Old Door Coffee Table

Awhile ago I saw this old door turned coffee table on the Show and Tell website (now it's called Sweet Pickins).  I was in L.O.V.E.

http://www.sweetpickinsfurniture.com/2011/08/my-cutest-table-ever-old-door-turned-coffee-table.html

I kept my eye out for an old door, any old door. And you know what? I couldn't find any. Where the heck are all of the old doors??

Around that time, my parents moved into a new home. Well, new to them. The actual house is old. They ripped everything down to the studs, remodeled and now it's a beautiful home. They wanted to keep a few original items from the original house. One of them being a few of the doors. There were 4 of them. But after lots and lots of time, stripping and sanding, my mom decided that 2 doors was enough. They kept the 2 and used them as closet doors. That meant the remaining 2 were up for grabs. And grab, I did.

(sidenote- when we brought them home, we also had a bunch of other stuff. My husband and a friend were moving them in the garage when my husband, tired and exasperated said, "Why in the heck am I moving doors?? What in the world are you going to do with these??" I, being 8 months pregnant, just smiled and said, "You'll see.")

My doors were a little different, panel wise. So I didn't cut it at exactly 32 inches, I think mine was around 34 or so. But I took the smaller piece that I cut off (the bottom of the door) and cut that exactly in half again. The doors were already white, so I just left them that way. But I sanded the heck out of them. This is where an electric sander comes in handy!!

Sweet Pickins' doesn't say how she attached the "legs," so I had to figure that out on my own. I also don't have a lot of tools, so a miter saw or using a nail gun wasn't an option. I wandered around the hardware section and came up with an idea- metal plates! (to be exact, L brackets and  corner mounts)

Now, I admit, they probably aren't the prettiest things. I actually did the bottom brackets first, not caring since it was the underside. But it was still a little wobbly. And you definitely don't want a wobbly coffee table! So I added the straight ones to the outsides. I painted them white, when I was done, so from a distance, you really can't tell they are there. Plus, it's supposed to look "old," so perfection is not something I was going for.

After I did that, I sanded it down again, adding some age spots here and there. Then I polyurethaned it. I did 2 coats (3 in some places) of a semi-gloss clear polyurethane. Once it dried, it was ready to join the living room.

This table is super secure. Unbeknownst to me, at the time, my 2 year old son was jumping on it (while it was still in the garage) and it didn't budge. Just what I wanted! And it was practically free- also perfect! I love it though. I love old things with a history. And I love that it came from my parents house. I love that I left the rough places.... where the door knob was (I would have left it on, but my parents took them off to reuse them) and where the hinges went. This was also a super fast project. It took me awhile because I was pregnant but if I had done it when I wasn't, it could have easily been done in a day.

So thanks Sweet Pickins! I would have never thought of this if it wasn't for you!

Now to get working on the rest of the living room!

Buying Clearance Plants

Did you see the post about the planter that I repainted a *bold* turquoise?? Well, I wanted to share with you some tips/tricks about buying clearance plants.

I LOVE plants. I am a gardener at heart. There is something so wonderful about watching something grow. Gardening stores and nursery's are my breath of fresh air. 

That being said, I am pretty cheap. If I'm going to fork out some money, I'd prefer to do it on a perennial plant, instead of an annual. (For those that aren't gardeners- perennial means it will come back year after year. An annual will live for that year only). So I like to look for deals when it comes to plants, especially annuals. 

Now, I admit, the healthiest plants I've ever got were from nurseries. In my experience, a nursery just takes better care of their plants than a big box store, like Walmart, for example. Nurseries have workers that specialize in plants, landscape design, etc. While Walmart, typically, has a high school student. 

But, the plants I have pictured are actually all FROM Walmart {gasp!!!} I was there and I didn't feel like going across town to a nursery, so I strolled around their plant section. And then I found a clearance section. A clearance section for plants??  This time of year?? I was intrigued. And soon I found myself loading up my cart. 

All of these plants were half off? Know why? Because they were under watered and there were no blooms. That's it. There's nothing else wrong with them. See, we humans are visual creatures, and we won't buy a plant that isn't "blooming" at the store. When actually, you want TO pick the plant that isn't blooming. No forced blooms is actually a good thing. So, a bunch of plants aren't blooming, and oh yeah, the high school student forgot to water them, so that means "to the clearance section" they go. The poor things. 

