An Eye For Details

I love barn doors.  For a while, I've had good plans to make our shed door look something like the picture above.  I think the project was a little frightening for my hubby, because even though I talked him into painting the door last summer, he just would N.O.T. tackle putting the trim on the door.

So I did.

Here's the door when we started, 11 months ago...  Ahem. 

Then he became frustrated becase after a coat of pink, yes, pink paint, ( he went and purchased it without me!), he had to paint the door again.   But, alas, I digress.  So I convinced him to purchase another color, and this was the final red. To give him credit, he did get the new paint for free since the pink also started peeling right away.  Maybe that was a blessing in disguise.

Please excuse the hole in the door, with a rope latch.  Someone likes to rig things.

Anyway, after the final red paint was applied, I think he was afraid to mess with the project any more, or he was sick of it.  I was MY idea, anyway, not his.  So it sat like that through the winter, and the spring, and we were well on our way into summer when I finally had enough. 

I hauled out the miter saw, the drill, and all the hardware and trim boards, which were primed and painted last summer.  And I did this:

And it makes me happy every time I look at it.  I still have black, decorative hinges I purchased at the Re-Store that I might add, but I'll have to wait for the weather to cooperate so I can touch up the paint first. 

What do you think?  Huge difference, huh?  And, it cost next to nothing to do. 

More Pallet Projects!

Looking for something to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon?  Need a cozy place to lay and watch the fireworks tomorrow?  Well, here you are, a project to finish in an afternoon...

Pallet Loungers!  Can you believe it?  I'm amazed at what people are doing with pallets ~ which are basically free wood, when you can find them. Here's a great tutorial on how to make these beautiful pallet upcycle creations.

Craigslist is the best source I've found, but businesses are often looking for free pallet disposal, so keep a watch out.  I wonder what these finished beauties would sell for? 

Here's a pallet planter made on the same Shoestring blog. Adorable!  But the most impressive project by far is this pallet house!  Here's the link to the full story in a magazine.

And you could decorate the outside of your pallet house with these pallet garden boxes and planters!

It just goes to show that if you set your mind to work, you will be rewarded for your efforts. 

Now go create!

Use What You Have

I've been working on a few outdoor projects this summer, in addition to the never ending list of things of things I want to do inside my house.  One of my favorite projects so far is this potting bench, which I just finished. Here's what it looked like before, just after I picked it up:

Excuse the black hose lying in the background!  I picked that from the neighbor's trash that morning, and hubby purchased a $1.82 hose repair coupling the next day to fix a little damage.  Two seconds later I had a nice new~to~me, heavy duty hose to replace one that always seemed to kink.  But I digress...

On the potting bench, every board on the upper and lower shelves had to be reattached and I had my lackey husband cut a new brace and shelf to replace the warped one that came with the piece. I did all the reinforcements myself, and tightenen all the fasteners and bolts. (Take note of that drab red door in the background, because it got a facelift this week too, but that's another post.)

I added a hose reel to one side, and cup hooks across the front of the new cedar shelf, to hang tools, keys and implements.  I really enjoyed working on this project, and it inspired me to google potting benches to see what others were making.  Here are a few noteworthy projects you might be able to make using what you already have around the shop...

I loved this fabulous Pallet Potting Bench from Digginfood.com...  What a great idea, and pallets can be found pretty much all the time for next to nothing. I know I have enough lumber behind the shed to make several of these, and I bet they'd sell on Craigslist...  I report back and let you know for sure. ;-)

Here's another from Re-nest...

And don't even get me started about all the amazing buildings and fences made from pallets on this website.  Seriously, I need a truck!  I'm now planning an addition to my storage shed after seeing how easily this went together. 

Inspired yet?  If not, just know that I reworked and sold this potting bench in a week's time, and on my own schedule.  Use what you have to get what you need.  It just makes sense!

Sunset Big Book of Garden Designs ~ A GoodPlans Book Review

Every spring, library books full of flowers find their way to my reading table.  I've enjoyed pouring over Sunset's Big Book of Garden Design this year, so much so that I have added it to my wishlist of books to own. 

The pages of this book overflow with inspirational photos and drawings of all different sorts of gardens, including color and theme gardens, plantings for water conservation, and specific areas of the front and back yards.  I've added a few new beds, renovated a couple of others, and purchased more than ten new species of perennials after studying the beautiful photos included in this publication.

Because I've enjoyed many Sunset books over the years, I was excited to find that they have a fantastic website.  I know what I'll be doing this week during my computer time!

Photo creditst:  Sunset

Got Gecko's Toes?

Really, this is not about your feet!  I discovered a new product at the Tulsa State Fair this year, and thought it was so clever, I wanted to share it with you. 

Doug Harris, Midwest Rep for Gecko's Toes, shared with me about a new kind of hose rack that will hold just about any type of hose, cord, or rope.  For more info on the product, check it out here. To place an order, contact Doug at dharris78 at kc dot rr dot com and tell them you saw the post on the GoodPlans blog!

