DIY Chalk Paint

After I discovered that the only Chalk Paint supplier in Ontario (Bath, Ontario to be exact) sold Chalk Paint for about $45/can I resorted to figuring out another way to satisfy my Chalk Paint craving. What does a girl do in a time of obsessive need? She finds a way to do it herself! DIY, ladies, DIY!!

So, clearly I have never had the blessed opportunity of experiencing Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint, therefore I have no idea if my creative paint making skills are mastered but my Google searching definitely makes me believe that my paint is just as grand (sorry, Annie Sloan).

The piece that I am working on is one of two large bookshelves (the Ikea Billy bookcase type) that I scored on Freecycle (for FREE) some time ago for my home office. They are a super ugly! Super melamine! A disgusting reddish-brown colour! And both are in definite re-vamp need.

My DIY Chalk Paint consists of 2 ingredients. Wall paint and baking soda. That's it. That's all.

I mixed 5 cups of white paint (C.I.L. Dulux Interior Semi Gloss in white) in a plastic container and added approximately 2 cups of Arm & Hammer baking soda. Be sure to sprinkle the baking soda in a bit at a time and stir like cray-cray to ensure a smooth consistency.

The great thing about Chalk Paint is that there is absolutely no prepping to be completed before the paint process. You just slap it on! No sanding or priming is a bonus in my books.

The paint is fairly thick and dries quick so you want to work semi-fast. After the first coat you may see some lines but once the second coat is complete and dry, the lines will disappear.

After it's dry, the paint may feel a bit gritty to the touch but a light sanding will smooth everything out. The paint turns to dust when you sand so don't over do it unless you are going for an extremely distressed look.

Apply the wax of your choice, Minwax, Beeswax, what ever you wish and voila!

Simple, super cheap and easy!

I'm loving my chalk paint! This week I found a beautiful old desk on Kijiji (for FREE) that I am going to distress to match my shelves.

Happy Painting and Happy Friday!

xTx

Chalk Paint

Although I have a terrible habit of starting another before I finish the first, second and third; I love DIY projects! Lately I have been getting into a lot of furniture/accessory painting. Not only is it fun to take items from drab to fab, it's super cheap and exciting to see the ways that such ugly items can be transformed.

Through my Google sessions in search of products to refinish a coffee table (that I scored for $8.00 at a thrift store) I came across Chalk Paint. Chalk Paint is not to be mistaken for Chalkboard Paint - They are completely different.

Chalk Paint is extremely thick, almost gritty, wonderfully matte and beautiful. Of course through further investigative research, I decided that I just had to have it. Well, it turns out that there are only two suppliers in Canada that carry Chalk Paint. One in British Columbia and one in Ontario. The store in Ontario sells it for about $45/can. I just couldn't justify paying so much money for paint so I resulted back to Google in search of Chalk Paint dupes. I came up with nothing. I called designers, paint stores, hardware stores and department stores. Funny enough, no one that I spoke to knew what the hell I was talking about. No one had heard of Chalk Paint.

So what do I do when I can't find something that I want? I make my own...

I will be starting on one of my office book shelves today. Wish me luck that the paint I am making works!

xTx

30-Something Skin

I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to turning 30 this past July. I felt the same turning 30 as I did when I turned 20 - I was not exactly thrilled! The only difference was that on my 30th milestone I didn't streak my hair bright pink, HA!

Over the past couple of years I have noticed a change in my skin. In your thirties your skin begins to lose it's elasticity, it requires extra nourishment and a skin regime that you should stay devoted to, especially if you want to reduce the signs of ageing (how many times have you heard that before?). Keeping your skin hydrated can be a feat if you live in Canada like myself. It is so important at this time of year to be extra friendly to your skin with the dry air of Autumn and Winter. Of course this  means drinking lots of water, cleansing and moisturizing. Keep reading...

Numero Un: As I mentioned above, drink lots of water. Eight glasses a day. Bla bla bla. I'll be honest; I hate water and I hardly drink enough of it. During the day while I am at work I tend to grab more coffee and tea than I do water which isn't something that I am proud of. I also have an addiction to Ginger Ale. This water ordeal is such a huge downfall of mine so I have to practice what I preach! I won't say anything more than the fact that it is important to drink. Water hydrates. Spritz some lemon into that glass and drink your merry little heart out. Your skin will thank you.

Numero Deux: Don't scrub your face into an oblivion, cleanse it gently! If your face hurts after you cleanse you're clearly not doing something right - Just sayin'. Find a gentle cleanser that is best suited for your skin type and be sure to clean your face every night before bed. When I shower in the morning I splash water on my face but I don't cleanse it like I do before I go to sleep at night. There are a ton of cleansers on the market that are cheap and simple - You don't have to cleanse with anything expensive. I love L'Oreal 360 Clean cleansers. Not only does this line of cleansers come with an amazing "scrublet" that is a little piece of wonderful, but I find that they are simple. Although I don't have sensitive skin, I use the blue cleanser because it is unscented and light. It is soap-free so my skin doesn't dry out with use and honestly, the scrublet (which you can see in the picture on the right - it pops in and out of the front of the bottle) is a must-have. I wish that I could find these little scrublet's for sale somewhere because the one that I have is amazing.

If you want to try a simple DIY facial cleanser that will only cost you a few cents and seconds to make; try mixing 1.5 teaspoons of melted honey with 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix together and cleanse your face and neck. Rinse with warm water to remove. It is gentle, natural and will leave your skin feeling so lovely.

Numero trois: Exfoliate. I recently started using pür minerals Pur Polish Multi-Use Exfoliator which is amazing. For $23 CDN you receive 8fl oz. of product in a pump jar that can be used all over your body including your face. Exfoliating a couple times a week is important to keep your skin healthy and looking fresh and young. Only exfoliate at night so that your skin has time to settle before you expose it to the elements. Love, love, love this product!

