Springtime Projects 3: Have A Seat!

It might still be Spring, but here in Texas, things are starting to heat up and feel like Summer. I knew I needed to get the last of my Spring projects done before it was too hot. 

I finished mulching the flowerbeds - that was lots of work but looks so good! Hopefully, it will help keep the moisture in during the long, hot days of Summer.

Front flowerbed

Another big project I needed to finish was painting all my metal chairs. They didn't look bad from a distance but up close, the paint was peeling and they had rust spots.

Five of the chairs...where's the yellow one?

I tried last year but then I couldn't get spray paint. So that project was pushed aside until I could find the paint. Each chair takes 2 cans of paint and I only had one of each color. Finally last week, I found what I needed.

All my pretty colors

As I lined them up to prepare to wash them off, Bruce offered to power wash them. Why yes, please! Not only would this clean the dirt off but it would also get the peeling paint off as well.

I'd already washed one and had it in my painting spot so Bruce 
just needed to wash the other five.

Bye-bye dirt and flaking paint

I set up my spot to prime them with Rustoleum's Rusty Metal Primer. Each one got a good coat all over. They had plenty of time to dry as I got busy with other things. But finally, I was able to get back to them this past week.

All primed and ready to go!

Purple, red, and aqua were first. As one dried, I moved it to the side of the barn then started on the next one. 

All went well until I started on the green, yellow and orange ones. First can of paint was great but the second one to finish off each chair didn't seem to have much pigment in it. I shook the can some more. Try again. Nope. In frustration, I quit. I was going to have to go buy more paint. 

Tuesday, I got out and bought the colors I needed. Oh please work! Big sigh of relief - thankfully they did. And here they all are - yellow, green, aqua, purple, orange and red! I LOVE the bright colors.

Oh, these chickens got a fresh coat of paint too as I was spraying the chairs. 

Poor chickies. They are all rusty and faded too.

After they dried, I added the details then gave them all a clear coat for extra protection. Aren't they cute?

Mama hen and her chicks

So come on over. We'll relax with cold drinks and enjoy the evening - all in bright-colored chairs.

All done! We are ready for an evening under the trees.

I Just Wanted To Paint: Project 2

 Good morning, friends! Have you ever started a project thinking you only had to do the one thing to complete it? 

That's how this project went! I had finally decided on colors for our bedroom, bought the paint, was all ready to go, then the weather didn't cooperate, other things needed attention, and so on.

These are the only before pictures I have of the room. This was after I painted it Revere Pewter but before we moved up here full-time.

As you can see, the room is fairly dark. The grey didn't help.

Finally, last weekend I had the time and perfect conditions in which to tackle painting our room. After removing the pictures from the walls, taking out the smaller pieces of furniture, I had Bruce help me move the large pieces.

Ugh. I knew I'd need to vacuum but I wasn't expecting to find the amount of dust bunnies I uncovered.  I mean,  I do vacuum and dust regularly but we do have 2 large, hairy dogs (border collies) that sleep on the floor next to the bed so dirt happens.

But yikes! What a mess under the bed and dresser. All I wanted to do was paint but now it had to be put on hold for cleaning.

We pulled the area rug out and laid it on the driveway where I scrubbed it clean (yay for indoor/outdoor rugs!) then left it to dry while I tackled the floors in the room.

A thorough vacuuming then I pulled out my Hoover Floormate and washed the floor. Much better! Finally, it was time to paint. I had Benjamin Moore's Chopped Dill for an accent wall and Sherwin Williams' Ancestral Gold for the others. Bye-bye grey!

The next day, I painted another coat on the walls, let it dry, then we put our room back together. Our red bedspread looks great with the new paint colors and I replaced the plain white curtains with the pretty bird print ones that used to hang in the old living room turned office.

I absolutely love how it turned out. So much brighter! Plus, I have a really clean room, which of course, is a bonus. 

This was a big project that I've wanted to do for awhile. I'm so happy it's done.

Springtime Projects: Project 1 - Shower Door

Hello friends! It's been awhile since I posted last. I've been busy with all the springtime projects besides doing artwork. But they're getting done!

Our first project we worked on was a door for our shower. When we redid the bathroom several years ago, we weren't sure if we wanted a glass door or not. To be honest what was available just wasn't very pretty. I didn't want chrome and there really wasn't enough room for a swinging door. So we opted to hang a shower curtain. 

It wasn't a great choice as the opening was larger than a normal shower and finding a curtain that fit was a challenge. The one I found wasn't quite wide enough and then it tended to blow out and drip water all over the floor. Frustrating.

Then last year, my sister redid her bathroom and they put a sliding door on their shower. It has the hardware that looks like barn door hardware. What could be more perfect for a farm? Finally! A look I was happy with! We had someone come give us a quote - wouldn't you know the one I wanted was more than we wanted to pay? 

Our next step was to go look at Lowes and Home Depot. We found one we liked and thought would work.  With information in hand, we came home, looked it up, figured out what we needed and ordered it. It didn't take too long for it to come in. When Bruce got home with it, he had me try to lift one end up. Boy, that glass was heavy! There was no way I could help him unload it and get it in the house.  He had to get our neighbor to come over and help. Then, a few days later, again with the neighbor's help, Bruce installed it. It was quite the process but it went up without too much trouble.

All most there! Just have to let the caulk cure.

It turned out great! I am so blessed my husband is such a good handyman. 

Yay! No more water leaking out onto the floor!It felt really good to get this project done.

There's many more springtime projects to share - lots of gardening and painting a room. I'll be back next time to share those.