~ Weathered Turquoise Chest of Drawers ~

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I thought I'd share another furniture makeover with you all. It turned out super cute, but I only have one picture that even depicts the color somewhat accurately :(

I found this antique in pretty rough shape. I wasn't sure if I could even refinish the top because there was what seemed to be a hole that had been drilled into it and lots of loose wood fibers that had to be cleaned out:

I tried to fill it with "stainable" wood filler - the 2nd kind I've tried but look what happened when I went to test a spot to see if it would stain:

Hmmm, not very stainable, right? Will somebody please let me in on the dirty little secret Plastic Wood and Minwax is keeping from us, where they put a big fat "STAINABLE" on the label when they are so UNstainable? Oh, the unjustice! The outrage! Has anyone had any success with stainable wood filler?

I realize I said "stain" and "stainable" 6 times  in 4 sentences. I'm okay with it.

What to do, what to do...I really didn't want to paint the top, so I....

 

...decided that if I couldn't make it better, I'd make it worse. I took a hammer to that drill hole and smashed all around it so that it looked like it had undergone a major incident rather than looking like a drill hole. Are you following me? Then I smoothed the fibers with my sander. Since the body of the dresser was heavily weathered, it fit right into the scheme of things. 

It's adorable in person! I'm tempted to keep it for the next house, 

but since we sadly don't have a "next house," I will go ahead and sell it.

 

^ This is the only photo that came close to the actual color, which is a pretty, deep turquoise^
(SW Jamaica Bay)

So, does anyone want to weigh in on the wood filler scandal?

Or, can anyone help a novice photographer out on why most of my pictures turned out light blue instead of turquoise? I'm a hot mess, I tell ya!

Malouf Fine Linens Giveaway!!

Hello friends!!

A few weeks ago, I was contacted about an opportunity to host a giveaway for Malouf Fine Linens. I think it must have been fate, having struggled so long with terrible sleep, neck and back problems - for which we were researching a new Sleep Number bed. I had already visited the Sleep Number store, and being as cheap money conscious as I am I inquired about a refurbished model for a lot less than a brand new bed. In the end, and regardless of a great sales pitch, I walked out of the store because I still didn't want to spend that amount of money.

About a  month later, Malouf Fine Linens graciously sent me their Zoned 100% Natural Talalay Latex Pillow, which happened to be the same day I had also purchased a feather down pillow top from Target (with a 20% off coupon). I laid down that night and had the best sleep I've had since Our Disney Cruise (which was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in). Weeks later, I am still sleeping like a baby, and the pillow has helped my neck so much! I love it that I can remove the cover and wash it, that it is dust mite resistant, and supports my neck.

I also received a Sleep Tite Mattress Protector which is 100% hypo-allergenic, and acts as a barrier against dust mites and all sorts of other stuff we want to protect our mattresses from.

On to the giveaway -  Malouf Fine Linens has offered to give two of my wonderful readers their choice of a pillow or a mattress protector (not to be confused with a mattress pad). I am very impressed with this company and am therefore joyfully sharing this giveaway with you all. Simply leave a comment and let me know whether you would like a pillow or a mattress protector and I will randomly select two winners. The giveaway will run until Thursday at 5pm AZ time.

Good luck to all!

~ Blue Gray Dresser with Mirror ~

Well, hello there!

The garage is nearly empty now, an accomplishment I never thought would come to pass.

Here is the latest finished piece:

The color is SW Upward. I distressed it but decided against glazing, and I'm glad I did. Love it!

 Once all the old varnish was removed, the top restained very nicely.

And be sure to check back soon, I will be hosting a great giveaway!

~ Pink Antique Dresser ~

It's been a while since I've posted anything. The heat makes it hard to spend a lot of time in the garage, even with a swamp cooler. But, I managed to finish this cute little antique dresser, probably from the 1940's. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on the decade. I listed it last night and already have someone coming today to hopefully bring it home to their daughter.

The top was stripped and stained in dark walnut. Then I repaired and filled missing and lifting veneer.The color is 50/50 white and Valspar Delicate Pink Rose. After distressing and antiquing she got a topcoat and should be enjoyed for years to come!
I love the jewelry box on the top.


I'll be back to share another makeover soon!

Back to Reality

 Our 10 day vacation was absolutely wonderful, relaxing, and fun.

We spent half of it at Kevin's parents' home in Florida, where the kids enjoyed golf cart rides. I don't know why I don't have a better picture of this activity, but on this day they were getting tired of waiting to watch their Daddy go for a spin in GrampE's plane.

And might I add that Captain Jack Sparrow Disney knows how to make a cruise GREAT.

He was the food was yummy.

The kids had the most magical time with their 4 NJ cousins.

