Archive for December, 2011
Thar She Blows! Finally.
Or maybe I should I say “thar she glows!” Either way, we got ‘er up!
And this year the theme was:
- free stuff we already had (no getting in the car to go fetch anything, since we feared that would cost us another week to get things up)
- nothing pointy/hard/breakable (for bean safety reasons)
- color, color, color (just like our tabletop tree in the living room)
So yes, we gave our full-sized tree a whole new look (see what it looked like in 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 here) using stuff that we already had in the house, like a bunch of leftover paint chips from my bin.
Yes, I save old paint chips to reuse them for things like this art project…
… and this temporary postcard ledge arrangement (from our first house’s office)…
… and this year’s tree project:
First I cut them into strips (so I got 2-3 ornaments out of each leftover Benjamin Moore paint chip) and then used a hole puncher to make a hole…
… which I then used to loop twine and string from my craft bin to hang them. I love that they’re like modern little colorful icicles that cover the tree. And of course the fact that they were all f-r-e-e didn’t hurt either.
The other main element of decoration on the tree is a few spools of ribbon from the gift wrapping closet (snagged on clearance from Michael’s last Christmas). We just unrolled them, found the center point and folded it over the top of the tree, so the same amount of ribbon dangled down each side of the tree in an upside-down V shape. Oh and the “tree skirt” is just three faux sheep skins from Ikea (they’re sort of a holiday tradition at this point).
I even had some leftover ribbon to make a little bow at the top. Aw, shucks. Our tree is definitely a gal this year.
Oh and you’ll probably notice two things from this picture…
- We had yet to “catch up” with our advent calendar when we took these pics (the second we got the tree up we excitedly snapped these photos) – but Clara and I have since hung 12 advent ornaments on the tree – so we’re back to one a day from here on out.
- We did some quick mantel decorating in the kitchen, let’s take a closer look:
I added some old feather trees on the floor (from Target, a few years back) along with two ceramic birds up on the mantel (like two white Christmas doves) from an estate sale a few years ago. I also added in the little thrift store rocking horse that I painted for Clara (more on that here). And of course I hung our stockings from Target a few years ago (backwards this year – just to spice it up)…
It might look like those three stockings mean that Burger didn’t get one… but of course he did! John and I actually share one (labeled “Mom and Dad”) and then there’s Clara’s stocking and Burger’s stocking:
I also stuck a basket full of gifts in the fireplace (actually they’re fakers, see how I made those here).
One of the most fun things about the new doorway between the kitchen and the dining room is that we can enjoy the tree from the kitchen too. See it peeking around the corner of the opening?
Never would have gotten to enjoy that view if the wall didn’t come down a little while ago. Yay, demo!
It’s so nice to see something festive in the dining room (the big tree), the kitchen (the holiday mantel), and the living room (our tabletop tree). Aw, Christmastime, how do I love thee. Let me count the trees, er, ways.
So that’s the inside of the house all decorated for ya. Well most of it (I still have a holiday frame gallery project to shoot and share with you guys). Oh yeah, and for the first time ever we decorated the outside of our house too! We’re talking lights and stars and even a homemade wreath and some bright red ceramic-looking reindeer. That’s right, we went all out. Pics to come as soon as we can snap them and write something up!
Psst- We’ll be back with a kitchen update tomorrow for ya! Lots of the stuff that we’re working on is extremely detail oriented (ex: cutting down an old cabinet to make a smaller one that “matches” the rest of the kitchen and houses a built-in microwave), but we’re moving just as fast as we can!
A Handy Little Holiday Gift List
Here it is, the much requested post about our favorite DIY tools for all of you folks who are asking Santa for something tool-ish this year (or trying to figure out what to buy a handy guy or gal in your life). None of the items in this list paid us or perked us for the mentions, they’re just actually the tools that we use and love on the regular. So without further ado, let’s chat about the things that help us get ‘er done….
