Display/Storage Cabinet

This was a project from earlier this year but I am just now sharing for the blog.  I had been looking for a cabinet that I could display pictures and items and could also use as storage.  I sell a lot of items on Craigslist but rarely buy anything that way. THIS was a Craigslist buy I made and almost regretted as quickly as I bought it.  When I first brought the cabinet home it was dirty, musty, rotting and pretty darn ugly...my husband was ready to take it to the dump.  I unfortunately do not have any before pictures, it is usually pretty ugly that I have no desire to take a picture before the makeover.  : (  After much persuasion to keep it and make it more sturdy, he let me keep it.  SO glad I did because it is exactly what I wanted and more.

I changed out all the hardware (expensive!) and painted the cabinets and drawers/doors and decided it needed a little more "touches" so I added some red, blue and green to make it a bit more rustic.

The drop down doors had a lot of room to work with and frankly looked kind of boring plain. Since this is in my kitchen I decided to paint the kitchen measurement chart that I found to remember conversions for cups, pints, quarts and gallon.  This is such a great chart for memorizing these!
The other drop down I decided to be a little more goofy.  I have Dr. Seuss books in the glass section of the cabinet so a Dr. Seuss quote was appropriate.

We can store so much in this great find of mine!  Games, batteries, car keys, phone books, art supplies, napkins and so much more.

*I forgot to mention that there are holes cut in the back of 2 of the open sections so I can string lights through and have it lit up in the evening.

Trivial Pursuit Dinner Conversation

Once again as my parents had been cleaning out their home to prepare for the move, I inherited a Trivial Pursuit Game.  I first listed it on Craigslist because I didn't think the kids would want to play it. After I renewed my listing twice I decided it was not going to sell. THANK GOODNESS because this has got to be my BEST idea EVER!!!
As I got looking through the box of a million cards/questions, I realized it may be a fun game after all. I took all the cards out and put them in mini bread tins and added them to my "fall centerpiece".  Not only does it look great, it is so practical and FUN!
Almost every dinner the kids and I pull out a stack and start asking away. It keeps your brain going and we learn something new every night.  These little cards are a great conversation starter and sometimes lead to google searches after dinner to find out more information.

Tabletop Skull Head

Since my son started learning about the nervous system in school it prompted this idea.  He was learning about the brain lobes and functions and I thought "Cool! We need a labeled skull as a piece of educational decor."  This is the perfect time of year when all the Halloween decorations come out and skull heads are a plenty!
I found an inexpensive skull head at JoAnn Fabrics and a nice spot on an end table in our living room to display it!
With what my son was learning, we labeled the brain lobes and functions and have a unique piece of educational art!

Iowa shaped cutting board

For the longest time I had only one cutting board, it is a cheap plastic one that is discolored and gross. As I helped my parents "de-clutter" before they moved out of state I brought up this dilemma of mine. Of course they had an extra cutting board that they never used so they lightened their load and gave it to me.  Once getting it home and using it a few times I realized why it was hardly used, it was HUGE!  To try and clean it after every use was just plain annoying.  So I got this grand idea to cut it down into the shape of Iowa. Partly because my parents were moving out of state and all I could think was Iowa is a much better place to live then Oklahoma, right?

Anyways, my first step was to sketch out the shape of Iowa into the preferred size.  My first mistake was to be really precise with every detail, because I am like that.  After my husband inspected my drawing he brought me back to reality that I will not be able to cut every jagged edge, let alone sand them.  So after a few erases and new lines drawn I had a more realistic piece to cut.  Easy, right?  NO, this board was a solid piece of oak and harder than heck to cut with any type of saw.  I was afraid I was going to break the Jig Saw so I had to seek help.  Aggravating when this was suppose to be a DIY Project.

With the help of a more professional woodworker and their scary looking Band Saw, this was able to be cut to the shape I had drawn.

I then used a file and sandpaper to smooth out all edges and sides.

After much research on a "protective" finish I decided upon the mineral oil/beeswax finish. I now have a beautiful (more appropriately sized) Iowa shaped cutting board.

This would make such a great gift but I will be keeping it for myself.

Educational and FUN Skeletal System Shower Curtain

I have had this plain green canvas shower curtain for almost 7 years now and decided it needed a makeover. Not just any makeover, it needed to be practical, to serve a purpose in my home. Since you are either sitting on the toilet or getting naked to take a shower in the bathroom, I thought a human figure skeletal system was just what it needed.  I found an awesome drawing online to use.  

First, I laid the shower curtain out and used chalk to sketch out the design and size that I wanted.
Next, did a little tweaking with a wet washcloth to wipe off what didn't belong.
Once I was happy with the sketch, I went over it with a black fabric marker. Scary at first because it was permanent and I wasn't sure if it would run due to the fabric. I figured I really wasn't out much if it didn't work out but crossed my fingers anyhow.
When completed I threw it in the washer for a cold rinse so the chalk would wash off. Dried on low heat and VOILA! 

Now the kids and I can learn all about our skeletal system while relaxing on the potty.  I have found the more you surround yourself and your kids with educational pieces it stems new questions and conversations.  Learn something new everyday.

Last week I worked at the school and listened/assisted in a lesson about the newspaper. Yes, I know what to find in the newspaper but this was the inspiration for my next project...

a newspaper AND a pair of patent leather wedges that I really never liked with a scuffed toe.

I decided to cut out big and little meaningful words, quotes, fonts and made sure to include different parts of the newspaper.
I included:
headline
date
movie listing
index
sports
article
crossword puzzle
classified
Dear Abby
etc...

After I had a good pile to work with, I started with a matte finish of mod podge to the shoe and to the back of the paper that I would attach. I really hadn't thought it through as to how it was going to be placed so I added a few larger pieces that I knew I wanted to be prominent. Then started to fill in the blanks with words, symbols and other bits and pieces.
After the entire patent leather was covered I put a top coat of the same mod podge I was using. When I put the shoe on, I realized it needed another protective coat because the paper was going to rip where the shoe naturally bends.  I used an old rag and rubbed mink oil all over the paper and especially where the shoe would bend to keep it from drying out and cracking.
The placement of some of the random words actually worked well together as if it had all been meticulously planned! SUCCESS.

These may be Jessica Simpson shoes BUT they have my personal design touch added to them!