Friday, January 29, 2016

Look what we found 2 months ago


So....we had a cat...for a little while!


We've never had a cat before.


This one showed up 2 weeks after our beloved Sam passed away and it felt like it came into our lives at the right time.


We needed love


We thought he was a girl


so we named him Millie.


Sweet cutie liked us a lot and didn't leave our back yard for a while. He kept bringing us gifts!!!! The kind that makes you cringe They meant so much to him and to us.


Than, we found out Millie was a boy after a visit to the vet!


Now what? No name :-(





He sleeps funny


He is a "snowshoe" cat. Very rare, very hard to breed. Extremely intelligent and docile. They think of themselves as "people" not "cats"! hahaha. Loves to cuddle and loves to play.


We searched for his owner and could not find him so we found the perfect cat lover friend who is thrilled to have him forever since we can't keep him. He gave us love and we loved him back and now he has a new home. 

Happy Ending

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Faux Shiplap Wall How To


This project has been on my to do list for quite some time now and I don't know why it took me so long to get it done as this was an easy project.

The area to cover is a small garage entry way in the back of the house. The plank wall idea was to give this space a more beachy brighter feel since it is very small and dark.

After researching "faux plank walls/faux shiplap" etc... on the web, it seemed that everyone had their utility plywood sheets cut into 6 inches wide pieces so I did the same. The bottom plank closest to the baseboard would need to be ripped to fit the space but it seemed easier to do than have to figure out exact measurements.

Materials:

- Measuring tape and pencil
- 4'x8'x5mm utility plywood panels
- Corner trim
- Nail Gun (we used our cordless ryobi 18 gauge brad nailer) and nails
- Miter saw
- Other ripping saw (we used a band saw with a ripping arm but you could use a bladerunner saw, a jig saw or a circular saw)
- Putty
- Latex fast dry paintable caulk
- Primer (or not)
- Paint of choice (we used Sherwin Williams white gloss trim paint)

Instructions:

For this small space, we had to purchase 4 utility plywood panels measuring 4' x 8' x 5mm. Ours were primed a pink/orange color on one side.
The employee at lowes cut all four sheets at once every 6 inches length wise and so were left with 32 plank pieces to transport home.


1. Start by marking the studs on the walls so you know where to nail the planks. I have read of people adding glue to the back of the planks as well but I chose to opt out, in case I decide on another maker over for this space.

2. As every instructions on the internet says, start by nailing your planks from ceiling down as some ceilings aren't straight after the settling of the house.


3. To give the wall a shiplap look, place as many nickels as you need between the top/above plank and the one you will be nailing below. We used 4 nickels for the long planks and 1 or 2 for the short ones, in case you wonder.


We've had to cut a lot of planks to size for this space since we have 4 doors in that hallway. What a time consuming job! Thanks to the hubby and the miter saw.  I can't imagine cutting these by hand.

4. Putty the nail holes and caulk the edges and inner corners that need to be caulked and try to do a better job then me! 


5. Sand everything that needs to be sanded. Vacuum the gaps and wipe the wood clean of dust.

6. add the outer corner trims (I forgot to take a photo before painting)

7. Prime your wall(s)


8. Paint


9. Paint some more and voila! All done





10. We updated our builder grade light! We replaced it with a beautiful handmade light from the LampGoods on Etsy. This one was made by using a repurposed vintage fan cage. For more lights like this one check out the LampGoods shop here






We are very pleased with the way this hallway turned out.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Our Teenage Boy's Bedroom Suite Tour


This small wooden sign has been hanging on our son's outside bedroom door since 4th grade! He is now almost 15! The sign remains but the room has had a make over.




The night stand is from target. The platform bed is a find from the Habitat for Humanity store.


A handmade headboard COMING UP SOON. 


I gave the refurbished desk below a facelift with a dark stain and displayed some antiques. I scored this vintage typewriter for $8 at Zartiques Antiques in Castle Haynes, NC.


Just got this chair from Ikea. The wire shelving is from PB teen (Kellan collection but no longer available). The Marquee sign is from Michael's store. The metal initial signs are from Hobby Lobby and the XXL Barn light bulb is a vintage friend from an antique store in PA.


The locker cabinets are handmade by me and store most of his books. Click here for more photos and DIY on this project.


I was looking for a simple and eclectic way to decorate one of the walls in our son's room. This is a large wall and in order to make the TV on the wall less noticeable, I hung all kinds of art and signs.


The Ampersand wall decor is handmade. For DIY instructions on how to make this easy artwork, click here

The "2" metal sign is a vintage gas station number and the old license plate were both found at Zartique Antiques in Castle Haynes, NC

The small propeller is a reproduction I found on ebay.



Bedroom suite hallway with private bath and walk in closet 

Wood and Wire wall Multi Basket from PBTeen



Suite's Bathroom

Our son's bathroom has another door to the main hallway which has this small wooden sign indicating this is the men's designated bathroom


The light is from Restoration Hardware. The wall basket is from Target and the boat is from HomeGoods



Some photos were taken on different days so the lighting and decor might have changed a bit. Thank you so much for stopping by, I will update this post as soon as I add the headboard and install the penny floor in the bathroom.