Lovely Ladies and One Handsome Boy

These lovely ladies came from the Neighborhood Sale that Cassie from Rustic Raspberry and I went to in May.

They weren't too lovely in the beginning. They were a bit haggard and tired. The young lady I bought them from said that they were originally a part of her vanity. She went away to camp and when she returned, her Grandmother had cut them apart. Sigh~a Grandmother after my own heart!

I didn't want to spend days stripping the curved, fluted trim so I decided to sand these girls instead.  It took the better part of the morning!

After they were sanded and cleaned I painted with my Glidden Black in Eggshell finish. I love this paint! I use it on all of my black pieces.  I spray painted the knobs with a satin finish brushed nickel.

Everyone who saw these lovelies wanted to take them home and they did leave with a really sweet lady. More about her a little later!

Now on to the Handsome Boy. I bought this little box at an estate sale. It was in the garage (my favorite place to look) and was yucky dirty! I had already removed the knobs when I remembered to take a picture.

I wanted to paint this one with my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Olive. I brought it inside the house to paint because I have heard that the ASCP dries really, really fast. We have been having high temps of 112° lately so I didn't want to paint it in the garage!

I painted two coats and still had the original paint showing through in some places. After the third coat had dried, I used a little dark walnut stain to distress it. The next morning I waxed with Minwax clear wax and then special dark wax. I freshened the hardware with a coat of Rustoleum's dark bronze spray paint. I really wanted to keep him but had no where that he would fit!

I want to give a fair review of how this paint worked for me. If you are a die-hard, ASCP-for-life type of crafter then please read no further! (Or at least don't send hate mail! Or, send hate mail and I will just ignore it ~ I have thick skin! LOL)

Pros:
Love the colors!
Love the concept of no prep work ~just clean the surface and start painting.
Love the finish.
Ability to sand it fast

Cons:
Price
Short working time~ it dries too darn quickly sometimes.
Doesn't always coat well.

So, whilst painting three coats I pondered how many steps I would have gone through if I hadn't used my ASCP. 

First coat would have been primer. Second coat would have been an olive green paint. Third coat (if needed) would also have been the olive green paint. Hmmmm, that's 3 coats. And, it would have cost a lot less money!

I'm still going to use my ASCP on future projects. Afterall, I have a can of Olive and a can of Versailles but I probably won't be buying more. (Unless I win the lottery or a cool blog giveaway!)

I have bought some flat finish paint to test on an antique armoir for my daughter's room. I am going to see how fast it dries and how quickly I can sand and distress it. I'll post a review as soon as I get it finished.

Now, more about the Sweet Lady, D'wana, that bought the nightstands. I posted the nightstands, the small box, the metal stool, and a garden bench on Craigslist. I received a call from someone who wanted to buy it all, sight unseen! She asked if I was friends with Cassie from Rustic Raspberry and did I have a blog too? I replied "yes" and she knew who I was. I felt famous!

She came and bought everything that I had posted on CL that day. Then, she drove to Cassie's and bought some things from her. She then came back to my house and bought my Frenchy Helix Cocktail table (the first buyer backed out and the poor girl was still for sale)!  My garage is almost empty now! My Husband was so happy! I was so happy! Thank you, D'wana, for shopping at my garage!

Linking to these parties:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Metal Stool Love

I picked this metal stool up at an estate sale. I had seen a few on blogland and felt the need to refinsh one for myself!

There was an old sticker that wasn't coming off.

I used KleenStrip to remove the sticker and old finish.

Next I sanded the top smooth and covered it with newspaper to prepare for spray painting.

I wiped down the metal legs and spray painted them with Rustoleum's 2x Lagoon. The blue was a little too bright for me so I wiped it with Minwax Dark Walnut.

Then I stained the wood with the Dark Walnut.

I made a stencil using Microsoft Word and printed it out on card stock. I choose the outline option so I didn't use tons of ink! I then used an exacto knife to cut the number out leaving me a perfect stencil! I secured the stencil with painter's tape and used a small artist brush to paint the number. When the black paint was dry, I waxed the seat with Minwax dark wax.

I can now cross "buying an old metal stool with a wooden seat and refinish it" off my bucket list!

Linking to these great parties:

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Made by You Monday at Skip to My Lou

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife

Piece of Work Wednesday at Primitive & Proper

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Aubusson Cassandra

This tale starts with an ad on Craigslist. A cute little desk was advertised but it was in an unsavory neighborhood.  I happened to be talking to Cassie from Rustic Raspberry about it and how I doubted my Hubby would want to go get it when he got off work because he would be exhausted.  Turns out he loves me so much that he took me to get it!

Cassie texted me later to ask if I had picked it up. I said 'yes' and she, of course, wanted pictures! Well, the unexpected happened! Cassie wanted this cute little desk for herself! We went back and forth on what to do and finally settled on me painting it for her using her Aubusson Chalk Paint.

First the top had to be stripped so I could stain it with Minwax Dark Walnut.  On this piece, I used Klean Strip.

After I had the stripper and old paint removed, I sanded the rest smooth.  You can see on the left what it looked like after the stripper but before sanding.

After sanding, I applied Cabot's wood conditioner and then stained with Minwax dark walnut.  When the stain was dry I waxed it with Minwax dark wax.

There was a very minor structual issue in that the bottom middle was resting lower on the ground causing the desk to rock back and forth.  I can't explain how we fixed it where it will make any sense! It did result in us using wood glue to make sure it didn't happen again and that wood glue dripping down. When I removed the drips some of the paint lifted off.  Well, one thing led to another and I ended up stripping the entire inside panel. I knew that the Chalk Paint could just be painted right over it but there would be very obvious uneven places.

