MANUAL LABOR INTENSIVE!

See the green anole? 

 He is the only native lizard in No. America. 

 He is often called a chameleon because he can 'tint' to his environment but he is not a true chameleon. 

 We love to spot these guys!

So yesterday I asked for Bill's help in finding some of his reclaimed lumber to make a floating shelf.  I watched a YouTube video  several times and was ready to give it a go myself!  

He cut several boards to size for me and I began the job of sanding the 'aged' color off so I could stain it a light oak color.  Here it is being held together with clamps so I could then put in finishing nails!

For this floating shelf, you build the outer shell to size which will then fit over the 'framing' that is first attached to the wall with bolts.

I cut all of the inner pieces making them just 1/8" smaller than the inside of the outer shelf so I would have wiggle room to slide it over the frame when it is installed on the wall-

The inner frame is all glued and clamped and just waiting for me to screw it together when I wake up another day!  

My body was worn out with all of the lifting, 

cutting, sanding and nailing!

And I closed out the day with the rest of the skein of the print on one side and ivory on the inside for this beanie.  

Today, I am going to visit my youngest son after church because it is his birthday!  

 

It Took Too Long!

Yesterday, I decided to hang the two shelves I had cut and painted months ago.  I wanted to mount them on the wall in a manner called 'floating' shelves and watched YouTube to learn.  I did learn one thing--that it sure goes more quickly on a short video than it does in real life!  Everything went wrong and I made a lot of rookie mistakes.  

After several, uh, challenges,  I did try a method that kept the shelf on the wall so that I could put a few items actually on the shelf when I finished!

I used mollies and dowels as my method of hanging. 

 It did work out.  

but it was hard work to go up and down the ladder 20 kabillion times because I dropped every screw I tried to pick up!  I had to paint the replacement piece of wood so I covered the wall with paper and tape--it worked.

And 5 hours later, I had the shelf pretties arranged

 and declared it good!

Now it is a pleasant space over the doorway!

I did work outside, carrying in the things we had removed 

from the pool area so we could do the painting.  

This will be a good place to sit and relax!

There were 6 of the irises in bloom!  So pretty.

 And last night, I cast on a new summer sweater !  This yarn is cursed so I hope it will work for the sleeveless Summer Tee pattern by Berroco called Phillipa.