Guess What I'm Doing This Weekend???

Again...

Sweaty Weekend Fun!!

Get your minds out of the gutter! My sweaty weekend fun involved a lot of hard, manual labor and this:

Cypress Mulch. It was as though the Fates knew I'd need some because it was on sale at Home Depot! Wahoo!

But this little project is going to take some time and a few more pictures to explain and give it the attention it deserves! So I hope to be back very soon with the full scoop!

Oh, the fun didn't stop there... my Rockstar Team (Mom and Brother) helped with a few cleanup projects in the back yard, gutter cleaning, and got me started on my bedroom overhaul (finally!). More on that later too!

Did you work on any big projects this weekend??

Small Change, Big Improvement!

I was reading one of my favorite blogs the other day, Mabel's House, when this post got me thinking about the small changes we often put off making for whatever reason. And how sometimes those tiny things make the biggest difference and we wonder, "Why the heck didn't I do that sooner?"

Raise your hand if that has applied to you at some point. Yup, I thought so.

Long story short... I have a bathroom that needs a few changes. For now, things will basically stay the same... but there will be some updates in the future... and probably a moment or two when I need your help and suggestions!

But first, a quick fix I did so long ago that I practically forgot this post existed a while ago and haven't talked about yet! My bathroom has a window, which is very nice for natural light! Though it was covered by the green curtains you see below. The previous owner left them. And yes, they do match the shower curtain. So it was like a giant wall of green.

Quite dark...and yet... as you can see, the curtains were a bit see-through.

My bathroom is right across from a window in my neighbor M's apartment. Always felt a bit weird, especially at night, when I'd change and whatnot. But after a few bucks and a little time, I had this!

Yes, more window film! Problem solved! And I can even keep the curtain open (though it still weirds me out at night). It's so nice having natural light!! You can't tell in this picture, but trust me, it makes a huge difference!

But this was months and months after I recognized the problem. It took me forever to do (and even longer to blog about)...I'll admit money was a bit tight in the beginning, so I did spend it on more important things. But seriously, window film isn't that expensive. 

It doesn't stop there though... once again, months later I came across some extra long shower curtain liners at TJ Maxx for about $7! I needed some new extra long liners, but hated to spend $15 or more on each liner at places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond (I need 2). It wasn't as though the liners I had were all nasty or anything, don't worry. But they were an off-white and opaque. Combine that with the dark curtains and minimal room at the top (I have this weird track system, more on that in another post) and you can imagine how dark it was in the shower. Seriously. I was practically giddy about finding extra long liners so cheap!

When I got home, I took down the old liners and curtains and put the new liners up...of course I chose translucent liners this time... they let lots of light in! And I decided I was not putting those hateful curtains back up. Sure, maybe right now not having a proper shower curtain looks a little...ghetto-chic...but I'm OK with that because I absolutely LOVE having more light in there. While I was at it, I took down one of the curtain panels on the window too! I definitely didn't need that much fabric for that size window. Again, HUGE difference!

Sadly, no picture. :(

'Fess up...what relatively easy or small changes have you made in your life lately that you've been happy about but also made you wonder why you didn't do it sooner? House stuff? Life stuff? What?

I am Grateful...

...for fuzzy bees that sit on flowers long enough to get a few perfect pictures.

...that I took a LOT of pictures over the summer so I can enjoy them in the dead of Wisconsin winter.

...that it is Wednesday and halfway through the week.

...this institution celebrates Sacred Hour each Wednesday. We're given this hour each week to use for reflection, prayer, connection, etc. There is Common Prayer offered each week, but usually I just use the time to close my door, and read or rest, or sometimes even to practice biofeedback!

...for Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies and made from scratch mixed berry muffins.

...for ChapStick.

What are you grateful for today?

How to Make a Project More Complicated Than It Needs to Be

All right, picking up right where we left off...here it is...my weird, hybrid method for hanging a bunch of stuff by myself. Again, I probably made this a little more complicated and time-consuming than it needed to be, but it worked. For me.

First, I taped the area of my wall I planned to hang the frames. Your eyes are not deceiving you, the tape lines look crooked. It's partly the plaster wall...probably partly my taping.

I measured those tape lines and then...

...taped the area on my kitchen nook floor! Yup. Crazy! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. It made perfect sense in my head...

