linnyloo

I resolve to be more crafty and to follow up my craftiness with blog posts! In order to update a blog, one MUST be able to remember passwords and such!
I also resolve to link to blogs I follow! There are so many good ones out there!!

Happy Blogging!
Linnyloo

It’s fall!

 I love Fall!

I love the cooler mornings and that I can open windows and enjoy the smells and the sounds of neighbors coming and going.  I love the excitement of the kids going back to school, and my dog’s excitement at playing with the kids at the bus stop in the morning.  I enjoy my friends’ excitement as they get ready for their hunts.  I love the changing leaves and wearing my jeans with my cute boots.

BUT with the cooler weather comes flies. Oh, I HATE flies!  Especially those little fruit flies!  Somehow their fall family reunion is always scheduled in my kitchen, but they never bother to book the venue, they just show up. Unannounced.  Uninvited. *shudder*

In the past I’ve been patient.  I put some apple cider vinegar in a mug, covered the mug with plastic wrap and poked holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick and waited, and waited, and waited for the vinegar to lure the nasty flies into their trap where they would drown. I would giggle when I checked the mug and see them crawling on the underside of the plastic wrap because they are not smart enough to remember how they got into my trap in the first place.  ”I’m smart, you’re dumb!” I would think to myself.

This year, as it cooled off, the pests returned. As soon as I noticed the unannounced, uninvited visitors I put out my trap and waited, and waited, and waited.  However, as I waited they seemed to be multiplying, instead of crawling into my trap! Maybe they had caught on to my tricks and were sending out invites to their relatives to join them because they had figured out how to avoid my trap! This wouldn’t do!

I will not let them win!  I decided to try a new trick.  I got out a second mug and put the vinegar in it.  Instead of putting the plastic wrap on the mug and poking holes in it, I decided to lay the piece of wrap on the counter next to it just to see what would happen.  So I left the mug with apple cider vinegar on the counter, the wrap next to it, and did my dishes.  All the time I was disturbing the ubiquitous flies from their resting places, but not if they were near the mug. After about 30 minutes there were at least a dozen flies on the inside of my mug!  Carefully, with out disturbing the mug, I lifted the plastic wrap, held it taught between my fists, and swiftly placed it over the top of the mug!  VICTORY!  Victory was mine!  They were trapped!  They had realized their folly! They franticly tried to find a way out, a hole or crease that I failed to rub with my finger to stick down to the rim, but I had been thorough.  I had pressed around the rim of that mug twice! There was no escape!  They had met their fate, and there were no holes for them to warn their friends through to avoid the same mistake.

By morning they had all given up and were at the bottom of the mug.  I removed the wrap, dumped out the vinegar, refilled it, and put it on the counter with the plastic wrap next to it, at the ready.  All the time thinking to myself, “I’m smart, you’re dumb!”

Ever since I found out there was chalkboard paint in the stores I have wanted an excuse to make one!

I finally got my chance when I was asked to teach early morning scripture study in my home for kids in my church!

Yipee!

So I went to the local hardware store to find supplies. I HEART hardware stores!

I came home with this:

A large square of thin plywood laminate, and two strips of 1x2x8 lumber and a box of small nails.

First I laid a strip of lumber flat on the floor.  Then I placed the square of wood on it, making the edges even.

On the other side I marked the edge of the square to know where to cut. Do this for two sides of the square.

Use wood glue to help the strips stay in place.

Nail the lumber to opposite sides of the board.

It will look like this:

Next line up the edge of the lumber to the lumber you nailed to the square.

On the other side mark where you will cut so the lumber will fit.

Glue and nail in these pieces.  (I had to show a little love and use my hammer to get the pieces to fit snugly so I could glue and nail them in.)

 All done, ready to paint!

Next paint a couple of layers underneath, sanding in between each layer.

You should probably paint the frames that you nailed and glued here too.  I didn’t, but I should’ve.

Is you don’t want the frame to be chalkboard, tape up the sides.

Here is it in the office all ready!  See the thumb tacks along the top?  I thought it might be useful to have some clips along the top to hold papers and pictures.  I already had some small binder clips, so I used the thumb tacks to hold the clips in place.  I know it is HUGE, but I use every inch of space on it during class!

Thanks for reading! Post a comment or share my link!

LinnyLoo

I sew. I paint. I create.

I NEED storage!!!!!!

So, I went yard sale-ing.

This….

cabinet I got for $17!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I honestly think the lady didn’t want to get stuck with it.  It was marked $50!)

Isn’t it beautiful?!  Look at the dental molding and the fluted molding on the sides!

SCORE!!

If you know me, you know I can’t leave it with this beautiful dated stain.  It will NOT do!

Here we are…  All sanded!

(Check back for a post about my sander!)

Here we are, all painted!

(Again, I will write a post about prepping your painting space in the future.)

I lightly sanded between each coat.  I borrowed my wonderful friend’s paint sprayer.  She’s a saint!

Here she is all done up in her new home!

The handles I spray painted silver, but don’t you think they need to be black?

Thanks for reading!

LinnyLoo