DIY:: Barn Wood Headboard

 

This post has been a LONG time coming.

I've wanted a wood headboard since I saw THIS ONE, months ago, before we even moved into our house.

I stalk Liz's blog regularly! 

She has so many fabulous DIY ideas!

I'll take her whole master bedroom if we're being honest!

She nailed it to a T. 

It's perfectly cozy and warm, with so many of the things I love.

Deer Antlers.  Boxwood.  Barn Wood.  Golds & Browns. 

Its perfect!

 

Anyways.  Back to the wood headboard.

 

We debated fencing wood like Liz used or pallet wood from all the pallets we had accumulated through construction.  But ultimately, settled on Barn Wood.

It doesn't get much more rustic than that!

 

 

We found a local company that sells salvaged, reclaimned barn wood a few months back. 

We first visted their location in Carthage, but now they have an old lumber mill in Portland.

That's where we bought the wood below.

The wood we selected was from a barn in Kentucky that they tore down.

 

Once we selected the wood, we brought it home to clean it.

Jason, that sold us the wood, suggested a Borax solution.

The Borax will kill any wood boring bugs as well as anything that's on the surface of the wood.

 

TIP:::premake a large bucket of borax first, THEN pour it in your squirt bottle or sprayer.

The borax takes some time to dissolve and it was clogging up a LOT.

SO, I made a large batch, about 1 cup or more of borax to about a gallon of HOT water and kept stirring until it was dissolved.

We ended up putting the solution in the paint sprayer and spraying it that way.  LOTS FASTER!

 

Spray the boards down, back and front, saturating them with the solution.

Let them dry a few days.

We laid ours out in the sunshine one full day to get them real good and dry.

 

 

After this, Lance ran each piece through the table saw and ripped them down to 3 different widths.

We made stacks of each width to keep inventory of what we had.

 

We taped off a section of the garage floor the size of our headboard and started laying out the pieces.

Each row contained at least 2 pieces, some even 3 depending on the cuts we made along the way.

Stagger the pieces as you go, so no seams meet.

We wanted all the original cuts on the outside, so we didn't have any 'raw' edges visable.

Once we had it just like we wanted it, I labeled each row a-z on the raw cut edge with a sharpie.

 

Row by row, we nailed each board to the wall.

Lance used an air compressor and a trim nailer to attach them to the wall.

We started in the middle of the wall since we had the windows as a guide.

We worked our way down first, then back to the ceiling. 

Instead of going all the way to the floor, we just made an edge piece so it would appear that way once the bed was in place.

For the top piece, he ripped it down double the width of the boards below and nailed it from the top to create a finished edge.

 

So, there you have it.

Our Barn Wood Headboard.

It makes such an impact in the room and was totally worth the wait and the work!

 

 

 

Now, if I could just find night stands for under the windows, paint Lance's dresser and find a chair for in front of the window, I could show you the rest of the room.  That may never get done though, so the headboard will have to work for now! 

 

Happy DIY-ing!

 

 

2013 Wilson County Fair

Last week the fair was in town.

The Wilson County Fair is THE FAIR to go to in Middle Tennessee.

You haven't lived until you've been to The Fair.

Well...we've lived.  We went twice this year.

The weather was so mild, it was actually enjoyable.

 

My favorite area, besides the food, is the Fiddlers Grove area. 

There's all kinds of old timey things to do.

Grinding corn.  A mule grinding sorgum to make molases.  Bluegrass music.  Tractors.

 

Easton's with me on the Bluegrass music.

We sat down to listen to the Gallinipper's play and I do believe he could have sat there all night.

I know I could have.

 

He and Lance rode the Tilt-A-Whirl (aka the spinny t'ang)  too many times to count.

I love this picture!  It may be blury, but you can still see their smiles...and their laughing!

 

And...it's tradition.  I can't go to the fair without a swirly tater and a sweet tea.

 

 

The fair was so much fun for Easton this year!

He rode everything that he could.

The Tilt A Whirl was by far his favorite!

He has grown so much since last year!

It was fun to see him try new things and embrace all that the fair had to offer. 

 

 

 

 

Happy end of Summer!

 

Monday again...

The weekends always go way too fast.

Every Friday begins the discussion...

"what do you want to do this weekend?"

Actually, this starts about Wednesday if we're honest.

 

I always say "I don't care, we can do whatever" and then the weekend happens.

 

And these past few they've been spent at home.

And I couldn't be happier.

