A Dresser Done Just Right

I just love the Habitat For Humanity Restore. I have picked up several pieces of furniture there. This dresser was 4.77. Gotta love a good price on something with lots of potential.

Sorry about the blurry pictures. My eyes are just not working right with this heat we have had here. I did not notice the blurriness until I uploaded them, and it is too late to redo them. The dresser is done. 

I mixed some white chalk paint. It is just a basic white wall and trim paint from Menards. Already mixed on the shelf and ready to go. I mixed 1 cup of paint to 1/2 cup of baking soda. The baking soda is mixed with just enough water to make it soupy before I mix it with the paint. It took 3 coats of paint to paint the dresser. It doesn't look that dark in these pictures, but it is a darker almost black. Then I sanded the top down and stained it with Minwax stain in Ebony. One of the drawers was missing so I took the drawer slide out of the top spot and also stained the inside of that. 

I wanted a natural looking distressing on this piece so after the paint dried I look a damp sock and started wiping. This will usually take the paint off only in the areas that seem to want to come off. That is the easiest way to explain it. There are some spots that I would like to be distressed so I use my nail with the cloth and kind of scratch it off. 

Then I used Minwax Finishing paste and gave it one coat. And here it is I LOVE the way it turned out. The drawers have an old newspaper look on the inside so I left that alone.

I did not do a thing to the pulls. I loved the way they looked so that is the way they stayed. The little shelf on the top was also purchased at the Restore on the same day for 3.00. It was already painted white so I just got out the old sander and distressed it. That is going to go on the top of the dresser with a few things on it. I'm not sure what things yet but we shall see. 

I am linking this post up with

 

Part 2 of Fantastic Furniture Finds

The 2 can chairs we found at the ReStore are going to be replacing the other chair I posted about earlier in my blog that I put in the sun room. These are going to go with the table so good.

I used the blueish grey chalk paint and painted 2 coats. Then I used Minwax stain in ebony and got it into all of the grooves and cracks, even on the seats. I let it all dry really well in between coats. Then a little distressing. And here they are.

I am super tired now but it was well worth it. We also finished painting the cupboards in the kitchen. No wonder I am beat. But I had to take advantage of the kids being gone. They will be all moved in soon and right on grama's heels from now on.

More Fantastic Furniture Finds

Well we went to the ReStore again and I found some treasures. I spent yesterday and today redoing 3 of them. The ReStore was having a sale in the clearance center, buy one get one free. So for 23.00 I got a plush chair that is in desperate need of repair, 2 cane back chairs, a side table and another chair. Here is the side table.

It has been really nice outside so I took advantage of that. First I cleaned it really well. Then I used on oops quart of paint we got at Lowes for 2.50. It is a greyish blue. I Love this color in fact I am thinking about taking it back and having them mix up a gallon for me for the dining room. Well I mixed chalk paint and painted the top. Then I white washed in Dutch Boy White Chocolate chalk paint on the bottom. The wheels and drawer pull got a fresh coat of the Rustoleum Hammered in Dark Brown. Then after the paint dried I sponged on Minwax stain in Ebony making sure I got it down in the detail and cracks. Then I simply wiped it off with a damp rag. The damp rag also distressed it for me so double plus. Less work. Here it is after a wax coat with finishing paste.

And again I am not sure where I will be putting it. My youngest daughter is moving home with the grandkids this week so once again plans are changing. I think they are taking over my basement with their toys. But I don't mind, they are worth moving a few things around. 

My Niece Skyler Continues Reaping In Success

My niece has now been featured on our local news Channel 3 Congratulations just does not say enough.

View the Interview Here

We are so proud of you Skyler!  She was also featured in the Jackson Mi newspaper MLive.

View the Article Here

And here she is with Dave Pirner. The second picture is my brother James. Of course he had to get in on the action too.

I am in awe of this child. She is just amazing. It also brings back so many memories of my own. I used to sing. But alas my MS has taken my breathing so singing is next to impossible for me now. I think it's time to admit it. Yes my MS does define me in so many ways. But I think I am still going to say no it does not define me in many other ways. So maybe I am still on the fence. Who knows. Any way again Congratulations Sklyer and we love you!

