Bird Painting Number One

I've been wanting to spice up my dining room for some time with personalized paintings. Finally, I'm getting around to starting them. I had four canvases that I originally purchased for my spare bedroom. Instead, I decided to use them in the dining room, since there is more traffic in that space and they will be enjoyed more there! I purchased four more for the spare bedroom and chose to stick with a color scheme that will work for both spaces. I'm hoping to switch them out if I grow tired of one or the other during the year.

Deciding what subject to paint was not too difficult. I had either floral themes, birds, or food in mind. I decided to go with birds. For the spare I'll probably do floral to keep things versatile. I nixed the food, as it limits that art to be used almost exclusively in a dining or kitchen area.

Next step was to choose a medium. I settled on oil. Not only is it a great medium, but a friend is wanting a very large oil done for her living room and I figured this would give me a chance to "brush up" my skills on some simple art for my own wall.

If you haven't used oil before, you may want to practice with it a bit before you jump into it. One of the most distinct differences between oil and other paints is the ability to paint "wet on wet." In other words, you don't have to wait for it to dry. Watercolor, for example, will bleed all over the place if you have two wet surfaces touching. Oil doesn't work that way. It allows you to continually work with the painting.

For this one I started with a simple base that was a contrasting color (warm) in order to create some interest around the edges of the shapes I'm attempting to create. This adds some visual interest and also prevents any blank canvas from showing.

After creating the base layer, I lightly drew the outline of the bird, stems and leaves. I made the first layer really thin by adding paint thinner, which caused it to dry almost immediately. I then moved on to creating a blue background using prussian blue and ivory. I used several of the Burnt colors to create the outline of the bird and stem. In addition, I added some of the Cadium colors and more reds to lighten the feathers. 

Slowly, I continued to add detail and highlights to the piece and the bird. This is purely done at your preference. I also thickened up the tail of the bird as I went as well. It was challenging deciding how much white I wanted on the edge of the bird and the birds face, but ended up dulling it down a bit. 

The Veridan green was added last to the leaves. I made sure some of the bright base tone peaked through around the leaves and stem. I also allowed some to peek through at the top of the painting just to add some depth and interest. 

Overall I am definitely pleased with my first attempt at revamping my oil painting skills. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the other 3 quickly and move on to the monster canvas that my friend Nancy selected for her wall. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy the fruits of my labor with a nice glass of wine. Cheers! 

Happy Autumn!

Nothing beats a latte and how great is it to be able to make it at home! I love coffee and espresso so this seemed like an obvious purchase for me. If you haven't figure it out yet, I love IKEA. It's such an easy and cheap way to make simple updates to your home, especially when you are single and in your 20's and 30's. Some of my favorite IKEA purchases are kitchen gadgets. I would love to buy a nice espresso maker with a steam frother, but that's not exactly in my working student budget. The RÅDIG Espresso pot was a great option, especially for only $19.99! I also had already purchased the MÅTTLIG Milk-frothing jug for $6.99 and the PRODUKT Milk-frother for only $2.79.

 

The process of making the espresso is extremely simple and the IKEA espresso pot includes detailed directions in almost every language. Basically you fill the bottom portion with water to just below/at the safety valve, add the ground espresso to the funnel filter and place it on the stove! Voila! You've got espresso in no time!

I added some milk to the frothing jug and heated it up as well. The milk frother is not the most efficient and takes a lot of time to get a decent amount of frothed milk. There should only be a little left in the bottom that is not frothed. 

The best part of making these at home though is adding the flavor. The commercial chains and grocery store products have a lot of added processed sugar and I personally like to know what exactly is going into my coffee or drink. My favorite combination is vanilla and cinnamon and just simply add the vanilla to the milk before I heat it up ans sprinkle the cinnamon on top. Cheers!

Crime Scene Victim Halloween Make-Up!

