Roll For Project 10

We are just two blog posts away from being done with my "roll for project" list. Don't worry, there will be as "season 2." I just wanted to finish the projects on this list before I added any more. 

1. Secret Pantry Door

I've already blogged about this, because I was too excited so I won't go into much detail, but here is the result with it all decorated. 

Here it is at Christmas. I loved having a place to display Aaron's late grandmother's Christmas decorations. 

Here it is at spring: 

. 

There are a couple of things my four year-old apprentice added, like a string tied to the knob, and she likes to daily switch out knick-knacks on the shelf. 

A couple things I didn't mention in the previous blog:

1. I was able to use bookshelves I got for free off Facebook Marketplace two years ago.

2. I added shelves to both pantries and covered them with PVC tablecloths, which are way more cost effective than shelf liners. I still will not show the inside of my pantry, as it is functional but not organized. 

Six months later, and it is still doing great! I will never do anything as cool as this ever again. 

2. Rock Garden

We have very large trees in our front yard, which I love, but they do not allow anything to grow underneath. 

This was so cost effective, and I love the results. I used 69 cent pavers from Lowes as a border and filled it with black mulch that we glued down. The mulch has survived many wind storms and I think it really has helped our front yard. 

Ah, yes, you noticed no rocks were involved in the rock garden. The initial idea came from my grandma and then it kept changing the more I planned it, but I kept the name because that is what was on the list. 

3. Ceiling Fan

Our ceiling fan stopped working a month after we moved in, so it was always on the list but not a high priority to fix.

I found a brand-new, never taken out of the box ceiling fan while thrifting. 

I spray painted the chrome black and turned the blades upside-down to better match our floors. It still doesn't work and unfortunately we are having to hire an electrician because it appears it's a wiring issue. We are still waiting on one to call us back. (That's on the honey-do-list for Aaron). 

4. Neighbor Garden. 

I kept rolling outside projects when there was an ice storm, so I had to wait to get these done. No I could not have substituted another project as that violates the rule of "roll for project." 

I used the same pavers as I did for the mulch garden and used two as spacers to lay out the garden. I didn't bother putting weed barrier down with either of the gardens, because nothing grows, so I am not going to have to fight many weeds. 

Another easy project, which I think helps make a big impact with curb appeal. 

5. Touch-up vanity paint 

It has been a little less than five years since I made over the kids’ bathroom. The passage of time will never not shock me. It looks like my kids have been practicing their sword fighting on the doors. I was able to buy a sample- sized paint for $7 and do touch ups. Thankfully the paint matches and it looks good as new!

Also, in true “Chelsea fashion” I found a door I missed and had to do some dumpster diving for the paint I threw away when I thought I was done. 

Secret Door

This is a project that will be included in the next "Roll For Project" post, but I was too excited (and it was way too much work to not have its own post. This is actually the reason I started "Roll For Project," because I wanted to drop everything and immediately start on it. 

Mel Brooks is my interior design hero... not really, but ever since I saw "Young Frankenstein, I wanted to have a secret door that goes somewhere cool. 

So my "somewhere cool" is my pantry. 

My pantry is the size of a coat closet and is right next to the coat closet with the doors being on opposite sides. My original plan involved tearing down the walls and turning it into something like this: 

Unfortunately, my pantry closet is a load-bearing wall. I checked the attic at least five times to make sure. 

You are not going to get a before because everything looks like we close our eyes and chuck groceries in and see where it lands. 

1. This is not an easy project. This took so many attempts and measurements. 

Everything, the casing and bookcase, needs to be perfectly square. No matter how many times I leveled, took the width away, positioned and repositioned, I could not get the bookcase to clear the casing without being crooked. Back and forth I went with the bookcase to the garage to readjust. I almost was just going to live with it, but decided to give it one more attempt.

After getting rid of a little bit more width, I decided to focus on measuring the distance between the door and casing instead of using a level. It seems obvious now, but I was so focused on keeping it straight, it kept me from keeping it straight. 

Way better. And yes, the blanket is hiding my shame. 

Okay.. not perfect... but it's in the lines! 

Let's skip to the fun stuff...

I added leftover beadboard I used for my backsplash, as well as a snack drawer, and painted. 

Secret door closed

pantry door open

I will show you the final result with the trim and decor in the next "Roll For Project" post.

Roll for Project 9

1. Paint bathroom tile

In the very first "Roll for Project," I added peel and stick tile to the kids' bathroom and immediately knew I needed to paint over it. 

After grouting and caulking, I didn't get the desired results. A little over a year later, I finally rolled the dice and it was time to paint it. I used Rustoleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit. Works great; and the smell is STRONG! I had the window open and had the fan on for days. 

2. curtain rod

I replaced curtain rods in my bedroom. Wall anchors will forever be my enemy because they always make giant holes in my walls. 

3. sofa covers

I have two mismatched sofas that I covered with a green velvet slipcover. They came out a little darker than expected, but are incredibly soft. I am waiting until I finish all the living room projects to show what it looks like in the space, but they really make an impact. 

