DIY Vintage Farmhouse Kitchen Remodel

If there ever was a room that totally and completely defined this eclectic style of ours, it's this one. We know our style isn't for everyone, but it fits us and our addiction to flea market vintage. So, here goes.

Here's a look at the before... I can't even. :-/ And we let it look this way for years.





And the after.
So, to summarize... in the 5+ years we worked on this kitchen remodel, we removed the old soffit and all of the upper cabinets. We lowered the microwave and added new upper cabinets, replaced the countertops with granite, and added an under-mount sink. We replaced the old lazy susan in the corner and the cabinet next to it with new cabinets and painted all of them gray to match. We repurposed one of the upper cabinets in the little wall space just above the island and used reclaimed wood to create our farmhouse style backsplash... whew... oh, and removed wallpaper, painted, decorated... etc. - all while working day jobs and raising two little boys!





We love our open shelves! It's both eclectic and practical. Plus, it adds a bright splash of color to all the neutral grays.









































I did keep a little cabinet storage around the microwave to hide spices and baking goods.











We also tackled this little kitchen nook in the remodel. We added white beadboard to the walls and a painted them a bright retro-inspired aqua color.

















And, here's a glimpse of our kitchen decorated for the holidays.






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/12582555/diy-vintage-farmhouse-kitchen-remodel site

It Almost Made the Trash But Instead It Helps Organize

After leaving our damp clothes on the drying rack outside in 17 degree weather, I was inspired to use the drying rack in a new way.
When I saw the wonky top of the drying rack, I thought it might help organize my drawers. Having the dowels fit inside the drawer and be able to slide to fit different sized shirts.

My drying rack was about to make the trash can. It barely stood upright.





This is my overflowing drawer.





Instead of trashing the drying rack I took it apart.





I fired up the hot glue gun with wood glue sticks





Two wood sides of the rack was glue to each side of the drawer leaving a space between for the round dowels to side.





Here's the finished organized drawer that now holds 5 more shirts ALL within view. Next the sock drawer!






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/12582475/it-almost-made-the-trash-but-instead-it-helps-organize site

Hula Hoop Chandelier

This is my Hula Hoop Chandelier. The arbor on the back patio was blocking the house light from above and it always seemed dark. But, not anymore! Couldn't wait until it turned dark tonight so I could see how it looked! :) Just needs a little touch-up with the paint tomorrow! Items needed: Hula hoop, spray paint, 2 strands of icycle lights, electrical tape and some heavy fishing line. I bought the hula hoop for $1 and we had all the other supplies!
Spray paint the hula hoop to match the wires on your icycle lights, tape lights at every hanging icycle and hang with fishing line!










Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/1258095/outdoor-lighting site

How to Make a Cutting Board in 30 Minutes

Like most aspiring woodworkers, I love walking into Home Depot and imagining all the things I could make with the pretty, perfect boards I see lining the aisles. But you might be surprised to find out that it only takes a few extra minutes (and almost zero woodworking skill) to turn rough, uneven lumber like this stuff...

...into a beautiful finished product.





The secret is just a couple extra power tools. This is the part where I confess that, even though I work at a public woodshop, I really don't know much about power tools. But when I tell people where I work, the first thing they say is usually, "I would love to get into woodworking, but I wouldn't know where to start!" And I tell them, "Start with a small cutting board!"
Making a cutting board out of rough lumber is a great way to get comfortable with a wide range of tools. You'd start by running the edge of your board through the jointer.





The jointer is the first step toward making rough lumber look like that pretty stuff you see at Home Depot. The second step is to smooth out the faces of the board, and to do that, you need a planer.





Once you have the two faces planed smooth, you can run the board through the tablesaw to make the non-jointed edge smooth and perfectly parallel to the jointed edge. And in about 5 minutes, you've got one of those perfect boards, ready to become a cutting board!





You can make your cutting board any size or shape you want. Just draw your pattern on with a pencil, then head over to the band saw to cut it out.





Of course, your cutting board is going to be so beautiful that you'll want to display it on your kitchen wall instead of hiding it in a cabinet. For that, you'll have to drill a hole so you can hang it. The drill press makes that part super easy.





Finally, for nice clean edges, you can run the cutting board through the router table. You could use a fancy bit for a more elegant edge, but I just used the plain round-over bit that was already in the router. Keeping things simple.





After a final sanding, give your cutting board a coat of butcher block oil to protect it and to bring out the grain.