 

Friday night we rented a movie and had pizza. 

Easton LOVES Movie Night.

He crawled up on the love seat with me while I was crocheting, sitting at the foot of the couch.

I've been working on Emerson's blanket a row or two each night but Friday night I decided to just put it down and nestle him in with me.

Within about 5 minutes, his breathing slowed and his never still self, was suddenly still.

Little thing was out like a light.

That's what 2 days of no naps at school will get ya.

We stayed just like this till I snuck out from under him and carried him down to his bed.

I cherish moments like that.

 

Saturday morning we made Blueberry Muffins from scratch.

And we had an issue with the wire whisk.

My mixer bit the dust a few months ago so I've been using a wire whisk.

However, these muffins were SUPER THICK and we had a hard time whisking.

At one point, the handle came up and off a smidge, revealing rust.

I didn't think twice, I pushed the handle back down and continued whisking, noticing along the way that some of the rust had powdered down into the batter.  TINY bit.  Probably not even enough to worry about but after scooping all the muffins into the tin, covering them with the streusel topping, sliding them in the oven, it's all I could think about.

We're all going to die from rust!

These are the things I worry about folks.

 

We ate the muffins.  And we all lived to tell about it.

 

We sent Lance to his Fantasy Football Draft with 2 batches of no-bake cookies and we headed to the pool. 

 

We pretty much had the pool all to ourselves.

We got front row chairs by the frog pool.

That's pretty much like gold!

 

After the pool, we headed home for nap time.

I got a few more coats of paint on Emerson's bed and changing table while Easton napped.

 

Saturday night we had Turkey Bean Burritos for supper and a low key night at home.

I never thought I'd want to cook supper on the weekend, but it's just something about staying put.

I like to stay put these days.

I like to just be home.  No rushing. No getting ready.  No deciding where to go.

Just us.  Together.  At home.

 

Sunday was church, Bass Pro, Subway, Lowes then home for nap.

I finished the bed and changing table while Lance mowed the yard.

My mom came for a visit. 

Mothers are a treat y'all.
Whether they come baring gifts or not!

Cherish your mother!

She brought the boys their very own TERVIS cups and me a new mixer!

We're all on a TERVIS kick around here. 

I got one a few weeks back when the dr said I had low amniotic fluid and I needed more water...and it's been ON ever since! 

Seriously, I can put down 3-4, 24ounce cups of water a day and not think twice.

Get yourself a TERVIS!

 

Sunday night we had leftovers IN the Jon Boat.

Yes.  That's right.  Turkey Bean Burritos on our nice Fiesta plates in the Jon Boat.

We've reached a new level of red over here.

We finished the night off with s'mores by the fire.

Lance had been burning sticks all afternoon so we took advantage!

 

There were no fancy dinners.  No nights out on the town.  No dressing up (other than for church).

No get togethers with friends.  No trips to the Mall (Bass Pro doesn't count).

It was just simple, at home, togetherness.

 

I don't ever want to forget how slow we took these weekends.

How we just let them roll as they came.

I cherish this time with Lance and Easton.  SO MUCH.

I hope Easton grows up with strong family values and traditions and remembers how present his parents were.  And how much we love him.

 

Together.  What a wonderful place to be. 

 

Hope your weekend was FABULOUS! 

 

Linking up with Blair at Wild & Precious. 



Weekend Review

Whew.  What a weekend.  A full productive weekend!

 

Friday night started off with some time in the garage. 

Last weekend we hit the honey hole of barn wood and finally purchased the wood for our headboard in our Master. 

After cleaning it and letting it dry out this week, it was time to cut and lay it all out. 

Two strong personalities, with two very different ideas of HOW this should be done.

I'm pretty sure my way would have been better and more efficient, but he was the carpenter for the night, so I kept my mouth shut. Write it down.   

And, low and behold, there are more than 2 ways to skin a cat. 

 

 

Saturday morning we decided we were going to tackle the garage. 

My word.  How all of this stuff fit in our old house, I'll never know. 

Yes, we added a Jon Boat and a John Deere to the mix, but gracious me...this was an undertaking.  Good news is, we took a whole truck load of junk to the dump in the process! 

And by the end of the afternoon we had another truck load! 

We got started about noon and didn't stop till 6. 

Most everything has a spot now and I can possibly pull my truck in once we get the headboard moved from the garage floor to the bedroom wall! 

We finished off the night with dinner at Chillis. 

Chips & Salsa for era'body!

