DIY Rope Shelves

 It feels like it has been forever since I have done a post on Mon Ami and for that, I'm Sorry! I have been doing a lot of little tiny creative things, nothing to really blog about... and then my husband and I took a little trip to Tennessee last week, which was fabulous! We stayed at CedarRock, slept in  the coolest  barn (which had been completely renovated into a 3 story lodge), went kayaking/canoeing, visited cute little town squares, and got lots of QT with my family... plus TN is just beautiful so we just drove around and went "ohhh look at that.. That's a really old barn... DEER!!!.... Antique Store, lets go... oooh aaahh... turkey!.... That's pretty... that's a cool old building...." etc. We cant wait to go back!

 So now lets get down to the good stuff!
 
I had planned on doing a beachy theme in my Master Bath, because we just miss California so much! But i'm pretty picky when it comes to decorating... see I wanted it to be beachy, with out saying "BEACH!!!" ...just wanted the feeling of beach. Does that make sense??

I had seen rope shelves before in magazines, so I did a little search on Pinterest and Google and found these images for inspiration (sorry, no links)... I needed a shelf for over the toilet and another to create storage for my linens and other decor, since my bathroom didn't have a linen closet and had storage issues. These were perfect!

I didn't find any step-by-step directions, but it seemed very self explanatory: Buy some wood, cut some wood, drill holes, stain, measure/cut rope, and then hand and tie the shelves....  It really was such an easy project and I actually created these shelves at the last minute (or day) because I was unable to find budget friendly storage solution and my bathroom was desperate for something.

 Here is how I did it:  

#1 Collect your supplies: Wood, Stain (brush/sock/gloves), Rope, Plant Shears, Drill, Masking Tape, Level, & Tape Measure, Eyehooks/hooks.

#2 Buy/Cut the wood. I have a friend who works at Lowe's and helped me pick out the wood and cut it to size. (FYI, Its good to have friends at Lowe's or any other hardware store)

#3 Drill the holes. If you haven't heard of a spade bit, well now you have. Its a type of drill bit to connect to your power drill and it makes holes in wood projects. I measured the holes, made my mark and decided to cut a 1/2" hole in all 4 corners to accommodate my 3/8" rope.

#4 Stain the wood. I had leftover General Finishes Gel Stain from staining the two bathroom vanities so put one coat on all of my planks. (this step took the longest, because of the dry time)

#5 Hang your hooks. This part could be the trickiest. Since the three tiered shelf over the tub was going to be REALLY heavy after it was installed, I needed to put my hooks into the studs... the problem: the studs were not where I needed them. My Dad, my Uncle and I spent about an hour inside Lowes debating on how we should hang them, what would be the easiest, strongest, and least invasive. If you haven't checked out the hanging section in your hardware store you should, there are a million ways to hang something and deciding isn't easy. We then noticed in the picture above that they must have had the same issue because they screwed a plank into the studs and then hung their hooks from the plank... So that is what we decided should be done. You can't tell but I used eyehooks.

Since the shelf over the toilet was small and wasn't going to hold much more than toilet paper, I just used small hooks that I screwed into the drywall. (Easy-Peasy, took 3 minutes)

#6 Tie your ropes. The hooks over the toilet were "J" hooks so I pre-tied each rope then hung it on the hook. I left plenty of rope hanging so i could level and tie each end off after I put the shelf on. 

I have no pics of this part of the 3-tier shelf, but its basically the same process only I had to tie the rope while it was through Eye hook because the hook is completely closed.

(ROPE 101: There are 3 types of rustic/nautical rope: Jute, Sisal, & Manila. Jute is usually smaller than Sisal and Manila. Manila is darker than Sisal, due to it being a different type of plant. I chose Manila rope for this project because it was darker.)

*One perk of using this "J" hook over the toilet is that if I ever need to access the insides of the toilet, I can simply unhook the shelf from the wall and replace it. (the Eye-hooks on the 3tier shelf is a more permanent thing)

#7 measure the rope, tape it off, add your wood,  tie your knots, level, re-tie, level, re-tie... and so on until it is level and complete. On the  back side (closest to the wall), I measured from top knot to where I wanted my shelf to be since those were the vertical ropes. Then I used the painters tape to mark that spot. After I strung the rope through the holes I tied the backside on. Then i strung the rope through the front holes and held it in place until it looked even, then tied them off. Then I used my level to adjust all the knots and make it level.... Its really not as hard as it sounds.

