Lately I’ve been working a little outside of my home. I’ve been reluctant to do it because, #therona. But, when your BFF calls and asks you to help her paint a starry, starry night sky on her entryway ceiling, you say yes!

BFF Roxanne has been lucky enough to move into a house that she has been mooning over for over 20 years!

When you enter her house, you step right into  a library.

That’s her entryway!

To get an idea of how big the entry is, the table you see in the photo above will seat 4 comfortably.

And the ceilings are just over 12 foot high!

When Roxanne moved in, the ceiling had a beautiful painted map that spanned the barrel ceiling.

It was pretty, but in her mind the ceiling should be a night sky with stars!

Step 1:

Roxanne had her painters paint the ceiling a mid-tone blue for her night sky base coat.

Step 2:

We used a dark blue paint with glaze added to it to give it a faux finish that looked like a night sky.

This is what her entry way looked like after day 1.

We could have stopped right there, because it definitely had the highs and lows of a night sky, but we wanted more depth and color.

Step 3:

Fast forward a few weeks as her workers took over the space to put in new flooring.

This is where we started.

The plan was to make the center of ceiling darker, fanning out the paint toward the sides of the ceiling.

An added bonus was that the lights at the top of the book shelves already helped give it that illusion.

So we gave the center of the ceiling another pass with the dark blue paint and added glaze.

This is what the finished ceiling looked like finished.

Even though this photo of the ceiling is pretty, it is so much prettier in person!

It has the highs and lows as well as the depth and color that Roxanne was hoping for.

I just love when a project comes out better than you imagined!

Step 4:

Adding the stars.

Roxanne had found a stencil that she loved that had several different sizes of stars.

Using metallic gold paint, we (she) added stars all over the ceiling in a random design.

Tip: Using gold metallic paint to stencil the stars makes them look like as if they disappear and reappear as you walk around the room!

Because they tend to “disappear” it’s hard to get a good photo of them.

If you look closely, you can see them here!

This photo was one that I almost tossed out as it is so washed out.

However, I decided to share it as you can really see the depth and the stars.

It truly does look like a night sky!

We realize that this night sky isn’t for everyone, but that’s okay.

Roxanne is thrilled with her starry, starry night sky!

And I’m thrilled for her.

Once she finishes decorating this area, it’s going to be a show stopper!

Until next time…

Don’t forget! If you love it, be sure to PIN it!

A few days ago I was sitting on the sofa contemplating repainting my fireplace mantle. I’ve put it off for awhile because my plan was to make it darker. To do that I had to strip the old varnish and stain it. One small  problem. The mantle is embedded into the stone on the fireplace, so striping it would have to be done in place. All I could think about was the mess. The more I thought about it, it occurred to me the reason I didn’t like the mantle was  that it looked a great big dark spot against all the white and nothing in the room had that finish. I finally came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was paint it white to match the rest of the fireplace and bookshelves. So Today, I’m sharing how to watch paint dry or how to paint a mantle.

Of course, I forgot to take a before picture.

Seems to be my M.O. lately!

So this is what the mantle looked like in February, right after I painted the fireplace shelves white.

Supply List:

(Luckily, the project took more time than supplies and I had everything I needed on hand.)

Here’s what you will need.
Paint Brush
Cabinet and Trim Paint
Liquid Sandpaper
Drop Cloth
Damp rag ( to clean up any spills etc.)
Paint key

Step 1:

Clean your mantle with warm water. Let dry. Your mantle should be super clean. Any spots or dust will result in paint chiping and flaking later. Tape off any areas that you don’t want paint on.

Step 2:

Using a rag, thoroughly wipe down your mantle with the liquid sandpaper. Don’t miss any spots! Work it into the creases and crevices.

Liquid sandpaper takes the place of sandpaper. It’s actually a deglosser that removes the shiny, slick surface of the poly so that the paint will adhere.

Read the directions.

Mine stated that I needed to paint within 30 minutes of dry time. Please note that Liquid Sandpaper can only be used on surfaces that don’t have any large chips or divets or rough areas on the surface. If you have any of those, you should sand and repair your mantle first.

Step 3.

Paint.

I used a water based semi-gloss cabinet and trim paint. Try to apply in long even coats, slightly overlapping for even coverage. Check occasionally for runs or drips.

As you can see, if you look closely, one coat was obviously not enough. After I painted the first coat, I sat around watching the paint completely dry before putting on the second coat.

This is why I titled the post Watching Paint Dry. Cause you do a little bit of painting and a lot of watching and waiting!

