Coffee Table is DONE (this time around anyway...)

What started as this...

Got a little bit of Behr Gobi Desert...

 ...and some wood stain because I'm cheap and didn't want to go buy glaze...

...and then a coat of Behr Black Suede...

...and, although it isn't very photogenic, the FREE coffee table finally has its ALL FREE new look!

(thanks to my sister in law and the great paint I got at the Shop and Hop!)

Tomorrow, we're moving the (free) dresser that I just redid with the Black Suede also! The wreck that is my side of the closet is about to get crossed off my list. (I hope....)  :)

Behr Black Suede dresser

Several moons ago, I went to Indy to a Shop and Hop. Not only did I meet some cool gals and get some great finds, but we also scored big with some free swag from a handful of companies. One of my favorites was the two Behr paint samples that were in it.

A few days ago, I started painting this unused dresser with the Behr Suede Black sample that was in the bag.

I loved it so much that when I needed THISMUCHMORE, I went out and bought a quart of it. I did this instead of finishing it right then with another brand of flat black that I had sitting right there with me.

It would have done it in one coat, but I was painting a shiny, smooth surface with a bad brush. So, I had to give it two coats. Now, I just need to figure out if I'm keeping the knobs or painting them before we drag this bad boy into the bedroom.

Not bad for a free dresser and (almost completely) free paint!

We're hot and painting

Gimme an M

Gimme an O

Gimme an E

What's that spell?

Well, technically, "moe" but I don't think that was intentional... their hearts just weren't in it. They were too hot and tired to really play along.

But, this was the kind of help I got today... and most days, actually.

Not only are the animals typically too tired to do much ALL day, but we're doing an experiment here right now. We've turned off our AC... in mid June... when it is 99 degrees and 300% humidity. 

Instead of running the central air, we've put a window unit from the wood shop in our bedroom. We're only running it from about 7pm-7am. There is another one at the other end of the house in the upstairs that stays on most of the time. The downstairs is build into the ground in the back and is all concrete under the carpet. So... we're a bit warm, but we'll see if it saves any $ and electricity in a few weeks! And, it hasn't bee HOT in here yet.

Well... minus the pics from above from today when the little 'uns and I were in a room upstairs painting an unused dresser.

I was using the Behr Black Suede paint that I got for free at the Shop and Hop I attended. But, it was about 1/18th of a cup shy of really giving it the coat it needed. When we go to the dr Friday morning, we plan to swing past HD and getting another little pot of it. Then, I'll show the disaster of a dresser and closet I have right now because I need more drawers!

Huge wicker basket

I bought this huge basket on the Shop and Hop trip I went on. It was $15.00. It needed a little TLC. (But, to be honest... not all that much....) I laughed after I bought it because Dustin isn't a wicker fan....so I buy a 3' long, 1.5' tall, and 1.5' deep solid wicker basket with lid :)

 

 (Why is it that every time I take pictures, a 4-legged creature HAS to help? This has been in the living room since I bought it at least a months ago. Sophie loves it but acted like she'd never seen it when it was time to take the pictures of it)

 

Anyway.... the hinges on it were attached to the base, but not the top. It was also covered in bad fake leather. I can handle some fake leather, but this was 5 year old boy wallet quality. It had to go.

Here are all the pieces... well, most of them. Sophie claimed some of them and took off with them. I'm sure I'll find pieces randomly around the house and think they are snakes....

Once I had the "leather" off,  had Dustin take it to the garage and blow it off with the air compressor. It was REALLY dusty inside. Then, I had him Gorilla Glue the hinges down and find 6 screws so we could attach them to the top. 

I also wove a piece of twine through the weaving on the inside so that it won't open all the way and accidentally rip hinges off or tear something. It is pretty solid, but, just in case. 

I planned on finding some spray stain and giving it a coat to darken it up some. I haven't located said stain yet, so, for not, it's staying au naturale.  And, since we aren't certain where this piece will live, I'm on with it being neutral. It might stay in the living room... or the upstairs living room.... or it may head to the baby room once we start to redo it. And, since I'm pregnant,  I'm at Dustin's spraying mercy. (He hates to paint, by the way....) For now, it is living beside the couch- the perfect place for Sophie to try and beat it up. 

It looks a smidge plain now, so when I give it a coat of spray stain, I might paint the thicker cross pieces/frame a darker color to break it up a little. It may also get a cedar plank base inside to help keep blankets fresh. But, like so many of my projects.... this one works for now :)

Oh, and did I mention... I only paid $14.99!

