Thankful

My sister bought a house!  My sister bought a house!!!  Her first house!

So excited, after all we've been through the past 18 months with our dad, and then the passing of our Grandmother as well, this is something they both would be so pleased and proud of her for achieving.

I had the opportunity this weekend to go visit and help her get ready to move, alas I could not help her w/the actual move which is today.   But she had a couple items she wanted painted and I was able to whip them out while helping her clean and do other things.  At least she will move into her new house with these nicely redone items on the 'done' list, instead of the 'needs doing' list.

The first item was a small dresser

 Before:

During:

Done:

Cute, right?

The next item is a vanity we took out of our dads barn.  It had a green paint finish that I covered with a green/grey and then lightly distressed.

Before:

During:

Done:

We went back and forth on what to do with the top, I think it looks good like this for now, and maybe we'll change it down the road.

And then there was the dresser from dads barn that I could not fix... at least for now:

It would have been so great to get all 3 done, but this victorian dresser had a very gritty, bumpy finish and when I started to sand it, it got gummy!  Blech!

We planned this one to go much like my refinish of the dresser I got from Dads barn:

Before:

After a good clean, light sand and application of orange oil and beeswax:

Realizing it would take a lot of time/energy to do it the 'cheaters way', and would not come out as well as doing it right, I gave up!  We'll put it in her basement or garage and strip it, and refinish it the right way later on.

Today sis moves, and I am so proud of her, as I know the rest of our family, those here on Earth and those in Heaven, is.  I am so glad I went up there to help out in a small way, and I can not wait to visit this weekend for the Holiday!!!

So much to be Thankful for on this Thanksgiving, including sister's first home!!!

My Sanctuary- bed update

My headboard is getting worked on in between other projects.  Here's how it looks so far:

Before:

Now:

Now, she really needs a good sand, but time being what it is, that will have to wait until next week.

Talk Talk

I bought this Telephone Table at the thrift shop for $10 and my sister called 'dibs'

bad picture

seatback detail

So  I painted it ...

... reupholstered the seat [oh it smelled!],... 

Seat back detail

... and did her Monogram on the table.

I think she is really gonna' love it!!


They finally brought Hobby Lobby to my town.  I had a blast there the other day, and could have bought a truckload of things I loved.
*sigh*

I saw this set of 3 canisters in black and white with some red, the large said 'Live', the medium said 'Laugh', and the small said 'Love'.  I was dying to buy them for sis, they are perfect for her... but they were too pricy.
So, I am going to try making them!

I think I'll take 3 coffee cans [I save them for the horse rescue for donation cans], paint them black, and then add chalk paint and then I can write the words in chalk, or maybe stencil with the stencil I did her Telephone Table with.  I'll post them if they come out ok.  :D

If they never come to fruition it's cause I do know some snakes have taken up residence in the crate I have all the cans in out in the garage... and once I see one of those slithery dudes,... well the project is over after that.

I'm scrambling to get it all done as I am heading up to see her Friday to help her paint, decorate and get settled and ready for Thanksgiving!  Can not wait to see her new/first house!   So exciting!

I linked up with Savvy Southern Style's wow-us-wednesdays, and Kammys Korner, trash-2-treasure-tuesdays   There are some awesome projects posted at both blogs.

I love a blog party... it cuts down my computer time substantially to have those select projects to peruse... but boy oh boy did I waste time after Christmas looking at all the 'year in review' parties!!!  I thought about doing one myself [a recap post], but with the hiatus I took I'm doubting many of you have stuck around [understandably].