I Made These Adirondack Chairs Myself

Okay so 9 out of 10 DIY projects at our house are my idea/design and I get to do most of the tedious work, but we give all the credit to my husband because clearly I must not be capable of using power tools of any kind or something and he has the muscle. So not fair.

For this particular project I decided to flip that on it’s head and do all of it myself (minus a couple cuts). Plus I like to get stuff done and let’s face it, Tyler has a job (a demanding one) and he’s not always here at my disposal for these types of things. I really wanted to expand what I could do so that I could do it on more than just the weekends and Corbin already wants me to make him a new bed sometime soon.

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What’s the plan?

So we have this “flower” bed off the back of our house that has never really taken off. I had rosemary that grew beautifully there, but after our crazy Texas freeze, it all died off and I officially gave up on trying to make that bed work. I decided it’s going to be a fire pit area. The problem with deciding it was going to be a fire pit is every chair I wanted for around the fire pit was going to cost me about $300 each and that’s not exactly in the budget.

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You can see the “flower” bed against the house here. The once thriving rosemary is hidden behind Saida’s head.

See! There’s that rosemary to the left.

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So naturally the thing I come around to is let’s just do it ourselves. That’s basically always the end game for everything that doesn’t fit the budget anyway. Why would this be any different? Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?.

I got lost in Pinterest for like a week making sure I’m doing the right thing and what I settled on was a DIY tutorial from DIY Queen Ana White. If you need the tutorial for these chairs, click that link. This post I’m writing is most definitely not a tutorial post and more of a “yes, you can do it because I did it” and “look what we’re up to” post.

My husband helped me with the first chair while he explained some things I’d need to be mindful of, then I took over the next 5 chairs from there. I didn’t do it perfectly and it kind of took me forever (because motherhood and life), but I’m pretty proud of what I managed to accomplish as a first timer.

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Pics or it didn’t happen

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Some takeaways from this project

• Measure twice. I didn’t have that many mistakes, but there were a couple.

• Clamps are your friend. Like your very best friend. (this link is an affiliate link)

• Sawdust in the eye sucks. It’s okay to wear the dorky safety glasses.

• Miter saws really aren’t scary and it’s silly that I was sort of intimidated by them.

• Music makes every project better.

• Say yes to pilot holes.

Stain Info

We used Valspar Solid Exterior Stain and Sealer in Darkest Night to seal and stain (I also used the semi-transparent version of this in a different color on our fence last year). I love it because the color ties in with my outdoor kitchen and porch chairs. I think it’ll look nice with what we chose for the fire pit patio as well. Also I’m usually a Home Depot and Behr kind of girl, but this one had ratings I couldn’t ignore.

What’s next?

Speaking of the fire pit patio, this is the direction we’re going with it once we have a little time to get it done. This one I won’t do by myself. Also it’s currently July in Texas so you really have to pick and choose your outdoor projects wisely this time of year. It’ll either be awhile before we start or a slow process due to heat.

Hopefully come Fall you’ll find us out back making s’mores.

-Monica

As Seen in Issue 11 of the Magnolia Journal

Issue No. 11 of the Magnolia Journal surrounds the idea of Freedom and inspires you to celebrate freedom in a number of ways. Maybe you celebrate freedom by choosing a path for you instead of what was expected, maybe it’s letting go of comforts to allow room for growth, maybe it’s packing out your kids into the car and living life on the road, or maybe it’s simply running through the grass barefoot on a summer day with literally nothing else to do. There’s even a summer bucket list that will inspire you to make this the best summer ever and live like you’re a kid again. If this sounds like your jam or you just want some of the grilled flatbread recipes (because they look freaking delicious and easy to make), go get it. If you just want to find a few Joanna Gaines approved items you can buy online, well then, I can help you with that. Just keep scrolling.

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Backpack by Walker Family Goods

There’s an entire article about the Walker Family in this issue. They sound kind of amazing and I want to be them for like a week (likely I’d change my mind after 1 day in the car with my kids). Plus I’m just loving the vintage vibe of this bag.

