Backyard planters

I have been thinking about planting some annuals for the past several weeks, but just got around to it this weekend. There were actually four projects:

We have 5 hangers in the back on the fence around the pool where we generally hang baskets of flowers. I decided to do something a bit different this year. I bought galvanized steel buckets at Rural King and drilled drainage holes in them. Then planted them with Gerbera Daisies in red and yellow (I love Gerbera Daisies!).

They turned out pretty cute. The only problem is that the handles aren't very long, so this may not work for everyone. (Truthfully, I was originally going to paint the pails to match my next project, but got lazy.)

Next, I decided I wanted to grow herbs this year...namely basil and cilantro. While I was perusing the Save-On-Crafts site, I came across a cute galvanized steel planter set and tray. I liked the steel look but really wanted to paint them and decided on black and white. 

The fact that the planter had THREE containers made me stop and think about which herb I would like (besides basil and cilantro). And then it came to me...summertime...mojitos...MINT!! :-)

The third project was turning a birdbath we had on the side of our house into a succulent planter. Actually, this just involved drilling a drainage hole in the birdbath and then finding the right plants. Of course, I used potting soil made especially for cacti and succulents. I still want to add some decorative rock on top (both for looks and to keep the soil from washing away when it rains), but here it is (sorry for the blurry pics, I will try to get better ones tomorrow):

Truthfully, when I bought my succulents, I overestimated the size of the birdbath so I have several left over and will be making more succulent containers for indoors, so stay tuned!

The last project is one for which I got the idea from Pinterest. It was originally posted on Salt Tree. It is a planter that goes around your umbrella on the patio table. And, it is simple and extremely cheap to make!! All you need is a large round plastic bowl and a plastic cup. Yep, that's it. I found the bowl and a set of 4 cups for $1 each at Wal-Mart. So, yes, I bought extra bowls to make some of these planters for others!

You simply cut a whole in the bowl that is slightly smaller in diameter than the base of the cup (making sure it is large enough to go around your umbrella). You also may need to cut the cup so that it is no taller than the bowl. Then you just glue them together.

(What you don't see is that I also put some drainage holes in the bowl before gluing them.) Here is how it turned out:

Okay. That's it for now. (Of course, I still need to get pots of flowers out on the front porch as well!) By the way, I did try a trick I saw on Pinterest when planting all of these: I used a coffee maker filter to cover the drainage hole so the dirt stays in while the water can run out. We will see how that works.

Great Room Cornices

When we built the house, we installed wood blinds. Don't get me wrong, I still love my blinds. But I just thought that the great room windows needed something more. Here, you can see what I mean...

The blinds have these little wooden valances and they were fine, just a little plain. But, the windows are narrow enough that I really didn't want to add draperies or curtains to them. So, I started considering other options, and I decided that I wanted cornices (also called box valances).

I did a little internet search and found several different options. They all basically use the same wooden (MDF) frame, but the outside all vary from fabric to wood molding to painted, textured wallpaper.

I decided that I wanted to go the fabric route so I started looking for a nice fabric that had taupe, dark brown, and light blue. I found the material at Hobby Lobby. I only needed 1 yard of fabric! (And the fabric ended up costing only $14.)

Here is the fabric:

Gorgeous, isn't it?? (Side note: I found some dusty blue throw pillows at Meijer that match the blue in this pattern perfectly!!)

I also purchased a couple of yards of bunting at Hobby Lobby. (It cost somewhere around $3.)

Then, we went to Menard's and I purchased a 2' X 4' sheet of 1/2" MDF (only a little over $8).

I decided I wanted the cornices to be 12" high, so that made things very easy. We just cut the MDF panel in half lengthwise. Then, I needed the cornices to be at least 41" wide, so we just the remainder piece in half and that ended up giving me my depth.

Glued and used a brad nailer to attach the sides to the front:

(Those are my hubby's hands - I do not have "man hands"!) After everything was set, I cut the fabric making sure there was enough to pull around to staple. Again, my husband used his power tools - cool stapler this time! - and so the job was much easier.

The top and bottom were easy, but the ends took some effort. Basically, you should treat it like wrapping a present; staple the top and bottom first and then fold in the ends.

