Wood shim shoe cabinet — and a prize contest!

Check it out, friends!

I picked up this bad boy at Goodwill for only $15! It’s actually a shoe cabinet — the “drawers” fold out! This is NOT a quality piece. Notice the paper laminate peeling from the corner of the before pic? This was a practical purchase for my family to HIDE THE SHOES! (Because shoes are always a problem.) Can anyone else relate?

This is an example that shows just how much you can transform what was simply a boring piece of furniture.

You’re probably wondering what products were used, etc. So here we go. Let’s start with my paint choice for the exterior. I used Glidden’s Gel Technology High-Gloss Trim & Door paint in Bright White and also painted the knobs with the same paint.

After planning out my alternating wood pattern, the shims were stained with Minwax Jacobean and glued onto the face of the cabinet “drawers” using Liquid Nails. This needs to dry for 24hrs and you’ll need clamps to hold the pieces into place as they dry. I used a miter saw to make a few cuts, but you could probably get away with just a hand saw since the shims are so thin.

The best part about this project is how budget friendly it was. Wood shims are about $1.25 for a pack of 12, and the paint and stain were both purchased for another project — so that didn’t cost me anything. That brings my total to only $20 for a custom shoe cabinet that has that high-end look without the high-end price!

Contest

Now let’s talk about the contest portion of this post! This furniture piece is nameless. If you haven’t noticed by now, I usually name each furniture makeover something that fits its new character and style. So what do you think? Do you have a name for him or her? There are many ways that you can enter and increase your chances! Annnnnnnddddddddd……GO!

UPDATE: I’m having a bit of trouble with WordPress accepting the contest widget (hoping to get this fixed). Please click on the giveaway link below to enter the contest! There are 8 different ways to throw YOUR NAME in the hat!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE COFFEE ON ME, A $25 GIFTCARD TO STARBUCKS!

Lots of love,
Mary

Linking up here:

Garage truth

This is my garage stash: five desks, two dining tables, two dressers, two headboards, two accent tables, one coffee table, one armoire, and one decorative screen. I’ve got some work to do! #truth

Found this on Instagram and just had to share! I was literally laughing out loud!

source: http://instagram.com/p/cA-nWgPt2O/

The good news is that I have something ready to show you tomorrow!

Lots of love,
Mary

Awesome things I found — kid’s edition

I can’t believe it, but as I’m typing this post I’m thousands of miles away from my home and my babies! They are well taken care of, but oh how I miss them so! And because I’m thinking about my children so very much, I thought it was appropriate to share with you some amazing web finds for the kiddos!

Check out this homemade play dough recipe from kidsactivitiesblog.com And made with only two ingredients!

This is one of those, “why didn’t I think of that” moments. Thank you notes for the little ones to color! These cards are available on Etsy for purchase or as you can probably figure, make your own!

Tastykitchen.com has a fabulous all-natural recipe for goldfish crackers!

And because we all need a little laugh every now and then… (photo links to source)

Lots of love,
Mary

Caspian Blue

Today was a fun day! Movies. Forts. Snuggles. Baking. Blogging. More Snuggles. And all the in-between. Sometimes a mom’s life is a whirlwind. I couldn’t tell you what all I did today… but it was a lot! I did take a few moments to snap some photos of a project I did for baby Jude’s room – A painted dresser/changing table. This was my very first experiment with High-Gloss paint!

I introduce, Caspian:
Caspian is a Vintage Henredon Dresser that I picked up for a steal at one of my local thrift spots! The quality of this piece is remarkable and it was in excellent shape, save some deep scratches on the top of the dresser.
This piece is one of the few things I’ve painted where the original wood is so beautiful. <Don’t shoot me!> Trust me, I had a very hard time deciding. To paint… or not to paint, That is always the question. Once I decided that it was going into Jude’s room, I had my heart set on a bright teal high-gloss finish! There will be others to show restraint with.
The color is “Intense Teal” by Behr. I chose their Hi-Gloss Enamel for a super durable shiny finish. To help it adhere, I began with a coat of Glidden Gripper Grey. Gripper is an amazing primer that will literally stick to anything without flaking…even glass!
The choice to paint the hardware was an afterthought but really completes the look. Although this piece has a classical style, the paint has really transformed the look to more of a sleek modern or transitional feel. Perfect for my baby boy!
Photo bombed by a little cutie in the corner! My baby Gabby likes to be in front of the camera. (I wish you could see the smile on my face because this little one melts my heart to pieces!)

