Should I go artsy on it?

While I was working on finishing up the storage bases, I also refinished (and added an extra shelf to) this bedside table for Brynn's room. When Brynn's big room reveal happened on her birthday, I hadn't decided yet what I wanted to put next to her bed for a bedside table, so I just left it out and figured I'd get to it eventually. Eventually is here -- I decided to put a new finish on her old bedside table and put it back in her room.


At first, it was going to be a straightforward white finish. But then I was inspired by some tables at the Evergreen Cafe in Buena Vista. I was thinking I would do something similar on Brynn's table. But will it be too cluttered? Too much? There will already be a lamp, a clock, and who knows what else on top of the table. Dare I go artsy on it as well?

Here are the inspiration tables:


Here is the top of Brynn's table. What do you think? I need some feedback!

By the way, here was Scott's feedback: "Just put something little in the corner. It'll be like a little accent. Like a nose ring."

Riiiiight.

Game storage...check!

This project started as a way to get our family board games out of the basement. Because, remember my big project? De-cluttering, de-carpeting, de-popcorn the ceiling...and on and on. This storage unit (see the plans here) is just a small cog in a very large wheel.

And it's done! All but the last coat of poly over the touch-ups on the trim.


What do you think? I would be happy if it were simply square and not ugly. In fact, I used MDF for this project (a rare occurrence because of the formaldehyde in the composition of MDF) because I thought this project would be a total FAIL and didn't want to waste money on expensive wood that would end up in the trash. But I think it's actually a lovely addition to our house and it doesn't seem like it's going to fall apart! The tall base trim on it really makes it look substantial and heavy (which it is) -- perfect for our big space. And, it was another good learning piece for me. I'm working up to big things, I tell you!


I put the whole thing together with glue and our pneumatic nailer since our cordless drill batteries are DEAD (new ones on order -- thankfully we have a lifetime warranty!). For the finish, I used Kilz low-voc latex primer and several coats of Sherwin-Williams ProClassic trim paint color-matched to our personal furniture white. I sanded between every coat and used several coats of Minwax Polycrylic in satin to harden up the finish. The finish turned out super smooth. Just the way I like it!

To make the drawer bases look more built-in, Scott and I removed the baseboard on that wall and pushed the whole unit flush with the wall before cutting the baseboard to fit tightly up against the trim on the drawer bases. This may cause some problems at Christmastime...the drawers are encroaching on our tree's space. Other than that, I love the placement of the drawers and the super soft olive green corduroy, too.

Putting the upholstered top together was a bit of a process. At least, it took some thought. I spent about two weeks dreading buying expensive foam for the cushion and then having to sew a cover for it. Cutting the fabric for the welting, sewing the welting, attaching the welting...okay, maybe it was mostly dealing with welting that I was dreading, and I didn't want to do it without welting. But, really, my box cushions usually come out far from perfect and I wanted this to be perfect. You can see this piece of furniture when you walk through the front door of our home. I pass it every time I walk from the kitchen downstairs to the family room or my bedroom. I couldn't take looking at an awful cushion every time I walk by.

So one night around midnight I was taking a long shower. I find long, hot showers to be a great catalyst for creative thought. I was brooding over this box cushion and its welting when I realized...I could make a no-sew top! I didn't have a piece of MDF large enough to fit the top of all three drawer bases, but I had lots of long, skinny pieces. If I put them together with my pocket hole jig, drywall screws, and glue, I could add 1" foam to the top (which I already had), wrap the whole thing in batting, and staple the fabric to it.

Duh. How could I have been so dense in the first place?

Here is what the cushion looked like while it was in the works (upside down):

See all those pocket holes? Here's a closer-up shot of them:
The pocket holes create one solid piece of MDF (thanks to Ana White for teaching me this trick!), plus there are some little skinny pieces attached on each end. I glued and screwed those with regular countersink holes because they seemed too fragile for pocket holes. I split the skinny MDF strips a few times before I got the big part of the countersink hole big enough for the top of the screw.

