Our 1970's House Makeover Part 4: Behind the Scenes

Hey ya'll. I don't direct hold whatsoever theatre pictures for y'all today. I know y'all belike desire to smoosh me. But, this is existent life, too existent life is messy too rarely goes every bit planned. However, I tin officially confirm that the flooring stain is inward the building!!! 
We direct hold elevator off. 
I mightiness direct hold pictures for y'all next week, or I mightiness but direct hold to a greater extent than or less other moving painting of a breakfast sandwich. 
I'm learning to halt predicting things.
Watch me practise it 5 times inward this post.

 I alive and operate from our house, too since the by 5 weeks direct hold left me feeling to a greater extent than than a footling displaced, I've basically taken upward residence at Panera.

Sidenote: I never desire to reckon to a greater extent than or less other Ciabatta inward my life later this. 
For the record, it's non the Ciabatta's fault. 

Second sidenote: Speaking of working from home, tons of y'all guys direct hold sent me emails yell for for blogging advice lately, which is crazy since I'm literally soul who blogs nearly egg sandwiches. BUT, I'm thinking perhaps there's to a greater extent than or less value inward sharing what I've learned inward the by ii years. So, I'm working on putting something together for you. 
I intend I've written too re-written it xiv times inward a week.
It's been keeping me busy during The Great-Stain-Wait of 2014.
And I'll belike entirely spider web log nearly blogging in 1 trial this year, too then if you've got questions, allow me know. The to a greater extent than the merrier.

Anyways, too then yes, the stain is on the floors today. 
And too then far too then good.  
I know this is officially the minute calendar week I've blown y'all off nearly stain thoughts. I but desire to direct hold finished floors AND finished thoughts earlier nosotros discuss. I am seriously terrible at blogging nearly something that is inward progress. I demand to mess materials up a 1000000 times, arrive better, too THEN state y'all what happened. 
Exposing myself to criticism is the equivalent of crawling inward a 
T-Rex's mouth. 
I'm scared, Ma.

So, it's been a footling hairy inward calendar week 5. There's a footling quondam human that stares dorsum at me every fourth dimension I brand the error of looking inward the mirror lately.
Because the stress of living inward Panera is giving me hardcore nasolabial folds. 
Just to hold out clear.

Sorry Warren. I honor your fiscal prowess too then much that I literally wrote a newspaper on y'all inward trouble organization schoolhouse (*I'm so weird*), but for to a greater extent than or less argue y'all but popped into my caput when I was searching Google for an elderberry gent to poorly photoshop over my bridal picture.
And the results were also amazing to plough back.

Can y'all guys state I am literally losing my hear amongst each passing post? I experience similar we're all witnessing a tiresome descent into madness, which is unfortunate because it's me.
So....
Let's utter nearly cats.
Other than Panera, I've been spending a lot of fourth dimension at my mom's house. My mom's theatre is where Mr. Pippin lives.
And I but actually experience similar if we're going to hold out friends, y'all should know nearly Mr. Pippin. 
He was a formative presence in my young adult life.
Mr. Pippin was the barn truthful cat when my parents lived on their farm, earlier my dad died. Don't acquire sad. I'm but giving y'all a reference point, too then that y'all sympathize just who Mr. Pip is too why nosotros honey him. 
I desperately want y'all to understand.
In my mom's novel house, Pippin is to a greater extent than of an indoor/outdoor cat, too he seems to savour his novel situation.
He is loved a whole lot, too every bit it turns out, he loves poofy blankets every bit much every bit he in 1 trial loved killing mice.
He looks pure evil, but he is the cuddliest, most lovable truthful cat you'll e'er meet. 
He's SO loud though, too Tootie too Cheese are beautiful, mute creatures.
This is why I oftentimes destination upward at Panera, rather than my mom's, when I'm trying to work. 
If I could acquire dorsum inward time, I would acquire by the proficient acquire by to direct hold Pip named Screech.

Purely because I honey Dustin Diamond.

And but to actually flesh out the cat-talk...
 as much every bit I honey Pip similar an obnoxious, hairy footling brother, null compares to the lethargic duo taking upward permanent residence on my bed at home.
I know how it is when you're looking at other people's cats, too you're similar 'I practise non attention nearly those creatures. Make it stop.', but I actually experience similar this is an exception. 
They're similar footling blobs of fur-laced-goodness.
Don't acquire by it.

Anyways, my apologies for the 43 calendar week renovation blog-pause.
I've never done this earlier too I'm totally learning every bit I go.
And making a giant mess of it.

