The Ugly Truth

You guys...this post...it really pains me to show you this. But something has to be done and I think putting it out there in blog land will help me to get motivated to get it done sooner. Plus, I don't ever want any single person for a single second to feel like we are living in a home that is rainbows and unicorns and everything is perfect. We are an ordinary family that makes messes and has our lazy moments.

This is the ugly truth, my Monica's closet...

Yes...I use our dining table to work and create. I have an office that we re-did for this very purpose. Do I use it for that? Simple answer, no. Long answer, I spent too long making sure it looked pretty that I never made sure that it would function for what I needed it for. This mess gets pushed to the side every time we eat dinner. I have been known to be racing around trying to move everything and add a final coat of paint to boards and get dinner on the table that sometimes dinner time straight up stresses me out. I should probably add that I am a messy crafter. I work like crazy not thinking about the mess and then take one day off and spend it cleaning, just to start the cycle again.

And you would never know it, but under that mess is a beautiful table my husband built. A table that I look at Pinterest and just know would look just as beautiful as some of the tables I have pinned with their beautiful center pieces, burlap runners and gorgeous place settings.

The good news, I do have a plan. Shortly after my husband made our table he also built a desk for the kitchen so that we could use the computer we had as a family computer.

The hutch on top is from our tv stand that was once my parent's bedroom furniture. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the hutch part yet but the desk is a perfect work area for me. This piece will be replaced by this...

The kitchen hutch that my in-laws were getting rid of and I just knew that it would be beautiful in my office. This is one of the pieces that is not functional for me. The storage underneath? Full of scrapbooking supplies that I don't need. This piece will give me the extra storage I need in the kitchen and can house the computer for the kids. And I've always wanted an old hutch in the kitchen, so this girl is getting painted white with distressing and the glass is getting replaced with some chicken wire. You know, the faux vintage effect that fits so many of our budgets so well!

The desk will move in to this spot and I plan on adding some open shelving above to store signs as they are drying, that way I can still work on more than one order at a time and not take over the entire house.

So stay tuned, hopefully everything will be moving soon!

Fixer Upper and Chapel Rd.

If you follow any blogs about home décor, chances are you have heard at least one of them talking about HGTV's new show, Fixer Upper. I decided to see what the fuss is about and I am hooked. I spent a whole day, while working, watching any episodes that were On Demand with Time Warner. The best part? The show is filmed in Waco, Texas which is an hour north of where I live. (My friend Kristi from I Should Be Mopping The Floor and I may or may not be planning on how to stalk meet Chip and JoJo.)

Why is this the best part? Because so many shows that I fall in love with for inspiration, for my own house, always seem to be on the other side of the country. I have come to believe that the New England/East Coast area and the Oregon/Washington area have the most fabulous areas to junk in and that it is hopeless to decorate my home the way I want, within the budget I have. To see a show that is filmed an hour away with the style I would love to have in my own home, that gets the creative wheels spinning.

And did they start spinning.

A while back I bought an old street sign that caught my attention.

It wasn't as old as I would have liked it, so I took a sander to it, roughed it up and then lost all inspiration and it sat in a closet.

After my Fixer Upper marathon I decided to pull it out and dig through my scrap pile. After I found the perfect piece I decided to give this stain color a second chance.

I want to love this shade, I really do, but it has too much red in it for my liking. I let it dry a bit and then started sanding it down some.

One of my favorite things to do with stain is to layer it to either get a custom color or make it look like an older piece that has been handed down. Before the first coat dried completely, I added a coat of a new shade called Weathered Oak, hoping that it would make it look like I had found the wood out in a field.

Nope. I think every bit I put on rubbed right off after letting it sit for 5 minutes. I knew I had to break out Old Faithful...

Dark Walnut. I don't know how many shades I have tried and I always go back to Dark Walnut.

Now I have the shade I want and layering it over the Gunstock gives it some of the depth I was looking for. I even used the stain left over on the rag on the street sign to give it an older feel.

