Category: Home Projects


Sep
2020

DIY Multi-Purpose Beverage Server

categories: Autumn, DIY, Home Projects

Hello, on this first day of autumn.

What beautiful weather we are having, cool and sunny, afternoons in the 70’s.

Today I thought I would share my last outdoor project of the season, a multi-purpose beverage server.

Made with two, 2″ x 2″ x 8′ pieces of wood, for only $2.48 each, some wood screws, wood glue, several pieces of scrap wood, and wood stain.

That’s it!

To assemble, I cut 4 pieces at 29″ long for the legs, and 6 pieces at 12″ long for the sides.

Not a difficult project, but patience is needed when gluing and screwing the pieces together, one section at a time.

The top slats were made using some scrap wood, 1″ x 2″ x 15″ pieces glued to the top.

Stained the piece with a light wood stain to finish.

Not only can it be used for holding galvanized tubs, it makes a nice plant stand.

Or an outdoor side table.

Only $5.00!

The rustic look is perfect for outside on my crooked back porch.

Love it, and I made it!

Hope you all are enjoying the weather.

Beautiful fall days, created by God, for us.

Hope you all are gathering your fall pumpkins and mums, adding God’s fall colors to your home.

Enjoy this season.

Love, till next time!


Aug
2020

My Old Pine Trunk

categories: Home Projects, My Simple Home

Hey folks!

I had an old wood trunk made of pine in my basement.

It has been there for years.

The trunk is well over 30 years old.

Simple, so simple, even down to the wood handles.

I brought it up from the basement, and decided to use it as a small coffee table for our family room.

Not only will it make a perfect table, but it has so much storage for such a small piece.

It was a bit scratched up, but a little sanding, and a new coat of stain, made it like new again.

To add a little extra something, to bring it up-to-date a bit, I added some black wheels!

The wheels came from Amazon.

After everything was completed, the old trunk, now a coffee table, turned out really nice.

Our family room is where we spend most of our time.

It is not a fancy room, just a room to relax, take a quick nap, and just be together.

A simple room, just like my pine trunk.

This room is filled with things I love, especially lots of family photos.

I hold on to things probably too long, but in this case, I am glad I kept this trunk for over 30 years.

See you all for my next post!

Take care, be happy!


Jul
2020

It’s Not Jayne’s Garden

categories: Home Projects, Summer

In all of my __ years, I have never planted vegetables.

So this year, I thought I would give it a try!

No, this is not my vegetable garden.

This is my friend Jayne’s garden, a photo taken a couple of years ago, showing only one part of her garden.

I am sure this year’s is bigger and better.

The fact is, my garden consists of 2 tomato plants, and one sweet pepper plant.

Hey it’s a start!

But oh how much fun, and joy, these 3 plants have given me.

A new hobby, therapeutic during these “stay at home” times.

Just look at my first tomato, it’s beautiful, perfectly shaped!

My son and husband have even taken an interest, checking on our garden, as I do every morning.

It has brought back memories for my husband of helping his Grandmother with her garden as a child.

Sweet memories for him, his Grandmother raised him, and he was very close to her, all of her life.

I have always planted flowers, Shasta daisies, daylilies, cornflowers, and have enjoyed watching them come back every year.

I placed a birdbath, made from a deep plastic bowl and a decorative dowel from Home Depot, next to the cornflowers.

The birds in my area love it!

In my back yard, in a little hidden nook, I have a potting bench.

Planting flowers in pots, for my front and back porches, has always calmed me, especially on a stressful day.

I am reading all about growing vegetables, so maybe next year, just maybe, my little garden will grow and look more like Jayne’s.

Next year, I want sunflowers, and pumpkins growing by my little barn, in my back yard.

How lovely and colorful it will be.

Thank you Jayne, for your inspiration.

Folks, it is so true that the simple things in life, are the most rewarding.

Love to all on this hot summer day.

Can’t wait to slice my perfectly shaped tomato!


May
2018

My Quiet Place

categories: Home Projects, Living with MS

I have a place I go, a beautiful simple place, my quiet place.

I go there so many times throughout my days, to release stress, worry, loneliness, sadness, and sometimes to have a private cry.

It’s just a small outside corner at the back of my house.

An old, worn, chippy, picnic table, made into a potting bench for me, by my son on Mother’s Day, many years ago.

There is just something overwhelmingly calm about working with flowers, dirt, and old pots.

I am always adding fun things to this area, a sweet little bird, a garden sign, that is probably 20 years old, and of course, a banner of seed packets!  You all know I love to make banners!

