Porch Makeover in Progress

As previously mentioned, our plans for the long weekend primarily surround a grandiose DIY porch makeover undertaking: removing all exterior wooden slats, removing all 1960's (?) striped screen panels, scraping & wire brushing remaining wood trim & panels, painting remaining wood elements (interior & exterior), hanging new aluminum screen panels, and finally affixing new white vinyl slats for the finish.

Here's what we were working with to begin with: a screened-in side porch original to the 1956 house with what we think is original screen which has a striped pattern made at the time to add privacy (the idea being that it could be seen out of but difficult to be seen inside of) and original painted wood slats. All of the above was showing some age, wear and tear:

We (meaning Tim) began by removing all of the wooden slats from the exterior, then ripping off the screen panels one metal staple at a time. While Tim did much of the "heavy lifting" I started in on scraping, wire brushing, and wiping down the remaining wood elements that would need to be painted later.

As the screen continued to come down, we were both astounded at how much brighter the porch instantaneously became. By midday, we had all the slats & screen removed and had prepped all of the remaining wood in preparation for painting.

Detail of before and after chipping wood vs. smoothed down below. We heard time and time again when talking about this project how important it was to scrape and smooth down ALL chipping paint on surfaces we planned to paint - otherwise any new paint would simply chip off in the same way the old paint already was.

Basil, our supervising weimaraner puppy, wasn't quite sure what to think, but he kept the situation under control at all times with his curious nature trying to be right in the middle of everything. The funny part was - we were worried he might try to jump from the porch into the front yard now that the screen was removed (we don't allow him to run free in the front) but he actually stayed within the guidelines of the porch at all times. He enjoyed sticking his head outside where the old boundaries were with the screen but never once tried to leave the porch.

Tim hauled away all the debris to our local recycling bins since the old screen was aluminum - it was crazy seeing it all in once place once it had been ripped out:

At this point, we had met the goal we set for the day (removal and prep) but still had some momentum and energy left in us so we went ahead and cracked open the cans of paint to get a first heavy coat on the remaining wood elements. We used an exterior semi-gloss finish paint which claims to be a severe weather protectant and have a lifetime warranty - we shall see.

After taping off the porch, painting was the most fun I had during the work today. It was relaxing and one of those things that gives an instant feeling of gratification with the before and after effect.

So you can see we got further than we thought for the day - it feels great. Tomorrow we plan to touch up the paint in the morning, measure to make sure we know how much screen and how many slats to purchase and then head down to my mom's place on the river to spend some good old family time together. Monday morning we plan to get back to business by hanging the new screen and nailing in new white vinyl slats.

By the looks of it, our "supervisor" was pretty tuckered after a full day of work:

In case anybody is wondering - yes that is white paint on the side of his nose. He couldn't help himself. Any big plans for your weekend?

My Prized White Pumpkin

Well it took me two years instead of just the one I had originally hoped to procure that white pumpkin, but oh - how it was worth the wait.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the day with my sister along with my adorable niece & nephew at the Farm to Family fall market festival where I just knew I couldn't go wrong scoring these locally grown white, orange, and gray pumpkin varieties.

In keeping with tradition, we set out to carve these beauties earlier this morning. I'll have to admit the white and gray pumpkins were a much more difficult undertaking than I imagined. They both carried thick stubborn walls and my grand plans for master carving had to be tweaked into the polka dot designs pictured.

After painstakingly puncturing each hole manually and testing with the candles, Tim came to the rescue with a power drill and larger than life drill bit. I cannot tell you how quickly he fleshed out the original holes in the pumpkins and while I wished I had thought to do it in the first place, I was more thrilled at the end result for it to matter at all.

Note to self: consult Tim with pumpkin designs before starting next year.

Here's wishing you a Happy Halloween to you and yours!

How To: DIY Chalkboard Wall

With chalkboard paints becoming increasingly more available, it couldn't be easier to transform a small space, or large for that matter, into the inspiration board of your dreams. Tim and I have the perfect cranny of a wall space leading into the kitchen which we revamped into a full size chalkboard. It's been a life-saving hub for our grocery lists, reminders, dates to remember, random musings, and love notes.

This was a great weekend project that took about 3 hours total with a 24 hour drying period. Follow the steps below to bring new life and functionality to a space in your own dwelling.

Materials:

• Chalkboard paint: local hardware or craft store
  
• Paint brush
• Paint roller
• Paint tray
• Painter's tape
• Newsprint or paint tarp
• Chalk
• Optional: damp rag, spackle, sandpaper
  

step 1: Clean wall with damp rag. Wipe or let dry completely. Fill in any holes or cracks with spackle and smooth rough spots along wall with sandpaper.

step 2: Apply painter's tape along edges of wall where you plan to paint in order to create border and protect neighboring walls.

step 3: Apply 2-3 generous coats chalkboard paint along edges of wall with paint brush. Allow each coat to completely dry before applying next coat (or follow drying instructions on paint canister).

step 4: Apply 2-3 generous coats chalkboard paint to body of wall with paint roller. Allow each coat to completely dry before applying next (or follow drying instructions on paint canister).

step 5: Wait 24 hours before writing on wall with chalk.

step 6: Enjoy your new-found organizational solution and design sense.