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Hi everyone. I apologize for being MIA these past few days. I found out on Friday afternoon that my dad had been found in his house by a neighbor and that he had passed away. I had to go over to his house and talk with the medical examiner and have ever since been going through the process of sorting his extremely messy affairs as I am his eldest daughter and immediate next of kin. My father and I may not have had a good relationship (I was verbally and mentally abused for years as a child) and he had many many health issues and personal demons, but in the end I do think he made some effort to get better and I do wish that things could have ended differently. No one should have to die alone. I’m still in the throes of trying to get his estate sorted and trying to be there the best I can for my two younger sisters and countless friends and family members of his that have come forward. It is good to hear that there are people out there who have good memories of him, as I regrettably do not have as many as I would like, which is the sad truth.
I do wish we had been able to mend our relationship and that he would have gotten the help that he needed and we pressed him to get. But regardless of how things were, he was still my dad and I do love him and miss him. Here’s a photo of us at my wedding – probably one of the best memories I have with him.
May he rest in peace and be free from all the health problems that plagued him and the demons that clouded his mind and his judgement. I really truly hope and pray with all my heart that he is up in heaven and enjoying the life that he never did on earth. I appreciate all your love and prayers and good thoughts! They really are helping me and my family in this sad and difficult and weird time.
I will be back to blogging as of today, though it might be sporadic for a little while as issues with his estate come up. Today I’m bringing you a super easy and cheap craft that can be used to spruce up some wall space in your home: painted tin trays.
Painted Tin Trays Materials
– Tin trays (I got mine at the dollar store – so cheap!)
– Stencils of your choice (Mine are from Darby Smart!)
– Acrylic paint in color of your choice
– Masking/washi tape
– E6000 Glue
– Twine or ribbbon (optional)
Step 1
Using washi tape or masking tape, stick down your stencil. It’s okay if the stencil doesn’t fit entirely in the tray – just make sure you push down the corners with your fingers when you are painting in that area.
Step 2
Put some of your acrylic paint on a paper plate and dab your foam brush in it, making sure it’s a fair amount of paint, but not dripping of your brush. Dabble the paint into the stencil, making sure not to shift the stencil so that your designs will come out nice and crisp! Carefully remove the tape and the stencil (the paint doesn’t have to be dry, and acrylic paint dries really quickly anyway) and there you go!
Super easy! Repeat for any remaining trays and use as many different stencils as you want!
The great thing about using acrylic paint on tin? It scrapes right off! If you mess up with the stencil, cleaning up smudges while the paint is still wet is a breeze – you can just use your finger or a bit of paper towel and it will buff right out! And once the paint is dry you can easily scrape and/or wash it off, so it’s really easy to change designs or stencils whenever the whim strikes!
After your paint is dry, feel free to attach some ribbon or twine to the backs of your trays with some E6000 glue or duct tape. These painted tin trays are superrr light so it doesn’t take much to hold them up. Command strips
My laundry room, well, laundry nook, is one of the least decorated spaces in my house, so I decided to toss these babies in there next to the garage door for a little shimmer and shine!
How do you deal with the loss of a family member? What words of encouragement should I share with sisters and friends and family at this time?
Erica, I’m so sorry to hear of your father’s passing and that your relationship wasn’t what it should have been. Don’t stress about taking time away from your blog to sort things out. The rest of us aren’t going anywhere, and will be right here waiting for more great projects from you whenever things settle down. Sending you much love and prayers!!
Thank you so much for the condolences and the affirmations, Amy! It really means a lot to know that all of my friends in blogland are here to support me and encourage me – so great to know you all have my back! Thanks for the love and prayers!
Erica, again, I am beyond sorry for your loss. The loss of a parent is so incredibly difficult and I am praying for you. On a more upbeat note, this is a great idea and a budget friendly way to fill up some blank wall space. Love it!
Thank you so much for your prayers, Bre! All of you in my bloggy tribe have been such a help and comfort to me in this weird and hard time <3 And thanks! I love quick crafts that don't take a lot of time (or money) but still look good 🙂 Yay!
Oh Erica! I’m so sorry for your loss, even if things weren’t the greatest with your dad. I can semi relate as I have currently negative relationship with my dad. I’m fairly sure the next time we will see each other is his funeral and that’s a sad truth. I’ve many times wondered how I will react when that day comes and I have no idea. You are right in saying, he’s still your dad and you love him. It’s hard regardless. I’ll be praying for you and your family in the coming weeks. PS, cute diy today!
Thank you so much for your prayers, and for sharing your story, Amy. I’m so sorry that your relationship with your dad isn’t good either – It is no easy task to mend broken relationships or heal things that are beyond your power! I do pray you can work things out with him or at least have it be in a better spot. I’m definitely a jumble of emotions and likely will be for some time to come as I sort through this whole mess, but I’m so blessed to know that I have great friends like you who will be there to show me love and support! <3
Erica, I’m just SO sorry for your loss. You’ve been on my mind so much – wishing you strength through this difficult time my friend.
I absolutely LOVE these trays! SUCH a creative idea!
Thanks so much for the love and good thoughts! Hanging on to those is definitely what’s been getting me through this mess. I’m so glad that my bloggy tribe is so understanding and supportive! You guys are so totally the best <3
Prayers for you, sweet friend. Hang in there and take all of the time you need.
Thank you so much, Sarah! It means the world to have you ladies by my side through this! <3
Erica, I am so sorry for your loss. I have been thinking about you during this difficult time and sending prayers and love your way! Stay strong.
Love how your tin trays turned out! Super cute!
Thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts, Tara! I definitely need them. It’s been so great to have all my blog friends sending me love and supporting me – it has truly meant the world 🙂