Book Syrup

Be There or Be Square

04/19/2014

We'll choose square -- a perfect square to be exact. I've mentioned probably close to a hundred times (maybe more?) that the only level land on our property is where the house and leach field for the septic system sit. Everything else is sloped, which is great for our view. No McMansion will ever steal our sweeping vista of the hills and Tahoe peaks beyond, but it sure makes for a challenge when it comes to usable space.

And usable space is desperately needed. We don't have a garage, so as our DIY skills -- and the needs of maintaining the house -- have grown, so has our tool collection. Our motley assortment has been living in my Charles' office. I don't think it's been a usable space for well over a year now, and something needed to be done. We finally committed to buying a shed, but where would we put it?

The very end of our driveway has a more level area than most of our property, so we chose there. As you can see, it's not really that level, but it was workable. We began by placing four cement blocks at each corner, measured out to be just wider than our shed. We dug until the land was mostly level, added sand, compacted it (and then a snow storm helped settle them even more), and checked for level with each block. Once they were perfectly adjusted, pressure treated 4X4 posts were added, and cut to the lengths required for the platform to be level. You can ascertain what's straight by using 2X4s. Use your level to see where everything is even, mark that, and get to cutting. As I go through this step-by-step, the word "level" is going to show up quite often. That's what needed for this sort of project, and your tools, squares and levels, will be essential to each part of the build.

Then it was time for our perfect square. At this point, the level no longer left our reach. Pressure treated 2X4s were cut to reach around the 4X4 posts, making a square. As each 2X4 was attached to the post, we made sure it was level. Then came the art of making the base a true square. Measuring on the diagonal, from corner to corner, we adjusted each cement block ever so slightly until the diagonal of one set of corners was exactly the same as the other set of corners. This step took about an hour, as it was adjust, check for level, adjust, check for level, and over and over again until it was perfect.

We decided to build a mini deck as our platform support. We've had a heck of a lot of practice with deck supports the last few years, so why not? Plus, we wanted something that would be as solid as possible. We don't want all of our tools someday rolling down the hill. We added more cement blocks, following the same leveling procedure we used for the four corners, until we ended up with nine supports.

We then cut more pressure treated 2X4s to fit the inside expanse of our square, screwed them in place, and got the hangers ready. I would squeeze each hanger so it fit snugly around each 2X4, holding it in place while Charles fastened it to the frame with deck screws. We repeated this step 11 more times and had ourselves a square mini deck.

The hard parts done, we were on to building the platform, which was a piece of plywood cut to the outside dimensions of the supports. Then everything was primed and painted. We flipped the plywood over so it was primed and painted on both sides for more weather resistance. The next step involves putting a shed on top of this, so weather exposure to the top of the plywood will be minimal, but it's still good to be thorough. That's a lesson we've had to learn the hard way a few times, and we want this shed to last for the long haul.

All in all, the platform build took most of the weekend, with lunch and water breaks and finishing a little early on Sunday in order to watch Game of Thrones. The weather was beautiful, and it was a pleasant way to spend a weekend -- especially when we factored in the excitement of finally attaining our dream of a shed.

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Bar Cart

04/09/2014

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Charles thinks it looks a little utilitarian. I'm thinking of fancying it up with some Washi tape. Wouldn't that be fun?

And a close-up of each shelf.

I've been jealous of everyone's bar carts for such a long time. They're so stylish! They free up space in the cupboards! They scream, "Party!"

IKEA's new RASKOG kitchen cart was the perfect excuse to finally fulfill my drink cart craving. It's the perfect size for our small space, and it's a nice way to show off our pretty bottles of booze.

We're mostly wine and craft beer people, but occasionally, I enjoy a refreshing gin and tonic. (Hence the row of gin bottles on the left.) Charles is fond of a martini every blue moon. In college, I had quite the reputation as a mixologist, so I still make it a habit of keeping some mixing options on hand. To be perfectly honest, though, that Amaretto you see on the close-up image on the bottom is more for baking than for drinking.

This was a little project I did in between working on another, larger project with my Charles. That exciting (at least for us) project will be shared next week, and probably the week after as well.

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Great Birthday

03/29/2014

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We've been getting rain, which is so needed, but it means I don't have the DIY post I had scheduled for this week. Instead, read about my birthday weekend over on my other blog. It was a beautiful few days. :)

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Sticky Slate Update

03/22/2014

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Last May, I put up some peel and stick slate tile. It was pretty, and it also protected the wall from dings when we were stacking our firewood.