Saying goodbye to Jack Watching the kids say goodbye was heartbreaking.

It was the trip of a lifetime.

Now, I must get back to watching Pirates of the Caribbean reality.

Some New Finished Pieces!

Phew! It's been a fun weekend finishing up some pieces before we leave for FL for 10 days, 5 of which involves a very big boat, and Disney :) The kids are so excited to be with their grandparents and 4 cousins from NJ, and Kevin and I cannot WAIT to slow down a bit.

I worked on this 6 piece antique bedroom set over the long weekend, anxious to complete it before we left. Between dealing with the pesky bleed through, painting, distressing, glazing, and topcoating, it took me 2 whole days! Here is how it came out:

   

   

And this Old World sideboard has been finished for a few weeks, but I'm just now getting around to shooting it for CL. Tip: I slid socks under the feet to move it around. Worked like a charm!

And, it's time for an update on Robin: She is spending some time with her family in FL right now. She is able to process food once again and many of her symptoms are under control since going through 6 rounds of chemo and is just as positive and upbeat as ever. She is my hero. Thank you for your continued prayers!

Linking to:

It's a Good Tired...

It's been a rewarding 2 days at Mike and Keeley's working on two different pieces from start to finish for our ebook. Aside from being two really neat people who are so easy to be with,  here's what else I learned about them:

** Keeley makes killer salads. I think I said, "this is the best salad I've ever had," more than twice, two days in a row which was quite unladylike, but I was so hungry and it was seriously SO good.

** Mike really likes sunflower seeds. And now I like them too, after snubbing them for years. Some day I hope to be as good at getting the seed out without my hands like he can but for now I must still use my immaculately clean hands.

Anyway, on day one this:

Became this:

(...Check out EPF's blog for all the detail shots...)

It was fun to work side by side in Mike's shop for for 2 solid days going through the process I go through in my own shop (I like his better), only with a completely different line of products, both of which will be presented in the book. Mike has the gift of knowledge, and after I was there for two solid days, obviously he also has the gift of mercy. I was a major pest distraction with my camera and all, but all he ever showed was patience with this tedious process of documenting every. single. thing. I videotaped as many possible techniques that I've been trying to figure out how to shoot at home without having a sidekick to help me, and working with Mike was so natural and easy. I also took a bazillion photographs from start to finish of each piece. Now, I just need to find 200+ hours to organize it all and make it look pretty. Somehow, it will happen with a little perseverance.

I'm at Dream Book Design Today

Happy Tuesday!

The lovely Adri from Dream Book Design has asked me to answer a few questions as her guest today for her Arizona bloggers week. She writes a fantastic blog full of awesome design inspiration. I didn't know Adri lived 20 minutes from me until she asked me to be her guest, how cool is that?  Thank you so much, Adri!

Shabby French Armoire

One more piece is out of the garage! I see a light at the end of the tunnel :)

This one was taking up a lot of space so I was motivated to finish it quickly.

I remembered a before shot after I had already dismantled everything.

The finish was very worn, and some white paint livened it up. 

 I took dozens of pictures of this "pose" using all different settings and not one of them came out very clear.

 I love the feet.

 And all the curvy details.

 After cleaning the original hardware, I spritzed them with satin nickel and then took steel wool to them to age them before spraying on a clear sealer.

 The flip down drawer is a great feature for media storage.

It would be so cute in a baby's room, though!

Sharing this at

Mom's Laundry Room Makeover, Part 1

I hope everyone had a great time celebrating Mother's Day!

We did things a little different this year, and gave Mom our sweat equity 

to show her our love and appreciation for all she has done for us.

She and Dad recently moved into a new house, and she's been making it a home.

She wanted her laundry room to look clean and cheerful, so that's what we gave her!

Here is what it looked like before - I remembered the picture after taking the cabinet doors down. 

They were your garden variety of oak.

 I brought the doors and drawers home to spray them, 

then came back before the weekend to finish up the casings.

 

Boo kept me company while I worked.

 

That's my brother, Ryan. When he's not out saving lives or fighting fires he's an in-demand handy man because he is a perfectionist and knows his stuff! We made a great team. While we painted, my sister and Ryan's wife helped my Mom take pictures of stuff and listed them on CL for her. 

A very productive Mother's Day!

 My Dad took down the builder shelf above the washer/dryer because they will inherit my laundry stand when I move, which will hide that white thing in the back. I am really going to miss that stand!

All that is left is for Mom to pull it all together by adding black and white accents to the walls, and then take down the fluorescent lighting and add a cute chandelier.

Mom said it was her best Mother's Day ever!

Colors used:

SW Roman Column for cabinets

SW Ryegrass for walls