We previously wrote this post about a few things that we pretty much can’t live without (any of which would make great gifts/stocking stuffers), so here’s a quick summary since we’d be remiss to leave them out:
- a hammer
- a crowbar
- a flat head screwdriver
- a phillips head screwdriver
- a tape measure
- plumber’s putty
- a hack saw
- a drywall saw
- clamps
- liquid nails
- plumber’s tape
- a box cutter
- an exacto knife
- straight razors
- channel lock pliers (these are our DIY MVPS, they come in handy for all sorts of things, even stripped screws and rusted pipes)
- wrenches of all sizes
- needle nosed pliers
- a level
- sandpaper
- caulk
- a caulk gun
- spackle
- a putty knife
- painter’s tape
- high quality rollers (they’re labeled for smooth or textured surfaces – so pick the right one for your walls)
- mini foam rollers (great for painting furniture and even cabinet doors)
- paint trays and drop cloths
- high quality angled brushes (here’s my favorite paint brush ever)
- an assortment of nails and screws
If you have any questions about the items mentioned above, you can read way more on those specific small-ish tools right here. And for a breakdown of the items in the photo above, there’s this post. And I’d say if you’re staring at the screen saying “I can’t ask for/buy all of that stuff!” a cute gift idea might be grouping things that go together for a common project, like:
- a level
- a hammer
- some picture nails and anchors and screws
- some spackle and a putty knife (for filling in any mistakes along the way)
Or you could toss together a cute painting kit with:
- rollers
- brushes
- painter’s tape
- paint trays
- a drop cloth (heck you could even wrap everything up in the drop cloth and tie it sweetly with twine)
But now let’s move on to the bigger guns – for anyone hoping to give (or receive) something with a little more power. Over the years we’ve tried some heavier artillery on for size…
… and let’s just say that power tools have a way of making us permasmile in that I-am-handy-hear-me-roar kinda way. So here are a few of our favorite staples (along with a quick bit about what we’ve used them for):
- a miter saw (nice for cutting crown molding and baseboard – but also for cutting pretty much any board less than 8″ wide – it makes quick, clean cuts, both angled or straight)
- a wet saw (awesome for doing backsplash or bathroom tile – and even cutting patio pavers)
- a table saw (great for tackling large boards or planks of wood – especially when you need long straight cuts)
- a reciprocating saw (nice for cutting out old dead bushes – it’s sort of like a mini chainsaw)
- a jigsaw (good for smaller, not perfectly straight cuts, like demo-ing out the built-in around our old fridge)
- an electric sander (awesome for refinishing furniture or smoothing any wood you’re using to build something from scratch)
- a cordless drill and drill bit set (for drilling holes or screwing nearly anything together)
- a Kreg Jig (for making pocket holes to create tight joints when doing any sort of wood working like building furniture or making shelves)
- a demolition hammer (for demo-ing out nasty old tile stuck in metal mesh and mortar like we did in our first house’s bathroom – we actually rented one at a home improvement store, which is a nice way to save money if you won’t use something very often – plus you don’t have to store it)
So any of those guys would make for a great gift. After all, a new bathroom/desk/wall o’ frames/kitchen/anything else you can make with those tools is right up there with any other “big” gift – at least according to DIY junkies like us. As for where we store everything, we have three large drawers in our kitchen full of small tools and paint supplies (currently sitting in our sunroom because we have yet to put the kitchen back together/reorganize) and we keep most of the big things (like the miter saw) in the basement.
Speaking of specific products and brands, we’re sure there’s more than one way to tick things off the ol’ to-do list, but here are the companies and some of the actual products that we use in our house on a regular basis:
- Stanley makes great screwdrivers, tape measures, crowbars, box cutters, and mini sledgehammers
- Craftsman makes great hammers
- Black & Decker makes great cordless drills (we have this one)
- Black & Decker also makes great sanders (we have this one)
- Frog Tape is the best painter’s tape we’ve ever used
- Sherwin Williams stores sell this awesome short handled brush that we love for painting trim
- Purdy brushes and rollers (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) are great for nearly every painting project (we love a good 2″ angled brush for cutting in & painting furniture and a nice good quality roller for walls & ceilings)
- We have a Skilsaw table saw and a Skilsaw reciprocating saw
- We got our wet saw at The Tile Shop
- Our miter saw is made by Craftsman
- Sears sells a set of wrenches that we’ve used for years
- Grip Rite (available at Home Depot & Lowe’s) sells nice big boxes of screws, nails, anchors, etc
- 3M sandpaper comes in a nice wide range (we like low grit versions, like 60-100, for deeper sandings and high grit alternatives, like 200-300, for smoothing things out for a finished look)
- Dap Caulk is our favorite brand (we get the white paintable “Premium Indoor/Outdoor Sealant” for most jobs and the “3.0 Advanced Kitchen and Bath Adhesive Caulk” also in white – which isn’t paintable but is ideal for caulking a tub, toilet, or sink).
- We also love Dap Fast ‘N Final Lightweight Spackle (for filling holes and all that good stuff – more on that here)
As you can see, we don’t have a bunch of expensive DeWalt things – which is a nice reminder that you can gussy up your house without owning a $500 saw (and we also definitely believe in renting and borrowing anything that you can to get the job done). We don’t want this crazy exhaustive list to sound defeating, so remember that we started fixing up our first house five years ago with a hammer, a screwdriver, and a paint brush. Das it. So we don’t recommend trying to grab all of this stuff at once (ack, that would be crazytown). Just think about what projects you might have on your priority list and grab one or two things as you can afford them to make things easier as you go.