Well, because of our orange peel textured walls, the adhesive wasn't long-lasting. Less than a year later, the tiles were starting to peel off. It may never have been a problem if we had lovely, smooth walls, but since the entire house is orange peel, longevity of stickiness was not in the cards. Or on the wall.

We liked the way that slate behind the firewood looked, and we were intent upon keeping it, so we went down to the hardware store and picked up some Devcon WeldIt. To re-adhere the tiles, (and not all of the tiles fell off the wall. Only a few decided to be a problem.) I first squirted a zigzag pattern on the back of the slate. Then I repeated the process on the wall, making sure to keep the tip of the tube against the wall. I didn't want to drip this stuff anywhere else! Once the adhesive becomes tacky, it's time to slap those slate pieces back up. I was working on dinner while this transformation occurred, so I checked it after ten minutes, and it was ready to go. Make sure everything is squared up before adhering because once those two sticky surfaces find each other, nothing's going to tear them apart.

So far, everything is behaving nicely. The slate is back on the wall, and the adhesive is doing what it's supposed to -- being sticky. The tiles seem really solid now, and I'm not too concerned with future slate sagging. This "quick" project may have ended up requiring more attention than I had hoped, but it's still a very easy way to add tiles -- and interest -- to a wall.

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Running Narrow

03/15/2014

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The lake near Our Little House.

I suffer from asthma. I also suffer from allergies. While my favorite season may be spring, with its fresh breezes and bursting flowers, I’m not spring’s favorite human. The cedars and grasses combine with my asthma and make for some narrow air ways.

I’m naturally sedentary. I’d rather curl up with a good book and lose myself in other dimensions than hang out in a gym. In fact, I hate gyms – the way they smell, the way other people look at me, the giant drains in the middle of the shower stall floor, the whole nine yards. But I love the outdoors. I love to hike, to ramble under the trees, along the shore, or under the wide-open desert sky. I’m inspired by the wind’s caress, the sunlight filtered through clouds, and green. I revel in how I feel after a long trek, and I’m even fonder of the buzzing glow that fills me after a run. Unlike the gym, I don’t care that people see me in exercise outfits, that my belly – though shrinking – is still round. I don’t care what other people are thinking because while I’m running, that’s what I care about. It’s the most Zen I get outside of meditation, and sometimes meditation can’t even attain the quiet mind that comes from pounding feet on the hard-packed dirt.

With my favorite season, my running is suffering. I’m running narrow, gasping for air more than usual, especially since I’ve started allergy shots. As the potency of those weekly shots increase, I’m finding a corresponding decrease in my stamina.

This is where I’d usually give up, scream, “F it!” in my mind, and stare at the glowing TV screen until I grew numb. I’m not doing that this go-around. Instead, I have goals in place to keep me going. I have a Fitbit Flex – I named it Marty – that tracks my steps and keeps me motivated. (Thank you, Wil Wheaton, for inspiring me to get one.) It’s so satisfying when I receive that little buzz around my wrist when I achieve 10,000 steps for the day! I feel like I can’t stop until I get that, so even on non-running days (the days I receive my shots), I’m still getting my steps in. Plus a group of my friends and I are going to participate in the Color Run in August, so I can’t slack off now. I need to be ready for that Fun Run. I’m seeing an asthma and allergy doctor, so I’m finally on the right medication for my asthma. Even during the yearly pollen assault, at least I can actually still breathe, and if I remember my Albuterol before I hit the trail, I don’t even run narrow.

The most important part – I enjoy my exercise. It doesn’t matter how you get out and move as long as you do it. For me, it’s going outside and walking or hiking or running. I WANT to keep it up because I love it. I’ll still curl up with a good book, probably all of the time really, but I won’t let that keep me from the outside. No more sitting on the couch, turning into a side of fries!

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Filling a Space

03/06/2014

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I love the easy fixes. Of course, sometimes it takes a few tries to get something that really works, but that is part of the glory of the trial and error of home ownership, right?

What I referring to specifically is a strange alcove that exists in the living room area of our home. Below it is the coat closet, but instead of drywalling all the way up to the ceiling, the home builders created a space to gather dust. As our home was built in the 70s, I’m sure it was intended for some far out plant displays or some such.

I did try to do the 70s fern display in the past. Unfortunately, I have a habit of letting plants die when I can’t reach them for watering. Having to climb a ladder becomes one too many impediments. What can I say – I’m a lazy sod.

