All About Cosmetics // Mini-Series 1 of 3 "Nail Polish"

Today marks the day I begin my mini series dedicated to cosmetics. I will be sharing 3 mini posts about cosmetics: nail polish, makeup, and hair products. I will be explaining how to store your cosmetics, where to look for expiration dates (and when to throw things away if it doesn't have an expiration date), and the importance of keeping up with organizing, repurchasing, and purging your cosmetics. Today, will be all about NAIL POLISH! 

Below is a photo of how I store my nail polish. I used a similar tutorial like this to create my nail polish rack (it was super easy!). You can also purchase acrylic nail polish racks here - I just opted for the cheaper route since it was going to be hidden in our closet. Before I took this photo, every single shelf was FULL of nail polish, and I even had a few that were just balancing on the edge since there was no room for more. But then I sorted through all the polishes, got rid of more than half, and only chose the ones I would really, actually wear. I also got rid of ones that were expired, dried up, or almost gone. 

I always keep my polishes in rainbow order so I can see what colors I have (or don't have), starting with reds and going all the way to purples. I separate out the glitter polishes and the nudes, pinks, creams, and neutrals. All of the base coats, top coats, and cuticle oils are at the bottom. This is just what works for me, but I highly recommend this system. I also leave spaces for new polishes. I will only purchase a new polish if I know one will be running out in the near future, or if there is killer sale on my favorites. 

As for expiration dates, MOST cosmetics have an expiration date. In the photo below, you will see a little symbol in the bottom-right of the bottle of nail polish that looks like a jar with the lid off and a number inside. That is the expiration date. This one says "24M," so this nail polish is good for 24 months. I've only had this polish for about a year and half, so I'm going to hang on to it. I would recommend writing the date of purchase with a Sharpie on all your nail polishes so you know when to throw them away. Or keep a spreadsheet nearby with the dates of when you purchased each polish. Here is a good option.

Storing nail polishes this way is super easy, convenient, and good for the actual polish. They should be stored upright, and not laid down on their side. (And having them visible always motivates me to use them.)

Let me know how you store your nail polishes, or better yet, take a photo and post it in the comments below! Happy painting!!

 I will be explaining MAKEUP in the next mini post... so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it!

Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Happy New Year to all of you... I hope this year brings you many blessings, love, and most importantly, DIY projects to complete. Our holiday season this year was one for the books. We actually made it through without any snow, which is unusual for Indiana at this time of year. It was about 50 degrees on Christmas Day {what?!}. We had a great time with family, despite the fact that my husband had to leave at 9:00am Christmas Day to help restore power in Michigan. It comes with the job. New Years Eve was spent in Cincinnati, OH with great friends. It was fun and something we have never done before. My favorite part was the firework display at New Years. So, now starts a new goal for 2016 for this blog... to complete a post every month (but, I'm shooting for more). I want to do more than just DIY projects though. Maybe some recipes, maybe some other things too, and that's where you come in. I need some suggestions on what you would like to see more of on here. Leave me a comment below this post of things you might like to see. But, nonetheless, I'm excited to start 2016 with a bang. So here we go...

To begin, we (because, yes, this was a project I needed help from the hubby) used stud wood from another project. It was just white stud wood. I had him cut me 2 shelves, one at 24" and one at 18". The other dimensions of the boards are 2" x 6". But you can make your shelves as long/short, thick/thin as you want.

Next, I used this stain to make them look weathered. I also applied a light coat of gray wood stain over the weathered stain, and then once it was completely dry, I added Minwax finishing wax to the shelves to ensure they were sealed for the bathroom.

Now comes the part where the hubs helped out. We bought the plumbing pipe at Menards. We picked up 4 - 1/2"x 6" black pipes that had threading on both ends, the caps to match, and the floor flanges to match. It's pretty simple, but if you need help at your hardware store, don't hesitate to ask. :) We figured out where we wanted the pipes to be attached to the shelves, then attached them with pipe straps.

Next, we held the shelves up to the wall and made marks of where the holes were to be drilled for the flanges. Then, hubs just attached everything together and to the wall.

This was one of the more simple projects we completed, but it makes a huge impact. It also showcases our style more. I love them, don't you?

3-Foot Distressed Clock

Have you seen those huge, 3-foot clocks around town? You know, the distressed, rustic-style, vintage-looking clocks. Well, we (my husband and I) decided instead of spending upwards of $150 on one of those, we would build our own... for $50 tops! This was the first time I ever distressed brand new wood to make it look worn and old. This was the first time my husband ever made something out of wood, this big. And this was the first time a project worked out in general. I am so pleased with it, even if it isn't "perfect". We didn't follow any plans - since it's pretty much a simple circle - we just went for it. Here is the complete list of tools, items, and wood you will need for this project as you see it.

