What's New

What’s New

Photography Secrets for Shooting in Your Home

I'm not sure what I ever did to annoy Mother Nature, but it seems to me that every time I finish a project and need to photograph it, the weather turns ugly. Case in point: my cake stand was completed the day the tornadoes ripped through North…

About Me

Random Thoughts of a Handy Girl

Every so often, I'm at a loss for words. It doesn't happen often (ask Pretty Handsome Guy). But, this week, I've been project dry. Too many other commitments I guess. However, I have had a few non-DIY things that I've been meaning to share.…

arts and craft, Crafts, Gift Ideas, gifts, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Spray paint metal, Spray paint wood

Spray Painted Glass Jars and Bottles

I have a real problem throwing away perfectly good glass jars and bottles. To me they are little craft gems waiting for me to transform them. With Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation coming up, I decided to turn some of our recycled bottles…

Decorating, DIY, Do It Yourself, framing, leveling

Hanging Objects on a Wall the Right Way (the First Time)

It's a jolly good day, wouldn't you say?! Did you watch the Royal Wedding this morning? Or did you DVR it to watch later (like I did.) I hope you enjoyed my photos from London and didn't mind the diversion. Now I'm back into DIY tutorial…

Destinations, London England

Three Days in the England

If you had three days (72 hours) in the UK where would you go? Last year Pretty Handsome Guy and I had this exact dilemna. We had three days to explore London and the surrounding area. It was a whirlwind trip and we walked 10 miles the first…

arts and craft, cake plate, Crafts, DIY, E-6000, Goodwill

Making a Citrus Striped Cake Stand

As promised, I have a tutorial for making a cake stand using a plate and a candlestick. This is nothing new, and if you've hopped around the blogosphere, you have probably seen some variations of this project. These are a few of the projects…

accessories, Birdhouse, decor, Decorating, garden bench, Home Decor, Landscaping, mantles, vignettes, wreath

Spring Vignettes and Mantle Décor

Ahhh, the birds are chirping and the flowers are in full bloom. The azaleas in our yard look like fireworks exploding with color. I long to open the windows and let in the sounds and the sweet smells. But, alas, the pollen bomb is…

Crafts, Guests, Rub n' Buff, Tutorial

Guest Posting at Creative Kristi

I'm stepping out today and making a super sonic trip from North Carolina to Maine for a guest post on my friend Kristi's blog aptly named: CreativeKristi.com I will be sharing the tutorial to create a Vintage Hook Frame: You may remember…

Emergency Preparedness, Home & Auto Maintenance

Do You Have a Public Alert Radio?

I am stepping up on my soapbox today. So, be prepared to listen! Yesterday was a scary day here in Raleigh. We were hit by a large storm that had intense winds, hail and TORNADOES! North Carolina is not prone to tornadoes, but yesterday was…

DIY, Do It Yourself, Paintbrushes, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques

Painting Like a Pro – Step 3. Painting and Touch Ups

Welcome back, I hope you are ready to paint with me today! If you are just stopping by and haven't prepped your room for painting, you may want to take a moment to read Painting Like a Pro Step 1 and Step 2. Okay, are you ready? I'm going…

cleaning paintbrushes, Mix Paint, Paintbrushes, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques

Painting Like a Pro – Part 2. Paint and Sheen

Let's talk about Paint, Baby... Before we start, let's talk paint. One factor for a perfect paint job is the quality of the paint you choose. Do yourself a favor, don't settle for the cheap store brand paint. You may save yourself a few bucks,…

hole filling, hole repair, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Tutorial

Painting Like a Pro – Step 1. 80% is the Prep Work

After years of painting rooms, I have perfected the process and can tell you that 80% of a professional paint job is in the preparation. Today's post will be about properly prepping your room before painting. Then I'll post next week on how…

Do It Yourself, Door, Door Hardware, drill, Fix It, Home & Auto Maintenance

Removing Door Knobs, Latches and Hinges

Removing a door's hardware (knobs, latch assembly, hinges) is really a piece of cake if you know what you are doing. There are several reasons you might need to remove a door from its hinges: The lock is broken and you can't open…

Fix It, Plumbing

How NOT to Replace an Escutcheon

Our downstair's bathroom is a little retreat for me from the boys. It is a great place to catch up on my Country Living magazines and if I bring my iPhone with me I can check email. Best of all the boys know to respect my privacy (well, most…

arts and craft, Birdhouse, Crafts, Dremel, drill

Knife Topped Birdhouse

Okay, so I know you all think I've gone off my rocker. I bought a bunch of silverware (err, excuse me flatware) from Goodwill recently. I made some Fork Photo Holders (which I absolutely adore!) And had been thinking of some cool projects…

Fix It, Plumbing, pop up drain, repair

How to Retrieve Items Dropped Down the Drain (You CAN Get It Back!)

While I was working on my Goodwill sweater, I accidentally dropped one of the pins down the drain. Now, I could have just left it there, but my "Ms. Fix-It" brain knew that I couldn't do that. If I left it, I would be dealing with a…

power tools, Tool Tutorials, Toolbox

And in this corner we have an Irwin 15″ Universal Handsaw…

While sanding down my garden bench, I decided to make a design change. I chose to saw off the ball finial posts that are at the end of the armrests. I felt they were too tall and since I'm moving my bench onto our screen porch I didn't want…

arts and craft, Crafts, decoupage, E-6000

Fork Photo Holder Base

I want to share with you how to make an alternate base for that Fork Photo Holder you see above. If you will give me a few minutes, I'll show you how to do that. Materials: Fork (.25 each from Goodwill) Wooden base from craft store (cost…

power tools, Safety Gear, sander, Tool Tutorials

Miss Safe-T DIY 2011

This weekend I'm competing in the Ms. Safe-T DIY Pageant for 2011. What? You never heard of it? Well, let me tell you the competition is fierce. I'm up against 7 other beautifully safe women for the title. The final 8 contestants are…

Decorating, Destinations, Home Decor, inspiration, vignettes

Inspired by Spring Flowers

Oh happy day! My spirits are being lifted by the showy flowers that are blooming outside my window. This post is for those of you that are still suffering through this brutal winter. My thoughts are with you often, and I hope these colors help…

arts and craft, DIY, framing, No Solicitors

No Solicitors Sign

No Solicitors Sign We live on a quiet street in a peaceful neighborhood in Raleigh. Unfortunately, every so often, my son's peaceful naps were interrupted by: DING DONG! And when I answered the door, this is who greeted me. ARRGGGHHH! I…