Painting Project

Well, it's only taken a year and 2 months - but I finally got the bedroom wall painted! I think the trauma of painting the whole rest of the apartment was so exhausting that I had to take a break - that turned into a really big break - like the entire summer.

Anyway, I documented the before and after - and I left the bed unmade and the nightstands a mess so you'd really get a feel for how BEFORE the before was - just a shitshow - but, ahhhhh, the after. So soothing, so peaceful, so prettttttty. 

Next step, get some art on the walls, get a proper dresser or wardrobe (you can't see that problem from your view) - just trust me - it's not great over there on that side of the room, but it will be.

The details: I'm a really big fan of Sherwin-Williams paints. They are more expensive than the brands you find at Home Depot, etc, but they are really good. They practically have the consistency of pudding so they don't drip and splatter, and they go on thick, so you never need more than 2 coats. Also, the depth of color is really nice and it's fast drying and basically really good stuff. And, if you sign up with them, you will get loads of discounts on paint or supplies. I got my paint at 25% off, and supplies at 15% off. I already have all the brushes, rollers, etc, but I did get more Frogtape. Again, my favorite. All the other tapes have been ok, but just ok. Frogtape does what it's supposed to, it seals the edges, and you don't EVER get that leakage of paint. Everytime a great line - love it!

Here are the pics - I know - lookin' good!

The dreaded before - what a dump!

Furniture moved - tape taped. Not much room here to work with.

Just got the first bit of paint on - love the color already. It's a sort of
pale blue but with a tiny bit of gray in there too.

Just about yanked the tape off first - but here is the taped and painted version.

Bed's made, things are put back, looks awesome!

Just needs artwork

View with the drapes. Love how it all works with the
head and footboard - the drapes and the head and footboard were
 last winter's sewing projects! Sorry, I didn't document those little DIY's.

Another view!

And last one, toward the bathroom. Love the color!

Craigslist - What's Old?

Here are a few more craigslist items worth getting that I saw this week in the Seattle version. All you need is a little DIY love and these things will be great. This is exactly why I need to become an upholsterer. Take a look:

Chair pair $99

Old chair $85

Dresser $35

Side table $50

Cute Italian tables $75 for the pair

Wood lamp base $45

Craigslist again

Here is another installation of "Craigslist - Make your house look great for not much money"! Check out these goodies that I found today on Craigslist Seattle. Great deals if you want to spend some time being crafty. Usually one of these project's only require elbow grease, some sandpaper, paint and beeswax. You can do it. Some might require some re-upholstery - so if you're not up for that,  think about hiring a professional, and in the end you will have some really unique pieces in your home for less than it would cost to go to the shops and get the same thing everyone else has.

Vintage wood desk - $45 - repaint this sucker - the hardware will look beautiful on a lighter background.Desk, vanity, entry table?

Vintage arm chairs - $50 - great price and sort of mid-century cool look.

Vintage oak restored coffee table -$95 - someone already restored this and I'm not a big oak fan, but you could refinish again in a color and have a beautiful table in a pale green or gray

Old wooden desk, $60 - great in a small space as is or painted

Vintage Sofa - $160 - classic style, just needs new uphostery and it's a great price

Here's a project for you - Settee $40 - Go for it. So cute in your bedroom

Side table - $15 - So cute! Paint it and clean up the hardware

Antique dining buffet - $250 - this is the big splurge but worth it because it's so fantastic

I may have said this before, but I'm starting to see more and more stuff on Craigslist that someone has already gotten their mitts on - and are trying to sell for some profit on their "refurbishing". I tend to steer away from these - because I don't want to pay extra for their idea. I would rather do that myself. If you feel completely NOT CRAFTY - you might like some of the stuff you see that's been redone. You get to choose. 

Warning: Your husband will yell at you if you start picking up too much junk on Craigslist and don't ever actually turn it into anything. Try not to just buy a bunch of other people's crap. Go through this list in your head each time: 

1. Do you have time to do the project?

2. Is this a unique item and at a great price?

3. Do you have a place in your home RIGHT NOW to put this thing once you're done?

If you did make a mistake and bought someone else's crap and it's still sitting in your garage, turn it right back around and put it back up for sale on Craigslist and move on. Now you are free to buy stuff. Good luck and have fun!

Buy This Now

Our good friends in San Francisco turned us on to this little nugget (thanks Mark and Kerry!).  It's a magnetic door stop.  We bought one immediately for our front door and have never been happier! Get one, it's unbelievably easy to install and your days of propping the door open with miscellaneous crap are over. Attach one piece to the door and the other piece to the wall and you will have instant DIY pride and the door wont hit you in the ass on the way out anymore!

I think several companies make them, but we got this one from Stanley at Home Depot and it's perfect. 

Cleaning House

No, really! We cleaned the actual house. We started to notice in the last few months that the north side of the house was turning green or greenish/brown or something very very pooplike and unattractive. Tons of green goo (I think algae) was starting to collect on the siding and then pollen was sticking to it, and it needed help BAD. The thought of scrubbing the whole thing seemed kind of overwhelming so we were not exactly rushing to do the work.

