Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A how-to guide: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I kid you not, this is the absolute easiest way to do a furniture makeover (and it is so fast)! Since I have been a part of the "Annie Sloan Anonymous" addicts club for about six months (cat is out of the bag now), I thought I would throw together a quick guide for doing a furniture makeover!


Things you will need:

  • Annie Sloan Paint
  • Annie Sloan Clear Wax (you can get the dark wax for the antique look - but do not share your wax brushes!)
  • Krud Kutter
  • Old t-shirt (or inside of a cloth diaper)
  • Trash bag to protect your surface
  • Annie Sloan wax brush and paint brush (you can use regular paint brushes, but your surface will not be as smooth!)
  • Odorless Mineral Spirits
The best part about chalk paint is you do not need to sand! If my piece has some chipped areas or peeling areas I will sand so that the paint adheres better. 


I got this cute stool for $10 off of our last neighborhood Facebook sale page. It was in rough shape, but sturdy for little boys trying to wash their hands. 


I lightly sanded the top to make sure that the peeling finish would not affect the paint. Then I sprayed the whole thing with Krud Kutter to clean any sticky surfaces that could affect the paint in the long run. 


Using my Annie Sloan paint brush, I did long strokes to keep the finish as smooth as possible. 



This is what the paint looks like while wet. You have to be sure it is completely dry before painting the second coat.


You will see little spots like this as the first coat dries. It takes about 20 minutes to fully dry. 


Do not worry that you are not covering the entire surface with a thick paint the first time, the second coat catches all those little see-through areas. After waiting for the second coat to completely dry, time for wax. 


Put a small amount of wax on your Annie Sloan was brush, and spread it over one surface at a time. I did the top first, then I wiped all the wax off the top and moved on to the legs. 


To clean your paint brush just use a milk soap and warm water. To clean your wax brush, swirl in odorless mineral spirits until all wax is gone. I store mine in paper towels. 


I think it looks much nicer than the light wood color that clashed with our floors. We used to have this little cute stool on our fireplace stone, but Aiden needs it now for washing hands! 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Some family Easter photos.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter holiday filled with lots of love. I thought I would share some photos of our boys from Easter!
















And beautiful Colorado blessed us with this beautiful double rainbow!

Friday, April 18, 2014

HGTV Smart Home Tour

You all HAVE to check out this AMAZING house! I thought I would share some photos of the wonderfulness that comes from these designers. Who would have thought a blue kitchen would be lovely?!













Isn't it just simply awesome? I am in LOVE with it. Maybe I will find a way to add a navy and orange color scheme to my house! I love the bold.... and they obviously chose these colors because of the amazing Denver Broncos Super Bowl performance! ;)




Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Easter basket ideas.

One thing that is always a little bit of a struggle is finding affordable things to put in an easter basket that are not candy! A little candy is fine, but no one wants to see rotten toddler teeth! I thought I would throw together a little post about some things I put in my boys Easter baskets that are not candy! The trick is... buy stuff they will eventually need!


1. A book that they will love!
2. A movie for those rainy spring and summer days.
3. If you live where it is windy (we do!) then an inexpensive kit is perfect for occupying them for a few hours.
4. Bubbles. You can never go wrong!
5. Toothbrushes and toothpaste.
6. Pool toys and gear. If you are going to need to buy it this summer anyway, might as well make it a present!
7. One thing they really love. In Aiden's case: Transformers. In Luke's case: Minions from Despicable Me.


You can even add things like their favorite character bubble bath, body wash, crayons, coloring books, and activity pads... all things kids can always use! 

I hope everyone has a fabulous Easter! Hopefully we get some time this weekend to post our BeadBoard Wallpaper tutorial! I also have an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint tutorial coming for you! 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Pops of Color

A couple of years ago the bright colored trend hit the malls and clothes everywhere were bursting with electric color! Finally, this awesome trend has hit the walls, or sometimes ceilings! I thought I would drop in to share some of my favorite house-bursts of color!

I even sent a picture to my neighbor the other day asking her if I was crazy for liking this.... and she said it was definitely cool, so I am no 100% convinced!








The yellow and chartreuse colors are definitely in this season! What pops of color is everyone planning on adding to their home?