Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! Another drive to get out of the house led us past this abandoned house sitting in the middle of a Montana prairie. I wondered why it had been left alone and neglected, who had lived in it, why was it deserted?  Abandoned--a lot of us feel like this right now. We are stranded from our jobs, alone and distant from family and friends, unsure of what our government is doing, and wondering where God is. First, let me assure you, it is okay to question God, to ask him why we are going through this. He can handle our questions and feelings of doubt. But, even in the uncertainty, this I know--God is nearby, he is close to us, he has not abandoned us. He may be allowing darkness to run its course right now, but he is holding us through it all. We will ultimately see his goodness in these trials. Rather than feeling stranded and neglected, let's abandon our fears and trust that we are not alone in this time. This week ask God to feel his nearness, to know without any doubt that he is close-by and that he has not deserted us.

Rustic Farm Supply

This is a 15 minute project that adds a great, rustic, down home touch.

I love stencils because they are so easy and quick to use. They can be used in a variety of ways and on so many different surfaces and projects.

(For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. What does that mean? If you chose to purchase something through my link, I may receive a small compensation, BUT it cost you nothing extra 😉. ALSO, please note, prices for stencils that you see are in Canadian and convert to less in US dollars.)

This FARM SUPPLY stencil from Old Sign Stencils is new to me and perfect for Montana. You can get it HERE!

The extra details like the little shovel and grain makes these stencils unique.

I stenciled it on an old piece of barn wood, using white paint. I sanded a little bit of it off to make it look weathered. I like it hanging above the doors to my John Deere green carriage house.

What have you stenciled?

Colorful Rustic Table

I have decided during this shelter at home I am building whatever I FEEL like building, not worrying about piece of furniture might sell best or what I need for my booth. I have also approached this time in the workshop as a free-for-all--no plans, just let the material I have inspire me. So when I found four thicker 42" long pallet boards that were in good shape, i decided to make a table.

Rustic Farmhouse Jelly Cupboard

Sometimes (okay, often times) I have no idea what I am building. And let me tell you, this drives my hubby crazy. But, it seems to work out okay for me. And, with extra time at home, I have plenty of time to play. So, when I put together some pallet wood to make a little barn style door, I had no idea what I was going to do with it.

I could have painted it and used it for porch decor or on a mantle. I could have turned it on its side, added hooks and a shelf for a cute entry piece. It would make a cute headboard for a twin bed. But, I finally decided to use it as a door, building a cupboard "around" it.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! A social distancing drive earlier in the week led us closer to the mountains. The freshly fallen snow and the close proximity to the mountains made a local landscape feature, the broken heart, easier to see (do you see it?).  Many of us are currently experiencing fears, worries, sadness, depression, and broken hearts that we are hiding and hoping that others do not see. I understand wanting to put on a brave face and wanting to appear to be strong and holding it all together. But, we need to know that God sees our brokenness. We need to let him in and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with Him. He doesn't need to get closer to us to see our pain and discouragement, he is already near. Whatever you are feeling and experiencing right now in life, trust that God is close by. He is holding you, He is hearing you, He sees, He knows. Rest in Him, let him give you HIS hope and peace. 

Bike Sign

I am looking forward to sunny days and riding my little cruiser bike up our country road.

If you know and follow Donna at Funky Junk Interiors and Funky Junk Old Sign Stencils, you know that she loves her bike too. She loves it so much, it inspired her to create this fun, new bike stencil.

(For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. What does that mean? If you chose to purchase something through my link, I may receive a small compensation, BUT it cost you nothing extra 😉. ALSO, please note, prices for stencils that you see are in Canadian and convert to less in US dollars.)

I couldn't wait to play with it. I decided I wanted to create something a little more modern looking so I decided to stencil the bike three times in a row, leaving the cute basket off.

You can get the stencil HERE!

I started with a piece of plywood I painted grey. I drew horizontal lines with chalk so that i could place the tires on the line for straight bikes.

The lines and stenciling spaces are small, so use a small detail paintbrush to paint the different colors. Let the paint dry before stenciling the next color.

I added a wood frame using my nail gun to attach it to the plywood. I sanded the sign a bit and then stained everything. Simple, clean, easy!

Pallet Wood Coffee Crate

More pallet wood means more crates! I know, really, another crate?

 But, they are quick, pallet wood is perfect for them, they are super useful, and they sell.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! What a week it has been. My emotions and opinions about the Covid19 pandemic have been all over the map, and that has included my feelings as to where is God in all of this craziness. The truth is, God is where he has always been, He has not abandoned the boat (i.e. left us in our socially distant homes). Jesus is with us--in our fear and worry, in our anger and frustration, in our disbelief and despair. He may be letting the storm rage for a time, but he hasn't jumped ship. Fix your eyes on Jesus, rest knowing that He has power over this storm and He has not left us alone. Jesus is right beside you, right beside me, hold on to Him in faith during this storm.

Stray Drawers Made From Pallet Wood

Oh, the creating that is going to happen while social distancing. Today I am sharing more pallet wood play.

Using three 5 1/2" wide pallet boards and three scrap 1" x 8" boards I made these fun, scrap, stray "drawers".

Using one pallet board and one 1" x 8" scrap board per box, I put these together quickly. I cut two long sides about 12 1/2" and the two short sides about 8" long.

I assembled the boxes with wood glue and the nail gun, making assembly easy and quick.

Even though I used the same pallet board on each individual box, the boards were not the same width the entire length so I did a little sanding and on the yellow box the short sides are not as tall. 

I painted just one side of each box so that they would look more like a drawer and then stained them.

(affiliate link)

I bought these fun label handles HERE. If you follow me, you know I like to throw things in the fire to help age them and rust them. Um, apparently zinc alloy (what these are made of) melts in the fire. I have a little metal basket that I put small things in to put in the fire. They melted in the bottom, oops!

So, to age the handles I dabbed some cream paint on them and sprinkled cinnamon on the wet paint.

These are such a great size for: toilet paper on the back of the toilet, toiletries on the bathroom vanity, herb planting, books and a plant, photos, a coffee station, salt and pepper and oils on the kitchen counter, tissues and books and reading glasses on the nightstand, craft supplies, cards and other small games, cloth napkins, and oh so many more things!!

Where would you use one?

Vintage Style Farm Stand Sign

Raise your hand if you were a Gilligan's Island fan? It was one of my favorites as a kid and my favorite episode was the one where they plant the radioactive seeds and grow BIG vegetables that give them super powers.

I am not sure if that is what inspired this GIANT carrot, but I love a big, cut-out sign--it has such a vintage feel.

I used a scrap piece of plywood I had and quickly drew out a carrot shape. I cut the carrot top out separately with my hand held jigsaw.

(affiliate link)

I painted it and stenciled it with this stencil from Folk Art Stencils (HERE).

I then sanded it and stained it and cleared coated it. It reminds me a sign that you would have found on a roadside farm stand in days gone by.