Trimming Boxwoods and Progress on the Back Deck

When last we left off with back deck, <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-balcony-floor.html" target="_blank">it looked like this</a>. (Yeah, we lived with that astroturf for the past eight months. Yikes.) This post has <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-quick-and-easy-outdoor-lighting.html" target="_blank">a wider shot</a> of the roughly 7x20' space. It's small, but there's plenty of room for a round table and chairs and a grill. So with the warmer weather enticing me with promises of barbeques in my near future, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00376WU2U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00376WU2U&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20" target="_blank">my new shop-vac</a> giving me the necessary boost of courage, I pulled that nasty astroturf up, scraped up the flaky glue and loosened concrete with a planing shovel and a wire bristle brush. Then in was time to vacuum.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2485.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/IMG_2485.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some of you guys had questions about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00376WU2U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00376WU2U&linkCode=as2&tag=littgreenote-20" target="_blank">shop-vacs</a> since I mentioned mine in <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-surprise-in-vestibule.html" target="_blank">this post</a>. They are very, very powerful vacuums that you can use to suck up anything - water, spilled paint, sand, sawdust, rocks - and the mess deposits into this big rolling bucket that you just dump out when you're done cleaning. But the filters are pretty basic, so I wouldn't recommend using them in your home for regular cleaning. They're almost too powerful for that. But they're amazing for messy outdoor projects. This is after literally one swipe of the shop-vac:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2494.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/IMG_2494.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And here's what the floor looks like now. I scraped up as much of the glue as I could for now. We might still rent a wire brush drill bit to clean it up more, but the concrete is a little fragile, so we'll probably just skim right over everything with a fresh layer of concrete <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-balcony-floor.html" target="_blank">before I paint</a>.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0251-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0251-1.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 3DSC_0267.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/3DSC_0267.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I also picked up some new boxwoods for the back deck recently. Two big ones for <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/fig-trees-mums-and-boxwoods.html" target="_blank">the matte black  planters</a> I bought at Target last summer. And two smaller boxwoods for these new urns I picked up at Lowes last week. I love the chalky black finish!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: start;"><center></center></div><div style="text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 2IMG_2276copy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/2IMG_2276copy.jpg" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I used <a href="http://bit.ly/XGCKH6" target="_blank">my favorite pair of pruners</a> to trim up the new plants. </div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0271-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0271-1.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0280.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0280.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I rounded out the big ones and squared off the smaller ones. I'm hoping they fill out this spring so I can shape them a little more.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0222.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0222.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 11DSC_0242.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/11DSC_0242.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I love seeing the shot of green outside the doors in <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-living-room-rug.html" target="_blank">our living room</a>. And I love that the green is <i>not</i> astroturf. :)</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0239.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0239.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0228.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0228.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div>

Trimming Boxwoods and Progress on the Back Deck

When last we left off with back deck, it looked like this . (Yeah, we lived with that astroturf for the past eight months. Yikes.) This post...

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Lantern Hunting

You know those crazy lighting show rooms that look really lame from the outside? They're usually called LIGHTING EMPORIUM or LAMPS AND MORE! or some other such nonsense. The fixtures they have up front are really tacky and really, really overpriced, but if you wander to the far sides and the very back of the store, sometimes you can find serious treasures that have been passed by for who knows how long.<br /><br />I wandered into one of these showrooms while I was shopping in the burbs last week and at the back of the store I stumbled on this huge lantern (it's 20"x40") for less than $100! The company that makes it (Nulco Lighting) has gone out of business I guess, so all their stuff is super marked down in most stores now (or so I hear from the sales guy). I've since poked around online, but it looks like everything is sold out. I bought the two lanterns they had in the store and asked the salesman to call around to see if he could secure a couple more for me (for which I'd gladly pay a little more). I'm supposed to use these for a client's mudroom, but what I'm dying to do is use them in <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/giveaway-instagram-magnets-from.html" target="_blank">my kitchen</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2306.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/IMG_2306.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>They are that weird bumpy pink brass finish, so I would paint them. Black is always a good choice. White would be really pretty. And of course you know I like red!<br /><center></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo FineDandy_TommySmythe_CHH_1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/FineDandy_TommySmythe_CHH_1.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Tommy Smythe in House and Home (<a href="http://www.halcyonstyleblog.com/2011/12/design-crush-tommy-smythe.html" target="_blank">scan via</a>)</i></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 4e5acd31ed82a8101c4321c7ad042359.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/4e5acd31ed82a8101c4321c7ad042359.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://meyerinteriors.com/blog/" target="_blank">image</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 285f7b91e9a49863d87c6c262734dbbc.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/285f7b91e9a49863d87c6c262734dbbc.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.margotaustin.ca/blog/tweed-decorating-1.html" target="_blank">Margot Austin</a></i><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo atlhomes26d209a20f1eedaf1493eef94ad949c3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/atlhomes26d209a20f1eedaf1493eef94ad949c3.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Atlanta Homes and Gardens</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 38dad6160c2b5a8a1ff92655945c2214.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/38dad6160c2b5a8a1ff92655945c2214.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>BHG.com</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo viaemilyaclarkaa42310d4dc8a07a373a5df7ffa9d26f.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/viaemilyaclarkaa42310d4dc8a07a373a5df7ffa9d26f.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.emilyaclark.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">via</a></i></div><br />A couple of lanterns could be pretty sensational in here, right? Cross your fingers for me that we can find a few more!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo sitckygram12-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/sitckygram12-1.jpg" /></div>

Lantern Hunting

You know those crazy lighting show rooms that look really lame from the outside? They're usually called LIGHTING EMPORIUM or LAMPS AND M...

