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Steph has always loved snow cones and decided 2020 was the year she needed to treat herself to a professional snow cone machine. She got it and has been making lots and lots of snow cone treats!
Not knowing what flavors she wanted, she started with two, but the collection has grown as others have requested their favorites. Mine is cherry, which ironically is Steph's least favorite! Anyway, after her collection of flavors grew so big, I suggested that it would be fun to create a tray in order to present a "flight" of snow cone flavors to guests. So, that's what we did. Watch the video or read about how we made it.
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During the porch refresh, we decided we needed some kind of decor for the large siding clad wall. After much discussion on the pros and cons of hanging it from the vinyl siding or ceiling, we decided a free standing unit to display succulents would be best. Along the way, we ended up adding to the unit which solved a vexing, ongoing problem on the porch. Happy accident!
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In this time of COVID-19, we have been making good use of the porch at Steph's house. We eat most of our meals out there. Prior to making this C-table, we brought out an indoor table to use in the space. The weather was not kind to that piece of furniture so it was time to make something more suitable.
Nothing is more suitable to the outdoors than pressure treated wood! That's what we used to make our table. It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that working with pressure treated wood can release harmful chemicals. We used all the PPE to keep ourselves safe while we worked.
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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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Like many have done during this season of COVID-19, we have been cooking all our meals at Steph's house. Her oven, which is 16+ years old, has been getting a workout. While baking bacon for our favorite BLT sandwich, we realized the oven was on but not getting hot enough to cook. It was then we realized the oven bake element had failed and lunch was going to be late!
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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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Over a year ago when we built the bed-in-a-box, we knew we wanted some kind of decoration on the side of it. We were unsure what we wanted but when we got a Cricut Maker a few months ago, we realized we could design a custom stencil to use to decorate the box and that is what we did.
Read on to see how we did it.
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A few weeks ago, I spotted a piece of plexiglass on the curb at a neighbor's house which was destined for trash pickup. I went back the next day to grab it off the curb. I didn't know what we would use it for, but knew a piece of plexiglass that large could come in handy for a project.
Shortly after I tossed it into the back of my car to take home, Steph came up with a use for it--a really good use! As you may know, Steph has a podcast (totally unrelated to our blog). She and her blog co-host have been remotely recording during the pandemic. But recently they had a guest call in from Oklahoma and realized that the two of them needed to be in the same room to record this episode. Can you see where this is going? Steph designed a portable plexiglass screen that could be used between them to help stop the spread of germs. She designed two different configurations. Pretty cool! This is perfect for her needs, but could also be used this coming fall for someone wanting to sell at a crafts fair or show. There are lots of possibilities for its use.
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This project was inspired by a light bulb--the Feit 3D Infinity Fireworks bulb. We saw it online and ordered one, then we ordered a second, and then a third! Take a look at the statement standing lamp Steph made with the three bulbs.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
With lots of time spent at home because of the lockdown plus beautiful, mild spring weather, Steph and I have been busy checking off a lot of maintenance projects that had been put off far too long!
Luckily, many of the tools we received for this quarter's The Home Depot ProSpective tool campaign to use and review lent themselves to our outdoor home maintenance projects. The most versatile of the bunch was a 23 foot multi-positional ladder by Gorilla Ladder. We've purchased many Gorilla Ladders products over the years so it came as no surprise, that we were expecting great things from it! We put together an entire video just to showcase all the things it can do. We used it to install a new garage lighting fixture, clean the screen porch inside and out, clean out the gutters and try out the scaffolding feature to clean the tallest windows at Steph's house. It did not disappoint. I should point out that we have a love/hate relationship with ladders, especially the really tall ones. We learned that we both are afraid of heights while painting the house when neither of us could go past the sixth rung of an extension ladder. We finished that painting trim work with a creative brush we safely used from the ground! Anyway, if you are looking for a ladder that feels secure, this is the one. Order online at The Home Depot and pick up curbside! It's a super convenient way to shop! Read on to see what other tools we used to clean, maintain, and to make improvements at Steph's house. text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! During this pandemic, when the CDC finally issued the statement that we should ALL wear a mask, I started researching various patterns so that I could make them for Steph and I, friends, and anyone else that might want one. I've since joined a Facebook group that sews masks for medical groups and facilities, fire fighters, and more. I've also taken many to our local food bank for those that deliver food to others.
Here are some things I've learned during my weeks of sewing masks. Please add your tips in the comments!
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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...
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This "vs" post was purely accidental. While pressure washing the driveway, we ran out of time and finished with Wet & Forget sparking this accidental pressure washing verses Wet & Forget comparison!
Let me back up to the "why" we ran out of time. Last fall, we decided to keep ourselves busy while Mac, Steph's greyhound, was at the vet for some dental surgery. Greyhounds aren't like most dogs as the use of anesthesia is tricky for them. We needed an easy, mindless activity to keep ourselves occupied as to not dwell on "what could happen"--pressure washing the driveway was the perfect activity! Luckily, the procedure went well and the vet called sooner than we expected to come get her! That was good news, but meant we couldn't finish pressure washing the driveway. That's how we ended up with this accidental "vs" post!
