Wanderlust...

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   “Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”

   -Frank Herbert

You know you are headed for an adventure when there are signs like this.

I needed this trip. Like the quote above said, I needed something out of the ordinary. I get sick of seeing the same streets, sights etc. And this trip was just the thing I needed.

How cool is this? I was scared a sea lion was going to come up on the dock and knock me off. We were that close to them and the water. You should have heard my nephew honk (?) like a sea lion. Adorable.

I want to live here....

At one point in my life I want to live in a boat pulled up to this dock.

Portholes...

I was introduced to the wonder that is Sesame and Lilies. Within moments of walking into the store I had my arms full. And I loved the outside trim on this building.

Patina.... This place has charm and character oozing out of it....

Nutella, banana creeps on a blustery day. Yes please!

The beach was breathtaking.

Oh that quote is so true... The cure for anything is saltwater -sweat, tears or the sea. Isak Dinesen.

And then this beauty outside my sisters front door. She said this was a baby one. Oh boy.

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   “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

A Road Trip Post...

And if you know that quote, we can for sure be friends. Sometimes you just have to say yes. My parents were road tripping to see my sister and family, and last minute I joined in on the fun.

This looked a little daunting.

We stopped in Pendelton, Oregon and strolled through one of the most beautiful tavern/bar/restaurants I have ever seem. This Tiffany chandelier was HUGE and beautiful.

Scenes from the road.....

The bridge to our final destination....

All those hours were worth it to see these faces....

 

Can you have too much pumpkin? I think not?

A visit to the beach to find sand dollars. You just drive up on the beach.... What? It was amazing. This little dude loves to splash.

It was amazing.

Johnny has an obsession with the moon. It's a tough obsession to have when you live in a place that is cloudy so much of the time.

This little man loves his Papa.

Puddles.

We spent our time snuggling babies and thrifting. It was a thrifters paradise. The glass balls above are actually Japanese fishing net floats that have washed up to shore. And the football looking thing is a cedar float.

The glass pieces above and below are old telephone wire insulators. They don't use these any more. I am just crazy about the look and color. These two are the smaller ones that I found at a random house/store that was filled to the brim with treasures! I loved it all.

A sea urchin, nature is pretty.

This little piece of art. Was on the wall of this crazy house. Scored it for $3, turns out its actually a pretty well known artist.

The bottles below are the prettiest shade of blue. I want to get a lone flower to put in each. $0.25..... Sure!

Babies and treasures from the sea? Yes please!

A Quick Flip

It still amazes me what two coats of paint will do....

Some sanding, and painting with a spray rig makes it feel like an instant transformation.

These seats were reupholstered with a drop cloth. Love! This whole project was done in-between coats of paint on this project. Love a good quickie....

Painting a Linoleum Floor....

Have ugly linoleum floors? Want a cheap fix?

Drew and I worked together on this quick facelift... This was originally a pink kitchen.... You can see peeks of the original pink on the cabinets where the pulls we're removed. The linoleum was a pinkish white, and the whole place was ready for a fresh coat of new. Drew started off by sanding, prepping and painting the cabinets and walls. Then he sanded and bondo-ed the floors. Sanding was to clean and scuff the floor enough to get the gloss off the linoleum.

This is all to make sure the primer sticks. With the flooring being linoleum it has more give and movement and you don't want the paint to crack or separate from the surface you painted. Next up is our primer. I searched high and low to make sure we were using the right products to get a super durable long lasting final product. Don't be fooled by EVERYONE who will tell you that this isn't do able. There are a great many sources online who will tell you they have done it, and it LASTS! One of these resources (that now I can't find) directed us to Zinsser all surface primer. This stuff Rustoleum 1 Gallon Bulls Eye Zero Primer 249020 - Pack of 2 (Google Affiliate Ad) was terrific, and as they claim sticks to all surfaces. As it also says, it was dry in an hour so we went ahead with the color.

Then we went with Behr's Porch and Patio floor paint, in two different colors. The first was just their plain bright white. No tint. The second color was Benjamin Moore's Shenandoah Taupe. As you will see below.

