Filter this!

So a few weeks after we had the vents cleaned (seriously - you have to check out the before pics here) we started hearing this sound.  Like a whistle going off...  Was it the tea pot?  E's office computers?  What the heck was that noise?

IT was the furnace.  Our poor new furnace was gasping for air.  We had had the vents cleaned but it never occurred to use that maybe there would be some residual furry bits that had gotten loose but not sucked out.  And here they were.  All stuck to our filter.

 This filter was not just any old filter - it was our brand new expensive (for us) washable and reusable filter.  I can not remember exactly how much E paid for it at Costco but here is the same version Amazon style - WEB WECO Eco Adjustable Filter .  It is such a great idea in theory but when we saw what was stuck to ours we decided to start fresh...oh, and the other reason behind that was that E broke the frame while removing it in a desperate attempt to save our gasping furnace.  I am not sure how to do chest compressions to a furnace had it's heart stopped but thankfully, due to my hero E and his fast moving hands ripping out that filter, we didn't have to find out.  I will say - if you decide to go the reusable route it would be best to have 2 filters so you can replace one while the other one is getting washed.  We didn't have that luxury so I went out to buy some new cheap-o ones until we could replace the Cadillac of all filters!  PS -  If you decided to leave the house to buy new filters do yourself, and your furnace, a BIG favor and turn it off!  You do not want it working filter-less ESPECIALLY if you had the type of residue we did from our vent cleaning.  

After replacing the filter I decided to check back in on it a week later.  I wanted to see how clean it would be or if there was anymore residue.  I could only assume with how bad the reusable one was (like, seriously caked in fur) that there had to be more...I was right.  Here is a side by side of the 1 week old filter compared to the next replacement filter I was about to put in:

 Pretty gruesome.  After this I changed the filter every other week 2 more times.  The used filters became less and less dusty/dirty and I became more and more satisfied!  This is important stuff people...you may be walking around and not even know your vents look like this:

I'm sorry!  I had to do it - you HAD to know how disgustingly gross these vents were prior to cleaning.  Truly, if you live in a home with a central heating system and haven't cleaned your vents in a few years I urge you to take a few vent covers off and check it out.  To be clear - this isn't the norm when it comes to dirty vents.  I am not proud to say ours were especially dirty...and to be fair to us, this is not OUR dirt and junk - we bought the place like this but we were foolish enough to live here for almost a full year with it like this completely unbeknown to us.  Don't be foolish!

Oh - and if you are a rookie and have never replaced a filter before it is SUPER simple - just look for the arrow on the filters edge and place it in the direction of the air flow...

Presto Chang-o!  Moral of the story here - check you filters, clean your vents, and brush you teeth.  OK - the last one I just threw in for good measure.  But seriously, folks.  A heating/AC system is extremely expensive to replace - save yourself a few thousand dollars in repair fees and replacement fees by taking care of the unit that you have.  Put a reminder on your calendar to change your filters.  While you are at it - test your smoke detectors too!


Linking up with Centsational Girl!!  Please stop in here for other fab Spring Cleaning ideas!!

Who else had their vents cleaned?  Have any information to share or advice for everyone?  Please feel free to leave a comment to share!  

Bianca Sears vent cleaning, how to change a filter, WEB WECO Eco Adjustable Filter, reusable air f

Cheap-o Draft Fix!

When we first moved into our house I decided to rip off the ugly metal storm door that, to me, looked like the equivalent of braces on our little brick ranch.  Forget the braces, dude - this is 2011!  I wanted veneers for my baby.  The only thing is I didn't quite realize how long it would be until I got around to replacing the storm door.  Oh, and E was not happy. 

I had to come up with a cheap solution to make up for my hastiness...in hindsight I shouldn't have taken off the door without having a replacement ready.  Oops...  It was soon summer and we were going through construction.  Then came fall and the temperatures started to drop.  Still no storm door.  Ugghhhh...

Then I stumbled across these bad boys:

Thermwell Draft Stopper!  To be honest, they are no good on their own.  You can butt them up to the door and keep a draft out...but what about when you leave through that same door?  Unless someone is there to put it back from the inside then the draft is still getting in your house...bad for energy costs whether it is heat or AC weather!  Be GREEN, peeps!

