Hello again...

Wow. How 10 years changes things. Here's to me regaining my creativity and renewing my passion for what I truly love. There's been a huge piece of me missing, maybe not missing entirely, but pushed into the cracks between working full time as a speech-language pathologist (yep, that also changed), being a mom to two extremely active kiddos (also changed), dog mom to Birdie (we lost Kona 2 years ago), and a wife (that hasn't changed). I guess I better update my "about me."

THEN:

"Hi, I'm Autumn. Furniture builder, Marine wife, designer, constant DIYer and mom to my fur baby, Kona. I get to do all these amazing things while living in paradise. Welcome to my place to share all the things I love with YOU! Thanks for stopping by. I've been known to spend entire weekends on the beach with a good book, and I love to find adventures in Hawaii. We're determined to fit everything possible into our three years here, so you might also find me on top of a mountain, hunting for turtles or whales, swimming with sharks or jumping out of an airplane. I'm a lover of all things tangible, texture, colors and have an obsession with dark walnut stain. I'm constantly changing our house to create a haven that is perfect for our little family."

NOW:

Hi, I'm Autumn. Wife, mom, full-time school based SLP, and still constant DIYer. While my life revolves around my family, I still love to DIY and create. We now call Wyoming home, so now I'm searching for fewer whales and more elk. Spending my weekends chasing kids and making our 1950s house a home. Follow me on instagram @countrycreative

Oh hey there!

I know it's been a while since I posted… Sorry! I'm trying to get back into the groove of the business now that I've settled into my life as a new mom and we're finally settled into our house. But I have been busy working! Look at the fun new projects I have for you today!

They're magnetic bottle openers, guaranteed to catch all those pesky bottle caps as you open your drink.  I originally made this one for my husband for Christmas. If you don't know what that is, it's the logo from the University of Wyoming, where he went to college.

Then I thought I needed to expand my options. So I came up with a few more; a chalkboard one where you can write a little note (or keep score of your darts game),

and a vintage flag one, perfect for the Memorial day weekend and the Fourth of July coming up.

And guess what?! In honor of me getting back up and running, and reaching 500 likes on Facebook,  I'm giving away the chalkboard one! 

They are both now available on Etsy as well! And I have a few more drying in the garage ready to share with you too! Happy summer y'all!

Ch-ch-ch changes!

Remember how I told you there were some big changes in the Awesome house happening? Well let me explain.

We've moved. It all happened so quickly, I didn't have time to breath, let alone write about it. And honestly, I'm still in shock. 

Don't get me wrong, we knew this was coming. We had decided quite some time ago that we weren't going to make the Marine Corps a life-long thing. I think we both knew going into it that it was an adventure, and we both wanted to be back in Wyoming to raise our family. And back in Wyoming we are. In March. If you don't know what spring in Wyoming is like, let me explain. 

I left Hawaii, crying and sunburned, at 10 pm on Thursday night. It was about 80 degrees. I got off the airplane to a beautiful — sun shining on the snow-topped peaks — Colorado day. As long as you stayed inside, you wouldn't know it was actually 20 degrees outside. And I really shouldn't have complained about 20, because the next morning I woke up to a blizzard and -15 degrees. That's pretty much a 100 degree difference in 24 hours. Ouch.

In the few weeks we've been back, every week has has days that are 50 degrees and sunshine. Kona and I love walking along the river, chasing squirrels. There are also days that are 10 degrees with blowing snow. Those days I don't venture very far from home! But the point is, we're home. We're house hunting, and I'm job hunting, and we can't wait to see what's next.

As for the Marine Corps, I wouldn't trade a single minute of the last 5 years. It has been tough some days — plane tickets to and from Hawaii are far from cheap, and getting leave is difficult, especially with the training schedule PJ had. I was lucky to have made it home as many times as I did. Thank credit card rewards for that! But even as often as I made it home, and as much as my family came here, we've missed out. The day my nephew was born, the day my grandpa died, so many birthdays, weddings, family reunions, baby showers, family dinners, the list could go on forever. 

But having to develop our marriage thousands of miles away from our families has made us so much stronger. It made me a more outgoing, confident, self-sufficient version of myself. And we've made the best friends. In the military, especially in Hawaii, your friends are your family too. Your family isn't a short drive away, so when something happens, be it a happy or a sad occasion, you can't always run home. Add to that training and deployments, and sometimes you can't even depend on your husband to be there. Enter the best girlfriends anyone could ever ask for. And red wine. Never forget the red wine.

I cried the day I left Wyoming for Hawaii, and I cried when I left Hawaii for Wyoming. A piece of Oahu will always be in my heart. The ocean got into my soul and will never leave. But our hearts have always been in Wyoming. I complain about the cold, but the friends and family here are so much more important than weather.

Extra large apothecary TV stand {building}

Hello friends! Have you missed me? I've missed you! Things have been absolutely, completely insane around the Awesome house lately. I have a nice long explanation, but today I'm here to share a fun new build with you!

