Week 5 Assignment - Results

It's a good thing I decided to take it easy this week...I was definitely not in the zone!  :)  But I did manage to finish my projects, despite the fact that I think I spent more time planning my next months worth of projects.  Guess that's why I'm blogging to keep me on track!


The bread box was more of a challenge than I thought it would be...it was determined to remain a blonde, but I was more determined to make it a brunette!!  While sanding it down to prepare it for staining, I realized it wasn't solid wood but was veneer instead.  I tried staining a small bit on the back but it just wouldn't take...so I resorted to primer and spray paint.  I had some leftover Espresso spray paint from my Family Sign assignment which did the trick...but I still wasn't in love with it.  So I played around with some Black Antiquing Glaze and ta da!!  Not what I had in mind exactly but it will do.  Take a look...

A couple of tricks I learned:
1)  Have the folks at the Depot cut your MDF to a size slightly larger than the interior of your bread box.  That way you can sand down the edges as needed for a tight fit.
2)  For the notches in the MDF for the cords, I used a straight edge and a box cutter.  It was time consuming but gave me nice, straight edges for the openings.  Do this BEFORE painting your MDF.


I love the fact that I don't have a bunch of charging cords slinking around my kitchen counter!!  Definitely worth the effort!

And our Mommy Play Date was sooo much fun!!  I think we may have had more fun than the kids!  We had to get a little creative with my planter box because my window sill where I wanted to put it was only 4" wide, but we found some Alder 1/4" x 6" sheets that did the trick.  Terri was making hers for her mantle so she was able to use 1" x 6"s in Pine.  I was amazed at how easy these were to make...even if you don't have access to power tools!  Most home improvement stores will cut wood to your specifications (within reason) so all you need to do is drill a few holes and install a few screws.  I think the hardest part was drinking all the frappuccinos!  


Now to fill those lovely frappuccino bottles, I decided I wanted the look of cherry blossoms...but I HATED how the stems looked on the silk ones I found.  But not to fear, Pinterest is here!!  Found this pin on one of Tracy's boards from Apartment Therapy  and went to work...

Easy?...YES!! Tedious?...ABSOLUTELY!!  You may notice that I only finished 3 of the 5 branches.  This is because I decided to stop before poking my eyes out with my scissors!  :)  I can't imagine how this woman did a whole room of them??  I think this is a project best completed with friends and accompanied by your favorite beverage!  So I will take a little break and maybe finish the last two branches with a Blue Moon!  Anyway...here's what I've done so far...

Now that I've taken a week off...guess it's time to get back to work!