Six Hundred and Fifty-eight Miles...I need a 'copter!

Hello My Wonderful Friends and Random Readers!


I hope you are having an enchanting Fall with lots of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (lowfat milk, no whip, please), sweater days, beautiful trees and completed projects!  I've had all of the above but the last one!  Oh how I wish I was finished with those blasted stairs!  I love reading lots of decorating websites with all of their inspiring ideas, but toward the end of a project, it becomes just that~a project!  


But I have a good excuse!  I know, I'm using the grandbaby as my excuse, but it's true!  I got to hold her and rock her every day for 10 days!  My projects at home were taking a serious back seat to staring at MMGB's (My Magnificent Grand Baby's) sweet little face!  Now I'm home and puullleeezze!  Somebody push my "reset" button!  Back to reality!  Get that sandpaper and paintbrush and finish this thing!  I've been home two weeks now!!


I really did have all good intentions.  I cleaned the house and went through all the mail.  I got all of the laundry caught up and filled the fridge again.  My sweet daughter-in-law was sending me the cutest little pictures almost every other day. Yes, every~other~day.  Ask my friends who get no text messages from me anymore, just a baby picture.  I decided to just count the days leading up to Christmas and stay busy with my many projects. She won't change that much... 


Then, my husband called. 


I didn't hear anything he said after the part about his upcoming 4 day weekend and good driving weather between here and Oklahoma.


This "Tara" is definitely waiting until "Tomorrow"!  I'm packin'! :)

Primer Day for my Stair Painting Project!

Hello Boys and Girls,


I was on a mission today.  Writing this blog has spurred me on to  hopes....dreams....PRIMER!  I not only accomplished that but was able to get one coat of actual paint on the stairs too.  However, not without some stumbling blocks.


The prep taping and Kilz2 primer paint went really quick.  I hopped out to the garage with glee to retrieve my gallon of Ben Moore paint I have glanced over at for 2 years....opened it to find a can of weird, oily stuff. Yyyek..

  
No problem!! I'll just stir :))...

The stick is STUCK. Dang! And things were going so well~~

So one new gallon of paint later....and the first coat of White Dove semi-gloss is applied. Here we are!

A few tips about painting stair risers that I have learned so far:
~make sure the painter's tape is really stuck tight on the stained steps
~start at the top of the stairs and work down
~load the brush lightly and use more coats to cover
~use a low VOC paint - it doesn't smell
~and hammer the heck around the lid of your can to prevent air from ruining your paint!


~oh yes......ibuprofen :}


Tomorrow, the final coat goes on and I'll be ready to attack the banisters.  Hang on, baby granddaughter!  Your due date is not until Wednesday.  Grammy needs to sand and paint her banisters! ;)