Once I had the MDF put together, I spray-glued the foam on top, turned the whole thing upside-down on the batting, stapled on the batting and then stapled on the fabric. I had enough fabric to run it lengthwise without having to sew anything, but I wanted the pattern in the corduroy to run perpendicular to the length of the bench. The bench didn't need to look any longer than it already is. So, I did the old curtain trick -- a full width in the middle plus a half width on either side. I've got a ton of fabric left over, probably close to three yards. Since I only paid $4/yard for it, I'm not bummed to have so much extra. I'm actually looking forward to using it again!

As with any big project I tackle, I'm pleased with the outcome but, most of all, happy to be done!

Psst...for more on how I built the bench, check out this post.

A cake which did not fail.

Scott's birthday was on Thursday. I contemplated several options for his birthday dessert. The first thought was a Costco cake. Terrible, I know, but sooooo good when that's what you're craving. He was craving one this fall but after Brynn's birthday and the half cake we had leftover from her party, I was pretty sure he wasn't craving one anymore.

The second thought was a cake from the best bakery in town, Marigold. It was a bit over my budget.

The third idea was to make an orange cake (his childhood favorite) from Alice Water's basic cake recipe in The Art of Simple Food. This cookbook is, in my mind, the one indispensable cookbook that every kitchen should have. I'm sure the basic cake recipe is great in the hands of any normal person. Unfortunately, the last time I attempted to follow it the cake was an epic fail. It did make good cake balls, though.

Actually, most of the cakes I make are epic fails. They fall apart, they crumble, they look like crap. Sometimes literally.

But this one was amazing.

It's a Guinness Chocolate cake. Yep, two of our favorite ingredients. Together.

Guinness + Chocolate. It's a match made in heaven.

Top it with some frothy cream cheese frosting, and you're in heaven.

Happy birthday, my sweetheart!

Artistic liberties

I'm pretty sure the tree I painted on the wall of Brynn's room today is not an accurate representation of any species of tree anywhere. Upon witnessing my work of art, an arborist would probably roll his eyes and sigh.

Artistic liberties, my friends. Artistic liberties.

Procrastinator

I hate putting semi-finished photos up because I'm a procrastinator...and if I've gotten this far in a project (as in, nearly finished) I might not finish the details. Like, say, the base molding. Or the cushion.

But, what the heck. I'm so stoked about the fun colors in these drawers, I couldn't help but post a few photos.

The blue drawer is painted with leftover paint from Brynn's first room in this house. It's a Kelly Moore color called Tiana's Eyes. I loooooove the color. The green and peach colors are my own custom mixes of leftovers from the garage.




I'm not totally sure that white was the right way to go with this gargantuan bench (maybe black would have been a better choice?) but I think the cushion I'll be putting on top (olivey-avocadoey green corduroy) will tone down the white a lot. Here's to hoping I don't screw it up...my sewing skills are not so great.

Next up, though, base molding.

And the drama ends

The drama of the cheap-o not-full-extension ball bearing drawer slides, that is.


It only took three trips to Lowe's to get the slides right. The first trip I bought six slides. I destroyed the first two (which I maintain was actually caused by a design flaw rather than my incompetence). Scott picked up two more, but one of them had previously been opened and returned (which is why I put that slide back during my first slide-buying expedition...c'mon people!). That one was not like the others -- it didn't allow the drawer to slide all the way into the box. Which is probably why someone else had returned it already. So, this morning I took back the lame slide, as well as the two I destroyed, and picked up one more to complete the drawer slide installation.

And, finally, voila! Drawers are in.

Next up, attach drawer faces, attach pulls, paint and attach base trim, remove baseboards so that the units will sit snug against the wall, possibly trim out the ends of the two end units to match the drawers, and make the upholstered cushion for the top.

So...I'm not quite halfway done.

On a different note, the most exciting news of the day is the arrival of my Blue Like Jazz associate producer t-shirt and coffee mug. After my thank-you phone call from the director, Steve Taylor, last week, I'm getting pretty stoked about the movie! I might even find a babysitter so we can go see it in the theaters. Now THAT would be exciting.

Ball bearings are my enemy.

