Kitchen Cupboards phase 2

I can not believe what you have to learn by trial and error along the way while you are trying to re stain your kitchen cupboards....

I have found out that the 2 most important steps in redoing your cupboards is in the sanding and what you apply the stain and varnish with. So if someone was going to read this before they took on a task like this here is what I recommend;

1. #100 sand paper if you have severe damaged cupboards like mine (see photos on previous blog). Also use the cute little electric sander that your husband came home with awhile back as a "I just wanted to get you a gift" forget about trying to sand by hand it just doesn't get the job done. Thanks Glenn for the sander, even though at the time I thought it was sort of weird when you brought it home for me to add to my "girly tool box", as a side note it has my name on it the outside of the tool box says Betty's Tools. Isn't that fun!



2. Buy yourself a real treat, invest and I mean it when I say "invest" in a sheep skin pad (qty 2) to apply the stain and a Purdy SYNTOX nylon/chinex blend brush for the top coat of varnish.



There is other stuff you will need also but these three items seem to be the most important to achieve a professional fresh new look.



It's sort of funny I have been home for a few days and have been able to pace myself for the start of this project and as I am waiting for the stain or varnish to dry I see myself looking at the sun room window seals , very cautiously thinking I should redo them they are weathered, then looking at the kitchen chairs thinking I could really make those look much better then they do now. OH BROTHER!!!! One thing at a time please, note to self I am only one person and I can't take on all of these projects at once. FOCUS on the kitchen cupboards ONLY!! For the time being:)



I do get a little anxious on days like this; sunny Central Oregon mornings. I know my time inside the house is indeed limited and pretty soon I will be outside and the inside of the house will have to wait until fall before I will attempt any other projects that require me to be inside. But it has occurred to me I could work on the dining room chairs outside in fact that is probably where it should be done so I will have to do some investigating on this subject. I will just have to wait and see what happens.

Day one - Kitchen cupboard project

Kitchen Before 1/27/2010


I decided a few months ago that I was going to redo our kitchen cupboards, they are a mess and I don't know if they have been touched since this house was built. So at first I was very overwhelmed as to where I was going to start. As the same as my other projects I am the type of person that can create a phasing schedule and work at any pace I want. I am so glad I am not one of those people who have to start and finish immediately. I am also very lucky and so is my family as I always finish the project I start, I don't leave it 1/2 done or do I not finish at all no that's not me so if I calculated this right I should be done with the cupboards in about 2 months, if all goes as planned.


I went to our neighbor hood Lowes with some questions every one was busy so my second stop was Sherman Williams. I was there probably 1 hour or so the guy there was very helpful he even took me to the back and show me the difference in stain and how to prep the wood for the look I wanted. Oh yes and they price match if needed. But it looks like they won't need to, I am very pleased with their help and answering all my silly 1st time staining like this questions that I had.

Today I prepped the 1st section I am doing with this cleaning stuff call, tsp cleaner, great stuff but it is not the type of cleaner you would use all the time. Second I used wood filler where needed and then "surface" sanded. I don't have to strip the old varnish because I am using this stuff called Gel Stain. From reading about it and the guy showing me how it works it just sits on top of the old varnish and re stains the wood then you put this other stuff over the top when it drys. So wish me luck, tomorrow it's staining day on section 1 :)

Just look at these cupboards, I am embarrassed to even show them! But I just want to remember how bad they needed to be done incase I get tired of this little/big project..

Chair REDO!

I acquired 2 chairs from Amanda and they are the perfect size to put into the Voodoo Lounge. So I wanted them to look like the "motif" that my Husband is trying to achieve, that would be like dark, skulls, roses, candles, you know a voodoo type of look :)


I found some fabric that is black denim with skulls and crossbones stitch onto the fabric, prefect!


I took the chairs apart how hard could that be, well there are so many pieces of wood and cardboard and then this really old cotton padding needless to say the red vinyl on the outside of the chair seat completely fell to pieces or maybe crumbs would be a better word when I took it off. So that took awhile but now was time to clean up the chrome, and re pad the 2 chairs.


Re padding the chairs took me about 6 hours, I used new cotton padding with the original wood and cardboard. I am very pleased on they way they turned out, and they look pretty good in front of the army stove that heats the lounge, (which by the way is a stick built garden shed).


Here are the photos to show you the steps I took and how the end result came out.

Hey Glenn if you are reading this maybe we should plan a dinner out in the lounge on friday night since I don't go to work until 11am, hey what do you think? It's been awhile since we have enjoyed the warmth of the stove, and the dim lighting from the candles and the cool air from the open door....

