Need to Paint?

Signs of a coming spring are all around.  This time of the year causes many ladies to start thinking about upcoming projects.  One of them is often painting a room.  Painting is a (fairly) inexpensive way to update and bring new life to a room.  Add a few new accessories, some new fabric, and you feel like you have a new space.

It hasn't been too many years ago that our house was a new construction.  But enough years to need some new paint on cabinets and trimwork.  I have loved high gloss bright white trim since I was a young girl.  I think maybe it is because it is what my grandmother had in her home.  And because my seasonal color is summer and summers usually always love bright whites, and cottage decor, and pastels, and and and....

We have a very good painter who knows his stuff and does a near-perfect job.  But sometimes I like to paint a room myself if it is not too hard.  We leave the rooms with 12-15 foot ceilings to him.  He has always recommended oil based paint for trim and I always preferred latex because  family and fumes don't mix with me.  So I set off on a quest to find something that would give the look and hardness of oil paint.  I found what I was looking for and funny enough--the next time we had a discussion on trim paint, he told me about a product that he had begun using to get the look and hardness of oil paint :).  It was what I had found, also, so I felt like I was on the right track.

Anyhow, let's get to the facts.  Benjamin Moore has a paint line called 'Aura'.  Spoiler:  it is pricey but very well worth it and a gallon goes much farther than I expected.  I have done the trim and doors in two rooms and I still have a half gallon left.  Here are some facts about 'Aura' and some pictures.
'Aura'  *is paint and prime together *has extreme hide-ability (my words) in other words it goes on and evens out to give a beautiful finish like oil  *low VOCs and low odor (for health nuts like me)
*has a mildew resistant covering and has a color lock technology  *self priming and easy to apply ( I can say that is truth)  *gives a long lasting appearance.  In the bathroom I repainted, two years later it still looks like a new paint job.  So on to pictures to prove all this to you.

If I hadn't used 'Aura' I don't think it would have looked this good.  My painting skills are not the greatest but even my limitations are covered up by the ability of this paint to go on so beautifully and smooth itself out.

Two years and daily use later by two young ladies and the paint still looks like new.  I think the hardness that it dries to has something to do with that.  And my girls are not so hard on things-that helps :).

Notice the nice sheen?  I have a picture below that shows what my cabinets that have oil based paint looks like.  I think they look almost identical in quality and coverage.

This isn't the oil base.  It is a another room with trim done in 'Aura'.  It really leaves a very nice finish.And again, with limited skills, I couldn't not have had it come out this nice with regular trim paint.

More nice finish and sheen

Yep, I see that chipped place, too :).

This is the cabinet with the professional oil based paint job.  Very similar to the  non-professional job using 'Aura'.

Still looks new 2 years later

The can of 'Aura'.  Obviously my white choice is 'Chantilly Lace'.  

The walls I did in Benjamin Moore 'Regal' line.  It goes on so smoothly and is a rich, (not too) thick paint.  Just the perfect texture to get the just perfect look.  If you decide to tackle a do-it-yourself paint job and want your efforts to result in the best job, think about Benjamin Moore's 'Aura' and 'Regal' paint.  I really believe you will be thrilled with the results.  Thanks for reading this long post.  I think I will be back soon with some pictures of the beautiful farmhouse look so many ladies are going for right now.  Have a great Thursday!

 

Let's Talk Clean Here

Happy Wednesday.  For me, part of homemaking by design is keeping things clean.  I try to do as much as I can naturally without added chemicals.  I use to make my own laudry soap and it wasn't that hard.  Then, I found a safe, environmentally clean detergent that had Tea Tree oil as it's base.
I've used that for about 8 years and am very pleased.

Almost 17 years ago, I learned about a company called Miracle II.  I use the regular Miracle Soap as the base for my cleaning supplies and Miracle Soap with moisturizers for our baths and showers.  It is a mineral complex with added organics.  Let me say also, that I get nothing from this company for sharing this with you.  I am just sharing what I use and have used for years and how I use it.

First, I'll show you the moisturizing soap.  We use nylon "spongees" and put some on them, lather it up, and shower or bathe.

