Penny Ball

I finished my very first Pinterest-inspired project.  This occasion should be documented!

Why?  Because I started this project 18 months ago shortly after I joined the addictive Pinterest community.  I was inspired by this Penny Garden Ball (original source found here) and shortly thereafter, snagged a free bowling ball, started sticking on pennies, and then I ran out.  And so it sat.

If holding this 12 pound ball in front of my body like this feels anything like being pregnant, it will be a very uncomfortable few months.  (Just to clarify...I am not pregnant). 

Last week, during a spree to complete the "unfinished" projects laying around the house (there are many),  I finished this one up.  Thankfully, 18 months seemed to be enough time to add the appropriate number of pennies I needed to the jar so I could tackle the rest of my penny ball. 

Why cover a bowling ball in pennies you ask?? Apparently, when placed in a garden the copper from the pennies repels slugs and can even change the acidity of the soil.  The acidity changes can turn hydrangeas blue.  I can't speak to whether this is true or not because I plan on displaying this in the house.  As a dear friend pointed out, you could also just toss pennies into the garden and receive the same effect.  This never crossed my mind. 
 
Just in case you want to tackle this project yourself, I created a short tutorial below.  Otherwise, you can check out now and toss those pennies into the mulch.  Here are some tips that could be helpful if you decide to make yourself (or a friend) a penny ball:

• Ask the owner or manager at the bowling alley if you can have a bowling ball destined for the trash.  They should have a few extra that aren't being used or maybe cracked - this is how I got mine for free.  I've also found several at garage sales and a couple even marked for $1.  That makes this a pretty affordable project for just about anyone. 
• In order to assure a strong, waterproof bond I would recommend using an adhesive meant to stand up to water.
• Expect to use about $4 in pennies.  This is just a guess.
• If you want pennies that are shiny you can soak them in vinegar and this should make them new again (I wanted a variation in colors so I did not do this).

1.  Find a bowling ball.  Don't worry about the color since you can change this.  You will see the color of the ball below the penny layer and if you don't like the color, you can paint it after step 2. 

2.  Lightly sand the bowling ball with 100 grit sandpaper to remove the glossy surface.  This will help the pennies (or paint) adhere to the surface better.

3.  Remove any finger protectors.  Not all bowling balls have these finger protector things.  Mine did, so I just pulled these out with some needle nose pliers.

4.  Fill the finger holes.  Wine corks fit perfectly.  I trimmed them to size and glued them in place with the hot glue gun and smoothed the surface with some extra glue.

I wanted to make sure the pennies would stick strong enough to withstand the outdoor elements.  Plumbers Amazing Goop (which is a solvent based adhesive) seemed to fit the bill.  It's waterproof, doesn't become brittle in cold water and stands up to wear and vibration.  I'd feel pretty good about using this as a bowling ball at the alley.  

Start to adhere the pennies by adding a dot of glue to the back of each penny and sticking it on.  I liked the variation in color, heads and tails (and some Canadian ones too) so I didn't use any special method to stick them on.  The adhesive dries in a minute or two so the ball should be ready to place as soon as it's done.  Or for good measure, let it sit around the house for 18 months to ensure a good bond. The dust will really add to the "aged" look. 

And that's it!

 

 

Now you can enjoy your garden penny ball.  Or your house penny ball.  Either way I'm definitely a fan.

 

 

Anyone else take 18 months to finish a project?

 

Thanks for reading!

Mary

If you enjoyed reading this post please subscribe to my blog.  You can submit your email in the right hand column and you'll receive an email update for my future posts.  Please also add your comments below!  I love reading emails and messages from readers.  I have been getting an enormous amount of spam so I will have to approve your comment before you see it.    

Powerwashing and Prepping the Fence

The outside of the house is in desperate need of some TLC.  And that's where we've been since we haven't been blogging lately.  This tends to happen when you focus all your energy on renovation projects on the inside...

When my parents visited a few weeks ago to help with the bathroom they brought along their pressure washer so we could tackle the grungy, dirty, ugly yard.  And we definitely put it to work.

One power washer tackled a little bungalow, a two-car garage, a privacy fence, a wooden porch and a stamped concrete patio in one day.

Do you wash your house?  Am I the only one?  Because really, I've never seen a neighbor outside with washer fluid and a hose.  I think this should be done annually, but I took a year off from maintaining the exterior of my home.  Maybe that's why it's so bad...