Sidenote: Nope, I’m not ignoring the fact that this dresser is standing in front of an AMAZING wood wall that I haven’t told you about yet! Thought I’d give you a little sneak peek. Truth is, it isn’t finished yet. I’m a little stumped on how to finish the wood. So maybe you guys can help a girl out!

Should I…
A. Keep the natural unfinished wood look?
B. Use Teak oil for a natural slightly darker finish?
C. Finish with a honey toned stain (Which would coordinate with the crib)?

Lots of love,
Mary

The History of “Grace”

As you have probably noticed, I didn’t post a furniture item yesterday. You see, I had to return the 5th item (the headboard). Somehow it got damaged between purchase and pick-up and my husband came home with just a piece of molding that wouldn’t do. Time to go shopping again!

Did anyone notice the painting that hung above “Rose – A Coral Beauty”?

I found him from the Salvation Army for only $2.50! I normally just glance at the photo section in thrift stores (mainly looking for good size frames with the intentions of throwing the existing artwork away), but this painting struck me! I’m drawn to how solemn the man is. He took the time to set his glasses down before giving thanks. He doesn’t appear to be particularly wealthy, but shows such reverence and gratitude. I did some online research and found that the print originated from a photographer by the name of Eric Enstrom in 1918. Enstrom, while speaking of this photo, said, “I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for.” The full story can be found here – a website run by the Enstrom family. They are still selling reprints online today. I’m so happy I found it! Although my print seems to be one of the older ones, it probably isn’t worth much due to the scratches and general wear — but “Grace” is just perfect to me!
Lots of love,
Mary

Jack – A Sophisticated Writing Desk

It’s day two, and boy have I got a fun one for you! Eeeeeek! I’m excited! Introducing Jack, Union Jack that is:

Jack started out as one of your basic large scale desks that are a dime a dozen at the thrift stores. You know the ones that you would picture lining a government office somewhere in the 1970’s?

I’ve been waiting for a piece to paint the famous Union Jack onto. This desk was simple enough to pull of such a grand image and the scale of the desktop was a perfect 30″ x 60″!

The base is a custom mixture of Behr Midnight Dream (two coats), and the desktop Union Jack design is done with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Old White and Glidden Red Delicious. After complete, I did a light sanding with a medium grade sanding block, then finished with Annie Sloan Clear Wax (Applied with a brush and buffed smooth with a dry cloth).

Since the edges of the piece were distressed a bit to show the wood underneath, I chose to leave the wooden legs exposed. I just polished them with Annie Sloan Dark Wax and they shined up nicely!

I’m sad to say that Jack has already been sold! But he’s staying in the family, so I can visit anytime! :)
Lots of love,
Mary
Linked up here:

Wentworth – An office desk with personality

First things first… no baby yet. We’re expecting our little guy any day now. I think he just wants to keep us waiting a little longer. We’re dying to meet him and know what his little face looks like! Does he have a lot of hair? Is he tan like my husband or fair-skinned like me? What about his personality? We’ll soon find out. I must be patient! :)

In other news, I’ve been busy! Projects have been completed, but I’ve been slacking on writing about them. Honestly, I need to hold myself to a better schedule to keep up with things. I’m working on it :)

Let me introduce you to Wentworth. He has personality and a certain “cool” factor that I’m in love with.

This is what he looked like before his makeover:

Yes, I did start painting before remembering the ‘before pic,’ but you get the idea, right? Old 60s/70s wood grain-printed MDF. Lots of dings — or what I like to call “character.” :)  But I chose this piece because of its solid construction and the fact that I liked the straight lines. Despite the wood grain print, it’s a surprisingly very heavy desk with wood side gliders on each of the drawers. Something to note, when shopping for pieces to paint, I always look for wooden gliders opposed to metal. Wooden gliders will stand the test of time and show the piece’s overall quality.

