creative little daisy

A few details

When we built this house 16 years ago, we had to cut many of the extras that were included in the plans. One of those was a finished bonus room over the garage. Over time Mitch put sheet rock up and had it wired, but for all those years it was just an overflow from the attic. Particle board floors, bare bulb lights, untrimmed window... bare bones.

The only access to the room was by pull down attic stairs in the garage.

I won't go into the details of how Alyssa's marriage ended, it's not my story to tell. But as a mom, I didn't want my child to stay in an unhappy situation because she felt she had nowhere else to go, no other options. Without thought as to how we would make it work, I told her we would turn the bonus room into an apartment for her and Bayleigh. A little to my surprise and much to my relief she accepted the offer.

We began work last summer. It was slow going as we did most of the work ourselves. We hired a carpenter to build the stairs and frame in a bathroom and a friend of Mitch's helped him with the electrical work. My nephews helped with some of the painting and a friend of Alyssa's did some sheet rock work. 

We didn't have a very big budget to work with. The biggest chunk went to getting the stairs built. Alyssa chipped in on much of the expense, but ultimately, finishing the room will add to the value of our home, so we covered the structural stuff.

Mitch built this book shelf that serves as a divider between the room and the stairway.

And now

He also did the plumbing on  a small powder room that is at the base of the stairs and this little kitchen area. We found the cabinets at the Habitat Re-Store for 15 bucks each. We saved our old counters when we installed butcher-block and one section fit perfectly on the cabinets. Alyssa purchased a sink and faucet from O.com, and a friend gave her a fridge. A couple of shelves and some pretty dishes and they have a little kitchen. 

Alyssa purchased the Hemnes daybed from IKEA because it has three huge drawers for storage, can serve as seating during the day and also pulls out to become a king-size bed. Yes, I said a king-size.

Here it is during the day,

and at night.

Surprisingly , the room doesn't feel claustrophobic, even with the bed pulled out.

The "built-ins" on either side of the bed started out as this

Two laminate cabinets from Lowes.

I added some trim and beadboard wallpaper.

Left over stair treads were used for the tops.

A little more trim to bridge the gap between the cabinet and the wall, and a little white paint to finish it off.

They provide quite a bit of storage and don't take up much floor space.

The dandelion wall art was made from leftover wall planks, painted by Mitch. It was inspired by Bayleigh's love for dandelions and the design on our matching tattoos.  I knew we needed something large for that wall and I wanted it to tie in with the plank wall opposite. When I came across this on pinterest, by DIY Diva I knew that's what I wanted.

You can read about the wood plank wall here.

Lighting is from Lowes.

Flooring is Allure vinyl planks in hickory from Home Depot.

There you have it, our journey from an unfinished bonus room to a little attic apartment.   

If you see anything I didn't cover, just ask. I'll be glad to answer any questions.

 

I'll be linking to some of these parties.

 

In the middle of the information super highway driving a tractor

That's what I feel like sometimes. I just can not keep up. I guess it doesn't help that every little bit I know about blogging has been self taught. I'm not a very good teacher. I'm a good worker, but not a good teacher.

So, apparently Google Friends Connect is going bye-bye. I'm not even sure if I should be upset.  See, I told you I'm darn near clueless. I don't want to loose any friends, not friends who read my blog and I also don't want to loose the blogs I've subscribed to. I use Google Reader, will my GFC subscriptions no longer be updated? Clueless I tell you.

Why does Google have to be all sneaky in trying to make folks try Google +?  Another learning curve I have to navigate. Folks, I'm not getting younger. I'm not nearly as sharp as I once was. Not that I was ever the sharpest tool in the shed.

So, can anyone enlighten me? What do I need to do to assure we can all still be friends?  BFFs.

While googling around to try to find some answers, unsuccessfully btw, I came across a suggestion to check out Bloglovin. First I'd heard of it, but I'm going to try it out.

