Measure Twice, Cut Once

I LOVE my husband! This project wouldn't have happened (ok, none of my projects would) without him.

Blame it on Pinterest, I have been plagued by "The Gallery Wall" since the first picture I saw of one.

When we got our wedding photos back there was a series of pictures of our hands during the ceremony. It sounds strange, but they are, to me, the coolest pictures- very abstract. Take a look:

These weren't a special request from us. Masa did it on her own, and I'm so glad she did! After seeing several images of gallery walls then seeing these six pictures, I immediately knew I wanted to display them in big, black square frames with big, white mats. I ordered 5x5 prints of these and started planning the wall.

Here was the inspiration:

So I took my little Pinterest-inspired self to a local frame shop and showed them my inspiration and my 5x5 pictures. They came back with a quote of $480!!! Needle to my balloon. However, since they were a privately owned small business, I thought I would try a bigger chain store. Hanging on to a shred of hope, I explained what I wanted to the nice framing specialist at the chain store, and they came back with a price that was DOUBLE the first- yes, near a thousand dollars. But lucky me, she explained there was a half-price framing sale going on right now where I could get them framed for around $500. It was like a dagger to my DIY-heart. 

Call me cheap, naive, inexperienced, but I refuse to pay that much money for something that seems so simple. I am not belittling the people who do this as a profession. I think it's my genetic make-up to balk at something I believe I can do myself. I get it from my mama. Plus, I enjoy making and creating things. It's natural, therapeutic, and worshipful. 

On the other hand, I believe there are things that cannot be DIY-ed, and I will throw in the towel and pay for them. Maybe it's the challenge Trey and I like? 

So I came home from my pricing quest defeated and told Trey the prices. He said, "why don't we make them?".  Genius and just what I wanted to hear! The boy is really smart. So we did just that and made the frames. 

The first step was a visit to Lowe's to find the size of wood we wanted. We found a one inch square piece of trim that was perfect! We paid $16 dollars for the wood. On that visit we also picked up an invaluable tool- an adjustable square clamp that would hold the corners tight, so the glue could dry. During this step, I was a great holder-of-frames in place until the clamp was positioned perfectly.

Shoes, jacket, and iPod, thanks for giving me away. I may or may not have gone for a run during this step.

Trey's motto: Measure twice, cut once. 

The second step was to create a groove or notch where the glass and mats fit into the back of the frame. Again, Trey excelled. The routing tool and a frame for the frame to sit and not move helped us accomplish this step.

The third step was sanding, sanding, and more sanding. I was sick on this day, so I wasn't much help. However, around this time I started researching the mats. I found a great custom framing website where you enter your measurements, and they cut the mats! $33 dollars (shipping included) for 15x15 white mats for a 5x5 picture.

Painting was the fourth step! I brought them inside to paint. After the first coat dried, I lightly sanding them again then applied a second and third coat. 

As the frames dried, I thought about glass and assembling the frames, glass, mats, pictures, backer-board, and hanging wire. I knew I could get glass cut for 4 or 5 dollars per piece, but ensuring everything was really straight and the hanging tools were all the same level was important to both of us. So I took my newly made frames, mats, and pictures back to the first frame shop. I'm sure they weren't too excited to see me, but they were super nice. They cut the glass and assembled the frames BEAUTIFULLY for $88.  

Now that the frames were complete, the fifth and final step was hanging the gallery wall. Here is where Trey's "level-headedness" and genius come back into play. He measured and measured and measured a third time. 

 And did some math! 4.5 + 3 + 11.5= 19! Our frames were 3 inches apart side-to-side and top-to-bottom. Using some simple math, Trey calculated that the holes in the wall needed to be 19 inches apart.

He hammered the nails, hung the frames, and leveled them. 

And I gave him a big hug and kiss because it turned out exactly how I wanted. He really is the best.

Total cost +/- $150, but to me they are priceless because my sweet husband and I made them by hand while also making some sweet memories. 

Wedding 1: Getting Ready

One month from today, Trey and I will celebrate our 1st anniversary! As I type those words, I can hardly believe it. I feel like I've known him forever, yet I can remember our wedding day as if it were yesterday. Our first year of marriage has been so wonderful that it's hard to describe.

In honor of our approaching anniversary, I will upload our wedding pictures over the next month. Better late than never! 

