New #AnnieSloanChalkPaint Project!!!!!!! Empire Chest!

I have a wish list of things I've always wanted.  On this list?  Rolltop desk, highboy, dining table which seats 12+ and...DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!!  An Empire Chest!

Give me a minute while I hit a cabbage patch move right quick!  GO ME!  IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

I found an Empire Chest and I couldn't be more ecstatic.  It is in pristine condition.  Early 1900's. HEAVY.AS.HELL!!!!!  Clearly on days when my favorite consignment store lady calls...I need to rent a man and a Uhaul cuz I couldn't even move that sucker 3 inches.  IT.IS.SOLID!  It is so perfect I don't have to do a thing to it but well...there is this color that I adore and this piece is SCREAMING for it.  The color you ask?  ENGLISH YELLOW.  With a shiny black top (I think.  Might just keep the top as is but I just think black would be sooooooooo sleek.).

I know you can't "see" it but it's gonna be gorg.  I just know it.  You're going to have to trust me here.  LOL!  Oh...and I'm going to have a piece of beveled glass cut to put on the top because I'm thinking it will house a "bar" in my upcoming Monnie Retreat.  LOL!  Okay...okay...so it's a living/sitting room.  No television.  No electronics.  It will be for reading and relaxing.  It will be shiny and gorgeous with a white sofa and FABULOUS window treatments. with super fluffy blankies and lots o' lots of BOOKS!  Yup.  There will be a covered box at the entrance for your cellphone.  NO ELECTRONICS!  It will be a thing of beauty.  (In my mind so far mind you!  LOL!

Okay...so...the way my ADHD is set up, Robby will only let me get one piece at a time so that I don't have a lot of projects stacked up because I've gotten bored.  Cuz we all know that can happen.  In the words of one of the besties:

"Is there ANYTHING you can't do?????"

Answer?  Yes...stick with anything for a lifetime.  Hey...I get bored.

HAPPY WEEKEND!  How is your weekend stacking up?  What's the temp out by you?  It was almost 80 degrees here today.  Throwed the hell off.

China Cabinet Upcycle - COMPLETE - #AnnieSloanChalkPaint

To start...I had to take off that old school gold leaf stuff.  I added about 20 drops of tea tree oil to some hot water, saturated a washcloth with it and then rubbed it all over the gold stuff squeezing as I went so there was water left sitting on top.  Then...I let it sit for about five minutes and, using the blade from a utility knife...scraped it off.  Easy.  SUPER easy.

Next, I painted the interior with two coats of Country Grey (followed by clear wax) and the exterior with two coats of Coco.  Since I was looking to coordinate with a painted chest we already have...I was trying to get a certain color so I followed the exterior with dark wax.

I plan on stenciling the interior back but probably not before Christmas.  I put some stuff in it to take a picture because I didn't want to pull out my china.  Then...I was like...well...I like my china where I keep my china (in the painted cabinet) and I feel like it's safer in there.  Now...safer from what I don't know.  This is how my brain works.  I have issues and I'm not working on them.

Still.

Before.  During. After.  

I like it.  It makes me happy.

And truly...that's all I want in life.  To do whatever makes me happy.

GO ME!

Sooooooooooo...have you decided to try a piece yet?  I'm thinking of painting our family room coffee table.  You know...since a little super cute puppy yall know teethed on it when we first got her.  LOL!

China Cabinet Upcycle - STEP 1 - #AnnieSloanChalkPaint

Whew...I just used a blanket to drag that thing out to the foyer because it has the best light in the house.  Don't tell Robby cuz that sucker AIN'T light.  LOL!  

I have been waiting on some stuff to arrive that I ordered to start getting this done right.  First thing is to remove that gold harlequin design from the glass.  I have a scraper and I'm going to use a mixture of tea tree oil and warm water to remove it.  I'm told it will take patience...Okay.

Next I'm going to paint the interior with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Country Grey.  Then...I'm going to either stencil a design in the back or figure out a way to add paper or vinyl to the back for a pop of contrast.  I don't want anything to fight with what I put in it...but I do want it to be interesting enough to draw the eye.

After that...I'm going to paint the exterior in Annie Sloan's Coco.  

I've removed one of the bail pulls from the drawer at the bottom so that I can find one like it online.  I haven't found one yet but hope to do so before I finish the painting.  I'm also thinking of painting the bottom two inches of the front legs a gold color.  

THIS will take a minute.  LOL!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!  Yall decorated for Christmas yet?????

HELP! Twin Beds with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Country Grey

I have two of these beds and am using Annie Sloan chalk paint in Country Grey.  I'm doing one at a time so I can figure out exactly what I want to do to them.  I figure if I do one at a time it will be much easier and quicker to do the second one once I know exactly how I want it to look.

That one has two coats of paint on it and I'm about to play around with dark and clear wax.  The dark wax will give it a weathered look and I guess that would be a good thing in order to hide future knicks but I'm not sure how to go about it just yet.  I like the way it looks on some things but sometimes...the shabby chic look can be a bit too shabby to me you know?  So...that's my dilemma.

I'd like to highlight the details on the beds.

What do YOU think?  Distress the details only or try and lightly distress the entire bed?  Do you like the color I picked?  Remember...they are going in a navy blue bedroom that I want to make gender neutral.  

I've been buying old flag decor and keeping it all together with the receipts in case I change my mind because I saw something recently that REALLY caught my eye that incorporated the color orange in the decor of a navy room.  Nice right?

What would YOU do?  Holla atcha girl.

New Projects!!!!!

Sooooooooo...

I'm taking this whole refinishing furniture thingy by the horns.  LOL!  I'm enjoying it so much!  Taking something well made but in need of modernization feels really good.  

Today I went out to my now new FAVORITE place in the world and returned with two really nice wood twin beds.  Headboard, footboard, rails, et al.  The price was ridiculously awesome and what made it even more awesome is that a family member decided to gift them to me for Christmas and called ahead to pay for them for me.  When I texted the family member to threaten to fight them they were all like...BRING IT!  And...SAY IT WITCHA CHEST!

I decided family shouldn't fight for Christmas and well...they'd prolly win anyway soooooo...

MERRY CHRISTMAS ME!!!!!!  GO ME!  IT'S MY CHRISTMAS!  GO ME!  IT'S MY CHRISTMAS!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  I FEEL SO BLESSED THAT YOU LOVE ME SO!

So...I'm, of course, chomping at the bit to get them started.  I bought the paint I want to use on them and will probably do them tomorrow.  I'm putting them in a room that is navy blue and I want to make it super relaxing and still fun for guests who are kids.

Now...the thing I'm SUPER DOOPER excited about starting?  THIS!

Maaaaaaaaaan look!  I couldn't fit it in Deuce, of course so I couldn't bring it home.  The Robinator is in deadline mode so he might not be able to help me go get it until Saturday.

WILL I SURVIVE?????????????????????????

This will certainly be a test of patience as I have none when it comes to doing what I want to do when I want to do it.  So now...we wait.  And while we wait...we do the most searching out stuff online to help make it look like I want it to look.  I just ordered this:  AMACO Rub 'n Buff Wax Metallic Finish, Antique Gold, so I could get the brass handles to have a really awesome bright color.  The pull on the top drawer is missing so I need to either find a replace for that one or three to replace them all.  I hope to identify that before I go to bed.  LOL!

I have my Annie Sloan chalk paints already.  I know exactly how I want it to look.  Just gotta get it here and get started.

PATIENCE MONNIE!  PATIENCE!

So...yeah...

I can't do nuttin tonight though.  *sigh*