Anyway, I guess I'm going to have to devote some time to tweaking the blog a bit. It looks like a dinosaur in this world of sleek and sophisticated blogs. I need to streamline things, remove some things, add some. Lord help me, my head hurts thinking about it. I guess the GFC gadget will be the first to go. If you are following me through GFC and would like to continue reading my sporadic and semi interesting ramblings, please follow me through... oh I don't know,  some other method. There's a Blogloving button over there on the left, there's also a button that lets you follow through a reader of your choice.  I added the Google + badge, but I'm mad at Google for starting this whole mess to begin with. I'm mad at Picnik too. I'm mad and pouting.

Now, aren't you glad you checked in here today for all this positivity? You are welcome. Now I'm off to take some motrin and  demo work on this blog. Can't I just spray paint it?

test post

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As I sit here with an ice pack on my back,

with three days left in the month, I have come to the realization, I will not be meeting the challenge. Dang it. I really, really wanted to build a sofa table.  I still plan to get it done, but not before the end of the month. Frowny face.  It was looking a bit doubtful that I would get it done anyway, but there was still hope, then I pulled a muscle in my back. Standing up straight is about as much challenge as I can see myself taking on in the next couple of days.

I've not been a complete slacker the whole month. We've accomplished lots in the apartment, and they have actually moved in. I'm really excited about how it all came together. It's much roomier than any of us expected.

I'll go into more detail in another post, for now I'll just share a few pictures.

We aren't 100% finished, there are pictures to hang, some touch up painting to do... minor details at this point. For now, the girls are happy to call it home sweet home.

 

Because I love a good challenge...

My new friend Linda who blogs at It All Started With Paint, has put forth a very intriguing challenge. Tackle that project you have feared, dreaded, or just plain believed impossible. The time has come to stop putting it off, look that project in the eye and tell it who's the boss. Turn your impossible projects into impossiblities.

Linda plans to finally give her master bedroom the makeover she's been dreaming of by facing her fear of heights. She has mile high vaulted ceilings in her bedroom, well maybe I exaggerate, but man, she's going to need a ladder and a long roller handle. How about cutting in? How will she do that? Is she scared? Yes, but she her desire for a newly decorated sanctuary is stronger than her fears.

I had to think a bit before settling on what would be my impossiblility. Not much in the realm of DIY scares me. Many shake at the thought of painting their kitchen cabinets. I've painted mine a few times.

I've tackled slipcovers, I've changed light fixtures. The one thing I've yet to attempt is building something from wood. I don't mind using power tools. I just get all anxious at the idea of precision cuts and joining wood.

When I gave my bar a makeover I cannot tell you how many cuts I had to redo. That old measure twice cut once adage, how about measure three or four times and still cut half a dozen times.

I got a Kreg Jig for my birthday, and it's still in the box. I see other bloggers using plans from the amazingly talented and generous Anna White and I want to be able to say I built a book case or a bench. I just haven't been able to face my fears and just try. I get dizzy just thinking about the math involved. Did you know a 2x4 does not actually measure 2 inches by 4 inches?

I have a sofa table pinned that John of Young House of Love made. I have the same sectional, so I know the dimensions he used will work for me. I pinned it with the intention of convincing Mitch to make it. He really deserves a break from my never ending honey-do list, so I'm taking Linda's challenge. I'm going to build that sofa table. I think I can, I think I can...

What can you say about caulk?

It's messy, it's tedious, it's not the least bit fun, and for the most part, no one ever even notices it, if it's done right that is. People get all excited about paint. Throw some wood on the walls and it's a party. Caulk is like the eyebrow or moustache waxing of DIY. It doesn't get much attention unless you don't do it.

Yesterday I caulked the stairs. It took a long time, a lot of tape and pretty near a whole roll of paper towels.

This is what the stairs looked like after staining the treads and painting the risers. Not too good. That's a bummer. You do all that work and stand back to admire the lovely....cracks. Even though I spent hours sanding and staining, sanding more and applying polyurethane. Taping and priming and painting. Three coats. It looked like crap. All you could see was cracks and imperfections.

Now, let me say, there will be no after photos of perfection. I'm not a great caulker, but it will pass, and there are no glaring cracks staring at me.

More importantly in this case, there are no cracks for hot or cold air to creep through.

