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My husband recently bought a new bike which he promptly parked in the garage. In a normal garage that wouldn't be a problem, but because it's our shop, it was a problem! We started looking for a shed that we could put on the back patio to store the bike, as well as other things that are crowding our workspace.
I have a Costco membership so we started our search there. We quickly found a style we liked at an affordable price so we ordered it. It arrived to my house a few weeks later. Although, the driver could not deliver it to the exact final location, he got it close enough! We think this will be a style shed people will like so there may be interest in seeing the assembly process. The instructions are really good, but there were a few things that could be improved which we share throughout the video.
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This is one of those projects that was overdue, way overdue! I live in a neighborhood where most all the mailboxes are brick or stucco, and then there was my falling down, cedar trimmed box. Yikes, I'm really surprised my Homeowners Associated never sent me notice to replace it!
Since we have no bricklaying skills to build a brick mailbox, we set off to find a style we liked and could build with our skillset. On our weekly COVID-19 lockdown Sunday drives through the neighborhood, we spotted the perfect candidate. We took lots of pictures, but resisted the urge to actually get out of the car to take measurements.
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Whenever we shop at Costco, we always take a look at the products for sale in the lighting/electrical aisle. It seems on every trip they have brand new and exciting LED lighting options! We are sold on LED for lighting in our homes and workspace!
Earlier, this year, we purchased a skylight fixture for Steph's garage to replace a fluorescent fixture that had seen better days. Once installed, the difference was remarkable! Clean, even looking light that actually does look like a skylight! Well, I was sold and told Steph I wanted one for my very dark closet. The one where I choose my clothes and then realize later on when I'm in the sun, I'm actually wearing, what I thought were black pants, but they are actually blue! I loved that lighting solution so much in the closet that I talked Steph into installing one in my laundry room. My sad, dark mess of a laundry room. So here is that install! And like most DIY projects, there was a hiccup or two to figure out... text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! While scrolling through Wall Control's website, Steph noticed they had vinyl used to make tool cutouts to create a "shadow board." The idea is to add the cutouts to the wall so you can easily return a tool to its proper place. Steph was intrigued, but she knew she did not want to trace around the tools and then cut them out.
So, she designed a way to make the process a little more seamless using the Cricut Maker and the vinyl from Wall Control. I would suggest watching the video as it lays out the entire process step by step.
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Steph needed a fence in her backyard for the dog. Unfortunately, her backyard does not lend itself to traditional fencing. She has a tiny, I mean tiny backyard, with no grass but has lots of trees and bushes. Two sides of the yard border the neighborhood green space which is overgrown with lots of bushes, weeds and huge trees! Putting in a traditional fence would mean taking out much of the landscaping and even then it would have been difficult with the trees and their root systems.
So, for many months she used a very temporary, makeshift fence that most of the time would not stay up! Fortunately Mac is a sighthound which means if she sees a barrier she doesn't try go over it or push it aside. But it was time for a more permanent, temporary fencing solution.
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The beautiful spring weather and the CDC advice to stay home has us working in Steph's yard to make some much needed improvements.
With the addition of Mac the greyhound a year ago, Steph has needed a more permanent solution to fencing her backyard, which included the need for a backyard gate. For the gate, we decided to use PVC pipe since there is already a PVC privacy screen on the other side of her house and it would mirror that look. Take a look at how we put it together. (We'll tell you about the fencing in an upcoming post.) Take a few minutes to check out the video. This one includes an epilogue.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
We sourced the stump for this project well over a year ago and, it's been hanging out in the garage drying all that time. Steph loves to bring natural elements into her home decor and she thought the stump would make a unique footstool for her living room.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Happy New Year! Wow, 2020--back in the early 80's, I can remember thinking about how far away it seemed, but just like that, it's 2020!
To celebrate the new year, we are sharing a storage project. Storage solutions are a running theme for most people in January so we thought this was appropriate. This project has been in the works for a while as Steph needed a better solution to storing and accessing Mac's food. Here's her solution to storing 40 pounds of dog food!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Despite all the work our first PVC project entailed, we were determined to repeat the process on an indoor piece. We incorporated many of the suggestions given through the comments from our viewers. Spoiler: this process was so much easier!
