Driving two boys and a dog in the Handymobile several times a day can lead to some truly funky odors. The other day I found myself wondering what the latest funk could be attributed to. Was it the stinky socks and shoes left behind from water day at school?
Being a part of the DIY blogging community is like being part of an extended family. Most of the DIY bloggers I know spend their time building or creating and then spending an equal amount of time creating a tutorial to help others make the same thing.
This sharing and giving spirit often extends beyond building and creating. Â It extends to helping others in need.
My friend, Colleen, is one of those bloggers who has been driven to help the tornado victims in Oklahoma. She was moved to create the painting of the Two Cows above and is raffling it off to raise money for Oklahoma.
You might remember Colleen:
I introduced her to you last year when she herself was in need after losing her husband. The blogging community and their readers rallied together to help her. Now Colleen is ‘paying it forward’ by raising money for the Red Cross to help in the Oklahoma relief efforts. You can read the full details about the fundraiser on Colleen’s blog, along with the story behind her painting above (it’s a moving tale.)
Raffle tickets for her painting are only $5. The winner will be chosen on June 30.You can also purchase prints and notecards of Two Cows (a portion of the proceeds also goes to the Red Cross.)
I love our blogging family and how they pull together, help others and give back. I hope you’ll join Colleen and either purchase a ticket or reprint or share the raffle with your friends.
You may have noticed that pretty little seedy glass pendant light over our sink from my video the other day. It was a breeze to install, so I want to share with you the tutorial.
(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)
And now it’s tutorial time!
Materials:
Instructions:
Safety First! Turn off the power to the light fixture circuit. If there is no light fixture installed, check the power with a voltage tester. (I had to flip 6 circuits before I found the one that fed power to that junction box! And you know, I updated the labeling in our circuit breaker once I found it. This is required by code.)
Modifying the Height of a Light Fixture:
Use a ruler to measure how low you want your pendant light to hang. If you need to, put a piece of painter’s tape at that mark to give yourself a visual reference spot to see if you like that height. (Or corral a partner into holding the light fixture for you while you make up your mind.)
Lay your tape measure on the counter and stretch the light fixture out next to the ruler (be sure to set the glass shade on to gauge the full height.)
Assess where to separate the chain to reach the desired height.
You can separate chain links by using two screwdrivers and rotating them in opposite directions as shown below:
~This post is sponsored by HERSHEY’S~
Do you know how much I love chocolate?
I love chocolate so much that I joke that there needs to be chocolate coursing through my system at all times. And there’s a reason that I’m in love with chocolate: It’s in my heritage!
photo courtesy of Hershey Archives
Cabinet hardware is akin to the finishing touches on an outfit. It is the jewelry that really catches the eye in a kitchen. I’m not a big jewelry person. I only wear my wedding rings on a daily basis. And I have necklaces and bracelets for the days that I actually change out of my work clothes. But, I’ve never been the type of gal to go ga ga over a diamond.
However, I found myself getting starry-eyed while trying to choose our kitchen hardware. I felt like a kid in a candy store because there were so many choices (and yet so little time.) This week I learned that our cabinets will be arriving at the end of the month. And my designer (who really needs to be my personal assistant) gently asked me, “Have you ordered your cabinet hardware yet?” Gulp…umm no. What I wanted to say was, “Seriously? This is the least of my worries! I need to get the walls finished and a floor in our kitchen before I can even think about bling!” That’s when it dawned on me, a Handy Gal can’t do everything! Especially when it comes to jewelry (it’s just not my strong suit.)
With that in mind, I’m asking for your help. Yes, that means you Ms. “I’m Sitting Here at My Computer Drinking My Coffee While I Watch Pretty Handy Girl’s Kitchen Renovation Updates”! And you may be thinking, heck no, I don’t have time to help her. Here’s the deal, I’m going to show you some of my choices from D. Lawless and you help me choose by leaving me a comment below. Also, did you know that D. Lawless sells a lot more than cabinet hardware?
Knobs and pulls are the least of their offerings! Corbels, hinges, switch plates, drawer slides, hooks, pie safe punched tin, casters, shelf brackets, space savers and much more!