Friday, August 17, 2018

Odds & Ends

I figure I'd drop some miscellaneous stuff here.


Going Green

We had some solar panels installed by SunRun in August of 2017. Didn't have to pay anything up front, and the rep said that we should save about $500 per year on our electric bill, so we figured why not? Pretty pleased with them so far. They pay a referral fee to customers, too, so if you've been thinking about it, tell them we sent you. 😏



SunRun solar panels



I'll Take What's Behind Door #1

We thought it was time to refresh the front door. It's the original front door that was a hunter green color when we moved in, and at some point, we painted it red. It was still in good shape, so I decided to strip it and then figure out how to finish it afterward.



Front door with hinges and doorknob removed, ready for stripping.



Stripping underway



Slow-going, but making progress...



Stripped!



Dark stain applied


Crafty Projects

Maura found this old shelf in an antique store in Hudson, Massachusetts. She really liked it, but it was a sea-foam green color, and it was in rough shape. I had an idea to strip it and refinish it with that crackly-effect paint, so we got some Valspar Crackle Glaze from Lowe's. We wanted a white finish showing a dark color beneath it. It took a few tries, but it finally came out pretty nice. I found out after the first attempt that you need to apply the glaze in long, even strokes, so I had to take the shelf apart. I found out next that if you keep the treated surfaces vertical when painting, the outer layer sags. Third time was (finally) the charm.



Stripped down sufficiently to start painting.



New dark base coat applied.



Finished product hung up and decorated with Maura's touch.




Updated for Halloween!






Maybe some mini LED lights?


Maura showed me a centerpiece that she liked in a magazine, so I bought some wood, candles, candle stands, mini LED lights, florist foam, and some decorations.



Ta-da!






I'm almost looking forward to fall again so these decorations can come back out!

1 comment:

  1. You and Maura are really talented. Love the shelf and the centerpiece. The mini-lights are the perfect finishing touch. Want to see the front door when finished and hung again.
    Will give me idea's while I am house hunting.
    Miss kickboxing class.
    Theresa

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