The main tools you will need:

Other tools you will need:

- Mider saw or circular saw (either would work)
- Hole bit
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- A spare nail (long enough to go through a 2x4" and into another board slightly)
- Sander
- Sand paper

The wood you will need:
- 2 2x4" stud length boards
- 2 2x6" stud length boards
- spare piece of 2x4" at least 18" in length

To finish the clock:
- Clock mechanism (from Hobby Lobby)
- Clock hands (from Hobby Lobby)
- Strongly brewed tea (8 tea bags per 2 cups of water)
- Homemade stain (click here for recipe)
- White primer or paint
- Roman numeral stencil (I made my own out of cardboard)
- Black chalkboard paint
- Paint brush or foam brush
- Stiple brush
- Sand paper
- Steel wool (optional)
- Wire brush (optional)
- Wax (optional)

Yes, there are a bunch of tools you will need to finish this project, but don't worry if you don't have every single piece of equipment - ask a friend, relative, or even at your local lumber & hardware store to see if they can make the cuts for you.

Ok, so for step 1, we cut the boards in half and laid them out in the order we wanted for the clock.

After that, we flipped all the boards over to trace a circle on the backs for a guideline to cut the clock out with. To create the "compass" for the circle, we used a nail, a piece of scrap 2"x 4", and a pencil. In the scrap piece of board [guide board], we drilled a hole at one end big enough for a pencil to fit through, and at the other end, a smaller hole for a nail to fit in. We made sure to find the dead center of the boards, and hammered a nail in that spot. We slid the guide board over the nail and slid the pencil in the hole at the other end. Finally we traced the circle onto the all of the boards, being careful not to shift any of them since they weren't secured together. 

Once the circle was traced on the boards, we attached the boards together using the pocket jig. This allows boards to fit together without the sight of nails (except for on the back side). It's an ingenious invention if you haven't seen it yet!

After the holes were drilled and the boards were attached together, we cut the clock out using the jigsaw. (And by we, I mean my husband! :))

Once the clock was actually cut out, the "pocket", for lack of better terms, was chiseled out of the back for the clock mechanism compartment. This is a must, so the clock sits flush on the wall.

Using a "hole bit" to cut out the hole and chiseling out the remainder to make it smooth.

Now it was time for the finishing process. And of course, I had a wedding to go to, so my amazingly-awesome hubby, applied the tea and vinegar-steel wool stain for me. (Just make sure to let each coat dry before applying the next one. He just applied 1 coat of each). 

After everything was completely dry... and a few weeks later, since we are really busy right now... I got to finish this piece up. I first applied a white primer that we had leftover in our basement - any white primer or paint will work. I let it dry completely and then distressed it with steel wool, sand paper, and a steel brush. 

Finally, I created roman numerals out of cardboard and painted them on the clock. I used black chalkboard paint to insure it was a matte finish. After that dried over night, I, then distressed everything again, and added some matte polyurethane for protection. 

Final step: adding the hands!

And here it is, finished and hung on the wall...

{P.S. Don't mind my OITNB on TV. Bonus points if you can tell me what season and episode this scene is from.}

The Planter Ladder

In the beginning of spring this year, we decided it was time to venture into the art of wood-making. We - my husband, Tyler, and I - planned out a few projects we wanted to complete. A coffee table, two side tables for our living room, a sofa table-turned buffet table for our dining room, a three foot clock, four shutters, a blanket ladder, and a planter ladder. We also have come up with a few other project ideas, but we are starting with this list right now. We finished one of the projects - the planter ladder!

It isn't exactly what the plans called for, but we realized that the plans we have been going off of, are - I hate to say this - always wrong, and honestly, this error turned out for the better. The plans we used were from ana-white.com and we used the plans from the Cedar Vertical Tiered Ladder Garden Planter --- sort of. The plans are not well written, so when the hubs started cutting the boards, which is what the plans say to do, it ended up being the incorrect measurement, so the ladder is shorter than it should be. It should have five planter boxes on it, but they wouldn't all fit. Three boxes were fine with me. We are going to use the materials leftover to make planter boxes for a deck that we are probably going to build next year. It all worked out in the end however.

We bought everything the site lists, but instead of cedar boards, we just bought stud wood and stained it.

You'll need:

3 - 2"x6"x8'
5 - 5.5"x6' dog-ear fence boards
Nails
Screws
(estimated cost of project $20.00)

For the boxes:
Cut one of the 2"x6"x8' boards into ten (10) - 8 ⅛" pieces (cutting a 15 degree angle at the corners, making a trapezoid)
Cut the dog-ear boards into ten (10) - 23 ½" pieces and five (5) - 20 ½" pieces
Nail together the trapezoid pieces and the 23 ½" pieces to create the sides and front and back of the planter boxes. Next, nail the 20 ½" pieces on, creating the bottom. Make sure to drill drain holes in the bottom of the planted boxes so the water will drip out.

For the ladder:
Take the two remaining 2"x6"x8' and cut a 15 degree angle at the top, and at the bottom in the opposite direction so it leans on whatever you decide. Choose the distance you want between the boxes - usually anything more than 8" will work - and screw the boxes to the sides.

To finish, I used a dark brown stain and matte polyurethane finish, one coat of each.

I waited for everything to dry overnight, and planted flowers the next morning. Where the planter ladder sits, there isn't much sunlight that hits the area, except for a few minutes during the day. So I decided to get shade-only/morning-sun-only flowers. I love how it turned out, and it was pretty simple.

Let me know if you have a creative way to plant flowers besides in the typical flower pots - but there's nothing wrong with that either.

Until next time,