen numerous pictures of people taping and painting.  So I thought, how hard could it be?  Not hard, but you need to know a few tricks to make it work on plastic.  First, create your label area with masking tape.  I didn't make it perfectly square (remember, I am not good at measuring).  I just eye-balled it and started painting.The trick I discovered is when you pull the tape off.  I think on plastic it is better to pull it off when wet.  I found that if I pulled of the tape too late, the paint wanted to peel off of the plastic, like a really good facial peel.  And then I had to paint again.  I would also suggest painting 2 coats in the beginning - the thicker it was on the plastic, the less peeling that happened at the end.

Glass:  I really like how the glass jar turned out.  I am going to do this again after collecting some neat looking jars.  The biggest mistake I did here was putting the paint on too thick.  There is no way to put glass jars on their sides.  I guess I have to be patient and do a few coats.  It was easier to paint and it adhered better.  I found the edges to be a little "rough" looking.  I kinda like it.  If you don't like it, it wipes right off while the paint is wet.  I think more jars are in my future.  

Oh yah, I had a happy baby who was patient during my painting.  Especially since I attacked all 3 kid's closets at once.

Trash can woes

In our house, the trash gets really full.  Especially the kitchen trash.  And then, no one wants to take it out because it is a **pain** to get out of that cylinder trash can.  I found a solution on the Pretty Handy Girl blog and immediately told my hubby.  He was so excited about the solution, he stole my thunder and drilled away while I was cooking dinner.  Read her post here:  http://www.prettyhandygirl.com/2012/02/making-it-easier-to-take-out-the-trash.html

brilliant.

Laundry room

The month of January has brought a lot of illness to our family.  For some reason that causes me to go into project overdrive.  One morning after looking longingly at Pinterest, I decided to redo our laundry room.  I have never painted cabinets before and thought it might be best to "practice" with the laundry room before attacking our kitchen.

There are many things I have learned through this project.  And yes, many mistakes.  But I must say, this was a fun project.  And I have actually "enjoyed" (gasp) doing 6 loads of laundry over the past 2 days.

Here are a few things I learned along the way:

Primer:  I asked a few friendly guys at Home Depot for some tips about priming.  I used Kilz latex primer and it was easy to use.  I bought one gallon (which was more then twice what I needed for these cabinets).  **next time I will buy Kilz primer in the spray can as well.  I wish I had sprayed the cabinet door with primer for a smoother finish.**

Paint color:  I LOVE the color I picked (Behr paint - Milestone).  But when I was finished, I walked in the room and thought "wow, there is a lot of blue in that color."  My husband walked in and said "you picked gray????"  So, to each his own.  I did a semi-gloss finish which is as shiny as I would ever want to get.  I bought a gallon and that was dead on for two coats plus touch up.

Painting technique:  This is where I made a few mistakes.  I took the doors off of their hinges and numbered them.  (that was a good thing)  My mistake was laying them flat on sheets in the garage.  When I painted near the edges, I wasn't very careful and there was some drippage.  My lovely door stuck to the sheets, creating bumpy edges.  Granted, this is the laundry room so I am not too worried about it.  But I should have known better.  Next time I will prop them up outside.  I aslo think outside would be a better place for them to dry.  2 reasons - my husband can have his side of the garage back, and the sun will help them dry more evenly.  I did roll the face of the cabinets.  If this was my kitchen, I would invest in a nice sprayer for the doors.  But I don't think the "roller" effect was as horrible as I feared.

Hinges:  I really thought I was on top of this one.  I took the old ugly 80's brass hinges with me to Lowes.  (**side note - I did end up going to Lowes for the hinges because I am a cheapskate and Home Depot didn't carry a contractor's pack of hinges.  It was 1/2 the cost)  I held the old hinge side by side with the new hinges and thought I had a perfect match.  See how great they look on the outside???

My problem is that with the 20 year upgrade, they must have changed the little holes on the inside about 1/8 of an inch.  And I put all the hinges on the cabinet wall first and then hung the doors.  So I have a little bit of a gap now.

Next time I will drill into the cabinet doors first, put them flush on the wall unit, then drill into the wall unit.  Lesson learned.

Finishing touches:  I did add a few fun things to the laundry room.  I found them at TJ Max Home Store, a favorite.  It made it more cheerful and organized.  I still need to get a new light fixture, but that will require some electrical wiring.  My hubby has always done the electrical for me - but maybe this time I will give it a try.  Don't worry, I won't be holding the baby while I check for live wires.