I can fix this without even leaving the house. I loathe rug mats/pads. I know they are a necessary evil with fine rugs, but for a $14 Target rug…Hell NO.

I can’t take credit for this idea…I saw it somewhere years ago…maybe Martha?

Whip out some silicone caulk (you can get squeeze tubes if you don’t want to mess with a gun.) This is the waterproof stuff used in bathrooms etc…I chose clear because, well, it’s clear and less noticeable. Even though it’s on the under side, I’ll know it’s there. Call me Stevie Jobs. I digress.

I used a spreader because I buy them in 10 for a dollar packs, but a piece of cardboard or even your finger will work too.

Hit that baby with a bead of caulk that zigs and zags like Heather Locklear’s drive home and then smooth the bead with your tool of choice.

The point in spreading it is to keep it smoother underfoot and to adhere better to the fabric.  Just don’t smoosh it in too deep.

I go to put it in the bathroom and it’s too damn wide.  Figures.  The kids and puppy have been trashing my rug at the front door, so how about there?

OK, so not a total waste.  I still need a bathmat though.

Recaps for previous years here:  Year One, Year Two

Around the house:

We got rid of the dining room chair rail.

I built a temporary patio/firepit.

I made an ass for myself.

Hosted a huge Halloween Party.

We’re always switching things around in the furniture department.

I seemed to cook a lot of food this year.

We contemplated chickens, but opted instead for a puppy.

I talked about my bedroom wishes (NOT THOSE) but didn’t follow up. I did indeed buy that Home Depot drop cloth after all, so now my mattress on the floor issue is gone.  Yay for $30 solutions! I also got new night tables off Craigslist I never showed you.

Otto has decided he must be the supermodel of all my interior shots….every time I’d try and take a photo, he’d settle himself right into the shot.

Yes, that is the Monopoly Man trophy you see. I NEVER win, but managed to pull one out over the holidays so it’s finally my turn to proudly house the trophy…until I lose the next game.

Elsewhere:

We had a big travel year, and while in New England, I had my heart broken at Brimfield. I seem to have better luck within my budget on my local flea excursions.

We hit up the local Rennaisance Fayre.

Had a big sale.

Doesn’t look like we got a whole lot done compared to past years.  But it felt like a busy year…oh yeah, WE BUILT A TREEHOUSE!!!!  And it took a long time.

We still haven’t painted the interior, and are beginning to wonder if we really need to. I realized after the leaves fell that I could finally get some decent shots of it so you can see how it relates to the house a bit better.

In summer, the treehouse is almost completely obscured by foliage….but now, it’s quite naked!

The sleeping bunker/level two building plans are on hold to address some more pressing needs around the ranch.  Namely a pantry, to keep the dog out of the foodstuffs, and if all goes well, a real bathtub.  I always thought we’d do the half bath first, but the lack of proper bathtub in the house is starting to become more and more important to both of us.  The CC has been playing soccer on weekends and as he limps home stiff and sore…he’s starting to want a good soak as badly as I do.  Time and money will tell.  I’ve been pinning ideas for it here.

As for which outlet I should choose to sell my finds? There’s pros and cons to all of them and if I can manage it, a hybrid of the options might be best.  Maybe an Etsy shop for smalls and E-bay for big pieces? We’ll see…I’ve actually been pretty busy this winter redoing some dining chair sets for other people.  Once I get my last set finished and out the door..it’s time to start selling again.  Hope everyone is looking forward to a good 2012…I love the optimism January’s clean slate can bring.

Last year we cobbled together a lighting situation that I am determined to improve upon for round two. We thought we’d have installed some low voltage lighting on the trail by this year, but the treehouse kinda sucked all the energy and resources for such a project.  I saw this project below and wanted to do something kinda like it, but with a slight twist.

via eighteen25

I loved the idea of creating a big “moon” in the forest with bats affixed to it.  When I discussed this brilliant plan with the Things, I was immediately shot down as Thing One said, “But there’s already a moon.  It will look like Tatooine.”   I countered that it might be cloudy, and wondered since when has a touch of Star Wars EVER been a problem around here?!  For proof, go here.  They relented.

