Family Established Art

I made this! I am beyond proud of myself. I even got it done BEFORE our 4th anniversary (July 12)!!

Every time I'm on Pinterest, I see something like this. I really had to play with how I wanted this to look because of the length of our last name and the short numbers in our anniversary date. Did I want 7-12-08? 07-12-08? July 12, 2008? Did I want a square to say "Est."? Vertical or horizontal? Color or black & white? This is something you will have to determine for yourself.

Once you decide the look & what it will say, the hard part begins. I'm not kidding. I used Leo Reynolds' Flicker account to pick the images I wanted. He has graciously allowed people to download his pictures for free. Here is the link to just his Letter Collection. Click on it. Do you see why I said the hard part is just beginning?! He has sooo many choices. Here is a link to his Numbers Collection 1. Yes, there is more than one number collection but the one I have linked has what you need for this project. I searched the rest of his Flicker account to find the heart & medallion. I used a medallion to separate our last name & the date, pretty much a space filler.

Once I had picked the images I wanted, I opened up a Word document in the publishing view. I then placed the images where I wanted them, resizing them to 1.64" square (except the hearts). In publishing view, you can make sure that all of your images are lined up & equally spaced out a lot easier. I made the document an 8x10. This way, when I printed it from my computer, I could cut the 8.5x11 piece of cardstock to size and and none of the images would be cut off or off center.

Here is what it looks like in a frame.

I hope this inspires you to make one of your own! Let me know if you do!

Decor: Ranch Room

I hope you like the clock J & I made for our room at the ranch. That same day, I decided it was time to finally hang the cross my in-laws made for us this past Christmas. This is what ended up happening. 

I'm obsessed with how awesome this looks. I finally have a part of my life that looks put together, finished, and not crazy because of all my knick-knacks. Ok, let's talk about all the pieces.

I found this R while shopping with my mom during Warrenton this spring. It was a splurge for me and Mom was willing to help me out. She knows that I'm collecting Rs for when we have our own house. This one ended up being big! And I love that so it fits in with our room at the ranch.

This is the cross my in-laws made J & I for Christmas. They layered 3 unfinished crosses with a wrought-iron cross. The bottom & smallest wood crosses are painted chocolate brown on the edges. They were also given a spackle treatment in cream color on the faces. The middle wood cross has the chocolate edges & scrapbook paper on the face. The paper has names of God on it. I love it! I'm pretty sure Modge Podge is what was used to attached it to the face.

This is what was after the R and cross were in place. All those fake flowers are ones that I have had since high school. I love them & every way that my mom has arranged them for me in the past. But they have always been in this vase.

Gorgeous shape but glass doesn't fit into the ranch feel. Also, this vase was too tall. Once the flowers were placed in this vase, they covered up the cross. J remembered that there was an old spittoon out on the dock that wasn't being used. He brought it in and we realized that it was the perfect height & feel for the room. Mom cut my fake flowers down and arranged them to fit the new "vase." We added a vanilla candle and this is what we got. =)

I love it! I hope this helps you get creative (from the cross) and clean (less knick-knacks).

DIY: Family Scrabble Board

A very sweet family friend made us this family Scrabble board. She comes to visit the ranch whenever her family can get away from their jobs. This board was for us to put on display at the family ranch.

Now, my brother is engaged. Her name is Michelle. The only letter they have in common is the I. No way that it would fit where his name is now. So my puzzle brain went into high gear looking where names could move to fit my new "soon-to-be" sister. There is only one place Brian's name could move. Can you see it?

And now I'm sure you know where Michelle's name is going to go.

Why is there no M you ask? Our family friend gave me the new letter I needed for Michelle's name. She accidentally gave me a W instead of a M. Can you guess what I did?

I will post a final picture whenever I get the last M that I need. All of the letters are just hot-glued to the board. Well, hot-glue on the back of each tile & then stuck onto the board.

See? I hope you can use this to jumpstart your creativity.

Weekly Blogging Routine

So, I think people read this blog.

And my other one, The Rodgers Cook.

Actually, I know people do.

It says so on my blog stats...pageviews.

But no one comments.

Ever. 

And I stink at remembering to blog.

I think I'm getting better.

At least I'm trying.

So, I'm thinking about doing a daily "theme."

I'm getting the idea from this really cute blog I love: Eighteen25.

They have something called their Friday Five. Here is today's: Jamie Edition.

Since I have 2 blogs, I may have to update my cooking one whenever I can remember.

Or it can be something like the following:

Monday: Appetizer/Snack

Tuesday: Sides

Wednesday: Meat

Thursday: Meatless

Friday: Dessert

What do you think?

