Smile And Wave

Magazine Rack DIY

I am always excited about vertical storage solutions. Making one myself from thrifted supplies, even better. The project came about after finding these metal wall file things at a thrift store this summer and seeing something similar in Urban Outfitters apartment catalog. 

Supplies: Three metal file hangers, 15" x 48" cut of wood from Lowe's, short screws, dark gray spray paint, primer spray paint, drill, yardstick, pen, sandpaper, and screwdriver.

First I sanded down my wood and file hangers. Then I primed the wood. I would've primed the hangers as well but I was using a leftover can and didn't have enough. Then I spaced the hangers evenly leaving more room at the bottom than the top to keep it top heavy (for leaning) and marked where I wanted to drill my holes. 

Next, I set aside my hangers, drilled my holes (not quite all the way through since I was using short screws), and attached my hangers. Then I set it on top of a cardboard box and spray painted three thin layers. Allow for drying time in between layers. I also had to get at funny angles to paint the inside of the hangers but it was important to cover all the surfaces. I later added two thin coats of high gloss polyurethane to give it a metallic look all over. You can still tell it's wood and metal but not as easily.

This is a project that may not be easily recreatable with these same elements as I thrifted the metal file holders and don't know where to find similar ones but there may be some other options available at office supply stores. These magazine racks from IKEA may be an option if you stacked two on the same piece of wood. Here's another DIY idea to try.

The moral of the story is to keep yourself open to the potential of things when you're hunting through garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets. You may even find ways to repurpose something you already own. 

-Rachel

 

Six Months Later

We've officially lived in this rental in Colorado Springs for half a year. I've been planning on a house tour this whole time but it's taken me awhile longer than I expected to get things settled in their happy places. I'm not sure if it's because we have much different space alotments for each room than the last two houses or because my routine and responsibilities are so different from what they were in Missouri but I know from experience that it takes me time to live in a space before I can tell what our needs for those spaces will be and how to fill things in accordingly.

There's also the matter of saving up to buy key pieces that can't easily be found at a thrift store. We're still on the search for a queen bed that will fit in our little bedroom. I know exactly what I want but I also have a plan B for in the meantime. Also, rugs are slowly but surely finding their way home. They cozy up our home so much. I'm not sure why I avoided them for so long.

I've spent the last three days finishing up some little details in the kids' room, living space, and dining room in order to photograph and submit them to a publication. It was just the deadline I needed to get things in good shape and even if they aren't accepted, I'll have half of a house tour ready to go! 

This weekend we get Brett all to ourselves and we're hoping to take advantage of this great weather and hit up the zoo during Military Appreciation Week, eat dinners outside, and tackle a bike project. Always projects. I don't think I could be satisfied for long without a project on the horizon. Anyone else feel that way?

I hope your weekend is lovely!

-Rachel

What's So Great About Glenwood Springs Anyway?

On our way home we pulled over for a potty break and decided to go exploring. We got all the way down to a creek when the skies opened up and we had to high tail it back to the suburban. It was only a twenty minute stretch of our weekend but it's lodged in my mind as Best Memory from our Weekend #2. 

Best Memory from our Weekend #1 has this for it's backdrop. The hot springs is a group of natural spring pools - one baby pool, one 104 degree pool (the biggest hot tub ever), and the long pool shown above that is about 4' - 5' deep until you hit the lap lanes and the deep end. It's a warm 93 degrees that makes it perfect for swimming in when it rains (that happened) and swimming at night (oh, yeah) and I've heard it's steamy and magical when it snows. 

We got there around their usual bedtime and stayed until close. We watched the full-ish moon rise over the ridge shown above and floated on our backs to watch the stars. We had to pull the kids from the water at closing time and then they fell asleep as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot. Warm bodies and sleepy heads. It was the best.

The next morning we had to pack up and head home with a sick little boy but the general consensus was that it was the best trip we've taken as a family and that we want to go back someday. 

Glenwood Springs - add it to your bucket list.

