Miscellany

mis·cel·la·ny

ɪsəˌleɪni; Brit. mɪˈsɛləni/ Show Spelled[mis-uh-ley-nee; Brit. mi-sel-uh-nee]

–noun, plural -nies.

1. a collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items.

So I've been thinking lately that there are things I'd like to say here that are unrelated to DIYing and crafting. Personal things. Opinions, thoughts, and other assorted crap. But I don't want to overrun the blog proper with my blah blah blahing.

To this end, I've decided to take one day a week, Thursdays to be specific, and post whatever is on my mind. I apologize in advance, because this is probably going to end up being mostly lame. Fortunately it'll only happen once a week, or until I get distracted and forget about it.

Lately I've been thinking about gardens. It's the predominant focus of my projects lately, and there's more where that came from. My mom and I went to a local nursery recently, called Crickelwood, and it blew my mind. It's the coolest place ever. The weird thing is I had no idea it existed. I think most people in my town are probably unaware it exists. I've driven past it dozens of times on the way to my dentist's office and I never noticed it.

Suddenly I need a blue door.

It's called the Secret Garden by those who work there, and until now, I guess the secret was pretty safe. It's barely noticeable from the street, even when you know where it is. Once you enter through the front gate, all tucked away underneath purple bouganvillea, it's like you're in another world.

Pictured: so many things that I NEED.

Like, I want to live there. Everything is green and cool and beautiful. If I could relocate every part of Crickelwood into my own yard, you best believe I would. As it is, I can only hope that the beauty I found there will somehow, in some tiny, fractional way, transcend my clumsy attempts at recreating it and that I'll be able to reproduce some of the charm of this place.

Odds are slim. But as ever, I won't let that stop me.

Do you see that bench? I need to read a book there.
By the way, that green frame is like, five feet tall.

 I mean, seriously, why can't I have this?? You know, aside from the labor, expense, and time it took to build it from scratch. Is there a Crickelwood in your area? Or rather, is it there, but you've never noticed it?

DIY Retro Patio Sign

Sooo, I was noticing that we've got this jigsaw in the garage. And loads of leftover plywood. And I've always got several cans of spraypaint laying around. I put it all together and had an idea.

See how it came together after the jump!

DIY Potting Bench

This is how I spent my 4th of July weekend!

Well, not the WHOLE weekend, just a few hours. I also spent a goodly amount of time eating corn on the cob and watermelon. And I admit, I DID spend the lion's share of my time in the pool, squirting my kids in their faces with a Super Soaker until they banded together like Voltron and flipped my floating lounge chair over.

I think we can all agree, that's how the Founding Fathers would have wanted it.

It was a great weekend.

And here we are now!! Together again. Any Monday that finds me staring fondly at something I made despite my criminal lack of formal training with power tools is a good Monday. I made this. I love saying that.

Make one with me, after the jump!!

Craft Hack: DIY Rustic Chandelier

I know I'm prone to saying this, but I'm saying it again today: This is probably the coolest project I've ever done. It was really fun and surprisingly simple, and the end result is exactly as I'd hoped it would be.

I give you the Rustic Chandelier Knock-Off.

I saw a picture of something similar a few weeks ago and I thought that, while it was really cool and I totally wanted one, the price tag was just a teeeensy bit steep. I mean, it IS really interesting and unique, but dang. This chandelier from Rustic Designs costs $2,800. Yes, that's the correct number of zeros there. Two thousand, eight hundred dollars. That's almost three large for a chandelier made of branches.

Not bloody likely.

I knew I could make something similar, if not exactly the same, for a couple thousand dollars less.

See how I did it after the jump.

Lyric Subway Art

So, we've all seen the subway art. Most of us have some in our homes right now. And with good reason, I mean, it's really cool and retro and it's so versatile! You can personalize it any way you want! And that's what I've done:

What we've got here are some lyrics from the old 70's hippie peace & love song "Get Together" by the Youngbloods. Also, a key. My plan was to make it look very old, very distressed. I wanted to give the impression of an old shop shingle. Did I succeed? I rarely do. But I'm keeping it anyway. After the jump, the tutorial.

DIY Glass Doily Cheeseboard

This hardly counts as a project, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from tutorializing it. I mean, look at it. It doesn't get much simpler than this. HOWEVER. I think it turned out nicely:

It's a cutting board/cheeseboard/trivet. SO FUNCTIONAL. Everyone should have a few of these. Here's the deal: it cost a dollar to make. I know, right? How-to after the jump!

Craft Hack: Pottery Barn Inspired American Flag

Summer has started for the schoolkids and the 4th of July will be upon us before long. It'll be cookouts and swimming parties for the next few months, so I've begun thinking about some cool seasonal decor that won't break the bank. I love to change the look of my living room according to the season, but I'm much too cheap to spend any money on it. Thank goodness I can always count on Pottery Barn to think of things I can make myself.

Their's:

Mine:

This is a great project because of its versatility. Not everyone has $129 to spend on a wooden American Flag, and even if you did, the PB version might be the wrong size. BUT!! A 4x8 foot piece of harwood at your local hardware store is less than $10 and you'll be able to use it for several projects. And honestly, if you've got a garage, there's a good chance you've got some scrap wood laying around already.

Tutorial after the jump!
UPDATE!! This project was featured over on Bella Before & After! Check it out...