.: April 2017

Oh My Gosh... my dream for a She Shed came true.. I so love it.. It is a kit from www.cottagekits.com we chose the 8x12 greenhouse (under specialty buildings).The kit was well packaged. It all went together so smooth, and we only had two little things that didn't fit right. The wood trim on the eaves was cut to short, luckily they had used some scrap wood trim for packing, so Don patched the areas. You can't tell it, he is THAT good. And the metal trim on the peak was not cut right, but a few quick measurements and that was fixed.The company is so easy to work with. We hope to be able to use it as a sun room in the winter.. We love southern Florida for winter, but my allergies are too bad to stay there 2 months.. so hope we can get some reading and relaxing done in the winter here at the lake. I think she will be usable in the spring and early summer,like a screened sleeping porch, especially in the early mornings and late evenings, with a breeze coming off the lake.So many windows that let in a breeze. We also caulked all the windows and trim, door, etc.and added weather striping to the door. Since we plan to use it for a winter space, and we insulated it too.. We totally chose a beachy theme in colors we love that we see on some of the homes in Florida, and the decor we see. So lets begin the journey of Lil' Pinks beginning.
She is a kit, that was shipped from Ohio on a huge pallet. Too large to use the lift gate service of the truck. So my husband, me and the driver, hand unloaded the pieces.in 30 minutes!. The 12 ft. walls came in two sections, windows already in, the end pieces were each one piece with the door in place, and windows in place.The gable part of each end was separate, then there were many purlins and truss pieces. All the screws and hardware were included, YES the side pieces with the windows were heavy..but my husband and I are both 62, and the delivery driver was in his 50s.he was able to back right up to our garage...I was a little leary thinking I wouldn't be much help, I personaly would have a couple extra men help, but we live pretty isolated, and no one was handy. We chose not to buy the floor kit, my husband made ours with sanded plywood, a little thicker than their kit, but he built the floor like a deck, post in the ground, and stringers..then laid the plywood. You just have to make sure the floor is 8x12 for this kit.We laid the truss wood over one end pieces to use as a pattern, and quickly made all the trusses. Their instructions are very good.. The next day a neighbor in his 60;s came to help assemble.Oh how thankful we are to Chuck McGowan for helping us. His hard labor and brute strength got us thru this.. Don is strong too, but I am not, so I was not as much help. But I tried as hard as I could to help move and lift pieces.. We laid the heavy pieces over the truck rails of our pick up and drove them to the site in the yard.. OH so much less work.. backed up to the floor site, and walked the pieces in place..The sides went up fast, then they kept at it and we had Sides and trusses up by the end of the day..the next day the guys did the poly roof, and trim. Then I got to start priming and painting.. PINK of course and lots of trim paint.. MOST of the outside was primed..none of the inside was primed. We decided we wanted to insulate it, in hopes it would give us more use in winter. To make walls we used 5" cedar fence pickets. I sanded them, primed , then painted in chalk paint, and then sanded paint off in places to look weathered.. Don cut more pickets to use above and below the windows.. and we nail gunned them up in a random pattern..LOVE it..better than I expected.. I had thought of doing old shutters in all colors..but after a day of hitting junk stores..they wanted too much for them. This is better I think.I painted the floor, and did a pearl white metallic glaze on top. Let it cure a few days..and moved in the twin bed, got it online at Walmart. The mattress is super comfy, and it came from Wayfair , bed in a box, all compressed down,and open it up..and the memory foam fluffs up. The sheets have mermaids on them ! ( I found them at Ross) The quilt I got from Steinmart. The rug came from Ross also. The barrel wicker chairs, swivel and they came from TJMAX. super comfy..and we had room for 2. The pink trunk, I have had since 1970. It had been in a fire, and my Dad brought it to me thinking I might want it for a Hope Chest.. YES.. it worked great.. I had to clean it out and scrub it and de-smoke it..for years it was white with some gold trim..after I no longer needed a hope chest, I used it to store off season clothes..then a few years ago it was used to hold firewood, and I decoupaged old maps and painted it again.. The new life it has is for a coffee table.. stripped off all the old decoupage, new paint and stencils..Love it..I can never get rid of it.. My Dad was so thoughtful to think I might want it.The mermaid hanging on the dutch door is so cute.. I saw some in Florida and it took all I had in me from cutting the ropes off one and yanking it off a boat..But Don found her on Amazon.. Then we found one styrofoam crab trap bouy floating in the canal in FLorida and he bought more to go with them, and I painted them all bright and happy colors. Several different panels of curtains for a little privacy on busy weekends at the lake.. a few signs I had to have for the mermaid feel, some I already had..And of course she needed pink pearls. Found the retro style fan to help with a breeze...The blue and white anchor I have had for ever and fresh paint and some rope...done.. My bucket of shovels..I collect them each fall at the beach, I find them and keep them.. NO I do not yank them out of the kiddos hands... I wait till everyone has picked up for the day..and comb the beach. I knew from day one she had to have a chandelier... and love the glow it puts out. I already had the shutters for the window on the dutch door,I will have to find two more to replace the spot that I took these from in my hose... We put a little handle on the dutch door so I can just reach out and swing it open or shut. On the outside, the metal scroll pieces came from Hobby Lobby and I spray painted them, also the one in the center of the door as well.. I painted some 12x12 pavers to have a little spot for the two metal chairs.. We found them in a ditch all covered with brush and dirt and rust, I cleaned them up and primed, and painted them, then I used the new mod podge that is suppose to be waterproof and tolerate the dishwasher on top rack..so surely it can take some rain and hot sun..right?? I decoupaged napkins on the wood seats, Don had to cut wood rounds, since none had any seats..I used the stripe part of the napkin on the metal edge..and the floral part for seats.. I had a 3rd chair that the seat was all bent up, so we made it into a succulent planter.. The little life ring with Lil' Pink stenciled on it and decoupaged on, I had it already too.. and redid it..I sure hope this decoupage lasts like it says..time will tell..and spring rains...She needed party lights on the eaves to stand out in the night.. I am sure there will be more additions to Lil' Pink... but it is time to enjoy some spring days in her.. and relax.. I had no idea 96 sq. ft could take so much time painting and decorating.. We started March 16th and here it is April 23.. But there were days we did nothing but go shopping for pretties for her.. and to gather the idea to do the inside walls. etc..and trips for more primer and paint. So come on in, stretch out on the comfy bed and watch the sunset.. take a nap, read a book.. That is where you will find me. Being it is suppose to be a green house..it has the opaque roof, so it will get hot when the sun shines in the heat of the day..so summer time she will be used in early morning or evening..or we would cook in there I am afraid.. BUT lots of windows that open, with screens to keep the bugs out..it makes the perfect "sleeping porch". I remember my childhood, on vacation sleeping on my aunts screened porch with my sister and cousin.. SO thanks to my fabulous husband for building me the She Shed of my dreams... He is the best !!!

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