One [day] and done

... I know, totally unusual for me to get something started and finished, but there ya' have it.

My mom's husband [I'm 45, do I really call him my step dad??] had this little chest that needed some love, but I felt would be perfect in my sewing room for all my bibs and bobs, so it came home with me.
Thank you benevolent step-dad/moms husband!  :D

Yeah, it had seen better days, but it sure was sturdy, and solid and useful!

Initially, I was planning a multi-colored, washed out/distressed theme of blues and greens over madetolooklikebarnwood grey, each drawer being a different color.  But then as I sanded I realized that I had some mahogany stain from another table I did and this could be done lickety-split if I just stained it...  and 'done' is something I have found so elusive lately that I had to go for its.

Here's the result:

There's a little more sheen to it than I planned, but I think if I sand it a bit more and apply another coat of stain, I can rub that 'shiney-ness' out and make it more of a patina then shine.

This is going to be GREAT for my sewing room!  

It also has wheels on the bottom so I can roll it out to use, and then roll it back out of the way when I am done.

And [for the most part] it's done.  Which around here is rare!

In process, the tables

I've got the tables I bought at the Estate sale cleaned, sanded, primed and now with the distressing color on, so I thought I would post a quick update before I leave for a week on the lake.

Here are the pair of tables before:

And now sanded [only the tops, lightly], primed, and with a light green that will show through when I distress them:

My tools, a can of Oops, and a small paintbrush

I put the paint I want to show through basically where I know things would get worn naturally, through use, and where I will distress them.

Here's the other table before:

And now cleaned, sanded, primed and with the distressing color on:

This blue is another can of Oops I picked up along the way.

You can not beat it for $2!

I was actually able to get a coat of the antique white I will use over it on parts of it yesterday as well!

It was like we were on fire around here, we got so much done!

Anyway, so this will have the whole week to sit in the garage curing until I can get back and finish painting and distress them.  Worked out perfectly really, 'cause if I was not going away I would be itching to dig in, and really a couple days to sit and cure is better.

So we are off to a short vacation with my mom, her new husband and my sister.

This is the first time in 8 years D, A and I have been able to get away with the boat on a lake, something my husband as a bachelor did every summer with his group of [now disbanded] friends.

I think he's just a leeeeeeetle excited.

My son is thrilled to spend more time with Sis and her chihuahua... I'm sure the feeling is a little less than mutual on the part of the Chi, but what'cha gonna' do?  That's life as a small, cute dog.

Estate sale goodies

It's been a busy summer of trips hither and yon....

... but now I'm home and this weekend we happened to pass and then U turn to stop at an estate sale.
There was some seriously great stuff, and it was late on the 2nd day of the sale by the time I hit it!



I picked up this pair of cute tables, $20 for the pair:

These are going antique white.

And this coffee table, $5:

I'd like to do something to the top, a painting of flowers, or something...

I'm seeing a pale, pale grey with some light blue and green showing through the distressing, particularly where these turned details are...

I also picked up these packing cases, $10 each:

I'm wondering if the smaller one is the right size to become a bench in my mudroom....

The larger one,... I dunno' what I'll do with it yet.  But at that price, I could not pass them up!

And finally, this trunk.

My friend lost all her horses, and all her tack in a barn fire this spring.  It still breaks my heart to think about.  I had told her I wanted to find and customize a trunk for her, and have been looking ever since.  The problem is that the trunks I find are either too nice to paint, or too pricey... or both.

I picked this one up for $10, and although I don't think I want to paint it, it will probably fit the bill.

It has a key attached, with a little note:

'Key 1 of 2 to Irenes trunk'

'Irene has the other key'

And inside are newspapers from 1946.  I have yet to look those over.

Finally I scored some Ironstone and other china, that while not valuable, I like and got the entire box for $5:

First platter

Ironstone platters

Assorted plates

two of these

 I have another one of these, I think, somewhere...

The place having the sale was a former general store and home of the store keepers.

The details in that place were fantastic!  The store had the most incredible built in shelves, and display cases.  And an entire, still in great shape tin ceiling.

The house part of the place had the built-ins that one expects from a place of this age.  A lovely pantry cabinet in the kitchen.   A porcelein'd double sink- one side deeper than the other with a drainboard that goes over the shallower sink.  And you know me... I was ooh'ing and aaahing over the wallpaper in several of the rooms.  I thought I was about to hit the jackpot when the Estate salesperson said she had several rolls of the paper she would sell me... alas she could not find them.  I just wish I had had my camera on me to take a few pics of it on the wall.

So, now I have several more projects on the production line... and another final summer vacation trip coming up in a week... so while I'll be faithfully working away, I can't promise when I'll update you all... just hang in there with me, will ya'?

While I have very little in the way of progress to report/share... unless you call 'cleaning out the garage by selling/delivering the hutch and then filling her back up thanks to an Estate Sale' Progress... but I am linking up with Savvy Southern Style's Wow us Wednesday #79  cause it's what I do!