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multishipperlove · 5 years ago

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series), Cinderbrush (Web Video) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cameron Solomon/Aff Flowers Characters: Cameron Solomon, Aff Flowers Additional Tags: hints at eventual Cameron/Aff/Jamie/Sasha, Chest Binder, Nonbinary Character Summary:

Aff gets a surprise visit from Cameron, and a gift they weren't expecting.

Aff was lying on their bed, desperately trying to make sense of the paragraph in front of them and resisting the urge to throw their book against the wall. The Castle of Otranto was without a doubt one of the shittier books their English teacher had put in front of them so far, and while reading it hadn't been all that bad, having to analyse and make sense of any of it was hell.

Still, they couldn't afford to put another hole through the wall, if for nothing else than sparing their father the added stress. So they closed their eyes again, pushed the book away, and tried counting backwards.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seve-

Their concentration was broken by a sound outside the window. Like something had just hit the glass. With a frown they opened their eyes again and looked towards it, but there wasn't anything visible which could have caused it. No damage to the window either.

But as soon as they turned their head away, the sound came again. And then another time, and Aff could see a small pebble flying up, hitting the glass and making that noise once more.

Curious now, they got up and made their way over, opening it and then stepping aside barely quick enough to avoid another small stone from hitting their face.

“Shit! Sorry, I didn't see you there!”

“Cameron?” Aff finally looked down, leaning out of the window just far enough to see their friend (boyfriend? The whole situation with Sasha and Jamie and the two of them was still a bit in the air) standing on the lawn outside. Cameron, completely unabashed, looked back with a big grin on his face.

“Hey! Yeah, it's me, let me in?” he asked, hands folded behind his head, his posture cocky as always.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Come to the front door,” Aff called down again, a bit confused but also happy to take a break from homework.

A minute later they opened the door to Cameron, who immediately greeted them with a peck on the lips. “Hey, sorry for the weird window approach,” the boy muttered, before pulling back again, out of their personal space. “Wasn't sure if your dad would get mad or anything. You know, because it's already pretty late and all that.”

“No, no no, it's fine. You know he's cool,” Aff assured him, pulling him inside and up the stairs. “Why, do your parents not know you're out?”

Cam scoffed, though it took him a moment to answer as he looked around Aff's room, taking in all the details. He'd actually never been here, only ever in the shop or the Flowers' tiny living room, losing himself in some playstation game with Aff as they both tried to avoid thinking about court orders and murder charges. But the room was nice, small but personal. Some posters on the wall, an old CD player on one shelf, a bunch of self help books on another.

“Nah, I didn't tell them,” he finally said. “They wouldn't have let me anyway. So, I probably don't have all that much time, before someone notices I'm missing.”

“Well, shit, why did you come?” Aff asked, immediately worried for his friend. They hadn't seen a lot of Cam's parents, but the way he all but cowered in front of them sometimes... well, they didn't like it. “Did something happen? Is everyone okay?”

Cam looked confused for a moment, but then seemed to understand where they were coming from. “Ah, no, everything's fine, don't worry. I do this all the time, I'm good at sneaking in and out.”

He took a closer look at some of the photos that were displayed on the wall before turning back to the conversation, a bit more nervous now. Scratching the back of his neck while avoiding eye contact, he continued though. “I just came here to give you something, because I wasn't sure if you'd want that kind of thing handed over in school or if you'd want it at all, so... y'know, I thought I'd come here.”

“Well, that's cool, I'm always happy to have you here!” Aff replied, all smiled and enthusiasm again, and Cam couldn't help but smile.

“That's- that's great. Okay, why don't you sit down and close your eyes or something, and I''ll give you the thing.”

“Okay, okay, sure.” Aff sat down on their bed again, not even bothering with further questions before closing their eyes and holding out their hands. After all, they trusted their friend. Boyfriend. Well maybe boyfriend. Whatever.

For a moment they could only hear some rustling from Cam's backpack, and then something cool and smooth was placed in their hands, some kind of fabric, it felt like.

“Okay, open your eyes,” Cam's voice came, the nervousness now even more obvious.

So Aff did, finally getting a close look at the thing in their hands. At first, it didn't make much sense. It looked like a crop top, made from a stretchy material, in a light beige color. Then after a second, it clicked. It was a binder. Not even a used one, it looked brand new, still almost stiff with how it had never been broken in.

“No way. No fucking way, really?” they asked, excitement rising quicker than any anger ever could in them. Their face showed it as well, about to nearly split in two with the bright smile that broke out.

Before Cam could really react, they were already up and enveloping him in a hug, squeezing so tight he was sure he heard his own ribs creak in protest. “Okay, okay, easy,” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around Aff's shoulders as well though and, a bit awkwardly, patting their back. “You don't even know if it fits yet, don't give me too much credit before you try it.”

“I don't even care if it's going to fit, this is amazing!” Aff insisted, pulling back again now and giving it another once over. “I'm probably even going to wear it if it doesn't fit!”

“That's really not- I don't think you should- that's really unhealthy,” Cam stammered, running a hand through his hair again. “Look, I'll just step out for a minute and you try it on, okay? Tell me if it feels good and stuff.”

“Oh yeah, sure. I'll do that,” Aff agreed, and without really thinking about it started to tug their shirt over their head right then and there. Cam quickly turned around at that, furiously blushing and wondering if he was supposed to leave the room anyway, but since Aff didn't seem to complain... he stayed.

