TENSION ROD ORGANIZER

Good Morning Everyone!

Would you like to know a super quick and easy way to create a spot for organization?

Here is a little tip using a tension rod and curtain rings.

I was rooting through my front closet a few weeks before Christmas looking for something. I don't even remember what it was now, because I got distracted when I stumbled across an old tension rod we were using in the bathroom before we installed the permanent one. This happens all the time. It's a wonder anything gets accomplished around here.

FIVE MINUTE FESTIVE TISSUE BOX COVER

Hi Everybody, 

Hope all of you had a good Christmas, full of fun, family, and too much food! 

While I was wrapping the last of the gifts on Christmas Eve (Mrs. Last-Minute!), I just happened to glance over at my boring tissue box on the kitchen counter.

Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs

Fall-Off-The-Bone-Ribs

Circa 1978

I'm currently going through my very old recipes and getting them onto my computer so that I can start a binder. They were originally done up on my typewriter. Oh yes.That contraption with the annoying little bell that dings when you get to the end of each row!

Cookie Cutter Christmas Tree Ornaments

Blingy Tree Ornaments From Cookie Cutters

Hi everybody! 

Got a weather report for you! Winter has hit Alberta with a vengeance. We made it to the 
top of the list for the Coldest Place in the World this Thursday, registering in at minus 40 degrees! Brrrrr! Here's a photo of our deck three days ago. 

Why yes, I certainly did shovel all that lovely snow!

Crazy! I'm soooo glad I put the outdoor lights up at the end of October!
But enough of that! Now on to the post!

Best Pancake Recipe

BEST PANCAKES

(Source:  Canada AM, circa 1977)

When I first graduated college I was briefly unemployed. I would get up at 6:00 in the morning to watch my favorite news show, Canada AM, before heading out to hunt down a job. There was a weekly segment devoted to cooking.

Victorian Fan Christmas Ornaments

 

 

I used to love crafting with my kids! Of course they moved out long ago,
but every time Christmas rolls around I get the itch to craft.

How To Build a Crate for Fifty Cents

 Conquering The Mess One Crate At A Time 

 or

How To Build a Crate for Fifty Cents

There is a little storage issue in our house. It is appropriately named Val's-sewing-room-is-the-catch-all for-anything-with-no-home.  A while back I purchased an Ikea expedit to display pretty objects, but a recent and dangerous walk through my sewing/craft room convinced the practical me to turn my expedit into a storage solution.

Blue Jeans Apron

Make Your Old Jeans Into A Handy Apron

I saw the best use for an old pair of jeans the other day while visiting This Old House. They cut the seat out of the jeans but left the waistband on and used them for a shop apron.  It just buttons in the back. Pretty easy!

Sand For A Better Finish

Sanding Between Coats

Hi Everyone,

I just want to share a little tip with you today. 
Sometimes when I'm painting my projects, the finish

Storage Bin on Wheels

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Build A Simple Storage Bin

Hi Everyone,

I'm starting to organize my sewing/painting/art supplies storage.  The paints have to be brought in every winter. Don't think 40 below would agree with them! 
I buy lots of my paints in larger pots and I might as well admit it, lots of paints period,
so large sturdy storage is a must. 

Artsy Christmas Canvas

Hi Everybody,

This is my craft basket.  

 

 

Does anyone remember a weekly show named Aleene's Crafts? 

If you do you're probably as old as I am! 

Garage Storage: Look up!

Finding Storage Space In Your Garage

 
Build a garage, accumulate stuff, park the car outside the garage. 

It's so easy to let that happen, isn't it? Our garage is overflowing, and winter

is not kind to vehicles up here in Alberta. There was valuable real estate going 

to waste up near the ceiling in our garage. I just had to figure out how to build

some shelves that wouldn't interfere with our rolling chrome racks, so I sat down

with my notepad (if I tried the plans in Sketchup, you would likely never see this

post!), and here is what I dreamed up. 

Build A Flip Top Bench

Hi Everyone,

  I love a project that looks good, goes together quickly, and solves a storage issue. 

 My son and daughter-in-law have moved in to an older home, and we needed to pull a 

few organizational pieces together as temporary measures. They will be doing major 

renos next year, so it has to be something we can move out of the way and use 

later in another area. This bench is one. It can be used to store anything from 

mittens to magazines, and be used as an entry bench or a coffee table.

Build A Martina Bath Wall Storage

Hi Everyone,

I made this storage wall shelf about a year ago. It's the second  project I ever built, and it's a perfect size for our little downstairs guest bathroom.  The walls in our home are slowly getting filled with much-needed storage space. 

Create Your Own Art: Birch Trees

Birch Tree Art

Hi Everyone,  

When I worked in the elementary art class room we had so much fun!  

The best part was watching the students jump right in and get started!   

Build Some Quick Closet Shelves

Hi Everyone,

I recently went to visit my younger sister for a few days.  I love going there! We always have a good time and she cooks some amazing gourmet meals (she's a chef)! Anyway, she was badly in need of some extra storage in her guest room closet.

Build A Mini Coffee Table

Hi Everyone,

I have a fun project to show you, one of those builds where I just sort of winged it.  My hubby and I love to sit on the porch swing with our two little dogs at the end of the day. It's  a great way to unwind! We needed a table near the swing to set our coffee on, and it had to be small because we don't have a lot of space on the patio.  It didn't cost a penny to build, and it's just the right size!

Sew Some Bathroom Accessories

 

 

I'm slowly building small storage projects for our home, like this wall storage unit.

We really like the tiles we chose for our bathrooms.  

Sew-in Pockets For Basket Liners

Basket Liner Pockets:

Getting Organized a Little at a Time

We will be doing a few renovations on our bedroom closet in the near future.
But right now there's a little job I have to do in there before it drives me crazy.

My get-ready-for-the-day basket is a mess . Grrrr

For some reason today is the day I decided enough was enough. 

I'm going to sew some little pockets around the inside so it's easier to sort through.

Time to get organized!

Here's how the basket looked before the pockets:

Shipping Crate Turned Patio Planter

Shipping Crate To Patio Planter

  

Mr. M. sometimes surprises me with gifts from his job as a contractor, 

like this shipping crate he brought home one day. 

This crate has been on our patio for a few years now. We've been storing 

garden tools in it, and Jack loves to sit on it and bask in the sunshine. 

This is how it looks now.

  

Build A Cedar Planter

Hi Everyone,

 I love Ana White's building site!  She has so many inspirational ideas!  If you've never built anything before, or even if you are an experienced builder it's definitely worth

a look! I really liked the look of her plan for this cedar planter. So off I went to see

if I could find something in my scrap pile behind the garage.  

Build Some Little Pallet Drawers

Little Pallet Drawers

These little drawers are my answer to needing baskets for storage on a wall shelf I made for the bathroom.  They were inspired by Ana White's pallet storage boxes plan. 

Art: My Paintings

Getting Back To Painting 

Yellow Shadows

24" x 24"

Acrylic

 

Bathroom Wall Storage

Bathroom Wall Storage from Ana White's Book, "The Hand-built Home"