Spray paint your faucet for an update!

Today when I washed my hands in my half bath, I was reminded how corroded my sink faucet is.  Yes I'd love to buy a new one, but installing an 8" on center faucet on a pedestal sink is not the easiest job in the world, nor is it the least expensive.

AFTER

BEFORE

So using my usual rationale (once you want to replace it, try to repair it first...then if it doesn't work, go ahead and replace it :) I set out to paint the corroded parts.  Yes, it was all the gold plated parts I didn't like anyway.  I love killing two birds with one stone :)

Now I know under that gold plating there is usually chrome, but I realized the hard way that it wasn't all of them. The one piece that definitely wasn't chrome underneath was the piece I couldn't replace at Home Depot.  So painting or replacing the whole faucet was the only option.

I started by taking off the gold parts.  Luckily on my faucet that was very easy.  Faucet tip unscrews by hand,  plug handle unscrews by hand, plug rod pulls right out with just a pressure clamp finger pinch, handle screws unscrew with a screwdriver and the center lever handle piece comes off by unscrewing the end cap by hand.

 

These two pictures show some of the corrosion.

 

I then sanded all of the pieces to rough up the shiny surface and smooth out any of the corrosion.  I spray painted them with my favorite silver spray paint.

 

I reassembled everything...and it really was that easy.  Again, if it doesn't hold up I'll just replace. But what a difference!  I'll keep you posted as the painted finish ages.

Too funny

So I ran across this on the Internet this morning, and icouldn't find it anywhere on pinterest. So I'm posting it just to pin it :)

If men don't want women to treat them like their mother, they should quit acting like children.

Soooo true :)

Bud light lime-a-Rita...delicious

I don't know why I'm just now getting around to trying Bud Light Lime-A-Rita, but I am. I'm sad to say I am. This might be the best canned alcoholic beverage I've ever tasted :)

The calories are a little high 220 for 8 oz., but compared to a regular margarita, it's good. I decided to pour it over ice to make it feel a little less cheap and a little more fancy :). Plus the ice will make it last a little longer. Yummy!

Disguise the inside of your glass cabinet with burlap

I currently have two built-in entertainment cabinets in my home, and I've always hated staring at the contents through the glass.

 

I wanted a way to cover them up, but allow the electronics to continue to be controlled by their remotes. Not to mention I didn't want a solution that required an expensive remote extender.

I tried frosting the doors with contact paper, but you could still see the components. I then thought what about a loose weave fabric? Went to Joann's and found this chocolate brown burlap. For 1.99¢ a yard, I thought...don't know if it will work, but it's cheap enough to take it home and try it.

 

Used a staple gun to attach it, and it worked perfectly. No trouble controlling the components and it hides everything perfectly.

 

Ridiculously inexpensive solution to a nagging problem around the home. Happy stapling :)

Notes:
-The burlap frays easily. So I will most likely staple a flip seam when I do this again in my game room. You know fold over about a 1/2 inch then staple.
- you can still slightly see a light or two behind the burlap, but it is almost entirely camouflaged (that's the clock on the right top side...the rest is reflection)

98¢ spray paint to repaint furniture!

 

Well this was an experiment to see how the "cheap" spray paint at Home Depot would work at painting furniture. (yes, that's my favorite spray paint tool on the top of the can : )

I painted my kitchen tabletop the old fashioned way (can of enamel paint, roller, brush, sanding, etc.) and it was a nightmare. Took forever and was a pain! So when I had a white corner table/shelf that I wanted black, I decided...what better piece to try it on. Doesn't get a lot of use, and it just sits there.

I grabbed my can, sprayed one coat and voila! Perfect. So much better! Would I do it on my kitchen table...probably not, but the backs of my kitchen chairs that I still need to paint. Yes! So inexpensive and so fast.

Fun dotted nails!

My first nail post!

My daughter left her nail polish in the living room today, so now mine are painted!

CND Electric Purple base with with Miginailart.com black dots (fine tip applicator).

So fun :)

How to make a great earring rack!

It's my first new post of the new school year :)

My daughters and I have struggled with a way to store their earrings ever since we got their ears pierced. We kept them on the original cards, we used ice cube trays, we even bought those cute earring holders at Claire's. Nothing worked. The cards were too cumbersome, the ice cube trays left a bunch of earrings you couldn't see, and the retail racks require removing the backs every time you take them on and off. I knew there had to be a better way and there was.

I decided I needed a way to see all of the earrings and the only solution would be a flat wall rack. It would have holes large enough to allow a dangle hook to go through it with the small rubber back still on it. I also knew it didn't exist so I would have to make it.

I went to Home Depot and found these great metal sheets with different patterns punched in them (1' x 2' for $10). I chose this pattern because the holes where large enough to allow for the earring back to go through and small enough so we could hang a lot of pairs.  This is the assembled piece but a good shot of the sheet metal, too.

I then headed to the molding section. I knew it needed to be picture frame molding to allow the sheet to be recessed on the back. If I was going to hang it from the wall there would need to be space for the back of the earrings between the sheet metal and the wall. I found this l-shaped molding for 63¢ per foot.

I went ahead and cut it on their miter box there even though I have one at home. That way I was sure I had exactly enough molding, I could do a dry fit with all the pieces, and most importantly I could do all the sawing in air conditioning :)

So I headed home and began to assemble. I used two brad nails on each corner to secure each side of the frame. I used my staple gun that shoots small brad nails to make it go faster and my counter sink to sink them just slightly below the surface. 

Once the frames where assembled, I spray painted them silver to match the sheet metal.

 

Once dry, I used some glue to adhere the sheet metal to the frame, and done!

This project was so simple and my daughters were so excited. Now all those pairs of earrings will be worn!

Good luck and let me know of you have any questions :)

Notes:
- I did not use wood glue on the corners, but you can if you want it more stable during assembly. I'm too impatient to wait for drying :) and the sheet metal gluing stabilizes the whole thing in the end.
- I also did not use wood putty to fill the brad nail holes or corner joints. Again too impatient to wait or drying and sanding:) But you can if you want a more "perfectly" finished look.
- I already had the brad nails and glue and paint, so just use what you have! All can be purchased at home depot while you are there if you don't have anything yet.  This is the glue I had that worked great (LockTite Stik'nSeal Outdoor Adhesive).

- I found a few spots on the sheet metal needed to be weighted down during drying since it was coming up a little. Spaghetti boxes worked perfectly :)