Category: Our First House

Our first house, a 1960 ranch home.

Recent Ross Deals

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Did you know I am having a love affair with Maxx and Ross?  TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less, that is.  Yep, I love ’em.  Can’t get enough, in fact.  Why do I love thee?  Because they have great deals on awesome items.  Like this stoneware bowl by Target.  Original retail price: $11.99, Ross price: $3.49.  Sold!

I guess the bowl was designed to hold baguette, but it actually works really well as a fruit bowl.  I also found this ugly gold decorative vase for $6.49. 

I do have a plan for it, just need to carry it out.  Then, I found a large decorative outdoor planter for $6.99, talk about a deal!  The cheapest thing Home Depot and Lowes had in a similar size was $30.00.  Both TJ Maxx and Ross are great places to look for bedding, too. 

The comforter in our guest room came from Ross and I recently picked up a set of King sized 400 thread count grey sateen sheets from TJ Maxx for $29.99.  Yep, it’s love at first sight.

Simple Solution: Crown Moulding

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Do you love the look of crown moulding but can’t afford it?  Maybe it’s just a little too difficult for you to install on your own?  Well, we have a solution for you.

Rather than using actual crown moulding, use decorative casement trim.  Choose a trim with one 90 degree angle and a flat back, similar to these:

Place the square edge along the ceiling and secure with nails. 

This trim is very easy to install and is more affordable than actual crown moulding.  Of course, the ‘crown’ moulding won’t have a 45 degree angle from the wall to the ceiling.

Paint the ‘crown’ the same color as the rest of the trim and it will make the room look polished.

Just Like Tom Sawyer

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Our Montana summer seemed more like a Seattle summer thanks to the unusually frequent rainfall.  What does this mean?  We didn’t get many outdoor projects done this year.  Fortunately, we didn’t have many on our list.  We did, however, get our fence painted, finally!  Last summer, we primed it, but it didn’t hold up to the elements very well.  So, over the weekend, Ben used a pressure washer to remove any loose, chipping or peeling paint.

Isn’t this lovely?

After some reasearch, Ben decided to use an opaque white stain by Behr, specifically formulated for outdoor wood and siding.

Using a sprayer, Ben applied an even coat, then used a brush to smooth it all out.

We also closed the open area where we had planned to install a gate.

When we built the fence, we had large, communal garbage cans in the dead end alley.  I guess our garbage man ran into a few too many things while backing up, so the city gave us individual garbages.  Why am I telling you this?  Because we no longer needed access to the alley as our garbage is now up front.

Long story short, one more item has been checked off our to do list!

Paper Party Banner

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Vincent’s third birthday is tomorrow!  I cannot believe he is already three; time flies.  We’re having a birthday for him on Saturday with friends and family, so I whipped up a simple, affordable and reusable party decoration. 

To make this banner, you’ll need paper or cardstock in any color(s) that tickle your fancy, a circle cutter or punch, string, glue or Mod Podge, and an old paint brush.

I used a handy-dandy adjustable circle cutter made by Making Memories.  I got this as a hand me down from a friend and never used it until now.  The beauty of this tool is the ability to cut circles from 2 inches to 9 inches in diameter, all with one tool.  I set the blade at three inches and started cutting.  It takes a few tries to get it to cut nicely, but after that, its smooth sailing.  The trick is to lightly run the blade around a few times, rather than one heavy round, which will tear the paper. 

So, cut out tons of circles. 

Then, fold in half, aligning the edges.  If you used cardstock, you may want to run a bone folder along the crease to make it sharp.

Gather your glue, paint brush and string and get ready to assemble. 

First, tie a loop in the string, to make it easy to hang.  Do not cut your string yet, unless you have a specific size you need.  Then, apply a thin layer of glue or Mod Podge to one side of the folded circle, adding a little more in the crease.  Try to keep the glue thin so it won’t spill over the edges.  

Place the string into the crease and fold the top over, pressing tight.  To make sure your spacing is even, cut a piece of scrap paper to the desired width and place between each circle. 

Continue gluing circles until the desired length has been reached.  Cut the string, leave about 6 inches from the end of a circle.  Make another loop for hanging.  You’re ready to decorate. 

I plan to hang these banners in the trees at the party, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek.  So, for now, the banners are hanging from the ceiling  in the boy’s room.  The colors of the party happen to be the same colors we chose for the boy’s room. 

Just a little note: if you are interested in this project, but don’t like the look of the half circles, you could do this with any shape.  You will have to cut twice as many shapes, then follow every step except the folding.  Instead, place another shape on the other side. 

What are your favorite DIY party decorations?  Cupcake toppers?  Tissue paper pom poms?  Do tell!

I See a Red Bed and I Want it Painted Yellow

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Yep, that was my DIY version of The Rolling Stones ‘Paint it Black.’

Two years ago, we got a hand me down twin mattress and frame for Vincent.  It’s a simple, 100-year-old steel bed, reminiscent of an old hospital bed.  The frame was green, but we painted it red to work better in Vincent’s newly designed room.

I loved it, until recently.  Now, I want to add a light aqua, lemon grass green and sun yellow to freshen up our boys’ room without repainting.  Initially, I wanted to make an upholstered headboard, but that would require buying a new mattress, box spring, and frame because the current bed is about 5 inches wider than standard twin beds.  We don’t want to buy a new bed yet, so we opted to repaint the bed frame.

I sent Ben to the hardware store and he picked up Rustoleum’s Sun Yellow spray paint.  Rustoleum claims to have 2 times the coverage, so maybe we won’t have to prime.  After disassembling the bed and setting it up outside on wood blocks, Ben started painting.

Sure enough, Rustoleum does have two times the coverage.

While Ben was painting, the boy’s room was a mess.  Fortunately, it didn’t last too long, but here is what it looked like.

Better yet, Rustoleum dries to the touch in 20 minutes and to handle in 1 hour.  That’s great for impatient people, such as myself.  We left the bed outside for 5 hours or so, just to let it air out.  We brought it inside and added bedding.  Vincent did not sleep in the bed, as it was a little smelly, but I love the new look.

I really love the yellow bed with the chevron painted rug.

Next step, bedding!  I have debated between a sun yellow/charcoal grey color palette and sun yellow, light aqua, and lemon grass-green.  I think the yellow/grey is a little too sophisticated for a kids room, so we decided on yellow, aqua and green.  What is your favorite color combination?