An added benefit with the soap is that after a bath, you can take your spongee and go around the tub and there is never any soap ring.  I literally have not cleaned my tub in years.  I go over it occasionally with the cleaning solution below because the essential oils disinfect but as far as using something to scrub, there is no need.  And I am a clean-freak.  And I like things as near perfect as I can get them.  So, literally, you would not have to clean your tub.

The tub is shiny and sparkles without any cleaning.  Truth!

For my cleaning, again, I use the  regular Miracle soap.  I take a large spray bottle and fill with water.
Distilled water would be ideal but I usually don't have any around.  Essential oils come next.  I use Tea Tree oil (15 drops), Thieves essential oil from Young Living (25 drops), and a few drops of Lemon oil. There are many essential oils that can be used to disinfect.  These are my favorites and the ones I feel like do the best job for me.  I add Miracle II until I get it the color I want.  I try not to add too much and make things too soapy but add enough to fell like it cleans.  The essential oils are the disinfecting agents in your cleaner so never worry about disinfecting.  You can use the Miracle II on anything water will not hurt.

When I  need some scouring done, I use baking soda along with my cleaner.  If I had something really tough I would add some borax.
Here are links to products.  The Miracle II products I order from missdaisyshealth.com.  You can find these products in a health food store but I promise you Miss Daisy's Health has MUCH lower prices on them.  My order usually arrives in 3 days.  The oils are from Young Living.  You can ask me how to become a distributor so you can get them at 24% off.  I think Thieves essential oil blend is the absolute best oil you can use to disinfect your home.  Of course, we also apply it to the bottom of our feet to ward off infections or to address infections we might have acquired.  If you aren't familiar with essential oils that sounds crazy, I know, but trust me it works and is safe.  For 20 years, essential oils have been my best friends when keeping my family healthy.  And clean!

Our Act of Worship

Psalm 100:2

"Serve the Lord with gladness...."

Elisabeth Elliot once wrote this about serving in our home:

"This job has been given to me to do.
 Therefore, it is a gift.
 Therefore, it is a priviledge.
 Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God.
 Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.
 Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way.
 In this job, not some other, God looks for faithfulness."


Questions to ponder--
Do we see our homes and families as a gift?
Do we count it a priviledge to serve in our homes?
Do we make our service an offering to God?  It is a sweet savor to Him?
Do we do it gladly?
Do we see it as a way to learn more about God?
Are we faithful?

Lighten Up

Hello!
For those friends and customers who followed "Pat's...Again!" blog, I have redesigned and changed to a more personal decorating and homemaking blog.  You can read the purpose on the right, so I don't need to tell you why I'm here.  Let's visit....

"Lighten up!"  It's something our kids probably think we should do, but wouldn't dare say.
Might be something our spouses think but love us too much to say.
It's definitely something our siblings have thought for decades and did/do say.
Not bad advice because all of us at some time or another take ourselves too seriously.  But that's
another sermon for another post.  Let's talk "lighten up" in home decor.

January is always a good time to walk through our homes, look at the way things are, and
make some changes.  It doesn't always have to involve a lot of time and money.  Some things
can be easily and quickly changed by "shopping your house".  I did a post on that on the Pat's
blog and received some very nice comments from ladies who had fun shopping at home.  If you want,
check it out here: Shop Your House

Back to now.  I love the color combo Khaki/Black.  So timeless and classy.  But, I was ready to
change the master bath.  I plan on repainting the house this year--yes, the entire house.  And the
color of the bath will change but I will still be able to go with these small changes.  And if I decide
I don't want to keep the look, I still have the towels and will just pick out some new black accessories.  These will be donated.  Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble.  Let's look at before
and after.

I simplified the above look but really didn't like it.

Everything I added I already had around the house with the exception of the tulips below.

Not sure, but I may remove the daisies and replace with something else.  Might be too many flowers.

I do like how the new colors pick up the fabric on the stool.

My only purchase.  Bought with a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon.  Gotta love cheap.

There you go.  A little change can make a big difference.  And you don't have to go to a lot of expense.  See what you can do this week and have fun doing it.