Gifts Made and Sent with Lots of Love

For Christmas each year, the wonderful grandparents in the boys' lives get some special gifts. 
I am posting this one after December 30th, which is when were to see Nana & Bumpa up North.  We can't ruin the surprise!  :-)

This year, Connor's gifts to them were Russell Stover's chocolates.  Mmmmm! 
With Ramsey still being a little guy, we decided to make home made pictures, with frames.

I found a fun little post on Pinterest that I decided to copy; Rudolph with Christmas lights, tangled in his antlers.  Rudolph's head and antlers were Ramsey's little hand.

We did a practice run on a regular sheet of tablet paper, to ensure we had adequate paint coverage.

 We did enough for the grandparents, plus an extra for our fridge.  I drew on Rudolph's eyes, nose, the Christmas lights, and a little greeting.

 Then, I put them in some 11x14 frames with 8x10 mats, which I had customized for the grandparents.   I figured new art work could be placed in the frames later on.

 And, a gift from both boys were snow globes with their pictures inside, with "Merry Christmas 2017" written on the base.

 We had a few different pictures of the boys, but the one below was my favorite.  They were actually singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (and enacting the twinkling stars with their hands) during picture time.  When you shake the globes, it looks like they're reaching out and grabbing for the glitter and "snow".

Christmas is such a special time of year, no doubt.  We are very thankful for our special parents/grandparents who have guided us and been there with us every step of the way.

Project Planter

Leave it to Pinterest to give me more crazy ideas.....

So, I had this old spare 5-drawer file cabinet.  I had two of them, but only needed one in my office, so one sat idly in our garage for... months (Eric was thrilled).

Knowing I wouldn't get much for it at the salvage yard, I pondered what I could do with it.  I turned to my good buddy, Pinterest.  

There, I found a fun planter box made out of a smaller file cabinet, then searched some more and found a larger one just like mine that had been transformed.  I did have a need for a planter box and, since I am no carpenter and not able to make my own, my new project idea had been born.

Mine was rather beat-up.  I sanded it, gave it a paint job, drilled a ton of holes for drainage, and affixed some castors (just happened to have a set!) to the bottom, to ensure mobility.

Mom gave me an enormous bag of bubble wrap.  I filled the planter 2/3 full with the bubble wrap, plus empty milk jugs.  Those non-biodegradable items were perfect not only for drainage, but to ensure the planter wouldn't weight 2000 lbs by the time I got done filling it with dirt.

I used just over 2 bags of dirt (4 cubic feet).  Then, I filled it up with asparagus fern, perennial decorative grasses, geraniums, and petunias.  Voila.  Repurposed planter!

I still may do some decorative toll-painting or stenciling on it.  But, for now, I'm done with it and am itching to move on to my next project; Project Basement Bathroom.  :-)

And the Projects Continue!

All of the tree-trimming, cutting, chipping, and stump-grinding produced more projects for us, namely hauling branches and cutting them up (some for firewood, some for kindling, and some to chip), stacking firewood, spreading wood chips, burning branches, etc.

The first day of the project for Connor (last Friday), he proved to be a CHAMP!  For nearly the entire day, he feverishly hauled large pieces of cut-up tree trunks and branches and restacked them by the garage to dry out and be split for firewood.  Eric had cut the pieces into slightly more management chunks for Connor to lug.   I was working, so I didn't get in-progress pictures!.  Connor got a lot of 'Atta-Boys' and praise from us for being such a hard worker!

He moved all of this wood from the downstairs concrete patio up to the garage niche (two neatly-stacked rows):

but had to leave the "really big stuff" (that weighed A TON!).

Here are my boys on Sunday, continuing the work:

Everyone got involved, even Ramsey and Riggs!   Riggs picked up sticks, chewed on some, and ran off with others.  :-)    Ramsey had fun "raking" alongside Big Brubby Connor.   

Ramsey's raking didn't last too long, as he was more intrigued with playing with the sticks (they were dandy light sabers) and pretending hie was "King of the Stump".   Connor, however, remained focused.

Eric and Connor burned as much as they could, to include pine branches, needles, etc.  Burning the freshly-cut pine branches created massive "smoke bombs" which, as smelly as they were, were actually quite impressive.

And, because we were busy "cleaning up shop"yard-wide, we had two benches that were in not-so-good shape.  "Demo King Connor" happily took on the challenge of annihilating them in order to burn the wood and recycle the metal.

