Porch progress photos!

I am so excited today to finally move my bench to the front porch.  Here is the awful before mess:

And yes, if you think you see a "Santa Stop Here" sign, you win the prize.

We play in the front yard a lot, so this is a spot where shoes, gloves, balls, gardening tools and more ends up.  I pulled up this planter a few years ago thinking it would help, and it did help. A little.

But I'm so happy with how contained and clean things are looking now:

I know....it's a serious improvement.  I can even see a spot for some outdoor art/clock/thing there above the bench to help with project "clean the front porch" at this point.

I'm in love with this project.  I'm so excited to have it finished and know I can make something from a plan.  I'm ready for the next project now! 

awful.....

....awfully clean and pretty!

Just one more peak, because it's so pretty:

Let's Plant a Pot....tips for container gardening

gardening.savvy-cafe.com

I love to garden, and have always had luck with flowers....except in pots.  I love the look of lots of pots on front steps, porches and patios, but have just never had much luck with them myself!

And it's not like I don't have gardening books on the shelf, (one in particular on container gardening), but just never got around to reading them.

Yesterday, we were treated to a great speaker from a local garden center (Thanks to Scott from Snows!) and I learned a lot from him, including all the things I've been doing wrong! (and my apologies if I get anything wrong!)

So my next gardening plans are to have a few beautiful pots on my front steps with some great tips and fun ideas:

• Start with a non-porous container. Clay containers look great, but will pull out all the moisture from the plant.  If you want to use clay, prime the inside with a sealer.
• Air! Plants need air to survive, so line the bottom of the pot with anything to allow air to move through the container.  I've always used rocks, which makes the pot heavy.  Scott suggested anything from shredded newspapers to crushed soda cans to packing peanuts.  These are all light, and even better, free!
• Then add your layer of ..... well, not soil!  Do NOT use indoor potting soil or heavy topsoil.  This compacts too much and doesn't allow air to get to the roots of the plant.  Instead, use an organic mix plant medium that is light and doesn't compact. 
• Place your plants in the pot, then lightly add a layer of plant medium.  Don't make the mistake of filling your pot, then digging the holes and sticking the plants in.  All this does is compact the soil, which defeats your goal of allowing air in there!  Just lightly add plants and soil and pat it all down nice and lightly.
• Top your pot with a layer of mulch or sphagnum to keep moisture in the pot.
• Don't over water!  You don't want your pot to be sitting in a saucer of water.  Water until it's wet, then don't water again until the plant dries out.  Roots that sit in over saturated soil can't breathe. 

million bells

In picking out your plants, don't get stuck in a rut of annuals with blooms at the time of planting.  There are many great options out there for color and interest in plants that provide the color in their leaves, such as coleus.  Add a spiky grass for height, and a colorful annual like million bells to spill over the edge, and you will have a beautiful pot.

Don't forget the fertilizer!  Soil in pots needs an additive of fertilizer to thrive throughout the growing season.  Another thing I learned? Never reuse your soil in a pot from year to year! 

I can't wait to get my pots started this year....I have high hopes for my container flowers.

One more suggestion: Scott said don't be hesitant to add a tomato plant, carrots or other veggie in there along with your flowers....they all love containers!

So get planting!

Mystery project: Revealed!

I was nervous to reveal my mystery project, for a few reasons I can think of.  It was a first time project for me for three reasons:

1. I had never used a real plan
2. I had never used the Kreg jig (besides practicing!)
3. I had never installed a hinge

So I figured if I failed, I could always say it really was a doghouse, and be done with it.

But it wasn't.  A doghouse.  Or a failure.  Actually, I'm very pleased with the results!

First, I have to thank Ana White again for posting clear and amazingly easy to use plans on her website.  In addition to that, they are free!  I can't wait to finish painting the piece so I can upload a "brag board" photo on her site.  This particular plan was made by Mimi at Blue Roof Cabin, and appropriately named "Mimi's bench".

The part I made was the bottom storage compartment of a halltree that Mimi designed and made for charity. 

But for now, here it is, except for a final coat of paint.  Oh wait, let me show you the intended result first:

And now, my result:

(I'm nervous, are you??)

