Ceiling vs. Countertop

Golly.  It sure takes us a long time to accomplish anything around here.  Hard to believe it has been two weeks already since our competition began.

Glen definitely has the upper hand in getting things done - but he took two weeks off so he could get his project completed.  All I was able to accomplish was one little countertop.

Glen enlisted some help getting all those boards attached to the ceiling.  Caine thought it was a bit boring, but he was a real trooper about the whole thing.

My project wasn't nearly as difficult - but it was most definitely time consuming:

Day One:  Fill all the little nicks and dents with wood filler and let dry overnight.

Day Two:  Lightly sand (fine sandpaper)  the entire surface to smooth out the wood filler and give the primer a rough surface for good adhesion.

Once it was sanded, I vacuumed, cleaned with a damp cloth, let dry and went over it with a little TSP to make sure it was nice and clean and free of any gunk that would prevent the primer from sticking.

Then it was time for the primer which was rolled on with a small foam roller that comes with the kit if you order from Giani. (You really should check out their site to see all the beautiful contertops that have been created with their great product!)

Day Three:  After the primer is nice and dry it's time to start dabbing on the design.

That's a $1.00 bottle of water base acrylic paint found in the art supply aisle at Wal-Mart.  The sponge (also comes with the kit from Giani) is a sea sponge that has been cut.  It only takes a little piece to create a beautiful countertop!

Now the fun part... creating the design.  Put a little paint on a piece of cardboard, dip the sponge in the paint, dab it on the cardboard so there is barely any paint on the sponge, dab, dab, dab on the countertop and repeat until finished.

Days Four, Five and Six:  Apply top coat, stand back and enjoy the beautiful transformation!

Before

and

After:

Sorry - these pictures really don't do the finished project justice.  The bookcase I am converting to a food locker doesn't get any direct sunlight (and I have to work at night after work ya know) and the new countertop is so shiny I just can't get a good shot of it.  I think it is going to look really sharp once it is painted white and Glen hangs the doors he's going to make.

Oh, the ceiling?  So wrapped up in MY project I almost forgot to show you Glen's beautiful ceiling!

Isn't it great?  He found a bonus while he was remodeling - wiring for a light. 

He did a great job with his project which included painting all of the trim and the walls too!

Here's a picture of the livingroom (in the background) before Glen's magic touch:

This is just kind of a sneak peak as to our progress.  (Goodness - those ugly curtains have to go! And what a difference the time of day makes in the color of the paint.  The actual color is closest to the top picture.)

Stay tuned for the day we get it all pulled together!