Swing pergola tutorial....

The past few months have been super busy and honestly a little over-whelming. (When I can, I will share.)

As a result I haven’t had a lot of time to do many DIY projects around the house. Which of course explains my absence last week. For now, the best I can do is link back to some of my all-time favorite projects!

One of my all time favorite projects was the swing pergola. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I have built several over the years!

This is a picture of one of the pergolas pre storage building update and we now have a privacy fence along the back of the lot. I meant to take a “current” photo, but see above!

With so many people at home looking for “projects,” this little build is perfect!

It takes a few days and will require a few sets of hands, but it is doable.

Trust me, you will get HOURS of enjoyment out of it! And maybe even a few naps!

(And remember, wear a mask when you pick up materials!)

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How to set stone in your lawn...

My first love is flagstone…I share HERE how I created a little flagstone patio in the front of the house…

This was a massive project and required “excavating” a large area.

My project this week is the same process but “small scale.”

My mother offered my Granddad’s grindstones that my dad had set in their yard as a pathway.

There are a few things I have that make me see “old ladyish”…my grandmother’s china and hutch, an old camera collection, a few knick knacks here and there…and certainly a grindstone pathway in the yard would qualify. Truth be told, I can not pass up anything that is a family heirloom.

If you don’t know what a grindstone is, google it.

Nifty stones that were originally used to sharpen tools. I have no idea if my grandfather actually used them for their intended purpose but I believe they were set in his yard as stepping stones…and my dad got them and did the same.

So now I have moved them to my house…and this past weekend I set them in the yard.

I had already set a few of them when I realized it would be a great way to show you how I create a path set in the ground…no worries about having to mow around it.

Whether you use grindstones, slabs of wood, bricks or flagstone…this is the way to property set them individually to create a “stepping path.” I have found that this method creates the least destruction to existing turf. You can even do it before you seed or lay sod.

The first thing you want to do is lay them out where you want them.

Look at them from every angle…maybe walk on them to see if they “step right.”

Once you have them laid out where you want them, it is time to get down to the REAL work. (I will refer to “stone” because that is what I used…again, you can create a path with just about any durable material!)

First, take a shovel and go around the stone… about 1'“-2” from the edge of the stone…keep the shovel straight and go into the ground at least 4”. (My stones were about 2” thick and I want at least a 2” bed of sand and soil to set the stone on.) You are basically using the stone as a template.

Once you have gone around the entire stone, just flip it out of the way for the time being.

Since my yard was sodded, I wanted to salvage the sod and use it to fill in a few bare spots here and there…so I used my shovel to carefully remove the sod…

I used a little hand rake to remove the bulk of the dirt off the piece of sod and relocated it to the bare spots.

Then I used the shovel and my hands to remove all the excess dirt in the hole. I put it in a bucket and used it in an area of the yard that need a little fill.

I made the hole about 4” deep, then I added sand.

You can buy bags of “play sand” or even “paver base.” Just make sure you put some kind of sand or base in the hole to create a stable, level bed free of rocks and debris. .

I would suggest hosing down the sand just to make sure it is packed well…your goal here is to create a level, compact bed for the stone to set on.

Once the sand is leveled, replace the stone and make any adjustment by lifting and filling where needed.

I used the dirt I removed from the hole to fill in around the stone.

Once all the stones were set, I saturated them…this forces the dirt around the stones to seep under the stones and also lets you see which ones may need to be lifted and additional sand toss under.

Step on them and make sure they seem “firm.” I had one that “rocked” so I lifted it and added sand. As the dirt around the stones seeped underneath I added more and plugged in a few pieces of sod.

With a little water and sun I expect the grass to fill back in nicely over the next few weeks!

(You can see HERE how I dolled up the storage shed a bit!)

I saved a little dirt in the bucket because I know some of the soil around the stone may compact a bit. Also, this part of my yard is fescue so I may have to over-seed a bit…but that is okay! I like the look and even though it may be a little “old ladyish” I have a walking path that has a little bit of sentimental value.

Perfect!

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How to build a shop or garden cart...