Then came the tricky part...hanging them. They are not much wider than the windows and not too far from the wall, so we used these corner braces. But, we had to use a small drill to be able to get behind them to attach them.

So, here are the windows now:

I love them!! The total cost for both windows? Less than $30! And they really were easier than I thought they would be!

What do you think?

A Terrarium for the Great Room (and update on projects)

While I have been dealing with some unexpected medical issues, I have tried to keep busy off and on with some projects that I found on Pinterest. Some of these I will share with you over the next day or so, but a couple are going to have to wait because they are gifts. (I don't know if their recipients read this blog, but I don't want to take any chances!)

First of all, tonight I put together a terrarium for our great room (which has been completely rearranged and painted - more on that later!). I have been drooling over all of the terraria projects I have seen on Pinterest so I decided to try to make one myself. It is pretty easy to do, provided you can find the plants for one. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find small houseplants? I mean tiny houseplants? It is very difficult, especially in the small town where I live.

Most of the information I used to build this came from About.com.

Let's start with the container. I decided I wanted a closed terrarium - so I knew I was going to end up with an apothecary jar or something like it. I found this large glass jar at Hobby Lobby (my home away from home!) and was able to buy it for 50% (so it was $25).

I like the height and size a lot. It was the only relatively large container I found that had a lid.

On the bottom of the container, I used two small bags of pebbles (brown, black, tan) that I bought at Dollar Tree.  Because the container has no holes, you need rocks for drainage. Then, on top of the rocks I placed a small layer of activated charcoal (found in aquarium supplies). This step  is only necessary if you are building a closed terrarium as the charcoal will help control both moisture and odors in the closed environment.

On top of the charcoal, I placed 1-2 inches of sphagnum moss. This moss keeps the soil from filtering down through the rocks over time. (You can also use some sort of garden weed fabric here, but I think the moss is much prettier.)

Then comes the potting soil and plants. I used a potting soil from Miracle Grow that has moisture control. When planting the plants, I got as much of the potted soil off the roots as possible to make them easier to plant.

What plants did I use and where did I get them? I was actually looking for some succulents online for an outdoor project and discovered this place: Black Jungle Terrarium Supply. The plants I bought were:

• Peperonia sp. Ecuador
• Pearcea hypocrytiflora
• Triolena pustulata
• B. imperialis
• Jewel orchid

Yes, I actually followed the rule of odds and planted 5 small plants, several of which will bloom flowers over time. Truthfully, I am not sure that any more plants would have fit...but I would like to add either a type of moss or fern. (Maybe I will just have to build a second terrarium...)

Truthfully, the plants weren't cheap, but they all arrived in great shape and the store was having free shipping on live plants. I also ordered 8 succulents that looked healthy upon arrival.

Here is the finished product:

You can see the different layers (rocks, moss, and potting soil) in this picture. Here are the five plants:

Let me know what you think!

By the way, I hardly used any of the package of moss or potting soil I purchased. This seems like it would be a great project for a group to do together with the major cost coming from the plants and container chosen.

I wanna be rich! :-)

Okay, I am just now recovering from the shock of not winning the Mega Millions lottery. And before you wonder why in the world I would play, just consider the possibility that the expected value actually crept up above $1! The odds of winning were 1 in 175 million and the jackpot reached $640 million!!

On a brighter note, I decided if I couldn't win hundreds of millions of dollars, I could at least try Million Dollar Spaghetti that I found on the blog Being Grown Up.

Truthfully, I was going to make this dish last night. But as my (bad) luck would have it, I was missing some key ingredients. So, I went to the store today to stock up.

I did change the recipe only a bit by using low-fat cream cheese, fat-free sour cream, low-fat cottage cheese, and reduced fat cheddar. It was still delicious. I think the next time I make it, I will skip the butter on the bottom layer and just use non-fat cooking spray.

Here is a picture of the finished product:

The verdict? The name says it all!! It was delicious...my hubby even had two (large) helpings! This will definitely be made again.

Maybe my luck has now turned for the better! Of course, since I likely won't be playing the lottery again anytime soon (it usually is just a tax on people who are bad at math!) , I guess I will just keep on working...

Pretty Tasty Chicken Parmesan

I saw this post pinned on Pinterest and went to the Food Wishes blog to read the recipe. Seeing that it was more of a casserole-type dish than a traditional Chicken Parmesan dish, I chose not to repin it. Then, I kept seeing the pin pop up over and over again on other's boards. So, I played follow the leader and pinned it.