 Here it is, before painting:

 And proof that my first hinge-attempt really works! 

This plan was so easy to follow.  It included a purchase list, cut list, and detailed instructions that were extremely easy to understand and follow. 

I was most nervous about how to attach the hinge, but it worked out fine.  One day I'll post a tutorial on that, but it wasn't as hard as I anticipated. 

The instructions suggested using scrap plywood to fill in the insides of the frames, and I did just that.  I used pieces from the back or the HUTCH I refinished, and the other piece was from an old tv cabinet that was no longer needed. 

Cost wise breaks down as follows:

Lumber: $32.00

Screws: $3.49 (and I have some left)

Backing: Free

Hinges: $2.38

Total: $37.87

My plans for the bench are for some much needed storage on our front porch (baseball gloves, baseballs, balls, muddy shoes....) that will hopefully spur me onto a porch cleanup and redo this spring.  This is a good start! 

So there it is: My mystery project revealed.  Once it's painted and in place, I'll show you it in all it's use and glory, with clutter contained. 

As I often do, I also like to include of list of "Things that could be better next time", so here goes:

• Making cuts for a finished piece with a Skilsaw is not recommended.  Getting perfectly straight  cuts (at least for me) was hard.  I need to invest in a table saw if I continue projects of this type.
• I need to invest in a few good clamps to make boards attach perfectly even.  I did the best I could with what I had, but it could be better.
• Take an extra minute to make sure all boards are right side out before nailing (haha...that side will stay against the wall...no one but us will know!)
• Measure twice, cut once.  That one will always be a good rule for any project.

So there it is: My project, my pictures, my longer than ever wish list of new tools.  I'm ready to move on to the next project! 



Dollar Store re-use

I bought a bundle of these cute little planters last week for a flower arranging project at MOPS.  We had leftovers, and after having them rattle around in the car for a few days, a took them out and threw them on the workbench, figuring I would deal with them later.

 Then as I was collecting little screwdrivers and random nails and screws, I came up with a great option: put them to work! 

Random things in one, and small screwdrivers and pencils in the other....I can never keep up with my pencils, so hopefully this will help!

This is a girl's workbench, so why not pretty it up a little?

A "Wow" Weekend....

.....or otherwise known as "wow, what a weekend" or "wow, where did that weekend go?" 

Friday was a lost day for me (mystery virus that had me down for the count, and away from the project I wanted to finish, I know, boo) followed by baseball practice in the evening. 

Saturday was about as full as it could be.  We started our morning with a 5K Run (or walk for some of us) to benefit the local school for autism.  In addition to supporting a great cause and a great school, we had a great time!  Carter took the prize for the family with a time of 33 minutes! For a kid that has never run more than 1 mile at a time (at school), he ran the entire three without stopping...those long legs are built to run!  Brad said  that some people commented as he crossed the finish line that he still had a huge grin on his face.  We were very proud of him....he wasn't that excited about the run, but understood the reason we were doing it, so went with it and did a great job!

Next up on his (and our!) social calendar was baseball: two hour game in the sun and heat that they won in the bottom of the ninth.  Again, what matters to us is seeing him having a good time and a smile on that face. 

Another short break at home, and then we were off again to a bowling birthday party for his great friend from kindergarten.  I'm not sure how he was still going, but by the end (and a rarity for him!), he looked at us and said "I'm tired".  Not surprising!

The stress of the weekend was his outdoor bike/scooter/skateboard party he had been looking forward to for weeks.  After much thought, this is what he really wanted to do.....hang out with friends and ride bikes for a few hours.   After weeks of dry weather, the forecast for a cold, rainy day just didn't change, so our plans needed to.  This is not a big deal in the scheme of life, things change, but to a tired, excited nine year-old, it was tough.

We were able to reserve a bowling party at the last minute, and in the end, it was wonderful, fun, full of laughs and time with friends.  He has a group of really nice friends, and I enjoy being with them all ( I know, I am talking about 9 and 10 year old boys, but it's true!). 

Of course I forgot my camera, my phone battery died, but I did manage to get a few pictures on Brad's phone: lots of smiling, cute faces covered with orange icing and chocolate ice cream.