I've built about 10 of these TV stands. I built one for us, then a friend wanted one, and then a friend of a friend, and then I wanted a bigger one, and then a friend wanted a bigger one, do you see where I'm headed with this?

It's one of my favorite builds because you get a lot of bang for your work, and it's not terribly complicated. The smaller version I build has 12 'false' fronts with 12 knobs, but each four false fronts creates one large door. The outside two open up to reveal large cabinets and the middle ones are two large drawers.

The larger version I build just has 4 large cabinets. I built this one because we have way too many game consoles and one really ugly subwoofer that needed to be hidden. It also provides a little extra storage, and who doesn't need that?

I build mine out of A1 cabinet grade plywood, usually in maple. I like how I can trust it not to warp, and it's still solid without being outrageously expensive. You could use MDF, but I really really hate MDF, so I prefer to avoid building with it.

My build started with this Ana White plan, but as I've built more and more, I've adjusted it to be the most efficient for me. Make sure you reference her plan for the diagrams if my pictures aren't enough for you!

Materials:

•  Wood glue
• 1 ¼" pocket hole screws
• 2" regular screws (I use these.)
• 3 - 1x6 @ 72" (I buy the select pine boards so I know they're straight. A little extra money is worth avoiding the hassle of fighting warped boards in my opinion!)
• 2 - 1x2 @ 96"
• 2 sheets (4'x8') of ¾ inch plywood or mdf ripped into 15 ¾" strips (referred to as 1x16s in the plan)*
• ¼ plywood sheet (48"x96") cut the fit the back of your tv stand. I have them cut it to size so it's easier to manage! Save the scraps though, you need them for your false fronts!
• 8 hinges
• 16 knobs
• 1 1¼" knob screws
• finishing supplies (wood filler, sandpaper, stain, paint, sealant)

*I buy two sheets of the maple A1 plywood and have them rip it down at the store so it's easier for me to handle alone. It comes in 48"x96" sheets, so I have them rip it into 3 strips that are 15 7/8" x 96". I have them rip all three chunks, even the last piece, so they're exactly the same width. I refer to them as 1x16s in the cut list and directions.

Tools:

• Kreg Jig (I love my Kreg Jig, it makes building so quick, straight and tight! You can definitely build this without one, just use 2" self driving screws and drive them straight through the sides!)
• Drill and drill bits
• Hammer and nails (or nail gun and nails)
• Speed square (Something like this)
• Miter saw (or just a hand saw with miter box is fine)

Cuts:

3 - 1x16 @ 62" (top, middle and bottom)

2 - 1x16 @ 26 ¾" (sides)

2 - 1x16 @ 16" (cabinet dividers)

2 - 1x16 @ 7" (shelf divider)

1 - 1x16 @ * (door)

1 - 1x16 @ * (door)
1 - 1x16 @ * (door)
1 - 1x16 @ * (door)

3 - 1x6 @ 65" (top)
1 - 1x2 @ 62" (bottom trim)
1 - 1x2 @ * (bottom trim, mitered)
2 - 1x2 @ * (bottom trim, mitered)

1/4" plywood @ 63.25" x 25"
16 - 1/4" plywood squares *

* Cut these to fit when you get to the step. Cutting them before can mean wasted wood and an extra trip to the hardware store!

Step 1: Since you're working with ¾" thick wood, drill ¾" pocket holes in the ends of the top, middle and bottom pieces (the 62" 1x16s). Also drill them in both ends of the 16" pieces and one end of the 7" pieces.

Step 2: Then start putting it together. I put mine together from top to bottom, starting by laying my top piece (62" 1x16) down with the pocket holes (on the ends) facing the workbench and then connecting my top dividers (7" pieces) using wood glue and 1 ¼" screws through the pre-drilled pocket holes. The top dividers are 17.5" from each edge to fit these baskets from Target to hide more of my stuff!

Next, attach the middle horizontal shelf to the 7" pieces through the bottom of the middle piece since you won't be able to fit your drill in between! (I use these, they're self-driving so you don't have to pre-drill holes and you don't have to counter-sink! That's two less steps, which is worth spending a little more to me.) 

Make sure you use some kind of square to make sure the front and back of your dividers are straight and square! I just use a little 7" speed square with a level in it to double check my measurements.

Step 3: Using the pocket holes, attach the middle dividers (16" pieces) 15" from each end. Then just attach the last 62" piece to the bottom, still using glue, 1 ¼" screws and the pocket holes you drilled in Step 1. Make sure the pocket holes on the ends of the bottom piece (62" 1x16) are facing the bottom of the TV stand. 

Step 4: Add your ends to each end (bet you couldn't have guessed that without me telling you) aligning the ends with the top, and leaving about a 1.5" gap at the bottom.

Now you have a huge rectangular box with all your dividers secure. Take a minute to check for square one more time right now, before your glue dries!

 

Step 5: Attach your 62" 1x2 in your 1.5" gap at the bottom of your frame. If you use the self-driving screws, you can just screw straight through the bottom of the 1x2. Otherwise, pre-drill your hole. Use glue!