Now, my taped area probably didn't exactly match the area on the wall, but I didn't care, it was close enough and gave me an idea of the space I had to work with.

After the area was taped, I did the whole arrange/rearrange thing...again.

Once I finally decided on an arrangement, I had to attach wall hooks, so I could hang the finished frames whichever way I deemed appropriate.

Then, since my only assistant was someone without opposable thumbs, I needed to use another trick I've learned to hang things. (I really have no idea where I got this from, but I am certain I didn't make it up myself!) Tape the back of the frame, put a hole where your hanger is, then take the tape off and stick it to the wall where you want it. Got it?

No?

Okay...put a piece of tape across the length of the frame, being careful to line it up, and then poke a hole where your hook is or I guess you can make a mark, whatever floats your boat. This works really well for hanging pictures or shelves with two or more hooks/hangers!

Then stick the pieces of tape to the wall where you plan on hanging your frame or whatever. Again, for hanging shelves and frames with more than one hook, using a level at this point is very important! Why bother with this step? Well, it helps you plan the space, keeps you from putting extra holes in your wall, and I think it's easier than measuring, remeasuring, calculating, drawing marks on your wall you can't see anyway, etc.

Using my picture of the chosen frame arrangement as my guide, I stuck a few pieces of tape to the wall, occasionally measuring to be sure I had enough space between frames. I also occasionally checked things with a level, just to be sure I wasn't completely off with everything.

I started with the "most important" frame, the one I consider a focal point or tend to look at first. Since I have plaster walls, I used my smallest drill bit to drill a tiny hole in the wall right where the hole was in my tape (if you don't have plaster walls or crazy paneling, then you can probably skip this). Once the hole was drilled, I hammered in a nail- the nail was slightly larger than the hole I drilled, so it was still nice and snug in there. :) Then, I ripped the tape off and hung the frame.  

Keep going, one by one, and adjust as needed. The nice thing about using tape is that you can move it around as much as you need. I realized I needed "go outside the lines" and ended up putting my topmost frame above my tape line. No biggie. At least I didn't drill a hole in the wall before I realized that!

I actually had fun with this part. It was the initial arranging/rearranging that drove me nuts. Once I was committed to a design, it was smooth sailing, in spite of some improvising.

Having a quiet critic/supervisor is also helpful...

Pulling off all the tape was fun...kind of like an unveiling!

Voila! What do you think?! Worth the suspense?

Note: I was going to put frames on both of those walls, but realized that I didn't have enough frames to divide between two walls without looking weird. I concentrated on this wall...and actually ended up leaving two of my frames out completely...for now. One was an oval and it looked odd being the only round frame among all those lines; the other was a simple rectangle. Maybe I'll add them later. Maybe not. Who knows!

Finished...For Now

I finally "finished" a project that has been months and months in the making. I will probably add to it later, but for now, whew, I'm happy with it.

I decided to create a collage of empty frames. I'm sure you've seen them and if not... no problem! I'm happy to show you some of my inspiration.

 

The Nester's awesome wall o' frames

Amber's foyer wall

I'm sure you get the gist, but if you want to see more examples, feel free to also look here or here.

I knew I wanted my frames to hang on the stair landing wall. I chose that spot because a) it needed something, b) the space is limited yet also has room to grow (on the other wall going up the rest of the stairs), and c) it's pretty visible- I can see it from a number of spots in the living room, obviously when going up or down the stairs, and also from my bedroom so I see it as soon as I wake up.

I'll be honest, I didn't think this project would take this long. It doesn't help that I'm particular. I only wanted wooden frames. I know some people use plastic, ceramic, or whatever, but I wanted wooden frames. I also wanted them to be in relatively good condition. Ultimately, I wanted a variety of sizes and shapes...but gosh, it was nearly impossible to find round or oval wooden frames! Oh, and price was important too! I didn't want to spend too much... I don't think I spent more than $6.50 on any one frame.

I'll run through my process, but be warned, it's probably more than you ever wanted to know...about me, my neuroses, and how I finally end up finishing projects. :)

Step 1- Scour thrift shops, rummage sales, and own supply of unused frames. I cannot tell you how much time I spent looking at frames.

I love this frame...great size, great detail, in very good shape.

Be creative... this was actually a mirror! I loved the depth and detail, so I just popped the mirror out. Actually, there were two of these and I'm kicking myself for not buying both!

