Okay, not just three cheers.

 

But four.

 

 

Four conspicuously similar looking red, white, and blue mason jars.

 

Though always in sets of three. 🙂

 

 

Just variations in composition.

 

 

And jar sizes.

 

But on this 4th day of July I would like to send out three cheers to you. My blog readers. For your support. And encouragement. For reading my words. And commenting on my stories.

 

You have enabled me to live my very own American Dream. To do what I love in a way that allows me to provide financial support to help my children explore their very own dreams.

 

It’s an American Dream come true.

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

 

You are amazing. And wonderful. You amazing and wonderful dream makers!

 

And on this 4th day of July, I’ll leave you with even more red, white & blue inspiration. Just click here.

 

And here.

 

And here.

 

And here.

 

And here.

 

And here.

 

Phew. That’s a lot of red, white, and blue!

 

Wishing you an amazing Fourth of July!

🙂

 

P.S. Tutorials for my set of three cheers red, white & blue mason jars can be found here. And here.

 

P.P.S. I also sell all four sets of three cheers for red, white & blue mason jars here.

Detailed tutorial on how to paint and distress mason jars.

For those of you who are regular visitors here at Paint (thank you!), you probably scratched your head when you saw the ‘how to paint and distress mason jars’ title of this post in your newsfeed. Or inbox. Because you know I’ve been painting and distressing mason jars … and selling painted and distressed mason jars … for 2+ years now.

 

But what you may not realize is after all those years of painting and distressing mason jars, I have never once shared a full, picture-filled tutorial with my how.

 

 

Crazy, right? How could that possibly be?!?

 

So just for today, my regular readers (thank you again!) will need to bear with me as I rectify this horrible oversight. This abomination. This slight on mason jar craft-dom.

🙂

How to Paint and Distress Mason Jars

Materials*

Rustoleum Chalked Paint (Linen White)

Rustoleum Chalked Paint (Blush Pink)

Rustoleum Chalked Paint (Aged Gray)

Rustoleum Chalked Paint (Country Gray)

Rubbing Alcohol

80 Grit Sandpaper

Clear Coat Sealant

Paint Brushes

*some affiliate links have been included for your convenience; affiliate links will not affect the purchase price of the products for you.

1. Prep

If you’re starting with a new case of mason jars, you’re good to go. But if you’re using old jars that have been used for other purposes, you’ll want to give them a thorough cleaning.

Wipe down with rubbing alcohol and then wash with hot, soapy water. Dry completely.

 

2. Paint

Start with two coats of paint. Let paint dry completely between coats.

My favorite paint medium to work with is chalk paint. It’s easy to work with. It offers great coverage. It adheres well to the jars (much more durable than other paint mediums). And it’s a dream to distress. The only issue is chalk paint can be expensive and hard to find ….

until now!

Rust-Oleum has recently introduced a Chalked paint line (thanks Rust-Oleum for sending me this amazing, affordable, and beautifully colored paint line to try out). The cost is half of the popular name brand who will not be named here. And you can find it at the major home improvement retailers. You can also find them on Amazon (see the Materials list links).

 

{And if you’re using acrylic paint for your project, give the jars 24 hours dry time between coats of paint; otherwise when you apply the second coat it might peel off some of the first coat paint}

 

3. Distress

I use 80 grit “No-Slip Grip” sandpaper that I cut into rectangles and then fold over, giving me two side to work with.

I start with the top rim.

Then distress along the threads.

Next I tackle the raised edges on the two sides of the jars.

And don’t forget to get the Made In USA text!

I’m pretty rough with the back. I just rub the sandpaper all over the fruit graphic.

I leave the best for last: the front of the jar. I tend to be a bit more careful here.

I take care to make sure mason and Ball are completely visible.

I finish with a bit of distressing along the top and bottom of the jar.

 

4. Seal

The finishing touch is sealant. My go to is an acetone based clear coat in matte finish.

I found this particular brand at Michaels.

 

5. Care

Don’t submerge jars in water or put in dishwasher. Simply wipe down. And take care when filling with water. While the sealant makes the finish much more durable — and the chalk paint offers a much, much stronger bond that’s near impossible to scrub off than acrylic paint — it’s still considered a semi-permanent finish.

 

If you are using acrylic craft paint on your jars, you can easily wash off the finish (pre-sealant) with hot water.  Post-sealant, some of the paint can peel away if the jars sweat or  are submerged in water.

 

And you’re done.

