Kitchen Redo (ish)

Hello blog world! Today I have been slaving away on home improvement shenanigans. It's a love-hate relationship really.  I cannot WAIT to get this house aesthetically up to par, buuuuuut I also know it's going to be full of trial and many many errors before I resolve all the visual problems.  Being a DIY-er (and a frugal penny pincher, well.. on some things) I have tried to be budget friendly and stick to not hiring people to do things I am fully capable of.  In other words, painters, landscapers, electricians... well, that's a job for my dad.  Nevertheless, do it yourself home improvements are fun and rewarding, but challenging for a beginner.

So, here is some progress on our new home kitchen cabinetry.  Or simple painting, for all you pros :)

I was scared the paint department wouldn't be able to mix a match to the spray paint I'm using for my cabinet doors, so I thought I would attempt the spray paint for all of it. It was going okay, even though I couldn't breathe.  Unfortunately, I am not great at spray painting perfectly smooth and even, SO I had to swing back up to Lowe's and grab some paint.  They mixed a pretty close match. A little darker, but shouldn't be noticeable :)

 

still a little wet here

And again, when you don't ever wear shoes, be prepared for the results!  

Don't forget to bag up any extra paint you don't use.  It's always good the next day! waste not, want not!  That is....if you can find a plastic bag.  (in our city, the ordinance is no plastic bags allowed, so we don't get any at target or kroger.  reusable or paper only!)

As Chance would say, "Ooooh I found a prized possession"

More to come on my other endeavors of ceramics and daily life :)

A little clay day

Today has been superb! I just have to say!  It has been a real winner.

Firstly, I had bible study fellowship this morning, which has already been a huge blessing.  Our multigenerational & multicultural group is just full of knowledge and experience.   I also met a girl in my group that just moved to Austin too!  She actually knows some people that I know from home....meant to be!  We are meeting next week for lunch. :)

Feeling great about the day, I came home to prepare my art goods and work on some clay projects. And then, well, the power went out.  Luckily hand building uses zero electricity!  Here are some images of my day in a nutshell, including some of my new critters.

Blue bird, blue bird

As I am unpacking some previously made art, I came across this little guy 

and he just really brightened my morning! I hope he does the same for you. 

Kitchen redo

Whewee people!  I have been outrageously busy! I haven't been avoiding my blog, but simply have been in a whirlwind of a move into our new home!  I am so excited to get things ready here and make this place our own!  A small bit has already been transformed, as I tackled the biggest feat yet, the kitchen wallpaper spectacle. And a spectacle it was!  Some people might love dainty floral patterns or, in our case, tiny bunches of fruit, but that is not our style.  Call us "youngins" but we are over the wallpaper!  Bring out the paint!!

We are planning on painting the cabinetry a dark blue-gray (same color as the table legs and chairs in This post on a DIY table re-do). The wall color is undetermined until we get the cabinets completed, but we just could not stand to keep that wallpaper around for a moment longer. So I set off on my first wall paper removal adventure.  And it really wasn't too bad, considering the horror stories I received beforehand.

And sometimes you need to stand on the countertops to get what ya gotta get!

Also, I never wear shoes, which is highly unsafe.

And finally, after lots of gooey fingers and wallpaper stripper dripped down my arms, I have torn off ALL of the fruity paper.  I did get a bit OCD behind the fridge and insisted on removing all of it even though no one will ever see it.  I....would always....know!

(Hey! these are the finished chairs & tabletop from the DIY post.)

One last tidbit of fun, just because I love my critters.

Stay tuned for the "after" shot of all that kitchen redo goodness!  :)