Whew! If you are still reading, thank you for sticking with me!  I then painted two coats of Annie Sloan Aubusson Chalk Paint and distressed to show a little of the white.  I applied the clear and dark waxes. I'm still second guessing myself on the distressing!

This was my first time using the Chalk Paint and it went on like a dream, just as advertised. Cassie hasn't seen it yet; hope she likes it!

This last picture is just for Cassie; Piper LOVES her Cassie!

Linking to these parties!

Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge 

Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Remodelahoic's Blog Link Up Party

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Made by You Monday at Skip to my Lou

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Piece of Work Wednesday at Primitive & Proper

Frenchy the Cocktail Table

Frenchy was Featured!!!!  Thanks so much, Lauren!





I found this little French style cocktail table at a yard sale way out in the boonies that Cassie from Rustic Raspberry and I visited a few weeks ago. She (the table, not Cassie!) was dirty but had lots of potential.  And, yes, that is bird poop-Gross!

I knew that she would be beautiful refinished as Miss Helix was on West Furniture Revival.  Thank you, Lauren, for your patience in explaining to me your process and products used! 

The first step was to clean all the dirt and spiderwebs off. Then I used CitraStrip to remove the old finish and stain.  (CitraStrip doesn't seem to irritate my skin like other strippers.) I put newspaper all around the table to catch the mess!

I usually use a metal scrapper to remove the gunk but am careful to not scratch the wood!

After stripping it, I wiped it off with denatured alcohol and then sanded smooth.

Before staining with Minwax Dark Walnut, I rubbed the top with wood conditioner.

After using the conditioner but before applying the stain:

And can you believe, after all these pictures, that I forgot to take a picture of the staining step? Well, I did!  You can see the stained top in this picture that shows the coat of red that I applied.  I don't know the name of the red, Cassie gave it to me!

After the red; I painted two coats of Behr's Emerald Coast. (Next time I may just paint one coat so more red shows through.)

I then sanded off some of the turquoise and applied Valspar Umber Glaze.

And here she is all prettied up!

I hope that this was an informative post! Miss Frenchy Helix is going to her new home tomorrow!

**Linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch**
**Linking to Masterpiece Monday at Boggieboard Cottage**
**Linking to Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou**
**Linking to Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle**
**Linking to Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff**
**Linking to Piece of Work Wednesday at Primitive & Proper**
**Linking to Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed**

Thrifty Finds

Cassie from Rustic Raspberry and I hit a moving sale last night and a "cleaning out the sheds" sale this morning.

It was hot and we were covered in sweat and dirt by the end but we had so much fun digging for treasures!

So, without further ado, here are the pictures!

A watercolor of Pheasants and a metal sign for my Husband's Man Room. 3 1/2 yards of Thai silk and a cute book that I bought to read to the baby.

Well, maybe I won't be reading it to the baby! Check out this page:

Yes, those people are nude! The page reads:

The children often stayed with friends

Or relatives, for long weekends,

Then Charles and Gwen would slip away

to bathe in some secluded bay.

(I hope that you don't think it rude

to show them paddling in the nude.)

Too Funny!

I also bought this cute wall shelf. (I purchased the stool last weekend.) I don't know if I will keep the shelf or not. Still thinking of where I could put it.

These are the things that I found this morning. I have to admit that there was rat poop evident in the sheds and at one point a ran out thinking I had heard a rat. (Leaving Cassie behind to fend for herself!)

I will keep the wire baskets and Jack Daniels sign. The vanity stool will be refinished and sold as will the coffee table.  The tall board in the background is a tabletop.  It was only $1.00! I think Cassie turned green with envy!

Here are some legs that I bought a couple of months ago that I may put with the tabletop to make a desk.

A close up of the smalls that I bought. DH was happy with the signs and antlers that I bought for him.

Can't wait to find the time to get started on the projects!  

Linking to these parties:

Would You Buy it Wednesday at Junker Newbie

Treasure Hunt Thursday at Blue Creek Home

Darken wood furniture with Gel Stain

My Barrister Bookcase was featured!!!



Have you ever found a piece of furniture that would look great in your home if only it were a darker wood?  It's in good conition, no need to strip and refinish, it just needs to be darker?

When we decided to switch to a flatscreen t.v. I knew I wanted an old buffet as my t.v. stand. I found this beauty on Craigslist for $20! I didn't like the yellowish green finish. YUK!

And here she is after using American Finishes gel stain:

What a dramatic difference! 

Here is an oak barrister bookcase that I found on Craigslist for $10.  It was in my parent's hometown so I called my Dad and asked him to run over and pay for it so the seller would hold it until I got there. 

It was missing the bottom piece of glass but that was easily replaced with a quick trip to Lowe's. We just glued it in place~easy peasy!

And after:

We even used it on our ugly, 1980's bathroom cabinets! Here is a picture comparing the finishes. The door on the left is the after; the one on the right is the before. Sorry about the glare! I didn't know I would be blogging at the time I took the pics or I would have done a better job!

The American Finishes Gel Stain comes in several different colors.  I used the Java.

First I cleaned each piece really well.  Next, I simply applied the gel stain with an old rag.  I wiped off the excess and let it dry.  After a second coat, I brushed on the General Finishes Gel Topcoat with a sponge brush and I was finished!

I hope this post is helpful and saves you some time and money!

**Linking to DebbieDo's Newbie Party**
**Linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch**
**Linking to Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts**