Basement Workshop Stone Repointing: Part 2, Concrete Problem
Welcome back to our Basement Workshop Stone Repointing Series. It’s a rocky romp through restoring the creepy part of our house – the basement. You can catch up on Part 1 here. Today we’re talking about the concrete problem. Most people in the U.S. probably take for granted that their basement, if they have one, has a concrete floor. So did I, until we bought this house. Part of our basement has a rubble floor. Aside from the perk that the floor is one big drain, it’s about as awesome for modern living as you imagine. However, the part of our basement that we are currently repointing DOES have a…
Vintage Soapstone and Brass Table and How I’m Styling It
My thrifting radar must have been working perfectly a couple of weeks ago, when I had a feeling that I should stop in at my local overpriced thrift store, because while there, I found the greatest side table – a vintage soapstone and brass table. Here’s the juicy story: At first, I was sure my eyes were failing me (again) when I glanced at the price tag. The award for living to middle age is your eyes struggle to see small print, but your hindsight is 20/20. But sure enough, after triple-checking, the price on the tag was $20. Twenty. Dollars. I can’t even buy a small stone cutting board…
Happy List: #422
Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m glad you’ve joined this party. This week on the blog, I shared the leaf trinket dish I made out of oven-bake clay. It has a heart detail that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or any time you want to spread some love. I also launched a new series chronicling the makeover of our Basement Workshop. We’re starting where most of our projects lately start – with fixing up the stone walls. How long will this series be? I wish I knew. Thank you for choosing to spend a few minutes of your day here. I hope you have fun, learn something…
Basement Workshop Stone Repointing: Part 1, Why Now
A new series chronicling our basement workshop stone repointing project (say that three times fast) starts today! Get your popcorn ready. I’m about to overshare the nitty-gritty details and drama. Project Background: Our house was originally built in the 1780s and has a stone foundation. It pains me to tell you that most of the exterior of that foundation has been skimmed with modern mortar, but that’s a project for a different blog post. Historic stone foundations are made with fieldstone, which is stone used in its natural form as it came out of the ground. There was no grinding or chipping to make the stones uniform in any way,…
DIY Polymer Clay Leaf Dish with Heart Detail
Looking to make a handmade gift for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day? How about making a DIY Polymer Clay Leaf Dish? Oh, but this is not just any leaf dish. No, no. We’re upping the ante with a sentimental twist – a heart detail right in the center of the leaf. Be. Still. My. Heart. The secret to this heart detail: I cut a heart shape out of the leaf right before pressing it into the clay. The clay pushes through that empty heart-shaped space, creating a smooth, raised heart surrounded by the textured veins of the leaf. If this leaf trinket dish, made with love, doesn’t make the recipient…
Happy List: #421
Hello, hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted to see you here. This week on the ol’ blog, I shared how we hung a mirror on the peg rail in our bedroom. This room has slowly evolved over the last six years, and it makes me ridiculously happy to spend time in it. In fact, I wrote this week’s Happy List from the sitting area in this room while I watched it snow outside my window. Zero complaints. I also shared the heart bunting that I made out of denim jeans, and last week I shared the grapevine heart garland I made for our mantel. This year, I’m…
No Sew Denim Heart Bunting
A denim heart bunting is a little bit country and a whole lot of cute! If you have a pair of jeans to cut up, you can make one, too. I used my husband’s jeans. An old pair. Not his favorite pair. I’m not a monster. The jeans that are past the point of no return and ripped out in not-safe-for-work places. How does that even happen? Anyway, let’s not get distracted. Here’s What You Need to Make a Denim Heart Bunting: denim fabric pen or marker ruler or other straight edge fabric scissors craft knife cord, string, yarn, or embroidery thread yarn needle/large eye needle optional: pom poms or other…
Yes, You Can Hang a Mirror on a Peg Rail
Yes, you can hang a mirror on a peg rail. I’m here to show you how and share the unexpected item I used to make it happen. I have a peg rail on the wall above a bedroom dresser. I mainly use this particular peg rail for hanging my everyday necklaces. What I did not have was a mirror above the dresser. I realize this is a less common bedroom dresser feature in these modern times, but it sure is helpful when you’re trying to pick a necklace to wear. There are two ways (at least) to hang a mirror on a peg rail: First, you can hang it directly…
Happy List: #420
Why, hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I am so happy to see you here. This week on the blog, I shared the new-to-me fiber art I hung in our living room. It’s been an exercise in patience to decorate this particular corner, but worth the wait…not that I’m ever really done. Ha! Something else that’s not quite done, but pretty close, are the stairs to our basement. I wrote about those on Wednesday. Thank you for choosing to spend a few minutes of your day here. I’m very aware that lots of injustices are happening in the world and close to home. The Happy List, and this blog,…
Lime Mortar Pointing on Brick Stairs
It took two years, but I finally finished the lime mortar pointing on our brick stair risers in the basement. *takes a bow in an empty room* The stair treads are flagstone, but the risers are brick. Someone had a “one and done” approach to building these basement stairs, and I wish I could throw them a ticker tape parade for their decision because they will never rot or need to be rebuilt. Repointing is another issue. That needs to be done every one hundred years or so. I’m just the lucky homeowner whose game piece landed on the “must repoint” square on this board game called “Money Pit.” We…
