Breakin' the Rules: My Chalk Paint Adventures

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Yup I finally did it. I bit the bullet and dove into the world of chalk paint. Now it's not that I haven't been reading about it for awhile but honestly, I didn't see much advantage over traditional furniture painting. Except for one thing. No prep. 

This is how the dresser looked when I got it.
Cost? Nothing. Well, it didn't cost money anyway!

Don't get me wrong I love to repurpose and repaint furniture but the prep work? Not so much. So, when I read about how easy chalk paint is and that there is little to no prep work. Well, that was it for me. I decided I had to try it.

Can't beat the price of this recipe!

You know what they say about the best laid plans? There was not a place to be found in the surrounding 2-3 cities that sold chalk paint. However one day I saw an ad on Craigs List for chalk paint and it was a couple of miles awhile. Can't beat that! I was so excited so off I went to check out this store. Made a total of five trips to this store and they NEVER had much selection of chalk paint on hand. Oh, yeah they could mix me up some if I wanted to come back another day. Or, they would get a new shipment in yet today, they were sure.

Cabinet post chalk paint and stencil.

So I went back to the internet and decided to mix my own. I chose the one of the Plaster of Paris recipes that I found. Loved applying it but after it is all said and done...can't say that I am sold. I think the work is about the same and it is definitely not as resistant as I would prefer. But for now, I love how it turned out which is a big change from the before.

For this week I'm linking up to:
A Stroll Thru Life/Inspire Me Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW

Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking

Breakin' the Rules Painting: Choosing Paint Colors

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Let's face it, choosing paint colors can be super intimidating when it comes to redecorating a room. There are lots of instructions out there and rules to follow. Heck now the paint companies even put together coordinating color groups for you. Takes all the fun out of it!

This is my looong, dark upstairs hallway.
Notice the dark door trim and baseboards.
Definitely time for the dungeon to go away!

Well you know I am not a rebel but heck I never was one to like a lot of rules either. My motto? If I like how it looks and the 'feel' is right, then go with it. That goes for paint colors too. 

My original plan for my upstairs hallway was for the
grey to be on the walls and the lighter color
to be on the ceiling. Just did not feel right to me. Why?
Because the grey was looking very blue when it was on the walls.

The rules that I break? 
1. I don't buy a sample to try on the wall. Shoot I don't even think that really works. You can't get a real idea of how the color is going to look by painting a little of it on a board or on the wall and looking at it for several days.
2. Don't be afraid to change the color yourself. If you get a color that is not quite right whether because of your choice or because the paint store goofed, fix it yourself by adding more white or black or whatever.

So I switched it up and put the grey on the ceiling.
Can you believe that grey on the ceiling is the same color
as in the other picture?

3. Don't be afraid of dark colors. I don't believe that they make a room look smaller but it does however, change the feel of a room and make it cozier and more intimate.
4. If you have to, change your game plan. Oftentimes I have redecorated in my mind and know exactly what I plan to do in a room. But when the rubber meets the road, things oftentimes don't work out how I've planned. It pays to be flexible even with painting.

Nook area at top of stairs.
Moved sofa table from another room
and am still working on the photo collages.

In the end, trust your instincts and know that your room will look worse before it looks better. Crazy I know! Remember too that oftentimes it is more than the paint but it is the accessories that really tie everything together and make it cohesive.

Linking up this week to:
A Stroll Thru Life/Inspire Me Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia/Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style/WUW

How do you decide?

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Yeah, you know, how do you decide what your next project is going to be? If you are anything like me, you have a list a mile long of projects on your 'to do' list. 

This picture is a perfect example of a 
misdirected project. Purchased at a consignment 
shop for the frame to use in another picture 
(see below). Somehow it ended up on my wall!

Actually I have many lists, some are in my head, some are on scraps of paper, and some are actually quite organized where I go room by room and list out the fixes or updates or just 'wishes' that I would like to do to that room. But sometimes my list gets too overwhelming and I have to put them away and sometimes my list keeps changing because of the awesome inspiration and ideas that I get online. It's exhausting I tell ya!

This print, designed in Photoshop by my
youngest son, is what I was originally shopping
 for. Trying to find the right frame for the print.

But the biggest factor in deciding my next project depends on a bunch of things really. Sometimes it is flat out influenced by lack of funds. Sometimes the funds aren't the problem but finding just the right items that I need to finish a project just aren't available. Many times I am limited by my lack of skill and waiting on my husband to have the time to complete some of the preliminary work. Sometimes my next project comes out of nowhere when I am cruising through a consignment shop, or at HomeGoods, or I am driving down the road and find a sweet curbside find. Often though, it is my time. I find that my time is the most valuable resource and the hardest to find. 

You see in this example of shopping gone awry, I had been wanting to find a big picture for the above wall to hide something ugly that can't be fixed. Well, yes, it could be fixed by tearing down my ceiling, hiring an electrician to hard wire a ceiling fan that currently finds it's source of power from an ugly chain running down the wall. 

So how do you decide what to do next?

Linking up this week to:

The Sunday Showcase Party
NIfty Thrifty Things 
Sundae Scoop Party 
IT's Party Time

Everything changes and nothing stays the same

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One thing is sure in this life...everything changes and nothing stays the same. That sure is true around our house. We have been up to our eyeballs in my father in laws estate clean out. The trickle down effect is that my house is looking pretty messy to say the least! Having a lot of trouble getting my projects completed, keeping things cleaned, laundry done, work. You know the drill.

These prints moved from the living room to
 their new home in the kitchen.

But there is definitely something about Spring that makes me want to switch things up, move things around, and change things out. Exactly what I've been doing my friends! Here is a glimpse into some of the quick little changes I've done recently.

Changed out the darker plates for some lighter, brighter plates.
Definitely lightens things up!

It is truly amazing how new everything feels just by switching things around and moving stuff from room to room. It's like getting a brand new house!

Cute little table found at HomeGoods for $39.99!

Reworked the top of this cabinet by pulling things out of storage bins.

In the dark.

Pulled these prints from a back hallway and the plaque from over the back door.

How often do you changes things at your house?

Linking up this week to:

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

my uncommon slice of suburbia: tuesday's treasures

not just a housewife

Be Inspired at Elizabeth and Co

savvy southern style: wow us wednesday! 

diy by design