Then I decided to peruse my home design books, and I found inspiration in the pages of “English Decoration.” There was a photo of the entryway of a lovely farmhouse. Underneath a trestle table were a haphazard stash of baskets. I thought a collection of old baskets up on the alcove would look quite sweet and would add some nice texture to the space.

Gathering the baskets ended up being super simple. I had a few, but I also have a habit of giving our baskets away, so I didn’t have enough for a collection. My Charles and I needed to go down the hill to stop by Home Depot anyway, so while we were in Auburn, we also decided to stop by Goodwill. For $36 – with tax – I loaded up my little alcove, and I love the look. We’re one step closer to a nicely styled home. Until I put mail everywhere and Charles covers the rest of the flat surfaces with food samples, but at least we’re getting there.

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A Tiny Update to Our Tiny Kitchen

02/27/2014

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Once upon a time, I bought some hardware for the kitchen cabinets and drawers. I thought, “Gee, this would be a swell update to the kitchen, but I’m a little intimidated by drilling holes into the cabinet doors.”

And so I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Until three years had passed and a nice, thick layer of dust had coated the hardware sitting on a shelf in the laundry room. Then I thought, “Stop being such a pansy and replace the hardware that’s been needling you since you threw down the money for pretty oil rubbed bronze handles.”

Oil Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Hardware Euro Style Bar Handle Pull

Ahem... please don't mind the fingerprints. I'll clean them off -- honest!

Then I had an idea, a fool-proof way to get everything to line up properly. I made a three sided box out of leftover pieces of trim, measured where the holes were for the handle, drilled them, and screwed a handle to the box to make sure everything was just right. Bolstered by my creation, I drilled a hole and fastened the handle to the door.

And it was 1/16” off. 1/16th! I turned into a puddle of goo and despaired. My fool-proof creation was more fool than proof, and now I had a hole I couldn’t use in the door!

My Charles helped scrape me off the floor and mold me back into a human shape. He told me to putty the hole, wait for it to dry, and then measure again. “I can’t!” I wailed. “I suck too much!” But after moping a bit, I realized that I could put a bit of tape on the cabinet, measure it, and get the hole in the proper spot. I ended up using my sewing tape to measure since it laid flat against the wood and was easy to hold in place, and because it was only 1/16th off, the handle still covered the puttied hole.

Oil Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Hardware Round Mushroom Knob

With a few deep breaths, I tried again, and now I have beautiful, new(ish) hardware making my 70s cabinets a bit more modern. The drawer knobs – well, there wasn’t any angst involved with those guys. It was one screw in, screw knob in place, voila. I love how hefty they feel. Opening drawers feels so opulent now.

And so endeth the adventure of the cabinet hardware. We all lived happily ever after – at least until my next attempt at should-be-simple DIY.

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My Art Available to You

02/20/2014

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I did something rather daring this week -- I put up some photos on Society6. Currently, I only have a dozen pieces posted, but I have plans for more. I'm also working on getting my paintings professionally scanned for print options, so if there's something you've been eyeballing over on my art page, drop me a line at Mellisa (at) pixyofwhimsy (dot) com, and if I still have access to the original piece, I'll do my best to get prints up on Society6. The same goes if there's a photo you saw in a previous post and thought it would be perfect for a wall in your home. I love how S6 makes it easy for both the artist and buyer, offering quality items for much cheaper than can be found in gallery showings. Make sure to click around while you're there, if you're new to the site, as there are so many amazing artists! I'd need a mansion to accommodate all of the amazing work I want to buy for myself.

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I Love My Readers

02/13/2014

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Four years ago, I started a blog. Can you believe it’s been four years?!!! I wanted an outlet for creative writing I couldn’t do at work, a space where I could be myself, a space to share discoveries, recipes, and more. Four years ago, my Charles and I had owned our home for seven months and had no idea how much maintenance would become a part of our lives. I had no idea how much it would swing the focus of this blog.

It’s amusing to go back to those original posts. I didn’t post any photos to the blog until April, and those were tiny! Going back into the archives is like the adventure into how I found the blog’s voice. Of course it, like me, is constantly evolving, but it feels like after four years, this space can finally begin to sing.

A blog is only as good as its readers, and I’m so grateful to all of you, whether you’ve been following my ramblings since those awkward beginnings or you just stumbled upon it last week. I wanted to thank you all for your support and visits. You are my (mostly) silent horde, but you return, and I love you for it.