As you can see, my gorgeous cousin Kelsey gives the Pur Polish a thumbs-up too ;)



Numero Quatre: Once you have cleansed or exfoliated at night, moisturize your face with a moisturizer that is right for you. I was using Elizabeth Grant's Caviar Night Creme (which is AMAZING!) but I have recently switched over to 100% pure Argan Oil from the ZINN Beauty Collection. After I cleanse, I blot dry and then allow my face to continue air drying for a couple of minutes. I apply the oil to my face and massage it in gently. It is not a heavy oil and it soaks in quickly, leaving my face feeling silky smooth, hydrated and healthy. Not only can Argan Oil be used on your face but it can be used on your entire body including your hair.
What is Argan Oil you ask? It is extracted from the kernal of the Argan tree which is native to Morocco. It's extremely rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids and is safe and effective for all skin types, proving to protect against issues like premature aging, acne, rosacea and sun damage. It does NOT have Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMO's and Triclosan.

Fun Fact about Argan Oil: Way, way back in the day, day, long before you and I were here, the Berber people (the indigenous peoples that inhabited North Africa, west of the Nile River) used to pick the Argan pits from the waste of their goats (the goats used to climb the Argan trees to eat the fruit). The pits were then ground and pressed to make the amazing oil that we now know today. Fortunately in today's time the pits are no longer pulled from goat waste :)

Numero Cinq: Moisturize. I highly suggest moisturizing with a moisturizer that has an SPF15 in it to help protect your skin from the sun during the day. No matter what time of year it is, you want to protect your skin from ultra violet rays. It is no secret that too much sun exposure causes pre-mature wrinkles which we all would like to avoid. Since I have been using the Aragan Oil at night I have found that I have not required a moisturizer in the morning - I just rinse, blot dry, prime and apply my make-up.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
I will be back to talk about moisturizers in another blog post - They deserve their own :)
Quick Tip: Never use the same hand towel that you use to dry your hands to dry your face. Keep a roll of paper towel in your bathroom to use on your face. This way you use the paper towel once and can throw it away, completely avoid the possibility of germs getting onto your face.

Skin care may seem complicated but it's really not once you are in a steady routine. Educate yourself and love your skin.
xTx

Sunday Night Nail Art - Rio

Babygirl loves having her nails painted so every Sunday night (sometimes we miss a Sunday) I paint her nails for her so that they are done for the school week ahead.

Rio has been a huge hit in our house - even though I am terrified of birds :). We saw it in 3D (well, I didn't see it in 3D because I can't see 3D) at the theater and we purchased it on DVD. Babygirl loves it so much that this week she wanted Rio nails.

We started off with a semi-clear base because Babygirl requested something "sandy coloured" and let it dry. Once dry, we began painting Blu in a rough outline on Babygirl's thumb. Poor Blu looked more like a blob of nothing at first.

Once Blu's blue blob was complete we painted on the beak with black polish. I don't use any fancy tools for this. I have one fine nail art paint brush that I use to paint everything on that I just clean with nail polish remover as I go. You could use a fine art brush if you'd like.

Once the beak was done I went back in with black and defined Blu's eye and feathers. Don't forget to paint on the three little feathers on top of his head :) You could also use white to add more definition to his eye but I didn't, I just used a baby blue.

Once Blu was all done we started painting the word "RIO" on Babygirls other fingers. The blue "R" went on the ring finger of her right hand. When painting the "R" be sure not to forget the three little feathers that poke out of the top of it (just like on Blu's head).

Then came the yellow "i" on the middle finger of her right hand.

And then the orange "o" on her pointer finger. Once the letters were done I began to define them in black, again, just using the nail art brush that I have.

Below is the finished product on Babygirl's right hand. Because her pinky finger was left unpainted she requested that I paint it hot pink.

Then we began painting Jewel in on her left thumb. Start with a backwards "C" and build the neck down from the bottom of it. Go in with black and paint the beak, also similar to a backwards "C".

Define Jewel's eye and paint a hot pink flower onto the side of her head. As an added touch you could even add a flower decal rather than painting a flower on.

Once Jewel was complete, we finished up by painting the other four fingers on her right hand in hot pink as well. Let dry and paint on a top coat. Sadly when I was painting the top coat on I accidentally leaned on the "R" and ruined it so I had to re-paint it lol.

It's always a huge ordeal choosing a nail design but we definately have fun once we begin the painting. Normally we watch a re-run (or two depending on how long the design takes) of iCarly or Tawny Town, sip juice and paint away. It's a fun way to end our weekends.

If you have any nail ideas please share! I would love to hear them!

I hope that you all have a great week :)

xTx

Rio movie poster courtesy of www.disney.com

All nail art photo's Copyright © Tawny Gelinas, 2011

Cow-Hide Phenom

I don't normally watch television but when I do, I am watching HGTV, DIY or something along those lines. I crave seeing the way that people transform trash into something phenomenal. Something new and exciting. Since television really isn't my preferential cup of tea, I enjoy blog-hopping. Since everything on TV ends up on the web, I'd rather skip the commercials and click through a site on my own free will.

I stumbled upon (not via stumble upon) The V Spot and just had to share this work of art with you!!

Although I don't have animal prints in my home, I think that they are wild. If they are used in the right way and with the right accents, they can light up a room something fierce.

Case in point - you must check out this wicked cow-hide dresser that Vivienne from The V Spot masterfully created. Transformed from a Craig's List piece of ugly came this piece of art!!

Who would have thought that something so drab could be transformed into something so fab!?

Too rad!!

x T x