How can anyone look at flowers and plants, and not believe in God?

It is rare when my husband complains about all the issues he deals with everyday, living with Multiple Sclerosis.

Yesterday, he told me the pain and burning in his right leg is spreading to his left leg.

What could I say or do?

He will not see a doctor, he does not believe they can help him, he knows there is no cure.

I went to my place of quiet to pray, as I often do, alone.

How can I help him?

I am thankful for this place I go, to sit sometimes, to be still, and know God is with us!

Thanks for letting me share such things, it helps!

Love all of you!

Hope you have that special place in your home, that is yours, to be still, to be quiet.

Have a blessed holiday weekend.

 


May
2018

Whimsy Flower Boxes

categories: Crafts, DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects, Spring

Just loving the weather we are having!

I remember, in the cold of winter, looking out my kitchen window, longing for the warmth, the green, the colors, the sounds, of this glorious time of the year.

It’s here, I am so pleased and thankful!

Love to add whimsy things to my porch and yard, simple fun things.

Found this plain wood box at the thrift store some time back, stashed it away, I knew I would find a way to use it eventually.

I also found this old flower box in my garage, from years ago, when I displayed at craft fairs.

It was a popular item I made and sold some 20 years ago!

Both boxes just needed a bit of sanding, some paint, and little time to turn into two whimsy flower boxes.

Take a look at my old boxes now!

Love them!

The addition of a knob from Hobby Lobby gave the plain box, now painted white, that little extra it needed to be special.

The picket fence box didn’t need much, I still loved the primitive look from so many years ago.  Just repaired the mini birdhouse on the fence, sanded and cleaned.

Adding flowers was the final touch.

Oh my gosh, to me, they are so beautiful!

Do fun, whimsy things today!

Giggle and love today!

See ya!


Apr
2018

Creating Simple Wall Art

categories: Home Projects

My sweet son recently painted my bedroom, gray of course!

Gray is my new white.

Light gray walls can be accented with all colors.

I purchased a new comforter set for our bed, black and white buffalo check, of course!

Love the simple, clean, farmhouse look it adds to a room.

Shopped around for some artwork for above our bed, but was unable to find anything I really liked, or could afford, so I created my own.

Using Pic Monkey, a photo editing site, that also allows you to create on a blank canvas, I came up with several simple sayings to frame.  Pic Monkey is free, check it out!

Once I created the prints, I used my home printer to copy, and then framed each one with frames I had used before.

They were perfect for over our bed.

I ended up only using three of the four prints due to the space available.  There should be no problem finding a perfect spot in my home for the fourth print, “live simply”.

This bedroom has two windows with a connecting window seat.

I am not sure what to add, curtains or not, more artwork or not, pillows, maybe not!

Once I decide what to do, I will share with all of you!

This project was so fun and easy to complete.

Hope you all enjoyed viewing my inexpensive project, and most of all, I hope you are enjoying creating fun things in your life!

Love you all bunches!

 

 

 


Apr
2018

Side Table Refresh

categories: Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

Hello friends!

Today I want to share a $12 thrift store side table refresh.

The table was in pretty good shape when I purchased it some time ago. Not much to do, some scratches and nicks to repair, especially on the wood top, and I wanted to change the color.

This is the before.

Here is the side table now.

Love it!

I wanted a table in our small upstairs hall, right in front of the hall bathroom. This table was the perfect size for the available wall space.

I used the same paint as the bathroom vanity I refreshed last year.

The knob is one that I already had, and I really like the way it looks on the table drawer.  Love the small bit of gold.

For now, I have placed a battery operated candle on the table, a perfect night light in the hall.

As with most of my projects, it was easy, simple, fun, and a great sense of accomplishment when completed.

Cleaning, sanding before painting, and staining the wood top, that was all I did to this table.

I am a picky thrift store shopper, cleaning all items thoroughly, and cleaning again, is a must for me.

Right now I am not buying and bringing home items that I do not need.  My home is not large, and I already feel I have hoarded enough stuff.

This table is my largest project to date.  It turned out amazing, at little cost.  A new table for this space would probably cost over $100.

I am pleased, so very pleased, with my small table refresh.

A few more items to finish before the weather warms, I so want to be outside working in my yard.

Love today, laugh today, be so thankful today!

 


Mar
2018

Organizing My Kitchen Cabinets

categories: Home Projects

Just take that first step.

Begin.

That was all I needed to do to complete a project I had put off, ashamed to say, for years!