And that, my friends, is the best picture of the day.

Day two: Mystery project

Day two is underway! I was forming sides 3 and 4 of my project, which went a lot quicker than sides 1 and 2. I think I'm getting used to reading the plans and using my Kreg jig, so I'm cruising right along.

The piece on the far left is a leftover piece that I used to keep the pieces square as I screwed the other pieces together.  This worked really well for me.  If the project was much bigger, I would need clamps, but for this, it worked fine.  Everything ended up nice and square!

Here are sides 3 and 4!

The plans from Ana White are awesome! (and there is a major clue in here if you want to look!)

Here is sides one through four put together!  Oops....can you see my mistake?

How about now?

Or now? Yep, side three or four needs to come off and be turned around.  I was feeling a little distracted (a big no-no) and was wanting to get done (should have stopped then), but I wanted to get to a good stopping point, so I forged ahead.  Lesson learned (again); it doesn't pay!  It won't take me long to fix this, and fortunately it's a small problem to fix. 

"Is this a doghouse?? "

"If you think I'm going in there, you're sadly mistaken."

I finally started my project today! 

This is my first ever project using actual plans with measurments and detailed instructions, so yes, I am a little nervous.  But today I dove in, and made good progress!

First: the "cut list".    Here is my first sets of cuts, which will form the front and back of my project (and no, I'm not going to tell you what it is yet....you'll just have to watch it come together and see it and it's born!)  The instructions are from an amazing woman and blog: Ana White.  She is an amazing build and diy'er.  In addition, she posts *free* plans for many projects on her blog; I've been following her for a while, and have been so impressed with her plans.  I'm so excited to take on my first project! 

This is my first project with my Kreg too.  The first side took 14 pocket holes and 6 joints, and it went well.  I think we're going to get along well!  

I need to invest in a few really good clamps; in the meantime, I found that by pushing against the wall as I screw, it works fine.  Perfect? No. But OK.  This is not going to be a finished piece of work for the center of my living room (clue #1!), so rough finish is going to be OK for this project.  I'm learning as I go.

The pocket holes also make a really strong joint.  I tested it by banging it a few times, and it held. Success.

I used a scrap piece of lumber to make sure the ends of my side were even.

Worked!

And here is my finished "side #1" of my mystery project. 

Making the cuts for the first two sides and building the first side took one hour.  Stay tuned!

It's my party and I'll shop if I want to....

....shop if I want to....you would shop too....
OK, I'll stop...yes, it's my birthday!  Forever, I've celebrated my birthday with flowers.  In this part of Virginia, last frost is definitely past by the middle of April, so it's finally time to get planting!

Today's project centered around this;  I've held on to this cute little boy-sized wheelbarrow for a few years; you can see it got plenty of use in it's years.  Now I've decided to re-purpose it into a new planter.

First issue for a planter is drainage.  I checked my drill bits, and they were good on metal, so I drilled away and put three holes in the lowest part of the "planter".

Too big...

Placing flowers is sort of like decorating: you have to think of color, height, and how they will all look together.  I also wanted a focal point, and picked out these bright orange gerbera daisies.  I picked out yellow in a few varieties because I thought it would be a good contrast against the red.  After that, I just play, moved around and around, and finally I'll have something I'm happy with.

empty space before.....

Cute space after!

The yellow lobelia will cascade over the front and hopefully look like a waterfall effect, with bits of orange white and yellow behind.   As things grow in, there may be a plant or two that will have to come out and be transplanted someplace else; it's fun though to have it look full right away.  Part of the fun of gardening for me is moving things around all season, so that's no issue!

If you feel like you'll get overwhelmed at the garden center, be sure to read the tags.  They will tell you everything you need to know about the plant:

• Sun requirements: Plants that need sun will not bloom in the shade, and plants that thrive in the shade will wilt in the sun.  There are some plants that are "draught tolerant", which is great in the dogs days of summer.
• Water needs: you can see this one says "low once established", which is a great thing!
• Spacing and growth rate: If it says space 18 inches apart, this gives you an idea of how big the plant will be at maturity.
• Bloom time: Will it bloom in the spring and be done? Or bloom all summer?  Try to have a variety of bloom times and colors in your garden.  If all your plants bloom in the spring and are done, your garden will be boring in June.
• Pruning: Honestly, I don't prune a lot. I like low maintenance gardening.  This will tell you though if certain plants will bloom again if you continue to "deadhead"  or pick off old blooms.  Also, there are plants that can be cut back mid season for a second bloom time in the fall. 

