I wanted to thank you all earlier, but I was waiting until I heard from Better Homes & Gardens…
We WON! Making it Lovely received the most votes in the 48-Hour Challenge at BHG.com and we’ll be the recipient of a $5000 bonus! We’re so excited, and we’re eager to get started on a few new projects around the house that will now be possible. And obviously, we couldn’t have won without your tremendous support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Today is the last day to vote in the 48-Hour Challenge. The timing of the challenge was a bit crazy (coinciding with my ninth month of pregnancy), but Brandon and I took it on and we’re so proud to have been a part of it. Thank you to Better Homes and Gardens for asking me to be a part of the challenge, and thank you to the other participants: The Cottage Nest, The Home Garden, The Wood Whisperer, and of course my friends over at This Young House. We were thrilled to be in such wonderful company, and the other four projects were all incredibly inspiring.
Here’s a look back at where we started…
And where we ended…
And during the process we went from a married couple to a family.
Thank you too, all of you, for your support throughout the whole process. There were times when I thought I was in a bit over my head (*ahem*, porch painting), but the end result and your thoughtful comments made it all worth it. And I truly appreciate those of you that took time to vote for us, whether it was once a day, once in a while, or just once. Thank you.
We’ve lost our lead in the 48-Hour Challenge again — drat! We’re currently down by 358 votes and slipping a little more each day.
You all came through for me last time when we were down and I’m hoping you can do it again… Please vote for Making it Lovely everyday until June 12. (Thank you!)
I thought I’d talk about painting the porch rug in a bit more detail today. So many of you loved the project (thanks!), and it really is something that can be easily done in your own home if you’re so inclined.
I started by sketching the pattern on paper first. As I had mentioned before, I was inspired by a rug from Urban Outfitters (no longer available) and the flower petal patterns my Grandma Rose used to draw with me.
Once we were ready to begin, Brandon and I cleaned the porch and marked off the area for the rug with painter’s tape. We didn’t sand the floor first, though I’d recommend it if you have the time. Two coats of the base color (green) came next, and then it was time to figure out how to get the pattern drawn out on a large scale.
I ended up putting in some rough guidelines with white chalk. I focused on placing the flower centers where I wanted them and then sketching out the general movement of the petals from there. I then painted everything freehand, stepping back every so often to make sure that the petal shapes and sizes were remaining consistent.
If you’re considering a similar project, I’d say just go for it! It’s just paint — you’ll get a huge impact for very little money. And painting the rug while nine months pregnant was difficult (to say the least), but if I was able to handle it then the more able-bodied among you should have no problem!
If you liked my porch redo (all done in 48 hours with just $500), please take a moment to vote for it. There are two and a half weeks left, and I’d really appreciate your support during this time. And remember, you can vote once each day!
My last post for the Better Homes & Gardens 48-Hour Challenge went up today, and it’s all about how we’ve been enjoying our front porch since it’s completion. I have to say, we’ve been enjoying it very much. :)
Murray likes to spend time out front with us too.
Several neighbors have dropped by to offer their congratulations while we sit out front, which is very nice. Of course it was hard to be subtle about our new arrival when we had a six foot tall stork on the front lawn.
There’s still plenty of time to vote for your favorite project at BHG.com. If you like the way our porch turned out, you can vote once each day for it!
Our front porch was slightly ahead in the 48-Hour Challenge, but now we’ve slipped down to second place. I’m not normally competitive, but with our new little one we could really use the $5000 bonus. If you’re so inclined, I’d really appreciate your vote! And please remember that you can vote every day until June 12.