DIY Wooden Dog Crate [That Doubles as a Tabletop]

Hello! 

Everybody has a part of their home that they can’t stand. One of my ambitions as a do-it-yourselfer is to annihilate such spaces in my own home. One of these places is our giant, hulking, black, wire, dog crate. This crate is usually covered with a polka dotted sheet or three so the doggies can sleep in the peace and dark while we’re away. I hate this thing! It’s just so ugly and such an eyesore. When you walk into my living room, it’s the first thing your eye is drawn to, and not in a good way. My goal was to change that. Adapting Ana White’s wooden dog crate plans, Randy and I set out to change the focus of our living room. We wanted something that would give our living room desk more workable space, like a place to rest our printer, and maybe some binders. We also wanted it to provide a pop of color that our living room is sorely missing. Everything in my living room is pale green, blue, or grey. We decided to make the crate a bright yellow with the barest hint of orange.
Randy and I have actually wanted to build this crate since we got Basil as a very young puppy two years ago, but we could never bring ourselves to shell out the 100 dollars for the kreg jig (you cannot do this project without one… but you won’t regret buying it. I promise!) But we decided to do it after Basil had surgery on both of his knees and needed a small comfortable space to spend his recovery. We built this thing in three days, which is exactly how many days he spent at the vet after his procedure.

Here’s some eye candy to motivate ya… 

So let’s get started… 

Patriotic Entrance for July Fourth

Hello!

My beautiful sister is in town celebrating Independence Day with us! Tomorrow we will be going to see some amazing fireworks in the neighboring town and spending time with great friends.

Why You Shouldn't Get a Puppy

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Oh boy, this is going to be a long one... but it will be worth it, just stick it out with me!

I am at the age where all of my friends are getting married, getting pregnant, or getting pets. The last one is what I'm focusing on today. It’s understandable; most of them are just graduating from college, finally living in their own place, and have control over the choices they make, finally! But, that doesn't mean that one should jump into pet ownership. No, getting an animal isn't quite the same commitment as having a child or getting married, those are life changing decisions... except wait... if you have a dog you have to rush home after work to let him out, make sure he is fed, walked, vetted, has a crate or other space that is his and arrange care for him when you leave for long periods of time... hm. Sounds like a lifestyle change to me. The average dog lives between 10 and 14 years. So it’s only about a 5th of the time you are committing to a child or a spouse... but really a decade is still a huge commitment!

But they're so cute!

One of my friends recently had a situation where they needed to rescue a neglected puppy from a co-worker's backyard. He bought the puppy on a whim, he had his own place and he did it because he could. His friends came by to check on the puppy. He didn't feed regularly; you could see its ribs. Its fur was matted and disgusting. Its nails had never been clipped. It was left alone in the house during weekends so he could spend the night at his friends and party. My friend just took his dog, he was planning on selling to someone anyways. It had never been vetted, so it was never registered in his name. My friend is currently trying to rehome this sweet puppy and is getting it the medical care it needs.

Guest Bedroom Facelift Planning

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I started school this week, which means I haven't had much time for crafting, but I do have plenty of time for daydreaming. Every time I go into our guest bedroom (also the boys I nanny's room when they sleep over) I am just not happy which what I see. The curtain is very dark navy, so they don't wake up at the crack of dawn. The bedding is very tan and neutral.. in case of accidents. I have a busted up old side table in there that holds their clothes, and the one cute thing in the room is a chalkboard painted toy box, which really shouldn't be the one nice thing in there. I want to open this room up with bright colors and make it a relaxing haven for my guests...or even me when I need to escape the pile of laundry in my own bedroom.

I went to target recently to buy a Frozen storybook, the one that comes with the CD and chimes to tell you when to turn the page. I always get lost in the bedding department because they always have such cute selections. It was a miracle I only spent ten dollars on the book instead of my whole paycheck on sheets and pillows and a coral quilt. I promised the sheets I would be back for them..

I had to swing by Lowe's after Target and grab a couple of things, and this beauty caught my eye. I always resist temptation to buy wall art at stores (because I always think I can make my own, and then never do) but I couldn't let this one go, especially since it was in the clearance rack for 10 dollars.

When I got home, I searched for a spot for my brand new orange eye candy, when I realized I was meant to take this piece home. It was destiny.

A Day in New Orleans

Hello!

The past two weeks I have been on the phone pretty much all day and night trying to get enrolled in school (kind of a difficult thing to do when you have been to three different colleges so far and need a ridiculous amount of paperwork from too many different places) so I haven't had the chance to make anything for myself, or to post on this blog, so I thought I might write about our weekend trip to The Big Easy last year.

When Randy and I lived in Mississippi we were only about two hours away from New Orleans. Sadly, because Randy was working up to 15 hours a day in his tech school, we only went twice. Good thing he will be going back down there in a year, so the doggies and I can visit him and go to New Orleans!

