Furniture Steve Made

Post, Marilee Made.

Lets take a moment and look at some furniture that my husband, Steve has made.  We've also created a quick page link for you to reference here.

Steve has no formal training in carpentry, he just does it well.  He has quite a collection of tools and I think this is what makes most of the difference.  Someone can bring him an idea or picture and he is off and running.  Take a look at some of the things he has made in the past.  I am always on the lookout for new furniture for him to make to replace something old and outdated or possibly just because I really want something.

In the future I will be showing you some ideas of new furniture that I would like to have and you'll be able to see the before and the after.  Steve will also be building a patio cover (no plans) at his daughter's house and we will post pictures of that along the way as well.  Enjoy! 




This is my kitchen island and hey!  I left the butter knife out after making my toast this morning.  Just keeping it real, folks!  The legs were from EBAY for about 60.00 dollars and we added a piece at the bottom of each leg to give it the height that we needed.  Then Steve just went from there with the butcher block top, drawer for cookies and chips, and a bottom shelf for "things".

This is the buffet in my dining room.  We have a soffit/niche that has housed 3 different hutches and buffets.  I finally asked Steve to build a custom one to fit exactly in my space and I love it!  The concept was pieced together by several buffet pictures I'd found over the years.  Steve was able to take a little from each picture to create this.

We eat 95% of our meals on this table (that's good thing about Southern California weather) that Steve also made. We had a sort of trellis over our Entry in our front yard and after being up for 30 plus years, they became rotten and had some termite damage.  The structure of the house did not need them and we didn't loose any architectural details by removing them so we took them down and made this table for the patio. 

I hope you enjoyed some of the background on my most special furniture pieces.  Please check that page often as I get around to documenting more of Steve's work!

Marilee

My Backyard.. Bom Bom Boooomm!

 Post by Sarah


So, I have a pretty big problem.  I HATE yard work.  It's pretty ridiculous and embarrassing, in fact. 

But, I've decided to share my shame.

I know I sound like I'm completely over-exaggerating.  And my "before" pictures will only attest to my over-exaggerations..

I don't have any pictures of my backyard jungle so the below "before" pictures are of a slightly maintained yard.

Yes, this is our maintained version.. as in - it's a good day if the grass is not up to your knees.
See the tank below?  We have a turtle named, Trevor.  We found him after months, and months, and months of neglecting our yard in 4 foot high grass.  

Think finding a turtle in your unmaintained yard is as shameful as it gets?
shameful, but sort-of rad, right?!? 

Well, it's not.  Trevor was a unique prize.   I've had a neighbor knock on my door and leave me cards for landscaping services.  Mind you, this is my backyard.  Who the heck should care how my backyard looks, right? 

I also once came home to a freshly mowed lawn.  Yes, someone came into my backyard and mowed my lawn while me and Cody were at work.  It was a nice gesture, I suppose.

But I'm most definitely "that" neighbor that everyone whispers about.

I know!  It's bad!  And even worse when I say that this isn't even that bad.. my yard has been SOOOO MUCH WORSE.

But thanks to the cool weather and a free Saturday, I got my butt into gear.  It slowly started with trimming those nasty bushes.. in between all the snipping I tried to rake out the clipped pieces.  I ended up raking out entire bushes (I'm a renter) and decided I liked it bush-less (that's what she said)  and went on my merry way of ripping the plants out.  Yeah, I'm a renter...  heh.. whoops.

But you've got to admit..  there are waaay too many plants for this tiny backyard.
My shenanigans turned out to be a better looking backyard.

Of course, I'm still far from complete..  this was the quick and dirty first go around.  I plan to go back through and clean it up even more.  Possibly put down bark or something and call it done.

 

Look how all the grass along the edge is all dead..  darn bushes!

And who the heck in their right mind would plant a GINORMOUS palm tree in a tiny backyard???  And right on the fence?   I've been raking my grass clippings behind and under this tree.  It's creating this crazy hole in the ground and I'm not really sure what to do.. other than cover it with dead grass.  ??

And a quick shot back at my sad and neglected patio:

And this is where I declared myself done.  My weed-wacker quit working, I had a fat blister, and I was exhausted.

So yeah, the trash bags are gone.  The 6ft weed still remains.

All still very progress.  Though I have an internal debate about whether or not I should move forward and put money into anything.. as I am a renter. Anyone have any thoughts?

Sarah

What's on the shelf

Posted by Marilee

Recently we did a post about adding fabric behind the shelves in my master bedroom.  We bought 4 yards (2 yards for each side) and Sarah installed it as you saw in the previous post.  She also redecorated the shelves by "shopping the house".  Sarah did a terrific job!  Every time I walk in the room now, I am surprised at what a great change it is.  I love the warmth that it added to the room and I love the way the items are displayed on each shelf.

I love "treasures".  Mostly things I've found in a thrift store, antique store, gifts, etc... and some of the more special items ended up on the shelves in the master bedroom.  I will take a moment and share those items with you and why they might be special to me.

The spool is on a peg board type shelf.  I love the color and texture it adds.  And a good friend gave it to me.

I love all things that come from Illinois, Maryland, or Pennsylvania.  I have relatives in each of those areas and frequently visit. So when I run across something that I love, I try to bring it home - in memory of my visit and my family.  This is a metal box found in an antique store a couple of years ago.  I love that it says Peoria, Ill on it.

I love taking pictures and the camera in the middle was a gift from Sarah when she went back east.  I guess she was the one to start my antique camera collection.  The other two are from a good friend.

The glass piece I found in Montana last year.  I believe it is intended to hold olives, but cotton balls look and smell nicer.  The candlesticks are from local stores in the San Diego area.  The little black thing is an old stamp of an "8", I think that is from Pennsylvania while visiting my sister.

The picture is of Chicago last September when Sarah had a work convention and I tagged along.  I love this photo.  It is across the street from our hotel.  The dark piece in front is an antique bracket.  I love the detail!

The drawers are something that had belonged to Steve's Dad. The silver piece is some sort of antique butter holder.  And that's everything on Steve's side of the bed.  Let's switch to my side:

The weedy plant - Bed Bath and Beyond.  The picture - Illinois and the 2 boxes - a gift from my niece Allison...thanks  Allison - so sweet.  the metal box also has a frame that matches it...in another room.

A picture of Steve and our grandson, Jonathan.  The little blue china - a gift from Tamy back in high school, hand painted by her Mother, Jill.

The gear I got back in Illinois.  The wood ball is off a baluster that our company tore down.  The books I tied together.  The little Mary had a Little Lamb and her 2 Sheep.  A precious gift from my Grandmother back when I was in high school from a five and dime store, but I ADORE them and imagine...I have carried them from house to house and they have never broken.  The dancer is also super super fragile and used to be my Mom's - always hand carried in a move.  The dress is actual lace and breaks easy.  Isn't that called Dresden?



The vase Geneva, Ill.  The photo, My Dad as a small boy.  The picture was made by my grandson.  The spool is from Pennsylvania.

The teapot came from an antique store here in town.  The photo, Steve as a child in his best cowboy attire.  The little box is from Montana.  It is signed, made in Russia and is all hand-carved.

The jewelry box was my Grandmother's.  The peacock is from my niece, Allison.  The rings are from Illinois.

Random books, candlesticks - I don't recall

The yellow cabinet is from here in town and a recent purchase.

The finished project...AWESOMENESS!  My side!

And Steve's side.

I hope you enjoyed all my treasures!

Marilee

Chicago, Illinois

Posted by Marilee

Last September Sarah was attending a work convention that happened to be in Chicago, Illinois.  I tagged along for the trip and while Sarah was attending the convention and classes, I was out and about photographing the beautiful city.

I thought I would share some photos with you, and if you have never been, it should really be on your "bucket list".  I would love to spend more time there in the future.  Enjoy!

We stayed at the historic Palmer Hotel and this was the view from our room.  I can just imagine what that top room must be like.

What you see today was built in the 1920's, but it has history going back before the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

The lobby elevator:

The original water tower that housed a standpipe to help water flow was first built in 1869 and it survived the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.  One of the few buildings to survive.

This train structure is on the MIT campus and the shell was built to try and keep the noise down for the dorm rooms located on the left.

Frank Lloyd Wright's home.

That great Chicago skyline.

Hope you enjoyed this quick little trip to Chicago.

Marilee

Bookshelf

Post by Sarah and Marilee..

We've been busy!

I introduced my mom to this super neat idea I had about creating some depth and color and over-all awesomeness to the bookshelf in her bedroom.  I know it's been done by others before me but I had already winged it on a piece of my furniture and succeeded so I was excited to do it for my mom as well.

Here's my piece of furniture I fancied up a few months back:

It's fabric.  And was super simple!

And now to do the same treatment on my mom's bookshelves.

This is what the shelves in my bedroom looked like before we made our changes.   In this previous post you can see that Sarah and I went and bought some fabric to put behind the shelves.  The bed is covered with an old sheet because of the dog, Katie.  She loves to sleep up there.  I have a quilt on the bed that I made but goes with NOTHING in that room.. I hope to change that in the future.

The Before:
(on my side of the bed..)

The Before:

(on Steve's side of the bed..)

We took all the items off the shelf and took the shelves down.  They were supported with hooks, for adjustable shelves.

Okay, we are ready to get started.

Sarah starts by making sure that the fabric is straight and then she sprays some adhesive on the wall (a small area) and then uses the credit card to smooth out wrinkles.  Kinda like hanging wallpaper, but much easier, faster, cheaper.  You gotta love that part, right?

Once she had all the adhesive down, she used Mod Podge over the top at all the edges (just to ensure adhesion) and we let all of this dry.

After it was dry, Sarah came back and trimmed off the excess material with a razor knife and we put the shelves back up.

Doesn't this look terrific?  I highly recommend it...run right out and try this project, you will so looovvvveee the results!!!! 

The Mod Podge helped to "stiffen" up and strongly secure the edges so that Sarah would have a straight and crisp finished cut.

Sarah also re-arranged and decorated all the items that came back onto the shelves.  This was a great project,  Sarah did all of it!!  I ran around and watched, gotta love that too!  THANK YOU SARAH  for this terrific gift and it will always be more special since she did it for me .... love that gal!

After moving things around and "shopping the house", this is what Sarah had left for me.

Has anyone else done a similar project? 
Anyone have any bedding recommendations?
Please Share!

Sarah & Marilee