Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
How Not to Build a Farm Table: A Craigslist Story
We have a gorgeous, absolutely beautiful custom made farm table in our dining area. Beautiful at first glance. Sit down at it however, and try to eat and you’ll discover a few not so lovable details. Like glasses will tip over if placed in just the wrong spot. Your clothing will catch on splinters in the chairs or the edge of the table. Some of the plugs look suspiciously like wood filler. And if you look closely, the gaps between boards just might be packed with yesterday’s (last week’s?) noodles, rice, etc.
What to do when you royally f@ck your Chalk Paint: Decoupage!
What is decoupage? It's a decorative technique that involves covering something with glue-soaked fabric, paper, etc. and topping it off with a clear finish.
Nesting Gone Awry: DIY Chalk Paint with Diatomaceous Earth
The best thing about Craigslist is finding treasures for cheap. The worst thing: cheap treasures often need a good helping of TLC.
Coopdelicious: Construction of a Chicken Coop
As promised, a post about the building of our chicken coop. No lessons or measurements or blueprints because it's been a while now. Just lots of pictures and a few words.
How to Rehab an old School Desk: Decoupage
So in typical Me fashion, my first order of business after deciding to homeschool was to obsessively organize, plan, and pretty much avoid thinking about what I would actually be doing every day.
The House Built on Good Intentions
This blog should be titled, "The Blog of Good Intentions." Because just the other day I was thinking, Wow I need to post about the chicken coop! But wait...
Bathroom Remodel From Hell: How to Remove Wallpaper in Just Four Years!
A special note to whoever installed this hideous wallpaper: there is a special room in hell, just for you.