Gardening

Hexagon Greenhouse

June 10, 2013 By Stacy 13 Comments

I realized the other day that I posted about my green house and directed you to the crafting for charity event but I never actually shared my tutorial with you. Here is how I turned an updated curio cabinet into a greenhouse!

I originally was going to build one from scratch. But I had a deadline. So I brainstormed about other ways to do it. Curios came to mind because they already have so much glass. Also, most of the indoor greenhouses I have seen have been table top versions. I start a lot of seedlings and wanted something bigger. I found this 6 foot curio cabinet on our local online classifieds for $25.00!!! Yes, it was sadly out of date but it had loads of potential. The shape of it was half of a hexagon so it made sense to me to capitalize on that and cover it in a hexagon pattern. I just love the hexagon pattern!

The first thing I did was cover the glass with newspaper and painters tape.

Then anything that had a shiny finish (except the glass of course), got sanded. I did this because primer and paint will stick better to a dull surface.

Then I primed and painted everything that had been gold.

Next I cut out a hexagon pattern out of vinyl. I used my Silhouette machine but if you do not own a machine, there are places online you can order custom vinyl. Make sure you have your exact measurements for them and maybe even a rendering of what you want it to look like.

Another option (which I almost did) is to cut the pattern out of 1/8 inch plywood with a jig saw.

Or you could even stencil it on. There are a ton of stencil options available at crafts store and online.

Before applying the vinyl, clean the glass well.

Once you have your vinyl (it will be stuck to a clear transfer paper) you need to line it up where you want it and then use something thin, hard, and flat to rub the vinyl. A credit card or a plastic putty knife would work. This allows the vinyl to stick to the glass so that when you pull the transfer paper off, the vinyl stays put. I added the vinyl to the outside of the curio cabinet.

And then fill it with you favorite plants and seedlings and put it in a sunny, cool place.

Do you start your plants from seed? If so, do you use a green house? I would love to hear your thoughts! Now that I have planted all my seedlings, I think I will fill mine with houseplants and maybe some herbs :)

Filed Under: Gardening, Projects 13 Comments

Articles I wrote :)

May 31, 2013 By Stacy 1 Comment

If you follow me on Facebook than you probably already know that I have been asked to write some articles for Homes.com. I wanted to share them with you today in case you have not have the chance to read them yet. They are fun topics about things that I love. I hope you will check them out. Or at least the ones that interest you :) Here are all the links……

TREND ALERT: Hexagons

Creative Outdoor Seating

Furniture that does Double Duty

Awesome Sandbox Ideas

Ways to Freshen Up Your Boring Privacy Fence

I have some more articles coming up soon. You can read them by following Homes.com and I will let you know when they post on my Facebook page as well.

Filed Under: Decorating, Furniture, Gardening, Projects 1 Comment

What I Have Been Up To……

May 20, 2013 By Stacy 11 Comments

So what have I been up to? Because it certainly hasn’t been blogging! At least not as much as usual. I went from 4+ posts a week to 2 as soon as April hit. It has been crazy around here. I think May rivals December as my busiest time of year. Spring hits and not only do I have my regular DIY projects and other stuff but I have a yard that has been dormant all winter that is crying out for attention. It is also the end of the school year which means programs, performances, field trips, etc.

So here (shown in instagram pictures) is what I have been up to lately!

I currently have TWO bathrooms torn apart. And we only have two bathrooms. You do the math….. it equals a big mess! The downstairs bathroom was never finished by the previous owners. They added it but never built walls on the other two sides or did the flooring. Due to a leak in the pipes in the wall, I had to tear down the sheet rock and pull out the insulation.

There was also a leak in the up bath. I tore down the tile so the wood behind could dry out. We will finish the down bath first, then tackle the up bath after that. It may take awhile though. Even though I am saving money by doing things myself, it still takes money to do. Good thing I can pull the shower curtain shut and hide the mess :)

piano-recital

Our two oldest boys had their first piano recital. They have only been taking lessons for two months and got assigned their piece a few days before the recital. I was so proud of them for participating even though they were so new.

