a little bit of this & a little bit of that

i recently finished a project which was a gift for a dear friend for her birthday (a monumental one at that).  the original picture was purchased for $1 at a yard sale a few months ago.  it was a 1/2-inch thick wood laminated etched picture.  it was in sad shape but the size of the frame was perfect for what i had in mind.

before:

it took a. lot. of. work. due to the learning curve i was on.  the decision to remove the laminate from the back was NOT a good idea but what's one to do when you're already knee deep into the project...well, you just. keep. going. and HOPE that your mistake will develop into something better!  

i first removed the frame from the wood picture before beginning on the torturous laminate removal.  with some much needed help from mr.1829 and his trusty side-kick "blowtorch", the last bits of laminate were removed in no time.  

then once sanded, wood puttied (due to the laminate not wanting to let go of the wood AND being a bit too aggressive with the scraper) and chalkboard painted, it was well on its way.  with the addition of a little bit of this and a little bit of that from my stash of "junk", it is now a message center for her kitchen.   some of the inspiration for the elements was found via an online google of chalkboards (silverware hooks) and pottery barn (the burlap pocket).  i added the stenciled corkboards, modge podged clothespins, and scrabble tile pushpins for some funky detail as well as the yardstick border.

it was such a fun project from inspiration to design to completion...especially since it was for someone near and dear to me..."my 12th".  

you may be wondering about that number 12.  It began oh so many years ago when i came across this writing by terri camp, which i had emailed to my bff.  here is an excerpt below that explains it all.

my twelfth best friend by terri camp

...i'm guessing at this moment you are pondering how someone could actually want to claim the title of another person's twelfth best friend.  is it because i am so popular that she has gotten in line with all the others who claim "best friend" status?  is it that she is just so happy to have me for a friend she is willing to allow herself to be considered my twelfth best friend?  no.  the fact is, she had to get in line behind my family. in the best friend line, first comes Jesus, then Steve, then my eight children, followed by my dear sister, which leaves my next best friend in number twelve status.  you know, Jesus had twelve best friends, so i guess it's okay if i do too...

my bff has 9 members in her family, thus the number nine after their name.  she has a wall on the side of her pantry that i sneakily had one of her children measure to be sure it would work...it was a perfect fit!  i love it when that happens.  with the addition of heavy duty picture hangers, wall anchors and a set of chalk ink, it was finished.   

if you have any questions regarding any of the "how-to's" for this project, just shoot me an email, i'd be happy to help.

project supplies:

gorilla wood glue
gorilla super glue
modge podge
craft paint (for stencils)
5-inch stencils
scrabble tiles
thumbtacks
yardstick - cut to fit
corkboard tiles
chalkboard paint
chalk (for prepping surface)
burlap
vintage silverware: knife, fork, spoon
mini clothespins
old hymnal pages- cut to fit clothespins
chalkboard eraser 
chalk ink markers
picture hangers & wall anchors


linking up to Funky Junk Interiors SNS#45 & #69

 The CSI Project  and Transformation Thursday

    

what's a diy girl to do?

we are currently in the midst of a major bathroom renovation.  It is s.l.o.w.l.y. getting done.  much repair work (rotted floor boards) , rebuilding of walls & ceiling, plumbing, electrical & window installation has taken up much of the time. 

cool vintage drawers

today our carpenter, darrin, brought over our sink vanity that he custom made from the wood that was pulled out of the walls.  these babies were almost 18 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick. they have to be close to 300 years old as our home is over 180 years old...the tree they were harvested from would have to be pretty old to get a board that wide.

i gave darrin several pics to give him an idea of what i was looking for as well as the sink that was to be mounted on the top.  it's actually a wall mounted sink but wanted to have more of a vintage vessel style.  i really wanted to use an old dresser but due to space constraints we opted for a more open "workbench" style.  the drawers came from my parents old shed and he worked them into the design.  i really like what he came up with but now am unsettled on how to finish it.  i am open to ANY suggestions. 

can you see the slatted shelf?

big wire basket will sit on floor below shelf

do i paint the base and leave the top stained?  do i stain the entire piece?  do i change the drawer handles?  add casters?  add trim?  i know i can count on you my fellow blogging buds...so help me out here pretty pul..leeze!  ;)

[update: we left the top as is and finished it with about 5 coats of clear floor finish.  the base was whitewashed with pittsburg paints eiffel tower (about 3:1 ratio).  see below for completed bathroom link.]

 we also have this sink which was the original idea but then i saw the curvy one on craiglist which we got for FREE!  should i swap out the sinks, that is if it can be done? 

vintage sink from previous upstairs water closet

we are re-using our vintage toilet and are working on a claw tub that we bought last year off of craiglist.  the colors that i am leaning toward are that lovely aqua/spa blue with either a light gray or a taupe .  the walls will be wood...either vertical tongue n groove or horizontal wood plank (we need to see what we can use on hand first).  the room is 5 x7.

old bathroom...many changes in layout

vintage clawfoot tub...$40 on craiglist

we are doing this whole remodel on the cheap using and re-using what we have on hand.  the vanity was our biggest expense so far.  i will give a breakdown on cost once we are finished...hoping that isn't too much longer!

thank you for your help!
                                         


UPDATE: go here for the completed bath renovation- only took one.whole.year!

Praying for Graham

www.prayforgraham.com

On July 30th, our family made a trip to the Adirondacks to spend some time with friends at our favorite place, The Word of Life Family Campground.  This is a part of The Word of Life Ministries which also consists of the Bible Institute, The Inn up in Schroon Lake and the summer ministries of The Island (for teens) and The Ranch (for the younger ones).  Every Friday evening, there is a rodeo at The Ranch which is open to the public.  It is a fun time with a petting zoo, concessions, climbing tower, and an old time rodeo.

This particular Friday, the rodeo was going well until the calf roping event.  One of the wranglers, Graham Stump, was on his personal horse, Crockett, when the horse stumbled, fell and Graham was thrown to the ground, hard.  Graham was rushed via ambulance and then air lifted to the hospital where he has been in ICU since that day.

Please read Graham's daily updates as told by his wife, Randi, at prayforgraham.com  Randi, as well as Graham need our prayers during this difficult time.  You may also find updates on Facebook under "Praying for Graham Stump".

Thank you for taking the time to care and to pray,


...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. James 5:16