Around 3:00pm on July 20th of 2013, I arrived at the church. My hair took longer than planned, so I was running late. Yep, late for my own wedding. I wasn't really frazzled because all I really cared about was marrying Trey, and I guess the wedding would have had to have waited on me! My sweet friends/bridesmaids were waiting on me with snacks for everyone. I remember getting dressed and ready with a peaceful, thankful feeling deep inside.  

Photo credit: Masa Kathryn Photography

A Tuesday Update

 We painted our bathroom! That item is crossed off the summer project list. Painting the bathroom was difficult. All those corners and around the shower, the tub, the mirrors, doors made for a long paint job. I was so thankful for Trey's help! He is such a good painter, and he's fast! Painting with a new puppy was interesting.

 Especially when he is your shadow. He follows us, and when we stop he lays on our feet. It really is the cutest.

 We've started sending him outside by himself a little, and this is what he does.

We went home for father's day this past weekend. First we went to T's parents. The boys fished and worked. Mrs. Betty and I went shopping and recovered some pillows. We always have the best time. Saturday morning I went for a run then painted my nails on the porch!

Love this view. Then Trey and I got dressed up for a wedding! One of my cousins was married on Saturday. It was lovely.

My handsome wedding date! 

After the wedding we went to my parents. On Sunday we played in the pool and hosted my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for father's day. We played in the pool, grilled, played with puppies, and had homemade ice cream. It was a good day, but I didn't take any pictures! #bloggerfail

After the chaos of 20+ people had left, we watched the College World Series and had homemade popcorn. My mom has this new thing (well, old thing really) where she is making her popcorn from kernels on the stove instead of from the bag in the microwave- best popcorn I've ever had. I'm trying it this week. 

I love going home and visiting with family, and I got to see lots of old friends at the wedding. All weekend, I found myself telling people HOW MUCH I was enjoying my summer. They'd ask, "What have you been doing this summer?" And I would excitedly reply with all the things we had been doing! I am so grateful for time to start and finish projects around the house, time to spend in the mornings and afternoons with my husband, time to play with and train Gus, time to tend the garden, time to cook, lots of running and rest,  and a more flexible schedule to visit with family and friends. I realized how thankful I am to have a job where I am given two months off in the summer. 

This morning I dug up the potatoes. Such a cool experience. It's like finding buried treasure.

Gus helped too of course. We planted a few carrots, but they did not do right. I think they stayed the same size as when we planted them. Gus liked them though!

He is such a big help!

I rinsed them off and let them dry for a bit! 

Potato love! Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a GREAT start!

Fighting Okra

Our garden is growing! It had a slow start, and we were a bit scared at first. Many of the plants turned a yellowish color a couple of days after we planted them. We frantically called our parents and grandparents. The consensus was 1: they were shocked; 2: they got too much rain, 3: it was getting really cold at the night the first couple of weeks.  

But look at it now! 

Grow, tomato, grow!

Yeah, we may have planted too many squash. I'm going to have squash coming out of my ears! Time to create a squash recipe board on Pinterest!

Look what I found growing in my garden! He really is growing so fast!

Every morning Gus and I walk to the garden together and say, "Good morning, garden!" Then he tries to eat the marigolds.

 Remember the sweet-and-neat cherry tomato plant? It has done incredible! It has been loaded with green tomatoes for about three weeks. They are finally turning red this week, and I used two in my salad last night! : )

Ok, okra. We've nicknamed the okra the "Fighting Okra" (little shout-out to Delta State). After the plants were in shock and yellow, the okra's leaves had holes in them and were falling off. We didn't see any bugs eating it, but Trey treated them with some bug repellant (does that still make the garden organic?). Whatever the cause, they have fought back, and in the middle you can see tiny okra sprouting! 

How amazing is it that this:

 Began like this:

35 days ago!

When the garden was struggling, we didn't give up hope and call it quits. Through advice, time, and a little pesticide, it has grown and is producing fruit! I love nature and am finding out more and more that God reveals himself to me through nature. I've grown a lot in Christ especially these past few years, but I still have a LONG way to go. I'm sort of like the first picture of the garden, but I am confident that He isn't finished with me yet! I am so thankful for that promise from Him, and when challenges come my way I'm going to take advice from the okra.  

Cucumber curly-q's.