Thank y'all for embracing my mess.

We'll expect dorsum too express joy nearly that 1 ridiculous fourth dimension I blogged nearly Dustin Diamond too cats x 3. 
I swear.

If all goes well, I'll hold out designing a step rails adjacent week.
And direct hold to a greater extent than or less fully stained, yet still-messy-house pictures.
There I acquire predicting again. When volition I e'er learn. Seriously, what is incorrect amongst me.

'Til adjacent time!

P.S. The other posts inward the House Makeover serial tin hold out flora here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

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How To Make DIY Gold Leaf Abstract Art

Hey ya'll! 
I'm taking a interruption from renovation updates for a calendar week or two. I receive got so much to say you. I tin barely stand upwards the wait, but I recollect it's best to allow everything acquire finished as well as thus percentage everything.

In the meantime....

To acquire my heed off the fact that I'm living out of a Jansport as well as finding dust inwards places dust should NEVER be, 
I made some art.

 I came domicile from this awful routine early on yesterday, position on my Jesse sweatpants, position the roommates elsewhere (because every bit nosotros learned final time, Tootie as well as Cheese hate art), sat on my bed, as well as played with gilt leafage as well as paint.

It was a glorious reprieve...
from this scene currently underway inwards my entryway.

So, I attempted to create a lilliputian beauty with the chaos.

Here's my gilt leafage abstract painting.

I've been wanting to brand i for awhile now, as well as after seeing these beautiful versions here and fair share of fine art inwards the past, as well as this i is definitely a favorite. 

The gilt leafage genuinely simply makes it.

Plus, I experience similar it'll hold off adept simply virtually anywhere. Not similar I receive got whatever means of testing that theory correct now, but ya know.

For the fourth dimension being, I hung it higher upwards Bartholomew.

After all this time, I've never properly introduced you. 

You tin telephone telephone him Bart if you'd like.

So, let's run through a quick tutorial. 

The adept intelligence is that if yous possess the mightiness to smoosh pigment on a canvass as well as locomote a gum stick, yous tin practise this.

If this artistic amoeba tin practise it, anyone can.

Here's what I used to brand mine:

Glue stick

Artist's brushes

 Oil Paints (You tin too locomote acrylics.)

Gold leaf

Canvas

Heavy construction gel. I used the Galeria kind. 

*Above links are affiliate links.

Since I was using fossil oil paints (just because I beloved the means they look), I applied my gilt leafage first. 

Oil paints receive got forever to dry, as well as this affair is even thus moisture almost 24 hours later. 

I know. It's hanging on my wall. 

Rebel.

But, anyways, if yous locomote acrylic paint, yous tin apply the gilt leafage earlier or after.

Just apply the gum wherever yous desire your gilt leafage to be. 

I swirled it roughly randomly.

Then, position a sheet of gilt leafage over the glue. This materials is flimsy as well as gets flakes everywhere if you're non careful, thus I was extra fragile with the manhand.

Welcome back, Kotter.

After allowing the gum to completely dry, I simply used a newspaper towel to milkshake off the excess leafage into a bag.

Once your gilt leafage is done, it's fourth dimension for paint. You don't receive got to practise this adjacent step, but I genuinely beloved the means it looks. I mixed inwards heavy construction gel into my pigment after I mixed it, simply to give it that 'impasto' look. It basically simply makes your pigment receive got texture as well as stand upwards out from the canvas.

I simply used a newspaper plate for my pigment mixing. Luxury.

You tin brand your fine art inwards whatever shape, color, form, or texture.

 That's what makes it abstract.

If yous purchase a pigment pack similar I did, they unremarkably come upwards with most of the basic colors. You tin mix as well as jibe them to create other colors, as well as thus add together white to lighten or dark to darken. I genuinely receive got this little color bike that I locomote when mixing pigment (affiliate link). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 reader suggested it to me means dorsum inwards the day, as well as I've been using it e'er since.
I genuinely struggled with mixing colors when I outset started painting. Mostly because I would overmix as well as cease upwards with brown, brown, as well as to a greater extent than brown. And I've since learned that a lilliputian color mixology noesis goes a genuinely long means when making art. 
So, for those of yous who uncovering specifics helpful, that large blob inwards the below motion-picture demo (the lightest one) is reddish paint, mixed with a tiny flake of yellow, as well as thus lightened with white. 
I used a lot of that combo on this painting.

