reveal { susie’s room }

I’ve been painting again.  Anyone who knows me in real life is probably laughing at my use of “again”… I know it seems I never stop painting around here. 

This past few months I’ve painted Mark’s room, an entry and front door, the house exterior (hired out), Mark’s bathroom, Susie’s room and our master.  Phew!  That makes it sound like I have a problem or something.  Anyone else suffer a painting addiction?  Oh, and don’t even get me started on painting furniture!

When I paint I make a huge mess.  Of course the room gets torn apart, but I also take off all the baseboards, door casings and window trim because I hate getting paint on them.  Nobody around here seems to mind my mess…

And when I get started they usually ask why I am doing this?  And then when I’m done, they say “Yay!”  In the case of the hubby, maybe in not so many words.  ;)

Anyway… Here is the happy outcome of Susie’s recent room re-do that had me and her saying “YAY!!!”…

    

    

    

         

    

    

    

    

    

So what do you think?  I’m pretty in love.  Most importantly, Susie said, and I quote, “How did you know I wanted my room like this??”  Score.

 

Some sources:

Wall color: Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue #HC144; idea from this pin.  It shows in some of my pictures as baby blue and some pictures as a green-blue; in real life it is more green-blue.  It’s gorgeous.  Painted it in my bedroom too after doing Susie’s room.

Bed: Craigslist score ($40) I painted.  Will share that process sometime soon.

Quilt: Farm Chicks 2012 find ($30 but I had to finish backing and binding)

Framed horse poster: Thrifted ($14)

Horse sketch: My friend, Sarah, drew it for Susie while she was babysitting a couple years ago.

Elephant art: old IKEA.

Ribbons: from my horse-showing days; idea came from this pin.

Ceiling masterpiece: Another dear friend and babysitter made me the tissue paper flowers, the lanterns came from Hobby Lobby and the honeycomb-ish one came from Target.  Tissue paper flower tutorials here.

Drawers on the wall: idea came from this pin.

Crates as book case: idea came from this pin; I still might paint them eventually.

Little blue chair: antiquing find on way home from Farm Chicks 2012, ($10).

Armoire: old IKEA.

Yellow locker baskets: Farm Chicks 2013 find ($10/each).

Play kitchen: Target ($99); should’ve gotten the IKEA one.  The doors always fall off this one and the red paint chips easily.

Art above kitchen: butterfly print is by Katie Daisy, Small paint by numbers were by me and a friend and the larger paint by number was a gift from Sarah. 

a farmhouse friday HOUSE TOUR!! Say Wha?

 

Okay, so not too long ago, I featured this sweet little brick farm house, found in my travels, on my farmhouse friday feature:

Well today you get to take a tour of this house, via the lovely world wide web, courtesy of Redfin and John L. Scott Real Estate. Have you guys ever played around on Redfin?  It’s a great website that scoops up all the houses for sale via real estate companies (and people can post FSBO as well), and brings them to you all on one fully searchable website with loads of helpful neighborhood/school info, stats and statistics, and photos too. 

Plus, you get to snoop inside sweet digs.  Did I just use the word “digs” correctly? 

So anyway, here is the link to this home on Redfin, so go and take a tour of this amazing little gem.  I’m calling it little even though it’s more than twice the size of my place.  It’s just because it’s so dang cute!  The bones in this house are pretty amazing.  Of course there are things that I would change, paint, and ironically, make a little more “farm housey” due to some of the circa 1990 updates in the bathrooms mainly.  The kitchen is pretty swoony.  And that last picture KILLS me.  Leave a comment and tell me what you think of one of my favorite homes.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another room reveal post!  For reals this time.  The post is 90% finished!

Blessings!

PS. Of course, I the lowly little blogger, am not affiliated with RedFin or John L. Scott in any way.

farmhouse friday { 9 }

 

While picking up the kids from my mom about an hour away (Mom lives out of town so we meet in the middle) (now I’m gonna have that country song stuck in my head), I was rescued from failing you on this farmhouse Friday!