My super simple fix was my trusty staple gun - the Arrow Fastener 5650 Easy Shot Stapler which you can also see in action with my sweet little chair here!  See where I am going with this??  I took to my draft door and stapled the draft stopper directly to the door.  Simple, right?  It worked like a charm.  Now when we open and close the door the draft stopper stays right where it should - on the door!  If I ever have to remove it I just pull out the staples and have a few tiny little holes to patch up.  Side Note - Please ignore the yet to be painted door and the yet to be replaced rug!

Here is the door all gussied up with my new draft stopper...

Was it a permanent fix, not really, but it was a cheap-o fix until we get the new storm door (update - since I wrote this we got the new storm door...you can see a peek of it in the after picture!).  In fact, even though we still have a storm door on the back entrance I installed one of these bad boys anyway!  It's icy cold outside -why not keep in some heat?  Booyah!  To take things a bit further I would suggest making a pretty cover or something for it...brown felt is not exactly jaw droppingly gorgeous but for now it works for us.  


What super simple cheap-o fixes have you come up with?  Feel free to leave a comment and even a link to your blog post so we can all share in your frugalicious fix! 

Bianca Thermwell Draft stop modification, door draft, stop door drafts, energy savings, be green, arrow fastener staple gun, easy shot stapler

A Work of Labor for my Labor

Welcome welcome welcome...

First off a special THANK YOU to Lisa for featuring my blog on Informal Home today.  If you have a moment please stop in and see her beautiful home, creative projects, and witty sense of humor!  

Driver Testing out the Newly Placed Daybed!

It has been a long week and weekend and we are positively pooped! 

Though my office isn't exactly complete, I felt the need to show the progress I have made thus far.  Here is a few before shots to show the sad, sad, and very desperate state my office was in:

My office had become a sort of catch-all for all things construction...Hello Dremel case and power drill!   I put my fabric covered shelf up (more on that here), cleared out some clutter, and my office began to take shape:

Better...but not exactly what I was looking for...off to Google I went.  I started searching the internet for inspiration and came across many fabulous ideas but none more appealing to my eye than this image from Martha Stewart Online.  The photo was taken from a house tour of famed photographer William Abranowicz's home...this is actually his wife Andrea's office:

With a $500 budget and no time to spare (I REALLY needed this thing done!) I set out to accomplish my dream office.  After much debate I realized the corner option wouldn't work for me...see my battle with that dilemma here and here.  I wanted to create a really nice workspace but I also needed to be able to share that space with some kind of sleeping or lounging area.  In comes the daybed.  I could have purchased something new...a settee or a mini couch to fit the space but ya'll know I wasn't going to be spending any more than the allotted amount for this project.  I picked this daybed up a few months ago (Craigslist find!!) and knew I had to incorporate it somehow.  After much deliberation (also shown in those past posts) I decided to forgo the hacking of the daybed (to make it more narrow) and went with the full twin size daybed and the straight office desk...there is no reason why these two can't get along and live happily ever after!

Here is the West Elm Daybed with all the cheap-o Ikea and Walmart pillows I bought (more on that here) ...that green polka dotted one is dying for a slipcover!!

 And here is the office side :

 And here they are together as one...

Overall the space turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself!   I left a long portion of desk with nothing above it so I could put some kind of pegboard, decorations, mirrors, or open shelving later.  Time to get the old sewing machine out!!  I still need some trim and eventually we plan to mount my new computer monitor to the wall which would free up some desk space.

