Roadside Rescue

Good Morning everyone.  I'm excited to show you my very FIRST roadside rescue!

 A couple of weeks back, my family and I were driving around, looking at neighborhoods, and my hubby spotted these tables on the side of the curb with a free sign on them.  We stopped the car and I begged him to go get them.  I was being a big wussy because there were people standing in the driveway packing up a U- Haul.  Being the sweet man that he is, he made me put on my big girl pants and go get them myself.(Sometimes I need a push)  I walked up shyly to the tables and sure enough the people looked my way.  I smiled and told them that I would take these.  They quickly offered a really cute dresser too, but we didn't have room.  I asked if they would be around later, but they were headed back to Malibu. BOO!

I quickly grabbed my curbside goodness and off we went. 

Apparently, I was so excited that I didn't take a before picture.  Normally, I would blame my kiddos, but I honestly can't remember taking one.

Here is the after.

  These tables were in really great shape.  I didn't need to do any sanding before.  I just made sure that I wiped them clean.  I used two coats of light blue/grey DIY chalk paint.  Distressed them and then glazed them with a chocolate brown glaze.  It was my first time using brown glaze.  I have to say that I really liked it.  Next time, I think that I want it to be a little darker though.  I waxed them down and then gave the hardware a little makeover with black spray paint. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am happy to announce that my furniture business has picked up:)  I am actually clean out of furniture right now.  I guess not the worst problem to have.  I did picked up a couple of pieces this weekend and will be working on them this week. 

 

I also think that I may have finally convinced my hubby that I need a small truck!!!  It is so frustrating finding a great deal and not being able to fit it in my SUV. 

 

 

 

XOXO

Wendy

Thrifty Finds #3

Good morning!  This past weekend, I went out to the thrift stores to see if there were any treasures to be found.  I did come home with a few.

I may have mentioned before, but right next to my house is a strip mall of thrift stores.  I think that there are about 10 all right next to each other.  Including Bargain Hunters.  It is a store that is owned and operated by stars of the hit T.V. show Storage Wars. Their prices are a little high for me, but I always go in just to see what they have.  Next time I go, I will take some photos for you!

As I was walking around one of the stores, I spotted this adorable milk glass bunny dish.  I looked at, but put it back. 

When I turned the corner, there was another little milk glass dish.  This time, it was a chicken.  I figured it was destiny stepping in saying "Please take home these lonely little animals!"

I paid full blown retail for them, but that's okay!  Not everything in my collection needs to be a steal. 

I also scored some more milk glass bowls.  I can never have too many!  These ones I believe are from an old mixer.  They are made by Hamilton Beach.

The last thing that came home with me was an Ironstone bowl.  I was kind of shocked to find this.  I used to find Ironstone in all of the Goodwills in Portland.  Here, they barely have a dish section in the stores, let alone Ironstone. I might have done a little happy dance right there in the store!!!

 

 

XOXO

Wendy

Letting Go

Today was such a bittersweet day for me.  You see, today I sold the very first thing that I ever painted.  To date, it's still my most favorite piece.  You just may see a dresser, but to me, it's so much more.  It was the beginning of something that I became so passionate about. 

I don't have a picture of the before.  I never in a million years thought that I would document the furniture that I painted. I was just trying to find a hobby.

 The sale kinda happened fast, so I only got to snap a few pictures before the buyer arrived.

When we made the big move, we went from 2500 sqft. to 1500 sqft.  Unfortunatly, we didn't have room for a lot of stuff. There was no place for the dresser to go.  I decided that I would try to put it on the back patio, but it was just getting ruined out there, so I put it on Craig's List.  I got a text that day saying the buyer wanted to look at it.(insert sad face)

 



 

 

The second my dresser left, I had seller's remorse.  I know that it went to a good home, so that made it a lot easier.  I'm just glad that someone else gets to enjoy it!

XOXO
Wendy

From Drab to Fab

Hello furniture friends.  Today, I have yet another end table to show you.  I have had this one a long time.  I actually bought it for one sole purpose.  It had casters on it, and I wanted to use it as a platform for other tables.  It made it easy to turn my projects while painting them.  I paid 5 bucks for it at the local Goodwill.  I kinda forgot about it until I went by side of the house and there it was just sitting there being used as a spider mansion and apparently, a spider labor and delivery unit.  Gross!

Here is the before.

 

 

 

This table was so filthy that it took two cloths to get it clean.  My skin was crawling.  I thought that it was going to need more work than it took. To my surprise, the legs were just a little wobbly.  Nothing that a screwdriver couldn't fix.

 

I don't claim to be a psychic, but I could predict that this table was a bleeder.  I knew that this was going to need at least one coat of primer.  Sure enough, I could see the red coming through the primer.  I gave it another coat just to be safe.  Then, I gave it one coat of a dark grey that I had on hand.  It was an oops by Behr.  This is probably the best paint that I have ever worked with. It gave so much coverage, that I only needed the one coat.  I then distressed it, used a white glaze, and put a coat of wax on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot what cute details this little table has.  It's funny how you think that a project is gonna give you trouble and it actually ends up being pretty easy.  I guess, not so funny when it's the other way around...

 

XOXO

Wendy







The Slow Down

Long time no post, huh?  Since moving to San Diego a few months ago, I have noticed a huge change in my furniture selling.  Extremely slow:(  I have no idea if it's the colors and style that I use or something else...  In the three months that I have lived here, I have only sold 3 pieces.  It's okay though, I will keep chugging along.

I found this little table at one of the thrift stores in my area.  It needed a little TLC and was in my price range, so it came home with me.

I gave it a quick sanding, and then painted it with a medium grey that I had on hand.  Next, I whitewashed it, and then distressed it.  It was my first time distressing something that I have whitewashed.  To be honest, I prefer it without the distressing.  I used my favorite contact paper to line the back of it.  And then I protected it by using a paste wax.

Here is the after.

Sorry that the pictures are so boring.  This was one of the pieces that sold.  And it sold faster than expected, so these are the Craig's List photos from my cell phone.

I do have a exciting piece that I am starting to work on.  It's going to take a lot of work.  The veneer is coming off in some of the places, but is really on there on other parts.  I am going to have to get my iron and elbow grease out!

XOXO

Wendy