I stopped into Lowe's today to pick up three pairs of drawer slides for the drawers in the new storage bases. Unfortunately, there was not a great selection of drawer slides and, seeing as I'm too lazy to drive two miles to Home Depot or Woodcraft, I had to deal with what was available. The only undermount slides that would fit my drawers were light duty (35lb max, which will likely be much too light) and they were supposed to be mounted one per drawer, in the center of the drawer (not going to work on a 27" wide drawer). To make matters worse, they had ball bearings, which I hate with a passion.

You see, we had these little pencil tray drawers mounted under our old Techline desks and they had ball bearings in the drawer slides and they absolutely SUCKED. They never opened as far as they were supposed to and eventually they never opened at all. So maybe ball bearings aren't so bad, but in my experience, they're lame.

But, again...too lazy to drive to another store, so I deserve the ball bearings, I guess.

Anyway, I got two of the slides attached to the first box and the first drawer (two mounted twenty inches apart instead of one in the center). I managed to get the drawer inside the box and on the slides but then realized that the slides were not positioned far enough back in the box, so the front of the drawer was going to be too far forward in the box. I undid everything, redid everything and suddenly ball bearings were rolling all over the floor.

I told you they suck.

So I opened a new package, started from scratch with the slides attached a bit farther back in the box and this time it worked swimmingly. Or, rollingly. I wish they were full-extension glides, I wish they were rated for a heavier load, and I really wish they were ball bearing-free. I wish I didn't hate driving around town to find what I need. But, I am what I am, right?

So ball bearings it is. And now I need to go back to Lowe's to pick up one more pair. So much for not driving.

Here is the first finished box. Well...not totally finished, but the first box with a drawer installed. The drawer face will get attached to the drawer after I've installed the other two drawers -- that's the face sitting on top of the box.


I painted the three drawers different colors -- blue, orange, and green. Just for fun. And because it seemed like a good use of random leftover paint. All three drawers got a good sanding, a few coats of paint and a coat of poly before being installed in the boxes.

Once I've finished installing the drawers and faces, it will be time to attach the base trim (to cover the gap below the unit) and then make the cushion for the top. Somehow ski trips, dentist appointments, volunteer commitments and (imagine this...) WORK keep getting in the way of finishing this project! C'est la vie.

I wonder if this means I'll be cleaning up board games?

Richard at Lowe's rocks. He cut up ALL my MDF (nearly 3 full sheets worth) on Tuesday (for $0.25/cut), and he got every cut right. I think when I am finished with this project, I will bring him photos...because it was some major work for him. Every piece of my three storage bases is square! So different from me trying to wrangle a giant piece of wood across our undersized table saw. It's really amazing how simple it is to build something when all of your pieces are square.


Anyway, so the giant board game storage bench is underway, as you can see. Boxes are built, faces for the drawers are built. Today I'll be filling holes, sanding, and priming. I'll head out to Lowe's to buy drawer glides which I have NO idea how to install, but I guess that will be a new, er...fun, learning experience.

I'm also trying out the hardware on the drawer face. It's an extra-long black cup pull that looks like hammered iron. I think I like it -- big and chunky enough to fit the furniture, black to tie in with the myriad of black frames on the wall where the bench will live, and on sale for $4/each. Not bad.

Now I'm starting to wonder...once I get this giant bench and all of its storage capacity into my house, and I fill those giant drawers with board games, am I going to spend every afternoon picking up board game pieces after my kids do a post-school raid of the games? Right now the games are out of sight, and kind of out of mind. Not for long, though. Hmmm...maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Classical conditioning and training your kid

About four years ago, as we prepared to adopt Libbie, I had an insatiable appetite for dog-related books. I wanted to be prepared. What I learned, mostly, is that if you give a dog food treats while she's doing what you want her to do, she'll do that thing more often and sometimes even on command. How great is that? So simple and, as we're finding out with our kids, so applicable to other situations. Even people situations.

Like, say, a family with a dad who would love to spend Sunday watching football but who has two little girls who would rather not. Little girls generally aren't known for their love for football. Even our kids, who would watch grass grow if it were on TV, don't sit and watch football well.

Enter classical conditioning for kids.

