Lasso The Moon

DIY Headboard from a Vintage Door

**Be sure to enter the drawing for Beyond Bath Time by Erin Davis.  Winner will be picked tomorrow at 9am! Enter here.**

When Donnie told me that he was going to build me a headboard from the door that he bought at the Glen Rose antique shop, I never expected it to turn out this awesome.  I knew it would be good--I mean the idea alone is great.  But I never expected this work of art.

 

In its original state, the door was in pretty bad shape.  Besides the chipping paint (which I kind of liked) it was filthy, had been written on in ink and spray paint, and had three bullet holes in it!

Since most doors are not horizontally symmetrical, and we wanted the bed to be symmetrical, Donnie cut a strip from the bottom of the door, and glued it to the top.  You can see that in the picture below.  The glued on strip is on the right side.  We didn't think it would show after being sanded and painted, but we put that end on the side that would be farthest from our bedroom door,  just in case.

Using some measurements from these Ana White plans, we used 4x4s on each end as the posts.  We screwed the door to the posts using pocket holes.  I wish I'd taken a picture of that part, because they are so cool! And we used the jig that Donnie gave me for my birthday!  To get the door in the very center of the post, we rested it on some scrap wood while we were screwing them together.

Then we placed a 2x4 on top of the door and posts, lining it up exactly with the 4x4s.

After that we attached the top rail, which is a 2x6. We centered it on the 2x4, and extended it about 1 inch on each side.

Construction finished!

After sanding forEVER, Donnie primed and painted the whole thing.  He used a Kilz primer, and paint tinted in Martha Stewart's Flagstone. It's a warm beigey-grey that I think will go with anything.

My favorite part of the new headboard is what he did to the panels. I never would have thought of it.

We celebrated our "tin" anniversary in April, so this was the whole starting point of his inspiration to build the bed.  His original intent was to find enough old, vintage ceiling tiles to work inside the panels, but we either didn't like the ones available, or the ones we liked were too small to work.

That's when we found Tin Ceiling Xpress online.  We bought three 2x2 foot panels for $7 each!! Even with shipping, it was just over $30.  When you only need a couple pieces, this is the only place to go apparently.  The pattern we got was fleur.

Donnie painted the three pieces of tin with the same bright white that I used on the coat rack in the entryway.  Then he palm-sanded them, but was careful to not go overboard and to keep the wear very uneven.  We wanted it to look as close a possible to the old "found" tin pieces.  I think he nailed it.

With tin snips, he cut the tin to the exact measurements of the panels (they were all slightly different) and attached them using a strong construction adhesive.

My favorite part of this gift is that we got to work on it together.  I like that even more than the headboard itself.  Donnie's a perfectionist, but somehow he maintains a cool patience when he's working with me, who knows nearly nothing about constructing things from wood.

I am in love with my new headboard.  And my old husband.

Now to think about some fun new bedding to go with it!

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We'd be so flattered if you used our idea to make your own piece of furniture!  Please let us know that you did, and we'll feature a photo and link here on our blog!  And if it's a future project you're thinking of, slap this post on pinterest so you don't lose it!

 

Easy Teachers Gift Totes That Look Like a Million Bucks

Today is the first day of summer break.  I thought it would never get here.  The combination of early-morning lunch packing, breakfasts and drop-offs; sleepless nights with my newborn; and a relentlessly energetic toddler have made the last six weeks feel like I'm running through waist-deep mud.  I am so glad summer is finally here!

Yesterday was the last day, and I wanted so badly to blow off the idea of teacher gifts.  But I couldn't let it go. These women have spent so much time building into my kids. How could I let the year end without doing something special for them?

So I decided to make them some tote bags, because who doesn't love a tote bag?

Aren't they cute? Would you believe that these only cost about $4 each, and took less than an hour to do all three!  It's true.

The secret is starting with these pretty reusable totes that I found at Walmart.  They were near the checkout lines.  $4 each.  Score.

Next, print off your monogram onto regular printer paper.  The space between the straps was almost exactly 7 1/2 inches, so print it out nice and big.

Cut the paper letters out.  This is your  pattern.

Next you'll need some coordinating fabrics, and some fusible web.

There are several brands of webbing available.  Just make sure that you get the "sewable" kind.  The no-sew will gunk up your sewing machine needle.

Following the directions on the package, iron a piece of paper-backed adhesive web to the wrong side of the fabric.  The webbing and the fabric should be as big as the letter pattern you made.