Step 4:

Apply the second coat of paint. Paint the second coat just like you did the first, making sure to check for runs or drips.

Watch paint dry.

I put 2 coats on in one day . One early in the morning, one late afternoon.

Step 5:

Early on day 2, I added coat three. And…you guessed it, watched paint dry!

On the third day I put my mantle back together.

I love the way the entire fireplace area looks. It’s so clean and now everything matches.

My OCD is happy!

I’ll probably style it a little differently soon, but for now I’m happy with it just the way it is. Aren’t you glad that I shared watching paint dry or how to paint a mantle with you?

It seriously takes an art in being patient that’s for sure!

Until next time…

If you liked it, be sure to Pin it!

I am so happy to say that we officially have white living room shelves! When we moved into our house last October there were a few things that I wanted to get done immediately before the holidays.

There were only three main things, other than unpacking. 
*Reface the fireplace wall above the mantel. 
*Paint the shelves beside the fireplace. 
*Remove wall paper in the bathrooms.

Happily, we did get the fireplace wall done. If you missed it, you can see how we did that here. And while The Hubs worked on the fireplace wall, I removed the wall paper in the bathrooms. When we were done with both, Thanksgiving was fast approaching with Christmas not far behind. We decided to call it done until after the holidays.

Fast forward, the holidays were long gone and it was time to get back to work on the house.

The first thing we did was remove all of the decor. Since the wood was in fairly good shape, it was decided that it didn’t need to be sanded. We used a Deglosser instead. A deglosser will “rough” up the finish so that the paint can adhere properly and it also has a cleaning agent in it that removes any dirt and oil. I also removed the doors and shelving as I would paint those in the garage.

After taping off all surfaces next to the shelving, it was time to paint.I used a pure white cabinet and trim waterbase latex.

It took three coats of paint on every surface and 5 long days of painting, but I am so happy to say that they are done. And the difference is amazing! These bright white shelves make the room look so much bigger and brighter. We couldn’t be happier.

We did change up a few minor things after painting. The doors looked pretty plain once we were done. I had 4 crystal knobs leftover from the window seat in my art studio that I felt would be perfect here.

This picture does not do them justice.
Why is it always cold and rainy on the days I need to take photos?
I love how they give the shelving a little touch of bling without being overwhelming. 

When it was time to put the decor back on the shelves, I added a few pieces of new artwork. Have you seen Hobby Lobby’s new selection of chinoiserie decor? So cute!!!

As you can see I added a tall piece of artwork here, trying to hide the lamp cording. However, I’m thinking I need a bigger piece to hide all of the plastic wall covers also. This used to be the TV cabinet and all of the plug ins, cable connector outlets etc. were still here. Six in all! Yikes. I covered all off them with plates, which looks a ton better than they did, but I’m still not thrilled with that. However, I have a plan for this, but that’s another day.

We still have a few more projects before the living room is complete. Originally, I had planed on painting the mantel white, but now I’m thinking of staining it darker to match the flooring. Just for a little contrast. New curtains need to be made, a few minor decor changes and we have ordered a new recliner. However, all things considered, I feel like this one update makes the room feel complete!It’s finally starting to feel like home.

Until next time…

Roar! It’s a jungle in here! I have been so fortunate to be able to do something that I love so much lately. I shared the Library Mural  that I helped paint here, and today I am sharing a jungle mural that I did for a sweet client. August has truly been a month of mural painting and I couldn’t be happier!

It was kind of hard to photograph the entire mural because it was in a round room! A first for me.  As you can see to the left here in the photo, there is an entire bank of windows.  This banyan tree with jungle animals spans the wall to the left of the closet door and to the right of the same door.

I love this sweet lion.

And this sweet monkey looks like he could stir up some real “monkey business”!

The toucan is so happy he is about to burst into song!

Here is the wall on the right side of the closet door. The client has two granddaughters so we added a hot pink flamingo with some girly attitude. I love the sweet giraffe!  He might be a little goofy, but he sure looks fun! What’s a jungle mural without a zebra?

The client is going to make the closet into a toy storage/playroom. The wall with the parrot and vines will host a children’s kitchen below it so all the painting was done higher to allow for that.

Here is a close up of the parrot…

As you enter the closet you can see our goofy alligator.

He is sure to have fun with all of the kids!

I haven’t been posting much furniture lately and you can see why. I’ve been a little busy out of the castle painting up a storm. Although, I am back now and ready to tackle a bunch of new projects! ( I keep hitting the garage sales and trash to treasure piles!)

