Thursday, January 5, 2012

Stairs Renovation Update #2

Well my friends, I can almost see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel!  Where should I start?  Ok, here sounds good.  I may have told you before, but I'll tell you again, I. AM. A. PERFECTIONIST!  And I have OCD...honestly.  It's not completely out of control, but it's close.  For example; Santa brought the Little Monsters a play kitchen for Christmas.  (Don't judge...it's STORE BOUGHT!  Super upset I couldn't make it but there are times where I DO realize my limitations...I knew I couldn't get it done...)  I've had to remind myself numerous times that is IS IN FACT...a play kitchen.  The pots and pans, plates, bowls, flatware, and grocery accessories do NOT have to be perfectly in place.  And it is OK for the ice cream to be in the fridge rather than the freezer.  Mr. A2B has reminded me a few times too...it's sad.  I recognize I have a problem and I'm working on it people.  Why am I telling you this?  Because it's not always a bad quality.  Especially when it comes to being a DIYer....  Case and point...I sanded/filled/painted the steps....AGAIN.  When I arrived home yesterday from the 9-5, I notice some "imperfections" in a few of the steps.  Would they have been covered by the runner?  Perhaps, but I wasn't going to chance it.  So....I busted out the DeWalt and went at em....again.  Here's proof...





Then....this a.m. I was up at 5....painting before work...see how nice they look now?





I also glazed the rail.


Then, during lunch from the 9-5, I went home to glaze the steps.




 Left side...not glazed yet...right side...glazed.

See?  It's kinda hard to tell but after this dries, you add the final coat and it blends it together and gives it an added "dimension"...I'm nuts, I know...  tonight, I'll do the first top coat on the rail so tomorrow morning, it will be ready for the second top coat, and so will the steps.  Then, I can get to adding the shoe trim, and finally finishing up the white paint.  See?  There's a rhyme and reason to the things I do....and in my head, it all makes sense.

The most exciting part?  I'm going to mom and dad's tonight to pick up a nice little gift my daddy just happened to "find" in his garage......a compound miter saw!!!!  It's not new by any stretch of the imagination.  However, I think he thinks I'm "responsible enough"...and a small step-up from "beginner".  I can't tell you how excited I am, not only to be getting such an awesome gift, but because MY dad thinks I can do this whole DIY thing...He's a perfectionist...I think that's where I get it.  BTW-he has two compound miter saws, so he is GIVING IT TO ME....FREE!!!!!!  See, I told you, he just gets me!  I love him~!  So, anyway, since I'll have a new toy, I'm planning on finishing up some cuts for my board and batten wall  (OOPS!  SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).....hopefully I'll have this done by Sunday....NOT ONLY because I received the shipping confirmation for my runner....and it'll be here tomorrow!!!!  but also because I'd love nothing better than to be sitting on my couch behind my sewing machine sewing the runner for my steps, while smiling at the gaping hole under my stairs, and occasionally glancing over at the football games!  Oh, Sundays, how I love you!  I promised Mr. A2B I wouldn't cut the hole until the stairs were done....that's where the board and batten came in....trying to determine whether I was going to put open shelving or a club house, or storage in there....but IF I want to put a door there, no problem....I can board and batten one....and it'll blend in.....

I said I needed to cut the hole for storage, but now I'm wondering if I can figure out how to wire it for lighting....hmmmmm.....there is a "secret door that leads to the Kid's closet?!?!  Geeeeeze...I need to get these stairs done~!  Thanks for hanging out with me today!



2 comments:

  1. Well Ashley if you are going to do something let's do it right huh? lol The stairs are looking gorgeous and I love the glaze it adds that little something special to the project. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Really nice project! I love all the pictures you took it really gives me an idea of the effort you had to put in for this! Thank you for sharing your renovation stories they are always really interesting and funny!

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