Last year I decided to lay low for Halloween and instead enjoyed some pre-partying time doing a friend's make-up for a group costume contest. It turned out better than I expected and was a ton of fun to do. My "victim" was a good friend of mine who was part of a group costume that included a victim, murder, and detective. This is a really fun and different group costume that is easy to DIY

First step was to glue on the fake stab wound and add the slit throat. These items come with glue, just keep in mind that you will need to use a lot of it to attach something that is projecting out from the body. It will take some time to dry so be sure to start early enough. One tip for the edges of the slashed throat would be to run your fingers along the seam to keep the edges as smooth as possible. This way the makeup you add will look as natural as possible.

Next step was to add some contouring (any contouring kit should work just fine). I used cream based products & tried to use more of the cool tones instead of warm to help with the "dead" effect I was shooting for. Be sure to go over the lips with a light color. You don't want to blend it in too much so the natural color peeks through in any natural cracks or creases in the lips. 

Once blended I added the eye shadow to create a sunken in look. I used the Naked2 palette for this and primarily utilized the darkest colors. Be sure to take the color below the eye as well. You are essentially shooting for the opposite look of health! 

Blend the make-up around the glued seams of the false wounds. This will require thicker products or just a lot of extra. This is especially true if the fake skin tone doesn't match up exactly with your "victim’s" natural skin tone.

Next up was to add the fake blood. Most fake bloods are too red and too thin, so I went with a darker version that came in a squirt bottle. Be sure to add not only to the wounds, but the edge of the mouth or the eyes. 

Either way it is a fun and scary costume for Halloween that will be sure to turn heads! Happy Halloween and Cheers! 

Kitchen Backsplash Stencil

A fun project I started recently was to create an extremely cheap, but functional backsplash. I already had extra paint from my previous painting project in the living room and dinning room areas, so I was able to use that paint in addition to only a few more items! This cut down on costs and used the paint that was just sitting in my basement.

First step I made sure I taped off the edges of the cabinets.

After taping, I removed all of the outlet covers and prepped for painting.

I started off using a drop cloth, but it became fairly dangerous once I had to stand on the counters to reach the top portion of the walls above the cabinets. I highly recommend not standing on the drop cloth unless you can find a way to secure it and prevent any risk for slipping. 

For the base paint colors, I decided to mirror the dining room wall with the same dark green called Behr Alligator Skin  from Home Depot. I had painted opposing walls in the living room and one wall in the dinning room. I decided to keep things consistent with all of the first floor area (minus the half bath). The other walls are painted also with Behr paint in the color Wasabi green shown below. I chose both in a matte finish, which I do not recommend if you have children, but it worked out great for this project. 

If you are using latex paint you haven't used in a while, be sure to stir well and also add some water if need be. I personally always prefer latex for interior wall paint over oil bases just to cut down on the mess. 

This is the far left corner of the kitchen near the refridgerator. I decided not to continue the stencil above the cabinets to really create a backsplash effect instead of a wall detail effect. Of course, it always would be an option to continue the stencil pattern above if you prefer. 

Here you can see the paint is on the wall and now it's time for the challenging part! I decided to add a Polycrylic, also from Home Depot to protect the paint against splashes and messes. I didn't even use a quart, so it really didn't require much Polycrylic at all to cover the small area. I chose a simple stencil pattern to add some interest as well! Note: the areas that are exposed from the stencil will not be protected, so you may want to avoid too large of a pattern with thick lines on your stencil. It hasn't been a problem so far and still looks much better than my plain matte white walls from before. 

I purchased a stencil from Michael's made by FolkArt that was simple and I liked the size for such a small area. This was extremely cheap (only $5.99) and is a very thin, almost flimsy stencil. If you struggle with stenciling and brush work, you may want to purchase a thicker one. I felt confident using this one and had no problems with it's sturdiness or flexibility. I also was not shooting for the stencil to be perfect in order to add some character and charm. 

