Kimmies Do It Yourself

Kitchen Remodeling

2007-02-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

Plaster....YUK we just busted out the last of the plaster wall in our farmhouse and replaced with drywall. After about 1 week of having the kitchen gutted and using the microwave on a little stand to heat up leftovers my mother is so graciously providing us we are ready to move on to the next task. The plumbing. The plumber is coming next week to re plumb and move the gas line for the stove. After that, then we will tear up the two layers of linoleum and replace with laminate wood flooring! But wait.....I think we need to paint first.........OH remodeling and running a business and running after children do not mix. IT can be oh so tiring. But the end result and the experience of it all only makes us more grateful. Just goes to show what we can live without! Can't say I don't mind having the cleanup and the dishes! LOL

I will post pictures later! Before and after

PS Cabinets and new counter tops will be ready to install in about 4 weeks!

Stress relief and Homade Christmas presents.

2006-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

I received an early Christmas present from hubby! A serger. I cannot believe how much easier and quicker it is to make all kinds of things. I have made blankets and napkins, and placemats and pillows. What a stress relief for me, plus they are Christmas presents to other people.

Joann.com has wonderful ideas and patterns free on line. I shop there periodically and check out their discontinued deeply discounted fabric. I have two more blankets to make then I am on to the kids' pajamas! Fun Fun Fun

Yummy recipes and they are Free!

2006-02-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

Yummy recipes and they are FREE

Go here and click on Recipes and party ideas in the toolbar.
(the NetFlix is fabulous and the kids love to help make it)

I love when websites make it easy for you.  If you want to print a recipe card then go to bottom and select that button.

You can even get personalized candy here!  What a great and fun concept for that special party and gathering or just for that someone special, or not.  You can get 8oz bags for $9.99 or several smaller more personal gifts for under $5.

Do you know anyone that does not like M & M’s?  Nope, me neither.

My latest "Do it your self" project

2006-02-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

In my office I am everything from receptionist to sales, A/P and A/R, Payroll too. HR rep, nurse, cleaning lady, customer service, quality control, yep I have several hats and with those hats come several folders that in return become several piles. I am amazed at myself for my ability to put my hands on the right folder at the right time. I know where everything is and only occasionally get confused with the details…so what is the problem…IT DRIVES ME CRAZY. I just want to cringe when I walk in each morning and I see all of these piles. Granted some has pending work, some has “have to do now” work, some is work in progress, and yes some even are every day tasks. The problem is that my mind sees clutter, my mind images of work of piles of overwhelming capacity….granted that is exactly what it can be sometimes…but I don’t want to see it.

One morning I was flipping through the Viking office source catalog (which saves me money all of the time) trying to find the perfect organizer to meet my needs. It had to fit on my desk, against the wall, not to tall so that I would have to move my favorite picture and have enough small cubby holes for my individual projects/folders. I found one that was close, not exactly what I wanted but it would do. It was on Sale! $249.99. Oh for Pete’s sake that is highway robbery. My boyfriend, who also works with me, just shook is head and sighed. What? I said. I know that look he said. Again, What? You are planning another do it yourselfer, aren’t you? Well, maybe. You see most of my do it yourselfer involves him. Not that I couldn’t do it alone. It is just that he has such a natural carpentry/engineer’s insight. I value his input. (plus it’s funner) 10 minutes later, after measuring my desk and it’s perimeters and explaining the modifications I wanted from the picture we are off to Menards, my favorite store in the world. After looking at the pre cut sanded plywood, I found a 4x8 sheet of the perfect material. Not too thick not too thin and ON SALE. (with plenty leftover for more projects like book ends, and catalog shelves) We already had luan board at home to do the folder shelves with so after getting a few other items we went home to start cutting out patterns. I highly recommend cutting patterns from cardboard when designing yourself. It has proven to save a lot of time and material loss. You can place your patterns on the wood and have very little waste. After checking and rechecking we marked the wood and started cutting. The long cuts were done by using a circular saw. The curving and closer cutouts were done with a jig saw. I routered the edges to give it that finished professional look. (I love routering)

