New Craft Table

I saw this table in Home Decorator's catalog. 

It is part of their Martha Stewart collection and has a hefty price tag:  $499!!  There is no way I can justify that kind of money for a craft table, plus it seems like an awful lot to pay for melamine covered particle board.

Still, I liked the idea of a table that I could open up for projects and tuck out of the way when I didn't need it.  What to do, what to do!

Then inspiration struck!  I remembered that last year I'd given Charming this Ikea table for use in his new apartment.  (I bought the table three years ago for roughly $150.  Mr. & Mrs. R were in Portland at the time and were kind enough to swing by and pick it up for me.  Wasn't that sweet of them?) 

Anyway, a quick call to Charming confirmed that he was amenable to a trade, so while Superman was home, we made the switch.  (I needed Superman...this table weighs 100 pounds...solid wood, anyone?!)

Six castors later, I have my own craft table for a fraction of the cost!   That Superman!  He's so handy to have around!  It opens up on both sides, or just one.

And when I'm done, it just sits under the window until the next time.

Pretty cool, isn't it?  I just love repurposing things and giving them a new life.

My life is nothing if not exciting...

I was minding my own business, getting ready for the gym, when Buttercup fell backwards, broke her fall with her wrists, and promptly broke her left wrist.  Didn't get my workout, but I did get my heart pumping.

For whatever reason, Buttercup's blood pressure dropped quite low in the ten minutes it took to get to the ER (68/30) and she was whisked into a room lickety split and placed on a bed which was tilted way back to put her head below her heart.  The blood pressure situation resolved itself and Valiant was bored.

Four hours laters, the break was set, the splint was on, the sling was in place, and the pain pills had kicked in.  Even better?  She was still rocking her Vibram Five Fingers...those shoes made her the star of the ER.

This afternoon, we head to the orthopaedist for the permanent cast.   Any guesses on the color she'll choose? 

Because Superman Can't Wait!

So, we've been working on a few projects since Superman came home for Christmas break.  Since his return to work, he's been clamouring for pictures of our progress.  While we're not completely finished, I can't make him wait any longer.

Today's pre-reveal is the transformation of the room formerly known as the "Macaroni & Cheese" room.  Now that the kids are older, we don't need a "kid" room anymore, so Superman and I picked out a new "grown-up" wall color. 

To remind you, here is the before:

Bye-Bye, Macaroni & Cheese!

And here is the after:


Hello, Celery Sprig!

The view from the other side of the room...this is where I do all my sewing
and crafting and blogging...notice the bright white ceiling...it looks fabulous.



This is where the kids sit to watch television.



I still need to cover the ironing board in new fabric and we still need our new baseboards, but doesn't it look fabulous?   It is a much more relaxed space, that I, for one, am really enjoying.  I am so pleased with how it is coming along. 
Did you notice that we only changed paint?  Isn't it amazing how much of a difference a new wall color and freshened ceilings can make?

So, Superman, are you pleased?  Doesn't it look good?  Thanks for supporting my desire to change up this space.


 

Lunch, anyone?

On Today's Menu:                    Hamster Tacos!!

"Why, thank you!  I'd love to come to lunch."

"Wait!  You're having me for lunch?"

 

"Um, I think I'll leave now, but thank you for thinking of me!"

 
Froyo's reward for letting us mess with her:   a banana chip!

 Cold winter days and bored children:  the perfect recipe for mischief!

If You Give a Girl a Camera...

...she won't be able to resist taking a few pictures...

She'll purse her lips...

She'll imagine she's upside down...

She'll cross her eyes...

 If you give a girl a camera, she'll just have fun.

Handiest Tool Ever!

One of the best gifts I got this year (Superman's presence notwithstanding), was this amazing Black & Decker All-in-One Sure Grip Laser Level.  Seriously.  This thing is fabulous!  My friend Mrs. R picked it up after my beloved Buttercup was a good little elf and, noticing that I wanted one, passed that tip along.  I am so glad she did...it is awesome!

Perfectly aligned!

It comes in two parts...the "sticks on the wall" part with the suction cup and the actual level with the laser part that magnetically attaches to the suction cup part.  It really does stick on the wall, too.  In this example, this is a wall painted with flat paint that might possibly be dusty and that sucker stayed up the entire time I needed it to.  (Supposedly it can stay attached as long as two hours, but I can't vouch for that amount of time.)  The best part?  It is crazy-simple to use.  The light on the level turns green when the bubble is actually in the "level" position...no guess work, no eye-balling it.  It is either green or it is red.  Woot!

So, I stuck it on the wall and lined up the level so the light turned green...

The laser remains visible throughout!

Lined up my line of vinyl...

And, voila!, it is done!

The most difficult part was standing on the ladder to get the lettering up so high!

Seriously, if you find getting things level to be a hassle, this is the tool for you.   I can't believe how much use I've gotten out of it just in the first week of owning it.   After thinking it was going to be "stupid", Superman used it to install some corner shelving on the wall for Buttercup and the laser rounds the corner to make even corner shelves a snap.  He concedes that this tool is really handy...high praise, indeed!



Did I mention the laser goes around the corner?

How cool is that?  We've already hung more vinyl, pictures, a headboard and a mirror with this level.  It is just so handy.  This little tool is definitely worth the $25 purchase price and I'm so grateful to have it!



Life At Home - The Argh! Edition

Last month, as I was folding laundry in front of my dryer, water started dripping down on my hand from the ceiling!  There is an exhaust fan above the dryer and above that is my bedroom.  No water!

After I freaked out in my mind a little, I stopped to listen and realized that Valiant was in the shower.  I ran upstairs and made him turn off the water.  The drip stopped.  That was really good.  However, I had no clue what to do about it. 

 I confess I called Superman and woke him up in the middle of the night with this cheerful news.  Honestly, I didn't know what to do...water dripping down from the ceiling onto my dryer is not covered in my Wonder Woman handbook!  We decided to just leave the shower alone until Superman was home on leave and could have a look it at.  I thought that was fine because we're fortunate enough to have three full baths.   A little shuffling and we'd be fine.

A few weeks later, Mr. R., came home on leave from his job in North Dakota and we got to talking about my leak.  He insisted on taking a look so that Superman wouldn't have to worry.

After seeing how bad it was, I'm pretty sure he regretted that decision.  Apparently, the problem had been ongoing for quite some time...I had no idea.  Still, he had some free time, so I was able to hire him to fix it, so Superman wouldn't have to do it now. New subfloor, repaired wall, new toilet and new flooring, he even added tile around the edge to help prevent the problem from returning...it was a big job and I feel so lucky to know someone I trust to do it well.

He did a fabulous job, didn't he?  Now all I have to do is get Superman to help me pick a new paint color for the bathroom...I don't like the yellow with the new floor.  Do you?

Happy New Year!

    

"We will open the book.
Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on
them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity
and its first chapter is New Year's Day"

                                - Emily Lovejoy Pierce