Old Dresser Turned into New TV Stand with Chalk Paint and Wax!

Last week, I had the amazing idea to repurpose our old bedroom furniture, which is just sitting around in our office, looking old.  I decided to try out chalk paint for the first time ever.  I was admittedly a little nervous, as I have never used it before, but I liked the idea of no priming or sanding!  A lot!

This is what the dresser looked like after I removed the trip-fold mirror from the top, two of the drawers, and the drawer knobs:

So, after doing some research (and being a little hesitant to spend the amount of money that Annie Sloan products cost), I decided on this Renaissance Chalk Furniture Paint Deluxe Starter Kit from Amazon.  For $84.99, I got a quart of Ivory Tower paint, clear wax, dark wax, a brush for each of these items, a lint-free cloth, and gloves!  Since I needed all of these items, it seemed like a wise purchase.  Unfortunately, I didn't read carefully and had to wait longer than the normal two days for the kit to arrive, as it doesn't ship for 2-3 days.  (Once I get an idea, I'm nothing if not impatient!)

As I waited, I readied the furniture for painting by washing it down with Murphy's Oil Soap.  I purchased two pieces of MDF from Home Depot and had it cut to size for the shelves that I was creating.  I covered the carpet with brown paper to protect it, and removed the drawers and laid them out on the floor.  Finally, the paint came and I started that very day!

The paint was definitely thick.  I thought about thinning it with water, as I read some people like to do, but decided to keep it the way it came.  This is what it looked like after two coats:

 I wasn't sure if I liked the fact that I could see the brush strokes, but just had to adjust my vision for the piece, and to embrace the imperfection.

Since the piece would get more than a little bit of wear, I decided to coat the top in one layer of Minwax clear Polycrylic for some extra protection.  Then, after it dried, I covered the top and the rest in a thin layer of clear wax, a small piece at a time.  Following ideas from other blogs, I scooped out a bit at a time onto a paper plate, where I could dip the brush and evenly distribute the wax as I rubbed the brush on the plate.  After buffing the clear wax, I painted on dark wax in the areas I figured would show some wear, wiping it off immediately.   As I read, if it went on too heavy in places, I put a little dab of clear wax on the cloth and wiped it off, like it was an eraser.  This is what the piece looked like after I finished the wax:

Last, I installed the knobs, which I also ordered from Amazon at $10.99 for 12 knobs.  Once I received them, I realized the screws were slightly too long and had to purchase shorter screws from Home Depot.  Then, in some places, even these were too long, so I ordered these washers from Amazon for $7.35 for 100 to ensure a snug fit.  I love the way the knobs sparkle in the sun!

 Here's a close-up of the dark wax accenting the design at the top of the dresser:

Finally, after letting the dresser dry for a couple of days, we moved it to its new home and set up all of the gadgets in and on it.  I am pretty happy with how it turned out!  What do you think???

Freestyle - Recipe share

Well, it's a new year and yet again, I am working on losing weight.  Back on Weight Watchers, where I have had success in the past.  I've been looking for some recipes to keep things tasty and interesting, and I found a great one for you!  This Healthy Chicken Salad with Apples & Cranberries from Simple Nourished Living did not disappoint!

I love chicken salad on a croissant, which is a total no no on a diet.  However, this chicken salad on two slices of Pepperidge Farms Light 7 Grain bread totally made me feel like I was cheating!  There was a wonderful balance of sweet (apples and cranberries) with savory (bread, chicken, dressing).  I am not a huge Greek yogurt fan by any means, but the mayonnaise and lemon juice made that tangy flavor less noticeable.

On the new Freestyle plan, many elements of this salad are zero points, but it did not taste that way!  If you're looking for a great, light, healthy recipe, try it!

My goal is to lose 15 pounds before I turn 40, which is over two months away.  Should be a reasonable goal, as long as I stay on track!

My Person

Today, as I think about my very best friend in the whole world, I keep going back to when I used to watch Grey's Anatomy.  Two quotes are stuck in my head:

"You're my person, you will always be my person."  - Cristina Yang

"We're friends, real friends.  And that means no matter how long it takes, when you finally do decide to look back, I'll still be here."  - Meredith Grey

She is on my mind today more than any day because her father unexpectedly passed away in his sleep last night.  He was one of the kindest and most wonderful people I have ever met.  And I feel helpless.  All I can do is think about her and worry for her, but there is nothing I can actually do to make things better.  Except be here to listen, which doesn't seem like enough.

I don't have a lot of close friends.  Because I've lost so many over the years, I believe I have stopped trying to make new friends.  I don't put myself out there and I know I don't make it easy to get to know me.  