We painted the entire floor with the white, two coats and let it cure for 3 days. 24 hours with no contact and 2 days with light use. After three days you can give it a good scrub. Then came the amazing part, the stripes thanks to Frog Tape. Shurtech 483381 Green Frog Multisurface Masking Tape .94 in. x 45 Yards (Google Affiliate Ad)

Drew brought out the halogen lights and followed the original lines of the linoleum. He is incredible patient and precise. Two very important traits. We had some hiccups with the taping and had to pull up the tape and reapply it... I was certain the Frog Tape would run.... I was truly blown away by this product. The commercials do not lie... Even pulling up and reapplying several times we had no runs. If I hadn't seen it myself I would not have believed it. That edge lock system is the real deal. FrogTape I am a convert!

I chose Bemjamin Moore's Gray Owl for the walls...

And Benjamin Moore's Shenandoah Taupe for the floors. Just look at them together? M.F.E.O.... Made For Each Other (thank you Sleepless in Seattle)...

Yep.... Drewpy is using one of those hair claw clips.... I wanted him to go Liz Lemmon 30 Rock style and get him a Chip Clip.... How amazing would that have been? Adding those to our grocery list... Drewpy used a fine roller and put two coats of Shenandoah Taupe on. Then pulled the paint. It was a divine moment I tell ya! No runs!

We used a minwax finish...Minwax .50 Pint Semi Gloss Polycrylic Protective Finishes 24444 (Google Affiliate Ad).... Kind of like the one above but the one we used was a HIGH TRAFFIC CRYSTAL CLEAR FINISH. All of those words are important. Especially the crystal clear finish. On this house, where we painted the wood floor, the painters used a clear coat that was anything but clear. It turned the entire floor a yellow brown. So the crystal clear finish is necessary.

I had the best intentions of going back over and taking better finished pictures but never got around to it. So phone pics will have to do! The floor turned out amazing!

I chose to have the stripes run in this direction to widen the look of the room from the front door to the sink.

The colors together are perfect. The paint is holding up perfectly and with the high gloss clear coat are very easy to clean. What more can you ask for in a cheap quick update!?

 

When You Stumble Upon Perfection...

Drewpy and I were participating in one of our favorite hobbies.... Driving around looking at houses.... It's almost overwhelming how many horrible McMansions there are out there. WHY??? As we were driving through a land if stucco this beauty appeared, and restored my faith in humanity.

Just look at this masterpiece. Cedar shakes that are first, actual cedar. Second, stained and not painted. The cream trim with the blue stain. The details on the trim, and corbels. The five paneled, stained door, with the stain breadboard ceiling. The positioning of the porch, the shape of the porch.... I'm geeking out over here! The turret room windows are stained glass, and the mission style windows are so perfect.

I could go on..... And on..... And on..... And on.....

The side of the house, I love how from the front it hides the homes massiveness.... But more than that, it is well done ALL THE WAY AROUND.... One of my biggest pet peeves is what I call a "faceplate home". Remember the phones where you could change the front cover? That's what the new cheap homes remind me of, where the front has detail and trim that only wraps around two inches on the other side of the house.... It's offensive. Quit doing that! Thanks! Smitten by this house!

 

Just a Little Guy

This is a little house I worked on.....

I wanted a yellow door.... Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue was the owners choice. You know I'm crazy about my yellow doors...

(My yellow door, and Cleo who looks extremely small.... She is extremely not...)

Maybe next time darling little house.

The inside of this house was AWESOME! Royal red carpet, pink trim, and pastel green walls. All over the heaviest Sheetrock texture you have ever seen. Looked like frosting. Basically the home could have been the inside of the castle at the end of the game Candyland. If that jovial king became depressed, brought in a whole bunch of cats and let himself go.

People do creative problem solving in their homes when they add additions. Check out the countertop and cupboards notched out for the doorway.

Kitchen is simple and cheap. I wanted pendant lights that would help create a visual divider for the two rooms. I found the look I liked at Home Depot for $90 a light. Then found the "look for less" at Lowes for $40 a light. Deal.

How great does Drew's board and batten look? Answer: good. I had to pick a paint color for the floor which was fun. First color I chose got an oil top coat which made the whole thing look yellow. Second color is Benjamin Moore Shenandoah Taupe. With a water based acrylic top coat which thank heavens is actually clear.

The bathroom before.

I went with the square tile on the floor because this house had a tight budget, and these are cheaper but still look nice. And this 1000 sq/ft home has a much more urban loft feel. The straight lines definitely fit that look. I loved this vanity. Shaker panel doors, and an all white marble top. Roth and Allen line from Lowes. Small house, small budget, big change.

Tears....

I have been laughing about this for weeks.... I keep making people listen to it, my mom and I cried we were laughing so hard.... The more I listen the funnier it gets!

Listen here.