But good for me! I loaded myself up with half of what was there. Got them home, put them in a new pot, with a little bit of new soil, a sprinkle of fertilizer and watered them down. I watered them morning and evening for a few days and you know what?? They are thriving!! 

All they needed was a little love. 

So don't be afraid of the plant clearance section. Most of the time, they just need a little fertilizer and lots of water. You can tell when a plant is dead, but if it's just wilted, it's not dead. Give that plant a happy home and while you are at it- you just saved yourself some money! 

(This is also great in the fall, when people think summer is over. Last year I scored a dozen perennials at Home Depot for $1 each. It was September and we were still having great weather. I planted them, they had 2 full months of warmth and rain (to let their roots get established) before colder weather set in. Now, it's springtime, and they are thriving! And I spent a fraction of what I would have if I'd bought them earlier in the growing season.)

Yard Sale Planter

I'm baaack! Our sweet little man was born about 2 weeks ago and I decided to take some time to just snuggle with him. He's a sweetheart and already we can't imagine our life without him. He's still at the stage where he sleeps a lot. That's been nice- especially since we've all been adjusting to the "3rd kid!" 

This past weekend, the weather was beautiful and I was feeling like doing something creative. Do you ever get that desire? Unfortunately, I get it more than I probably should. Anyhow, I wandered over to my neighbors yard sale and saw this fantastic plant stand. Immediately I decided it would be perfect on my currently empty front porch. 

All it needed was some new paint. Since the last thing I need is one more unfinished project, I decided to get started on this one right away. I admit, my first instinct was to spray paint this baby oil rubbed bronze, but I didn't have any, and didn't feel like going to the store just for it. The only cans of spray paint I had were white, brown and turquoise. 

I didn't want to repaint it white. The wood on my front porch is white and I wanted something you could see from the road. Something to make it "pop" if you will. So I decided to be "safe" and go with the brown. 

But a few sprays into it, I immediately knew that was the wrong choice. I just wasn't feeling it. The only color I had left was the turquoise. Could I be that bold?? Could I make that much of a statement?? I have to admit, I was really nervous. (I'm not sure why, it sounds stupid to be "nervous" about a spray paint, but I was.) 

Anyhow, immediately I knew it was the right choice. I loved it. I loved it so much that I ran out to the store to buy flowers. I also bought some cheap terra cotta pots and spray painted all of them white. I wanted the stand and the flowers to be the focus, not the pots. I held the pots upside down with my other hand to spray paint them. The price? My forearm is was "stained" white for a day or two. 

I got my daughter to help me plant the plants and soon enough, we were done! 

I love the color it adds to the front porch. I have received so many compliments on it. I'm soooo glad that I was brave and bold and used that turquoise spray paint! So my advise for today- don't be scared of color- be BOLD. You'll end up LOVING it! 

Make at Home Caramel Turtle's

Are you ready for the easiest, yet, yummiest recipe EVER!?!

Caramel Turtles happen to be a favorite of mine. A truly, wonderfully, delicious favorite. And knowing I can make them at home, whenever I want, just makes it that much better.

All you need is 3 ingredients: rolo's, mini pretzels and halved pecans.

Take your pretzel's and spread them out on a cookie sheet. And then place an unwrapped rolo on top of it. Yes, I know, I desperately need a silpat. Parchment paper would have been good too, but I was out.

Once you have a cookie sheet full of them, place them in an oven. This time I had it at 250 degrees.

I say "this time" because the temperature really doesn't matter (in my opinion). You are only putting in there for a minute or two, just enough to melt the rolo. So WATCH it!! I have burned a batch before and that was awful and such a waste of good chocolate. At 250 degrees, mine only took 3 minutes. Check, check, check on them. You will take them out when they get the slightest glisten-y...

You want them just soft enough so you can smoosh the pecan into the top. Really, it only takes a minute of heat! (and yes, it's does seem silly to even turn the oven on for it- it takes longer to heat than you'll use it). So once the rolo's are glisten-y, take the cookie sheet out and immediately start smooshing all the pecans on.

Then you will end up with a pan of loveliness.

