551 east : August 2011

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Can I get you a sample?

It is almost impossible for me to make a trip to Home Depot and not spend a significant amount of time looking at all of the paint swatch cards.

And it is also almost impossible for me not to have them mix up a sample of a new color I found.

I, personally, am a Behr girl.

Did you know that they have over 2000 colors?!

Holy options Batman!

One reason I love Behr (even though 2000 options can be a little overwhelming), is because I love how most of their swatches show a spectrum of colors similar to one another.

This helps me compare similar colors and chose the one that best matches my vision.

This is about a third of my sample collection.

Like I said, it's hard for me not to pick up a different one each time I'm there. :)

So I thought I'd share some of my favorites that I've used.

In the white/neutral category:

Ballet White: It's a soft white without being too stark or influenced by undertones of pinks/yellows/browns.

Camembert: A LOVELY cream. It is tinged with a pale yellow.

Frost: This is a stark white. Very crisp and clean.

In the gray category:

Manhattan Mist: A soft gray with a twinge of a subtle subtle blue.

Subtle Touch: A white with a touch of gray; just like the name says.

Sparrow: A rich gray without looking stone-like.

In the blue category:

Windsor Haze: Almost a stone blue with a navy touch.

Pencil Point: A deep gray with charcoal blue.

Tropical Breeze: An almost Caribbean sky blue.

In the jewel tone category:

Peacock Tail: It's just like it sounds. :)

Opulent: A pure golden yellow, almost mustard-like.

Teal Zeal: A modern twist on Tiffany Blue. It looks lovely with Tropical Breeze.

Cranberry Whip: A deep rich red without looking too barn red. Sophisticated.

Grape Leaves: A saturated green. Almost Mediterranean

Obviously this isn't a comprehensive list but I love all of these colors.
Love love love.

What are your favorite colors?

Any suggestions for new ones to try?!

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P.S. A few things I forgot to mention. :)

1. Samples are non returnable. They're about $3 so not a huge investment, but $$$ is $$$.

2. You can get them with primer mixed in, just ask for it. However they only come flat. They don't come with a gloss mixed in.

3. You can always ask for the color you choose to be mixed with less color pigment than is shown on the swatch. For example, you can ask for it with 50% pigment and then add more as wanted. However, they cannot take pigment out once added.

4. An 8oz sample covers about 25 sq feet so they are great for small projects.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Classic Hand Carved Entry Table

I was at DI looking for a piece for a custom job when I stumbled across this detailed treasure.

I ran my fingers over the detail work admiring the tiny carvings

and thinking what Jake would say if I brought another piece home.

But I decided it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

(I have a bad habit of doing that)

And so I paid for it and loaded it in the car.

The older gentalman who helped me load it up shared with me some tips to know if something is truly hand carved.

The #1 thing to look for is small irregularities in shape and thickness of the carving. Human hands aren't perfect so small inconsistencies can help verify.

She's painted in Ballet white by Behr and waxed with Howard Citrus Shield.

She's got 3 drawers and pull out writer's ledge and even a secret compartment.

Any guesses where?

It's right down here.

A velvet lined little hiding spot.

She's perfect for an entry way, and end table, or a night stand.

For more information look under the For Sale tab at the top of the page.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

So I got engaged! (Again)

On August 17th 2008 Jake proposed at Cape Argo in Oregon.

We climb a cliff over looking the ocean and Jake poped the question.

And I said YES!

The only sad part of the whole event was that there was no one around us to share our news with

and we didn't get cell phone service.

But obviously it was still one of the best days of my life. :)

After we had been married for a couple months Jake asked me what I had thought of his proposal.

I mentioned that I would have liked to had people around to celebrate with, but I loved how he had done it and we left it at that.

And we left it at that.

A couple of nights ago at Rhett's birthday party, Jake was welcoming our friends and family and started to talk about how grateful he was for me and the past year of being parents together.

Then he got down on one knee

and pulled out a little velvet box

and asked me if I would marry him

again.

I said most likely. :)

Inside the little velvet box were these

Three gold bands.

I LOVE them.

I love that I can work in them and not risk sanding my diamond or painting it (again).

I love that we got to celebrate our "engagement" with our friends and family.

And did I mention I love that I can work in them?!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Tutorial: How to get a distressed look with just paint

Happy almost weekend!

I'm sorry for the absence for the past few days.

We've been SO beyond busy lately between getting ready to move, a furniture finishing marathon, Rhett's birthday, family in town, and anticipation of this for Jake

means busy with a capital B.

But I promised a tutorial on my painting technique that I used on the rustic chest of drawers.

Now don't laugh.

I decided to show you in video format.

I thought it might be easier for you to follow... and I didn't really want to upload a million pictures.

I'm having a lazy moment. :)

So here's the video!

(There's a little glitch because I got the giggles in the middle of recording)

I hope this helps!

It's super simple and produces some great results.

As with all projects make sure to do a preview before you try it on the real deal. :)

Here are some pictures of what I just demonstrated.

Good luck!!

{ If you feature your own piece using this technique please link back to this post! Thank you! }

Friday, August 5, 2011

Rustic 3 Drawer Chest

Our house has a tiny little basement with dirt floors and lots of old...junk.

But in the corner we found this little lovely underneath...junk.

She was in such bad shape when we brought her up and she smelled kind of funny.

Like wet mulch.

I know, makes you cringe right?

The legs were rotten and the whole thing needed an deep cleaning.

We had a friend saw the legs off where they were rotten and then installed new legs ourselves! It's surprising easy ... I can say that now after we messed it up a couple times. You just buy legs that come with screws attached from a store like Home Depot, drill a hole in the part of the dresser you want to attach them too, fill the hole with glue to secure it better, and clamp the legs down for about an hour. When you're done, you've got new legs.

Luckily, besides the legs, she was structurally sound and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see what she could be.

So here she is now.