Anyway, I hope Santa (or someone else) brings you everything on your list this year! Assuming you were good. If not… well, maybe there are crafts you can do with coal? Oh and we’d love to hear more about your take on which tools get the most use at your house. Do you have any life-changing ones that you can’t live without? Are there certain brands or products that have been especially helpful?
Psst- Once again for the people in the back: no items/companies in this post paid or perked us for the mention, we just genuinely love these tools and wanted to share ‘em with anyone in need of some holiday handy-ness. Oh and we announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Feeling Grateful & Giftful
**Psst- We know most Fridays we just post once, but Sherry will be back in a few hours with a big ol’ tool breakdown for everyone who requested some DIY-related holiday gift ideas. Does that get you as hot and bothered as it gets me?
It’s time for our monthly shout out to thank all of the Santa-esque sponsors who help make our other 30+ posts possible. Putting this jolly ol’ round-up of items together was especially fun, since we’ve definitely had gifts on the brain. So we’ve chosen things that feel seasonal-ish & festive (even if you just give ‘em to yourself). Not that we’ve been gifted anything (here’s our no-swag policy). And of course there are some pretty sweet discounts to take advantage of at the bottom of the post for ya. Happy holidays everyone!
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- Simplify 101‘s organizing workshops for the scatterbrains on your Christmas list.
- Chemical-free cleaning systems from Norwex consultant Heather Pheasey.
- Hometalk‘s $200 HomeGoods giveaway this week. That’ll buy lots of gifts!
- This faux gator tray in festive lime green from Z Gallerie (for the holiday hostess).
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- The Tile Shop‘s bold glass mosaic patterns, like these cool “cherry” ellipse guys.
- This open-form star pendant (and other holiday lighting) from Shades of Light.
- WallQuotes‘seasonal decals that get everyone into the spirit (they’re removable, btw).
- New removable glue-free wallpaper in kid-friendly patterns from Trendy Peas.
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- Tons of holiday silhouettes at Le Papier Studio, like Santa hat kid plates. Cute!
- FLOR‘s mix-and-match texture-filled patterns, like this one called “Rake Me Over.”
- Custom holiday cards from Hoot Design Co. (though you might be cutting it close…)
- A Vintage Poster‘s prints (they’re cool, affordable, & could make nice stocking stuffers)
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- Dot Coms For Moms‘ round up of DIY-able, gift-able, and decorate-able projects.
- This pillow from Lacefield Designs (love the small-scale pattern & color gradient).
- The fun vintage stuff that comes up when you search “Santa” on Ruby Lane.
- Liberty Hardware‘s smart adjustable width hook rail (for thick & thin doors alike).
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- Vintage stockings, Christmas banners, and Santa plates at House 8810.
- Smock Paper‘s holiday gift guide, including gems like this bright 2012 calendar.
- Cute, custom pillows featuring your cartoon-ified kid from Sarah + Abraham.
- Royal Design Studio‘s “Floral Fret” pattern (for holiday projects… and beyond).
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- This seasonal yet year-round-acceptable dotted pattern from Chic Shelf Paper.
- The large metal version of this icon from Jilly’s Happy Home (so bold and fun).
- Lots of options from Heart & Stone Jewelry for charm necklace customization.
- SugarFresh‘s “Peaceful Trees” trio of prints (in just about any color you want).
And now for the JUICY DISCOUNTS:
- Shades of Light: 10% off using code YHL0811
- WallQuotes.com: 15% off with the code YHL15
- The Tile Shop: 10% off when you use the code YHL10
- Heart & Stone Jewelry: 10% off your purchase with the code YHL10
- Royal Design Studio: 10% off stencils with code YHL10
- P.C. Fallon: $5 off orders over $50 with code YHL5
- Sugar Fresh: 10% off with code YHL10
- Hoot Design Co: 10% off custom orders using code YHL
- Simplify 101: 15% off Organizing 101 & Goals workshops with YHLSAVE15 thru 12/14
- Jilly’s Happy Home: 10% off custom orders using code YHL
- Le Papier Studio: 10% off with the code YHL10 (thru Dec 21st)
Reader Redesign: Small, Simple, And Striped
We’re so impressed with how much style Marianne packed into such a small room. So for anyone out there struggling with the small space blues (our last bedroom was tiny with no closets – so we can totally relate!) hopefully this will inspire you! Enough chit chat, here’s Marianne’s letter:
I gave the smallest room in our house a total makeover. And when I say small, I mean small:
The room is barely even 4 square meters big (about 43 square feet if I’m not mistaken) but I feel I still managed to give the space some oomph and character. Since I know you guys love living a ‘simple’ life without a lot of unnecessary clutter I thought you might appreciate it too!
The bookcase I used is an old Ikea Billy bookcase that I gave a new life by turning it into a built-in.
