Project du Jour
This week our contractor finally showed up to take measurements for our roof replacement! This means we'd better get crackin' on trimming our maple tree where it hangs over our roof. We planted this maple as a 5 ft sapling, 17 years ago. At the time, we didn't know if the tree would survive. It was the last tree left at K-Mart and looked rather bedraggled. However, we couldn't resist the 75% off price tag on this tree. A little TLC and look at it now!
The weather continues to be bi-polar: 90F one day, 60F the next. It also continues to rain at least 4 days out of 7. The only thing this weather has been good for is mosquitoes and grass. Our lawn looks like a patchwork quilt most days. We mow different areas as they dry out. Z and I finally got the lawn mowed to one length last night. A couple of areas were a foot high!
This is what we've been doing when it rains. 2 weeks ago, L and I built the CD/DVD shelf unit for our living room. Now, I just need to sand, stain, and poly the unit. After we built the unit, I discovered that my electric sander won't fit between the CD shelves, so it looks like I'll be doing a bit of hand sanding. Have I ever told you how much I HATE hand sanding? *sigh*
This is the first of 2-12ft shelves that Z and I are installing on the side walls of the garage. This will be where we store the heavy stuff that we don't need to access all the time.The picture is of the shelf brackets my Dad welded out of re-rod for us. The bracket is 18 inches deep, super heavy duty, and inexpensive to make. You can't buy brackets like that! Now everyone knows where I get my inventiveness and frugal ways. Thanks Dad!
posted by tshsmom @ 8:46 AM
23 comments
23 Comments:
Man, the weather really is bipolar for you! Here, it's just hot, so our poor newly planted (drought-tolerant CA-native) plants have needed to be watered to a point of making our water bill go up by 50%. :( Next summer, they won't be so needy, but for now? Not fun.
Congrats on your new shelving - it looks very nice!
The same thing always happens to us the first year we plant something. It will rain for weeks, UNTIL we plant something. Then, BAM, drought!
Hmmm, maybe if we plant a new tree or shrub, the rain will quit...
The rain has been awful here too. It's like monsoon season. So strange.
Laura, last year they said that it would take 6 yrs to recover from our 3-yr drought. This summer we've attained normal water levels, and then some. :(
You guys always have so many projects. My toughest thing is weeding and deadheading flowers and that seems onerous at times. Our weather hasn't been quite as crazy as yours, but it still hasn't been the best for my flowers. The grass is definitely doing well. I did manage to post pictures of my yard today.
Sounds like you guys are having fun back home. Its been ok here for weather wise lately. I actually got in our pool with the girls tonight. it was beautiful. Those shelves look pretty neat for the livingroom. I need some shelves but we have one from Shopko when we first moved into the house Jeff hasnt put together for me yet. LOL.. He put one together but not hte second one.
We're bipolar here too but mostly unipolar--wet/hot. Ewww. Congrats on getting the roofer there--that's more than I've been able to do with the @#$^% landscapers!
That tree looks pretty healthy to me!!!
Tons of grass/weeds/bugs here too. Hope the birds are happy!
Squirl, unfortunately we've had so many projects the last 3 summers, that I had to give up on flower gardening. :( Right now the only things I have growing are hostas and snow-on-the-mountain.
Tweets, our shelves require a bit more effort, but they're a lot cheaper and sturdier than the store-bought ones.
Bridg, tell me about it! They were SUPPOSED to do the roof LAST summer! :(
I'm actually grateful that it isn't constantly hot here this summer. I prefer the 60F days. ;)
I love household projects, especially installing new shelves. I get all shivery just thinking about it.
Oh I wish I could borrow "Dad" - !!! Our garage looks like a dump for garage sale rejects, LOL.
mnmom, me TOO! I'm all about storage space!
Gardenia, I'm hoping to get a LOT of clutter onto those shelves! ;)
So far, the garage hasn't succombed to the evil clutter monsters. I've become an absolute dictator about putting things away out there.
Haha! I was just referring to our weather as bi-polar the other day. ^_^
Boy do I need to clean our garage! :)
Your CD/DVD shelf looks great! :)
Lookin' good! Lots of storage, but then your garage is bigger than our entire condo. ;D
A welder (stick or gas) is always a handy tool to have!
Our weather has been psycho too, one day the air is thick enough with smoke to chew, and the next it's only Wonderbread...
Candace, maybe I should give the shelf a cute name like Ikea does? ;)
SME, that's true, but the garage gets a lot smaller when both vehicles are in there.
DC, yeah, I guess I'd rather have the rain than all the smoke we got during our drought. Plus, I don't have to worry about some idiot throwing out a lit cigarette and lighting our property on fire.
I don't know where you get the energy. I'm a lazy bones these days.
A post right up my alley, Tshs.
The CD/DVD stand looks great - and yes, sanding is yuck. Tom's sanding our closet doors as I write. He likes sanding so I let him have at it. We may have to 'borrow' your design for this shelf as we want a prettier place to store them once we get started on our Phase Two: the Family Room.
Your dad is a genius! Looks like something Tom would create.
What type of maple is that? We have silver maples and they look like the one in your photo. They do grow and are very friendly, shady trees. The squirrels love them!
Glad you are healthy and occupied doing things you enjoy - except for the sanding, of course. ;)
Jeannie, it's more of a "have to do it", rather than a "want to do it". We need the shelving immediately, as we have to clear the junk out of our porches so the contractor can rebuild them when he does the roof.
Cherie, if you borrow my design, just remember to sand the CD-width shelves BEFORE you screw them into place. ;)
GOOD EYE! Yes, that is a silver maple. We planted 2 of them on the south side of the house. Their shade keeps the house a LOT cooler in the summer.
We've got two giant silver maples south of our house too and you are right, they offer perfect shade in summer!
Tom wants to know if you are going to put a back on the CD shelf (I'm betting 'no') and if you're going to mount it to the wall? He's studying it. Thinks it looks great. Sanding the shelves before would definitely be easier - did you sand them afterwards? The things we learn as we go... ;)
I like the look of your CD/DVD shelf. I need a new one...
That's a great tree story.
Cherie, you win that bet! If I was putting it against a painted wall, I think we'd put a back on it. We're putting it against a wood-paneled wall, so we don't have to worry about poking a hole in the sheetrock.
I will be sanding the unit before I stain it. I just gotta get "round tuit". ;)
We always anchor our shelves to a stud with a small 90 degree bracket connected to the bottom side of a middle shelf, where it won't show. We started doing that when the kids were little so they wouldn't pull them over on themselves. Now it just makes sense to add all the stability that we can.
Thanks ZF! ;)
Hey, smart idea about how to secure it. Never thought of that.
I'll give Tom your response and tell him I WIN!
;)
LOL Cherie, of course you win! We think too much alike for you to lose. ;)
I should write a post about the evolution of our shelves over the past 30 yrs. They got progressively better as we got better tools...and trial and error wisdom. I'm even planning a couple of computer desks that will use this type of shelf-unit as a base. You can't beat storage AND stability!
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