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DIY Faux Malachite

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0256.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0256.jpg" /></div><br />I would have never guessed a couple years ago <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-desk.html" target="_blank">when I made this double wide desk</a> from IKEA components, that I'd still be using this inexpensive combo today. I really love it - it's great to have so much work space - but it was time to change up the look a bit. When <a href="http://www.sherwin-williams.com/" target="_blank">Sherwin-Williams</a> invited me to use some of their green paint to dream up a project for <a href="http://www.nationalpaintingweek.com/" target="_blank">National Painting Week</a>, I knew my old trusty desk was going to be the lucky target.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0427.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0427.jpg" /></div><br /><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/studying-malachite.html" target="_blank">I shared last week</a> that I've been dying to try my hand at a faux malachite painting technique, but I've been a little intimidated. I had no idea just how easy it would be! Here are the paint colors I used, all of the colors were mixed in Sherwin-Williams All-Surface Enamel Latex Gloss, going clockwise from top left: Cape Verde (SW 6482), Active Green (SW 6986), Country Squire (SW 6475), and Faux Impressions Clear Glaze.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0242.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0242.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I put a coat of primer down on the desk, just make sure the surface was smooth and clean. I did a little sanding too, just with a hand block.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0210.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0210.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then I brushed on a coat of Active Green for the base of the malachite.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 22DSC_0229.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/22DSC_0229.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I let that dry for at least a couple of hours.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 22DSC_0238.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/22DSC_0238.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I made glaze mixtures in both the dark green and dark teal colors. The mixture was about one part paint to three parts glaze, and then it was mixed well.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0252-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0252-1.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I think the secret to doing a very easy faux malachite is two sizes of fan brushes. If you can find something very small and another very large brush, that would be ideal.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><center></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_2516.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/IMG_2516.jpg" /></div><br />The malachite pattern part is fun and easy. I started at one end and worked in rows. The trick is to layer the swirls on top of each other. You cover up the start-stop part of each swirl with the smooth, round part of a new swirl. The glaze makes it so the paint dries a little slower and you can layer on the swirls in a clean way, so that the clear bright green base shows through.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0272.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0272.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />Turn on some music and try to keep a loose hand. :) The trick is to not go over the same part twice, if you can avoid it. Also, rather than doing perfectly rounded circles, add some wiggle to the brush so that the lines of the swirls have some movement. It takes some playing with to get the hang of it, but it's fun to do and it goes really fast!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0373.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0373.jpg" /></div><br />Don't forget to switch back and forth between the small and large fan brushes and the dark green and the dark teal glaze mixtures. I mixed the mixtures together sometimes too (such a rebel, I know).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0450.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0450.jpg" /></div><br />I also tried to continue the same swirl pattern and glaze color down the side of the table top for a consistent look.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0403.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0403.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0432.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0432.jpg" /></div><br />And here's the dried, finished look:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 22DSC_0227.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/22DSC_0227.jpg" /></div><br />It's definitely not meant to fool anyone into thinking it's real malachite. It's just meant to be a pretty, abstract look. I love it!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 2DSC_0232.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/2DSC_0232.jpg" /></div><br />I like how much blue there is in the finished desk - I think the SW colors were perfect! I'm really loving how they look against my <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/adding-trim-to-closet-doors.html" target="_blank">dark gray walls </a>and with my <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/eames-management-chairs-in-scalamandre.html" target="_blank">leopard Eames chairs</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0399.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0399.jpg" /></div><br />And now for the barrage of photos of the desk at all angles!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img alt=" photo tDSC_0447.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/tDSC_0447.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0414.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0414.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0392.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0392.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0383.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0383.jpg" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo t1DSC_0320.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/t1DSC_0320.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0299.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0299.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0281.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0281.jpg" /></div><br />I loved getting to try another faux painting technique - especially one that had such quick and easy results! A big thanks again to Sherwin-Williams for sponsoring LGN and letting me participate in this year's <a href="http://nationalpaintingweek.com/" target="_blank">National Painting Week</a>. And be sure to catch the <a href="http://www.nationalpaintingweek.com/" target="_blank">thirteen other design bloggers' projects</a> this week! Today, Cassandra at <a href="http://www.cocokelley.com/2013/04/paint-it-up-a-little-makeover/" target="_blank">Coco + Kelley has another green project</a> (I love the color she chose!) and tomorrow Erin from <a href="http://www.houseofearnest.com/" target="_blank">House of Earnest</a> and Justin and Cassity at <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a> will share their yellow projects. It's going to be a colorful week in blogland! :)

DIY Faux Malachite

I would have never guessed a couple years ago when I made this double wide desk from IKEA components, that I'd still be using this inex...

Read more »