I'm not going to give a tutorial on caulking.

I'm in no way qualified. But I did find a product recently that makes me dread the job less.

Caulk-EZ

I'm not in any way being compensated for mentioning Caulk-EZ. I just happened to come across it when searching tips on removing old caulk.

There is a video on the site that shows how to use it. Basically you just run your bead of caulk and spray the Caulk-EZ along the line, then run your finger along the line, like you normally would.

The caulk smooths out beautifully. It doesn't get all over the surrounding area, and though it still gets on your fingers, it's much less messy.

I used one roll of paper towels, as opposed to two, but I'm the messiest DIYer ever.

By no means perfect, but no more cracks and gaps

Now excuse me, I have about 20 more things I need to mark off the to-do list to get that room finished.

 

PS

On an entirely different note, I need help with my blog. I have been reluctant to admit that. I've always just played around with the layout, and through trial and error got things somewhat presentable. These days, I can barely find the time to post, much less to tweak the blog design. I don't make money on the blog, so it's hard to justify forking out big bucks to make it pretty. If there is anyone out there interested in helping a sister out, maybe we could work out some sort of trade. Free advertising? Cheap labor? I'm pretty good with a sewing machine... 

 

Palletless Pallet Wall how to~

I usually like to share thrifty decorating solutions.

This was one occasion when we decided we'd rather spend

a little money and save a lot of time and effort.

The product I used for my wood plank wall

is v groove wood planks by

EverTrue,

sold in packs of 6 eight foot long planks.

The package says it will cover 14 sq feet.

Our wall is 11 feet wide by 8 feet tall

or 88 square feet, so we bought seven packs.

I also bought three small cans of wood stain,

a light shade, a dark shade and gray.

The light shade was golden oak.

Don't buy this unless you're going for the color of mustard. Blech!

That other can is one I already had.

I usually buy Minwax stain, but I decided to give the Rustoleum a try.

I liked it. Especially the gray.

I stained all of the boards, brushing the stain on, letting it sit a couple of minutes,

then wiped off the excess.

Some I just used the gray stain, some the dark. For some I dry brushed the dark over the gray

and others I stained dark then brushed the gray over.

I was just going for old looking and

wanted quite a bit of variation in colors.

I brought them into the room and laid them out,

according to color.

The foreman was present, to make sure the job was done right,

as usual.

Mitch did the first few rows, before he had to go to work and I finished it up.

He started by finding the studs to determine where we would nail,

but these guys are so light, you don't really have to hit a stud.

There was no formula to our cuts,

we just knew we wanted it to look random, no pattern.

When we got to the outlets, Mitch notched out around them.

He used a coping saw, but said a utility knife would probably work.

We attached them to the wall with an air powered stapler. (from Harbor Freight)

Again, being supervised every step of the way.

The boards are tongue and grove so they lock together.

I was able to put up several rows before actually securing

them to the wall,

That allowed me to be sure I was happy with the layout.

We started at the floor and luckily it worked out

that I was able to finish with a full sized board at the ceiling.

The only place we had to cut the width of the boards was just above and below the window.

Mitch made those cuts and used a box cutter. 

The back of the planks have channels or grooves you can follow for cutting.

You can see in the photo below, the piece above the window

is pretty thin and it broke before I got it installed.

I taped it together and kept installing,

Once it was all up we removed the tape

and patched it with wood putty.

It blended right in.

This is one time I'm so happy Mitch didn't want to go along

with my plan. Shhh, don't tell him I said that.

Remember, the room is unfinished.  Excuse the unpainted window trim.

Don't mind the saw on the floor and the ladder in the corner.

Or the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

We can't seem to find the light fixtures we

purchased at IKEA.

It's a bit of a mess around here.

Finishing up this wall has given me

an extra little push to forge ahead.

It's nice to see my vision coming to life.

 

Sharing is fun! Check out these parties~

 

The palletless pallet wall

We are nearing the finish line with Alyssa's attic apartment.

Mostly finish work,

painting, installing shelves,

bringing in furniture.

Yes the end is in sight.

So what does that have to do with pallets?

