Browsing Category

Featured

How to paint Crisp Wall Stripes
DIY Featured

How to Paint Crisp Wall Stripes

I was compensated for my time and this blog post by Ace Hardware. All opinions and positions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Ace Hardware.

How to paint a straight, crisp line www.lipglossandbinky.com

Now that I have finally finished painting my son’s room, it’s time to start thinking about the details. A few weeks ago I shared with you the plans for his room and one thing that he has continually been asking for are stripes. At our old house his entire room had a wide stripe and after his father said more ugly words than none trying to get the lines straight and taped we decided to forego stripes this time around.

Seeing that he is a persistent child, I agreed to give him a few stripes on the wall behind the door that I have plans of turning into a command station. We ventured out to our neighborhood Ace Hardware store to pick up a few $.99 Valspar paint samples. The $.99 paint pint offer is valid on Valspar and Clark + Kensington at participating stores 8/1 – 8/31.  Limit 4. Color samples must be tinted in unique colors.

After much deliberation, because picking paint colors is like making difficult life decisions we decided to go with “Planet Fever” and “ Soothing Blue”.

Valspar Paint

 

Here is a before shot

 

IMG_3883

 

After taping and sealing the inside of the boxes with the actual paint color to prevent bleed, I started painting. With both coats, this project didn’t take me 45 minutes to complete the painting and tape removal.

 

IMG_3929
Here is the final product. I’m pleased with how the lines turned out and while they look a little bland right now I have great plans for the wall. Here is a sneak peek of what’s to come in the next two weeks.

 

How to paint crisp paint stripes | www.lipglossandbinky.com
We painted a wood peg hanger that got repurposed from his sister’s closet the dark blue color of his room. I plan to add a small chalkboard and create a gallery wall around it using prints from this fun book that I found at a craft store on clearance for $3.

 

ow to paint crisp paint stripes

 

ow to paint crisp paint stripes

ow to paint crisp paint stripes
With pints of paint being on sale for just $.99 you just might be inspired to give a space in your home an update. Here are a few tips on how to get really crisp paint lines when working with multiple colors

• If you don’t have a laser level, pick up a level ruler (I think that’s what it’s called!) I got mine for $6, there are various sizes available. Hold it up to the wall and make sure it’s level, then draw your line lightly with a pencil.
• To keep your lines crisp, after you tape according to your penciled line, paint the edge of the tape where your color will go with the wall color first. Let dry then paint over with your stripe color. This way the wall color will bleed through and seal the tape to the wall instead of your stripe color. Hope that made sense.
• If there is a small amount of paint bleed, take a sharpened pencil and dip in the paint color. Lightly touch up as needed in spaces where a paint brush would be too cumbersome.
• After taping off your lines, lightly write in pencil what color goes in what box to keep yourself on track.

Getting help at the paint studio at Ace is like going to your neighbor. Visit thepaintstudio.com to find your neighborhood paint studio as well as expert tips and inspiration.

“$.99 paint pint offer valid on Valspar and Clark+Kensington. At participating stores 8/1-8/31. Prices may vary. Limit 4. Color samples must be tinted in unique colors.I was compensated for my time and this blog post. All opinions and positions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Ace Hardware.”

Updated Ace Logo

Featured Living Organization Organizing Mamas

{Organizing Mamas} Kids Play and Homework Space – Before

The school bell rang. The most glorious sound I’ve heard in awhile. I’m excited for a number of reasons but one of the most important ones is I get a chance to start back working on the rooms in my home, slowly decluttering them and putting in place storage solutions that work in keeping things in order around here. No doubt will the kids keep asking me for something like, stats homework help or whatever kids are doing these days at school. I don’t mind helping obviously because they are my kids. I know that if my kids were older I might not be so helpful, particularly when it comes to essay writing. I had one friend recommend that I pay for essay online, but I wasn’t too sure about it. However, when it comes to my young kids, it just means more excitement building up for when I can get my hands on decluttering the house.