Set In Stone

A girl can dream, can't she?

How much will these cost me?

I found these beautiful Carnaby Clematis on clearance at Lowe's for $1 per half-gallon container this weekend. I was thrilled to purchase 4, but I some weren't marked, so I'm hoping they are all the same plant. Either way, I'm excited and can't wait to get them planted in the morning.

I also found these Tropicanna canna Lilies for $2 a pot. I LOVE the foliage. They will be mixed in with my super tall red cannas, which will look so fab in the garden just off the porch.

The best score was this beautiful Forever & Ever Hydrangea for $4! It's a nice large plant, and I'll have to rearrange my front flower bed to include this beauty.

With all the landscaping I've done this year, it makes me hesitant to move from this Little Creek Cottage, but we only have one full bath. I wonder what it would cost to add a second bath and just stay here?

The Gospel: Just so you know...

...we're not starving! This is today's harvest from my little backyard garden.

"He who does not work, does not eat..." Therefore, he who works will have something to eat!

I've been busy grinding wheat and making Bosch bread, and banana bread, for which I had ingredients in the pantry.

I stocked up on taco seasoning a while back, when the packets were free after a sale/coupon combination. To save on space and to extend the shelf life, I emptied the packets into a quart sized glass jar. When I need this seasoning, I use a premeasured amount that I have marked on the jar. I love the convenience of storing in glass jars, and I reused what I already had, so it didn't cost a thing. Glass extends the life of spices by quite a bit, so I have tried to transfer most of my spices to that type of jar.

Some of the heirloom lemon cucumbers have gone to the neighbors, and some have been cut and combined with vinegar and onions for a yummy side dish for dinner. I picked about 15 today, and there were some on the other side of the fence that I just couldn't reach. I did let the neighbor know to pick all he wanted that were on his side of the fence. This is the same neighbor whose guest kept jumping my fence, so I was glad of an opportunity to bless him in the hopes he would remember me kindly the next time we had an issue...

Tomorrow I need to cook up some garbanzo beans to make a cuke salad with garbanzos.

The Poblano peppers have been cut and measured, and are in the freezer waiting to be used in Tortilla Soup.

Sacrificing to win...

Our fridge went out last Monday.

If' you're a regular reader, you know that we've been working on remodeling the kitchen, so replacing the fridge was something we had on the radar anyway. The problem is, we need to do the remodel on our time, not in crisis mode. When paying cash for a remodel, it's best to have the cash before you need the appliance. ;-)

So, we went to the jars. We have two. One is the savings from my Craigslist sales, and other junking ventures, and the other is a purposeful jar, where we save for something the whole family wants, like a programmable thermostat, or a new mini-series DVD set, or whatever we choose. We pooled the money, and came up with enough for almost half of the fridge. But who wants half a fridge?

Since I knew I wanted the stainless steel, I did ALOT of shopping around, but in the end it was more expensive than I had hoped. $1400 including the installation. Nice. That's like half a cruise payment. Fortunately Brenda, I have skills...

Believe me...
are you listening?...
drop the chocolate bar and look into the screen...
voluntary frugality and simplicity of life is a whole lot easier than if you come into a season of forced frugality without the skills.

Six months ago, I would have thought it was impossible to have most of my kitchen remodeled by August 1.

You know it is impossible for a bumble bee to fly, but he does. It's God's design that does it.

It's that way with us, too. He's not caught by surprise with any "crisis" in our lives; He never sleeps or slumbers. Good thing!

So, I ordered my fridge from the local appliance store, paid cash for it with the help of part of my grocery budget for the next two weeks, plus some from the Emergency Fund, (***thank you, again, Dave Ramsey***), and the rest from the jars.

I'll have to be very diligent with my grocery shopping with only $70 for two weeks, but since we have a stocked pantry and freezer, plus our garden, we'll eat well and probably won't even notice much that the grocery budget was cut. There won't be any stockpiling or garage sale-ing, but that's okay.

And this little beauty will come to live at my house...

(all pictures are mine, taken in the backyard. Thank you again, Clarissa, for the seeds!)

I'm officially a fan!

Oh, yes. It works.

Beautiful volunteer plants of all sorts grow in my yard thanks to the variety of birds we have visiting. Any plant that bears small fruits or berries will usually be found sprouting somewhere in my fence row or gardens, or under the bird feeders. We have wild strawberries, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy all making their appearance this time of year.

Unfortunately, I didn't see the plant until I had exposed my arm to it's oils. But, I came right inside and washed with the Burt's Bees soap, letting the suds linger on my arm for several minutes. It neutralized all the oils, and I only have some slight remains from the exposure.

If you are allergic like I am, you need to keep this wonderful product on hand!

Grey Gardens

Check out this amazing transformation! I just wish there were pictures of the house as well...

Ferns

I've been incorporating ferns in our landscape and in our house lately. I like the light, airy look and the soft green adds a calming effect to our surroundings.

