Ready for another edition of Five Friday Faves? I love being able to share what I’m loving at the moment with y’all! This round I’m sharing some current faves and a couple confessions!!!

My hubby and I are getting ready to tackle our boring backyard this Spring. We’ve already planned everything out and now all that’s left is the actual doing. I stumbled across this tip for an “easy way to edge a lawn”.  This looks like a much easier way then the “traditional” way. I figured that this time of year there are probably tons of you why will be doing some yard work yourself….and who would mind something that makes life easier???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week I spotted this Vintage Window Galvanized Memo Board found at Infarrantly Creative. Not only do I love the project but she also shared how she aged her galvanized metal to make it look old. An awesome project and an awesome tip in one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t you just love when you’re watching what you’re eating and then you stumble across something like this Funfetti Milkshake? I mean. Really? How can I resist that? I think I may have to eat veggies all day long but I will be making this delicious looking treat! I have a feeling it will be worth it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok confession time. I know I JUST said I’ve been watching what I’m eating. But these things only come around ONCE a year. So I had to indulge and pick up a pack of Reese’s Eggs. I mean…..as long as I exercise some self control and don’t consume the whole pack in one day then it’s ok right? Right? Oh they are SO good!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next confession. I love The Real Housewives. Honestly it can be the real housewives of (fill in the blank) and I probably love it. There’s been a few not-so-great moments (D.C. ahem). But I seriously love them all. I know it’s just a bunch of crazy rich people drama….but I love it. Like watch it every week plus Watch What Happens Live, love it! I’ve been watching since day one of Orange County (probably because that’s where I’m from so I had to watch it) and now I’m hooked. I’m really hoping I’m not alone on this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright! That’s it for the week! Some tips, some projects, some tasty goodness, and some guilty pleasures! That about wraps things up! Let me know what you think about this week’s Five Friday Faves and tell what you’re loving right now!

Have a great weekend y’all!!!

Linking up to these great parties!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier this week I posted my front door makeover. I used vinyl to create my Faux Etched Glass Front Door.

I am a self proclaimed moss addict. Okay maybe not an addict but I love love moss. It’s earthy yet can be so modern. I love moss year round really but Spring is really the best time for great moss projects. This time of year you are bound to see some of this earthy green mossyness floating around Pinterest and blogland.

I decided to round up 10 Awesome DIY Moss Projects to share with you today. I’m sharing some of my own mossy creations and some other fantastic moss project that I’ve spotted around. Hope you enjoy…..

Spring Moss & Glitter Glass Banner

Moss Birdhouses

Moss Wreath

Junk into Topiaries 

Moss Monogram from The Humble Home

Spring Moss Bulleton Board by The Pretty Bee

Moss Covered Easter Eggs by Love Grows Wild

Moss Coasters by Sincerely, Kinsey

DIY Moss Pitcher Vase by Upcycled Treasures

DIY Moss Frames by Ruffled

Wow right? If you didn’t love moss before, I bet you do now! So have you made any amazing moss projects of your own? I’d love to see them, link um up in the comments!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier this week I shared my Vintage Drop Leaf Kitchen Table transformation. Amazing what a little paint can do!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Why is it that every. single. Friday. I feel like I just ran a week long marathon. It could be motherhood. That’s what I’m putting my money on. That crazy little mini army that I created. But HEY it’s Friday and I get to share some of my favorite things right now! I’d love to hear if you love any of these items TOO!

First up is this super yummy Frosted Pistachio Bread from Lil Luna. Immediately when I saw this bread on Kristyn’s blog I knew I had to make it for my hubby. He LOVES pistachio….well everything! So I whipped up a batch when he returned from a work trip. To say he liked it would be an understatement. At one point he told me to hide it from him so he would stop eating it. So I’ll be making this again. Soon.

