Painting 101: Be Patient

I like to paint until I actually have to paint. For some reason, I get this idea in my head that painting a room will be quick and easy and then as soon as I start the process, I'm in agony about how long and tedious it is. 

After I settled on the lead piece for our master bedroom, I gathered a couple additional patterns and textures and settled on the idea of painting our room a light blue. I trekked off to Lowe's and grabbed what seemed to be an illegal number of blue paint sample chips. Back at home, I held each chip up to my lead piece and quickly got rid of about 7/8's of them. Blue is not always blue. It can be turquoise, purple, gray, green.... 

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Once I had about ten chips left, I taped them up on the wall for a few days. At different parts of the day, my Mister and I would comment on which ones we liked and didn't like until we thought we had picked "our color." I went back to Lowe's and got a paint sample of the color. I came home, painted a square on the wall, and let it dry. After a couple hours, I went into the room, expecting to see the beautiful blue color I had in mind and I was appalled. It looked like a blue fluorescent lamp had exploded on the wall. Ugh. Back to the drawing board. 

Four paint colors later, I had my just right color. Yes four. Our room looked like a pastel checkerboard. 

The first blue was very purple. The second blue was really white. The third blue was too bright. The fourth blue - just right. I settled on Benjamin Moore's Quiet Moments. 

The name fits our room theme well (Calm - Romantic - Comfortable).

My advice: Be patient when picking a color and always buy a sample to test out first.

Once I had my color selected, I went to the paint store to buy paint and I was confronted with more decisions. What kind of paint and what sheen? Apparently, satin sheets are for the bedroom but satin paint is not. I learned that flat paint is generally best for ceilings. Eggshell paint is good for bedrooms and any other areas that don't need to be cleaned very often. Satin and Semi-gloss are easier to clean so they work well in kitchens, bathrooms, kids rooms, etc. I settled on an egg shell finish and Valspar Ultra Low Odor, Zero VOC paint. 

Turns out, low odor paint still puts off a lot of odor. And one coat coverage means two coats. 

My advice: Be patient and do your homework when picking a paint.

My next decision was brushes and tape. I have used a lot of different brands of painters tape in the past and I've learned that you certainly get what you pay for. This time around, I went with the green Frog Tape that comes in a resealable plastic container. Frog Tape rocks. It worked perfectly. If you're my dad, you don't need to use tape. If you're anyone else, buy Frog Tape. 

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Adhere pieces that are 8 - 10 inches in length at a time around trim, windows, doors, and any other surface you want to keep paint free. 

Like tape, you get what you pay for in a paint brush too. For cutting in around trim and ceilings, an angled brush is a must. The Mister didn't believe me and tried to help out using a flat bottomed brush and quickly realized it was impossible to get into corners without making a mess. Pay for a good quality brush. If you take care of it, you can use it over and over and it will be well worth the money. I also picked up a couple roller brushes with a 3/8" nap. 

My advice: Be patient when picking a paint brush and be willing to spend a little extra on a good one.

When I get a gallon of paint and a brush in my hand, I'm ready to hit the ground running. But I've learned quickly that this is not a good idea. Taking the time to prep before painting will save tons of time and headaches later. 

To paint our bedroom, I opted to leave all the furniture in the room and just scrunch it all together in the middle. It was cramped for a few days, but it was worth not having to move everything to other rooms in the house. To protect our pile, I put an old towel down on the floor and a drop cloth over the furniture in the middle of the room. Then, I scraped off any spots where the old paint was flaking or bubbling and patched up the nail holes that remained from the previous owners. Once the patches were dry, I sanded them down and wiped off the walls with a damp cloth. 

My advice: Be patient when prepping the room for paint. It will save you on aspirin down the road.

My dad gave me some great advice. He said, "Don't drink coffee before painting." I avoided the coffee but consumed three brownies while cutting in the first coat. Bad idea. Just for the record, three brownies anytime is a bad idea but it's especially bad when painting. The caffeine and sugar made me jittery and when the shakes wore off, I was super tired and ready to be done painting. 

