Done deal.

Yes, it's been eons since I've logged into my blog to update on the project I finished about a month ago (you can read about the project's process in my previous post)...I've been busy being social and enjoying summer (and, let's be real: basking in laziness.) 


But, here it is, the final look at our painted dresser.  An upcoming project on the list is decorating our bedroom. Right now there is a total of one decoration in the entire room. Unbelievable. Why do I prefer all of my lovely decor sitting in boxes in our office? We may never know.

Of the two photos, this is most definitely the truer color for the wall and the dresser.

My favorite part is the stenciling because it's so understated, like the dresser has a secret.

Oh! And here's a little peek at the wedding gift my husband and I made for his sister and her hubby! My hubs made this from wood in the old Millwork District that is currently being converted into loft apartments.  This wood is old and beautiful with tons of character and it was really fun to work with! He did all the hard stuff while I flitted in and out, holding random tools and boards and things--at least until it was finished structurally.  Then I was the sanding and staining and varnishing queen. 

Good thing this was a gift, what an awkward place for a table.

We're hoping there will be "more where that came from" and we'll be starting up a few more projects soon!  There's really something about working with your hands that is just good for the soul.  Maybe it's being able to tangibly see a project progress steadily: the work I put in comes out in a thing, looking fabulous, sometimes where nothing but a pile of wood (or beads, or yarn, or paper) stood before.  It has been quite refreshing to remember how much I like that feeling of tangible progress. Onward to the next crafty DIY adventure!

In Joy,

Danielle

And two became one.

Per the title, you may think I am romantically reflecting upon my marriage to a man who loves me more than I deserve and treats me like royalty.
While this is true, what I'm actually referencing are the DIY dressers we finished about a month ago.  Not as romantic, but just as exciting, especially because for the first 2 1/2 months of living in our home, we lived out of suitcases, laundry baskets, and backpacks in our bedroom.  In case you're wondering, this wasn't barrels of fun.  The only fabulous part of it was once we actually finished the dresser, it felt like we went shopping in our own closets: found SO many things we had forgotten we even owned.


So we started with two dressers that looked like this:

We saw them on Craigslist and drove about 30 minutes to a man's garage, packed with items he had bought at farm sales.  Once we got them in the car and home, we decided it might be nice to stack them on top of each other, so that they stood about 5 feet tall.

We bought two cans of paint in the same color, but one was matte/flat and one was satin.  This was a trick I had frequently wandered upon in pinterest, and thought it might be really nice to have an understated pattern.  So, I ventured out again to buy a stencil and found a Martha Stewart set that had quite a few choices at Michaels.  I also went to Hobby Lobby and came home with two types of knobs, because I really wanted to give the illusion that the top two drawers were "lighter" than the bottom four.  While I didn't get a close-up of what I put on the top two, the textured, circular pulls wer my choice for the bottom drawers:

The first thing we did was sand both of the dressers. Unfortunately at this point in our lives we did not own a sander that you plug into the wall, and had to do it by hand.  No big thang... (except for our fingers cramping up every now and then.)

First came a little bit of latex primer, we used Sherwin-Williams.

Then we started on the color (my favorite part!!)  We used the Dutch Boy color "Preserves" (F-13-1), but when mixed up at Lowe's, we actually ended up with Sherwin-Williams paint--it came out fabulously!  For the dressers (not the drawers) we used the flat paint as the base, and for the drawers, we used the satin paint.  Here's the Hubs working hard at painting, and also at becoming a ghost.

After painting everything and letting it dry overnight, the really fun part was upon us: stenciling.  We chose a stencil that mimics the pattern on our bedspread.  Stenciling definitely took longer and was much more finicky (does anyone except me and your grandma use that word anymore?) than we anticipated.  Between drawers, I tried to wash a little bit of the extra paint off of the stencil and accidentally bent it.  You know what that means?  Paint began slipping under the slightly bent stencil and I had to (very carefully) touch-up/free-hand many sections of the pattern after removing the stencil.  greeeaaaaat. It was definitely a challenge.

We used the flat paint to fill in the stencil, going over the already dry satin drawers.  This means that most of our drawer became matte-looking, but the design itself was glossy. 

At this point, you may "oooh-aah."

After everything had dried, I went through and sanded some of the edges, to finish it off will a bit of an antiqued look.  Oh, and of course we added those cute little knobs.  On the very bottom of the dresser, we added some trim that we had bought.  We had primed and painted this separate of the dresser itself, but really wanted to cover up those ugly feet the dresser came with.  For the top one, we simply unscrewed them and tossed them aside until we find a better use for them. Maybe on some project some day they won't look so out of place.  In order to attach the trim to the dresser, we used wood glue..super easy!

Upside-down dresser with a little trim-flair on it's base.

The final piece was attaching the two short dresses to make one grand dresser. The Hubs simply stacked them and used two brackets with nails on the backside of the dresser to make sure they stayed sturdy. Easy, peasy (for him...he's good at this stuff and I'm learning slowly.)

We finished this project within a week, working on it for a few hours every other night.  Not a huge undertaking, but a HUGE improvement to the state of our bedroom.  We love, love, LOVE it in our room, especially during the day when sun floods in through the large windows onto this lovely piece.  

Ready for the unfortunate part? I have no pictures of how awesome this looks in our bedroom.  SO...stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

Love,

Danielle

Walking on glass...

Well, I shattered a beer glass on Sunday and a wine glass today...what shall I shatter tomorrow?


In other news, here are a few things heard in the Kubo' household lately that cracked me up:


D--You are secretly witty.
B--I wish I was less PC in public.


After having a debate over mere semantics regarding something ridiculous:
B--I just wanted to make you work for it.
D--I wonder how many people know how much of an instigator you are...
B--Kari knows.