Step 2- Clean, sand, paint. I won't bore you with pictures of this. However, this sometimes took a while...especially with all the nooks and crannies of the more ornate frames.

Step 3- Let your collection grow...and grow... then tell yourself you have to stop at some point.

Step 4- Spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about how you will arrange these frames. Lay them out and take pictures. Trust me, you're not going to remember "that one arrangement" after you've tried three different options.

Personally, with something like this, I really like to have an idea of what this is going to look like when it's done. Plus, I wanted an idea of spacing, since I was working with a limited area. Some people out there recommend laying things out, like I did above.

Others recommend tracing the frames on a giant piece of paper cut the same size as your space. I tried this, but since I would've had to tape pieces of large paper together to fit the space, I lost interest in that idea pretty quickly.

Still others (Martha Stewart, for one) suggest actually tracing your frames on cardboard or paper, cutting them out, and then hanging them on the wall with painter's tape to visualize the layout. Again, great idea...in theory. I initially used cardboard that was too thick and, of course, with the frame shown above. It's got some curves, which are pretty tough to cut out of thick cardboard. The small frames are also not fun to cut out...especially since I also tried to cut the inside out.

Step 5- Get overwhelmed and frustrated and immerse yourself in other projects. Occasionally think about frame project. Finding more frames at this point is optional, but may increase your frustration.

I finally tried enlisting some help one weekend when my mom and brother were in town. It was great having them hold up frames, but in the end it was a little too difficult for me to visualize in such a small place and with so many arms and bodies.

So. I decided I would make up my own weird method....

But for that, my friends, you'll need to come back tomorrow...this post is long enough as it is!

Tune in next time for How to Make a Project More Complicated Than It Needs to Be...

BushGate 2010: The Sequel

Last Friday evening, after BK and I finished up, my reinforcements arrived- Mom and Brother. Our rough "plan" for Saturday was to dig around the stumps and cut them as low to the surface as possible and then cover them up to rot. Then we were going to buy some new plants.

Rrrrriiiight.

We got a late start because we were all tired and it was an overcast morning, so I think we were all surprised to realize how late it was when we got moving! I fixed a nice breakfast for all of us and then we decided to check out my local garden center. Call me overwhelmed! I had a couple of rough ideas, but that's about it. But the woman was very helpful and really urged me to take things slow, to think about waiting until the end of August to plant anything, and to make sure I added some peat moss to the soil to...well...do whatever peat moss does. I did end up buying a few perennial Hibiscus plants at a great price (I think anyway) because they wouldn't be there if I came back later.

We dropped Brother off to get started digging while we left to get some peat moss and some topsoil to try to fill in holes and whatnot. Before we left, my neighbor, M, suggested we just pull the stumps out with his truck. That he'd be happy to help and it would save time and energy. I nearly had a panic attack at the suggestion. I really didn't want to do that because I didn't want the grass torn up more, was worried where the roots went and what damage they'd do...etc. I told M thanks, but no.

By the time we got back (and it was a pretty quick trip) Brother was already sweaty and tired...and apparently had talked to a few neighbors. I guess the feedback was positive and a few people had opinions to offer. Funny! It was then we realized this was a HUGE undertaking. M offered to help and I accepted...soon my other neighbor, G, arrived with a shovel and axe. And before long, this woman two houses down showed up with a big jug of ice water and cups. So sweet!!

After what seemed like only minutes, M, covered in sweat, approached me and really encouraged me to let him pull the stump...at least the GIANT one they were working on. I finally relented- part peer pressure, part fear that my help would get mad and leave! I ran to buy a tow strap. I wasn't sure I could be there for the actual towing....but I stayed. It took a number of tries... and to his credit, M was very, very careful and deliberate in what he was doing. Between pulls with the truck, the guys would dig, chop, and pull on the stump. It was a big ordeal...and that stump was STUCK. Finally...

 Isn't it huge?! I learned from a neighbor that these shrubs were there when he moved in ... 40+ years ago!

Not all of the stumps were as difficult to remove, but they did require a lot of work. Shovels, saws, sweat, maybe even tears.  I have the best neighbors.

Those men sure worked their butts off! Thank goodness it was overcast and a bit misty at times! 

