Easter Projects: Bookshelf

This project has so completely gotten on Doug's nerves. That's why I had to include it in the list of projects to do over Easter weekend with my sister. Didn't quite get finished that weekend, but whatever.

He built this nice little bookshelf for his books in our room.

Then I bought bookcases for our room, and it sat in the garage for a while. Then I primed it. And it sat in the garage for a longer time.

Then we moved it to the basement, where it sat again. And Doug reminded me every so often that it needed to get painted. I'm sure he wanted to add "NOW!", but he refrained like a good husband.

Since my sister wanted some projects to do over Easter weekend, and this was a small one that I could wrap my mind around, I pulled it upstairs and put it on a painting cloth. Amazingly, it even got a coat of white paint that day. And the next. Officially, this was Jack's project, so he started us out.

Then he got bored. But Sophia was always willing to get in the way.

Woot.

Then my sister went with me to buy paint for the back of the dresser - I want it red to go with the whole sunshine room theme. And I even got a coat of red paint on it while she was here.

And I continued with the painting after she left. Happy days - we finished painting entire dresser within a week (hey, I know we could have done it in one day, but nap time will intervene sometimes!).

I did make a mistake by using 1" painter's tape instead of my regular 3" tape. Hey, we had the 1" in the garage and I didn't want to go to the store! But anyway, red stripes ended up everywhere.

So then I had to prime and repaint that, which took an additional few days. Argh. But then it was done, and ready for shelves.

And it is now installed in Jack's room. I love how the red back really pops and makes all the additional colors on the shelves stand out.

It does look a little less "guest-room-esque," but Jack is here more often than guests. So...he gets to put his toys and books on it.

To be useful, I thought I'd also add some information about painting with red paint. It's a challenge, truly. First, use a gray primer. This will help the red color be darker, getting it closer to those lovely paint chips we fall in love with at the store. I didn't use gray primer in this case - why? Partially, because I didn't want to get any for such a small project. Mostly, though, I figured that I could do extra coats of red if I needed to.

Second, you will need extra coats of paint even if you do use a gray primer. Seriously. Probably three coats is standard for a red room.

Third, don't freak out if it isn't the color you originally expected - even after three coats of paint. The last step is to wait. Yes, up to three weeks. Then see if it's the right color. Curing, which is the process of being completely dry and adhered to your surface of choice, takes a while. Dry paint can happen in two hours. Completely cured paint takes 4-6 weeks, after which you can scrub it (only if it's not Flat paint). And color - especially red - takes at least half of that curing time to really come out.

So there you have it. Be persistent and patient if you want to use red. It takes a bit of work, but I think it is totally worth it!

What's Bloomin'

This weekend, we had rain.

Huge sigh of relief. Because Utah desperately needs rain. Most importantly, though, because I hate to water. And yet, I keep putting plants in the ground. Do I hear you saying, "Duh?" Yup, I keep hoping that my plants will just spontaneously find what they need without me...and since it hasn't happened yet in this desert of mine, I am trying to come to grips with watering.

So yay for rain. Yay also for flowers! This week we had...bleeding hearts, hiding behind the fern-like fronds...

They are a little shy

And the eastern redbud trees...

There are still a few of these trees (we put in seven, I think) that are not blooming, making me wonder if we have managed to kill them. I certainly hope that they are all alive and well.

We also saw our crabapple trees bloom:

And the apple tree. Hoping this one will bloom, since our other apple tree bit the dust. Boo.

Hope you have a good week - and get rain if you need it!

Easter Projects: Flower Potting

My sister came for Easter weekend and asked for projects to do. Then she decided what she really wanted was to relax and enjoy the family atmosphere.

In between the attitude shift there, I lined up a lot of projects. The first (and easiest) that was finished was the flower baskets for the front yard. I decided not to do hanging baskets this year, and just fill the barrels next to the garage and the pot next to the front door.

That way, maybe I can spend more time on the yard (which still needs so much work) and less time watering baskets. Or maybe, to be honest, I just know that I will forget to water those baskets...and Doug will eventually get tired of doing it for me...so I won't just throw good time and plants away by trying this year. Either way, one less thing, right?

Anyway, I did something a little different with those baskets/pots/barrels this year. For the barrels, I still used the typical formula:

• Something spiky: Macedonia (more of a grass) and Salvia (purple spikes - I can replant these at the end of the season)
• Something flowing: Vinca Minor (Periwinkle) that I dug out of my front garden bed, that I can also replant elsewhere at the end of the season
• Something as filler: Stock and Petunias

And it looks a little sparse at the moment, since the petunias haven't filled in yet.

Then I took a different tack on the pot next to the door. 

I still went with something spiky - this time a Strawberry & Cream Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey'). Then I used two different types of Coral Bells to add color and texture. This is definitely more of a foliage basket instead of a flower basket, since the flowers that eventually will come will be small and insignificant.

This basket doesn't get a whole lot of light, though. One of the problems I've seen in the past few years - as I have kept the composition of all my baskets pretty much the same - is that this pot dies from lack of sun. So, time to mix it up and see what happens.

If I remember, I'll post pictures of these baskets after they've had a bit of time to grow. There are people who just stuff their baskets so they look good from the moment they are planted - eventually that will be me. However, at this time, I want to spend my money on that large piece of land that needs filling instead of a basket that will look good in a few weeks even sparsely planted.

And now you have it, planted flowers. Hooray for sisters prodding me to action (even if they take a nap while I'm doing it)!

What's Bloomin'

Well, there were lots of things that wanted to celebrate Easter with us...for example, the cherry trees:

The Rainier Cherry, oh yum

 And the pear trees:

The Anjou Pear

The tulips really came into their own - even though they officially started blooming last week, I thought I'd share with you the full effect. It's even more stunning in person.