I had a definite vision for the room .

White walls, dark floors with some rustic and industrial accents.

I've already shared the barn door that leads to the attic.

The oposite wall was to be covered in wood slats from pallets.

(Real Housewives of Bucks County)

I shared the above photo with Mitch.

He liked it. Phew, that was a relief.

Not because he wants (or gets) a lot of say so in the details of decorating,

but because I knew I'd be needing his help.

I found a source for as many pallets as it would take

but when the time came to go get them,

he started giving me all the reasons it may not work.

Pallets are very heavy-

they are super rough, do you know how rough they are?

Do you know how hard it's going to be to get them apart?

Do you know how many it will take to do a whole wall?

Do you realize how heavy they are?

Finally I acted like any mature and understanding wife and said

just forget about it.

And I went outside to pout and paint baseboards.

While I was painting and pouting, a conversation was taking place in my head.

A good vs. evil conversation.

I'll spare you the details, and just say good won out.

As much as I wanted to pout, all I could think about was how hard

he works and all that he does for me and our family.

I was the one who wanted the pallet wall,

but he would be the one doing most of the work.

I wasn't ready to give up my vision for the room entirely,

I just knew I had to come up with a different plan.

(The Lettered Cottage)

I was looking at this photo on Pinterest, because of the daybed.

We are going to make a window seat/bed for Bayleigh and want to do something like this.

Then I noticed the wall behind the bed.

If you read the post, the boards on the wall are from an old gymnasium floor.

Cool. I just need to find some old gym floor boards.

Yea, like that's likely to happen.

But then (probably the same night)  I saw this.

(Beneath my Heart)

And the wheels began to turn.

I wanted the look of old aged wood,

but something I could handle myself.

Bingo!

This is what I bought, the same planks Traci was using on her ceiling.

I bought them at Lowe's.

Six eight foot planks to a pack.

For some reason, I expected them to be around ten dollars a pack,

but they were closer to $15 a pack.

That wasn't easy, you know I'm

all about thrifty decorating.

The pallets would have been free.

I decided if I turned out as I hoped, it would be worth the money spent.

I finished the wall today and

it is worth every penny!!!

I. Am. In. LOVE!

Like I said, the room isn't finished, the window has to be painted,

but I couldn't wait to share.

I'll be back tomorrow to share some of the steps I took to get here,

in case you want a non pallet, pallet wall for yourself.

Happy New Year friends!

xo Autum

 

 

Is it possible to make just one?

Maybe for some, but not me.

Once I start, I can't seem to stop.

At least it's a cheap addiction.

And they're pretty.

This was yesterday, as the sun was going down.

And my view this morning as I had my coffee.

I love that each one is a surprise.

Unfolding  is like opening a little present.

I never know what they are going to look like,

although, now that I've made a few dozen,

I've learned where to cut to get diferent effects.

Go get yourself some white paper and scissors. 

If you need help with the folding and cutting,

here are a few different tutorials.

Just know, making paper snowflakes is like eating potato chips,

you can't stop at just one.

Apartment happenings

I haven't updated on Alyssa's apartment in a while.

It has been much slower going than I anticipated,

but I hope we've reached a point where the end is in sight.

If you squint, and crook your head to the side, you can see the end.

Mitch put the flooring down last week.

Allure vinyl planks from Home Depot.

The job foreman was constantly watching over his shoulder to make sure he was doing it right.

There you get a little peek at the barn door Mitch constructed for the attic access.

I've been itching to have a place to use a barn door

since seeing this beauty.

(source)

Mitch quickly squashed my dreams, telling me it wouldn't work.

We need a door that will seal out the heat and cold from the attic.

A sliding door would make it difficult to heat and cool the room efficiently.

What if it isn't on a slider?  What if it actually opens and closes, could we have a barn door then?

That poor man. He puts up with so much from me and my design whims. 

Without argument he went right to building me a barn door.

And a lovely barn door it is.

I will be staining the pine boards and the siding in the center

will be painted white.

The walls will remain white.

 well three of them.

For the wall opposite the barn door wall, I wanted to do a pallet wall.