Chemical Free Sunscreen

Look, I use the bad stuff on my kids too because it works. I’m trying to do better though and this one caught my eye.

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Straw Circle Tote Bag

Green Scarf

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Lucy Shoe Rack

Bovill Hall Tree

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English Elm Wood Coat Hook

Coconut Milk Roll On Perfume

There’s a seaweed + sea salt one I really want to try. I haven’t used perfume in years, but this makes me want to try.

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But seriously, this issue has me saying all the yeses and I’m really anxious to try the spinach + artichoke flatbread and the tomato + basil flatbread. There’s even a recipe for chimichurri with avocado that sounds amazing too and since our outdoor kitchen is finally up and running, you can bet we might just be trying that one very soon with whatever steak I can get Tyler to cook. I don’t grill so if you know what an appropriate cut of mean for a chimichurri is, feel free to share.

So yeah, if you’re asking my opinion, I’d totally recommend issue no. 11 of the Magnolia Journal.

-Monica

As Seen in Issue No. 10 of The Magnolia Journal

I’m a Johanna Gaines fan. For some that’s cool and for others I imagine they’re over it, but I could literally watch Fixer Upper all day. I don’t reall buy magazines, but I finally broke down the other day and bought my first issue of The Magnolia Journal and I kind of love it. It’s not over ran with ads and I love that not every single item in the magazine is from Magnolia Market or the Hearth and Hand section at Target. I was a little surprised really and from my surprise came this post. I’ve compiled some of the things from the magazine that can be purchased elsewhere and put them all here. It’s a little doormat heavy because I guess that’s a thing at the onset of spring when we’re all trying to freshen up our outdoor spaces. It makes me want a few more exterior doors. And I really think I’d like to have The Kaufman Merchantile Guide. It looks like one of those things you could get lost in for a little bit.

Disclaimer: Post contains a couple affiliate links.

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Hello Doormat from Wayfair

Polka Dot Doormat from Anthropologie

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Flip Rack from Uncommongoods.com

The Kaufmann Merchantile Guide from Amazon

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Phansthy Glass Wall Sconce from Amazon

Woven Doormat from World Market

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Galvanized Metal Drink Dispenser Stands

Luxury Pencil Set from Trouva.com

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If you’ve ever thought about checking out the magazine and haven’t, I’d recommend picking one up. This issue had articles about authenticity and monthly journal prompts in addition to just being eye candy. I love the positive vibe and plan on subscribing.

-Monica

Building a Tract Home: What I Would and Wouldn't Do Again

Okay so the truth is I wouldn’t build another tract home (or cookie cutter home) again. That’s just me being real about the whole deal. Very little about the process was enjoyable and the stress didn’t end once our house was done. But I also understand that sometimes this is your only or your best option. That’s the boat we were in when we built our house. I could go on and on about our situation, but it’s not important and I can ramble with the best of them so let’s just skip over that and move on to what you came here for.

Disclaimer: This is all based on the experience we had with our builder. Upgrades, options, and standard inclusions vary depending on builder and I can only speak of our experience and hope it helps.

What I would do

• Add can lights wherever possible. We did can lights in our bedroom because I didn’t want a light kit on the fan and we added them in our living room for the same reason. It just cleaned everything up and I’d defintley do it again.

• Upgrade to taller doors. I never thought of this, but the model home had it done and it’s amazing how taller doors throughout your home can make it feel bigger and just overall give it a more open and grand appearance and for not a lot more money.

• Add electrical outlets outside. We added one at the front corner of our house for Christmas lights and blow ups. Thank goodness for that plug. We also added one to the porch ceiling and it’s perfect for our string lights.

• Add a gas stub out to your back porch (if you have gas in your home). Nobody wants to change out propane tanks for the grill. Now we don’t have to. We also added an electrical outlet and water to the back porch because we’re building an outdoor kitchen. Paying the builder to put in an outdoor kitchen was hefty so we decided we’d just have them add these things and then we’d do it ourselves.

