How to Paint a Perfect Corner. Like...REALLY.

I've been BUSY lately! So busy that I haven't posted here for quite a little while..but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on new projects :)
Because I needed to redo a little window trim in the dining room and bedrooms, I decided to give all three rooms a refresher. I repainted the ceilings, trim/baseboard, and walls. The dining room walls were the most interesting, because I got to try a technique I saw online: how to paint the perfect inside corner with two different paint colors.

Step 1: I actually didn't get a picture of this, but step one is to overlap one color over the other slightly. Let that color dry, and press your painters tape down firmly to the wall and massage it into the little gaps created by the wall texture. 

..as seen here. Taping is Step 2 :)
Be sure to put the tape EXACTLY where you want it, because the line will only be as crisp and perfect as your tape.

Step 3: Paint over the taped corner with the same color you overlapped before.

Any time you use painters tape on a textured wall it bleeds through and you don't actually get the straight line like they do in the commercials. This technique actually lets the paint bleed through, but it doesn't matter because the paint that bleeds is the same colors as the wall beneath it. This will also create a barrier for..

Step 4: Paint the corner with the second wall color. In this case, blue/grey.

Step 5: Apply two coats to make sure everything is properly covered, and remove your tape.
Voila! Crisp, clean, and relatively easy one you've got the concept mastered.
Will definitely be using this one again!

Getting buttoned up for winter :)

Yesterday was a pretty productive day around the house!
A few days ago, Lady Friend and I had started planting spring flowering bulbs, but didn't finish before the sun started setting on us. Yesterday, I took the time to finish that project off, so hopefully the house will be surrounded with all kinds of tulips, allium, narcissus, and crocus come spring time!
There was also the more mundane chores of catching up on laundry, mowing the yard, and straightening up around the house, but I also cut back the rest of the moonflower, hosta, and other perennials..I even pruned the Limelight hydrangeas outside the solarium!
When that was done, I decided I'd spread my cutting board and wooden kitchen tool 'collection' out on the bed of my truck and give everything a good sanding. Over the course of the last year or more, they've become scratched, stained, dull and dry, and they needed some attention. This dark, round, end-grain board actually had a few separations around the edges - the combination of sawdust and the penetrating moisture from the Board Cream tightened everything up again. Good as new, and ready for winter cooking!

Broccoli!

You know how I love my fresh broccoli :)
I cut this one last night and ate it for dinner after finishing the sidewalk..NOMNOMNOM

Fingers to the BONE, man!

I had all day off yesterday to celebrate the Fourth of July - yay!
Personally, I don't know any better way to celebrate independence than to be tied to a house finishing up projects ;)

I'd never laid brick before, but I've seen it done and talked with my concrete guy about proper technique..so I figured I'd give it a shot. Mix up some mortar, spread a layer of it across the concrete for a "bed", then butter the edges of the bricks and tamp them into place making sure it's level, flush with the other bricks, and spaced correctly.
I'll go back and brush the white off and seal everything once it's done..but for now I'll just be sun burnt :)

Coming together!

50 Shades of Grey

When I first painted my bathroom, I painted it WAY too fast. "Hurry up! It will be so much easier to paint before we put the bathtub in..in five minutes." True, it was much easier when the room was empty. But I did such a bad job that it has literally driven me crazy every time I get in the shower and look at the wall in front of me.
So - on a whim.. yesterday - I decided to bite the bullet and repaint the bathroom. Trouble was, I didn't have any paint, and I didn't have any desire to buy any more. So, I turned to my trusty sample paints...all 10 of them. Pour into a bucket, shake and stir, and throw it up on the wall.
I figured if I liked all the colors individually, I'd like the end product..and I'm actually really pleased with the results.
Pictures to follow :)

Fancy pants windows with fancy pants trim

Dad came over Saturday morning and we started working on trimming out the windows in the solarium. We've got a couple more adjustments to make, but otherwise, we're ready for paint!

Never thought I'd see the day..

We had hung siding as far as we could without making some more decisions..

First, the window needed to be re-installed.

..and trimmed

We added those pieces along the top of the bay window to make siding up to the shingles easier and cleaner looking.

Progress: Day One

Paint samples and completed siding. Dad even mulched my leaves!





I never see it from over here - it looks so small!

Sunday progress. Siding: COMPLETE!
A couple little pieces of trim left to hang around the bay window and two new porch columns to set. For now though, I think I'll catch up on some sleep :)

Look at all that siding :)

House wrapped and sealed, windows in, corners in place!

Windows and doors trimmed with the same PVC product I used last time. A little more expensive, but really easy to work with and rot-resistant. The trim and siding should be here for a long, long time!

Trim in place and the first few courses of siding all around the remainder of the house. All the hard work has been done - now we just need to get everything else put in place!

That might just look alright when it's all cleaned up..

It sure does! A few more pieces up top and we'll be good to go on this side of the solarium.

Paint is becoming a thorn in my side. I'm never this indecisive..I'm not sure why this is so hard!

The really sad part is..I still don't like the samples I had mixed. I really, REALLY like the dark gray color I had initially picked out..I just think it's going to be too dark. Woe is me..

I got the stained glass window all sanded, caulked, primed and ready to go. Dad had a piece of plexi glass made up, too. Growing up in this neighborhood, I guess he had a feeling there might be a kid or two with a BB gun...

It looks really great! Ready to fill the hole in the wall :)
Stay tuned for more - lots of progress every day!

Tremendous Tuesday

Piggy-backing on the momentum we established Sunday, my dad, my neighbor, the Goddamn Genius, and I got to work on the remaining windows and the front door to complete the solarium project..for now.

An inside view after the progress we made Sunday.

Window wall!

Dad had the day off yesterday, so he spent the afternoon tearing things apart and getting ready for us to put it all back together. By the time Mark (Goddamn Genius) came over, we were in good shape to get things rolling. A couple hours later, we had both new windows and the new door framed, installed, and sealed in!

Mark: Taking Care of Business..in a flash!

Framing the windows and front door. The new door was about three inches wider than the old door, so we had to do a little cutting to get everything just right.

This room went from being more-or-less wasted space to now being really cool, historically accurate wasted space ;) All kidding aside, it’s going to be a really cool spot to read a book, or just hang out and watch the activity on the street..and grow plants!

Winding down for the afternoon.

Getting everything sealed up for the night. No bugs or bats allowed.

It's really going to look cool once all the trim has been hung...but it looks pretty cool now, too!

Now for a little drywall patching and wood trim inside, and exterior trim and siding outside! Stay tuned for the progress this weekend – the light at the end of this tunnel is getting brighter all the time! J

Well, isn't that special.

Did you notice the small window above the bay windows in my previous post? Here it is! It was given to me by the previous owners - they felt it should stay with the house....and I feel it should be a part OF the house, again!

Last night's quick project was building a frame for the window so I can hang it in place..when we get to that point.

I'm not totally finished yet, but I might be about as far as I CAN be for the moment. I still need to cut a few small strips to hold the sash in place. I angled the bottom here so it would shed water..in theory. Check back for more updates soon!

Holding down the fort

See those columns on my front stoop?

Ta-da! We found new old columns in the East Village, downtown Des Moines!

The rings around the columns needed a little work - here I had already chisled out some of the damaged area..

..and filled it in with a new piece.

The new piece fit pretty well, but still needed a little fine sanding to match the surrounding area.

Pretty good fit, wouldn't you say?

Fancy pants! Good find, Dad - and thanks again for all the help!