I Humbly Stare at You and Dresser Before and After

My short people are hilarious.  I was just praying with one of them, and this is what he prayed: "...(blah, blah, blah...) and God, you are holy, and mighty, and I humbly stare at you."  He just turned three.  I have no idea what that means.  But at least he's humble, right?

Another (4) told her sister today as they were setting up a paint station, "this stuff right here's 'probly' made in China..."   Guess they really are listening as I ramble from my many soap boxes!

Anyway...

So, without further ado....  here's the before of my crooked, jacked-up doors, hand-me-down dresser that I've been considering painting for years.  I love the shape of this thing, and I know there are a lot of cool things I could do.  But I REALLY wanted something simple.  Especially since it's the school cabinet, and the puzzle cabinet and the play dough cabinet, and the "get-your-sticky-fingers-all-over-it-as-much-as-you-can" cabinet, you get the point.

And here's a closer up version.  yummy, I know.

A little AquaBond (Did I mention my love for this stuff?)

Had to just paint around these handles because they are attached with tiny pin nails, and we were uncertain they would ever fit again if taken out...(thanks for your meticulous work btw, Hot Husband...)

I had plans to distress, and add some layers, but when we got finished painting the heirloom white on, and I took the tape off, I loved the "clean" look.  I need something in my life that's not distressed.  Seriously.  

Soooooooooo.... Here's her new look!

And all my lovely new spring finds, too!

Maybe not the MOST amazing transformation ever, and yes, we still have the super-chic crooked doors, but it really brightens up the space.  I like that we kept the wood on the horizontal surfaces.  I can always re-stain them when I get bored with this piece.  Which I can ASSURE you, will happen.  

So let's see if I can accomplish a side by side before and after...

 

I like the free makeover!  What do you think?

Finally finishing what I started months ago starting on my kitchen cabinet transformation this week, and going JUNKIN' with my Funkie Finds friend Ruth on Thursday.  Can't wait to show you this place, and see what we find!  

Linked up my dresser here!  and also over at Centsational Girl

Thrifty Spring Finds

     Raise your hand if your hot husband likes to thrift.  I know.  There aren't many of you out there, but I am lucky enough to be one of the blessed few.

    We thrifted our butts off on Saturday.  Thought I'd share with you a peek or two of some of my awesome finds.

      These beautiful vintage china saucers caught my eye.  They'll make lovely candy dish stands when paired with some crystal candlesticks, don't you think?

  
     Also I found a couple of delicious books.  They fit right in with my new spring vignette (more on that later...)

  
     So glad I picked up this little vase, too!

   I don't know about you, but usually my favorite things are chunky and chippy and somewhat falling apart.  Here was the crown find:

     I can't even believe it.  Price tag? $1.  Yep.  and it's huge.  and the centerpiece on my newly refinished dresser.   yes, you'll have to wait....

    One last peek tho...

     Not from this weekend's finds, but certainly one of my favorites.  A scale that I picked up at an estate sale for $5.  Sigh.

     So whilst (is that a word?) I was doing all the work on my dining room table, I simultaneously re-did my dining room dresser, and if the durn sun will ever come out today, I'll take some final pictures and give her the grand reveal she deserves.

     How about you?  Are you working on any new Spring projects?

Dining Room Table Makeover Reveal

   Without further ado...  and because I always hate scrolling to the end of a post to see the final product...

Here she is:

i. love. it.

Can you believe the top?  Originally I wasn't a huge fan of all the inlays, but when I finished staining, I fell in love.  There are actually three kinds of wood in the top of the table.  We coated the top with a satin sheened polyurethane, and I'm so glad we didn't choose glossy.  It has a KIND of natural feel about it, and I love that. 

So here are some before and after pics

Yellow-y tinted poly... 

Lovely natural stained top and distressed heirloom white



Oh... There was this point in the middle of staining where this thought process entered my mind.
"Hmmm...  I REALLY hope this is how I'm supposed to do this.  Maybe I should have read the directions.  No.... surely no self respecting DIY-er reads the directions..."  (My husband informs me this is certainly NOT the case).

Before

After

I love it.  What do you think?  




Linked up here!

And here!

Sneak Peak at the Table Progress

I'd be lying if I told you this table wasn't kicking me in the rear.  As usual, it's a little bit bigger of a job than I thought it would be, but it will be worth it. 

     I rocked the power tools today.  First I started sanding the top yucky finish off the table top.  I burned through about seven hundred thousand sanding pads. 

     Note layers of dust on the piano bench in the background.  Also note that one of my short people ran an appendage through it so as to kindly spread dust even further throughout the house help me clean up.

     
      I finally got to use one of my Christmas presents for the first time, too!  love...

 So I'm in the process of attacking the rounded edges of the table, and tomorrow the stain goes on.  Although I have to say I'm liking the bare wood.  It's very Restoration Hardware chic, but not my style...

      Here's a little peek at one knee...

     We're getting there!  I'm hoping for a final product tomorrow, fingers crossed...






 

Dining Room Table Makeover Part 1

    So just a note that this is my first post.  I have no archives to search yet.  And my best friends and my husband are my only followers I'm okay with that.  And I finally started this after reading Miss Mustard Seed's blog.  She has an amazing story and you should check it out.  Now down to business.

 I've been wanting this table for a while.  Not this "type" of table, but this very table.  Before we ever met, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted, and I kept my eye out for what seemed like a zillion years.  I finally found this beauty at the ReStore buried under a bunch of junk:

     Price tag?  $80.   After waiting til just the right time, and the best bargaining of my LIFE, I got her for $40.  Yep.  She's a beaut.  I know.  Just look at those legs.  hot momma!  seriously.

     I should also just mention that this is the HEAVIEST table I've ever owned.  Thus, this job took place in the dining room, and it was hard to get a good picture of the whole thing at once.  But you can rest assured that the back end looks just like the front end.  (not something you want said about you, right?  :)

  First, we sanded her down just to get the shine off.  Then we gave her a coat of Aqua Bond.  (This stuff is amazing.  It adheres to ANYTHING and I L-O-V-E it.)  Although it is pricey, but it is worth it... but it is pricey.  Like $60 per gallon.... yark...  (you could just use kilz or just sand it really well and not prime at all. )

      I'm starting to get excited.  I've been able to see this in my mind for weeks, and now it's starting to emerge for real, and I can barely contain myself.

    Let me introduce you to three of my best friends.  Floetrol (I'll get to that in a minute), my handy paint pail (you can tell she's been around the block a few times, but I don't like to judge) and of course, paint.  I'm not a HUGE Behr fan, but on this project it really worked well.

    

I broke out the gallon of heirloom white that I had matched to the spray paint can at Home Depot.  Here's a secret that I learned from Kate:  Floetrol.

It is amazing.  I added it to the paint, and seriously, it was like painting with butter.  I will never paint furniture without it again.

Check out the lack of brush marks here:

 Unbelievable.  It totally looks spray painted, right?  Floetrol, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways....

All I have left to do now is distress this lovely lady, OH and a secret AWESOMENESS is happening to the tabletop so STAY TUNED!