A few moments later, Aff tapped his shoulder, and he took that as a sign to turn back towards them. And maybe his opinion was being influenced by all the newly naked skin he suddenly saw himself confronted with, but they certainly looked... nice. To put it politely. (They looked fucking hot). It wasn't helping the color in his face to go down again either.

“I, well, I mean- it's good,” he finally mumbled, carefully making eye contact again. Aff was beaming, and damn if that didn't make up for all the trouble he'd probably be in for this. “How does it feel?”

“Pretty fucking great,” they told him, still giddy with excitement. They turned back to the mirror for a moment, running a hand over their newly flat chest. “Do you fucking see that? I'm flat! Like, you almost can't see anything. Isn't that awesome?”

“It sure is,” Cam agreed with a grin. “So it doesn't hurt or anything?”

“No, it's weirdly comfortable actually.” Aff looked down, tugging a bit on the bottom seam of the binder, testing how stretchy it really was. “I probably shouldn't wolf out in it though.”

Cam chuckled and stepped closer again, wrapping his arms around Aff from behind and tucking them a bit closer. “No, you really shouldn't. That's never been good for any of your clothes.”

“Yeah, no, I'm gonna be super careful with this one,” they agreed, meeting Cam's eyes in the mirror with a smile. “How did you even get this? How did you know what size I would need?”

“Eh, took an educated guess,” came the amused reply. “And you left a shirt at my place a few weeks ago, remember? I kinda went off of that. And as to how- I might have stolen my dad's credit card.”

“No you didn't!”

“Yes, I did!” he insisted again, openly laughing now. “I put it back right after, don't worry! And he hasn't noticed yet, so... keep your fingers crossed.”

“You're so stupid,” Aff muttered, placing an affectionate kiss to Cameron's arm where they could reach it.

Cam just shook his head slightly in return, before pressing his forehead against Aff's shoulder and relaxing a bit. He was just glad his present had gotten the desired reaction. “So, are you gonna wear this all the time now?” he mumbled, a bit quieter, a bit more gently, still pressing close.

“I don't know,” Aff answered honestly. “Probably not everyday, just when I, like, need it? Some days I don't mind, you know.”

Cam didn't know, actually, but nodded anyway. He didn't need to understand it to show some support. He gently kissed Aff's shoulder, still not drawing back yet. “I should probably get going,” he finally muttered though, aware that time was running out.

“You want me to drive you?” Aff asked immediately. “We can put your bike in the back of the truck if you took it with you.”

Cameron considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Sure, that would be great. Thanks.”

“After what you just gave me, don't even mention it,” Aff replied with a grin, before reaching for their shirt again and tugging it over the binder without an issue. A last glance at the mirror left them looking genuinely pleased, and Cam felt his heart beating a bit faster as they reached for his hand before leaving.

He could get used to this.

#critical role #cinderbrush #cinderbrush oneshot #cameron solomon #aff flowers #cameron/aff #writing #mine #critical role fanfiction #fanfic

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coats-viy · 7 years ago

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West Elm Inspired DIY Leather Tufted Headboard

As a person of a certain age (cough, cough, late 20s), I often want nice things but my taste outpaces my bank account. Can anyone relate? This headboard from West Elm has been on my radar for a while now and is so deliciously beautiful. I WANTED it, tried to bargain with myself why I should get it, and thought of things I could give up in exchange. But in the end, my boyfriend talked me off yet another figurative cliff and I challenged myself to make the best knock off version I could. Enter: my DIY Leather Tufted Headboard.

West Elm inspiration headboard

How to make your own DIY Leather Tufted Headboard

Since our previous bed was a low platform style, we needed to purchase a new frame in addition to replacing the headboard. After researching beds vs. bed frames only, I ultimately went with this IKEA Hemnes bed because it got us a new frame and with the low price tag I didn’t worry about covering the headboard.

IKEA Hemnes queen bed

Here are the rest of the supplies:

Headboard to cover

Alternate– Skip covering an old headboard all together and use pegboard as your base layer. You’ll then mount directly to the wall using z-clips.

Peg board- cut to the same size as your headboard

You’ll only need this if your headboard has cut out areas like mine or if you’re using pegboard as the base layer. If you are using a solid wood headboard, skip this step.

Pro tip– Home Depot will not cut peg board so try a local lumber yard or cut on your own saw.

Drill and wood screws

High-density foam

I went with 2” thick but this is what determines how deep the tufted indents can go, so feel free to go thicker if you’d like. They make up to 5″!

Alternate– If you’re budget conscious, try using an inexpensive foam mattress cover instead.

Batting

Basting spray or spray adhesive

Leather fabric

I purchased a nice vinyl alternative. You’ll need at least 2.5 yds. for a Queen bed but you may want to order more for wiggle room.

Pro tip– Fabric.com lets you order samples at a low cost so I ordered a few options to look at in my room with my other furniture and textiles.

Alternate– If leather isn’t your thing, you can replicate with any upholstery fabric.

Button kit

Florist wire

Heavy duty staple gun

This low-cost version from JoAnns was great.

Heavy duty staples

Upholstery needles

Step 1

Lay your headboard flat and work in an area that you can flip and move the headboard as needed. You’re going to need to be able to get to all angles!

Step 2

Since my headboard had cut out sections I started by attaching a piece of pegboard over the top to give me a flat surface. I recommend using peg board since it already has pre-drilled holes which will be handy when adding the buttons to tuft. Easily secure the pegboard with a few wood screws on all sides.