Then……my lovely mother mentioned that she just finished cleaning her composite deck with this miracle solution called 30 SECONDS OUTDOOR CLEANER and I should maybe try that on my siding. So a quick stop at Ace Hardware – and a little read about what sort of environmental danger we were in for, and off we went.

Here’s how time consuming and horrendous the process was: 

1. Spray it onto dry surface. 

2. Wait about 5 minutes. 

3. Rinse off with garden hose.

That’s it! We used the gallon jug in concentrate, mixed with water (as per directions) and went for it. It was fantastic. I’m now ready to clean everything with it.

Oh, regarding the enviro-impact. The packaging says it’s fine to use as directed and is ok around plants and animals. I have to say, it just smells like bleach, but it says it doesn’t have bleach in it. In any case -  I think I would be careful to use directly around any edible plants or veggies or too much or often that it might affect groundwater, but it says it’s safe. 

I’m pretty excited to have discovered this little nugget of efficiency. Apparently, other people have known about it for years. Duh! I think back to the year we got married at the farm and remember myself spending an entire summer day scrubbing the algae off the house and side of the garage so it would be pretty for pictures. Why oh why was I not smart enough to investigate an easier method. Grrrr. 

Before

Before

Before

During

During

After

After

This is what you need to clean your house! Go!

Nike - Me Likey!

You know what Nike is doing that is totally awesome? Letting you be a shoe designer!!!

You can jump on Nike’s website and look for sneakers (I was looking at Nike Free 3.0) and there on the left side of the page I found the “Customize it with Nike ID” link –you can totally turn your sneaks into whatever color combination you like. Of course I picked the most neon-y bright color combo’s I could find (because I’m from the 80’s) and I have to say I LOVE THEM!  Super comfy and all that, but I’m mostly excited to wear them for the bright and shiny factor. I kind of like them best without socks though – so I might regret that when they start to stink, but right now I LOVE THEM. Did I mention that I LOVE THEM. I LOVE THEM!

And one more thing. You can customize the front of the tongue with your name or whatever you want, so I chose GO on one foot and FAST on the other – for a little extra motivation to get after it.

And one more other thing. I’m not a huge Nike person, I have a few things here and there but not more than other sportswear company items – so I’m not trying to force you into a Northwest brand.  This is just such a great marketing and sales tool – you need to know about it. And sorry, it’s not cheap, but for a custom item, I didn’t feel like it broke the bank either.

And lastly – I’ll be so upset if I get them dirty. Wah. Mine are below - the swoosh is actually the neon orange color too - but the flash is making it looks white - but it's not. That would be way too normal.

Hey Craig – Nice List!

I have a ton of patience for scouring Craigslist for treasures. Most people do not. But, if you take the time, you can find some great stuff and great prices. Most of it will need a little bit of love from you when you get it home, but look at the things I found this week. Excellent!

 Chair - $60

 Sofa - $FREE - note the awesome faux bamboo detail - 

this could be beautiful with new upholstery!

 Old Stereo cabinet - pull out the guts and make it into a bar - $50

 Mid-century chair - $60

 Tiny table - refinish and paint - has cute pull out shelf - $25

 Pair of chairs - reupholster in mohair - beautiful - $180 for the pair - great deal

 Walnut table - $80

Desk - $80 - This would be gorgeous in a solid color like white or grey

Here are a couple tips when searching. Go straight to the Furniture section, and then do a search for “vintage”, “antique” or “mid-century”. You can also reduce your search based on budget parameters too, but I don’t because I like to see it all – cheap and expensive! I’ve noticed in the past few years that more and more dealers and mattress sellers are listing on craigslist – so you have to navigate through them to get to the good stuff but that’s ok too. Craigslist will now let you browse in grid-style with photos, so that can speed up the process. Also, you’ll find a lot of things for sale that have clearly been “fixed-up” already. If you are ok with that, great.  I don’t usually go for those – I want the thing in its original condition – good or bad.

Don’t forget to check the Free section. I have found great stuff there. There are a lot of people who just want to get rid of stuff and they don’t care to try to sell it – they’ll just give it away. Especially if it’s a piano. Lots of piano’s in the free section. You should get one.

If people don’t post a photo, don’t waste your time. Move on. I still don’t understand how anyone could sell anything these days without some photos, but you will still see listing with no photo, don’t get sucked in. It’s not going to be good.

Most sellers on Craigslist are very nice people and willing to make a deal – but ALL of them will want cash, and soon. And most of them aren’t going to deliver you a sofa or carry it down 3 flights of stairs. That’s on you! If you want it bad enough, you’ll figure out how to get it.

Also, just because you’ve seen news stories about bad people using Craigslist to lure people to their house to do bad things, trust me that most of the Craigslisters just want to clean out their basement or garage and have no evil intentions. If you feel unsure about any transaction you should bring someone with you when you pick up your purchase. You can also exchange enough email or texts with them to get a pretty good idea of their character. If someone is emailing you with a legit work email, or is willing to give you their phone number or let you google their address, you’re pretty safe. But, having said that, use your gut instincts, if it feels weird, don’t go.

Now, get on Craigslist and start shopping. By the end of this weekend you could have new end tables or a summer re-upholstery project! As Macklemore would say, “F*-ing Awesome”!