I pulled a u-turn after I drove past this…

This little gem hides just off the highway, behind a bramble bush (I don’t know what that is but it sounds like a Southern way of saying sticker bushes).  People are living in another place behind it so I’m not sure what the status is. 

But the status should be a little love and a little elbow grease! 

reveal { a little bathroom }

Over the past couple weeks I have painted and refreshed our upstairs bathroom.  We have a pretty small house (1060 s.f.), and the upstairs is just a bedroom and a powder room, and a short ceilinged powder room at that.  The definition of tiny.  The bedroom is Mark’s, so he’s usually the only one using this bathroom.

The walls were previously painted Tapestry by Ralph Lauren which is a medium tone of rust with a touch of rose.  It’s a pretty color, which I used in a wide hallway at the MIL’s place and we still love it there, but it was doo dark and intense for this tiny bathroom.  So I added a couple coats of a light gray, and brought in some boy-friendly, simple accessories to finish off the room with some interesting pops of color.

I apologize for the lighting – you’ll see how tiny it is- it’s very difficult to get good shots in here.  I even brought in my flash to brighten it up, but it’s a little harsh.  Regardless, I’m fighting perfectionism, so…  Have a look anyway!

    

         

    

I am super happy with it.  I might be guilty of turning on the light and peeking in just for a glimpse while on my way to the little guy’s room.  And most importantly, he likes it. 

Although I did have to request the smile.  So apparently he’s not excited about interior design as I am.  =)

As far as sources go, here are a few links:

Paint: BEHR mixed to Benjamin Moore’s Rockport Gray HC-105, at 80% (I wish I would have gone 50%).

Medicine cabinet: IKEA Hemnes – discontinued.  They have a more modern version now.

Chalkboard: chalkboard vinyl.  Review: The IKEA chalk that I have is very scratchy on the chalkboard vinyl.  Maybe I need better quality chalk.  I would be mad if it were for a surface that I wanted to change often, but am happy with it for this project.  I like the option to peel it off and revert back to the wood later if I wanted to; which I probably won’t – this is my favorite thing in the space!!

Lantern: IKEA, Morkt Lantern

Larger globe: thrifted.  This is my favorite globe in the entire world. The colors are perfect.  Someone painted on it “CHRIST FOR THE WORLD, MISSION FUND” which is very fitting for my little man that wants to be a missionary.  <3

Smaller globe: Target pencil sharpener.

Trash can: Target basic.  It was black, I spray painted it Rust-Oleum Marigold Yellow

Red lantern: garage sale.

Soap: Meyer Lemon Verbena liquid hand soap

Brush and bowl: thrifted.  Don’t worry, the brush was a new item, not used.  =)

Mirror: I don’t know!  There’s a similar one at Target.

Light fixture: Lowes Portfolio Dark Sky Outdoor Wall Light ($30!!).  I spray painted the shade Appliance Gloss White

 

And last but not least, the towel holder.  Which is a very functional and handsome (dare I say so myself) DIY.  Because homeboy does NOT know how to use a towel without dropping it and leaving it wadded up on the counter.  This one actually holds onto the towel really well – no more wadded up towel!!  This was the inspiration.  My version is a bit more rugged.  Like my boy.

It just required some simple tools… 

Materials

Wood hunk of your choice

Sisal rope from the hardware store

Eye hooks with holes slightly larger than the rope diameter

Drill with a bit slightly smaller than the threaded portion of the eye hooks

I used the index card as a template for the placement of the eye hooks

Means of hanging the whole thing (I screwed mine straight to the wall; more later)

Instructions

I simply used my index card stencil to drill two evenly-spaced holes to help the large eye screws go into the wood.

Then I screwed them in.  They can’t be sticking out the back it won’t hang straight to the wall. 

I put the ends of the rope through the eye screws, tying knots to hold it in place and cutting the excess off. 

Then, being the magiver DIYer that I am, I screwed it directly into the wall using 2.5 inch long screws, placed behind where the towel hangs, so they’re hidden.  I screwed one into a stud and used a sheetrock anchor for the other one.

That’s it!