In our family, classical conditioning must be done with food treats that are extra special. In dog training, these are called "high value" treats. For our pooch Libbie, it would be salmon skin, cut up hot dogs, chicken...you get the idea. Her very favorite treats. For the kids, it's processed snacks that they don't get any other time. Today it is Chipotle BBQ potato chips (the Boulder kind), although pretzels or crackers with smoked salmon dip or salt and vinegar chips work just as well (as long as nobody has cuts on their fingers -- then it turns into a salt-in-the-wound screaming fit).

So far, the classical conditioning seems to be working. The girls don't love football yet, but they are asking questions about the game and they are sitting still while they watch with their dad. I'm pretty sure that with enough tasty treats they could actually grow to love watching football. THAT, my friends, would be a major victory around here.

Do you love a good purge?

I do. Check out these before and after shots. Project Basement Stage One complete.

The giant old-fashioned tube TV won't be in that awkward spot forever, but that is the best place for it now, since step 3 in Project Basement is to tear off the wallpaper behind the sofa.


Woot! And, yes, Steve is STILL hanging in there. What a guy.


Two before shots:
One after shot:


These are the Giant Black Bookcases that must be sold, preferably with the Giant Black Desk. The games stashed in the bookcase will be part of Project Basement Stage Two, the stage in which I build storage benches to go in the family room upstairs.

I love re-using these kitchen cabinets. This is the third (or fourth?) place where they've been used in our house. And, I have to say, my six and a half year old paint job on them looks as good as it did on day one. Thank you, oil-based paint. Oil-based paint really rocks, even if it is a pain in the rear to work with.
All of the books we decided to keep from the Giant Black Bookcases fit nicely into the old kitchen cabinets. We use our public library a lot, so we don't have much use for a private one at home. We've got Harry Potter, a ton of C.S. Lewis, the textbooks I use to teach, a few guidebooks and not much else.

Here's how things will go down during Project Basement Stage Two. First, I'll be posting the Giant Black Desk and Giant Black Bookcases on Craigslist. And crossing my fingers that they go quickly. In the meantime, I'll be building three benches similar to these base units, but using Ana White's plans, making an upholstered top (hopefully), and filling the drawers with our games. The benches will eventually be centered on this wall below our giant photo collage. They will take up around two-thirds to three-quarters of the total width of the wall.

For Project Basement Stage Three, I envision myself removing wallpaper and scraping the popcorn ceiling (which will include moving some light fixtures and switches). If we get too many more snowstorms, Stage Two might have to switch with Three. Stage Four might see me doing some re-construction in our utility room/gear closet to move the entry door from the main basement room into the hallway (since the eventual plan is to make the main part of the basement into a guest suite). There are about six more stages after that, but they all seem a looooong way off right now. Next up, storage benches.

Making progress.

Two days and three carloads to Goodwill later...

Steve's still hanging in there with me.

Just about ready to move Scott's work station from the big ugly desk to the nice little one.

Hallway is passable! Most of the stuff in there will will stay, but those ugly bookcases will leave with the big ugly desk.

Be still, my heart...

because when I look at these photos, I feel like I might pass out.

Here are our basement "before" photos. Yesterday I foolishly promised to share them. I would like to preface these by saying that MOST of this stuff was in boxes when we returned in June. Then we started unpacking boxes bit by bit, but left the stuff we didn't want/didn't know what to do with and now it is all scattered around the basement. Hence the mess. This kind of mess is not my M.O.

Entering the abyss.

Getting nervous.

Feeling overwhelmed.

Starting to spin in circles because I don't know where to start.

At least I've got Steve to keep me company. And that cute little silhouette. I remember my kindergarten teachers working on that project. I should make some of the girls and hang us all up together! Speaking of which...maybe Scott's mom has an old profile shot of Scott I can use to complete the family silhouettes? Like YHL did here? That would be a good way to get out of working down here...

Oh, how I want to sell this gigantic desk. Too bad it's covered in stuff that all needs to be stashed elsewhere.

On my way up the stairs loaded up with stuff for Goodwill. Watch the tripping hazards.

Yeah, gonna need to switch cars with Scott for a while. This little trunk ain't gonna cut it.

But at least it's a start! I'll share more when you can actually tell that I've made a dent!