Hiatus Complete

Was a nice little break from the blog and the overall internet. Have completed/started a ton in the last couple of weeks. The garden is in full swing and producing some yummy cucumbers already. The green and banana peppers as well as tomatoes are green and fresh. We installed a drip hose too - helps conserve water and waters directly on the plants. Another great Eric idea.

The second end table is complete [finally]. Also the cute chalkboard for my kitchen is in the final stages -- pictures to come! I'm making all the use I can out of the scraps at the Ranch :) Not to forget the great help from Momma Frank - my first dress is complete too! A rather simple project with her sage help via Skype on a Saturday. 9 Billion awesome points to my mom.

This weekend is jam packed with a visit from my best best friend, an engagement party for Brad and Wen, and boating on Lake Norman with a gaggle of friends.

The How-To Post

End table 1 is complete! Thanks to a nice trade from Wen to Molls to me ... I inherited 2 end tables and have been pondering what to do with them. 

Steps:

1. Sand everything - I used a small electric sander on most of it and got the small spaces with paper.
2. Wipe off the excess dust/debris with a wet rag.
3. Paint twice - I used standard wall paint (look fimilar? It's the color of the kitchen at the ranch!). Make sure to wait for it to dry before the second coat.
4. Distress with course sandpaper - I used the sandpaper E had sitting around the garage that were for his "power sander." I went over the outside of the top, the outside of the drawer area, and the legs with the sandpaper flat and sporadically used the edges for more distinct marks.
5. Seal twice - Make sure to let the first coat completely dry before putting the second on.

Front area at the Ranch. We put the extra peppers and tomatoes we had into big pots (on sale at Lowes) and keep them next to the rain barrel. The gardenias in the back right corner I trimmed back 2 weekends ago and are in bloom now (and smell great!).

 Close up of Eric's peach tree.

 Le Garden - Blooming Wonderfully! Another 3-4 weeks and we'll have more than the best lettuce ever.

Happiness

"One-sixteenth of the time people are happy. The rest of the time they’re not. So if you start to avoid all the things that cause unhappiness then maybe there’s a small chance you can improve the ratio in your favor."

Who doesn't love some Freakonomics in the morning?