Lots of Shelves!

I need as much decorating space as I can get. So when I saw this blank wall, I felt photo ledges would be perfect!

These were so easy to make! I bought a 1x4x12 piece of pine, and a 1x2x12 piece of furring strip. I was looking for a 1x4x12 piece of furring strip as well, so the stain would match the same, but couldn't find any. Turns out the pieces still matched once I stained them.

Chance cut me 6 pieces of 1x4x3 and 3 pieces of 1x2x3.
Then I stained each piece, and lastly, he used his nail gun to attach a 1x4x3 across the back and the 1x2x3 across the front.

Ta Da!
(I still plan on changing the frames around. I just threw them up there to get an idea).

While Chance was cutting the wood, our new roomie (Chance's bff from college that got a job with Chance at the Texas Rangers) helped me hang the curtains in our study!

Once we have wood floors and crown molding, this will look so much better!

A busy weekend working on the house!

Chance and I were so busy this weekend. It was non-stop projects and 6 trips to Home Depot and 2 to Lowes!

1. We started in the study and finally hung my little succulent homes...I just need to buy succulents now.
   
2. Then we moved into the kitchen. I've wanted an industrial pipe for awhile now so Chance helped me build/attach this just under the cabinet and connect the S hooks.
   
   
   
   
3. I've also wanted upper cabinet lighting for a long time too. We have the under cabinet already. So Chance drilled me some holes in the cabinets and we ran rope lights above the counter. We just connected the rope light to an extension cord and plugged it into a timer (currently set for 7pm-10pm) and plugged it into the outlet behind the fridge and the outlet located in the cabinet above the microwave. Chance also attached the clips up there so the rope light is running across the back and front, in case I decide to decorate up there, I will still have room to set items in the center. I liked it so much, I think I want to do the same thing on our plant ledge across from the kitchen so it all matches (we have an outlet up there as well). Had I known this was going to be such an easy project, we would've done this a long time ago! $35 for the rope light (and only because we ended up returning the incandescent - yellow light, and buying the 18' HED white lights. We didn't need 18' but it's all HD carried.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. I finally hung our tie backs in the master, hung the towel hooks in the guest bathroom and hung the cleats for our bamboo blind strings. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. My favorite project this weekend has to be our new outdoor curtains. They were so simple to make!

• First, I measured our patio, it's 15x11. The conduit at our HD comes in 1', 10' and 100'. I contemplated just being short 6" on side for the 11' side, but I wanted to do this right and the 10' poles are less than $3. So we purchased 4, with intentions of having HD cut them down to 7.5', 7.5', 5.5' and 5.5'....but we left and forgot. When we got home, Chance offered to figure out a solution, but I told him to just go ahead and hang them and we would have some overlap. Located in the electric dept.
• Second, you will need 3/4" pipe hangers to hold the poles. Since we had 4 poles, we needed 8 hangers. They come in a pack of 5 for less than $3, so we grabbed two packs. These should be located near the conduit. 
  
• Third, you need to purchase curtain rod clips. Located in the curtain area. I had two packs at home, but I grabbed another 2 packs at the store. These curtains are kind of heavy and with all the wind, I wanted to make sure we had enough. 1 pack was about $8. Now each pole has its own set of clips (about 7 clips per panel).
  
• Lastly, you will need drop cloth for the panels. We went with four 9x12 and they are about $24 each. Located near the paint, and come in multiple sizes. 
  
• First thing we did when we got home, was install the clips. I guestimated where they should be placed (keeping in mind, one is a little more in front of the other since my poles are overlapping).

• Second, we hung the conduit (make sure you have your curtain clips on, because you won't be able to go back and add them). 
• Third, hang the curtains...yes, it's that simple!
  
• When we hung them on Saturday, I needed to get an idea of how much fabric needed to be cut off. Ours are barely touching the ground. So on Sunday, I removed them and pinned where I wanted my hem to be and cut the excess off. I saved enough room to hem another line, about 3" above the bottom hemline so I could put heavy washers in there.

• I attempted to iron them put they are 9'x12' so that got old real fast. I threw them in the washer on wrinkle free and hung them (hoping the rest of the wrinkles fall out, if not, then I will iron or steam them out). I hung them so my pocket and hem lines are located a the bottom. 
• Now for the tie backs - I purchased 4 eye snap hooks. The first set I bought ended up being too small for the rope I purchased. So make sure while at HD you try to eye the rope to the hooks hole. You will also need the rope. I purchased 3/4" sisal rope - less than $9. Lastly, the hooks to hang on the wall. I bought 4 hitching rings, less than $4 each.  
  
  
  
  
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• The tie backs were so easy to make. I went outside and opened the rope, put it through the bottom of the eye hook, let the eye hook fall down the rope a bit, and double the rope behind the curtain, pull it to the front and to decide how much slack I wanted. Then I cut 4 pieces all the same length. I grabbed one piece of rope that I had just cut, slid the eye hook on there at the bottom, hot glued and clear taped the ends together.
• I put it through the hitching ring and opened the eye hook to snap onto the rope. I will take a better close up later, but here they are the before and after pictures.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Chance also attached our water hose holders to the house, so we could get our hoses off the ground. 

Tonight we are working on shelving units for the dining room and living area, and possibly get started on our horizontal fence around the AC unit. Here is what I have in mind:

Yard Update!

Chance and I worked in the yard all day on Sunday when we got home from my parents.

We extended the beds, outlined them with rocks that my parents gave us, moved the original shrubs to the back and planted new ones.

We still need to buy a Crape Myrtle for the corner, add more decorative grasses, line the tree beds with rock and add flowers in the tree bed.

We really appreciated Chance's best friend, Matt - our new roomie, for helping us out. This was no easy task. Apparently we have clay not dirt! All 3 of us were sore the next day.

After working for a few hours, I decided I needed to supervise the guys...this is my kind of gardening!

I also found this great deal on a huge planter at Home Goods!

I'm also growing some baby flowers...really proud of myself, I've never kept anything alive!

Last but not least - I finally put the knobs on the outdoor bar:

This isn't a yard update - but while at Home Goods I found new couch pillows, and some new artwork to grow our collage wall, but I have yet to hang them. I also need to move that mirror into another room. It's seriously been sitting there since we moved in, because I simply needed it out of the way!