Mr. & Mrs. Wall Art

I've shared before that my husband works as a Framer for a living. Occasionally, when they are doing a remodel, he gets to take home some of the leftovers. He has started to learn my taste. A couple years ago, he brought me home this laminate cabinet door.

I loved it right away, but wasn't sure what to do with it. So it has sat in a dark corner of my room for 2 years. Finally, I looked at it one day and made up my mind. It was going over my bed.

*If you don't have an old door, you can still create a similar look with a  painted piece of MDF and some narrow moulding. I have actually seen pre-fab moulding panels like these, with the coved corners, but can't seem to find them right now. If any of you know a source, please let me know in the comments.

For my door, I started by mixing up some of the wall color with some Simply White to tone down the color and make it stick better to the laminate. Using Frog tape, I created lines and filled them in with my custom paint.

I traced a platter twice on a scrap piece of veneer, creating 2 ovals. I then cut them out with my cursed jigsaw.

I typed up "Mr. and Mrs." using word, then went to Staples to have them enlarged and printed in reverse. I then used to same ModPodge transfer technique I used on my Blue Hope Chest to apply the typography to the ovals.

After that, I attacked the ovals to the cabinet door with Liquid Nails, and ta-da! I now have wall art over my bed and the whole thing cost me $0.54 for the two copies to be made.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I thought I would hang it, but when I set it on top of the headboard, I liked how casual it looked. What do you think? It's heavier than heck, but I'm sure I could get it up on the wall.

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Remodelaholic
 
  

Target Gift Card Giveaway!

I've mentioned how I went to Haven Conference this last July. I'm not trying to brag when I say it was AMAZING! I really encourage any DIY blogger to try to attend next year.

Anyways, one of the best parts of attending a conference like that, is all the cool connections you make. Its great for collaborating with brands, but even more significant are the friendships you make. This year, I met two beautiful ladies named Jen (Girl in the Garage) and Shanna (Restoration Redoux). They were kind enough to let me tag along with them most of the conference. They rock! 

Well, Jen was kind enough to include me in a great giveaway to celebrate their blogiversaries. Cool for me, and even better for you. So, if you want a chance to win a couple of awesome prizes, check it out!

"It's been one year since Girl in the Garage and Restoration Redoux started blogging and we're celebrating by offering a big giveaway!"- Jen & Shanna

There will be TWO winners:

1st prize- $225 gift card to Target

2nd prize- $100 Plum Box filled with all kinds of goodies from Pick Your Plum!

Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below!

(Sorry, U.S. only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bathroom Upgrade Part 1: Splitting the Vanity Light

When it comes to design, I've always tried to make the public areas look nice, but I kinda ran out of steam by the time I reached my bathroom. The only people who see it are my husband and myself, and trust me, he couldn't care less (as long as there is plenty of light). 

 This is what my master bathroom vanity has looked like for the past 7 years. The cheap, builder-grade vanity light cast a not-so-flattering downward light. It was time for it to go.

Time to address safety:

*Before you attempt to work with an electrical wiring in your home, first make sure the outlet is switched off. Then, switch off the power to the circuit at the breaker box. If you are unsure about your electrical abilities, please hire a professional electrician to help you. 

First job to do was to remove the old fixture. As you can see, it was in place when we painted the walls.

Oh, and pardon all the self photo-bombing. Its hard to avoid when shooting at a mirror!

The next step was to remove the outlet box. Any properly hung lighting fixture will have an outlet box attached to the frame of the house somehow. This one was easy to remove by just backing out the screws that held it to a wall stud.

I saved the box for later use.  I also made sure to pull the Romex wire all the way out of the wall.

I'll share in another post how we recently upgraded our bathroom vanity from a single sink to double sinks. I really wanted to showcase the new double vanity, so I'm not going to install 1 new vanity light; I'm making room for 2!

Using a measuring tape and a level, I marked the location of the 2 new lights.

Next, I got to use a fun little tool we like to call a "hole hog bit". I really doubt that is the real name, but we like it. It's a great device! Attached it to your drill, line up the center bit with the center of your hole location, and you are ready to cut a perfect circle!. I've used them on furniture several times, but they are really perfect for this application.

I just had to find a hole hog the same size as the existing outlet hole, and I was ready to cut 2 perfect circles into my drywall.

I wish I could have gotten a photo of the next couple of steps, but it was getting dark and they definitely demanded both hands.

First, I need to spice the wire and run it through the wall to the 2 new holes. I'll explain the wiring process in my next post, but pulling the wire through the wall, it wasn't so bad. I just reached the new end, pushed back on the insulation, and fed the Romex wire through with my other hand until I could feel it, then I pulled it through.

After that, I could attach the outlet boxes to the studs with screws.

To address the original hole in the drywall, I used one of the circles I cut for the new outlets to fill the old one in.

I attached the patch piece of drywall to the stud with drywall screws. I then went crazy with the spackle and sandpaper to make the patch blend in the the existing drywall. Below you can see what it looked like with the new outlet boxes and the old hole patched and painted.

I took the photo when the paint was still a little wet, so that explains the color difference. Also, you may have noticed the outlet box on the right looks a little odd. Yes, I used a rectangular outlet box in a circle opening. The stud I wanted to attach to was off to the side of the hole, not directly behind, so I came up with the idea to use a deeper box and attach it to the side instead of the back of the box. Although not perfect, it worked pretty well and once the light is mounted, no one would ever know.

Check back soon to see the next part of the project when I install the lights! Also, I'll be running my very first giveaway (and its a good one)!

*UPDATE: SEE THE END RESULTS HERE

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Where I've been

As you can see, I have been MIA for several days. The family and I have been out in the woods camping. When most people think of Arizona, I"m sure they picture cactus and desert. Although, we have plenty of that down here by Phoenix, almost half of the state is green forest, a quick drive away.

 The boys loved playing around in Grandpa's motor home.

 I thought I'd share a few photos of what we got to enjoy this last week.

This is what I got to wake up to everyday.

 I even got a souvenir for myself. After a few weeks of drying time and some sealant, this pine stump will become a one of a kind end table.

How could I not think of furniture when I spent 5 days surrounded by lumber? No worries, I've already got a few projects in the works I'll be posting in the next couple of days. 

Did you get away for Labor Day? Any fellow campers out there?