 

 

Now, if you’re not crafty and would prefer to purchase painted and distressed mason jars, I have a few variations of this set listed at my Etsy shop.

 

The set of four can be found here.

 

 

The set of three pink, gray, and white can be found here.

 

 

And a set of three with pink, greige and white can be found here.

 

 

Did you feel that? That shift in the universe?

 

Because with this blog post, now everything is right in the world of mason jar crafting …

🙂

You Might Also Like …

Acrylic Painted Mason Jars for Spring (click here)

Annie Sloan Chalk Painted Mason Jars (click here)

Spray Painted Metallic Mason Jars (click here)

You can find even more of my mason jar crafts projects by clicking here …

And I even have a whole blog dedicated to mason jar crafts called Mason Jar Crafts Love. Click here …

And I have a book filled with mason jar crafts for kids. Click here for more …

 

This homemade lavender & mint bath salts recipe can be found here: Mason Jar Crafts Love.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

 

Don’t you love how I took a day and turned into a weekend?

 

You’re welcome! 🙂

 

And with the strike a few keyboard keys, I’ve given you carte blanche to do whatever you want to do this weekend.

 

You can do nothing. Or everything. Your choice.

 

Though, there are a few rules: (1) No housework (unless, like my sister and Monica on Friends, you get a perverse satisfaction from cleaning) and; (2) Pamper yourself.

 

You deserve it!

 

You can lounge and read. Or engage in a television marathon to get caught up on The Good Wife.

 

You can go on a Saturday night date with your husband.

 

You can take a relaxing lavender mint scented bath.

 

You can walk a charity 5K benefiting ovarian and breast cancer.

 

Oh, wait, that’s what I’m doing this weekend. 😉

 

And on separate but related Mother’s Day note, can I just tell my mom how much I love her? How much I admire her? How I’m truly, deeply grateful for her always being there for us …  supportive, loving, encouraging … and with a checkbook open, if needed. Together we’ve celebrated marriages and births and successes. And we’ve mourned losses and faced failures. But through it all, she has been my rock.

 

I love you mom!

🙂

And now I’ll leave you with a few links …

 

I’m definitely going to make this crispy chicken recipe (here).

 

This dive is jaw dropping (here).

 

This Mad Men fan theory (here) about how it might end blew my mind.

 

POW.

 

Wishing you all an AMAZING Mother’s Day weekend!

 

🙂

You Might Also Like:

Glitter Heart Mason Jar Votives

Mason Jar Sewing Kit

Mason Jar Project Gallery

 

Mason Jar Mixed Drink Mixers Idea: Add Ingredients to Mason Jars, Put on Ice, Shake & Enjoy! 

Last weekend we were treated to a hard-earned taste of Spring. The skies were blue and the temperatures demanded shorts and flip flops and short-sleeved tops …

 

… along with leg shaving and toe nail painting. 😉

 

But the best part? Flinging the windows open wide and airing out the house.

 

Ahhhhh …

 

And as I sat by the front window tap, tap, tapping on my laptop, I could hear the sounds of kids playing outside. Wondrous sounds filled with laughter and cheers, as they ran up and down the city sidewalk. Games were organized and teams were negotiated. Rules were made and changed and challenged. Balls were bounced and scooters were scooted and bicycles with bells ringing a ring of warning wove in and out of impromptu sidewalk baseball games.

 

And as I sat by the font window tap, tap, tapping on my laptop listening to the wondrous sound of kids playing outside, I found myself reminiscing about days gone by …

 

Long before Graeme and Sammy and Owen and Charlie ruled the sidewalk out front, there was Sam and Cole and Simon and Jack.

 

And much like Graeme and Sammy and Owen and Charlie, there was laughter and cheers and running up and down the sidewalk. Games were organized. Rules were made up … and rules were disputed. Balls were bounced and scooters were scooted and bicycles wove in and out of impromptu sidewalk baseballs games.

 

And when Spring turned to Summer, inflatable pools and hoses and sprinklers were pulled out front. Bathing suits and swim diapers were donned while parents lounged in folding chairs with ice cold beer and glasses of wine.

 

But had I known back then the many joys … and uses … of mason jars, I would have mixed up some mason jar mixed drink mixers for our Saturday nights out front. Some delicious cocktails concocted in mason jars and put on ice …

 

 

… and I would have instructed Cole’s and Simon’s and Jack’s moms and dads to just shake them up.

 

It’s that easy.