The desk and cabinets have yet to be secured to the wall as we finish up some last minute details but, don't worry, they are pretty stable right now!   The plan is to push the cabinets all the way back so the ledge will stick out far enough for me to use the entire length as a workspace.  Leaving the desk as it is now means I cant get my legs under the top except for the desk portion and you know that won't work for me when I am trying to utilize as much square footage as possible!  Here is the side view to see how it is now compared to what I am thinking for the future:

Plan of action?  Switch out the cabinet feet for a more decorative set (no need for a toe kick now), screw a 2x4 the length of the desk, screw the cabinets into the 2x4, put the counter top over 2x4 and the cabinets and screw cabinets to the counter top.  OK - it may sound like a lot but it should only take about 15 minutes once we get the 2x4 and the new feet.  Once the cabinets are back and secure, the counter top will hang 6.5 inches over the cabinets which is plenty of room for my knees and feet (my feet can go even further under the cabinets). 

Here is a side by side of my office and my inspiration pic:

I could definitely use some more accessories and perhaps a plant or two...those will come in time.  Stay tuned for the mini terrarium I plan to make - I already have THE perfect base for it!  

Here is a budget breakdown:

• AKURUM cabinets, shelves, suspension rail, feet, APPLAD doors, PRAGEL counter top, and door dampers from IKEA - $327.39
• West Elm Daybed, sheets, and coverlet- FREE!   I doubled over a queen size coverlet we weren't using...
• Ikea Pillows for Daybed (ALL in As-Is section for $5 a pop!) - $27.38
• Walmart body pillow for the daybed (sooo needs a cover!) - $10.95
• Wood screws for Ikea suspension rail - $6.55 (I got a big box so we have PLENTY left!

Grand Total - $ 372.27!!

Well, that total certainly settles the score!  I have PLENTY of $$ to paint this room AND get a few (more cohesive) accessories! 

So what do you guys think?  Did I do the inspiration pic justice so far?  Feel free to leave a comment and also let me know what you have been working on...

Bianca

PS - I am linking up to many fabulous linky parties - please take a minute to check them out here...so much inspiration every single week!!!

PSS - Thanks, again, Lisa!!

"Goods" Time Weekend

This week was a big yahoo for gettin' me some goods!  Lots of cheap and FREE goods!!  Here is my weekend rundown...

Last Saturday morning, super early morning, I was presented with a fabulous gift from Craig and his list ...the chance at 2 brass lamps and 2 picture frames (only one of which I liked) in the FREE section and better yet - all by the same owner!  One stop shopping!!  I immediately emailed hoping to hear back right away...I didn't.  It was many hours later during my perusing of the Ikea As Is section that I finally got the email.  The lamps and frames were mine if I wanted!  After a few emails back and forth I was granted a Craigslist MIRACLE!!!  The lady would hold them for me until the next day - almost unheard of in Craig's Land.

After Ikea I headed over to Marshall's to check out some accessories and maybe bedding for the office.  No dice on the bedding but a heck yeah for the accessories.  I found a bunch of things I could use and some I really really liked but, in true me fashion, I gathered them all up and then put them all back...sometimes I just can't quite commit!  One thing I did commit to was a bell.  That's right, a bell.  Not just any old bell - a ship bell.  I have no idea what drew me to this bell or why I have the sudden yearning to play ship mate but I know that it was the one thing I could not put down...even at $14.99 - such a splurge for me!  Here it is in all its glory:

Walmart helped me a bit in the bedding department with this giant body pillow for 10 bucks.  The polka dots ain't really my thing - I feel a slip cover coming on!

Of course, with all this going on last Sunday was a complete blur.  I woke at 5am to get the house in order for the Oscars Showdown party and be able to make it for my CL pick up by noon..  I cleaned and cleaned and then took a break from cleaning to begin cooking.  Spanikopita, carrot cake and a cream cheese dip were all cranked out in no time.  E woke around 9am to help me finish cleaning.  By 10:30 am I was ready for a nap but E was ready to break out the circular saw for my office counter top - check that project out here.  It took me all of 5 minutes to decide he was right...damn him and his sudden blast of DIY energy.  We grabbed the counter top from the car and struggled our way to the living room for the big cut down.  By 11:15 we were done and cleaning...again.  I ran out the door at 11:30 to pick up my new set of lamps and picture frame...feast your eyes on these bad boys:

FREE!!!  FREEE!!!  FREEEE!!!  They may be brass but they are in perfect condition and screaming for some spray paint!!  The frame could use a coat or 2 as well...it smells a bit smokey and musty...   I am so excited!  I actually checked out some lamps today at Target and the same shape and size were around $30...granted they had shades but I plan to find some shades soon that are more to my liking then the ones that came with these.  They were dark blue, dusty, and really stinky.  I tossed those out immediately - smell ya later old shades!

