bodner006

Let's face it.  Kids grow up.  The cute animal and truck pictures we had hanging on the wall . . . . well, they've outgrown them. And instead of complaining that they don't use their playroom anymore, I knew I needed to let it grow with them.  And a nice big chalkboard seemed right up our alley. I went with a full 4' X 8' piece of 1/4" plywood.  Actually, I think it was considered underlayment, but I just looked for something with one smooth side.  I screwed it to the wall along the edges, making sure to capture the studs. I rolled a few coats of primer on the board before topping it with three coats of black chalkboard paint. Primer Only After chalkboard paint Next, I added my frame.  I decided to overlap the edges of the blackboard so I could cover up the screw holes.  Gotta tell ya - that was kind of a pain in the butt.  Of course the wood did not sit flat as it was overlapping 1/4" wood, so my husband ran the edge through the table saw so it w...

I have a friend who saw this online: It really is adorable.  It's from the Lillian Vernon website , and she was about to buy two when she thought of me.  And I'm glad she thought of me because I'm always up for a challenge. Here's my version:   I used a hole saw attached to a drill press to make all the holes.  They are attached with glue and nails through the back.  The bat was cut with a jigsaw and attached the same way. She wanted two of them for two sweet little boys.  Both were made from pine; I kept one natural and I applied an oak stain to the other. May you hit all the balls out of the park, Debbie Sharing with: The Charm of Home Stone Gable Serenity You I Heart Naptime Boogieboard Cottage DIY Dreamer Our Home Away From Home House of Hepworths Cedar Hill Ranch My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia A Stroll Thru Life

If you haven't heard of Hometalk , then I'm your gal. Do you know Pinterest?  Of course you do.  Unless you live in a cave somewhere in a land yet discovered.  Well, Hometalk is basically the same idea as Pinterest, but it focuses on home and garden with a wealth of information shared by thousands of homeowners and professionals.  If you are looking for inspiration, you can get all kinds of fantastic ideas for in and out of your house.  If you have a question, just post it.  You want to brag about your latest project, post a pic.  It's fantastic. I was contacted by Hometalk recently to curate a clipboard of vintage decor ideas after they saw my post on how to make your boring frames look vintage .  I had no problem saying YES and off to the races I went.  I searched the wealth of posts on Hometalk and I hope you agree that I came up with a great collection of ideas for adding vintage decor to your home.  Check them out! And don't forget ...

Summer = strawberry picking.  More strawberries than you can eat.  What to do with all these strawberries?  Why, easy, peasy, strawberry jam! Seriously.  3 ingredients.  So easy. You'll need: 2 lbs. of strawberries, hulled 3 1/2 cups of white sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice After cleaning and hulling your strawberries, crush them until you have about 4 cups. Yummy goodness. In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, mix the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.   Increase heat to high, and bring mixture to a full rolling boil.  Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F. (If I remember correctly, it took about 20 minutes.) If you don't have a thermometer, no worries.  I use this neat trick to find out if the jam is ready to be canned:  Freeze a plate.  Add a little jam to the plate.  Put it back in the freezer for one minute.  Take it out of the freezer and run your finger through the jam.  I...

Sorry. Sorry for being so out of the blogging game for awhile.  But like every Mom, I've needed to find a balance.  I've been overwhelmed more than my share this past year, but it's all been good.  I'm super busy with re-stocking my shop and taking orders from new customers.  But, summer is upon us and the kids are home, so that means it's time to re-organize my life.  I need the time to be the cook, maid, taxi-driver, terrorist negotiator, nurse, recreational director, lifeguard and referee, among other things.  So that means less time for blogging.  But I do have a few tutorials and projects in the works, and I can't wait to share them with you.  That's after I talk my 4 year old out of her meltdown. As for saving my sanity, that's where my husband comes in.  You see, last year we purchased one of those Intex Ultra Frame pools.  My son Jack is still battling leukemia and he can't swim in lakes, ponds, or rivers due to the chance of a b...

Tommy is a big guy.  And sturdy.  Everyone likes sturdy.  But not everyone likes boring, plain and faded wood.      Tommy is a fun loving, jeans and t-shirt wearing kind of guy.  And his exterior should match his interior.   He mellows out to Jack Johnson and likes to entertain his friends by playing his banjo around a bonfire down at the beach.    He's in and out of relationships but all of them end nicely. And on any given day you can find him biking down the beach with his rescued golden by his side. Since my previous bike dresser was such a big hit, and with summer upon us, I thought I would create another.  This is a great piece with fine construction.  I refinished the top and decided to brighten up the rest of the piece with some paint.  Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint is used for the base and I mixed a few colors together to use on the beach cruiser.  Of course I had to distress the piece to make it all shab...

My wonderful client Kami wanted a zinc finish for this plain ole' dresser.  She got a great deal on Craigslist and wanted a complete transformation by making this baby shine with a zinc finish. Why use a faux finish rather than paint containing zinc?  According to the U.S. General Services Administration , paints containing zinc are to be avoided when painting wood, as zinc attracts moisture.  The authority spoke, and I listened.  So off Google I went to look for instructions on a faux finish. It wasn't hard to find THE BEST tutorial on the planet.  Jami, at Freckled Laundry has the most complete tutorial for creating this kind of finish.  Actually, it is the most complete tutorial ever.  Yes, ever.  You can't go wrong if you just take the time to watch her multiple videos. And, after watching said videos, this is how the plain ole' dresser turned out: I added legs, as the original dresser looked like the legs had been cut out from underneath her...