I washed the exterior of the house only two years ago and it was already pretty nasty again...See the grimy roof line below?  I hate looking up and seeing this.  

You can actually see above how quickly and easily the dirt is removed.  I've tried using the hose to loosen the dirt, and the grossness doesn't budge.  Add a little bit of water shooting through a gun at bullet speed and the dirt disappears.  The left side of the picture shows the dirt-free zone completed with only one swipe of the power washer.

The great thing about a power washing is that you don't really need soap to get the job done.  However, I would recommend spraying soap on, letting it sit and then blasting the dirt off.  It does help loosen to loosen the dirt before it's blasted off.  I didn't take any other pictures of the before and after, but believe me, the house glowed.  Bonus...if you use soap (I use Windex Outdoor Cleaner) it also washes the windows so it's not necessary to take a sponge and squeegee to the windows.  Psst...I would recommend not pointing the power washer on the windows as the pressure can break the window seal (this is not good).  Stick with a hose and the Windex Outdoor Cleaner to protect your windows.

While we had the pressure washer out, we took a few minutes and power washed the stamped concrete patio as well.  The stamped concrete patio is starting to show some wear so it's time to reseal.  Before we can reseal it though we needed to clean up the dirt and grime.  We didn't use a cleaner - just used the pressure washer and got it prepped to be sealed with a few swipes of the gun.  There was a distinct line where we had cleaned!  

The house and patio were in need of a good cleaning.  But the fence - that was really desperate. 



Can you believe I scrubbed this fence only two years ago?  It was already covered in green stuff (algae??) after only 24 months.  The fence needs to be re stained, and I have plans of tackling that project later this summer. 

Before I can stain the fence though, the surface has to be cleaned and prepped for a new coat of stain.  It was recommended to use Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner (about $16) at full strength to get the results I was looking for.  I picked this up at Lowe's and ended up using the entire 2.5 gallon bottle to clean the single side of my 6' privacy fence that wraps around my back yard (which surrounds a little less than 0.1 acre).  I sprayed the solution onto the fence with a garden sprayer, let it sit for about 20 minutes then rinsed it off with a plain hose.  And then it looked like this...

It only took about an hour to spray down and rinse off the entire fence and the result was immediate.  (The Olympic solution smelled just like bleach so I'm a little curious if I could have saved myself $14 and bought a bottle of Clorox).

We have spent two full days this spring making the outside a bit nicer to look at.  And hopefully with only two more days working outdoors we can get this list completely crossed off. 

Some people love to garden...I really wish I was one of those.  Give me some low maintenance perennials and I'm a happy girl.

Trim tall trees (September 2012)

Repave driveway (August 2012)

Replace garage door (December 2012)

Repair lawn (May 2013)

Trim bushes (May 2013)

Clean out landscaping (May 2013)

Mulch (May 2013)

Power wash house, fence, patio and porch (May 2013)

Seal concrete patio

Stain porch

Stain fence

Replace garage light

The house is clean, the concrete patio is bright and the fence is spotless. Until it rains. Now we have some staining and sealing to do. Does anyone know how to stain a fence??

I swear, the house is either clean or we are out having fun.  It's one or the other.  Wouldn't it be nice if all houses came with a drain in the middle?  You could just hose it down with a power washer and cleaning would be done in 5 minutes. 

Mary

Do you want to try power washing, but don't have a dad with a pressure washer? ;) You can rent one at Lowe's or Home Depot on a daily or hourly basis. It really cuts down the scrubbing work you might have to do!

A (Almost) New Home

One week ago today, Justin stopped by after work and I handed him an envelope.  In the envelope was a key - my way of telling him that our offer on this house below had been accepted.  We celebrated and I cried.  I cried because we've been looking for a house for 5 1/2 months.  Because this would be our first place together.  But mostly because I couldn't believe that we found our dream home.  It's better than I ever could have imagined and I can't even explain how much I love this place.



The house sits on over a 1/2 acre of a beautiful, private lot off a dirt road.  It's surrounded by tall trees and is the exact kind of peace we were looking for.  The home is actually on the historical register for the city, and although it is outside of our desired area (which is why it's in our price range), the old home captured our hearts.  The original woodwork was still in existance - the crown and 8" base moulding, built-ins, wood floors, slab doors and hardware.  Everything I wanted and never thought I could afford.   

I am not sad about moving on from my current home.  Yes, it's my very first home and I put a ton of work into it, but I'll get so much reward out of someone else loving it as much as I do.  I've had 5 1/2 months to prepare myself for the moment of listing it, and I knew once we found our home it would make it easier for me to move on.

