Road Trip With the GMC Canyon Denali

Last year we enjoyed a day of surfing and snowboarding with the Chevrolet Colorado Shoreline edition, which is designed for action sports enthusiasts, but for a recent trip to Big Sur we requested a GMC Canyon Denali, which is the most luxurious mid-size truck you’ll ever see.

We’re used to traveling in our full-size F150, but the Canyon fit our family of three quite well, including our bags and bikes. Cruising along the 101 freeway was a breeze and the Canyon handled at all speeds. We came across some terrible weather on our trip, but we felt extremely safe and stable in the Canyon which was unfazed by high winds and rain.

The beefy grill and big truck styling of the GMC Canyon, takes cues from the Sierra and looks like its little brother. But it’s more than looks as features such as a soft open tailgate and bed lights are standard on the Denali. The interior is well laid out and everything is easily accessible. We got hooked on the heated seats and the seats were firm but comfortable enough to sit in for hours on end.

During our trip we found a few backroads and shifted the Canyon into four-wheel drive. We didn’t do any rock crawling in 4-low but in 4-high we were never worried about getting stuck in the sand and mud we came across near the beach.

At the pump is when we really appreciated being in a mid-size truck on a road trip. Filling up the Canyon was much easier on my wallet, and getting 28 mpg was a true joy. Anyone who needs the utility of a pickup truck but the comfort and mileage of a luxury midsized car, the GMC Canyon should be in their list.

 

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Linen Cabinet and Bedroom Closet

The adventure continues…I have had a LOT of hick-ups of late.  It happens.  Usually not quite as often as it has been lately but it is what it is.  Figure out a solution and move on.  That’s all you can do. The new closet for “Bedroom 1″ is a 48” wide built-in wardrobe.  First I built […]

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Mod Podge Fabric Bulletin Board & DIY Thumb Tacks {Upcycle a Classroom}

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Plaid®. All opinions are my own.

It’s the 50th Anniversary of Mod Podge and to celebrate, my fellow “Plaid Creators” and I are teaming up with teachers to “adopt a classroom” and create something special for them. I was especially excited about this particular project because my sister happens to be a teacher, so I knew this would be a great way to make something fun for her classroom. For all of you amazing teachers out there, Plaid has created an educator’s content hub that has everything you need to incorporate Mod Podge into your classroom, including: lesson plans; free monthly downloads; project inspiration; instructional videos; a printable project calendar; and more! Everyone is invited to join the celebration, whether you are a parent, a teacher, or just a Mod Podge lover! You can find it all here.

When teaming up with my sister for her classroom project, I asked her what she needed and what colors she prefers. She told me she’d like a bulletin board of some kind, and she prefers coral and teal. Here’s what I came up with.

I’ll show you exactly how I made this Mod Podge Fabric Corkboard, along with a couple of cute DIY thumb tack ideas.

PROJECT SUPPLIES:

Bulletin Board:

• Large Corkboard
• Fabric
• Mod Podge Matte
• Paintbrushes
• Gray Paint (for the frame; I used FolkArt® Home Decor Chalk in “Parisian Grey”)
• Scissors
• X-Acto Knife
• Ribbon

Clothes Pin Thumb Tacks:

• Clothes Pins
• Glitter Cardstock
• Mod Podge Gloss (or any finish you’d like)
• Paint Brush
• Scissors
• Pencil

Round Thumb Tacks:

• Small Round Wooden Dowel Caps
• Round/Flat Thumb Tacks
• Hot Glue Gun
• Gold Tissue Paper
• Mod Podge Sparkle
• Small Artist’s Paint Brush

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

How to Make a Mod Podge Fabric Bulletin Board

Step 1

First, lay your fabric on top of your cork board and mark it. Then, cut it to size.

Step 2

Paint your bulletin board frame. I used FolkArt Chalk.

Step 3

While the frame is drying, iron your fabric. Then, after the paint is dry, apply Mod Podge (I used Matte) to the back of your fabric and to the cork board portion of your bulletin board. Work fast as it dries fairly quickly.

Step 4

Carefully lay your fabric on top of the cork board, smoothing it as you go and trimming any excess along the edges. Use a straight edge to smooth out any air bubbles.

Step 5

After following the instructions for drying times, follow the same procedure and apply ribbon around the edges (optional).

DIY Clothes Pin Thumb Tacks

Step 1

Trace your clothes pin onto your glitter card stock (or scrapbook paper) and cut it out.

Step 2

Apply Mod Podge to the front of the clothes pin and the back of your card stock. Adhere the card stock to the clothes pin and allow to dry.

Step 3

Add a coat of Mod Podge to the top of the card stock to seal it.

Step 4

Hot glue a flat thumb tack to the back of your clothes pin.

