Prickly Subject

My bathroom needed some green to break up the blue. I found this great article on planting cacti in glass containers with sand. I went to a nursery and found a cacti guy. Who knew they would have a guy like that?

Step 1: Find the right container (mine were Goodwill finds for $1 each)

Step 2: Talk to your local cacti guy - take containers as he/she will be able to tell you what will and won't grow well in the container and what height to plant.

Step 3: Buy cactus potting mix (yes) and gardening sand (not beach sand - not the same)

Step 4: Fill container part way with sand making a deep bowl shape in the middle

Step 5: Spoon in just enough cactus potting mix to cover bottom and sides of divot

Step 6: Insert cactus with as much of it's original soil as possible

Step 7: Cover potting soil and tap down around cactus

Step 8: Add decorative rocks your family brought your son back from far off places

More Pillows

I want someone to teach me how to do my own piping. I gave it a go last week and I can't say as I love it.

So I ripped out the sad and odd piping attempt, bought some pleated ribbon, which I do love, and did a new install. Much better.

I am still adding yellow touches to my MB and it is coming along nicely.

Closeted

Deb wasn't the only one working on her closet this past week. My hall closet has always been a lonely and ignored space. It's too small to dump too much in and it has had a faintly funky smell forever. I tried to get photos of the interior damage - 1/2" wide 12" long crack, too many small cracks to count, dents from shoes & vacuum and the most gosh awful beige. I was just going to refinish the door but once I got it cleaned out I could not stay. Not happening! The door took me two days to strip, more than 9 layers of paint - what were previous owner's thinking with the green with brown inset? The closet took another three because I had to strip it, patch, caulk, sand, texture and then it sucked up paint. And just when I thought I was done Jim mentions that the door has never closed well so maybe he should take a belt sander to my newly painted door. Curses! So, more painting - if you are keeping track we are now on day 7. Finally I got the door back in the house and hung. Not impressive for anyone other than me.

Favorites in Review.

What was your favorite 'home improvement' project of 2011? Here's a rundown of one of mine:

Office For Two

First, here's the 'before' picture:



Pretty horrific. This was before I agreed to give up
my office and move into this one with Steve.
Yes, I'm brave.

 

We purchased a new desk for Steve from Office Depot. Although it is much larger than his Dad's old roll top, the storage is much more useful. It came 'flat packed', so we spent a few hours assembling it.  We make a great assembly team. I was pretty ruthless in what I let him keep in the office. Only stuff that he actually used on a regular basis was allowed, the rest was relegated to a large closet in the basement. The knick-knacks are all family memorabilia.



Even though this room is only about 10'x11' (plus closet), we were able to
keep the loveseat - which is now more usable...

 

...and then I added a few of my embroidery pieces for a little bit of fun.



My office area is carved out of the closet. I love my drawers from IKEA - they were another assembly project that Steve and I did together.  I hung the lights with the help of Alex. On either side of the desktop I hung a metal pegboard - which holds hanging shelves (yes, IKEA shelves).  I ordered the pegboard from Amazon.



Now let's see yours...

Walls, Walls, Walls...

Marcy sent me a belated birthday package (by way of Nathan and Rebekah).  In it, she included six metal stars.  It was only fitting, as she was the one to point out that my gallery wall needed a little something over the Boeing sign. After seeing the stars, I decided to  look for paint options before putting six more holes in my wall.  I spotted a color I liked at Fred Meyer (it may or may not have been Dutch Boy (or possibly Glidden??), the color name is 'spinnaker').  I prefer Behr brand paint, so I didn't buy the paint - I figured I'd get it color-matched at Home Depot after Christmas.

Steve and Rebekah took some initiative and bought the paint before Christmas. I might possibly have been the only woman in America to receive a gallon of paint for Christmas.  It was a Christmas miracle. 



This is the 'before'...greenish walls, no stars, no ceiling lights.



After...stars, lights, and fresh paint.
(the lights are from IKEA - Basisk $16.99 each)

Sanctuary Challenge

This past weekend we had a speaker at church (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland) who talked about sanctuaries - and about how they should be a refuge from 'the world'.  The most important sanctuary we have is our own home. 

Here's my challenge this week:

Make at least one room...or failing that, PART of one room in your house a place where you (or a family member) can go and feel at peace and safe from the world. 

Let's see some pictures people!

Gallery Wall

The room's not done yet - but I thought I'd give you a peek at our gallery wall(s).

 

There's no rhyme or reason - except that Steve's relatives are on his side...mine are on my side.
Ignore the bookcase - that's next on my list.





Yes, I went with long curtains, horizontal stripes.



Goodwill steals

I really should know better than to try and take pictures in my bedroom after dark.  Oh well, you get what you get. I thought I'd give you a peek at my newest additions to "Roundup Time at the Lazy B" aka My Master Bedroom.



For $3 I snagged some kind of wooden thingy that was just right for a tv riser...after Andrew and I cut it in half.  So really, the tv riser ended up being $1.50.  The other half is on Steve's night stand...you'll just have to wait to see it.



For $3.50 Steve and I found this cool bench.  It's a bit deep for the space - nothing a table saw can't remedy.

I still haven't sorted out the Great Curtain Dilemma...but I am a step or two closer to a finished room.

Curtain Dilemma



I got a great deal on this Ralph Lauren fabric...the colors and style are right.



My problem is this: should I do traditional long curtains with the stripes vertical?



Or should I do short OR long with the strips horizontal.


Let's recap the choices:
1. Long w/ vertical stripes.
2. Long w/ horizontal stripes.
3. Short w/ horizontal stripes.