From the serious stuff to the random ruff, we are sniffing out Information, news, humor, and creating recipes for people who love their dogs. Watch for our giveaways too. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss a thing!
A lot of dogs love to burrow under the covers on a chilly day. I know Kirby does so I've been looking for a snuggle sack. I've seen them for fifty dollars and up so I decided to make one myself. Turns out it is so easy!
Read MoreThe Pioneer Woman (love Ree's sense of style and recipes) is always giving away beautiful, colorful painted mixers. With usually 30,000+ entries every time my odds of winning one aren't too good although I'll still keep entering. The other option would be to buy one for $$$$ which I don't have. So the next best thing was to paint mine since she was certainly looking her age with quite a few nicks and scratches. As much as I loved the patterns and designs I saw, I am not an artist so I decided a beautiful pop of color would be enough for me.
My kitchen, dining room, and living room have Mediterranean colors. My kitchen has yellow walls with light sage green cabinets. (I'm still holding out for those gorgeous granite countertops) I chose an orange color.
I went to Lowes to purchase my materials. Epoxy paint or appliance paint is recommended, however, on one website I read where she had used regular spray paint and a good sealer with excellent long term results.
I began taking it apart with lots of pictures as I went along so we could put it back together. I was able to remove everything except the pin holding the planetary gear so Doug came to my rescue. Once you have removed the planetary gear you may want to stop dismantling at this point.
Since Doug is an electrician and I have great confidence in him we continued to take down the mixer.
I thoroughly washed each piece, cleaning out every crevice. I couldn't believe how unsanitary this mixer had become! Dried, old food was in every crack, crevice, and corner of places I could never reach with my normal cleaning. I even found dried food in some of the screws - gross! The four rubber feet were filthy. The more I scrubbed, the rougher they became. I placed an order online for a new set.
Using a 320 grit sandpaper sponge I sanded down everywhere I saw a glossy shine so the new paint would properly adhere. Using a Baggie, masking tape and painters tape I carefully covered any part or area I didn't want the paint to touch.
The next steps had to be done outside so I set up a work area in the backyard. First was the primer. One really good coating on each piece. Then wait for at least one hour. Another coat to cover any missed spots. Another hour to wait.
Time for some color! I applied several light coats throughout the day allowing a good hour in between. Finally I was satisfied I had a really good coating of color. I gave her twenty-four hours for the paint to cure.
Time to add the glossy protective finish. One of the sites recommended baking in the oven to really cure the paint. I decided not to do this since one, I didn't know if the heat would adversely affect the paint color, and two, the idea of blowing up my kitchen, or at the very least destroying my oven, didn't sound like much fun. Again, I gave her twenty-four hours to cure. Then I moved all the pieces inside and removed the tape.
Doug and I slowly put her back together being careful not to scratch or mar any piece. This baby doesn't just snap together so this is where all those pictures came in handy - there are a lot of different size screws! We plugged her in and I panicked because she didn't start. Doug immediately knew what was wrong and adjusted the brushes. Plugged her in again, flipped the switch, and viola, she worked like a charm!
A beautiful Kitchenaid mixer that looks brand new with a fun pop of color. I am even more inspired to cook!
This is not a job for the faint at heart. It is a meticulous, time consuming project. It is, however, well worth the effort! I've seen several sites that carry custom decals specifically made for this appliance. Eventually I should come across one that speaks to me.
Have you painted yours? Are you going to paint yours? I can't wait to see!
Have you discovered Pinterest? I have and it's amazing! It's like having a super organized virtual filing cabinet of all the information you could ever need or want. It's a pay it forward system for the masses. You can find Kirby's boards here.
Photo by Jen from Our DIY Diaries
My favorite store brand smells like lavender which I love so I used the Lavender Blossom scented Purex Crystals. It also comes in Tropical Splash and Fresh Spring Waters.
Once the soap is prepared, pour each of the remaining ingredients into a large container (we used a 5 gallon bucket) and mix with a large spoon until fully blended. After I had placed all of the ingredients in a large bucket with lid, Doug shook it and rolled it around in the yard to mix everything up.
You only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size. The Purex Crystals bottle cap has measurement lines, one being two Tablespoons, and looks great sitting in your laundry room. Just refill from the bucket when it gets low. I filled the empty OxyClean container for Doug since he didn't really care what it looked like.
So is it any good? Yes! I've washed bed sheets, jeans, and some work clothes. Everything comes out clean, soft and smelling fresh. The only thing I would change is use half of the Purex crystals since everything is so soft I have to contend with wrinkles if I don't remove the clothes from the dryer immediately.
Have you made your own using this recipe or another recipe? Tell me your experiences.
Now I must find a great DIY dishwasher detergent! Does anyone know of a great recipe?
CREDIT: Original Recipe created by Jen from Our DIY Diaries posted on How Does She? pinned to Pinterest
I have the Nikon 1J1 camera. It's a cross between a point and shoot camera and a DSLR except it does most of the work for me. It truly is amazing and worth every penney.
I have Photoshop which is still amazingly complicated for me. Lately I find my self doing just about everything on the ViewNX2 software made for my Nikon camera. Just playing around one night I accidentally found a way to take one of Kirby's photo's from real life to a fun drawing.
It's good enough to print out and frame which is exactly what I intend to do. Pretty cool, huh?
Hi, I'm Debby and Kirby is my heart dog, my muse, my loyal companion! Join us as we journey through this thing called life. The Canine Chef Cookbook is our compilation of culinary delights and tips for dog lovers everywhere! Welcome to our little corner of the web!
|