It may sound like a lot of steps, but you'll be surprised at how quickly you can do it!







Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/12580801/how-to-make-a-cutting-board-in-30-minutes site

How to Strip Grungy Wood Into SPOTLESS RECLAIMED GOLD, in Minutes!

I LOVE reclaimed wood! I'd eat it if I could get away with it.
So as you can imagine, I collect it from wherever I can find it. From old fence boards to pallets, anything reclaimed stands a chance on coming home with me.
But with wood that's been outdoors for some time, you can most certainly expect a little mildew or ? along the way.
It's really REALLY important to clean that gunk off, especially if that wood is coming indoors.
Here's how I get that stuff whistle clean, before I create....

These are two fence planks. Can you believe they came off the same fence? The only difference is, one plank is cleaned and the other isn't. Here's how I did it.... EASILY.





My wood sources come from anywhere. These wood pallets were so deteriorated, they had a barn wood appearance! Great for projects, but bad for toxins. Let's fix that...





I first dismantle or cut pallets or old fences apart and remove all the nails.
Then I find a large area on the lawn or cement driveway, and lay all the planks out, spacing them out fairly well.





Next, I grab my pressure washer. This is the secret to quick and easy BY FAR!
I simply pressure wash one plank at a time, then flip them over and repeat.
Then I stack the boards up against the house or trampoline, and allow them to air dry for a few days before storing them.
Tip don't overdue it, or you'll leave your wood looking brand new. You want some of that old patina to linger.
Tip for extra cleanliness, you can also hit the boards with a scrub brush and bleach mixed with water to kill any remaining bacteria.





Stacking wood for good airflow is important for freshly cleaned wood.





Pressure washing can really bring up a rough grain. So lightly sand right before you create.
Tip: I LOVE a variable speed palm sander so I can control how much to sand off.





And from there, the sky's the limit with reclaimed wood creations! Visit more at the blog link below.





New to collecting old wood? Learn everything from toxic issues, where to find it, and how to prep it safely once home. Read this via the blog link below.





Love wood tips? CLICK LINK BELOW for tips on removing wood from pallets, where to find the best wood, and project ideas galore!
And you'll be collecting in no time. :) Happy creating to you!






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/12580659/how-to-strip-grungy-wood-into-spotless-reclaimed-gold-in-minutes site

Chicken wire & an old Frame

Transform an old frame with a little chicken wire and about 15 minutes

Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/1258049/chicken-wire-amp-an-old-frame site

Super Easy Way to Strip Painted Furniture

To make stripping painted furniture dramatically easier, use a garbage bag! Yes that's it. I use Citrustrip to strip the paint and then stick a garbage bag directly onto the furniture (when the Citrustrip is still wet). Leave on for up to 24 hours (it works best if left overnight). Remove garbage bag and watch as the paint basically falls right off. Now take your scraping tools and remove paint. Once the majority of the paint is removed I use mineral spirits to remove any leftover oil based paint and stripper.

Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/1257776/my-trick-to-make-furniture-stripping-super-easy site

THE IMPATIEN Dilemma

Whether you are a garden novice or a veteran gardener, you may be aware of the sad fact that our shade garden annual favorite is being denied life by the nasty downy mildew that spreads all across our nation now. Even if you save your own Impatien seed and keep other garden center plants away from your carefully and lovingly tended imps, you are still vulnerable as this is an airborn pathogen that will stay in your soil from one season to the next. It starts on the underside of the plant where you don't always see it. You won't notice until the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the plant withering and dying. There is nothing as of yet that effectively will combat the virulent attack.
This is my list of alternatives to the dilemma of what to plant to give that same heavenly splash of color in the shade garden.
My top picks are
1) Begonia , green wax leaf, tuberous , angel and dragon wing
2) Torenia
3) Browallia
4) New guinea impatien
5) Diascia
6) Fuschia
7) Balsam
8) Shade coleus
9) Lobelia
10) Euphorbia 'diamond frost'
11) Geraniums
12) Ageratum
13) Caladiums
14) Strobilanthes
15) Fan Flower(Scaevola)
There are a bunch more that will take part shade such as Nicotiana, Salvia, and Sweet Williams.
I will miss the sweet sweet impatien, but while the experts search for a cure, it gives us all the opportunity to step out of our garden box and into the wild new territory of DIFFERENT and awesome plants that will put a smile on our garden faces.































Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/1257106/the-impatien-dilemma site