This site, since it's my hodge podge, can be the following:

Monday: DIY (what I made that weekend)

Tuesday: Ideas from Pinterest, Next Project Ideas

Wednesday: Room Decor

Thursday: In the Classroom

Friday: Random Thoughts, Goals, Dreams, etc.

Since we don't have our own place yet, I may use Room Decor as Products I Want or something like that until we do have a place to decorate.

What do you think?

Any ideas are welcome & will be very helpful.

DIY: Ranch Clock

This project has been going on for awhile. And I have to give most of the credit to the hubs. Over Memorial Day weekend, he started turning this project into a reality for me.

Ok, so I have a problem. Ok, many problems but I'm focusing on one here. I have to have a clock (& box of kleneex Puffs brand) in every room. I mean every room. Of course, including the bathroom. 

At my parent's ranch, we didn't have a clock. And it seems to be our most permanent "home" right now. J & I have always had the same room (#4) and we can decorate it however we want. It's not done yet; but after yesterday, it's sooo close! I have always wanted to have a clock in that room.

I bought this kit at Hobby Lobby around April since we couldn't find a "ranch clock" anywhere.

$39.99

Expensive but worth it.

This is what it is supposed to do. Just stick it on the wall.

J figured he could make a really simple one himself with some scrap wood in the "barn" at the ranch. (We don't have animals out there so we call the huge workshop/garage a barn.) That would make our cost just the kit.

So, I started to search Pinterest for wooden clock ideas. What else is a girl supposed to do? =)

I found this and I liked that it was a pallet first of all. But I love its size, contrast of colors & the roman numerals. The hands are a little to frail for a room at the ranch though. This came from Dusty McRae's blog asking you to Cherish Life.

Next, I found this clock. I LOVED the staggered wood & the roman numerals. Otherwise, it seemed a little small. Our room has 10' ceilings. It needs a large clock. This came from Shelterness and a post of 20 Original Salvaged Wood Decor Ideas. Its picture #8. =)

After I was done finding inspiration, J knew what I wanted. I went shopping at an outlet mall Memorial Day weekend and came back to find this.

This is his master plan! Isn't is great? He opened up the clock kit, saw the spacing it said it needed for the hour & minute hands, drew a plan & then made it.

Isn't it gorgeous?!?! I love the staggered wood, the stain color, the enormity of it...I love it when J can read my mind. =)

Again, is this stain not beautiful?!

Notice the 2 nails. Explained later.

He took a whole bunch of 2x4 pieces of wood and place them in a staggered pattern that he thought looked good. He turned them all upside down and backed them with other 2x4s. He then used a nail gun to connect the bracing pieces to what became the back of the clock face. There are no nails in the front this way. Just perty wood! (say it in a hick accent)

Yesterday, we were back at the ranch for the day & so we decided to finish the clock instead of helping cut down dead trees. Literally. 

If you noticed the 2 nails in 2 pictures up, those were for the clock kit. The hands are battery operated so that you can easily move the clock from one wall to another. Well, we used those nails and the battery pack & clock hands leaned forward. So, we came up with a solution.

Screw gun! Haha. When you can't get nail to hold something steady, use screws. We screwed the back of the battery section down to the clock's face.

It's not going anywhere! =)

We then reattached the rest of this piece which hid the battery & inner-workings & held the clock hands.

Next, we placed all of the roman numerals where we wanted them. J was awesome & actually marked places when he first made the clock. He followed the template that came with the clock & then measured them farther out for how big he wanted the clock.

Can you see the marks?

I chose not to put the numbers upside down like the 1st inspiration pic (and most roman numeral clocks) because....ok I'm lying. I didn't notice that they always go upside down. BUT, I really like that they aren't upside down. This isn't a traditional clock; it isn't round!

The numbers came the way you see them. Well, in 2 long strips and I cut them into the individual numbers for placement. What I'm trying to say is that they came as contact paper & with transfer paper already on them.

Very first thing: Clean the surface you are going to stick the numbers on. I did a dry rag followed by a damp rag to get any hidden sawdust (or dust in general) off of the surface.

Step one is to take the backing off the numbers.

See? Contact paper & transfer paper.

Hubby is awesome at indulging me with my picture documenting obsession. I'm sure you find this obsession helpful. Right?! 

Step two is to smooth the numbers onto the surface you want them. For me, it was the wood; you might be using a wall. Be sure there are no air bubbles!

Ugly nails, moving fingers. Bleh!

(I'm not a fan of my skinny, long fingers. Ok I am but not my nails.)

But thanks Hubs for taking the pic!

