How to install a plank wall

May 04, 2016, in ,
Welcome to # 4 in the series of our fireplace makeover. 

HOW TO INSTALL A PLANK WALL

This project is nearing completion and I couldn't be more excited!!!

My husband and I worked together on this part of the makeover.  I sanded and painted the boards and he did the cutting and the installation.  

BEFORE
                                           The space above the mantel measures  7'.6" X  2'.5" 

PREPPING THE BOARDS

We found these pine boards on the side of the road. Freebies!  Gotta love that!!!
However the boards were not the correct size, they measured (1" X 6" X 8')  darn a few inches too long and a little too wide.  My husband cut each board to size with a table saw and a chop saw.  



The wood had a ton of splinters and needed a good sanding.
  
After the boards were sanded, I painted the edges of each board.

Now they are ready to be installed!

Starting at the bottom, we placed the first board against the wall and placed a level on top to make sure it was straight. Then using a nail gun my husband nailed it in place. To achieve the look of shiplap we left a slight gap between each plank using nickles. We repeated this process all the way to the top of the wall. 


 

After the planks were installed we used a piece of molding to fill in the gap at the top. 


I was so excited to finally apply the first coat of paint.  White Dove by Benjamin Moore.
AFTER
I hope you will come back to see the full reveal!  I can hardly wait for you to see it! If you would like to follow along from the beginning, click on the links below:                                           
                                                      1.  SHIPLAP DREAMS
                                                      2.  Sanding, Priming & The Chaos
                                                      3. PICKING THE PAINT COLOR
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How To Pick The Right Paint Color

April 27, 2016, in
 I challenged myself this spring to tackle some of the larger projects in our home.  Painting the fireplace is one of them!  Today I'm excited to share with you a fun way on how I picked the paint color.   This post contains affiliate links.

 This post is number 3 in the series of my fireplace makeover.  If you would like to start from the beginning you can catch up here & here.  

how I picked my paint color

My usual method for choosing a paint color is: I go to the hardware store, look at the paint chips, and bring home a few paint samples. My go-to paint is Benjamin Moore.  This time I did something different.  I went on the Benjamin Moore website! While I was there I stumbled upon a fun way to pick paint colors.  It's called  Personal Color Viewer By Benjamin Moore.  Have you heard of it?  You have the option to upload your own photo or use one of the sample room designs.
 I uploaded my own photo and selected three of my favorite white paints.
  I tried each one out on my photo and then picked one.
Here are the ones I selected. 



The one I thought looked best was...... 


Here is a sneak peek of the fireplace painted with White Dove.
Click on this link for the complete project
 Fireplace Makeover Reveal-Farmhouse Style

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Decorating with fabric

April 21, 2016, in

Hello friends.... happy spring, I'm so glad you stopped by!  


 In a previous post, I showed you how to decorate a wall with fabric. Today I will show you how to use fabric on floors!  



Want to bring that wow factor to your home?  Did you know using fabric to decorate a wall or the floor in a room is a great idea for home staging?  It's inexpensive, easy to do and looks fabulous!

 Here's how you do it!
  
Choose a fabric that goes with your decor.


I purchased one yard of fabric for this small space.
Of course, if your space is larger you will need to purchase more than a yard.


I simply placed the fabric on the floor in front of my thrift store bookcase. I suggest using a rug pad like the one below to keep the fabric from slipping. 



   


And that's all there is to it!


If you missed my post on how to decorate walls with fabric you can view that HERE



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Progress on the fireplace

April 18, 2016, in ,
Hi friends... I am making progress on our fireplace makeover and getting closer to seeing my shiplap dream come true. You can find my inspiration for this project HERE.

So far I sanded the mantel down to bare bones and primed the dark stain.  Brace yourself you are about to see the chaos that goes along with painting.

I sanded the mantel using a palm sander.  

This was the first time I ever used oil-base primer and it wasn't fun. The odor is strong and the clean up was a horror, but I like the fact it left no brush strokes and it completely covered the dark stain.


There is a big difference already, and this is just with the primer.



This is what I don't like about painting......
The Chaos

My next step is to paint the fireplace.  I will post my color choice soon!!
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Shiplap Dreams

April 13, 2016, in

Welcome to series one of our fireplace makeover called Shiplap Dreams 

I've been dreaming of white paint and shiplap for a long time!   
Here is a picture of my dining room and the fireplace I want to makeover.



 To make my dream come true and to keep me on track, I divided this project into a series of five posts.

 1. The Dream & Inspiration 

 2. Sanding, priming & the chaos

 3. Choosing The Paint Color

 4. How To Install A Plank Wall

 5. The Reveal

 If you would like, you can follow along!  
I will post frequently all the way to the reveal.

Here is what I'm dreaming of........
I gathered my inspiration from Pinterest!