My sweet 6 year old graduated from Kindergarten. I won’t post pictures from his program due to the fact that there are other children in them, but here we are right after the program. He did great with his speaking part :)

A lot of my time has been spent with this little guy. Ever since it warmed up he only wants to be outside. He has been my yard work “helper”. He works for popsicles :)

I have my garden all prepped finally. It took forever to warm up here this year. Winter didn’t want to release its grasp on us.

My view from the garden :) Kickball in the back of the yard.

My secret garden has come back to life. After a hard day of work in the yard I spend a little time relaxing here. It is my happy place :) Last year THIS is what I was working hard on.

And then it is back to the school for more programs. One of which was called the wax museum. The kids dressed up as people from history and had to memorize things about them to tell as people stopped by their booth. I think it is such a good experience to have to research and then present it this way.

I am going to be planting my garden today if it is dry enough. We have had rainstorms all weekend. I also have more school events since this is the last week of school. I am hoping after school gets out and my garden gets planted that things will calm down enough that I can really work hard on the down bath. I also have outside projects up my sleeve and some recipes I want to share.

Is spring as crazy for you as it is for us??? What have you been up to?

Filed Under: Gardening, Mom Stuff 11 Comments

I am in a book! {and a beautiful giveaway}

May 6, 2013 By Stacy 123 Comments

*****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*****

The winner is Nicole, who said: “Hello, We are not a big houseplant family. But that needs to change! My daughter has Asthma and her attacks are getting more and more frequent. I think that by outfitting every room with a plant or two, maybe this will help. Thing is I have no clue where to start! I would love ideas and this book looks amazing! Thank you for the opportunity.”

I have something fun to share with you today! My Mason Jar Planter has been featured in a book :) I have been featured in several magazines but this is my first time in a book. And it is a topic that I adore. I have plants all over my house. I love gardening as much as DIY projects so it is a natural thing to have so many plants around.

The publisher, St.Lynn’s Press, sent me a copy. This book is gorgeous! There are 138 pages of inspirational photos and advice on what plants to use and how to keep them alive. Here is just a tiny example of what you can see in the book:

Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants is now available on Amazon in hardback for about $10.00!

GIVEAWAY:

Longfield Gardens is also wanting to giveaway one of these terrarium growing kits to one of my readers. I ADORE Cloches style terrariums. And this one is so pretty.

(Source: Longfield Gardens)

This Grow Kit contains:
• Terrarium
• Peat Pot
• Soil
• 1 bulb, variety Picotee White

Let’s keep this simple.

To enter: Leave a comment on my blog telling me what your favorite houseplant is OR telling me why you need/want this book.

*This giveaway will run from May 6th until May 13th. The winner will be announced May 14th. Open to US residents only.

Other blogs doing similar giveaways:

The Rainforest Garden
Gardening Gone Wild
Cowlick Cottage Farm
Shawna Coronado
Dirt Du Jour
Personal Garden Coach
The Impatient Gardener
Gossip in the Garden

Pam Penick’s Digging

Filed Under: Decorating, Gardening 123 Comments

Garden {twitter} Party!!!

April 24, 2013 By Stacy 2 Comments

If you have read my blog for awhile then you know I am equally obsessed with gardening as I am with Home Décor. From my Secret Garden to my HUGE vegetable garden to flower beds that give curb appeal out front, I love to get my hands dirty!

I was invited to co-host a twitter party with Homes.com and Forrent.com on gardening. AND if you go to their blog post and RSVP (at the bottom of the post) you will be entered to win one of FIVE $50 gift cards.

If you have never participated in a twitter chat, they are easy and fun. Hop on twitter, follow the hashtag #HomeChat, and give your answers and opinions when we ask some questions. If you go to the top of twitter you can search for a specific hashtag and it will show all those using it in your feed.

