Guest Posting Today

Hey everyone! I'm gues posting my ruffle bumsie tutorial over at Nicole's blog Our Cozy Nest. Come on over and see me!

Blog Swappin' with Nicole from Our Cozy Nest

I'm excited to do a little blog swapping with my friend Megan today. I asked Megan what she thought I should do a tutorial on and she said my kitchen cabinets. I'm thrilled to post about this, it was definitely one of the biggest things we've done to our home and wow, what a difference it made.

Here are a couple before pictures...................................

After............................................

I think that painting our cabinets black was one of the best decisions we've made. EVERYONE thought we were crazy at first, including my brother n' law who is a home builder, but I'm so glad we were gutsy and went through with it because we love them.

Soooooooo if your thinking of painting your kitchen cabinets here is my little tutorial and some tips we learned along the way.

We took the cabinet doors and drawer fronts off. We set up a little work station in our garage and gave them a good sanding . (Buy a box full of square foam sanders, it's a little more expensive than just sand paper but you'll be glad you spent the extra money.) Wipe them off after with a damp cloth.

WARNING: Unless you really like black, mask your working area off really well. If possible use cloth drop cloths on the floors because with plastic the paint gets tracked everywhere.

My husband hung them from ropes in our garage by tying them to a nail that he put on the inside of the doors so the hole wouldn't be seen. We rented a sprayer from Sherwin Williams. I really would recommend this for a nice smooth finish. We primed them first with a coat of grey primer, (unfortunately you can't get primer in black). Let them dry and then lightly sand them again.

Now give them their first coat of black paint. We used exterior laytex black paint from Sherwin Williams. We ended up giving them two coats of black paint, but looking back I think I may have even given them a third, especially the ones that get more wear and tear like the ones under the sink. Inside the house I used a small foam roller on everything else.

After we had let them dry for a couple of days, I distressed them a little and then we painted a clear satin coat over them with a foam brush. (I did this while they were hung up in the kitchen again.) Another thing we did that made a HUGE difference was put up a little molding at the top of the cabinets, and added new hardware.

And there you have it, I hope I covered everything. If you are thinking of painting your cabinets black here is the post that inspired me to do it. Now, if only I had the money for granite counter tops and an updated stove :) .

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment over at my blog Our Cozy Nest and I will do my best to answer them.

Blog Swappin' and a GIVEAWAY!

Hey Megan Fan's! I'm stopping by for a little blog swap! I hope you don't mind! It's been great getting to know Megan and seeing all of her amazing projects! I am in love with her Halloween Star!

I'm Becca from Blue Cricket Design!

I'm a mother of 3, wife of 1 and a creator of many! I am always looking for new ways to express myself! I love crafting, sewing, baking, cooking, photography and reality TV!!! Yes! I'm a Reality TV nut! Don't judge! I also can't get enough of Mint Oreo's and my sister! Everyone needs a best friend and a treat right!

I'd love for you guys to come check out my blog and see what I've been up to! It's my fun collection of tutorials , ideas, giveaways and more!

I'm hosting a giveaway this week for some amazing Baking Products and a $50 gift card from Orson Gygi! Click HERE for details!

Here's a few of my projects I'm excited to share...

Halloween Witch's Lunch

My Adult Skirt Revamp!

Dresser Drawer Ribbon Organizers



Come see what else I've created and be sure to check out Megan's Giveaway going on now over at Blue cricket Design! Hope to see you soon!

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It's true! I'm giving away a Halloween banner. Come check 'er out. I would love for you to win.

Giveaway now closed.

First Guest

You might have noticed a few new cute additions to my Etsy shop. My darling, cute friend Jodi wanted to try her hand at Etsy so she posted a few things in my shop while she decides if she would like to start her own store. She's been very successful at our local boutique and can be found at the Farmer's Market during the summer.

Jodi is a incredibly talented and busy! This mother of three beautiful girls is always thinking up something new. It's fun to go to her house and see all of the cute things that she makes. She makes magnets boards, recipe holders, wood letters and burp cloths just to name a few.

In my shop, you will find a set of her wood conversation hearts. These turned out too cute! They look darling scattered about your house or in piled in a bowl. The hearts come packaged in a set of five tied with a coordinating conversation hearts ribbon. Perfect for gift giving or keeping for yourself.

She also makes sweet burp cloths. A babies necessity is made cute with coordinating fabrics and soft minky. Minky fabric has always been my children's favorite. She packages sets of three complete with a gorgeous bow for a stylish yet practical gift for you or your favorite friends.

Be sure to check out all her sampling on Etsy. We would love for her to be as successful on Etsy as she is here.

Guests of the blog

I feel so lucky to be surrounded with talented people. Friends and family that are crafters, scrapbookers, florists, and seamstresses to name a few. Since they are friends and family, I have twisted their arms and convinced them to do guest posts on this li'l ol' blog for me. Look forward in the coming weeks for some new guest posts and a few cute new additions to my Etsy shop!