Henbula stretch Sofa Cover

My family calls our couches the "softest couches in the world." Rave reviews

4. trash can cabinet

My trash can has been on a journey to find the best place for it in the kitchen. A while ago, I decided to take out the skinny cabinet next to my oven. It was too small to be functional so I ripped it out without a plan. I thought I found a cabinet from a thrift store that would work, but it wasn't quite what we needed. This was right before I started "roll for project," so we have just had a mismatched cabinet in that corner of the kitchen. 

I used a plan for a wood tilt out trash can from Anna White. Anna White is a great resource for any kind of project you need to do around the house. There are all levels of project and this one was intermediate. 

I used as much of the old cabinet as I could. I kept the sides and used scrap wood for the rest. I attached the drawer front and door to make it look like the rest of the cabinets. I am so proud of how this project turned out. We have used this for a couple of weeks. It is incredibly functional, and it is not hard to take out the trashcan when we need it. 

The hardest part was adding the hinges. I couldn't attach the hinges until after I attached the cabinet box to the wall, and there wasn't enough room to get a good angle with the drill. We even attempted to stick Ollie in to see if he could use the drill (he could not). At one point I was bending down, not comprehending the trashcan tilt-out part was right underneath me. I bounced up and caught myself with my nose on the edge of the box part. My nose immediately swelled and I could have sworn I broke it.

Sacrifices must be made for the house.  

5 . paint living room furniture

We have a side table and "time out chair" in the living room I absolutely love. They were painted my favorite color and helped add color and whimsy to the living room; unfortunately, they clashed with everything else. 

I made a mood board back in April for the living room, including the slip covers I mentioned earlier in this post. When I got the slipcovers, I thought they were too dark. Long story short, after making about ten more mood boards, I landed on the original plan. 

The paint color is Blue Fjord by Glidden and I love it! I used a shirt I bought from the thrift store as the new cushion cover. I can't wait to show you how everything looks all together! 

I let ChatGPT Tell me how to do my makeup

I always assumed that by the time I reached my thirties, I would know how to do my makeup. I also thought I wouldn't be one of those adults out of touch with fashion. 

Being a stay-at-home mom has been my career longer than anything else. "Frumpy" is my uniform and I feel I am so out-of-touch when it comes to beauty and fashion. In the spring, I am going to have to start my journey of finding a career again as Harper will be going to preschool next year. 

So... this is the season of Chelsea! 

I asked ChatGPT to tell me how to do my makeup (following the tutorial of _imdalla)

I uploaded this picture... 

Then typed in...

Analyze all my facial features in detail, including my facial my estimated face to golden ratio, and my seasonal color analysis.

I will spare you the very comprehensive analysis. It was extremely detailed. Some super basic information it included is I have an oval face, my eyes are almond-shaped with a downward tilt. My season is Cool Winter. I also have to include this sentence:

Your facial proportions seem to align well with the golden ratio, suggesting a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing appearance. 

You are so welcome, Aaron. 

So then, I asked:

Create the PERFECT makeup look for me and my features that will maximize my features and beauty to 100%

It gave me detailed instructions, again I will spare you.

And then I asked it to:

Create an image. Make it harmonious and make it align with my seasonal color and visual weight. 

Which, if you close your eyes, it looks just like me. 

This is how I normally do my makeup…

And this is doing everything Chat GPT told me.

I’m not sure why I chose to do a mugshot face but that’s what I did originally and I love committing to things (again, you are so welcome, Aaron).

Things I like: 

I am actually surprised to see I am a “cool winter.” I really do think the cooler colors are flattering and also I’m going to have to just get a whole new wardrobe because my closet is filled with all colors that are not flattering to cool winters.

The makeup really brings out my eyes. They look bigger, and you can see the green in them. (Never could convince people I don’t actually have brown eyes.)

I feel beautiful!

Things I don’t like:

It takes twice as long as my normal makeup routine.

It feels like.. a lot. I don’t feel like the makeup feels heavy… I just typically blending into the crowd… not being the most dressed, or least dressed. I feel this would be a “woah where are you going?” look.

I think really it’s just something I have to get used to, like a new haircut. 

Roll for Project 8

 1. Living room coffee table:

I had originally bought this coffee table as a play table for Harper. We had to move it out whenever she upgraded to a full-size bed from her toddler bed and it became a permanent fixture in our living room. 

I actually liked the wood look; however, I am trying to make my living room look a little more cohesive. I used the paint that I originally bought for the board and batten walls. It was too dark for the walls, but just perfect for this coffee table. 

paint: Glidden oatmeal in satin; top coat: Miniwax polycrylic cyrstal clear topcoat in clear satin

2. Kitchen table

No tables are safe with this dice round. This table has been through a lot with all the projects we do on it and it was showing.  

 I still liked the colors I did when I originally made it over, so I tried to stay with it. 

Secret revealed: Harper is actually the power behind the DIYs. 

Paint: Dixie Bell Paint Company chalk finish furniture paint Mason Dixon gray; Glidden oatmeal; Miniwax polycrylic crystal clear topcoat in clear satin

3. rip out bushes

The dice decided the best time to rip out bushes was during the record breaking heat-wave. I did it, of course. What I lack in common-sense I make up for in my desire to follow rules and cross things off the list.

