Projects

The kids spent last week with Grandma, so I built a storage platform above the garage door. I've never built anything structural, that had to support a lot of weight. I relied a lot on the folks at Home Depot. Thankfully, the day I went to get supplies, I found someone that was very helpful. And I was SO glad I didn't have to try that feat with the kids in tow. So here's the hardware that was used just to support one corner. Sheesh!

I had to go to Home Depot again and again, 5 times in 4 days. I found studs along the two walls and put two 2x4s up. Then I built a floor, 6x8 with studs every 16 inches on center. I added an extra brace along the trap door and the front right corner that would hang from the ceiling. I also added a board in the back left corner to sit the whole thing on while trying to get the cables hooked up. The one on the right was an after thought, just to add some more support.I found a stud in the ceiling and hung the cables from it using eye bolts and a "quick link" so we could just hook it in quickly.So we lifted it up, hooked up the cables, and started screwing the heck out of it into the two 2x4s on the walls. The plywood was the easy part, so I didn't think through it too thoroughly. So it's a little ghetto, but it works. Christy, if you need more detail let me know.

Then I gathered everything up from the different piles scattered around the garage. Ah, it looks so comforting. I think we may be able to survive for a few months if any disaster were to happen to us. Oh, and there are light bulbs and cleaning supplies. I've discovered how important first aid and cleaning supplies would be in a natural disaster.

And here are a few little projects I've done in the past few days:

Well, this wasn't my project. When Grandma met us to take the kids for the week, they came bearing gifts. A miter saw (SO sweet of them and exciting for me!! Now I can finally make some picture frames without ruining 80% of the wood!) and this cedar chest.

Chad's Grandpa apparently had quite a workshop in his day. And he built several of these. It's so exciting to have one. Isn't that wood beautiful? Apparently it was milled off of his property too.
Another project was these sconces. The room isn't wired for sconces, but we had some ghetto lighting. I had a table lamp that wouldn't take a lamp shade, and Chad had an eiffel tower floor lamp that I outgrew when we moved into this house. Plus it gathered dust bunnies in the cord, blech. So I found these at Lowe's. They look kind of nautical or beachy to me, which is the general aesthetic in our bedroom. So, I had Chad wire them so they have a switch and plug into the outlet. Then I ran the cords through the wall. They come out a hole right by the bed and then plug into the outlets behind the side tables.
I've also been working on bedding. Not quite with it happy yet, but it's coming together slowly.
Last night I made a summer wreath. I intended to make it very beachy/summery. I wanted to put seashells on it. So I looked online to get some ideas and then went shopping. Instead it turned out tropical, but I love it. And it was super super cheap too! I bought probably close to $16 worth of stuff, but only used $8. It was all from the dollar tree, except for the grapevine wreath. I bought some seashells, but found enough from our travels to use. So I gathered my gobs of supplies. And just like with my spring wreath, I wasn't really happy with what I was seeing. But I started clipping and arranging and I love it.
Perhaps the lighthouse isn't so tropical, but I love it too. I found it at the $1 Tree as well and had fun painting it.
All this stuff is just stuff, but it makes me happy. I didn't really want to let grandma take the kids for a week, but I'm SO glad I did. I'm SO grateful to have had that break from the kids b/c I'd gotten quite jaded somehow. While they were gone, I got a lot done, and now I'm madly in love with them once again. So I've come back to motherhood with the resolve to have more fun with them and make them more of a priority. So I set up the kiddie pool yesterday and took a dip with them... it's a start I guess. They and grandma had a blast together too, so it was a win win.