DIY Projects and More

Today has been such a great Saturday! It's been the first day in awhile that I haven't had anything I had to do or anywhere I had to be, and I really love days like that. I slept in. I read my library books. I cooked (my latest winter food obsession is potato-carrot-onion soup. Today I discovered that adding a little bit of coconut milk to said soup makes it even better.) I worked on a black-and-white photography project for my bedroom (pictures to come soon). And most of all, I painted. And painted and painted.

This morning I set off for Home Depot with the intention of getting paint for my huge wooden desk in my bedroom that I bought at a yard sale a few years ago. I went in planning to buy primer, paint in some shade of blue, and some drop cloths, and I legitimately did not think it would be very expensive. Don't laugh at me, but I really thought I could buy sufficient primer and paint for, say, $6 each. So I started browsing the paint samples and found a color I liked, and started talking to one of the guys mixing up paint samples. Well apparently, a gallon of primer is $33 and paint is not much cheaper, and the guy was encouraging me to buy more to start off with because "you'll waste money if you end up buying smaller amounts twice." I quickly realized that I can't afford to do this particular DIY, but I didn't really want to tell the Home Depot guy that, so I asked him if I could get a sample or two and "come back later to actually get the paint." [Read: never coming back in.] So he mixed up two paint samples for me, a green and a blue in 8-oz. bottles for $2.94 each, and I threw a paintbrush in for $1. He told me not to buy drop cloths because I can use heavy duty trash bags instead (good thinking, Home Depot guy). When I got home, I realized there was actually a LOT of paint in that 8-oz container. Not enough to paint my desk, but definitely enough to paint my dresser. I've had my old white dresser for a long time. It's always been fine, but just kind of boring, if you know what I mean. So I decided then and there to paint my dresser blue, and that's what I did. (Again, pictures to come once all the paint is officially dry). It took forever, but it looks great. I am so pleased with a successful $4 paint job. And now I think I'll try the same thing with my desk, only that will probably require 2 sample bottles. Not sure on the color yet either, since I probably won't do blue again. Maybe yellow? But I'm really happy I made this work without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money.

Now I'm incredibly inspired to start doing a bunch more Pinterest/ DIY/ painting projects. I realize that I'm a bit of a decorating addict, but it's just so satisfying to make your surroundings beautiful. Okay, I'm off to browse Pinterest for my next project . . .