It's Gonna Be Great!!

You know how when you grab the vacuum, and go into the family room to run it and get distracted? Well, as I prepared to give the carpet a once over, I noticed that the grandchildren's train board was still in there. So, I picked it up and headed down to the storage area, and when I entered the basement, these little vinyl shelves caught my eye. 

I ran across them in a give away pile recently, and knew that I could put them to good use. Now was the time.

I measured them, and then measured the pantry to make sure they would fit, and decided they'd be perfect. The pantry is small, and any extra storage is amazing!

I was supposed to be vacuuming the family room, remember?

But as I measured the pantry, I realized that we had never painted it when we redid the kitchen a few years ago, and it was looking tired. Is it necessary to do cabinets and closets when you repaint a room? Not necessarily, but it's always such an "ahhh" moment when you open them up to find things looking fresh and organized.

We had painted the kitchen white simply because it had been decades since we had enjoyed a white kitchen, and it was a nice change. But this was how the pantry was left

Since I didn't really have anything pressing on the calendar today, I decided it was the perfect time to take care of this sad little cabinet. I had a bunch of paint in the basement, so I figured I could find something that would work. 

I had visions of greatness!!

My grandmother told me often as a kid that I had "St. Vidas Dance". You can read that whole story here. The way my days go sometimes proves her right! 

Remember that vacuum?

When I started looking at the selection of paint cans on the shelves, I didn't see anything that really caught my eye as a good color. So it was time for another distraction.

We plan on moving eventually and don't know exactly when, but someday we won't be in this house anymore. So, slowly, I've been cleaning out and using things up that won't be going with us. This would be a good day to take care of some random paint!

I pulled out everything that no longer resided on the walls in our house and started pouring it into a can. I'll be honest that some of it actually predated our purchase of this house nearly 15 years ago, but I figured it was going anyway, so why not give it a try?

I started with a little bit of very pale yellow in the bottom of a gallon can and started pouring everything in that I wanted to get rid of. 

This would either be amazing... or I could go back to that vacuum that still waited for me. 

And this is what I ended up with!!

The vacuuming could wait!! 

The little pantry only took a few minutes to empty and I got started.

I'm not kidding when I call it little. The shelves are only 24 1/2" wide. The exact width of the vinyl shelves I had squirreled away. Remember? That was on the front end of this distraction!

It didn't take long to get the paint up, as it's a small space. But it's still a workout, because....... yes. It's a SMALL SPACE!! Remember that 24 1/2" width I just referenced?!

The color ended up being perfect, as is the sheen. Not flat, but not shiny. The concoction included interior and exterior paint, flat, gloss, sample pots, random mis-tints... you get the idea.

And it turned out great! 

The shelves JUST fit. If they hadn't been a bit flexible, they wouldn't have gone in. Amazing how they multiplied the space!

I picked up these old fruit crates a couple of years ago. I sealed the labels and my handsome half fitted one with wheels. They've come in very handy for storage and its just another fun moment in the kitchen. Maybe in our next space they'll come out of the cabinet, but for now I like them here. 

It obviously doesn't take much to amuse me, and a few hours after I walked into the family room, I came full circle and finished with the vacuum. 

It's been a good day.

Older women likewise are to be reverent 

in their behavior,

not malicious gossips 

nor enslaved to much wine,

teaching what is good,

so that they may encourage the young women

to love their husbands,

to love their children,

to be sensible, pure, workers at home,

kind, being subject to their own husbands,

so that the Word of God will not be dishonored. 

Titus 2:3-5

*I love this passage*

Family Stuff

Unexpected Collection

Over the last 40+ years, our sweet family and friends have unknowingly collaborated to curate the most amazing collection. They're not things I would have set out to gather, but every single piece is such a special gift. 

They never communicated with each other about what they were doing, and quite honestly, I didn't even notice it until fairly recently. 

We're in the process of cleaning out in preparation to downsize and move. It's not something that's happening immediately, but we want to be ready when it does. 

So as I went through the sideboard in the dining room pulling out wedding gifts to "re-home", I noticed I had an impressive collection of silver spoons and serving pieces. 