    

 

That’s all I got today!  Time to do some painting with a friend.  Paint by number.  Pray for me.

More posts coming this week – I am determined.  God Bless!

farmhouse friday { 8 }

This is a sweet brick farmhouse in my parents' valley.  I had to keep with the black and white tradition, but that window trim is the sweetest blue! <3

diy { vinegar stain }

 

So I am sure you have seen the DIY vinegar stain ALL over Pinterest for a while now.  I have looked for tutorials.  And looked for other tutorials.  And found a wide variety of directions.  And I have done it a few times myself.  So I thought I would share this easy, affordable process and my experience with it.

Materials:

Wood to be stained

2-4 Tea Bags (optional= for darker color)

Vinegar (any kind)

Steel Wool  (finer is better, they say)

Gloves (or your hands will be stained for a week)

Cheap Brush

Two Mason Jars + a Lid

Plastic Wrap

Coffee Filter or Paper Towels

Fine Sand Paper (optional)

Clear Wax or Polyurethane (optional= for shine)

Directions:

1. The vinegar and steel wool need some time to become friends.  For a big batch, I put 3-4 “pillows” of steel wool into a large mason jar and fill it to the top of the steel wool with regular white vinegar.  Basically you need enough vinegar to coat whatever you want to stain (and it takes time so you want to be sure you have enough the first time around), you want to stuff that amount of vinegar pretty well with the steel wool.  The recipe does not have to be exact.  I use a mason jar, put plastic wrap lightly over the top and barely screw a lid ring on lightly over that so it can breathe.  It stinks so I put it outside for 24 (medium color) to 48 hours (very dark color).  There is going to be a chemical reaction inside the jar which creates pressure, and on my first attempt, it actually popped the lid off my Tupperware container and splattered dark stain all over my kitchen (washes off with scrubby sponge).  Once it gets going, you will see bubbles and hear fizzing much like carbonation bubbles.  The vinegar does not really change color like you might expect, so don’t be waiting for it to get dark in the jar.

2.  Optional, if you want darker color: This step can be completed ahead of time or just before staining.  Steep some tea bags and let the tea cool.  I steeped 3 tea bags in 2 cups water.  Adjust this for how much water you need to coat your project.  Toss the tea bags and simply brush the tea all over the wood you are going to stain.  Let dry.  This will not change the color of the wood, but later will aid the chemical reaction with the vinegar and the wood, creating a darker color during that process. 

3.  Pour the vinegar mixture through the coffee filter or paper towels to strain out any debris in the liquid.  Brush the stain onto your wood.  This is the fun part.  You don’t usually see an immediate color change, but it will start to gradually change and keep changing for a few hours.  Here is a shot of the change a few minutes in:

and here is a shot showing freshly applied stain at the top of the stack and about 30 minute-old stain at the bottom:

Don’t mind my messy kitchen!  If you look closely at the crate stack you can see that the top, fresh, stain is more grayish, while the middle is a little reddish and the older stain at the bottom is almost purplish.  This change happens as it dries.  After it is several hours dry, it returns to a regular brown.  If there is any reddish or purplish color left after it dries you can very lightly sand it to remove some of that residue.

One tip: since there isn’t an instant color change, be slow and careful to make sure you get every bit of the wood covered.  Otherwise, after you are into the project or even finished, places that you missed will show up.  This stain is more forgiving than regular stain because it is just vinegar and dries slower, allowing a more even finish.  But if you allow it to dry all the way and then try touchups, they will show.  Try to get it all the first time.  The beauty of this process is that once the vinegar is dry, it can be handled again and is not tacky like real stain.

4.  So here is what you have now, compared to raw wood:

You can either be done now (for an outdoor project I would leave it at this), or add a coat of wax or polyurethane for shine and protection.

I have not tried Polyurethane, but I know that other Pinners have.