I’m kinda bad at posting “tutorials.” There are SOOO many tutorials online for just about anything you want to do and my motto is to FIND THE ONE THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR YOU!!!!

That being said, I am going to TRY to post a tutorial for building a cart…for either your “shop” or maybe a deck or garden cart…or even a little portable kitchen island.

I shared here how I took an old shop cart I bought at an auction and cleaned it up for use as a kitchen island.

The function will dictate the materials you will want to use. If it is something that will be outdoors, you want to use pressure treated wood or even cedar. If it is something that will be in your garage or “shop” you can use plain ole’ pine…if you want something a little fancier, like maybe a kitchen island, you want to find some nicer wood that can be stained and oiled and used in food prep.

In this case, my daughter Katie, wanted something she could put her chop saw and tools on and roll in and out of the house. Kind of like my old shop cart….

…another auction find that I fixed up a tad to use in my garage. It holds my chop saw so when I need to use it I can just wheel it outside so sawdust doesn’t get all over the garage. And the bottom shelf holds many of my tools! Not pretty but super functional!

Since her cart won’t be stored outside, I decided to build the bulk of her cart out of pine 2 x 4s. The tops are 1 x 6 treated decking, but only because it is the perfect sizing…not because I necessarily needed the pressure treated wood.

So my shop cart is my “inspiration.”

The next thing I did was “make a plan.”

Again, whether you are building something simple, refinishing a dresser, or giving a room a makeover, you have to first find your inspiration, then make a plan.

In this case, “the plan” is a simple little drawing with dimensions and a material list.

Originally the plan was based on my cart dimensions…but Katie decided she wanted her’s a tad smaller, 20 x 30, so that altered the dimensions and materials just a tad. I ended up using only 1 of the 2x4x10s and 3 of the 1x6x8s.

Important reminder: a 2 x 4 is actually only 1 1/2 x 3 1/2…2x6 material is actually only 1 1/2 x 5 1/2….only the length is actual. This is important when designing any build so make sure you know what the actual dimensions are of any wood you buy. This chart can be super helpful….

Softwood Dimensional Lumber Actual Sizes.jpg

I could have bought 4x4 material to make the “legs” but decided to just “stack” two 2x4s…personal preference. If you decided to use 4x4 material, skip this step and buy 2- 4x4x6 posts and cut them down to 31” each.

The legs will be 31” because I wanted the height of the finished cart to be around 35”. The wheels I used are 3” high and the top is 1” thick.

Again, I used 2 x4s to construct the legs….

I cut 8 pieces 31”, glued (SUPER important to glue ALL joints)….

….stacked, nailed with my new Mother’s Day gift (LOVE!)….

…then screwed them together with 2 1/2” screws.

I nailed them first just to hold them in place…then I added screws.

After each leg was built, I attached the wheels to one end of each using 2” screws!

Next I built the top and shelf “frames.” Since Katie wanted it to be 20” x 30”, I cut 4 boards 29” (the face) and four boards 16”….the 16” boards are the sides. (1 1/2” thickness of each of the face boards = 3”…basically a 19x29 frame allowing 1/2” for overhang on the top)

I used my kreg jig to construct the tops….

…if you don’t have a Kreg jig, get one! Or you can just glue and screw the top together.

Then it was time to attach the frames to the legs.

I used screws and glue to attach them and since I wanted the screw holes on the front to be a tad fancier, I used my little “hide the screw” trick.

In this case I used 3/8” wood plugs to cover each screw hole…first I drilled a hole with a 3/8” bit about 1/4” deep, then I used a 1/16” bit to finish drilling all the way through the board.

TIP: Predrilling holes will keep the wood from splitting when you use screws!

I attached the legs to the frames using 3” screws through the “predrilled” holes and glue (GLUE IS IMPORTANT! USE IT!)

On the sides, I just used screws…no fancy holes or plugs!

I added the little plugs…just a dab of glue in the little holds, then popped them in…super simple but a nice detail!

After the frame is constructed it is just a matter of adding the tops…again, I used 1 x 6 pressure treated decking boards. I cut them to fit, glued and nailed. Simple….