Bark in the Park 2014

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This past Saturday Scout, Kaya, Randy, and I spent the morning at the Humane Society's Bark in the Park. It is an annual event that supports the Humane Society. This year's Bark in the Park raised over 78,000 dollars! Its a wonderful pet festival with a 5K, 1 mile fun walk, agility courses, frisbee shows, costume contests, and tons of booths with various vendors and rescue groups selling products and educating dog owners on various issues. There is also a booth where you can get your doggie microchipped for 20 dollars! Here are a few photos from the event.

Scout has his backpack on and is ready to go! 

Kaya has on her "adopt me" bandana and is ready to charm her way into a family!

Silhouette Decorated Step Stool for Boy's Bathroom

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I've been trying to update our downstairs bathroom so it looks less like potty training ground zero, and more like a place where I send guests who need to use the facilities. The two year old that I nanny is currently struggling with potty training and the downstairs half bathroom is normally where we turn when he informs us he needs to go.

Painting Furniture with Latex Paint in 4 Easy Steps!

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I post a lot of projects here, but one of the things I don't always go over in every post is the step by step application of latex paint and polycrylic clear coat. So I'll do that now!

The Perfect Storm

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Spring is in the air! Cliche.. but its true. Especially the pollen. Spring, for the Midwest means a lot of rain and storms with tornadoes. We're still getting a little frost on the ground in the mornings, which in the south, where I mostly grew up, things are already getting incredibly hot and dry. I know, I'm talking about weather.. but I have a point, let me go ahead and get to it.

With all of the warm weather we've been having, I decided to take a trip to Lowe's; sans Basil because he just had bilateral cruciate surgery, he is on strict bed rest for three months. I originally went to get some knobs and paint for a piece I've been slowly working on, but it then grew into an eighty dollar trip where I bought a ridiculous amount of garden supplies.

Confessions of a Rescue Foster Parent.. Medusa's Adoption

Hello,

There comes a point during every foster situation where you know the time when you will have to part with your foster pup is approaching.  Its difficult, you try to enjoy every moment with them, soak up all their love and bestow as much as you can on them.

Scout would always steal her little crate 

The past month has been filled with little moments where my eyes well up whenever she came up and licked my face or nibbled my fingertips, because I remember how terrified and timid she was in November.

Honoring the Military Child and My Time as One

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April is the month of the military child, which may not seem like its very important since it is also the month of ten other things, including "National Welding Month", but it still needs to appreciated.

People who haven't been with my blog very long might not know that I am a military child... My dad is actually still in the army, twenty three years this February. Anyways, he has been deployed three times. There was actually a five year period where he was only home about 10 months total. He went away on two deployments, and then a bunch of six to eight month courses in between. By the time I was ten years old I lived in eight different homes, been to Europe with the military twice, and attended four different elementary schools.

 So why am I telling you this? Lately I have been pondering what it means to me that I had an unconventional childhood. How growing up in the army has affected my adult life, and how that has affected the choices I've made since I've been on my own. Especially now that I am a military wife.

Wordless Wednesday: Disney Vacation 2014!

Five Awesome Things You Need to See!

Hello!

I have been dormant lately. I've been doing plenty of projects and crafts, but for some reason there is a disconnect between the things I have made and my ability to write them all down and take good photos. So I'll just have to show you my adventures in having writers block with very little explanation, and not very good photos.

Like this...

Number One: Awesome Pallet Storage! 
Over Christmas Break I went to my cousin Jessica's house in North Carolina. She lives about twenty minutes away from my in laws, so I'm always happy to be able to see some of my family when we go to see Randy's family also.

My cousin is like me, except on speed. She does dozens of huge projects at a time! I'm not going to show you any of her furniture (right now, one day soon, because it is amazing) but there was something she made that that caught my eye, and that I hope to recreate in my own home soon!

Ooooh.... Aaaaaaah...

25 Dollar Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Hello!

So, I'm not sure how many of my actual readers follow me on facebook, but my facebook page has hit 500 likes!

Disney Disney Disney Disney Disney Disney (Lather Rinse Repeat)

It has been ages since I've posted anything, despite having completed various projects, like my pedestal table, and my over the desk cabinet, mantle decor, Christmas decor, I haven't been able to concentrate long enough to write about any of it. The reason for my sudden onset attention deficit disorder is DISNEY. I have 39 days until we fly to Orlando, and my husband and I take our very first Disney vacation together!

Since Disney is the only thing I can think about, and I have been obsessively researching for our trip I guess I'll just ramble about Disney until I feel satisfied with this blog entry.

$600 Cash Giveaway!

Craft Frenzy Friday!

We want to thank all of our Craft Frenzy Friday participants last week and welcome you back this week! Please be sure to like your host on all social media you want!  We appreciate the love!  Also, just a reminder we pin all the features on two Craft Frenzy Friday Pinterest Boards so you will get twice the love!

Home Made Chalk Paint Experiment

Hello everyone!