Pay attention to all of these when you are picking out plants and it will make your selection so much easier.  If you can't handle all the options, stick with sun requirements!

But....I have to say, after all these years of flower gardening, my best advice is this: Plant it, water it, take care of it.  It lives or it doesn't, then move on and try something else. 

Most of all, enjoy it! 

Best.Day.Ever.

This is it. Today. The best day ever in my life.  Why? It's the day that the woman with nails became the mom.  And I don't think "Random Woman with Nails" would have been as fun of a blog title as "Mom with Nails", do you?

Two and a half hours before I became a year older, I received the best present ever. 

 This guy right here.  After 15 years of marriage and lots of waiting, hoping, hard work, heartache and loss, he was here.  And we still almost lost him that day.  It was touch and go for a while before he decided to breathe for us and stay with us on this earth.  Eight days later, we brought him home in the middle of one of the most beautiful spring days I've ever seen.

And it's been beautiful days ever since.    

Happy 9th birthday my sweet boy!

I've met Kreg

No, Kreg isn't some new man in my life.  I already have the only two I'll ever need.

I had never heard of Kreg before a year ago, when I started back into DIY building projects again; Kreg started showing up in many blogs and tutorials and plans; I didn't know this Kreg, so I did more research. 

Oh...pocket holes!  I know pocket holes!  Still confused? That's ok....hang on, and I'll fill you in!

Pocket holes are a type of joinery...that is, a way to join two pieces of wood.  It's an easier way than other ways that require of lot more skill or access to parts (like the inside of a chair) to form a tight joint.  Pocket hole joinery starts with (get ready:) a hole(!) drilled on an angle, in which you drill in that pre-drilled hole and connect your pieces in a tight, strong joint.  Still confused?

 Does a picture help?

To drill the holes, you need the guide (called a "jig") that places the holes at a precise angle for the size and width of the piece you are working with.  You know what comes next, right? Yep....I was off to Lowe's to buy my very own Kreg jig.  The first two people I asked were staring at me and said "a what?";  finally helpful person #3 knew what I wanted, and got me all set. 

I came home so excited, and set off to make my first kreg jig joinery ... thing.  To a big fail.  So I tried again (failed again), and then took the smart way out: I read the directions. Yep, I can be like that.  I get so excited to get going, I don't want to waste time reading the directions.

The nice folks at Kreg have written really nice directions, and after another attempt, then reading the measurements correctly, I had my first perfect joint. Yay!

I tested it: banged on it, beat it against the workbench, and yep, it's a tight, strong joint.

So now what?  Well, here's what!

This pile of wood came home with me last Monday for a new project.  But then I took that 3 hour tour to nowhere, and here it still sits. 

But this week is different, for a few reasons. 

I have more free time, and I'm determined.

This project is much needed, and timely.

It will help clean up a mess, and get me started on another needed cleanup project. 

Curious? Stay tuned!

A three hour tour.....a three hour tour.....

Familiar? You have to go back a ways to pick this one up, or have caught re-runs.  Gilligan and his friends went on a "three hour tour" and were stranded for years.  That's sort of how this week felt like for me....except I didn't end up on a tropical island with funny people! 

I set out on my "weekly tour" and was stranded in details, and just didn't make the trip I expected.  But I plan to  being back on solid ground next week, AND with some fun projects wrapped up and some new things started.

Until then, here is a great article for your reading pleasure: Article from a blog called The Power of Moms entitled "Your Children want You".  It touches on blogs and Pinterest, and how we can all get overhwelmed thinking that "everyone has alphabetized, magnetic spice containers" or unless you are "wearing the latest fashions (in a size two, of course), there’s no point in even showing up for the day".

I happen to agree with this....all of this.  The blogosphere and internet in general can be overwhelming, and make us all feel less than Martha Stewart if we don't have themed parties and organized by color sock drawers. 

