DIY

80s-furniture-makeover-begins

December 8, 2014

I’ve done it again. Just like I did with my dad’s old dressers, I’ve taken something from my parents house and tried to put my own spin on it. Feast your eyes on this bad boy. A jelly cabinet from the 1980s. I asked my parents for the story behind this - why they bought it, where they got it, what they paid… and they can’t remember. Are the 80s the new 60s?

#Furniture Refinishing #Furniture #DIY

A Back Door Upgrade

March 4, 2015

With all of the recent snow and sleet, I’ve been stuck in the house a lot. I’ve been looking around and I’m really starting to notice all the projects I’ve started and haven’t finished. There are a lot. An embarrassing amount, really. The mirror was one of them. At least that’s done. We have a wine rack that’s still unfinished, pantry doors that are still half painted in the garage and a guest room that was supposed to be painted two years ago.

#DIY #Painting

A Quick DIY Nursery Mobile (For Under $7!)

March 11, 2014

When I set out to make a mobile for the nursery, I didn’t exactly set out with any real idea of what I wanted. Sure, I checked out a few DIY options online before heading out to the store, but in the end, I found my inspiration perusing my local Michael’s Arts and Crafts store. I came home with a flat flower hoop, some all-purpose acrylic, non-toxic craft paint, and nine random wood shapes.

#Nursery #Crafts #DIY #Decorating

A Second Attempt At Curb Appeal

July 12, 2013

If you’ve been following this blog since the fall, you may remember an enthusiastic post about curb appeal. You can read about it here, but I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes if you’re in a time crunch. Back in October, I planted over 150 (Yes, you read that right - I’m crazy.) bulbs around the yard in anticipation for beautiful spring flowers. Many came up, but many did not. Specifically, I planted a bunch of bulbs around the mailbox to give the curb some color.

#Garden #Curb Appeal #DIY #Planting #Annuals

Getting Our Sand On

November 7, 2012

When I decided to fix-up the guest room, I figured I’d need some paint and bedding upgrades, but I didn’t think there would be room in the budget for new furniture. Then I remembered my parents were looking to get rid of a pair of beat-up dressers my sister and I used as kids. We’re all grown up now and the dressers are empty! More importantly, my dad used these dressers when he was a kid, too!

#Sanding #DIY

How to Make a Custom Clock (Sort of)

September 24, 2014

Did you notice the “sort of” in the post title? I added it to let you know I didn’t quite make a custom clock. I modified an existing clock to make it cuter. So that kind of counts, right? We started with this bad boy.. ($9.98 - Amazon)… …and ended up here. When I told my mom that I was “making a clock” for Harrison’s nursery, she promptly replied: (in an impressed tone) “Wow, that sounds involved.

#Crafts #DIY

How To Rip Out Vines (While Keeping Your Sanity Intact)

April 23, 2015

I haven’t posted in nearly a month and it’s driving me crazy. Have you missed me? I have so much to say and so much to share. I haven’t been sitting on my bottom around here, I assure you of that. After moving on from the non-alcohol related hangover of Harrison’s birthday week, Matt and I started to really enjoy some of the gorgeous weather Connecticut has been afforded of late.

#Curb Appeal #Backyard Livin' #DIY

Kicking Off Our First Tile Project

July 8, 2013

The tile is up, y’all. It’s up on the wall. Technically, it’s been on the wall for a while now, but I’m just getting this post up now. Sorry ‘bout it. I picked the tile out a few weeks ago at Home Depot, and with everything else thrown in, our cart looked quite full. We grabbed everything we needed for this job all in one shot. Or so we thought.

#Tile #Kitchen Renovation #Kitchen #DIY #Night Moves

Mirror, Mirror...

January 30, 2015

…on the wall. Yes, the mirror that we found in our garage from the previous owners. It was neglected and beat up but I liked its curves so it avoided the dumpster. I cleaned it up a bit with an old rag and some vinegar and Matt made a fancy French cleat on which to hang it. Voila! We had a functional, pretty-ish piece for our large dining room wall that didn’t cost us a dime.

#Painting #Little Projects #DIY #Decorating

New Kitchen Tile: Complete!

July 9, 2013

Put a fork in it. The kitchen tile job is done. For a recap, here’s where the kitchen stood at the end of night one. With that part under our belt, it was time to grout. Before we mixed it up, we needed to check each space between the tiles for any thin-set that may have sneaked out while pressing the tile down. Each space needed to be clear to absorb the grout we’d scrape on.

#Kitchen #Kitchen Renovation #Tiling #DIY

Upgrading Kitchen Cabinet Trim

March 13, 2014

Hey look! It’s a post about something other than the nursery! You’re welcome. I’m the one having this baby, and even I’m sick of the nursery posts. So let’s take a break and talk about how we neglected the trim above our kitchen cabinets for ohhhh… nine months. Matt and I (mostly Matt - I played cheerleader and tool-gatherer) made progress this weekend, but first, let’s take a little picture tour of how we got to where we were desperately needing new trim above the kitchen cabinets…

#Woodworking #Before & After #Home Improvement #DIY

White Kitchen Trim and Chatterblocks

December 29, 2014

Do you remember when Matt and I ripped off the old, dinky kitchen trim and replaced it? You probably don’t, because it was in March. Then the whole having-a-baby thing happened and that poor trim sat untouched for too long. A couple of months ago, I finally filled the nail holes with wood putty, sanded it down and slapped on a few coats of Behr’s Ultra Pure White. I may add one more coat but for now, it’s looking much better.

#Shopping #DIY #Painting