My local Lowe's in Broken Arrow has ferns on clearance for 50 cents, so I stocked up yesterday. Since this will probably be my last planting for the season, I splurged and purchased a few of the larger ones on sale for $1.50 as well, to fill in the space behind the swing on the front porch. The area is always shaded, so these will work perfectly there.

I just love those coppery pink leaves on the large fern above. It's called Autumn something, but I'm not sure what because I failed to pick up one with a tag...

Here's the moth that visited yesterday during a gentle rain. I believe it is a Luna moth, and it was a nice surprise to view while I was sweeping the porch in the early morning light.

The galvanized buckets are all being used for planters on the back porch, and I've added asparagus ferns back there, along with a Mandevilla, a potted tomato, and several basil plants for pesto. Yum.
I only found one small green sweet potato vine to purchase this year. All the others were red, but I bet if I go back now, I can find some on clearance at Atwoods. Are you shopping the clearance plants yet?

Here's an urn I filled with different plants and placed on the front porch, by the swing. I love the fern mixed with geraniums. All the different plants, along with some new pillows for the swing, make me want to spend more time outside. So, I'm off to do just that, and get my new ferns planted before we head out to the lake for the weekend.

Be blessed!

Who's been sleeping in my (flower) bed?

Well, here's the kitchen~ in progress, of course! I'm really enjoying the new countertops, and looking forward to getting the backsplash installed.

I like the countertops with the staineless, and the black sink is growing on me, although it does tend to show water spots, a fact about which I am not thrilled. Still, I'm grateful to have it!

I'm also grateful to have such a variety of birds visiting this summer ~ many more than we've ever had before. I guess the word has gotten out that the Little Creek Cottage has a great bird buffet, and cozy bedding for critters like these:

Isn't he adorable? I had a little frog sleeping in the crevice of a chair on the porch yesterday, but this is not the same one. I hope they eat whatever is munching on my canna leaves! And I wouldn't mind if the birds filled themselves with some of the slugs that have made their way into my garden as well.

I'm listing on Craigslist this afternoon, so I better get back to work! Have a great afternoon!

No more dishpan hands!

We were blessed this week to be able to purchase a new KitchenAid Stainless dishwasher! We had been saving for a while, and found this beauty on clearance. It was a total God thing, as my target price, including installation, was $500. You can see from the tag, this little jewel retails for $948 at this Lowe's, but the one on the other side of town had them on clearance!

We were browsing after dinner out, which is itself a rare treat, and found the clearance appliance for $560 including installation! Can you believe it???? We were in the right place at the right time, walking out God's good plans! It should be delivered either Tuesday or Friday, so I'll post again with the "after" pictures.

Now for a manicure to recsue these dishpan hands!

I visited the garden section at the same Lowe's, and really liked the pavillion they had displayed. The curtains are such a nice touch, and they have screens to keep the bugs out.

I really like the softness of the curtains, and we have a west facing porch, so we might sit out there more often if we can block some of the hot Oklahoma sun.

I might purchase a palm or two this year for the porch, but I'll have to find a really great deal.

The door of our little garden shed it still unpainted, but I think I'll use this red Rust-oleum, once we get the trim boards cut and attached to make it look like a dutch door.

I'm excited to finally be working on some of the projects that we've been saving for. It's gratifying to see things come together, and when you have the money, you can bargain and get great deals. That's what makes this fun.

Anticipation!

I'm getting excited to get our garden up and running. After hail and a late March snow storm last week, it's nice to be able to get out and enjoy some beautiful weather. It's a little to windy to do much outside, but I am enjoying the sunshine.

I've been looking through my pictures from a few years back, and came across some of my backyard flowers.
These were my Grandma Carman's favorite irises. I moved them to three different homes, and they continue to be my favorites. I'll be sharing some this year with two sweet widows across the street. They have a beautiful built-in pool, and these irises will make a lovely addition to their gardens.

I don't think this Golden Flame Honeysuckle, pictured in 2005, survived the winter, but I'll be able to make some nice wreaths with the tangled vines, and I'll replant with something free, probably gourds, since the birds like them so well.

This is pretty close to what the garden looks like right now, except that the beds have been turned once already, and we have a few weeds that need to be sprayed. I haven't used any weed sprays in years past, but this year I think we will RoundUp all the way around the beds and lay down mulch so we don't have grass invade the raised beds.

Plus, this is the lowest place in the yard, and when we get the spring rains, it's hard to work out there without sinking to your ankles in mushy ground.

Here's a link for a compost tumbler that I'd love to have built. Last year we purchased a truck load of mushroom compost from J&M Mushroom Farm in Miami, Oklahoma, and we incorporated it into all the beds. Since hubby is not working in Joplin any more, it doesn't make sense to drive that far for compost. But, it's hard to garden without it, and get results like these...

Don't forget to take some time over the next week or so, to get outside and enjoy the sunshine in your area. We like to string the hammocks in the backyard, and relax with good books and our favorite pets. We finished Pride & Prejudice, and are working through the last of Mere Christianity right now.

Enjoy these cooler temperatures! Summer is just around the corner.