The Beck Zoo!!!

Here's another ode to Pinterest! This was actually one of the very first things I ever Pinned. I am a little ashamed that I have taken advantage of my Dad's retirement and his skills with woodworking a little more often than I should.  After all the blocks he cut, I just happened to email him a picture. And then a few weeks later I asked if he wanted to see where I was going to put the zoo.  Then it got serious.

 (Here was the inspiration photo.  Source here )

He came and measured, started drawing plans. I was pleased as punch when he came over to drop it off! He asked me several times if I was sure I wanted it to be 6 feet tall.  I tried to impress upon him the amount of stuffed animals we have in this house. I did indeed want it 6 feet!

 Here is my Dad and silly Mom, with the jail.

 I got it out back and prepped for painting. The rest of the furniture is white so I knew this would need to be too.

 Making the most of the zoo before we got to painting!

It took more than a few cans of spray paint but I was so happy with the result! We set about filling and instituting a 5 animal rule. You see, the reason I felt we needed the zoo, was because the boys beds are all so full of animals there is almost no room for them!  So, now each night they get to 'release' 5 animals from the zoo to sleep with. It is hilarious watching them toss them up and in each night.

I made the sign with some wood from Hobby Lobby and I cut the vinyl with my Silhouette machine. Now I just need to get the hubby to attach it and the Beck Family Zoo will be officially finished!

 See, Dad.  Filled to the tippy-tippy top.  And I love that you have to be in the room, with the door closed to even see it!

Thanks Dad, you really are amazing.  I will give you a break before I ask for my next project...

More Pinterest Inspired Projects...

So after I made the wood blocks for Bunco back in December, I asked my Dad to make just a few more cuts for me.  And from those I made some blocks to put on my table seasonally. Since this is my new holiday command central of sorts. My house seemed so boring after the Christmas stuff all came down, so I made a little January display with my 'Keep Calm and Snow On"printable and SNOW blocks. 

It drove me crazy that I couldn't find something to fill my apothecary jars, I wanted some faux snow, but of course as soon as Christmas is done it is impossible to find, so I will keep my eye out early next year!

This is one project that as soon as I pinned it I knew I HAD to make it.  Sorting socks it a bit of a running joke around here.  I have bins of them, bags of them, boxes of them! I took this picture and emailed it to my Mom saying "Look, I created your very own department at Beck Inc." To which she replied, "Do you think there are enough clothes pins?" So, I added some more, and after I took out ALLLLLL the socks I matched a ton and now, I only have about as many missings as I have clothes pins.  I'd say 50% are infant socks.  The rest are either Rusty's dress socks or a hodge podge of the other boys socks.  I really do use this, having them right there where I can see them makes a HUGE difference to mating pairs back up!

These little Converation Hearts I pinned burned a HOLE in my brain until I made them. They were so easy. The hearts were at Hobby Lobby for a dollar and then I used some Martha Stewart paints to give em a coat.  The vinyl I cut with my Silhouette in red.  The cutest was Brenner, he loved showing me where his name was every single time!

After I made the red, back and white I knew a Halloween version was MUCH needed!

I want to make one simple one of a four leaf clover to put out for St. Patrick's Day. I have a "Keep Calm and Leprechaun" printable. And my Valentine's Day one says "Keep Calm and Be Mine." I also am in the process of making about a million, or so it feels that way, green and white yarn pom poms to fill the large apothecary.  I can't wait to put up Easter, it's one of my favorite to decorate for. 

Very Pinteresting...

Do you Pinterest? (I just heard Rhonda say No) well I do. It is a great place to collect images, ideas and other things and sort them all the way you want to, for when you want to. If you need an invite let me know, I'll shoot one your way.  I have gotten so many good "pins" on my 'pinboards' and I finally and getting around to sharing them! I have so many more pins to do, so I am sure this won't be my last Pinterest post. I wanted to show you the ones that I was inspired by for a side by side, but Pinterest won't let me save the pictures. Ergh. So just check my pin boards if you wanna see em.

 (I know you saw these on the Bunco post already)

 I got ideas for filling my glass apothecary jars and the "Keep Calm" printable from it. Actually the frame stays there and I have a rotating list of Keep Calm pictures that go in it.  Right now it says 'Keep Calm and Snow On'.

 The popsicle stick snowflakes were a little bit of an obsession once I started making them. The inspiration looked like the bottom far right, but was done with standard size sticks. I used variations of large sticks and patterned sticks.  Below you can see they took over my staircase.  I want more next year. And it was so cheap. I had everything on hand.

I made this little gem for Rhonda for Christmas.  By the way, I am in LOVE with the Martha Stewart line of craft paint. It is more expensive but so worth it. I used the red, and it covered in one coat. I was hooked!

And these were the cutest gifts for my Mom and Mother-in-Law. I wanted to use various shades of green for the boys hands. And then I used a star stamp. You can't see it but around the edge I glued a glittery red rickrack. On my MIL's we added 'ornaments' in red using my niece's fingerprints. I love Boss's hands, too cute huh?

So THANK YOU PINTEREST for making my holidays a little cuter, and yummier too. My 'Wanna be Foodie' board has brought me some awesome new recipes! I already have another post with Valentine's crafts inspired by Pinterest so that will be coming soon!