I took G and his wife, and my mom and Brother out for dinner... M didn't come out with us. But he has my eternal gratitude. I will definitely be doing something nice for him at some point.

So this is basically what things look like at the moment. Bare. A little hole-y. I'm OK with that right now. But really... I'm taking suggestions for landscaping ideas. :)

BushGate 2010

 As you know, my weekend plans involved yanking out those blasted shrubs. It was an epic project. But first, I wanted to show you what just how tall those bushes were and what a difference removing them made!

This first picture was taken looking out the two front windows. On the right side, you can  barely make out the top of a jeep parked out on the street.

By Friday morning, after BK and I worked, this was the view-- please excuse the trash and recycling bins. Oops.

What a difference!!

We got back to it Friday after work. K-Dog (my supervisor) even came out to help! Really he just wanted to use his brand new reciprocating saw that he loaned me. We didn't use it Thursday night, if you can believe it.

The weather was pretty nice- not as hot as the day before. We actually had a lot of fun working- these two guys crack me up on a regular basis and with countless "bush" jokes going around...well, you get the idea. Fun was had by all. I'm not kidding when I say that my neighbors two houses down were also amused. I could hear them laughing on the front porch, enjoying the show and our antics.

We ... and by we I mean BK... got a dead branch out of this tree in the front yard. BK also attempted to shake the windsock out...it's been stuck there since last October. Really. Stuck. And yes, it's still stuck.

After we got the branches all cut off, K-Dog left and BK and I moved branches to the curb and to the giant pile on the side of the house.

And voila!! MUCH better, yes? It's funny, BK were sitting on the porch swing, taking a break before we cleaned everything up and two women were walking by. They said it "looked great!" and that they were friends with a neighbor across the street who had been wanting the previous owner to trim the bushes way down or remove them all together!! I can't tell you how good I felt to hear that. I have often felt that everyone many people in my neighborhood loved the previous owner. One particular neighbor seems to make comments every time I see him about how she "used to keep things so nice" and how she "spent a lot of time" on things. HA!

Maybe that's petty and not very nice, but I felt good that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't perfect.

Later the neighbor that wanted the bushes trimmed or cut down was outside and he yelled that it looked "great"! He did so right after that one particular neighbor yelled, "Your house looks naked." Not nice, not good, but "naked." Sigh.

Anyway, BK and I were proud of our hard work....but the hard work wasn't over yet...

Stay tuned... 


**PS- I really wanted to try to get this in one post, but I have so many pics and such a story to tell that I just couldn't do it! Plus, I'm tired!

"Just for Fun" He Says...

Last night my friend, BK, and I were going to have a "strategic planning meeting" to discuss how to approach a massive project: taking out those hateful shrubs in front of my house. The bushes that couldn't be taken out because of these little guys.

We looked (again) at the job waiting for us...we planned to get started after work today (Friday) and then work most of the day tomorrow (Saturday) after our reinforcements arrived. I'm not going to lie, both of us were panic-stricken.

BK wanted to just cut a branch or two "just for fun". Clearly we didn't stop.

I cannot describe how much I love those bushes being gone. After we were finished for the evening, we sat on my porch swing and for the first time, I could actually see the street! Love. It.

We're going to tackle the other side after work today and see how far we get - though I bet we can get through the others, especially because we might actually use the electric reciprocating saw this time!

I also cannot describe how grateful I am to BK!

More pictures to come, stay tuned!

Happy weekend!

Finders Keepers

I haven't done one of these in a while...

Anyway, on my recent day off, I was out in the yard, being one with nature, when I found this cute little pot hiding inside a stack of bigger pots in the garage!

It looks gianormous in this picture, but it's not. It's a wee little pot.

It will actually go rather nicely with my other "found loot," don't you think? In fact, since this picture was taken, my little jade plant had gotten a bit cramped in there, so

I pulled a stem out of there and put it in here! Nice! And free!

What's your latest and greatest "loot"?

A Grand Entrance: Part 1

Remember the movie, What About Bob? You know, Bill Murray plays "Bob"... a hypochondriacal, highly anxious, codependent guy, overly-attached to his psychiatrist (and his fish). Well Bob had to learn to take "baby steps" and he kept saying it over and over: "baby steps to the door, baby steps up the stairs, baby steps on the bus..." Well, I feel like that with my back entryway transformation. Baby steps to an organized, neat entryway.

