Think Outside the Boxes

I have them. Those big covered boxes so wonderful for stashing the strange collections that clutter my home.

And they were a very good price too. Just not so attractive any longer. So before they reclaimed space on my shelf, they were going through an asthetic and practical makeover.

Yep, break out the aqua spray paint. This actually took 5 light coats, and it looked sueded when I was done.

Now, a little wide aqua grosgrain ribbon if you please. We're going to hotglue this around the lid, not only as a decorative accent, but to hide those dogeared corners.

Work in small sections to get the best adhesion.

Now, once that's done...

...take another length of ribbon and loosely knot it in the center.

Tie a bow and snip the tails short.

Snag a tag and scrawl what the contents of the box will be.

Hot glue the bow to the box, tugging it so that the snipped end pulls inside the front and center knot, out of sight. Now thread some thinner ribbon through the front.

Loop it through your tag and tie it in a knot. Trim the ends of that very close.

Tuck the knot into the front of the bow, out of sight.

Repeat several times until all of your mismatched, outdated storage is clearly labeled, coordinated and organized. You didn't need new stuff. You needed a free afternoon.

Obtaining one of those? I can't help you there.

Convincing your spouse he doesn't need a Simpsons action figure collection? You're on your own there too.

10 Rules for My Sons

No matter how much I may preach equality in my home, there are differences in bringing up sons and daughters. Not that they all weren’t given equal exposure to everything, from toys to activities. There were no boy toys or girl toys in my house, and my daughter refused to wear dresses early on, so we had tons of mini Renaissance Festivals staged, epic croquet matches involving 3 full sets and all of the neighborhood kids, and parties with inflatable pools galore. And yet when the teen years hit, I watched the changes with amusement as my children started emerging from their cocoons and spreading the colorful wings of their identities. And I tweaked my rules for each gender just a bit, because I knew there was no way the boys were going to even consider tattoos or piercings. C'mon. They hate needles.

To my sons:

1. You will remember that women are your equals and rock solid strong. Your mother played rugby. I will hurt you. And nothing dissolves your street cred like being beaten up in public by a middle aged woman.
2. Never forget that there’s nothing wrong with crying if you feel it.
3. Always kiss your mother. You mean more to me than life, and I will always be your best friend and your biggest fan.
4. Be honest with me about everything. I trust you; after all, I raised you, and I should trust myself. But sometimes your decisions may need some guidance. I will listen with an open mind, and we’ll see what sounds right for you. I will not talk you out of it, however. The life I gave you is yours to live.
5. You both have autism. This means nothing. You process differently. I still expect good grades, graduation, and college. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and if you want to do it, we’ll find a way together. Except for riding a bike. You both suck at that evidently, but I'll swap that out for the straight A's in math any day.
6. Let’s do things together, one on one. Let me teach you how to bake a cake and take up a floor. Let’s mount a shelf and reupholster a chair. Then let’s sit down and look at your artwork. Tell me about the girl you have a crush on. Let’s watch a favorite movie. And hold my hand while we do. I won't tell anyone.
7. Bring your friends over. We’ll make nachos and play video games while I get to know the people influencing your life. I like you hanging out on the sectional sofa. It's like anthropology class all over again. Bonus points if I meet their parents.
8. I also support your dreams. You can grow up to be anything you want; you’re both artistic and amazingly talented. Design your futures any way you wish, and your mother will be there to cheer you on. And break the doors down to open them.
9. Tell me what you love. Share your passions and interests. Let’s crank the Gorillaz while we do the dishes, and listen to Michael Franks while we have dinner. What book are you reading? Whose art style are you emulating? What project are you tackling next? Intrigue me. I'll listen.
10. Remember that you are my son. You are amazing and magical. I am humbled that God trusted me with you. I know you are capable of great things, because you have shown them to me in who you are now. Go out and make me proud. And rock the world.

The Top 10 Projects I Simply Have to Steal

Okay, here’s the deal:

I have a blogging spreadsheet.

Yeah, yeah, I know, but seriously, keeping organized is a huge deal with me. I don’t want to miss a favorite party, or post the same project twice somewhere, or forget a cool new blog I want to go back to…

Or lose the instructions for a project that MUST be mine. Oh yeah. I nab tutorial URLs like a mad woman. And I make the project with a little twist of my own, giving credit back to the original crafter of course.

The list is crazy long, because I actually do get click happy at these link parties.

With a long weekend coming up, I may knock out a couple of these. Wanna craft along? Here’s my list of The Top 10 Projects I Simply Have to Steal. Grab your notepad and then plan a Joann’s run.

1.  My Shabby Chateau:  Faux Stone Patio: Donna             

This patio reminded me of mine: pretty run of the mill. But Donna’s spectacular revamp on the cheap gives me hope for my drab slab!