• Add the third car garage and extend the length. Okay so this may not be as big of a deal for everyone as it was for us, but we don’t regret it and our garage is the envy of our neighbors. The garages in these track homes are so short and we’re the only one who can actually get a mid size SUV in their garage. We also added the third car garage so my handy husband could have a dedicated workshop area.

• Pay extra for white ceilings. Or better yet, just paint the whole house white. The builder paint is so terrible and we ended up repainting the entire thing anyway and I was glad the ceilings were already white. We actually argued about this one so don’t tell Tyler I actually agree with him now.

• Get another Blanco sink. Y’all I love these things. It’s a granite composite sink that is not only beautiful, but also so easy to clean and maintain.

• Upgrade the baseboards and cabinets. We didn’t do this and I wish we would have. We were pinching pennies and to go with what was included and I really wish we had shaker cabinets and the big squared off baseboard.

• Upgrade shower and bath fixtures. I mean the ones that aren’t going to be easy to switch out yourself. We would literally have to bust out walls to change some things out and I regret not getting what I wanted from the builder.

• Add irrigation. Our builder charged extra to put it in the back, but it was something we wanted and the upgrade amount seemed totally worth it.

What I Wouldn’t Do

• Upgrade light fixtures. This is something else they builder tried to charge us a small forture for and what they had to offer wasn’t even in style (hadn’t been for years) and the quality wasn’t great. Let them put the basic light fixtures in and then come in and change them out afterwards.

• Upgrade areas that can be carpeted. There are two reasons for this. One is that they charge you too much for just okay material. You can get something nicer for way cheaper from a reputable flooring company than you’ll get it from the builder. Carpet is easy to rip up. The other reason is the sub contractors the builder hires are not great. If they mess something up (and they will) it’s not an easy fix. If it’s an area that has to be tiled, go ahead and have the builder do the tile and get one you actually want.

I hope this helped in some way or at least got you thinking about what makes sense for your family in your new home build. Really decide what’s important and what you don’t want to have to deal with later. Ask yourself when you’re in design if these are the things you really actually want and bring you joy or if it even matters to you. We make some really great decisions and ones I regret. Good luck and feel free to share your woulds and would nots in the comments.

-Monica

Header Photo by David McBee from Pexels

Weekend Wrap Up: Lots of Sanding and A Little Bit of Crawfish

This weekend was a weekend of I’m not really sure where the time went or what all got done. I guess technically we did lose an hour, but even still…

I’d hoped to finish up some projects this weekend that just weren’t moving along as expected. Lots of lots of sanding went down and I think the sanding part might finally be done. And let’s be real, kids need things so it’s not like these things ever get my full attention for too long. Here’s a visual of what we’re working on. I’m sanding and staining multiple projects at a time because they’ll all get stained the same color and it seems like the easiest way to control having them all look the same. Sometimes I just eyeball the stain mixture and don’t actually measure so… yeah. The picture ledge will get painted the same white as the shiplap, but the rest of these are getting stained.

I feel like the frames for the mirrors are going to take our bathrooms to a whole new level and I’m really excited about it. Our master bathroom especially is in major need of a transformation and paint and framing the mirrors seem like the biggest bang for our buck. We’ve also got some inexpensive light fixtures from Lowe’s that will be mounted into the header portion of the frame. The top of the frame is a 1x10 and the rest of the frame is going to be made out of 1x4s.

I painted a couple of accent walls black (one in our bathroom and one in the office). I don’t regret it, but admittedly I do regret the sheen. Before we can finish and install the floating shelves, I have to head back to Home Depot for more paint. I went with an eggshell by mistake thinking that was what we used for our outdoor kitchen, but the outdoor kitchen is a satin. I think I may purchase a matte this go around. I did try to sand down the sheen because I saw something on the internet that said I could, but our texture is too heavy for this idea to work so back to painting I go.

Saturday evening we attended a random crawfish boil at our home builder’s house. Two years later he and Tyler still keep in touch even though we were a tough customer. The picture below is all the kids (except Corbin) and their big hearts letting the last two crawfish go. Saida is there on the left cautiously watching the release go down. She was curious, but not interested in getting anywhere near those pinchers.