 


They come from far and wide, including places like Ethiopia and Whales. Some of the things I can only guess at their purpose, and one in particular actually looks like a mid evil medical device! But I'm fairly certain it's for serving pickles or olives and has a plunger to push them off of the tines. Genius!

Many of these things are much older than we are, some are family heirlooms and others are from friends and loved ones who thoughtfully chose them because they thought I would love them. And I do. 

My folks carried these home from Belgium in 1953. I spent several hours of my childhood cleaning them.


 Several years ago when cleaning out our dresser, I gathered an impressive pile of pins and rank related to my husbands flying career. I had never done a shadow box, but was fairly certain I could pull it off, and along with my youngest daughter, created a beautiful display of his accomplishments. It made for a very special Christmas gift, and thankfully his parents were even with us that year to witness him receiving his gift. Needless to say, they had a HUGE part in his career and I was so glad they could see such a wonderful overview of his achievements from the last 40 years.

It was time to once again break out my shadow box game. 

The old spoon racks are no longer in vogue, and they're difficult to deal with; making things fit, keeping things clean... Shadow boxes would be perfect!

I started the process by gathering all that I had and spent some time at the sink cleaning all of that silver. There wasn't much cleaning OUT to do because quite honestly, every single piece had a story to it. They all deserved to stay!

Once they were clean, I sorted them into "categories" and decided what I would need in the way of frames. 

After doing some research online, and knowing that I didn't want to spend a bundle on custom frames, I visited my local Lobby of Hobbies and gathered these. They aren't exactly what I had envisioned, but I would have had to wait 10 days to get exactly what I thought I wanted. So since instant gratification is the name of my game...

Then I got to work with my hot glue gun. 

I found that an inexpensive chip brush was invaluable in cleaning out the "glue strings" that happen with glue guns. After I finished attaching them to the frames, I let them sit overnight, and then stood them vertical for another 24 hours to make sure they would hold before putting them in the frames. 

I'm so pleased with the finished product, and every time I look at them, I think of all the special people in our lives who have had a part in such a beautiful meaningful collection.

I know Marie Kondo is all the rage now, and "everyone" is cleaning out and throwing things away. But I think we have some responsibility to preserve the past. Keep some of those things that have value and hold meaning. And what better place to do so than in a place where others can enjoy them as well? Much better than piled in a drawer!

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 
Romans 15:4




Family Stuff

Special Places

Several years ago, I got inspired to put a sign post in the yard. I had seen a picture of one that I really liked, and what really inspired me was that it had a good bit of history on it. I knew that with time, mine would look the same. The first step was to come up with places that meant something to our family, and I put the question out on social media asking for the locales our friends might pick. I got everything from the ridiculous to the sublime, including "Rest Rooms". That one I REALLY liked!! 

Ultimately, I decided on actual locations that we've enjoyed  from all of the places  we've lived over the years. In the spirit of Resurrection Upcycle where things are rehabbed or created nearly for free, I got my hands on a pallet and enjoyed a great work out tearing it apart. No easy task! Sadly, the hammer didn't survive.

Next I raided the basement stash of left over paint and came up with the 5 original signs.

 

In 2013, when it was fresh and new, this is what was planted by our patio.

Years went by as our signpost weathered the seasons while it picked up the history I was looking for. We also added some new locations. 

 

Once again, it came time to make an addition. Some of our children moved to a new locale, and they deserved a place on the post! I still had a piece of the original pallet, amazingly, so I got to work on it. I never claimed to be an artist, and totally own the fact that I depend on a computer and a printer to create these things!

No worries! It's gonna be great!

 

The actual logo, and my interpretation of it.

 

Today I just beat the rain to get the new sign installed on the post. 

Now with the history that caught my attention in the first place, it's just a little something fun in the corner of the yard!

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart take courage; 

Yes, wait for the Lord. 

Ps. 27:13-14 

Other Projects 

Family Stuff 

 

Curb Finds

Now that my children have married and begun reproducing, I find that I have a lot more free time on my hands which, at times, is not such a good thing! Much to the chagrin of my handsome half,  I have a very difficult time passing up a good curb find. People decide they no longer want things because they're ugly, scarred, out of style or just a pile of junk, so they place them at the curb for us "fairies of recycle" to snap up!