My original plan was to screw the sign directly to the wood, but when I laid it down on the wood I decided I didn't want to lose the rippled shape it had developed over time. I dug through my husband's collection of hardware (I hoard wood, he hoards screws and building hardware...it's a match made in heaven) and found these black plastic pieces that were the perfect height for how high I wanted the sign to sit off of the wood.

Now if the sign was made out of wood I would have used regular screws. Since the sign is metal I had two options, drill a hole for the screw or use these...

Self drilling, or self tapping, metal screws. The funny tip on the end basically drills a hole as you are screwing it in. They are made especially for when you are working with metal and are a lifesaver, especially if you don't have a set of metal drill bits on hand (or you can't remember which set of your husband's is for metal.)

I first drilled the screws in to each end of the sign and then placed the black riser under each screw and attached it to the wood backing.

It's hanging right by our French doors that will at sometime lead out to a covered patio and deck. My plan is to make a collection of signs, as well as some unusual antique finds, to hang on the wall. I'm also working on a fun coffee bar/patio drink server idea to put underneath!

How to Install a New Light

I think in my past life I was an electrician. Seriously. I don't remember learning from my dad how to work with wiring things, it just feels like I've always done it and enjoyed doing it. It no longer surprises my husband to come home and find a new light or ceiling fan up when I find one for a great deal!

So today I am sharing...

 

 

We have been in the process of painting and updating the outside of our home and in this tutorial I am replacing the light on our back porch. The good thing is that whether you are replacing a light outside or inside, on the wall or the ceiling, it's the same steps.

 

These are the tools that you will need for replacing a light.

 

 

 

 

The new light, the hardware that came with the light and a drill {or screwdriver}. Photo bombing chocolate lab not required.

 

 

 

 

My project also required our brad nailer and the air compressor. My parents built the house in 1993 and at that time, the home builder didn't take in to consideration that, at some point, future homeowners might want to upgrade certain parts of the house, like the lighting.

 

 

 

 

The space that the old light was in was too small for the new light I bought. Luckily it's an easy fix. But first, make sure the breaker that controls the light you are working on is turned off. I usually have one of my daughters watch the light while the other stands halfway between us to tell me when the other yells that the light is off. Now you can remove the old light and the bracket that is attached to the wall.

 

 

 

 

My husband had already removed our old light when we were painting the house and he just capped the wires off until we could get a new light up.

 

The bracket should be attached to a box (usually blue) that the wires are coming out of. Challenge #2 with our house, I'm pretty sure the back porch light was an after thought. No box, just a hole in the wall with wires coming out. Thank goodness Challenge #1 will take care of #2!

 

 

 



My ever growing scrap pile was the answer to my problems. I cut two pieces of the trim we used for the French doors to fit in the space between the window trim and the door trim and nailed them in using the brad nailer. I made sure to check which way the wire was coming through the hole before nailing.

Now is the point where you would line up the holes in your bracket to the holes of the electrical box and screw them in. Since there is no box on this light, I took the wood screws that were used on the bracket from the old light and used them to screw the new bracket to the wood I just nailed up to fill the gap between the wall and the light base.

As I was climbing down the step ladder at this point I realized I had a captive audience that couldn't wait to get back outside. (Please pardon the nose prints! My new project is finding a way to keep them from scratching up the freshly painted doors.)

Next up for the light is hooking up the wires! I promise it is easy. When connecting the wires always remember: White always goes to white, black always goes to black and the bare copper wire coming from the light is always the ground wire that will attach to the green wire coming from the wall and/or the green screw on the bracket. Twist the matching wires together clockwise (you may need to trim the wire if too long or remove some of the plastic coating on the wires) and then take the wire nut (plastic cap item) and insert the wires into it and twist clockwise until tight.

Now push the wires back in to the electrical box and put the mounting screw(s) through the holes on the light and use the provided cap to tighten. Before you tighten it down completely take a second and make sure that it looks level and straight. If it does, tighten that baby down and give yourself a pat on the back!!

Go back and flip the breaker back on and go test out your new light. Stand back and say a few choice words in frustration when your light doesn't work...because you turned on the wrong light switch!

Wasn't that easy?! Now there is nothing stopping you from getting rid of those tired, outdated lights you avoid looking at.