Stripes are ever so popular in design lately and I’ve been waiting for just the right piece for a wide stripe landscape. I knew immediately that this was the one when noticing the vertical grooves that were already present on the drawer fronts.

I started out with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) in Graphite. Then using my trusty Frog Tape, the stripes were mapped out and ready to paint. I used two coats of ASCP in Old White to achieve the bold stripe design. When dry, the piece was lightly distressed with a medium-grade sanding block. I was able to use the original brass hardware, which was one of the reasons I loved this desk to begin with. The light distressing compliments the hardware to preserve the “vintage” feel of the piece — something I always try to do if possible.

Wentworth was finished with a coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax and buffed to a light shine. I really like how an element of sophistication was brought out in this piece. He is handsome and oh so trendy!

If I had the right place for him, I would soooooo keep him! But thus my rule, it has to serve a purpose in my home or it has to go (whimper). Only if my kids were older, this would be a perfect homework space. Nonetheless, I’ve posted Wentworth on Craigslist here. Hoping he finds a Went-worthy home!

Lots of love,
Mary

Linked up here:

Bennett – A restored mid-century modern office desk

Drumroll please… introducing “Bennett.”

Remember a week or so ago, I picked this little guy up at Goodwill? Let me remind you…

Yes, Goodwill is a bit messy!

I used a homemade chalk paint recipe out of Behr Midnight Dream. Like I said before, I have plans to complete a more thorough chalk paint comparison in the future. I’ll keep you posted. I don’t really have enough info for a thorough analysis yet.

After two coats of the blue, I distressed, applied Annie Sloan clear wax, then taped off the white stripes. I used Behr Off White for the stripes.

After distressing and waxing again, I added the AS dark wax to age it up a bit. That’s when the piece really popped!

I kept the original brass hardware and just polished it up a bit.

I’m really happy with the results. Perfect for a boy’s room or even a bachelor pad! He looks rich and sophisticated.

Bennett has already found a home. He was sold before I had a chance to place the ad. And the best part is that he is staying in the family, so I can visit him anytime I want!

Lots of love,

Mary

I’m linked up here:

Hunting & gathering

This morning I had a small window of time before my daughter’s dance class to go out thrift shopping and try to pickup some furniture to refinish. You see, I’m currently sold out. All the pieces that I’ve done to this point have sold — yay! This is so very exciting, but at the same time I need to get to work. Are you curious to see what I found this morning?

At my first stop I struck out. This happens sometimes, but don’t let that discourage you. On my second attempt I snagged two of these nightstands for only $6.50 a piece! Not sure what to do with them yet, but I’m sure it will come to me.

I was drawn to the nice shape and the hardware. The drawers are also dovetail and you can tell that it’s a better quality piece. Now I just have to pick the perfect finish!

Next stop, I found this Mid-Century Modern desk for only $10. You can’t see in the photo, but it has the pencil legs that I really love. It’s extra long but has a short depth, which helps with functionality.

This is going to be fun! I’m thinking more bold and retro for these color selections. 

Lots of love,

Mary

A pedi & a project

This is what I’m doing this evening :)

A much needed pedi for a worn-out mommy! As I near the end of my second trimester, I’m starting to feel more tired. I actually had to take a nap today! Well, it was a forced nap — but a nap nonetheless. You see, I couldn’t find my car keys for the life of me and the paint for my next project was in the car. I was planning on painting during Gabby’s naptime, but after a half-hour of searching for the keys I gave up and “closed my eyes for just a minute” on the sofa.
Anyway, this is the piece I’m working on.

It’s a vintage porch swing with the most beautiful wooden slats. I picked this up for $20 off of Craigslist around eight months ago. The wood will be stained and finished, and the metal frame will be painted. I can’t wait to show you the finished product!

In other news, I’ve been pulling out all my Christmas decor from the garage and the house is just about done now. I have a few Christmas craft projects to show you as soon as I get everything in place. Yay!

Lots of love,
Mary