When I think about the love language
that I share with Mr. Dior I realize
DIY in our household has a few bumps
before the finish.
We are as Kristin describes " comedic drama "
and yet flirtatious when we work together
on a project .
When Mr. Dior expressed to me a need for
a more " handsome " look in our home
I knew immediately where he was coming from.
What a love he has been living with the neutrals
and the truck loads of branches and twigs
I have adorned inside.
There is nothing I would not do for this man
so my wheels began spinning harder than usual.
We are challenged this year by the costs
of my health expenses for the months ahead
more so than ever before.
I needed to come up with a " look for less " project
while working with what we had on hand.
{Enter the old gate door I found
in the dumpster awhile back}
I love this old gate door and have used it
as a back drop from time to time...
The more I thought about it I realized
it would make a nice focal point in front of the sofa
and it would be " handsome "
{Comedic drama ensues}
I share with Mr. Dior that we can take apart
the old gate and marry it with a piece of glass
from a Goodwill find.
I tell him we can build a box.
Mr. Dior " you want me to build
a box to put glass on? "
This goes on while I still try and
explain the box.
Finally my son comes outside and says
" I think mom means a crate ?"
Mr. Dior sighs relief for a moment still
not sure where I am going.
We begin...
Mr. Dior
" You know the other side of the gate is white "
Kate " yes Ira I know "
He always laughs when I call him by his middle name.
Mr. Dior
" I hope you know what you are doing?"
Kate " I don't but we are bonding "
Mr. Dior
" It looks horrid with the white showing "
Kate
" I know we are not done yet I have an idea"
We go back out to the garage
and I grab a container and mix
polyurethane, expresso wood stain, and a cup
of black chalk board paint.
Then just as I dip the brush to start
applying it to the white wood
he screams " Good Lord Wilma what are you doing?"
For those that are around
us the term " Good Lord " is always
followed by Wilma.
{ No offense to anyone named Wilma}
He is in full panic mode at this point
knowing that he worked hard building
that horrid box.
This is when breathing
techniques come in handy even when you are not
going through labor.
Finally after a few minutes of calming breaths
I said " Just trust me "
After a few hours of letting it all dry
I could see that the wood had evened up.
A nice blend of color had developed.
We brought the box/crate back inside
and placed the glass on top.
It was not a perfect fit
but someone was smiling
from ear to ear.
Yes Mr. Dior was thrilled as he just sat there
looking at our finished project.
I used equal parts of polyurethane
wood stain and black chalkboard paint to achieve that
burnished wood look.
Mr. Dior used two inch roofing
and two inch finishing nails to build the box/crate.
We sealed it completely with a quick coat of polyurethane.
Chalk board paint, wood stain and polyurethane were all items
we had on hand from Home Depot.
Mr. Dior even said he thought it was
"handsome" a perfect ending to our project.
I love the rustic feel it gives and now I just have to
add the other elements back into
our living room, ie our area rug and other accessories.
Graphic Pillows The Tarnished Crown
I will be linking up this week
to my favorite lovelies in blog land.
Kristin's Tuesday's Treasures
Jann's Share your cup Thursday
Becky's Under 100 dollar linky party
Debra's Be Inspired
Funky Junk Interiors SNS # 173
Have a beautiful and blessed week
XOXO