In case you were wondering, this is the brand and stock number of the light I used from Lowe's. There are two sizes, I went with the smaller version that was $29.88 (?). It will go with the new cedar patio cover we are putting up that will have a galvanized roof (squeal!!). I will definitely be taking photos of that project to share with you!

If I missed a step or if you have a question, leave me  comment and I will get right back to you!

The Day I Lost My Measuring Tape

If you are a creative type, there is a chance that you have a special item you use daily that you have a special bond with. For some it may be a pair of scissors, others it may be a special pen. This is mine.

It's not much. A cheap measuring tape that I bought because I thought the bright green would make it easier to find {which it doesn't}. It was one of the very first tools I bought myself when I started making signs. We've been through a lot together.

Like this weekend...

We went to Home Depot to get some trim for the projects we're doing on the outside of the house. My youngest was in charge of keeping up with it. That didn't last long as she forgot it in the car {luckily her sister remembered it}. Trim was picked and as we were walking to the register, my husband asked for it one more time to measure an different trim. Purchase was made and we went home.

A little bit after being home my husband sent my daughter {the one that was supposed to be in charge of it} to ask me for the tape measure. I sent her back to him to remind him that he was the last person to have. A search of the car, purse, house, pockets and any other spot we could think of ensued. Finally, we had to face the fact that it was gone.

A trip to Wal-Mart later in the evening included a new measuring tape purchase. It was a long process. Is this cheaper brand I've never heard of a good one? Why are they all self locking? {Part of my thinking process on a project is me absent mindedly clicking the locking tab up and down.} Do I need a longer one? Why are there so many special features for a measuring tape? I decided to go with a basic 16 foot measuring tape, but still I was questioning the self locking feature.

My wonderful husband suggested we go back to Home Depot to look at a few items we forgot to look at earlier in the day. As we walked in, I crossed my fingers in my mind that as we walked past the customer service desk it would be sitting there. Nope. I even thought about asking them.

 "Umm...excuse me. Did anyone happen to bring in a black and green measuring tape? One that looks like it has been loved and appreciated by a woman for years and means the world to her?"

 I'm pretty sure they would have pointed me in the direction of the aisle of measuring tapes they would gladly sell me.

Walking through the store we made our way to the lumber department again. Walking past the register, I saw it...my measuring tape sitting there next to the register. I immediately began laughing and when my husband looked at me, all I could do was point. The cashier probably thought we were crazy as we walked over laughing. After telling her that I had lost my measuring tape after an earlier visit in the day, I was pretty sure that it was mine. She happily handed it over saying that it had been sitting there since we accidentally left it there earlier in the day.

My husband has now inherited a 16 foot self locking measuring tape. So far he loves that special feature.

The Great Salsa Experiment

Let me start this with saying that I am not food blogger so I apologize for the lack of photos documenting the steps and my lackluster {boring} set up of the photos I did take!

I have been on a quest. A quest to find a salsa that meets all the requirements my husband has on his checklist when determining a great salsa. Over the last few months I have been experimenting and so far, this one is the keeper.

 

 

 

He likes the texture to be almost soup like. His Memaw used to make and can her own salsa and that is what he holds his standards to. She sent the recipe she used home with him one day and it was quite intimidating. Not the steps, but the part that the recipe was written to make 9 quarts. When I picked up my Salsa and Guac pack from Bountiful Baskets {love!} I sat down and worked the recipe in to a manageable amount. After tons of chopping and cooking it for 2 hours, we realized that we are not fans of a vinegar-y salsa, and this was. Also, the 2 hour cooking time isn't exactly the best when you want salsa right away.

 

 

I tried a salsa verde recipe the next day that only required roasting the main ingredients for 15 minutes and then run it through the food processor. Easy peasy.

 

 

So this past weekend I bought everything I needed to make salsa and tried roasting all the main ingredients and then running it through my Ninja blender. It was good but it was missing something and I made the mistake of throwing 3 {3!!} unseeded jalapenos in and it literally took all night for me to regain feeling in my mouth.

