diy mason jar soap dispenser

I've completed my first pinterest-inspired home project!! I'm so excited to share it with you all because I am very pleased with the results. :) Plus, it was really cheap and only took about 5 minutes to do, which is great, cause I'm always short on time.

Recently, I have found myself in love... with glass! I love decorating with glass. I frequent all the local thrift stores every few days and I am always intrigued and fascinated by the different types of glass vases, jars, canisters, etc. that they have. I'm going for somewhat of a country-chic-cabin-type decor look, and have found mason jars to be generally fabulous.

I am getting sick of the nasty plastic soap containers, so I thought I'd make my own out of a mason jar for my bathroom. I fell in love with it so much that I decided to run to the thrift store and get supplies to make one for my kitchen. Luckily, the thrift store had everything, and I was able to make it entirely for about $3.00. :) This is what I came up with for the bathroom:

See? Isn't that awesome??

When I made the one for my kitchen, I took pictures so I could give you somewhat of a tutorial on how to do it should you choose to make one for yourself.

This is how it's done:

Supplies needed:

• drill (borrowed from the 'rents)
• mason jar (found some at the thrift store for about 50 cents!)
• metal soap pump (I salvaged mine off of a metal soap dispenser at the thrift store)
• loctite clear waterproof silicone sealant (found at local hardware store)

 
First of all, I had to make sure the soap pump was clean. I have to admit, it was kinda gross, and there was still soap left in the dispenser from the previous owner. It was gross, but I made it through unscathed. ;)

Next, it's time to drill a hole through the middle of the top of the jar. I left the lid on, and it worked just fine. The goal is to make the soap pump sit snugly in the hole without a lot of "breathing room". I had to drill a couple times to get the right size.

I had to bend all the edges over so it was sharp and poking into the soap pump. The top got a little scratched, and it looks terribly uneven, but that's ok, cause it will be hidden under the edge of the pump. :) Next, I checked to see that the pump fit nice and snug.

After making sure the hole I drilled was good to go, I rinsed out the jar so it didn't have any dangerous metal shards that would scratch a person's hand when they're trying to wash it.

Now, it's time to "seal the deal"! I left the pump halfway in the hole, and ran a generous coat of the silicone sealant around the edge:

Push the pump all the way into the drilled hole, wipe off excess silicone and you're done! The bottle of silicone said I had to let it sit for at least 2 hours, so you'll have to check what yours says and make sure you don't put soap in it or use it until it's done drying.

Here's my new pump next to the bathroom pump... they're a little different but I like it that way; they are unique!

And here's the kitchen one sitting in it's new home, next to the jar of dish soap, waiting to be filled!

Woohoo! Fun, quick project that adds a little bit of fabulous detail to everyday life. :)

DIY cd storage book

Finally did one of the projects I've been wanting to do! Some of you may hate me and call me a "book-wrecker" but I don't care. I love books, which is why I loved this idea so much. :)

I have been trying to find storage ideas for my backup discs for photoshoots (I'm a photographer... and there's no way I can keep everyone's photoshoots on my laptop and I can't afford a second hard drive at the moment). After looking at ideas for boxes, etc. I ran across this:


http://www.instructables.com/id/CD-or-DVD-Storage--Book-/

I decided to give it a try myself. I already had a zip-up cd sleeve book that was really an eyesore and didn't store well.

I took a trip over to the thrift store and picked up a used copy of The American College Dictionary, which so happened to be the perfect size and thickness to match my yucky cd sleeve book. It's a dictionary, so it's a neutral-looking book to go on any bookshelf. And, when the project was said and done, I'd have about a thousand old printed dictionary pages to use in other projects. :)

The double-stick tape I used was Ace Hardware's carpet tape. It was the cheapest, sturdy double-stick tape I could find.

I set to work on my project. I did not count the pages as the original person did, I just eyeballed it. I also didn't go from back to front, I went from front to back, and if you try this out, don't do that. My pages are somewhat uneven. If I do it again, I'll be going from back to front. When I did this, I did not cut the excess tape, I just used it to further re-inforce my cd pages.

Anyway, now I have a not-so-sore looking cd holder that I can store on my bookshelf!

Enjoy!

pianos, flowers and red.

My first completed project in the projectspace!

My house is decorated in music. When I moved in, the kitchen was red, and the place is small enough that it means the living room and dining room is also red since it's all the same room. I like red, so I decided to go with the whole red theme. My house is far from being beautiful, right now it's a hodge podge of different things that I could afford for the functionality, not the visual appeal. My couch is a white, grey and pink ugly floral. You can imagine how wonderful that looks in my red themed log cabin. Haha... it's terrible. Couch cover anyone? I'm not handy with a needle and thread generally, so I've been keeping an eye out for a red couch cover. Haven't found one yet, so I might be stuck with dark brown. Which would be okay. Anything but the white, grey and pink ugly floral.

