Marla, Plain and Small: June 2017

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

DIY: Farmhouse Clipboard

I truthfully don't know what to call this project. It's a board turned clipboard, and it's kind of the farmhouse style, so let's go with farmhouse clipboard. :)

Colin and I decorated the college room at church, and I wanted a way to display Bible verse art or photos or whatever. I also wanted to be able switch out the pages to change things up every now and then.

I had a traditional clipboard idea that I may still use, but I wanted something that would make a little more impact and take up a bigger space over the sofas. That is how the farmhouse clipboard was born.

It's an incredibly easy DIY that you can do for less than $20. Let's get started (it's all of maybe three steps-- ha).

Grab a board. This is rough cut timber, but if you don't have access to a sawmill, you can use reclaimed wood, or go buy a board from Lowe's/Home Depot.

The clips are bulldog clips from Staple's (order through ebates for cash back). I can't remember if these clips are the 3 inch size or smaller. There are several sizes to choose from to fit the size of your board.

Now grab some nails and a hammer, and nail the clips in place through the back hole of the clip. You could also screw them in place (duh).

On the back (not pictured), Colin nailed two sawtooth hangers to hang the board-- like these from Lowe's (again-- don't forget to order through ebates so you get that free money!).

Hang the board, then clip your photos, and you're done!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

I love the look of it and wish I could find the right place in my house for one like this.

I'll share more photos from the space soon!

Friday, June 09, 2017

Video + Photos: Sugarloaf Mountain | Hike an Island!

My family and I have been hiking Sugar Loaf Mountain since I was a little girl. It's an island in Greers Ferry Lake positioned between Sugar Loaf Marina and Fairfield Bay Marina. We usually boat over from Devil's Fork in the town of Greers Ferry.

If you don't have a boat, you can call the marinas and ask if they offer boat rides over to the mountain. I don't know about Sugar Loaf Marina, but I know Fairfield Bay Marina has certain weekends they shuttle over to the mountain.

Note: There is a Sugarloaf Mountain in Heber Springs, Arkansas, and it is not an island. You can drive to it to hike. While you're there, you can dip your toes in the freezing cold Little Red River that's near it!

On Memorial Day, Colin and my parents and Harlow and I hiked up to the top of Sugar Loaf for the second time in Harlow's life. The first time we took her was two summers ago, and she was carried for that trip. She walked and hiked a good portion this time around.

When you hike to the top, you'll come to the first overlook. It's beautiful, but keep going! You'll walk across the flat top of the mountain to get to the next overlook. Then you'll turn around and go back the way you came.

When you get to the top, you may see bald eagles flying down below! We saw one while we were there! There is an eagle's nest on the mountain, and Greers Ferry Lake is a great place to see bald eagles flying around.

There is a trail that goes along the base of the mountain. The route we take goes to the top of the mountain and then turns around and goes back the same way.

These is another trail that has been closed. Over the last several years the trails have deteriorated. They do some upkeep, but they are not liked they used to be. First, they closed the most difficult trail. Then the bridge burned, and it wasn't rebuilt. If you haven't been hiking the mountain for over 20 years like we have, you won't notice the differences.

Despite all that, it's a mountain you have to hike. It has beautiful woods and caves and rocks. And look at the view!

If you're in to geocaching, there is a box hiding on Sugar Loaf where you can sign a notebook and leave a gift for the next hiker!

For those of you wondering about the difficulty, it would probably rate as strenuous based on the Arkansas trails. If you have ever hiked the Cedar Falls trail at Petit Jean, then you know that trail is marked as strenuous. Sugar Loaf is more difficult to hike than Cedar Falls, but it's a bit shorter of a hike.

Greers Ferry Lake and Sugar Loaf Mountain are maintained by the US Corp of Engineers.

Now, enjoy a few pictures from our latest venture up the mountain. There is a video at the bottom of the blogpost from our hike.