A Week Late With a Winner!

Oh forgive me! Why is it that I am having such a hard time blogging lately? I can't believe that when I first started blogging I was able to post five times a week. Now I'm lucky to blog once or twice a week. Am I the only one who thinks that time has doubled it's speed over the last few years?!?

The lucky winner of the KILZ giveaway is comment number 3, Our Paper Plates. Congratulations! Email me with your mailing info so that I can pass it on to the people at KILZ.

I promise to be back tomorrow with a fun before and after post---that means two posts in one week. Hooray!!!

Rubbing In The Details

When I gave my china cabinet a makeover my plan was to replace the hardware. However after perusing several aisles filled with knobs and handles I couldn't find anything that called to me. So I gave the existing handles a makeover with a little spray paint. But I didn't stop there. I wanted a little character to the hardware so I pulled out the Rub 'n Buff and a stiff craft brush. With a very small amount of R'nB and some dabbing of my brush I managed to give the ho-hum hardware a little bit of soul. I love Rn'B for bringing out the details. I used it on the trim of the china cabinet in both the before. . . and after. It's the highlight on my entry mirror. And the itty bitty copper detail on my chandelier. I even used it to make wallpaper look like vintage tin on my daughter's wedding backdrop.The great thing about Rub 'n Buff is that a little goes a l-o-n-g way and it comes in an array of colors. It's a handy little item that every diy-er should have. This is not a paid for endorsement---I really do use and love this stuff!

**Don't forget to enter to win a gallon of KILZ here**

Updated China Cabinet and a KILZ Giveaway

***GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

A few months ago the people with KILZ

asked me if I wanted to try their newly launched zero-VOC primer, KILZ Clean Start. Of course I'm always willing to try out any new product---especially one that makes painting easier and doesn't have a strong smell.I've been wanting to update my built-in china cabinet, to give it a fresh new look. Years ago hubby and I added trim and crown molding to this cabinet to dress it up and hide the imperfections from it's original contractor build. I then painted the original sad looking oak a beautiful dark green with copper highlights. Wanting to freshen it up with a lighter paint color KILZ Clean Start was the perfect product since it's always good to use a primer when painting a lighter color on top of a darker. Priming first means less top coats and less chance of shadowing or bleed-thru from the darker paint.The KILZ went on smooth and there was hardly any odor. . . No, the KILZ people did not pay me to say this. They gave me a gallon of paint and I'm giving you my honest opinion about it.

I'm really happy with the china cabinet's new look!
The people at KILZ want to give
one lucky Joys of Home reader
their own gallon of KILZ Clean Start.
All you need to do to win is leave a comment here
and tell me the project you'd like to use KILZ Clean Start.
For an additional entry go to the KILZ Facebook page,
"like" them then come back here
and leave an additional comment.
The giveaway will be open until midnight (MT)
Wednesday, January 25th.
The winner will be announced soon after.

Winter Florals

I love to use amaryllis flowers in my
winter decorating.

I've always used the fake variety

but for Christmas a friend gave me
my first amaryllis bulb.It was so fun to watch it grow, it changed almost daily.
I was so happy with my real live amaryllis
that I partnered it with a live orchid. Both are easy and rewarding to grow.
And they're beautiful too!

Pretty Penguins

Decorating in January can be tricky. It seems strange to use spring items when there's snow outside. I've decorated with snowflakes and snowmen in the past but I've been wanting a different theme. Over the past year or so I've tried to pick up items from the thrift store that would work well for January. And it seems that I have an attraction to penguins which I didn't even recognize until I pulled out my new-to-me decorations.

I'm enjoying my pretty little penguins. Do you have a decorating theme for January?

Where's the Snow?

We have had very little snow this winter.

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed having
spray paint days in December and January,
I know that we need an abundance of snow
for a prettier spring and summer.

So I am doing my part to encourage Mother Nature.

And Mother Nature, if your listening,
can you make it snow mostly in the mountains
so there's less to shovel in my driveway?

Thank You!