Let's grow stuff, ya'll

Now that I have a big yard I have finally decided to do something I've always wanted to do: grow a vegetable garden. (woo hoo, I live an exciting life!) I researched different ways to grow veggies and decided that due to the horrible condition of the dirt in my yard (i.e. clay mixed with sand), plus Rory's habit of uprooting all my plants that are planted in her reach, I needed to go with a raised and fenced plant bed.

I also did some research and found a method that I thought sounded easy to follow and would almost certainly make me successful: Square Foot Gardening. It's a way of separating your flower bed to make it the most efficient it can be. Since I'm all about helping these veggies reach their full potential, I thought it was a fit. So now I'm writing this post in hopes of helping anyone else out there who plans to create a similar full-potential veggie masterpiece.

So here is what I started with:

(2) 8-foot 2x6 boards (for the raised bed itself)

(6) 4-foot pieces of wood trim (for the grid lines)

Roll of weed barrier cloth (for the bottom)

Assorted bags of peat moss, potting soil, compost, and vermiculite (for "Mel's Mix")

Veggies (not pictured, but purchased at Dallas Farmer's Market for a steal!)

I also started with this:

That would be the remnants of my first attempt at composting, destroyed by the one and only Rory. It consists of chicken wire and metal corner posts, twisted into a disastrous mess of metal. This (after some untangling) will surround the bed when it's done.

I started by cutting my 2x6 boards in half, giving me 4 4-foot boards for the bed. I then stacked them and pre-drilled holes for the screws to connect them. I saw this tip online to stack the boards and let the top one stick out further than the rest to allow you to drill through it. Then you just kneel on the pile to hold them all in place while you drill. That little tip made it much easier to do this drilling/screwing thing by myself.

Notice the kneeling whilst drilling and also simultaneously taking a self-portrait? That's what we call multi-tasking my friends! (because yes- I did this entire project alone. Construction and all. Go me.)

After all holes were pre-drilled, I screwed the boards together to make a square. Alternate your ends so that the equal sized boards all fit together.

Bonus- here's another "How do I do this by myself?" trick... At first I was struggling screwing in the screws to the board and trying to hold the boards at the same time. Then I moved over to my patio, put the board facing out (straight ahead in the picture below) against my concrete step, lined up the board from the side (facing the left in the picture below) on the end, and then screwed in from there. The pressure of me pushing the drill into the wood pushed the main board against my step and I was able to focus only on holding the other board to make a right angle. Easy peasy. (but of course I didn't take a picture of it. But you can figure it out)

Once all boards were screwed together, I had this frame:

Score. But see all those weeds poking through from below? Not gonna happen. So I covered the bottom with weed barrier and stapled it to the edges so that it wouldn't move.

Take that weeds.
After placing the box where I wanted it, I filled it with "Mel's Mix" of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite. This mix is said to keep nutrient-rich forever and make your plants bloom amazingly. So there ya go, veggies. Nothing but the best for you.

Now this is where the pictures get sparse... Originally I was going to put down a grid of wood trim (as the grid is the most important part of square-foot gardening). However, I didn't take in to account that a 4 foot piece of trim, fitting across a 4 foot square, doesn't leave much room for attaching it to the edges. Dang. So now what's my plan B?

I remembered that I had an old water hose out behind the shed that dear old Rory had chewed a hole through. (jeez- what am I raising? such a destructive hellion!) So I thought to myself, what if I could re-purpose that old hose into a new watering system while at the same time using it to mark the square grid?? Holy cow! What a great idea, self!

So off I went to get the hose and connect it in a grid-like pattern on my flower bed. Here is the best picture of said grid (post-planting, like I said- sparse pictures at this point).

I started with the hose in the back corner. I left the connector there so I could just connect my other hose whenever I wanted to water the veggies. I then used 2 nails on each side of the hose to help secure it along the sides of the bed where it "turned" to go in another direction. Then, once the entire grid was in place, I poked holes along the hose to make sure each "square" got some water spray- like a homemade drip system.

I used the extra hose at the end to drape onto my fence/window boxes that are holding assorted herbs:
After all plants were planted (according to a spacing guide found online- sorry, can't find the link now), I added the chicken wire and posts to (hopefully) keep the hellion at bay.

I planted Big Beef Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Sweet Banana Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers. In my herb baskets, I added Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary & Oregano.

Here are a few views from when they were planted in the spring:

I also had a couple of extra plants, so I added them to these empty pots:

LOOK! After a few weeks, I already have some peppers and tomatoes!

UPDATE: It is now August (I never posted this in the Spring like I meant to) and those little tomatoes and peppers you see above are THE ONLY veggies I got all Spring! It might have something to do with the Texas temps jumping from 70 degrees to OMG IT'S FREAKIN HOT degrees within a couple weeks. I was told that once the temps go over 80, I won't get any new veggies, but to keep the plants alive all blistery summer and then come fall, I'll have so many tomatoes and peppers I won't know what to do with myself. So here's to hoping. I've been watering them constantly to keep them alive and well (as opposed to the rest of my yard which has turned into a desert).

