First attempt, at refinishing, finished?

I obtained this dresser from my grandma’s house. Its old, it smells funny, and well, i revert back to – its old. Its made it a long life. Atleast 1960. I made it a point to look into refinishing and to make this a free project. 100% COST FREE. So, I got half a can of misting, paint, for free from a friend. And I sanded the piss out of this things. (I hate stripping away the old, for a side note).  Then I painted it. And painted it again. And for good measure, one last time. I sprayed the hardware a metallic silver, rather than replacinging it, with a spray can I already had. I need to coat it in poly, but its going to need to wait till spring!

 

And, lets not forget-  :

Refinishing; sharing my leg work.

Since Ive never refinshed anything, and Im getting lots of hand me downs, and finding tons of things on CL. I thought now was a good time to start looking at all the different ways to refinish. And I might as well share the list with the world. So, here you go, the fruits of my labor ….

1. YHL, refinished a chair.
2. YHL, refinished a circe 1950 veneered dresser, with a white top
3. Blue Cricket, says sanding is not needed if you use oil based primer!
4. I love these distressed chairs from centastional girl.
5. Centsational girl, and her no prime chalkpaint approach.
6. OMG, and I love mirrored dressers, too bad Im using mine in a toddler room.
7. An interesting post on color, and distressing. I would never step out of my box.
8. And Patrick, nailed my want for distressed.
9. Do I want a pink dresser, in her room?
10. Or just decorate it, with wallpaper? This might be a good alternative for a veneer dresser.

This is my favorite, on pinterest, so far:

 

If you’ve painted a dresser before, feel free to link up please!

“Table or Miter?”, he said.

This article, is probally too personal to post on the internet. But, when have I ever been private. My (ex)husband and I are working out all the details of a legal separation, or a dissolution. Ive completed like, 60 pages of paperwork or so, and Im not a paralegal, or attorney by any stretch.  He calls to ask me, what are we doing with the garage? Its the only thing we havent divided. He says, please dont touch my tool box, or my air compressor, or my work bench. Id like to keep the lawn mowers… etc. And then he goes, Im not giving it up, but I wont fight you either… are you taking the miter saw? I replied with a “Wow, really?”, all excited like. Even a used saw isnt on my budget… and the condition of my apartment, has me more than down and out, and embarrassed, walking with my head down, to say the least. And he says yes- really. He’s bringing me the Kobalt, Sliding, Compound, Miter, Saw. I said THAT with big gaps on each comma, outloud, when I hung up the phone.

 

Guess who’s going to be building? That’s right – me! Im SOOOO excited.

My mom gave ma hokey drill. And a hokey circular saw.

Michael’s giving me the saw.

I have a $20 rebate for Menards, to go towards a new blade.

Theres a spindle in the garage, thats going to become a library cart.

Theres two pallets being delivered, and a mattress, for my pallet couch.

My grandmas giving me an old dresser to refinish. I know nothing about refinishing btw.

My moms already gave me an end table to refinish as well. Eeek.

 

Ok. Now, I need a sitter. And some paint. OMG, I need paint!

And a countersink bit!

 

I . AM. Sooooo. EX. CI. TE.D. Yay!!!

 

Ps. I found a new blog I <3. Chateau and Bungalow.  Check it out.

 

Upcoming projects :

 

and some toddler chairs, to make this a play table of sorts….

And then, this dresser, is getting painted white? Rustic. With hot pink handles!

For bebes room for sure

Kirkland Home Store Coupon

Thanks to Coupon Gal for sharing this $25 off a $75 purchase Kirkland home store printable.

Good until Valentine’s Day

Michael’s 4hr Sale

I some how have down time today? Amazing. Hip2Save posted about a 4Hr sale going on at Michaels.

Follow here to find out how you can save 25% off your entire purchase. Today only 4pm-8pm. So hurry!

 

hey 2012

Im failing as a blogger. I just dont have time for this. I really dont. But yet I keep coming back. Never often enough, but enough to keep my account activated. In honor of home design, and all things trendy, I began pinning today. Thats right, Im on pinterest. I just started this joyus journey. I was avoiding it all together, because it makes me want. Want is something I am learning. How to want. I want everything lately. Me the non materilistic girl, feels the need to shop. Because I cant. B/C being a single mommy is expensive. It happens. That being said. I think Im going to start sharing, and linking. Atleast to get things going around here. I want to feel like I belong in the pile with the SAHM who are making cookies, and building furniture. Even if in reality, Im working FT, looking for a PT job, and about to be a half time student, while working on shared parenting of a toddler. Dear God, I hope I fall in love with owner of a coffee shop, or who ever owns the rights to redbull. Happy building in 2012 yall. And if anyone wants to donate me a saw as a late Christmas present Ill take it!

 

OH, and i almost forgot.

I will be building a library cart. From donated items. Even the paint.

And It will be a play table for Brooklyn. Who deserves a place to climb & color & read.

 

Ana White, I need $4, so I can build this girl some chairs for her and her friends as well!

Its been a long time, coming.

I guess I could say Im sorry. I kind of abandoned my blog.