I added a little handle made from galvanized pipe and fittings….

You don’t have to add a handle or you can keep it simple by using a cabinet pull…I just like the “industrial” look of the galvanized material….

I also attached a power strip to the back…again, not something you have to do!

Super simple build! Seriously, this is not hard!

That being said, you do want a little chop saw and cordless drill to construct this project (nailer and kreg jig are option!).

But if you took my advice, you have these tools…and now you have a nifty place to store them!

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Time for a little "spring sprucing"...

A few years ago (okay so SEVEN years ago) I shared a little makeover on my storage/garden shed….

This is the perfect time of the year to complete this kind of project...too early in most places to plant flowers but warm enough most days to paint! Even though we are past our “freeze date” and temps were in the 80s last week, we actually had snow this week. I have learned to wait a few extra weeks to plant tender annuals…they just seem to fair better long term.

Let's be honest...storage sheds can be a real eye sore. But with a tiny bit of imagination and a little "oops" paint from your local home improvement store, they can easily be transformed. They have paint for every type of material...plastic, metal, wood! Hose it down first, then use a good exterior primer and GET CREATIVE!!!!

Is your storage shed one of those ugly "barn" shaped things? Paint it to look like a REAL barn. (Barn red with white trim! Google it!)

No windows in your shed? Paint fake ones...seriously, just paint a fake window. Maybe some shutters...real or painted! Attach a little flower box and put some flowers in it!

Same with the door...paint it to look like mine! Or a pretty atrium door. Hang a grapevine wreath on it...anything to doll it up a bit!

Attach fake light fixtures or hang lanterns! (Mine are real light fixtures, but they don''t work!)

Again, google "garden sheds" or "storage buildings" and find something you think is cute and "fake" it! Pinterest has some awesome pictures of dolled up storage and garden sheds!

Anything to make it look like something other than a boring old storage shed.

This is a great weekend project for the entire family. Who cares if you drip paint all over the yard...PERFECT project for the kids! (Kids always think they want to help paint...always!)

Turn your ugly old storage shed into something other than an "eye sore!" You won't regret it!

AND YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

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My happy place....

This month has been crazy busy. I started painting the older buildings at my apartment complex…the weather hasn’t been very cooperative so only 1/2 is done. I have had to tear out and replace rotted flooring in an older unit and I have had a few vacancies which is always a lot of work. My daughter graduated from college week before last and everyone came home (I shared that here) and my grandson graduated from high school this past weekend.

Crazy busy!!!

One thing I am eternally grateful for is my yard…it is my happy place and I am so glad I got all the mulch down and the planting done before life got too hectic.

One of my favorite ways to unwind is sit in my backyard and just breathe….

Not much changes in the front and side yard but since my neighbors murdered their trees, my swing pergola in the front gets too much sun in the afternoon to really enjoy….

…but again, visitors may not see your backyard but they will see the front…so keep it pretty! (I shared the construction of the window planters HERE)

I do have a few moles causing a bit of stress….HERE I talk about what I have learned about moles and how I deal with them (it ain’t pretty!)

But since I now plant all my “tender annuals” in pots, they really do little but annoy me. Truth is they are nature’s little tillers for flower beds and if they didn’t run through the yard to get to the flower beds, I probably wouldn’t give them a second thought.

I am grateful I have the ability to do the work I do…but I am even more grateful I have a place I can go to recharge….

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Swing pergola tutorial...

With spring just around the corner this is a great time to revisit one of my favorite tutorials. An AWESOME outdoor project that takes a bit of muscle but not a lot of brain power.

This swing pergola is a “MUST HAVE” in any yard…so break out a few basic tools and follow THIS tutorial so you can impress your friends and have a great place to nap in the warm summer days ahead!!!

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The death of the rose bushes....and a peak at the rest of my landscaping!

Que sad music...the knock out roses finally bit the dust.

They were beautiful little additions to the side yard when I first planted them....

I walked around the yard and took a few pictures a few months ago and they looked halfway decent then!

