Repurposed Wood Mortar as a Planter
The mortar portion of a wood mortar and pestle set came home with me from the thrift store recently. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s how it was originally intended to be used. It was either that or an oddly shaped bowl. It was made from several pieces of wood (presumably mahogany) laminated together and then hollowed out on a lathe to have sloping sides. I knew I wouldn’t use it for food preparation because, despite all my best intentions, I’ve never consistently used any of the mortar and pestle sets we’ve owned. I’m more of a food processor type of home cook. I’m also the type of person who…
Fairy Light Mason Jars (Solar and Battery Powered)
Today, it is my privilege to remind you of the simple joy of fairy light mason jars. It’s not a new concept, but it is one I had forgotten about until recently. In addition, there are not one, but TWO easy ways to light them up yourselves. First, how this reminder came about in case you don’t like DIY projects. (There’s something for everyone here.) I was killing time in the lighting aisle at Lowe’s recently because Handy Husband had parked himself in the electrical aisle and I’m pretty sure he was there long enough that folks started mistaking him for an employee. If they offer an employee discount, it…
Entryway Refresh and a New Front Door Window
Last month we did an entryway refresh on our home and now I’m wondering why we waited so long? That’s how it always goes. I prefer to sit with things before I write about them. It gives me some perspective on the change. It helps minimize the number of instances where I have to apologize because whatever thing we changed didn’t hold up or perform as expected. Also, it gives us time to “laugh about this later” when things go wrong and they always do with our projects. I really want to meet these people where things seem to run like clockwork for them. What’s that like? How do they…
What a Difference a Drink Table Makes
The thing you never knew you needed is a drink table. It’s a mini side table that’s just big enough to hold a drink or two. It could also hold a plant. Truth be told, I think the origin story of the drink table is that someone killed a plant they had on a plant stand. After that, this bright bulb decided the only thing they were good at watering was themselves, so they turned that plant stand into a drink stand. Play to your strengths, people! I love a multifunctional piece of furniture, so no complaints here. I just added a drink table to the bench that sits in…
Paper Flower Garland
Who’s ready for a party? This girl is because I have the happiest paper flower garland hanging up ready for a celebration. What are we celebrating? Longer daylight hours. Daffodils popping out of the ground. The new season of Reacher. A really good night’s sleep. Anything and everything is a cause for celebration these days. Those are the rules. Take your joy where you can get it, folks. Speaking of things that bring me joy, I have proclaimed loudly and often that I am not a garland person and, yet, I seem to come up with excuses for making garlands and hanging them up in my house. Need evidence? I…
Bedroom Peg Rail – One Entire Wall of Storage
By adding a peg rail to one entire wall of our bedroom, we gained 15 feet of storage and organization space and an unlimited amount of glee over this addition. Is there a Guinness Book of World Records category for the world’s longest peg rail? If so, I’d like to submit our bedroom peg rail as an entry. You’ll have to use your imagination a little because it was hard for me to get a decent photograph of one gigantic wall broken up by a door. That’s why I’m showing the two sides of the peg rail in different photos in this blog post. The hardship, I know. Thank you…
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Scrapbook Paper Flowers – Spring Fireplace Decor
Let’s talk scrapbook paper flowers and all the ways you can use them to decorate your home. I’m craving the color of spring flowers, but it still looks like winter in New Jersey. So, I do what I often do. Fake it till spring arrives I make it. This time, I used scrapbook paper flowers to decorate my dining room fireplace for spring. It looks like I’m ready for spring now, doesn’t it? I still have snow shovels by the front door, but that’s a little detail we don’t need to dwell on. What you need to make scrapbook paper flowers: Scrapbook Paper (I used this paper, but you can use…
A Mixed Bag For Overwintering Plants This Year
It’s been a mixed bag for overwintering plants this year (2024-2025). We’ve had some successes and some unfortunate failures. Have you ever had one of those restaurant experiences where the food was great, but the service was terrible? You think to yourself, “I don’t know if this was worth trying again.” That’s me right now with overwintering plants. Keep in mind, I also forgot childbirth was painful, and I had more than one child. So, take my whining with a pound of salt, and meet me back here next year for another update. Ha! Seriously though, we have the ideal setup for overwintering plants on our sunporch. It’s like having…
Vintage Floral Easter Eggs Using Temporary Tattoos
Breaking Crafting News! I made vintage-looking floral Easter eggs using temporary tattoos. Yes, temporary tattoos…for that vintage look. HA! Until last week, I had lived my whole life not knowing that temporary tattoos can transfer to items other than skin. I saw a video of someone customizing sneakers using temporary tattoos. Do you know what’s related to sneakers? Not wood Easter eggs! But that’s where my brain went, and I needed to see if that technique would apply to Easter eggs. Spoiler: It works beautifully. This is a game changer for someone who can’t paint to save her life. Fake it till you make it, which is kind of the…
9 Wood Knob and Pull Ideas For Your Cabinets
It is safe to say I like wood knobs and pulls. I have them in at least four places in our home. Some are painted. Some are stained. I was painting a set of wood knobs a few weeks ago for the desks in our office and thought to myself, “Gosh, I really like wood knobs.” And by “thought to myself” I mean I was talking out loud in that voice you reserve for babies and cute dogs and saying, “You look like a million bucks all painted! Yes, you do!” Embarrassing gushing to inanimate objects aside, there is a certain charm to wood knobs and pulls. I mainly think…