Tia from the Chic SAHM and I are kindred spirits in wanting to declutter our spaces to make life easier! We have joined forces to bring you a fun series of challenges focusing on a target area in your home bi weekly. We will post the before photos of our spaces and in 2 weeks WE’LL as in her, I and YOU will reveal what our space looks like afterward.

No blog? No problem feel free to drop your photos on our FB feeds or on IG with the hashtag #OrganizingMamasChallenge on reveal week.

With school starting already for some and on the horizon for others we thought it would be great to focus on setting up organized play and/or homework spaces.

Here are the before photos of my children’s play/homework space.

DON’T JUDGE! I haven’t cleaned in there since May when school got out. They’ve played with friends in there, done crafts and a host of other things and I haven’t bothered with it since, but in 2 weeks it will have a makeover…maybe even a new color!

Playroom

IMG_3872

IMG_3878

These bags are full of art projects that I need to organize.

IMG_3881

I mean disastrous before photos make for awesome reveals

IMG_3880

Keep in mind creating a homework space doesn’t have to be a designated room but could be a caddy with all of the supplies that a child would need to do homework. Use your imagination and not a ton of money.

We’ll see you in two weeks with our reformed spaces! Can’t wait to see yours.

Featured Living

Free Back to School Printables

For the past few years I’ve been capturing the first and last days of school with printables. I enjoy looking at the difference in their height and look from the beginning of the school year to the end. To get ready for Monday, I decided to create my own first day printables.

I made them into free back to school printables in the event you wish to capture those first day moments with your little ones. I only did through elementary school, I mean based on what I heard it would be extremely hard to get a middle or high schooler to pose with such a sign!

Please free to  download and share on you social networks!

printable graphic

Click the links below to print the ones you need!

Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade
Featured Living

{Starbucks Refreshers} Mommy’s Back to School Routine

 This post is sponsored by Starbucks Refreshers

Monday, August 3, marks the beginning of a new school year. I won’t fib and say I am not in the least bit excited about re-enforcing bedtimes, meal plans and no screen times but with this liberty comes the wave of birthday parties, ballet lessons, soccer practice, baseball practice, piano lessons, hair washing and just overall chaos…and no, that doesn’t include my personal/home obligations, exercise and work. Ugh. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to planning how my days will go once the whirlwind begins in T-7 days.

Normally by 4p I experience a dip in energy which I am sure y’all know about. If sitting for an extended period of time, it is that energy dip that will find me with my chin to my chest, waking up not realizing that I had dozed off.  I mean, I’ve almost face planted on my computer a few times. The “dip” struggle is so real.

Starbucks Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade

Now that I am adding on my daughter’s activities there will be a new level of after school running around that is going to require me to stay refreshed at a whole new level. Here are a few tips I plan on implementing to make sure I am operating at my best throughout the day.

1.       Get at least 7 hours of sleep: *sigh* I’m a night owl so I plan to move everything important to daytime hours and leave the evenings only for homework, meals, and nighttime routines to make sure I get in the bed on time.

2.       Plan. Plan. Plan: Taking the time to plan my day down to the hour helps me tremendously. No need to sit and watch every soccer practice. I can easily use that time to take a brisk walk and get my exercise in.

3.       Avoid mid-day coffee breaks: In the past I’ve been known to grab a coffee to keep from crashing and then that cup keeps me up in the evening which will thwart #1 on this list. Nixing the coffee and grabbing a Starbucks Refreshers for a boost of energy without sabotaging my sleep is a win.

I’m excited for what the next few weeks will bring because with every passing day fall gets a little bit closer and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season will be here before we know it! Hopefully you can implement a few of these easy tips to make your life a little easier as we enter the very busy second half of the year. With a revitalizing blend of sparkling fruit juices, b vitamins, and ginseng Starbucks Refreshers™ has all the goodness you need to get the most out of today.

Starbucks Refreshers Logo