"Curb searching" (sounds so much more classy than "junking") takes some discerning. Not everything is worth saving. If it's not solid wood, don't bother. In my opinion, one of the worst inventions of the 20th century was particle board. The stuff is worthless. And fake wood contact paper "veneer" is just that. Fake wood contact paper. 

*Rant over, soapbox open*

*Take a deep breath*

I find that the most interesting treasures appear when I least expect them. Such as this chair.

I wasn't looking for anything, and when I ran across it, I didn't necessarily have a bunch of time on my hands, but I knew a block of freedom was on the horizon so I snagged it. This little treasure fulfilled all the necessary requirements. 1. It was sturdy, and 2. it wasn't infested with bugs. Did you know that even solid wood furniture can be bug ridden? Check closely before you bring anything into your house or workshop. Those little critters can hide anywhere! So into the car it went. 

When I took it apart, I found that the seat was leather. It was old, dry and cracked, so that there was no way it could be brought back to life. And under the leather was cotton batting and horsehair. Gives you an idea of how old it is! The seat base itself was too dry and cracked to be rescued, so I had to cut a new one. I hate losing the original seat with the notations on it, but it wouldn't hold any weight as it was.

The chair is solid oak, and very straight and strong, but at some point in it's history, some well meaning soul had painted it that poop brown color that is so popular in pieces that were "re-done" in the 30's 40's and 50's. I'm guessing that the popular thought was that the paint was "almost" exactly like finished wood. Or maybe there was a run on this nasty color so it could be picked up cheaply, but it turns up often and must be eradicated. Didn't take much to cover it forever. 

Some sanding...

And a couple of coats of primer......

(My favorite workshop is the back patio when the weather is nice)

And a few coats of paint made it as good as new. 

But who wants such things to look new? So I went at it with some sandpaper in areas that would have shown age naturally, if I had wanted to wait another 30 years.

Then I added some stain to accelerate the aging. It goes right over the paint and can be applied as heavily or lightly as you prefer. I happen to like things looking nearly trashed with age, so I'm rather heavy handed. But I like the results. Then seal it well with polyurethane. 

As a last step, I went to the fabric stash. Our neighbors own a restaurant, and have passed along a couple of umbrellas when the pole broke. The fabric was in good shape and is water proof, so it's really durable with a bunch of short people on them. We're not beer drinkers, but I love the color and graphics, so it works.

Just like "new" and suits our tastes quite well. The best part is the cost. 

Chair - curb rescue = free

Paint - left over house trim = free

Stain and Poly - left over from other projects = free

Fabric and wood for seat = free 

Keeping me out of trouble = priceless!

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy 

and where thieves break in and steal,

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also. 

Matt. 6:19-21

Other projects
Family Stuff

Sign Junkie

I admit it. I'm a sign junkie. 

I just think they're so fun to have around. I love the typeface, and graphics. I also like clothing labels. Sometimes the artistry that are a part of those is amazing. If I'm upcycling clothing, I often include the label on the outside of the article if it's a good one!

On a recent trip to the Keys, I saw a sign that really caught my eye in an ice cream store. They wouldn't sell it, so I made my own.

Resurrection Upcycle got started by using "junk" I had laying around, and I've pretty much stuck with that philosophy. I knew I could make my own sign with some leftover sub-floor in the garage, and paint from the basement. I always make my own stencils on the computer and cut them out with an exacto knife, or just trace them onto what I'm using. I'm not that artistic, so using computer fonts REALLY simplifies my life!!

It took me a couple of days to paint, dry, and sand, but my final product turned out okay!

 

The ice cream store had theirs above the door, so that's where I put ours too!

Who stills the roaring of the seas,

The roaring of their waves,

And the tumult of the peoples.

They who dwell in the ends of the earst

stand in awe of Your signs;

You make the dawn and the sunset 

shout for joy.

You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;

You greatly enrich it;

The stream of God is full of water;

You prepare their grain,

for thus You prepare the earth.

Psalm 65:7-9

Family Stuff