As always, watching the video will give you a complete look at the entire process. It's less than 10 minutes to view.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
If you want to make a big impact in the look of your shower or bathtub, refreshing the caulk is the project for you! Caulk is the white stuff, or at least it starts out white, that is put between surfaces to keep out water. You'll most likely find it wherever two different materials touch each other like the tub and the tile.
This caulk is very susceptible to mold and mildew, and eventually discolors to the point where it can no longer be cleaned and does degrade over time. If you experience any of these issues, it's time to re-caulk! The caulk in Steph's shower is probably 25 years old--it was time for a refresh! Take a look at how we tackled this DIY friendly project.
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This post is sponsored by ShelfGenie; however, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Quick, what is the number one thing people want in their kitchen? Accessibility of storage! Do you agree?
I absolutely do. Let me rewind just a bit to seven years ago. After much thought about our home and our future in it, my husband and I decided to remodel, so that we could “age in place.” That is, we utilized universal design to add accessibility features so that we could stay in our home into our old age. A big part of that remodel was the complete gut of the kitchen into something more functional. I consulted with a kitchen planner to make sure it was a good design. It’s now a big bright space with lots of counter space and storage. I was a happy camper with the final result. But, back to the accessibility part. Despite all the space for storage, it was not convenient or easily accessible. I especially struggled with food storage. The cabinets that were the pantry space were too deep and tall so basically, if food wasn’t in the very front, I didn’t know what I had! Can anyone relate?
Steph has been working on a manuscript for a book, Discovering My Scars, about her life. It's a tough read, but ultimately it's a story of hope. She recently received copies of the book to sell, prior to the official publication which is slated for January 2020!
Her special book needed a special bookcase all its own. Since she has a rustic, industrial vibe going on in her decor, she thought wood shelves with metal pipes would be a good choice. Like many of you, she searched Pinterest for inspiration and found one she liked. Follow along as we share how we made it. You'll also find a link to her personal author website where you can purchase your own copy of the book!
This project was way overdue! We found these two ladders at a yard sale some three years ago. And they've been in storage and, in the way, all that time!
Finally, Steph had enough of moving them around in her garage so she devised a plan on how to use them. Most ladder shelves use a single ladder but we are incorporating two of them. They are roughly the same height and fortunately the steps line up even though the designs are not identical.
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With purchase of a new grown up sofa for Steph came the need for a little side table. A Google and Pinterest search ensued until she realized she had already seen the perfect C-table sliding sofa table. The side table her friend, Daniel, had made would be the perfect choice.
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This post is sponsored by Surebonder.
It became obvious to me that I'd been planning to add address numbers to my house when I found the perfect numbers tucked away in a drawer! I had completely forgotten about them. Would I embarrass myself if I said I'd had them since my home remodel in 2012??
I'll just make myself feel better by saying I never found the right project up until now! We partnered with Surebonder, a family owned and operated manufacturer of hot melt products since 1968, to come up with the perfect modern house number sign for my house. We used simple materials that required only easy cuts and the entire thing is constructed with Surebonder's 3-Minute Construction Hot Glue. Did you know such a thing existed? Take a look at how it all came together.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
As part of The Home Depot ProSpective Tool Campaign, we got a chance to try out the new Milwaukee M18 Quik-Lok Outdoor Tool System. Milwaukee is fairly new to the outdoor tool market, but as newbies in the field, they've come out strong with this latest offering!
The system utilizes a power head that can be used with four different outdoor tools and extension pole. The power head is sold with the string trimmer, which according to our small sampling of readers on Facebook, is the most popular garden tool! The edger, pole saw, and hedger trimmer as well as the extension pole are all sold separately. We tried them out on an episode of Workshop Wednesday which you can see here. We got a chance to try out the tools, but were perplexed as to how we were going to store them. Steph came up with a really simple way to store another brand of outdoor tools and adapted the idea for the Milwaukee system. That girl is really smart!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
This is one of those projects that was going to be a single thing, but then evolved to even more! After installing the new Wall Control purple pegboard in Steph's garage and loving the new look, we were looking for more ways to use it.
