4.06.2012

MASTER BEDROOM WOOD CEILING {DIY}


I want to share step-by-step how we built the beautiful wood coffered ceiling in the master bedroom. It completely transforms this room.




Here is the master bedroom many moons ago. Our coffered ceiling started with simple drywall. 




1.) Andrew first took 2x4's and created a grid pattern. 

2.) Next, he took four-quarter knotty alder and nailed it over top of the 2x4's in the same grid pattern. 

3.) Then using quarter-inch alder, he filled in all of the grids.




4.) To give it a finished look, Andrew wrapped each grid in crown




5.) Then he used a maple-to-alder spray stain and a coat of lacquer





6.) Next, he used a water-based rusty old glaze that was wiped on and off. This is what caused the knots and grain patterns to pop.

7.) After letting it dry for 30 minutes, it was lacquered one more time.  





It was gorgeous, but it looked shockingly stark against the white walls. I was anxious to get everything taped and painted. If you notice, we painted the walls AND inside the coffer itself with the SW Pussywillow color. 




Here it is with the tape and plastic removed (and on the floor). It all looks more complete and gradual this way. 




Second perspective. 



And finally, here it is finished with the ceiling fan in the center and the can lights installed along the outside edges of the coffer. This room is just waiting for carpet and vent covers!


I am linking up here: and here:

4.04.2012

HOUSE: OUTDATED UPDATE {paint and cabinets}


Front room: painted.



Front room: second perspective.



Laundry Room: cabinets.




Great Room: entertainment center built-ins and paint.



Master Bath: cabinets and paint.



Great Room: view of entry way and dining area paint colors from the kitchen.

These pictures are about a month old. Many updated details to share in the near future! I'm saving the kitchen and master bedroom for their own posts. Check back!


P.S. This post will give more of the nitty gritty on all our paint color decisions.




3.31.2012

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT CAKE DECORATING



For mutual this week, the older girls in our youth group got together to decorate miniature cakes. I've never used fondant before, so it was fun to learn about. It was easy too! Marshmallows, powdered sugar, and Crisco. 

Megan Plaisted was awesome enough to host the event. It blew my mind she actually has a fondant cricut! Am I the only one who didn't know such a thing existed? 




The only problem was, it was too pretty to eat afterward. I admired it for 3-4 days before working up the nerve to cut into it. The edible glitter was my favorite. I finally justified ruining my masterpiece by pulling out the ol' camera to document it first. 

If it didn't involve eating an exorbitant amount of sugar (very little self control here when it comes to sugar), cake decorating is a hobby I could totally get into. 







3.22.2012

SLOTH LOVE




I saw this on Yahoo awhile ago and have been saving it for a special day to share. Today is that day, you lucky blogger friends, you! I hope you leave a little happier now then when you arrived. 

The first time I saw it, I laughed like CRAZY. Then I immediately watched it again and laughed just as hard. 

Apparently, Kristen Bell has a serious sloth obsession...and  some serious emotional issues too. Mix them together and you get something you just have to see for yourself to believe. 

Just click the image to watch.



3.19.2012

MARCHING ON


Sup? 

My current free time is spent as a regular house paintin' gangsta. I was horrified recently to find my first patch of gray hairs as I was getting ready for work. Seriously? Already?!

Then I noticed those gray hairs of mine looked suspiciously similar to Sherwin William's pussywillow gray... 
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Hence the bandanna. No gray hairs for me, thank you.




Hello handsome husband of mine. 

Andrew's boss took him snowboarding under sunny skies. I bet you can't find where the gap was between his goggles and his beanie. I made fun of the resulting sunburn all week. And it was a lot brighter in person.




Andrew returned from the mountain with a fever and chills. He was out of commission for several days afterward. 

My hard workin' man can't stand being home all day alone doing nothing. I got home on day 2 to find he had found packed away Easter accessories and lined them up in the living room. After questioning him, he responded simply: 

"I decorated."

We sat in awkward silence for a moment before he said with utter sincerity: 

"Rachel, if I have to stay home for another day, I'll die." 

He was so serious, I had to laugh.




I feel kind of bad for Winter this year. All efforts to really get going just...fell flat.  I never even had a chance to get sick and tired of snow and wind and below freezing temperatures. Instead, it felt like one really long spring. 

Global warming is the bomb.

My excitement for spring may have been dampened, but nothing can ruin the joy of longer days with  more hours of sunlight. When the alarm goes off, it doesn't feel like I'm getting up in the middle of night, no headlights are needed to get to work, and I actually have some day left when I get home in the evening. Glory Alleluia! 






3.15.2012

CHECKERBOARD TILE


Source: houzz.com via Rachel on Pinterest
The plan was ceramic tile in the laundry room and both bathrooms with wood floors or carpet everywhere else. I wanted a checkerboard pattern in the laundry and nice neutrally tile in the bathrooms. 

It was a safe, reasonable plan I was comfortable with. 






Source: houzz.com via Leslie on Pinterest
That is...until Andrew messed with it. 














So this is what happened. 

I was busy at work when Andrew called to ask if I wanted this black and white in both bathrooms too. A friend could pick up some SUPER cheap black and white ceramic tiles for us down in Utah, but I had to decide now.  
















Source: houzz.com via Rachel on Pinterest


I was distracted, I was in a hurry, my mind was muddled from an entire day's worth of teacher inservice meetings...and I made a snap judgement. Andrew liked the idea and so I went with it. 

I blame him. ;)





After they were paid for, I lay in bed late one night when my eyes popped open.  

What had I done? 

Three rooms with checkerboard floors? Major overkill! Sure it was cheap, but what if we alienate potential buyers in the future, because it's too retro or trendy? 

The image of all that black and white tile haunted me until I fell into a fitful sleep.   















 
Then, my cousin (unknowingly) posted the very next day about her own black and white floor and how she would never do it again. 

Apparently they are hard to keep clean? Fabulous. Another strike against our decision! Ahhh!

No hard feelings, Debbie. Of course :)









But there just aren't other options at this point...unless we spend more money. So now, I seek comfort by scouring the Internet for reassurances that we can make it look awesome enough to be worth it.  




                                              Source: housebeautiful.com via Charity on Pinterest


I mean, there are some really pretty rooms out there with this tile. 









If all else fails, I'll just buy lots of area rugs.  







3.11.2012

KIDS TALK.

Assignment:
Character description. Who are they? What do they look like? What do they do? And what do they say?  
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I mentioned once that your child's teacher knows more about you then you might guess. Kid's talk...or in this case...kid's write. One student chose to describe his mother for this assignment. I laughed pretty hard at the image he painted of what his mom does all day...


.
What...you can't read that handwriting? Really?

Fine. Let me translate:

"My mom lie's around a lot, watches TV, and eat's ice cream. She also eat's burritos."


Apparently, I need to teach another lesson on correct apostrophe usage. But besides that, funny right? 
.
What would your kid say that you do all day? Hopefully it's not: 'lay around and eat burritos'. Ha!







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