If you don't know this already, I'm a bit of a control freak. Nevertheless, when my Mister offered to help paint, I accepted his generosity because, quite frankly, I wanted to get it done. We blasted some classic rock music and his singing (mostly made up words) really encouraged me to keep painting. 

My advice: Be patient and enlist a partner. And always listen to classic rock music while painting.

A few other lessons learned:

1. Don't push too hard when rolling paint. This will cause the paint to splatter a lot more.
2. Watch your feet. Twice I dripped paint on my stool and didn't realize it. I stepped in it, then walked across the room. You can guess what happened.
3. Use a nail to put some holes around the rim of the paint can. This allows the paint to drain back into the can instead of drying into a rubbery mess and preventing the can from resealing. Another important note: be sure the paint has drained back into the can before hammering the lid back on the can. It's a good thing my counters have blue specks in them already...
4. Use a stool. Even if you can reach the roller to the ceiling, it's so helpful to have a stool that allows you to easily reach. This prevents you from accidentally hitting the ceiling with the roller (for the most part). It's also helpful to sit on a stool while painting the lower part of the room. Squatting and bending will cause you to feel like you've been hit by a paint truck the next morning.
5. Store your brush or roller in a resealable bag in-between coats or when you break for another brownie. This will keep the brush soft and allows you to use just one roller for the entire job. When you're done, slide the roller brush into the bag, grab it from the outside (to keep your hands clean), and pull the brush off the handle. Seal up the bag and toss it in the trash. 

Here is a before shot of the pinkish beige room.

I'm pretty pleased with how well the room turned out. 

I love the color and I finally got my wedding bouquet hung on the wall. The next step is to bring in all those new colors and textures and patterns. I should get a free weekend to do that sometime in August.... I'm mostly kidding. Patience is a virtue. 

So the next time you find yourself ready to paint, remember - Tape. Cut in. Roll. Repeat. And most importantly... be patient. 

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A Cheery Patio Update

Craigslist makes me nervous, but good deals make me giddy so when I successfully acquire a good deal on Craigslist, it makes me ecstatic. Finding a great deal on two outdoor rocking chairs made my summer. I know, I know. It’s the little things.

It’s hard to sit in a chair that doesn’t have a seat, but for $10, I couldn’t pass up these beauties. (Thanks to my Mister for demonstrating.)

I figured I could just waltz into Lowe’s or Home Depot and find some precut vinyl straps that would magically clip in to my chairs and, just like that, I’d have two amazing rocking patio chairs. 

I figured wrong.

It’s nearly impossible to find vinyl chair strapping in this neck of the woods. It’s also impossible to find someone who will re-strap chairs for a fee lower than the cost of a semester at our local community college. So I looked up my best friend Google to see what my options were.

I found a great website called ChairCarePatio.com. Not only do they sell supplies to repair vinyl strap patio chairs, but they also have a very detailed how-to section and an entire video section in which you can view someone doing the repairs.

With such a wealth of information, it was pretty easy for me to determine what tools I needed to fix my chairs. None of the straps on the chairs were actually missing, but there were about five that had pulled out on at least one side. Originally, I planned to replace these straps but after doing some digging around on the site, I decided to try to just reattach them.

When you buy new vinyl straps, you have to heat them in hot water to get them to stretch across the chair and then, as they cool, they shrink and tighten. By simply reattaching the existing straps, I took a risk that my straps would be too loose and not support whoever was sitting in the chairs. But I figured if this was the case, I could always order new straps later and just replace them. So I ordered a bunch of the plastic rivets and went to work.

Following the directions on the website, I was able to reattach all my straps in about an hour. Once they were all fastened, I gave the chairs a good washing. I contemplated painting them black or white to blend in with the trim on the house but I couldn’t make up my mind fast enough so I just moved them up to our front porch.

Can we talk about our front porch for a minute?

My dream home consists of a wrap-around porch with rocking chairs, a swing, a comfy reading nook, and container plants bursting with color. It also comes with a maid, a landscaper, a sauna, a wine cellar, and a dressing room/walk-in closet…but I find it best to focus on what I have instead of what I want so back to our current porch and those repaired rocking chairs. 