And a close-up

As always, I can't wait to see what flowers each new week will bring. Hope you had a wonderful Easter - and that you have a great week ahead!

Easter Weekend Projects

My sister has come to visit us from Maryland, escaping the winter weather that will not let go of the northeast. She has been asking me for weeks what projects we will work on, in this blog no less.

And I, being the lost-in-limbo kind of person that I am, was confused. I thought she was coming to town for a conference (ComicCon, anyone?) and didn't take her project requests seriously. Silly me. So when I picked her up from the airport, I asked her plans...and her only plans were Easter with us!

Okay, so now I'm thinking of plans.

This is good, since I have been in a slump lately. No lack of projects, of course, but a lack of interest in doing anything has been attacking me. Too many projects, too many kids, too much going on: system overload, system shut down. That's me.

So here I sit on a Friday morning, thinking of projects. The wind has picked up, so I might not want to tackle the outside today. Love a small breeze, hate a strong wind. So inside, what do we have?

• The bookcase. This is going in Jack's room (the guest room), and we decided to paint the whole thing white with a red backing. That would be a great project for today.
• The sine and cosine wall. My front room still needs some painting done. The question here is: would I be able to relinquish control enough to let someone help me with it? Doubtful.
• The library/Collin's room: the fairy room is getting on my nerves, especially since Collin is sleeping here. Or rather, he should be sleeping here, but he refuses. Maybe a makeover will help him feel more comfortable?
• Curtains: Oh boy, why is it that there are always a million curtains to do? Doug wants the octagonal window covered, since it lets in too much heat during the summer. Me too. I also want to change up the kitchen by having the same kind of curtains there - a little consistency would be calming in this house of love and chaos.
• Paint Touch-ups the Sea/Sophie's room: I still like the under-the-sea thing, but a few years of kids in this room has left the paint a little battered. So I need to find the paint swatches and get some more for touch-ups.
• Tile backspash: Dare I do something new and fun? I would love some penny round tile behind the kitchen counters. Oooh, that sounds fun. Hmm, new things always scare me. But it would be interesting!

So, anything catch your eye? I'll bet we could knock out a few of these, but we'll see how long my system overload allows me to work before breaking down...also known as sleeping!

What's Blooming

Spring is definitely surprising me this year. This tree came into bloom today...for the first time:

I thought it was a beech tree, but the flowers actually match pictures of a hawthorne tree.

We didn't even plant this tree - we thought it was a strange-looking bush when we first moved in. Now we have a flowering tree. Cool.

My peach and nectarine trees came into bloom this week:

As did my tulips:

Pink in the backyard.

Red in the front yard. Tulips are definitely one of my favorite flowers. Daffodils announce spring, but when the tulips come up, you know that spring is well and truly here. Hope they are smiling at you where you live, too - have a great week!

Spring Fever

Home Depot is in my sights. My hands clutch the steering wheel a little tighter. I am only getting One Thing. I repeat it over and over.

Just. One. Thing.

Dirt is all I need, to help transplant my many plants - some overgrown, some in the wrong spot. I can do this. Parked, I clench my fists. One Thing.

Trouble is, that one thing is in the nursery department. I walk past the shrubs. No, wait...not past that shrub. My neighbor told me about Oregon Grape, and I might need to have it for the yard. Not today, I'll just snap a picture.

There. Disaster averted. Of course, I take a few more pics just to make sure I know what is available. Hands in my pockets, I walk past the annuals. They aren't really a temptation, anyway - too much work to just have to redo them next year. Ah, alert! Perennials on the left! Keep walking, dirt to the right.

Ah, got my dirt. But I do have to pass the perennials again. Oh, are there small versions of those high-priced shrubs outside back there? Oooh, there are!

Yes, this happens Every Time I go into a nursery. Long story short, I did get my dirt. And 12 plants. Yup, no will power here.

Spring Fever has me in its grips, and all I want to do is plant and dig and weed. This happens the first full week of good weather every year, and I try to just go with it. After all, the yard work will turn to drudgery soon enough...especially once the kids are out of school and I have to get them to help with the garden.

Yes. Doug is making an enormous garden again this year. He even bought a mini greenhouse to keep the plants safe inside. Spring Fever has gotten to him, too. It's contagious! Run! Run!

What's Bloomin'

There have been fewer snow showers this last week. We did have a hail storm, but it wasn't destructive, thank heavens. We have had quite a few showers, too, which I'm sure the flowers enjoyed.

As for new blooms, the grape hyacinth has bloomed. They are a little underwhelming for me, though, so I'm not sure if they'll continue to have a place in my landscape.

The plum tree has also exploded - and I do love these.

The forsythia bush is still having serious problems.

There are buds everywhere, but still only a few flowers. Here's hoping it eventually figures out how the blooming season works.

Hope your week goes well!

Miss Mal Turns 12!

Yes, Malena is turning twelve. Where has the time gone?!?

Malena (right) and her friend at her party

Because she is turning twelve, she gets to have a "big" party - pretty much whatever she wants. The party was split into two pieces: first, she took her friends swimming at the local rec center and then they opened presents afterwards. Second (and a week later), she had them over for a "late night" where they could play the Power Game.

This is a game of Malena's own invention, where she can fly, another friend has control of the weather, another has control of any living plant and the last one has control over light and dark. At least, I think that's what it is. They seem to have a blast playing it, so it's all good, right?

As you know, I love photo montages, but this year I'm going to just show you one of my favorites, from when she was two:

As true today as the day it was taken...Happy birthday, sweet girl!