Chalk Paint

It's coming along.  A few more coats of polycrylic on the top, then some wax......

Update 6/24 am:  finished the table and chairs last night.  My hands and wrists are so sore, but worth every ache.  Although I am very pleased with the results, the polycrylic left brush marks on the table top.  I think I'll try to sand it smooth and then repaint and maybe just wax or do something to minimize the marks.

 The before and after (let there be light!):

I think I've picked Chelsea Gray, a medium warm gray, for the buffet.  Gonna have to let my hands rest a few days before I tackle more painting projects.

Busy, busy weekend!

I made my second farmhouse tray using leftover wood from my king bed project of a couple years ago.  I am in love with these trays.

Finished up the One Block Wonder from the panels purchased at Handcock's.

From this:

To this:

My younger running friend talked me into a 5k race today.  It was so hot and humid.  Thought I was dying.

 She beat me by about 7 minutes and then came back out to run to the finish with me.  Sweet friend!  She was encouraging me to keep it up!

 She won first in her age group, her little boy won first in his age group.  And I got second in mine. Well, actually first, but they gave the first place medal to a woman who didn't do the whole race. I don't know if she didn't realize she didn't do the whole race, or she did and cheated.  They did not have volunteers directing people on the race path, so I'll assume she just didn't know.

Later, fixed a healthy supper for me and the hubs.  He's got to watch his sugar, and I need to watch my cholesterol. Salmon, roasted veggies, brown rice.

Then, because all my sewing is done and I have projects galore waiting on me, and because it was too hot to work outside, I started on the chalk paint dining room project.  Love it so far, but it is going to take me a while.  These chairs have a lot of nooks and crannies and they will take 2-3 coats plus the polycrylic finish.

The chairs are not antiques, but reproductions made in China.  I like them, but wanted to update and give a fresh look for our new home.  Of course, not spending money on furniture (except for paint) was the best motivation to do this project. Can't wait until it is done.

And, I think this is the coolest thing ever......a good friend of ours sent us this picture, taken by his drone. Our new home site.  Footers are poured and everything is ready for the blocks to be laid next week.

Project Recap

Here are more pictures of my finished projects for the he's-gone-on-a-fishing-trip-so-I-can-do-projects timeline.

First was the tub surround using real bead board and wood trim.

A few kitchen science  projects.  Zucchini wraps, home made raw dark chocolate, my own Gentle Sweet blend.

Then did a couple of chalk painting and distressing projects, and I am in love.  Originally the lamps were green, then I painted them black a few years ago, and now white with a little distressing.

Knowing I had only a day left to work in the boat garage, I was inspired to make this tray.  I found a similar one on myvintageporch.com.  Really like all her DIY pieces.

So now, I'm going to just throw this out there......I realize many folks think its horrible to paint 'good' wood.  I understand that, I too, grew up in the era where we stripped all the painted pieces our parents painted.  But, everything kind of circles around, and now painted, distressed, and old looking furniture is very popular.  I love it because it is imperfect, just like me.  It is comfortable, worn, and informal.  So, that being said, here are my plans.  I plan to sand and stain the tops of two end tables, and chalk paint the bottoms, in probably a linen white, or cream. I'll also replace the pulls.

Then, I plan to chalk paint and distress this WHOLE dining room suite of mis-matched pieces.  The chairs are reproductions but I love them. The buffet is an antique but with a chipped veneer top. I think maybe some tan wax to highlight the carvings will be great. I will keep the buffet hardware and reupholster the chair cushions.

Then I plan to chalk paint this TV cabinet and night stands.  The cabinet will be white with some distressing.  I'm thinking I might sand down the tops of the nightstands and stain them something similar to the tray I made, and do white chalk paint on the bottoms.

We will be moving later on this year and I am excited about just taking paint and elbow grease and remaking my existing furniture into something fresh for the new home.

So??? thoughts?  (please, no haters...)

More projects than time

Are any of you like me, you always have things in your mind you want to make, do, research?  The wheels are always turning.  While the hubs has been gone, I've painted two lamps with milk/chalk paint (couple of coats of milk paint, but had it too thin, and didn't have more, so I then painted it with chalk paint).

Then, I enjoyed the chalk paint so much, I did a small table.  (I'm practicing for doing my whole dining room suite of mis-matched wood pieces, but shhhh, don't tell the hubs, jk he knows I want to paint it)

 And this pile of wood is going to be turned into a little tray table.  I have a plan, just need some old looking handles, sandpaper, and wood stain.

 In the midst of this, we finally are making some progress on digging the footers.

And I'm also working on a new one block wonder using some panels I bought at Hancock's in Paducah a few months ago.

 The panel was rather small so it will only make a lap quilt.  There wasn't really enough to put together much of a design, so I decided to just randomly put the pieces together trying to mix it up.

I think it will make a springy couch quilt.  I love chalk paint and distressing so much, I'm thinking of painting my black quilt ladder.....robin egg blue would look pretty?!