My Niece Skyler Davis Played with Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum

I am incredibly proud of my niece Skyler. She is a budding and beautiful musician who is extremely talented. The first time I heard her sing was a few years ago in my parents basement during our Christmas get together. Shy and unsure of herself she sang beautifully. Here she is just a few short years later belting out confidently in various places and on stage with a man who is well known all over the world. Check out her facebook page and see the video of her performance with Dave.

Skyler Davis performs with Dave Pirner


Way to go kid. We love you and are very proud of you!!

A Weekend Full of Redo

This weekend was very productive. I finished 2 furniture pieces. The first is a chair that we found at an Estate Sale on Friday for 3.00. My grandson Bryson aided in painting this piece. He was so cute just a painting away. I keep forgetting to take before pictures so this is slightly painted.

I love this chair. The woman had painted it white and recovered the seat. First I painted it a blue chalk paint that I mixed up with 2 colors. After 2 coats you could still see the white which is what I wanted. Then I used a chalk paint in White Chocolate and made a wash out of it. Just mixing 2 parts paint to 1 part water. Then brushed it on and wiped it off. Using a palm sander I distressed it. Then finished with MinWax finishing paste. And I love this little chair even more now.

Here it is in the sunroom in it's rightful place.

My son had this little table and didn't want it any more. I didn't realize the detail this table had until I started cleaning it up.

Once again I forgot to take a before picture before I started painting. I used White Chocolate chalk paint mix on this. After 2 coats I mixed up some Valspar in Pine with water to do a wash coat. Then sanded again with the palm sander and finished with paste wax. This little table turned out so cute.

A few weeks ago we found these brass knobs with back plates at the ReStore for .49 a piece. They are gorgeous.

I bought Rustoleum Hammered spray paint in Dark Brown and look at these babies now.

They are going to go beautifully in our kitchen. I also did a wash coat on the cupboards over the stove with the Valspar paint in Pine. I have too many projects going right now. So this weekend really helped in wrapping a few of them up.

Oh The Joys of Yard Work

Wow we have been so busy I did not realize how long it has been since I have written anything on my blog. The title to this post is an understatement to say the least. I have never really enjoyed yard work but I am building a slow dislike to it now. Earlier I said someone partially filled the backyard around the fountain in. We have dug enough dirt I believe we would have made it halfway to Texas by now. But is it ever coming together. Remember this picture.

Well here is where we are now.

Big difference so far. We have uncovered the left side of the wall. We have a sneaky suspicion that the rest of the wall is gone. I wish it were still there because it is pretty cool.

We have uncovered an amazing amount of rock, cement, broken and complete cinder blocks. Here is a pile of cement and blocks. 

And another pile.

And we are still digging. The side yard had around 50 large size garden rocks. We had no use for them so I put them on a message board at Facebook and a very nice couple came and picked them up. We were very  grateful to them with us both being disabled there is no way we could have picked them up and moved them. They were very grateful to have them and get them for free. It was a win win situation for everyone. 

Last night we dug out more around the fountain. We have also found an amazing amount of sandstone. This is the area around the fountain. It's pretty cool also.

We have been trying to go slow because we just do not know what we are going to run into. Here is Dave playing....LOL....he is amazed at the amount of cement and rock we have uncovered. 

We are not sure at all what the landscaping was back here and it may have been really pretty in it's day. But oh what a HOT MESS it is now. But we have been having a really good time as a family doing this. The kids have even been helping. Sophie keeps asking if we found any treasure today. We have dug up everything from a sole to a shoe to balls for the kids to play fetch with Bella. 

We have beautiful trees and bushes out there. The tree just behind the sunroom is a red maple. The other big tree is an apple blossom. We put rock gardens around both.

We have also been doing the kitchen slowly. A few weekends ago we put the beadboard and shelf over the stove area. We started the wooden countertop on that side too. I painted the cupboards green and I absolutely love the color. I antiqued and distressed the shelf over the stove and it is so cute. The cupboard door have been antiqued but I am not sure I am going to leave them that way. We may leave the kitchen for the fall and winter. It is starting to get hot here and I can't do anything in the heat. The basement has become a priority so I can stay out of the heat and we will not have the cost of cooling the whole house.