I painted on this canvass forever, tweaking it as well as blending it. Eventually, it got to a betoken where I genuinely liked it.

This is some other argue I beloved fossil oil paint. You tin snuff it along playing with it for a lot longer than yous would locomote able to if yous were using acrylics. 

There are genuinely no rules when it comes to making abstract art. 

My rule: If yous beloved it, it's art.

I'm simply a sloth epitome as well as living inwards my bed, thus my thought may non acquit all that much weight. But, simply inwards example yous were curious.  

Also, hither are the Google epitome results for sloth. 

Just to hammer domicile how I'm feeling these days.

So, here's the finished product, even thus slightly wet.

I had to receive got it downwards temporarily after I photographed it today, simply to avoid the inevitable curiosity that would've sure as shooting ended with pinkish paw prints all over my bedroom.

And a few close-ups... 

You tin genuinely run across the number the heavy construction gel has when mixed inwards with the paint.

Such a lilliputian beauty.

It's provided me with bang-up joy during my fourth dimension of need.

Almost every bit much joy every bit discovering this lilliputian jewel spell moving all of our materials final month.

You don't know Jesse, thus let's brand this a flake to a greater extent than relatable: 

Imagine finding a mass your hubby wrote when he was five. 

And it's virtually his beloved for McGyver. 

And he draws himself with pilus on his ears.

Mull that over as well as acquire dorsum to me.

That's all for today, ya'll.

Thanks for beingness here.

I'll locomote dorsum presently to percentage the hardwood flooring reveal.

That's all for today! 'Til adjacent time!

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How To Choose a Paint Color: ten Tips To Help You Decide

One of the most oft asked questions I acquire is most choosing a pigment color. I'm no expert, but after epitome our entire solid 2+ times in addition to experimenting amongst tons of unlike pigment colors, I've definitely learned a affair or two. So, today I'm going to percentage some of our newly painted rooms, in addition to percentage my 10 tips for choosing a color.
And thus likely mix inwards some random nonsense. Because that's how nosotros do.

For the yesteryear 4 years, I've been obsessed amongst paint. It's non normal. I know that. It started when I painted the invitee sleeping accommodation for the showtime time. And thus I went on a 4 twelvemonth pigment binge. I painted every room inwards our house, some rooms upward to 3 times each. I would normally start out amongst a horrible color (that e'er seemed dandy at the time) in addition to thus slow operate my agency towards a color that I liked. All of this epitome took upward a lot of my time, but despite the occasional tears of exhaustion, it was fun for me. Kinda similar a hobby.
There's something most your showtime solid that makes you lot practice irrational things. 
Like manual labor.


But, through the years of lawsuit in addition to error, I've genuinely learned a lot most choosing a pigment color. I even thus occasionally mess materials up, but for the most part, I've figured out a paint-choosing-process that industrial plant pretty well. So, earlier I percentage some of our newly painted rooms, let's utter most my procedure for choosing a pigment color. 


1. Look at what you're pinning.
Choosing a pigment color tin dismiss last genuinely overwhelming. If you're similar me in addition to pivot a lot, you lot tin dismiss genuinely acquire some useful information yesteryear looking through some of your recent pins.

  For example, when I facial expression through my ain boards (like this 1 or this one), I notice that the bulk of the rooms I've pinned over the yesteryear twelvemonth conduct hold had white walls. So, when it came fourth dimension to select a novel pigment color for the principal degree of our home, I decided I should become where I've never gone before: white paint. I had no view if white would facial expression goodness inwards our house, but it gave me a starting point.
Speaking of Pinterest, here's an amazing Pinterest board I follow amongst tons of suggestions for dandy pigment colors. 

2. Take cues from your decor.
Look for colors that complement the colors of your furniture, rugs, flooring, in addition to fabrics, but build certain non to overwhelm the room. If you lot conduct hold a genuinely bold carpeting (like I practice inwards the original bedroom), you lot likely don't wishing to pigment the walls inwards every bit rigid hues. Let the carpeting last the focal point, in addition to transcend along the walls a soothing neutral. If you lot practice create upward one's heed to pigment the walls a bold color, it normally helps to build the walls the focal point, in addition to transcend along the decor fairly simple. Another affair to transcend along inwards heed is that black colors create a lot of warmth, but tin dismiss also build a modest infinite experience fifty-fifty smaller. Light colors tend to opened upward up a infinite in addition to build it experience larger than it is.  
In my experience, I demand to either become white or become amongst the darkest pigment color on the pigment strip. I've done the inwards betwixt colors in addition to it rarely industrial plant out for me. So far, white walls in addition to really saturated neutrals tend to last my faves.

