My Favorite Thrift Shop!!

I am about to expose my favorite thrift shop.  People always ask me where I find my furniture at.  Most of the time, I play coy.  "Oh, you know, here and there."  It's not true.  I pretty much only go to one store...

It looks like a regular Goodwill, but look a little closer.  What do you see???

Yep, they exist.  I was stunned the first time I went in.  Inside there are tons of bins with clothes and everything else you could think of.  They sell most things by the pound.  I usually skip over those.  I will be honest.  I'm kinda scared to stick my hands in the bins.  One bin that I have no problem with is the book bin.  They sell hardback books for $2.00.  Music sheets are .25-1.00 for the whole book.  I found some sheet music that was 120 years old.  I paid a whopping quarter for it!

Anyway, on to what you really want to see... The furniture.  I had my little girl with me that needed a nap, so I shot what I could with my cell phone.

First we have a cute little coffee table.  It was $3.00.  Look how cute the legs are!

 

Next up we have a super cute dresser for $20.00

 

 

 Wait for this one!  How cute is this dresser???  It was only $50.00.  I really wanted it, but in order to buy a big dresser, I have to take out my car seats, and I had my sweet girl in tow!  I will try to go back.   The best thing about this place is that, each day the prices go down. So if it's around tomorrow it will be 40-45!!!

Here are some of the chairs.  I bought 4 extra chairs for my kitchen at the outlet.  I paid $!.00 for each of them.  They didn't match completely, but once I slapped some paint on there, nobody can tell!

I wish that I knew how to reupholster.  This little sofa was so cute!  $12.00!

Here are some super cute vanities!  The second one has it's original casters!

Anyway... So now my secret is out! It's okay though.  There is always enough furniture to go around.  

Here is what I brought home.  I found these little end tables.  They were five bucks a piece.  How could I say no???  I love that they match, but are a little different!  

XOXO

Wendy

Drexel End Table

Hi Friends.  This week the kiddos and I have colds, so we are staying home and getting better.  I put a movie on for the kids, and drug up an end table from downstairs. Don't they say that painting is the best medicine?

  I found this little guy at my favorite store.  I was actually buying another piece when they brought this one out.  I could tell from far away that it was really great quality.  I opened up the drawer and saw Drexel in the inside.  SOLD!  Drexel really builds their furniture to last.  It was a little outdated, but nothing that a little paint couldn't fix!

                          

I have  been holding onto this color for quite sometime.  Again this is not it's true color.  I'm afraid it's going to be this way all winter!  The true color is green.  I thought this would look super cute for a little girl's room.

The existing hardware was cute enough, but I thought pink glass knobs would look perfect.

I used two coats of DIY chalk paint., and then distressed with 150 grit sandpaper. I wanted it super girly,so I put a little stencil on the top.  And of course, I used a little black glaze.  I almost used brown glaze, but I still had some leftover black from the other day. Lastly, I gave it one coat of wax.

Seriously, look in the background of my pictures.  This is how my house looks at 2:00 pm with all the blinds open!  Thank goodness it's just a rental.  In our next house, natural light is on the top of my list.

 

I have another small dresser that I might paint this same color and sell them a set.  If I didn't already spend a fortune on Ella's furniture, I would totally use them.  I love pink and green together!

XOXO
Wendy

Finding My Way

I have been painting furniture for a couple of years now.  Painting furniture helped me get through something a lot of women go through.  After my 2nd child was born, I went through postpartum depression.  It was shocking for me.  I had absolute no depression with my son, but when my daughter arrived, it was a whole new ball game.  With my son, I still worked 3 days a week.  I got to get out of the house and still have adult conversations. It was change, but not a huge one.

My husband and I decided that it was best that I stay home after Ella was born.  I had always wanted to be the kind of mommy that stays home with her perfect children, baking brownies, and making sure that my house was in tip top shape at all times.