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With the increased use of fabric and medical masks, the need for ear savers has grown. Ear savers are most often worn by health professionals to ease the discomfort of wearing a mask for a long time. As the general population adopts the use of masks for every day use, we all could benefit from these simple little devices.
In the workshop, we we've been wearing masks for years. We tend to take them off as soon as possible because they can be uncomfortable so we wanted a couple of these for ourselves and to giveaway. In April 2020, Cricut added three sizes of ear protectors to Cricut Design Space. They are free, but they did not offer up a tutorial on how to actually use the pattern. Steph found a way to use the file, and we found an inexpensive, readily available resource from which to make them. 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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We've been on a cleaning streak these past few weeks since we've had so much time at home and because the weather has been amazing!
Part of the porch clean up was a little maintenance on the sliding glass door. If you have one and it's not moving as well as it once did, it probably needs a bit of cleaning and lubricating. More than likely, you already have what you need in your supplies.
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Over the years, we've used Wet & Forget on the siding at Steph's house. We've used a variety of applications methods with varying success. In this video, we try another method that we think is the best, most efficient way to apply Wet & Forget. Check out what we used and the results six months later.
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So, here we are, five year later in the same space where we started! Five years ago we posted our first video on March 28, where we shared how to re-screen Steph's porch. This time around, we are cleaning those screens, which since it's been five years, are REALLY dirty!
Follow along as we share the simple method we used, as well as the star of this episode, our new multi-positional ladder!
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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. text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! Sometimes you just NEED to call in a professional!
That's just what we did when we needed all the tile cleaned at my house. The tile has been down eight years and the thing I like about it is also what makes it so difficult to clean. This tile, which I would NEVER, EVER recommend has a lot of texture and that texture traps a lot of dirt that only comes clean with a lot of tedious cleaning. I don't know if you've notice, but I'm at an age where getting down on the floor to clean is just not going to happen! About six months ago someone I follow on Facebook recommended his brother-in-law's new carpet/tile cleaning business. I tucked that information away and when we needed to find a cleaner for carpets at my son's house, I called Silver Lining Carpet Care and Restoration, which was the recommendation. Robert Johnson, the owner, did such a great job on the carpets, that I scheduled an appointment to clean the floors at my house.
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
Since we've been with The Home Depot ProSpective campaign, we've had the opportunity to try many different tools. Some have been different brands of the same tool like drills, others are tools we've never tried before like the scroll saw.
With this Husky Tap and Die set, we're totally starting from scratch! Not only did we need to research what you can do with it, but how it works! It's been fun to research the possibilities and learning how to use it. We had a plan to use it, but in the meantime, we found an actual real-life application for it. Follow along as we share how we SUCCESSFULLY used it!
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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. THD provided the Husky products used in this post.
Steph had the idea to build the ultimate Lego display and storage wall. With help from Wall Control, her dream became a reality!
When she was brainstorming ideas, it became clear that Wall Control panels and a variety of hooks and accessories would be perfect for the wall. As brand ambassador's for Wall Control, we emailed our plans and they provided all the Wall Control products used in this project. Thanks team! Take a look at how it all came together.
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So we did it.
We finally bought a Cricut Maker! Let me back up for those of you who don't know what the world of Cricut is all about. Cricut (the Explore Air 2 and Maker models) is a computer controlled cutting machine that replaces a wide variety of cutting tools. It allows the user to create shapes and words in a variety of adhesive vinyl and more. For example, if you were ever a school volunteer, you probably used an Ellison machine to cut letters for bulletin boards. A Cricut can do that and more. If you've seen personalized mugs and bags as well as t-shirts, they were probably created with a Cricut. Well, we were undecided until we realized the Maker model could cut wood! That seemed to be right in Mother Daughter Projects wheelhouse so we went for it.
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This project was born out of frustration! While putting away my Christmas crate display, I realized some of the fiberfil "snow" I used had stuck to the top. It was time to do something!
I purchased this cabinet and the matching dining room table and chairs from Craigslist. I didn't really want this piece but the seller offered it to me for an additional $100, which is a steal for a vintage mid-century modern piece, so I bought it. I don't regret buying it as I do like it, but the table top finish has always been sticky. I've actually tried all kinds of methods to clean it--mineral spirts, soap and water, Krud Kutter, Restor-A-Finish, etc. Nothing worked! So, I searched the internet for a solution. I found this article which inspired me to try using acetone. When I did the test to check what kind of finish was on the top, I realized the acetone worked to clean it and didn't seem to damage the wood. That's why I decided to try using acetone on the entire top. Just a word of caution. Acetone will take the finish off your furniture. Anyone who has spilled fingernail polish remover can attest to that fact. Back when Steph was in elementary school, she did just that when a tiny bit of remover spilled on our dining room table. The remover left a quarter size spot where it ate clear through the poly finish on the table! There is no way to fix that other than to completely refinish the table which we never did. If your furniture has a poly finish on it, this is probably not the repair for you. I don't know for sure, but I think this acetone method worked was because there was no finish other than perhaps some kind of oil on the wood. I just want you to be careful because you can damage the finish on your piece with this method. |