Oh The Fumes!

In the last couple of weeks I've been doing nothing but paint...literally. I try to do laundry here and there, keep up on the dishes, and manage to fit in lunch for the kids. My kids have been troopers. The weather hasn't been too bad lately and I've been able to trust them to play outside without constant supervision...so they keep themselves occupied. Although, they managed to let the chickens out the other day =)

I suppose this new bout of home improvement started when I decided to repaint the guest room. I had JUST painted it, but didn't like it, and decided to paint it again. I'm a stickler for getting things just so. The guest room turned out smashingly! In the meantime, I had ordered a kit online that was supposed to help me paint my hideous downstairs fireplace and was anxiously awaiting it's arrival. I started that project within 15 minutes of the UPS delivery. I had already done all the prep work and was counting down the days and hours the package would arrive. I had a tracking number and also knew that UPS usually delivers sometime between 1 and 3. It arrived around two...the kids were napping...perfect time to start!

It took me the rest of the day until about 9 PM to finish it. Fortunately, Adam came home early that day and I didn't have to take ANY breaks to deal with the kids. It turned out better than I could have imagined! As soon as our wood stove is installed (should be by tomorrowish), I will post the before and after pics. You will be amazed! Anyway...

My plan after that was finished was to begin the HUGE task of painting my entire basement which is covered in tongue and groove cedar (floor to ceiling). This has been a big debate in the Brown household...but after much contemplating and convincing it was agreed that I could "do whatever." Apparently, Adam trusts my decorating sense after only 6 years of marriage...quite an accomplishment, if you ask me. BUT, the paint and primer was going to cost a big chunk of change and we decided I would have to wait. So, the compromise was that I could finish painting Soren's big-boy bed!....

Soren's new bed is another wonderful (and I mean that literally) hand-me-down from my great grandmother. She also unknowingly donated our guest bed, AND donated Synnove's mattress set =) Anyway, the bed that was to be Soren's is a full-size headboard complete with shelves, drawers, a weird desk-like pull-out (that won't be usable with mattress and box spring), and it's even wired to house a plug-in fluorescent! It's straight from the 60's or 70's...perfect for the decor of our house!! HA!...cha right! I'm giving it a complete overhaul! So, last week I tried my best to match the color to Pottery Barn's "weathered navy" and settled on Glidden's "federal blue." The results are perfect. It's all painted, it just needs new holes drilled for the new brushed nickel drawer pulls and a fresh coat of acrylic sealer. I plan to repaint the current nursery dresser (which was repainted just before Synnove was born and was Adam's as a child) and add matching hardware. But that's another project for another day....because....

Last week was my birthday! And my lovely mother had heard my woes of not being able to afford to paint the basement...so...she took me on a paint shopping spree!!!! I've been working on painting my basement non-stop since last Thursday. I hurt all over...especially in my right shoulder and wrist because I have to paint it with a BRUSH! Because it's a weird, and often uneven, surface with many crevices I have to do at least the first coat with a brush. It takes 2 or more coats of primer and then the topcoat. I have been fortunate to get away with only one topcoat (brushed walls...rolled ceilings). I've managed to finish only about 1/4 of what needs to be done....but it's gonna look fantastic and I can't wait to see it complete!