College Dresser

My son moved out of the dorm his second year in college and needed a dresser.  His old nursery dresser wasn't going to cut it.  Here's a picture of it after I started sanding it.  It was cute 19 years ago with a baby blue paint job and lime green pulls.

 

 

I sanded it down and spray painted it Rust-Oleum High Gloss Black.  I did a number of coats allowing it to dry between each.  Did a light sanding on the final coat and finished off with a Rust-Oleum clear coat.  Jon picked out the pulls to give it a very modern feel.

 

 

 

 

 I liked the way it turned out, but I'm not interested in doing another high gloss piece. It's so shiny that it shows every flaw.  To do high gloss properly, you'd need to learn to use a paint sprayer and I'm unlikely to go down that road anytime soon.

 

Another Snow Day

We're getting hit again with a snow storm, but this one is heavy and wet.  There are a number of people without power, we still have ours for now.  A number of years ago we had an ice storm that knocked out our power for 9 LONG days.  We bought a generator that year and can keep the furnace, minimal lights and the TV running.  Hopefully, this heavy snow won't pull our lines down.

 

These pictures were taken from my front porch, you can already see some branches broken off and laying on the lawn.  It will be a mess to clean up....

 

 

Pulls

Don't you love pulls!!  I have bought furniture pieces just to possess their pulls.  I love the detail and patina on vintage pulls, it adds so much character to a piece.  Here's some photos of pulls I have around the house.

 

My favorite pull has to be one of the three above or the three below - I can't decide, I love them all!

 

Graphite coffee table

On a whim I decided to paint my coffee table, it's a cheap table I bought at Nebraska Furniture Mart.  It's made of pine and shows all the bumps and dents.   

 

I decided it would look good with a Restoration Hardware feel, so I painted it with ASCP Graphite and distressed it on all the edges to allow the pine to show through. I mixed some clear and dark wax to finish it.

I'am pretty happy with the results, though I'm still struggling a little with the dark wax, it shows fingerprints and that is driving me crazy!  Am I STILL putting too much wax on or does dark wax just show these d@mn fingerprints...hmmm.  Anyone know, please comment.
 

SNOW DAY

Snownomi has hit Kansas City!  The highways are closed down, people have been stuck in their cars for hours and it's supposed to start snowing again this evening. 

 

Views of my back patio.  We got about 10-12 inches in 5 hours.

View from my front door.

 

Check out the mound on the birdhouse

 

YES, i'm still in my PJ bottoms - I worked from home fortunately and decided that I wasn't goin out and no one was comin by in this weather, hence PJ bottoms.
 

 

 

Sally wants to know what is all that white stuff out there and where have all the birds gone?

 

JunkFest Studios

I took a paint class at JunkFest STudios in Shawnee Saturday morning and had a great time!  The proprietor of this darling little cape cod house turned studio/shop is Robin Hammond and she is a delight.  Her shop is filled with unusual and unique painted pieces with a studio in the back for classes on painting and various other activities. 

This particular class was devoted to CeCe Caldwell chalk/clay paint. 

I brought in a small table to play with

I started with an undercoat of Vintage White, then layered on Smokey Mountain (a gray/blue).  With a light distressing I'm finishing it off with highlites of Dover White and I'll trace a French graphic on the top.  Here's some pics during class

                             

This piece will be finished at home and I'll post a photo once it's complete.
 

JunkFest Studios is located at 6115 Nieman Road, the shop is open from Noon-5pm and her number is 913.210.4444.  Robin is someone you want to spend the afternoon with chatting away while painting or shopping.  I had so much fun that I know I'll be back many times.

   

Happy VD!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone!  I received the cutest VD card in the mail yesterday from my dear friend Teri

 

 

Isn't it cute!  She makes all her own cards and sends to friends on holidays.  I feel lucky to make the list and enjoy her creativity. 

 

Hope everyone gets a little surprise today too!

 

 

Red French Renaissance Dresser with mirror

Isn't she a beauty!!  I'm calling her a French Renaissance Dresser beause she's so ornate, but i have no idea what her true roots are.  Found this piece at an estate sale - with the matching mirror for $35.

 

 

 

Here's  the piece was originally. 

 

It was in such great shape I only had to glue the missing trim back on - then off to painting.  I used Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint - Tricycle Red.  Followed that with a Miniwax Dark Walnut stain and finished her off with two coats of Annie Sloan Dark wax.

 

 

The construction is amazing, I don't think I've EVER seen a better made piece.  It's heavy oak with flawless joints and carvings.  Check out the drawers - the top two are divided into 3 segments.

Look at that detail on the bottom - it matches the top of the mirror.

I'm putting her up on Craigslist in the morning - I hope she finds a good home.

Famous Friends

My good buddy, Nancy Pell, owns a wonderful shop called Perfect Scents.  She has all these perfume and essential oils that you can mix and match or add fragrance to her  lines of lotions and potions. 

 

      Perfect Scents

 

She was on TV this morning on the local morning show promoting scents for lovers on Valentines Day.  You can catch her at this link

 

KCTV 5 Better Kansas City

 

Nancy and I go waaaaay back, we met working as waitresses in the mid 1970's.  It was fun to see her on TV - making her a local celebrity!

 

Nice Job Nancy!

 

Moms Sewing Cabinet

 

I've always painted, but usually rooms in my home, flower pots, bird baths or concrete floors.  I started following Miss Mustard Seed and loved her painted dressers.  I thought I'd give it a try and started with my Mom's old sewing cabinet.  That cabinet had been in her sewing room all the years I was growing up and she refinished it in the late 60's with a crazy green....

 

 

 

I was in the middle of stripping it before I remembered to take a picture.  It had big brass square pulls, just hideous, but probably hip in the late 60's.  I used Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint, lightly distressed it and finished with clear and dark wax.  Then stained the top with Miniwax Dark Walnut and added some vintage pulls I found on Ebay.  Love, Love, Loved it!  I was hooked!

 

I'm using it in my bedroom as a nightstand and it constantly reminds me of my Mom, who I lost 25 years ago.  She would love that I'm painting furniture, she antiqued my dresser and bedframe when I was a preteen.  Wish I still had that old dresser, perhaps it will show up on Craigslist one day.