A Super Purdy Project

So a few weeks ago--I was contacted and asked if I would like to test and review a Purdy Paintbrush Kit!!!! 

As I am still pretty new to blogland--I questioned how I could have been chosen for this great honor.  And in fact--I emailed the gal back a couple times making sure that I had the facts straight--that she was from a legitimate company--and they wanted to SEND ME A FREE PRODUCT--and I got to use it and then blog about it?  (I am not SO NEW to blogland that I hadn't seen other blogs about just this very thing--but little old me?) 

All I could say was YESSIREE!!!  SEND ME FREE STUFF!!!

So I waited--half thinking that it really was just a joke--UNTIL THIS Purdy little thing arrived in the mail!

And I knew JUST what to do with it. 

I have a front porch.  And it is a cute little porch--except that it has fallen into disrepair (bad owners!).  I have been putting off painting if for SEVERAL years now.  So it looked like this:

and this:

I know--seeing it now on the computer screen--I am so ashamed of myself!  How could I have let it get THAT BAD?  Well--obviously it could no longer be ignored.  Something had to be done.

So here is the part where I tell you about how I painted my poor little porch with my AWESOME NEW PAINT BRUSH! 

Oh wait--First I had to open the paint can.  And this was NO SMALL CHORE mind you.  This can had been in our garage--also for SEVERAL YEARS--waiting for me to get my rear in gear going on this project.  So it was like CEMENTED shut.  Tight like a trap.  You get the idea.

So this handy little 6 in 1 tool was SUPER awesome to have.  Usually I have to hijack one of my hubby's screwdrivers and mutilate the lid of the can--usually so badly that it can never be closed normally again--just to get it to open.  This guy did the job without so much as marring the lid.

Next I laid out all my paint stuff on a garbage bag. 

I always do this so that I can easily pull and scoot around the bag with the paint tray and all my tools and not get paint everywhere.

Then I also laid out all my spill and splatter catchers. 

You may use drop cloths--I use old towels and LOVE using them.  I have never spent the bucks for an actual drop cloth--but have often used the big rolls of plastic (which I hate by the way).  The towels work SO GREAT because they are easy to move around--they don't fly up in the breeze and get stuck to whatever you are painting--and they are ABSORBENT!!!  So if you do happen to dribble on them they just absorb it--and it is no big deal.  ALSO if you happen to get paint on something that you didn't want to get paint on--you can use the corner of the towel and wipe it up real quick before it dries.  JUST DON"T MAKE A BIG SPILL--because it probably would soak thru.

Ok--enough about the towels.

On to the main event:

 The Paint Brush (which I forgot to take a picture of before painting).  Dun da da daaa:

Ok--so in ALL HONESTY--this paint brush is REALLY AWESOME.  I have never used a quality paint brush before.  I have ALWAYS bought the cheapiest ones possible--because that is just how I roll--CHEAP!  But I must confess that I have always had a Love/Hate relationship with them.  I love the price--but HATE the way that they leave really obvious brush strokes--and even worse--THEY LEAVE THEIR STRAY BRISTLES ON MY PROJECTS!!!!  I still have a couple bristle hairs stuck to THIS and THIS and THIS.  It makes me crazy!!!

So this brush really, honestly was AWESOME to work with.  (And I am not just saying that because the company gave me free stuff!)  I was able to get a nice clean edge on my boards without taping off the whole bottom of the porch--and it is BRISTLE FREE!!!  Exhibit A:

 (And YES--we need to sand and refinish the floor boards next--ONE THING AT A TIME!!)

I still preferred a small roller to do all the roundy parts of the banisters (which--I think whoever invented the roundy banister should be shot--talk about difficult to paint in every nook and cranny!)  But I used the paint brush on a lot of the straight edges.

And even though painting this puppy took two coats and a ton of time (actual painting time and time waiting for a sunny day here in the Northwest) it definitely went better by using a quality paint brush.

So here are some afters of my FRESH WHITE porch:

Now to tackle the floor boards...or maybe that can wait till next spring.