I was looking for something to make with chicken and came across this pin and so I decided to try it. I used only three large breasts so my baking dish wasn't as full as his, but I still used lots of sauce and cheese (of course!). The kicker is the garlic croutons placed between two layers of cheeses. I found some croutons made from the Texas Toast garlic bread that are delicious!!

It was so easy to put everything together. I ended up having to bake it for about 45 minutes to ensure that the chicken was fully cooked. I decided not to serve the chicken over pasta and actually cut each breast in half before serving.

The verdict: It was yummy!! The hubby even opted for a second serving. I will definitely be making this again.

Finally! Gallery Shelves have Photos

Late last year, I came across this post from my former student Fawn at Always Chasing Life. I loved them! She got the idea from Ana White.

So, Greg and I bought the lumber, glued them together and painted them. Then, we hung them. That seems so long ago. (Well, it was early December for goodness sake!)

Here are the pictures I took after we hung them:

So, I started collecting frames. I decided to use black frames because we have black as an accent color throughout the main area of the house. I painted some frames that I already had and also bought some new ones. The frames sat empty for the past few weeks on these shelves. I also found a big letter G that my sister Sandie gave us a long time ago.

Today, I FINALLY printed pictures for the frames. I still have some empty spaces left because I need to add some pictures of a few family members and our godsons, but you can at least see how they look right now.

Because they are in a hallway, it is virtually impossible to get a straight-on shot, but this gives you an idea of what they look like.

I am so glad that Fawn made these and gave me the idea to do the same!!

As Addictive as Crack?? Maybe...

Tonight, I tried a recipe I found on Pinterest at a blog called Plain Chicken called "Crack Potatoes." They are SO easy to make that I was really curious how they would taste.

Basically, they have 5 ingredients. I have to admit that I made only half the recipe and I tried to lighten it up a bit. I used:

16 oz. light sour cream
1 to 1.5 c. light (2%) cheddar cheese (shredded) - I didn't measure but used a little over half the bag
1 packet powdered ranch dip
1 3-oz. package of real bacon bits
1/2 package of Ore Ida frozen shredded hash browns

Basically, you mix up the ingredients and put it in the oven. The recipe calls for 400 degrees, but I baked mine at 350 degrees because I also had a meatloaf in the oven. I covered the potatoes with foil while baking (but took off the foil for the last 10 minutes or so).

Here is how they turned out:

They were pretty good. My husband did really like them. I thought they were a bit salty, so I would recommend trying to find a low-sodium version of the ranch dip or using less bacon. I know!! Who would have thought that "less bacon" might be a good thing?  :-)

I will definitely make these again, but I am not sure they are all that they were "cracked" up to be!

My First Wreath! Ready for Spring Now!

I have seen so many beautiful wreaths on Pinterest, and I have been wanting to make one for myself for awhile now. But, I do not like wreaths with large flowers on them, so I wanted to be choosy about what to put on mine.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister and I were shopping at Hobby Lobby and it had 50% off of silk flowers. So, I knew this was my time to plan my wreath!! I chose three different flowers. One is sort of a very light green, one is yellow, and the last is a very small flower that is pink. I bought a grapevine wreath to use as the base. I also ended up buying two different ribbons for a bow (because I could not make up my mind!).

Last Sunday night, I cut down the flowers to the sizes I wanted for the wreath. Basically that meant (at least in the case of the yellow flowers) trimming the flowers off the stems and getting rid of the leaves. Then I began planning and gluing. (Once again, I had a little ouchie from the glue gun...this time my left index finger!)

Once the wreath was done, I pulled out the two ribbons I bought to try to choose one to use for the bow. Wouldn't you know that NEITHER looked right? They had designs on off-white background and they just faded in to the wreath. So, I made a trip to Wal-Mart and found a great pink ribbon that worked well for making the bow.

Here's the final product. What do you think?

Note to self: Try taking a picture of it on your door during the daytime!!! LOL.

Okay, here is the daylight photo:

Finally back to crafting: Fabric-covered wall hangings

It has been awhile since I blogged about crafts because I haven't really done anything lately. I have been planning some things though (of course!)

