New Life for an Old Table

I am happy to say that I finally found some time to work on this little occasional table that has been standing forlornly in my garage.  I found this piece, and it's sister, at an antique mall that was going out of business last summer. I've been longing to freshen her up.

The top of the table was in pretty rough shape and I wasn't sure if I would paint over it or try to leave it natural.

When I took the sanding block to the top I found that the varnish flaked away quite easily revealing a beautiful grain to the wood.  Thus, my decision was made.

 

So here she is, painted with Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint, and then antiqued with some watered down ASCP in French Linen.  I brushed it on and then wiped it off  immediately with a damp rag, leaving color in the carved areas.

I am SO pleased with the way this turned out.  The wash shows off the details of the carving and the shapely legs. I chose not to do any distressing for now.  I'll let whoever buys this little beauty decide whether or not they want a more aged and distressed look.

Here are a just few close ups:

I still need to seal and protect the paint with some soft wax which will give it that soft glow that I love, and I've yet to decide how to seal the bare wood top. Wax or Polycrylic? I'm open to suggestions as, up until now, I've completely covered every piece of furniture I've worked on with paint!

This table is pretty tall and I think it would look quite grand in the middle of an entry hall, with a large floral arrangement (these are my now fading Birthday roses) . . .

 . . . or perhaps as a side table . . . as a bright spot at the end of a hallway . . .or beneath a lovely mirror . . .

My "store" of restored furniture is growing as I try to decide how to go about selling the Old Things I'm making New!  This is an absolutely wonderful hobby and I'm having so much fun.  I'm sure my husband will be almost as happy as I am when the garage begins to clear!

 Many blessings and a happy weekend to you all!

 

Patti 

 

 

Linking up with:

EmbracingChange

 

Giving Thanks

Turkey dinner with family and friends, old Christmas movies, Black Friday craziness, decorating for Christmas,  . . .how did you spend your long Thanksgiving weekend?  As the weekend draws to a close and the last of the leftovers goes the way of leftovers (garbage can or soup pot), I reflect once again on our many blessings. 

This Thanksgiving Day we drove over the river and through the woods to Grandma Betty and Grandpa Jack's (my in-laws) house. They weren't up to making the trip to our house this year as, at 93 and 94 years of age, they are growing tired.  It was a simple day in every way.  The turkey dinner we brought was spare compared to what I would normally cook at home and there were no fancy appetizers or table decorations.  It wasn't a large gathering.  With family spread out all over the country and into Canada it was just the four of us.  It was a nice day, quiet and relaxing. 

This is a picture of Betty and Jack last summer.  Jack had just been diagnosed with lung cancer and it was uncertain what they were going to do to treat it.  It was an "accidental" diagnosis, as he went in for a shoulder x-ray and a spot was noticed on his lung.  He ended up having surgery to have the cancer removed and it turned out to be stage 1, no radiation or chemo recommended.  After a couple of months Jack is still regaining his strength.  Not feeling well is hard and frustrating for him, but he is still with us!  God has more in store for Jack in this life and we are all very thankful.

As we enter more deeply into the holiday season, take some time to just BREATH . . .

and be . . .

 

 

 

Some Attention for my Little Blog :)

This is Thanksgiving week and I have so much to be thankful for. First off, last week I found out that my blog post Drop Cloth Draperies for my Front Door was featured by Sherry at NoMinimalistHere on her Open House Thursday Party. I was stunned as I casually scrolled through her blog and came across my entry hall!  Thank you so much Sherry.  Now, this week, I've been nominated by Lisa at {create inspire} for the Liebster Award. What an honor to be chosen by you Lisa. While I would really love to have more time to put into growing this blog I must say that it has not been able to be at the top of my priority list. Nothing is as important to me as my family, friends and the ministry we are involved in with Freedom Session. So, to receive attention from these talented women is a huge blessing to me. Guess what I'm sharing around our Thanksgiving table!!!

 

So, on to the Liebster Award.  This award is given by more seasoned bloggers to blogs with 200 followers or less to show them a little bit of love!  There are some rules attached to the nomination:

 

1) Post 11 random things about yourself

2) Answer the questions that the nominator sets for you

3) Create 11 questions for the poeple that you nominate

4) Choose 11 blogs that you love (also with 200 or less followers). Link them to your post and let them know they've been nominated.

5) No tag backs!

 

11 Random Things About Me:

 

1) I'm a little bit pigeon-toed.

2) I love movie popcorn with extra butter. Yum!

3) I have two amazing daughters who live in two opposite corners of the country from me. We are meeting in the fourth corner this year for Christmas!

4) I received my scuba diving certification in the Puget Sound (we're talking water temps of 51 degrees) and I now dive only in tropical waters!

5) I love to belt out praise and worship songs but my voice isn't all that great.

6) I have a little addiction to Dove Silky Smooth Promises - Milk Chocolate.

7) I strongly dislike any kind of paperwork and put it off as long as I can.