Step 3

Cut your foam to size. This can easily be done with a box cutter. Use a straight edge and take it slow and it cuts very easily. I then used a spray adhesive to attach the foam to the pegboard. It doesn’t need to be too secure, just enough so you can move the headboard around without the foam falling out of place.

Alternate– The sewing store will sell high-density foam (the green foam) and it is great but it is also really costly. I’ve seen other DIYs use inexpensive mattress pads from Target or somewhere comparable (the tan foam). Since my headboard was too tall for either option alone, I knew I would have to piece the foam in sections. While I was slightly nervous about this, it turned out to be completely fine, especially since the leather vinyl is a thick upholstery material. If you use the mattress pads be aware that they have ridges on one side. This made me a bit hesitant but again turned out fine. Just make sure to put the ridges against the pegboard to keep the flat side out.

Step 4

Spray the face of the foam with your spray adhesive and lay the batting across the face leaving enough room on all sides to wrap around the edges. Once the adhesive has dried, flip the headboard onto its face and pull the batting tightly around all edges and staple to secure in the back. You’ll want this layer to look clean and taut since it is the last layer before fabric. But don’t stress, since the leather vinyl is a thick upholstery fabric it will cover up any minor inconsistencies on the face.

Step 5 (Optional)

(Only if you feel like sewing or making things harder)

If you noticed, the inspiration headboard has leather panels which create 2 seams running vertically and one horizontally. The 5 buttons are then all placed along the horizontal seam. While I initially did not think I was going to add this nuance, once I got to this point and was feeling pretty bad ass I challenged myself to add the seams. (If you’ve already decided to not add panels feel free to skip ahead) Now it’s time to do a little math…or look at the diagram below.

When planning for my seam, I knew that I didn’t want it to sit too low since the buttons would then be covered by pillows. This took a little bit of experimenting against the wall of my bedroom and measuring my pillow height (yes, it’s neurotic but I did it!). For me, since my headboard is 46” tall that meant having my buttons 8.5” from the top.

With my buttons 8.5” from the top I sewed two panels together, running my full width, with the top one being approximately 15” giving me enough extra fabric (15″-8.5″= 6.5” extra) to pull around the top edge and attach to the back. You can make your seam pattern how ever you’d like, just be sure to leave enough room to cover the sides! To make the vertical seams, I folded and sewed 2 seams that were 20” apart. See the diagram below for all the seam placements. Once all the seams are in, press them open with a hot iron.

Pro tip– I like to do a lot of mini-tests with scrap fabric before sewing or ironing. Work out the kinks on your sewing machine, figure out the heat setting on your iron. It’s always easier to do it on scrap pieces and adjust before going straight to the final product.

Step 6

Once I had secured the batting I stood the headboard upright and planned where to place my buttons. Since the West Elm version was my inspiration I wanted to stick with 5 buttons across the middle running along my horizontal seam. Draping the fabric over at this point was very helpful to visualize the button placement.

You could easily choose to do a diamond shape tuft or even 2 lines of buttons for a more modern look. That’s the great thing about pegboard being the base layer- all the holes are already drilled so the pattern is totally up to you. And at this point, if you’re covering a solid headboard instead, you’ll need to plan your button locations and drill holes through the back of the headboard at those locations.

Pro tip– Since your batting is only a base layer feel free to mark up all over it. I marked up 3 variations of button placement, took a minute to step back and ultimately decide what felt right.

Now that it’s finished, I do still love the placement when we’ve removed the decorative pillows but they could have gone a bit higher to allow me to get some more decorative pillows piled up (maybe it’s for the best!)

Step 7

Making buttons—this could be an entire blog post to themselves. Now, this was hands down the hardest part of the project… not to scare you off! But really, it was HARD. Check out how my hand was looking post buttons.

The button kit will come with not enough instructions and not many pieces.

Use the fabric stencil to cut out a piece of fabric the correct size.

The goal here is to wrap your cut fabric circle around the curved button front and squish that face down into the silicone form. Pro tip– On the stencil, the outside circle is the size of fabric you need but the inside circle shows you what will be on the button face. Important if you are working with patterns!

Once that is done, you gather the excess fabric, mash it into the concave back and hold it shut with the back of the button.

The only way you can do this though is to use the pusher piece against the back of the button to apply enough force to sandwich it all together.

After much struggle, it’s magically a button.

If this sounds like a Game of Thrones level mental game, IT IS. This shit is hard. But give yourself time, maybe a glass of wine, and you CAN make all the buttons. I believe in you! I also looked for a button set meant specifically for upholstery fabric and came up empty. If any of you know of one, please please let us know!

Step 8

If you’ve decided to use a flat piece of fabric and not seam it, lay it on the face of your headboard (you can tack it down with the spray adhesive) and start pulling the excess taut around the edges and securing in the back with staples. Make sure to work a little bit on each side so that you are evenly pulling the fabric in each direction. I like to work from the center out and definitely leave the corners for last.

However, if you did seam your fabric it is a slightly harder since the seams will need to stay level and will ultimately affect your button placement. Therefore, before I started attaching the fabric, I loosely secured 2 buttons in their correct locations to hold the fabric in the right spot while I pulled it taut. To attach the buttons, thread floral wire through back of the buttons and an upholstery needle and slowly push through the leather face. This should be relatively easy since it is going through the seam. Once you have pushed through the leather the batting and foam should be no issue. Fish the needle through until you come out one of the pegboard holes in the back. Now you can loosely twist the wire in the back to secure the buttons.