I had Annie Sloan Clear Wax on hand so I added a coat of that to Mark’s adaptable frames.  You can see the dimension it adds to the wood grain, and the nice shine that it adds…

You can also see how dark and true brown it dried.  All my projects have been pine, ranging from common board, stain-grade plywood and cheap craft store crates, and they all are a very slightly different hue.  I did the tea wash on the adaptable frames (above) which is why they are darker, and skipped that step on the crates so they are lighter.  On the crates I sanded them lightly, especially hitting the corners and edges, and it really gave them a worn and cozy look.  I have not tried this, but here is a pin I found on achieving different colors with the stain.

One last tip: I have seen pinners use the mixture after two weeks (very dark), but you probably can’t keep this for projects too far in the future... 

Oh, also there were warnings about how serious this chemical reaction was and how you should wear gloves, eye protection and a mask and leave the mixture outside.  So I’ll go ahead and pass those along so I don’t get sued.  I did not wear a mask but I did work in a well ventilated area, and after the first kitchen mishap, I did let the mixture steep outside the other times. Tiny amounts of the steel wool dissolve in the vinegar (so I’ve read) and so I could imagine it would not feel good to get vinegar and steel dust in your eyes.  I will wear eye protection next time.

Cost for my initial supplies was about $10 and it made me about 4 good sized batches of stain.

 

So there you have it.  What do you think?  Is this process more or less daunting than store bought stain?

diy { another chalkboard globe }

 

I <3 globes. 

I haven’t gotten a new one in a long time… I must get thrifting and remedy that.  I want a whole collection of them.  So far I “only” have six. 

One of them has been in the kids’ rooms for as long as I’ve had it.  For Mark’s room refresh, I did a little work on it.  Then, as any globe-a-holic would, I stole it for myself.

But I had my reasons.

Have a look…

I was never totally happy with the globe for the kids’ rooms because it isn’t very colorful – I know it has some colors, but not the bright, vibrant hues I picture when I imagine a globe collection.  But I always kept it in their room in hopes of just that – a collection of globes.

Well the collection is slow going and my patience is lacking, so I decided to have my way with this one, as I’d had my chalkboard ways with one in the past.

The how-to:

I gently spread the bar that attaches to either end of the globe (it’s like a spring-loaded clamp), in order to remove the globe.  Then I bent and inserted the end of a metal hanger into the hole and hung the globe outside.  I cleaned the globe and applied a good coat of gray spray primer, and followed it with two good coats of black chalkboard spray paint.  I let that dry about 48 hours before I tried writing on it. 

In the meantime, I added two coats of Rust-Oleum antique bronze spray paint to the stand. 

I rubbed a chalky eraser all over the globe first to prime it.  Then, looking at another globe and following the mountain ridges on the chalkboard globe, I drew in the continents.  Some small islands may have been lost / forsaken during the makeover of this globe. 

 

Then I got going on Mark’s room.  When I hung up his adaptable art frames, and tried to layer in the refashioned globe in front of them, it was toooo much neutral/gray.  And the kids were already trying to spin it which it has never done gracefully, and were leaving oily, dark fingerprints all over it’s dusty chalkboard goodness...

That’s when I snatched it up and marched it down to my room.  And it lives with me now.  And now I love it. 

     

     

     

It just needs one thing…

words.

There’s a big ol’ Pacific Ocean just screaming for a message.  I can’t decide what to write.

I think right now the frontrunner is “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”  It would certainly be a much needed reminder for this worry wart.  That’s a gross expression when you write it.  :/

Anyway, what do you think?  What word or phrase would you write???

I have to go buy some more globes now.

 

PS: that crazy striped wall is killing me.  I liked it at first but it’s too busy.  Husband says this wall is a circus and the other walls in the room are too dark.  He wins.  Soothing Palladian Blue walls coming right up!  Well, whenever I get around to it. 

PPS:  click the links to read past blog posts about other items seen above: map-covered clipboard, multi-colored plank wall and Ashley Anne inspired shelves seen in my master bedroom reveal, bowl full of postcards, and the TNT stands for “Ty N Tasha” and also dynamite ;P… as for sources, the “&” is a print by the talented Katie Daisy from her Etsy shop the wheatfield, and most everything else is thrifted or heirlooms.  =)