[ weekend assignment: the fireplace mantle ]

It has been such a long time since i have posted a weekend assignment, and yet i feel like every weekend is filled with some sort of project! Whew. We are going to go crazy the next handful of weekends and complete the nursery, work outside on landscaping and other goodies so we can enjoy the summer and just sit back and wait for our baby.

This project we did last weekend. It took much longer than anticipated, but came out lovely. I'm so happy with the change. However, it isn't done. I need to finish accessorizing and the hearth we decided needs to be raised. But- i wanted to share the project with you all.

So, the original inspiration came from this photo if you all remember.

This is what we started with. I think Christopher was scratching his head wondering what on earth he got himself into by agreeing to do this.

I don't know what was worse. The prep work or the actual painting of the fireplace.

STEP 1: Sand the entire fireplace to get rid of any extra soot, grout and dirt.

STEP 2: Vacuum really, really well getting into all the crevices.

STEP 3: Wash the entire fireplace with a wire brush and let dry.

STEP 4: Apply primer that is suitable for masonry. We started by painting in all the crevices first, then rolled on afterwards. We found it easiest this way. We applied just one coat of primer.

You can see how tricky it was to get all of the dark spots. We wanted it to look nice and crisp, rather than rustic so we really spent a ton of time going back in with small brushes and getting all the cracks filled. Here is the primer coat.

While that first coat was drying, we had already primed the red wall and now we were able to start painting the neutral color.

Here is the first coat of paint on.

Here is the finished product! Ta-da! This was taken a few evenings later when it was a tad chilly. As you can see, i'm sparse on the accessories, but i haven't found quite the find pieces to finish it off. It really made the entire room look and feel lighter.

So, i think it cost less than $100, but pretty much an entire day to complete. We already had the caramel colored paint that was leftover from when we had painted originally so we didn't have to purchase more.

I hope you like!
Have a terrific Tuesday.

Oh- and don't think my trip to Lowe's didn't include some fun colored glossy paint for the nursery. I can't wait to share a new color i have added in.

[ fireplace project is a go! ]

You might remember my post about wanting to change our fireplace? Well Christopher finally agreed and it will be a go! Not until spring though. Not because i don't want to start....like yesterday, but because after reading advice on Young House Love's blog we realized how much soot we actually have and will need to use an oil based primer on the bricks first. But that is OK, the longer we wait, the more time i have to make the project larger than life. (as my usual self). So in the meantime, i have been collecting some images that i have just loved.

If you have any others that you can guide me too, i'd love it. (Christopher won't, but that's OK). ;-)

| source: L.A Times blogs, unidentified, Simply Seleta |

{ fancy fireplace }

First off, i wanted to send a very special thank you to all who ordered the holiday cards yesterday during the cyber Monday sale. I totally appreciate your business!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and i hope you all did too. While we were having dessert at my in-laws, i got flipping through an old issue of Country Living and found this photo:

I just love the soft, white fireplace. Ours looks pretty similar, minus the soft, white fireplace! We have been thinking about giving ours a facelift. We want to paint or whitewash our bricks. Part of me is afraid to do so. What if i don't like it? I won't be able to get it off. I just don't love how dark the red of our bricks are. We also have an accent wall of red, which we are going to repaint to the caramel color on the other walls.
Here is a photo from our first Christmas in the house:



Has anyone ever attempted this or have any tips? Helpful websites to visit to find more information?
Thanks and have a terrific Tuesday!