Organizing Dog Walking Supplies {31 Days: Day 29}

We sure do love our little dog, Jackson (meet him here and here), but he comes with a lot of stuff! I've got most of his supplies under control in his designated bin in the front closet, but one thing I've never attempted to corral are his supplies for walks. It wasn't until I saw this post that I realized how much it bothered me that they didn't have a true home in our entryway. Sometimes, spending a few minutes organizing the little things makes all the difference, so that's what I did.

The furniture piece in our entryway (the same one that I styled the shelves of last week) often becomes a dumping ground for random paper, mail, keys and Jackson's leashes.

I decided that one thing I could easily clear off of it would be his leashes and the towel we use to wipe his paws. I had those two small metal buckets (from the Target dollar section a few years ago) and a couple of extra command hooks on hand, so I used those two things to make a little holding station.

In order to keep them accessible at the front door, I placed the two command hooks on the side of the furniture piece that faces the living room. That way, you wouldn't see them from the front door, but they're right where I need them to be.

I gave the adhesive on the hooks time to "cure" before hanging the buckets (they recommend an hour in the instructions) and I do find that that helps make sure they're secure. On an occasion or two in the past, I've been a little too eager to hang things on them before that hour is up and it's never worked out well!

I hung the buckets and placed Jackson's two leashes (one retractable and one short one) and his harness in one bucket, and the towel in the other. They're the perfect size for those items and nothing more! No chance to clutter up those buckets!

I'm so thrilled with how this worked out. Nothing like a little creativity and using supplies you have on hand to come up with a simple organizing solution. And the great part about using command hooks here is that we can always remove them later with no damage to that piece of furniture. Here's to hoping we keep this mini-system up!


Read the series from the beginning...

linking up to: Primitive and Proper, DIY Showoff, Rain on a Tin Roof, Home Stories A to Z, Uncommon Designs, If It's Not Baroque, Liz Marie Blog, Blissfully Ever After,Design, Dining and Diapers, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, It’s Overflowing, House of Rose, Love of Family and Home, Dear Creatives, Madigan Made, First Home...Love Life, Simply Dream and Create,Whipperberry, Sparkles and A Stove, Making Home Base, Naptime Creations, Southern Hospitality, Remodelaholic, Living Well Spending Less

Jackson on Using and Loving What HE Has {31 Days: Day 5}

Hey there, Jackson here! I'm taking over my mom's blog today. I figure if she gets to write for 31 days on using and loving what SHE has, I should at least get one post here during the month since I am a part of this family after all and I want to talk about using and loving what I have too. Mmk?

It makes sense for me to follow yesterday's post too, since she was talking about me and showing off those toys she made for me. So yeah. Let's talk toys.

My question after seeing all those toys she made is, why do I only get one at a time?!  I want that pumpkin one sooo bad. I'd rip it to shreds in 5 seconds. Watch me.

I guess I'm pretty happy with this crazy one for now though. I've been gnawing at it trying to get this stupid knot untied for like 5 days now. Mom, why'd you have to make it so hard?

Oh, and it's GREAT for tug-o-war.

Wanna play with me now? I bet my jaws of steel are stronger than your grip. I. will. win.

Go ahead and be jealous of me and my awesome toys. Betcha you don't have anything like this. {Note from Chaney - yep, I'll bet you don't have toys made out of scraps!} Thanks mom.

Now can we go outside and play? I'd really like to find a squirrel to hunt down. Oo! Or maybe we can go for a run in the woods so I can find a deer to stalk? I've got so many good ideas...Didn't you talk about loving your city during this 31 day challenge, mom? Let's take advantage of it like, now. Ok?

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Side note: I couldn't resist being a little bit silly for my first weekend #31Days. I do really love this little guy and glad he's a part of our lives. My weekend posts will likely be a little shorter and simpler than weekday posts...just so I don't go crazy writing for 31 days straight! Happy weekend y'all!

To read more posts from Jackson's perspective, head here and here.

Read the series from the beginning...

