I love learning new things

Have you ever had a project looming in your garage that you feared tackling simply because you had never done it before?  Mine was the set of ripped up screens that came off one of our apartment units.  A new tenant moved in and we noticed none of the windows had screens.  Hmmm, that's odd because just last summer we spent $25.00 per window to have screens made and hung.  It seems the former tenants didn't want them.  I found about 5 of them tucked away in laundry rooms, behind the building,  and under the carport, so I gathered them up and brought them back to my garage.  I really didn't want to spend another $125.00 to make new screens for this unit, so I thought to myself "how hard can this be?"  When we purchased the building, I found in one of the storage units a few unusual tools and "window screen corners".  I saved them, of course, just in case I ever needed them.  Well, what do you know - I needed them!

Before tackling this project, I Googled "window screen replacement" and clicked on the video link.  Ta da!  SEVERAL how-to videos popped up and I watched a step by step instruction on how to do it.  So here's what I did;

First start by laying the old screen on a flat surface.

You will need a few tools.  A knife, small flat screwdriver, screen roller and possibly needle nose pliers.

Start by lifting the corner of the rubber spline with a screwdriver.

Then you pull the spline all the way around the screen.  Save it - you will need it later.

Once it is removed, take the old screen off and throw it away.

Lay the new screen down leaving about an inch all around the frame.

Using the roller, lay the spline over the screen and the groove and press the screen into the groove

Once the spline is pressed into the groove, press the corners of the spline down with the screwdriver to make sure everything is tight.  Then cut just outside the spline all the way around the screen.

Remove the excess screen from around the frame.

There you have it!  Fresh screens using the old frames!

The replacement screen just cost about $14.00 at the hardware store.  It sure beats replacing them all for $125.00!

Dream Garage Organization

Ok all you organizers, I stumbled upon a garage that will make your heart skip a beat.  I went to a home to buy something off Craigslist, and was invited to enter the home through the garage. I do believe I heard angels singing as I walked through this mans garage.  It was beautiful. 

 Labels and bins galore!!  It seemed endless.  Big bins, small bins, wine holders, cabinets - it was a sight to behold.  I didn't want to leave.  I found myself standing there while he was sayin "buh bye now..."  I stood there taking pictures and admiring his handiwork. 

He was a cabinet maker by trade, so he took his skills to the next level.  Oh how I dream of a garage like this!

I came home to my garage with somewhat organized piles. 

 "This is my gardening heap.  Over here is my painting cluster.  All the car stuff is stacked here...  "

I guess a girl can dream.

Hanging a hammock!

I was inspired the other day by my second cousin.  She is a photographer, and in one of her photos she shows a beatiful hammock with pillows, kids giggling, and a candle chandelier overhead.  I remembered a hammock that we had tucked away in storage at our cabin which was never used.  I recently brought it home and was excited to hang it quickly before summer ended.

Here is the hammock - ready to hang!

I drilled a starter hole in the tree

Then I screwed in a hook.  Hindsight, I should have put in an eye, not a hook.  I'm going to have to swap it out as the hook is widening.  Live and learn!

I did the same on both sides and connected it with some chain.

Ta da!!

The hammock is hung!

Here is what you see when you are laying on the hammock!

Ahhhh

I hung it on the same tree as our tire swing.

Not sure if you can see it behind the tree, but it's there.

I love the tire swing and the hammock.  They both just scream summer!

I had a tire swing as a kid and spent MANY hours on that swing.

I'm glad my girls get the same joy out of theirs.