Up until these chairs came into my life, our porch décor consisted of two stained camp chairs and a worn out welcome mat. The epitome of welcoming, I know.

I wanted to add some color and warmth and happiness and figured the best place to start would be cushions for the chairs. Now, hold on to your hats for this one folks. Never have I ever been to HomeGoods. (Gasp). I’ve read about this mystical fascinating place. Deals. Rows upon rows of frames, mirrors, lamps, curtains, and décor. Angels singing. Well, two out of three anyway. And a store finally opened up within driving distance from us about a year ago. Can you believe it’s taken me an entire year to find an excuse to get to this paradise?

After the shock and awe wore off, I managed to pick up two beautiful cushions. I love the pattern and the color and they are super comfy. 

I found the pillows at Kohl’s on a 60%-off-outdoor-stuff day and I had a 30% off coupon. Both pillows for $10. I walked out of the store looking over my shoulder because I felt like I was stealing them…

Once the chairs were decked out in their new cozy duds, I added my DIY stenciled rugs and a cute and colorful table I picked up at a local thrift store. 

I also replaced our worn out welcome mat with one I found at Hobby Lobby. The space was rounded out with a couple hanging baskets and some pretty mums. 

As I come up the drive way, I’m greeted by cheery colors and blooming flowers. It’s like my porch is saying, “Hello, summer. Welcome home.”

I love it but it’s not quite “us” yet. Maybe I’ll add some cute house numbers or some painted planters or a wreath or a succulent garden. Or maybe I’ll just sit in the rocking chair and sip a glass of wine.

Either way, this updated porch area provides a nice spot for the Mister and I to have dinner or coffee (or wine). About two-thirds of our property lies in the front of the house, so now we have a cozy area to hang out and enjoy the beautiful view, including some amazing sunsets. 

If you’re looking to bring some color to an outdoor space, I highly recommend starting with a blank slate and picking a general color scheme. This will make the process a bit less overwhelming. Then take it slow. Add piece by piece until you have the space you are dreaming of. Before you know it, your porch will be welcoming you home too. 

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My Favorite Photos

Photography has always been an intriguing area for me. So often, I've viewed photographs taken by professionals  and longed for the skill to duplicate the clarity, colors, and creativity within their shots. The snapshots on my point and shoot didn't come close. When my parents handed down their Nikon D-70 to me because it was too much camera for them, I was excited about the prospect of my photography getting better. But with little to no knowledge about how to use it, I often got very similar results to my point and shoot. 

Frustrated, I decided it was time to pick up a how-to photography book or take a basic class. While my desire to learn to take better pictures was existent and growing, my patience was not. I wanted a quick fix like, "Three Easy Steps to Amazing Photography." I tried multiple times to sit down with a photography for dummies type of book but after a chapter or two, I gave up. There were too many things to learn and not enough room in my day or my brain for that matter. 

Then I started this blog. While blogs are a place for people to write things, they seem to be a bit more interesting and engaging when they have photos. In addition, it's really hard to have a blog about how to get organized without showing pictures of organized things. Can you imagine me explaining how I organized my command center without showing you any pictures of what I was talking about? A picture is worth a thousand words after all, right?

So as I started putting together my first 10 or 20 posts, I noticed a trend. The photos I was posting were dark, out of focus, grainy, and boring. They were nothing like the photos I was seeing on the more established blogs that I follow. They were nothing like the photos I had envisioned would fill this space. 

That was kind of a kick in the pants for me to get my act together and learn how to improve my photography. Not only is this a skill I want to develop for myself, but it's a skill that I want to pass on to each of you as you read my words. I want to give you pretty pictures to look at too!

Since I hadn't had much luck with books in the past, I committed to finding a photography class. Lucky for me, our local Community College offers both an in person class and an online class so I signed up right away. 

