Saturday, November 22, 2014

DIY Fix: Paint your toilet seat so it's like new again!

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"Want to see my toilet?" said no one. Ever.
Well, except for me that is, because I seriously want to show you my toilet.

This DIY fix was just too good not to share because it worked like a charm!

Why are you so worried about your toilet, you ask? We are in the process of moving, and by in-process I mean I think about how much I need to pack. Every day. And then I blog about painting my toilet. 

We are finally leaving a loud city apartment and upgrading to a house in the quiet tranquility of a rural small town, just outside Seattle. We're really excited, but the packing, cleaning and moving part isn't so much fun (especially since in July we actually packed and moved everything out, but due to a bad situation, ended up having to move right back in. Blah!).

So, in an attempt to leave this place better than we found it (and a full deposit refund!) we need to pretty up the old toilet seats that have been cleaned so many times the paint has started to rub off. They're not gross and dirty I promise! Just in need of a little re-painting so they look as clean as they really are.

I stumbled on this Toilet Seat Makeover post that gave me the how-to's, and promptly ran over to Home Depot to grab some spray paint. And away I went.

HOW TO PAINT YOUR TOILET SEAT SO IT LOOKS LIKE NEW

WHAT YOU WILL NEED (*product links included)
  • Rust-oleum Painter's Touch 2x Ultra Cover Spray Paint + Primer in Gloss White - through Amazon or Home Depot (as recommended by the other website & worked great; unless your toilet's a different color)
  • A well-ventilated area such as outside or a garage  (*I tried to spray paint the toilet seat in the bathroom as the other site directed, but I fumigated myself. Gah! So I took it outside, even though it was like 30 degrees. I'd rather freeze than faint.)
  • Newspaper, painters cloth or other cover that can get painty
  • Clothes to spray paint in
do it yourself fix toilet seat spray paint look new again
PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: Give your toilet a quick and thorough cleaning, and let the toilet seat dry completely.

STEP 2: Remove your toilet seat (SIMPLE! just use a flat-head screw driver) and bring toilet seat to a well-ventilated place

STEP 3: Use your drop cloth or newspaper to cover areas of the toilet seat you don't want to get painted.

STEP 4: Follow the directions on the spray paint can and shake til its well mixed

STEP 5: Spray a light coating 6-10 inches away on the toilet seat and let it dry. Don't spray too close or over spray or you'll get drips and bubbles. I waited about 30 or so minutes in-between each coating.

STEP 6: Repeat step 5 as many times as you need to for desired results. (*previous website warned not to over-spray or it won't look good)

STEP 7: Once completely dry (which according to the can, and by can I mean paint (pun fully intended), it should be "dry enough to handle in 1 hour/ fully dry in 24 hours"), & return your *LIKE NEW* toilet seat to your throne.

It really is a great transformation because this re-painted toilet seat now looks as clean as it is! It will sparkle and shine so much they may give us a bonus in addition to our deposit! Ha! Not likely. But the new tenants will be happy with their toilets, and what's not to love about that?

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go pack! ;)

*This post contains product links, added for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Delivering Fairface Washcloths™ to Oprah and Gayle King

Fairface Washcloths and Oprah and Gayle King
This weekend I had the unique and exciting experience of having my Fairface Washcloths™ gift sets delivered to Oprah and Gayle King, while they brought their special The Life You Want message to Seattle. How I wish I could have been able to deliver them in person to thank them for their incredible contributions and hear their inspiring words!

A friend of mine, who is the niece of the makers of Lisette L Pants that Oprah wears and loves, had the rare opportunity to go to the VIP tent where Gayle and Oprah greeted guests, took pictures and socialized with the Seattleites and others who traveled from near and far to attend this event.

My friend was able to hand-deliver these Fairface Washcloths combo cloth gift sets (so they could experience the best of both Fairface Washcloths styles) to Gayle! I feel so privileged for the chance to get products that mean so much to me into the hands of people I admire so much, and am so grateful for a friend willing to go out of her way for me!

Giving your etsy products to celebrities

fairface washcloths, celebrities, branding, product inserts and marketing strategiesPicture your handmade etsy products (& here) in the hands of two of the world's most influential people. No pressure! Ha! Each stitch had to be perfect, but honestly, I do that anyway for all my products because I'm a perfectionist and control freak. In this case that's a good thing, right?

Reviewing Product Packaging

Nothing kicks your buns into gear to do a hard and fast review of your product and its packaging than preparing gifts for celebrities!

I had to ask myself a few questions:
  • Does my packaging clearly portray the brand and its message?
  • Does it describe the product?
  • Does it entice the customer to want to use it?
  • If given as a gift, does it tell the receiver what it is and what's so great about it? 
  • Does it direct customers to your website, & where to find you in social media?

I always figured if someone bought my product, they already knew what it was, so no need to include much more information about it since they already knew what it was! Right? WRONG! (loud buzzer sound)

As I began reviewing my packaging, all at once I thought of it in a different way: What if I was giving my product to someone who had never seen it before? (i.e. gift giving). Oops! Time to regroup.

get your etsy products to celebrities like oprah and gayle king
I created a special product label for Oprah and Gayle because I wanted them to know this was a special package made this just for them, and included updated product inserts with a better description of Fairface skincare Washcloths™ and what makes them special and unique.

This experience, giving these Fairface Washcloths™ Combo Package of 4 gift sets to Oprah and Gayle, not only gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hand deliver a product (that is my heart and soul), to 2 people I admire and love, but to also give me valuable insight into my marketing and branding efforts.
(P.S. - That's why its important not to spend loads of money on marketing materials as you are growing your product so you can change and evolve as needed without wasting a lot of money on tossing and updating marketing materials.)

I'm so grateful for a friend willing to go out on a limb for me, as well as carry some extra bulk in her purse, to get these packages to Oprah and Gayle this weekend!

Fingers crossed they'll love their new Fairface Washcloths™ as much I and my customers do! Who wouldn't love a soft and soothing skin care facecloth? Hope they will say the same! ♥


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Fairface Washcloths™ are an exclusive product of Shannon Sorensen Designs and are available through our website: FairfaceWashcloths.com
& our Fairface Washcloths Etsy Shop

→Find the Combo Package of 4 gift set that Oprah and Gayle King received here

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