Goodwill Tealight Holder Redo

A few weeks ago, I went on a Shop and Hop trip in Indy with some great gals. One of my purchases was this gem for $1.99.

Yes, the coffee table that I flubbed up with crackle is my new work station :) I can't mess it up any worse than it already is!

I liked this candle holder because it isn't huge. And, it is wood. It is beat up a bit, but it is still solid. It is for tea lights and at the time of purchase, I remembered that 4 years ago, when we got married, we got a huge box of Yankee tea lights that were crammed in a closet.

I envisioned it looking like a piece of driftwood so I first gave it a good base coat of Behr Gobi Desert from my fantastic swag bag from the trip. 

I did this one night in the bonus room/office/room above the garage, so the lighting isn't great in some of the pics.

I gave it two fairly light coats. Mainly because I'm impatient and wanted it to dry quickly! :) Then, I drug out my three bottles of paint and started dry brushing. 

I ended up only dry brushing on the darkest brown I have. At first, I was just barely putting any on it. Then, I realized that it needed it to be a bit heavier or it was just going to look dirty. I like how the wood grain is just starting showing through. 

Then, once I had it dry brushed to my liking, I went in search of that 'huge box of tea lights". It was a huge box. Key word here: was. But apparently I have been burning them here and there over the past four years and forgot.... there were two left, ha!

I'm not sure where this is going to go, but I am happy with the final look and it is neutral enough that is can go in several places around the house. It is another of those pieces that the camera can't really make it look as good as it is. This isn't the best picture, but the colors are richer in real life.

Not bad for $1.99!

Goodwill Candlesticks get a free makeover

This past Saturday, I headed to Indy for the day to shop with a bunch of great gals. We hit 4 Goodwill stores in the area and I found some great deals. Since we leave soon for a family vacation, I tackled the easiest of my purchases first.Well, that, and this is a super busy work week for me and I'm trying to crank out as many essays as I can write for my class.

So, the taller candlesticks were my first victims.

If they weren't quite so gold they might have stayed as is. I'm not s big gold fan. They were painted to look like copper, almost, with the green aged look in places. (maybe it was just dirt and grossness:) But, I think it was intentional)

Gold and Green Glamour... almost...

We had a beautiful day here, FINALLY! It was warm; it was sunny; it was a smidge windy... so, I made sure to stay away from the house and car as I painted. (Lesson learned the hard way) I took my two purchases and my new Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint from my swag bag and headed out to make more spray paint marks on our driveway. There are several spray paint outlines of previous victims there as well.

I gave it two coats, but that was only because of the detail and and having to spray from different angles. It only took one to cover it, I just needed too many angles for one.

I have to admit... I didn't realize how great this paint looked. I'm not just saying that because it was free either. The lid of the spray can doesn't do it justice. Much like my pics are about to do too... the mirror next to them is painted flat black, so you can see a bit of the color of it here.

I took these last night and hoped for sunlight today for some better pics before I posted, but the sun isn't showing itself quite yet.

And, the new jewels on the constantly half empty mantle. Anyone have any ideas for this mantle?

Yes, they will get candles. Right now, I only have peppermint striped pillars for Christmas and the burnt orange and bright white ones we use when the power goes out :) So, pretend there are candles there that are just the PERFECT color....

Not bad for less than $4.

I'm tempted to find some glaze to use on these too.. I've never, ever used it before... I know, gasp.

Shop and Hop Goodwill Loot

If you think I scored big with the free stuff from the swag bags... you're right! :) But, I also scored big with my purchases also.

Let me mention again, I don't spend money. Ever. When Dustin and I go shopping I will carry something around a store with me for an hour. Then, when we walk to checkout I say "I don't think I really need this..." and I'll put it back where it came from. This drives Dustin insane. I did that on Saturday with about 5 or so things, too. We're actually GLAD that we do the Dave Ramsey plan (for numerous reasons) because it makes it ok for me to spend my blow money when it is dedicated to being "Shannon's Blow Money". I still often have some blow money left at the end of the month, but that's ok too.... :)

Without further ado.....

The candle collection

The two tall gold/fake copper ones will most likely get the Oil Rubbed Bronze from the swag bag. Their destiny, for now, is the mantle. The two smaller ones are going to get a coat of primer, a coat of black paint, and then they will be my sacrificial silver leafing project, maybe. The tea light "boat" will get some coat of light color paint that I don't own yet and will head up to the bonus room/room above the garage/office.