Make sure you line up each stencil by overlapping to ensure you are staying in line with the exposed areas that are not covered in the Polycrylic. Any areas that seem off or you aren't happy with you can just go over with the center section of the stencil once it's dried. Also you can touch up the exposed pattern with paint using a small watercolor brush. 

I also used a mini sponge roller, which will cause some texturing when you use a Polycrylic. If you want a smoother effect, be sure to use a traditional mini roller, not a sponge roller. Initially the sponge roller looks like bubbles, but it dries looking a little like the surface of concrete. 

In the process of working on this project I also learned it's much easier to start the stencil at the top and work your way down when working under a cabinet in a small space. The edges that don't line up perfectly are not easy to manipulate from an upward direction. One option with solving this, if you are looking for an extremely clean and perfected look, would be to purchase a few stencils and cut them to line up with the overlapping edges. I just held the edges down with my fingers and dabbed with a brush. There is a chance you will bend the stencil when doing this, so be sure to get the large areas covered first and then start on the edges. 

Also, for the edges that the roller couldn't reach, including the sockets, I simply dabbed extra Polycrylic into the corners. Again, I was not shooting for a perfect look so this was not too time consuming and I used a cheap older brush for the job. 

Here are the end results!

It's very difficult to see in photos, but is definitely noticeable in person. The light is reflecting in a way that it doesn't seem to catch the camera, but it turned out just the way I wanted. Now time to enjoy! Cheers!

Cacti for the Front Door

I finally got around to planting something on my front step this weekend, after having several years of trouble keeping anything alive. The very helpful gentleman at Lowe's recommended Cacti! I had pictured something more prickly initially, but when I saw this grouping I knew it was perfect. 

Make sure if you do plant Cacti that you purchase Cactus, Palm, and Citrus potting soil too. Also I trimmed the grass around my front stoop. It's flanked on each side with very tall grass that often spills over onto the steps. 

So happy to have done this simple little project over a busy weekend. Plants are a great and easy way to get some instant gratification in terms of sprucing up your home! Happy Hump Day and cheers! 

Coffee Scented Candle Pots

Project Items:

Mini flower pots

Smokeless wicks with bases 

Coffee beans, grounded

Cinnamon, 1T

Vanilla, 1T

Soy wax flakes, 1 box

Acrylic paint 

Mod Podge 

Sponge brush

Gold printable paper

Glitter 

Exacto knife 

Sticks or chop sticks

Empty can

Sauce pan, medium size

I had yet another birthday project to complete, so I decided to go a slightly different route. This time I went with candles. I had a few small pots that I was no longer using so I decided to clean them up and turn them into candles. It's something I remember doing as a kid so I figured why not try it again. To make the pots look nicer, I went with acrylic paint, gold leaf, and some glitter.

Once I cleaned them up, I put two layers of white paint on all three pots for a base. Be sure to paint the entire inside of the pot as well, so as the candle burns, the original surface isn't exposed. Once you've done that you are pretty much free to do what you want in terms of design.

I went with one pot to be half glitter, which I got that idea off of Pinterest and really liked the simplicity of it. The second one I also wanted it to be very simple and elegant. I used gold printable paper to write the birthday girl's name on it to stick with the white and gold theme. This was pretty simple and you can print off any font and size off of a Word or Google document. I'm sure there are other websites out there as well that you could use for fun fonts and sizes. Just as a warning though, be sure to have an exacto knife on hand to make cutting the words out much easier!

The third one I wanted to incorporate the Brazilian flag because the birthday girl is Brazilian, but cutting out the printable gold paper turned out to be more challenging due to having not the greatest scissors or an exacto knife. I ended up just going with "Brazil" written in bold letters. My first attempt I made them too small and in cursive writing. This just about drove me nuts and cutting around the letters was too much. If you can have your words cut for you; I would highly recommend doing so. Cutting by hand turned out to be extremely time consuming. 