 The second and third tiers on the large shelf were much easier to measure and level since all of the ropes were hanging vertical. My shelves were spaced 16" apart from knot to knot.

 *Helpful hint: Use plant shears to cut the extra rope ends off. Its much easier than scissors or a knife!

#8 Accessorize & Enjoy!

In case you were wondering how much I spent... I don't remember but I know it was under $50.

I am so pleased with how the shelves turned out!  This really was what my bathroom was missing, not only is it simple and functional, but I think it adds to that beachy feel I was going for.

(If you missed it, see the full bathroom reveal >>>HERE<<<)
 -Ashley-

Halloween Witch

I know, I know… its only July. But hey! All the stores are starting to put out their fall décor. And besides… this was an AMAZING deal and a great crafty project. I was shopping again at Good Will (I really need to stop going there) and there she was… this little Halloween witch waiting to be taken home and revamped and improved upon. And she was only $2.99!!

She wasn’t bad to start; all she needed was a little TLC. After all, the charm is in the detail. All this project required was some pretty ribbon and a little bling. I pretty much already had everything, so it was a great way to use some of my stuff up. The thing that took the longest, was sewing on the trimming around the edge of her dress. But I wanted it to last, and taking the time to sew things on lasts so much longer than using adhesive. I also added black thread around the broom stick, which made a huge difference.

I gave her a belt using a broken clasp from a vintage necklace. And found a great jewel talisman for her to hold. Lastly, I added some bling to her hat. The jewel was actually a broken ring. I took a sharpie marker and colored in the jewel black and it was perfect! Then I used my sharpie and colored in some Maya Road pearl stick pins. Then adhered them to her hat and that’s it!

She is going to be perfect this fall. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled to see if I can’t find a little cauldron to sit next to her. I find that the fall is so busy as it is, so sometimes you just have to do your holiday projects at different times throughout the year.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great week. On a side note, I start my new big girl job today!! I’m going to be working at the corporate office of Guild Mortgage. It’s a great company and I’m very excited to be given the opportunity. Ill let you know next week how it goes.

Xoxo
 mandy

I Love Using My Bathroom!

I know it sounds weird, but I now love using my bathroom!!

When we first moved into our house this past January, I hated using the restrooms. I would compare it to a port-a-potty or a public bathroom, I just loathed being in there. The walls were an unflattering shade of blue, the cabinets were OK but nothing fancy, the guest bath had sliding doors on the tub, and don't even get me started on the wall paper in the master bath... BLEH! It was not very welcoming and needed a huge improvement! 

So here is what we all have been waiting for. (Unfortunately I didn't take a lot of before pictures of the bathrooms... but I'm sure you won't mind!)

THE GUEST BATH  

Before: (I took off the glass door and removed the shelf above the toilet before we moved in. It just had to G.O.)

To revamp the Guest bath I... 

• Removed tub doors and shelf.
• Painted the walls and ceiling. - Valspar, Red Dakota Sandstone (25% lightened)
• Stained the cabinet. - General Finishes Gel Stain in Java
• Spray Painted the fixtures from silver to oil rubbed bronze. - Krylon, Oil Rubbed Bronze
• Added Knobs. -Thank you Hobby Lobby for having an amazing selection.
• Shopped. -Target, Home Goods & Hobby Lobby
• Staged and added a flower.

After: 

I didn't plan on having a theme to my bathroom... the Paris stuff was a little bit last minute, that may change in the future. But Overall, the bathroom feels somewhat romantic and I love love love it!



 THE MASTER BATHROOM
Before:

To revamp my master bathroom I....

• Removed the wall paper.
• Painted the walls and ceiling. - Valspar, Sparkling Sage
• Gel Stained the Cabinets. - General Finishes Gel Stain Java
• Added knobs. - Again, Hobby Lobby, because they are amazing!
• Spray painted the toilet paper holder. - Krylon, Oil Rubbed Bronze
• Changed out the lighting fixtures. 
• Updated the Switch plates. 
• Built and Installed Rope Shelving. - I plan on doing a future, more informative, blog post about this learning experience.
•  Went shopping!! -Mostly Hobby Lobby and Home Goods.
• Installed hooks. -(That seahorse is actually a hook)
• Staged and added a plant.

After: (I was shooting for a light beachy feeling, because the hubs and I miss CA so sooooo much.)