One post on Pinterest I have always liked is this post from The New England Southerner. Of course, my hallways aren't anywhere near as large as hers. But I do have a short hallway that connects my master bedroom with the rest of the house. And I found some fabric that I loved:

I have always loved teal and brown. This fabric was at Hobby Lobby and was less than $6.00 per yard on sale!

Then, I went to Home Depot to buy some foam board like this. I paid $8.76 for the 4' X 8' sheet. We cut it (roughly) in the store to fit in our SUV. Then my wonderful husband cut two pieces that are 20" X 4.5'.

Sunday afternoon, I cut the fabric with a little extra on the sides. I then pulled out my hot glue gun and glued the sides first, pulling the second side tight. Then I worked on the top and bottom, basically folding it the same way that I wrap packages. All in all, it worked well. (The only casualty was the index finger on my right hand...turns out that hot glue is actually hot!)

After I finished gluing the fabric to the board, we had to decide how to hang them. We purchased adhesive hanging hooks like these (but we bought ours at Wal-Mart). Warning: the adhesive isn't strong enough, so we had to use glue to attach them to the styrofoam and we put two of them per picture. And, we hung them upside down so the hook is at the top. Then, we hung these picture hangers on the wall (seems a bit backwards!) to put the hooks through (with the straight edge up and teeth down). Since the foam is light, it worked, but I wouldn't want to take them off and on the wall or move them often.

The hubby hung them today. Here is the final result:

Sorry about the poor pictures. I couldn't get a better shot because of the short hallway.

So, what do you think? I really like them. And, I can't wait to add some accessories to the small table on the left.

A Pinterest Christmas

Now that all of my Christmas celebrations are over, I can post some pictures of the gifts I made using ideas from Pinterest this year.

First, I decided to make everyone in the family a set of coasters. There are many different posts on Pinterest that describe the basic idea:

• Start with a 4"X4" plain tile (these sell for only $0.16!)
• Cut scrapbook paper to 4"X4" shape
• Use Mod Podge to attach the paper to the tile
• Add a coat of Mod Podge on top
• Spray with acrylic sealer
• Glue some felt or cork to the bottom (I used felt cut to 3.825"X3.825") 

Here they are:

To make the IU and Duke coasters, I simply found a picture of the logo and printed them using a nice color laser printer. (You can't use an inkjet because the Mod Podge will make the ink run.) I also made some Cubs and Call of Duty coasters for my nephews, but didn't get them in the picture. And, the coasters on the right side of the top row are for me! (I have to keep some of my projects for myself!)

Next, I made two small photo collages for my godsons, Alex and Andrei. I bought the paper mache letters from JoAnn's when I bought the T for my great nephew's collage, but JoAnn's only had the letter A in a 12-inch size. But, I think they turned out okay. I know their parents were excited about them! :-) Of course, with two adorable kids, it is easy to make any project look great!

Last, I made another no-sew blanket for my great-nephew Ty. His parents are both IU alums, and his uncle played football at IU. My sisters helped me in finding the perfect fleece. It turns out that IU doesn't allow its logo to be used on stuff like fleece, so it is impossible to get fleece that has the official IU symbol on it. But, fortunately, my sisters found this fleece at JoAnn's in Columbus, Indiana. It is all the more perfect since it has footballs on it.

For this blanket, I didn't want to use the traditional "tie" method, so I used the "braiding" method instead that I learned about from a post on Helping Little Hands. I did, however, use a size N crochet hook rather than a paper clip to do the actual braiding. It turned out really well! I think this type of edge is a bit nicer than the tradition tied edge. Another tutorial can be found at Nebraska Views.

I should also say that I put together a collage of my sister's last name using photos of pieces of architecture that look like letters of the alphabet. Luckily, I was able to find a ready-made frame with five openings. I also made one for myself, and I will share pictures of these in another post.

My sister gave me some wonderful craft-related gifts. She got me a fun storage bag with pockets and dividers. It is black, but the inside is the Cat in the Hat!! She also gave me some crochet needles, yarn, and a book on beginning crochet. She knows that I really want to learn to knit and crochet in the coming year.

I hope everyone got all they wished for this holiday season. I think 2012 will be a wonderful year, full of changes, fun, and of course, more projects!!