Chair-N-Tell

She used to be denim then we reupholstered her into this caliente number!  Fancy, right?  Seemed a perfect fit for my then-teen's bright blue bedroom and her effervescent personality.  Yet as you know she has been on her own -- an independent young woman -- for quite some time.  Last week I got around to covering her cheery walls with a soothing, rich, cafe-ole color. Now, the chair has to change.

Behind her bedroom door, right smack-dab in the middle of the wall lurks a one-inch square nod to her past.  Silly, yes! But never, never a dull moment here. You can see how the bright colors on the chair used to fit perfectly in her bright blue bedroom. 

I haven't completed the make-over but the fabric looks more--uh, mature. And if you squint you can imagine what she'll look like when she's all finished. 

I'm only speculating but I'm guessing we'll have many late night chair-n-tell sessions as she curls up in this comfy seat and her sister and I sprawl out across the bed. I'll be the first to fall asleep.  Goodnight, Moon!

This Is How I Roll

It's been awhile since I've painted the east bedroom.  Truth is I couldn't really get past the fact this room was designed by my child.  She chose the bedding, the paint color and the trim color.  This room smacks of her tastes and I find it endearing.  She is now a woman but that's beside the point.  She no longer lives with me and that's beside the point, too.  She is doing what she's supposed to be doing:  school; living in the east; fostering relationships with friends, educators, and artsy likes.  Yep, she's living her dream. And so, after much hemming and hawing I went from her Island-y choice of Ralph Lauren's Agean Blue...

....to my warm-ish, sophisticated Ralph Lauren Truss.  

It looked good on a swatch so I high-tailed it over to my handy-dandy home improvement store and took a look.  I thought I might opt for a gray color and saw enough samples of rooms done just perfectly and beautifully but I just couldn't pull the trigger on such a cool color.  I wanted warmth.  I asked the young man helping me:  "what is your best painting tip?"  He smiled and said:  "be sure to put down drop cloths."  He was right.  I knew that from experience.  He took a look at my paint choice and asked me if I was painting a garage or basement. "No" I replied, "I'm painting a girl's room." 

Once home, thankfully the room had already been patched, sanded, washed and taped off.  Grabbing a brush and paint bucket I got busy. 

Almost from the start I could have used a hand.  I do not like painting alone.  The entire process is easier with someone to talk with and laugh with.  And believe me there are plenty of things to laugh about...or...at.  Like my thinking I had stepped on the first rung of the ladder when I had really been two steps high and KERSPLAT, right on my rear I tumbled.  And *snap* not a single splatter of paint.  I'm good that way. 

After a little cutting in I was beginning to think I made a mistake.  The new color looked like a facial mask--a mud mask, I tell ya!  Was I really prepared to cover the walls?  After all, if these walls could talk they would tell of late night tears and sorrows; late night dreams and pondering life's journeys; late night stories being read by Momma; early morning tickle-fests; dressing for prom and homecoming and oh the laughter!  I can still hear the little girl voices laughing and laughing in that room!  Was I really ready to paint over those talking walls?  I wasn't ready at all.  Only one thing to do.  Take a break; wipe my tears, and eat lunch.

After I cut in I stepped back and took another good look. 

I still wasn't thrilled but kept going.

At last she was done.

Notice I've left the tape on the walls; the drop cloths on the furniture and the ladder in the room.  I've given myself 3 days to fall in love with it or do something else.  I've already set aside an array of paint chips while my creative juices are on high alert.

I'm only speculating but I think I need to visit my home improvement store; track down my helpful sales fella and let him know my favorite painting tip:  hire someone else to do it!  Because that's how I roll!

Birthday Crown

"What do you want for your birthday?" he asked.

"I think the three of us should choose a color and paint the east bedroom.  Get it done in one day"  I smiled sweetly and coyly.

"I was thinking of a trip or jewelry or something like that" he said with a half smile and probably a roll of the eyes.

That's when the conversation stopped.  My youngest, in the back seat of the car was eerily quiet.  She was not about to contribute to such nonsense as discussing a home improvement project for a birthday gift!  I could feel her stare boring hot holes in the back of my noggin.  She is a celebrator.  An entertainer.  Aware of every detail of every bar b cue, birthday party, and slumber party we've ever hosted.  Painting a bedroom to celebrate a birthday is practically profane.

Before the crown moulding

You see, when you are like me and you get a bee in your bonnet wanting something painted or reupholstered or refinished or re-purposed you've got a one track mind.  You're a heat-seeking missile.  A birthday becomes an occasion to rally in your loved ones and achieve some goals!  Yes we can!

After our dinner and on the drive home I chimed in:  "What I really want is crown moulding in the east bath.  We could knock it out in a day and ta-da happy birthday to me!"

Fancy this:  the next morning moulding was in the garage, the saw was humming and tape measures were snapping to and fro. The sound of success!