Over the past 5 1/2 months, we have seen dozens of homes.  We've rode the crazy roller coaster of searching for a home in this market...bidding wars, houses off the market the same day, overpriced properties, etc.  We've only put one other offer in on a house (back in February - we didn't get it), but haven't found anything else that we wanted to call home.  Our list of wants is based around those things we can't change...location and privacy, and apparently a basement (since I have this inexplanable fear of tornados).  We have budgeted for a renovation - and we expect it.  You should see some of the places we've walked through and considered.  One even had "squishy" hardwood floors. 

When we walked through this historic home, it immediately felt like ours - which was the exact feeling I got when I saw my current home for the first time back in 2011.  And then I broke the number one rule of house-searching.  I fell in love with it before signing the closing documents.  I planned the chicken coop and vegetable garden, the kitchen layout and butler pantry, I imagined my reading and yoga room on the 3rd floor, and Justin planned his man cave in the 200 sq foot studio.  I saw our family growing there together.  It really was love at first sight.  I loved it so much that I included a letter to the seller with our bid.  Our offer was accepted above 3 others - and we weren't even the highest offer. 

I was so excited to get the phone call that night telling me our offer had been accepted.  We wanted to share our news with everyone, but we decided rather to keep our secret until after the appraisal went through.  But we never made it that far.  I had a feeling that this seemed too perfect and something would go wrong.  I would love for this post to be our announcement that we found our dream home.  Unfortunately, the ending is a little bit different.

After our offer was accepted on Monday, it was a whirlwind of a week.  The financing was approved and going through underwriting, we booked the appraisal and scheduled the inspections.  Learning from the experiences on my own 1926 home, I called in everyone I could to look at the house on inspection day and I even prepared Justin for the scary things we would hear.  An old home is compared to a new home and current codes - so there will be many things mentioned and it could feel overwhelming.  We called in our electrician, the general home inspector, then we hired a chimney inspector and a septic drain field inspector, and then I called my brother to give me his opinion of the roof.  This home is only a year older than my current home, but double the size so we had low expectations when it came to the inspection.  We knew there was work to be done.  We mentally prepared ourselves for what we thought we would hear.

However, the issues the inspection revealed were far beyond what we could prepare ourselves for.  One major issue that would have to be dealt with immediately was estimated between $8k-$25k...and possibly more.  It was an issue that would have to be approved by the city, which could take months.  There was another that was uncovered that could cost triple that estimate, not to mention the list of other "old home" problems that would have to be fixed before we could make cosmetic changes.  While the list grew, the thought of those two major issues lingered in front of us and overwhelmed us.  We were already starting to feel like we were drowning financially and we didn't even own it.  I could feel my hopeful heart breaking.

I left the home inspection in tears knowing what we had to do.  I expected to comfort Justin and reassure him of the "old house" issues.  Except I was the one feeling like it was all too much.  And after a very serious conversation, we chose to walk away from our offer with very heavy hearts.  We could have at least tried to negotiate with the seller to fix the major issue or decrease the purchase price based on the inspection reports, but honestly, we felt slighted.  The owner had opened a permit with the city to fix the issue several years back, yet never fixed it and never listed the issue in the disclosures.  It didn't come up until we were with one of the inspectors.  The seller even tried to hide it by hiring a company to "clean up" hours before our inspection.  We felt the owner should have been honest about the issue - instead it cost us $600 to discover what they already knew. 

So, we walked away.  And I've spent all weekend silently sulking and asking Justin to remind me that we did the right thing.  Just looking at the picture of the house above still makes me really sad.  We kept ourselves busy this holiday weekend by working on our "to-do" list like we planned - doing the necessary work in prepping to list the current house.  We also treated ourselves to several nights out...you know, since we aren't buying another house.  On the bright side, we get to enjoy a new toilet for a little big longer.  And we even talked about actually tackling the bathroom renovation.

I'm glad I could finally be honest with all of you.  I've spent the last 5 1/2 months finishing up projects and prepping to list my house.  Justin and I would like to eventually sell this home and find a new house together.  I'm sure we'll find another home we love.  It could happen in a month or in 5 years and until then, I will enjoy every moment of living in my "first home."  And I guarantee the projects won't stop.  In fact, we already made a list of projects we are going to tackle this summer...since we'll be here anyway.