I ordered a 24″ yellow paper lantern to act as the moon and I already had some of these LED battery powered mini-lights.  The less extension cords out there, the better, so I’m hoping if I group a few of the lights in the big lantern, it will give off enough light for impact.

 via Just Artifacts

To test my crafty plan, I happened to have both a small yellow and a white paper lantern up in the attic.  They are a little worse for wear, but at least I could get an idea of how it will look before the big one comes.  I can use them in other parts of the party as long as they are high enough to hide their flaws.

I used a bat template from Country Living, but it was too big for a folded piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper, so I ended up freehanding them, and just looking at the template for reference.  I used 80# black card stock.

Here are the “test lanterns.”  I’m excited about how the big one will look in the forest…I think it’s gonna work!  As you can tell, the dining room is officially, Halloween central.  I think we’ll be eating at the breakfast bar, or outside for the rest of the month….

So…. when I scored some bedside tables on Craigslist last week, the asian tables were back in flux, and with the sale approaching, I started to worry the CC might push the subject of selling them.  I simply wasn’t ready for that.  My solution?  Find a place in the house for them QUICKLIKE.  I became a rearranging ninja, and after many room redos, I managed to save them…for now. They are pushed together to serve as a long table between the rattan at the fireplace.

So they are safe…. for the moment.  The next time a favorite household item is threatened, I will quietly emerge from the walls….

via cellardoor

via 8wayrun

…and will silently and stealthily rescue the defenseless.

The cushions were not cushions anymore and had dry rotted….ew.

I had some green velvet that I liked with the chrome…so it was showtime.  I had to start from scratch with the cushions.  Nothing salvageable there.

And now they will be available for someone to enjoy.

and just a few other items that will be available….

That’s all for today…I hope some of you can make it!  Looks like the weather will be outstanding..phew!

I believe I might have mentioned a barn door recently? Well, we didn’t do all that well documenting the door construction, but you’ll get the gist. We did get the Tractor Supply hardware we had mentioned before.

The CC basically took the same siding used on the treehouse and nailed it to a frame he built to size, so that when the door is open, it won’t cover the window strip.  Instead of using the brackets that came with the door hardware to hang the box rail, we mounted it onto our cantilevered beam that houses the bucket pulley.

The CC nailed up a couple of temporary support brackets to aid in installing the big beam that will house the hardware.

We mounted stops to keep it from sliding off into the forest….

We are still deciding about floor guides.

Having a proper door makes it feel much more cozy and homey inside…paint coming soon I hope!

Bad shot.  Inside view…a handle to slide it shut and the bottom beam wrapped in flashing….

We’ve been starting to add some more minor details to the lair……

Ahoy!!

Thing Two made his own sculpture that he wanted to incorporate into the treehouse, and by pure luck, it fit perfectly between the beams as a shelf.

Which now is home to his slingshots and ammo….

When the hammocks aren’t in use, they hang up in the corners.

We are slowly adding shelves to gain some much needed storage for the stuff they want up here.  We can’t let them keep snacks up here b/c the raccoons would break in and trash the place (our raccoons can remove bungee cords from garbage cans-crazy skills).  Bottles of water are OK though.  Games and other activities now have a place.  The fans hangs up high when not in use to keep it out of the way.

It always helps to keep track of time.

We are resisting any outer hardware for the barn door to give it more of a “secret door” feel…by putting your fingers in the grooves, you can pull open the door without hardware.

More shelves are going up, and hopefully we have time to paint inside soon before the weather turns cold.  For new readers, previous posts on the treehouse can be found here.

via Zipper 8 Lighting

Same principle here, but too feminine for my Things.

So I thought smaller, tighter circles might give it more of a fishscale over floral vibe…so I punched out LOTS of little circles…this was just the beginning.

Gluing.  Small circles.   For FIVE AND A HALF HOURS.  Taking into account the breaks taken to feed people and other tasks…it took me WAY longer than I thought it would.  Just as well I love these little people.

Speaking of, Thing One helped me with the design.  He requested a stripe scenario with the silver at “the equator” of our globe, so I like to think I took direction well.