Yesterday I found some great pillows at Ikea ranging in price from $1-$5 in the As Is section.  SCORE!!!  Who doesn't need a few extra throw pillows...14 in my case!  This is just what the doctor ordered for my otherwise bare daybed...

What did you guys find this weekend?  Any good freebies or cheap-o stuff you'd like to share?  Feel free to leave a comment or link below!!

Bianca  Walmart body pillow, craigslist free section, brass lamps cheap, ikea as is section, target lamp shades

Puppy Love

It has been a busy 2 days for us on Walnut Avenue.  Though I haven't had time to do much housework my reasons are so much bigger than trying to find the time to trim out my cabinets.  Let me introduce you to another part of us...

I have ALWAYS loved animals - especially dogs. I have volunteered at 3 different shelters over the years and taken home many a wandering pup in an effort to find their owner - so far I have managed to reunite them all.  This September I took my love of pups another step further when we became foster parents to two 4 week old lab puppies, Bonnie and Clyde. Though they were only with us for two weeks, it was an amazing (and exhausting) experience and we enjoyed every minute of it.  Come November we took in a 6 week old pit bull named Itti for six weeks. As soon as I saw her I fell in love with her beautiful white face and big black lips...she was gorgeous. By the time Itti left us she could sit, stay, give paw, and was potty trained.  We loved her immensely and had a VERY VERY hard time giving her up. I went so far as to tell E we would not foster again for a long time... Monday that all changed.  Enter Driver.

With the weather getting better and the office nearly done I thought I could add a little more to my plate and some more love in our house.

Driver is a 5 month old German Shepard. He is sweet and gentle and has no idea what "No pee pee in the house" means. I picked him up from the shelter yesterday and he has been at my feet ever since. Driver is my shadow and, even as I write this, he wants nothing else in the world than to be as close to me as possible which means he is currently sitting in my lap. 

From all of this fostering we have learned a lot.  As newlyweds we have learned each others parenting styles and the rolls we might play.  E likes to take them outside and rough house (big surprise) but he also likes to hold them at night while they sleep.  I like to nurture and sooth them, bath them, and pick up after them when they have their little accidents (not the most glamorous but it is all part of the process).  We both teach them how to behave - constantly repeating commands and praising their efforts.

Clyde

Bubba has learned to "mother" in a way she would never have had the chance to.  Whether it be licking their coats or nipping the pups when they play too rough...she is our partner in temporarily raising these pups.  E and I are there to teach them the way of the people and Bubba is there to teach them the way of the dog.  These puppies have come to us having been abandoned or from the streets and have no clue what it is like to be inside a house and not in a cage.  They don't know how to sit or stay or not to jump and bite.  That is what we are here for - to teach them the ways of the world for their new forever home. 

Itti and Bubba

Fostering is by no means easy-it means many sleepless nights while they are adapting to their new environment and new way of living.  It means reaching a higher level of patience that you didn't know you had when they accidentally poop the crate for the second time in one day (thankfully that only happened to me once with a very sick Bonnie).  It means having to give them up at the end of the session and never knowing what their life turned out to be like, if the things you taught them lasted, or if you saw them on the sidewalk one day if they would remember you or not.  It is hard - very hard - and a mostly thankless thing to do but overall it is what you do for yourself to know that you made a difference...even if it was just for a little while. 

I felt it important to share this part of our life with you all.  I also want to thank all of the people who have it in their hearts to foster and/or to adopt - whether it be an animal or a child.  There is no greater love than the love that you CHOOSE to have in your life.  Nothing and nobody in life is perfect but giving a child or an animal a chance at a real life, a full life, is the biggest gift you can give.  Thank you to all of the great hearts out there. 