Next up is one of the best crafting buddies. If you haven’t met them, let me introduce you to the Hot Glue Gun Helpers! There is almost nothing worse than a hot glue gun burn while crafting. Trust me, I’ve had a few. These helpers have saved me in MANY ways! Not just my fingers either! The handy dandy mat has protected many of my crafting surfaces! Honestly, if you’re going to use a glue gun you have to own one of these!

When it comes to my home I can get quite….particular. Just ask my hubby. He will tell you that I obsess over organization and order. Little things bug me, like nicks in my wood furniture. That’s why I LOVE these wood repair markers. As I notice little nicks in my furniture, I pick out the matching marker, color in the nick, and that’s it!

My daughter often asks me what my favorite color is. I find myself at a loss usually. Overall I just love color! But I guess if I HAD to pick ONE color it would be Blue Ocean Breeze by Krylon! I really really love this color. If you’ve been to my living room you already know this! It is a bright happy color without being too abrasive. Plus this spray paint is just awesome in general. If you haven’t tired Blue Ocean Breeze yet, go grab a can now! It’s the perfect color for Spring!

Lastly, I am loving this tutorial to make your own Mason Jar Foaming Soap Dispenser from Pretty Handy Girl. I have been wanting to make my own mason jar soap dispenser for quite some time. I’ve even had the pretty blue mason jars sitting around forever. So this week my hubby and I finally made a couple of them! They turned out wonderfully and I’m so glad to finally have some made!

Well that is it for the week! I hope you enjoyed my Five Friday Faves round up! Let me know what you think about my picks this week……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier this week I shared my DIY Natural Wood Stain. It also ranks up there with some of my fave DIY products and I make it all myself! It’s a MUST for any DIYer to have around!

]]> http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2014/03/five-friday-faves-3.html/feed 0 http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2014/03/diy-natural-wood-stain.html http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2014/03/diy-natural-wood-stain.html#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2014 09:00:36 +0000 http://adiamondinthestuff.com/?p=2843

For a few years now I have been making my own DIY Natural Wood Stain for some of my wood projects. When it comes to DIY there are tons of projects, tricks, and tips out there. It’s about finding the thing to use when you need to use it. I love dark stained wood. In most instances I am more than happy with some dark Minwax wood stain to use on my wood. However, there are times when I want a more weathered natural look. Enter DIY Natural Wood Stain.

To make this DIY stain you only need three things:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Steel Wool

Glass Container

Directions: Place steel wool into glass container, fill glass container with vinegar, place lid back on jar, and let it sit for at least 24 hours.

Rarely do I use a whole jar of natural wood stain in one project. So I end up leaving a jar constantly lying around. When one jar starts getting low I make up another one so I always have stain on hand.

The stain is completely liquid so I use foam brushes to apply it to the wood, but you can pretty much use any kind of brush. The foam brushes adsorb the liquid and then I just paint it on. If your wondering what the stain looks like, take a look at this scrap piece of wood. The dark side is where I applied the natural wood stain and the light side is the untreated side.

It seems that this stain works best on old or untreated wood. Treated wood seems to “block” out most of the staining power. I find it most useful when I’m working with salvaged wood. Either when I want to make it darker or when I need to plain the wood (to rid it of yuck) and I need to return some of the aged look to the wood. With treated wood it gives it sort of a grayish light stain. Which still makes the wood look older and aged a bit, just not maybe as dark as you may want.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some projects that I have completed with my DIY Natural Wood Stain……

Little Farm Table

DIY Salvaged Wood Tool Box

Broken Coffee Table Rescue

What would you make with your own DIY Natural Wood Stain?

I have been blogging here at ADitS for a few years now and I realize that there is a lot of “me” that is lacking from my blog. I have obviously given lots of glimpses into who I am and what my life is. But really on a day to day basis do you know the woman behind the blog? So I’ve decided to open up a bit more and start sharing some of my favorite things, things I’m loving at the moment. My plan is to share my Five Friday Faves at the end of every week with you all. While I understand that I may or may not be introducing you to anything new, sometimes it’s nice to hear other’s experiences and reviews. Ya never know….you may find your new “fave” here!