Easy Sew Dog Toys {31 Days: Day 4}

I've never met a dog that loves toys as much as our dog, Jackson does. He'll tirelessly fetch them, gnaw on them, and play tug-o-war with them while growling threateningly and wagging his tail at the same time. He even cuddles with them. See?

Oh, and don't you dare try to take his ball...

{sorry about the poor quality iPhone photos!}

He gets so much joy out of them. It's hilarious to watch. He also has a habit of breaking them open and scattering all the stuffing all over the place, which means toys need to be thrown out more often than I'd like. Buying new ones can be expensive - especially good quality ones. So I decided to make some of my own in an attempt to use up some more of the fabric remnants I have on hand (I used some for my ruffle wreath earlier this week!) and save us some dollars.

I didn't really plan anything out. I just went at it with my sewing machine and some creativity :). I made four toys, and plan on stashing them all away and pulling one out at a time as Jackson goes through them. If you have a sewing machine and pup that need some new toys, this is a GREAT beginner project. You can't really mess up dog toys. And even if you do, guess what? No one will care!

The first one I made was a pumpkin - or maybe an apple depending on how you look at it, ha!

I folded a piece of this ticking stripe fabric in half (so I'd have two identical pieces) and cut out a pumpkin-like shape. I also cut out a small rectangular piece of green fabric for a stem.

Then I just sewed around the edge about 90% of the way, leaving a small opening so that I could turn the fabric right side in, stuff it, and sew the opening shut.

For the stem, I folded the small piece of fabric in half and sewed around its edges to make it a little heftier.

Then I tucked it just inside the top part of the pumpkin as I was sewing the last part of it shut.

After I stuffed it using some leftover polyester batting I had from another project and sewed it shut, I sewed two lines down the pumpkin, which gave it some dimension.

And there you have a fall-themed dog toy!

For two of the toys, I sewed and stuffed two simple rectangle-shapes using the edges of some leftover fabric from a pillow project. See how you can still see the name of the fabric company (Waverly) and other info on the edge? This is a great use for that kind of scrap. I'll bet your dog could care less that you used that part of the fabric :).

One looks like a piece of wrapped candy and the other is...well...just a rectangle with two lines sewn down it. Real creative, huh?

For the last - and easiest - toy, I took a long piece of fabric leftover from the curtain panel I used to make my upholstered headboard, cut it into three pieces and tied them in a knot. No sewing involved in this one. It took about two whole seconds. So even if you don't sew, you can still make your dog a toy! Hooray!

I already gave Jackson this last toy, and let me tell you, he loves it. He might even stop by the blog and tell you about it since he does commandeer the blog every now and again :).

Read the series from the beginning...

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linking up to: DIY Showoff, Rain on a Tin Roof, Home Stories A to Z, Uncommon Designs, If It's Not Baroque, Liz Marie Blog, Blissfully Ever After, Design, Dining and Diapers, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, It’s Overflowing, House of Rose, Love of Family and Home, Dear Creatives, Madigan Made, First Home...Love Life, Simply Dream and Create, Whipperberry, Sparkles and A Stove, Making Home Base, Naptime Creations, Southern Hospitality, Remodelaholic

Coral & White Stool Makeover {Easy DIY}

Hey y'all! And a happy Monday to you! We're starting this week off with a really simple DIY project that has a big impact. Never underestimate the power of paint. As the old saying goes, a little paint can cover a multitude of design sins.

Wait, I think I made that up, but let's go with it, mmk? :)

Back when I was a wee DIYer - we're talking middle school here - I painted this stool for my parents' kitchen. At the time, I thought the pattern was so chic. Can't you see my awesome design and painting skills at work here?

Raw talent, y'all.

Well, about 10 years later, my mom and I decided that maybe, just maybe, it was time for a little upgrade especially since the stool no longer lives in my parents' kitchen, but at the river house, and that yellow and blue color scheme (let alone the pattern) doesn't fit the house's "look." They've got more of an aqua, white and coral scheme going there.

