So, today I've decided to make the most of my last official day of summer. It seems that I have, in my great fashion, managed to save most of my rehab/painting projects until the last possible minute of summer. Part of this was due to all the traveling I did this summer, and part was because I couldn't keep myself from spending as much time in the garden as possible. Since it's overcast today and looking like rain, I've decided to stay indoors and take care of some more batch cooking and painting rehab projects. Here are the goals (it always helps to put goals in writing)...
1. Take the huge but dated mirror acquired from my grandmother's house and bring it up to date with our home. The frame currently has a painted on antique brass patina that is in desperate need of some updating. So, I'll prime it this morning and then paint it black with some silver dry brushing highlights this afternoon. (This is why I forced myself to get back into the school routine of getting up before 6:00 today.)
2. Attempt to spray paint the last of the outdoor furniture, if the rain holds off. (I tried to do this about a week ago, got all set up, painted for 30 seconds, and promptly threw a fit when the spray can clogged. We're hoping that my paint guru hubby can fix the problem and we'll be on our way to new deck seating.)
3. By the end of the month (since this one is weather contingent), have the front deck stained. We've already cleaned it and prepped it for stain, but we're in that lovely summer cycle in Appalachia of rain almost every day, which is great for the garden, but not for the deck stain.
4. By Labor Day weekend (or on that weekend), have the rest of the guest room furniture that is currently stored in the basement repainted. (The reason it's in the basement is because I refuse to bring it upstairs until it matches everything in the room, because I know if I bring it up before it's repainted, I will never get it done.) Currently, that furniture has an ages old oil-based paint which was, at some point in it's life, white. Right now, it is an incredibly yellowed cream (due to the aging of the oil based paint). The plan is to prime it and paint it white to match everything else in that room.
I would love to use low VOC paints for these projects, but most of them will make use of the leftovers we have in the basement (gotta love free). As for the deck, we're going with a semi-solid oil-based product, which my husband says is the best for our purposes, since the deck is exposed to all sorts of weather and gets full sun all day. This stain will hold up the best and the longest, meaning that we shouldn't have to tackle that project again for a few years.
So, if you're one of those folks who gets a huge kick out of the process of painting (I love the end results, but find that I'm often too impatient and get heavy handed), feel free to come visit for the weekend! :) I'll even feed you (there are homemade hotdog buns rising as I type this!).
Where are you with your summer "to do" list? Have you procrastinated like I have, in favor of spending time with family and friends (and the garden), or have you checked it all off and are now enjoying the sun in your newly refurbished outdoor space? I'd love to hear from you!
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