Next we assembled (no glue or nails just checking the fit), marked where the luan board shelves would go then routered a 1/8” line for the luan to slide into. (my thoughts here were that if I ever needed to make more space I could simply remove a shelf by sliding it out, Plus I like to router) After everything fit nicely and the finishing touches were made, we were going to assemble and I realized that I wanted to finish it. So I said Wait, it would be easier to finish it in pieces and then put it together. He shook his head and this is where I was on my own. (Men are so funny, we woman get light bulbs all the time that cause us to change our minds and direction) So I spent the next hour staining and polyurethane. Hopefully one more coat and we can put it together tomorrow night. Total cost $34.00 and about 4 hours. And it fits perfectly to my desk. It can’t get any better than that, unless someone would do my laundry that didn’t get done while we were on this project. LOL Next up, Book shelves and Catalog rack with the rest of the wood. Total cost, only time.

Vote for Dawnsedge!

2006-02-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, guess what? I entered a small article on everydayhogwash.com and I was selected to be entered into the Weekly winners circle.

Whoever gets the most votes wins $1,000.00. I could so use that. So I am asking each of you to logon and read my article and vote for ME. (Really I am begging) And if you could pass this along to others and perhaps ask them to vote as well, I would greatly appreciate it! (Still begging) Voting starts today and ends on Friday!

I’d also encourage you all to give it a try yourself! Could be fun, maybe we could all take a sunny beach vacation with our winnings!

OK enough dreaming…Here is what you do.

Click here after reading the following….

“Click here” will take you to the home page of everydayhogwash.com. On the right hand side of the screen (down just a bit) it will say Weekly Voting. There will be five to choose from. Mine is called “Here’s a quarter call someone who cares, but make sure it’s not raining”. (by the way, I am Dawnsedge) Please click on the circle in front of my article and that’s it!

I hope you enjoy it and get a little bit of a chuckle to brighten your day!

Thanks a lot and if you decide to participate and needs some votes I will be sure to return the favor!

Have a Blessed Day

Kim

Circuit Alert!

2006-01-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

I just purchased a non contact voltage probe which for those of you who do not know is a test light for checking AC voltage. As a consumer I do the best I can to purchase things that are made in the USA. As you are probably aware that in its self is a take. Anyway this one was a little more (about $2.00) but it had the batteries enclosed. If purchased separate the batteries were 3.55 ea and this little probe took two. It also had Milwaukee, WI printed on it.

So upon getting back to my house and putting the batteries in the little tester, I proceeded up to my attic door with my flashlight. (the light upstairs stopped working so I was going to replace the receptacle. I bought the test light because I just wasn't sure which breaker shut down the power up there.) OK, I am in the dark in the cold attic with a flashlight NOTHING..No light, no chirp, nothing. Convinced I must just be doing something wrong I go back down the stairs and find the package and re-read the instructions. Check, check, and double check.....Then in fine print underneath the 3 sets of different languages it says "If indicators do not work, replace batteries before use!" WHAT?...the batteries were included. One would assume that they would be good batteries. Then I saw the other fine print "MADE IN CHINA". Furious and seeing RED, not the indicator light mind you but a little bit of temper! I paid $2 extra dollars to get the one that had batteries included in order to save about $5 only to realize that I have to buy new batteries anyway and spend the gas money to go back to the store, plus my project for the evening was shot! It really got me thinking, why did it have the "if indicator does not work statement on the package" Is it a coincidence or a marketing scheme? If 100 probes were sold $2.00 above the competitor and had bad batteries in it, they are making $200.00 more and then a person still has to buy the new batteries for $7.10. What a way to boost a profit. I am taking mine back and going with a different brand.

When is do it yourself enough?