Turn the fabric paper side up, and trace your letter up-side-down. (You must trace the mirror image onto the paper, so it turns out right.)  Cut it out.

Then, carefully peel the paper backing off of the fabric, making sure that the adhesive is still stuck to the fabric.  Position the monogram exactly where you want it on the bag, cover with a dishtowel to protect the bag fabric, and iron to set the adhesive.  **Note: the bags I bought had a pocket on the inside.  Make sure you place the monogram on the side without the pocket.!** Again, be sure to read the package, because some brands require steam at this point, and some don't.

Be careful not to melt the bag with the iron!

When you are done with this step, it should look something like this:

So cute, right?

For the final step, rev up your sewing machine, and sew a straight stitch once or twice around the very edge of the monogram.  This will hold it in place and give it a little visual border that will help it stand out from the pattern on the bag.

These were a hit with the teachers!  They felt special, and I didn't lose any more sleep over it than I needed to. 

Emma with Mrs. Williams on the last day.

I like how these turned out so much, that I may have to make one for myself.

If you make one using this tutorial, let me know! I'd love to see how yours turned out.

And make sure you pin this tutorial onto your pinterest board so you can get to it next time you need an easy gift idea.  You can follow mine here.

 And here are some other gifts we've made for our excellent teachers:

Child's drawing tote bag

Child's drawing pillow

 

Thirty-Three

The morning of my birthday, I woke up to see this hanging in the doorway of my bedroom:

Are you kidding me??? My two oldest (8 and 6) are in this hilarious stage of writing everything down, making up skits and stories, posting signs everywhere.  I love it so much.  There was more fun in the living room.  But before I was allowed to see it, they each brought me a present.  In bed.

The Cadburys are from Emma.  The girl knows about the need for chocolate, and she felt sorry for me when Esther ate mine, foil and all.

Ethan picked out the ruler.  Donnie had walked them through the craft department at Walmart, and when Ethan saw the ruler, he said I needed it, since mine was broken.  As a matter of fact, I've been making do with that broken ruler for years, and he had noticed.  I think that boy will make an excellent husband someday.

The box in the back is a carpentry tool that I've had my eye on.  I want to make a piece of furniture for the entryway, and the directions call for pocket holes, for which you need a pocket hole jig.  And that's what he got me. Is a tool a romantic gift? Well, this one is!  I can't wait to try it!

Here's what was waiting in the living room:

And even in the bathroom:

We met some family and a friend at a local restaurant for lunch, where I got a couple of these:

Yes!

It was a low-key birthday with minimum fanfare, and it was one of my favorites of all time.  You can't go wrong spending a birthday with people you love.

 

How to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries in Tuxedos

I made these little guys for Donnie for Valentine's Day this year.

They are so much easier than they look.

Here's what you need:

white chocolate or candy coating

dark chocolate or candy coating

large strawberries

toothpicks

wax paper

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Make sure your strawberries are clean and dry before you start.

Melt your white chocolate according to package instructions.  If you are using the microwave, please stop and stir it every 30 seconds, because it has a tendency to hold its shape, and will burn without you realizing it.

Dip each strawberry's front into the white chocolate.  You only need to dip the front, as this is the "shirt" part of the tuxedo.

Dip each one, and let them cool completely on wax paper.

Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate, again stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Dip each strawberry into the chocolate at a tilted angle...

First one side:

And then the other.

Be careful to leave a triangular patch of white in the front.  The chocolate should form a "v" around it.

If your chocolate is starting to cool at this point, heat it up a little and grab your toothpicks.

Use a toothpick to draw a little bow-tie and some buttons on each one.  It might take a little practice to find your groove, but you can always eat your mistakes, right?

I picked the best three for my sweetie, and stashed the rest in the fridge to share with the kids.

So cute, and SO much cheaper than buying them at the store.

If you make some, let me know how they went over!

 

Valentine's Day 2013

Here's a look at our Valentine's Day this year.

The kids took Valentines to school.  We went the non-pinterest-inspired route this year, to save pregnant me from too much stress.  They made these all by themselves.

They are construction paper, markers, and store-bought valentine cards and candy.  These are exactly the type of valentine's cards that my siblings and I made as kids--orchestrated by my creative mom. 

Cinnamon rolls (from a can!) with heart sprinkles.