D--In yoga today I totally rocked the crow.
B--There are crows and dogs in yoga, what about a cat or a frog?
D--Ya, there's a cat and a frog pose.  And a dolphin too.
B--What about a squirrel? *brings hands up to face as if eating an acorn, darts eyes around*
D--Nope, no squirrel...




My ridiculous husband is seriously entertaining.

Bliss is...becoming the best version of yourself.

Today I was able to live out the kind of person I intend to be.  I will list some of the traits I would like to think I have, and how I exuded them today.


1) Spend quality, low-tech time with the people I love.
          My husband and I constantly reflect on the fact that we simply enjoy being around each other, and try to be productive while spending time together as often as possible.  We rarely watch movies or tv, because instead we enjoy making meals together, playing cards, taking a walk.  We appreciate activities that a) get us up and moving; and b) allow us to talk about anything and everything.  So, today, we worked for a few hours stenciling and painting our latest DIY project: our bedroom dresser.


2) Cook homemade meals.
          Today I made lasagna from (almost) scratch.  (The almost is because I did, in fact, use a jar of spaghetti sauce.  I do not carry the trait of sticking to strictly homemade everything, though, so this was just fine, as far as my day was concerned!)  


3) Plan ahead.
          I actually made one 8x8 pan of lasagna for us to eat this evening, and one 8x8 pan that is in the freezer for some other evening this week or next week.  Although planning ahead is something I do in many of the compartments of my life, food is not one of them.  Consistently it is 6pm on a weeknight and Brandon and I look at each other, stomachs a'rumbling, and have no idea what to make.  Many times we haven't even gone grocery shopping within the last two weeks, and so have no options except macaroni and cheese or a quesadilla...not quite the healthiest alternatives.  Today, though, I have helped solve that problem in the near future. 


4) Keep my home clean.
            Lately my lack of time at home means my lack of a neat place to live.  Today, though, I swept the entire main level, vacuumed the stairs, and vacuumed upstairs, as well as washed a rug.  Now, as if that wasn't enough, I also, for the very first time *drum roll, please* cleaned the kitchen as I cooked lasagna.  Including the dishes.  You must know that washing dishes by hand is my absolute least favorite chore at home.  I told my mom it's because of how dry my hands get.  She suggests wearing gloves....genius, I know! Until that time when I have gloves in my kitchen, washing dishes by hand remains my unwanted chore--yet I overcame it today! Yay for a clean kitchen!


5) Keep in touch with loved ones.
          While floundering around my kitchen in preparation for lasagna, I called my momma and we got to talk for about 40 minutes.  Chatting with her, about everything and nothing, is so refreshing to me and can instantly bring me back to reality when I'm feeling out of touch.  I so appreciate how often she listens to me babble on and on, and also how wise her advice is.


It's important to look for days like today. Days when you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be, appreciating the journey towards joy.

--Danielle

A Helpful Reminder

This evening I was reminded why I do what I do.


Lately I've been feeling a bit of bitterness bubbling up inside of me over a few issues that are truly "systems" issues.  That is, dealing with processes that would be very uncomplicated if they weren't covered in campus politics and red tape all over the place.  It seemed like every part of my job lately was laden with hiccups, and I was beginning to feel bogged down.


Tonight, however, reminded me that it's all worth it.  Students who are willing to take on leadership roles without pay, who are willing to cut their summers short, who are excited about the prospect of dynamically affecting campus and mentoring people they don't even know yet.  Students with motivation, leadership capabilities, compassion, and senses of humor.  A reminder that the work I do is not for naught. Truly.


During the seasons of life when we feel overwhelmed or burdened, it's helpful to take a breath and catch a glimpse of the beauty within the storm.  It's always there.


Finding those small treasures of bliss,
Danielle

Alleluia!

Happy Easter, He is risen!

This Holy Week has been reflective and moving for me, and I am so grateful for the awe, wonder, and humility which has been placed on my heart.  Jesus as my Savior is the only thing I can boast in, although a sinner in every sense of the word, I am on a path to holiness because He wills it.  Our Lord is the one who gives me the abilities and talents I possess and I must think, act, speak, and pray for the goodness of His glory on earth.

Alleluia, Alleluia!  

During lent my husband I were driving home from his parents farm and I felt moved to sing Hallelujah by Bethany Dillon.  He reminded me that per Catholic tradition, I shouldn't say Hallelujah during lent.  This made me frustrated, because I was just praising God!  Really, though, that's what Lent is all about, isn't it?  A time for us to remember what Jesus sacrificed for us, a time where you recognize the uncomfortable parts of being a Christian, and reflect on why it is so worthy to bask in frustration and sacrifice for the good of becoming closer to God.

Being able to sing Hallelujah on this blessed Easter day allows me to truly feel God's joy and saving grace throughout my entire being.

In joy,

Danielle

Why I love my job.

Although I worked 9-5 and then kept working all the way until 11pm.

Even though I was gone from Thursday to Sunday with students at NACA.

I didn't actually get home on Monday until 9pm.

And I love my job.

Today part of my job was being present at a fundraiser where 6 excited students held an event that was attended by at least 60 students and raised over $300.

Today part of my job was laying out 5,000 prize-filled eggs on the football field and letting 375 students run and grab as many as they could when the lights went out.

Today part of my job was preparing for a program that could change the way students think about themselves and the world they live in (for the better!).

Today part of my job was being stalked by a student in a bunny suit.

Today part of my job was seeing the look on student's faces when they know the event they put tons of work into was worth it; that it was a job well done.

Bliss is doing what you love and loving what you do.  It is working 13 hour days, and living for the 13 second moments when students are proud of themselves and hopeful for our future.