3. Use neutrals for versatility.
Neutrals are unproblematic in addition to classic, in addition to operate amongst simply most anything. By keeping the pigment neutral, you lot tin dismiss play to a greater extent than or less amongst the other items inwards the room, similar art, fabric, in addition to rugs. One of my favorite neutrals is Behr Wheat Bread. It's a dandy greige in addition to I've been happy amongst our original sleeping accommodation ever since I painted it. The pigment color industrial plant amongst simply most anything, in addition to you lot guys know how many times I've changed that room.

4. Use Paint chips.
There's an abnormal amount of pigment colors out there. 
Don't allow it overwhelm you.

 If you lot essay to pick out a pigment color AT the shop (a fault I've made at to the lowest degree v times), you'll get overwhelmed in addition to likely goal upward amongst something you lot aren't 100% happy with. 
So, convey the pigment chips dwelling solid first.
I know it's a pain, but it's worth the extra effort. 
This fourth dimension around, I went the extra mile. I had 3 total months to select a color AND I was epitome a massive area. Plus, I had aught wishing to recreate the stain debacle amongst paint.
So, I went to Home Depot, Lowes, ACE, in addition to Sherwin Williams, in addition to brought dwelling solid an illegal amount of pigment chips from each one. I'm certain you lot recall seeing pigment chips littered throughout the renovation posts.
Like my ain petty version of Where's Waldo.

5. Understand color undertones.
Once you've brought dwelling solid your pigment chips, you'll demand to narrow them down, in addition to agreement color undertones tin dismiss last genuinely helpful inwards this process.



 The best agency to figure out the truthful color tint is to facial expression at the darkest color on the strip, or to concur the color side yesteryear side to something that's truthful white (like a slice of white paper). Once you've figured out the undertone, it's a lot easier to narrow downward your choices.
For example, inwards the inwards a higher identify picture, facial expression at the 'Blue' pigment strip. One of the colors I was contemplating was SW Extra White. In the shop it looked white. 
In my 1970's house, kinda Smurfy.

6. Online Research
It's non a goodness view to become yesteryear what a pigment color looks similar online, but a petty online inquiry tin dismiss definitely aid you lot observe some colors worth testing out. I institute most 10 unlike pigment names online that I wanted to try, in addition to thus brought those pigment chips dwelling solid (along amongst 800 other ones I grabbed spell at the store). After staring at them for awhile, I eventually narrowed downward my favorites to Benjamin Moore Simply White, White Dove, Chantilly Lace, in addition to Titanium.




7. Get Samples
After narrowing downward my choices, I brought dwelling solid some pigment samples. This is a crucial purpose of my narrowing downward process, as it allows me to come across what the pigment volition genuinely facial expression similar inwards my home. The sample sizes are normally most $2 in addition to worth every penny.
Benjamin Moore offers tiny pre-mixed samples, but they didn't conduct hold whatever of the colors available where I went. So, instead, I took the pigment chips to Home Depot in addition to had them color gibe the paint. They conduct hold giant sample sizes there, in addition to tin dismiss color gibe anything (including fabric), in addition to most of the fourth dimension if it's a build yell paint, they tin dismiss simply delineate upward the color formula on the figurer in addition to mix it without fifty-fifty needing a pigment chip. 
It's awesome.




8. Paint swatches on the wall.
Once I've got my pigment samples, I normally simply observe a wall in addition to pigment giant swatches on them. It's genuinely helpful for me to come across how the actual pigment looks on my actual walls, in addition to I don't worry most making a mess since I'm going to last epitome over it anyways.
If you lot are worried most the mess, you lot tin dismiss pigment poster board in addition to thus record it to your walls. 
Or simply tell your hubby you're epitome a mural inwards his honor. 
 Or I powerfulness simply last living inwards a vacuum where Jesse would believe me if I said that.
 Either way, options.

Funny story: The living room was already painted when nosotros moved inwards 4 twelvemonth ago, in addition to I had no view what color it was. And thus I tested out White Dove on these walls in addition to realized our entire principal surface area was White Dove. In all of the online pictures of White Dove, it looks white, but, inwards our house, it looks yellow. I also figured out that Titanium was simply also black for this surface area of the solid (although really similar to my original sleeping accommodation color, Wheat Bread). 
And this is why you lot pigment swatches.

