For The Home
Raised Vegetable Garden
Eeeeeek! Spring has Sprung and I am just tickled about it!
You know you are too! How could you not be?
The air is warming up and once in a while you get that perfect day that allows you to dream of those beautiful flowers and veggies you have wanted to plant and grow forever.
Then you grab your car keys……….. run out the door without hesitation………… and then RUN back in once you realize you have forgotten your children (don’t judge me) …………..
then you RUN back out the door and drive to your nearest Home Improvement Store and go WILD!
Right?
NO?
Well, I didn’t do that exactly, but I WANTED TO SOOOOOOOO BAD!
Instead, I was very patient ( which is completely UNLIKE me) and I waited and planned and built a Raised Vegetable Garden Bed with the hubster.
We did it without a plan and SO CAN YOU! Very easy. We were first time DIYers with this and it turned out great!
I have to say I am very Proud of us.
Here is what we did:
We knew that we wanted the garden bed to be 4ft. x 12ft., so we bought 12 ft. pieces of cedar. We figured for the sides, we could just cut them to 4 ft.
We also bought short 4 ft. pieces of wood that would act as support boards and also an area that the screws could adhere to, in order to stack the boards. We had a few pieces of cedar siding that we improvised with and used so that we wouldn’t have to buy as much cedar.
Don’t mind the ladder. It’s just there for moral support. 😉
We attached the first 12 ft. piece of cedar to the sticks. This top piece split a little on the car ride home, but it wasn’t a concern.
This is what it looked like afterwards.
Then we attached the second piece using the same method. We just lined it up under the top one.
Now, we had (2) 12 ft. pieces of cedar attached to the 2 wood sticks at each end.
We had 4 screws on each side.
We knew we would need more support, so we added an additional board in the middle and attached the boards to it.
Afterwards, we trimmed the length on the support sticks.
This is what they looked like after being trimmed.
We repeated those steps with the boards for the other side. Then, instead of doing it again for the shorter 4ft. pieces, we decided to just attach them to the ends.
This is the 4ft end piece. We attached the two screws for it to the support stick that we had also attached the adjoining side to .
Z even let me get in on the action. Then, he went behind me, removed the crooked screw I attached, and reattached it correctly. Oh well….
Here is a shot of the bed after one board.
Now the finished side.
Then, to keep burrowing pests out, we attached a heavy duty plastic chicken net to the bottom with “U” shaped nails. We didn’t use wire netting b/c I have before and it toar up our hands during the process. I know you could just use gloves, but I’m lazy and I looked it up and the pests shouldn’t be able to chew through the heavy plastic. I might be updating this later if I find that not to be true.
We made sure that it was secure by nailing every ft. or so along the wood.
Since the netting wasn’t wide enough, we had to overlap some of it and then we just trimmed it off at the end with a razor blade.
Buster kept a watchful eye out just in case any rabbits tried to eat our veggies. How do I know I have rabbits? By the piles of “unpleasantries” I found left for me in my yard. (Is that a word?)
The great thing about gardening in general is it seems to awaken something within children. All 3 of my kids love to go out with their Nana and help her with the garden.
Heck! They will even help her pick up Doggie Poopoo at her house. I haven’t mastered that art here yet, but I’m working on it.
My oldest was beggin me to let her plant the veggies. I wanted to make sure they were done correctly the first time, so instead, I let her plant the marigolds around them.
I CANNOT wait to see how these turn out. I have wanted to plant Heirloom Tomatoes for a while. Z asked me if I thought we would get our money back out of the beds? As soon as I went to the grocery store and saw that tomatoes were $1.99 / lb. , I quickly answered , “Ummmmmm Errrrrrrrrrr Yup! ”
We planted 3 Crookneck Squash , 1 Zucchini, 2 Cherry Tomatoes, 4 Homestead Heirloom Tomatoe, 4 Marion Tomatoes, 2 Cayenne Peppers, and we will be making a seperate 4 x 4 ft. bed for our Cucumbers.
We also planted the Marigolds throughout the bed and will be doing the same thing with the Cucumber bed. Marigolds help keep the bugs off the plants. That is why we plant them. Plus, they look Purrrrrrrrty in there!
I should add that we used to have a garden back where we are from. We were so excited the first year we did it. We had a pretty big backyard, so we planted just about a 1/4 acre of it with all sorts of things. Well, I really had no idea how much it was going to yield and let me tell you , when it started ……….. it didn’t stop!
I couldn’t give it away fast enough before it started to go bad. I think this smaller modest raised bed is much better for us, though my friends might wish we had the larger garden so that we can share. 🙂
Happy Gardening!!!
*I’ll update as we go and show the progress of the plants, as well as give helpful tips on vegetable growing.
A Present from my Sister: Crocheted Scarf
Let me just tell you about my sister.
