Giani Granite Review

Hi everyone!  I have a totally cool review to share with you today.  I was contacted by the wonderful folks at Giani Granite back in December to do a product review of their granite paint kits.  I was so excited for a number of reasons.  First off I had lavender laminate counter tops in my master bath that I have loathed from the moment we looked at this house.  Second because this is the first review I have been asked to do!  So many thanks to Giani Granite for trusting me with the products and my ability to pull this off!

First things first.  Since I currently rent my home I had to get approval from the homeowner.  I put a call in and gave him the scoop.  He and I both looked up blogs and other reviews on the product.  He was a bit hesitant but in the end I reminded him that he had already planned to replace those counter tops in the near future so if it turned out like crap he hadn’t lost anything.  It was a win win!  Lovely aren’t they?  You know you want some.

Next came Christmas then Costa Rica and the box sat on the count top calling to me but I’ll be honest,  I was a total coward and afraid to try this product.  Why?  Because I have never painted a counter top before!  Finally I decided to at least open the box and check out the contents.  They included a dvd showing the entire process and after watching it I felt totally capable of completing this project with great results!

Once I got my nerve up I scrubbed the counter tops and taped off around my edges and faucets etc.… I let the counter tops completely dry for an hour before proceeding to make sure the primer was going to stick.

Next was the big plunge.  Prime those counters.  I swear I didn’t breath for the first couple strokes.  But by the time I covered the whole surface I was convinced I could just leave them in the primed state and be happy.  After all this alone was a huge improvement to the purple! LOL.  You have to move fairly quickly so you don’t get roller strokes and over lap your strokes a bit so it all blends.  This was super easy and covered in one coat.  But being the type a person I am I did two just to be safe ;P  The first photo is the primer wet.  The second is mostly dry.

Better already right?!!  Next up.  OMG this scared me even more than the primer.  Let’s start adding color.  You have a very porous sponge that comes in the kit.  I cut it in half and then cut one of the halves in half again.  This way I had several different sizes for the different spaces I had to get into.  Around the lip and in the corners can be difficult.  But once I started I could see the finished product coming together and it got exciting!  Another thing about this part is that you really can’t screw it up unless you wipe the paint on instead of blotting.  And you can go over and over in the different colors again and again to add depth and more character.  It’s really fun!  Did I get pics of this process?  Nope.  Cause that’s how I roll and I wanted to surprise you with the final finished product!

Drum roll please….

Wow right?!  After you have blotted to your hearts content you can take a fine tip paint brush like I did in the different colors and play connect the blots.  This creates a veining effect and adds an even more realistic look.

Finally you add the clear top coat that protects the counters from water and stuff.  This is a two coat process in which you will take a 600 grit sandpaper to smooth out any bumps on the first coat, then wipe clean and do the second coat.  Makes it all nice and shiny!!

I would absolutely recommend this product to anyone who wants to update their laminate counter tops without spending a fortune on the real thing.  Thus far it’s been in the bathroom for two weeks and holding up great.  I only clean it with warm water and non abrasive cleansers.  I was told all natural products are safe to use but no vinegar.

If you have any other questions I will be happy to try and answer them for you or you can contact Giani Granite.  They are wonderful and very helpful!  Thanks again for letting me review your product!

 

~Sommer

 

I’m sharing at these wonderful parties!

Mondays:

Skip To My Lou

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

DIY Show Off Project Parade

C.R.A.F.T.

Making The World Cuter

Keeping It Simple

Homemaker On A Dime

The Girl Creative

Tuesdays:

Not Just A Housewife

Tip Junkie

Hope Studios

Craft Edition

Wednesdays:

Blue Cricket Design

Ginger Snap Crafts

Domestically Speaking

Tea Rose Home

Someday Crafts

Sew Much Ado

Primitive And Proper

Type A

Lil Luna

Thursdays:

Shabby Chic Cottage

Somewhat Simple

Yesterday On Tuesday

House Of Hepworths

Beyond The Picket Fence

Fireflies And Jellybeans

The Brambleberry Cottage

Fridays:

Miss Mustard Seed

Shabby Nest

Remodelaholic

Romantic Home

Finding Fabulous

Vintage Revivals

Just A Girl

Fingerprints On The Fridge

Chic On A Shoestring

Saturdays:

Funky Junk Interiors

Perfectly Imperfect

Tatertots And Jello

Be Different Act Normal

The Whole New World Of ASCP

I told many of you that I was going to get some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint last weekend.  I was about ready to hit the floor break dancing I was so excited.  When I got home I wasted no time.  I went to town.