Bianca


PS - I hope to be able to post in the next few days but my schedule is now wrapped around a puppy who coincidentally is wrapped around my legs!!

Countertop Cut Down

When deciding on a counter top for my office I decided to go white.  It seems, from my inspiration photo (more on that here and here), it was the only logical way to go.  Clean, crisp, and thanks to Ikea, CHEAP!!  I bought a 96inch wide by 24 inch deep PRAGEL counter top for $69 smackaroos.  This baby weighs about a 100 lbs and is a hefty 1 1/2 inches think.  Solid.  Very Solid.

E and I decided, instead of having someone zip it up on a table saw, that we would use our little circular Ryobi circular saw and zip it up ourselves.  After some careful marking and taping we were ready to go.  Note - if you are going to cut anything that requires a nice edge you ALWAYS want to tape first!  It helps to keep the ends from splintering and chipping...  Here I am marking the correct depth all the way down the counter and then using a level to draw the line.  We then taped right over the line.  Since we used painters tape we could see the line right through hence no need to go over with another line...a bit too redundant for my lazy arse. 

Once the tape is secure, you have donned your most fashionable eye protectors, and you have said a few :"I hope I can keep this saw straight" type prayers, take one last deep breath.  REALLY - take a last deep breath because if you aren't wearing a face mask, like us, you wont want to be breathing the dust and crap once you begin to saw.  Funny enough, neither one of us thought to use a mask until AFTER we were done cutting...at least we had goggles on which is a big plus as THIS CAN NOT BE DONE WITHOUT GOGGLES OR SOME KIND OF EYE PROTECTORS.  OK OK - you know I never scold about safety type things but, really, this is a must.  Alright - ladies and gents - start your engines saw.

Slippers?  Really, E?

Here is a little tip for you - when making a long cut like this it is very helpful to be able to see what the heck you are doing.  Since there was 2 of us, E was in charge of the circular saw (you know I don't have the patience to go slow as is needed for this type of cut) and I was in charge of vacuuming as we went.  I kept the vacuum nozzle at the base of the saw and followed along with him so the sawdust would be picked up as he went which kept his line clear of debris.  The other thing you could do is blow as you go but it make a big ole' mess and we had guests coming in a few hours!! 

The cutting time took about 10 minutes - E was going slow, R E A L L Y slow.  This was such a beast for our Ryobi that we even had to switch out the  battery 3/4 of the way through - I can assure you it started as a fully charged battery.  Once we were done, and ripped off the tape, the table turned out really nice and square...also 1/2 inch deeper than I had planned due to my idiotic measurement but that won't matter much. 

Remember when I said taping helps avoid splintering...the key work is HELPS but it does not avoid splintering and chipping all together as see here...

That was the worst of the chipping which is only about an inch wide and a 1/4 inch deep.  Since the office walls are a bit curved I plan to do some sort of edging so no one will be the wiser...except you guys, I guess!!  Don't tell anyone else..promise?  The whole thing was way more simple that what I was imagining while standing in the Ikea kitchen showroom weighing my options.  I figured I could always get something cut for us or use an old door for the top...but then I would have had to sand and paint and try to make it perfect.  Instead, this worked out great and is exactly the look I was going for.  Super simple, inexpensive, and took only minutes to do!!  My kind of project!

 Anyone else working on a Office upgrade right now?  Feel like sharing??  Leave a comment below with a link so we can all check it out!   I love to see other peoples ideas and inspirations.

I'm off to get some bedding for the day bed!!

Bianca AKURUM Ikea cabinets, white office, abranowicz office, martha stewart online, PRAGEL countertops, google, walnut avenue blog, best diy blogs, nate berkus, young house love, centsational girl, bianca divalerio,Ryobi circular saw, saw dust, cutting a countertop, cheap countertops, ikea

Dremel, How I ♥ Thee, Let Me Count the Ways...

This weekend was a busy one as we prepared for the Oscars Showdown party while still trying to get this office in shape.  Though the office is not quite finished yet it would be much further behind had it not been for my trusty new friend, Dremel Multi-Max.  I have to give props to Dremel as he came to the rescue several times this weekend which has since earned him the MVP MVT (Most Valuable Tool, get it?) award this week.  Here is his profile pic as well as the big plays of the weekend  in slow mo'...