She got TALENT!
Like the kind of talent that is given to the first child (her) and skips over the second child (me).
I always wanted to be gifted at things like sewing and knitting and crocheting, but ALAS….. I AM NOT.
My sissy on the other hand ………… IS!
So, you can imagine my jealousy excitement when she made my mom a scarf one afternoon. Yes! I said “one afternoon”! Hate LOVE HER!
Now, you can imagine my EXTREME EXCITEMENT when she said she was going to make me one!
No, honestly, all joking aside, I really love my sissy. She is VERY talented and I love her even more for it.
Here is a pic of the scarf she crocheted me. I just love it! It is SUPER warm and beautiful!
My mom tried to take a pic of me with it on. I put makeup on so I wouldn’t scare anyone.
Only problem with your mom taking pics of you…………
is you get “light boogers”. Yup! I said it….. BOOGERS!
Let’s try this again…………..
Much better!
Here are some tutus and leotards she made for my girls that we used for our family pics on the beach one summer. I told you! Talented!!!
Photo courtesy of : Adele Lee Photography
I started to think about other outfits I could wear with the scarf she made me. AND because I was so FULL of energy to try them all on…….
I decided it would be much better to hang them on my dining room chair instead.
I think layering different shades of one color is so pretty. Kind of a Blue on Blue on Blue kind of thing. (Not to be worn on a rainy day.)
You could always go a little rugged with some cowboy boots and florals. I love this look. So relaxed, but still so feminine.
Or, you could alway dress it up with a little lace and silver dangles.
I’m SOOO happy my sister decided to make me one of these scarfs! If you want, she can make you one too! Make sure you check out her Etsy shop here.
Kitchen Cabinets (Makeover)
It was funny.
A couple of weeks ago,
a couple of women came to my home for the first time.
I remember we were talking about where I had gotten things I decorated the room with and what had been done to the house since we had bought it and moved in.
Then, we came to the cabinets in the kitchen.
One of the women had commented on how much she liked the original deep color of the cabinets.
I started to discuss how we had just bought the paint to start my next project, which would be painting the cabinets.
It’s funny because everyone looks at you when you say the dreaded words……
PAINT THE CABINETS!…. duh duh duhhhhhhhhh!
I, myself, was even guilty of this as recently as a few years back.
In fact, my husband, THE PAINTER was even guilty of this as recently as….. oh, I dont know…. a few MONTHS ago.
We had painted ….. attempted to paint our previous home’s cabinets several years ago.
It didn’t turn out so well. (Shhhh! Don’t tell my painter I said that.)
Back then, even though Z was a painter, he wasn’t up to speed with new products and he liked to “wing it” a lot. (too much)
Now that I have bashed my hubby for a few minutes (Sorry sweetie!)…
let me take a second to praise him.
He has since become awesome! The most awesomest, cutest painter I know.
This is what our cabinets looked like before. Since we had installed the flooring in the house, everything was starting to look like one continuous color in the kitchen.
That sometimes works, but considering everything was that same brown, it was taking away from the floors moment to shine.
I really felt like if we just painted them, it would take care of it.
BUT! Then, I would have moments like this. Where I would look at it from a little distance and would think,”Now that doesn’t look so bad.”
Then I would have my “Clueless moment”. Not the mental one. The movie one.
You know, the part in the movie where Cher says, “It’s like a Monet!”
“It looks fine from a distance, but up close…………..
It’s a BIG OLE STINKIN MESS!”
I may or may not have added a few words there…..
So!
Since I only get things painted around my house when it rains…..
I got started.
It only took me 2 Rain Dances before the Rain Gods answered my request with some Wet Weather.
So, WE got started.
First we removed the doors and hardware. Then we took an electric sander and roughed them up.
Here is one like the one we used.
This is a very important step because you want to give the coating something to stick to.
If you just try to paint right over the cabinets, it will still work, but for the longevity of it, you should rough them up prior to application. Otherwise, it may start to peel a little down the road.
You can use sandpaper grit between 150 – 220 for this. For the power sander, they come in discs for this.
Then start painting! I’m going to tell you a secret…..
The paint we used for the cabinets doesn’t even need a primer prior to application!
SAY WHAT!?!
Yup! No primer! In fact, it is specially designed for cabinets and it is called Cabinet Coating.
It is a product carried by our local paint store, Spectrum Paints.
Others may carry it, but I haven’t checked. It is kind of pricey per gallon at $55/ea.
However, when you consider the fact that we only had to get 1 gallon for the base cabinets and 1 gallon for the upper cabinets AND still have left over, it is a pretty good deal.
We used a 4 in. wide Mohair Roller brush and a regular Paint brush for application.
Another great thing about this product is that it is “self leveling”, which means that when it dries, it levels out any brush strokes and looks like you sprayed it on or better yet… like you bought them that way.
