Fountain Porn

Why do I call it porn?

por·nog·ra·phy  

/pôrˈnägrəfē/

Noun

 The representation in books, magazines, photographs, films, and other media of scenes or behavior that are designed to arouse.

Not to mention...you know you rushed over here feeling guilty as hell, didn't you?

 Okay, I've been blogging for 4 1/2 years, and this is my 1744th post.

When you make that much stuff, you're bound to end up on the net somewhere, right?

So why was I still so surprised when I did a Google search for "DIY Fountain Ideas,"

and this came up...

 Oh yeah, it's one of mine.

I'll be making a new fountain soon, and although I have all of my stuff,

I wanted to see what else I could rip off was out there.

Ready to take a stroll through some DIY genius?

This should at least melt the snow for a little while.

Get a little vertical impact with this design.

Jamie's full instructions will make it a breeze too! 

Stacked stones and recycled trash can lids add up to this

industrial birdbath trio, but I could see adding a pump to this.

For Barb's project, hop over here.

How cool is this?

And how deceptively easy!

 Julie's teapot fountain is amazing,

and really brightens the yard with all of surrounding plantings.

Hop over here for this and 9 other wet tutorials.

I aven't found the how-tos on this one, but seriously,
I think you get the picture from the picture, right?

There are some really cool projects over here
for completely simple and affordable ways to add a splash to your patio.

Who else but Martha would go this tall on the porch?

This one is just an inspiration photo, but you know you could hack it
with terra cotta pot saucers and copper pipe.

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors had this in a postof her favorite fountains.
No instructions, but I could figure this one out.
Where's my glass drill bit?

All over the net, this cool image is a great idea for that spare piano
you have just lying around.

I really wanted to find instructions for this, but it proved impossible
to track down...

...as was this.
If you happen to know the original source, do share!

Professionally done, but we're all DIY Divas here.

You know this one is doable.
Get all the details over here.

This one deserves a repost.
If I had outdoor stairs, I'd be all over this.

And for our grand finale, This Old House
has a great tutorial on how to make this natural-looking stunner.
Got rocks?

Are you ready to get back out in the dirt?

Tool Time

 Okay, so I'm redoing a table.

And I have one of these nifty scrapers.

 The center section of the tabletop is damages veneer and has to come off.

This is going to take forever, right?

 WRONG!

Because I also have one of these! 

Well, yes, of course I know it's a saw.

 But that's where this comes in!

$15 at Lowes, this kit makes your sawzall into a multi-tasking maniac.

Sand, scrape, even clean your grill with this set.

It not only saves time, but money, since you don't have to buy an electric sander

ot additional tools.

 Lock it in to your saw just like a blade.

Now, lets get this tabletop off before the boys get home, shall we?

Stuff for the Studios Part I

I have a confession...

 there's a new guy in my life.

Meet Seamus O'Bitey!

I popped by the farmer's market to get herb plants

and came home with a Lab/Irish Setter/Pittbull rescue

that's making me crazy, sucking all my time, eating my shoes,

and making me laugh constantly.

I'm surprised I got in a project for Thom's apartment!

As you may remember, my sons, Samwow and Thom,

now have bare-bones studio cribs.

The boys have vastly different styles;

Samwow's preference is a palette of khaki, black and white

with a very masculine tone,

while Thom wants to go with a beachy theme.

We're decorating on a shoe string, but the boys are kind of used to that with 

a Momma like me.

My wallet is shut so tight it squeaks.

 Now we all know my proclivity for candle projects.

I make the strangest stuff.

I'll make a light feature out of anything.

So when Thom wanted candlelight for dinner, which is

what he grew up on, I thought of something flameless (campus policy)

that would fit the bill.

His existing centerpiece is seagrass in a square vase, so...

 ...I hit Dollar Tree for something that would work!

 All you need is 2 votive holders...

 ...2 square, tall vases...

 ...filler of your choice to match your decor...

 ...some flickering battery tealights...

 ...and Goop!

I'm a huge fan of this waterproof, silicone sealant adhesive.

This is the best stuff for glass on glass projects.

 Okay, this is a quick one.

Put your desired filler in the vases.

 Run a bead of Goop around the top.

Center the votive holder on top.

Allow this to dry for at least 4 hours.

 I then nestled the tealights in some marbles I had left 

from a previous project.

 At almost 15 inches tall, these have a presence!

 With Thom's burgeoning tropical style, these will 

make a statement.

I think they'd also be perfect for a DIY wedding,

and at $5 a pair, they'll fit any budget.

And now, for your giggle-snort of the day...

Thanks to my good buddy Jane at The Borrowed Abode.

She and her new hubby Ryan are fellow pet junkies,

although not on the crazy-cat-lady-starter-kit level I am.

A Quick Stolen Free Idea

 We're excited for you guys to all see the finished product, Besties.

Actually, we can't wait for there to BE a finished product.

 (Actual sunset on the lake a block from the project house. I needed a sanity walk.)

 As we draw to the finish line, one thing has become clear:

 I have certainly been absent from Chateau Inferno.

 My Minions are the world's best kids and all,

but they aren't Momma.

The place is a little...let's be nice and go with "neglected," shall we?

I think it's time some decorating started to happen here.

After all, it's a home blog, right?

And The Redhead does not give up easily.

Or at all.

 The new office will be lighter and brighter, and I've been squirreling

away fun finds for months, like these clearance tripod lamps from Target

and white cut out shades from IKEA.

They should provide great task lighting for the work table.

 Check out the cool floral design that shows through when the lamp is on.

 There's a pair of these standing paper lamps as well,

perfect for between my barrel chairs.

A little shout out to reader Julie-Ann who is happy to see that

The Feline Overlords are still in power.

 However, back to lighting.

What do you do when you have the perfect lamp with the perfect shade...

 ...but it's less than the perfect height?

HGTV Magazine solved my problem before I even knew I had one!

 (This table is a future project, and the redo will cost less than $10!)

They recommended grabbing a stack of interesting books and piling

up a base that brings the lamp to your desired height.

 BOOM!

Perfect!

Not to mention, it warms up the tableau,

and you know I'm all about free solutions!

This also gives you some fun options, like using Halloween and horror tomes

to add a subtle touch of seasonal decoration.

Five minutes, and I can read in that corner.

 Shout out number two goes to PJ at Planned in Pencil, 

one of my favorite fellow bloggers and stalkers, who sent me

a glittery little note in the mail.

Check her out and let me know if I should be afraid that she knows my address.

 But yes, we're ready to head home to nest and craft a little.

Not to mention The Minions are tired of Momma phoning in dinner.

So cross your fingers.

The lady of the house is inspecting today.

And if she likes what she sees, Mark and I will wrap this up,

show the transformation off to you,

and I'll dive into the drift of projects I have that will keep you guys

busy until 2014.

After we escape to the beach for a day of doing.absolutely.NOTHING.