State of my garage.

This is the current state of the third stall of our garage. There are some pieces of furniture in there.
Hubby is trying to figure out how to heat this space so I can paint in there. We would love to build a shed, but our association won't allow it....I wonder if concessions can be made?

Remember this dresser that I asked you about? I was tempted to paint it aqua or teal with a chalkboard top, but ended up with a different color.

I decided to go for gray with a little smoke glaze on the side.

So sorry about the garage picture. Okay, no I'm not.  This is just real life.

As soon as I convince hubs to extend our wood planks to the entry as well, I will have a better place to photograph the pieces. Until then, enjoy the garage photos!

Pink Dresser. Seriously. Pink.

So, I picked up this dresser at a garage sale for a few hundred pennies.

I knew I was going to take it home the second I saw it. You would too. I know it.

First I painted her green. Eh. I liked it green, but something was telling me something different...that and my neighbor came by and said, "This needs to be pink." Huh. Pink. I NEVER paint anything pink! Why not? No idea. I just don't. But I did this time.

It's a great dresser! I distressed it quite a bit and the green comes through beautifully. Plus, I sprayed the pulls flat black and I think they look amazing!

Such a cute little dresser.

I'm lovin' the pink and green. What a great combo.

xoxo

A green day.

Sometimes the luck of the Irish is with you...sometimes not, but last week Thursday, it was with me. For about five minutes. Then the moments were gone, and Jack started throwing a fit and we had to go home. But before we went home, I found this:

For SEVEN dollars. Seriously. I love the desk, it's finished in the back too, so it doesn't have to go up against a wall. The top has seen better days, and the handles, I LOVE, but not a fan of brass. Easy fix.

Flat black spray paint:

Leaf Green Spray paint (by Rustoleum):

I did a sort of paint test with this project. Here's what I found:

I had a can of Krylon in sea green of some sort. And a can of Rustoleum leaf green.

Krylon nozzle rocks! Sticking to wood did not rock. It dripped and went on rather thin. However, over primer, Krylon is fantastic. 

Rustoleum nozzle not so good. Sticking to wood without a primer - yippee!

In my not so scientific experiment, I would have both on hand at all times. Seriously. I love some of the colors of both and if you prime before you paint (which, by the way, I DON'T always do) you should be able to use both paints just fine! 

I'm sure a video at this time would be very informative. We'll see, maybe some day. But here are the most important things I've learned while using spray paint:

1. Use super thin layers. For example, my first layer generally looks like nothing even went on. Then the second layer goes on in a different direction and fills in the empty spots. Many times I don't have to do a third layer. Sometimes you do. Just depends!

2. If you sand anything, make sure that all dust particles from the sanding are off the item (use a wet rag) and then let it dry fully. If there is sanding dust on the piece it will crackle, if that is not what you want, make sure things are clean and dry. 

3. Don't try and spray paint when it is 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity. Humidity and spray paint don't mix. I've actually done better spraying down to 35 degrees then when it's humid.

4. Get a good mask. I spent $27 on mine from home depot. I'm so glad I did. And make sure you fit it properly so that air doesn't come in or out. 

5. Distress before you stain.

6. Distress before you poly.

7. Stain before you poly.

8. Do 5 through 7 make sense? If you are going to poly it, do a light sanding before you poly. Don't worry! You will freak after you lightly sand it because you'll see all these scratches and you'll swear at me and you may think it is ruined, then you'll swear at me again. But honestly, once you put a couple of coats of poly on, those scratches will be gone. The poly fills in the scratches.

9. This post wasn't supposed to be about my spray painting techniques, it just happened. Sorry if all you wanted to see was a finished seven dollar desk looks like.

10. okay fine, here's the desk...

Worth the wait?!

I love this green! I will definitely be using it again. (Leaf Green in Satin by Rustoleum.)

She's named after my second grade teacher...Mrs. Sandness. She was my favorite teacher in elementary school. And I thought it fitting to name my favorite desk after my favorite teacher.

Especially with tears in my eyes as I send to of my children off to preschool this month...oh, the sadness...cry for me....or don't. 

Farmer's Desk

I met a woman. Her name was MaryLouise. She has a farm. Her husband died last year and now it's time for her to sell all 160 acres that they farmed when they moved here from Poland many years ago.

She has this cute little farmhouse and a gigantic barn. And in this barn was this....

This is what an upside down 80 year old desk looks like. She said, "make me an offer." I said, "Ten bucks." She said, "You will take it home for five." (In a very thick Polish accent.)

So, in the van it went. For five dollars.

Here is what it looked like when I used a Martha Stewart Aegean Blue sample and painted it on with the tiny little brush supplied with the sample....

Oh, and I sanded the top with 100 grit sandpaper on my belt sander. Took 3 minutes. I timed it. Then I stained it with ebony stain. You all know how I heart ebony stain.

Here it is with new pulls, completely painted and a coat of lacquer on the top.

I tried it with that crystal knob from another project, and I just didn't like it there. (Although I love the knob!)

So then I put this one on, and it looks so much better.

So gorgeous. Love it.

It has a crack on the top. Writing in the middle drawer and some postage stamps from 1937 stuck to one of the drawers. What years this desk has seen....

MaryLouise, I hope you are happy to know that your husband's desk has been repaired and is now in fantastic shape.

Desks are my new fav too

I like desks. I especially like this desk. I named her Tenley. In honor of the beautiful mother of four that bought her.

I found this at GW last week and painted it, listed it and had it sold within a few hours!  It constantly amazes me what people get rid of. Seriously. Look at that desk! Those pulls. Those legs....Yummy.

Okay. It took me 2.2 seconds to decide what to do with her. 2.2. That's fast.

Porpoise Gray. I heart Porpoise Gray.

Ebony stain. I heart ebony stain.

I brushed on the paint. Here's a little hint. To avoid brush strokes do the best you can to do super thin layers. I almost dry brush it on. That way the brush strokes are less noticeable.

This time I sprayed a coat of clear lacquer over the top of the desk. Yes lacquer....not to be confused with liqueur...lacquer makes things look hard, like they are professional...yep. Liqueur makes things look blurry and confusing...and then it gives you a headache in the morning....just sayin'. SO, I just make myself LOOK like a professional....I love it. It looks great.

I love those handles. Each one is different. You can't see it. Don't try and squint. Maybe click on it to make it bigger and you'll be able to tell....

It's dreamy. Each piece is getting harder to get rid of. I'm liking them more and more. Might be time for a little shop...or a little stand at a flea market....or on the side of the road...

And. I'm going to start naming the pieces of furniture I do. I'm losing track. And since I'm fairly certain we are done having children (boo-hoo...) I am going to name them after girls. No boys allowed. (As far as names go. The two men that read this....keep on reading!) One name that keeps popping into my head is Clarabell. Why? No idea. Wait...yes I do. We read a book about a cow with a cold...her name is Clarabell. The book is called...Clarabell Wraps Up. I got it for $4.99 in the bargain section at B&N....odd little book. But I love her name, and as soon as I do a table (cause her name definitely belongs to a table) I will use that name, until then....

This is Tenley....