Alternate– You could also use upholstery thread to attach the buttons but after a few tests (told you I like testing things!) the wire felt the most secure and let me really pull the buttons tight at the end and get a nice tufting effect.

Once your two buttons are in place follow the diagram above to attach all the fabric taut all the way around, leaving the corners for last.

Step 9

While the corners look daunting, they really are not. We just need to cover the order in which to fold and secure. (As demonstrated with my scrap fabric and screen)

At this point, all the sides should be well secured with fabric left loose at the corners.

First, pull the fabric from the side up and over the top.

Secure with one staple right into the top.

Now you will have almost a triangle of fabric. Fold the triangle down so that it creates a clean fold that runs along the corner of the headboard. And remember to experiment a few times folding it correctly before securing with staples.

Secure the fold with a staple.

Step 10

Following the same method as above, attach the rest of your buttons. I started with the two I already had loosely placed. At this point, you can really pull the wire from the back and create that tufting effect. How tight you pull and secure the buttons in the back determines the tufted depth. Measure and add the final 3 buttons using the same method as before.

And viola, DIY Leather Tufted Headboard! You’ve done it! Give yourself a pat on the back and pour yourself that second glass of wine. Kudos!

I decided to add two simple 3″ shelves behind the bed for storage since the room isn’t wide enough for bedside tables.

What do you guys think? Anything you’d change?

Original article source http://andthenwetried.com/2017/06/west-elm-inspired-diy-leather-tufted-headboard/

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sherlocklexa · 8 years ago

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Learning About Drywall, PURPLE XP | Blogger Event

As DIY home bloggers, Cassity and I get to learn about and try many different products that are used in and around a home. Most of our blog posts show pictures of what a room looks like in the final stages, but recently we got the chance to learn more than we thought possible about drywall!! We learned the importance of making good decisions about the drywall and cement board that goes up behind the paint or tile, that makes the room even better and is a good foundation for all that goes in the space! Thank you to National Gypsum for partnering with us and teaching us about their product product called PURPLE XP® .

The best part of learning about this PURPLE XP® drywall was to go out and actually meet the company behind it, National Gypsum. They flew me out to their Charlotte, NC headquarters for two days to teach me about their line of drywall. There were 4 other bloggers there as well, learning about the product.

It was fun to meet new bloggers and hear what projects they were working on. We also got to meet the TV host of DIY Network's Mega Dens, Anitra Mecadon. She was super nice and very passionate about promoting this cool drywall product.

So what is PURPLE? That was one of the questions that I had when National Gypsum first contacted us. Isn’t drywall all the same? It’s just drywall right? Well I learned that there is A LOT more to drywall than I thought.

This PURPLE drywall can be placed all over the house, not just in the bathroom, and there are many specialized versions of the product.

After learning the benefits of the new line, here is a summary of PURPLE XP Residential Products and Features I was impressed with:

All the following products are all mildew, moisture and mold resistant.

They are all XP and that stands for extra protection.

All the drywall is made of natural and synthetic gypsum and made in the USA.

They come in 4×8 sheets or longer than 8′ if needed.

The drywall comes in 1/2″ and 5/8″ thicknesses.

All the drywall products cut like regular drywall.

All of their drywall is fire resistant.

PURPLE XP® Drywall

Great for all over the house especially bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens. The wet areas of the home.

Hi-Abuse® XP® Drywall

Great for extra protection in hall ways and high traffic areas that take a lot of abuse.. or lives with teenagers!!

Hi-Impact® XP® Drywall

Great for garage, playrooms, home gym and areas where the wall would get hit a lot.

Holds up to hi-impact hits without creating huge holes to have to repair.

Has a fiberglass mesh on the back side to give it the added strength.

SoundBreak® XP® Drywall

Great for living rooms, media rooms, bedrooms to keep down the noise.

Reduces the sound levels from other adjacent rooms by about half or more.

ProForm® XP® Ready Mix with Dust-Tech® Joint compound

Even the joint compound is mildew, moisture and mold resistant.

This joint compound also reduces the amount of dust in the air by about 60%. It is made to fall to the floor while sanding and not get air borne.

PermaBase PLUS® Cement Board

The perfect board for around showers and tubs.

Naturally mildew, moisture and mold resistant

Flexible to shape around curved designs.

Light weight.

Easy to cut and snap with a utility knife.

7/16″ thick.

They even have drywall sheathing that they install on the outside of homes. When we were driving around Charlotte we would see a lot of new buildings going up with purple sheathing. It became a game to see who was using their new product.

Visiting the Testing Center

When I was at headquarters they let us see their testing center and try out a couple of tests on their drywall ourselves. The best test I did was taking a bat and try to smash a hole in the drywall. This was a test for the PURPLE Hi-Impact® XP® drywall. With my first hit I only made a small dent about the size of a silver dollar. I thought I would have been able to swing really hard and really smash a hole through it, but I was wrong. It took about five more really hard hits (in the exact same spot) to actually break through the drywall, but it still didn't make a hole completely through the drywall.

The PURPLE Hi-Impact® XP® drywall has a fiberglass mesh that doesn't allow it to make a complete blown out hole. So this makes it easier to patch the drywall on the dented side without having to patch an entire blown out hole. I thought that was really cool. No more patching big holes with this stuff.