But with good reason.

And without airing all my dirty laundry or baggage on the internet, things have changed.

So, goodbye home in the suburbs, with the big yard.
Goodbye home with tools, and lumber.
Goodbye husband with truck, and lowes card.

Hello apt. All 800 sq ft of outdated dinginess.
Hello mom to one toddler ,one dog, and an empty bed.

Im starting over. fresh. and im going to keep happy.
I was looking at Ana’s blog. All my new furniture is form Ikea.
I felt a little sick at first, and then regrouped.

There are plenty of free things I can make, until I can build.
There are tons of Ikea hacks that inspire creativity.
Tons of people who need toddler safe inspiration.
And there a ton of women like me, who could start over, without a hammer.

Seriously, I just bought a screwdriver. and damn right, its dewalt : )
Ok, a screw driver and a tape measure.

So bear with me, and watch it come together.
Ive already started some small projects, like moving in.

But Ill keep you posted.
And hopefully Ill be sharing deals again too.

Thanks for following.

<3

Christy & Her Tiny Tot.

Ps.
Confession: I bought a play kitchen.
My dream of building her first kitchen, destroyed : (

Two tips for Ana White followers

The following tips come from this old house. I love their magazine, but their website is amazing.

You can always find tips and tricks for workworking, which is awesome for us Ana White, and TDC lovers.

That being said… I thought I would share these two tips, and if you need more, check out TOH.

 

Hope these tips helped ya out! I love the plywood sheet, carrying tip!

Counting down till my daughter’s 1st Birthday

I am a simple woman, with a simple little girl, who enjoys playing with carboard boxes and silicone cup cake holders. Her favorite thing to do is scream, and smack people with the Direct TV remote.  Her 1st Birthday is next month. It’s all I can do not have her birthday be tomorrow. My birthday falls between now and hers, and I’ve neglected it completely. I can not wait to throw a party for a bunch of babies and toddlers. Truly a party for the kids, not for us adults. Which means if my friends want to wrap her empty boxes, Im soo ok with that. Really. I have never been one for clutter, and have always been simple, so I am aiming for simple for her party.

But the planning isn’t simple. I have ideas from here to Iraq and back. But, there are a million outdoor projects we have been unable to tackle. It is truly very difficult to accomplish anything outdoors with a ten month old crawling and staggering around, like she had one too many milk-a-tinis. Literally, what would be more cost effective, hiring childcare to do the yard, or landscapers? I haven’t given in and recruited either one yet. But, damn am I am behind.

Brooklyn’s Birthday is next month. 45  days a way to be exact. My husband is so embarrassed by all the little things that are out of order, and a few big (and expensive) projects, that he doesn’t even want to have an at home birthday party. He wants to have it at a park. A park?!?!? Seriously? I will be carrying this kid for FOUR hours if we have it at a park. Urrrrgh.

I’m dreaming of an indoor/outdoor brunch, complete with cereal buffet, and handmade decorations. Picture a shower curtain back drop, party favors of pearls and tutus, and boys wearing paper top hats, with pictures GALORE. That’s right, I said Galore. Brooklyn crashed a birthday party the other day and ever shared in the smash cake, and she has a blast. I took 50 pictures of my kid at her birthday buddy’s bash, can you imagine what’s going to happen for her OWN birthday shin dig? Hecks yea, me too.

So the too do list looks something like this:

* The garage has been demolished since the water came in a few weeks ago. So, paint cinder blocks. The ceiling is half down. We need to get that into the bagster before it picks up tomorrow, and install a new ceiling. Plus, have my uncle install the new lighting.

*The siding is messed up on the right side of the house, from when my husband removed a car port. That needs fixed somehow. I know NOTHING about siding, I have no extra siding, and It’s 20 years old.

*The siding in the back of the house is messed up. I decided to grill. Grill the house that is. Ya siding kebobs. Not.

*There is this plastic, exterior, brick sheeting on the back of the house. It’s ugly. And it has holes in it. Seriously. Ewe.

*The front of the house has an odd, grouted, rock facing. And pieces are missing. I planned on filling them in with exterior paintable caulk, and then etching them with a utility knife, and painting them, but I was told this wont work. Either way, they all need painted, to match the inside wall I already painted.

*I need a bob cat to fix the cliff, and fill the holes…. dont ask.

Then .. there’s a million little things, but those are the ones hubs is embarrassed by. So. Off to CL it up I guess.

I wish I was just building a picnic table, and making some paper lanterns for a little girls birthday party.

 

Ps. Working 12 days in a row, 8 or 12 hours a day, is tough on a new mommy. I miss blogging. I miss playing with my daughter, reading Ohdeeoh, and Ana White message boards. I truly hope to find a job one day, that lets me be a mommy, and love my job. Here’s to hoping, praying, wishing, and wanting. Dear God, please.

Need a branch mat hack

I am in love with this branch mat from CB2.

I have an ugly patio.

I want thiiiiiss. Sooo much.

Outdoor baby birthday party in  6 weeks.

Anyone have suggestions for a hack, or for good patio decor, on the cheap ?

 

Help me out please.