2006-01-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

My fiance' and I were talking one day after work about all the little projects around the house that need completed or just done. (or so I think) He has nicknamed me "the do it yourself queen". I bet sometimes he has another word for Queen. LOL Any way, I tend to be a bit of a workaholic and my crazy rage is always looking for improvement. I can't help myself. I am a typical woman who wants what she wants when she wants it and most importantly HOW she wants it! I just do not see anything wrong with that. I roll up my sleeves and get right into it as well. It is not like I just stand aroung barking orders, or shadowing over him. He says his wish is that I will get amnesia and forget that I can do all of this household remodeling stuff. I said as long as I can read the "how to" books it won't matter if I have amnesia. (another LOL) Anyway after reflecting a bit of what he said, I decided to sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of all the things I want to finish, or do around the house. WOW, it just didn't seem that much in my head. The list is quite scary. Perhaps it would be better that I didn't know how to do all of this stuff. The thought of contracting someone is scary enough to just let it be as it is. I feel like I am at my best when I am being creative and doing something constructive. Some woman powershop, eat chocolate, or get lost in the couch: Me, I remodel!

Special Christmas

2005-11-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

After being inspired by my Cuz, I have decided to make as many Christmas gifts as possible. I have been a self-taught person most of my life. I will be sewing quite a bit, painting and woodworking, baking and spending time with my mother and my daughter. I will be sharing my love and appreciation through my time. As I work on these projects out of Love...I feel better. I am actually excited about not having to stress out in the department stores, looking for the best sale...spending all of that money, besides, I am at my best when I can be creative!

Coupon saver tip. If you are the creative type and like to do crafts, Joann Fabrics has on line coupons that you can use and if you sign up for a preferred member you receive their salesflyers in the mail and they always have great coupons for saving even more. (I signed up at my home address and my office address.) Triple savings for me!

God Bless and I hope you all remember that LOVE is the best gift

Nope, The flywheel didn't

2005-11-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

That last post was done late, late, late after be involved with a 2,000 pound transmission and an uncooperative gear! Just an update but after two late nights (at least to midnight) of being under a greasy truck upside down on a hard concrete floor (cold too) we tighten the last of the bolts around 12:30a.m.....I was originally supposed to be the gopher, you know go for this and go for that which I did, but the transmission was too much for them and they asked for my help. I have to give mechanics who deal with this every day a big applause. It is gruelly to be upside down with arms in the air, holding, shoving, etc. An experience I really do not care to repeat but quite humbling. At around 10 pm last night we took a break because the gears would not hook up....I came to my office and immediatley dropped to my knees, pleading, begging, crying and praising......granted we all had been praying but I felt it was time to kneal , to humble myself. I guess it would have been too easy if he gave us everything we asked when we asked. For whatever reason I needed to endure this experience I still give God praise! I was reminded of when Jesus had to bear the cross----the weight had to be excruciating, the emotional pain, the physical torture pain.....what we endured was not even close.....Today, tired, sore, and still under pressure to catch up the deliveries and still make the others....I hold my head to God and praise him with all that I have. I am proud that I can do this. I have seen so many people let circumstances defeat them and allow the enemy to invade. Nope, Satan, you didn't win here!

I thought I would tell you that we do have a company that typically services our trucks, but they were so backed up that it was going to be Monday before they could even look at the truck. This really forced us to roll up our sleeves because in New Castle, there is only one place that works on big trucks. I was raised around this in my dad's garage so it isn't completely foreign to me and I have taught one of the guys here to work on the hydrolic lines of our forktrucks. The forktruck mechanics cost 65.00 an hour and 65.00 to show up. So, we do it our selves. I feel very blessed that my upbringing had prepared me for this job.

