Garage Sale and Thrift-ing Finds

LOVE a garage sale that opens at 7 a.m. I can hit those on my way to work....

Found a perfect size vintage suitcase to add to my collection...for $5.00...

Picked up this beauty for $10.00

This pic is after a coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Paris Grey applied late last night...

But the prized piece this weekend...actually Friday--is this beauty...

Why I LOVE this piece-

• Details-these will show up great after painting and sanding back...

•  Drawers- all the drawers are deep and will hold serving platters and bigger pieces and one is slotted and was lined with velvet at one time...

•  Hardware- great patina and so different from any I have ever found-have not decided if they are my style or not...may keep them on the piece or search for something else once the piece is complete..

• Wooden Pegs-after taking it all apart this weekend for a good initial cleaning...

I found these....several of them....wooden pegs...this piece is held together with wooden pegs...

I will do an entire post on this project as I continue to work on it....today involved getting rid of alot of this....

and a few little fluffy houses that I am pretty sure at one time involved a mouse or two...There will be ALOT of cleaning to do on this one....

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Workshop--A GREAT Find!

I LOVE Annie Sloan Chalk Paint...

It dries in no time, no need to prime, there is NO smell so you can paint your piece in your home, clean up is EASY- it distresses to PERFECTION and a little goes a LONG way....You can combine colors to  achieve the look you are going for and when you apply the wax for protection--it brings the piece to LIFE!

So I decided to drive to Chicago to attend a workshop hosted by 

Michelle Green of Di Lucca Designs--

http://diluccadesign.com

Michelle is a doll and VERY knowledgeable in the different painting techniques- and made us all feel right at home--Added Bonus--she is a one of those people you feel like you have known FOREVER once you meet her...another bonus of the workshop --meeting great, fun peeps and

THE PAINT--ALL THE PAINT

 So fun being able to experiment and try different techniques with all of the colors and seeing the benefit of combining different colors to achieve the EXACT look you are going for...For me the exact look I was going for was something to dress up this little vintage bench...That is the GREAT part about Michelle's workshop-you bring a piece from home to transform! Here is my piece BEFORE the workshop....

First I trimmed out the edges of my bench with a color called Primer Red....

And then I applied 2 coats of Duck Egg Blue....

Once dried I started distressing - which is so easy - it just rubs off....and the red lightly shows through...then I applied my
wax....

Before...

and after........

i love it!!!
......tomorrow more workshop talk!

Thrifting and garage sale finds....

Stopped by a random sale today on my way home from work......and this is what caught my eye...

 Some great details--that will show up when sanding after painting...

 and the price...

$2.00!!

 Next up....

Goodwill....

Noticed this chair---and then realized there were four of them...after looking them over I realized...

they were folding chairs...and they all seemed to work pretty well....the price was right...

As you can tell by the background in this picture--they came home with me...

Great backs--in PERFECT condition

and with wooden legs--you can't go wrong..

and proof of their age--and instructions--

June 1973-not bad for 38 years old!
LOVE the name--LEG -O-MATIC!!!

Reminds me of an early Saturday night live skit!

Just envision this little set up painted white and the seats covered with burlap or grain sacks...

and the little basket--99cents...

This is what i call a good day with great finds....

i will be posting my after pics of these...once they are all white....and Midwest Cottage-ed up!

How one word can change your life forever...............

These past 6 days have been long and difficult.  While there have been some wonderful things going on in my life - a beautiful new healthy grandchild, my son and his wife also pregnant buying a beautiful home locally after being transferred back home... there was a dark cloud looming that began with a simple phone call...........
My daughter called and said her OBGYN had called (my daughter is 6 months pregnant) and left a message for her  to contact her.  We both thought this was strange as she had not had any blood work or tests done lately-so we figured it was just a mistake.   We found out the next day it was not a mistake.


A test that was taken a month ago had some unfavorable results.  My daughter had a gene mutation causing her to be a cystic fibrosis carrier and her doctor wanted her husband tested immediately.  Being a carrier meant she would never have the disease-but could pass it down to her unborn child if her husband also had the mutation.  I figured my daughter did not have any first hand knowledge of cystic fibrosis and this was confirmed when she asked me- Could this be serious?   How do you answer that question?...I had some knowledge of the disease thru a co-worker who had two children with CF.  I had seen her come into work exhausted from all night emergency room visits, leaving work early for dr. appointments, working from home during hospital stays....I did not share this with my daughter....I just couldn't at this point.

As anyone would do we looked on the internet trying to figure out exactly what a carrier meant, why we did not know of this prior to the call, what the chances were that her baby would have cystic fibrosis.....
We found out the following--(my mind has not been terribly clear so if the info I share is not 100% accurate - I apologize) IF her husband tested positive-which one in 17 Caucasians do their baby would have a one in four chance of having cystic fibrosis......The most reassuring news was that in the last 3 decades there has been some wonderful progress made in this area - lengthening the average life span of a child born with cystic fibrosis from their teenage years to their 30's....some with several difficult symptoms to deal with and some with few....We kept going over the odds in our conversations....playing the numbers game.....and of course praying....a lot of praying...