I built this flower bed and planted the knock out roses because it is an area of the yard I rarely tend to...

Rarely...as a result they were looking REALLY pathetic!

Two bushes died last year so I removed them and planted another. This year the another died and two were near death.

In their defense, knock out roses tend to stop blooming in the heat of the summer...but they obviously had other issues!

So this past weekend we decided to pull them all out...except for the one little bush I planted last year. It may eventually get transplanted when it is cooler if I decide to go another direction with this bed.

I'm not sure what caused their demise. Age, disease, neglect...maybe a combination of all. I did throw a little fertilizer down on them occasionally but I can honestly say I probably didn't tend to them like I should have...a weed eater is probably not the proper tool to use to prune rose bushes.

Knock out roses don't make the best "cut flowers." Cute in a little ironstone creamer...but certainly not something you plant for the purpose of creating indoor arrangements....

Que sera...

I think I will leave the bed "vacant" for the time being...let it winter just incase it is harboring disease or fungus.

Besides, I can't decide what I want to plant in their place and honestly, it is really too hot to plant right now.

I would love to plant hydrangeas but evidently they don't take well to direct afternoon sun...and that is exactly what this bed gets...hot afternoon sun. Curses. I like crepe myrtles but they get very full and bushy and are probably not ideal for a narrow bed against a fence.

When planning your plantings pay attention to what sunlight and care the plants will need. Do your research!

Maybe I will just resort to more potted plants...those tend to do well but they certainly can't be neglected this time of year. Right now I am watering every day.

I will leave you with a few pictures of areas of the yard I don't neglect...

After YEARS of struggling to landscape this front bed, I finally resorted to flagstone and potted annuals..I love it!

Hostas are a super simple perennial that require little maintenance! They can easily be split every spring which explains why I have TONS of them in my yard! I have even started planting some in containers!

Planting in containers has become my "thang." I'll scatter a few annuals around in the ground, but just about all annuals go in containers these days!

Make your yard an extension of your home...

BTW, last year I shared here the new fescue sod...I thought the "difference" between the fescue and bermuda would bug the heck out of me...not so much! I see the difference...but I can live with it! As you can see, it made it through the winter and that is a good thing!

Until next week....

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Another Facelift for the storage shed....

A few years ago (okay so it's been FIVE YEARS!!!!) I gave my storage shed a little facelift! I rebuilt the door, added little scallops in the gable and added some trim to cover up some siding boo-boos!

At the time I primed and painted most of the trim with some paint I had on hand...most of it...not all of it. I figured I would eventually find the time to pick up some quality exterior paint and paint the rest of it. I didn't.

So when Brian hit it with the power washer a few weeks ago much of the old paint and primer came right off! Fortunately the siding color held tight so I didn't have to repaint that!

Some of the trim around the door had cracked so I used wood filler to repair it. Caulked the gaps between the trim and siding.

The hard part, scrapping peeling paint, was taken care of with the power washer. I used a metal brush to remove what little peeling paint was left.

I had a little bit of leftover deck stain so I decided to freshen the deck as well!

A high quality exterior primer and exterior white paint...

Not only did a good coat of paint freshen it up a bit, it seals the wood to prevent the wood from deteriorating!

It is important to use a high quality "exterior" paint and primer on exterior projects. Exterior paint is specifically formulated to resist mildew and fading from sunlight. I would bet that I did not use a good quality exterior paint and primer on the trim a few years ago...which would explain why it could not withstand the beating from a 2800 PSI power washer!

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Another campaign dresser makeover!

If I find one, I'm gonna buy it! A campaign dresser!

This one isn't a "vintage" campaign dresser...probably an imitation but sweet all the same! Well...it wasn't when I bought it....

Structurally it was in great shape but the finish was definitely lacking. A little KSTP (Kilz, sand, tack and paint...high gloss white lacquer), scrubbed up the brass hardware, and presto....

Again, this one wasn't a REAL vintage campaign dresser...but that didn't stop someone from buying it 1 hour after taking it to 410 Vintage.

This, my friends, is a REAL campaign dresser!!