She is one of the very few people who actually see me (and appreciate me) for who I am.  She is my person, the first one I turn to when I need to talk or celebrate.  She gives it to me straight, whether I want to hear it or not.  I value and appreciate her presence in my life more than I can say.  Spending time with her is healing, talking to her is my therapy.

I'm not always good at expressing myself, particularly when showing affection.  I'm awkward.  It doesn't come naturally.  But today, my heart is aching because her heart must be aching.  My dear friend, who I love like a sister.  While I wish there was something I could do to help, to make her feel better, I know there isn't.  I will continue to be here for her if she needs me, feeling intensely grateful to have her in my life.  

 

Wake-up Call

The unwelcome sound of something splattering the tile floor, followed by the noise of a child retching loudly.  3:00 in the morning, woken from a deep sleep.  I entered the bathroom to find my older son, Reed, surrounded by chocolate-colored vomit.  He must have woken abruptly and tried to get to the toilet, but didn't quite make it.  The first scene was a marked splash, covering floor, walls, doors - I scarcely knew where to begin, other than shutting the door to keep the dog from helping in the clean-up efforts.  It was like the scene of a crime, the amount of mess overwhelming and disorienting in the middle of the night.  Reed continued to be sick at the toilet, which he had somehow also covered.  As he emptied his stomach, Chad gathered a garbage bag and paper towels, while I rounded up some bottles of cleaner.  Bathroom carpets were thrown in the washer.  The shower curtain even had to be taken down to be laundered.  We cleaned Reed up with new pajama pants, Chad wiping his bare feet, and sent him back to bed.  The two of us spent thirty minutes cleaning that small bathroom to a state that it has likely never seen.  We examined every crevice, under doors, behind step stools, and scrubbed each wall.  Chad scoured every surface of the toilet.  We worked well together, finished off a roll of paper towels, tackled the mess, and finally got back to bed.

Photo: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

To be woken up again at about 4:00, Reed vomiting up the water he drank - thankfully into his garbage can this time!  This made for a markedly easier clean-up.  However, it took me a long while to relax and return to sleep.

None of this should have come as a surprise.  Days ago, we were astounded at the number of Reed's soccer friends succumbing to this sickness and unable to participate in the scheduled tournament.  It could be simply what Reed ate last night, or it could be a virus, lying in wait, ready to attack each of us and ruin our holiday break.  Now, we wait and rest, hopeful that the rest of us will remain healthy.

In the meantime, I will not be shocked if I have nightmares of bathrooms covered in remnants of ravioli, spaghetti, and chocolate ice cream.  (shivering slightly)  I wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year!

Table update

If you know me, you know I can't go long without something to keep me busy.  I'm in between semesters, which feels amazing, but I can only read so much each day without falling asleep.  I did start watching the Outlander series this morning (which is fantastic!) and I'm currently reading the fourth in the book series (equally amazing!).  I would like to be planning a trip, but our finances will not allow that.  So, I set my sights upon our coffee table.  It's the set we bought when we built our house almost 10 years ago.  Back then, it was black.  After children and scratches, I decided to paint and distress it some years ago, which suited me well for a bit.  However, the top was looking pretty bad and I couldn't stand the glass pieces in it any longer.  They always had fingerprints and just never seemed clean!  Here are some before pictures.

I am into the rustic/shabby chic/country vibe for decorating, so I decided to stain some wood to create a new top.  I started with selecting eight 1x4 boards and one 1x3 board (for the center) that I thought were straight.  Then, I got the wonderful Home Depot guy to cut them to 54 inches.

At home, I sanded them with an old sanding block I had, then used tack cloth to remove the dust.  I used an old washcloth to apply one coat of the Varthane Carbon Gray wood stain.  Then, I put on a coat of Minwax Polycrylic, waited for it to dry, sanded with 220 sandpaper, removed dust with tack cloth, and repeated until I had three coats.  No sanding after the last coat.    

This is where I needed some help from my hubby.  We started in the center and worked our way out, attaching each board with Gorilla Glue, then screws in the center and ends. The hubs drilled a pilot hole for each screw and then put them in.

Here is the finished product!  It isn't perfect, but I love it!  Covers up the things I hated and gives the whole room a new feel!  All for two days work and $80.75 + tax.  Now, keep in mind that this includes $15.97 for the Polycrylic, and $8.48 for the stain, both of which I have enough of to use for several more projects.  The screws were also $5.98 for 238 of them (when we only used 51), but there were no smaller packs in this color.

What do you think????