8) The most relaxing thing for me is to be out on our boat, reading a good book and drifting along, on a hot summer day.

9) I love the feel of my three dog's ears on my face (3 dogs, 6 ears!)

10) I enjoy coffee dates with friends.

11) I like scarves . . . a lot!

Questions from Lisa:

1) What's your favorite pair of shoes? Right now, for winter, a new pair of short slouchy boots.

2) If you could take 1 trip in your lifetime, where would you go? Honestly? I would go absolutely anywhere that my daughters could meet me. We love being together and one of our favorite vacation days ever was at Niagara Falls, playing Dinosaur Mini Golf! Being so far from my girls has made me realize it isn't where you go on vacation, it is who you go with on vacation.

3) What's your favorite scent of bodywash/soap? Thyme

4) Who's been the most influential person in your life? My mom. She set me on the path to who I am today and I just wish she was still around to see what I am doing now.

5) What's the worst vegatable EVER? I'd have to say brussels sprouts, although I do have a recipe that makes them passable!

6) Are you an early bird or a night owl? Kind of schizephrenic in that area. My schedule seems to follow my husband's work schedule.

7) If your house was on fire what would be two things you would grab (assuming your family and your pets are safe!)? My computer (it has EVERYTHING on it) and my mother's wedding ring.

8) What is the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? Make a cup of coffee with cinnamon vanilla creamer and have some quiet time while I wake up!

9) What is your favorite scripture/quote? Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

10) Which of your boards on Pinterest has the most pins? I'm ashamed to say, I've never learned how to pin a board! I really need some technical help!

11) Sweet or salty (or mix em!)? Salty, with a sweet chaser!

 

11 Blogs I REALLY Love:

 

1) Jo @ coastalhomelove

2) Karen @ asouthernblossom

3) Danielle @ antiquerecreation

4) Diane @ sacredheartdesign

5) Carrie @ hookedondecorating

6) Kristen @ themodagecottage

7) April @ heartsdesiresathome
8) Deb @ vintageonadime
9) Krista @ needalattemom
10) Karyn @ kayboocreations
11) Jenine @ abitowhimsy

 

11 Questions for my Beloved Bloggers:

 

1) Do you hit the ground running when you first wake up or are you slow to warm up?

2) What is your favorite movie of all time?

3) What is the best vacation you've ever taken, and why?

4) Do you have a hero in your life? Who and why?

5) Cat person, dog person, or other?

6) Favorite subject in elementary school?

7) What is your favorite kind of food?

8) If you could ask God for ANYTHING what would it be?

9) What do you like to do in your spare time? Don't have any? Pretend :)

10) What helps you get your creative juices flowing?

11) What genre of book do you tend to read the most?

 

That's all folks! THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS to you all. Patti



A Fresh Coastal Feel for an Old Brown Shelf

I am so excited to share another furniture reveal today. The very reason I started blogging was to show furniture transformations and, hopefully, build enough of an audience to actually SELL some of my work. It is even more exciting today because the friend I did this for will see it for the first time when she reads this post. Oh dear . . . I sure hope she likes it!

You may remember a post I did a few months ago called Garage Sale Saturday! My friend Carol and I went garage saling on an already hot August morning, picked up this little shelving unit for her bathroom, and started painting that same day. It must've hit nearly 100 degrees in my garage that afternoon.

Needless to say, we didn't get very far. Instead, we headed for the beach and chilled in the Adirondacks while my husband BBQ'd up some dinner (by the way, it wasn't the fish that the guys were SUPPOSED to be catching that day. I guess the fish don't like the heat either).

Since Fall weather is perfect for painting I finally got back to it this week. One very fun thing about this project is that Carol loves everything coastal. Well, these shelves didn't look at all coastal with the dark brown wood, but from the start I could envision how to get the look she wanted in the carved top detail. My goal was to bring that out with Annie Sloan Pure White chalk paint and some antiqueing. What do you think? Does that top remind you of a seashell?

Carol doesn't care for the look of distressing so in order to bring out the carved detail I mixed a bit of Annie Sloan's French Linen into my clear wax. Here is a picture of the entire shelf after painting and before I started "staging" it for pictures.

I think the shelves look so fresh with the white paint, don't you?

Here are some close-ups, showing a bit more detail.

And here are some even closer shots. Do you think the antiqueing is too much for someone who doesn't like distressed furniture?

I scavenged my house for things to fill up the shelves. Dead Sea Salts for a nice soak on a chilly Autumn evening, (Hmmmm . . . I wonder what I'm doing tonight?)

. . . a Waterford Swan for a touch of elegance,

. . . and bit of sparkle. These remind me of bubbles!

The great thing about chalk paint is that it can be painted over even after the wax has been applied. I think I'll send the leftover paint home with Carol just in case she would prefer it to be a little more pristine. It's such an easy fix.

I hope you enjoyed seeing another Old Things New transformation. Blessings to you!