DIY 4-Ever

Back in May, during Garage Sale time, we unearthed a kitchen table from the attic.  Seeing as how Mr. RH and I nave a brand-new apartment with very little furniture inside.... I was still hesitant. It was just so.... country kitchen.  

So I decided I was going to re-finish said table.  After much MUCH hemming and hawing, I decided to just paint the table legs a similar creamy-ivory color, and to stain the top darker. 

So I sanded.  And then I sanded some more.  Thank the Lord for my little electric, handheld sander. 

Afterwards, I applied my first layer of stain.  

I'm not sure if you can see it or not... but it was a disaster.   I let the tabletop sit in our back porch for a few weeks... and then I knew it had to change. 

So I started over.  Sanded it alll the way back down to bare wood.

Meanwhile, I worked on the base inside due to crazy humidity levels.  Make it work!

After all that sanding, I did a little more testing of stains... on the bottom of the table.  And then I ended up mixing my own on the fly and all the testing was for naught.  TYPICAL. 

In the end.... I think my stain-mixing wildness paid off.  A perfect, mid-brown stain.  Ahh, much better.

The humidity outside increased again... so it was back inside to apply varnish to the tabletop.  The pic below is after two layers.... my dad said it needed more like 3 or possibly four layers.

As per usual, I may have overdone things a wee bit.... but it actually really paid off.  Six layers of varnish later - that tabletop is as smooth as glass.  

I cannot wait to get that baby into our new apartment.... which we got the keys for yesterday.

More details on that to come!

As for me... I'll be busy crafting.  Centerpieces don't make themselves!

 Have a fabulous weekend!

Time Marches On

I had this past weekend off so I shopped till I dropped with one of my best friends, and then we shopped some more.

I promise to have a photo shoot with my stuff once I break down and buy another remote for my camera so I can actually photograph myself. That damn remote is still MIA.

Moving along.

My friend and I actually went "thrift" shopping on Sunday. I say thrift shopping but I think what I really mean is junking. It's basically a giant warehouse filled with old junk. I felt like I was on an episode of American Pickers.

I didn't buy anything but I am having a very serious case of the "I want"s.

I saw this old retro dresser and I can't get it out of my head. I am envisioning it painted bright green. Or maybe white. Or blue. Ohh, maybe a Tiffany blue color.

Isn't it hideous and beautiful at the same time?

My dad says it looks like it's laminate and not real wood and therefore won't paint well. So I've got to sneak back and scratch it and see if its wood. (Note to self: what am I talking about? I have no idea what scratching it would accomplish.)

I also found this chair. Actually, it's one of a pair. My friend and I are thinking we neeeeed to buy the pair and recover them. Only neither one of us speaks upholstry.

Which I'm sure isn't hard at all. I mean, for probably $20 we can make it look brand new and adorable and I'll probably have a new career as an interior designer.

(That would be sarcasm, for those of you new to Sarah-speak.)

There's this teeny-tiny problem where I actually live at home with my dad (woo, the excitement of being young and poorish and not wanting to pay real Rent). And I fear that bringing home 2 new pieces of furniture (when I still have several pieces in a storage unit and several more in the living room) may result in my eviction.

And a smack upside the head.

But ohh, I want.

Correction, I need.

Somebody needs to tell my interior decorator to go back to sleep cause she is whack and clearly doesn't know how to decorate.

Ok.

(And is it me, or does it sound like I wrote this post while drunk? Cause I didn't. I just woke up at 5 am and started typing. Whee. PUBLISH!)