-Rachel

Bleach Paint DIY

I have been wanting to make some bleach painted shirts for the kids' for a few weeks so I picked up a few dark shirts the last time I was thrifting to test out some ideas. I tried bleaching polka-dots on a pair of jeggings, chevron on a green shirt, and this swiss cross on a dark grey shirt. The polka-dots on the jeggings stayed pink, the bleach on the green shirt wasn't left alone long enough and hardly made a mark, but this one ended up a happy accident. 

I taped off my design for sharp corners after putting cardboard inside the shirt to keep the bleach from going through. I was going to use a paintbrush but then thought it might look too gradient so I switched my plan to spraying bleach straight on the shirt. To do this I needed to cover the rest of the shirt. I suggest using freezer paper to do this kind of thing instead of my version. I cut out the negative a little larger and then taped it to the first layer of tape so that it didn't get in the way of my design but covered the rest. 

Then I sprayed bleach onto the fabric and used a paintbrush to spread it out. The brush technique didn't do much so I kept spraying. Then when it was pink enough, I decided to pull the tape off and rinse it. That's when I realized I'd sprayed so much it had bled under the tape. There is still enough of a sharp line from before the bleed that it looks like an image of the sun (in a swiss cross version) to me. I kind of love it. Sebastian does, too. His cheerful face is merely a result of having to go to school this morning. 

Here are two more great bleach paint posts from friends. There are so many fun projects out there so just be sure to read up on the trials and errors from THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE YOU (hehe) and maybe experiment with something you thrifted or are planning to donate anyway so you don't ruin something precious.

I wanted to try a bleached elbow patch effect on an old cardigan but ran out of time. Consider this someone else's mission to execute. I want to see photos when you're done.

Have you ever intentionally bleached clothing? How'd it turn out?

-Rachel

My Favorite Little Tomboy

Ruby is our funny child. Sebastian comes up with his fair share of interesting dialogue around the dinner table but it's usually Ruby that has Brett and I look at each other in surprise and then share a laugh. Maybe it's because of her age and her 3,000 words a day tendency but she keeps us entertained over here.

Tuesday night we were counting their change and trying to fit in both a math lesson (hello, teaching moment) and history lesson. After discussing how many of each coin made up $1 we asked Sebastian if he knew who was on each one. I got all of them right except Roosevelt (without looking, mind you) and Sebastian surprised us by getting both Washington and Lincoln. 

When we asked Sebastian who was on the nickel Ruby blurted out, "E2-E2" (translation: R2-D2). Cue Brett and I looking at each other in surprise.

This girl's favorite characters seem to be from Star Wars despite her on again-off again relationship with Dora. It's a toss up between R2 and Yoda for #1 in her little heart. We actually considered dressing her as Yoda for her second Halloween because they were both short, didn't talk in complete sentences, and had whispy patches of hair. And yet, despite all of her tomboy-ish ways, she loves pink and has never met a stuffed animal she didn't want to take home and love on in a special choke hold kind of way.

Outfit Details: Tee, boys' section at Target. Jeggings, Target. Mocs, trade store in MO. Scarf c/o Red Velvet. Stuffed dog c/o Uncle Tom. Ha!

We love our little tomboy. 

-Rachel

Lace Teepee DIY for A Beautiful Mess

I updated an old tutorial for A Beautiful Mess this week. Head over to see more photos and get the full set of instructions!

-Rachel

Airstream Road Trip: Come On In

As I mentioned in my first post, Brett surprised me with a road trip to Glenwood Springs, CO in a rented Airstream over Labor Day weekend. He always teases me about how I usually guess the end of a movie about halfway through, how I solve the crime shows around the 30 minute mark, and can usually put two and two together to ruin any surprises he is trying to hash out. This time I hinted heavily about wanting to go to Glenwood Springs when he had a guaranteed break in his work schedule (Labor Day weekend) and was pretty sure he'd sorted that part out. When he asked me the name of the town and then quickly texted someone I knew he was up to something. 