When we first moved in, we had these beautiful bushes on the side of the house. Last year, they all died. Aaron went in and trimmed them down to stumps and I ripped the stumps out. 

 I have a plan forming with what I want to do with that space, but that is for another roll... another blog post. 

4. hallway cabinet

In my desperate attempt to hide the clutter, I have added more storage to the hallway that my kids' share. I am not entirely sure what exactly will go in there. I lost some confidence in the craftsmanship of this piece when I saw the instruction manual.

It is a good fit and I tried to summon my inner Norah Ephron and decorate it like it could be on the set of You've Got Mail. 

I really like the added area of coziness. 

5. Roomba vacuum battery

I found a Roomba vacuum at the thrift stores a couple years ago. One of my best finds to date We ordered a new battery for it and it actually works great. Of course, I am not sure it saved me that much time sense I just followed it around the house the entire time.

Bonus:  If You Have a Leaky Faucet (I'm thinking about submitting this to be part of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" series. 

If you have a leaky faucet, you will want to order a new one. Of course when you go to order a new one, you will start thinking about the beautiful apron sink your mother has in her new house. You will spend an hour looking at every website, trying to figure out how to make your husband think it is his idea that we need to replace our "perfectly fine sink," because the rest of the metal in your kitchen is brass and it is just silly to have two competing metals. You will try that logic out on your husband. Once you say the words out loud and get a blank stare from your husband you will turn back to Amazon and order the $30 stainless steel faucet that matches your "perfectly fine sink," but not the rest of the kitchen. You wait for the delivery. 

Once your package gets delivered, you will go to remove the old faucet. You can't move the things that hold the faucet down. You buy the specific tool you only need once. Once you get the tool, you can't bend it like it looks in the picture, and you give it to your husband. Your husband will easily put it into position. When your husband has no problem moving the tool into the right place, even though you tried every which way yourself, you will accuse the tool of being misogynistic and return under the sink. 

Once you replace the sink, you notice that the pipe is broken. So you send your husband to the store to get a replacement. He will get there one minute before closing and apologize profusely to the people working there while running and grabbing the item that looks like maybe it could possibly fit. He returns and somehow the item he panic- bought fit. Once you get all the pipes secure, you will finally be able to have your water at full pressure. 

Once you have your water at full pressure, the sink will back up. Your husband will snake it, and your sink will be in working order. 

Roll for Project 7

 1. Light switch covers

I really like these light switch covers from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to try to see if I could make a mold of it instead of buying enough to cover all the switch covers in my house. 

 

I used a mold and resin kit and this is how it turned out. 

They really do look like the original; however, I am still going to buy the light switch covers from Hobby Lobby. The ones I made aren't hollow on the back, like the original, so they bulge out on the wall. I really should learn if I can't find someone who has done this before me, then maybe it isn't going to work. 

2. Living room molding

Three years ago, I added board and batten to my living room.  While I still absolutely love it, there are some flaws that I just had to fix. Examples of that being: the boards were not evenly spaced out, some were falling down, and some of the boards were warped so they didn't line up. 

Basically, I had to go back and fix tiny details. I also added some corbels to add just a bit more character. 

Looking at my notes from the last time I did this, I said I used the paint "bubble bath" by Valspar. Four things: 

First, no one carries that paint anymore and I didn't want to put in the effort for them to figure out what that formula is.

Second, paint has doubled in price everywhere except Walmart, so I tried color matching as best as I could. 

Three, I don't think I actually got past painting with primer last time based on the fact that the primer matched perfectly.

Fourth, I hated the color I got from Walmart in comparison to the wall color. I panicked and added all the white I could find and actually really liked the result. First time making a panic decision that actually worked for me. 

Completely transparent: I did not roll for the next three projects, but they were on the list and sometimes things just come up. 

3. Closet rod

Last year, I made a huge wardrobe for the master bedroom, and yes I still love it. The PVC pipes I used to hold up clothes did not make it and bent and snapped (not in the fun way)!

I was going to replace my curtain rods because they were pulling at the wall (anchors never work for me), so I used them as a replacement. And yes, I thought about making my clothes look more aesthetically pleasing for the picture, but I just can't be bothered at the moment.

4. Bed Frame 

One Sunday morning I woke up with the room spinning. I could not stand up straight without falling over. We attributed to the fact that our bed frame broke and we were basically sleeping at an angle. Thus, we bought a new frame.

5. Tree House

The very basic tree house is up! The framing for the walls wasn't so bad... it took a long time, especially with the windows. The worst part was trying to figure out the framing for the roof. I was doing trigonometry while my neighbors' dogs were persistently and tumultuously barking at me. I'm not saying I lost my cool with those dogs. I am just throwing in the fact that those dogs now have a training collar that beeps at them every time they bark. 

We also added a Zip line (Ollie has to do that one supervised and Harper has no desire) and a slide. I have more plans later on to make it cute, but it's a good start!