We watched an abrasion test on the PURPLE Hi-Abuse® XP®, taking a 150-pound weight and scratching the surface for a minute of time with a metal brush. After a minute it didn't even penetrate through the paper. But with regular drywall within a minute it scratched halfway through the drywall board.

They showed us their cement board, PURPLE PermaBase PLUS® Cement Board, and how easy it was to cut and install. Typically I have had to cut cement board with a reciprocating saw and make a big mess, but not this stuff. Their cement board, PURPLE PermaBase PLUS®, weighs a lot less and is super easy to cut. In fact, you can just cut it with just a utility knife like you would drywall.

It can also be shaped to a curved wall, like this.

It also has a PURPLE edge coating that holds the board from cracking when you nail it close to the edge. Such a great feature that is really useful!

Manufacturing Plant

After lunch we went on a little field trip of one of their manufacturing plants.

This was one of their newest, most recent, drywall manufacturing plants. The plant itself was a half a mile long! Wow, it was so long. The plant was so long because of how fast they're producing the drywall and the amount of time it needs to cure before they cut it into sheets. Unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures to show how it was made, but it was super impressive. We were able to see the two layers of paper and the mud come together to create the sheet as it rolled along the huge half-mile track. We actually walked along the track to see the whole process. So while it was rolling on the track it was hardening and getting ready to be cut and baked. Once it was cut they send it back the opposite way into some very huge ovens they were 14 layers of drywall high. Then we got to see it all packaged up and stacked. The most impressive thing was that the whole plant ran with about 15 workers at a time.

The Drywall Competition

The last day we were there in Charlotte, they had a drywall competition between the five bloggers attending. The competition was to see who could screw in a certain amount of drywall screws, mix up drywall compound, tape a seam and hang up cement board. All within a certain amount of time. We also were able to see how big a of a dent we could make in our opponent's drywall, for them to have to patch, as a way to kick off the competition. Finally after about a 30 min race, the competition was over. It was judged on quality of work and cleanliness of job site. I felt pretty good about my work, but I was not quite sure about the results. I was competing with some pretty good drywallers. After a little bit of time judging the judges came to conclusion.

And the winner is…!

ME! What??

I won! I couldn't believe it! I won this really awesome metal. It was lots of fun.

Our Bathroom Project

Right now in our own house projects, we are building in a basement bathroom. It has literally been plumbed and just sitting there undone for 50 years. We are making a full bathroom out of a powder room, and it is a newish project for us – we've remodeled existing bathrooms and even added a powder room, but building one from scratch is pretty new!! We have never dealt with creating a watertight shower space, and we have been sort of waffling on what to do and how to do it right. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything right to keep it watertight and free from mildew, moisture and mold issues in the future, so the timing of learning about a new drywall was perfect.

After everything I've learned, I can go home with all this awesome knowledge and be able to tackle my next big project. My question earlier of what to put up around the tub was answered with this trip. I'm gonna use their cement board, PURPLE PermaBase PLUS® all the way around the tub and along all the walls in the bathroom, because it's going to create the best moisture barrier between the shower and the walls and the tile – lots of tile. It will also have the best bond for the tile on all the walls in the bathroom. On the ceiling I will be installing PURPLE XP® drywall. I won’t have tile up on the ceiling but I will have to protect it from moisture from the shower.

Can't wait to get started.

Thanks National Gypsum for the great information and showing me your great product in Charlotte, NC. Now I know what product I need to get started on my next project. I can’t wait to start hanging drywall in our new bathroom remodel.

What projects are you guys working on? Be sure to AskForPurple for your next drywall project. You will thank me!

The post Learning About Drywall, PURPLE XP | Blogger Event appeared first on Remodelaholic.

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chocdono · 8 years ago

Text

Learning About Drywall, PURPLE XP | Blogger Event

This PURPLE drywall can be placed all over the house, not just in the bathroom, and there are many specialized versions of the product.

After learning the benefits of the new line, here is a summary of PURPLE XP Residential Products and Features I was impressed with:

All the following products are all mildew, moisture and mold resistant.

They are all XP and that stands for extra protection.

All the drywall is made of natural and synthetic gypsum and made in the USA.

They come in 4×8 sheets or longer than 8′ if needed.

The drywall comes in 1/2″ and 5/8″ thicknesses.

All the drywall products cut like regular drywall.

All of their drywall is fire resistant.

PURPLE XP® Drywall

Great for all over the house especially bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens. The wet areas of the home.

Hi-Abuse® XP® Drywall

Great for extra protection in hall ways and high traffic areas that take a lot of abuse.. or lives with teenagers!!

Hi-Impact® XP® Drywall

Great for garage, playrooms, home gym and areas where the wall would get hit a lot.

Holds up to hi-impact hits without creating huge holes to have to repair.

Has a fiberglass mesh on the back side to give it the added strength.

SoundBreak® XP® Drywall

Great for living rooms, media rooms, bedrooms to keep down the noise.

Reduces the sound levels from other adjacent rooms by about half or more.

ProForm® XP® Ready Mix with Dust-Tech® Joint compound

Even the joint compound is mildew, moisture and mold resistant.

This joint compound also reduces the amount of dust in the air by about 60%. It is made to fall to the floor while sanding and not get air borne.

PermaBase PLUS® Cement Board

The perfect board for around showers and tubs.

Naturally mildew, moisture and mold resistant

Flexible to shape around curved designs.

Light weight.

Easy to cut and snap with a utility knife.

7/16″ thick.

Visiting the Testing Center

It can also be shaped to a curved wall, like this.