I made the tuxedo strawberries for Donnie.  We like to keep things simple for Valentine's Day.  Do you have an unspoken (or spoken) set of gifting rules for different occasions?  I think valentines should be consumable.  Made of paper and string, edible, or of the floral variety.  Something that says, hey I love you! without breaking the bank.  I would be much happier with a post-it that said something sweet than a diamond bracelet for Valentine's Day.

Donnie knows this all too well. (Let's just say, the year he bought me an SUV instead of a card was a little tense.  I know, you probably think I'm insane.)

He surprised me with chocolates and a hilarious card that sings a love song in Spanish. (I don't know Spanish!)

We didn't have a sitter lined up, so we put the kids to bed early and made ourselves dinner.

He grilled the steak, I broiled the lobster tails, and we met back at the kitchen for a quiet meal alone.  Exactly like we did on our first married Valentine's Day 10 years ago.

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

 

Thrift Strips - Binding!

The Christmas tree is up.

It's cold outside. (A rare treat in Dallas!)

And I'm curled up under my new quilt, sewing on the binding.

This is my favorite part. 

Thrifty Strips Quilt Update

Progress of the gift-quilt is coming nicely. 

Here's the back.  I almost like it more than the front!

Esther likes the front quite a lot, though.

This is one reason we call her Essie Kat.  She has to be right in the middle of any project--especially if it's happening on the floor.  If you've ever lived with a cat, you know what that's like.

After I finished the back, I spread it face down on the kitchen floor, taping it down as I went.

Then came the batting, and the quilt top (face up) as the top layer. 

Since I was tying the quilt, I bought a 100% wool yarn in grey, and a new large needle.

With my trusty clear ruler in hand, I placed a stitch every four inches.  This is the best way to tie a quilt.  No need to cut a thousand little strings and thread them a thousand times.  Just one piece per row.  And when you are done, snip between each stitch and tie into place.  I went into more detail about this process in this vintage blog post.

I chose the wool yarn so that the ties will felt up into little balls in the wash.

Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture of that, too!

The Rest of the Seal Grey Paint

It didn't take us long to start up another project.

Donnie has built me the most gorgeous raised vegetable bed.

The entire thing is 8'x10', but it has nice, wide pathways, big enough to fit a lawn mower.  Or a tea party.

The entire thing is situated on a hill, but he managed to make the beds perfectly level.  That's how he does things.

He let everyone chip in. That's also how he does things.

Next step, paint it with the left over paint from the shutters, fill with healthy, living dirt, and pick out our crops!

Each side bed is 2'x6', and the one along the back is 1.5'x8'.  Perfect for a square-foot-garden style venture.  I have a habit of killing plants--especially vegetables--but this is just so pretty I want to come out and look at it all day long.  I hope I still feel like this when the sun starts raging with it's Texas summer attitude.  But, Donnie built this garden for me as an anniversary gift, so I'm pretty sure that means he's willing to take up the slack on the watering duties when the heat gets severe. 

What a great guy!

Oops...how did that get in there?

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Friday's project...and some mail

As we head into the weekend, I have a big organization project I'm working on.  I can't wait to share it with you.  It's making me giddy.  Hopefully it'll be done by early next week so I can let you in on it.

Until then, I want to show you these darling necklaces I just got from The Adopt Shoppe.  I've shared their work before, but this is my first time to see it in person. 

They came neatly wrapped with those cute "moo" business cards.  Each one has a Scripture verse on it that pertains to God's love for the orphaned.  And the best part is that all of the profits go toward funding their own overseas adoption.  As fun as it is to buy presents, it's even more fun when it helps someone out, don't you think? 

Whether you know someone who's adopting, or just like to help a great cause, a trip to The Adopt Shoppe is in order.  (Please not that they are not paying me for advertising--I just really like the shop.)

 

Birthday Trip to NYC

My 32nd birthday is this Saturday, but Donnie treated me to an early gift.

He took me (and the littlest E) to the big city--totally on a whim!

My friend Amanda lives there, so we had a great place to stay.  For three days we saw the sights, explored the neighborhoods, and ate the food of New York City.

What a fun time we had!  It's a little tricky navigating the city with a baby, but I felt like I was getting the hang of it by the time we left! I would go back any time.  If you are thinking of taking a baby to New York, it might be worth your time to research restaurants that have highchairs.  Most do not.

This was the first trip Donnie and I have taken together (outside ministry) since our honeymoon, almost 9 years ago.  Now that I have a taste for it, we will not be waiting so long before the next one.

Thank you, Donnie!  I feel so spoiled!