TADA!!!

 So there it is! I have grown so much from this experience. I have learned to use many tools and I know my way around the hardware store. I have learned how to do novice electrical work and how to find a stud in the wall. I learned that I can do many things I wasn't aware that I could do because I gave it my all. I have challenged myself to complete these bathrooms in less than 3 weeks and I did it! I have given myself many pats on the back because I made my bathroom a comfortable place that I love to be. I am so motivated to keep going, keep DIYing, keep learning, and keeping improving the place around into a space that I and others can enjoy.

-Ashley-

 (P.S. In the next few weeks will feature some of the DIY projects that I have completed during this experience... including my favorite project, the rope shelves!)

Go Bold or Go Home... Or Both

My front door has bothered me ever since we moved in. For 6 months I have entered through the same ugly door saying, "I really hate this door" or " I REALLY hate this door". Eventually I would like to just get a new door but for now I decided to go with an easy fix.... paint.

I had the hardest time deciding on a paint color. It was between Valspar's 'Everglade Deck' which is a dark tealish blue (the same color I painted on my nightstands) or a warm plum color, 'Gypsy Rouge'... Everglade is one of my favorite colors, but I decided to go out of my comfort zone after seeing a few posts on Pinterest and Houzz... here were my inspiration pictures.

So I went for it... I decided to go bold with the paint and just do it.  (As you can see in the before picture, the many reasons why I hated the door so much!!! Yuck!) It only took about 2 hours from  pre-painters tape to dry!

The picture below is probably closer to the actual color of the door, it seems darker from father away and gets brighter the closer you get. I'm not so sure that I love the color yet, but it is a huge improvement from the scary looking thing that it was before. It definitely feels more inviting already.

I have been working so hard the past three weeks (in between thunder storms and tornado warnings) working in my front yard, digging and pulling up deep invasive weeds and cleaning up the flower beds.... I have never had so many blisters on my hands yet it feels good to work hard to make it look nice again. The paint on the door seemed to be the cherry on top.

I still plan on sprucing up the doorway with some plants in pretty pots on either side and replacing our worn out door mat.  

Have you painted your front door OR if you were to paint your door what color would it be?
I came across this interesting site which analyzes what the color of your front door says about you. (check it out HERE) Would you agree with what it says?  This is what is lists for Purple: "Not the most chosen front door color, purple can signify royalty or wealth. Purple is also a very spiritual color, which can show that you are a very unique and open-minded person -- a person who thinks outside the box!" In my case, I would say that the last part sounds about right!

-Ashley-

Scrap Paper Collages

Something I’ve always loved… making collages. Growing up, I was not part of a crafty family. We had crayons, colored pencils, and Elmer’s glue. That was it. When I would go to various places I would collect things I could craft with; like the confetti on tables at parties. Sad… right? My family knew I liked things like that, so they would take it upon themselves to gather things too. When I tried to do my first collage I used my Elmer’s glue and it turned out disastrously!! I remember begging my mom to please get me a glue stick so that my projects wouldn’t wrinkle Well I have come a long, Long way since then.

I don’t even know why, but it is so relaxing to me to just put on a movie (either Harry Potter or Gone with the Wind) and sit there with my collage box crafting. If you are a typical hoarder, oops! I mean crafty collector! Then you probably hate throwing away scraps of paper that could possibly, someday… well maybe someday be used on another little something. Especially if I love the paper, then I REALLY hate throwing stuff away. Well, I have a box of ALL those scraps of papers, photos that never found a project, half used sheets of stickers, and all the other goodies that speak to me.

When I get in the mood, I just like to get it out and go wild. I use whatever I want and since I love it all, it always has a way of coming together. I collaged my college planner earlier this year and when it was complete I fell in love with it. It was so ugly before, and after it was transformed I enjoyed it every time I pulled it out of my backpack to scribble down schedules and assignments.

Last week we talked about quotes, and another favorite quote of mine, told to me by my cousin is, “Its only ghetto if you can tell.” With that being said, it’s a little ghetto, but packing tape makes the BEST laminate!! I went ahead and laminated the front of my planner with packing tape and it’s the best thing I could have done. It sealed it perfectly and prevents it from getting dirty. And it only took a few minutes. The art of packing taping can be a little tricky because you have to make sure your lines are even, matching, and don’t get any creases in it. But after a few practice runs, you’ll find it’s really not that hard.