Mary

Our search for a home continues and I promise I will update if we find anything.  Searching for a home is frustrating...atleast for us.  I am so thankful for Justin in this all of this.  We have kept each other within our budget (so far) and bring each other back to reality.  I was very apprehensive when when we first started looking for a new home together.  I thought he would want something "move in ready."  Thankfully, the man has a love for the quirky, unique character and history of an old home.  And he's not afraid of a little bit of work...or maybe he has no idea what he's getting himself into. 

I thought I would share this quote I came across on Pinterest.  It should be the theme of our house search because most people wouldn't find the beauty in some of the places we've been...

A New Throne

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  We had a weekend full of craziness.  After some garage sales, golf, red wings game, and good food indulgence on Friday and Saturday, we put our butts in gear on Sunday to get some work done.

I had so much to do that I hired help.  The free kind of help from Nancy and Will (the 'rents).  Mom and Justin were hard at work cleaning out the landscaping, mulching, weeding, cutting grass and fixing the lawn.  Dad and I were occupied inside arguing over how to tighten a bolt on a toilet.

My efforts really need to focus on the exterior of the house this year. And I'm so thankful I had some help this weekend.  The projects really won't take long (many can be tackled in a weekend or two), but we are more active in the summer so if we get these done early Justin can spend more time on the golf course and I can spend more time spray painting outdoors.

• Trim tall trees  (September 2012)
• Repave driveway (August 2012)
• Replace garage door (December 2012)
• Repair lawn (May 2013)
• Trim bushes (May 2013)
• Clean out landscaping (May 2013)
• Mulch (May 2013)
• Power wash house, fence, patio and porch
• Seal concrete patio
• Stain porch
• Stain fence
• Replace garage light

In the meantime, the bathroom renovation has been placed on a back burner (Remember way back in November when I shared my dreams for the bathroom). In order to extend the life of the bathroom I aimed to replace two problem-causing fixtures sooner than later.  Which is why dad and I were arguing over a toilet tank bolt.

Here's a reminder of my original bathroom plan.  I still love this design so my focus is to work towards this final look.

Here is what the bathroom looks like today.  The trash and Kleenex now has to be kept in the bathroom closet because of a curious little dog who has a love for tissue...

 

Sometime in the 1970's, my house was expanded to accommodate for wheelchair access, and the bathroom got some extra SF's (as well as the kitchen and master bedroom).  The square footage in the bathroom increased about 20 sq feet.  Which doesn't seem like much, but in a little 3 piece bathroom, you need all the space you can get. 

The original fixtures are inefficient and faulty.  The toilet bulb breaks whenever it is being used frequently (with guests) so it would run and on a normal basis it would use between 5-7 gallons of water per flush.  The sink also has a bunch of issues.  It's mounted really short (30" from the floor to the top of the basin) to accommodate a wheelchair and the faucet dripped incessantly for 2 solid years (and probably many years before I bought the house).  I didn't even try to fix it.  Oh, and the shower fixture isn't super efficient either. 

Problem:  Whole lotta water being wasted.
Solution:  Use less water.

The best solution to the issues was to replace the sink and toilet A-sap since this seemed to be the easiest solution.  I already knew what I wanted since I did the research back in November.  So I expected to spend about $600 to replace the toilet, sink, plumbing and faucet.

Because of my mad money-saving skills I actually was able to spend quite a bit less...I'll get more into this later.  While garage-sale'ing with my friends Anna and Peter on Saturday (the day before the replacement), I found an American Standard white porcelain pedestal sink at one of the garage sales.  It probably wouldn't work because I have restrictions on size (possible interference with the door), so I didn't count on it.  The price was marked $40 - and after some negotiating I talked it down to $25. If it didn't fit, I knew I could easily resell it.  The sink I planned to buy is sold for $180.  $25 garage sale sink for the win! 

You can see the difference in height between the new sink and the original sink in the picture below (sorry for the Iphone picture):

Crazy, right? I'm so excited to have a normal sized sink.  In fact, I think everyone else is more excited than me.  The short sink was perfect for my 5'2-ness.  After standing them next to each other, I felt pretty good about the sink fitting.