I love the beauty & simplicity of Joanna Gaines style from HGTV the Fixer Upper
             Search Viewer | HGTV:


Search Viewer:





 Now that I'm inspired, I'm ready to make my dream come true!
Click here to see my progress.

For more inspiration please visit me on Pinterest!

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diy herb planters in up-cycled cans

April 07, 2016,
Having fresh herbs in your kitchen is easy with these DIY farmhouse planters. These small planters fit perfect on any kitchen window sill.  I use them in my own kitchen for easy access when preparing meals for my family. 


HERE'S HOW TO UP-CYCLE TIN CANS INTO FARMHOUSE STYLE HERB PLANTERS 

I used soup cans and my printer to create three planters. These small planters are perfect for the kitchen and will make a great Mother's Day gift! 

FOR THIS PROJECT YOU WILL NEED:
 soup cans
seed packets
printer
card stock
mod podge
hot glue gun
scissors
burlap 
herb plants
        

        seed packets                     enlarge                          cut

Using my printer, I printed the seed packets on card stock and enlarged them to 8 1/2" x 11"
I cut the burlap to fit the size of the can and used a hot glue gun to adhere the burlap to the can. 
Next, I cut off the top banner of the printed seed packet and glued it to the burlap using Mod Podge.





I purchased small herb plants and planted them inside the cans. 



AND THAT'S IT!!


If you are giving these as a gift you can tuck the seed packets inside the cans! You can even find a pretty basket to put all three!

If you want to make these at a later time just pin it!



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Upcycle a picture frame for a coastal look

April 01, 2016, in
Welcome friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week!
I'm back with another easy tutorial on how to upcycle a picture frame.

Before I get to the tutorial, I want to tell you a little bit about this incredible picture I snapped of an Osprey and baby while on our boat last spring.  Ospreys are seen around the bays, rivers, and marshes of Long Island.  They are long-range migrant raptors.  Often the males and females return to Long Island in early spring.  They build their nests on high, man-made poles with platforms on top. We had the opportunity to watch this amazing creature swooping in the water and coming back to the nest to feed the babies. Being in touch with nature on this level was so much fun and being able to capture it in a photograph was amazing!!


 This project is fairly easy to do and will work with any type of wood frame.  
 I used a dollar store frame, white paint, and cork ribbon to give it a beachy look.

BEFORE
 5''X 7" dollar store frame


SUPPLIES:
Frame
Paint 
Small nylon paint brush
Sandpaper
Cork ribbon (purchased at Michaels)
Mod Podge




I used Benjamin Moore Simply White (the same paint I used on this bench) 
HOW TO:
Remove the glass from the frame
Brush on two coats of paint, wait for the paint to dry between coats
After the paint dries, use 150 grit sandpaper to distress the wood  
Measure the ribbon to fit around the frame
Miter the ribbon: 
(sounds scary, but it's not!  I'll walk you through it)
1. Cut the ribbon on an angle at each corner of the frame  
2. Brush on the mod podge in-between the crevasse of the frame
3. Line up the ribbon so the corners join together and press down with your finger to hold in place.  
You just mitered four corners!!
That's it, now you have a new beachy frame to use for one of your master pieces!




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How to dramatically change a plain picture frame

March 24, 2016, in
HELLO FRIENDS!

 There is a lot I like about living on Long Island. I am surrounded by beautiful ocean beaches and live in close proximity to Manhattan.  For me, that's the best of both worlds.  On a recent visit to the MoMA/Museum of Modern Art, my daughter purchased a Roy Lichtenstein print called 
Drowning Girl. 


This print is modern, fun & edgy.  I wanted a frame that would show it off.  I had a bunch of used frames laying around my workroom collecting dust,  none of them worked with this piece of art.  The colors were all wrong.  So being the mastermind I am, I took out a can of spray paint and gave one of the frames a nice shiny coat of black!
The next thing I did was...... I added two eye hooks to the top of the frame.  I tied a broken necklace chain that was my daughter's through the eye hooks.  I hammered a nail in the wall and hung the artwork in her bedroom!

 

Now the frame works to show the personality of the artwork.  



All it takes to dramatically change the look of a frame is a little spray paint and a unique way of hanging it.


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Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes

March 09, 2016, in


Hey friends,  Today I'm talking about potatoes.  I love potatoes! Mashed, fried, baked, roasted...... 
you name it!!  I love them all... 
HERE IS MY RECIPE FOR
ROASTED HONEY GOLD POTATOES:

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs honey gold potatoes 
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley


These potatoes are cooked at a high temperature which makes them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are the ultimate alternative to french fries.

 1.5 lb bag of Honey Gold Potatoes

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Clean the potatoes by rinsing them off in a colander.

Slice the potatoes in quarters

Place in a bowl add Olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss until the potatoes are coated.

Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread them out into one layer.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until browned and crisp.  Flip once during the cooking time for even browning.



Place in a bowl 
sprinkle dried parsley on top and serve.

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