Stamp that Wall!

I'm getting 'er done! Let me tell you, so many projects rolling around my mind and it feels like a victory each time one gets completed.  The happy dance comes out and music must be played and I sit and look at the completion for awhile just to soak it in. 

I have been trying to figure out what to do with our Master Bedroom wall for so long - nothing felt like something I could commit to.  I didn't want to just post a picture or a mirror... I scoured the internet and there were a lot of great ideas but I wanted something with a uniquely 'me' feel. 

I found some wall stencils online Here and they are beautiful, seemed really easy, etc. The problem was I wanted a DIY, so I thought maybe I could make a stencil, and then I realized that the pattern I liked was easily repeated and why not make a stamp of it instead?  So I used a sheet of corkboard from the Dollarama and cut out the shape I wanted then added some more cork to the back for support and a piece of wood to use as a handle.  It's quite ghetto but does the trick!

I used the same paint colour we used on the main floor so it didn't cost anything and I began.  I found it best to pour some paint into a pan and paint it onto the stamp with a brush, gave a little more control.  Then I lined up my handle vertically and stamped away, trying to keep with the pattern the whole way.  I was nervous at first but then realized I really liked the semi-complete look it was getting from the stamp.  I found the best way to work it was to paint less paint on and apply pressure to all spots on the back.  It was easy to manipulate how much paint showed up on the walls.

The pattern didn't quite make it fully to both adjacent walls (I started in the middle so it would mostly be centered) but that's ok, I added a 'fade-out' look on the edges and I really like it.

I am thrilled with this one, I just had to sit and stare at it for awhile to take it in after I was done. Hubbers looks a little overwhelmed by it, but he'll catch on to how cool it is!

Does crafting a wine cabinet mean you have a wine problem?

So it started out with sticking the wine bottles in that little storage cupboard under our bar height table. It's kind of fun to stash wine there and forget about it and then be thrilled when there is a bottle there you didn't remember buying.  However, our stash soon began to exceed the small square footage that cupboard afforded. There's no more wall space in our kitchen for a wall hung wine rack, so I began pinterest searching DIY wine cabinets and thought "Ah ha! I shall craft one out of an old, smallish bookshelf." It won't take up much space....
The next ... couple months?.. were spent searching second hand stores, nothing quite right jumped out at me (thought I did score some other deals in the meantime!)  Then finally - I found it!  And it was not small, it was this beast (it did have both upper doors - I had already taken one off before realizing I definitely needed a before picture!):

Ewwww right!?  This old microwave stand was 15 dollars at the Salvation Army - Score!  And then I had to call hubbers to bring the big vehicle to come and pick it up. I expected much reluctance and resistance on his part to have this monstrosity sit in our 'basement' for the next couple weeks. To my astonishment he was totally onboard and all in! 
We spent the next few days dreaming up ways to incorporate a wine rack into the bottom (Hubbers constructed one from wood bought at Home Depot) and glass storage in the upper cabinet (a wine glass hanger from Bed, Bath, & Beyond).  As well the decision of how to decorate it came up (I mostly directed this because... I wanted to make those decisions!) We decided to paint it matte black (bad idea - definitely go with a semi-gloss on furniture for easier cleaning and less scuffing) as well, we should have primed the laminate first but we were too cheap/lazy (bad idea- the paint peels off easily in some places). For the back of the upper cabinet I used multiple paint chips to create a blue ombre 'fade' of colour (good idea - I love it!)

For the countertop we started with paint but that chipped off too easily so I used some vinyl plank flooring and glued and friction fit it to the top (good idea - water resistant and it looks fab!).  We switched out the hardware for some pretty cheap Home Depot handles and added some vinyl for the lower back portion and the front of the counter to hide all the seams and glue! Another nice thing - it fit right into this little cubby between the living room and the kitchen - perfect location.

End Result - I love it!  It is totally ours and a work of collaboration.  It took a long time to complete, but Thursday night resulted in us just deciding to get 'er done - and we did!  We flew by the seat of our pants for the most part and I am so happy with the results.  The only thing I would change is properly priming the laminate first so we don't have future issues and using semi-gloss paint. As well I would like some upper cabinet lighting (we got some LED's from IKEA for the lower cabinet - but there isn't much room in the upper cabinet.)

All in all - so fantastically happy - and the best part is we got to go wine shopping after to stock 'er up!

Colour Me RAD!!

Wow, this was so insanely fun and so out of this world random.  Who thought of this Colour me RAD race? I would like to give them a big rainbow and sunshine filled hug! Seriously, we ran this and then thought - holy cow - this is too good to be true.

Here's the jist - dress in ridiculous gear, run a 5K race and get coloured powder thrown at you (in your face, up your nose, down your shirt... you get the idea ) as you run.  And by the end you are a stained glass design!  It was so much fun and we kicked that 5K's butt! I am feeling paranoid about doing this again next year - don't want to forget!

Nothing like doing something purely for the fun of it...

The Before - Sparkly white

The After

They'll get you!

Happy Canada Day

What a wonderful long weekend. It finally, finally felt like summer here! Almost like a summer at the equator - it's been insanely hot! But this gal ain't complaining (much) because this is what we wait those long dreary winter months for.  As I write it's 9:17 pm and the sky still has the daylight blazing out of it, it's tempting me to get off my keister and go for a walk but there's so many little things I want to finish up around the house (fun things - don't worry, not chores).
This weekend was busy, there was me and J-sis's book club Friday night, wedding all day Saturday (which hubbers was a part of, so I visited with friends all day), golfing Sunday, and CANADA DAY Monday which included a fantastic fireworks display to finish off the weekend. It was four days full of friends and family and really fantastic times. A good kick-off to our two month blissful summer :)

Stealing a Kiss