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Nov 22 2013

portable personal paint deck

Posted by hayley
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Picture this: You’re standing in a store aisle, one kid tugging at your shirt complaining she’s starving, the other kid’s fiercely fighting the shopping cart buckle – screaming because you won’t hand over your iphone for him to play games. You just found a smokin’ deal on that thing you’ve been hunting for… but is it the right color?!

Do you know that color memory is actually one of the least reliable recalls we have?

Tired of buying home accessories only to end up returning them because they were slightly the wrong hue, I decided to put together a portable paint deck of all the colors I’ve used in our home. You can, too!

Buy large craft sticks – these can be found at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.

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Using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut the sticks about 3.5″ long.

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To ensure they are all the same length, use your first stick as a template to mark the rest.

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Drill a hole 3/4″ down from the cut side. Even though mine are already painted, I’d recommend not painting them before drilling. That way, if one cracks, you haven’t wasted your time.

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Again, use the first hole as a template to drill through the others. Drill holes in more sticks than you need. That way you can have “blanks” to easily paint new swatches as you continue adding color to rooms.

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Gather your house colors and paint the stick ends on just one side. Do 2 coats for adequate coverage. Let dry.

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Purchase metal binder rings. (found mine at Target)

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Loop your painted sticks on and label the back sides for reference.

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Smaller, regular-sized Popsicle sticks could work also. However, I found it more difficult to hand-write info on them.

You don’t have to be flustered by demanding kids to benefit from a personal portable paint deck! This baby stays tucked in my purse and has already saved me from a handful of wayward purchases.

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Tags: paint it proper, painting pro tips, painting secrets, portable paint deck, purse must haves
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Nov 19 2013

easy boot shapers

Posted by hayley
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Between Arizona and California, I have not lived in real winter for over 11 years. We would visit the cold and snow occasionally, but my definition of “winter shoes” has been a cute pair of ballet flats. It only took a couple days of sloshing through Virginia rain and cooler temps to realize I needed to invest in some legitimate winter footwear, STAT!

My boot collection is growing, but my closet began to suffer from a bad case of limp-boot-osis.
I found boot shapers online for (gasp!) $20-$40 a pair. Um, no.

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Enter the Dollar Store pool noodle! I know it’s out of season, but ask a store manager… mine had a bunch in their back stock room. First, do battle to ensure their worthiness.

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Then stick a noodle inside the boot and slice slightly above the cuff with a serrated kitchen bread knife. Cuts like buttah! Two noodles was enough for 3 pairs of boots.

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You can stop right there if you want because it’s totally functional. But functional ≠ cute. So, I picked up a few pairs of dollar store men’s knitted socks also.

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Turn the sock inside out. Sew a line across the heel to make a nice straight tube shape.

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Cut off the heel.

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Turn the sock right-side-out and pull tight over pre-cut noodle. Position and mark the center top with a pin.

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I sewed 1″ x 7″ straps from scrap fabric, then used my snap pliers to attach plastic snaps to both the sock and the straps. But you could just as easily use velcro, buttons, or hand-stitch them together.

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Place the noodle back inside and sew the end shut. Trim excess.

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Cute, right?

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Know what the best part is?
Even with the sock/strap enhancement, each set only costs $1.60 and took about 20 min to make.

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Much better!

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Tags: boot shaper tutorial, boot stays, boots, boots stay up, closet organization, diy boot keepers, shoe care
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Nov 18 2013

say what ?

Posted by hayley
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Songbird frequently calls my vernacular into question.

“Why did you say that?” “What does that mean?”

When certain catchphrases or silly slang words have always been part of your language, inquiring kids make you wonder about their origins. I thought it might be fun to occasionally research and share the history of our unusual phrases…

Let’s blow this pop (popsicle) stand!

popsicles

Meaning: to exit or remove oneself from a less than exciting location or environment.

Origin: Old west outlaws used the phrase “blow this town” – meaning to blow the bank safe and quickly leave the town.

Even though frozen juice bars had been around since the 1800s, the Popsicle™ wasn’t officially invented until 1905 by a man named Frank Epperson, who later patented it in 1923. Around the same time, patents were issued for portable vending carts.

But why blow the popsicle stand?

Well, in 1876, Carl von Linden patented the process to liquefy gas – refrigeration technology. The toxic gases of ammonia, methyl chloride, and sulfur dioxide were used as refrigerants. Prior to the invention of Freon in 1929, there had been several fatal accidents due to methyl chloride leaking out of refrigerators.

Therefore, it could be concluded that any vendor cart selling cold products like Popsicles™ could have a refrigerator leaking toxic gas. Not wanting to stay around a potentially hazardous refrigerator, one might say, “Let’s get a popsicle and get out of here.” or “Let’s blow this pop stand.”

 

source: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/38632

Tags: phrase origins, say what
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Nov 15 2013

paint it proper : how to paint a tall stairwell

Posted by hayley
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The painting continues! When Handsome and I got to the stairwells, we were a little perplexed. Even with his 6’3″ height and an extension pole, how on earth do you cut in and finish spaces like this massively tall stairwell? Hire a painter at $30/hour? Rent scaffolding at $50/day?

After a quick YouTube search, a trip to Home Depot for a 2×6, and a neighbor’s borrowed extension ladder we were in business.

Step 1. Take photo of “before”. Laugh as 5-yr-old perfects her photo-bombing skills. Then firmly warn her not to mess with steps 2-6. (this step optional)

Step 2. Secure extension ladder feet against the stairs. If pushed tight against the back of the step it will not slip.

Step 3. Lean ladder against far wall and double check all ladder safety devices are set.

Step 4. Use a second step ladder on the top landing, keeping its feet a few inches back from the step edge!

Step 5. Lay one end of 2×6 lumber through the extension ladder. Double clamp the other end to the step ladder. We needed a 10ft board, but be sure to measure your distance to determine how long yours should be.

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Step 6. CAREFULLY climb the extension ladder and walk the plank to finish the job. The contractor guy on YouTube said this was safe so that’s gotta be true, right?!

Our front zig-zag stairwell landings were too narrow to fully open the step ladder, but leaning it against the wall worked just as well.

This technique is NOT for the faint of heart or clumsy. I tried to research just how much weight a 2×6 can handle before it snaps, but had little success coming up with a concrete number. My girlish figure of 140lbs slightly bowed the beam and it did spring a little when I walked, but was no where near breaking and never felt unsafe. (Did I just tattle my weight for the world to know?! In the interest of safety… yes, yes I did.) Best to do a trial run very low to the ground before attempting this up high.

$7 for lumber and some sweat equity – that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Now go forth and conquer those impossible spaces, my friends.
And if you missed any of the previous proper painting posts, you can find them all HERE.

Disclaimer: Please use extreme caution and common sense. I claim no responsibility for botched or mishandled plank walking!

Tags: diy scaffolding, homemade scaffolding, paint it proper, paint techniques, painting pro tips, painting secrets, painting tall stairwells
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I'm Hayley. Wife and mother by day, DIY enthusiast by night. Fueled by sweet tea and jelly beans, I own power tools and know how to use them. Consider yourself warned.

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