Finally I moved on to the soy wax and smokeless wick portion. First I placed the base of the wicks in the bottom of the candle to seal off the whole that is normally there for draining the flower pot. You can also use pennies for this if your wick doesn't have a base.

Second I tied the smokeless wick to a chop stick and cut the length of the wick to fit the height of each pot. The stick will hold the wick in place while the wax sets. Be sure to keep the wick as straight as possible. Once the wax sets, simply cut the stick from the wick.

Third melt you soy wax and pour it into each pot to the desired level. Be sure to add any scents at this time too while the wax is melted. I went with a vanilla latte scent by adding a tablespoon of vanilla, some ground coffee beans, and tablespoon of cinnamon. Keep in mind that you will be able to see the coffee beans and cinnamon in the wax, so if you are wanting a clean or solid colored wax, you may not want to use only vanilla or other scents. Also be sure to follow the directions on melting the wax. If you put it directly in the sauce pan you cannot use it for food preparation. Also be careful not to burn yourself when handling the can during the pouring process. The microwave is also a good option, especially if you are doing this with kiddos. 

Once you pour up the wax, and let it set, you are all done! To speed up the process you can also place your candles in the refrigerator. Other fun options would be to add color to the wax with old crayons, or different combinations of scents! In addition to using flower pots for a container, you could also use mason jars, cut wine bottles, salsa jars, or wine glasses. Cheers!

Dinning and Patio Updates!

I really have been enjoying my dining and patio area over the past few years. Now that summer has actually kicked in, I'm hoping to grill out some(fingers crossed the rain stops soon). I started with updating the kitchen with some better lighting. For those evenings that are still hot and humid, it's much nicer dining in the AC. I decided to go with two very inexpensive floor lantern lamps from IKEA  for the corners surrounding the back sliding glass door. I went with the HOLMÖ Floor lamp for $7.99 each.


HOLMO floor lamp pictured here. I chose a soft yellow light bulb to help give the room some warmth and add a relaxed feeling. As you can see, Oppie is enjoying the new lighting as well!

The lamps were extremely easy to assemble too, and I also picked up a cute black lantern, BORRBY for $7.99 to help hide the cords. This lantern can also be used indoors or outdoors and there is a larger version available for $14.99 <Here>.



After assembling the lamp I decided to use staples to secure the cord to the wall. I then added zip ties to restrain the excess wire. This helped visually with keeping it from looking as messy. Especially because it's the first area you see when walking from the living room to the dinning/kitchen area.

I'm so happy with the results and it gives the dining room a restaurant type feel. No more harsh, unflattering overhead lighting at dinner time!

PATIO UPDATE....

I finally got around to updating my patio area as well, which has been pretty lame for some time. When I first purchased the house I chose a very affordable table and chairs from Costco. The thing with affordable is it doesn't always mean comfortable, so I went on a hunt for a comfort solution and found some basic cushions at target. They were NOT for the outdoors and I should have starched them. In time they have faded and were looking pretty sad. Additionally, my former roommate burned several holes in them from cigarettes, so it was definitely time to retire them.

I decided to go with green (big surprise), black, and white. For some time now I have looked for cushions that would fit my smaller round back chairs. I had found some on Home Decorators.com and a few other sites, but didn't really want to pay full price. In time I found almost the exact same product on Target's website! I was very excited because they also carried the throw pillows I wanted to use in the seats as well, which were also on sale. Overstock.com also carries them for a reasonable price.

In addition to the update to the chairs, I also purchased another KARDEMUMMA pot from IKEA and planted some petunias to add some color. This particular pot comes in several different sizes and designs. This is the second one I've purchased with the vertical stripes and I also have one with a diamond pattern in my bedroom.  The pot is intended for indoors, so I placed quite a bit of gravel in the base again to help with watering, and so far so good.

Can't wait to enjoy the new and improved patio with my roommate and neighbors! I'm so ready for some sunshine, drinks, and KC style BBQ! Cheers!