Who would have guessed that this little wooden calendar would be Dustin's favorite of all my purchases? Not me. It will also get some paint. I have number stickers but am on the lookout for the months. I don't want to have to handpaint/stencil them if I don't have to. I thought it was cutesy. I know I won't ever remember to change the date, but, for $1.99, I thought it was a cute little find.

Right now, I'm on the hunt for a saying, quote, something to write on this puppy once it is painted. I think it will be hung sideways. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to put a few lines of the song Dustin and I danced to at our wedding. That is still TBD. I've put Dustin on the mission as well. He is really good at coming up with things like that, something I'm sure he'll be REAL happy I told everyone :).

Maybe a coat of the Oil Rubbed Bronze... maybe going to live on the coffee table with all the decorative balls I've been making... maybe...

Ummm... yeah. I dunno either. I think it is the top from an old (?) shoeshine stand. I just thought it looked neat and had some potential... somewhere :) And, I thought that Dustin would think it was cool. As previously stated, the calendar is his fave. :) If it weren't so gold, I'd probably only clean it up some. But, the gold will need some work.

 

This won't get "crafted". This is actually my ONLY purchase that won't get painted, ha. I just thought it looked fun and like a great tradition to start when we have little ones running around the house at Christmas. (and, it was only .99)

And, the bigguns.....

When I say "bigguns" I mean, almost-didn't-make-it-home-in-a-Ford-Escape big...with all the seats folded down... and the front seat all the way up and forward... and the back door barely shut.

I just realized, as I type this in bed and nowhere near this table, that I don't have any REALLY good pics of it.. It is 5'1" long and less than 2 ft deep with a cane bottom. It was $14.99. No, it doesn't have a top. My mom's husband works at a sawmill so I might get wood for it... or I might spring for some glass. (Or beg my grandma to so some stained glass for it:) Hi grandma:)) It will become either brown of some shade or a light color for the upstair/bonusroom/office.

And my last big purchase, another $14.99, was this beauty.

She will be losing the fake leather, will get new hinges, and a coat of paint.

Dustin doesn't like wicker.... so I come home with a wicker trunk/basket big enough for both of us to get in (no really, it is that big). I ask his opinion on everything before I paint/change things. I like a second opinion; he comes up with some cool ideas; and, he's gonna have to live with all my projects too, so I like to see what he thinks. (I don't always listen.. but I ask...that counts, right?). He thinks this is a cool piece but he doesn't want it white. He apparently isn't a total wicker hater; he is just against white wicker. This is going to end up as a coffee table or end table most likely and with blankets stored in it. Ellie, the puppy, thinks everything is hers... especially the blankets. So, this was bought to keep the non-Ellie blankets away from her little cuddly self. Although, I am half tempted to make the bottom the basket for blankets and do another project with the lid.... I chance the whole thing becoming a kitten/puppy bed if I do that though....

There you have it!

And there I have it, for a grand total of $49.11!

Go GOODWILL!

Any suggestions for any of my great finds?? I leave on Friday for a family vacation, so I'm guessing I'm not going to get much accomplished with any of this until I get back! But, I am always open to an opinion besides those from my white wicker hating hubby :)

Shop and Hop swag bag goods

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with some fellow Hoosier bloggers (and a Kentucky gal). The Thrifty Decor Chic, Sarah, and Beckie, who is Infarrantly Creative, hosted Shop and Hop. We went around to four Goodwills in the Indy area and had a blast despite the rain.

Before we got our shopping on, we had a nice lunch and were given fantastic swag bags!

The Goods, including the reusable GoodWill bag

Gorilla Glue goodness!

I LOVE free paint, but I am JUST as pumped about the many mini paint colors! I have a serious problem with accumulating collecting these! The colors of the samples are Gobi Desert and Suede Black.

This great knob came from Eclectic Cabinet Knobs and Decor.

No, your eyes do not deceive... 

3M sanding block, sandblaster sandpaper, and spray adhesive!

(That rhymed in my head... "adheseeve")

And, last, but certainly not least:

Scotch painter's tape for delicates and multi surfaces,

SPARKLE Mod Podge, and

Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint (yum!).

The day was definitely a success. In addition to the goods above and the new friendships, I came home with a car load. I now have 10 projects in the middle of the living room begging to be painted and crafted. I spent less than $50, which is HUGE for me; I don't spend money. But, I seriously had my mother-in-law's Escape LOADED down with 2 really big finds + all my smaller ones. So, it was well spent.  I'll post my loot pics tomorrow!

We leave for family vacation with Dustin's whole family on Friday, so I have a busy week cleaning, packing, working, writing papers, and (now) getting a first coat on as many projects as I can!