Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 10, Mailbox and Gate Plan
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, I had shared the progress on the second section of the wall and the potential problem with road salt. You can catch up on that here. Now it’s time to share the plan for the mailbox and gate. Don’t worry. There are also progress pictures on the wall itself. I wouldn’t deprive you in that way. To put it delicately, the gate and mailbox have seen better days. They both have some rot and peeling paint. The gate requires a complicated…
Getting Cozy With Candle Warmer Lamps
Candle warmer lamps are the emotional support item getting me through the bumpy transition from summer to fall. Yes, lamps plural. I have two. Not only did I jump on the candle warmer lamps trend, but I also decided Big Candle could have all my money. Candle warmer lamps do exactly what they say. They warm up the wax in a candle vessel, allowing the smell to waft through your home without you having to light the wick. It’s brilliant. Now, friends. I am old enough to know that melting scented wax is not a new concept. In the late aughts, I had some Scentsy wax melts and a cute…
Happy List: #406
Hi! Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared a roundup of the pretty wall pockets I found online. The joke is on me because I thought I’d only find them on Etsy and eBay. Incorrect. I also shared an update on the stone wall I’m slowly building. I was hoping to finish it this month, but that’s not going to happen. I will finish it, though. Eventually. I say it every week because I mean it. Thank you for being here. You have an unlimited number of ways you could spend your time. The fact that you…
Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 9, The Salt Problem
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, I had shared the progress we had made on building the second section of the wall. You can catch up on that here. Today, I’ll share more progress (yay!) and discuss the one thing out of our control with this project – salt. Personally, I’m a big fan of salt. We need it to stay alive. It makes food taste delicious. What’s not to love? Guess what isn’t a fan of salt? Lime mortar. What are we using to build our…
In Praise Of: Wall Pockets and Wall Vases
I recently rearranged the gallery wall in our living room and added a wall pocket. Have you heard of wall pockets? They are also called wall vases, but the term wall pocket feels much more charming rolling off the tongue in my American accent. Wall pockets are vases with a flat back that can hang on the wall. They were particularly popular during the Victorian Era. This era marked the reign of Queen Victoria over England and Ireland and ran from 1837 – 1901. Flowers were part of the romance of the Victorian Era, and nothing puts romance over practicality like flowers in a vase on a wall. Antique and…
Happy List: #405
Hello, hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared the floral witch’s hat I made for Halloween. *happy sigh* That craft is still filling my joy bucket. I must have needed a different creative outlet than building a rock wall. Speaking of that rock wall, I shared a progress update on the blog. The most important part of that update is that I haven’t quit yet. As always, thank you for being here. I hope the Happy List is a bright spot in your day and leaves you feeling inspired and encouraged! Part of the fun for me is…
Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 8, Progress Section 2
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. When we last left off, we had built the first wall section, demoed the second wall section, and built stairs. Anyone tired yet? Ha! Now, it is time to connect the stairs to the second wall section and show you the progress we’ve made with the second wall. I’ve been working on it every day for a few hours, and the unvarnished truth is it’s a slow slog. The main reason why it is so slow is that we are reusing the rocks from the old…
DIY Floral Witch’s Hat
Gleeful is the only word to describe how I feel about showing you the floral witch’s hat I crafted last week. I want you to like it as much as I do, but it’s just not possible. I’m so obsessed, you’d think I came up with the idea on my own. This is kind of funny because I’m not sure if there are any truly original ideas out there anymore. Adding flowers to a witch’s hat is definitely not original, but it’s the first time I’ve done it, so it feels brand new to me. We’ll call this craft an Annisa Original. I might fly in a little late to…
Happy List: #404
Hi! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you’ve joined me here today. This week on the blog, I shared the demolition of the second fieldstone wall we are rebuilding. The middle of a project is when I start to question why we start these things. But I remembered my why on Wednesday when I shared how the new fieldstone stairs turned out. The consensus on those is that they are better than we all imagined. As always, thank you for being here. I hope the Happy List is a bright spot in your day and leaves you feeling inspired and encouraged! Part of the fun for me is…
Curved Fieldstone Wall: Part 7, The Stairs
Welcome back to our Curved Fieldstone Wall Series, where we attempt to rebuild the fieldstone walls in our front yard using historical masonry techniques. Today we are talking about the stairs between the two wall sections. The first wall section is already complete. The stairs were not a part of the original plan. We intended to leave them alone because we were going to exercise restraint, like the reasonable DIYers that we are. Hahahahahaha. The original stairs connecting the driveway to our sidewalk were concrete, which makes sense. The sidewalk and the stairs match. The stairs were a little wonky in size, and one looked newer than the other, but…