 

Maybe I should mix up a batch for Graeme’s and Sammy’s and Owen’s and Charlie’s moms and dads. And together we can toast the next generation of city sidewalk kids with some mason jar mixed drink mixers!

🙂

PIN IT!

Mason Jar Mix Drink Mixers

 

You can find the recipe for a 115 calorie low-cal Margarita by clicking here …

Low-Cal Margarita Recipe (click here)

 

You Might Also Like:

Almond Milk Smoothie (click here)

Fish Tacos (click here)

Mason Jar Project Gallery (click here)

 

 

 

 

{Click here for the full tutorial on how to make these mason jars}

 

Dear Facebook Friends,

 

You’re killing me.

 

One happy Spring Break vacation post at a time.

 

There you are in a tank top and shorts smiling wide with one arm flung around your “girl” and the other toasting (or is that taunting) me with your fruity-umbrella-garnished drink.

 

There you are smiling wide in Times Square, waving your Broadway show playbill at me.

 

There you are scaling some ancient ruin in an exotic European locale.

 

There you are sitting in a teacup at Walt Disney World, arms enveloping your sun-kissed tow headed kids.

 

There you are lined up atop a snowy mountain, just before skiing down the double diamond trail.

 

There you are flanked by your five kids as you eat beignets in the French Quarter.

 

There you are sipping your morning coffee at an outdoor café against a backdrop of clear blue skies and palm trees.

 

There you are at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, showing me the early morning ocean view from your balcony.

 

Sigh.

 

 

And here I am at home. In overcast Chicago. Enduring a week of damp 40 and 50 degree weather as I clean out closets and paint mason jars and spend hours upon hours waiting for the DMV to process the IL state ID my daughter needs for her upcoming 8th grade class trip to Washington, D.C.

 

 

And each and every one of your fabulous Spring Break vacation posts is like a dagger through my heart.

 

And in-between the closet cleaning and mason jar painting and waiting endlessly at the DMV, I’m also creating some new mason jar listings for the Etsy shop. Like these Spring Break inspired painted mason jars with daisies.

 

 

I share a full tutorial on how I made them here. Or, you can just let me make them for you (order here).

 

All in all, this is not a fabulous Spring Break vacation.

 

Certainly nothing worthy of a Facebook post …

🙂

Linda

For even more mason jar project ideas, click here …

Mason Jar Project Gallery

It was a week of surprises. Starting with this …

🙂

It just showed up on my doorstep. Via UPS. No forewarning whatsoever.

 

You could say it caught me by surprise.

The accolades on Facebook have been overwhelming. Friends and family and former colleagues and sorority sisters and gymnastics coaches and new blogging friends have been coming out of the woodwork to offer up words of congratulations. And support.

I’m truly and deeply touched.

 

The book will be available next month. And when my publisher tells me exactly where it will be sold, you’ll be the first to know! In the meanwhile, it’s available for pre-order at Amazon.com and BN.com and Indiebound.org and Books a Million.

I guess I need to start practicing my autograph.

😉

I was also surprised by the big meltdown this week. Seriously. I never thought the mounds of snow would go. It was messy. Still is. But it gives me hope that I’ll be able to retire my giant, full length puffy coat soon. ish. Maybe by Easter … ?

 

But the Chicago meltdown is nothing compared to what’s going on in the Boston area. Have you seen this photo {click here} from Cape Cod? Wild!

 

Then there was the tax return surprise. For the first time in, like, ever I have to write a check. To the state of IL. Something tells me Illinois taxes are too high …

 

Governor Rauner, can you please get on that? Like pronto. And Mayor Emmanuel, feel free to chime in too.

 

And now for a few surprising things that caught my eye on the interwebs …

 

I just love it when I come across something I’ve never seen done before. Like this artist’s work {click here}. Super cool. And super original!

 

This {click here} is nothing short of mind blowing.

 

And, finally, this {click here} is truly inspirational.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

🙂

Linda

P.S. In case you missed my posts this week, here’s a quick run down {with links} …

{1. Spring Flowers | 2. Chandelier Stencil | 3. WW Sesame Chicken | 4. Aging New Locker Baskets}

Sharing:

The DIY Showoff | Inspiration Monday @Refresh Restyle

It’s the weekend. And I should be excited. I should be winding down. Relaxing. I should be snuggled on the couch with my fuzzy sweater and fuzzy slippers absorbed in a good book …   But there’s no rest for the weary.   This weekend brings with it a lengthy list of to do’s:   1. There are 80 mason jars that need to be painted. Or spray painted. And second-coated. And distressed. And sealed. And packed for shipping on Monday.   2. There’s that pesky FAFSA college financing application for my son that should have been filled out in January, but I keep putting off …

and off …

 

and off.