There was talk of millwork and coping and joints and caulk.  There was the scent of sawdust and paint.  There was the grunt and squawk of the neighborhood woodworkers coming over for a nod and a note of approval all man-like and happy.  I even thought I heard Tim Allen asking for more power and the "aaarrghh-aaarrrgghhh-aarrgghh" tool time call of the manly woodworking beast!





And here she is!  The crowned bathroom.  Topped off quite nicely, don't you think?

I'm only speculating but I think I might take advantage of the next holiday and ask for a new wing on the house.  Columbus Day is in a week.  Mooooorrreee power!  Grunt, grunt, grunt.

Don't Do This At Home

She needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer homework. Yes. Summer homework. In our family we like to do  things together during the summer, casting off homework and assignments but apparently schools don't have the same ideas.  That's a topic for another post.

We got here and nestled into lovely surroundings in the middle of a beautiful wood only 200 yards from the Lake.  THEE LAKE we call her.  She murmurs to us with each crashing wave:  "come back to me.  Dip your tired feet into my cool water..."  but again, I digress.

Like I said, she needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer assignments.  The day after our arrival we hauled ourselves off to the nearest Lowe's.  A family friend had been using Valspar's spray paint:  the 2 in 1 primer and paint and recommended we try it.  We took her advice and figured we'd give it a whirl.

After a few minutes in Lowe's she settled on a bright yellow gloss.  Once we got back to the house, I set about sanding the desk and against all I've known to do to paint almost any surface, I did not use a primer.  Remember Valspar's 2 in 1 primer and paint in a can should do the trick.  Right?

Hark!  Do not ever try this at home.  Trust me on this one.  A primer would have been far better than the 2 in 1 fancy-schmancy product I tried.  This small desk took four cans and it could still take 2 more cans easily.  I do not think the coverage is sufficient and I do not like seeing the shades of what was once the brown of the original desk, peeking through the 2 in 1 paint and primer, glossy yellow.  Since the weather here is humid it usually takes four to five days drying time between coats which was simply too long to spend on this project and diminished the convenience of a 2 in 1 product.  So you understand my experience.

Here is the before: 
and after: 


I'm only speculating but I'm sure this sunny, cheery piece will brighten her days and make for enLIGHTened learning.  Sunny side up!

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Through the years she's been painted but always at the hand of a "professional".  This year however mi casa needed some repairs and an overall facelift. She was built in 1954 so the wood siding needed attention. Those pesky termites, on occasion, had brunch and those places needed repair, too. No painter fella with a handy-dandy sprayer is going to do the detailed job we would do on our own home so after rustling around the garage and gathering the caulk and wood putty and sander and paint brushes...and...finally we got busy.

After the repairs, we decided to keep the siding painted white and  cover the green trim with grey.





Grey I tell you!  Does this look like grey to you?  The paint was supposed to be Harbor Seal Grey.  But nooooo it doesn't look grey at all.  When a couple neighbors commented on liking the purple trim I knew a trip back to the paint store was my next stop. 



Finally!  Grey trim. Portsmouth Grey to be exact. 



And a red door.

I don't have to speculate because I was here every day the house was being polished and painted and repaired and brought back to the lovely lady she is.  Mi casa es su casa so come on over and see us soon.

O Christmas Tree

We regularly do projects together sure to sign and date each one.  Definitely sentimental!  The idea is that one day we will rummage through our things and remember the fun we had together.  That was the idea behind these Christmas tree pieces.  We'd seen a few versions on pinterest with wee little handprints.  The idea is a good one but my wee tots are grown up now.  Still I hope they will want these in their own homes one day.

To get started I rustled up some old 16 x 20 frames and painted them antique gold.  I had some 16 x 20 art canvases on hand and forest green, chocolate brown and metallic gold acrylic paint.  We used foam brushes to paint directly onto the hands and control the amount on each rather than dipping hands directly into the paint and "stamping" the canvas.  The girls had the idea of combining both their hand prints onto each canvas rather than each having their own set of prints.  *Snap*  Great idea!

Once their hand print canvas dried each girl set about topping off their tree with a hand painted gold star.

After the star dried we slid the canvas into the frame and set atop the mantle.  For now two trees rest on either side of my mantle.  One day they'll each have one of these in their own homes.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Your beauty green will teach me
That hope and love will ever be
The way to joy and peace for me.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Your beauty green will teach me.

Not so much speculation about this project.  I know we'll be making this a tradition with grandchildren some day.  And I'll see the twinkling of their little eyes all excited to get their hands painted and a gold star on their hand print tree.
 

Chair and Chair-Alike

It's been 90 degrees this week and I've taken a day off from gardening.  And I see sitting near my breezeway those two homely, faded, green wicker chairs I've been meaning to spruce up.   


"That's it!" I think to myself:  "today is the day." 

I grabbed two cans of spray paint specially formulated for wicker.  Real wicker.  Wicker expands and contracts so any paint you use has to have some fancy-chemical-like-properties which expand and contract, too.

Two hours and four coats later I end up with these.

I'm only speculating of course, but I think I chair-y'd these out quite nicely.