 

 

Out that batch went and I researched what the mystery ingredient could be. The answer: cumin. One more trip to the grocery store and this is the formula that works for us:

 

 

4 lbs. of roma tomatoes

1 onion

2 jalapenos {deseeded!}

2 cloves of garlic

1 bell pepper

 

Cut the onion and bell pepper {after cleaning out seeds} in half. Remove the stem portion of the tomatoes. Place everything on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip halfway through.

 

Add items to blender or food processor {I ran mine for a second with half of the tomatoes in it} and pulse a few times. Then add:

 

2 tsp. cumin

kosher salt to taste

fresh cilantro to taste

 

Blend everything to the consistency of your choosing. Like I said, my husband likes his salsa almost soup like so I ran mine for a minute or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe made about 10 cups. I'll have to update you on how long and how well it lasts. Without the vinegar it may not last as long since vinegar works as a preservative.

 

I do know that it is really good. It's yummy on just chips and it was fantastic on cilantro lime rice we had with dinner the other night. My husband even used it on his eggs the other morning. And it looks super cute in these cute little jars that you can use to trick people in to thinking you're an old pro when it comes to canning!

 

 

 

 



An Update on Updating Photos

(Right before publishing this post I realized I had posted about updating photos once before. So this is kind of an update on updating photos since a few things have changed for me.)

I haven't been able to create new items as much as I would like right now. Why? There is a list of why's but the biggest one is trying to update photos of the items I offer in my Etsy shop.

 

Like this photo of one of my top sellers. I shot this 2 years ago in a tiny closet in my office with absolutely no natural light. All because I believed that a white background would be best. That is true for some people but I have grown to love seeing pictures of my items in a home setting with props (that is a whole other post!).  I have also changed my method of painting. So it's no surprise that at times I will get feedback on Etsy that the sign someone received was so much better than the picture.

 

I have now embraced the power of natural light. So when I find good natural light I try to take as many photos as I can.

 

The other day was one of those days. I don't even remember why I looked out the front door, but the light was perfect. I was about to pack this one up to ship and decided to snap a few photos of this sign, as well as a few other signs. I'm pretty sure the roofers that were working next door were wondering exactly what I was doing. Every few minutes I would walk out with another sign and sit down, stand up, kneel down, move the sign and on, and on.

 

Now for what has changed since the last time. I took class in January from a local photography studio, Solas Gallery in Salado, Texas. My youngest had her pictures taken there as a baby and I have always admired Tim's work. I was excited to soak up all of his knowledge. His first suggestion was to stop shooting in manual, not that there is anything wrong with it, but the settings he showed us cuts down on how much time you spend adjusting settings. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with manual, I was just having a hard time getting everything right. I also learned so much about fstop, aperture, ISO, lighting, why I need to use a tripod and that sometimes it is ok to just use that awesome photo you took with your iPhone. Tim admitted to us that he had just spent a week in New York City with his family and only took photos with his iPhone. Just proof that having the top equipment isn't all that matters

 

I know that I still have a lot to learn about photography and props, it's kind of a necessary evil with having an online business, but I am enjoying the process.

 

 

A Paint Wish

I.Love.Paint. There, I said it. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then this is no surprise to you. I work with paint everyday. My one wish? That there were places in my immediate area that carry specialty paints, like chalk paint or milk paint, or even the paint that comes in ridiculously cute mason jars {what is it with mason jar packaging that we go crazy for?!}

This leads to my second wish...

I wish I could carry a paint line. For real. Like sell the paint in my booth. Have fun little classes teaching people how to paint their furniture. To go to fun classes and workshops to drool over learn from other painters. This is where my happy place is, painting and distressing.

Clearly my second wish would fulfill my first wish. I have begun researching paint lines that are looking for retailers I've realized that it's overwhelming. The upfront costs, the quality of the paint, is this the type of paint people in my area are looking for?

This is where I turn to you for help. What paint do you wish was available locally? What paint have you tried and loved/hated? Send them all to me, the big lines, the small and struggling line, even the line that you may be mixing in your kitchen right now! Meanwhile, I'll be here collecting every penny I find for my wish jar.