I already had the sink, but still needed all the other goods.  Sunday morning we grabbed the last few items and we tallied up the bill (I was doing a happy dance when I came in under my $600 budget):

- American Standard Champion 4 Toilet - $188
- Soft-close toilet seat - $35
- Water supply (toilet, 1 line) - $5
- Water supply (sink, 2 lines) - $10
- Hardware for mounting sink to wall (2 washers w/lag bolts and 1 anchor) - $3
- Tank lever (oil-rubbed bronze) - $15
- DAP clear silicone - $7
- Plastic sink trap - $3
- Extra wax ring - $3 (we ended up needed this)
- Delta faucet - $108
- Garage sale sink - $25

Total - $402 (I used my Dad's 10% military discount - which saved me $40!)

I could've saved an additional $142 by reusing the faucet from the garage sale sink and not getting the soft close toilet seat.  But...a soft close toilet seat is genius (guys love this kind of stuff.  Put a cool feature on a toilet seat and they'll want to close it).  PS - if I ever sell my house that toilet seat is coming with me.  

I would show a tutorial on how to replace a toilet and sink...but I had gloves on up to my elbows and wanted to spare you the grossness involved with removing a really old toilet (don't worry, just a nasty wax mess and some toilet water...nothing too bad.  I just don't want you to lose your dinner). 

We only ran into one issue.  After we put the new toilet down and bolted it in, one of the bolts broke as we tightened it.  This meant that we had to remove the toilet, scrape off the wax, use a different bolt (thankfully the bolt from the original toilet was still strong) and use the extra wax ring.  A wax ring sits between the bottom of the toilet and the drain pipe - it looks and smells like earwax (yuck), but creates a secure seal so there's no leakage.  Which is a very good thing when we're talking toilets.  Each ring can only be used once.  If you ever have to remove the toilet (re-tiling or replacing) you'll have to replace the wax ring to ensure a good seal again.

Lowe's didn't have the original fixture I wanted in stock.  I grabbed this one in place of my original choice because the handles can be swapped out with a porcelain one.  I also thought it looked farmhouse-ish.  Which is funny because my parents reminded me that they use the same faucets, and so did a friend.  We all have very different styles, so it shows how one fixture can be so versatile!

I grabbed the toilet lever not sure if I was going to use it or not.  I'm glad I did.  It ended up looking odd - I would either have to go all chrome or all ORB.

I'm more excited about the functionality than the look in the bathroom.  It'll be nice not to "shimmy the handle" to get the faucet to stop dripping. 

 

It'll definitely look more put-together if I redo the tile and paint.  In the meantime, I am on the lookout for a mirror replacement.

Let's look one more time at the vision..



Ahhhh...it's so beautiful!

Oh wait...you want to see the soft-close in action?  I thought you might...  here you go :)  

Men - you only have to lower the seat and the cover follows.  You should try it out sometime.

 

 And the slightly dramatic before-and-much taller after:

 Mom and Justin worked so hard in the yard.  It is so improved!  I was too embarrased to take before pictures...so if you were here for the Kentucky Derby Party, please rest assured that the backyard is much more appealing.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Mary

The Wallflowers

When it comes to art in my house I lean towards the more natural art; like leaves and flowers, coral, or maybe words or something 3D...like plates, an old window or shutter, a homemade music sheet wreath or plaster tortoise shell.

The dining room is slowly coming together. Remember when I mentioned I was going to give it a facelift way back here...that was November.  I have really been needing to attack the decor, and am just now getting to it (this is what inviting 35 people to your house does - you suddenly finish those projects that have been on your "to do" list forever). 

When it comes to the main wall in my dining room (the first wall staring you in the face when you walk through the door), I was being very indecisive on how to decorate it.  First, I hung an old window and shutter, then patched all the nail holes and leaned an old door with a wreath and a shutter against the wall (see below), and now I'm finally getting to what I've been wanting to do.

 

Below is what the room looked like with the mantle in place:

 



I liked the set-up of the door and shutter, but honestly, it was too much work to move the (insanely heavy) oak door and shutter to vacuum behind it several times a week since the dog hair and dust seemed to love it behind there.  Also, I really wanted something to draw the eye upwards in the room rather than stopping 3 feet short of the ceiling.

My idea is to have a gallery wall with prints I could swap out throughout the year.  You know, maybe some ferns for the winter, vintage egg prints for the spring and flowers for the summer (I haven't figured out fall yet).  It sounds really costly to me!  Six prints x 4 seasons = a whole lotta dough for one little wall.  Unless I can find a creative way to make it...free. 

I love this room below (from Pinterest).  I really like the white frames against the white wall, it really makes the colorful prints take center stage here.

 

 

And I really wouldn't mind living in this dining room.  While I like the colorful prints above, I really really really like the muted green tones in the black frames below. 

source

 

See how the frames grab your attention?  This is what I needed.