3. There are bill collectors who would like their money.

 

4. There are dust bunnies that need to be wrangled by the vacuum cleaner. Not to mention stoves that need cleaning and counters that need wiping and bathrooms that need disinfecting.

 

5. There are projects and crafts that need to be created and photographed so I have things to share with you next week.

 

6. There’s a big blog giveaway I’m organizing that needs a graphic. And follow up emails to all the blogger participants and giveaway sponsors.

 

7. There are Essential Oils I invested in as a money-making opportunity for the blog, but they aren’t making me money sitting in an unopened box in the entryway.

 

8. Oh, and I can’t forget to corral our tax receipts together so I can deliver them to the accountant next week.   So while I get busy on all those pesky to do’s, I’ll leave you with a link. Just one this time. To this Huffington Post article:

“7 Things That Make Your Home Look Dated”

  I’ll be honest, this article stuck with me. And not in a good way. Perhaps it’s the title. It certainly sets a tone for decorating shaming …   which is exactly what the article does. Shames you about your decorating choices.   And that gets my Jersey up. I mean, we each have our own tastes and styles and should be encouraged to celebrate our individuality.  

If you like a chevron, embrace it!

 

If you’re in love with turquoise and blue, celebrate it!

 

If you sleep in a reindeer-less sleigh bed, go for it!

 

And some of the changes the article suggests are expensive. It’s one thing to change out a fabric, but ripping out and installing a new kitchen backsplash? Or buying a new bed frame? Those are big ticket items for my living-by-the-seat-of-our-pants budget.

 

And if you check out the comments thread, not a single reader was pleased with the author’s advice. They weren’t mean, per se. But I couldn’t help nodding along in agreement as I read.

 

So, what say you? Is my critique too harsh? Or maybe I’m just as dated as my home …

 

or annoyed that I’m too busy to snuggle up on the couch with my fuzzy slippers and fuzzy sweater and a good book.

Linda

P.S. I share a tutorial on how I made those red, white, and blue mason jars in the crate above on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love. Just click here for the tutorial …

 

P.P.S. Those red, white, and blue jars in the crate are also listed at the Etsy shop. I’m calling them All-In-One-American-Flag jars. There’s a quart with two pints set (here) …

… and a three pint set (here)…

You Might Also Like:

Red White Blue American Flag Mason Jars

Union Jack Mason Jars

Mason Jar Craft Gallery

Shamrock Mason Jars – St. Patrick’s Day Craft Ideas. 

*** the shamrock mason jar tutorial can be found by clicking here ***

Oddly nice.

 

That’s the response I received on my Mason Jar Crafts Love Facebook fan page when I posted these shamrock mason jars.

 

Exactly what I hoped for.

😉

Oh well. To each his own. Luckily others have responded more favorably. I’ve sold one of each set on Etsy (here and here) and have a potential custom request for 25. I’ve also posted a detailed tutorial on how to make these shamrock mason jars on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love. Just click here …

 

Oddly nice indeed!

 

I can’t believe today marks 4 years since I quit smoking. I’ll be honest, I still miss is sometimes. Okay, all the time. I swear if I’m still alive at 80 I’m taking up smoking again …

 

This week has been all about 50 Shades of Gray. And now I can’t help but wonder if I should read the book? Should I see he movie? Should I read the book first and then see the movie? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

 

And now for some things that caught my eye recently …

 

This is the cutest thing ever. Guaranteed smiles. Just click here …

 

Boosh!

 

That’s my mind exploding. Find out why here …

 

Grab a box of tissues before reading this (here). It really spoke to me. I’ve been referencing it frequently as I help my daughter navigate her teens.

 

Just because I love every and anything Harry Potter, I was so excited when JK Rowling answered some questions bandied about on Tumblr and Twitter (as an aside, if JK Rowling responded to a tweet of mine, I would drop dead from sheer excitement!). If you, like me, have lingering questions about Harry Potter, just click here …

 

Finally, some may be offended to be called cheap. Me? I’m honored (click here) …

 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Here’s hoping your day was filled with love. Mine was filled with a lovely trip to Ikea with my lovely daughter …

🙂

Linda

You Might Also Like:

Pot O’Gold Topiary

Irish Coffee Mugs

Mason Jar Project Gallery (click here)