I might have opted for a solid, or an ombre effect, but this is their lamp and I want them to have input and ownership over their space, so stripe it is!  I started to worry that using card stock would block too much light, but I wanted the stiffness of the heavier paper and decided to risk it.

Well, once I hung it…it looks kinda like a disco ball!  Oops…or not!?  Hey-o!  Things like to disco!

It is not really bright enough for general lighting, but it is really great mood lighting/nightlight which might work out perfectly here.  There are other lanterns and such in here….

Of course, right when I finished, SFAS aired and I saw Orb-lando’s DIY wire pendant and well, that would look so much better in here.  THANKS Orlando.  I was happily discoed for a few hours.  We’ll see what the Things say on the matter.

BTW, I am really digging season 2…loving her vintage choices, and well, everything else. I’m so pleased to see a show like hers doing well.  Long may it last.

Where was I?  Yes.  We have a lamp that looks like a disco ball!

Next on the horizon?  Well, things are heating up around here….barn door installation, The Flea next weekend,  and THE SALE…and all the prep leading up to said event.  I’ve got to start shooting items for your previewing pleasure!

Minor detail, they called me Karen, but I can understand why…3 of the projects in the round up are hers…and I am a TAODS fan, so I’m flattered they could even consider confusing us.  Poor Karen.

Anyway, that’s made my day, so, thanks Kate/Grace and I”ll see you at the Nashville D*S book tour stop!

That’s right, he SWIVELS his layers….shall we call him the Swinger?

I also found a place for the Sexophone…..

Oh, and remember my pair of vintage chairs that I love love love so much? Turns out they are a bit dangerous in the house.

Yup.  Those front support bars blend in with the dark floors and had become a huge maiming hazard.  I can’t have pretty chairs that hurt my people, so they moved out and we have enjoyed them on the deck where we can see those bars better.

In their place is a pair of swiveling rattan chairs that had been in Thing Two’s bedroom.  Not as pretty as the others, but far friendlier on the toes and way more practical for the upcoming fire season.  Now we can swivel towards the flames, or the couch…flames, couch…

So, I think that’s it for now.  I’ve updated the tour with the latest changes.

Photo via sub-culture via Apartment Therapy

I absolutely loved it just as it was….until I read the comments…where the consensus was,  it isn’t really a cardioid,  it’s just a big butt.  Well, after that, it’s all I could see, so I began searching for other circular designs.  It’s a dreary weekend and we are stuck inside…let’s do it!

I wanted it to have a feel like these images, where the pins are part of the design.  On a side note, I think I will adapt a combination of these 2 styles for the tree house numbers this fall.

via Ruthi Auda

via ohsobeautifulpaper

I also wanted it to feel a little less rustic and a little more glam, so we found a scrap piece of Abstrakt/Perfekt cover panel left over from the kitchen renovation for some high gloss action, and I used galvanized roofing nails since they had a big, fat, shiny head.

Armed with the letter turner’s skein, I started off trying to make up my own patterns to avoid buttage……

But you know what?  I kept coming back to the butt.

There are so many cool designs out there, but there was something I didn’t like about all of them.  Too busy, too much like a spirograph drawing, too hippie, too much like a wreath, etc…I had to somehow, come to terms with the fact that I like big butts.

So I decided that would make a cardioid butt, and I will OWN it.

The instructions are found here at String Art Fun, and it took me a few tries before I got it right, but eventually, I finished it and the CC and I couldn’t stop giggling like kids.

Yup, even at the diagonal, it’s STILL a butt.  We liked it though, so we kept the design (for now) and finished the edges of the panel with some iron on veneer we had, and hung it up…snickering.

So we decided to ask the Things what they thought of it.  “It’s a turnip!  An onion!  A heart? A fan!!”  They didn’t see the butt!  But we just kept laughing harder and harder that they didn’t see it…so of course we had to ruin it for them.

Now, when they look at it, they give themselves a little pat where the sun don’t shine as they walk on by.  Go on, call social services on me.  We are clearly a bunch of immature morons.

But we are a childish house divided!  The CC and Thing One like the red, and Thing Two and I like the silver….the nice thing is that it can change when we get sick of it.  For now, I’ll let them have their way……