It also has a PURPLE edge coating that holds the board from cracking when you nail it close to the edge. Such a great feature that is really useful!

Manufacturing Plant

After lunch we went on a little field trip of one of their manufacturing plants.

The Drywall Competition

And the winner is…!

ME! What??

I won! I couldn't believe it! I won this really awesome metal. It was lots of fun.

Our Bathroom Project

Can't wait to get started.

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greggsdiabetes-blog · 8 years ago

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The Secret to Happiness? Simplify.

New Post has been published on http://www.greggsdiabetes.com/the-secret-to-happiness-simplify/

The Secret to Happiness? Simplify.

For centuries, people leaned into the popular (and false) belief that possession—material wealth and stature—was synonymous with happiness. But now minimalism is on the rise, and for good reason: it works. With the popular Netflix film Minimalism: A Documentary About Important Things and the massive bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up emphasizing the benefits of decluttering, it's no surprise that more and more people are cleaning out gear closets, streamlining their workouts, and buying less stuff. Because when you do, there's way more room for adventure.

#1. Purge

The first piece of furniture I ever bought kept me up at night. I was 25 years old, and the offending item was a 60-pound oak armoire the color of whiskey and the size of a standard refrigerator. It wasn’t the price or the quality of its construction that triggered the angst. It was what it represented. I now owned something that couldn’t fit in my rooftop RocketBox. I saw my adult life beginning, along with a relentless accumulation of more stuff. That armoire was the loss of my freedom.

Looking around my house nearly 20 years later, my vision was prescient. I’ve collected more things than I want, and finding a place to put them all is a daily struggle. My twentysomething anxiety wasn’t unfounded, either. Research has revealed a troubling paradox: not only is clutter a cause of stress, but so is getting rid of things. For some people, the very act of shedding a possession triggers activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula, the same parts of the brain that register physical pain. Which explains why millions of Americans, including me, have plunked down $10 for yet another possession: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, a bestseller by Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo. According to Kondo, dealing with your clutter can improve your well-being. “A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective,” she writes. “It is life transforming.”

I bought my copy thinking it would be a needed catalyst for the garage-cleaning project I’d been putting off for two years. Inside is my gear stash, proof of a lifetime of adventure and the only possessions I’d truly mourn in a house fire. Crampons that have felt summits from the Cascades to the Himalayas. My first road bike. The BOB stroller that logged hundreds of miles as I trained for ultras and jogged my two small children to sleep. A lot of this stuff hasn’t been used in years, rendered obsolete by shinier new toys or my shifting passions. It was piling up. The issue came to a head when my fiancée moved in, along with her own stockpile. But any hopes that I would realize Kondo’s magic by confronting the mountains of sentiment in the garage were extinguished within the first few pages of her book. In rigid terms, she describes a “tidying marathon,” an all in, months-long project that will fail if not completed. If I didn’t address my entire household inventory—closets, drawers, cabinets, everything—I would return to a state of unwanted clutter.

The garage would have to wait. I started by moving through Kondo’s list of categories in the prescribed order: “Clothes first, then books, papers, miscellany, and lastly, mementos.” The process forced me to confront those myriad places that attract random junk. The kitchen counter always littered with mail and school announcements. Bathroom cabinets stocked with bottles and tinctures. And that damn armoire, in which I discovered an incongruous collection of candleholders, board games, place mats, two puzzles, an extension cord, a New Mexico atlas, and an ancient video camera that records on something called MiniDisc. I took on these hoarding stations armed with a garbage bag (trash it) and a box (give it away). I purged like I was at a peyote ceremony. Over several days, I made four trips to Goodwill, where the staff began to recognize me.

Clothes, books, paper—those were easy. My garage came last, for it was filled with the high-end sporting gear that we adventurous types classify as mementos. It was here that my trust in Kondo’s method was tested. Her advice for deciding on whether or not to keep something: touch it, be aware of the feeling it triggers, and ask yourself, “Does it spark joy?” When I thought of my prized quiver of skis, bikes, and camping stoves (six of them!), I pictured Kondo asking the question and me defiantly answering “Hell yes!” to all of it.

One Sunday morning, I clicked the garage-door opener and confronted nostalgia’s grip. I started with the camping equipment. After careful consideration, stoves one, two, and three registered no spark. Neither did way too many headlamps, stuff sacks, first-aid kits, and ground pads. My first real trial was the sleeping bag I took on multiple cross-country family road trips as a kid. It was in that bag that I slept soundly in the back of our station wagon as my parents drove all night from the north rim to the south rim of the Grand Canyon to catch the sunrise. Running my hands over its greasy seams, I felt a powerful sentimental joy. I also realized that the memories it evoked were inside my head, not its weathered nylon. I put it in the giveaway box. There were three pairs of cross-country skis, each having carried me through the 40-mile Elk Mountain Grand Traverse. I’ve always liked seeing them propped against the wall, proof of my feats. But joy? It wasn’t sparked. I tried to draw the line at my first pair of telemark skis. No matter that they’re comically skinny, I thought, these babies rip. But now I was on a roll. I threw them in with the sleeping bag.

I went on like this for several more weekends, pawing flat soccer balls, tired camp chairs, and outdated bike wheels. Eventually, I whittled down my treasures to my absolute favorites and began reorganizing the space according to Kondo’s strict instructions—no piles. Finally, one recent evening, preparing for my first skin up the local ski hill, I felt a little bit of the magic. The real evil of clutter, the one I’d feared at age 25, was its ability to bog you down. Do I want to go backcountry skiing at 6 a.m. when the process requires an hour of rounding up misplaced necessities? Nope. I’ll just sleep in. But that night I entered the newly overhauled space, and all the items I needed—poles, skins, helmet, gloves, skis—were in exactly the right place.