He gave me three guesses. My first was that he was planning to get my friends in town. The second was that we were going to see them. The third was that he'd rented an RV so we could camp. He replied no to all three so I was stumped. There wasn't anything else I'd wanted so I figured I'd just have to wait and be surprised. A week later he told me that I'd kind of guessed right but he was waiting on confirmation from the rental place before he told me that if I'd been a little more specific about the KIND of RV I would've technically have guessed right. Ha! 

We didn't get to see an photos of the inside before we got there but I was pleasantly surprised that the decor wasn't crazy. The other trailer that he'd just brought home had original carpeted wall coverings, mexican blankets as curtains, and fantastically kitschy vinyl seats. It was in bad shape and smelled of horses but it was fun to peek into a little time warp. This one had been repainted and had new countertops, a mosaic tiled bathroom sink, and possibly new flooring. The stove was original and charming but we couldn't get it to light despite smelling gas after turning on the propane tank. We decided we shouldn't blow ourselves up and borrowed a neighbor's grill instead.

The lounge seats pulled out into full size beds and were really comfortable. They had been reupholstered in leopard print so I just threw some quilts over them and all was well. There were plastic blinds covering almost all of the windows and a curtain to shut off the back bed area from the front. It got pretty cool at night so we closed almost all of the windows but left one open for the white noise from the highway and the river down the hill. I could see the moon between the mountains and so many stars from where I slept. 

A few people on Instagram mentioned loving the heart-shaped braided rug. It's totally late 80's when everyone had blue ducks and hearts in their decor. It was charming! For being such a confined space, the trailer had a ton of storage. There was a built-in closet with shelving (see below) along the side, pull out drawers under both of the beds, cabinets with shelves under that window below and cabinets above and below the sink. We brought our own dishware, bedding, and cleaning supplies so it was nice to be able to store things out of sight. 

There were plenty of electric outlets for charging our laptop so we could watch a movie at night or plugging in an extra lamp but we noticed the whole trailer would start to smell like burning heaters after about 10-15 minutes so we had to use our electricity usage wisely. 

The bathroom space at the end was pretty tiny. We were parked so close to the camp site bathroom that we didn't bother with the one in the trailer. There were no showers taken on our trip, either. I'm not sure Brett could've fit in ours if he'd wanted to!

One thing that made our trip more enjoyable is being surrounded by some of our own things. It's a lot of work packing bedding, cooking supplies, etc. but it's like bringing a piece of home with you. It's a little more special than having to hide ugly bedspreads and crop out the generic artwork nailed to the walls like in a hotel room. However, you get to do a LOT more laundry when you get home! Totally worth it on this trip.

We lucked out with a cute canopy, too! I brought solar-powered string lights to hang up at night but they decided not to work, either. Really though, the stars were all we needed as far as twinkle lights. I thrifted the cooler the week before and found the fold out table earlier in the summer. The gingham covered patio chairs were a previous project I haven't shared yet and the vintage kids' lawn chairs were finds in Missouri. 


Pancakes courtesy of McDonald's the first morning we were there. The kids didn't mind at all.

They also had pancakes for dinner once a friendly neighbor lent us his second propane grill. There was a fire ban except for a communal fire pit up the hill but we didn't feel like hauling our gear up there for every meal. We'd planned on making S'Mores our last night but the kids crashed in the car on the way home from the springs so I plugged in our microwave and made one for myself after we tucked them in. Talk about roughing it, huh!

There were some serious RVer's there. They brought multiples of everything! One family had five large dogs sleeping inside with them. One family brought a vintage wooden pedestal table to eat on. Most had caravaned with another family and there were lots of other kids and dogs for our kids to play with. Everyone was friendly without inviting themselves in for coffee and everyone obeyed the quiet time after 9:30 rule. It was my first adult experience at an RV park but it was a good one! 