Almost all of the other bigger and smaller projects where done using thrift shop finds or by revamping old objects that I found in my own basement or attic.
Since I live in the Netherlands I don’t think sharing paint names or resources would be of much help to you, especially as I ended up mixing my own colors anyway. But I hope you and your readers enjoy it! – Love from the Netherlands, Marianne
Oh and you can get more info on Marianne’s blog. Of course we were crushing on the subtle striped walls (they remind us of the ones we added to our first house’s bathroom). Ah memories. Oh and did you notice there was also a key leaning in front of a map in a printer press letterbox? This room’s just a few dozen white ceramic animals short of the Dutch version of us!
Psst- Just wanted to make sure that everyone in or near Portlandia is planning to check out The Portland Bazaar (Grace Bonney is one of its founders) this weekend on the 10th and 11th! We hear it’s going to be full of crafty slash DIY goodness, so we wanted to shout it out for you West Coasters. Wish we had time for a Portland road trip...
Our Tabletop Tree
As I mentioned earlier this week, we got a real mini tree! And I finally got some twinkle lights up and some ornaments on that guy. I say this with much enthusiasm and hardly any hyperbole: it’s a life changer. I’m in love.
And Clara and Burger love it too (play Where’s Waldo in the dark and find them):
It’s so charming and warm and it looks so sweet with all of the handmade Pinterest challenge ornaments that I made here.
These are the only breakable ornaments that we’ll be putting out this year (since the tree is up on a table, so Clara can’t get to it). And it glitters like the dickens. So yes, it’s my new favorite thing ever. Oh and it was $19 at a local grocery store here in Richmond called Martin’s (outside near the curb) for anyone wondering. And it came with a stand, which is nice.
We even have some King Kong action going on thanks to this gorilla ornament at the top:
As for the tree skirt, that’s actually just a gray pashmina that I had already (I just swirled it around the base a few times to create a little skirt), so other than shelling out the money for the tree, we got to use all of the ornaments that I had already made (which factored out to around 71 cents a pop – more on those here) and even tossed together a free tree skirt.
We actually would have loved to find a potted evergreen that we could have planted in the backyard after the season, but after a few weeks of looking for an un-cut one that was small enough to sit on the table, we had no luck (most of them were 5+ feet tall). So we caved and got a cut one since it was already well into December and we didn’t want to miss the real-tree boat entirely. But if anyone knows of a local source for uncut table-sized evergreens we’d love to hear about it (we tried Lowe’s Home Depot, a few tree lots around town, and a few nurseries/plant stores – but all of the uncut ones were too tall/large to be tabletop ones).
But we were so excited to bring some shortie tree goodness into the living room (this guy easily fit into our car, which was a Christmas present in and of itself). The smell is amazing, and of course it looks… well… real. And sweet. And pretty. Ok, enough gushing. But because I’m a nut, I even made a quick video of the mini tree goodness that we have going on. Pictures are nice, but video almost makes you feel like you’re right there in front of something. So allow me to invite you into our living room for an up-close, in-motion peek:
You know me + shiny things = a match made in heaven. And Clara might just be having the most fun with the tree out of all of us. At least five times a day she runs over to it and points to various animals and gleefully shouts out things like “Rhino!!!” and “Hippo!!!” and “Aggigator!” like it’s the most exciting thing she’s seen all day. Never gets old. Man I love the holidays.
Believe it or not, John and I have never had a real tree in our house as a family (although both of us enjoyed them growing up). We went faux five-ish years ago (thanks to an after-Christmas sale at Target) and appreciated that we only had to haul it home once (having a small car, the notion of dragging home a big real tree each year was a little daunting). And with a pooch we appreciated the no-dropped-needles thing. It can’t be argued that a faux tree looks better than a real one, but somehow when we loaded it with lights and ornaments we still loved our faker year after year.
Here she is back in 2007 (when we had a terrible camera and our blog photos were smaller):
And in 2008 (with the same white and silver scheme):
And in 2009 (when we went crazy for citrus, and even dried fruit to make ornaments):
And in 2010 (with green, pink, and silver shimma goin’ on):
And since experts continue to debate whether a faux tree or a real tree is more eco-friendly (apparently it’s a really close call when it comes to hauling emissions and cutting them down every year vs. reusing a faux one for a while) we knew the most eco thing that we could do after purchasing a faux tree was to use it as long as possible. So we’ll still be setting up our full sized faker in the dining room to enjoy with some Clara-safe ornaments (bonus: everyone driving by will see it glowing in the window). Better get on that though. Eeks, is it really the eighth already? Better get crackin’.
Have you guys been decorating? Any other tabletop tree folks out there? I can’t believe it has taken us this long to give one a try.
Psst- Check out who’s looking more and more like a leftie (here). I guess time will tell!