 

1.  Trimming the suspension rail.  For those who followed my last post on hanging the Ikea AKURUM wall cabinets (check it out here!) you may have noticed the suspension rail was too long.  My goal was to hit as many studs as possible, especially on the end of the line of cabinets, but since this turned out to be a furring strip instead of a stud I pushed the cabinets back towards the corner leaving me with this 3 inch wide strip of rail that had to be cut.  Being so close to the ceiling this angle made it near impossible to use a hack saw...believe me, I tried.  I then thought of the Dremel I bought for our vent project (more on that here) - the perfect solution to might tight spaced problem.  I first marked where the cabinet ended, had E help me take off said cabinet, then went to town cutting away...

It took a while to cut through the heavy duty metal (and a little bit of the drywall, oops!) but I got er' done.

Dremel-1 / Suspension Rail - 0

2.  Cutting the feet off AKURUM cabinet legs.  Since I decided to use 12 inch deep wall cabinets instead of 24 inch deep base cabinets the holes that would normally be on the base cabinet were absent from the frame of the wall cabinet...in short - the legs would not fit properly.

Dremel the rescue once again...sorry for the missing action shot.  I could have sworn I took one but with all the feet chopping going on it  suppose it IS possible that I forgot!  Once the plastic feet were level I was able to screw them into the wall cabinet...now official base cabinet. 

Dremel - 1 / AKURUM legs - 0

3.  The last project involves cutting the extra long bolts sticking out of the toilet base (totally unrelated project but necessary none the less) to a shorter more acceptable version that can be easily covered with a cap...picture on that coming soon as my camera (and the picture disk) went missing while I was cleaning for the party! 

Regardless - Dremel-1 / Toilet Bolts-0

Add it up, folks!  Dremel -3 / Household Nuisances - 0.  A good weekend indeed.  Tomorrow I am excited to show off my exciting Craigslist FREEBIES as well as a few cheapo Ikea and Marshall finds for accessorizing my new office!  Stay tuned for the big reveal later this week!!  What were you guys up to??  Feel free to leave a comment or link to your latest and greatest!!

BiancaIkea Akurum, use wall cabinets as base cabinets, AKURUM cabinets for office, Dremel MultiMax
how to shorten toilet bolts, best diy blog, walnut avenue, 1950's brick ranch

Office Decisions Have Been MADE!!!

E told me yesterday that I should not write posts when I am being indecisive as it tells my readers I have no idea what I am doing...That is the point, isn't it??  For those of you who have been following me (or have read the disclaimer at the bottom of this blog) I think you already know that I am not always perfect.  It is rare to see my imperfections, I know, but they are there...E can assure you!  For those new to my blog or for the rest who may have just "forgotten" - here is a few not so perfect ideas and plans that went south...

How NOT to pick a bedroom wall color
What fabric NOT to pick when making Super Simple window treatments
Waiting to clean your vents until a year after you'ved moved in...big NOT!!
Which items you SHOULD NOT get from Craigslist even if they are FREE!
How NOT to make a floating shelf and, better yet, how NOT to hang it

So, you see, I am always willing to share my DIY imperfections...I am only human after all.  I do not feel my last 2 posts on my office psychodrama between me, the new desk/shelving, and a daybed are not really negative and showing my indecisiveness but rather they are positive in that I will not do the whole thing and then regret certain decisions later. 

Due to my planning and over-planning THINGS ARE LOOKING UP...41 inches up to be exact!  Yesterday we left off with my office looking a little something like this:

This morning I decided to nix that and go back to the other side...though I would have been able to keep the daybed in one piece the space felt really small when you walked in from the kitchen PLUS I wasn't gaining much space to work on.  Here is today's events as they unfolded:

Removed shelf I just hung earlier this week...arrgghhh

Taped out the wall cabinets...

Taping the layout would have been helpful in the beginning before arranging and rearranging a thousand times all while scratching up our newly sanded and stained floors (seen here)...hind sight, peeps!  Once I got the tape up I knew I finally got it right.  Time to hang the cabinets...