Despite a few hiccups, we really did enjoy our little Airstream weekend. I kept picturing how I'd want to decorate our own and Brett and I decided we needed a trailer of some sort in the future to park in the backyard for everyone to enjoy as a little work space/fort/hang out. I imagine it's not easy to revamp a camper to use on the road, and like anything old there are going to be signs of age (umm...50 year old wiring) but I applaud this company for providing this service. 

Check your local big city to see if you can find an Airstream rental for your next road trip. My only advice is to ask a lot of questions about it in order to plan what you need to bring and to be flexible when even your best laid plans don't work out. Ha! At least there were no bears involved, right?

-Rachel

Happy Grandparent's Day

Happy Grandparent's Day to all of our grandparents and great-grandparent's! We love you and miss you and are so thankful to have you as ours!

We wish we could spend the afternoon hanging out and eating ice cream.

This is how we all feel about being so far away on this particular holiday. 

All of our love,

Brett, Rachel, Sebastian, and Ruby

Outfit Details: Vintage dress, Etsy (ooh, it's been awhile). Vintage button up, gifted from Grandma Cheryl. Red shorts, Target. Huge sunflower, gifted from Grandma Mary as a tiny little seed. 

Pinkalicious

Once upon a time, I found a sweet little pair of brown boots. They were a few sizes too big so they were stashed in the plastic tub for future use. One day all the other shoes were missing their mate so I went digging and found them. We tried them on and they finally fit! 

They were looking a little sad, though. I asked Ruby what we should do to cheer them up and she decided new pink shoelaces would do the trick. I cut one lace in half and we suddenly had a magical pair of boots. 

This little lover of pink may not ever take them off again.

Outfit Details: Vintage top, luciawren. Jeggings, Target. Baby Gap boots, thrifted. Magical pink laces, Target.

A little pink goes a long way but don't go telling this kid.

-Rachel

Hi, I'm Rachel. Remember Me?

Thank goodness for Labor Day weekend because it's been a little less than normal back at the Denbow homestead. Both kids have been sick this week, Brett continues to leave before we wake up and get home at the kids' bedtime because the Army doesn't do 9-5, I've had a 6' teepee in my dining room all week that has been getting a lot of my attention when children are sleeping, and a few other projects I've been needing to finish like yesterday. 

Consider this an update to let everyone know why I haven't posted in four days. My magic wand stopped working. We're all on the mend and learning how to maneuver our long days without daddy with a better attitude than I've had recently. It's been nice having a few other Army mamas to vent to offline because as much as I like to keep things optimistic around here, I get pretty frustrated and need to complain just like the next girl. There's always someone that has it worse, there's always someone that has it better. As I told my friend, Ruthie, I'm trying to find my seasoned Army wife voice - the one that handles things gracefully - except I'm not that seasoned. 

In the meantime, I'm digging out a little paragraph in this post to say that things have been a struggle this week and that I've not kept up with my responsibilities and have not slept enough and have let my kitchen sink spill over with dirty dishes and my couch hasn't been cleared of laundry in two weeks and Brett and I haven't had more than one hour a day together at home apart from our fantastic weekend getaway to have much more than a conversation about the kids and his schedule much less catch up with our hearts. (That's it, my little paragraph where I get permission from myself to complain.)

And yet we still have this change we learned about last month that has propped up my heart and helped even these long days be not quite as long as they could've been. I've really enjoyed making good friends with another Army mama who lives across the busy street and down one block and has kids the same age as mine. We've started carpooling! We've had some cooler weather and Ruby and I managed to enjoy a little walk in the woods yesterday. We found the prettiest black, white, and orange feather that a hiker told us was from a woodpecker. PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES!

My brother is getting married in about a month and we'll get to go back to California and see so many people and places I haven't seen in years. I've been 'liking' holiday ideas like it's my job on Pinterest during fever sessions with both kids camped on the couch. I've been leaning towards feeling more at home here in Co. Springs despite missing Springfield deeply. I've found some excitement about life in general that had gone into hiding over the summer. 

Things have been hard but things are still good. Optimism wins today. 

See ya real soon!

-Rachel