Steph's office/studio was a hodgepodge of makeshift storage for all her photography and video equipment. Making videos takes a surprising amount of tripods, lights, cameras, and other kinds of equipment. We thought a wall of metal pegboard with a variety of hooks and shelving would the perfect solution for organizing and storing all of her equipment, as well as a printer and printer paper. Well, as we were planning the install, we thought, "hey while we're reorganizing the space, let's make plans for adding a guest component to the room" and that's what we did!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
...and the new color is...purple!
In our visit to Wall Control last fall, we were told that work was underway to bring two new colors to the Wall Control line up. Earlier this month, we got word that the new new colors were in production and a sample would be coming our way! Since purple pegs are not available yet, they sent along some color peg possibilities. It was a no brainer for us to choose the blue! Follow along as we share our install of one of the two new colors. (P.S., pink is also available now!)
The inspiration for this project was a decorative fence we saw at Walt Disney World's Epcot as well as the upholstery print in a booth at a Culver's restaurant! Inspiration is everywhere!
Steph has been wanting to replace her garbage can privacy screen and this idea seemed like a perfect fit!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Not all dogs need to have an elevated food/water bowl, but it is recommended for greyhounds. As soon as Steph knew she was going to adopt Mac, we started looking at options for purchasing elevated feeders, as well as options of DIYing one.
As it turned out, we decided to DIY one using an old table Steph has had since college. Ironically, she had given it to me to see if I could use it just a few days prior. After we knew Mac was coming home, I happened to spot the table. It was the right height and thought it would be a perfect DIY project!
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Earlier this year, we were invited to attend an outdoor event sponsored by The Home Depot. There we were able to see and try tool offerings from various tool manufacturers. One of those tools was the Expand-It system by Ryobi.
After the event, we were asked if we would like to try out a couple of offerings from Ryobi, including the 40V Brushless Expand-It System. This system has a variety of heads that can be swapped out to be used on the same powered head. We tried out the hedge trimmer, edger and string trimmer. After Steph tried out the system, she decided to design and build a wall hung rack for the various components. The rack holds the attachments, as well as makes it easy to attach the accessories while the handle is still firmly held in the holder. It's a pretty cool idea!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Now that we are at the end of the #garagemakeover, it's hard to believe where we started! We wanted a fully functional garage complete with work and storage zone and space to park my car. We meet all those goals and then some. Take a look back at how the garage went from the mess below to what you see today!
A big thank you to The Home Depot and Wall Control for their sponsorship of the garage makeover project!
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One of the goals, alright the entire #garagemakeover was based on this- to make the garage a comfortable space to work. By comfortable, we mean, not ninety plus degrees inside the garage in the summer!
A couple of projects that made the biggest difference in comfort level was the replacement of the garage seal. The old weather seal allowed hot air in and any cool air out, as well as bugs and a snake at one point. The second project was the installation of insulation on the backside of the door. With these two, along with a shade on the window, and four fans, we're seeing about an 8 to 10 degree difference between the inside and outside temperature. That might not seem like much, but in Steph's garage, the inside temperature was ALWAYS higher than the outside temperature. Take a look at the video to see how it all came together or read on for all the details.
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The first project we tackled in the #garagemakeover was to paint all the walls and ceiling. Doing so left this interior door looking a little less than its original white and in need of a fresh coat of paint.
Previously, I've used another brand of door paint with mixed results, so I wanted to try the DecoArt Curb Appeal brand to see how it compared. We are all about the purple and blue, so this Vineyard Purple color was the perfect choice for my garage! The plan was to paint the trim in a mix of the purple and a bright tin metallic color, paint the door with the purple, and use a fun stencil in the tin color for a little whimsical touch. After painting, we changed out the door handle and added a keyless entry pad for convenience.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
One of the last projects to be completed in the #garagemakeover was storage for scrap wood. Leftover wood is an ongoing byproduct of woodworking, and we have our fair share of scraps and offcuts. Prior to this build, we did not have an efficient way to store these wood pieces so we ended up not using them--because we didn't know what we had!
We were determined to find a way to store all the wood leftovers in the new workshop. Steph did some Pinterest research and designed a customized a storage piece that would work for us. Take a look at how it all came together. We now have a place to store large and small pieces of wood. |