spray painting 101...

i started another project today...and along with projects come stories of mishaps. i really should have my own "what not to do" show.

one day i found a rectangular mirror in the storage closet at matt's office. he said that they weren't going to use it and that i could have it. sweet!! talk about one of those bargain finds! although it wasn't quite the color i would have picked out, it was worth taking home to see where it would fit in. the big empty wall space in the dining room was screaming for some attention, but again the color was just off. i put the mirror in our storage closet until the day when i would know what to do with it.

above is the mirror (prepped for painting) along with some whiteish candlesticks.
second photo shows the intricate detail of the frame.

once i found my dining room buffet table i knew that i would hang the mirror above it. i purchased some discounted candlesticks at target to adorn the top of the buffet, and decided to spray paint them black. that's when i realized that simple black would work for the mirror too and all the finishes in the room would match.

this is where the mishap begins. i picked out the spray paint. matt picked out the respirator mask. i read the spray paint can. i did not read the respirator mask packaging. i ignored most of the spray paint can instructions. did not wear eye protection, wasn't in the best 'well-ventilated area' as suggested, and used on a day that was over ninety degrees outside. how important could these tips actually be? well, apparently really important.

this has always been my spray painting spot:
door to the outside shed open.
newspapers properly covering surfaces.
wear a respirator and gloves.

as you can see from the photo and caption above, i've done this before. i knew what i was doing. you don't have to tell ME any tips. no eye protection? squint. work in a well ventilated area? wear the respirator at all times and hold your breath. so it's hotter than recommended? work faster and in the shade. take it from me folks, they have product testers for a reason. now you'll have to imagine what the next photo should have been. picture this: me removing respirator, gasping at all the black on the inside, getting a tissue to wipe excess sweat from face, proceeding into bathroom to wash hands, looking up into mirror, eyes wide, silent scream, panic setting in. not able to picture this scene? think raccoon face. black spray paint was all over my face...some dripping no less from the sweat and some stuck in the pores that were underneath that darn mask. i thought about stopping and taking a picture for posterity, but i was afraid it wouldn't come off so i immediately jumped into the shower for a massive facial.

(insert gasp here)

lucky for me it all came off. i'm sure this post would be singing another tune if it hadn't. to my own defense this was the first time that i've spray painted anything BLACK...probably the last time too.

next time i promise to read and obey directions.