The One I Should Have Kept

Let me start by saying, I LOVE this coffee table. I also happen to need a coffee table. I also foolishly listed it and it sold the next day. That never happens. Drag right? Wrong. The woman who purchased it also bought a couple of dressers, a mirror, a chalkboard and candle holders. Turns out she owns a shop on Cape Cod...ok pinch me now. So that is where this is heading and I am super excited. 

 I painted in the house while watching Pawn Stars and yes I put newspaper down.

Mixed up some ASCP Paris Gray w/ a touch of some blue concoction I made a while back. Clear waxed then lightly dark waxed.

See how perfect it goes with my couches???

Now I'm on the hunt to find another just like it that I WILL keep for me.

Happy Monday!

Linking up here....

 

Dark and Dated

I shouldn't have been looking on Craigslist. My garage is packed with furniture waiting for its big day. But I did and immediately found this set reasonably priced and only 20 minutes away. Had it been further I wouldn't have had the phone in my hand ready to take a ride.

I'm obsessed a bit with this color...Louis Blue and Paris Gray mixed.

The tops were shiny formica/laminate so I sanded them and gave 'em a quick spray of oil based primer. I know you don't have to do this w/ ASCP but I didn't want to take a chance of them getting scratched up.

 Here they are lighter and brighter....

Have a great weekend!

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Friends With Benefits...Part 2

Remember my last post? When I was all happy and bragging about my French Provincial cheapo finds. Well, I finished the matching highboy earlier. They don't match anymore, I refinished them differently. Which look do you prefer?

Here's the highboy before I hit it with my brush. Love that no priming and sanding are required with ASCP.

One pull was missing. This seems to be the story of my outdated furniture life. You can see I puttied up the existing holes w/ my favorite Quik Wood and drilled a new one in the center where glass pulls from Home Goods will go.

See that little disc under the left foot. I highly recommend, they are amazing if you move furniture around. They cost about 8 bucks for a pack of 8...money well spent.

 I went with Paris Gray and accents of Old White. I don't have a whole lot of CP to choose from but Christmas is coming friends :) 

I'll leave you with this "what's wrong w/ this picture" from my super sweet daughter Michelle's 17th Birthday.

Yup, we're just a nice normal family!

Have a happy day!


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Friends With Benefits

I completely lucked out on Craigslist last week. I picked up two French Provincial sets from the same seller at a crazy low price. Actually I didn't pick them up, would've taken me ten trips. My friend with a box truck did for me. Same friend who owns the box company I use for packing my Etsy stuff. Now that's what I call a friend with benefits.

Here's one set...a Henry Link. The other is similar but doesn't have nightstands.

I just finished the dresser and mirror from the other set. I'm going to break the set up and paint the pieces differently. Seems when I do a full set buyers want just one or two pieces anyway and I get bored doing same old, same old.

The top sanded down 'cause you know I love a stained top.

I mixed up some chalk paint....Aubusson, Graphite, Paris Gray and little Old White and came up with this...

Couldn't attach the mirror because my assistants (daughters) were MIA....how convenient!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I am off to finish cleaning and then pick up my son at the train station...YAY!

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My Hurricane Sandy Dresser

Hope all of you are well. For those of you that don't know, I'm a Jersey Girl and we have all been through one hell of a week. Life is back to normal for me after losing power for 5 days, a picnic in the park compared to so many hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Life as they knew it will never be the same again. I'm 20 miles from the worst hit areas and the beaches that I spent vacationing at as a child and then bringing my own family there to do the same. It just makes me so sad.

 You have no idea how much I missed painting during this short time, never mind the heat and hot water. Hey, did you know you can brew coffee by boiling water on the stove and pouring through your coffee maker? Just a little FYI that might come in handy some day. 

When the power came back I took to sanding this beautiful dresser that was given to me ironically from a woman who lives on the bay in a town which was described by my boyfriend as a "war zone". She however was lucky w/ minimal damage.

 It was a great piece to work on. In excellent shape. I sanded the top down w/ my orbital and 80 grit sandpaper followed by 150 and then 400. Stained it w/ Minwax Provincial. Mixed up some ASCP Louis Blue and Paris Gray and accented w/ Old White. A little clear wax and buffed to a soft sheen. 

Isn't she pretty now?

                                                                             

Thanks for popping in! Now off to watch the election results. Hope you all took the time to vote today.

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The Warped Shelf

This nightstand was thrown in as a freebie when I bought its matching dresser and mirror. Nothing is free friends....the lower shelf was completely warped. No wonder the woman I bought it from so graciously gave this to me. Not that I mind of course :)

Now I must remove the shelf without causing further damage. I don't have any "real" saws so I used this rotary tool which I love for sanding detailed areas and simple cuts.

I'm now left with the above....a very messy leg.

I took a piece of scrap wood and cut off small pieces to block off the holes on the legs where the shelf used to sit.

I left one side open to fill w/ wood filler. Make sure to put a piece of painters tape on the inside of the wood where contact will be made w/ filler or you will NEVER get the mold/wood off.

Mix up some of this stuff that smells wonderful. Grab a plastic knife and cram into the hole. Patiently wait....remove mold thingie.

Sand it back and you're good to go. This stuff dries rock hard so don't wait too long to sand. I waited about half an hour. 

My free, long curvy legged, shelfless nightstand....

Thanks for popping in! 

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Ballard Inspired Finish

 I scoured the internet looking for a bit of inspiration for this.

I was stumped what to do with it...French Provincial w/ large hammered hinges. I saw this Ballard piece....different than mine but I loved the finish.

Love Ballard but not the price tag.

Sanded, lightly primed, painted and charcoal glazed. I love glazing. It seems so much easier to me than dark waxing. I'm sure there is a learning curve that I just can't get down. Practice makes perfect.

Here's my version without the hefty price tag....

Tomorrow I'm heading to a town wide garage sale down the shore.Yes, I'm from NJ. Standing up my flea market in hopes of finding some good trash to turn to treasures. Have a great weekend!

Linking up here...

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