I'm now in week 6 of class and I'm finding it much easier to stick with. The motivation that weekly assignments and other students' photos provide is tremendous. I've learned so much in just six weeks and I'm really excited to get out and practice this new found knowledge on real life subjects. So if you see me often in real life, be prepared to see a camera around my neck or in front of my face. 

And speaking of photos, how boring would this post be without any pretty pictures? I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite photos I've taken over the last few years. They have bad shadows, poor use of aperture, the wrong ISO, and maybe even terrible coloring but they mean something to me. While this place is a place I vow to share organizing tips, I think it's also important that you have the opportunity to get to know me a bit more too (if you want to). So enjoy the collage below and I hope that in the next few weeks you'll be able to see a distinct difference in my photography.

The Beginning of Winter Love in Michigan

AuSable Light House (I climbed to the top!)

Grand Haven, MI

Chase, our family dog

The Pacific

Mando & His Stick

Baby Mando's First Christmas

Down on the Farm

The Arch in St. Louis

Our First Winter at Our New House

The City We Call Home, Grand Rapids

Mr. Mister running the 10k like it' nothing

Selfie of my mom and I. We look nothing alike, I know.

A blurry NYE with the Mister

Taking the Lead On Decorating

I'll be honest, I'm a little anxious writing this post. I'm not even close to being an expert at decorating. In fact, it's one of those things that is really scary for me. I see all of these perfectly designed rooms in magazines and on other blogs and I just get paralyzed. So my disclaimer for today's post is this: This is just an explanation of the steps I took to make some decorating decisions in one room of our home. They may not work for everyone, they may not be deemed "correct" in the design world, but they have worked for me so far.

The pinkish beige walls in our master bedroom are driving me crazy. I've been starring at them for over two years trying to decide what color to paint them. I've gone from beige to gray to purple to off white to blue. But one thing is for sure, the pink tone has got to go. We have bare picture hooks hanging on the walls where the previous owner's decor once hung. We have a wood dresser, a wooden bed, and two wooden nightstands that all blend in with the beige carpet and wood trim. To top off the monotony, our duvet cover is beige with a few hints of color. Blah. 

I'm motivated to change things up and make this room a relaxing oasis for the Mister and I. To get started, I looked to Google and Pinterest to get some direction. Most places I visited talked about choosing some words to capture how you want the space to feel and then choosing decor that fit those words. Once you have your words, you can pick a "lead" piece - a piece that all other items in the room will relate to. 

So, let's talk about feelings. I tried to picture my ideal bedroom space and I came up with a handful of words that came to mind. Then I visited Pinterest and pinned some photos of bedrooms that I really loved. I went back through those pins and wrote down any words that came to mind to describe them. I ended up with the following list:

Real
Pretty
Cozy
Comfortable
Relaxing
Calm
Styled
Patterned
Romantic
Clean
Quiet

Some of those words are pretty close to one another like relaxing and calm but there is a slight difference between the two in my mind. My goal was to narrow my list down to three main words for our room. I chose calm and romantic right off the bat. Our bedroom is the place we go to sleep, to recover from our day, to find peace. Having a calm space is very important. It's also the one place in our house that is really just for us. When we have guests, they frequent every other room in our home. But our bedroom is our own private sanctuary, so romantic is necessary too. 

Then I had three words left that I really couldn't decide on: cozy, comfortable, and relaxing. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't pick just one. So I went back to Pinterest and looked at those rooms I loved and marked which of those three words I would use for each room. Comfortable came up with the most results, so it got added as my third word.

Our master bedroom (and everything that is brought into it) will be:

Calm - Romantic - Comfortable

That's all good and stuff, but how does that help me decorate?

This is where choosing a lead piece comes in to play. Take a look at this room and see if you can figure out what the lead piece is:

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It's the curtains. See how the curtains are the most colorful item in the room and everything else that is in the room is pulled from the curtains?

The lead piece could be fabric, artwork, a rug - anything. So I started browsing some fabric websites to see what caught my eye. I didn't necessarily have a color scheme in mind when I started, but I knew it had to revolve around one particular item.

