DIY gel nails.

 DIY Gel Nail

I am SO super excited about this new DIY discovery! I am a HUGE fan of gel nails. Because I am a massage therapist, and I work with my hands so much, my manicures usually only last about 2 days, tops. Acrylics are not an option for me because of my career, and I honestly don't like the "fake" look. And while I absolutely love the look and feel of the gels, I get very little free time without kids, and spending an hour and a half at the nail salon is not my idea of fun. Instead, I've done my research to find a more affordable and time efficient way to get that gel nail look.

Here Is What You Need:

 1: Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat (available at Sally's)

2: Your choice of nail polish. I used Essie's Turquoise & Caicos

3: Out the Door top cot. This is hands down the best top coat that money can buy! (also available at Sally's)

4: Nail file of your choice

Here's How:

- Remove all nail polish, and use your nail file to smooth down ALL over your nails

-Wash hands to remove all remaining oil, dirt, etc.

-Apply a thin layer of Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat

-Allow a couple of minutes to semi dry

-Apply another layer of  Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat, and allow it to set

-Then, use your choice of nail polish & give it about 4 minutes to set

-Add one more coat of  Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat, and allow it to semi dry

-Add another layer of your nail polish

-Apply one coat of Out the Door top coat

-Voila! DIY gel nails

This might seem like a lot of steps, and like it is a long, timely process, but trust me! It literally took me less than 20 minutes to complete. And you can do it at home in your jammies, instead of spending an hour and a half at the nail salon.

The key is to get that BASE coat of  Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat to semi dry before applying your nail color.

These are my nails 5 days later. No chips, and still completely in tact!

(yes, I am wearing my painting pants, LOL)

Repurposed 60's style dresser

This turned out to be one of my favorite pieces so far. I found this ugly old dresser at the Goodwill about 6 months ago. My initial plan was to turn this into a buffet for our new house, but we still haven't found our new house, and so we are renting for the time being. When I say that this dresser was ugly, I mean U-G-L-Y! I think I was the only one that believed it was going to turn out fabulous.

See what I mean. Yikes! So I kept hearing all these wonderful things about Annie Sloan chalk paint. The rumor was that you didn't have to sand (say whaaaat!?), prime, or clean the piece before painting. It sounded way too good to be true, but I had to check it out. I had used a sample previously on my bread box, but I was reluctant to use it on a bigger piece, because I wasn't sure if the rumores were true.  First off, I should warn that Annie Sloan paint is VERY pricey for paint. About $40 for a small can. But the sales woman assured me that a little goes a loooong way. Second, it's only sold at like 2 specialty stores in the area. Luckily one of those stores was in Sumner. 

So, I started off by removing the knobs, and pulling the drawers out. Then I literally just stared painting. I started with the top, made my way down the side, and then the legs, and then the drawers. The paint took no time at all to dry. By the time I was done painting the drawers, the dresser was dry. Seriously!

(Don't mind the bed over there on the left. That's another project.)

After the paint had dried, I started sanding the dresser to give it that "shabby chic" look. The key to sanding is to sand all the places that would naturally get worn down over time; like the corners, edges, and around the knobs. 

Once I finished the sanding, I just took a towel, and wiped down the entire dresser. Making sure that I got all of the dust off. 

To give it an even more vintage look, I used Minwax wood stain in the color Dark walnut. I just took an old rag and dipped it in the stain. You can also brush it on, but I prefer to wipe it on with a rag. Covering small areas at a time, I wiped it on, waited about 30 seconds, and then wiped it off. Don't leave the stain on too long, or it will be too dark. This will also change the color of the paint. If you do not want the color of the paint to be darker, you will want to use a clear stain or a clear wax to seal and protect your project.



This entertainment center took me less than 3 hours to complete. Including dry time! It was SO simple. All the rumors about this paint are true. It's fabulous! I am in LOVE with this piece and this paint.

Bread box

I found this ugly little bread box at the Goodwill for $1.99. I figured it had some potential; and if not, I was only out 2 bucks. I just gave it a couple coats of Annie Sloan paint in the color Emperor's Silk. Let dry between coats. Once the paint was dried, I used my sanding block to rough up the edged. I then used Annie Sloan wax, and smoothed on a couple of coats. I love the way it turned out. I actually use it to hide my vitamins and supplements, not bread. It looks great on my counter.