Thanks for letting me share!

Until next time…

                Tammy

Check out these link parties: Stone Gable Scoop #186

A few weeks ago I shared with you a sneak peek of the new murals in Erma Nash Library in Mansfield, TX. My BFF Rox’s daughter, Ashley, is the new librarian there and wanted to add a little color to her library. Well, I am happy to announce that the library mural is finished and I can now share it with you.

We added on to a few of the paintings I shared with you earlier….

The giving tree got a lot larger…

Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse was added.  Love her glittery red cowboy boots!

Charlotte’s message for the farmer… Wilbur was one terrific pig!

Across the library we added a new mural. It doesn’t look like it, but these books are three feet tall! James’s Giant Peach really is giant…sorry I couldn’t resist!

This is the entire wall finished. Although, I will tell you that we ran out of time and didn’t get everything in the mural that we wanted to. We wanted to add The Hungry Bear, Esperanza, and Harry Potter flying for the snitch with Hogwarts in the background…. so much to do with so little time! Maybe next summer….

A close up of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Where the Wild Things Are….

“And now, cried Max, let the wild rumpus start!” It is time for the new school year to begin.  My BFF Roxanne and I  hope that our favorite Librarian Ashley and all the children at Erma Nash Elementary have a most wonderful school year!

Until next time…

            Tammy

Some of you may not know it, but I used to be a Librarian. For realz! Don’t laugh… It was my dream job. I loved everything about it and had we not moved, I might still be working at the El Reno Carnegie Library in the children’s section.

I was excited beyond belief when my BFF Rox called and said that her daughter Ashley had taken the school librarians job. How darn fun! Ashley wondered if we would be interested in painting murals all around her library? Oh, heck yes! We aren’t even close to being done, but I couldn’t wait to show you what we have been working on… here is our library mural sneak peek!

Ashley put together a list of all her favorite books that she would like for us to paint and told us to go for it… so we did! We painted the Lorax…

Some truffula trees and a Swomee-swan…

I love Dr. Seuss! He always has some pretty fun characters and bright fun colors!

And sweet Devereaux the mouse… We painted him above Ashely’s door!

Of course everyone loves Shell Silverstein’s The Giving Tree… can’t leave that one out! (My BFF Rox has been working on those tree leaves for days! )

I hope that her students enjoy the murals as much as we have enjoyed painting them. Remembering reading these books to our children has been an added bonus…good times!

I can’t wait to show you our progress as we go. So don’t forget to check back to see what books we are painting next… it might just be your favorite!

Until next time…..

                      Tammy

My sweet seester Darrla has been talking about giving her laundry room a facelift for awhile now. One problem. She hates to paint. Say whaaaaatttt???? I KNOW, I have been telling her she is adopted for years! Just kidding.. Since I love to paint, I told her that when she was ready I would be there with paint brush in hand. Cuz we all know I lurve to paint.

I should tell you that she rents her home so she is limited to what kind of laundry room facelift she can make. Her walls? Yup, she can paint. Her cabinets and woodwork? Nope.  We so wanted to paint it all a bright white.  So… here is what we started with – a lot of brown. A room with four, count them FOUR doors in it. Decorating and painting nightmare.

I can not say it enough … paint can rock your world! We painted this room a soothing light turquoise with a hint of green. Here it looks very light blue… hard to get great pics with not much light.

My sister Darrla had already added the baskets and her awesome dog.  Last time we were at her house the hubs hung this stellar chandy for her… love it! Get this – the girl can find a deal – she found this chandy for $4.00! Guess she really is my sister after all. She also added new glass handles to the doors above the washer and dryer.. she is still on the fence whether they work for her or not.

I think her little dog is the star of the room… we even added a little bling for some fun!

This sweet little mirror is perfect for checking makeup and hair before grabbing your keys and heading out.

This laundry room is small and doubles as her mudroom, so having this long rack is a must for jackets, purses and all the nick, nack, paddy-crap we all need to keep up with in everyday life.

She found this really cool rug and it was what we took our cue from. You can’t really see it but it has black, navy, turquoise, white, gray and a tiny bit of lime green. We hung new blinds and added cafe curtains in two coordinating patterns to the long window on the door.

So just a recap… from this… boring beige and brown.

to this… a light, bright , soothing blue laundry room facelift.

It really is true. Paint makes all the difference! I think my seester is very happy with her laundry room facelift.  On my next visit we are going to tackle her “sunshine” ceiling in her kitchen…shhhh, don’t tell!

Until next time…

              Tammy