I Actually Finished Something!

That's right people. After a year (and then some) I have finally finished my first furniture refinishing project!!  YAY!!!! I know, at this rate I will get my house in order just in time for me to die and have it all picked over by strangers in a best-of-the-best estate sale, but I'm excited now, so let me have this.

I bought this table for $5 at Goodwill. I wanted something to practice on before I went ahead and made a mess of the dining room furniture (which a lovely former coworker gave us... I am excessively cheap). This was before I started blogging, so I'm sorry, but there is no true before pic, but it's basically like every other crappy wood laminate table from the 70's. Use your imagination.

After some research I decided to try the Rust-Oleum Furniture Transformations Kit in Charcoal (without glaze).

Fresh paint, mmmm

This is where my imagination got me in trouble. It would have looked perfectly fine like that. But I just saw that little grove going around the edge, and it was screaming for something more. Like maybe a mirror top....

which lead to more research and a trip out to Robinson and the Hobby Lobby with my sister-in-law (I had two coupons so I needed two people...) to buy Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. There are soo many things you can do with this! I have more ideas than time (and obviously follow-through). Add them all to the "some day" pile. 

Gaaa! Streaks! 

Except for the streaks, it was everything I dreamed it would be. Also, you really shouldn't let a perfectionist paint. It takes much longer than it should, and we're never happy with it. This is how the table looked for the majority of the year. I did the top coat on the main table, and that went well, but when it came to the door the whole thing dried milky, and I had to re-strip and start over (I'm pretty sure that's when all the motivation left me). I finally got a much smaller brush, took a painstakingly long time with it in a room wearing my ventilator, and after a couple of days (over a couple of weeks) managed to get it finished.

Silver and Grey

And put back together! I'll admit, I painted the wrong side of the hinges (previously brass colored, now silver) and made my brain hurt trying to make them go on the way I thought they should, but that's a touch-up for another day. As far as I'm concerned, this bad boy is done. It has a new home in the living room with the lamp base I got at Target (70% off) and the lamp shade I picked up at a film set dressings sale for $5 (TFIOS. Can't wait to see the movie!) Here's hoping this (minor) accomplishment will motivate me to tackle the next big thing... painting the buffet table with chalk paint. Wish me luck!

Feels like Home...

Pick Me! Columbus Day thrifts.

So Monday was Columbus Day, and naturally I celebrated by going thrifting. What better way to celebrate "discovery" than by going out in search of treasures that previously belonged to someone else? (Insert rant on colonization and the rights of indigenous peoples here). Deep breath. 

On to sparkly things! We started out by going to a thrift store that a lot of people talk about but that I'd never been to, Red White and Blue Thrift Shop in the South Hills. I got rather excited when we walked in, because most clothing was on sale at 50% off.  And they organize by color. I always attempt to do this in my closet, and it lasts for a bit, but then I get obsessed with dividing by genre and too many subcategories end up ruining it. Oh well. I had a decent armload of stuff when we decided to try things on and discovered there were NO CHANGING ROOMS. I kid you not. And the place is cash only, with a sign posted for no returns and no exchanges. I’m sorry, but I’m not giving you a penny for anything if I can’t try it on first and you won’t let me bring it back if it sucks (which it probably will). So, all the clothes went back to the racks.

 Things that you don’t need to try on? Wallets! I found this little pretty, and it reminds me of all the fancy journals that I buy in bookstores with good intentions and never end up using (I’ll get to them eventually!).  I need to find the perfect use for this, and since my purse situation is a perpetual disaster area I’m thinking I’ll use this to organize all the artist business cards I keep collecting from festivals. I’d be hardcore broke if I bought every beautiful thing I see, but you never know when you’ll need to bust out the perfect gift (or engage in some retail therapy) so I have a lot of cards saved.

Pretty old things.

There was also a wall of semi-crafty things, and I found little bags of mixed rubber stamps. I’m not a scrapbooker, but I do love Halloween, and I found a bag that was mostly holiday theme stamps…and heavy on the candy corn. Oh, there was also a stamp of a vintage sewing machine. That  meant I had to have it. 

Sew cute! (Couldn't help myself...)

After that, it was on to Goodwill. I guess the thrifting gods wanted me to continue with my holiday theme, because I found this brass horn that will be perfect for Christmas. Think big red bows and garland over a mantle. I usually get really angry if people try to make me think of Christmas-y things before Halloween (choir music not withstanding), but I'll admit I got a little giddy thinking about where I was going to put it. 

Bust out the carols!

I also found this small glass cloche which I had to have. I always have to have all the glass display bottles and jars. I'm a hoarder in the making here. I'm pretty sure I won't stop till everything I own is sorted and displayed under/in/behind glass. Please start buying me windex. 

For fruits. And cheese. And candles. 

We had plans to hit some more thrift shops, but when we stopped for lunch and had pumpkin soup and bread, we decided to finish the day out at Soergel's. Now I've got several pie pumpkins in need of roasting, some delicious squash for soups, and some cranberry cinnamon cheese that I might eat in one sitting. Cheese is magic.

My Week (Don't Drink & Blog)

I’m going to try and post at least once a week here… my last post was over a week ago, so I already fail. Yay! Here’s what I’ve been up to.

I was going to write a review of the Mumford & Sons concert I went to last Thursday, but if you already love them then you know how amazing they are, and if you don’t I’m pretty sure me rambling on and on about how their shows are pretty much the closest thing a non-religious person can get to an authentic transcendent spiritual experience still won’t be enough to convince you of their power. Also, I saw them last year, in better seats, and your first time will always be the most memorable. The lyrics were still able to connect though, and constantly put me in awe of what the right words together can express.

Mumford & Sons Full English Tour

I tried to go to two different estate sales on two different days, and was thwarted each time. The first was five minutes from my house, but since I didn’t leave till 2 PM (Mumford hangover. Worth it.) I really only had a bit of time, and the selection would have been picked over. However, there were no signs, I saw no cars, and I didn’t even properly see the house. So I drove in a ten minute circle around my house. At least I saw the sun. Sunday afternoon I decided to combine what looked like a pretty good sale (two pianos! You know they have taste) with my Target run. This time my GPS screwed me. Seriously, never buy a GPS without lifetime map updates. Or just don’t be a cheap-ass like me and update yours every once in a while. I couldn’t find the house, so I input a cross-street. That apparently didn’t exist either. So there I was driving around Monroeville in the rain… really pissed me off. I had to hit Goodwill in an attempt to salvage the trip. Luckily, there was an awesome twelve bottle wine rack for $10, so not a total loss!

Wine time!

After a coat or two of copper spray paint it should fit with the bar downstairs rather well. I’m still working out the whole British pub theme that I wanted for that space, but I’m always eclectic, even when I have a design theme, so I’m sure it’ll all work out.

Today was hell, and on the way home my car tried to make me believe that it was finally going to kill me. A giant metal plate fell off in my driveway. It pretty much sent me into an emotionally comatose place, and I skipped my first choir practice of the season. Instead, I took a little nap (mentally checked the hell out) and then got drunk and watched the last competition episode of So You Think You Can Dance. I love that show, and it makes me wish that I had had a freaky stage mother that constantly pushed me, because maybe then I would be able to move that way.  All I got were the insecurities and none of the skill. Bah. 

So now I’m a bit drunk, typing this. I’ll probably read this in the morning and erase the whole thing. Or post is as a reminder that you shouldn’t drink and blog. Either way, I hope this coming week gets better. This weekend is a road trip to the PA Ren Fest, so sometime next week you can expect some amazing photos! I seriously love that place, and since it’s on a winery they have the best festival drinks around. Drunken photos! I need some Advil….