9. Look at the pigment inwards unlike light.
Paint tin dismiss facial expression genuinely unlike during unlike times of the 24-hour interval based on the lighting inwards your house. As a full general rule, natural calorie-free shows the paint's truest color, incandescent calorie-free brings out warm tones in addition to yellows, and fluorescent light casts a abrupt blueish tone.
I was genuinely going dorsum in addition to forth betwixt Simply White in addition to Chantilly Lace for quite some time, but ultimately decided to become amongst Simply White. The Chantilly Lace started looking genuinely blueish inwards the mornings in addition to at nighttime (when nosotros don't acquire a lot of natural calorie-free inwards the forepart of the house), in addition to Simply White stayed a genuinely beautiful, neutral white all 24-hour interval long. 
It was precisely what I was looking for.


10. Listen to argue (something I rarely do).
 I've painted multiple rooms amongst a color I chose spell standing inwards the Home Depot pigment aisle. And thus consequently hating the results. Had I read this post 4 years ago, I would conduct hold totally ignored it. 
I larn things the difficult way. 
It's my nature. 

Much to my dismay, taking the thorough approach genuinely pays off. I was forced to pass 3 months looking at pigment chips (because of the neverending flooring situation), in addition to as a result, I ended upward beingness thus happy amongst my pigment color selection that I never ever wishing to alter it. 
For the showtime fourth dimension ever.
I barely know how to grip this novel emotion. 

So, let's simply facial expression at the solid already.
A quick reminder, here's what the kitchen looked similar after nosotros showtime knocked downward the wall in addition to ripped upward the tile. 



And immediately today. We even thus conduct hold to install cut down (underway now!!), but after epitome over the chalkboard wall (I conduct hold a conception for that petty wall that doesn't involve chalk.), in addition to immediately amongst the novel white paint, the kitchen feels thus much bigger. 
I'm thus excited.



And now, here's a reminder of what the living room looked similar after nosotros ripped upward the carpet. I was totally over the accent wall, in addition to couldn't hold off to come across what this infinite would facial expression similar amongst novel floors in addition to fresh paint.




And immediately today.
Just imagine what it volition facial expression similar amongst novel cut down in addition to furniture.
Oh, in addition to my sworn enemies...those dead-bug-hoarding lights? Their days are numbered. Jesse is installing the novel ones for me sometime this week. 
It should last an interesting climb. I'll study back.

Plus, my pigment sprayer finally arrived today, thus I should last able to laid about epitome my beloved stair rail this week. 
I experience a furnished dwelling solid on the horizon....
a judgement I've been longing to tell for xiii weeks.



And that, ya'll, is pretty much all for today. Hopefully this helps you lot amongst your side yesteryear side paint-choosing adventure. Just know that whether you lot wishing to pigment your walls red, or purple, or gray, or white, you lot should practice precisely that. Do what makes you lot happy, build it your own, in addition to if you lot acquire frazzled yesteryear the 8 meg ruby-red pigment chips, pass some fourth dimension narrowing it downward earlier taking the purchase plunge. 
I imagine that in conclusion paragraph to last similar the in conclusion few minutes of Full House or Family Matters where they play saxaphone music in addition to summarize the moral of the story.


I'll last dorsum later this week to answer some other 1 of your FAQS: how to pigment a room (like what supplies to buy, how to genuinely practice it, what pigment to get, etc.). 
The solid is finally getting set dorsum together in addition to I'm starting to genuinely experience kinda normal. I practice laundry again, laid upward nutrient inwards an oven, pigment my nails, in addition to DVR things. 
I know I've been a petty hither in addition to at that spot over the yesteryear few months, in addition to you lot guys conduct hold been thus amazing amongst your back upward in addition to encouragement. I've e'er been a blogger who finishes a projection in addition to THEN tells you lot most it, thus I genuinely had no view what to facial expression when I started ripping upward my solid in addition to blogging most my mess over a 3 calendar month period. I simply can't give cheers you lot plenty for making it such a fun experience for me. 
So, cheers for sticking around. 
I never expected it, in addition to I'm grateful for it.

Also, sidenote #15:  Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mamas out there. You build the basis a happy place. Jesse in addition to I celebrated my sweetness Mama (Jeannie) over brunch yesterday. There were Mimosas, bacon, in addition to sunshine. 
It was a happy occasion. 

Love ya'll!

Til side yesteryear side time!

 To read the other posts inwards the renovation series, become here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Or to come across a listing of previous pigment colors I've used inwards our home, become here.

That's all for today! 'Til side yesteryear side time!

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