Pasty white to dark tan in 4.5 hours.

Miss Thing here got a really long, tediously boring project done this past weekend.  But let's start with this.  Who enjoyed that 80 degree weather that we had on Sunday????? Woot woot!!  Ahhhh its so great to have nice warm weather happening out there.  It actually was so warm out that I had to turn on my AC.  I know- completely ridiculous- seeing as though just two days ago I had the heat on.  But I had the doors open all day (partially from the nice weather but mostly because of the project I was completing) and it heated my house to 76 degrees.  I wouldn't have minded this temp (seeing as though that's usually what my heat is on for Christ's sake).  But after I went running outside in a long sleeve tee in the nice HOT weather (Go Kristi!  It's yo birthday!) and came back into the sauna that was my house at that point, I HAD to take a cold shower (simmer down boys) and turn on the AC.  Well the funny thing is that I never changed my automatic thermostat to OFF when I left for work this morning.  So when I normally have the heat on... and when I leave it set from 8am-5:45pm at 55 degrees... so that the heat doesn't kick on...... do you see where I'm going here????  Ya.  This idiot girl walked into the house at 6pm and it felt colder than the arctic.  Ummm yea can't wait to see that electric bill of 8 hours of 55 degree air condition.... Needless to say- that won't happen again.  Dumbass.



Anyway.... back to the project.  When I first signed for the house, there were 3 things (ONLY 3 THINGS) that I asked the contractor to do or not do so that I could do or not do them myself.  Well, 2 of the 3 things they plowed through and "forgot" that I asked them not do touch them.  Well.... I screamed, went psycho, and almost punched my contractor I made sure that they knew not to mess the third one up or else..... dunt dunt duhhhhhhhh......  Well this one thing might not have been all that important to them but it was HUGE in my book.  So for the last year and a half my stairs have looked like this.

I asked them to leave the railings and spindles unfinished for me because they would only do one of two things: paint them white or stain them the color of my cabinets.  Well, why stain them the cabinet color if I knew that I was going to be painting the cabinets.  And I didn't want them white because I wanted them to be the color of the floors that I'm eventually in 15 years going to put down.  Which leaves me to my project.  On my last trip to Lowe's, I decided I couldn't take the unfinished look any longer.  So I picked up some dark walnut stain and decided that I was just going to do it!! After my run on Sunday I unhooked the railing and brought it into the garage to begin the process.  Here is the railing with the first coat of stain.

Oh side note:  for any of you going to stain something.  Go with your gut and just use shop rags for staining.  Bypass the foam brushes altogether.  They worked for the nooks and crannies (especially the spindles) but it took SO MUCH LONGER with the brush than using the rag.  Oh and use RUBBER GLOVES.  This step I actually did think of and saved myself a lot of hand scrubbing later.  Another side note- look at how disgusting my garage floor is.  That is still dust from the spray paint from the dining chairs.  STILL.  UGH.  Never.  Again.

After the railing had its first coat I went inside to start on the railing and spindles.  This was the boring tedious part.

Isn't it beautiful????   I mean- that's just one part of it- but the transformation is ridiculous.  I was starting to see it change and it was totally exciting!  Here's another glamor shot with the spindles done.   

Well, you can't see them in the above picture but the one above that- you see those UGLY brass handrail brackets???  Oh yea, those puppies came down too!!!  Slowly but surely, all traces of brass will be removed from this house.  Disgusting.  Awful.  Hideous.  Gross.  Now, check out these bad boys.

Aren't they sexy?  Anyway.  Those went up and I let both the railing and spindles dry over night while I inhaled WAY TOO MANY toxic fumes.  I came home after work today and put the long railing up again and here is what the beautifulness looks like now!!! BAM! IN YO FACE!

Awwww yeah...... No matter what angle I show you, she's still sexy as hell.  God, I can't believe that I waited over a year and a half to do it.  And even though my house still smells like shit toxic fumes, the end result is AWESOME!!! I love it! I love it! I love it!  Don't you??  The same color stain will be used on the dining table once I'm able to sand that down (cough cough next weekend cough cough).