Notable Things | Reality Check, Plant Watering Advice, Luxury Slipcovers, Print Shop, How To Save A Candle, & More!

Last week I started refinishing a $50 FB marketplace dresser that I bought for our bedroom and although it wasn’t necessarily what I had initially envisioned, I thought I could make this one work. The goal was to make it look and feel like an authentically old, primitive, “cabin appropriate” dresser. Imperfections are welcome…encouraged actually…and I envisioned a medium to dark stain that highlighted it’s “age”! New hardware, simplified legs, and cleaner lines were also on my list of to do’s. (P.S. I’ve been following all the steps I outlined in my “How to Stain & Refinish Furniture” post.)

Sometimes when I do projects like this, I record the whole process ahead of time and share all the videos at once. But this time I’ve been sharing it in real time on Instagram and I had no idea this would have such a positive response from you guys! With all the fast paced projects we see online and on TV, you guys reassured me that realistic timelines and “in the moment” progress reports are refreshing to see. And when my plan fell apart because the wood just wouldn’t accept stain the way I wanted it to, you reminded me that showing the failures in real time is just as encouraging to see. I suppose you’re right…Instagram DIY’s could use more realty checks and relatability…happy to provide that for everyone at my own expense! 🙂 All that to say, I’m still chugging away at the dresser and I’ve got one more idea up my sleeve before I sell it and move on with a different dresser. Feel free to watch that hot mess in real time here!

• The #1 question I asked myself when my plants started to look like they were dying was – “Am I over-watering or under-watering my plants?” Green Shoots Farm + Garden is a plant genius and she answered it so simply that I might actually remember it – “If the plant is turning brown from the inside out (starting at the base/roots of the plant), it’s overwatered. If the plant is turning brown from the outside edges in (and feels crispy), it’s under-watered.” I think this just saved my garden beds!

• ALSO! Apparently softened water is bad for your plants…all that added salt tricks your plants into thinking they’ve gotten more water than they have and your plants can die from dehydration…even if you water them everyday. That explains a lot.

• This is the most mesmerizing stop motion animation I’ve ever seen and everything is made of WOOL! My mind is actually blown!!

• Shoutout to @bradytolbert for sharing the good good news on how to save a candle that won’t burn evenly. I’m sure you already know this, but a good rule of thumb is to leave the candle burning until the whole top layer of wax has melted so it continues to burn evenly. But sometimes the outer edge just refuses to melt and when this happens you can wrap your candle in tinfoil while it burns. I tried it and it works! This helps the wax melt along the perimeter so you can start with a clean slate next time you light it up. Thanks Brady for the tip!

• I was influenced to buy this and I have no regrets.

• Have you heard of Bemz?! They sell luxury custom slipcovers (at really reasonable prices) for Ikea sofas and chairs and I’ve never been more excited to discover a company! You would NEVER know that @jultompa’s sofa above is from Ikea….that linen slipcover from Benz is a game changer!!

• The cutest nursery design and transformation I’ve ever seen…and I’ve seen a lot.

• Wondering where you can print your digital art? @laineandlayne shared a great resource called Mpix.com. They sell Giclee prints (which is a high quality print process for art) and printed canvas which is great for digital paintings that show a lot of texture! I’ve got two prints on the way!!