Making Stuff

A few months ago my mom texted me that she was having trouble shopping for new living room furniture. She purchased a coffee table and chair, but when they were delivered, she realized they were wrong for the room, overwhelming in size and not a good match in the light, warm, and antique-y living room. Around the same time, Simon and I took a brief trip to Burlington so he and Sille could ski. Pete and I were left without anything to do and realized that we could help out mom by making a coffee table.

Make a coffee table?! I had absolutely no clue where to start. My brother has a studio/workshop not far from his place in Burlington so we were set with a spot to do the work. He is also, um, slightly smart and knowledgeable about making things. Me? Not so much. I've never constructed anything before so it was all new territory, and I was nervous that I would be useless as he did everything. 

We thought we could refurbish something for less money than than purchasing all new wood. We were in luck when we spotted this old piece at the antique shop next to Pete's studio. I impressed Pete with my negotiating skills and we got the table for $75.

Pete has an eye for this stuff and knew what was lurking under the surface. He set me to work with a power sander as he tore apart the rest of the table. It was amazing what a little elbow grease and power tools could do. The boards emerged as smooth, richly grained pieces and we began to conceptualize how we could reassemble it. When it became clear it was going to be a lighter, simpler piece we knew the existing legs (that I had also sanded...) wouldn't work. Back to the antique shop, where we found some awesome mid-century inspired legs. Pete set to work with the engineering aspect of things and I kept sanding. I know my limits.

It was a full day's work, but it was one of the best days I've spent in awhile. The before and after is pretty remarkable, and I loved the feeling of creating something. While I didn't operate a saw or come up with any of the solutions for getting the thing to actually stand up, I felt helpful. Like we were a team. As you can see, Merwin was a critical member of that team. There's always one who doesn't do anything during the group project but still gets the A.

DIYing

If you'd like to read that title as "dying" that's fine too seeing that you'll likely be dying with laughter when you see the photos from this little project. We have an outdoor bench and matching table set on a platform looking out over the water. Nice little spot but both pieces of furniture have seen better days with the wood quite deteriorated. So my little bro suggested I brush on some teak oil to strengthen the wood and keep it from completely drying out. Perfect!

Genius me decided that this would be a great DIY moment to feature on the blog. I snapped a before photo, a project selfie, and an after photo. Aside from the crazy look in my eyeballs as I tackled the painting, there is absolutely nothing to see here. With the exception of my terrible photography skills featuring dramatically different lighting and my own shadow in the after photo, the before and after pics look virtually the same. In real life, the wood is a shade darker and seems more resilient. The experience, however, made me realize that I'll be sticking to posting pointless blabbering and sunset photos from now on.

How To Make "Birthday Signs"

If I remember correctly, "the birthday signs" originated for my mom's birthday many years ago. I would make 10-20 mini birthday posters and slap them on the walls for some cheery wishes spread throughout the house. Actually, I think she still has a few hanging in her closet from decades ago. Aww!

Now they are a bit more complicated. For starters, there are fewer and they each attempt to capture an interest or hobby of the recipient while incorporating a birthday wish. Planning and designing these things is seriously one of my favorite activities. I get to ponder the birthday boy or girl, thinking about their interests, their passions and their favorite things then figure out how to translate those onto a piece of paper. It's the closest I come to being creative and it really is a blast.

I only mention this because I really think anyone could do it! It's a fun way to honor a birthday and also a fun way to get in a little therapeutic crafting. Here's how it goes down. 

I start by making a list of things that the person likes, memories we have together, etc. For my mom, it would be tennis, bowling, flowers, her Grand-dog, and pancakes. For my friend Melissa, it was bunnies, her Siberian husky, bumblebees and owls while Simon was all about fantasy baseball, the Cardinals, the lake, Merwin and his stupid sunglasses. You get the picture.

I use regular old copy paper, construction paper, a good set of markers, and some glue. Sketch out the designs (don't hesitate to use the web to lend a hand...I'm not ashamed to trace some print outs or sometimes even incorporate the actual clip art onto the poster). Add some color and voila - birthday cheer! Might not be the most professional looking things, but I say it's the thoughtfulness that counts.