Bamboo Baker's Rack plus Herbs.

I haven't had a Bamboo Friday post in ages. 

This was supposed to be ready on Wednesday but here you go - let's call it Bamboo Friday.

(It's been a Summer for the books and this is about all I've accomplished but I am really enjoying it!)

(You can see The Bucket in the background!)

I found this bamboo baker's rack a couple of years ago for less than $20.00 at Goodwill. It had 2 glass shelves and I managed to break one along the way :(  It happens. 

It was temporarily housed in my work area and so I just had wooden shelves cut for it. 

I recently decided to relocate it to my screened in porch as a home for potted herbs. 

Since I'm going to put plants on the shelves and I would be worried about the weight (especially when they were wet) 

I decided to keep the wooden shelves and not have glass ones cut. 

I also wanted to give it a coat of paint. This particular piece had some pretty rough, porous looking areas and I think it needs the protection the paint will offer.

I put this thing on saw horses and turned it every which way to paint it.

 It has so many nooks and crannies and curves.

 You just have to give it a lot of light coats from multiple directions.

I use this dark green spray paint for my porch and yard furniture. 

It is as close to the dark, Charleston green as I can get in a can.

And, 1. I don't know why there are drips on that can. I never have any trouble with this paint. It's the best coverage I've found. #notsponsored but boy, do I wish someone would send me free spray paint :)  2. That table is obviously on the 'need to paint' list! Ha!

Then I slid it in it's new spot and started filling it up with plants,

 blue and white (of course) and some other thrifted finds. 

I think that this spot will get enough morning sun and afternoon light to keep some potted herbs happy and give us great access for cooking. 

I think it will be a great spot to bring the herbs in to from their Summer spots out in the yard and winter them over. I'll keep you posted on Instagram.

And guess what popped up on my FB marketplace this week?

The exact same baker's rack with all the glass shelves.

 Not a bad price at all!!

I'm headed to the garden center for a few more herbs and some potting soil!

Do you have favorite herbs that you grow?

Blue and White Chinoiserie Tree

There has been a little Christmas decorating progress.

It's a little progress because it's a little tree!

 It's in the black library that was my One Room Challenge last Spring.

So this is our first Christmas to decorate this room as a library.

 It's very cozy.

I posted a few ornament progress shots on Instagram.

They are simply inexpensive white glass ornaments and a blue Sharpie.

Yep, that's it.

Then sit down and doodle.

(There are tutorials and inspiration pics all over - check Google images or Pinterest)

I've done ornaments with Sharpie or paint in the past 

but these were super fast - no color decisions.

 It's a blue Christmas right here.

I'm pretty excited to have all of these ornaments finished and on a tree. 

Cause I bought the white ornaments last year!

#betterlatethannever

Fall 2016 One Room Challenge - Week 3

I am scarily calm about this.

I'm not sure why.

Because the Master Bathroom is scarily a mess!!

The giant mirror is down and the 80's wallpaper is there for all to see. 

I shared how I feel about 80's wallpaper on my Instagram this week.

White paint headed that way!

 There is one of the fabulous thrifted bamboo mirrors temporarily propped on the counter so we can leave in the morning knowing we've brushed everything that should be brushed and I have both earrings in!

I did clear out the tub.

 Had to find a new storage spot for my bamboo mirror stash 

but we are doing some electrical and they were in the way of the ladder.

The cabinets are still gray.

 I should be more concerned about this. 

And the floor is covered in drywall dust which is luckily the color of our carpet.

 So there's that. 

I did spend some productive time looking at fabric to use in a shower curtain hack. 

I'm in love with several. 

Price might be the deciding factor, I'm sorry to say.

#reallife

And I worked on this mirror a bit.

 But not a lot :)

See? 

Waaaay to calm for the number of weeks left on this shindig!

Be sure to check out all the other room transformations on Linda's blog, Calling It Home!

On Garden Pond...

Remember when I was pondering a few months ago?

These are the ugly 'befores."

We had to move a pond due to another project 

and I was definitely  not  "all in" on the work involved.

My husband reallllly wanted a pond at this end of the porch still 

(there's another little one at the other end of the screened porch)

where he could hear the trickling water sound from "his" chair on our beloved porch.

So I grumpily began moving the liner and pump from the previous location.

I was determined to use what we had laying around.

After a few changes in layout plans I hit my stride and it went together very quickly. I had to build a small 'retaining wall" from some pavers we had hauled home years ago when a house nearby was having a concrete driveway poured to replace the creamy gold pavers that had been there for over 40 years. 

They gave them to us and we have used them for so many projects.

Then I filled the area with dirt left from the Boules Court project (here)

and here (the lights make it!)

I used the pavers from the previous pond and a firepit project. They are not exactly the same color. As soon as it cools off a bit I will paint them with a buttermilk concoction

 and try to grow some moss on them. 

I love moss in the landscape and I think it unifies different finishes and things that look too new.

I had the two large pots and the one in front hanging out in my potting area. I divided some hostas and a few other plants and started planting.

I also bought a few plants from the  clearance area in the Lowe's garden Center. (No sponsorship here. Just a tip that they mark plants down to a dollar or two and all they need is some water and maybe a little fertilizer)

I bought the butterfly bush from in front of my Kroger for $4.99 and put it in the largest pot. It has doubled in size. 

I couldn't plant until I got back from my mission trips and things have filled in quickly.

#gooddirt

So this pond barely cost a thing to install.

Bargain plants filled in with some TLC.

And the trickling sound is relaxing when we sit on the porch.

So if you are pondering installing a small pond, I say go for it!