A Pallet Headboard

I love pallets !  

I love that they are free! 

I love that they are just waiting to be made into something spectacular!! 

Pallet boards sanded. 

My son and I decided it was time make a new bed.  One he could use into this teenage years and one that had a light on it for reading in bed.  

Here are the raw pallets we collected.  

 The first step was to take apart the pallets so the wood was usable. I loved the rustic look with all the nail holes.  We spent some time sanding down the wood .  

Pallet Headboard assembly 

Next step was to assemble the head-board and foot-board. We used a large piece of plywood cut to the size of the finished head-board. We nailed the pallet wood to the plywood making made sure to stagger them as they are different lengths and widths. 

Then my handy husband made a frame to go around the outside of the headboard.  This gave a finished look and stabilized it. 

The next step was to install the light and switch.  We bought an industrial light and switch from Lowe's.  

It was not wired to be a plug in lamp . So it had to be rewired to attach to the light switch on the bed then plug into the wall. 

An industrial light from Lowe's. 

Now on to the finish.  I decided the wood was too beautiful to stain . So, I took an old can of grey paint and mixed it with water.  I then rubbed it on the wood giving it an aged look.  I then sealed it with a satin polyurethane to protect it.  

I'm thrilled!! 

We used an old bed frame from a brass trundle bed to make this a trundle bed . A boy has to have room for sleepovers. 

  We just attached the wire frame to the head board and foot board.

  

A bed made from pallets

Now he can lay in bed , read, and then roll over and turn off the light .  zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have been dreaming of all the things I want to create with the pallet wood sitting in my garage. 

I am hoping to get some Adirondack chairs made for the fire pit.  But, that's another day........ 

Robyn 

SIDENOTE: When I say " we" I mean my husband. While I am pretty handy , he really is the one that makes the assembly happen. 

Chalkboard Paint Tags

 I love chalkboard paint.
 I love Pinterest.
 I love projects on Pinterest that use chalkboard paint.


I bought cute pre-cute wooden tags at the thrift store about 18 months ago. A bargain at 50 cents for a pack of 12.  My plan was to use them for our laundry baskets. Imagine how cute the baskets would be with names on them.   But, I am not a big fan of paint brushes. So, I have been searching for chalkboard paint in a spray paint can.  FINALLY... Lowe's debuted it a few weeks ago.

I bought two cans .

This is so simple. Two coats later  I have tags . I used twine to string them and tie them to our laundry baskets.

Simple, cute and easy. My kind of project. !!

Robyn

A guest room ?

I never thought a room in our home would ever acquire the title of guest room.  The fact we have 5 kids all needing a place to lay their heads and store their Lego's made this seem flat out.. well.... absurd. 

But, kids grow up and go away to college. Then they  come back ( to do laundry) . So, a guest room was a necessity. 

This is what the room looked like before.  A guest room often gets the leftovers and hand-me-downs.  

I didn't want a room that screamed "STORAGE ROOM"!   But, our budget was nonexistent. Did I mention we have three in college?  

 So, this was all about using and re-purposing what we already had . I think many families are trying to find ways to update their homes without tapping into their children's college funds to pull it off .  So..........

We had two twin beds and a side table . 

I had purchased OOPS paint a few months back because it was cheap and I can't pass up a bargain!  

Testing out the paint options.

I had this old desk that would be perfect .. if it wasn't black and scratched and ugly.  Perfect for my kids to do all their studying while home  ? (yeah right !) A fresh coat of paint and it fits right in.

So, my handy husband patched and painted the walls with a leftover gallon of  paint .  Neutral. 

 The accessories were in my decor closet .  It was fun to shop without spending a dime.  

The bedding was found at a local discount department store . Between the sale price and a coupon I paid $ 20.00 for both!

The lamp was found at a thrift store a few years ago without a shade . I found the burlap shade for a steal.  A beautiful marriage! 

I love burlap.... Especially on a lampshade.

I love this bright beautiful room. 

A guest room

 I love that it stays clean ... until the kids arrive home with their dirty laundry. 

It is still a work in progress.  I have a few things I want to add. But the fun part of decorating is slowly adding treasures you find along the way. 

Until then, I stop in a couple times during the day and smile! 

Robyn

A Shutter Wall

How exciting to reach into the mailbox for the latest issue of Country Living magazine, grab my diet coke, and settle in my comfortable chair for some me time .... and I found 

THE  SHUTTER WALL!!

Shutter wall   OliveandLove.com

 Laura Durrer's inspiration was a display in an Anthropologie store .  Inspiration can be anywhere. How many times have we all thought I love that idea and am so going to reproduce it? Never to see it to fruition?  

 

 

 

 

Well Laura was dedicated !!    You can check out all the wonderful details on her blog  oliveandlove.com  

 After reading it a few times and drooling over ever inch of the gorgeous dining room, I decided this was a "tear out and post on my inspiration board  " kind of project. ! I love it !!! 

I just had to share it with you !!  Next time you see a sad old shutter sitting there.... GRAB IT!!! 