 

Sunday after church, we stopped at the grocery for weekly lunch supplies and headed home to spread it all out on the counter.  

One of my favorite memories as a child/teenager, was Sunday lunch. 

We'd stop at the store on the way home and get lunch fixin's and spread it all out on the bar at home and make lunch. 

I can still see the sunlight pouring in over the kitchen counter.

I can hear the Nascar race on in the background, hear the recliner as it was unfolded and rared back for a Sunday nap, taste the turkey sandwich, pringles and fudge round. 

It was nothing fancy, but it was sweet. 

Tradition. 

After lunch Easton played for a little bit while I got started on putting the groceries up and cleaning up the kitchen.

The house had been SO neglected over the weekend. 

Do you find that in the Summer your house goes to the wayside because you're outside so much?  I know mine does! 

Lance headed out to the lake to survey the Duck Blind and I laid Easton down for a nap and got to work. 

Chore after chore after chore was completed. 

Bathrooms cleaned, laundry hung up, corners decorated, counters cleared off of their clutter, crafts made, cake baked, floors swept, dishes put away, toys organized.

It was a really productive nap time.

 

 

 

Once Easton woke up, he played so sweetly inside, or out on the porch while I got supper ready.

Lance worked on the wood wall, nailing it up a plank at a time.

Easton would follow room to room with a handfull of random items just to be where we were.

He's our little shadow.  Never far away.

He played bubbles, he built a 'fence' with some of the barn wood, he did 'art' on the porch so he could let his glue dry.

Little thing was a JOY all afternoon long.

 

At one point he came running in to me saying he needed a bucket.

He said my flowers needed watering.

Little sweet boy. 

Please always be this sweet. 

Please always love your momma so good.

Please always idolize your daddy.

Please.  Please let that heart stay so pure and innocent.

 

After dinner we had our cake and finished off the night with Cars that Lance had recorded.

As I was tucking Easton in bed, he said "I had a fun day with you momma" in the sweetest sleepy voice I ever did hear. 

He then wanted to recount what we had done that day. 

And really, we didn't do much, other than be together. 

And that's what his little soul loves. 

Me too.

Us all together. 

My little sentimental boy.

 

As much as I love a productive weekend, and we did have that, those words are far more than any DIY or chore that needs to be done. 

 

{{Linking up today with Blair as we show:: Life Lately}}

 

 

 

Embrace the Camera:: Vacation Edition

Out of the 1600 pictures I have in my "Vacation 2013" folder, I am in about 75.  And, 27 of those, Easton is not smiling or cooperating, and 31 I took of us with my iphone.  Needless to say, I have a FABULOUS selection of Easton and Lance.  

 

Easton went through an 'all about daddy' phase while we were on vacation.  I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that I was put on light restriction from my doctor to not lift and to take it easy.  It doesn't take them long to realize who's picking them up and who's not.  Despite that little hiccup, I did manage to get in a few that were pretty special and that I'll cherish forever! 

 

 So, here are a few of my favorites from our vacation!

 

These 2 beach bums.  I love them so very much.

Dog Races:: A tradition that started way back, before Easton.

I always want to remember this picture.  We'd had a rough start to the morning.  Lance had run to Wal-Mart to get some more groceries and a few more beach items and Easton was having a hard time listening and obeying.  I sat him down with me and explained to him that just because I couldn't pick him up didn't mean that I didn't love him or didn't want to love on him.  I told him I could sit and hold with him any time he wanted me too.  I told him if he was feeling like he needed me to do that then say 'Mommy, stop what you're doing and love on me.'  That did the trick.  He then realized that I'd stop anything I was doing to fill his little love tank.  This worked like a charm.

 

Even once we got home, Monday morning, we were getting ready for school.  He was having a slow morning, having a hard time getting going.  He was rubbing his head against my thigh and he finally said 'Mommy!  Stop what you're doing and love on me!'  I did just that.  We sat right down in the bathroom floor and had a few minutes together and he was all good, ready to go. 

 

Little thing is such a lover.  I'm so thankful for his loving personality.  The way he needs to show and feel affection.  Such a tender soul.  He has been from birth.  I'm glad it's still carrying on.

 

Thankfully the restrictions have been lifted and my doctor said just 'listen to your body' as far as lifting and carrying goes.

 

I'm so thankful for this vacation and the sweet sweet time we had together.

I will cherish this trip, the last trip to the beach just the 3 of us, forever.