So, I know what I want.  It's finding it that's the hard part.  In my quest to find botanical prints I came across these from Ballard Designs.  And found that, like many other sources, they charge more than $200 each.  Okay finding it in my price range is the hard part!

 

 

While on a search for FREE prints, I came across the mecca of free vintage printables. You can find a ton here, www.vintageprintable.com.  Warning:  it's easy to get lost in that website for hours.  I wouldn't click that link if you're at work (unless, of course, you're looking to be unproductive).  I might also suggest a google search for "free _______ printable" you'll find a whole slew of options to choose from.  Not into spending the time trying to find prints that match?  Etsy is a great source for printables, but you'll pay a price for the convenience (they range from $5-$20 per print and vary in quality).

 

Using the sources I listed above, I came across these 6 prints.  For free. 

 

 

Well, the prints were free.  The entire project cost $72 total.  Here's the breakdown:

 

- 6 frames from Michael's (with an 8 x 10 matted opening) - $67 (they would've normally been $149 - but were 40% and I had a 25% off wall frame purchase, bringing all six frames to a total of $67)

 

- Command Strips from Michael's (for hanging the pictures) - $5 (after using a 40% off coupon) 

 

- Prints $0 (I printed them on my home printer, but if you took them to a Kinko's it should only cost about $1 or so per print)

 

I went with black frames, but they could end up white one day (if I'm bored and I have a can of white spray paint laying around, who knows what I will do).

 

 

What do you think?  Do you like the accent wall? It does bring some color (albeit subtle) into the dining area that I really wanted for summer and it definitely draws attention upwards. 

 

Don't want to put 6 new holes if your walls?  Me neither.  I used 2 Medium Command Strips for each frame to hang on the wall.  There are two command strips that "snap" and lock together.  One goes on the wall, and the other on the back of the frame.  The strips unlock just by pulling so you can take the frames off the wall and then reattach by snapping them back into place. Then when you want to change up the decor or remove the frames the Command Strips pull off clean, not harming the frame or the wall.  Genius!   

 

The print quality turned out great.  You really can't tell I just printed them on an inkjet printer.  But, if I could only change one thing, I would make them larger.  Oh yeah, I said it.  The size was restricted because I can only print 8 1/2" x 11 on my inkjet.   

 

 

Let's see, I've updated you on the mason jar chandelier, mantle, tortoise shell art, the reupholstered chair, gel-stained mirror, and the gallery wall.  I still have to shorten those white drapes, maybe swap out those blinds for bamboo ones and finally build that farmhouse table (a little intimidating).  Then MAYBE we can call this room done. For now. 

 

Here's what the room looked like last year...

 

 

 And here it is today (I purged a bunch of things in this room.  The dog was not one of them):

 

 

The wall color is the same....look how much brighter the room is!

 

Are you wondering about the boxwood topiaries on the mantle?  I found them at HomeGoods!  Now, let's hope I don't kill them. 

 

If you're visiting from the link up party - WELCOME!  If you didn't come over from the link party then you should really check it out.  I'm linking this post up with the Pinterest Challenge hosted by:

 

Emily from Sparkle meets Pop

Renee from Red Bird Blue

Sherry from Young House Love 

Katie from BowerPower

What Pinterest projects are on your "to do" list?

 

Mary

I Don't Think You're Ready For This Gelly...

Gel Stain that is :)

Okay, maybe you are ready.  Gel stain is one stain that I've never tried until this past weekend.  Sure, I've read up on it several times, but never saw the value in using it over a regular wipe-off stain.  Well, now that I tried it, I'm really kicking myself for not using it on EVERYTHING I've stained in the past. 

So, here's the scoop on Gel Stain (from my point of view):

- Gel stain is still stain, but it's almost like a mixture of paint and stain.  It gives a thicker, more consistent appearance with less coats than a stain, but is more transparent than paint and will still allow wood to look like stained wood and bring out some of the grain, but not as well as liquid stains. (I know that's a run-on sentence - and I'm not changing it).
- Gel stain does not soak into wood.  It sits on top.  So you can actually stain pieces that aren't even porous! 
- It's a great solution for staining vertical pieces, like trim and doors. Thanks to it's thick consistency it won't run.
- Doesn't have to be wiped off - which means that applying thin, even layers are very important!
- It works very similar to stain; the surface should still be (lightly) prepped, and a poly coat should always be used to protect the surface (if it's being stored indoors). You'll want to use a polyurethane formulated for exterior if you plan to use it outdoors

While gel stain is pretty versatile, I wouldn't use it in situations where the wood has very intricate detail.  It tended to gather in valleys and tight areas.

