where to read the blog in chronological order from post to post, grab your coffee

Yeah, uh, sorry. For everyone who has written me commenting on the lack of posts, thank you. I am definitely feeling the love. Sometimes when you write out here on the world-wide web you wonder if anyone would notice if you just slipped quietly ~~into the night~~ to Aruba.

The truth is, I haven’t really done any DIY fun to report. As of today, the kitchen still looks the same and the walls are still speckled with spackle that I’ve used to patch old holes. But I have sanded it down so they’re ready for some primer and paint. So there’s that.

But, I’m just not stressing about it. We’ve discussed the kitchen project with 7 different companies. 4 of them didn’t even bother to submit quotes. 2 of them keep “forgetting” to provide samples and the final company, who (with whom?) we will most likely work with (proof that just responding to customer requests can get you business) has some insurance hurdles we need to overcome before they can perform any work in our building.

And since every company has their own color selections to choose from for the cabinets and the counter top I didn’t want to commit to a wall color until we had those key details pinned down.

So we wait.

And we enjoy company who comes to visit.

And explore new things around the island. All the while gathering driftwood and shells and other random goodness.

But I don’t do anything crafty with them because we are also still waiting on our own things to arrive from the states. Word on the street is that the container ship arrives this week, but there’s still customs clearance and scheduling the movers to bring everything here. And blah blah blah.

So I find myself daydreaming about what I will make once my favorite battery operated finish nailer and stapler arrive. And what fun furniture I can make when the Kreg Jig gets here. I think something simple to get the tv off the floor is in order. And I’m envisioning a low, square, wood coffee table, maybe on castors.

(I would apologize for the lighting, but the big ol’ sea and Caribbean sunshine is just so unapologetic.)

And, just because delays are the name of the game these days, I am heading back to the great ol’ US of A for two weeks. Probably leaving Joel alone to manage the arrival of our things. Sorry bae! I will be participating in the American Odyssey Relay with a team of 12 bloggers. If you check out the link I’m runner #4. Yes, the one that is running 19.4 miles. So I’ve been using all of the non-DIYing time to run, and run and run some more in preparation.

And embracing all that Aruba has to offer. Like an obstacle course race through town and a 45 mile run around the island with a team of 4 in the middle of the night.

So, I do apologize for anyone who is feeling a bit left in the dark … and I guess I should say “you’re welcome” to anyone who prefers the lesser posting schedule.

Hopefully you’re following along on Instagram, because I do keep up with our daily doings over there.

And seriously, can you believe it is practically May already?!?!?

Hey hey! Hope you’re doing great. Anything new with you? We have a new-to-us table. And it’s pretty great. When we first arrived I thought I might try my hand at making a farmhouse style dining room table. Long, rectangular, awesome. You know the type. Maybe with chairs on the side by the wall and a bench on the side between the dining room and the living room.

But the more we lived in the space I couldn’t shake the idea of a round table being the right fit. It would be easy to maneuver around and just seem to aid the flow of traffic from all sides, since the dining room basically connects the kitchen to the living room and the balcony. And the truth is we really only use the table when we have company so we really don’t need the huge table I was imagining (Although I still think a long, wood, farmhouse style table is my dream table!). But then one day Joel and I were looking through an old warehouse and found this beauty laying on her side all dusty and a little banged up. And we knew she’d be perfect.

She’s not too big. She’s wooden. She has a center tile that has broken shells and sea glass in it. And she has a few dents and scratches. She’s perfect.

We also found the wicker chairs we’re using around the table and the 4 red bar stools which I love … just not in red, so those will probably get a makeover after the kitchen project. Which, so far, has gone as far as us getting a new fridge.

We’re still negotiating bids with contractors and working through the details of the scope of work. Island time, you know?!?!

But, ever since we brought in this great table I haven’t been able to shake the idea that a fun DIY chandelier would the perfect pairing.

The table …

… and the current light situation.

Looking past the fact that it’s installed in a weird spot in the room, it is just not our style. So I started scouring the web for inspiration to find just the right thing. What I’d love is something that doesn’t block a lot of the line of sight from the kitchen out the to the balcony. Maybe something that I can retrofit from an old chandelier that hopefully I just find somewhere (Of course!). And we’d love to make it dimmable so I can use my favorite Cree dimmable LED bulbs to set the brightness at just the right level.

So, here are a few DIY chandeliers that have caught my eye.

Wine Bottle Pendants from DIY Network

Brass Chandelier from One King’s Lane

I’ve seen a lot of variations of a knock off of this Restoration Hardware chandelier.

This Old Wheel Chandelier from Black Oak Vintage is pretty sweet.

In an ideal world I will happen upon the perfect thing, be it a rusty old wheel or cool old bottles or a dated old fixture I can transform into something we love. But we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Either way, it will turn into the perfect thing with the help of Cree LED bulbs.

I partnered with Cree for one main reason, they are the best bulb out there. I know LED bulbs cost more than the traditional incandescent bulbs, but there are so many added benefits to making the switch. They are available at Home Depot and here’s a short video (less than 1 minute long) that explains the benefits in more detail. Like up to 85% less energy consumption! (If you’re reading this in email or a reader you will need to click over to the blog to watch.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kBT9DJpQoI

So, that’s what’s been on my mind lately. If you see anything that I can make into a chandelier lying around please give me a shout. Although I haven’t found anything like that yet, I did rescue this little crate from a dumpster. I kept the exposure a little dark so you could take in a little peek of the view. This is where I drink my morning coffee and ~~evening wine~~.

breaking news: reports of progress in the aruba apartment

so, we acquired a table and now I want a diy chandelier