The flywheel has won

2005-11-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

OK, sometimes it is just a better idea to let the professionals do it! The flywheel in the delivery truck is bad....one of my employees, who on numerous occasions has been a great help on the check book and is very mechanicly inclined said "I can do it" No doubt he is competant....it is just that it is a Monday. Bolts were seized, broken, and totally uncooperating...we are still here! I did have work to do..but I am done and ready to go home! OH NO, cannot go home. I know they will manage to get it done but at this point I am wishing I would have just made an appointment with the mechanic and dug deep into the pockets! My question...How does one know when to just say "Some things just shouldn't be done yourself? oooh I feel so much out of character here. I bet people pay a lot of money to therapists to reach this point. LOL

Gayla's Place: Blogger Trackback Party Test

2005-10-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is a test.....not sure I followed it correctly but we will see what this trackback party thing is all about! Angela and Gayla are writing about it and researching it....so I will test it!

Take a tape measure!

2005-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

OK, frustrating morning for a Do it yourself plumbing job...we are taking out an old small sink and putting in a utility type. Sounds easy enough. We Bought the "special kit" with all that you need to change out the trap...except for the utility sink has and outy instead of an inny. (male instead of female). Ok just go to the hardware and get an adapter....10 minutes later I locate the bin that says 1 1/2 to 1 1/4, Bingo, grabbed it and back to the shop. Guess what? someone had put the wrong stock in the wrong bin GRRRRRR it was even labeled incorrectly. So lessonn of this monday morning plumbing extravaganza is~~~~~~~~take a tape with you and make sure your self!

Oh, by the way the utility sink that we are putting in sells for about 89.00 at Menards. I found it at a local thrift type shop for $ 15.00. Like new condition. I always check there for just about anything I need to purchase. Last year I was able to get a 12 gallon shop vac for $20.00, a weed eater for $15.00 and a circular saw for $10.00. They are all still working!

Wedding tips

2005-10-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

My daughter just married this past Saturday. I was able to find all kinds of creativeness I didn't know I had. I thought I would post a few ideas for anyone wanting to save some money.

The Flowers...my daughter wanted to have real flowers for her bouquet and since I had never done anything like that I thought I would just pay the florist....Way wrong answer. One of the least expensive florists in my neighbor hood wanted to charge me $70.00 to put it together and this did not include the $30.00 the flowers cost. Let's just say I Googled for instructions and it took me about an hour to put it together.

The key is the little green zip strips, you put a few flowers together and zip it, trim and then add more. Green floral tape, then ribbon.

I did all of the other flowers in silk and after looking through a few wedding books to see some ideas I just started putting them together by using floral wire and floral tape. I saved a bundle by doing this. I did most of them in the evenings while watching TV or movies.

To call the plumber...or not

2005-10-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Friday was a lovely day of toilet overflow at the shop. Of course none of the guys who work for me know anything about plunging a toilet let alone unclogging and/or replacing a toilet. Well I borrowed a "snake" from my mom and dad and attempted to unclog the toilet. Nope wasn't happening. Funny, a clogged toilet is kind of like life sometimes....you can only do so much plunging and it still doesn't help! We can so easily fill our days and minutes until we are ready to just explode. Sometimes our explosions can be as nasty as the toilet overflowing....anywayAfter the snake didn't work, we ended up renting one of the big units for less than $40.00 and Walaa, gross, but unclogged. We went ahead and replaced the aged toilet with one that is called "Toilet Express" made by Briggs. Everything you need but the water. Pretty easy to install. In conclusion after spending $120.00 the toilet flushes fine. (if you do this yourself be sure to have air freshner close by.) Sometimes it can be scary to jump into the unknow, but I figured we saved about $200.00. I have this big phobia about calling in "Professionals", sure, I know there is a time when you must, but it has been by experience that the Professionals charge a "professional price" for something that a person can do on there own if they just rise to the challenge. One of my employees thought it would be worth $50 to pay the plumber to come in and fix a small leak at the kitchen faucet, 30 minutes later and $125 dollars for one fitting and about 15 minutes he said "Professional Price" for something I could of done for 1 trip to the local hardware store and about a .92 fitting. Lesson learned the hard way for the pocket!.If you have the $200.00 to spend, and you have a weak stomach, then by all means, pay the plumber.