After our wedding, I chose to have my bouquet preserved. I paid a bunch of money to do that and it's been sitting in our basement for almost two years! I know for a fact that I want these flowers on the wall of our bedroom, so the color scheme has got to work with them somehow. 

If you look at my master bedroom pinterest board (click here), you can see how varied my preferences are. I pinned fabric, pillows, bedding, various rooms, etc and there are some stark differences. There are also some commonalities though too. I really like the idea of the orchid color in my bouquet being an accent in the room. It's too bright to be a main color (based on my three words) but it's a fun pop of color. I wanted to pull in some soothing greens and blues as well. All that being said, I finally decided on this pillow as my lead piece.

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The pillow pulls in the bright purple and the darker purple as well as some greens and light and dark blues. The colors are calming, the wispy flowers are romantic, and the pillow itself looks soft and comfortable.

This decision literally took me weeks to make. I'm kind of exhausted. I've vowed to stop looking for lead pieces and pulling up various color schemes online because as soon as I do, I think, "Hmm, this might work..." and the process starts all over. The funny thing is though, in the end, I come back to my pillow. I guess that's a good sign!

So what's next? Excellent question! Now that I have a lead piece and a color scheme and some words to describe how I want the room to feel, it sounds like it's time to start looking at bringing some patterns and textures in and then picking the paint color for the walls... I may need to consult back with Google first. But I feel confident moving forward that this room will end up being exactly what I want it to be. 

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DIY Outdoor Rug

After almost three years living in our house, I'm motivated to do some much needed updating outdoors this year. Our flower beds need some more dirt and new mulch. Our deck needs some attention and an eventual replacement. And our porch is just a porch with big potential to be something greater. As the weather warms up, my motivation to work on these areas increases, and I'm here today to share an easy DIY project to bring some fun color into an outdoor space.

My main goal in updating the porch area is to add some color and some seating. We have a pretty vast front yard and it's nice to just sit outside in the mornings with a cup of coffee or in the evening with a glass of wine or one of my Mister's home-brewed beers. But it's really hard to sit without a seating area.... 

To bring that homey feeling outside, I plan to create an area with a couple chairs and a table - something simple but usable. I thought it'd be nice to ground the seating area with a rug. Easy enough right?

After dreaming up some ideas for the arrangement of the furniture and doing some measuring, I decided a runner style rug would work best. Little did I know, an outdoor runner is not that easy to find. And, when they are found, they are expensive. In this case - well, in most cases really - I define expensive as more than I want to pay. 

I marched off to Lowe's to try and find a cheaper solution and stumbled into the outdoor carpeting department. Outdoor carpeting is cheap and it comes in many colors besides grass green. I was really looking for a deep gray or black because our shutters are black and I wanted the rug to tie in to them. Unfortunately, our local Lowe's was out of the carpet in these colors. A little bummed out, I headed towards the front door but on my way, I passed some outdoor utility rugs. They were about the right width, but a little shorter than I wanted. I laid two out side by side and it was perfect. I picked those up for just $6 and headed home for step 2. 

Putting two black rugs down on the porch doesn't really add color does it? I decided to stencil some color onto the rugs to make them a bit more fun and interesting. I found a stencil at Hobby Lobby (they don't sell them at Lowe's, FYI). I had some paint left over from my dog food storage project that closely matches the color of our house and a color in the pillows I bought for the porch. So, on our first 80 degree day of the year, I sprawled out on the porch and stenciled some teal flowers onto my black utility rugs in a random pattern. 

The paint I used is a latex paint. I've heard that latex enamel paints or acrylic paint that is either specifically for outdoor use or light fast work the best for an outdoor project. I'm curious to see how my stenciled flowers will hold up. The porch is covered but it still gets some water when it rains and a decent amount of sun in the later part of the day.

I taped my stencil in place as I went so it wouldn't move around and I used a 1" stencil brush to tap the paint onto the rug. 

Once the paint is completely dry, they're ready to move into their new home. Now, I've just got to wrap up a couple other projects, and I'll share the big reveal with you soon.

All in all, this project cost me $15. Not bad for a custom rug!

What are you DIY'ing this spring?

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