Fresh White Paint

I had some extra time the other day after work & decided to paint!

I love white. I don't think you can go wrong with a fresh coat of white paint on ... pretty much anything! I painted all the cupboards & drawers in our bathroom. I'm a little mad I didn't go with a semi-gloss finish simply because it's easier to wipe down in an area that gets so much use (& to keep the white whiter for longer!)

I still need to throw on another coat ... maybe after work today.


Happy painting!

Power Sanding

I love nothing more than a good power tool. They tend to make everything so much easier and save a lot of time. My latest project is this chair:

As you can see, I got a little over excited about my last tool (the paint sprayer) & didn't tape/cover the seat before I got to work. The spot where the back of the chair is got the most paint & needed the most sanding ... but it was also the most awkward part to sand. I will have to go back and do some by hand.

I used a 220 grain sandpaper which was just rough enough to strip the paint/previous stain but leave a smooth finish. I can't wait to apply the stain! I think I'm going to get all four chairs prepped before I start that process just so I can make them as uniform as possible.

Spray Painting (& not just out of a can!)

It's been almost a year since I bought this table & chairs off Craigslist with every intention to start the project long before now. However, last week I finally cashed in on a Christmas gift I had received - a gift card to Home Depot - & bought a new paint sprayer! (this is the coolest thing ever!)

I figured out quickly that you can't just pour in the paint & start spraying. There is a certain consistency the paint must be in order to actually come out of the sprayer and then form an even, non-speckled coat. Because the paint I bought had a latex base I just added a couple teaspoons of water & gave it a good stir. Had I any patience to actually read the instructions before I started, I would have figured this out a lot easier!

Also, had I any patience, I would have taped off the wood seat before getting started. Here are the "before" & "during" pictures. I need to add another coat of the ivory/cream color, sand the seat down & stain it. (And of course repeat all those steps on the other three chairs and the whole darn table! yikes! no wonder I didn't start this sooner!)

I'm a HUGE fan of the sprayer. After re-doing a crib, I quickly learned how much spray paint can add up! One bottle is about $4 - between the primer, first coat, & second coat I easily spent $50 on paint alone. A gallon of paint on the other hand is less than $20 & will easily be able to cover this entire table, all four chairs, & probably many more projects to come! I can't wait to post "after" pictures!

Welcoming a Little Cowgirl

A couple weeks ago I helped throw a baby shower for a little cowgirl we will soon be welcoming into the world! It was the first one I've ever helped plan before ... & we all know baby showers can be hit or miss! So, here is a recap of the planning, decor, and baby shower fun! I used browns, cow print, and burlap mixed with both light & bright pinks to go for a girly-western look.

I wish I could take credit for this sign because it's oh-so-cute! but, it was borrowed from Elizabeth's sister-in-law.

I ordered these invitations off Etsy. They say "Yee Haw! A little cowgirl is on her way. Let's shower her mommy before the big day!" I used brown paper bag colored envelopes but wanted to give them more of a girly look so I glued a white doiley on the top of each one. The doiley was folded so that it showed half on the front & half on the back.

I found these old frames at thrift stores. I painted them with some leftover craft paint & glossed over them with Mod Podge after the paint was dry.

Then I had Elizabeth send me some pictures of her ultra sounds & baby bump to put in the frames.

I also found these horseshoes & stars at the thrift store. I painted them with the matching paint as well.



Elizabeth was given this sign but it said "LIL BUCKAROO" ... I told her that wasn't quite fit for a girl & painted "LIL DARLIN" on the opposite side of it. That way if she has a boy down the road she can just flip it over!







I wanted the guests to have something to take with them after the shower, so I made some sugar cookies in the shapes of cowboy boots, hats, and horseshoes. I liked the way the boots turned out the best so a majority of the goodie bags just had the boot. I made the frosting using a recipe that included Karo syrup so that it dried hard & slightly glossy. I put some silver sprinkles on the spur & did the details with a white tube of frosting.