 

 

Fabulous Family Planner

This is my favorite time of year!  The kids went back to school yesterday!  My youngest starts kindergarten this morning.  She had her orientation Monday.  My last little bird to leave the nest.  Am I sad?  Heeeeeeellll no!  She’s cute don’t get me wrong but I’ve been waiting ten long years for this bit of freedom! I douched the house and got everything in order.  And I got all the paperwork showing the kids schedules for the year. 

Ring in Spring

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
It's that time of year we've all been waiting for.  The sun is shining, the temps are warming and I'm already thinking about what to put on the grill.  Luckily there is a Pier 1 right down the street from my new house.  If you don't mind I have to rave about their spring inventory for just a few moments.  I've always been a Pier 1 girl =)
We have no grass in our new back yard, it's fence to fence stamped concrete and a perfect platform for decorating and outdoor space.  While I was in Pier 1 a couple weeks back buying the table top Mora style clock, I was also drooling over their spring inventory! 
They have the coolest hanging chair called the "Swingason" chair.  I couldn't get my daughter out of it!  And while I chewed on my bottom lip about the price a bit I couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to curl up with a book and an icy drink in that chair for a while, or several hours!
I'm thinking about their colorful seat cushions with a fire pit and a cute little iron table for my lemonade.  Or how about their battery powered paper lanterns for evening entertainment?  The prices really can't be beat.  Or have you seen these adorable glass lanterns?  I'm loving the colors and oooh, how about by candle light!
I don't know about you but my dining room opens to my back yard.  I also love having a rug under my table in there and an indoor/outdoor rug is a great solution for those kinds of high traffic areas.  I also plan to use one out back this year as I feel it will do us some good at keeping out footsies cool! 
Head on over and check the Pier 1 Outdoor newsletter.  There you can sign up for a special in-store offer the week of March 18-20th.  And if your a Twitter/tweeter person check out the Pier 1 Tweetups!
If for no other reason Pier 1 is a great place to go browse.  I'm sure you'll find something in your budget that you will go home smiling about.  I know I do!
~Sommer

Stapler Low Down

I know... I told you I was posting treasure but Mr Garden has been hogging using the computer with my pictures on it all day.  So I'm improvising =)  And today you shall learn the art of stapling!  Okay not the art but I will educate you on the different types of staplers out there. 

Just a heads up... As I was gently aggressively sanding a bed today it got angry and bit me!  After nearly half an hour of Mr Garden trying to dig the worlds largest and deepest splinter out of my finger I started feeling dehydrated from the amount of tears that had left my body and we gave up.  I soaked the finger for a while and gave one more good faith effort and got it out.  So with my healing extremity please excuse any typo's that may not be caught by blogger.

Okay on with the show.  Staplers!  Since I finally mustered up the guts to try reupholstering my chair that I posted here, I got the low down and dirty on staplers and will pass on my new found knowledge to you =)

There are three types of staplers you will find at the hardware store.

1. Manual
2. Electric
3.Pneumatic

Manual: This is the stapler you want if your working on your biceps =)  It takes brute strength and man girl power to operate this tool.  If you want a stapler for projects that will only need a few staples here and there like hanging Christmas lights or other small projects this is the tool for you.  It's cost effective and simple to use.  These start around $10.

Electric:  The electric stapler comes corded and battery operated.  This is a great tool for intermediate projects that still don't require a lot of power or stapling but more so than the projects you would use the Manual stapler for.  Plywood projects, frames, MDF etc... Not great for hardwoods.  With the cord your restricted for distance of use.  However batteries die and you have to wait for them to be recharged.  These start around $30.

Pneumatic: This is the creme of the crop where staplers are concerned.  I honestly didn't think I would need something this powerful when I started my chair.  And I started out using a corded electric stapler.  But my staples were buckling when they hit the wood.  It didn't have enough push to drive them into the hard wood that framed the chair.  The great thing about the Pneumatic gun is that they are staplers and nailers in 1.  The downfall is that you need an air compressor to operate one and these need to be oiled.  They have a safety so that you must be pressing guide cage against your material before it will shoot.  If the nose of the gun is not pressed against anything it will not shoot even if you press the trigger.  I bought the one in the picture here for only $10 more than the electric stapler.  The staples are a bit more expensive though.  These start at $40 and go up to a few hundred.  For the price I couldn't argue with this purchase.  It drove my staples in perfectly and I just used the finishing nails today which I was also pleased with. 

Ultimately you need you consider the following when purchasing a stapler (stapler/nailer):

1. Will you be doing beginner/intermediate or advanced projects?
2. Will you be working primarily with soft, medium or hard woods?
3. How much use will your stapler get?
4. What is your price range?

Always remember to keep your receipts so when you buy your stapler if it doesn't meet your needs you can return it.  There are also occasionally workshops at local hardware stores where you can demo things like this.  Check your local stores for details.