2. Imperfectly Beautiful: Mod Podged Mouse Pad: Amanda                    
Here’s a project that made me slap my forehead and go, “Why didn’t I think of that???” My desk is about to get amped up in the coordinated accessories department. 

  

3. The Autocrat: Summertime Koozies: Haley            

O…M…G! Those tacky yet necessary koozies get a revamp that makes me want to hit Walmart to stock up!     

       

4. Sallygoodin: Bamboo Outdoor Hanger: Pam                 

 This awesome plant hanger totally fengs my shui. I have way too many places I could use this, and the design is mega simple.

5. Keep Home Simple: The End of the Paper Pile Up: Robin               

I have all of this on hand, don’t you? How much simpler would this make staying organized each week if you just categorized as you sorted in good looking style? 

         

6. Little Apartment on the Prairie: Antiqued Jar Soap Dispenser: Homesteader                             

Thom is OCD, and he washes his hands a LOT. So I have soap dispensers everywhere. With this, I wouldn’t mind! And imagine this with a matching lotion dispenser! 

    

7. The Hand Me Down House: Pottery Barn Inspired Chandelier: Amanda                      

If you haven't seen this project, you must have been without internet for several weeks, but I couldn’t possibly leave it out. How inspired is this creation?

8. Sweet Something Designs: Concrete Planters and Hurricanes: Michelle                          

You know I love cement. You know I love river rock and shells. You know I love candlelight and plants. I NEED these. 

         

9. Creations From My Heart: A Thank You Gift for the Garden: Sherry Lynn                 

Next time you’re on a stake out at Goodwill, start stacking random glassware and see what you come up with. This was love at first site sight for me.

10. Recaptured Charm: Croc Wreath: Lisa                      

If you have a daughter, you have these in a closet somewhere just obscuring her floor now. I’m thinking of whipping up something in red, white, and blue for the weekend, but with Savannah’s discarded collection, I could change it monthly!

So, how many of these did you copy/paste or bookmark? Share your favorite picks, and when you visit these talented women, please tell them I said hi!

It's a Blog Party!

 

We all like blog parties, right?

What if there was a blog devoted to parties?

That's right, a different theme every day!

And what if it was run by Liz from the popular blog Hoosier Homemade?

Get over there. You know you want to.

Friday Flings!

And Now, a Word From Our Sponsor

This blog has been brought to you by Florida, land of perfect weather, wild parrots, and year round blooms.

I'm starting to train my bougainvillea to go over the proposed gazebo. I think it likes this direction, don't you?

The Tale of the Red Shoes

I had several emails asking if we really spray painted a pair of shoes.

Yeah, we did.

Take one pair of classic pumps from Goodwill and spray liberally with Lysol.

Stuff with newspaper.

No, wait, tape the inside with painter's tape first.

THEN stuff with newspaper! Tuck plastic food wrap around that.

NOT wrap for plastic food, by the way.

Using painter's tape, cover the soles carefully.

Once you have this, start shaking your can of Rustoleum Gloss Red.

Light coats please until you have the shine and coverage you desire.

Take your time.

And before you know it...

...you have the perfect shoes for your costume!

Not too shabby, eh?

I think I have Savannah addicted now.

Thursday Thrills

 Tales From Bloggeritaville

The Upstairs Bathroom Begins...Again

Late last July, Thom started on the upstairs bathroom remodel by taking a heat gun and scraping up the green faux marble peel and stick tiles with metallic gold accents. They were just stunning, let me tell you. And they had shifted with the years, we get bonus points for that. As he pried them up, he wondered aloud, "Why would anyone have put these down in the first place?"

The year was 1993. I was young and foolish. Don't judge me.

 

Now that we're getting back to the house's roots, I thought I'd take advantage of the nearly flawless hexagon tiles in white with blue accents. My colors, right? The nearly 20 year old adhesive wasn't budging though. We tried 2 bottles of the $18 solvent the guy at Home Depot recommended, and this is about as good as it got.

 Well, then we got distracted by that silly lame "our house burnt down" thing, and the floor sat like this for a year. I was totally skeezed out every time I took a shower, but hey, I had walls to put up elsewhere, so this was back-burnered.

Savannah has been stretching her crafting muscle a lot lately, and part of making any piece over is starting with a clean surface. With that in mind, she grabbed three contenders to experiment with. First up was Goo Gone, sticky mess remover extraordinaire.

409 got its own corner...

...and she thought she'd give plain old window cleaner a shot.

Some of this stuff was majorly tenacious. And yeah, those are original subway tiles.

So which worked best?

They each got 10 minutes to do their thing

And in the end...

...our winner was the $5 bottle of Goo Gone! I think a diluted bleach wash this weekend and we'll be ready to get started on restoring this bathroom.