Anyway, so this is step one to getting my house somewhat coordinated!

This is a picture I drew of a piano back in 2010 that was originally intended for a red bathroom, but I never got a frame for it so it's just been in storage. I have always liked the picture, and wanted to do something creative with it so I could hang it above the fireplace in my cabin.

I bought a canvas that was slightly smaller than the picture and used tacky glue to adhere the picture to the canvas. I wrapped it around the canvas, and then nailed the back of the picture into the canvas boards. You can also see that I took nails and nailed all around the front. I love the look of heavy nails! I also took black acrylic paint and painted all the edges, and then brushed it on the first 1.5 inches of the front of the picture. I finished it off by sewing the flowers to the front in bunches tied together with red ribbon.

It ended up being a little smaller than I had originally thought, so I'll have to "beef up" the mantle a little with other art, etc. It's fun and it didn't take very long! :)

Inspire.

I am glad to announce that my projectspace is just about done! Well, at least, it is more set up than it was to begin with. And I actually did a project in the projectspace, which I'll post about tomorrow. :) It's exciting!

Here is the awesome space:

Yep, that's it! The shelves aren't completely organized, and the dresser is actually going to have a variety of office and creative supplies in it, but right now it's empty. At least I'll be able to start to get a few things organized around here! It will be nice to be able to spend some quality time at home doing some of the things that I love.

I also wanted to show you all my inspire board. Basically, my inspire board is where I put things that inspire me, things that encourage me, things that I like, organizational ideas and project plans. In the above picture, it looks empty, but I've put a few things on it (and I've put a few things on it since I took the picture).

Sorry for the poor picture quality... I took both pictures with my phone because I didn't feel like breaking out the camera. For bigger projects, I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Looking forward to posting my first project tomorrow. :)

I did it.

I did. I really did it.

I got a Pinterest! You can follow my pins on emilyanderson01.

Hoping to get the house mostly done today so that I can start doing projects!! My projectspace just needs a little love, but my house needs love too, and that comes first (most of the time, or at least that is what I'd like to think).

Staying Warm in a Chilly House

Yesterday I was able to spend a considerable amount of time working on my "projectspace" (and my room, which is all the same space, really). I was able to dismantle 3 of the 4 Ikea closets that I didn't need. I don't currently have a picture available at the moment but I will post one soonish.

I put the 4th closet in the middle of the room to divide it into two separate-feeling spaces. The closet side faces the bedroom side, and the side of the closet will have my long mirror on it. I am hoping that command strips will be able to hold the mirror to the side of the closet without damaging the closet. I was able to bring in the majority of my bedroom set, a beautiful set that was given to me by my grandma (and needs to be re-stained, as it has barely made it out alive after 10+ moves). The long dresser with the mirror really opens up the bedroom portion and goes great with the log walls of my cabin. The taller dresser I put in the corner of the other portion of the room to hold craft/DIY/office supplies and whatever else. I also was able to put my art table in front of the window, as well as my bookshelf on the other wall. It doesn't make a lot of sense in writing, but a picture will do the trick. :)

Anyway, I wanted to write today about how to stay warm in a cold house. I live in the northern part of the country, and I live in a rustic log cabin built in 1935. It is a fabulous place to live, quirky and fun and completely fits my personality. It does not, however, stay very warm on cold winter nights (or days for that matter). Since it was built with logs by hand, it doesn't have insulation and there are lots of air leaks in the walls, doors and window frames (i.e. I can see straight through to the outside world in some places). It has a furnace, but the poor thing works overtime to keep the house simply from freezing over when it is in the single digits. I have been trying to find creative ways to stay warm and keep the house warm as well, and I thought I'd share them with you all.

1. Heated mattress pad. These are amazing. Much better than heated blankets, because with a heated blanket, half the heat escapes off of the top and never gets to you. Heated mattress pads are underneath your bottom sheet and heat you from the "ground up". Pair that with a bunch of blankets and you are toasty warm in bed!

2. The obvious... electric space heater! These work wonders when you are in a room working on something and need an extra boost of warmth.

3. Turn ceiling fans on low. This helps push the warm air that has risen to the ceiling down to you.

4. Use a fireplace if you have one. If you can get a good fire going, it can heat the place up wonderfully.

5. Light candles. Candles are surprisingly warm and if you light enough of them, can generate a bit of heat. Just be careful about where you place them, and don't leave them unattended.

6. Wear tights. Buy the cheap, opaque ones (not see-through) and wear one pair underneath your clothes, or even layer them if one isn't enough.

7. Put plastic on the windows and leaky doors you don't use often.

8. Clear plastic shower curtains make great window curtains. The thick plastic keeps the cold air out, and since it is clear, it will let sunlight in for solar heat. When it's dark out, cover the plastic with your normal curtains. A dark-colored rug on the floor where the sun shines through will hold the heat during the night.

