I spruced up my home exterior recently, but our front door although repainted looked lonely. And boring. I really wanted some artificial topiary trees but my bff hubby is adamantly against the idea. I have had pots and flowers by the front door before and in the summer when the 110+ degrees come scorching in it is a sad end to flowers and plants. It seems like the three options are no plants, dead plants, or artificial plants… really the latter is the lesser of the three evils don’t you think? I guess I have one more year to prove my theory to my husband, so I might as well do it in style.
I don’t often find anything great at our thrift store, maybe the town is too small, or we don’t donate enough, but Monday I was taking loads of stuff after cleaning out the garage and there were these two beauties in the yard:
Metal. Matching. What’s not to love? I claimed them on the spot. $5 later my bff was wondering why I donated a few boxes, yet brought more stuff home. I assured him they would be awesome when I was done. The hardest part of the project was deciding what spray paint to use. Until I realized our walls are two-toned, why should they have all the fun? I decided to paint blue on top and my favorite oil rubbed bronze on the bottom (I have used the bronze in many projects like this and this)
I cleaned, treated the rust, and spray painted blue, taped off the top and then covered with bronze. This is the first time I have used Valspar spray paint and I was not impressed. It was hard to push and didn’t seem to go on evenly. I can say though that the color was great and really true to the paint lid even after on the planters.
My favorite cheater trick from this project is stretching the good soil when planting… I usually don’t want to use really good soil to fill a pot when the roots just don’t go very deep (and it costs money, yuck.) I usually use any dirt I can find to use at the bottom and even fill the bottom with used plastic bottles, milk cartons, whatever, to take up space:
The front porch looks so much happier:
in part due to my awesome ever-present helper:
Happy Creating!
Life has been busy lately with unworthy blog projects like weeding, fixing pool equipment, and cleaning sheds and garages (really, who wants to read about that?) I have also been overwhelmed by end of school projects and festivities. I am bracing myself for summertime. I love the kids at home, but I love them productively busy too. Usually by the time school is over we are all ready for the schedule again!
Wherever you are out in blog land, may I introduce my beloved CRAB SHACK. (This is the moment that I swallow all my pride and show you amazingly messy pictures)
This room is an add on to our master bedroom and if you have always dreamed of having a room with FOUR sliding glass doors, well look no further! This room features four sliding glass doors (one indoors), old yucky carpet, a random layout, and tons of potential. It would make an awesome sun room, den, or work out space… but since we moved in almost two years ago it has been a dumping ground and computer graveyard. It’s name was coined when my husband literally wanted to hang fishnet and plastic fish in the room to accompany his beloved singing bass.
Yes, the above beautiful creation has a motion sensor that sparks up the songs “Don’t Worry Be Happy” and “Take Me to the River” as it’s freakishly real-looking head and tail swing to the beat. It was funny the first 50 times, but now it just startles me in the middle of the night.
So, this is my next BIG project. What to do with the random add-on crab shack? Really there are only three things that must stay:
- Big Mouth Billy Bass. It’s our compromise, he literally said “do what you want, but you’re not touching my fish!”
- The tree. It’s probably the only thing I LOVE in the room. It was my grandma’s and the moment I put it in the room I knew the space had potential. Trees make everything better.
- The furniture. It’s big and bulky and I like it. Plus, new furniture is not in the budget.
What will definitely be changed:
- The entry, something about a sliding glass door spliting up your master bedroom just doesn’t sing praises you know? I would love to add barn doors, but it’ll have to be the right fit.
- Flooring. The yucky big-black-dog-lived-here hasn’t inspired den greatness.
- The clutter! The inversion table, massage table, and piles of old computers are on their way out.
So, stay tuned as I *hopefully* transform the crab shack into something functional and awesome!
Happy Creating!
***Update 5.21.2014 Two of these plates still look fantastic, the other two have faded! I can’t find a rhyme or reason why two would work and the others wouldn’t. Just wanted to give you a warning!
I am shameless about giving myself presents. For birthdays I email links of my wish list in order of preference to my husband and on Christmas I wrap my own gifts. I love surprises, but I also love getting stuff that I really want or need. It’s very unromantic I know, but the end result is always awesome.
It’s no surprise then that this week my nephews and kids made Mother’s Day presents with me. Who makes their own Mother’s Day gifts!? Totally me. So fun and so easy.
1. Find a plain plate. I bought Corelle plates for $3.23 at Walmart because I wanted them to last
2. Color with sharpie markers
3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
DONE! I hope I have these plates forever. If you’re looking for a last minute idea for someone in your life, try this personalized gift.
Happy Creating!
Yep, that is my dust pile yesterday afternoon. Not even the only time I swept. My sister is taking a long needed vacation with her husband and I get her kiddos this week. Six children eight years-old and under. So, pretty much the only project getting done around here is dinner and an occasional bath. Fitting that this adventure is the week of Mother’s Day. My mom had eight daughters, I am appreciating (and admiring) her even more! There may not be a post coming soon… children are a project all by themselves.
Happy Creating!