Happy decorating, 

Robyn

A Skinny Cosmo

Cosmopolitans

 My drink of choice especially when I get together with girlfriends.  I decided there must be a way to make these less harmful to my midsection.  After many many trail runs and tasting sessions
 ( feeling sorry for me?) I think this is the best recipe.  It is under 120 Calories.


 My friends seem to think so too !  But you have to watch the men in the room... they love them too and are not afraid to say so!

A skinny cosmo

 There are two versions. 

Skinny Cosmo 

2oz vodka
1 oz triple sec
2 oz diet cranberry juice
1oz fresh lime juice with splenda

 Mix with ice in shaker . Enjoy !

There is a new diet triple sec on the market made by Monin. Its a bit hard to find but worth the search. It makes this drink 120 calories!! 

I think this calls for a girls night in!!

Robyn

Chocolate Heaven

I love new recipes. I love new ideas.  I love to share them. Especially when they are this easy and decadent. I love Ree Drummond's site, The Pioneer Woman.  She is a girl that knows how to cook ( she uses butter and bacon grease for heaven's sake ) and I love the way she narrates her recipes... with step by step pictures.  This is so good and so easy I had to share it. 

Pots de Creme l'Orange aka Chocolate Heaven

Get your blenders out ladies .....

Yes, it is this easy !!

Chocolate Heaven......

Got your attention?  Here's the recipe.  I did not use the orange liqueur . I substituted pure vanilla extract.  I used Godiva Chocolate Coffee .  Its chocolate .. you cant have too much!


    Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 4 whole Eggs
• Dash Of Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier, More To Taste
• 1 cup Very Hot Strong Coffee
• Fresh Whipped Cream, For Serving
• Thinly Sliced Orange Peel, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Place the chocolate chips into a blender. Crack in the eggs, then add Grand Marnier and salt. Blend for a few seconds, or until combined.
Pour the coffee in a thin stream through the blender lid until it's all added. Blend another few seconds, or until smooth.
Pour mixture into small cups or jars, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until chilled and set.
Top with plenty of sweetened whipped cream, then garnish with sliced orange peel.


 Check out The Pioneer Woman's site for more great recipes!!
 http://thepioneerwoman.com/

A Thrifty Laundry Room Vanity

We have spent many hours getting our laundry room remodeled .  What started out as a solution to loads of laundry all over the floor has turned into a decorating bonanza.  We have spent many hours designing, decorating and executing some great storage solutions.  It is one of my favorite places to be !!

But, when we bought the  home is was my LEAST favorite place to be! 

This is how we found the laundry room. It was large, outdated, dark, and just plain UGLY!  The cabinets were solid wood and custom made for the space. But, they were not decorative and not quality wood.  But, they provided great storage .   Do we rip them out and buy new ones or work with them?

The large ugly laundry room before renovation

When I found this great piece at a thrift store for 2.00 , I knew it would be a great bench .  I designed the shelving unit to hold all our laundry baskets.  ( Did I mention I have 5 kids? We have lots of laundry)  I also wanted  a place to store shoes ( the doors open for storage) and a place to hang book bags and coats.

The laundry room bench

As renovations go, this made the other side of the laundry room even more hideous!!   So, the next project?  The ugly dark cabinets.  

laundry room full of storage and organization

We priced out new cabinets,  used cabinets, and my handyman husband gave me his quote for new custom cabinets.  I decided to use the cabinets that came with the house.  This was cost effective and prevented further drywall repair.  The question was .. how to make them look as beautiful as the other side of the room.

So, we added base moulding to the doors, spray painted the hinges oil bronze, and added new pulls.  The little cabinet to the right is a cover ( to hide the electrical box) made from an old shutter.   The result ? Cabinets that look like raised panel doors.

laundry room cabinet face lift

This made the ugly cheap sink look uglier!! But, the vanity was an odd size.   So, it seemed only right to design a new custom vanity.  But, I needed to do this CHEAP!!  After all , it needs a vanity top !

Disclaimer - renovation breeds renovation !!


So, I found cabinet doors at a local resale center for 1.00 a piece .    I bought 6 ( That project will be shared later )  Can you see the restraint I showed?

I gathered moulding and plywood that was left over from the cabinet project,  used decorative legs off an old side table that I bought for 2.00 at a yard sale, and drew up a plan for my handy husband .

The results....Well, its not quite finished but I couldn't wait to share it.

custom built vanity

Oh , I love it!! ( See first picture of the ugly grey sink ) Now, to find a vanity top so we can finish it !

But, as renovation has it, we are not done!  There was a strange odd shelf above the washer and dryer that just made me crazy. Its too small to hold anything and serves no purpose but to fuel my creative side.
( see the first picture) 

The results ?  I decided to add moulding that I found at the resale store to make it look like part of the upper cabinets.  I paid 75 cents for the moulding and wood to make the brackets.  What a bargain!

A little paint and it looks like the shelf was always suppose to be there!

laundry room cabinet with shelf

Laundry room cabinet with shelf.

I love my laundry room!!

On to the next design project!!

Robyn