This kid LOVES to demo.  Ever since we took sledge hammers and axes to some old wooden furniture a few years ago, he begs me to find something he can smash!  Here ya go, Bucko... I was happy to oblige!

Riggsy was helping, once again.

Here are the brubbies taking a much-needed break.

There is still more to do, as our yard is full of huge holes from the stump removal.   And, soon the ground for Ramsey's play set will be leveled out.   Ah, the start of the next project!

Chugga Chugga Toot Toot!

Each of the boys received a customized Christmas present this year.   Connor got the DIY backlit Vikings headboard.   Since Ramsey loves cars and trains (pretty much anything with wheels!), his personalized present is a new train table.

I had found a number of train tables online.  But, even though they were quite expensive, they seemed flimsy or not exactly made of the highest quality materials.    I happen to know a very good carpenter (Mom's neighbor, Allan, who has done quite a lot of work for us here at the house).  I asked him to create a custom table for Ramsey, complete with an inset (so his train tracks, trains, cars, etc, would not fall off the edge), two toy bins, and a nice shelf (for another storage area or a place for him to drive or park more vehicles).  And, I asked him to create a "cover" for it, so all of the tracks and such could be easily covered and it could be used as a coffee table.  Multi-functional!

Allan had some cherry wood leftover from a cabinetry project.  Cherry?  For a toddler?  Hey, it was less expensive than the pine that he had, so we went for it!

After laboring for about a week, Allan had completed the table and toy bins.  And, he had also created a chair that converts into a stool.  Clever!   It was bare wood, so I had to stain and clear coat it.  (Yay)

The end result:

Like Connor's large custom gift, this too was much too large and heavy to wrap.  So, Ramsey spotted it a few hours before gift-opening time.

The lid/top had to come off.  When he saw it, he started banging his trucks and Star Wars figures on it in excitement.... and added a few light scuffs!  Whoops!

Here are pictures from Tuesday, the day after we'd opened presents.  He had received some Thomas & Friends wood train cars, a felt toy mat, and a set of wooden railway tracks.

Mom laughed today and told me that she thought I liked playing with the train set and table just as much as Ramsey!  I admit, I think I do!

"Musical Beds"

Oh yes, another DIY project in the D household!  :-)

Prefacing details: Nana and Bumpa offered Connor a full-sized mattress set in early November.   We pondered.  Connor pondered.  Connor has always LOVED his red Lamborghini race car bed that Bumpa made him years ago!  Giving up such a cherished possession would be a tough decision.   But, Connor's 13 now, almost 14.   It might just be "time".

More pondering.  Connor agreed.

To make the transition easier, I had talked to Connor about redoing his bedroom and I offered him choices for fun themes; fishing, hunting, football,....  Football!  Yup, the light bulb flashed on for Connor and his eyes lit up!!  Yes, he wanted a football room!  Moreover, he wanted a Minnesota Vikings football room!

With Christmas coming up, I now have present ideas.  Mua-hahahahaha!

And so, the brainstorming began.  What to do... what to get...?  And, how could we make his bedroom "not just any Vikings room?"    Hmm.

Well, our super cool teenager would need a new headboard.  He would need some new wall art.  Why not put the two together?!?!   So, that's when the brainchild began.  I'd make a headboard with some cool Vikings graphics.   And,  to make it even cooler... it will be back-lit it with LED lights so it will glow!  Coolness factor?  Check!

After lots of time and efforts lugging, lifting, hauling, sawing, puttying, sanding, drilling, and decal applying, this is end result!  Connor has a new Vikings headboard with Vikings comforter, new sheets, new mattress set, new dust ruffle.... the works!  Aaaaaaaaaaand.... the LED lights cast dozens of colors, that twinkle, flash, etc, with the touch of a remote control.   ...seems pretty teenager-chic to me!  

This massive Christmas present wasn't exactly wrappable, so Connor got this present a few days prior to present-opening.

We still have a few minor tweaks for the room, but at least the "big stuff" is done.   Yay!  Another project successfully completed.

In case anyone is wondering what happened to the red Lamborghini race car bed, it is now in Ramsey's room!  (Ramsey was using his 3-in-1 crib as a toddler bed, so it was a relatively smooth transition - I slept with him a few nights while he adapted).

Ramsey LOVES cars.  Cars are one of his favorite things.  When Ramsey's new bed was installed, he clapped his hands, jumped up and down, and laughed and smiled.  

It worked out quite well.  The boys are happy and that's what matters.  :-)

Thank you to Daddy, Nana and Bumpa, and Nana K who made "musical beds" possible!