I’d be lying if I said my life has been transformed. I haven’t touched my office yet. And I’ve actually noticed an increase in angst over the places that I’ve yet to tackle. But if tidying is indeed a marathon, I have faith in Kondo’s metaphor. I know how shedding weight and completing a long-distance trial brings on a curious euphoria. Kondo estimates that her tidying marathons take clients around six months, and I will keep running. But she’ll have to pry my BOB stroller from my cold, dead hands. —Christopher Keyes, editor

#2. Put Down the Phone

"You don't need to tweet or post during your adventure unless you're a sponsored athlete whose livelihood depends on it. I promise you that no one really cares. I've grown to love it when an expedition starts and the bars on my my phone dwindle down to uselessness. That's a sure sign that I'm headed in the right direction." —Guide Dave Hahn, who has summited Mount Everest 15 times

#3. Make It a Liquid Lunch

“Soup is a nutrition life-hack,” says Nicole Centeno, author of the cookbook Splendid Spoon and CEO of the soup-delivery company of the same name. “It’s efficient and nourishing and keeps you fueled for hours outside without weighing you down.” It’s also a foolproof one-pot wonder. Buy a stack of plastic pint containers for single-serving storage in the fridge or freezer, and reheat for lunch as needed. Centeno’s favorite hearty soup, kale and lentil, is loaded with fiber and protein and made with ingredients you likely already have at home.

Kale and Lentil Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 pound dried red lentils, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound dried green lentils, rinsed and drained

2 quarts water

2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale

Sea salt to taste

Process

Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery, stirring frequently, for ten minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic, pepper, curry, and cinnamon, and cook for one minute.

Increase the heat to high, add the lentils and water, and bring to a boil. Add the kale, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the mixture thickens, the lentils are tender, and the kale is wilted.

Stir in the salt. Serve hot.

#4. Lighten Up

"I value celebration, possibly more than I should. You have to relish your accomplishments and take time off. I also have a terrible sweet tooth, and I don't care. I will continue to eat Sour Patch Kids. I usually have three two-pound bags in my room. There's a fine line between being anal retentive and being purposeful. Everything I do, I do with purpose." —Ultrarunner Clare Gallagher, who won the 2016 Leadville Trail 100 Women's Division by two hours.

#5. Choose a Uniform

Steve Jobs wore a black turtleneck and jeans every day. Mark Zuckerberg lives in a hoodie. Yes, they’re tech geeks—but not having to think about clothing frees up all kinds of mental energy for more important tasks. So what’s a style-conscious active person supposed to wear? Consider this foundational formula from Peter Buchanan-Smith, founder of Manhattan clothing and gear company Best Made.

Chambray shirt:"Chambray is far more versatile than flannel—it can be worn with jeans or trousers. The material is timeless. Once you find the perfect shirt, buy five."

Sweater jacket:"Best Made's shawl-collar sweater, with super-heavy, 100 percent western wool, is my armor. I wear it fly-fishing, as a winter jacket in the city, and under a rain shell.”

Aviator sunglasses:“Randolph Engineering’s are classic. You can’t go wrong.”

High-quality belt: “I wear Best Made’s Gfeller belt almost daily.”

Dark-wash jeans: “Levi’s 501’s. You get so much for the price, and they only get better with age. ”

Good socks: “Wool blend. Not too thick, not too thin.”

Rugged boots: "I don’t think it’s overkill to have burly leather ankle boots as your daily staple, even in New York. I’d pick the Danner Rainforest. They’re like the Land Rover Defender of boots.”

#6. Skimp on Gym Time

One of the pillars of the modern approach to fitness is the belief that gym-based strength training is essential, even for endurance athletes. Problem is, many of us take things too far. Two-time Olympic skier turned strength coach Eva Twardokens is part of a growing chorus of fitness professionals who argue that amateur athletes don’t need to spend more than two hours a week working out between walls. The upshot: you can spend a lot more time playing outside. “The danger for a lot of people is overexercising,” says Twardokens.

She closely analyzed just how much gym work she needed to continue to perform at a high level. “I boiled it down to the essentials and created Minimum Dose, Maximum Effect,” she says. “The idea is to do the least amount of training that allows for good body composition and supports the activities in your life without wearing your joints down.” Twardokens, a National Masters Weightlifting champion, explains that her general workout philosophy is to “maintain strength and muscle mass through the basics, like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and dips. And that includes you endurance athletes!”

The rest of the time? Get outside and enjoy the sports you love.

#7. Bring It Back to Life

In 2011, Patagonia launched its Worn Wear program, which allows customers to send in jackets and apparel to be mended. The company has since performed 170,000 repairs. Here’s a quick guide to fixing your own stuff—and taking better care of it in the first place.

Keep it clean: Before storing technical layers at the end of the season, launder them in cold water with a revitalizing cleaner like Nikwax Tech Wash and hang them to dry, says Lindsey Stone of Seattle’s Rainy Pass Repair, which fixes, updates, and renews all manner of outdoor fabrics. “Once something like Gore-Tex is dry to touch, treat it with a DWR spray to revive waterproofing,” she adds. “Then stick it in the dryer on low for 10 to 20 minutes.”