With a busy life, I just felt I could let it go for later, wishful thinking, it just gets messier.

I started my kitchen cabinet organization project with the two baking cabinets above my stove, they needed the most work.

Yikes!

I know, I know, the before photos are horrible!

So to begin, I removed everything from my cabinets, sorted the good from the bad, the outdated, and gave the inside of the cabinets a good cleaning.

To give order, I gathered all the containers I had on hand, although I did purchase some new canisters with a gift card given to me by my brother, for my birthday.

I also found some great “Rae Dunn” look alike stickers to add to the front of the canisters.

New spice jars were needed, eliminating all the little cans of spices that were here and there, never able to find.

I filled the jars and labeled each one, found a great set of labels on Amazon.

Glass jars worked well for so many of my baking items.

I love that I can now clearly see the items.

Using glass jars and containers standardized my organization.

No more boxes and little cans.

You can now see that sustaining, keeping this order, should be easy, everything has a place, and all containers clearly recognized.

Pleased with the outcome of this project.

Now I am not embarrassed to open these cabinet doors.

They are clean, and organized in an easy simple way.

This is just the beginning of organizing all my kitchen cabinets, next step, dishes, cups, glasses.

Today might be a good day for you to take that first step on a project you have been putting off, just begin!

Love, blessings, joy, and laughter today.

 

 

 


Jan
2018

DIY Buffalo Check Tray

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Home Projects

Oh my gosh, I am so finished with winter.

We have gone through snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, lasting for weeks.

Brrrr…………!

This weather has been horrible, a birthday spoiler, a cabin fever maker, a junk food eating enabler!

I did manage to pull myself away from our warm fire to work on a few projects, and also to have a bit of much needed alone time.  Love my husband bunches, but being together all day, everyday, for weeks, is difficult at times!

It only took one simple completed project, to get me feeling so much better.

You all know I love trays, and another favorite of mine is buffalo check things, especially black and white.

Using, of course, a thrift store frame, a small piece of leftover wrapping paper, and some Hobby Lobby handles, all that I needed to create and complete.

The first step was taking the frame apart and giving it a thorough cleaning, inside and out.  It was in new condition, so I did not need to paint the frame.

I did sand the edges, all around, so it did not seem so perfect, and added a bit of stain to my sanding.

The buffalo check paper was cut to the size of the inside mat, and a bit of glue added to secure.

Added the galvanized handles with some shallow screws from the inside, reassembled, and my project was complete!

Love the way it turned out, it really is as “farmhouse chic” as any tray I have seen in stores and online.

I really love the farmhouse look, so popular now, wish I lived in a small farmhouse home somewhere wonderful!

Trays can be used in so many ways, love it on my wicker chest at the foot of our bed.

Less than $5 to complete.

One step, one project, I feel better now, ready to move on to other fun creative things!

It is really true, that just taking that first step, can be the beginning of changing any part of our lives needing a push of encouragement.

Now maybe I can use my own words to encourage myself to get on that much needed treadmill!

The sun just came out, around 49 degrees today, “Oh Happy Day”!

Love you all!

 

 


Nov
2017

Bathroom Refresh

categories: Home Projects

If you can’t afford any large home improvements, like a new kitchen, which is my dream, then try small, inexpensive updates as a good way to bring a fresh look to your home.

Today I want to share my bathroom refresh project.

It has a clean and whimsy touch that I love!

Nothing terribly expensive, just paint and some new accessories.

My color palette was shades of gray, black, white, and some wood.

The star of this refresh is this kitty print, it’s my whimsy!

We love kitties in our house!

Purchased the print at Hobby Lobby, 50% off, of course.

I always forget to take my “before” photos, sorry!

This update is such an improvement over my old yucky blue bathroom.

Painted the walls a shade of gray that I had used in my kitchen, and added a new shower curtain from Target.

Painted my old wood vanity a darker shade of gray, and added new hardware.

New towels, towel ring, and also painted the small wall cabinet.

Would love to have a new mirror, but this one is perfectly fine for now.  Maybe after Christmas.

I have already posted about my light fixture makeover, and my DIY “Splish Splash” print.

Still love both so much!

Found these really different wall hooks, great for towels, outside the shower area, at Hobby Lobby, again, 50% off.

I would think that anyone coming into my bathroom would find something to smile about!

It is now just a fun bathroom!

My home is perfectly imperfect, that’s just fine with me.

Hope you smiled a bit looking at this post!

Have a really fun weekend.

Love to all.