And so, I wanted to share with you a baby step I took this weekend. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this little thing. I actually get a little giddy when I walk through there now.

But first... some thanks are in order! You guys really got me thinking about some really great ways to make a small space more organized and user-friendly...and pretty. :-)

I love Erin's suggestion:

(The Company Store)

And I would totally do this if I could, but really that bench is a little too big for my space. Sigh. If only I had a little more space. But I am in love with the corner shelf, so who knows. Maybe I'll splurge...maybe.

A couple of you mentioned changing out my light and I really want to do that, I just need to find a cheap light that isn't ugly. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled. I also have some Goodwill mirrors I plan to spruce up to add to the space. What really got me thinking was all that unused space in that recessed area above the coats and going to the basement. So who knows, I may be adding a shelf and baskets there! Thanks for all your great ideas! Keep 'em comin'!

Now, back to my baby step. I didn't really mention it in my last post, but you can see it in my pic:

See it? No? It's that ugly accordian door...

Now? Yeah, not sure why it's there, but it gets in my way constantly since it took away like 4 inches of space in the doorway, so I was always bumping it. And the one time I tried to close the dogs down in the basement they just bent it and went through (I have a real door at the top of the stairs in the kitchen).

Anyway, I decided to take that ugly thing down. It was trickier than I thought because there are these little...brakets? (those gray things)...holding the track on and the "hinged" side, but that was hidden so it took a bit before I realized how that part came off.

Finally, I got it all off! Woohoo! Then I tackled the many, many screws that were in there...I used elbow grease and worked up a little sweat, but I got them all off! Now every time I go downstairs, I am nearly gleeful at that door being gone! I know, it's not that big of a thing, but I feel like it's made a world of difference.

Apparently I didn't take a full picture of the new and improved doorway, but I did think it was funny that once I got the track off, you can see three distinct colors! An orangey one in the basement, white under, and that pukey yellow.

It's a veritable rainbow of color around here!

Yummy

I know this is quite after the fact, but I couldn't share these edible Christmas gifts earlier because, well, they were Christmas gifts! I apologize for the quality of all these pics- I took them quickly with my camera phone.

I don't usually do any baking for Christmas because Mom bakes more than enough for an army and because of the traveling I've had to do at Christmas. However, this Christmas was focused less on stuff and more on spending time together, good food, and good fun. I still wanted to do something, so I baked!

I whipped up some Cranberry Buttermilk Scones, which are pretty easy, very tasty, and freeze well (which was important because I had to freeze mine until the big night), though obviously they're better fresh from the oven! I got the recipe from Erin years ago and make them every now and then. Each time I do, I curse myself for not making them more often.

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones (makes 12+ depending on how big or small you cut them)

3 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 c. cold butter or margarine

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. dried cranberries

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk until just combined. Fold in cranberries and zest. Turn onto a floured surface, then divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball and pat down into a 6" circle. Cut each circle into 6 (or more) wedges. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar, sprinkle liberally over scones. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: I typically make the mistake of pulling out my electric mixer for this when really, you could do everything with a wooden spoon and your two hands. Or use your dough attachment for your mixer...I have one, I just never think to try it when I make these. Also, I usually just zest the whole orange and use all the zest. I like 'em zesty! But you can adjust to your taste. I also usually have a lot of cinnamon and sugar left so I sprinkle a little more on top while still warm. I also think this would be yummy with blueberries and lemon zest (though I haven't tried it).

To go with the scones, I made some Cinnamon Honey Butter. I saw the recipe here (her pictures are waaaaay better than mine) and loved the idea, so I got some baby food jars, some material, and tied them with jute. In this picture, there is obviously no butter...and I didn't have the jute yet. But you get the idea.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

2 sticks of butter at room temp
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Make sure the butter is room temperature and soft. Use the whisk attachment on the mixer and whip the butter. Add the powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Whip it together, then scrape the sides of the bowl and whisk. Whip again. Repeat if needed, making sure everything is combined well.

Notes: I'm not sure how long this will keep. It's easier to spread at room temperature, but if you don't eat it up immediately, then store in the fridge. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear it goes well on rolls, pancakes, waffles, muffins, you name it!

There you have it! An old favorite and new favorite! Let me know if you try these recipes out... Enjoy!