So what's my point? Well, my point is I think this blog is for you!  While I love to organized, it's very perfect behind the camera. I don't wear a size 2 (or 4 or 6) and I certainly don't have the latest fashions.  I don't strive to be perfect, because there is really no point, is there?

I enjoy doing the things I do, and sharing them with you as I go.  As I've said many times before, this is my to-do list, and is really making a different in the way I organize and make progress in my days (well, except for this week).  It's just for fun, and I hope you find it to be that way.

This weekend? We're celebrating my favorite person-in-the-world's 9th birthday!  I can't wait.  And no, don't wait for the themed table settings or fancy crafts: we're more of a hotdogs on paper plates kind of family.  It's exactly what he's asked for, and it will be a blast.

I hope you enjoy the article and take peace in being the mom (or dad or person) that you are: no more, no less.  And certainly not worried about doing it perfectly, just happily.

Happy weekend everyone!

House crashing

Have you heard of house crashing? Where you show up at someones house and check it out?  John and Sherry of www.younghouselove.com have made an art of this...check out their many posts and pictures on the many houses they have checked out!

Anyway, today I am offline because I am house crashing with 100 (yes, one hundred) fun third graders!  We are checking out the famous house of one of America's finest, the third President of our country.  It's a lovely house, up on a hill, and it's supposed to be in the 50's.  Brrrr....what happened to spring?

I hope to get some great house-crashing pictures and fill you in on all the details tomorrow, so come back and see what there is to see!

Need a sneak peak? Here you go!

I'm so excited....I haven't been in over 20 years!  I think I'm going to learn a thing or two!

Be very afraid: I found the camera!

I know after I described the paint color on the step you can't WAIT to see pictures, right?? We'll start slow....if your stomach is too weak for the "big-D" color, I'll understand if you drop out early. First, here is the lovely color card:

The second from the top is the color in my kitchen; halfway between the third and fourth is the color for the rest of the downstairs; the third color is the stripes in my kitchen.  So far, so good.

So I picked the fifth color down for the steps.  Doesn't it look harmless?

But once it was on the step, it just looked like someone had an accident or something.  (I told you to walk away if you couldn't handle this!)  I don't know, it just isn't that great. 

I did paint one more complete step tonight to get a better feel for it, and it's better, but then again, the lighting is poor at the top of the steps at night, so that might be it.

I have the paint, so for now, I'm going to continue to paint the trim and risers.  I really have to have that finished before I can paint the treads for real.  And then if it's not great, I'll go to the next, darker color. 

Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe.

But without a doubt, I still am loving these steps so much more than aweful carpet, even at this stage!

Pulling up the carpet was a great idea!

No-photo Monday Tuesday

Well, after a week off of school and many play days and fun, today just had to be errands and house catch-up day.  There just was no other choice!

I did make it to Sherwin Williams to pick out a step color of paint for the basement steps.  The salesman helped me pick a great floor and porch paint that will be very durable. 

I took a large piece of the floor with me, as the first colors I brought home were way too dark.  I picked a few, and one stood out as a color that looked good with the colors in the cork.  Then I noticed that I was on the same paint card as the recent paint in my downstairs....this would be the darker color of the two colors in my kitchen and family/living/dining rooms.  That must be a sign, right??

Maybe, maybe not.  I tend to like darker browns, leaning towards the chocolate colors, but they were the ones that were too dark.  My first swipes of color with this color is.....well....less than exciting.  And when Brad came home, his first comment was "It reminds me of diarrhea".  And he's right.  It's really that horrible and exactly what I was thinking.  And I still like it on the paint chip....so how in the world will I pick another color and feel good about it?  I think I'm headed back to good old chocolate brown. 

Well, how bad is it?  (This is where I post a photo for you to see, if I could put my hand on my camera, which I can't, but after that description, I know you don't want to see it anyway!  Hopefully by the time I get a picture it will look smashing.  And not like .... well, anything that you don't want to be reminded of).

So this is a reminder of my word for the year: Step.  One at a time, in this case, literally.  Maybe I'll use up all my samples from over the years and have rainbow steps!  That would be a happy way to enter the house every day, wouldn't it?