Her husband is a teacher at the Catholic grade school where we attend church and have belonged to the parish since my daughter was in kindergarten...I joked with him that if the church burnt down today it was because I had lit every special intention candle that was in the church.....


Today at 9:13 a.m. the call I was waiting for came while I was at work...My daughter was also at work when her doctor office called and said the doctor wanted to speak with her...Her eyes filled with tears....The doctor was put on the phone to tell my daughter that her husbands tests came back negative and he did not have the gene mutation that would cause their child to have cystic fibrosis.. She was thrilled and so was I when she shared the news with me...our prayers had been answered......We could exhale.......

So tonight we are all thankful and will offer prayers of thanks and joy...but from this point on I will continue to light a special intention candle at our church for those who face situations like this and receive different news....the mothers, grandmothers, fathers, who hear those words --there is a medical situation with your child...  those who hear this and then must pull themselves together to figure out their next step...I pray for strength for them...to help them get through those difficult times...and also that there are  times of happiness mixed in for those whose burdens seem heavy....That is what i pray for tonight....

chris

From Drab Dresser to Disney Princess Magnetic Paper Doll Dresser

Forgot to snap a complete "before" shot--but you get the idea....

8 big ol' large drawers, and a big DARK dresser...with a funny finish...kinda shinny....

 

I was soo excited when I realized because of drawer style I would be able separate the drawer fronts with the help of a power drill from the drawers....By doing this I only had to paint the wooden drawer front....a nice rectangular piece of wood...So much easier to handle than an awkward drawer...

-Helpful Hint-

*  if you are able to do this to dresser drawers number your drawer fronts and drawers when you separate them --this will make the reattachment process so much easier....

 I roughed up the drawer fronts with a light grid sanding block and then pulled out the old trusty

RUST- OLEUM Painter's Touch PRIMER.....

My work space.....upscale huh? LOVE large buckets...so many uses....But look at the drawer front--so much easier to paint once I removed it from the drawer....

I primed and painted the drawer fronts

3 coats primer...

3 coats paint...

I don't know about you--but sometimes when i use spray paint I get a gritty finish...usually once I run my sanding block over the area it disappears...

 Here is what the drawers look like with the fronts removed...You can see the numbers marked on the drawers--so happy I did that......

Fronts drying after primer and paint......

Next I pulled out the Purdy and a Valspar clear protector..I had used this protector before on another high traffic piece and really liked it--it held up well and since this dresser is going to my daughter's home--for her daughter's room.....It needs to be tough as well as looking great.....This sealer goes on very easy--just watch closely for drips...I always do a double take a few minutes after I am done applying ...the drips seem to take a little while to appear....

Painting hardware was next....Spray painted them--RUST- OLEUM Painter's Touch Candy Pink...

and then....pull out the power drill and screwed the fronts back on the drawers and hoped they still fit in the dresser....

They fit like a glove....

 On to priming the dresser...I decided to go with a paint-on thicker primer due to the funky finish...first I lightly sanded and then applied 3 coats..

Once primed I spray painted on a coat of paint--but it looked a bit streaky--so I went with the brush on version in the same color--with my ol' Purdy!

It turned out well....

Now for some fun....the Magnetic Paint...

* Magnetic Paint Tips*

Have the paint department shake it for you when you purchase it...The little magnetic pieces were in a big chunk in the bottom of the can when I started and mixing it was not easy...

Stir while you are painting to keep it mixed and 

paint in even, smooth strokes..You cannot sand this to smooth it out once applied...

 I applied 3 light coats..once that was dry I reapplied my original paint...

and hoped for the best..........

It worked!  I think I was smiling as much as the paper doll princesses.  The paper dolls were a little light on the magnets so I purchased some magnetic tape and added some to the dolls and their dresses...and they stuck to the dresser very well....

I was very happy with the entire dresser...

Now time to delivery it to it's new home....and give it the real test...

Passed with flying colors! My granddaughter was thrilled!

My project supply list:

RUST- OLEUM Painter's Touch PRIMER
Purdy Paint Brush
Valspar clear protector
RUST- OLEUM Painter's Touch Candy Pink Spray Paint
RUST- OLEUM Painter's Touch Heirloom White Spray and Brush On Paint
Kilz Primer
Paper Dolls and magnetic tape
RUST OLEUM Magnetic Paint


I am link up to:

http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/2011/09/catch-as-catch-can-43.html

http://thediyclub.com/2011/09/september-2011-diy-project-party

http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/2011/09/tutorials-tips-link-party-28.html