Distracted Goals and Wood Woes

SO... since school has started back up (yep, I am a teacher) I haven't had much time to post.  I find the best time to take on a project is the weekend... so hold onto your socks cuz I'm about to knock them off.  My weekend goal: to fix up the really poor painting job that I myself did at the beginning of the summer in the living room. 

Proof of crappy paint job. Ewww.

Ok so, I need to admit something about myself.  I am SUPER impatient.  So when we moved in- I felt incredibly irked by all the wallpaper staring at me in every room I went into.  I wanted my new house to look pretty.  Now.  Riiiiiight now.  [insert impatient eager face here]

  So I ripped all the wallpaper off, slapped some paint on the walls, and ever since I have felt very unhappy at the poor job I did.  As the year has gone on, I have been slowly but surely fixing up my painting boo-boo's.  

Off I went early Saturday morning caulking the edges and repainting.

Proof of progress.

Something else you need to know about me; I get distracted easily.  To give you an example; my friends will sometime's dangle keys in front of my face to get me to forget about whatever I am doing at the moment.  95% of the time it works.

 Well- I quickly ran out of caulk and noticed the state of my window seat.  Fixing up one thing draws attention to something else that needs to be fixed- yes you may quote me on that.  Ahh the wisdom of Jo.

Ignore the streak of stain... I forgot to take a actual before picture.  Sad face.

Blah.  It looked so sad.  So off Eric and I went to Ace Hardware.  I told him if they sold a baby can of stain I would purchase it to try something out.  Approaching the stain isle, I immediately saw the baby cans of stain and muttered a "hot dog!" because I only had to spend a mere seven dollars compared to a forty dollar can that I was just going to use as an experiment.  Whoop whoop!

As you can see in the picture above, I got home and went to work.  All I did to prepare the surface was to clean it off, then I spread the stain.  The reason I didn't go into sanding or anything crazy is because a. like I said before, I am INCREDIBLY IMPATIENT and b. the surface did not look like it had polyurethane or varnish on it.  It just looked bare and worn.   And I do what I waaaant!

The difference brings tears to mah eyes.  Angels are singing.  

I just want to hug it.  Forever.

Hello gorgeous. 

That is when I went crazy.  Have no fear- piece of sad wood, Jo is here!  I basically went around half of the house and stained stuff.  And boy howdy, it sure looks good.  

Later that night, on my way to bed I noticed the saddest wood of all...

The stairs.  Yeah, I realize that you are probably thinking "uhh duuh, I have seen stairs before."  But in case you  don't know... these are stairs.  

Just look at them.   Soooo sad.

Don't worry stairs I will save you.

Thus began round two: JO VERSUS THE STAIRS.  Stairs- you are going down!  Err... or up... 

Sunday morning- off I went. 

Step by step I spread the stain with a rag.

With this picture you can tell the difference between where I have stained and where I haven't.  

Ohhhh sweet baby Jesus.  Ya'all are pretty.

Now, I did not sand yet again because of the same reasons listed above.  I may want to go back and smooth them later by sanding and then re-stain.  But HOT DOG what a difference!

Oh stain, how I love thee.

Overall, this project was quick and easy.  All you needed was a can of stain that matches any previously stained wood work, a couple of rags, and time for the stuff to dry (and throw in some wicked awesome dance moves for an extra good staining time.)

  Next on my to-do list: varnish!

What do ya think?