Randomness Day: Finds, Deck, Coolness, Etcetera, and a Doggie.

Nutty times around here, nutty times!  Lots going on and other than the deck, nothing major.  I don't think.  My brain is a-whirl with the week ahead.

Obligatory "before" shot.  Patio still lookin' good!  I love that patio.

Yes, the deck started today!!  Mike's deck....ah he's so giddy, it's cute.

Heh, also cute?  Finn examining the yard from the second floor window.

Last week I was heading over to my second home Menards from a different direction and stopped over at that newer Salvation Army, see if I could find some interesting frames.

See, I'm not much of a thrifter type.  I was when I did props as that made great financial and historical sense but for some reason I've never been able to be a thrifter or garage saler otherwise, not entirely sure why.  I guess for me personally, other people's used stuff occasionally gives me the heebeejeebees sometimes?  No offense.

Thrifting and garage sales can turn up incredible treasures though, which is why do I stop every once in a bit.  Treasure hunting.

Well, this stopover turned up quite the unexpected treasure:  original aluminum Tiki brand torches from the early 1960's, unused, untouched.  Two for five bucks.  Huge fat wicks at 3/4" diameter!  Like an idiot, I stood in the aisle hemming and hawing but eventually it duh dawned on me that if I passed on these, I'd be sorry every day for the rest of my life.

My favorite color too!  Yes, the twine broke on one of the DIY planter pouches that I never replanted.  Sad.

Researcher that I am, I found a few similar on Etsy when I got home, one single original ad online but that's it.

What a treasure!  What a steal!  Mike and I debated several times whether we should keep them or resell them.  Using and enjoying the daylights out of 'em won.

Lit, for the first time ever, in over 50 years!  Crazy, right?!

I also snatched up a table lamp that matches the light fixture in the hall bedroom exactly.  I wasn't sure if I wanted it and I'm still not -- do I want matchy matchy or do I want something different but I figured at six bucks I shouldn't walk away.  If anything it can go in Mike's office, or maybe on the actual record cabinet.  That's dangerous with a spazzy gi-gundo dog though.

It's missing a harp and a shade, but pffft, no biggie, easily remedied.  Gives me a chance to get all creative like or somethin'.  Oh, found zero worthwhile frames by the way.

On the cabinet there.  Yes, that murky paint test is the same color as the basement if you can believe it.  Light, or lack thereof, makes a world of difference!

Ooh!  Oh!  My prizes from the Instructables contest (repeat link) arrived!

T-shirt with their adorable robot logo, sander, and two stickers!

Oh I am so excited -- I can't believe I was a winner!  Mike was teasing me all day, sending me photos of the shipping box, repeatedly yanking my chain that he was going to accidentally forget to bring it home....I shipped it to his place of employment as we've been having issues with packages being stolen off our front porch by jerky people.

Awwww, but SOOOooo thrilled and I can't thank you guys enough for voting for our pallet wood pantry floor!  The prizes are a nice perk but the joy of being selected is what truly warmed my heart.  Thank you thank you thank you!

Mike asked me the next evening, "so?  What did you sand with your new sander today?"  I am terribly embarrassed to report it's been a week and I haven't sanded a single thing yet.  I know, lame.  I will soon.

Maybe I'll use it to sand the wood patch in the kitchen as dun dun dun....I did it!  I picked up that Rustoleum Kitchen Transformations kit in black.  Black!!  I'm so excited.  Looks like it's going to be a slew of methodical slow steps, making me all edgy impatient but, gotta follow the directions and take it easy to get it right.

Found some cool, sharp, unusual cabinet door pulls on the interwebs and at Menards, so I'll run those ideas by Mike.  Of course, because not a damn single thing is easy peasy simple in this darn house, the normal spot to screw in a door pull is rounded on the cabinets.  Sheesh.

Rounded.  Sigh.

Hardware options are minimal at best as a result, as finding one that sits correctly with no gaps will be a challenge which is why the Menards one might work best.  And I'm not sure if I like the tab pull kind, such as maybe these or these. You get the idea there.  They feel office-y to me.

Anywhooo I was heading out last Friday to meet the deck builder guy to purchase the materials when I gave Mike one last chance on the black cabinet paint.  He shrugged his shoulders, looked at me funny, chuckled and said, "That's fine, I'm not worried -- you're going to change your mind in six months anyway."

Well.  A character, that one, I tell ya.

Of course, after waiting and waiting for the kit to go on sale it finally does *after* I purchased it.  That's ok, Menards will refund me the difference.  Heh, figures!

But yes, Mike hired a guy to build the deck, coming clean, truth be told.  While I'm sure we could have accomplished the task ourselves, it would have taken us forever and a day especially since we don't have all the appropriate correct tools to get the job done right.  Plus we don't want to kill each other, heh.

Closer up "before" shot.

Over in the Who's Honoring Me Now department, Deirdre Sullivan at about.com mentioned my 99 cent shelf!  That was beyond super cool to come upon, so nice of her, and I am hugely, incredibly flattered to be included!  There are some other spiffy ideas there worth checking out too.  Way neat, right?!

Oh and Finny boy's paint by numbers-ish portrait is done now:

Very colorful, heh, just like him!  He looked up at it on the wall the other day, literally did a double take then looked at me.  It was totally hilarious.  "Mommy, who's that?  Is that me?!  Cool, thanks!"

Hailey's is in progress at the moment which is mmm ya know tough.  I've nearly cried a few times but I'm trying to tunnel vision solely on filling in the colors, wee small areas at a time.  Narrow focus, narrow.

Buuuuut, so, it's going to be an uber super duper busy week around these parts; I'm not sure how much of anything house related I'll be getting done.

My brother and his family come to town on Wednesday, so we'll be seeing them.  Errands up the wazoo -- Saturday is our block party which Pete the Sweeper decided I would um, be the head of- in charge of- coordinator for.  Yeah no, he didn't ask, he told.

His plans for it shifted so Mike and I are now shopping for and prepping all the food.  Heh.  Ah well, so it is.  We think the plans will be good.   Mike's making Frito Pies, which quite possibly may be an Indiana food group I think, I'm not positive though (he's from Indiana, I'm allowed).  He makes his own chili so it'll be way yummy.

Sooo, I may not see you guys until next week, we shall see.  Sad face, right?  I know.  I'll be back asap, promise!