There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to transform a house, to make it feel new and clean.  While the paint smell might take a couple of hours to get used to, your nose will adjust fairly quickly.  However, painting the exterior of a house poses no problems for the olfactory senses, but it can also really breathe fresh life into a home.

The National Association of Realtors offers several painting tips for the exterior of a home should you be interested in tackling the project,

1. Paint in the shade and avoid painting in direct sunshine. Sunlit surfaces can be 10 to 20 degrees hotter than the air temperature.

2. Don’t paint when it’s too windy. Wind can cause latex paint to dry too quickly as well as cause dust and other contaminates to imbed in the paint, possibly creating a surface ripe for mildew, Zimmer says.

3. Avoid the rain. Wait for another day if it’s rained within the last 24 hours. If several days of rain is forecast, postpone your painting for several days until a rain-free week.

Do not put off painting if it’s time. The sooner you do it, the more likely you are to preserve the value of your home.

I think the day-to-day maintenance could be enough to scare me from being the owner of a hot tub.  However, with this helpful video it doesn’t seem so scary!

When I walk barefoot on an aggregate driveway, it hurts my feet. I wonder if pebble tile would also hurt. Does anyone know?

My family thinks I’m crazy because they know I love to paint.  I’d be mighty pleased to get a really nice brush that’s a good edger for Christmas or birthdays, but alas… I always get stuck with flavorful candles.  So I’ll just drool over web sites like this one that offer great painting tips.

Coat hanger catches excess paint

Cut the bottom section from a stiff wire coat hanger and bend it so each end straddles the rim to fit inside a paint can. Let the wire overlap the sides and tape it to the can to keep it steady when you rub off the excess paint. When the job’s finished, remove the wire and wipe it clean to be ready for next time.

If you click through, you’ll love what they say about yucky tape that gets disgusting!

At my home, closet space is premium, so the idea of losing a place to put my coats just won’t happen under my roof. However if closet space is plentiful and you need a great place to put a kid’s computer or mini-work station, this closet conversion is fantastic!

From Whimages, take a look at this beautiful space,

This is the little sitting area off to the side.  The kids use it to pile in and look over each other shoulders when they are all on the computer.  I curl up here and hubby and I look at ideas for our next project!  We haven’t decided if we are going to put shelves in the “built in in a built in” yet there on the side.  I often have a tall pitcher of fresh flowers in it but these are from the wedding we just went to.

This really is stunning! Well done!

The photo frame wall clocks are just gorgeous!  What a great way to remember to spend your time wisely.

From Be Different Act Normal,

You should be able to buy clock hands at your local craft store or on Ebay.  If you just buy the hands and the motor you are going to have to make a mount for them that can hang on the wall.  The easiest thing is to buy an inexpensive modern clock that is just hands that will already come with a mount.

I love this idea and am now searching for the perfect wall to use!

One of the ugliest things – with no disrespect to waste management companies – around a house are the garbage bins that you roll out to the curb every week.  Whether they are blue or green or purple, they are not attractive.

Camelot Art Creations has great post about building a fence around the dumpsters, at least how the project was finished!

Built a little flower box out of pallet wood and attached it to the pallet, drilled small holes in the top and stuck some of my solar lights in them. Used my plant clippings to fill the flower box.

TOTAL COST:  $0

Want to know how to apply epoxy on a wood floor? Very carefully!

Have a great weekend!

I have a window frame sitting in my office begging for me to use it.  I’ve considered stringing twine across it and clothespinning photos to it.  But a nice table could be an option.  From You Are Who I Am,

As you can see, the top of the island is an antique door (minus the hardware) and to prevent the paint from chipping either further (food+paint=ewww) a coat or two of polyurethane was used. There was also a 1/4″ tempered glass sheet laid over the top to ensure an even prep space but since it’s clear you can still see it’s unique beauty.

Love these!

The single easiest and possibly most dramatic way to transform a room (or a house!) is to buy a can of paint and apply it to the walls. I adore painting.  I love taping to get a room ready, I love opening the can and putting the wooden stick in to stir it, then pouring it onto my paint tray.  But the magic truly happens when I roll that first coat on the wall.  That’s the point of no return and the point when you see how beautiful the new room will be.

Momma Schmitt is busy transforming her living room with paint.  It’s already looking fantastic!

And ignore the toys all over the floor, just keeping it real. If it’s between 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening, there’s no getting away from them. But other than those little details… isn’t it just a marvelous change? Come on say it.. Oh la la! The color we went with is Sherwin Williams 7534 Outerbanks. I love it, It just infuses light and warmth into the room.

From white walls with a red focus wall to a soft green all around is a perfect decision!  LOVE!