Now the second hardest part (the first being unwrapping all the rolo's) is letting them sit. You need the chocolate to firm up again. You can stick the pan in the fridge or freezer if you'd like, or just let nature take it's course and let them harden on your counter. Anyway you do it will be just fine.

And once the chocolate is hardened, dive in. Feel free to eat them all yourself....... or share. Which ever you prefer. These make great gifts too..... wrapped in a cute box or bag.... on a tray for a party.... the possibilities are endless! And yes, these are the "Yertle's Turtle's" that I made for the Dr. Seuss Themed Baby Shower.

A few side notes:
** Please don't ask me how long they last..... I have no idea. Mine are always gone fairly quickly.

 ** yes, I imagine you could also use Hershey's kisses with caramel.... but I've never tried it. I'm partial to rolo's. Plus, the caramel in kisses is a little runnier, so be aware of that.

** You can use any kind of pretzels, I just happened to grab the cheap, mini sized bag from Kroger. I have also used the pretzel crisps and the squared mini pretzels- those look fancier when taking them to a party.

Homemade Lava Lamps

Not too long ago I pinned this awesome idea about Making Your Own Lava Lamp from the blog Come Together Kids. I thought it looked interesting and I admit, I was intrigued!

I remembered to buy alka-seltzer tablets last time I was at the store (it's not something we usually have) and the rest of the stuff I had on hand.

You need: oil, water, food coloring and alka-seltzer tablets.  I didn't have any kind of plastic bottle, so I just used a mason jar.

You fill the container 2/3rds with oil, 1/3 with water and then add food coloring (which will color the water). Wait for some bubbles to settle and then add alka-seltzer tabs. I broke up the first few, but then my kids were way too excited, so full ones started going in.

Anyhow- this worked! It was so fun!! Even my little, almost 2 yr old, was mesmerized. And the great thing is just can just store it and do it again and again. So you didn't just use all the ingredients for 5 mins- thus producing waste- which I HATE! I'm sure it won't last forever, but surely it will for the foreseeable future.

So if you need a quick "experiment" that will dazzle your children (and ok, adults) then try this. Thanks Come Together Kids! This was awesome!

Easter Play Date

I know this may be a bit too late for you this year.... but if you are looking for a fun idea for next..... why not host an Easter Egg Hunt!?

I know many towns, church's and rec centers host massive ones every year, but to me, they are SO crowded! I always worry I'm going to lose my kid in the chaos. This year I decided to invite a bunch of friends over and we had one in my backyard instead.

I had every child bring 6 plastic, filled eggs. Then we hid them all and each kid then got to find 6 eggs. Some of the older kids found more and then shared with the smaller kids. And of course, everyone enjoyed eating whatever was inside! (I admit... I did steal a few small cadbury eggs from my kids. Surely they don't "enjoy" them properly, right?!)

After we did the egg hunt, we went inside and Linda (from the awesome site Little Family Fun) had the kids make bunny ears. Ideally, we would have had them do this first, so they could hunt with them on, but it was about to rain and we were afraid of the hunt being ruined.

Everyone brought a treat to share and the entire thing was great fun, much like our St. Patrick's Day party! So, again I remind you, although these fancy, "everything matches" parties are beautiful- sometimes simplicity is best. 

Easy Magnet Board

I wanted to add something fun to my son's room and what can be better than a magnet board!? I saw the greatest, easiest idea, on Pinterest, of course! It's an oil drip pan from the auto department. I got mine at Walmart for less than $10! Well worth it!

All I did was buy it and bring it home. No mess, no fuss! I drilled a hole in each corner (just a regular drill bit and a little pressure). I screwed it directly into each wall. I did use a Stud Solver in the wall first, just because I was too lazy to actually "find" the studs.

I then added a metal basket below to hold the magnets. I found it in the dollar aisle at Target (though I think it was $2.50). I just screwed directly through the metal mesh- it worked fine. 

I pulled all the magnets off my refrigerator. Then I grabbed a few of my sons cars and hot glued magnets to the bottoms. Worked great as well! (yes, I also added my daughters magnetic dress up dolls)

Such an easy, economical play piece! My children play with it ALL the time. They love it! When I get more organized, I want to make more magnets out of small toys and also add in laminated family photos, alphabet letters and more. The possibilities are endless!