two more projects finished.....

remember this cabinet?

 it was a tv cabinet purchased off of craigslist for $35.00.  

my friend lisa wanted a stand-alone pantry for the kitchen in her new house.  

the one she really wanted was from ikea.  this one.  that was $320.00

ooh, expensive!!

she also wanted the same color/finish as the one at ikea, which was sort of a brown with a gray wash.  i tried to replicate the color/finish but

it looked like poo-poo! 

so i started layering the paint.....

which we both liked much better.  

she also wanted it to be taller so she got these feet for it and stacked two of them together.

w

we decided to add a couple of layers of 2 x 4's to make it even taller and ultimately added more stability to the bottom of the cabinet to brace the feet.

we thought that this would be the look she ultimately wanted but we really didn't like it. 

so it got some crown moulding that i had leftover in the basement.  after it was added, it looked like 

this:

(half painted)

much better.  much, much better!!

after a few tweaks and LOTS  of work (because it was laminated paper over particle board and needed lots of primer, paint and glaze) and replacing the cardboard back panel with painted and glazed beadboard, i fulfilled her vision for it.

the revisions at the bottom of the cabinet added 13 inches to the total height.

i am 5'10.

after finishing the painting and glazing of the bottom moulding, my husband and i were attempting to move it.  we lifted it straight up and because it is so tall, it hit the top of the garage door and threw us both off balance and we DROPPED IT.  it survived, but while i was falling on my buttski and the cabinet was boinking me in the head, i ripped off the side panel of the moulding at the bottom while trying to keep the piece from taking a complete header.  

luckily, we were able to prevent any major damage and all i had to do 

was re-nail the moulding on and touch up the paint!

phew!!!!

anyway....

here is the final result...

outside

and inside....

because it was a tv cabinet, there were only 3 shelves for it.  (she has one at home)  she and her husband will add shelving as needed when she gets it to her new home in minnesota.....

here is a sneak peek of the last project for miss lisa...

love!!!!

the happy little nightstand has a big sister now

remember this little nightstand?

that was transformed into this?

meet her big sister....

not an exact match, but who wants exact?  not me 

and not my friend lisa who this chest of drawers was for

it didn't start out this nice....

it was in her garage doing duty as a storage facility for tools, nuts and bolts, cans of grease and other

manly garage objects.  it was in really bad shape. wood was stained, scratched and warping.

there was a lot of missing or peeling veneer everywhere.

on both sides 

and the front

yeeks!!

so out came the wood filler.  it starts out pink 

and turns white when it is dry.  

there was a lot of damage. you can see the damage in the back too!

so with a little carpenter's glue

 and a lot of clamps, she was placed in traction for a couple of hours. 

the surgery was a complete success....

there was a little cosmetic surgery as well so i could use matching knobs for the top drawer of the chest.

it turned out great.

the paint is behr and the color is clary sage from sherwin williams.  the top and detail at the bottom were stained with jacobean from minwax and the entire chest was finished 

in dark brown ralph lauren glaze.

the knobs on the top drawer are from hobby lobby and were half price from $3.99.  the rest of the drawer pulls are original to the piece and sprayed with rustoleum dark bronze. 

( i don't know what that weird black spot is on the third drawer but it isn't on the piece in real life)

i would have loved to find drawer pulls like the one on the nightstand

but since that one was original i went with the original ones from the chest.

it never ceases to amaze me what a little paint and wood glue can do for a 

piece of furniture that would normally be tossed into the trash...

i love saving these unloved orphans...

spring bounty...

don brought these in from our garden yesterday.

i don't think we have ever gotten such a big harvest from our strawberry plants.  we usually get a few of these

 but the rabbits and birds and sometimes the dog would get to them before we could.

 they taste so much better than the ones we have been getting from the grocery store lately.  

there is not really enough to make a pie or any other dessert but they have been wonderful in my yogurt for lunch!!

we got another small bowlful today too!!!!

sigh!!!

 i love summer.

here is a sneak peek of my latest project....

you won't believe the transformation!

mr. oblivious, how do you not notice?????

when i ordered the annie sloan chalk paint last wednesday i figured it would take at least 

five days to get here.  so i felt safe that it would come either today or tomorrow.

what i didn't remember is that don only works a half day on mondays because of his 

golf league....

oops....

he doesn't leave for golf until 4:00 pm.

the ups truck arrived at my house at 3:40 pm.  

mr. oblivious was in the backyard watering the garden,

 in full view of the driveway ->>>

and totally oblivious to the sound of the ups truck stopping at the end of the driveway 

 and of me walking to the end of the driveway.  so i took the box from the driver 

 and walked it right back up to the garage.  

in full view of mr. oblivious.

was he so involved with his impending golf game that he didn't see me?

or did he see me and roll his eyes into the back of his head and figured it wasn't worth 

the inquiry?

i actually think it was for former.  but who cares?

IT'S HERE!!!

 was shipped the same day that i ordered it because i got an email stating so.  i ordered from virginia at the southern institute of faux finishing here.  

 there is nothing like personalized customer service. nothing!!

in the box was this envelope and inside the envelope was this cute little triangle folded note.

 i love it when something is handwritten

addressed to me and signed.  in pen!! it may seem like an insignificant thing, but that is the 

kind of service that keeps me coming back.  thank YOU, virginia!!!

 austen had a baseball game tonight and i didn't get home until 10:00 pm. 

so the fun will have to wait until tomorrow!!!

i can't wait!

(no, this chair was not painted with the chalk paint) 

i will have a post about this chair soon!

it's on its way......

photo courtesy of kate @ centsational girl

i caved.....

and purchased this magic paint.  from what i have read and heard all over blogland lately, i will never use another paint again.  i am surely hoping that that isn't totally true.  if my husband finds out how much i paid for this paint

i am a goner!!!!   

i'm serious...

he will kill me.  so don't tell him. please.

so anyway, no sanding, no priming.  just slap it on and throw a coat of wax on top.  

i'll let you know what i think when i use it.

i think the first piece i will use it on will be this one

which i picked up a the goodwill a couple of months ago for a whopping $9.99.

followed by this one from craigslist for $40.00

 

and its mirror

 and then i shall try it on this one

found in the trash......

i will post a review on the paint when i get it.  i expect to get it monday or tuesday.  when don is safely at work.

good thing he doesn't read my blog.  and if he ever does, i will swear that my blog was hacked.

:D