Step three is you let them sit while you do the rest of the numbers.

Step four is to (very carefully) remove the transfer paper from the number fronts. Since mine were on wood, it didn't want to stay some of the time. I forced it to stay. =)

What is with those ugly nail beds?! Oh sorry. Not about me.

Step five, admire the beauty!

Yes, I know the picture was taken to make it look upside down.

I was sitting at the top of the clock.

Step six, OOHH  and AAHH.

Step seven, fix the hands on the clock to read the correct time.

Step eight, stand next to it to prove how tall it is (because I'm 5'8").

Um, yeah, It's over 5 feet tall. I'm 5'8".

Step nine, hang it on the wall. This turned out to be an ordeal because of how heavy and big the clock ended up being. We found where the center of the clock's weight was to determine where to put the hanging device. We ended up using the top 2x4 brace as our location for the hanging device.

You must be wondering why I'm calling it a hanging device and not some name you're used to. It's because we made it ourselves. Yes. We took a metal door hinge,

used a table saw that cuts metal (Yeah, apparently my dad has one.), and got this.

Then, J predrilled holes for the screws,

and used the drill to put in the screws.

We used washers as well as screws to make sure that there was a lip preventing the screws from not catching the outside of the holes on the metal bracket.

The last step was to hang it on the wall.

Yes, that is my 6'3" husband standing on a 4' (ish) table.

I told you the ceilings were high!

Here he is finding a stud. (I'm trying to avoid the pun.)

Look at that stud!

Ok, I couldn't resist.

Here he is marking the nail on the stud.

Ok, I'm going to stop my gawking and refrain from showing you the close ups I took next. What can I say? I love my man for many reasons. Building me things, carrying those heavy things, looking good, doing the hard parts...I'll stop now. =)

You may notice that the clock isn't standing up straight any more. We ended up cutting off the top & bottom of the last board. It was so long and the other end was short that your eye kept going to the left. But isn't it all worth it?

AHHHH!!!!!!!! I am obsessed with my new clock!! Thank you sooo much Hubs!!

Next, I just need to figure out what to decorate the table with. The clock is so lonely.

Summer Brea....

Who ever said "I wish I was a teacher. They get 3 months in the summer & holidays off" clearly was not a teacher. I hate it when I'm wearing my Eskimo Joe's Educators tee-shirts & someone says, "I bet you love having the summer off," I just want to SMACK THEM!!

Dear Jesus, calm my heart. I don't hate them...just what they say. Help me be more gracious in my thoughts like I am when I respond.

If you can't tell, that's one of my pet peeves. This summer, I will get 4 weeks off...total. You all know about my ballpark road trip with the hubs mid-June. Well, since school let out May 25, and teachers were done May 30, I've had those 6 days off plus Memorial Day. 7! It's the beginning of July & I've had 7 days off!!! Thank goodness tomorrow is a national holiday & Friday is my last day for 3 weeks. But I'll be at 2 trainings two of those days...2 less days of my 3 weeks off.....

"Why haven't you had off?" you may ask. The secretary of the elementary school injured herself 7 had major surgery a week and a half before school let out. I took over her job. It has been great but I didn't realize that all administrative staff/faculty only gets the month of July off. I knew I would need something to keep me busy this summer but this is a lot. I wish my summer working was like most teachers: pinning new ideas on Pinterest & stalking teaching blogs for ideas. =) I don't have my own classroom anymore so I don't have that to prepare for or new curriculum to be planning. That's what REAL teachers do over the summer...work...even if it's from home.

Ok. Off my soapbox. I'm going to go so I can leave work, buy glitter, pack, buy fish bait, & head out to the ranch for my day off. (Anyone else think it's weird having the 4th in the middle of a week? Almost unpatriotic?)

4th of July

It's one week from today!
And I have ZERO decorations for it!!!
It's time to start printing/creating...tonight. But while I'm on the internet, I will patrol Pinterest and maybe go look at my own pins on my Summer/4th of July board. Let me know which things you think I should make. I'm thinking of a wreath, a few printables, some tabletop decor, and maybe a recipe or 2.

Here are a few ideas I have found.
I love these letters & the idea from BHG.

This mantel is cute! I found it on the Landeelu blog. This link will take you to her post where she talks about this mantel and the pieces on it.

I love the simplicity of the mantel below from the blog (eighteen25), that I love soooo much!! They have a tutorial for those stars, everything. Here is a link to their "Past Projects: 4th of July" post. It has links to their tutorials for everything you see in the picture below!

They just make you want to be creative, don't they?! Ok, I'm off to plan for craftiness!