For those of you who have no Ikea kitchen cab hanging experience and would like to give it a whirl but may be a little too shy to break out the ye ole' screwdriver...fear not!  This is how it's done, folks!

1.  If you are working alone I suggest you eat first in case you are frail like me.  More on that below.

2.  Ikea AKURUM cabinets are hung from a suspension rail.  A long metal rail that looks a little something like the photo to the left.  You will need to find your studs and mark them...don't get cheeky on me...I mean wall studs!!  Mine are actually marked in the photo above - it just so happened each vertical green tape marked a stud.  No need for you to tape up your whole wall - just put an x or a small piece of tape over the stud area.

3.  Level your suspension rail.  If you are hanging the rail by yourself you may need some help keeping it in place while you wrestle with the screwdriver and screws.  Here is a little trickypoo... Put the rail in place and hammer a small nail in one of the holes to hold it up - no need to nail it flush or hit a stud.  The picture is actually a giant nail but I was too lazy to find another...don't be lazy.  Now level from the other side (one side is being held up by your nail!) and put another small nail in. Voila' - you are ready to screw into the studs.

6.  Screw into every stud that your cabinet length has.  Prior to this I actually put a few anchors and screws in the hollow wall parts just to be on the safe side - my last cabinet had about 10 inches without a stud on the end so I want to be extra safe.  For the studs I used #10 2 inch wood screws.  I am sure there are many other options out there but these seemed to work fine...2 hours and still hanging!

SIDE NOTE - it turns out I am weak...very weak.  I still contend, as I did on the bracket hanging fiasco, that I had not eaten and perhaps was in a hypoglycemic hysteria but eventually one has to come to grips with there own Bull****.  For the life of me I could not get the screw into the stud.  I kept pushing and pushing and it would not budge.  I was pushing so hard on my electric screwdriver that the ladder started to tip from the wall.  This is when I figured out I am just not strong enough to do such simple things as screw something into a stud while on a ladder.  I then called, text, and emailed every man in my life to see who would come to my rescue first.  Enter Jim, my step-dad.  Thank goodness for Jim!!  Back to business...

7.  Now insert the bolts into the square metal thing and slide 2 into the suspension rail to hang your first cabinet.  This is the time to grab a friend if you need help lifting.  If you are crafty you can stack some things up to the correct height and put the cabinet on top to truly DIY but that is some risky behavior meant only for such people as MacGyver and Indiana Jones.  Don't ask me how I know this - I just do.  Today I was thankful to have Mom and Jim there to help me.

8.  Before lifting the cabinet up, measure the space between the holes on the back of the cabinet and pre space your bolts (already in the suspension rail) at about the same distance -this will make it easier once someone is holding the cabinet below and you are trying to fumble with the nut and washer thingy.  Now lift it up and get the bolts through the holes, put the washer thingy on and then screw on the nut.  Don't worry about getting it tight and level just yet. 

Now - stand back and admire your handy work!!  If you are putting more than one cabinet on keep workin' it till you are done.  Then start at the end nearest the wall and get the cabinet level then tighten the nuts.  There are simple directions on leveling that come with the cabs.  Go to the next and do the same all the way down the line.  Make sure to secure the cabinets to one another with the connectors that come with it. 

So simple!!  We had these up and hung in about 10 minutes...4 hours if you count the time I tried to do the studs myself to the time Jim got there and we actually got it done.  Not bad for a day's work!  

Here is a sneak peek at What's Happening Now (unfortunately I just got that theme song stuck in my head!!  Don't remember it?  Check it out here...)

Simply put - we have progress.  I am looking forward to loading up those shelves and to start enjoying the space soon!  My inspiration photo will soon be a thing of the past as the whole office is starting to take shape.  I can not wait to see what I get accomplished by the end of the weekend.  Monday is fast approaching!

Anyone else working on a big project this weekend?  If you feel like sharing please leave a comment with what you are up to or a link to your project!!

As always -thanks for reading!!

Bianca