As a celebratory ye haw, here are some fun facts about the author of this here blog:

I’m really getting into new graphic novels and comics lately. I’d gotten out of the habit of reading them for a few years. Currently, I’m reading or looking forward to reading: “Beautiful Darkness,” “Unlovable Vol. 3,” “Serenity: Leaves on the Wind,” “Ms. Marvel,” “The Sandman: Overture,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10,” and Fantagraphics is doing a hardcover “The Complete Eightball 1-18” is August, so woo hoo on collections, too!

I’ve discovered a new (for me) treatment for my depression – running. I’ve been running for over a month now, and every time I’m feeling low, a quick run with my dog perks me right up. I’ve even gone for a quick mile run on my lunch break a couple of times when I’m having a bad day. I return for the second half of my shift refreshed and ready to create.

I still feel a major yearning for the ocean. I think I lived by it for too long. L.M. Montgomery wrote about that constant call in many of her short stories. It gets to be a part of you, I guess, and then if you’re landlocked, it becomes a constant ache.

I have discovered an almost obsessive passion for food and wine pairing. That’s become the main focus of my other blog, Sapid Cellar Door.

There are a lot of little projects coming up for the house that should be really fun to write about. I’m just having trouble deciding what to do first.

I’m scheduled for an art show this December, so I’ll be working on a lot of new pieces this year. My new focus is abstract based on nature. I’m hoping it will be as cool as the concepts in my head are.

I’m going to the BlogHer Conference this year. Hopefully, I will learn to hone my craft even more so that all of you will have more to enjoy here.

Thank you for stickin’ with me, through slow post months and my regular weeklies. As my title says, I love my readers!

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California - Not Meant for Lawns

02/06/2014

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When I was an itty bitty thing, California went through a terrible drought. Since I was so little, my memories are few and mostly involve not being allowed to play in the sprinkler when it was hot outside, but it made a major impression on me. My formative years were during a time of water scarcity, and I have striven to never take it for granted.

Once again, California is experiencing crippling drought. In fact, this is the driest it has ever been on record. Having grown up in the arid West, I have many water-conserving habits and try to incorporate more all the time. Some of the things on this list may be a little controversial, but hey, being a Northern Californian, I’m used to controversy. I still remember the last water wars and how they threatened to tear our state in two.

1.       Let your lawn die. California is a Mediterranean and/or desert climate. While there are a few micro-climates where lawns can live naturally, for the majority of California, it requires way too much water to have one of those lush, green rectangles. Instead, look into drought tolerant and native plants and landscaping fit for a dry environment. Of course, if you have HOA requirements, this can be a no-go, but if you can, go for something that doesn’t require watering.

2.       Turn off the water when it’s not being actively used. What do I mean by that? Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth, washing the dishes, shaving, etc.

3.       Fix any leaks right away. One leaky faucet can waste 1,000 gallons of water a year.

4.       Only do laundry when you have a full load. Because of this rule, I’ve had delicates languishing in the hamper for quite some time, but eventually, I’ll have enough to justify a cycle in the washer.

5.       Invest in high efficiency appliances. We’re almost there. We have a high efficiency washing machine (and dryer). While our dishwasher is somewhat new, we’re planning on investing in something even more efficient this year. Something to keep in mind – dishwashers typically use less water than washing by hand.

6.       Use low flow attachments – faucets, shower heads, etc. I’ve been using a shower head that I turn to drip when I’m not actively rinsing since I moved out on my own. (So um, just under two decades now.) It saves a considerable amount of water. Since we’re experiencing a water hardship, I’m now going to go a step further and turn off the shower completely while I lather up and soap, shave my legs, etc. Keep your shower to under five minutes, and you’ll save up to 1,000 gallons a month!

7.       Collect the water that you use to rinse veggies, that is running while you wait for the tap to warm up, etc. and use it to water your houseplants.

8.       If your county/city codes allow it, have a plumber reroute your greywater to trees and outdoor plants instead of it going into the sewer, and collect the rain water from your gutters for use in the yard.

9.       Install a water-saving toilet. If that’s out of reach, install a dual-flush system in your current toilet until you can upgrade. Young House Love has an awesome tutorial on how to switch out the old handle for a dual-flush system.

10.   Use a drip irrigation system for your garden. Fresh veggies are good. Losing water to evaporation… not so much.

Only 2 percent of the world’s water is fresh water. It’s a very precious resource. While you may not be able to implement everything on this list, every little bit helps so much. More resources are available at bewatersmart.info, wateruseitwisely.com, and epa.gov/oaintrnt/water.

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