Feeling blue...

I found this oval coffee table at Savers for a mere $5. She needed to come home with me! She had lots of dings and scratches, and I had to sand...and sand...and sand...to get rid of them! Then I used spray primer on the top, and my can had a faulty nozzle! Big drops and dribbles of primer went ALL OVER my table top. That's a big problem! Instead of a nice thing coat, I had a nice thing coat in some places, and big thick polka dots in others--and they showed. That meant I had to sand...and sand...and sand...AGAIN! I finally sprayed it all with Rustoleum's Aqua Blue spray paint, distressed it, and glazed it with walnut stain.

The fern stencil was an excuse to try out my new-to-me Cricut! I just cut it out of regular cardstock, sprayed the back with adhesive spray, and used spray paint for the stencil. Cardstock stencils work pretty good for spray paint; not so well if you're actually trying to paint with a paintbrush, I've discovered!

Anyway, I think she is pretty cute!

Cedar Chest before & after

I love cedar chests! I found this one at a garage sale for $25.



Look at those pretty legs! And a drawer!


Of course, the reason it was only $25 was that the varnish was peeling off in strips and flakes, and the veneer was partially missing on the top and coming up in other areas.

After lots of sanding, a little glue, and some caulk to hide the missing areas (shh! don't tell!), I painted it white and gave it a little distressing and glazing.





Linking up!

Desk and chair before-and-after

Remember this project? I actually listed it before I went to a family reunion for a week, so I had several calls before I could get back to sell it to someone! (That was kind of fun for me.)

One of the ladies who called wanted to know what the meaning of all the letters and numbers on the desk was! I said, "Just for fun!" She laughed and said she really wanted a plain white desk anyway.

Well, I got brave...I said, "I just happen to have another desk in my garage; I could paint it for you!" She was interested! I took pictures of the desk, e-mailed it to her, and we made a deal.
I finished the desk, e-mailed her new pictures, and she loved it! Then she said, "You don't happen to have a chair that could go with it, do you?" I thought fast. I had seen one the previous day at DI, and I wondered if it was still there. I told her I had something in mind, and I would e-mail her a new picture later that day. I went to DI, and I was in luck! The chair was still there, so I snatched it up! It's the one on the left.


....after sanding, priming, and painting--but no distressing for this client--and some sanding and cleaning of the original hardware, here is the finished product!



I think the chair and desk complement each other nicely, and my sweet client (who drove all the way up from Provo) seemed happy!

Pseudo-Farmhouse Table (Before & After)

Several weeks ago I walked in to DI and found the twin to my kitchen table! Well, it's not quite the twin...my table is a medium oak color, and has the laminate top I insisted on so I wouldn't have to worry about what my children might do to it! Anyway, this table was more of a dark oak, and it was showing some of the ravages of time. The top was scarred and scratched, and the finish was very faded--but it still had both leaves, and was still a sturdy, solid table. However, at $60, it was still a little expensive for an experiment.

So I watched....and waited. Do you know they mark stuff at DI down every week?!? The next week, it was $30...and then $15...and then it had to come home with me. Trust me, I paid a LOT more than $15 for our table!

This is how the table turned out:


Rather than trying to disguise the nicks and scratches, I decided to highlight them and make even more! I literally beat this table with a chain, hit it with a hammer, and scratched it with a screwdriver. I restained the top a dark walnut, letting it stay dark in some areas, and wiping others away for a variation of color. I wanted it to look old and well-loved.

The bottom I painted an antique white, distressed it to show off the pretty spindles and chunky legs, and glazed it with more walnut stain.

I sold this table the same day I listed it, and the lady who bought it hired me to finish more mis-matched chairs (I *love* mismatched chairs) to match! I am super excited. Can't wait to show you those soon!

Here's one more picture:


See the chairs for this table here and here!

Linking up to DIY Show Off

Old Windows

A couple of months ago I was on an "old window" kick! I think I bought about 8 in a week and a half...then I got myself under control again!

This is my favorite project. I have a "four season" picture over the bed in my room, and I originally planned to have this quote under it. However, once I got the headboard up, there was no room! So this old window was heaven-sent. A good friend of mine printed up the vinyl for me, and I purchased the wreath at a garden center. My plan is to swap out the wreath for the different seasons.







This was my first attempt at chalkboard paint! This window went to a woman who planned to write her new baby's name on it and hang it over his crib. What a fun idea!








This is my front porch. I decided it needed something more than dead bugs and old leaves on it! I purchased the bench from a consignment store in Riverdale; it was originally all a pale yellow. I painted it black, with the exception of the sunflower medallions (and they got a little more yellow highlighting). Originally I had one of those big metal stars hanging over the window (which I bought without glass), but last weekend I found this big "B" at an antique store, and it had to come home with me!