Friday, May 16, 2014

Front Door Revival



Remember that front door make over I said I was going to post tomorrow? Except I said it like 2 or 3 days ago, yeah... well her it is! It's tomorrow somewhere right??

I have been wanting a new front door since I first saw the house we bought back in 2010. I kind of still do, but a lot less. I envisioned some dashing handyman hanging my beautiful teak wood craftsman style door with the lovely window on top, while I sip iced tea on my porch on a summer day. Basically none of that played out. I decided to keep myself busy one weekend while the hubby was away on business and painted the door we already had. And instead of blissfully sitting on my porch drinking iced tea, I kept repeating in my head "please don't wake up, please don't wake up". As my twins were napping upstairs.

My point is, painting your front door is really really easy, pretty cheap, and can be done during nap time.
I dare say, I love my "new" front door. I think it really adds character to my home and bumps up the curb appeal (as do my symmetrical flowers on my porch, but that's another post).

Here is how I did it:

First you will need the following supplies: 

Your choice of paint. I used a quart of Behr Marquee Exterior Paint + Primer. Available at Home Depot. You can use whatever brand you'd like but exterior paint is great for dirt and water resistance. Also using a Paint that has Primer in it really cuts your time down. I also chose to get my paint in a semi-gloss finish, you could also do satin as well, though I'd only recommend those two finishes for this project.

A High-Density Foam Roller: This is different than what you paint your walls with. You can find them anywhere, I just used the mini ones but you could use whatever size you'd like.

A Foam Brush or Angled Brush: This is for painting any indents your door might have, as shown below.

Painter's Tape

Sand Paper: 
I can't remember what grit I used (ugh!) But I want to say something like 200 or 220?

Hot Soapy Water 
Sponge
Towels or Plastic: To cover your floor



Step 1: Take your before picture. Seriously do it, it will make this project 10x more satisfying.
Remove your door hardware, that way you don't need to worry about taping that part up and painting "around" it. 

Next, you need to wash/scrub your front door thoroughly. Make sure all the dust, dirt, spiderwebs and whatever else is on there is gone. Because once you paint over it, it's there FOREVER!

Now it's time to sand the door. You can use an electric sander or a sanding block. I opted for a sanding block so I didn't make a mess and wake my sleeping offspring. You don't need apply a lot of pressure, just enough to rough it up a bit. And yes, this step is necessary even if you prime or have primer in your paint. The sanding really does help bond paint to the surface. 

Next, it's time for the part I hate most (no reason really). Taping up your door. You may not think this is necessary, but don't let your confidence fool you, trust me, you are not that good that you won't make a mistake. Yes it's possible to be careful when you paint and not create a shit show of a mess, but it's also 10x likely that chaos will ensure and you'll end up with paint in all the wrong places. I taped up the bottom black plastic of my door and STILL got paint on it. Oh well, that's what Goof Off is for right? Tape anywhere you don't want the paint and remember PAINT SPATTERS!!! 

I started with painting my groves in my door first, as pictured. I think that this creates a smoother finish overall, you don't want those pesky brush strokes to be seen. So paint all the spots that you cannot reach with your roller first.
NOTE: This is the step where you if you live in a HOA neighborhood that you will get neighbors giving you looks, wondering what the eff you're doing and what they may be forced to look at. Just smile and tell them you really though a neon pink would make your house stand out from the crowd 


Now it's time to use that roller! Going up and down, or down and up, roll the paint on the door evenly. Don't be too focused on covering up spots that still show through, you will need at least 2 coats. I think I ended up doing 4 (though this picture was taken after 2). You need to wait for your first coat to dry before applying your second. Trust me, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy and waste paint.

Now give yourself a pat on the back because you just painted your front door!

Go create something!

Quick Disclaimer PLEASE READ

If you only read one post ever please let it be this one! Just kidding. Please read all of them.
This "disclaimer" is to inform you that I am the world's greatest procrastinator. Okay, maybe not the world's greatest but I'm easily in 2nd or 3rd place. I will continue to share sneak peeks via Facebook or Instagram  letting you lovelies know when a new post will be coming, but when I say "tomorrow", those are really just details. What I mean to say is: New Post! Check it out whenever I put it up. 

Anyway, now that my conscious is clean. I can now get on with my real post I was logging in to do. Stay posted, it will be up...whenever :)

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Benefits of House Plants


Not my house (only in my dreams). Photo credit: here


One of my newest interior design obsessions is house plants. Real ones. Sure the plastic ones are much easier, but who wants easy right? Seriously though, besides being hipster-chic and earthy indoor pants have amazing health benefits!

The truth is, is that even if you are a crazy neat freak your home is filled with nasty chemicals you don't even realize you're breathing in. Problem solved, just invite some green house guests to stay! As my husband would point out if he read this, these chemicals infact won't kill us. But really, if they look beautiful and do your health a solid why not?

Most of them are super easy to take care of. I myself have 4 and some air plants (not sure what they do except look pretty and are expensive) . I water every three days or so (watering when the top soil becomes dry). And use these fertilizer spikes. Each one last for up to a month, then you just simply dig it up and replace it, or you can be lazy like me and just leave it in and put another one in.

I've had my plants for about 3 months or so, and not that this is a solid scientific theory or anything, but, I've noticed that my asthma and allergies have improved a bit.

Here is a great source of specific benefits.

What are your favorite house plants?

Monday, April 21, 2014

Coming Soon

This page is on the long list of my to-do's.

I will be selling furniture LOCALLY (in the Boise-Meridian area only). You can visit my facebook page or simply email me if you are interested in a featured piece.

Along side my furniture I will be selling my homemade chalk-based paint. It's absolutely perfect for those furniture pieces that need a little love.

Who Am I?

I'm just a twenty-something motherbird of 3 and wifey living in beautiful Boise, Idaho. I love to paint, listen to music, play outside, and be in the company of good friends. I also enjoy going thrifting, and binge on sushi.

The purpose of this blog is to inspire/teach you to make something beautiful or whip up something delicious.
In this blog you will get a glimpse of my family and everyday life, I'll have tutorials of simple yet amazing changes you can make to your home, crafts, yummy recipes and more.

So look around and be insired!


Say Hi!

you can email me at: theneongypsy89@gmail.com

Feel free to say hi anytime!
Also, if you are interested in ordering chalk paint, please contact me via email for now!

Thanks!
Brittany