We chose Benjamin Moore colors for the cabinets.
I also decided to do a “two toned” color palette.
It simply means that you go with one color for the base cabinets and a different one for the uppers.
The color for the base cabinets is Fieldstone.
The color for the upper cabinets is Vanilla Milkshake.
AND VOILA!
Now, I know what you are saying….. Ummmm. That’s a lot of gray!
Well, my camera was having a hissy fit that day and for some reason, everything looked very much the same color.
(It’s not though.)
Here is a little better idea of what it looks like. I know it is hard to believe, but the base color is actually darker than it appears in the picture.
I just love the way they turned out.
The floors finally have their moment to shine and do not have to compete with the cabinets any longer.
It’s like a breath of fresh air now coming into the kitchen. It’s so light and airy and somewhat beachy without being “cheesy beachy”???
The wineglasses finally have a home of their own.
The crystal knobs make me smile. FYI: Lowes and Home Depot have them for $3.97 ea.
Z hung my pot rack that I stole off of Joss and Main for $102.00, which might sound like a lot, but when you consider the fact that it has even a small amount of copper in it, it is an awesome price!
So, now I have more room in my cabinets.
I know I have shown shots of my little “conversation area” a million times, but I have added a light over the end table, so I had to share.
Probably won’t be the last time I throw a pic of this spot up here either.
See! Told ya! (Here is a closer look at the light)
I have been wanting this phrase for a while and saw it at a friend’s vinyl letter party, so I bought it right away. If you like it, email me and I can give you the name of the rep that I bought it from.
(Now, if I can only get Z to paint the crown…….)
I used to be that person who hung plates ALLLLL around her house. I have since toned it down a little, but when my mom bought this set for me for Christmas, I knew exactly where it was going to go.
The words are from “Patty Cake, Baker’s Man”, which my mom used to sing with me all the time when I was a baby, and I have with my own babies.
(Made me cry when I opened it.)
I let the light be darker in this picture, so it could really pick up on the green in the base cabinets.
I have wanted a set of measuring spoons like this ever since I saw Paula Deen’s on her show. Her’s were real pewter and I wasn’t about to spend that kind of money on something that I was going to get dirty all the time. LOL!
So, while Christmas shopping, my mom and I stumbled upon these at a cute shop in Myrtle Beach for $24.95. They have the same look of pewter without the price tag!!!!
I have since seen them all over, so if you do not plan on traveling to Myrtle Beach anytime soon, you could still find them.
*I just wanted to drop a little note. While I like to think I know a lot about painting, the truth is ……. I don’t. (I only know a little)
The other truth is…. Z DOES!
It’s his job and passion and has been for years.
I usually type my posts while he isn’t here. Then, he usually comes home and says, “Why did you tell everyone to buy that type of paint?!!?” Ooops!
Then, I go back on my site and correct what I wrote wrong! YIKES! LOL!
SO!
If you should have any questions at all, please feel free to email me and let me know and I will ask the EXPERT!
Then! I’ll even write you back with the answer! 😉
*I also wanted to add that the reps at Spectrum Paint said that while they can pretty much do any color in the Cabinet Coating, the best results are with “Pastel” colors. Apparently, the darker the color, the softer it makes the Coating.
The lighter colors do not break down the Coating and allow it to harden as it dries, yielding better results!
Hope you found some inspiration with the kitchen cabinets. I will probably do an update soon. We plan on painting the ceiling…..
Happy Thursday!
-Esther
Master Bedroom (Update): Adding Curtains
Just wanted to make a little update to the Master Bedroom. Since the last post, I added the curtains behind the bed.
It’s still not any closer to being done,
but then again….. is a house ever really done?
The phrase I just used made Z’s stomach start to hurt when I shared it with him…… Oh well.
Here is a pic of the room now with curtains.
I cannot believe what curtains can do for a room.
Honestly, they are the icing on the cake if you really want to soften up a room.
See for yourself. Here is the pic of the bedroom in the earlier post WITHOUT curtains.
Just adding the curtains has really done a lot for the space.
Here it is now below WITH…..
I bought the curtains from a store called Tuesday Morning about 5 years ago and they are still just as nice as the day I bought them.
I paid a little more for them, but they were worth every penny.
If you have one in your town, you should definitely check it out.
Tuesday Morning is basically a smaller version of Homegoods. You can get namebrand things there for much cheaper than you would pay in other stores.
I love those curtains because in certain light, they look light green…. and in other light, they look light blue.
I also bought a few picture frames while I was at “my second home” the other day. ( Homegoods )
They don’t have anyone in them yet. They are just sitting pretty on my dresser right now.
I paid only $6.99 for each of them.
Hopefully I’ll get around to it soon….
In case you missed the original post about the Master Bedroom, you can check it out here.
Until next time….
-Esther
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