Belated Birthday and Anniversary

So my birthday and blog anniversary kind of coincide in August and I forgot to show you what I got for my birthday! I didn't get anything for my bog anniversary except more projects to do. I think that is the idea huh!?!

 I had a great day for my birthday. We woke up and I was able to attend an outdoor worship service in Market Square in Pittsburgh with the music being provided by my daughter's piano teacher and her husband. Their names are Greg and Rebecca Sparks and if you need deep christian rock n' roll funk, look them up!

Then we sped home and grabbed my man and headed up to Tour Ed Mine Fleatique for the afternoon. I was nervous that we wouldn't find anything since we were coming really late to the party (they close at 2 pm and we got there at 1 pm!)

 Buuuuut, the flea gods shined down on me and this is what I snagged:

Can you figure out what these are? Can you figure out how I am gonna use them?

 Okay, I can't wait! 

One is an old brass accented level that I picked up for $15. I love the shiny details of the warm brass and I just used my trusty L-brackets to attach it to the wall. Same for the.......Accounting Board. Yes, in the old General Store they would keep track of what you had bought on credit by writing it down on a piece of paper and then slipping it behind the metal spring clip with your name or area on it. Now that baby I got for $10. Every person we passed asked what it was and what I was gonna do with it. I knew it was a huge score.

My one wall in the Living Room needed something since it had, well, nada on it. I turned the Accounting Board into a Changeable Picture Holder. Easy in....easy out.

This would be the picture where I forgot to put ANYTHING on the Level shelf.

Interestingly enough, I had to use a level to make my level level.

I love alliteration. 

 I thought I'd also show you some other additions we have added to the Living Room

Basket o' Books for the picture window window sill 

and a little play ironing board as an end table. 

Little bits over time build a more interesting home. That wall with the level stayed blank for about 6 months. I knew I wanted and needed something on the larger size to take up the visual space. I just happened to find it 6 months after we finished renovating the room. Be patient and good things will happen. I am still on the hunt for more brass levels....but I need to be level headed about it =0) and just wait.

(I just counted 4 stacks of books in this photo. Maybe the next project should be a library addition......)

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99       

 

 

The looooong and the short of it.....Table legs that is!

 So I promised to show you how I made my caster legs a few days ago and today's the day!

Here's the skinny on how to make these legs! You will love how easy it is.

You will need:

drill

4 salvaged table legs

4 casters

 large drill bits

  heavy duty 1.5"  hex screws

washers that screws will fit through

wood glue

So this is what I used for my legs. There are four legs but I had cut one already before I took the picture. The casters I salvaged from two dressers that were missing a caster or two. Always save hardware! You may not use it on the piece again but you may need it someday so you'll be glad you did. 

Those legs I got from the trash....natch.

Measure how tall you want your coffee table to be. Mine will be 18 inches tall as that is the height of my couch cushions and I read somewhere that a coffee table should be at or slightly below the height of your cushions. Since the coop is 9.5" tall I need legs that are 8.5"long including the casters. So take the height of the wheel and minus it from the overall length and you have how long your wood leg should be.

I used a circular saw on this first leg before I realized my miter saw would be much easier to use. I, uh, also forgot to measure my overall length and just cut the legs where I thought it would look good! I had to go back and cut it at the flat square part about 10 minutes later.

So here is the trick that you need to know to make this work right. Take you drill bit that is slightly smaller than the circumference of your screw. Hold up your screw so that the end of the screw protrudes past the end of the drill bit slightly. Put a piece of tape at the bottom of the threaded shank. This will help you control the depth of the drill bit. You want some solid wood at the bottom of the hole so your screw really sinks it's threads in and holds tight.

Now put your leg in a clamp and drill your hole in the center. Only go to the depth of the tape. Do this for all 4 legs.

Turn the legs over and do the same thing on the bottom for the casters. Make sure you change out the drill bit size so it is slightly smaller than the diameter of the caster peg. Add  your casters and get ready to attach the legs to your new coffee table coop!

A great way to mark the placement is to turn the leg over, place it where you want it and then give it a tap.Some of the left over wood shavings will come out and tell you exactly where to drill your hole! 

Genius I know. Every once in a while the light bulb burns brightly....

Now place a washer on the screw and insert the screw into the hole from the inside of the coop and then screw on your legs. I added a bit of wood glue to the top of the leg so it won't wobble. And I used a wrench to help hold the screw top as I tightened the leg down.

That's all there is. This took about an hour give or take as I think I had to make lunch in there somewhere for some hungry mungries. 

I am looking for some cute bird figures to put inside

Cheesy or classy?

You decide.

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99