I've been meaning to try my own chalk paint ever since I tried out Annie Sloan Chalk Paint a few months ago.

Here's a first glance at our newly painted table! 

I had everything I needed to make my own chalk paint on hand. I got a free box of plaster of paris from the airman's attic last year. I got a 3 dollar gallon of satin latex paint from.. I'm not sure where but it was a mistint in a color I absolutely love! And I got these cute little empty paint cans for free also. So, this was a very low cost experiment for me. And I am pleased with the results!

Tipper's Treats: A Review

Hello!

I'm really excited for today's post! I'll be reviewing Tipper's Treats, an awesome homemade dog treat business started by a friend from my old university. I love Tipper's Treats' tagline - "From our kitchen to your dogs tummy, we ensure that your pooch will be completely satisfied with our 
treats made from fresh produce, meats, and cheeses!"

I love how her business cards match her facebook page!

Her Furbabies. 

Brittany and I met our freshman year of college, and we've continued to keep in touch even after I left that university, and we both got married, acquired lots of fur babies, and her family added a human baby. We've both changed quite a bit in our situations, but we share a love for dogs that has kept us in touch.

She started her own etsy store selling home made dog treats, I've been meaning to buy some for months, but it just kept slipping my mind. When Thanksgiving rolled around, I decided I was going to order some Thanksgiving treats for the dogs. I ordered them, and they arrived promptly, about 4  days after I ordered them. I loved how she wrapped everything. She bakes everything fresh, and is willing to do custom orders. When the box arrived, my dogs could smell the treats through the box. They are incredibly fragrant, the aroma of the treats flooded my nose as soon as I tore open the box. I was tempted to taste one!

I ordered the Thanksgiving dinner treats in the shapes of a brachiosaurus. I asked her to throw in a few other shapes me for to include in my blog and she readily agreed. The shapes are so cute! She has crowns, bones, dinosaurs, hydrants, dog houses, and more! I've never had a dinosaur shaped treat or cookie before. The dogs crowded around the table as I photographed and staged the treats. They even hopped up on it, which they know they are NOT allowed to do. I guess they knew the treats were for them, and boy did they want it!

Tipper's Treats offers several different flavors: "chocolate" chip, pumpkin cinnamon, cinnamon maple apple, peanut butter bacon, banana and coconut, tomato basil, and nutty bacon - just to name a few!

My dogs and I highly recommend these awesome and good for them dog treats! They get excited whenever they see them. The only thing they get more excited about are strips of bacon. I will be ordering another round of Christmas flavored treats. I'm not sure which ones yet (probably peppermint cream), but I'm sure they will also be excellent and my dogs will love them.

I conducted a mini interview with Brittany to learn more about her business, and these are her responses.

 What inspired you to start Tipper's Treat?

"I was standing in pet smart looking at the treats and how expensive they were. I told myself that I could learn to make them myself for half the price and with better ingredients and no added chemicals or fillers. Now my dogs refuse store bought treats."  

 Where do you get your ingredients? What are the standards for the things you put into your product?

" I get my ingredients from locals! We have a farmers market here in town. What I can't find at the farmers market I get from the local grocery store, they are very accommodating to organic, grain free, and gluten free life styles! I make sure everything is in season and ripe. That's also when I stock up on herbs so I can use them when they aren't in season. I dry them myself."

What are your current career goals for Tipper's Treats?

"I currently am working with an investor and a local kennel club. My plan is to expand Tipper's Treats and to one day have my very own shop! It will be based online through etsy for now with future plans of my own website."

How did you come up with the name Tipper's Treats?

"When I first started making treats, I'd ask Tipper if she wanted to "help" me make treats. She would (and still does) come sit in the kitchen by the oven and never moves until they are done in hopes that she'll get one (she always does!) And I just came up with the name. She is the main reason I started making my own treats continuously."

What is unique about your treats that sets them apart from store bought alternatives?

"I'd have to say the flavors and the quality. I love inventing new flavors! As far as quality, all of my treats are simple. They all contain real food that is healthy for your fur kid. I believe simplicity is best for the body, human or animal. I also make them made to order and in small batches."

She also plans to work with local dog shelters as her business expands. She currently has a Facebook page where she keeps her fans and customers updated on her business and new flavors and other deals that come out!

Head on over to the Tipper's Treats and check out the variety of flavors and options for your furbaby, or even a friend's dog or cat. Brittany is offering a Holiday Coupon, code is PAWS2013 and it expires January 2nd. These make great Christmas gifts! I know what I'm putting in Basil and Scout's stockings this year.
I hope you enjoyed reading, until next time

-Christine

Christmas Dinner Rolls

Hello!

So probably my only food post ever (I say that now). I'm going to teach you how to make my mother's delicious and super easy yeast rolls!

Every year around the holidays, my mother would send my siblings and I around the neighborhood loaded down with baskets filled with dozens of these delicious rolls! We always had people request them all year round, but my mom was pretty good about saving them for the holidays.