Here is all the info and remember to RSVP so you can be in the running for the gift cards!!!

See you tomorrow!!!

Filed Under: Gardening 2 Comments

Garden Signs {and a Silhouette Portrait GIVEAWAY!!!}

April 18, 2013 By Stacy 287 Comments

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

The winner is: Candy Covington :)

I LOVE being able to giveaway awesome things like the Silhouette machines. I use mine ALLLLLL the time.

I recently used it to make labels for containers in my office closet and I also just made some garden signs.

I ADORE gardening. I have a vegetable garden that is about 80 feet by 25 feet. I think it is so relaxing to plant, weed, and harvest.

(my garden last spring)

Back in 2009 I made some garden signs. I bought the metal stakes online and then I cut some plexiglass to fit inside. I ordered some vinyl lettering online as well. It was before I had my Silhouette and long before I started my blog. garden-sign-collage

(my garden- 2009)

They were darling, but there was a big problem. After only one year the plexiglass yellowed and cracked. I stored the metal stakes and have been meaning to make new ones ever since.

This year I decided it was high time I tackled it.

I went to the local metal shop and asked for metal pieces to be cut (3 inches by 5 inches). It was less than $20 to have 20 something cut.

I cut out my vinyl and applied it to the metal. I have been told that good quality vinyl will last 4-6 years outdoors. And since I bring mine in during the winter I think they will last a little longer before I have to replace the vinyl.

I can’t wait for it to stop snowing so I can plant the rest of my garden :)

Today I get to give away one Silhouette Portrait machine!!!

There is also a really good promotion going on that starts today. Silhouette reduced the price of their vinyl from $14.90 to $9.99 PLUS it is on sale at 25% off. So even if you already have a machine, this would be a good time to stock up on vinyl.

Here is how to enter:

(if you have issues with rafflecopter please email me)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win a Silhouette, visit these other sites that also have giveaways :)

Makely

The Shabby Creek

DIY Show Off

Filed Under: Gardening 287 Comments

Hexagon Greenhouse

April 10, 2013 By Stacy 22 Comments

I was invited to join 7 other bloggers to create something for my home for a “Crafting for Charity” event through Homes.com. We each created something and picked a charity. The blogger whose project wins the most votes, gets to give a $5,000 donation to their charity. The details (and the voting) are on the Homes.com Facebook page on the top where their tabs are. One voter will randomly be picked to win $500 :) So go vote!

I have always wanted an indoor greenhouse but the ones I have come across were too small. I decided to figure out a way to make one myself.

I was originally going to build one from scratch but when I found this 6 foot curio cabinet on our local classifieds for only $25 I knew I couldn’t build one for that cheap. I came up with a plan to transform it into the greenhouse of my dreams :)

The curio was sadly outdated and very BLAH. But the shape was amazing and all that glass would be perfect for a greenhouse!

I actually have this in my bedroom right now. That might seem like a weird place for a green house, but my room is so sunny and I LOVE waking up and seeing it. Plants make me happy :)

I would love it if you would go and vote for my project on the Homes.com Facebook page. My charity is The Children’s Justice Center that provides care for abused children.

Filed Under: Decorating, Gardening, Projects 22 Comments

The day I met Martha Stewart….

March 25, 2013 By Stacy 30 Comments

It was a warm sunny day in Las Vegas and I had just spent an hour next to a very chatty man (who thought he was hilarious) on the airplane. I was rocking my first pair of colored skinny jeans (heck! my first pair of skinny jeans period!) and I was feeling good. I walked into Mandalay Bay to be greeted by a sea of orange. The Home Depot had descended upon Vegas for their annual Managers Meeting and I was about to get a behind the scenes look!

While the 3,000 some odd Home Depot store managers from around the world were in a meeting, I was able to sneak into the “product walk” as they call it. They basically build a Home Depot store inside the event center, only it is a Home Depot store times 100! It was HUGE! Talk about feeling like a kid in a candy store.