Fun Photo Friday

The end of spring break fun, and it was fun.  watching my boy scooter in the skatepark. catching up with a friend that moved 3 years ago. beautiful sunshine. baseball. spring. easter. weekend.

Garden Dreaming.....

Spring break week is about a break: being with my boy, not my to-do list.
Monday we had a "mom day" and just hung around at home, Barnes and Noble, and the fountain reading our new book.  Tuesday we headed to see our grandma (ghee-ghee), Chuck-e-Cheese (unlike a lot of other parents, I love the place, and we even get GG to play some skee-ball with us!). We met Carter's first cousin-once-removed (that means his cousin had a baby, just FYI), the first baby in the family for him as he's the youngest cousin.  Wednesday took us to a local river with friends (they swam....brrrrr!) and some fishing and hanging out.

I've always been a flower planter..since I was very little.  My birthday is in mid-April, the perfect post-frost time to get those bedding plants in the ground.  My favorite birthday gift as a child was a table full of flowers!  Some things never change: I usually take one day off around that time and head to the garden centers and buy buy and plant.  It's spiritual, calming, peaceful and therapeutic for me.  But it's a little early now, even though we've had a taste of 80 degree days.  We can still get frost, and unless you are devoted to going out at night and covering things up (I'm not), it's too early. You have to wait.  Which kills me.
So as I sit outside today watching two boys bike and scooter and skateboard,  and I'm dreaming about planting time.  All I can do is go into cleanup and planning mode.
Nichole was hard at work herself digging and transplanting.  Fortunately what she dug up was a dead azalea, so it was just really helpful. Thanks girl!

Two winters ago we had very unusual storms; we had two feet of snow followed shortly by another two feet of snow.  Our cherry laurels went from 3 feet tall to 3 inches, packed under snow for weeks.   We cut them back to the ground to give them a chance to survive.  Some survived, some did not.

But the ones that did not, as sad as it is for them, leaves me with empty space to fill----woo-hoo!

n the spaces where they didn't make it (like to the left), I now have room for a new plant. The one I've always wanted, but didn't have the room, is a hibiscus. They are beautiful, and will do well in the sunny part of the yard. I can't wait to dig up these roots and get them planted! If you aren't familiar with the, here's a sample picture.....aren't they gorgeous?

These hollies are not my favorite: It's great around Christmas when they produce lots of berries; otherwise they would not be a choice for me in my yard.  To clean them up, I trimmed a lot of branches off the ground and it helped a lot.  Branches low to the ground where I can't see what's under them = horrible snake nightmares for this intense snake phobic.

Here are some bushes that are transplants: They are called...... hmmm.   I'll have to get back to you on that (Spirea...it's spirea!). These really root themselves, so I can peek under an existing bush to dig up little seedlings and move them around.  I moved these last spring, and they are doing great. 

This is my porch, which needs a lot of help.  I want to build a toybox/bench type of thing to the right of the door; then something to hold a book and a drink, maybe build from scratch, or re-purpose something with outdoor paint. 

This little maple has a great story.  It's mama lives with my mother-in-law.  When my husband was a boy, he could jump over the mama tree easily.  Now, it's big enough for my boy to climb.  This little seedling transplant survived a three hour trip home, transplant, and 4 years later has really grown!  Maybe Carter's son or daughter will climb it one day!

See those bushes around the light pole?  My vote is to dig them up; I'm still fighting the battle, but I'm thinking I'll win this one.  Or maybe one day they will just disappear.  I think it would clean that area up a lot.

These are/were azaleas that we won't get to enjoy this year. They also had seen better times, so I cut them back to the ground last fall also.  Little sprigs tell me they are alive, and I'm hoping next year they will be full and pretty again. 

We have major plans projects that need to be done in the back yard (making paths, building steps, building a mini-deck), so I'm sticking to the front for now.  There is a lot to do each year, and I enjoy it. 

The only problem it presents is the attack on the inside to-do list!  What "to-do"? 

Do you garden? Do you know the difference between and annual and a perennial? The importance of sun requirements?  Stay tuned for more posts from the garden!