Great Weekend

Wow, even though I worked all weekend, What a great time I had! Glenn surprised me each night with a great dinner I would wake up to a good breakfast before going to work, it really doesn't get any better then that. Watching movies and enjoying each others company is really a good thing.

Yes that is Mickey Mouse Waffles!




We worked out 2010 vacation schedules, or 2010 goals or should I say long term goals. We both talked about how we can't wait for the summer and how much we enjoy that time of year. Living in Central Oregon I use to say we were able to experience all 4 seasons but really I think only 3 seasons. Summer then Fall and then Winter and again Winter. Spring really doesn't show it's face around this area. But that is my opinion.





Thanks Glenn and I am glad you were able to accomplish some things that needed to get done on your "list" that were bothering you. You see Glenn is the very proud owner of not just one but 2 MG's (cars), and if you know anything about MG's they are a blast to ride in, and even more fun to drive but the up keep can overwhelm you if you let it. So good job in all you did this past weekend!

I think a road trip is in order here real soon, what do you say!

No Sun and Wandering

Yesterday was my day off and the forecast was for the sun to come out and shine. Since the sun was going to be coming out I was going to go out and rake up pine needles and wander around outside thinking of this summer and what I wanted to do in the yard, (a big past time for me). The yard thing all started when I left a very stressful job in late spring a few years back. The "therapy" I chose was gardening so I would recover quickly and start a new way of life. I am still in "therapy" or should I say gardening, ha ha, and it's been almost 4 years, again ha ha! Now back to yesterday wouldn't you know it the sun did not come out even though the temperatures seem to be on the warm side at least not freezing I still didn't want to go out unless the sun showed it's color.

So I wandered around the house, opening drawers and cleaning them out I was able to clean out 4 of them:) Then I sat down at the side bar in our kitchen and mapped out a phasing schedule of my upcoming project, refinishing the kitchen cupboards. When I was pleased with the map I did some research on painting cupboards vs varnishing you see my Husband wants varnish and I would like to paint them. After some research it does look like varnishing would be less work so varnishing it is. From the phasing schedule I came up with it will take me 15 days working only 1/2 of the day on the cupboards. It is a good thing I am not one of those people who have to have it done now and it doesn't make me crazy to let a project go on for days but I do finish what I start, I hope my plan works. My goal is to start before the end of the month, wish me luck...

I was pleased to receive a call from Son while he was on his lunch break. It is always nice to talk with him for a little while, Casey's conversations are always pleasing to me. The calender on my desk has the final countdown for when Casey and his wife Holly move to Maryland to start a new adventure in life this August. It's funny with them living in Portland I don't see then but maybe every 4 months now but I can get to their home quickly if needed but them moving clear across the United States has been challenging to get use to. Don't get me wrong I am extremely excited to visit them in Maryland and see that side of the United States and how Casey and Holly adjust to the area. So I call it a "bitter sweet" time for Mom.


My evening finished with Kadie coming over and between her and I we signed Kadie up for some online courses through Penn Foster so she can get her "medical coding and billing certificate". Kadie has not been back to school since she graduated from high school and I did not push her at the time to start college. She came to me about a month ago after she had done all the research and asked me what I thought. It was so funny last night we were at the computer enrolling her; laughing, being serious and looking a little nervous with both of us wondering what has she gotten herself into. I know she can do it, it seems like her mind is made up and schooling of any kind is good., right? Kadie I am very proud of you and your decision and You have my full support!


After Kadie left I looked around the house and decided there was a reason the sun didn't come out today I was needed in the house to get stuff done that has gone unnoticed for a while and answer the phone when it rang also to be the support needed for my Daughter. Maybe next week I can get outside and take care of the pine needles but then again it is still January and in Central Oregon that means snow, snow, snow! I will just have to wait and see what happens.

2010!!

The year of 2010 is going to be a year of hope, change, and love. I sort of sound like someone out of the 70's hey I am...

My blogging in 2009 was fun for me but I want to try something different this year. I really haven't come up with what I want to do but I will; in the mean time I will just write what comes to mind or what ever I got going on in my life.

So I just finished a good book titled "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett this is her 1st novel and she did a great job in describing the 60's in the deep south from the eyes of a few different Maids or Housekeepers.

During my read I laughed out loud, cried, felt happy and sad, had to look up a few words to see what they meant, etc. So it was everything I look for in a book. I can't wait to see what she write next.

If you have any ideas on what I can do to make my blog just a little bit more exciting please feel free to leave me a comment or two I take constructive advice very well, ( it's one of my better strengths). Right Glenn?!?

Write to you soon, Betty