Because gel stain doesn't actually penetrate the wood, it would be a perfect solution for those wood staining projects where the wood isn't penetrating evenly. That sounds dirty. Let's try that again...This would work great for projects that don't absorb the stain the evenly. Remember the chair I reupholstered back here? Well, the stain did NOT take well. Gel stain would've been a great option! Oh, and that kitchen island I restored? Gel stain would've been a much better option that painting it. This makes me sad. (Yes, Amy, I remember you telling me to use gel stain on it...)

I received an oak mirror from my parents that had been sitting in my basement collecting dust for the past year. So when I was looking for a mirror to hang above the mantle (and help bring more light into the dining room) I'm glad I remembered I had this sitting around. I brought it up a few weeks back and hung it on the wall (did I dust it off before hanging it? Absolutely not).

I knew the oak finish wasn't going to fit in my house. But I was torn between painting it and staining it. So, what to do in this situation? Let it hang out in the space for a few weeks until I make a decision. Here's my theory - it's easier to stain it first and paint it second if you don't like it rather than painting it and having to sand it later. I knew (from past experience) that I wouldn't get the coverage I was looking for with a regular liquid stain so I set out to find those gel stains that I've read so much about in the past years.

Minwax makes a gel stain that is sold at Lowe's and Home Depot - except there are only 4 color choices and none of what I was looking for. General Finishes makes a dark stain I want, but had to hunt down since it's not carried at the large box stores. I did a quick google shopping search and found that Rockler Woodworking (less than a mile from my house) carries this stuff...and it's only $8!

Here is what I used to stain the mirror:

First, I lightly roughed up the finish with 100 grit sandpaper, then wiped down the wood to remove all sanding dust.  I did a quick sanding, because the stain doesn't penetrate the wood you don't need to fully sand!

Then I taped off the mirror portion making sure only the wood was visible.

I used rubber gloves when staining.  The stain isn't good for your skin and it's also really tough to remove from nails (especially when it gets under your nails).  So it's best to make sure you keep plenty of rubber gloves around for staining.

I used an old, clean sock to stain.  Cotton socks don't shed fibers and also provide a clean finish (this is why I wouldn't recommend using a towel).  I applied a thin, even coat of the stain using the sock.  And cleaned off any clumps with a second clean sock.

I did not wipe the stain off! Remember that gel stain sits on top of the wood?  This is why you don't want to wipe it off.  I don't care what the can says.  Don't wipe it off.

 I gave it a good 10 hours to dry (in a well ventilated space on a warm, dry day) before adding a second coat. 

It took 2 thin coats of gel stain to get the look I wanted.  I felt like another coat would've been too much.  There was still a little variation in the color (you can see it in the picture above) and another coat would've made it so there was no variation.  After applying the second coat, I allowed the stain to dry a full 18 hours.   

Then I applied a regular liquid polyurethane coat in satin (you do not need to use a gel poly - regular poly works just fine) and let dry another few hours until no longer tacky.

It's not visible in these pictures, but the ashy, dark stain really complements the rest of the dining room (I have another project going on across the room...). 

I think the cedar surround in the fireplace will have to be lightly stained.  I'm thinking a very light, transparent coat to make it look weathered.  We'll see!

 

I'm liking the dark stain and how it carries on the darkness in the rest of the dining room (and living room). 

There are still a few more things I'm looking to do in the dining room before I can call this room "done for now."  Like install a gallery wall, shorten the too-long drapes, and build that farmhouse table.  But don't get me wrong. You might walk in one day and see that I've painted the mirror white. Or maybe it's a different mirror altogether. 

 

Note: I used quite a bit more gel stain for a little mirror than I would've using a liquid stain. I went through 1/2 the can of the 1/2 pint, so for any large project I would definitely suggest getting the quart.

 

Mary

First Annual Kentucky Derby Party

Justin and I hosted our very first Kentucky Derby party this past Saturday.  I love horses, I love hats, and I love food...so why not throw a derby party?  It was actually my Mom's idea and a very good idea at that!

The party was a success.  I managed to document exactly one single picture of myself with some girlfriends before the house was packed with people.  And I got a few pictures of the food (but not all of it).  Guests arrived at 4pm and there were still 10 guests here when the clock hit 1am!