Step 6: Take your other 1x2, and cut one end at 45 degrees. Then, lay it on the front of the frame, on top of the other 1x2. Mark the other end, then cut it at 45 degrees as well. Attach it with glue and finish nails.

Step 7: Finish the trim by cutting each side piece to fit and attaching them with nails and glue as well.

 

Step 8: Building with plywood leaves you with small gaps in the front and you can see the layers from the end. I trim out the entire front of each tv stand with  ¾" wood that I rip off of 1x8 boards on my table saw. If you can't do that, you can buy ¾" trim tape in the lumber section of the hardware store. I suggest using glue and nails to hold it on, not just the glue they already have on them.

Step 9: Attach your doors! Cut each door to fit now, leaving 1/8"- ¼" gap on each edge. I use these hinges from Lowe's.

I use a piece of scrap wood to help hold my center doors flush to the front while I finish the rest!

Step 10: Cut and then attach your false fronts using finish nails and glue. To figure out how big to make the false fronts, measure your door. Then subtract ¾" for the gap in the middle and divide by two. One of mine was 15 ¾" x 15 ¾", so my squares for that door ended up being 7.5"x7.5". Each door will be different, and not exactly square, so do the math separately for each one!

I use ¾" scrap blocks to make sure I space them evenly.

Step 11: Next, mark the center of each false front and drill a hole for your knobs.

Step 12: Drill ¾" pocket holes in your 65" 1x6s and attach them all together with 1 ¼" screws and glue to make your top. Set the top aside.

Step 12: Last step before finishing! Fill all your holes with wood filler. Wait for them to dry and then sand the whole tv stand.

 

Time to finish! Stain all the edges. I use Minwax Dark Walnut, let it set for about 8 minutes and then go back to wipe off the excess with a dry rag. I wear gloves while I stain to keep from staining my hands too!

Stain your top dark walnut as well.

Then, paint the whole thing with 2-3 coats of white paint. I use a special mix that matches my walls and trim in my house. It's a match to the Rustoleum spray paint 'Ivory Bisque.'

Then sand all the edges to distress them. Don't go too far, just to the stain. I use a foam sanding block. 

Like this!

I use a hole saw to cut a hole for cords in the back. They're pretty cheap, and come in handy! Or you can just use a jigsaw or something similar to cut the hole.

Once you get to where you like the distressing, it's time to seal. I love Rust-oleum polyurethane in satin. I usually use three coats, sanding lightly with 300-400 grit sandpaper between each coat.

I buy these knobs from Lowes, and you need extra long screws to go all the way through the door and the false front. Put on your knobs, and then attach your top by screwing through the bottom into the top. Make sure you center it! 

All done! So pretty!

If your center doors don't line up, it's an easy fix. Just cut a scrap piece of 1x2 and nail it to the top of the cabinet.

Now it's really done!

Thanks for stopping by! For pictures between posts, find me on Facebook or Pinterest. And, if you don't want to DIY, you can buy from me on Etsy!

Here are a few more pictures of my favorite TV stand ever! If you want to know how to make that 'family' sign above it, you can find the tutorial here!

I love to DIY, and I love that you want to as well! Please remember that all designs, files and tutorials are for personal use only.

FREE Fall chalkboard printables

I have some really awesome fall chalkboard printables to share with you today.

But first I have to tell you what I did on Sunday. I jumped out of an airplane. And by jumped, I mean I didn't scream no when I got to the door, and the man strapped to my back jumped. OH. MY. GOODNESS. HOLY. SMOKES. GOLLY. GEE. I have no more reader-appropriate interjections that I can share with you. I'm just saying, that was ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. Ok, I'm done with the caps now. Sorry. But seriously. So much fun!

Don't mind the terrified look on my face. I was loving every minute of it. Well, actually this was still when I was convinced I was going to die. But I didn't!

What did you all do this weekend? We really try to enjoy our time here in paradise -- spending our weekends hiking, adventuring and on the beach -- since we know it's limited, and this is something that's been on my husband's Hawaii bucket list. I was less than enthused about the idea of it, but I'm so glad we finally did it!

Now to the fun stuff! Even in this endless-summer state, I wanted to celebrate fall. October 2nd marked two years since we moved to paradise. The first two years living here I spent decorating the house for everyday use. Then I redecorated because I realized the first time I had no idea what our "style" was (Also, I learned to build furniture which meant I had to get rid of all the pressboard that we initially purchased.) I didn't have the extra time (or money) to spend on seasonal decorations. But this year, I'm decorating for the holidays! And I'm so excited!

So, my seasonal decorating begins with my namesake, AUTUMN. I actually strongly dislike Halloween (Blame my mother for that one. Although teaching 7th grade for 30 years would certainly make ANYONE hate a holiday that revolves around candy.) But I love, love, love FALL. Cool weather, apple cider, football, the most gorgeous colors on the trees, and everything pumpkin and apple. 

As I started decorating, I knew I wanted to create a fun chalkboard, but I'm not very good at actually drawing in chalk. So I decided to make a printable of a little saying I wrote, and then I got carried away and made a few more to share with you!

Keep reading for the free printable files!