Uncategorized

I’m someone who paints a lot more than the average person. I just finished a room redesign in which the painting alone took sixteen days. What can I say, it was a very detailed paint job! (You can read about that room here.) I’ve now embarked on a mission to paint my entire garage which in the heat of summer is…fun. I feel like I live in paint clothes constantly and over time I’ve gathered so many supplies. I wanted to compile a list in one place of my most used basic paint supplies. Nothing fancy, just the stuff that I pull out of my garage every time I start a new job. So, here are a few things I recommend if you’re wanting to start on a new painting project!

1. Wooster Shortcut paintbrushes – My most favorite item of all time! Comfortable to grip, and is the absolute best for cutting in along edges.
2. Paint Brush Cover – These are awesome for saving a brush overnight if you plan to come back to the project the next day. My only complaint is that they aren’t compatible with the Wooster Shortcut handles.
3. Roller Covers – a classic staple, I always like to have a few fresh ones on hand.
4. Purdy Paint Brush – This is my go to for trim when I need a little height. The Wooster Shortcut is hard (for me) to cut in around ceilings and crown, so this one gives a little extra length
5. Canvas Drop Cloth – Please protect your floors/furniture/grass…honestly these have so many uses I have so many of them and they really do work for everything!
6. Paint Roller Tray – This is foundational to pouring your paint! You can use plastic liners with these, or wrap in tinfoil.
7. Paint Roller Frame – Also pretty foundational to any wall painting job.
8. Foam Roller Kit – This is useful for painting doors, cabinets, stenciling, anything you want a super smooth finish on.
9. Extension Pole – Never ever ever paint without an extension pole. Even if the thing you’re painting is all within your reach, adding an extension pole to your roller frame will make it go so much faster, and will be so much easier on your arms.

Happy Painting! That’s all for today, have a fabulous day!

You guys remember when we bought our house, right? If not, let me refresh your memory. I was six months pregnant, and as I entered my third trimester, we also started a ton of work on this house. We worked every day for two months straight, and then we moved in to a completely unfinished and unfurnished house. Three weeks later, we became parents.

That’s the part of the story you all know. The rest of this is what you don’t know. So. Here goes nothing.

We took a natural pause in the work on the house after our son was born. But then, seven weeks into my maternity leave, Ethan was unexpectedly laid off from the small company he was working for. They just couldn’t keep him on the payroll. It was days before Christmas, I was on maternity leave (not getting paid), and we had a brand new baby. To say we were scared was an understatement.

In January, I went back to work (as a teacher, so for not very much money). Ethan started some freelance work while we tried to figure out what to do. The newfound costs of daycare and caring for a baby combined with inconsistent freelance income made the end of the month terrifying. Needless to say, we weren’t setting aside any money for renovation projects.

Every time we thought we wouldn’t be able to make it through another month, the Lord came through. We kept setting arbitrary deadlines of our eventual financial demise, and every time, the Lord met our need. But it wasn’t easy. We had been working on the house at such a break neck speed, only to be halted with a baby and an unfinished house. It was frustrating to say the least. We were stretched, learning how to lean on God like never before.

And this went on for a long time. It seemed like God wasn’t opening the door we needed opened, and we were confused. We were frustrated, angry, scared, exhausted, you name it, we probably felt it.

That is, until the right door finally opened. Nine months after we were sure our savings would run out. Finally, the turning of a new leaf, the end of a hard season. We feel a fresh hope, a renewed sense of inspiration and motivation to get back to work on the house.

So, if things have seemed kind of quiet on the home improvement front, now you know why. You never know what may be going on behind the facade of a smiling face on Instagram.

I can’t tell you exactly what’s next for the house, we still have some pretty big financial goals to hit, but I have a renewed sense of hope, and fresh ideas for some rooms in the house. And it feels really great to feel secure enough to make plans. So please stick around, because the home improvement is coming back. It took a little detour, but we’re back.

By the way, I think it’s time we build a playroom. That’s all for today, friends. Have a great day!