I used one of my favorite websites (dafont.com) & downloaded some western fonts to use for the gift tags. I printed them on light pink paper, mounted them to brown paper bags & ripped the edges. I used different patterns of ribbon paired with a piece of jute twine to tie the tags onto the clear bags.

One of the games we did was guess how many chocolates in the Mason jar. I used burlap & pink ribbon to cover the jar (& ended up doing a similar bow on the silverware jar). There were two other activities. One was a balloon relay where you had to waddle with a balloon between your legs and pass it off to your teammate. The other was a "Wishes for Baby Olson" survey where each guest filled out a card with their wishes for the new little one. I stole that idea off Pinterest. 

 Sweet tea & pink lemonade refreshments.

We used a burlap & cow print fabric on top for the table runners. 

We had light snacks of pink lemonade cupcakes, cookies, brownies, & cheesecake filled strawberries!

& of course some veggies and a pasta salad

We used a few card tables covered with a pink plastic table cloth, & added a piece of cow print fabric & some of the horseshoes & picture frames.

CONGRATS Elizabeth! It was so fun celebrating your new little cowgirl with you!!

Thank you for letting me be a part of all the baby shower fun!

Western Crib - Before

My wonderful friends Elizabeth & Dan are expecting their first baby, a little girl! & what does every newborn need!? a crib! They bought this crib off of Craigslist and we decided we could re-do it to make it fit their unique western style. It's not quite finished yet but the picture above is after a coat of primer and the first coat of light brown. Originally we talked about sanding it down & staining it, but after I started to sand I discovered it was MDF which just wouldn't work. So, Plan B! I decided paint it a light brown followed by a dark brown & then rough it up with some sandpaper to give it a rustic look. I'm excited for it to be finished & hoping it turns out just how I have pictured in my mind!

When one door closes ...

... you are left with the world at your doorstep.

After a full year working with Nike, my contract is coming to an end. It's a little bittersweet but I know that timing is everything. It has been such a great opportunity to have had the chance to work here & the experience I have gained is invaluable. I was lucky enough to interact with a few athletes including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, & Rafael Nadal (pretty awesome!) and worked with a bunch of great & truly inspiring people.

Career wise, it's weird to be (almost) 25 & (almost - I have one month left) unemployed. Although I knew it was coming, it's still a strange feeling. This is the first time I have not been working as long as I can remember. I have always had some sort of job lined up since I was old enough to babysit! Sooo what's next!? :)

The exciting part about it is that I have NO obligations. I have no lease, no job, no ties to anything here in Portland. I am free to go wherever I want and do whatever I want. I have about 9 months of school to finish until I will have my Accounting Degree (which is online & I can do anywhere!). I've been throwing ideas around about moving somewhere new. Maybe back home for a little bit in order to just focus on school & spend the time to really dive into and learn it. We will see!

The things I DO want to accomplish in the next year:
1. Run my half marathon!
2. Re-do (at LEAST) one piece of furniture (I have a dining room table that's calling my name ... & this requires NOT living in an apartment)
3. Finish my accounting degree.
4. Travel to either Montana or Colorado.
That should be a good start!

Table for Four-ty Bucks!

I'm pretty impressed with my most recent purchase. I'm an avid Craigslist-er & always get excited about a good deal. Last week I found this dinning table & four chairs for $45! - I was surprised the lady I bought it from let me talk her down on the price to just $40! There are a few scratches & dings here and there, but for the most part it's a very sturdy solid table.

I will take better before pictures once I actually get to work! But this is a screenshot of the actual table:

Since it's a little hard to see, here is another picture of what it actually looks like:

(just with a little darker wood top)

My plan is to sand down the top of the table & re-stain it with a dark finish. Then paint the legs & the chairs an off-white/cream color. I might get half way done & realize it would have been easier to leave well enough alone! But I'm excited to get started on a project.

I envision the final product will look similar to this:

Wish me luck!