The product walk was set up so that the store managers could see all the new products. The reps from the companies taught, and answered any questions about the products. This way when people come into the stores, they will be educated about the product and will be able to give the best service. There were so many booths that it takes two days to visit them all! Some of the CEOs for the brands were there as well. That was really neat to see how proud they were of their company :)

(LEFT: CNBC setting up for interviewing the CEOs and Martha Stewart RIGHT: Frank Blake being interviewed)

My favorite CEO was there too. Frank Blake, the CEO of The Home Depot, came to speak to the managers and check it all out. This is the first time they have let the media come. It was CNBC and….. me! In fact, I had to sign a confidentiality agreement. Good thing I rock at keeping secrets :) Oh, and there is a Frank story later……. because I can’t seem to travel anywhere without embarrassing myself, right?

The garden center was one of my favorite areas. It smelled amazing! And I love that everything here (in fact all the products in this whole HD convention center) were donated to local charities after the event was done.

The convention center wasn’t big enough so they had to take over a whole parking lot as well! They had hands on booths and showcased products that are online only. It was fun to see things in real life that normally I browse for on their website.

And of course there were plenty of power tools :)

And I learned about some awesome flooring and tried it out. It was stunning! This color in particular will be coming out later in the year and I am trying to think of where in my home I could put it.

And guess what? Martha was in the HOUSE! She was interviewed by CNBC and then demonstrated her new line of paint. I had the chance to meet her and visit for a minute.

(instagram shot)

Martha is amazing at personal branding and has mad business skills. She is the best at what she does. And it is a notch in my DIY belt to say I have met her.

The whole day was fabulous. Insider Home Depot secrets, creme brulee for lunch, hanging out with my favorite PR girl Kelly, Martha, and sunshine pretty makes for a perfect day. The best part for me was being surrounded by people who were so full of excitement that it was almost tangible. There is an energy that is indescribable when you are in a room full of passionate people.

So as the day was wrapping up, I still had not had a chance to talk with my buddy Frank. I had met him at a previous event and was excited to see him again. He is seriously the NICEST guy ever. He had taken off after the interview with CNBC and was walking around like everyone else. We had the event planners with their walkie talkies trying to spot him for me. Finally right before I was about to leave Kelly and I spotted him.

Insert random fact……. I am a hugger. I like to squeeze the crap out of people when I am excited to see them or meet them. I didn’t hug Frank Blake the first time because no one else was and I was so shocked to be actually meeting him. But I figured that since it was our second meeting, a hug was warranted. And really, I think he went in for the hug first.

I think.

Well, after chatting a minute it was time for me to go back to the airport. On our way out of the event center we saw the event planner. She was standing next to a guy who looked familiar but I didn’t think anything of it. I told her we had found Frank so she wouldn’t have to keep looking. I told her he had recognized me and we hugged.

Her eyes got huge. She looked to the man at her side (who turned out to be Frank’s personal security) and said “Is that even allowed?”

We had a good laugh :)

I am so excited about the things that Home Depot is doing this year. And I am excited to be able to share more behind the scenes stuff with you later. Thanks for letting me share!

Filed Under: Decorating, Gardening, Painting, Power Tools 30 Comments

Trellis {from my Secret Garden}

August 31, 2012 By Stacy 17 Comments

Remember when I posted my “final” Secret Garden post? But then I remembered I forgot one of the projects? *sigh* That is what I get for writing my posts at night… late at night.

Here is the trellis from my Secret Garden.

This is what it started out as…..

I took the rounded swirly parts off from the sides. I sanded, primed, and painted them. Then I Screwed them together and used wire to attach them to the fence. I really want to add a metal rod to the bottom that would go into the ground and would keep the wood off the ground. I have an early blooming white clematis growing on it. I can’t wait for spring to see the huge white blooms again!