Quick Table Re-Do

One of my major recent projects involved rearranging my house to accommodate a new giant crate for this girl. With a huge crate taking over my small dining room space, I was left with an empty corner and awkward space.

why hello ginormous crate. thanks for coming in and taking over everything

oh no, I didn't want a dining room there. go ahead, it's all yours.

I decided to re-purpose the space and add a new seating area. I wanted to find a chair and a small side table that I could refinish to add some character to the room. The problem? I wanted to do it all before my parents came to visit... which gave me approximately two weeks to find a chair and a table on the cheap, refinish them, and re-decorate the space. No biggie, right?

Enter thrift store marathon. I literally visited every thrift store within a 20 mile radius multiple times, and I had Craigslist on lock-down. It was rare if I went more than a few hours without checking for a table or a chair online, each under $20. (thank you, Craigslist for iPhone!)

Well, luck was on my side. After a few stops, I found this beauty for only $4 at a thrift store!

She wasn't all that pretty, and she definitely needed to freshen up, but I knew that a quick coat of paint would do the trick!

And Ta-Da! It did! I sanded her down and coated her with two coats of spray paint, and she was done.

I am not a professional re-finisher (as I will prove when I show my chair re-do) so I know I didn't do this the correct way. I should have primed it first, and I probably should have done a clear coat or seal too. But I like to live on the edge. And by edge, I mean the edge of laziness mixed with "is this really necessary?"

But she still looks great. I paired her up with my new found chair (story on that coming soon) and we were set to impress.

Look- she even made a happy home for Mr. Armadillo! Don't they go so well together?

A happy table, a happy armadillo, and a happy awkward corner. Perfecto.

p.s. more pictures of the before and after space to come...

Lamp Re-Do

My favorite lamp had an accident. It wasn't his fault, but his shade just couldn't take the pressure (or the gravity) and it fell free from the frame. Poor shade.

Look how sad it looks:

Pitiful. The top frame is what secures the shade to the lamp itself, so without it attached to the shade, there is just no hope. Of course the sane person would just buy a new shade. They're cheap, right?

But not this girl. Mostly because I couldn't find one in the shape I liked, but also because I just love a crafting challenge! I was inspired by this post at Young House Love and decided to go for it and recover the lamp shade. I found a piece of the perfect brown fabric in the remnants basket at Jo Anne, and we were all set to get going...

So I started with the frame and reconnected it to the shade.

I simply used masking tape because I didn't have to worry about it being too strong. I was going to hot glue the fabric over it and that would hold it together just fine.
After several strips of tape around the top, the frame was securely re-attached. (I feel I should mention here that this lamp is purely decorative. I never actually use it because my bedroom has plenty of overhead light from my ceiling fan. Additionally, the fabric I chose is fairly dark, so this strategy may not be perfect if there was light actually shining through the shade. The tape may or may not create shadows, depending on your fabric choice)
After I secured the frame to the shade, I began attaching my fabric. I started by running a line of hot glue down the seam on the shade, and placed the fabric on it quickly and smoothly.
Once the fabric was attached at the seam, I pulled it taught all the way around and hot glued along the top edge first. My problem was that this shade was not perfectly tubular. It was slightly angled, so the fabric wouldn't lay tight and smooth. I had to slightly pucker/pleat the fabric along the way. As you can see, by the time I made it all the way around, the layers weren't lining up perfectly anymore. It's OK in this situation because there is no pattern, but if you are working with a pattern you'll want to be more careful.

After it was laid out all around, I secured the inside frame edges with another line of hot glue.

(I should preface here, that this project would have been MUCH easier if I would have had Handy Man help me hold the fabric in place. But I was too excited to get it done and didn't want to wait for him!)
After it was glued down I trimmed the excess around the edges. The fabric I used was not ideal, as it frayed a bit when you cut it. So I left a larger edge than normal, in case it starts to fray.
Again, since this is a decorative lamp, and not exactly a functional light source, the inside seams don't have to be perfect. But I'm sure I could have done a better job trimming it than this:
Ideally I would clean it up and/or add a finished strip along the inside of the shade, but I didn't want to take the time. It looks fine from a distance, and that's all that matters for a fake-on-the-dresser-just-because-it-looks-good lamp. Check it:
I think it works well! And it didn't take long at all. Those are the kinds of projects I can get behind!

Empty Frame Gallery Wall

One of the projects I tackled over the last few months was the big blank wall in my guest room. This room is decorated in black and white and includes my (embarrassingly) extensive collection of Scottish Terrier figurines.

The bed in this room is my old twin bed from growing up. When I had it, it was white with brass, but it was painted black when it was passed down to my brothers. Now it goes perfectly with the style and decor of this room.

The only problem was this big, blank wall. First of all, the twin bed is off-center. That means that I can't really hang one large item over the bed or else the whole room will look lopsided. So I decided to use a recent design trend and create an empty frame wall.