First, I will share my favorite new toy! The hubby and I bought a DeWALT  Wood Planer.  I am a mix of two thoughts…..This things is freakin awesome and why did we wait so long to get it? Well I know the answer to the second part….it’s not the cheapest garage toy out there. But it has been oh so worth it. I have already been able to plane down some ragged old wood and make it shine! Check out what I used my new toy to make HERE.

My hubby and I are attempting to eat better. Attempting. I found this new recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa and we gave it a try. It was a hit with both of us and gave us a great side dish replacement for things like rice, potatoes, etc. I am learning about all the benefits of quinoa and I’m trying to find new ways to incorporate it into our meals (and find things to replace with it). What is your fave quinoa recipe?

Well next up is a beauty fave. I mean, who doesn’t love finding the latest and greatest beauty product? For Christmas I received the “They’re Real” Mascara from Benefit. I absolutely love this stuff. Not only does it really lengthen my eyelashes but it all goes on so smoothly without gunks. I hate the mascara gunks. I am in the process of updating my beauty routine and this was the perfect way to kick start the change.

I am a pretty big fan of chicken wire. I feel like it so easily adds a rustic farm feel in fun and classy ways. Alecia over at Chicken Scratch NY did an awesome Chicken Wire Round Up and she so wonderfully included a couple of my chicken wire projects. There are lots of great inspiration!!!

In addition to eating better I have also been working out with a trainer . Trying to loose some lbs and get healthy! A lovely side effect of all this working out is supper sore muscles!!! If you follow me on Instagram you have seen the photo above. Since then I have taken a couple more sore muscle soaks in the tub. Here’s my sore muscle tub soak recipe:

1 cup epson salt

1 cup sea salt

1 cup baking soda

Essential Oil (optional)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well that wraps up my first Five Friday Faves!!! I hope that you have enjoyed them, maybe even learned something new. Either about a product or blog OR maybe a little about me. Hopefully you’ll join me for future Five Friday Faves posts and maybe share some of your current faves too!!!

These days I am operating my project list based partly on what I happen to have lying around. Which is a lot. I mean, garage full a lot. I have actually been doing pretty well in pairing down the volume. At least I think so….the hubby who is determined to eventually be able to park at least one of the cars in the garage may not think so.

One of the piles of “stuff” I have in the garage is a pile of old windows. I actually LOVE my pile of old windows and get a little sad when one of them gets turned into a project and leaves. Weird I know. But I love my old windows! I’ve been turning them into memo boards, adding vinyl sayings to them, and now it was time to turn one into a piece of furniture. Enter my DIY Simple Window Coffee Table…..

It all started with this chippy 6 pane window. It was a perfect window for this project because the wood was still in good sturdy condition and it had all pieces of glass intact.

Have you ever purchased wood legs from the hardware store? They are expensive right? I mean, the legs I needed for this project would of been almost $10 each. So that’s $40 right there in table legs. So then I got to thinking, “Is there a cheaper alternative?”. I wandered over to the spindle aisle and found some for under $2 each. Much better. I needed to cut a little off the tops and bottoms, but for the price it was worth it! I stained the spindles with a dark wood stain and then painted them with some off white paint I had on hand.

After the legs were stained and painted, I ruffed them up a bit with some sandpaper. Then they were attached using two L brackets on each leg. Pretty simple right?

I pretty much left the window alone; let rough edges be rough and let chippy paint be chippy. Cuz that’s how I roll.

Didn’t the spindles turn out awesome? Not bad for $2 huh? Totally the look I wanted too!

Pretty simple right? But oh so cute! Sad part is it looks so super cute in my living room….but alas it must go to my booth and find a new home! Hopefully someone will love it as much as I do!

So what do you think of my of  DIY Simple Window Coffee Table???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wondering what else I’ve been up to lately? Come check out my latest DIY project here:

]]> http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2014/02/diy-simple-window-coffee-table.html/feed 2