So if you’re looking for a great way to use, and recycle all those scraps, why not start your very own collage box? You might be surprised at the artwork you can create.

Have a great week!

xoxo Mandy

Turn Something Old into Something New #2

Growing up I was always under the impression that buying things at the thrift store and the Salvation Army was for poor people. Well, now that I am a poor struggling college student, I shop there too!! Lol! Just kidding. But in all seriousness, I feel like shopping at those place have a bad connotation, and I’m here to break that. Shopping at the Good Will, and similar stores not only saves you a TON of money, but it can also be like a treasure hunt. You have to sift through the bad to find that diamond in the ruff, but once you do, it makes your whole experience worth it.


Living here in Southern California, most of the antique stores tend to be “Antique Boutiques” and can be very pricey. But places like good will, and Salvation Army are just the opposite. My latest find was this little Beauty. It’s a paper towel holder and spice rack all in one. The thing to remember when on the hunt is to keep an open mind and an open imagination. You see a crusty old spice rack with years of build up from being hung on the wall of someone’s kitchen. I see a new way to organize my glitter and twine.

I took my find up the register and purchased it for only $3.00!! That’s unheard of! Where could I find a quality piece of maple for that cheap these days? Then I took it home and put in a little elbow grease. I scrubbed the whole thing with Fantastic and a scrub brush. I got all the years of grime and build up off in very little time. Then I took some furniture polished and wiped it down until it shined just like new again. The spice shelves on it held all my bottles of glitter perfectly. It’s my dream to eventually convert all my glitter into vintage salt and pepper shakers. And I think this spice rack is the perfect way to display them.

Then I took my twine and began winding it around the paper towel dowel. Since it’s made to spin, whenever I want twine, ill just unroll the amount I need. It will NEVER tangle and always be there right when I need it. Obviously I haven’t finished winding all my twine I own, but you get the picture. Everything is where I can see it, and if I don’t say so myself, it looks pretty darn cute once it's cleaned up and displaying all my crafty treasures!

I hope you feel inspired!


Wishing all the best week ever; take good care and ill see you next Monday!

Love,

Mandy

Trash to Treasure Thursday

Its Spring Break here in Texas!! While the break from school is nice, I've spent my time off of school turning this old Craigslist find into something I really Treasure!

About 2 years ago, I scored this lovely garden patio set for $25! The only thing wrong with it was that the three chairs were all missing the seats. (yes, its a little rusty and yes, some of the paint is chipping and you can see other layers of paint... But i like that!) Right after we bought it, my H and I went to the hardware store and bought three 15" wood rounds that we would just have to screw on. Yet the chairs still sat seatless on our patio and storage unit for a while. After moving into our new home and seeing the seatless chairs everyday, I decided I needed to finally do something about it. Spring Break gave me the perfect opportunity to work on them! 

Spray paint has become my new best friend. Spray paint makes it super cheap and super easy to change the color of something.  (Rust-Oleum is by-far my favorite brand to use, trust me... some brands just suck.) Since I am in love with teal, I found this can of "Lagoon" color at Walmart for $3.60. I sprayed three coats on each wood round and sanded in between each coat.

 

Painting the seats was not enough to Revamp this set. I wanted to paint the flowers on the top part of the chair the same color as the seats to keep it cohesive, so I sprayed a couple spritzes of paint on a paper plate and used a paint brush to paint a few flowers on each chair. I also used my regular old acrylics and mixed up some colors that I liked for the other flowers and centers and leaves. I also went a put a clear sealant over the acrylic paint so it didn't scratch off of the metal.

 

 I painted both the front and the back flowers on the chair.

 

I am so pleased with the way that the chairs turned out! My garden patio set is finally complete! I can't wait for warmer days when I can sit outside under my porch, drinking some lemonade, reading a magazine and watch Rex run around. 

 

 ....When we moved into our new house the old owners left their patio set on the back porch. It has four chairs, and the table has an umbrella! The chairs have floral detailing on them, but they are an all-over a dark green color and the umbrella fabric is ugly. I'm thinking a summer project is going to be Revamping it by spray-painting the entire thing and recovering the umbrella in a much prettier and fun fabric! I can not wait to start, the ideas are flowing and I need to head over to Joann's to check out some of their Sunbrella fabric selections. 

Yay for spring, summer, and warmer weather! 

-Ashley-