Condo Blues

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Guest Bed Progress

I took advantage of the tiny break in weather to scurry into the garage and make over the guest bed.
Once I gave it a up close and personal looksee, I realized the bed frame  was a bit more beat up and damaged than I originally thought. But hey, it was a freebie from an old boss, so I’m not complaining.

 
It is difficult to tell from the photo, but this bed is pretty beat up.

After repairing some unexpected cracks and dings with wood filler, it was time to sand the finish off the bed to prep it for painting. This is when my Mouse detail sander earns its kibble because the point allows me to sand the curves, nooks, and crannies I'd have to do by hand if I used an orbital or finish sander to sand the finish off this bed.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Would You Paint a Room With Scented Wall Paint?

If there is one thing blogging has taught me about people, it is that smells and scents are an individual and highly opinionated thing.  It makes sense (har!) Scientists proved smell is the most powerful mnemonic trigger there is.



Trust me I get this. There are smells that I love such as lavender. There are other smells that make me gag. Wall paint is one of them. The scent of conventional paint reminds me of my parents in progress fixer upper house that I swore was such a pit when I first saw it I wasn't going to live there. Of course since I was a kid I had no choice and my parents and grandparents worked their butts off to transform the house into something I was proud to call home.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

How to Make an Easy Glass Bead Bracelet

I like to browse the bead and jewelry section of craft stores. I like looking at all of the pretty shiny things but get overwhelmed when I think about combining them. I choke and end up putting the items back on the shelf.

Then I see a beautiful handcrafted piece on Pinterest, think Hey I can make that!, go to the craft store, get overwhelmed trying to combine all of the beads I like but don’t quite go together, choke, and go home.

Rinse. Repeat.

One day as I was yet again, admiring the beads in the craft store, I saw a string of  glass lampwork beads similar to these  I thought would make a cute bracelet. (I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)


how to make an easy lampwork glass bead bracelet
 Husband says my bracelet is very moleculey.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Saint Patrick’s Day Shamrock Skirt

Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. I figure I better get some green duds in my new and smaller size or I will run the risk of getting pinched. No Saint Patrick owies allowed!



Thursday, February 13, 2014

How to Hang a Floating Shelf

In a small house, you have to be creative when it comes to storage and display space. This goes double for my craft room/guest room. I built a wall of wrap around shelves to go with the new decor and had to use every bit of it to hold my craft and sewing supplies. I don't have room on them to display some of the creations that inspire my DIY madness.

The wall space over doors is often forgotten although you can make it work for you with a simple shelf or by hanging artwork. Making an over the door fence board shelf works well in the guest bathroom, why not hang a floating shelf over the door in the guest bedroom and use it to display my doodads?

This is project sounds harder than it really is, I promise.





Tuesday, February 11, 2014

12 Gorgeous DIY Greenhouses

My fantasy house would have a gorgeous greenhouse full of lush and lively plants growing year round.
I change the design from Victorian to salvaged windows to secret garden style because I love them all and I don’t need building permits when I’m designing in my day dreams.

Endless winter is making me day dream a bit more about spring, summer, and greenhouses. I collected 12 of my favorite greenhouses to share with you.

Let’s take a little break and dream of spring!