9. Do a lot of baking. And when you are done, leave the oven open while it cools down.


10. Use flannel sheets.

11. Wear lots of layers. The ones closest to your skin should be the tightest. Many layers are better than one thick layer.

12. Eat and drink warm foods and beverages. Hot tea is good for you and will keep you warm as well!

13. Don't use the bathroom fans as often. The fan will bring in cold air.

14. Use a humidifier. Humid air generally feels warmer than dry air, and is also good for your throat.

15. Make sure all your heat registers and ducts are clear and open to push out warm air.

16. Use rugs! Especially if you have hardwood floors, like me. It can be a rude "awakening" to get up out of your toasty bed and put your bare feet on the cold floor. Also, if your feet are cold, you will be cold.

Enjoy, and stay warm!!

Outside-the-Box Thinking

Alright, so I did not work on my "projectspace" as much as I had hoped I would today due to a number of circumstances. So... I'll give it another day before I put up a progress picture, as it wouldn't show much progress. I did, however, get a dresser in the corner (a big feat, I know), and I have my jewelry boxes setting temporarily on it. I also got a corkboard in the corner as well, although I am not sure how I am going to secure it to its spot or if I am going to keep it where it is right now. It's a little larger than I had anticipated.

The corkboard has a purpose, and that is to pin up everything I plan on doing or things that inspire me and get my creative "juices" flowing. It'll be pretty much a manual, physical "pinterest" of sorts.

Anyway, I was thinking today. Thinking about thinking and thought processes. I realized that in order to fully live "outside the box" one would have to think outside the box, and develop thought patterns that were outside the box. Now, what I am about to blog about might affect my readership, but I really don't care (is "readership" even a word?). I am a Christian. God has been speaking to me lately about my thought processes and the things that I think on a regular basis. I have been noticing that I have made a habit of thinking negatively. Not extremely negative, but more of a negativity out of a fear that I might be let down by unfulfilled expectations. Fear-based thoughts.

Fear-based thoughts are like sugar. Sugar is good and sometimes necessary for one's health, but when used improperly and eaten in outlandish amounts, it can make you ill and decay your teeth.

Likewise, fear-based thoughts can be good and save lives in necessary situations. But when you take those thoughts outside of when it is necessary, and you have too much of them, they can begin to decay your mind, heart and even begin to affect your lifestyle and your future. God did not intend these thoughts to take over on a daily basis.

In II Timothy 1:7 states "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

I am making a resolution for this New Year to begin to change my thought processes. When thoughts enter my mind about things being "this way" and have been "this way" for a long time and will continue in my life being "this way", I will fight them with what the Bible says. When thoughts enter my mind that try to tell me I will never do what I want to do, can never live in true victory, or cut me down and tell me I am a nobody, I will fight them with what the Bible says. I will fight those thoughts with the Bible until what the Bible says become my thoughts on a regular basis.

I am blessed.
I am healthy.
I am on my way to becoming completely debt-free.
I am loved by God.
I am living in the Will of God and I will fulfill my God-given destiny and calling.
I have a secure future.

You can't fight your negative thoughts with positive thoughts. You need to fight them with something substantial, something that has power, something that is bigger than you. You need to fight them with the Bible. The Bible brings you into that place where you are empowered, walking in perfect Love, with a mind that is sound. The Bible kicks fear to the curb and brings you to victory!

Project #1: Creating a "Projectspace"

 

Here is the space I have to work with. It is pretty much a blank canvas! :) 

I have plans... but I won't let you know what they are yet! I'm hopefully going to start working on it tomorrow. If I do, I'll be sure to post progress. I know it will include a bookshelf, an art table and a dresser. The rest... who knows? I'll see what I come up with.

I am venturing outside of the box this year!

I have decided... I want to live outside of the box this year!

"Living outside of the box" has a few different meanings for me.

It means to try different things. Do creative things that I have not been doing because I have "no time". I would also like to try my hand at some home improvement and decorating, not that I can do a whole lot since I am renting a place that I cannot permanently change.

A few of the projects I would like to accomplish this year:

• Make a spoon display as a gift for my cousin
• Make a decorative wall-hanging with a musical quote
• Etch into glass kitchen ingredient holders
• Renovate my coffee table
• Make pillows for my couch
• Fix my leaky faucet
• Make a quilt out of old clothes and jeans

I can't really think of any more right now, but I am pretty sure that those are enough for now! I left them rather vague because I want to keep things relatively secretive as I have some great ideas that I haven't seen before.

It might take a little bit before I can start posting projects as I have to get the funds to do so. :) I'm excited to start though! First project will be making room for making projects. :) I'll post a picture of my work space when I'm done getting it ready! :)