So I got to work updating this little stool. I used a low grit sand paper on the seat to remove some of the bright colors and pattern, and I lightly sanded the legs to rough them up a little. You can't really tell from the photos, but the white legs were pretty dingy, so I primed the whole thing in white (two coats on the seat, one on the legs) to give it a fresh start.

Then it was time to add a pop of color. After taking a poll of the crowd we had down at the river last weekend, the consensus was to paint just the seat coral and leave the rest white. So I used the same coral I had on hand from my coral and gray dipped side table for this project. (It's Valspar "Sonora Rose" in case you're curious.) It took two quick coats to get a nice solid coral color.

Perfect! I love its clean but fun look. See? Told you paint covers up a multitude of design sins :). This project probably took about 2 hours including drying time in between paint coats. It's something anyone could easily do in an afternoon for nearly $0 if you have a little extra paint laying around.

Now for the really fun part. Since this newly painted stool fit in so nicely with a big ole painting my mom had at the house, I wanted to photograph them together. But I needed a little something extra to style it with since it would be a little sad-looking to just have a stool and a painting all by themselves.

I typically like to have something living in photos, which usually means flowers or a plant, but this time, I went with an even better accessory - Jackson! (Thanks to my sister-in-law's dad for that idea!) After a little coaxing (and a lot of "stay...stay..." commands), we got him to sit right on the stool:

He fits in perfectly, doesn't he? Ha!

Smile for the camera, buddy!

What a good boy. Don't worry, we gave him lots of love and a treat as a reward for being such a good accessory :).

So that was my main project for the weekend. Nothing like an easy DIY to kick off the week! What did y'all do this weekend? Any fun projects? 

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linking up to: DIY Showoff, Rain on a Tin Roof, Home Stories A to Z, Uncommon Designs, If It's Not Baroque, Liz Marie Blog, House of Hepworths, Blissfully Ever After, Design, Dining and Diapers, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Craftberry Bush, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, It’s Overflowing, House of Rose, Love of Family and Home, Dear Creatives, Madigan Made, First Home...Love Life, Simply Dream and Create, Whipperberry, Sparkles and A Stove, Making Home Base, The Chicken Chick, A Peek Into My Paradise, The DIYers, Much Ado About Somethin'

Looking for a unique baby gift? Take a look at my new line of onesies from CSW Designs! Choose your animal, color and pattern (chevron or polka dot). Perfect for the little ones in your life.

Fourth of July at the River

Surprise! Charlie and I snuck away for an extra-long weekend at my parents' river house for the Fourth of July. We headed down there last Tuesday night, and had a glorious and relaxing five days down there. My parents were there, and my aunt and uncle came for a couple of days as well. I've decided that you really need that amount of time (of more, of course!) for it to feel like a vacation. We truly got away, disconnected, and got some much-needed rest.

Before diving back into project mode here on the blog, I thought I'd show you a few photos of our time at the river and give you a little sneak peak of some of the projects we did while we were there. Details to come later this week!

We spend a good portion of our time hanging out on the screen porch, the lawn by the water, and on the dock - mostly reading, chatting and relaxing. We joked that during the summer, we don't even need half the house, because we hardly use it when the weather's so nice! We live outside. Even when it's hot, we get a nice breeze off the river that keeps the temperature really pleasant.

Don't we look relaxed? :)

We got out and had some nice time on the water though too - including a kayak adventure to a nearby lagoon. Jackson came with us and had the best time romping on a little stretch of beach and swimming and rubbing his face in the sand.

Yes, he wears a doggy life jacket. Protective parents much?

We had a lovely Fourth of July too. I love this Instagram of the American flag and white Adirondack chairs in the background. It just felt so "American" to me. Doing some work on those Adirondacks was one of our major projects for the weekend (that's sneak peek number one!).

Jackson was feeling patriotic and wanted to get in on some photo action as well, so he posed with the flag for me.

Just kidding. He just happened to be there. Right place, right time I suppose.

Charlie and I had an impromptu photo session in our patriotic garb just before sunset on the fourth. The light was so nice, and I really wanted some new photos of the two of us. My mom is a great photographer and took some awesome shots of us. I'll share more of those later this week along with a few tips on taking good portrait photos too :).