Avoid the common errors: “Wool is much more difficult to burn than synthetic fabrics, so consider a top layer of wool while you’re tending the campfire,” Stone says.

Upgrade your field kit: “Tenacious Tape is just as strong as duct tape, but it doesn’t leave a sticky residue,” Stone says, “so later you can properly fix a tear without a mess.”

Save your sole: Don’t toss out those worn-down hiking boots if the upper structure is still in good shape. Legendary boot wizard Dave Page in Seattle can resole just about anything. He has repaired a pair of 1960s boots six times. Their owner is now in his eighties.

#8. Go It Alone

"I always say, if I had to wait for a friend, I'd still be in my cubicle office. It's easier to travel alone and has become a lot more socially acceptable." —Matt Kepnes, author of the blog Nomadic Matt

#9. Just Say No

"Most people overestimate how efficient they are, so we say yes to everything that comes our way. The result is you end up feeling overwhelmed. Saying no makes space for the things that matter most to you. Saying no more often is actually more expansive." —Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less

10. Buy Less, Live More

There’s a joke that we tell around the office: How can you spot an Outside editor at the trailhead? They’re the one removing tags from their stuff.

It hurts because it’s true. Some editors’ offices are so packed with gear that it’s tough to find a place to sit. I’m no exception. When I decided to take up mountain biking a couple of years ago, I bought two bikes: one hardtail and one full suspension, so I had the right ride for any situation. I currently own six fly rods—one for throwing dry flies on small streams, another for casting streamers on big rivers, yet another for windy days, and so on.

But when I read a recent story about Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard that noted how most of his gear was made in the previous century, I began to question my excessive ways. I suffer that disease so common among middle-class Americans: overconsumption. And I’m not joking when I call it a disease. We’ve long known that buying things releases dopamine in the brain—a 2012 study in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs suggested it’s even addictive. Partly to blame: the ease of the buy-now button.

It’s not just a biological pull, either. Magazines, catalogs, and websites—Outside’s included—assault your inbox, mailbox, and Facebook feed with new gear. I decided to fight back: for one month I would buy nothing but food. (OK, and beer.)

The first week, I felt like an alcoholic standing outside a liquor-store window. I had a strong urge to cheat, to buy something small like a book or a movie ticket. But midway through the month, the compulsive urge to consume relaxed. At home I realized that not only did I have a jacket that would get me through ski season, I actually had two, even if they didn’t breathe quite as well as I’d like. I began to look at things I previously considered at the end of their useful life—jeans with holes, a laptop that was a few years old—as perfectly functional.

I spent less time scrolling through gear blogs fantasizing about smartwatches or fishing reels, which meant that I had more time for things that really mattered: my wife, my friends, my colleagues—people, not things.

Late in the month, though, I caved. My wife and I recently bought a home, and we wanted to replace the old smoke detectors. “I’m not buying everything for the house this month,” my wife said, with a certain tone in her voice, suspecting that my pledge to swear off consumerism was a ploy to bankrupt her. I immediately went online and ordered two of them. Later that day I got her flowers, just to be safe.

The truth is, not buying stuff doesn’t feel as instantly good as hitting the buy-now button does, and I can’t say that I won’t purchase superfluous stuff in the future. But I realize that I don’t need it. In fact my life may be richer by not having as much of it. A few weeks after my experiment ended, I reached out to Trout Unlimited to see if it needed any packs or rods for its youth programs. I rounded up my extra winter hats, coats, and gloves to give to a local shelter. After years of being sick, I’m starting to feel better. —Jonah Ogles, articles editor

#11. Don’t Get All Epic

I’ve got a bit of Viking in me. Not the raiding and pillaging so much as the deep-seated urge to explore distant lands. For years my M.O. was: save up money, blow it on a far-flung adventure, return broke, repeat. It was fun, but I’ve since wised up. While I still try to pull off big trips whenever I can, I’ve learned that closer-to-home outings can be just as satisfying.

I grew up in southeast Wisconsin and couldn’t wait to set out for the mountains and rivers of the West, eventually landing in New Mexico. But when I go back to Wisconsin now, I’m discovering everything I overlooked. Within 20 miles of my childhood home in Sheboygan, there are sand dunes to explore, waterways to paddle, waves to surf (seriously, Google it), and glacially carved trails to wander.

Having kids has helped shift my perspective, too. In Santa Fe, a lifetime of family microadventures can be had right out the back door. This past fall, we spent a weekend rafting a section of the Rio Grande near town. It might not have been heroic by Instagram standards, but there were rapids, rattlesnakes, hot springs, and pictographs. The kids didn’t have to miss any school, and I swear I felt my inner Viking stir. —Sam Moulton, content marketing director

#12. Use Paper

“I’ve tried all the organizational apps, but I much prefer putting pen to paper,” says legendary alpinist Conrad Anker, known among fellow climbers for both his skill and his preparation. “I like using Moleskine notebooks, the lined five-by-eight ones. Every night I use a nice fountain pen to jot down my to-do list for the following day. Then I prioritize it, rewrite it to reflect that order, and think about it. On Sunday I do the same routine, but for the whole week ahead.”

Anker says that bulletproof organizational skills may be in his blood. “My sister is a professional organizer, with clients, so we joke that creating structure and having discipline runs in our family. I find myself flipping back though my journals and rereading them. Research shows that writing things down helps you process and remember them better, and I agree. I’ve been doing this since 1998.”

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