 

DIY Dowel Cap Thumb Tacks

Step 1

Apply Mod Podge to the wooden dowel caps.

Step 2

Wrap a small piece of gold tissue paper around the dowel cap and press it down in the back. Allow to dry.

Step 3

Apply a coat of Mod Podge Sparkle to the top of the tissue paper covered dowel cap. Allow to dry.

Step 4

Hot glue the dowel cap to a flat thumb tack.

I opted to print out my sister’s name using my Silhouette Cameo machine and glitter card stock, which I pinned to the bulletin board for her.

For more inspiration and info, be sure to connect with Plaid on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Check out the other Plaid Creators’ projects here:

An InLinkz Link-up

 

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

-Erin

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Milwaukee Tool Now Does Outdoor Power Equipment

Milwaukee Tool is dedicated to servicing the trades with the best tools possible. This year they will take the leap into landscaping and offer outdoor power equipment.

Powered by their 18V FUEL platform, a string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and leaf blower, are now available. They’ve designed these tools from the ground up and promise all-day power.

We had a chance to check these out at this year’s new tool symposium and were impressed with the design, power, and function of these tools. They are no frills solid tools that should have Milwaukee fans begging for more, and they are angling to be a major player among professional outdoor power tool companies.

Milwaukee sent over these tools for us to work with and after a few weeks we are sold! The blower is lightweight, fires up immediately, and delivers a ton of power. The hedge trimmer chopped everything we threw at it including some shrub and tree trimming, and the string trimmer performed flawlessly. This was the first set of OPE tools for Milwaukee and they came out of the gate with a few winners. We can see these tools being refined even more, but for now they are a great compliment to anyone who is already invested in the M18 platform and has yard work to do.

Here are some videos straight from Milwaukee product managers about their new tools.

Check back in a few months for more information regarding the release of these new outdoor tools.

from http://bit.ly/2pZDGsm

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Bathroom Vanity Progress

I’ve been building tons of cabinets for the jack and jill bathroom .   The bathroom vanity is five cabinets joined together into one giant beast.  Hoisting that up onto the base by myself was a chore.  Especially since I’m still not back to 100% good health.  My respiratory virus has somehow developed into asthma.  At […]

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Easy DIY Painted Serving Tray on a Budget

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Plaid®. All opinions are my own.

There are a handful of items that I consider to be “design staples,” or things that work well in almost any living space. One example is a decorative serving tray. Whether you’re using it to corral clutter, serve snacks, or display your favorite books and “tchotchkes,” they come in handy and look stylish displayed on a coffee table, ottoman, or even a shelf. Sometimes they can be expensive, so today I’m sharing a project idea that anyone can do for just a few bucks. This DIY painted serving tray is a project that can be done quickly and easily on a major budget, and we all know I’m a fan of easy projects.

Project Supplies:

• FolkArt Coastal™ Paint in Seal Grey
• Medium Artist’s Paintbrush
• Fine Sandpaper or Sanding Block
• Unfinished wooden serving tray (I got mine at Target for about $6, but you can find them at craft stores too.)

Step 1

If you’re using a pre-finished wooden tray as opposed to an unfinished one, lightly sand before beginning. Otherwise, make sure your tray is clean and dust-free.

Step 2

Paint a thick coat of FolkArt Coastal™ paint onto the tray. I used Seal Grey, which I love! (It’s a pretty medium gray shade.)

The thing that I love about this paint is that it is thick and adds beautiful texture so it’s easy to create that authentic “coastal” look. The more you stipple the paint on, the more texture you will see. You can even apply it with a spatula if you want even more texture. I wanted a relatively smooth finish with just a hint of texture, but you can really just play around to get the effect you like. You can layer and distress it, and it’s pre-mixed and easy to use. Plus, it’s water-based, non-toxic, indoor/outdoor, and made in the USA. It can be used on wood, terra cotta, metal, tinware, canvas, and paper mache. It comes in 10 colors in 8 oz. jars and will be available in stores soon.

Step 3

After your paint has dried, you can sand lightly if you want to smooth it out or distress the edges.

No need to seal this paint! (Just another reason I love it. It’s low maintenance.) It dries to a permanent textured finish that looks naturally weathered.

Allow 72 hours for the paint to cure completely, and then style and enjoy!

For more ideas and inspiration, be sure to connect with Plaid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

You can check out the other Plaid Creators’ projects, including Coastal and Fairy Gardens, below.

An InLinkz Link-up

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

• Side Table Makeover with FolkArt Milk Paint
• DIY Large-Scale Abstract Art
• DIY Faux Concrete Planter
• Project Gallery

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

-Erin

The post Easy DIY Painted Serving Tray on a Budget appeared first on Erin Spain.

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