Remodeling Continues

Happy Saturday, everybody!

Since my last post, a couple of things have happened at home. First, we ordered a new media stand (a.k.a. entertainment center). Now, we have long since passed the point where we buy lots of frivolous stuff, BUT our recent move back to our hometown means that we don't have precisely what we need throughout the house. On top of that, we've noticed that our eyesight is not quite as sharp as it once was! What's up with that, anyway?

For that reason, we ordered a new media stand in anticipation of a larger TV in the near future. Our 32" set isn't quite large enough now for us to read the show descriptions on the on-screen guide. Bummer! So, we needed a new stand for our present TV, which is currently stretched across two end tables we had in our previous house, and then eventually a larger TV.

Needless to say, our budget dictated an unassembled product at an economy price. Guess what I did yesterday?!?

Here are the phases:

Laying out the pieces - equivalent to a cook's mise-en-place activities.
Yea! All the pieces were in the box!

Gluing dowels, screwing pieces together, and assembling

A personal tip: As you can see, I have hardwood floors - the real kind! They are very susceptible to scratches! On top of that, this new stand may weigh quite a bit once it's loaded with various components, a television, and most likely a number of DVD tapes. For that reason, I added felt furniture pads on the bottom of all legs. They were not included, so that was a separate purchase. These pads will keep us from scratching the floor if we need to move the stand and will also make the piece easier to move on the soft pads.

The final assembled product - not yet holding the television!

I love the new stand, which has a barnwood finish, and we will transfer the needed equipment sometime this weekend. Meanwhile, I've been wrapping up the painting on my kitchen cabinets and installing a few under-cabinet lights that we've had stored for quite some time.

So, what's next? I did mention that two things had happened at home recently, didn't I?

CR-A-A-A-S-H!

Yep! In the midst of all the other home improvements, we were attempting to move this computer desk back into the corner after I hung new window blinds and a couple of picture frames. Unfortunately, the left end of the desk was not sturdy, and it completely broke off! We went a little in shock as we watched multiple monitors, speakers, keyboard, mouse, and an assortment of books and papers go crashing onto the floor when the break occurred. This photo is post-cleanup! Thankfully, everything (but the desk) survived! Even the PC tower, which you can see still sitting under the desk, came through unscathed. Whew! THAT would have been devastating!

Needless to say, I need a new desk. I have one on order and, as you might surmise, I'll be back in major assembly mode next week! Yikes! Does it ever end?!?

You know, I think I could descend into a little bit of pity over my unexpected challenges as of late, BUT...I choose instead to embrace them as opportunities! I'm really looking forward to my new desk, which has filing and other storage capacity. Hooray! Assembly will come and go, and then it's mine to enjoy for a long time to come. And truly, the recent move has allowed me to become quite the expert with drill and screwdriver.  :-)  All will be well.

So, that's it for today. Thanks for dropping in to read my post today. I promise that some craft-y stuff is coming very, very soon! Meanwhile, may the Lord smile all over you today! God bless.

Fireplace Remodel

Hello, everyone!

I hope you're enjoying a great Sunday afternoon. I, for one, just enjoyed the conclusion of another great British Open golf tournament. My heartiest congratulations to Shane Lowery, who was privileged to win the tournament in his home country of Ireland. What a lovely, scenic place!

Meanwhile, here in my corner of the world (in North Carolina), I've just completed a major makeover on my living room fireplace. Here are some pictures of the project from start to finish.

Just as a little background, my husband and I are just (re)settling into our house. We've owned it a number of years, but rented it for a time. Now that we're back permanently, we have some big projects in the works. This is one of the first.

This fireplace was seriously ugly, y'all! My first step in the process was to clean it up! The picture at left is its original state, and the second picture is after I used a dry paint brush just to dust it down and get all the debris off. As you can see, it still needed lots of help after the cleaning.

Original and uncleaned

After cleaning with a dry paint brush

After I cleaned the surface, I affixed painter's tape all the way around the fireplace, hearth, and mantel to keep paint off the walls, ceiling, and floor. (I was not entirely successful, so touch-ups are in the works!) 

Then, I started the base coat of five total coats. I knew after the first few feet that this was going to be a massive improvement!!

 

 

Base coat started

The base coat was by far the hardest part. The age and porosity of the brick made painting a challenge. The paint really soaked in, and I had to apply a lot of pressure and multiple strokes to fill in all the little holes in the brick and mortar.

Once the base coat was on, I rolled on the first color coat, followed by a glaze coat using a sea sponge that added darker shadows and lots of patterns. Here's what it looked like after three coats. This is otherwise known as the (inevitable) part of the project where I was questioning my sanity - and the final result.

Base coat, first paint color, and glaze coat for shadows

Finally, I rolled on two more color coats, brush-painted the mantel, and returned the firescreen to the fireplace. Re-installment of that hardware was a story unto itself...but I'll spare you the wailing and gnashing of teeth involved in THAT little goody!

Here's the finished fireplace:

All finished! Time to celebrate!

Seriously, isn't it lovely?! Not sure? Take a look at the first picture above!! :-/  Yikes!

DH and I could not be happier! We love this huge transformation in our living room. It's made everything so much brighter and more modern. That, combined with our newly-painted kitchen cabinets (from old wood to white), are encouraging us to keep updating. It's making such a difference to our house - and our temperaments. :-)

Finally, I should tell you how I accomplished this great feat. I found a product on the internet called Brick-Anew. I looked up their website, ordered a fireplace painting kit in twilight taupe, watched their installation video a few times, and voila! The rest is history. Their kit came with everything I needed to complete the project: base coat, color coats (3), glaze coat, painter's tape, roller and rolling pan, and two paint brushes. I highly recommend their product and, for the record, I get nothing for endorsing their product. I just think it's fabulous!

Well, that's it for today! Rest up, folks. Another Monday is around the corner. Enjoy!

A New Beginning

Hi, everybody.

After many years away, my husband (a.k.a. darling husband, or DH) and I have finally arrived back in our home county in western North Carolina. We're so happy to be back with family and friends, and we hope to return to many activities we've previously enjoyed.

Since my last blog post, I have been learning a lot! I will soon have new posts available on a variety of topics, including crochet, mixed media, painting, and recycling/upcycling. In fact, this post will be followed by another immediately. Occasionally, I'll also throw in a post about life in general. It's amazing how a major move can expand your horizons!

Just for today, please consider calling or visiting with someone you love. I've lost a number of friends past and present recently, and I'm reminded that people often occupy our lives only for a season - and then they're gone. Once that happens, it's too late to say, "I love you," or "I think of you often," or "I sure have missed you!" Just reach out. You never know who's waiting to hear from you!

Best wishes for a great rest of your weekend! See you soon.