I have already scrubbed up the brass hardware (no tricks there...Brasso, Brillo and A LOT of elbow grease.) I had to order a few replacement hardware pieces...holy cow those little brass doo-dads are expensive (found them on Etsy.) I sprayed on Kilz and sanded it down. Now I just need to apply a few coats of white lacquer...I can't wait! I will make sure I share it when it is done because I know it will be beautiful!

PORCH MINI-MAKEOVER....

Now that Matt has settled into his new house, we have started on a few little projects that make his home a little bit more...well..."him." (If you search "Matt's house" on this site you can will see several of the projects we have worked on!)

The back yard was a total disaster...lots of trees and years of neglect. I wish we had been smart enough to take before and after pictures of the side yard we have been working on. We added a few flower beds, raked up a truck load of rocks and brought in four truck loads of dirt and mulch. We seeded with fescue. I know it will probably burn up this summer but he was so excited to see the little guys sprouting! We dug up some of my neighbor's lirope and transplanted it in his new flower bed....repurposed the stones that were originally used as a "pad" to make a stepping stone path....a new little Japanese maple. I think it will all be wonderful when he is finished. My yard is an oasis...I have remind him it took 19 years of hard work to get it that way!

The back patio was a tad on the blah side. I did remember to snap a few pictures with my Iphone before we added just a few little touches.

We changed out the flush mount "boob" light for a pendant light...seriously, who puts a dinky flush mount light on a vaulted ceiling?

Threw down a pretty striped rug and added a potted palm and hanging basket. Nothing earth shatter but just a few simple touches to dress the space a bit!

He still needs to change out the seat cushions and eventually I would like to add a baker's rack or build a potting bench...maybe add some kind of wall decor on the wall! We could paint the wood railing but he is determined to eventually add a large deck off the patio so no sense in putting out the effort for the time being!

A few little touches here and there can add personality and style to a space.

It takes time to make a house your home...

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Spring has arrived....

I wish I had the time, patience and photography skills to share a "Spring Home Tour"...but if you want a peak at some very talented lady's homes, start with my bliend's (blog-friend...guess it could be flog...lol!) home tour here...Cristina has a beautiful home. While it started out as your typical "builder grade" house, she has transformed it into a warm and inviting home. She is a champ at featuring the "how" on any DIY project! While I am more about the "doing" she is a champ at "doing" and "froo-frooing."

Truth is, I feel like I have been inside all winter. so when the temps climb above 60, I have to be outside working in the yard! It is time to start prepping for summer!

First, raking the beds AGAIN! Naturally I rake leaves and pine needles in the fall...then I do a little at some point after Christmas. Then a few weeks ago I did another 20 bag rake. So honestly, there isn't much to clean out...but there are always those stragglers that have to be cleaned up!

The hostas are popping their little heads so it is time to mulch. While not fun and glamorous, a necessity.

A fresh topping of mulch dresses the beds and helps insulate the early bloomers from any freezes we might have in the next few weeks. Later in the year it is a must for moisture retention and weed control!

Still way to early to plant annuals but the spring blooms are coming alive.

The Bradfords are blooming...

and the vinca is coming to life...

The daffodils were in full glory the last few weeks, but the blooms are beginning to wilt.

This picture popped up on my Facebook memories...eight years ago we had snow! This year the daffodils made it through their season so I didn't have to bring them in to enjoy them!

Next up, tulips.

Years ago I planted about 100 tulip bulbs...the first two years they were glorious! But tulip bulbs tend to rot easily so now I only have 2-3 left.

Sarah's birthday is the first week of April and I always know when the tulips will bloom...the week of her birthday!

So while I would love to be inside "prepping" my house for spring, there is no place I would rather be than outside soaking in the sun and digging in the dirt!

And Cleo agrees...

Her 4th birthday is tomorrow so she is definitely a spring baby!

The temps are suppose to be in the 70s for the next few days and I have plenty more to do. Cleaning and prepping pots for planting, cleaning out the water feature and planting summer bulbs!

I notice the pictures on the "Landscapes" link several years old so maybe this year I can get them updated!