I never had a housewarming party so this is the first time many of the guests even saw my house.  It was great to have friends and family in one place.  And I love that everyone threw on their best dresses, decorated their hats and made their husbands dress in seersucker, bowties, hats and suspenders.  Here are the very few shots that I took during the day:

Dana, Amy, Me & Anna 

Brag-note:  I'm standing up in Anna's (and Peter's) wedding come October.  I was already excited to witness this big event, but now I'm like pee-your-pants excited that I get to help out and stand up with her!

Even Cora and Parker dressed the part!  I love these cuties.  I had 3 kids under the age of 4 that were invited, so I filled a "kids only" basket with bubbles, sidewalk chalk, balloons and little horses to keep them occupied.  Do you think I took a picture of it?  Of course not...but they looked like they enjoyed it and had a great time!

Here are a few more pictures of some of the guests.  I really wish I would've gotten pictures of everyone is their Derby best!

Lindsay & Jason

Tommy straight from his plantation

I'm so happy that everyone had fun with it and dressed up!

Did you bet on a horse?  We did!! Here's how we did it.

Every horse was allowed up to 5 bets.  Each bet was $1.  First place winner(s) shared 75% of the pot and second place winner(s) shared 25% of the pot. 

If you didn't watch the derby, Orb came in first place.  Orb was the horse I bet on.  Wanna know why?  Because my favorite paint color is oil-rubbed bronze - ORB (I practically own stock in that stuff).  So of course I chose him for his name.  It was just lucky that his odds were pretty good.  My theory worked and I won $8.  How perfect.  That's exactly what a can of ORB costs.

There was so much beautiful and delicious food that I completely forgot to capture.  Anyway, here's the menu, which you can bet is (mostly) southern.

Kentucky Derby Menu

(scroll down to see pictures and click the link for the recipe I used, if available)

 

Appetizers:

Derby Cheese Hat w/Crackers

Fruit Salad

Chips & Dip

Veggies w/Hummus

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

 

Main Dishes:

Country Ham and Biscuits

Kentucky Hot Browns

Bourbon Marinated Pork

 

Drinks:

Classic Mint Juleps

Mint Julep Jello Shots

Lime Bourbon Jello Shots

Mint Iced Tea

(I just brewed lipton tea, added mint and let sit in the refrigerator overnight)

 

Dessert:

Derby Pie

Racer Cake Pops

Horse Crunch Chocolates

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Banana Pudding Cups

 

 I prepped all of the dishes the night before and assembled everything the day of.  It was a huge help that guests brought along some of their favorite dessert and appetizers!

Derby Cheese Hat and veggies w/hummus

Country Ham and Biscuits

Kentucky Hot Browns

 

 I made a mint julep bar where guests could assemble their own cocktails in a mason jar.  I supplied the recipe, mint-infused simple syrup, bourbon, ice and mint sprigs so they could each make their own.  We went through 4 fifths of bourbon in 9 hours!  Each mint julep requires less than 2 oz. bourbon.  That's a lot of mint juleps for one little household.   

 

 

 

 For the non-drinkers, I made mint-infused iced tea.  Just in case you're wondering, I think only one person enjoyed the tea.  Everyone else was busy polishing off the bourbon.

 

 

A party isn't complete with out beautifully arranged jello shots!  I definitely can't take credit for these.  Peter and Anna whipped these up and they were awesome!  I'm pretty sure these are the reason for Justin's headache on Sunday...

 

 Mint Julep and Lime Bourbon Jello Shots

The dessert table was beautiful...and delicious!

...the adorable cake pops deserve a close-up.  My mom's coworker made these - I wish I had this kind of talent! The ears are chocolate chips!

 

The traditional Derby Pie was a hit!  Derby pie is just like a pecan pie, but has bourbon and chocolate chips.  I have a facebook friend who does some baking and I asked her to make this.  She did a great job and it was very tasty!

 

 

 By the way, thank goodness for my mom who is so talented with making candy and baking!  She made these chocolate covered strawberries, brought the cake pops, horse head chocolates, made the country biscuits and ham and even bought me little horses that I spray-painted and set around the tables.   

Overall, I have to admit that 1) I belong in the south, 2) I love southern food and 3) Mint Juleps are my new favorite drink of choice.  I wonder if I can pick up a southern accent...

Thank you to everyone who helped out at the party.  I couldn't have done it with out you!  <3

Mary