Sunday, September 30, 2012

Sometimes Projects Come Easy

I'm a bit under the weather.  It feels like a cold or flu coming on, so I'm popping Ziacam and I'm plastered to the recliner right now.  I really should be in bed, and will be soon, but I wanted to quickly share a little project that was fast, easy and turned out right the first time.


In my world that rarely happens.  I often spend two or three times the amount of time I think a project will take...you'd think I'd get better at gauging my time...but no, not me.  Ever the optimist, I think I can whip out a project in no time.  Then things go wrong, I don't like how it turned out, and life happens.


Happily, once in a while a project comes along that falls into place just the way I want it to.  In this case, I thought it would take longer.  I figured I'd just sand this little shelf a bit first, to see if I liked it, with the thought that I'd end up painting it, another color and maybe embellishing it somehow.

But somehow, I sanded in all the right places, just enough, but not too much, and low and behold, the simplicity of it was perfect.  The first time.  Imagine that.  I really like this little shelf.  It needs a good home, with just the right something placed on it.  It will be in my Etsy store later this week if you want to adopt it...cause I know there's someone out there who will love it too.


I'm going to try to get some rest now.  Oh...tomorrow the chickens are coming home to roost...Lord willing and the creek don't rise ;)





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making monday marvelous linky party

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Chicken Coop Progress

The coop is almost done!  I spent the past week building the nesting boxes, roost and painting the inside white.  The white lightened it up wonderfully!



Here's the inside before, starting from the door and going counter clockwise around the space:
Pretty dreary huh?  It's sturdy and serviceable...read ugly!  It was also very dark inside, especially at dusk.

The plan was to white wash it with watered down paint and an old brush.  Umm...my arm would have fallen off!  I painted one end of the coop and threw in the brush.  Next, I searched out our old electric paint sprayer...it did not work...bit the dust...dead.  Story. Of. My. Life.

So I ordered a new HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight.  It had really good reviews and was on sale.  While waiting for it to arrive, I built the nesting boxes and roost and installed them.  All by myself.  With no help from my helpful hubby.  I am woman hear me roar!

In the meantime, my helpful hubby was busy too.  He got the fencing intalled and built the gate, with a little help from me ;)  I guided the post hole digger on the back of our neighbors tractor, held the posts level while he backfilled the holes,  helped stretch some wire while he stapled the fencing on a couple corners, and held the gate while he attached it to the post.  It was a big job that he did the lions share of.  Love you honey!

The sprayer finally arrived so I painted yesterday.  After one "white wash" coat, I was underwhelmed.  There was nothing for it but to spray another coat.  The job still took several hours even with a sprayer.  I would have been painting right up until the snow flies with a brush.  That OSB board really eats paint!

So here's what it looks like inside now:

I love the Z framing on this door!


My new nesting boxes

I popped a hole in the wall for the chicken door.  I still have to make the door for it.

The new roost.  I'm starting with two rungs for now.  I may need to add a third later.  

I still have a few things to do.   There's the chicken door to cut, paint and install, a screen and glass to replace in one window.  I'm also going to change that door over the window opening in the above picture.  We are replacing a tiny window in our half bath.  If it fits, I'm going to use the old window from there, otherwise I'll staple screening over the window and build a shutter on the outside that I can close.

Then I just need to get a chicken feeder, waterer and some feed, and bring the chickens home to roost!  I'm determined to get it done this week.  I can't wait to see how they react to their new home and lots of grass to roam around on.





I've linked to these fabulous parties:


" My entry into 2805's Potpourri Friday Party is sponsored by Appliances Online."

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Mackinac Island Fun and Antiques Part 2

Yesterday I shared part of our trip to Mackinac Island and some of the cool antiques we saw there.  There were just too many pictures to share in one post.

It occurred to me that I didn't post a picture of the fort itself.  Then I realized I had one from the previous year when I went with my daughter and her friends.  I took this from the ferry, just before we landed at the dock.


In fact here are some pretty stunning views from the fort








Back inside the fort, I'm going to start out with one of my favorite items.  I'm sure it is a reproduction, but it is cool.  Can you spot it?


It's actually three things.  Yes it's the trunks.  Aren't they perfectly awesome?  Even the color is amazing!  I see a DIY in this picture.


The mailbox cubbies on the wall were pretty neat too, and look at that clock on top of them!  I know the purists will hate me, but I would love to see this painted white and antiqued.  If it was truly an antique, I wouldn't do it though.


Around the corner in the Lieutenant's quarters stood this amazing wardrobe.  Okay this is my favorite.  It is simple but elegant, and it looks DIYable.   The picture is bad because I was shooting through glass.


Are these old billard balls not gorgeous???


Look at the beautiful swirls of color in the ivory.


The bath house was built later in the war.  Check out the wood heated, galvanized hot water tank.  


Each stall had it's own claw foot bathtub.  


Again, I'm shooting through glass so you see reflections.  The one room school house was very small, but I doubt if there were many children on the island.   The chairs caught my eye.  They look like some I saw in World Market when we visited our daughter downstate last week.



The last building is the quartermaster's storehouse.  These floors were the first thing I noticed.  They were rough and rustic and painted black.  I'm not sure I would want them in my house, but they would be great on a porch.


The store was loaded with all the things a soldier needed.  It was "slim pickins" for shopping ladies.  Life on the island was pretty spartan back then.  (Sorry...this room was really dark so the pictures are pretty fuzzy.)


I love this desktop organizer.  I need one...now!  The object in front of it that looks like a chair, is really a dolly with a barrel on it.


You can buy these old paper roll holders on ebay, if you want to plunk down several hundred dollars.  But I would love to have one for my packing/shipping area!  The iron thing in front of it was a mystery, but after some research, I believe it is a tobacco cutter.  I thought it was an vintage stapler...like they had staples back then...duh!


We spent a couple hours inside the fort, then had a picnic lunch on the beautiful grounds of Marquette Park which sits down the hill and in front of the fort.


After lunch we hopped on our bikes and took a self-guided tour of the main highlights of the island.  We brought our own bikes over on the ferry ride.  It cost $8 per bike to bring over, so we spent $40, but to rent bikes would cost as much for just one bike for the day.  There are no vehicles on the island except for an ambulance and fire truck.  You either bike, rent a horse drawn carriage (read expensive), or hoof it.  

source: Wikipedia    Author: Eli Duke

One of the most famous natural highlights on the island is Arch Rock. 


The views from here are breathtaking.  The color of the water fades from deep blue to aqua near the shore.  Down below there is a bike path that runs all around the island.  I've biked it several times in the past, but we chose to bike the inner island this time.  



Probably the most famous building on the island, besides the fort, is the Grand Hotel.  Years ago I got to take a tour of it with the Girl Scouts.  It is gorgeous, yet the historical aspect of it has been well preserved.

source: Wikipedia, Author: Dehk

This hairy looking rock is called Sugar Loaf.  It got it's name because it resembled the cone shaped baskets used to pack maple sugar, the popular sweetener of the time.  It is huge!  Tyler is standing at the base of it in this picture...he is 6'4".


The kids had to climb around on it of course...and mom had to take pictures of course!


 There is a hole on the other side that the kids climbed into.  It fit all three of them quite comfortably.



A nice couple agreed to take our picture (we took one of them too).  From our family to yours, if you get a chance to visit Mackinac Island in Michigan, just do it.  You won't regret it.  Oh and don't forget to pick up some fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town.  You won't regret that either!




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