That's what I should name my new business. I change hobbies at least once a week and it's probably a problem. I am a woman of many interests; writing, doodling, sewing (clothes, dolls, etc - depending on the week), cooking, baking, crocheting, exercising...you get the idea. This week I've started on a new hobby: antiquing furniture. It all started when my mom dragged me to the antique store (kicking and screaming, I might add). Ever been to one of those? It's like everybody cleaned out Grandma and Grandpa's closet and brought their junk to one place. You can find anything at an antique store. Even just a bunch of garbage that nobody would ever want (think armless Skipper dolls). My mom went in looking for an old oil can for my stepdad. Of course she found one.
I was mildly interested until I came across something that I knew I had to have. Of course, the price tag on the antique china cabinet was $2500. But it was perfect for my dining room! So it got my mind a brewin'. What if I could find somebody's crappy discarded china cabinet on Craig's List and make it look like an antique? Suddenly my options were endless...and that's when I decided to create an antique-looking guest room. I have huge ideas: beautifully remade shelves, dresser, pictures on the walls...my mom even offered to make me a matching quilt. We picked up an adorable powder blue bed frame that was perfectly distressed. Now we just need to wait for J to move out of the room...haha (kind of).
We decided to hit the thrift stores first. There we found several cute shelves and a hanging quilt rack. I think I paid a whopping $12 for everything!
The first thing I did was sand everything down to a dull finish. That took a while but it was worth it. After that I painted them and let them dry. When they were perfectly dry I distressed them - sounds insane but I threw rocks at them, dropped them a few times and sanded down the edges to roughen them up (to give that worn down antiqued look). Then I gave them a nice polyurethane bath and called them complete!
The other day I picked up a dresser on Craig's List for $30. Solid wood that was beat up a little but that's a good thing in my book. Less rocks I have to chuck at it. I sanded it down (it took considerably longer than the shelves but it was good exercise, right?). Oh, I also removed all the spiders (EW!). Then I painted it and let it dry. Roughed it up and sanded it down again. Once it was dry I polyurethaned it and I will give it to the girls for their bedroom until J2 moves out and I can move it to the new guest room...unless I find something better for that room in the meantime
I'm still keeping my eye out for the perfect china cabinet...it's only a matter of time until I find just the right one! I'm also considering doing a vanity with mirror for the girls...we'll see where my ADHD takes me next!
Monday, June 4, 2012
It's hailing...it must be summer (finally!)
I hear thunder outside...I guess that means it's FINALLY done snowing up here! It snowed less than a week and a half ago. I like to think that we're done now...but I've been wrong before.
I've been having teenager issues lately. Having an 18 year old (J1) is the WORST! Especially this one. He went to live with his dad when he was 15 and it's been nothing but downhill for him since. Praying that he gets a job soon and I'll be able to sleep again at night.
J2 just left for his great grandparents house in western North Carolina. Lucky kid gets to spend the entire summer in the Smoky Mountains. Whatever will he do without his video games? lol
C decided to cut her hair a few days ago. I thought she was upstairs playing nicely but she was in my sewing room and found my super duper sharp sewing scissors. She gave herself a nice side mullet. I screamed bloody murder and in her words 'freaked out'. This is her after the hairdresser did her very best with what she had.
N has another gymnastics meet this weekend. She just learned her round off back handspring so she's ready to go!
Her last meet didn't exactly go well until her bar routine. Then she pulled a 9.35 and won first place in her division! Hopefully I'm better at taking pictures/video than I was last time. I actually did get a video of that (try to ignore my annoying voice if you can!):
I've been having teenager issues lately. Having an 18 year old (J1) is the WORST! Especially this one. He went to live with his dad when he was 15 and it's been nothing but downhill for him since. Praying that he gets a job soon and I'll be able to sleep again at night.
J2 just left for his great grandparents house in western North Carolina. Lucky kid gets to spend the entire summer in the Smoky Mountains. Whatever will he do without his video games? lol
C decided to cut her hair a few days ago. I thought she was upstairs playing nicely but she was in my sewing room and found my super duper sharp sewing scissors. She gave herself a nice side mullet. I screamed bloody murder and in her words 'freaked out'. This is her after the hairdresser did her very best with what she had.
N has another gymnastics meet this weekend. She just learned her round off back handspring so she's ready to go!
Her last meet didn't exactly go well until her bar routine. Then she pulled a 9.35 and won first place in her division! Hopefully I'm better at taking pictures/video than I was last time. I actually did get a video of that (try to ignore my annoying voice if you can!):
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