The following day, we rented a little sunfish sailboat for the afternoon. It was super fun! I mostly enjoyed it from my vantage point on the dock and in the water (though I did sail with Charlie on it from the marina when we picked it up), but my dad and Charlie had a blast taking turns on it all afternoon.

Charlie joined me for some swim time while my dad took the sunfish for a spin.

Of course, a trip to the river wouldn't be complete without a boat ride with Jackson as the figurehead. In his life jacket...

And I couldn't resist a picture of C as the boat driver. Isn't he handsome? (He's really gonna appreciate that comment :).)

That evening, we had one of the most gorgeous sunsets. I feel like photos never quite do them justice, but I loved this one.

Ahh. So nice.

On Saturday, we hit up the once-a-month local farmers' market. I could not get over all the gorgeous fresh produce we saw!

Pretty, huh? It was fun wandering around, checking out the different vendors. In addition to fresh produce, they've also got all sorts other things including handmade items, children's clothing and art. I picked up a small oil painting from an artist I've admired for awhile at the market. I'll have to show it to you once I get it framed.

That about wraps up the weekend, but I have one more sneak peek for you of a project I'll share later on this week. It involves this gorgeous (not) orange kitchen cart. Is your interest piqued yet? Don't worry, it didn't stay this color :).

Did y'all enjoy your Fourth of July weekends? I hope you had a chance to relax and enjoy time with family and/or friends. I don't know about you, but I'm not quite ready to be back in "real life" yet!

Jackson's Summer Adventures

Hey there, Jackson here! I just wanted to check in here on my mom's blog to make sure you didn't forget about me. After all, it has been a few months since my mom wrote about me and my new bed - which I love by the way. It's super comfy and my mom says the fabric is pretty snazzy, but I don't really care much about that as long as I can dig in it to make it comfortable for napping.

In fact, sometimes I like to sleep under it. I'm good at hiding.

Sorta.

Aaannyway...what I really wanted to do was come by and tell you a little about my summer adventures so far. It's been great. My mom said I could borrow some of her iPhone and Instagram photos so you can see me in action.

As usual, we've been taking lots of walks when my mom gets home from work. We go on all kinds of adventures - sometimes we walk in the neighborhood, sometimes to the park and sometimes we even get to go into the woods and hunt deer. One of these days I'm going to catch one. If only my mom would let me off that annoying leash contraption, I could use my lightning fast speed and stealthiness to sneak up on one and get it. Look at how sneaky I am in this video. The deer didn't even know I was coming...

Almost got one that time. (Oh, and my mom said to ignore her silly commentary in the video. She's embarrassed about it.)

One of the other things we do sometimes is go to my favorite store. Every time we walk by I look longingly through the window hoping that maybe, just maybe, we'll go in and somebody will give me a treat. They have these amazing sausage things there. Yum.

Other times, if I'm really lucky, we go down to the creek so I can cool off on extra hot days (all that hair makes me really hot).

Speaking of water, my favorite adventure so far has been to the river house. It. is. the. best. I get to run around there without that stinkin' leash and explore everything. While we were there last time, we went to this beach and I dug this awesome hole. I'm not sure what I was looking for, but I just knew I had to keep digging.

Didn't I do a good job?

When we go out on the boat there, my parents make me wear a life jacket. I had a minor incident last summer involving me jumping off the boat after some dolphins in the middle of the deep water (I just had to try and get 'em. They got away so fast though!), so now I have to wear this thing all the time. It's not so bad though, I guess. The blue and yellow do look pretty nice on at least.

All this adventuring sure makes me tired though and I'm always looking for the most comfortable place to nap. My mom found me on the couch pillows one time when she was washing the slipcovers. She wasn't real happy...but can you blame me? Look how fluffy that pillow is.

When I'm really sleepy, sometimes my dad lets me cuddle with him. Nothin' better than that.

Don't be deceived by that docile look though - I'm totally a fierce animal. See?

Roar!

So that's my summer in a nutshell so far. What have you been up to? Dug any good holes lately?