So I started with this blank canvas and a variety of frames. I have been collecting assorted frames from thrift stores and the Hobby Lobby clearance section for a while. They were all different colors, so I gave them a quick coat of black paint, and "Ta Da"- they match!

Of course, I got ahead of myself and put them on the wall before I painted them all... I couldn't wait to see the layout! So the rest of the pictures show them in their original colors.

To start, I used a tip I saw somewhere online (probably from the Queen Martha Stewart or someone) and used a huge piece of white craft paper to lay out the design I liked. I simply measured my space on the wall, cut a matching piece of paper, spread the paper on the floor and laid out the frames how I would like to see them on the wall.

After they were laid out the way I like them, I traced them on to the paper. I was then left with these outlines:

Can you see them? I should have done them in marker so you could see them! But you get the idea...

After having my Handy Man put some frame holders on the back (he's way better at measuring than me!) I was ready to hang them on the wall.

I simply hung the paper on the wall using thumb tacks, and used the outlines as my guideline for where to put the nails for each picture hanger.

Is this angle better? I really should have used markers!

After you measure the picture hangers and figure out where the nail holes go, just nail them right over the paper. Then hang the frames to make sure they lay directly over your original outline.
Once all your nail holes are done, you can remove the paper and put all the frames in place. Here is what my wall looked like halfway through, before I painted all the frames and added a few more.
Here it is now. I still consider it a work in progress, as I can keep adding frames to fill the whole wall if I want. I really like adding the few little touches to the frames to make them more interesting.

I especially like the book I hung with a plate hanger. Super easy and a great way to display a collectible book! This would be so cute in a kids room!

So now the black and white room is a little more complete. Take that off the list! (or at least mark it "half done")

I'm Baaaack!

Oh my goodness- I can't believe it's been so loooong! It's hard to believe that March 11 was my last post- not only because, hello??? It's MAY already! But also because- has it really been that long?? Man. Time flies when you're living in chaos! :)

But seriously, between working some big events at work (here and here and here) and my laptop completely crashing in the worst way, I have had such a hard time getting back on here to post!

Let's start with the laptop crash of 2011 (as I will now infamously refer to it). We've been struggling with my poor, old laptop for some time now. I bought it in 2006 when I moved to Texas, so it's a good 5 years old (which is ancient in laptop years). It held on well for me through most of it's lifespan, but it really took a dive there toward the end. It caught a virus that we just couldn't shake, and it was all downhill from there. I was in the middle of some pretty heavy research one night mid-March when it finally decided it had had enough. It locked up and shut down and refused to cooperate. When I took it in to Best Buy's Geek Squad to diagnose the problem, even the "Geek" had to laugh at how bad it really was. (Oh, you want to put in a CD to check the hard drive content? Good luck- this little laptop will spit it right back atcha!) His recommendation: get a new laptop. Awesome.


So a couple of weeks and a nice hefty Best Buy bill later, here I am on my new HP Pavilion Laptop. I love it so far and I can only hope it treats me as well (or better) than my now peaced-out Gateway. Although there is still hope for that old guy- he's back with the Geek Squad now, trying to get made back into a shadow of his former self. If he comes out alive and kicking, the rest of the family will have a computer all to themselves! (and no sharing for me!)

So now that we're back and ready to roll, I've got quite a bit to fill you in on... I've done several projects in the last month that I can't wait to share, and made more decisions about the future of this blog. Being away from the blog for so long showed me how much I really do enjoy writing on here. I may struggle with what to share from time to time, but the important part is that this little space on the blogosphere really gives me the chance to put it all out there! So here's to a refreshed start and some brand-spankin-new content coming your way! Let's go!

(consider this a teaser picture of a future post about our mini-vacation!)

Happy Home-iversary!

This month marks my 2 year anniversary with my house. It's been a bumpy road and an adventure like I never imagined, but it's been worth every penny (literally!)

Oh, house, remember how we started?

Your horrible lack of landscaping... or grass... or even dirt...

Your desperate looking side-yards (Oh, Hey Jack!)

And even worse backyard. (why did you ever think those cement flowerbed borders were a good idea??)

Our sad attempts at planting sod in patches (Who were we kidding? That was a waste of time! Good thing Rory looks so cute to make this picture worth it)

Remember your lack of appliances and awkward kitchen space? (no pantry? empty window space?)

What about when we filled that empty kitchen space with a HUGE fridge that cost more than I should have spent (and yet I don't regret it for a second. LOVE my fridge!)

What about your disgusting carpet that I refused to walk on? (nasty- you should be ashamed of yourself)

Good thing I replaced it all and repainted the rooms before moving in! (I won't hold that against you anymore)

Oh yes, it's been a long road of updating and decorating and yet we're still not even close to done. Wait until you see what's next...

But before we go, how about looking back on some of our "firsts?" Remember when...

We hosted our first theme party and indoor camp out?

The aftermath of our First Thanksgiving...

Our First Christmas...

And our first record-setting snow...

Oh yes, it's been an adventure. I can't wait for the warmer weather when we can get back to business and start a few more projects on my list! You'll love it, house, I promise.