Well, reality took her hand and slapped me in the face. After Ella was born, I had a 20 month old, a newborn, and it was nothing like I expected.  We stayed home most of the time.  Even getting both kids ready to go to the grocery store was exhausting.  My house was a disaster zone at all times and  my life was consumed with someone always needing something from me. Even taking a shower was so difficult.  At times I wanted to run away.  And because of these thoughts I felt the worst guilt.

 I was very lost.  I had no interest in the things that I once loved. When my best friend came to visit, she could tell that something was very wrong.  I had told her about a new duvet that I had bought.  Months later it was still in the package.  The old me would have slapped that sucker on the second I got home.  But this strange me could have cared less.

One day I got on the computer and came across a blog.  It wasn't a furniture blog, but I was mesmerized by it.  I wanted to crawl into my computer and live her life.  She wrote about cooking, decorating, and gardening.  It was picture perfect.  From her blog, I found another, and another after that! Finally, I came across a furniture blog.  I hightailed it to the Goodwill and purchased my first dresser for $30.00.  I spent the next two days sanding and painting, and then sanding again.  I felt something that I had not felt in a long time. Excitement! I was so excited that I was able to create something so fun!  With every paint stroke, my stress went away.  I had found something I had been searching for... ME!!!

Fast forward almost 3 years later, I love staying at home with my children.  We have so much fun together!  We do crafts, go places together, and yes, we do make those brownies that I dreamed of making!  I even drag them to the thrift store to pick out furniture! They are my little helpers, and I thank God for them everyday!  I am so blessed!!

I want to tell you that now I feel silly for these feelings, but I don't.  I know that women go through this all the time.  Being a mommy is the hardest job I will ever have.  It is also the most rewarding.  My children bring so much joy into my life.  I cannot remember what life was like before them.  I know not nearly as great!!!

I guess what I learned from all of this is that just because we become someone's Mommy or Daddy, we are still people.  We still have needs and wants of our own.  I am living proof that there is a happy middle somewhere.  You just need to find it!

Here are some of my pieces that I painted before my blog!  You may only see furniture, but I see the best kind of therapy!!!

XOXO
Wendy

Light Aqua Cabinet

Hi Furniture Friends!  First of all I would like to apologize in advance for my pictures.  You see, I live in Portland Oregon and we are known for our grey skies!  Add on a house that has almost no natural light, and we have a picture taking disaster.

I bought this super cute cabinet a couple of weeks ago.  It needed a little love.  The veneer was coming off of the back and it had some holes that needed filling.  It was my first experience taking an iron to my furniture.  It actually worked pretty well.  The reason that I bought the cabinet was the beautiful hardware.  So pretty!

  I almost forgot to take the before picture.  I had already moved the top drawer and the hardware.

Yes.  I am painting in my kitchen.  It is way too cold to paint in the garage.  So far it has worked out.  I have not had an accident yet.  Oh no!  Did I just set myself up???

I chose an "oops" color that I had bought a couple of months ago.  The little paint blob on the can looked more mint than aqua, but the paint dried a little darker. So I guess aqua it is.

Now let me tell you that these pictures are not the cabinets true color.  It looks much lighter here.  In a lot of my pictures it looked grey.  Go figure!

I gave it two coats of my homemade chalk paint.  I might have already said this before, but to make my chalk paint, I just add a little non sanded grout.  Works great for me.  I will use this recipe forever.  It's so budget friendly!

I sanded it down using 150 grit sand paper.  Then used a lot of black glaze.  This piece turned out more dirty than I usually do. I wanted a little something on the front, so I put the number 33 on the doors.  The last thing I did was wax it down.

 

I have decided that I am going to use up all of my paint that I have on hand before I buy anymore.  I kinda have a problem with buying  paint. Some might even say that I am a paint hoarder.   I buy so much of it.  We will see how long it takes to use up what's in my garage.  My shelf is stocked full!


XOXO
Wendy